This letter is submitted by me as a citizen of New Canaan and not in my capacity as a member of Town Council; any opinions expressed in it should be construed as coming strictly from me and not from Town Council.
Here are some facts:
(1) 2,504 New Canaan residents (17% of registered voters) participated in the July 25 referendum vote, which failed to overturn a May 20 ordinance banning summertime use of gas-powered leaf blowers (“GPLBs”).
(2) A significant and solid majority, 59%, of those participating in the referendum voting said they wanted the ordinance overturned.
(3) The ordinance was approved by an 8-to-4 vote of Town Council, after receiving emails and vocal support for the ban over several months from less than 2% of Town residents.
These facts are indisputable, and I believe they need to be considered if and/or when our Town’s legislative body considers any amendments to the ordinance.
I believe the referendum results clearly show that a majority of voters agreed that the ordinance, as written, is over-reaching and ill-crafted, and does not have broad, town-wide support. The results clearly show that at least 10% of New Canaan’s registered voters (1,471 out of 14,526) wanted the ordinance repealed. I wish many more than 2,504 voters had turned out on July 25 to make their voices heard.
During the discussion and debate that preceded the Town Council vote on May 20, concerns were raised about the “blanket” restrictions the ordinance imposed on all property owners, regardless of the acreage that needs to be cared for. Concerns were raised about the hasty implementation of the ordinance, which allowed no time for small businesses and residents to adapt. Concerns were raised about the inconsistent application of the ordinance, which imposes hardships and higher costs on small businesses yet exempts the Town’s Department of Public Works. Concerns were raised about cost increases to residents resulting from being forced to use less efficient landscaping equipment. Concerns were raised about the enforcement challenges of the ordinance. Concerns were raised about residents reporting their neighbors to the police rather than allowing the police to do their job. All these concerns were ignored in the approval of the ordinance.
My hope is that New Canaan will support more common-sense approaches to legislation going forward. My hope is that our elected officials will listen to many more than 2% of our citizens before implementing ordinances that impact 100% of the Town’s residents. My hope is that we do a better job, and that we craft legislation that much more clearly reflects the will of all the people rather than the vocal few. We can do better.
Eric Thunem
