"I feel very uncomfortable with this," Committee member and Councilman Phil Pessina said of the proposal, which called for shutting down all but one entrance to City Hall, installing metal detectors and stationing a full-time armed police officer at the entrance. "We have a central beat officer. We have an officer patrolling on a scooter. We have a supervisor driving around. It could be simply done by having an officer check-in every hour. I'm not comfortable having an officer here for this kind of money."
Pessina asked the plan creators if they had investigated security at other city halls to see how similar-sized cities provided security. Oliver indicated that New Britain and Meriden had security officers on duty. One city uses a security guard, one a police officer.
Pessina cited New Haven city hall, and the State DOT buildings where the public is free to come and go with only a security guard on duty.
"In New Haven, it's right downtown, right on the green, right next to the courts," Pessina said.
Russo indicated that the plan was called-for because of certain "non-front page publicized incidents" which had occured. He did not give details of the incidents but hinted that they may have been disgruntled tax payers during tax collection season, or individuals who had property foreclosed on.
"We were asked to address this before it turned into a Columbine-like situation or like what happened at the brewery (Hartford Distributors)," Russo said.
Committee Chair Ron Klattenberg also opposed the plan, which at base would cost $101,000 annually to staff with a full time officer. He said that he understood the need for a security plan, especially when some offices in city hall collected cash, but the cost of the plan in difficult financial times seemed unreasonable.
The Committee voted the plan down and suggested that the planning committee return to the drawing board to present a more realistic and practical plan for security in what has been a very accessible city hall.
Resolution Against 4-2 Schedule
In other business, the Committee voted a resolution requiring the mayor to return to the standard five day on, two day off schedule for police officers so as not to endanger the citizens of Middletown with fewer officers patrolling, and to avoid confusion about police pay rates.
The mayor, and Acting Police Chief Patrick McMahon have instituted an experimental four day on, two day off, schedule to determine if such a schedule will help reduce overtime and sick days, and improve officer morale.
Klattenberg acknowledged that the mayor was within his authority to reject the resolution, but the committee voted to pass the resolution on for a vote by the Common Council Monday.
Purchase of St. Sebastians School
After a long and detailed presentation Tuesday night, town planner Bill Warner had only a few details to add to his recommendation to buy the former St. Sebastian's School to renovate as a Senior Center and municipal offices.
Committee member and Council Member Hope Kasper asked about operating costs at the building, and Warner estimated that those costs for utilities, supplies and maintenance would amount to between $40-50 thousand annually. He also said that the roof had been inspected and that the contractor said the material was "super-slate," a composite which in nearly indestructible. Warner reported that the roof was in good shape, and that just a few layers near the roof edge would have to be replace to installed new gutters and soffits. He also indicated that there was some lead paint in the building, including on the McCutcheon mural, but that it could be easily removed or encapsulated.
The committee voted to recommend purchase of the building and sent it to the Common Council for a vote.
The committee also approved a bid waiver by the Public Works department to buy a used sanitation truck.
8 comments:
I get real nervous when things move quickly through city hall as what appears to be happening with the school-to-senior center process. An ethics panel said the mayor is not in a conflict-of-interest situation because he is not on any parish boards. I think anyone who is a parishoner is in a conflict-of-interest situation and should remove themselves from the process. Whatever happened to the Veterans Park senior center project? And what's up with "working around" having to go to referendum as reported said in a previous post?
Is this really necessary? In poor economic times, I can't see spending the money on another building to renovate and maintain. I would also think that the current senior center is used by many people in the high-rise right next door; what is the impact to people who use the senior center in its present location?
This should go to referendum it will pass. Ugh when Serra said creative funding he meant illegal. City hall needsa guard for all the former employees that come back and make threats which does happen, disgruntled people paying their taxes, and employees slapping & grabbing one another
Anonymous...Veterans Park project$25 million, Eckely Hall $2.5 million. Which project would the tax payers and you support.
What would be accomplished having a police officer stop by once an hour at City Hall for "security purposes?" Such suggestions are made to fool the occupants (or the public) that there is extra protection, a deceptive illusion routinely used to placate a property owner, victim in crisis, etc.
Check in? Nice try. Besides, anyone that frequents the area around City Hall sees police cars and officers walking in and out of the building regularly every weekday.
And what would be accomplished by spending 100k to have a cop sit in the lobby? Perhaps we should build a moat around city hall, and perhaps the police station as well, surround it with razor wire, place some anti aircraft guns on the roofs and put machine gun turrets in the windows. By God, we would all be safe then, wouldn't we? Or maybe we can actually be rational and realize that although there may be an infintesimal risk at city hall we are all at much greater risk driving to and from work everyday.
These kinds of solutions aren't going to solve the problem. Look at what happened at the courthouse a block and a half away. They have metal detectors, security, etc., so the assailant waited in the parking lot and shot his victims there. Is it really worth 100k per year to make sure you get shot in a parking lot instead of your office?
I like the theroy presented in The Mess "if every cop gets 17.4 days extra of with pay that eqautes to 952 days off for just one year". Not sure but arent there about 216 days of work in the year ? That means we could hire anoyher cop and start him/her at the top salary and pay for his/her salary at top pay for 4 years. Sounds good to the cops, but not me !!
Who do these Middletown Councilmen think they are, that they feel they need security. Are they creating situations that they feel will end in dificult situations? Maybe they should think before voting on half the stuff they do!!
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