SHARE

New Canaan Leader Weighs In on Payment Flap

Town Council Chair Mark DeWaele says he was just as surprised as other New Canaan councilmembers to learn just this week that the town paid a $650,000 arbitration award back in March. The award, which was handed down in February, was for work on the Lakeview Avenue Bridge.

DeWaele was not at Wednesday’s fiery Town Council meeting, where several members expressed outrage about not being informed of the expenditure to Loureiro Contractors. The payment was made with dollars from the town’s capital nonrecurring fund, which acts as a reserve pool.

Council members said had they known it might have affected how they apportioned funds in the town budget for 2011-12, which was approved last month. 

The council will discuss the issue at a special meeting Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Town Hall. At that time the council will also create a subcommittee to “address the deficiencies in the process … and what led to the lack of communication between the town bodies,” DeWaele said. The council chairman said he also wanted to “clarify the timeline” leading up to the arbitration payment.   

Several people questioned DeWaele’s absence from the meeting. He said he was tending to a family matter and an engagement in New York City on Wednesday night. “I’ve missed two meetings in six years on the job,” he said. “If not for a family matter, I would have been around, although slightly late,” he said.

How concerned are you about councilmember’s claims that they didn’t know about the arbitration award? Leave a comment below. You can also visit our Facebook page.

to follow Daily Voice New Canaan and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE