As at all Common Council meetings, there is an opportunity for public comment. The meeting begins at 7PM, in City Hall. The complete agenda, with supporting documents, is HERE.
Sale of the Green Street School to Saint Vincent de Paul
The Green Street School building is currently vacant, and Mayor Dan Drew has proposed selling it for one dollar to the Archdiocese of Norwich for use by its Saint Vincent de Paul of Middletown organization. The Mayor's proposed sale requires approval by the Common Council.
The Economic Development Commission reviewed three applications to purchase the building, and sent its recommendations to the Mayor, who chose the Archdiocese of Norwich over a proposal from the Community Health Center and a proposal from a new group calling itself the Middletown Green Community Center. Saint Vincent de Paul proposes to use the building to expand its services of providing food, counseling, training, and other support to the neediest members of our community. It would also sell its current building on Main Street to a for-profit entity.
When the city considers the sale, purchase, or improvement of any city-owned land, state statutes require a review of this action by the Planning and Zoning Commission. At its meeting on Wednesday evening, the Commission voted 6-1 against giving a favorable report on the sale of the city building to Saint Vincent de Paul (full disclosure: the author is a member of the Commission, he voted with the majority). It did so after hearing from residents in the neighborhoods near the Green Street building that moving Saint Vincent de Paul to Green Street would be severely detrimental to the quality of the residential neighborhood. The Mayor had apparently not consulted with the residents of the neighborhood before making his decision.
When the Finance and Government Operations Commission reviewed the proposed sale on Wednesday evening, there were not enough votes to endorse the proposed sale to Saint Vincent de Paul.
The proposed sale is currently on the agenda for Monday's Council meeting. If it is not removed, there will likely be a large turnout of people on both sides of the proposed sale to Saint Vincent de Paul, as there was at both of the municipal meetings on Wednesday. As a consequence of the Planning and Zoning vote, Common Council approval of the Mayor's proposal will require a 2/3rds positive vote: 8 of the Council members would need to vote "yes".
City of Middletown Pride Event
The Mayor is asking the Council to approve an appropriation of $60,510 for an event to bring greater visibility to our City's community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (or questioning) and others. The event would take place on June 15th of this year, and include a parade on Main Street, and events on South Green, Union Street, and Harbor Park. The Pride Event would be co-hosted by the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.
There was a wide-spread support for this expenditure at Wednesday's Finance and Government Operations meeting. In addition to support from the Chamber of Commerce, more than a dozen people spoke in favor of the proposal, they included a teacher and students from Middletown High School, students from Middlesex Community College, a Board of Education member and a Common Council member.
City Fields
The Green Street School building is currently vacant, and Mayor Dan Drew has proposed selling it for one dollar to the Archdiocese of Norwich for use by its Saint Vincent de Paul of Middletown organization. The Mayor's proposed sale requires approval by the Common Council.
The Economic Development Commission reviewed three applications to purchase the building, and sent its recommendations to the Mayor, who chose the Archdiocese of Norwich over a proposal from the Community Health Center and a proposal from a new group calling itself the Middletown Green Community Center. Saint Vincent de Paul proposes to use the building to expand its services of providing food, counseling, training, and other support to the neediest members of our community. It would also sell its current building on Main Street to a for-profit entity.
When the city considers the sale, purchase, or improvement of any city-owned land, state statutes require a review of this action by the Planning and Zoning Commission. At its meeting on Wednesday evening, the Commission voted 6-1 against giving a favorable report on the sale of the city building to Saint Vincent de Paul (full disclosure: the author is a member of the Commission, he voted with the majority). It did so after hearing from residents in the neighborhoods near the Green Street building that moving Saint Vincent de Paul to Green Street would be severely detrimental to the quality of the residential neighborhood. The Mayor had apparently not consulted with the residents of the neighborhood before making his decision.
When the Finance and Government Operations Commission reviewed the proposed sale on Wednesday evening, there were not enough votes to endorse the proposed sale to Saint Vincent de Paul.
The proposed sale is currently on the agenda for Monday's Council meeting. If it is not removed, there will likely be a large turnout of people on both sides of the proposed sale to Saint Vincent de Paul, as there was at both of the municipal meetings on Wednesday. As a consequence of the Planning and Zoning vote, Common Council approval of the Mayor's proposal will require a 2/3rds positive vote: 8 of the Council members would need to vote "yes".
City of Middletown Pride Event
The Mayor is asking the Council to approve an appropriation of $60,510 for an event to bring greater visibility to our City's community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (or questioning) and others. The event would take place on June 15th of this year, and include a parade on Main Street, and events on South Green, Union Street, and Harbor Park. The Pride Event would be co-hosted by the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce.
There was a wide-spread support for this expenditure at Wednesday's Finance and Government Operations meeting. In addition to support from the Chamber of Commerce, more than a dozen people spoke in favor of the proposal, they included a teacher and students from Middletown High School, students from Middlesex Community College, a Board of Education member and a Common Council member.
City Fields
The city fields ordinance has been submitted by Mary Bartolotta. It was the subject of an opinion piece published Tuesday in The Eye.
The proposed 5 page ordinance establishes 3 levels of priority for use of the city's athletic fields, it would replace a far more complicated set of rules for the use of each of the city's fields. A separate resolution establishes the fees for each field.
According to the proposed ordinance, a subset of previously established city leagues and teams, and all schools in the city, would get first priority, there would be no consideration of whether the athletes on the teams or schools are residents of the city. Other teams would get second priority, but only if more than 60% of the athletes are city residents. Teams with fewer than 60% of residents, and all for-profit leagues, would get third priority.
According to the proposed ordinance, a subset of previously established city leagues and teams, and all schools in the city, would get first priority, there would be no consideration of whether the athletes on the teams or schools are residents of the city. Other teams would get second priority, but only if more than 60% of the athletes are city residents. Teams with fewer than 60% of residents, and all for-profit leagues, would get third priority.
The first priority teams would use the fields without any fees, the second and third priority teams would have to pay for the use of the fields for games. In the past, lower priority teams have been unable to get playing time.
The first priority users include not only the city's current soccer, baseball, football, cheerleading, lacrosse, and softball teams, but also the regional Vinal technical high school, and the private Catholic high schools Mercy and Xavier. Vinal allows extensive use of its fields by city leagues. Mercy and Xavier do not pay city taxes, have many students who are not residents, and do not generally allow use of their fields by city residents.
This ordinance would discriminate among non-profit teams, giving first priority only to some existing teams in the city. Moreover, if a new league, for example for girls field hockey or coed ultimate (frisbee), were to be formed, it would be a second priority user even if all of the athletes were city residents. This, and the lack of a residency requirement for the teams given the highest priority are both puzzling.
Resident students’ parents of Mercy and Xavier pay taxes to the City of Middletown.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know what they are building near the new auto parts store that has not opened yet on Washington Street near Mozzicato's Italian Bakery? Curious about what business is going in there.
ReplyDeleteYes, and they should have use of fields after teams comprised of more Middletown residents. If their team has a small percentage of residents on it, a team with a larger percentage should be scheduled first.
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