Charter panel hears P&Z leaders argue against elected board
Other Committee · Meeting of January 20, 2026
New Canaan's Charter Revision Commission heard planning and zoning leaders make a united case against electing the board. Chairman Dan Radman, Secretary Christa Nielsen, Town Planner Sarah Kerry, and town attorney Nicholas Bamonte all argued the current appointment process, run through the Republican and Democratic town committees and the first selectman's office, insulates land-use decisions from politics. Resident Roy Bramitz used public comment to call the town's appointed-board structure "autocratic." Commissioner Jennifer Holm presented data showing most elected planning-board members in nearby towns still had land-use backgrounds.
Commissioner Bill Barrett asked Radman if he saw any benefit to elections; Radman replied, "None whatsoever." The commission's public survey has grown from 19 to 37 responses in two weeks, and members approved the January 6 minutes and adjourned by unanimous voice votes, with a February 3 meeting next and board interviews targeted to finish by the end of February.
In the full story:
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Source: the Other Committee meeting of January 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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