NEW MILFORD, CT — The New Milford Traffic Authority approved new one-sided parking restrictions for Arrowhead Place, upheld most contested parking citations and accepted its 2027 meeting calendar during an Oct. 27 regular meeting at the Loretta Brickley Meeting Room.
Chair Tyler Bergemann called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. There was no public participation. The authority later adjourned at 6:02 p.m.
The authority reviewed seven parking violations. Members voted without dissent to enforce citations issued to Robert Bailey, Alexander Dickman Jr., Shireen Barday, Mirna Chinchilla and Angela Herdter. The panel also voted without dissent to waive a citation issued to Paige Tonnesen after discussion about signage in a no-parking area during Riverfest.
According to the minutes, Tonnesen said parking was limited during the event and said she was parked about 10 feet from a "No Parking" sign. The minutes state Officer Denise Dougherty said the entire area is no parking. The authority noted that the sign should be revised to read "No Parking" and that the arrow should be removed.
The closest vote on the parking appeals was a 2-1 decision to enforce a citation issued to Deztiny DiMeo for overtime parking. The minutes state DiMeo said there was not a 3-hour parking sign in front of the space and said she believed she was ticketed because of her out-of-state plates. The minutes also state member Dean Prokos commented that it is a shame to ticket during a town-sponsored or charity event. The minutes state Dougherty said no one had said anything to the Police Department and that, absent direction from the mayor or chief, she continues to do her job.
In new business, the authority accepted its 2027 meeting calendar without dissent.
The board also took up a sign request for Arrowhead Place that had been requested by Officer Matthew Dietz. According to the minutes, Department of Public Works representative Chuck Ballard said DPW recommends making the southbound, even-numbered side of Arrowhead Place no parking because it would allow a path for emergency services and has the most curb cuts.
Bergemann raised concerns, according to the minutes, that the authority would be weighing in on a dispute between neighbors. The minutes state he questioned whether the issue involved traffic or a boat parked on the street and said the only problem he knew of was when DPW could not get a plow truck through.
Ballard said the recommendation was a proactive effort and would provide order even if it did not solve the root of the problem. The authority voted 2-1 to approve the request to implement no parking on one side of Arrowhead Place based on DPW and New Milford Police Department recommendations. Bergemann dissented.
In its Public Works Report, the authority received no updates on the Route 7 illumination study by the Connecticut Department of Transportation or streetlighting at Route 55, Hemlock Lane and Colonial Ridge Drive. The minutes state Ballard said speed limit sign requests for Lillis Road and Sunrise Lane, both 25 mph, had been approved by OSTA. Members voted 2-1 to accept the report and implement those recommendations, with Bergemann dissenting.
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