[Adopted 11-14-2018]
Upon the written request of an owner of real property located within the Town of New Canaan:
A. 
Pursuant to Section 8-215 of the General Statutes, the Town of New Canaan is hereby authorized and empowered to abate, in part or in whole, the real property taxes on "housing solely for low- or moderate-income persons or families" as that phrase is defined in Section 8-202(c) of the General Statutes and as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the provisions of this article.
B. 
Pursuant to Title 12 of the General Statutes, the Town of New Canaan is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into agreements with owners of real property abating the real property taxes for certain real property as set forth in the General Statutes.
Any abatement pursuant to Section 8-215 of the General Statutes shall be made pursuant to a contract between the Town acting by and through its Board of Selectmen, who are hereby authorized and empowered to negotiate and execute such contracts on behalf of the Town, and the owner of any such housing. The contract need not be conditioned upon state reimbursement to the Town for such abatement but shall provide:
A. 
The terms of such abatement;
B. 
That such abatement shall terminate at any time when such housing is not solely for low- or moderate-income persons or families as defined by the General Statutes; and
C. 
That moneys equal to the amount of such abatement shall be used by said owner for one or more of the following purposes:
(1) 
To reduce rents below the levels which would be achieved in the absence of such abatement and to improve the quality and design of such housing;
(2) 
To effect occupancy of such housing by persons and families of varying income levels within limits determined by the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Housing by regulation; or
(3) 
To provide necessary related facilities or services in such housing.
A. 
Any written request for tax abatement, together with a proposed contract between the subject property owner and the Town of New Canaan, shall be first submitted to a Tax Abatement Committee. Said Committee shall be composed of the First Selectman, Chief Financial Officer, Administrative Officer, Assessor, the Chairman the Board of Finance, or his or her designee, and the Chairman of the Town Council, or his or her designee.
B. 
The Tax Abatement Committee shall ascertain the factors upon which a tax abatement may be granted in each case, including, for abatements pursuant to Section 8-215 of the General Statutes, the amount of potential reimbursement for such tax abatement from the state for which the Town is eligible.
C. 
The Tax Abatement Committee shall then determine the amount and any other pertinent terms of the tax abatement and negotiate the contract to the extent the Tax Abatement Committee deems necessary. Upon the conclusion of successful negotiations, the Tax Abatement Committee shall submit the contract to the Town Council, and thereafter the Board of Selectmen, for review and approval, together with reasons for its decision.
D. 
The Tax Abatement Committee shall be responsible for an annual review to determine if the property to which a tax abatement has been granted remains eligible for such tax abatement according to the terms of the contract between the owner and the Town, and shall notify the Tax Collector of the Town of any determination that the property has ceased to be eligible for the tax abatement. In such an event, termination of the tax abatement will become effective as of the date that the property shall have ceased to be eligible for the tax abatement.
The Town, acting by and through the Board of Selectmen, is hereby authorized and empowered to enter into agreements with respect to state reimbursement for tax abatements or state payment in lieu of taxes, as provided in Section 8-216 of the General Statutes, as the same may be amended from time to time.