The New Canaan Parking Commission upheld two parking citations at its regular December meeting, voting to sustain the ticket for appellant Vanessa Brown and to uphold a separate hydrant-related citation for a second appellant.

Vanessa Brown told the commission she was about 15 minutes late returning to a two‑hour Main Street space after dropping her child at daycare and opening her shop. "I'm a single mom... I make less than $20 an hour," she said, asking the commission for leniency. Commissioners questioned whether she held a downtown employee permit; parking manager Stacy told the panel Brown did not have a permit and said Brown had prior unresolved tickets and had previously been booted for outstanding fines.

Commissioners discussed merchant parking patterns on Main Street and emphasized that employee parking in customer spaces undermines the initiative to preserve spots for shoppers. After reviewing the record and Brown's enforcement history, the panel voted to uphold her ticket, with "4 to uphold" recorded in the meeting discussion.

A second appellant acknowledged parking in the wrong place to retrieve an item and asked for a warning. Commissioners reviewed a submitted photograph and confirmed the vehicle had been parked adjacent to a fire hydrant and a cross‑hatched area. One commissioner said the hydrant was "very well marked" and emphasized the public‑safety risk; the commission voted to uphold that citation as well.

The commission did not overturn either citation. Staff said they would notify appellants of the decisions by email and explained how appellants could apply for downtown employee permits going forward.

The commission also approved its 2026 meeting schedule during the session and adjourned. The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 7, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.