Middletown State Rep. Quentin "Q" Williams killed in wrong-way crash on Rt 9

One of Middletown's bright lights has been extinguished. State Rep. Quentin Williams (formerly Phipps) was killed when his car was struck by a wrong-way driver as he returned from Gov. Lamont's Inaugural Ball. Williams and the wrong-way driver, Kimede Mustafaj of Manchester, were both pronounced dead on the scene. 

https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/middlesex-county/cromwell/wrong-way-crash-investigation-cromwell-route-9-connecticut/520-92dbf19a-8bc5-4fc1-a1fc-0ef3aa57384b

Per State Senator Matt Lesser, there will be a vigil for Quentin Williams Friday night on the South Green. 

GOP Chair Questions Bysiewicz' Real Intentions - RecordJournal

In today's Record Journal, Mike Savino reports on comments from GOP chair J.R. Romano speculating that Susan Bysiewicz might be gauging interest in a run for statewide office. But he also gives a good overview of the residency requirements (such as they are) that would apply to the lifelong Middletown resident's pending campaign for the 13th district senate seat.  It's currently held by Republican Len Suzio.

The election is 18 months away, but the Senate is currently evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, 18-18 and the 13th has been a swing district for several election cycles. The campaigns are likely to get lots of attention.

Bysiewicz is holding a fundraiser at the Inn At Middletown tomorrow (Wednesday) night.

The 13th Senate District (in green), and
the 9th (in brown). Click to enbiggen.

 

Legislature Authorizes Delay in Middletown Property Revaluation

Middletown's delegation succeeded in introducing legislation which allows the City to delay a revaluation which would otherwise be mandated this fall, 5 years since the most recent revaluation. The legislation took the form of an amendment to a bill (SB-201) with the exhilarating and informative title, An Act Concerning Technical Revisions to the Planning and Development Statutes. The amendment was passed unanimously, and the bill itself was included on the "Consent Calendar", under which dozens of bills are simultaneously passed without any debate.

State statutes mandate that every town in Connecticut revalue its property every 5 years, on October 1, to prevent towns from arbitrarily choosing when to determine the value of property being taxed. In this year's Budget Address, Mayor Giuliano said that a revaluation would cost $1 million in total, and in the budget he included $300,000 "as the first of three payments." He also indicated in his Address that he would lobby for a delay in the revaluation, "I will be meeting with our State legislators to stress my concerns to determine if there is any way to avoid this (unfunded) mandate."

Giuliano's efforts were successful, and Middletown's delegation (Representatives O'Rourke, Serra, Lesser, and Hamm, and Senators Doyle and Gaffey) introduced the amendment, which reads in part, "... the city of Middletown shall not be required to effect a revaluation prior to the 2013 assessment year, provided any decision not to implement a revaluation pursuant to this section is approved by the legislative body of such city." The amendment granted similar permission to delay to only two other towns, Madison and Guilford.

Tom Serra, Majority Leader of the Common Council, said that the amendment was discussed about a month ago at a regular breakfast meeting with city leaders and the legislative delegation. He said that the Democratic caucus supported a delay in the revaluation, not just because it would save money. Serra said that he was opposed to determining property values during a time of "economic instability".

This delay does not have any general effect on property tax bills. If a revaluation found that the average property value is lower, then the Common Council would have to set the mill rate higher to collect the same aggregate amount of taxes from property owners.

However, homeowners will benefit more than businesses from a delay in revaluation, because the value of commercial property has fallen more than the value of residential property. According to the Legislative Office of Fiscal Analysis, "This will have the effect of delaying changes to the town's grand list that occur as a result of revaluation, therefore, precluding a shift of tax burden between residential and non-residential class property."

Middletown's State Reps Score Well on Environment

The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters released their 2009 Scorecard for lawmakers in the State Capitol on Tuesday. Overall, 58% of the State Senators and Representatives were given an A or A+ on environmental voting. Middletown's delegation was even better than the rest of the State, of our 6 elected lawmakers, only Representative Joe Serra earned less than an A.

• Paul Doyle (Senate, D, 9th District): 96% (A)
• Thomas Gaffey (Senate, D, 13th District): 100% (A+)

• James O'Rourke (House, D, 32nd District): 96% (A)
• Joseph Serra (House, D, 33rd District): 89% (B)
• Gail Hamm (House, D, 34th District): 100% (A+)
• Matt Lesser (House, D, 100th District): 100% (A+)

The CTLCV tracked 12 bills about environmental issues that were voted on in the State Senate, and 14 bills that were voted on in the State House of Representatives. The bills that passed included an updated bottle deposit bill, bills to preserve farmland and historic urban centers, legislation that bans the toxin BPA in children's products, Smart Growth legislation, and a bill making streets and roads safer for cyclists and pedestrians by directing towns to use some state-road aid funds for this purpose. On each bill, lawmakers were given 100% for a pro-environment vote, 0% for an anti-environment vote, and 50% for absence during voting.

Serra's low performance stemmed from his absence for a vote to tighten the restrictions on pesticide applications at day care facilities and schools (HB 1020), and his NO vote on a bill to protect fish and wildlife by establishing a marine sport fishing license and tripling the fine for illegal takings of shellfish (HB 5875).

Doyle lost points for being absent for a vote to restrict vehicle idling (SB 792), and O'Rourke lost points for missing a vote to establish tax credits for environmentally responsible building construction (HB1033).

---------

Commentary:

The above scores are on bills that made it to a vote in the Senate and/or the House. It is relatively trivial to learn the voting record of our elected officials on those bills which they were asked to vote on. However, there were a large number of bills which were not voted on in one or both chambers of the legislature, because the legislative leadership decided that it would not come out of committee for a full vote. There is no way for voters to know the position of our elected officials on those bills, or to know whether they played a behind-the-scenes role in keeping the bill from coming up for a vote. In each legislative session there are hundreds of such bills.

There is a fundamental lack of transparency and accountability in government when voters have no idea who or what determines when important legislation is voted on or not. When something is not voted on, the attitude all too often seems to be, "Oh, the bill died, it couldn't be brought up for a vote before the legislative session ended."

This passive voice explanation makes the legislators appear as bystanders to the legislature.

Although individual legislators cannot be blamed when a bill dies in committee, they do have a responsibility to their constituents to make it clear why a bill died. This should be more than a passive, "The caucus decided ...," or "The leadership felt ...." Legislators ought to make it clear who made the decision and why, and what he or she, as our representative, did to support or oppose "the caucus" decision. After all, we as voters can only vote for an individual State Senator and State Representative, we cannot vote on "the caucus" or "the leadership."

As a minimum, voters should be able to easily learn the position and the actions that their elected official take on every bill, whether it is voted on or not. Such increased transparency would lead to increased confidence and engagement in government on the part of citizens.

Around Middletown in 80 Days: Day 43

Osaka
130 Main Street
(860) 854-6292

Tonight, join Oddfellow's at Osaka for a night of exquisite Japanese cuisine! Order a free side of exitement by taking part in a hibachi-style meal, during which a highly trained chef theatrically prepares the meal right at the diner's table! Or if a quieter meal suits your fancy, Osaka offers a "regular" dining section and a sushi bar. Regardless of which dining experience one chooses, diners may enjoy both hibachi dishes, a wide selction of sushi, or traditional Japanese soups and salads. In addition this dining experience, by attending this event diners will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win prizes such as gift certificates to local restaurants, art and theater tickets, and even a weekend getaway! Prizes will be drawn on November 13 during the intermission of opening night of Around the World in 80 Days. The more events you go to, the more raffle tickets you’ll have and the greater your chances of winning. Anyone can participate, and you don’t have to be present at the drawing to win.

Hours:
Sunday 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Monday - Thursday 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday - Saturday 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Middletown Fun Run Successful Despite Weather

Spirits remained undampened Saturday, despite the occasional downpour, as students and school representatives of Middletown schools, gathered Saturday for the annual Fun Run to promote physical activity at the school.

Even the superintendent did his laps.

Revised Charitable Food Distribution Statute Passes House and Senate

Senator Paul Doyle just called to say that the budget implementer bill, which contains the revised statute for charitable distribution of food not prepared in licensed kitchens, just passed the Senate after earlier passage in the House.

It is now on the governor's desk, where there is optimism that she will sign this implementer bill.

Charitable Food Distribution Language in Implementer Bill

State Senator Paul Doyle reports that language to amend the law which restricts charitable distribution of food to the needy, is in the current budget implementer bill which comes before the legislature for a vote today. Doyle also indicated that the governor supports the change in the food law, although he warned that the governor might not like the budget bill as a whole, and a veto is possible.

Doyle also indicated that the State Department of Health attempted to water down the language of the amended bill, but that the legislature resisted the weakening of the change and went with the language originally proposed by State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. That language is below.

Eye on the Air, Oct 2

Eye on the Air, WESU 88.1 FM, (on the web) live from 1-2 PM.

GUESTS: Elizabeth Conklin, attorney representing Food Not Bombs in hearings with the State Department of Health, and in a free-speech lawsuit against Middletown, and Middletown Eye culture correspondent Richard Kamins talks to jazz musician Steve Lehman.

Krom Responds to Health Department Assertions

Ron Krom, Director of St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen has sent a point by point refutation of some of the assertions made in a letter the Health Department sent to Mayor Sebastian Giuliano and the Common Council.



Mayor and Members of the Council



I know that the following letter to you from Sal Nesci was not directed to me, but since I've seen a copy, I cannot ignore many of the statements that were made in it. In the spirit of providing accurate information on this topic, I would like to offer the following. My comments follow each of the bullets in Sal's letter. I would be happy to speak with any of you regarding this matter at any time.



Ron Krom

Executive Director

St. Vincent DePaul Place



The following is the letter from Sal Nesci:



Gerry/Tim/Mayor/Council...

I do understand that you all have been getting lots of calls and emails about the alleged cease and desist order issued to St. Vincent DePaul Place. First of all, I want to make it clear that it is with the most heavy of hearts that I, as well as Dr. Havlicek and Manfred Rehm of the Health Department, had to put our signature on a legal notice to St. Vincent DePaul. A legal notice is not a cease and desist order. It is a written notification following an inspection or investigation resulting in the discovery of a violation. It allows the individual two weeks to seek a modification of the said practice in order to assure state compliance. Failure to comply usually results in the issuance of a legal order...for food service its usually 30 days. Failure to comply with the legal order Iusually results in the revocation of the license or abatement of the violation.



I've not used "cease and desist" at all. I've been clear in all that I've said and written that the legal notice comes as a CT DPH Food Inspection Report violation. I've also been clear that the legal notice I received said that "failure to correct the outstanding violation will result in the issuance of legal orders and . . . this may put your license to distribute food and beverage within the City of Middletown in jeopardy of being revoked."



For the record:The health department was never aware that the soup kitchen was open on Sunday's until about a month ago. In fact Inspector Rehm was told on numerous occasions that the soup kitchen is only open Monday through Friday. He has been told that by Ron Krom for several months.



It is unfortunate that this has now become a "he said, she said" - I have no recording of our conversations. However, neither I nor our Soup Kitchen Coordinator has ever said that we are only open Monday through Friday. I personally have never been asked that question. What reason would I have to hide the days of the week that we're open? In fact, I'm proud of the fact that we serve 363 days a year and we tell that to every funder, including the City of Middletown in our CDBG grant application every year for more than a decade. It says "Our Soup Kitchen is open seven days a week, 363 days a year." Granted, the health department doesn't see that application or my reports, but why would I tell the health department "on numerous occasions" that we are only open from Monday through Friday? For the record we're also open on Saturdays for breakfast and lunch, in addition to Sunday evenings for dinner.



The health department was never aware that the one meal that was served on Sunday nights was provided by area churches under the supervision of a soup kitchen staff member.



Yes they were. I personally told Fred Rehm this back in February or March when he came to ask me questions about the Food Not Bombs group. I remember telling him that I didn't know much about the Food Not Bombs meal, that it was served outside the Soup Kitchen by folks who were not connected to us. At that time I mentioned that our meals were on Sunday evenings.



The health department was never aware that a portion of this Sunday night meal was prepared in private homes and transported to the soup kitchen.



I believe that they were not aware of this until sometime near the end of August. On September 2, Fred Rehm was in my office and I confirmed that this was the case.



When we were made aware that this activity was possibly happening, we approached Ron Krom to ask if it is true and he stated to us that he has a criteria he uses to assure food coming in on Sunday night meets state code requirements and to the best of his knowledge it does. I stated to him that if that is the case than he is to continue his current practice and we as a health department will work with the area churches to educate them on proper donation procedures.



In fact, I assured them that the food comes from many home kitchens. Sal stated to me over the phone that I should continue my current practice and that he would work with the churches.The health department then sent a memo to all area churches reminding them that all charitable contributions made in the name of their organization should be that of non perishable food or food prepared in their licensed kitchens. The memo was sent on Sept 8, "reminding" churches that "all food contributions to any charitable event should be prepared on the premises in your kitchen currently licensed by the Middletown Health Department." The churches were confused - this was received more as a directive than a reminder. The only thing they remember is that they've been involved in this ministry for almost 30 years. I began to get calls asking "what's this about?" "Can we still serve our meal on Sunday?" "Will we be allowed to bring cupcakes that are baked in our parishioners' homes?"



At a recent hearing at DPH regarding Food Not Bombs, Mr. Krom was called as a witness and gave sworn testimony that he does in fact receive a portion of his Sunday night meal from private home kitchens which is in violation of the state health code. In fact he gave very specific examples of certain foods he receives from private kitchens on a regular basis.



This is true - I did not say anything that I had not already told Mr. Rehm and Mr. Nesci.



Because of the statement he made, we were required by virtue of the professional licenses we hold to confirm this and take appropriate steps to assist in the modification of the current practice. The very next day, Inspector Rehm visited Mr. Krom and Mr. Krom re-affirmed the statements he made in his sworn testimony the day before.



Why at the time of this hearing? Why not on September 2?



The notice sent does not pertain to the general operations of the facility Monday-Friday. It is only relative to a small percentage of the food distributed on Sunday night.



Not true. We receive sandwiches during the week from non-licensed kitchens. They come from families, church receptions, student classrooms, sunday school/catechism classes and more. At least a part of every meal, every Sunday night, is prepared in home kitchens. Last year we served 4133 meals on Sunday nights, or an average of 80 meals each Sunday. This is a significant part of our program and the need is growing. We are already serving 15% more people than this time last year.



To the issue of discretion:As we understand it, we are only talking about a percentage of the Sunday night meal in question. Relative to that, we believe that a viable solution would be to encourage donors continue using the licensed kitchens at their churches and to donate commercially prepared and prepackaged food that could be heated and served on the premises whereby eliminating the issue of cooking in their own homes. As we understand it, many churches already donate commercially prepared and prepackaged food to the soup kitchen. We are willing to work with any group that cannot readily comply and come to a code compliant resolution to anyone organizations concern and willingness to feed the hungry.



In some cases, it is the entire Sunday meal that comes from homes. Some of the smaller faith communities are able to participate in this program precisely because they can get their parishioners to sign up and make casseroles or desserts at home. If they were required to gather a group on a Sunday afternoon in a licensed kitchen, some have said they would not be able to participate. It isn't only about having a licensed kitchen - it's about gathering a group of people to prepare the meal.



We are in no way intending on revoking the license of St. Vincent DePaul. If we are put in a position where further code enforcement is required, we would only be seeking to curtail the distribution of food during the Sunday night program in that we need to assure that home cooked food is not distributed.



If there is no intention of revoking the license, then why include that language in the Legal Notice that they sent to me?



The health department is not looking to shut down thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinners. We are willing to work with any organization to make sure that there is a way to cook all turkeys. Just off the top of my head, we could utilize fraternal organization kitchens, school kitchens, church kitchens and restaurant kitchens. We just need to know how many turkeys need to be cooked.



There are turkeys, pies, breads, and more. I don't dispute that it may be possible to have this all prepared in licensed kitchens. If that is necessary, I would appreciate the assistance of the Health Dept to coordinate all that. Right now it is coordinated by the faith communities and a few volunteers who spend countless hours to put on these meals.



The Middletown health department values the security and safety of food distribution. It is our belief that the hungry and homeless of our community deserve the same rights and privileges in a free meal as paying customers at a restaurant do. All restaurants are inspected for compliance of their general practices regularly and that food is acquired from approved sources. Shouldn't the patrons of St. Vincent DePaul on Sunday nights receive the same consideration? That goes to the same position with Food Not Bombs?



St. Vincent DePaul Place values security and safety of food distribution too. And we absolutely believe that the poor and homeless of our community deserve the same rights and privileges as everyone. Don't they deserve a home cooked meal too? A license does not guarantee food safety. We take food safety very seriously and ensure the proper heating, refrigeration, storage, and serving protocols. We also have a 30-year history of serving food to this vulnerable population and no one can remember any incidence of food poisoning. Can the same be said for all the licensed restaurants in town?



Any resolution or change to current city ordinance regulating the distribution of food and beverage cannot supersede current state statute or health code.

We are encouraged by the activity on the State level to change this law. Today's Courant reports that legislators were "dumbfounded" to learn that state laws prohibit the longstanding practice of parishioners preparing meals in their homes for shelters and food kitchens. There is a bipartisan movement to get this legislative change onto the implementer bill, and Governor Rell has said that she supports that too.



Food safety and security has taken a front line position in our national security post 9/11 and much time, energy and money have been spent in the way of agro terrorism. To compromise our interpretation of code regulation, we are minimizing state and federal efforts of homeland security and safety.

Just because every other town "compromises their interpretation of the code" doesn't make it right. I get that. But to not do so threatens our ability to provide nutritious meals to the poor of our community. Somehow, some way, I believe that we can find an answer. And hopefully the State law is changed very quickly.



***We had a very productive meeting this morning with Peter Harding, who as you know is the former director of St. Vincent DePaul. He is willing to work with us to achieve compliance. It is his understanding, as it is ours, that the entire situation has been blown way out of proportion and the issue we are dealing with in this legal notice is small in comparison to what the media and blogs have turned it into. He has assured me that together we will come to and understanding where we will be able to put this issue to rest without compromising the mission of the soup kitchen as well as our professional integrity. My spirit is strong in this regard and we will work to do what ever we can to make this happen. I will keep you posted.



I'm glad that Peter is willing to work with the Health Dept. to help sort this out and to find a compromise. I welcome the opportunity to participate in these discussions as well.

Health Department Defends Citation of St. Vincent dePaul

The mayor's office and Common Council members have received dozens of letters, emails and phone calls concerning the enforcement by Middletown's Health Department of a statute which prohibits the distribution of food not prepared in licensed kitchens, to the public.

The statute was initially cited as the reason for arresting members of Food Not Bombs for distributing food in a shared meal each Sunday on the corner of Main and Liberty Streets.

In defending the Health Department actions Health Department official Sal Nesci wrote a letter to Middletown official making the timeline of actions of his department clear, defending an accusation that the health department cited St. Vincent dePaul Soup Kitchen because its director, Ron Krom, spoke in defense of Food Not Bombs at a state Health Department hearing.

Nesci also states that the city, meaning the Common Council, does not have the ability to create a statute that would supersede state law.

Additionally, Nesci emphasizes the importance of food safety in light of "our national security post-911" indicating that allowing to be served to the needy from unlicensed kitchens could be linked to "agro terrorism" and would minimize efforts to maintain "homeland safety and security."

Nesci also notes that "the entire situation has been blown way out of proportion" and that the issues is "small in comparison what the media and blogs have turned it into."

The entire letter can be read below:

Gerry/Tim/Mayor/Council...

I do understand that you all have been getting lots of calls and emails about the alleged cease and desist order issued to St. Vincent DePaul Place. First of all, I want to make it clear that it is with the most heavy of hearts that I, as well as Dr. Havlicek and Manfred Rehm of the Health Department, had to put our signature on a legal notice to St. Vincent DePaul. A legal notice is not a cease and desist order. It is a written notification following an inspection or investigation resulting in the discovery of a violation. It allows the individual two weeks to seek a modification of the said practice in order to assure state compliance. Failure to comply usually results in the issuance of a legal order...for food service its usually 30 days. Failure to comply with the legal order usually results in the revocation of the license or abatement of the violation.

For the record:

• The health department was never aware that the soup kitchen was open on Sunday's until about a month ago. In fact Inspector Rehm was told on numerous occasions that the soup kitchen is only open Monday through Friday. He has been told that by Ron Krom for several months.
• The health department was never aware that the one meal that was served on Sunday nights was provided by area churches under the supervision of a soup kitchen staff member.
• The health department was never aware that a portion of this Sunday night meal was prepared in private homes and transported to the soup kitchen.
• When we were made aware that this activity was possibly happening, we approached Ron Krom to ask if it is true and he stated to us that he has a criteria he uses to assure food coming in on Sunday night meets state code requirements and to the best of his knowledge it does. I stated to him that if that is the case than he is to continue his current practice and we as a health department will work with the area churches to educate them on proper donation procedures.
• The health department then sent a memo to all area churches reminding them that all charitable contributions made in the name of their organization should be that of non perishable food or food prepared in their licensed kitchens.
• At a recent hearing at DPH regarding Food Not Bombs, Mr. Krom was called as a witness and gave sworn testimony that he does in fact receive a portion of his Sunday night meal from private home kitchens which is in violation of the state health code. In fact he gave very specific examples of certain foods he receives from private kitchens on a regular basis.
• Because of the statement he made, we were required by virtue of the professional licenses we hold to confirm this and take appropriate steps to assist in the modification of the current practice. The very next day, Inspector Rehm visited Mr. Krom and Mr. Krom re-affirmed the statements he made in his sworn testimony the day before.
• The notice sent does not pertain to the general operations of the facility Monday-Friday. It is only relative to a small percentage of the food distributed on Sunday night.

To the issue of discretion:

• As we understand it, we are only talking about a percentage of the Sunday night meal in question. Relative to that, we believe that a viable solution would be to encourage donors continue using the licensed kitchens at their churches and to donate commercially prepared and prepackaged food that could be heated and served on the premises whereby eliminating the issue of cooking in their own homes. As we understand it, many churches already donate commercially prepared and prepackaged food to the soup kitchen. We are willing to work with any group that cannot readily comply and come to a code compliant resolution to anyone organizations concern and willingness to feed the hungry.
• We are in no way intending on revoking the license of St. Vincent DePaul. If we are put in a position where further code enforcement is required, we would only be seeking to curtail the distribution of food during the Sunday night program in that we need to assure that home cooked food is not distributed.

Other:

• The health department is not looking to shut down thanksgiving and/or Christmas dinners. We are willing to work with any organization to make sure that there is a way to cook all turkeys. Just off the top of my head, we could utilize fraternal organization kitchens, school kitchens, church kitchens and restaurant kitchens. We just need to know how many turkeys need to be cooked.
• The Middletown health department values the security and safety of food distribution. It is our belief that the hungry and homeless of our community deserve the same rights and privileges in a free meal as paying customers at a restaurant do. All restaurants are inspected for compliance of their general practices regularly and that food is acquired from approved sources. Shouldn't the patrons of St. Vincent DePaul on Sunday nights receive the same consideration? That goes to the same position with Food Not Bombs?
• Any resolution or change to current city ordinance regulating the distribution of food and beverage cannot supersede current state statute or health code.
• Food safety and security has taken a front line position in our national security post 9/11 and much time, energy and money have been spent in the way of agro terrorism. To compromise our interpretation of code regulation, we are minimizing state and federal efforts of homeland security and safety.

***We had a very productive meeting this morning with Peter Harding, who as you know is the former director of St. Vincent DePaul. He is willing to work with us to achieve compliance. It is his understanding, as it is ours, that the entire situation has been blown way out of proportion and the issue we are dealing with in this legal notice is small in comparison to what the media and blogs have turned it into. He has assured me that together we will come to and understanding where we will be able to put this issue to rest without compromising the mission of the soup kitchen as well as our professional integrity. My spirit is strong in this regard and we will work to do what ever we can to make this happen. I will keep you posted.

Around Middletown in 80 Days: Day 38

Cucia Park

From Phileas's Journal:

I awoke to the most fine fall morning, with clear, bright skies, and crisp, cool air. Wishing to take full advantage of a New England fall day, I decided to contact the Middletown Department of Parks and Recreation for some information about nature trails in the Middletown. With more interest in a leisurely stroll, rather than a rigourous hike, I was directed to Cucia Park, in the Westfield section of Middletown. So I packed a picnic lunch, laced up my walking shoes, and headed to the park. The land, dedicated as a park in 1975, offered me numerous rustic trails beneath elderly pines spread over three acres of walkable land. I spent the morning meadnering before retiring to a picnic table overlooking a placid pond resting at the center of the park to savor my packed lunch and reflect upon my past two months of excited exploration in Middletown.

Bulky Waste Spills into Finance and Government Operations

An appropriation to fund bulky waste disposal led to contentious debate at Wednesday's meeting of the Finance and Government Operations Commission. The Commission ultimately gave unanimous support to the request for $30,000 to pay for waste disposal.

The debate over the funding and policy of bulky waste pick-ups actually broke out before it was to be considered on the agenda. Mayor Giuliano offered his support for the appropriation during the public hearing, and in contravention of normal procedures, the chair of the Commission, Councilman Klattenberg, allowed a vigorous debate to take place during that period of the meeting. Commission members Gerry Daley and Klattenberg clashed with Director of Public Works Bill Russo and Mayor Giuliano over the need for the appropriation, and over what Bill Russo had told the Council when they voted to change the city's bulky waste pick-up policy. Commissioners Joe Bibisi and Phil Pessina largely supported Russo and the Mayor.

Giuliano told the commissioners that he had asked Public Works to pick up all the bulky waste that property owners have been leaving out. He indicated that while Public Works could pick up the trash without a further appropriation, they could do nothing but store it in the city yard without further funds, "We have no money to dispose of what we pick up." Russo said the problem with bulky waste was not confined to any part of the city, "It's not an isolated problem, it's city-wide."

Russo said the problem had gotten much worse since the Council changed the policy on bulky waste pickup, effective July 1st. To increase revenues, the Council abolished the free weekly pickup of bulky waste in the sanitation district (the central part of the city) and the once-every-three-years free pick-up of bulky waste outside the sanitation district, and implemented a charge of $75 for every bulky waste pickup.

Councilman Daley was incredulous that there was no money for this, already in the Public Works budget. He insisted that Russo had told the Council in May that the Council's $30,000 appropriation for illegal dumping would be sufficient for the entire fiscal year. Russo responded that "illegal dumping" referred to trash dumped on isolated roads such as Sachem Drive or River Road, and that bulky waste left outside a house was in a different category. He said that while an old mattress or refrigerator on the front lawn was a health code violation, it was not the same as illegal dumping.

Giuliano suggested that enforcement of the ordinance would motivate landowners to pay the $75 fee. He pointed out that if the city placed liens on a property, the lien fees and possible subsequent legal fees would rapidly escalate the costs of leaving garbage out, and he predicted owners would start paying the bulky waste pickup fee.

Russo wanted the appropriation to support a return to the old policy of providing free bulky waste pickups, but Giuliano told him and the Commission members, "The appropriation will not change the ordinance." He told the Council members that if they wanted to do so it would have to be done as a separate matter.

Russo indicated that there had been a total of 81 citations for trash given by the Health Department. The commissioners were very clear that they wanted the citations to continue, but that they also wanted the trash to be removed. Councilman Bibisi urged, "Cite 'em first, then pick it up!"

The Commission unanimously passed the $30,000 appropriations request, but even after the vote continued their rancorous questioning of Russo about the bulky waste situation. The debate and questions will likely continue into the next meeting of the Common Council, when it will consider the appropriation request.

Other Items of Business.

The Director of Parks and Recreation, Ray Santostefano, requested permission to take money that had been appropriated for park ranger salaries and instead use it to purchase surveillance cameras to deter vandalism at isolated parks locations. The Commission strongly supported his idea, but denied the request on procedural grounds, saying it would be inappropriate to transfer from salaries to capital equipment. They encouraged Santostefano to return with a request for a new allocation for capital purchases.

Director Finance and Revenue Services Carl Erlacher reported that revenues into the city were holding steady. He said that the city had collected 50.8% of tax revenue for this year, a number almost exactly the same as a year ago. He also said that they had collected $742,000 in back taxes, above the $500,000 that the budget had projected for the year.

Hope for Change in Food Distribution Law Not Dead

To Senator Paul Doyle's credit, he was as good as his word when he promised members of Middletown's faith-based community that he would push for a change in a statute that prevents charitable distribution of food, not prepared in licensed kitchens, to those in need.

While Democratic leaders were too embroiled in a struggle to implement a budget, Doyle took the idea for a change in law to the governor's office.

Today, in a letter from the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, representing the governor's office, Robert Genuario listed specific items in the implementer bill which the governor objects to.

At the end of the list, the letter concludes:

Finally, we have been informed that there is a need for a statutory revision to allow charitable organizations to provide to needy people, meals which have not been prepared in licensed kitchens. For example, many churches provide pot-luck dinners of the homeless which consist of dishes prepared by members of the congregation in their homes. This charitable practice technically violates section 19a-36 of the Connecticut General Statutes. Although not necessary, strictly speaking, to implement the budget, the Governor would support including in the implementer bill a revision to section 19a-36(a)(4) of the Connecticut General Statutes to allow this practice to legally continue.

"The key, and the blessing is that this indicates the governor will support the change," said Common Council Vinnie Loffredo Wednesday night. "The governor is on board to get something done."

Loffredo urged all those in support of the bill to contact State Senate and House Leaders, and all members of the Middletown legislative delegation to make sure language to change the statute is included in the implementer bill which will likely be submitted Friday.

Many members of the faith-based community addressed letters to Common Council members and the mayor urging them to forward the correspondence to the entire Common Council so that it may be part of their discussions at Monday's meeting.

CHC Receives Grant to Improve Electronic Health Record

From the Community Health Center

CHC has received one of five grants awarded nationwide for Electronic Health Record Quality Improvement grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The $400,000 grant will build on the pioneering work that CHC has done with Electronic Health Records. The focus of this grant is to build a national model for hypertension control with a focus on minority groups.

(CHC operates the Community Health Center at 635 Main St. in Middletown.)

Included in the work will be a patient’s ability to monitor his or her blood pressure from home, using a new Internet link to his or her health records.

“Broad use of health information technology has the potential to improve health-care quality, prevent medical errors, and increase the efficiency of care provision,” said David Blumenthal, national coordinator for health information technology for HHS. “This program supports the Department’s overall efforts to assist physicians and hospitals in adopting and becoming meaningful users of health information technology.”

The department released a total of $27.8 million to 27 agencies. CHC was one of only five agencies to receive funding in its category of quality improvement based on existing use of electronic health records.

The grant was announced today by Congresswomen Rosa Delauro “The award is an important recognition of CHC’s leadership in the field of electronic health records,” said Mark Masselli, CHC’s president and CEO. “ We are very appreciative of Rosa’s support as she understands the intersection of quality care , chronic disease and electronic health records - with these funds we will be able to engage our patients directly in the use of these records to improve their health and to correct a long-time health disparity in our health-care system – the large proportion of minority group members with high blood pressure.”

Founded in 1972 as a small, free clinic in Middletown, CHC is now one of the largest health centers of its kind in the nation, serving more than 70,000 underserved patients in 12 sites and 180 locations across Connecticut. The agency offers core services of medical care, dentistry and behavioral health care to patients with little or no health insurance.

High blood pressure is a leading cause of illness and death among the population at large, but particularly among members of minority groups. Controlling high blood pressure will reduce the incidents of strokes, heart attacks, and heart and kidney failures. Because of historic disparities in our health-care delivery system,, CHC with this grant will focus on minority groups, particularly African-American patients.

For CHC, the electronic health record in this case will improve provider behavior and practice, and patient engagement through self-
management. For the patient’s part, he or she will be able to do home monitoring of blood pressure readings, and download other blood pressure readings for integration into his or her electronic health record.

In its annual survey of patients, CHC has found a growing trend of Internet access of one kind or another by its patients. That number now stands at 70 percent. (CHC saw 56,000 patients in 2008.) Most of CHC patients desire to use the Internet to contact their providers, request prescription refills, or receive lab results. More than 55 percent said they would use a web link to get that information.

The expanded use of electronic health records by CHC will help improve the outcome of patients with high blood pressure. CHC was one of the early pioneers to embrace electronic health records and now is introducing a new patient link.

##

Around Middletown in 80 Days: Day 37

deKoven House and the Rockfall Foundation
27 Washington Street

Today "little Phileas" went to the deKoven House. This community building is on the National Register of Historic Places. The deKoven House as built by West Indies trader Captain Benjamin Williams between 1791 and 1797, when Middletown was Connecticut's leading shipping port.

The home was later given to Colonel Clarenence Wadsworth (the same Colonel Wadsworth who built the fine mansion on the Long Hill Estate and purchased the land that is now Wadsworth Falls State Park) by his in-laws. Colonel Wadsworth bequeathed the house to the Rockfall Foundation in 1941.

The deKoven house is now the home of the Rockfall Foundation, and many other ecologic and conservation focused organizations, including the connecticut River Coastal Conservation District, the Connecticut office of the Connecticut River Watershed Council, and The Girl Scouts of America. Ginny Rollefson took Phileas on a tour of the historic building and its many tenants. Phileas certainly learned a lot about the conservation efforts in and around Middletown, as well as some other excellent locations to visit.

The 23rd Annual Rockfall Symposium is coming up as well:
Green Light for Our Economy
Jobs, Energy & Education for a Sustainable Future
Friday October 9, 2009 8:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Middlesex Community College

Visit www.rockfallfoundation.org for more information.

Jane Brawerman, Executive Director, explains to Phileas the dangers of invasive plants in our own backyard.
Ginny Rollefson, Executive Director, introduces Phileas to the Great White Oak which once stood at the corner of Wadsworth St. and Forest St. in Middletown.

Woodrow Wilson High School Class of 1980

Attention all Woodrow Wilson Wildcat Alumni the Class of 1980 will be holding its 30th class reunion on July 17, 2010 and is seeking out names and addresses of its classmates, anyone having information on 1980 graduates are asked to please visit our Facebook page or e-mail us at the following links.

The reunion committee would like to thank you in advance for any information that you can share.

Go Wildcats ! !

http://www.facebook.com/friends/?filter=oc#/pages/Woodrow-Wilson-High-School-Class-of-1980/121223881221

wildcatsclassof1980@gmail.com

Progress Made in Sewer Department Crisis

Under pointed questioning by members of the Common Council, Water and Sewer Department director Guy Russo explained the history of a financial "perfect storm" which drained nearly all revenue from the Sewer department, and the steps already taken to bring the department back into financial health.

The special workshop meeting of the Common Council was called at the end of the regular September Common Council meeting to allow time for Russo to analyze the problem, and answer questions submitted by Council members. At that time, the Sewer Department was broke, and did not have the funds to meet expenses.

Russo blamed deliquent accounts and conservation as the main culprits in the Sewer Department shortfall.

"If bills had been paid as they regularly are," Russo explained. "We wouldn't be where we are today.

In the past month, with an agressive second billing, and lien notice program, the department has collected 38% of it's goal of $500,000 in revenue from these billings, and that's with two days left in the month, with a plentitude of late-payers who wait for month's end to settle up.

The meeting got off to a rocky start as Mayor Sebastian Giuliano designated the workshop as a sole function of the Common Council, and handed chairmanship for the meeting to deputy mayor and Council member Joe Bibisi.

Bibisi attempted to hold Council members to a preliminary recitation of submitted questions, which Russo would be asked to answer.

Instead, Russo made a lengthy opening statement, and then the Council members asked submitted questions and follow-ups.

Along with the nearly $200,000 collected against delinquent accounts, Russo explained that his department had applied for a $200,000 refund from the State Department of Environmental Protection and was preparing thousands of dollars in cuts in the deparment in areas from open jobs, to scheduled maintenance.

Council members peppered Russo, and city Finance Director Carl Erlacher with questions about bugeting process, audits and collections. They also quizzed Russo, and city attorney Tim Lynch about how the WPCA (Water Pollution Control Authority) operated, and where authority and responsibility for financial decisions rested. Both Russo and Erlacher admitted that procedures were not perfect at the WPCA or the Sewer department, but when revenue was good, the department remained out of financial trouble. When the economy forced individuals into financial binds, paying the sewer bill was often the last thing residents would consider.

"They pay their mortgage so they don't get thrown out of their house," Russo said. "They pay their car payment so they can drive to work. They pay their credit card bill so their rate won't increase. Our 18% interest fee was once considered punitive, and that's no longer true. And if you don't pay your sewer bill, it doesn't get reported on your credit report."

However Russo indicated that a collections agency is being interviewed to go after delinquents, and that property liens will be issued. He also suggested that turning off water to delinquent accounts is being considered, as is the publication of the names of delinquents.

Russo explained that the economy and conservation have also taken tolls on other water and sewer departments, and other utilities. Middletown has seen a 12% reduction in use of water and sewer.

The WPCA meets Thursday afternoon, and Russo intends to present his cost-savings and revenue-increasing measures to the authority for a vote.

Editorial: Clearing up a name while cleaning up at the Keating Wheel factory; AKA: Remington Rand!

I was delighted to read that the long over due cleanup of this property’s brownfields has a confirmed funding source and a chance at a new lease on life. With it should come a recognition of the buildings historical significance and a return to it’s given name, the Keating Wheel Company, which was originally built as a bicycling manufacturing plant in 1896. The design/layout of the factory was considered to be state of the art, and was noted for it’s considerable innovations. It is understandable how the name Remington Rand came into use, as it is a well-known name, and rolls easily off the tongue. I suspect there was no conscious intent on anyone’s part to permanently name the property Remington Rand, it just got used often enough and the name stuck. This building has not been listed on the Design Review and Preservation (DR&P) Board’s list of historic properties, which includes only a dozen, or so buildings of this type still standing in the city. A request that is an easy ask away.
Returning to the historical name of the building, the Keating Wheel Company will show consistency, as so many other historical buildings in the city have retained their original name in our city’s common usage. More importantly it will bring a hint of recognition to one of the remaining U.S. turn-of-the-century bicycling manufacturing buildings still standing—out of an estimated 1400 that existed between 1880-1900—and also honor the city’s rich industrial and manufacturing history.

A special thanks goes out to Professor Robert McCullough at the University of Vermont’s Historic Preservation Program, who has done considerable research on turn on the century bicycle factories, including the Keating Wheel Company's bicycle manufacturing factory here in Middletown.

Remington Rand Brownfield Cleanup to get EPA Funds

Governor Rell announced today that the City will receive $200,000 to help the city remediate environmental contamination at the Remington Rand site on Johnson Street. The funding is part of stimulus package dollars disbursed through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The state applied for $2.3M on May 1st, including $300,000 for Remington Rand, and was awarded a total of $600,000 in August. The State Department of Economic and Community Development selected the Remington Rand site, as well as a site in Montville and a site in Willimantic, for funding.

Almost all of the environmental contamination at Remington Rand is the legal responsibility of the Unisys Corporation, which bought Remington Rand. A remedial action plan submitted by Unisys to the State Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), with a total cost of $6M, was approved this summer, according to City Planner Bill Warner.

In their remediation plan, Unisys claimed and the DEP agreed, that a portion of the contamination occurred subsequent to 1974, when Remington Rand ceased to exist. Unisys estimates that this portion of the remediation will cost about $300,000. Rell, in a press release, said, "This latest funding will be used to actually do the environmental remediation that is needed at the former Remington Rand site." Warner said the City is also applying directly to the EPA for the additional funding.

Rell praised the conversion of a brownfield into land that can be used, "We are taking property that is not 'working' at its full potential and converting it into a community resource that reduces sprawl, preserves natural resources and creates economic opportunity for all."

The city hopes to sell the Remington Rand property to a private owner who would use it for a business. The city had a preliminary deal to sell the property for $1M in 2008, and the Common Council budgeted and spent the anticipated revenue in the 2008-09 fiscal year. Mayor Giuliano said that the deal fell through when the buyer became concerned about whether Unisys would follow through on its portion of the environmental remediation (Remington Rand Deal DOA?). Movement towards cleanup should make the city-owned property much more valuable.