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Quarterly Gov't Meetings Urged for New Canaan

NEW CANAAN, Conn. – Meetings four times a year between top town officials are one way Mark DeWaele thinks New Canaan government can avoid miscommunications. 

This was one of several recommendations the Town Council chair made Thursday night at a meeting to find out why the town council was unaware of a $650,000 arbitration award to Loureiro Contractors for work on the Lakeview Avenue Bridge. DeWaele spoke at a meeting of the council's arbitration subcommittee.

The quarterly meetings would include the Board of Selectmen, the town council’s executive committee, the board of finance secretary, the town’s chief financial officer, town administrator, heads of town departments, chairs of town committees and the superintendent of schools. DeWaele said the meeting will “create a line of timely communication and shared knowledge base across all town functions, facilitate coordination of town services that should lead to increased efficiencies and cost saving and allow the public to participate in the process.”

The suggestions came during  a nearly 3-hour meeting, the fifth held by the subcommittee since town council members expressed anger in June about being in the dark about the arbitration award, which some council members felt affected preparation of the 2011-12 town budget. Several elected officials and town contracted attorneys have spoken to the council about the process.  

DeWaele said the meetings would allow for better communication between the town departments. DeWaele also recommended having each Town Council subcommittee chair prepare a report updating their department’s activity and having monthly meetings of the town council chairman, vice chairman and secretary to develop the council’s agenda.

DeWaele added that any transfers into and payments out of the capital non-recurring fund should be reviewed by the finance board and town council. “I think we need to make sure all town bodies look at this account and understand this account and have some authority over it so we do have appropriate checks and balances,” he said.  

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