Council votes 10-1 to set July 25 leaf blower referendum
Town Council · Meeting of June 30, 2026
New Canaan Town Council votes 10-1 to set a July 25 referendum on its gas-powered leaf blower restrictions, before the petition's signatures were even certified. Council member Kim Norton cast the lone no vote, arguing state law required the town clerk to certify the petition's signatures, then reported near 700, before any date could be set, calling the move "putting the cart before the horse." Chair Mike Morrow and members Hillary Armand and Eric Tunam countered that the New Canaan Town Charter's 30-day clock runs from the petition's June 25 filing, not from certification, and that no legal opinion barred the vote. Morrow said if the council is later found to have acted "ultra vires," the vote would be nullified and a new special meeting called.
Council member Mike Rogers was absent; the rest of the eleven-member body present voted yes.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,719 words
Source: the Town Council meeting of June 30, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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