Wetlands Agency To Discuss FedEx Proposal Wed Night

Reminder: FedEx's proposal to build a facility on the former Aetna property in Westfield is on the agenda for tonight's Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency meeting. The meeting is scheduled for 7pm in the city council chambers.

An 'open public forum' is also part of the meeting. A previous community meeting with the Westfield Residents Association was cancelled by FedEx. The public will be able to comment during the P&Z process as well, assuming the project progresses that far.

Westfield Neighborhood Picnic Monday

Schools Administrators Address Challenging Budget Questions

Ed Dypa decried the ever increasing education budget, and asked Gene Nocera, Patricia Charles, and Dan Drew when it would be held constant from one year to the next. He said that his pension was constant, and the relentless increase in taxes for the schools might force seniors like himself out of their homes.

Dypa's question came after a 30 minute presentation at the quarterly Westfield Residents Association meeting, by Superintendent Charles on the schools and the budget request.

Schools And The Education Budget To Be Discussed At Westfield Quarterly Meeting Monday.

From the Westfield Residents Association
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On Monday, April 15th, at 7PM the Westfield Residents Association will host Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Patricia Charles, and Chair of the Board of Education, Dr. Gene Nocera. The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the Third Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street.

The WRA meeting is a chance for city residents to hear about the state of the schools and the budget for education in our city. There will be ample opportunities to ask Dr. Charles and Dr. Nocera questions.

The Board of Education requested $5M more money than last year, and the Mayor has proposed $3M more than last year. The Council will set the budget at the end of April, the schools budget will be discussed by Common Council the day after the WRA meeting.

The WRA encourages all residents of Middletown to attend its quarterly meetings.

The Westfield Residents Association is Middletown's oldest and most active neighborhood association. Founded in 1981, the WRA represents residents in the Westfield Fire District, in the northwest portion of the city. The WRA monitors land use, education, and other municipal decisions that impact the quality of life in Middletown.

Politics Get Local

Update at 1:10pm:  My apologies for leaving out the 13th State Senate District candidates.


Former U.S. Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill coined the phrase, "all politics is local," referring to the connection between a politician's grasp of the issues and concerns of his or her constituents and said politician's success in office.  A diligent citizen could voice an opinion by calling each of the candidates, writing a letter or email, or even attending a campaign event.  But why not let the candidates come to you?

The Westfield Residents Association (WRA) is delighted to sponsor a Meet The Candidates Night this Monday, October 22nd, at 7:30pm at the Third Congregational Church on Miner Street.  Middletown voters will be casting ballots for a representative in the State House and Senate as well as a representative for the U.S. House and Senate.  Additionally, voters will decide on a $37M bond referendum to pay for construction costs associated with joining the Mattabesset regional sewer plant.

Everyone is welcome to attend: this is not a debate and there will be refreshments and Q&A time to allow you to present your concerns to your elected representatives and their challengers.  The following candidates have confirmed their attendance:

State House, 33rd       State Senate, 9th        State House, 100th               U.S. House, 3rd  
Joseph Serra (D)         Paul Doyle (D)          Matthew Lesser (D)             Rosa DeLauro (D) 
Callie Grippo (R)        Joe Dinunzio (R)       Deborah Kleckowski (R)    Wayne Winsley (R)

State Senate, 13th
Len Suzio (R)
Dante Bartolomeo (D)

Mayor Drew will also be present to speak on the bond referendum for the Mattabassett regionalization project as well as the $4.8M for the renovation of Eckersley Hall into a Senior Center.

There will be a brief WRA business meeting at 7pm to elect a new slate of officers for the WRA Executive Committee, and then Candidate introductions will begin at 7:30pm.

The Third Congregational Church is located at 94 Miner Street in Middletown, just down from the Fire Station on the corner of Miner Street and East Street (or 217).  The meeting will be held in the Fellowship Hall located next to the church.

Arline Rich, Exemplar Of Democratic Engagement

Arline Rich died on July 20th, after a two month illness. With her passing, the city has lost one of its most dedicated participants in civic governance; Rich was a decades long observer of municipal boards and commissions, and unafraid to do what she could to influence their deliberations. Her dedication, knowledge, and participation impacted land use decisions throughout our city.

Rational and Reasonable
Rich's mode of participation was thoroughly non-partisan, in countless discussions of city projects with her over the course of nearly 15 years, I never learned which candidates she favored at either the local or the national level. If she had an agenda in her opposition or support of any proposed land use, it was never pro- or anti-development, she simply wanted all development in Middletown to be rational and reasonable. For her this meant that every developer should adhere to regulations which are themselves rational and reasonable.

Rich paid more attention to more developments than anybody outside of the City Planner's office. She closely studied all proposals in Westfield, and many in other parts of the city. For nearly 20 years, she clipped the agendas of city meetings out of the newspaper, and if there was a subdivision on it, the Planner's office would know to expect her in the office. She would pore over the developer's plans with a ruler in one hand, and the zoning regulations in the other. No discrepancy would get by her, she paid attention to set-backs, to lot frontages, to the City's Plan of Development, to anything that impacted the city's wetlands, public safety, traffic, or tax base. She would carefully document any discrepancies with Planning and Zoning, and request that each one be addressed before approval was granted.

Recognizing the importance of the zoning regulations and the Plan of Development, Rich spent many hours reviewing any proposed changes to them. Bill Warner, head of the Planning Office, could count on her to point out not only the typos and misspellings, but also the gaps and inconsistencies in the regulations. Our city's current regulations on land use are better for all the work she did on them.

No NIMBY
Her persistent attention to the technical details was one of Rich's greatest strengths, and earned her respect from developers and planners alike. She was no "Not in my backyard!" activist, concerned only about one particular subdivision which might ruin her view. She consistently applied the principles of reasonable and rational to every proposal, whether it was in her neighborhood or not. Developers would often present their plans to her at Westfield Residents Association meetings, knowing that their chances of approval were immeasurably better if they got the Rich imprimatur.

One developer angrily and bitterly fought Rich's ultimately successful efforts to reign in his trash dump, which had been cited for violations by the state. Ten years later, when he had a separate development under consideration, he tried to woo Rich with cannoli while showing off his new plans. She enjoyed the cannoli, but they had no effect on those eagle eyes, which were not going to overlook any details in the plans.

Official Honors
Rich served in an official capacity with the city on two occasions. In the early 1990s, after the Kennedy family donated the land on Country Club Road to the city, Rich served on the building committee for what would become Smith Park. As usual, she paid attention to details. In an era before widespread cell phones, she insisted that there be a telephone in the park, and after the park was finished she regularly checked to make sure the phone was working.

In 2008, the mayor appointed her to a committee of residents tasked with finding an alternative site for the Army's training center. She brought to the committee her immense experience with land use, her fairness, and the respect she had earned in the city; she played a critical role in the ultimately successful resolution of the conflict between the Army Corps of Engineers and the City.

In 2006, Rich was given one of the city's highest honors, the Mayor proclaimed an "Arline Rich Day", and she was given the Keys To The City, in recognition of all she had done for Middletown.

A Lesson And A Legacy
In my opinion, there are several reasons for the outsized influence that Arline Rich had in our city.

She was completely focused on the practical. She paid attention to the regulations and the process by which developments are evaluated, and applied them to every proposal. She achieved universal respect with informed discussion of setbacks and lot sizes, something that would have been considerably more difficult to generate if her focus had been on more abstract, quality of life issues.

She was utterly unafraid to speak her mind, and unafraid to change it. After having studied an issue, she would come to a conclusion and let all of those in charge of making the decision know what she thought. But though she was determined, she was never stubborn to the point of closing her mind. She listened carefully to alternative opinions, and if persuaded was willing to modify her position.

Finally, she was indefatigable. For years, she would prepare for, and attend, two meetings every month of the Planning and Zoning Commission. This diligence and consistency, listening to every discussion on every little Planning and Zoning issue, gave her experience she could draw upon when there was a bigger issue, and it won her the respect of everybody involved.

There are two ways that her diligence and persistence improved developments. First, she found violations on developer's plans, and ensured that they were corrected before approval. Second, everybody involved in a development was more careful, knowing that Arline Rich was going to look at their work. The developer was less likely to cheat, the planning office was less likely to be careless, and the Planning and Zoning Commission was more likely to exercise diligence.

Arline Rich does not leave behind the kind of legacy left by others who have given to our city. There is no cul-de-sac in a subdivision with her name emblazoned across it, there is no plaque at city hall honoring her service as an elected official.

Rather, her legacy is scattered throughout the city, on the land and in our neighborhoods. If the setbacks and lot lines on the development down the street are correct, if the developer followed through on all of his proposed plan, thank Arline Rich.

Snapshot: Westfield Residents Association Annual Picnic

There were no ants at the Westfield Residents Association annual meeting/picnic on Monday evening at Smith Park, just a group of neighbors sharing a potluck supper together.

I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of him but a big thanks to Bob Stefurak for manning the grill.

Lesser Speaks to Westfield Residents

Representative Matt Lesser gave his perspective on the state’s budget woes and fielded questions from concerned residents at the Third Congregational Church in Westfield last night. Lesser, who represents about half of Westfield in the Capitol, was the featured speaker at the Westfield Residents Association quarterly meeting (disclosure: I am vice-chair of the WRA). About 25 residents came to hear from him about the impacts of decisions in the Capitol on Middletown.

Lesser blamed the state’s $3.3 Billion deficit on previous governors, in particular John Rowland, whom he said used “gimmick accounting” and borrowed money to finance too many pet projects.

Connecticut’s newly elected governor, Dannel Malloy, has agreed with the Democratic leadership in the State Legislature on a balanced budget which relies on $2 Billion in concessions from state workers, consolidates state agencies and raises taxes. Lesser said that these negotiations were not completed, but he seemed hopeful

Lesser acknowledged that state expenses must be cut, “We’ve got to cut spending, but you’ve got to do it intelligently.” He said about taxes, “Priority has to be to protect middle class and seniors.” He said Governor Malloy’s budget plan was fair, in that it requires a sacrifice from everybody, “The good news is that everybody is unhappy.”

Lesser said that the budget maintains last year’s level of funding for Middletown, most of which comes in the form of an Educational Cost Sharing grant.

Energy costs were another topic of concern to both Lesser and residents of Westfield. Lesser, who serves on the Energy and Technology Committee, said one of his priorities in the budget is to make sure that it contributes to a lowering of electricity prices. He also called for a reduction in the use of energy by the State.

Lesser said that he was opposed to a proposed 3 cent increase in the state gasoline tax.

The most vocal Westfield residents in attendance were concerned about the efficiency of government operations, expressing outrage about the number, the salaries and the performance of state workers. Ed Dypa also expressed his concern that in a state with an aged population of 20%, the State Department of Aging has only 4 or 5 employees.

At the end of the 90 minute presentation and discussion, Lesser received warm applause from residents, who were grateful to Lesser for the opportunity to hear what is happening at the State Capitol.

Representative Lesser to Speak in Westfield Tonight

State Representative Matt Lesser, representing a portion of Middletown, will be the featured speaker tonight at the Westfield Residents Association quarterly meeting. Lesser will discuss the current legislative session, and how decisions in Hartford are likely to impact Middletown residents.

Lesser will speak at 7:30, following a brief business meeting of the WRA. The meeting is free and open to the public, and there will be light refreshments available.

Westfield Residents Association
Quarterly Meeting
3rd Congregational Church
Fellowship Hall
94 Miner Street
7:00 Business Meeting
7:30 Matt Lesser

Westfield Residents Association Hosts Presentations on Army Base and Boardman Lane Tonight

Diane McCartin, chief planner of the Middletown Armed Forces Reserve Center, will discuss this training facility at the quarterly meeting of the Westfield Residents Association (WRA) TONIGHT. Construction is set to start very soon, at the former Cucia Park in Westfield, the base is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011.

McCartin, with staff from the Corps of Engineers, will present the design of the training facility. The $51.5M facility will be constructed in a joint venture by KBE Building Corporation and Middletown's Derita Construction.

Pedro Wasmer will also discuss the plans of the Boardman Lane ownership group for the 88 acre parcel of land on Boardman Lane that was originally selected by the Army for the training facility. Ironically, the Cucia Park construction has again involved the Boardman Lane parcel, but this time because it contains wetlands that the army wishes to preserve. In order to obtain a 404 wetlands permit for Cucia Park construction, the Corps of Engineers environmental division required McCartin and her team to undertake wetlands mitigation, preferably in the same watershed. The Army plans to permanently protect 52 acres on Boardman Lane for this mitigation.

The WRA quarterly meeting is TODAY, April 19; it starts with a brief business meeting at 7PM, followed by the presentation by Wasmer and McCartin at 7:30. The meeting is held in the 3rd Congregational Church, 94 Miner Street (a few blocks from the Westfield Fire Station on East Street). All members of the public are invited to attend.

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Disclosure: I am vice-chair of the Westfield Residents Association.

Westfield Residents Association Hosts Meet the Candidate Night

About 100 Westfield residents gathered last night at Third Congregational Church on Miner St. to hear from the candidates running for Mayor, the Common Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission. For the Common Council, all eight Democratic candidates, five Republican candidates, and one Independent candidate were present. Two of three mayoral candidates were there as were four P&Z Commissioners. State Senator Paul Doyle and State Representative Matt Lesser were present, and a few Board of Education members were also in the audience.

The Mayoral Race
Election day must be close, for it was a lively evening! Mayor Giuliano and his Democratic challenger, Dan Drew, sparred over the budget, cuts to town services and the status of Middletown's Senior Center. Drew accused the Mayor of breaking campaign promises by raising taxes, and Giuliano responded by pointing out that times are tough, and if the town doesn't make hard decisions now to reconcile income and spending, it will be even more painful for the town in the future. During the Q&A session, a young girl, maybe 9 or 10, asked the single best question of the evening: "Why do either of you think you're better than the other?" Giuliano and Drew answered with polite flattery for each other, but then Mayor Giuliano pointed out that the parties have different approaches to solving the town's issues, and that voters need to consider carefully what they are voting for.

On the subject of the Senior Center, Mayor Giuliano pointed out that the Center's current location was a temporary "fix" chosen 40 years ago, and that the proposed $25 million Senior Center at Veterans Park could not be built any time soon because of budget constraints. "We're still absorbing the sticker shock of the new high school," Giuliano quipped, "and we're going to be feeling that for the next nine years while we pay off the bond." Giuliano did say that Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro helped Middletown get $190,000 that will be used to renovate and update the current Senior Center. Dan Drew agreed that Middletown doesn't have the money to build a new Senior Center now, but he argued that Middletown could do better for its seniors than it currently is: "We have to prioritize our seniors...they're the reason Middletown is what it is today."

Giuliano and Drew seriously disagreed over how much is an acceptable balance in the town's reserve fund. Drew accused Giuliano of "wanting to be like Greenwich, with a fund balance of $130 million (noting that it would take 127 years for Middletown to accumulate that much given the fact that our current fund balance is less than $20 million)," and Giuliano responded that there was nothing wrong with wanting to be a little like Greenwich and adopting the attitudes that have made that town so successful. Drew also argued that any funds in reserve that are above the amount needed to preserve the town's bond rating really just represent an overtaxing of Middletown residents without any corresponding benefit. Giuliano replied that taxes are up over the last few years because the Democratic budgets don't bear any semblance to reality: "There is a substantial gap in our budget, and someone (you) will eventually have to pay the difference. The Democrats proposed a $129 million budget in Fiscal 2009, but they spent $132 million, so the money has to come from somewhere."

The Common Council Race
The Republican and Democratic candidates for Common Council had ten minutes per party to discuss their respective agenda for the upcoming election. Council member Gerry Daley spoke for the Democrats, listing his party's priorities as keeping taxes low, maintaining essential services, protecting Middletown's environment, promoting economic prosperity, and being responsive to changing community needs. Daley blasted Mayor Giuliano repeatedly for the mayor's 1 mil tax increase proposal, saying "The Democratic majority felt taxpayers couldn't take another tax increase, so we fought hard to protect the taxpayers." Daley also spoke at length on the Democrats commitment to maintaining open space.

Deputy Mayor Joe Bibisi responded for the Republicans: "The mayor had to make hard choices...if you don't, you get into trouble...we're going to really pay for the services that were kept in the budget." Bibisi also mentioned several examples of Mayor Giuliano's accomplishments, including the renegotiation of the Clean Energy Contract and the establishment of a Code Enforcement Committee for the town. Middletown now has the ability to go after blight and cluttering on private property, and thus far 81 citations have been issued with only 21 of those citations still outstanding. Property owners can be fined $100 per day for non-compliance with the town's regulations. Mayor Giuliano is also responsible for establishing police walking beats in the North and South ends of town, and there are future plans to reclaim the river front by tearing down the sewage treatment plant and developing the Harbor Park area. Councilman Phil Pessina added to Bibisi's comments, saying, "It is irresponsible to put money into the budget if it's not in hand already....We the Republicans are going to move the city in a more fiscally responsible manner."

Running for reelection as an Independent, Earle Roberts urged the voters to consider the quality of the candidates elected as well as what they will be elected for. "A tree grows from its roots, not its leaves," Roberts commented, "and so you voters need to chose people who will focus on the economy and make good choices for our city."

Budget questions
During the Q&A time for Common Council Candidates, this EYE reporter asked why the $2 million from the sale of Cucia Park was taken for general operating expenses instead of protection of additional open space or the creation of a new park. Councilman Daley's reply: "Well, we don't actually have that money yet, but we (the Democrats) have only taken $1.5 million of that money for operating expenses. The Republicans wanted to take all the money. But, when we do get that money, we hope to replace the open space. The city owns some of the land in Bysiewicz Industrial Park, and when it sells that, that will be money available for open space." Councilman David Bauer responded for the Republicans: "The taking of any money from the sale of Cucia Park has put us in a hole for the next budget cycle." Bauer went on to argue that this $2 million is not recurring income, so it shouldn't have been used to close a gap in this year's budget because that just pushes the gap into next year instead of dealing with it permanently.

Board of Education concerns
Another Westfield resident asked why the Board of Education keeps asking for budget increases without demonstrating how or what the School Budget is spent on: "There are rumors that the money isn't spent wisely, so why isn't the school budget itemized?" Councilman Bauer (R) commented that there is a Democratic majority on the Board of Education, and that one would think that the party could work together. However, in his opinion, the politics that happens at City Hall is nothing compared to what happens at the BOE, and that he believes that the School Administration runs the School Board instead of the other way around. Councilman Tom Serra (D) noted that while the Common Council is the fiscal authority for the BOE, once the money is handed over, the School Board is an independent entity and the Common Council can't control how the money is spent. Board of Education member Sheila Daniels (R) was present and was allowed to comment: "The minority party has no say in the budget. There are no checks and balances for the Superintendent because the majority just does what the Superintendent wants. If you want to hold the BOE accountable for its actions, you have to change the composition of the Board."

Accountability in Public Office
Another resident spoke about the Community Conversations that happened about a year ago, noting that accountability was a huge priority for Middletown residents. "So how can the Water Department not chase people who owe on their bills? And everyone knows that Moody is overcrowded, yet the Superintendent hired an architect to tell us that Moody is overcrowded. Where is this accountability that everyone wants?" Councilman Serra (D) replied: "Accountability is my thing...there currently isn't an evaluation instrument for city employees. The Water/Sewer issue is the Mayor's issue to take care of with his directors, which he has done, but we need to negotiate an evaluative instrument for the 500 city employees who currently don't get evaluated." Councilman Bauer (R) commented that the solution to accountability is transparency. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say Republicans are better in this election because we're more committed to making changes."

Union givebacks rejected during budget process
The final question for the Common Council candidates asked why the Democratic Common Council rejected Union concessions during the budget process: "if towns all across America accepted similar givebacks because of the state of the economy, why didn't Middletown?" Councilman Daley (D) replied: "If the Democratic Council found a way to reject the mayor's budget of a 1 mil tax increase plus cuts to give you a budget with no tax increase, no cuts and no givebacks, why are you arguing with that? Besides, the givebacks had strings attached...there would have had to have been specific cuts in the budget and we didn't think the unions should dictate the budget process." Councilman Pessina (R) argued that the unions knew what hard times the town was facing and came forward to help out.

(Author's note: I do admit to having been a bit confused about the budget during the heated party arguments. Both parties spoke of a deficit this year between revenue and proposed spending. The Republican Mayor's proposed budget called for a 1 mil tax increase, budget cuts and union concessions to close the gap. According to a May 15 Eye article, the Democratic Council was able to increase expenditures, reject union concessions and not raise taxes, by using as current revenue $1.5M derived from the future sale of Cucia Park and by increasing the amount of money withdrawn from the Fund Balance).

Planning and Zoning
Four Planning & Zoning candidates were present and had three minutes each to speak. Les Adams said that his main objectives were to promote rational development, to eliminate sprawl and to reclaim the waterfront. Nick Fazzino stated that the riverfront is an important issue for economic purposes, but that P&Z can't forget about people either. Farming, transportation and parking were other key Fazzino concerns, and he commented that Republicans can bring a much needed change to help Middletown move forward. Independent Michael Johnson said the riverfront is key and that Middletown should be able to get stimulus money to help with that development. Finally, Ken McClellan said his two goals were to make sure property owners can do what they want to their properties without interfering with their neighbors' similar rights, and to review the P&Z regulations for needed updating and clarifying.

This EYE reporter asked if P&Z ever consults with the Board of Education to ensure that new development isn't overcrowding our schools (i.e. preventing a future Moody situation in another part of town), and current P&Z member Deborah Kleckowski stated that no such interaction happens and it is in fact discouraged.

Even after the formal Q&A time was up, Westfield residents lingered a long while, talking informally with the candidates and socializing with longtime friends. Many of the candidates had acknowledged the critical role the Westfield Residents Association has played over the years, and most of the credit was directed (and rightly so) at Chairwoman Arlene Rich. Politics aside, the many candidates that participated in last night's forum represented decades of service to Middletown. Thank you to all who participated!

Monday: Meet the Candidates in Westfield

The Westfield Residents Association (WRA) will hold a Meet the Candidates forum on Monday. WRA has been holding candidate forums for local elections for about 15 years (last year's), giving residents from throughout the city a chance to hear and speak personally to the candidates vying for votes.

Mayoral candidates Seb Giuliano and Dan Drew will attend, as will many of the candidates for Common Council and Planning and Zoning. All residents of the city are invited to attend.

7:30PM, Monday, October 26

3rd Congregational Church

94 Miner Street

Westfield Residents Association Annual Picnic on Monday

The annual picnic and meeting of the Westfield Residents Association will be held on Monday:

July 13th, 6PM
Smith Park (on the north side of Country Club, between Moody School and I91)

The WRA will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, and soda; all other food is potluck. The food has always been excellent, according to WRA chairperson, Arline Rich, "The creativity in the past has been a delight for taste buds and the source of jovial conversation as diners explore the variety of foods."

The Westfield Residents Association represents the interests of those residing in Westfield; members monitor developers and municipal decisions that affect the area, and provide input to Planning and Zoning, Inland Wetlands, and Common Council when appropriate. It was founded in 1981 as the "Westfield Residents for Rational Development of Middletown," but changed its name about 5 years ago to the more mellifluous WRA.

Anyone interested in Westfield issues, or interested in joining the WRA, or simply looking to picnic with neighbors, is welcome to attend the picnic.

Mayor Gives Feisty Budget Presentation

The Mayor (center), and Councilmen David Bauer (left) and Phil Pessina (right), listen to community input on the mayor's budget proposal in Westfield on Thursday.

Mayor Giuliano wrapped up a series of "Budget Roundtable Discussions" with a presentation in Westfield at the Third Congregational Church on Thursday evening. Giuliano presented the recent history of the budget, explaining why there is a significant drop in revenue this year in comparison to previous years. He blasted the Democratically controlled Common Council for the budget they passed last year, which he said risked damaging the city's financial standing.

Budgetary law and history
The budget is constrained by law to be balanced, the city cannot borrow money to fund operations. Even if budget projections are inaccurate and the city needs more money after the budget is finalized, the city cannot borrow money; its only recourse is to withdraw money from the General Fund, which serves as a savings account for the city. Also by law, the Mayor is required to submit a budget to the Common Council by April 1st, and the Council has to finalize a budget by May 15th, at least 45 days prior to the start of the fiscal year on July 1st. Once the Mayor submits the budget on April 1st, his role is over, although he can veto the budget passed by Common Council (as he did last year, more below).

The budget process for the next fiscal year starts with the current year’s budget, and that is where the presentation started as well. In the current year, Middletown is spending $129 million, over half of which is spent on education (see chart above, which I modified (aesthetically only) from the Mayor's presentation). The revenues which cover those expenditures come mostly from taxes on property (real estate, autos, and boats), money from the state, and fees (see chart below, modified from the Mayor's presentation).

The mayor decried budgetary tricks that the Democratically controlled Council played last year to achieve an illusory balanced budget. According to the Mayor, these included ignoring known costs and using proceeds from the one-time sale of capital to fund operating expenses.

The known costs ignored include the cost of snow removal, which the Council reduced by $100,000, and raises in the police contract, which ended up costing $2,600,000. Those moneys were appropriated outside of the budget process during the past year (the Council approved an additional $100,000 for snow removal this year). These appropriations come from the General Fund, which serves as a savings account for the city. According to the Mayor, “The Council (last year) didn’t raise your taxes, but they took your savings.”

The Mayor reserved special contempt for the Council’s use of proceeds from the proposed sale of the Remington Rand Building. This building near the Middletown Land Fill is a brownfield site owned by the city. During last year’s budgetary process, the city had a purchaser who was willing to pay $1.2 M for the building, and the Common Council used the anticipated revenue from that sale to balance the budget. The mayor objected strenuously to the use of the revenue from sale of capital to cover operating expenses, and vetoed the Democratic Council’s budget in large part because of this. However, the budget was passed over his veto.

This year's budget woes
The budget for the current year suffers from a $5.3 million loss of revenue, compared to last year. In addition to the absence of the $1 million from sale of capital assets, the city cannot again take $1.5 million from the Fund Balance this year, and will receive $1.7 million less in state funding. Another $1.2 million reduction is due to drop in interest on the city’s investments and a reduction in fees associated with housing transactions.

Because of this shortfall in revenue, the mayor said that taxes would rise next year under any realistic expenditure plan. The mayor asked each of the directors in City Hall to develop three budget scenarios. The “directors ideal” expenditure budget would require an increase in revenue of $12.5 million, which translates into a $490/year increase in taxes on an average house in Middletown (valued at $200,000). The “level funding” expenditure budget would require a $7.8 million increase in revenue ($308/year on an average house). Even the “3% decrease” expenditure budget would require an increase in revenue of $5.8 million ($224/year on an average house).

Given these dire budgetary projections, the mayor outlined a list of ideas under consideration for reducing expenditures and increasing revenues. These included eliminating some programs (bulky waste and leaf pickup may be reduced), asking unions for unpaid furloughs and reductions in raises, reducing arts, health, and sports grants, changing the hours City Hall is open, reducing stipends for Council members, and an unpaid furlough by the mayor. These measures elicited cautious support from residents in attendance.

Giuliano reiterated his promise to eliminate money for broadcasting of City Hall meetings, to save $25,000 per year. This measure did not go over well with any of the residents, many of whom stay informed about city actions by watching the broadcast meetings. Carolann D’eon told the mayor quite forcefully that she would vigorously oppose any reduction in the flow of information from City Hall to residents.

The Board of Education budget
There was extensive discussion about the role of the Board of Education and the Schools Superintendent in determining about 60% of the city’s budget. By law, the Board of Ed receives a single line item in the city’s budget (last year: $69.4 million), and then is free to spend the money in any way they see fit (the city pays another $6.6 million in schools debt service, and covers the costs of those school employees who are part of bargaining unit 466). Giuliano said that the Board of Ed plays games every year—a threat to close a school (Macdonough last year), or to increase class size (cutting 13 or more teachers this year), incites hundreds of people to beseech Common Council for more funds to spend.

Jennifer Mahr asked the mayor how concerned citizens could improve the transparency and accountability of the School Board. He suggested that residents contact their state representatives to demand changes in the state laws that give the School Board autonomy with minimal accountability. Councilman David Bauer suggested that in November, when half of the Board members would be up for election, there would be an opportunity to gain new leadership. Kevin Smith asked what the Mayor and the Council were doing to educate the public about the budgetary process that the School Board and Council use to arrive at the Education budget. This question was not answered.

The residents I spoke to were extremely grateful for the effort Mayor Giuliano made to appear in Westfield and explain the budget process. Joe Gianetti said, “The whole thing is a lot clearer to me now,” although as he said it he shook his head as if to imply that he was not entirely pleased with the city’s financial planning.

Note: The Middletown Press covered an earlier Budget Roundtable Discussion, held at the South Fire District Station.

Candidates meet at Westfield Forum

The Westfield Residents Association held a Meet the Candidates Forum Monday Night at the Third Congregational Church in Westfield for at least the 10th election season.

US Congressional and State Senate and Representative candidates were invited and all but 3rd Congressional District US Representative Republican candidate Bo Itshaky, attended.

The format, opening statements followed by questions from Westfield residents, made for a lively discussion, in fact much more lively than the candidate forum conducted by the League of Women Voters.

Westfield resident Stephen Devoto hosted.

US Congressional Candidates, Democratic incumbent Rosa DeLauro, and Green candidate Ralph Ferruci opened the session.

Rosa DeLauro began her presentation with a suggestion that served as backdrop for all speakers – a worldwide economic crisis that has come to haunt the neighborhoods of every American town.

DeLauro emphasized her record and accomplishments in health care for children, agricultural bill improvements, FDA regulations, equal pay and breast health care legislation. She sees her responsibility to address the economic crisis by investing in clean alternative energy, health care for all, and strong regulation of financial markets.

In answers to questions from the audience DeLauro indicated that greed and deregulation caused the current financial crisis, and that the people responsible should be prosecuted. She also noted that if the British can prevent rogue financiers from walking away with bonuses, that we ought to be able to do the same in this country.

As regards health insurance, she bridled at the suggestion that Congress people do not pay for their health insurance, and suggested that the country should build on the success of Medicare by making it stronger. She also suggested that the way to improved health care is through preventive medicine, lowering drug prices and improving medical technology.

Finally in response to a question about Barack Obama’s tax plan, DeLauro reaffirmed her alignment with Obama, saying that, “when it comes to providing a tax break, that tax break ought to go to middle class America. Middle class families ought to be able to sustain themselves”

Ralph Ferruci, of the Green Party pinned most of the nation’s woes on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He called for the impeachment and prosecution of George Bush, and made a plea for real universal health care in a single payer system.

While Ferruci displayed an idealogical earnestness, his answers seemed to indicate in their tone, and delivery, that he feels his candidacy is an uphill battle.

Ferruci indicated that the $700 billion tax bailout would amount to $27,000 for every taxpayer in Connecticut, and that the bailout would have been better structured if aid was given to taxpayers, and not to financial institutions. He also pinned the lack of substantial healthcare legislation on the 1000 healthcare lobbyists for every representative in Congress.

He also noted that, in his opinion, the promised Obama tax break promise is impossible to keep in the current economic climate.

In the debate between 9th district State Senate candidates, incumbent Democrat Paul Doyle and Republican challenger Ralph Capenera, the contentious tone of their campaign continued.

Senator Paul Doyle claimed that the campaign had been difficult for him because, as he characterized it, “this is a race of personal destruction.” He made a plea to his challenger to return to the issues.

“It’s not about me, or about you Ralph,” he said. “It’s about the issues. I’m not embarrassed to stand in this church and talk about anything I’ve talked about in this campaign. I wish my opponent could talk in this church, but he’s embarrassed” Doyle asked his opponent to make a pledge to end negative campaigning, but it was a challenge his opponent refused to acknowledge.

In answers to questions, Doyle acknowledged that Middletown bore more than its fair share of large state facilities, but that he would fight any expansion of the Connecticut Juvenile Training Center. He also indicated that he would attempt to shift emphasis in the legislature from industrial incentives away from things like the film industry and toward clean energy incentives, and green industry.

Republican Senate challenger Ralph Capenera, claimed that his campaign was not an attack campaign, but one which was addressing the record of his challenger.

His major legislation is a 3% cap on property tax.

Capenera agreed with a questioner that Middletown was unfairly burdened with more than its share of large mental health, correctional institutions, half-way houses and transitional housing , and that he was not afraid to fight to keep additional institutions from being located in Middletown.

Democratic challenger for the 100th State Representaive District Matt Lesser opened his statements with a plea for change. He emphasize that the tax system needs an overhaul, small business needs incentive, health care costs need to be addressed, and the state needs to focus on renewable energy, education and a new course for government.

Lesser believes the state, and municipalities need to find a happy medium between development and preservation of open space. He said he would have opposed a big box store (Price Chopper) in Durham.

With a ten percent rise in property taxes, Lesser believes that those on a fixed income, particularly seniors and young people hoping to buy homes, are most affected. He noted that if there was a silver lining in the economic crisis, it was the impetus to find new answers and new ideas, including regional cooperation.

Incumbent Republican Representative Ray Kalinowski also acknowledged the economic problems which has put state and local government in dire straits. He believes in controlling spending, creating an environment that’s friendly to business, and boosting cost sharing in his district for education.

Kalinowski feels that strengthened planning and zoning commissions combined with regional planning will help create better balanced development. He believes strongly in regionalism as a means to find savings in many areas including public works, schools and economic development.

Republican challenger for State Representative in the 33rd District Catherine Johnson continued to press her contention that solving transit problems is the key to solving many problems on a state and local level. She sees trains and express buses as economic generators which could revive business, communities and neighborhoods, while shifting priorities from a steady diet of petroleum.

She emphasized her experience in the movement toward Smart Growth for communities in the district and throughout the state. She added that regional planning for many of these issues can help speed changes.

Democratic incumbent for the seat, Joseph Serra, insists that any cuts in government must be done judiciously so as not to hurt vulnerable citizens. His ideas is to cut big ticket items like school building and out-of-control DOT projects.

Serra is vehemently opposed to county government which he noted, was done away with in 1959. But he does see some advantage in regional cooperation in areas like education and water supply and distribution. As an example where he thinks regional planning can work is fire departments.

"We have 330 fire departments in 169 towns," he said. "Each spending money to buy the best equipment."

Middletown mayor Sebastian Giuliano ended the evening with an explanation of three city referendum items. Giuliano said that a water and sewer question would provide needed increased water pressure for the West side of town, to address current pressure shortages, and to address future development. He explained that the bond, a general obligation bond, will be paid through water and sewer revenue.

The other two referendum questions are asking for approval of City Charter revisions, which the mayor characterized as “housekeeping.” The housekeeping includes language which assures that any agreement of financial impact needs Common Council approval, that referendum petitions must be approved as “legal” by the town attorney and, finally, that the mayor will issue a report at the end of every fiscal year.

The mayor was questioned about the effect that the credit crunch will have on the city’s search for bonding for the sewer referendum. Giuliano said that his worry was less about the credit crunch and more about the bond rating as a result of a fund balance weakened by costs from the recently negotiated police contract and the long-pending sale of the Remington-Rand building, which puts a $3million dent in the fund.

Westfield Residents Association reacts to Army Corps of Engineer's Preferred Site List

Last night, the army presented the results of their "new", "open and collaborative" search for a site suitable for the construction of a military training facility. They examined 15 sites in total, rejected 11 of them, and now have 4 sites that they are considering more seriously. The Army's information page is quite informative and has links to the presentation last night (http://lrlcoepao.wordpress.com/).
Coverage in the media is here:

• Middletown Eye
• Middletown Press
• Hartford Courant
  

Here are the 11 that they rejected, the army determined that either they would be unable to build the facilities on budget and on time, or there were simply not enough buildable acres:

1. CL&P (River Road)
2. Aircraft Road
3. Middle and Bell (Manthay property)
4. Roscommon Office Park
5. Country Club Road (on Mt. Higby)
6. Middle Street (Delta site)
7. Atkins (golf course)
8. Freeman Road
9. Saybrook Road
10. Tollgate Road
11. Pratt and Whitney

The four sites that are under active consideration are the following (there is no ranking, just an alphabetical order):

1. Boardman Lane with access from Ken Dooley Drive
2. Bysiewicz Office Park (Middle Street, opposite Smith Street)
3. Cucia Park (Smith Street, opposite Industrial Park Road)
4. Mile Lane (the current army facility)
   

Many Westfield residents expressed their outrage against the continued presence of Boardman Lane on the list. Aides to Congresswoman DeLauro and Senator Dodd voiced their concern over this as well, "My boss will not be pleased, to say the least". Matt Fritz, from Governor Rell's office, attended.

Next:

• Share your opinion with the army! The army has set up a web site where comments will be posted. All comments posted before September 29th will be part of the site selection report that the Corps will send to the Army Reserve.
  TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS, GO HERE: http://lrlcoepao.wordpress.com/
• Express your thanks to Dodd, Lieberman, DeLauro, and Rell for sending staff members. Express to them any concerns or opinions you have about how the army is proceeding. Our federal officials have the most power over the army. All of their contact information is on the WRA web site (http://wramiddletown.org/polsContacts.html)
• There will be another meeting in 2 weeks, around September 29th.

An Army Press Conference

The army has announced that they will be holding a press conference in Middletown to "discuss planned Middletown Armed Forces Reserve Center preferred site":

Thursday, July 31st

4PM

The Inn Middletown, 70 Main Street.

From the Media Advisory:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will respond to local concerns of citizens and officials of Middletown CT.  Two public meetings, (a third planned for Aug. 27); a public website designed to answer questions from the community (here); emails; telephone calls and face-to-face meetings with community members, have not been adequate to address community concerns. It is the Army's sincerest desire to communicate with Middletown residents regarding how we are proceeding with planning this critical project. We feel the public has a right to know the site selection proces, the reasons behind the Boardman Lane site as the preferred site, and how the Army will hear and address any concerns with the site.  

Present at the meeting will be representatives form the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, U.S. Army Reserve, Connecticut Army National Guard.

In a press conference on Monday this week, the mayor, several members of Common Council, the Secretary of State, and Representative DeLauro strongly condemned the choice of Boardman Lane for the Army base, as reported by all the media who cover Middletown, including The Middletown Eye, the Hartford Courant, and a cover story in the Middletown Press, and most of the TV stations.  WNPR did story on the meeting, which was arranged by DeLauro.  

Monday's press conference followed a "private meeting" between the politicians and residents.  The army has also held private meetings with elected officials and residents (separately) prior to public statements.  The army has not indicated whether the press conference on Thursday will likewise follow a private meeting with elected officials or Middletown residents.

UPDATE (July 30, 4PM). Diane McCartin, of the Army Corps of Engineers, explained to me that this press conference is NOT open to the public. It will be in a small room on private property at the Middletown Inn. Members of the public will not be allowed to enter the room.  The Westfield Residents Association requested that one of their representatives be part of the press conference, in order that the press would get an alternative viewpoint regarding the Army base.  This request was refused.

Rosa Delauro convenes a meeting on the Army Reserve Training Center

Representative Rosa Delauro invited Westfield residents, city councilors, and the owners of the property coveted by the Army, to talk about the proposal to build an Army Reserve Training Center on Boardman Lane in the Westfield section of Middletown.

Because it was a private meeting, I agreed not to report on the meeting itself, but only on the press presentation which followed.

Delauro reported that at the meeting Westfield residents, and others from Middletown, council members, the mayor, Sebastian Giuliano and Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz, discussed and debated the proposed Army Base. Westfield residents oppose the siting of the training center in Westfield for a number of reasons, from environmental and traffic concerns, to questions about the economic impact of the base. New concerns about water, sewer and flood issues surfaced.

At this point Delauro, Giuliano and Bysiewicz are all opposed to building the training center on the site in Westfield. All cited the intractability of the Army, and their lack of communication on the topic, as problems in solving the siting issue. Delauro and Bysiewicz are also amenable to having the training site built outside of Middletown, while Giuliano stills supports building the training center on one of three city-recommended sites, a site adjacent to the Pratt and Whitney plant on Aircraft Road, a site next to the Kleen Energy plant on River Road, and a site behind an auto junkyard on Saybrook Road. All three sites are technically in Maromas.

Delauro has promised to lobby Secretary of the Army Geren, and along with Bysiewicz has authored a letter to Governor Jodi Rell, who is commander-in-chief of the Connecticut National Guard, and may have some influence in determining where the training center is built.

The press conference drew all four local TV stations, two newspapers, the state TV station CTN, and at least three radio reporters. Delauro, Bysiewicz, Giuliano (the three political leaders who are most deeply involved in the issue) and Jennifer Mahr, a representative of the Westfield Residents Association addressed the gathered reporters. Then a parade of less-directly-involved, though concerned, politicians including state representatives Ray Kalinowski, state senator Paul Doyle and state representative Joe Serra (who was not at the meeting with residents because of a dental appointment), took the opportunity to express their opinions for the gathered press. Also in attendance was state representative Brendan Sharkey who represents governor Jodi Rell's push for smart growth.

It's become clear that the Army will have a fight on its hands if it insists on the Boardman Lane site, but it's not clear whether they will abandon Middletown, or reconsider building on brownfield sites.

The Middletown Common Council meets on August 4th to consider a resolution which will oppose the Army Corps of Engineer's choice of the Westfield site.

As Mayor Giuliano indicated, that to make the site buildable, "thousands of tons of trap rock will be shifted into wetlands. If the city had asked the Corps of Engineers to approve the site for the building of the new high school, they would have stopped us."

The army training facility, where will it stop?

Commentary, by fishmuscle:

The military base is on a tour through Middletown, stopping to visit the most beautiful, unspoiled land it can find in our city.  During the spring it meandered in Maromas, apparently savoring the clean air and water of a beautiful meadow on Freeman Road.  This summer it decided to wander in Westfield, drawn by the solitude of small country lanes, the beauty of a farm in continuous operation since 1750, and the extensive wetlands on Boardman Lane. At first, few of Middletown's residents seemed to notice the military base, but this has been changing.  At each of the stops on its tour, the military base has been joined by others who also cherish the treasures of Middletown.  Some came because they wanted to know if the training facility was going to destroy the beautiful, unspoiled land that is one part of Middletown's treasure.  Others came because they wanted to know whether the economic costs to the City would destroy the financial part of Middletown's treasure.  At each stop, the military base has had more and more of Middletown's citizens following along.  Many of those who at first treasured only the meadows of Maromas now also appreciate the wetlands of Westfield.  All of those who treasure the financial strength of our city have followed along.  Now the mayor and common council may join other city residents in questioning whether the military base should stay at its current stop in Middletown.  The citizens of Middletown will rightly applaud this effort by our elected officials to protect the natural beauty and financial strength of our city.  However, this effort is not enough if the mayor and council members become tour guides who steer the military base to another site in Middletown. It is long past time for the mayor and council to guide the military base out of Middletown. It is long past time for the mayor and council to recognize that at every stop on the tour, opposition has grown; if there is another stop on the tour, the opposition will dwarf what has happened at previous stops.  Our city has indulged the military base in a tour of our precious resources for long enough.  

WRA on the radio

Stephen Devoto, from the Westfield Residents Association appeared on WTIC-AM this morning to talk about the planned Army Reserve Training Center in Westfield.

You can listen to it here.