Ansonia alderman opposes bonding referendum plan

Calls $4.9M project an 'absolute embarrassment to the city'

By Alderman John Marini

I wanted to share some comments regarding the bonding project in Ansonia.

Bonding is a great idea and one that can save the city money in the long term.
In fact, I have long urged the use of bonding as a way to fund large and necessary capital expenses.
I support many of the items on the list, including funding for school security, the nature center and the fire house roof.
However, this bonding project has been run miserably since its announcement and is at this point an absolute embarrassment to the city.
The bonding proposal was cooked-up by a small group of city officials in closed-door meetings.

The bonding projects were hand-picked by this exclusive group, with no formal input by the Board of Aldermen or its sub-committees.

The proposal was first presented to the full BOA on May 6, 2013 (in the absence of bond counsel) at which time many of the aldermen expressed concern over the projects selected and the speed at which this $4.9 million spending project was proceeding at.

The proposal was hastily revised to meet some of the board’s concerns.
In good faith I extended my support of the proposal in the hopes that the BOA could work together for the good of Ansonia.

I stressed that the bonding made sense so long that it was financially advantageous for the city. I also explained it was important to educate the public on the savings the bonding could generate.
I offered my own political signs to be converted to publicize the bond. I also made clear that the entire city needed to be involved in this matter.

Since that time the project has run entirely off the rails.

·         The advertising of the referendum violates state law. One official made a unilateral decision to use city funds to purchase signs endorsing a "yes" vote on the bond. Beyond the fact that the BOA should have approved of this expenditure, the signs were flagrant violations of state campaign finance laws.
         The city cannot spend funds to endorse a specific vote on a referendum.  Moreover, the signs did not indicate who paid for them and they were improperly placed on public property.  The signs were eventually taped over to hide the "yes" vote endorsement. Even more disturbing, the signs were purchased and distributed before the BOA even approved the referendum (in fact, the BOA will not vote to approve it until June 11).

·     The bonding project no longer makes financial sense. Due to a last minute change (made by a small group of city officials outside the scope of official meetings) the bonding items have been broken up piecemeal into several different ballot questions.  Bonding only makes sense if the total amount of the bond justifies incurring long-term debt.  There is now a risk that the bond questions with smaller price tags will pass, while the larger ones will not.  If this occurs, there will be no tax savings.  There will only be increased spending.

·     The referendum will cost taxpayers between $14,000-$17,000.  The referendum could have been included on the general election ballot in November.  The June vote requires all polling stations in Ansonia to be opened at an estimated cost of $14,000-$17,000.

·    Poor communication between city leaders. The full BOA did not meet to approve expenditures for advertising the bonding project.
        The full BOA did not meet with city departments to determine the best bonding projects. The full BOA did not consult with bond counsel to discuss the details of the bonding process. In fact, the full BOA has yet to meet with bond counsel on this matter.  The full BOA had no say in the last minute change to break the bonding proposal up into line items. Who made these decisions?  A small and exclusive group of city leaders behind closed doors.

·     Poor communication with residents.  Does anyone in town know what they are to be voting for on June 25?  I personally advocated Ward meetings to educate the public about the bonding project.  Only now, in the 11th hour, are these meetings being scheduled.  Moreover, press from the city has done little to educate the public about why this bonding project must be done at such an accelerated pace. Poor communication may result in a low turnout at bond time, except for those who have a vested interest in any given proposal. Given that the referendum requires merely a majority vote to pass, a small group of voters can easily commit the city to spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for their particular project.

·         Last minute changes continue. Many aldermen, myself included, learned only on June 6, 2013 (via the Valley Independent Sentinel) that the bond was being broken into separate ballot questions, purportedly at the recommendation of bond counsel. It was also only recently divulged that the aldermen would have to vote a second time on the bonding proposal and that a vote by the Board of Apportionment and Taxation would be needed. Are there other changes coming?

There will be a final vote by the Board of Aldermen on June 11 as to whether this bonding proposal goes to referendum on June 25, 2013.
I am sorry to say that I can no longer support the proposal.

The decision to spend up to an additional $4.9 million of taxpayers’ money is an important one. It should have been afforded careful consideration and thoughtful planning. It should have been the collective effort of Ansonia’s entire city government.

Instead, this multi-million dollar bonding project has become the badly managed “pet project” of a small group of city officials. This is absolutely unacceptable.
I am urging that the full Board of Aldermen vote to cancel the June 25 referendum.

I also urge members of the public to share their thoughts with the Board of Aldermen at the public hearing scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 11 in City Hall.


Marini is a 7th Ward Republican.

Gentile, Crisco welcome expected $190,000 grant for agency in Ansonia

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile is shown at the state Capitol. / Contributed photo

HARTFORD - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, and state Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr. , D-Woodbridge, welcome the expected passage of a state grant for an assistance facility in Ansonia when the State Bond Commission meets Friday.

BHcare, Inc is expected to receive $190,000 for renovations to its shelter for victims of domestic violence. 
The State Bond Commission is scheduled to meet at 10:30 a.m. this Friday in Room 1E of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford.

    

“I am thrilled with the funding allocated for BHcare,” Gentile said. “The statistics for domestic violence in our state are staggering.  The individuals that this shelter serves, many of whom are children, have already gone through unimaginable trauma by the time they arrive at the shelter.  Once they are safely settled in to their new environment, they deserve to live in a peaceful and structurally sound home.”

The funds will provide ADA access improvements and a roof replacement at the domestic violence shelter.

“Anticipated approval for this state grant reflects a renewed, collective desire to address the epidemic of domestic violence in our state, in this case, by helping those victimized and displaced with a secure and confidential place to stay,” Crisco said. “BHCare and its staff make crisis and counseling services available 24 hours per day and seven days per week – it’s gratifying to know these state resources will be available to shore up the facility where these services are provided.”

BHcare is licensed by the Department of Public Health and provides a comprehensive range of recovery-based psychiatric and substance abuse services, along with domestic violence and family mediation for adults and children.

BHcare is designated by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services as the Local Mental Health Authority for Ansonia, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton.

This information is taken from a press release from Gentile's office. 

Conroy: Seymour needs time to pursue state funds for school project

Legislation co-sponsored by state Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, was the subject of a public hearing today by the legislature’s Finance Committee.

Seymour Middle School

The bill (HB 6602) would allow the Town of Seymour to renew its construction loans on the Seymour Middle School project beyond the limits set in state statute.

The extension would allow the town time to receive state funds for the project.



In her testimony the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee, Conroy said, “It was brought to my attention at the end of 2012 that the 10-year construction note term for Seymour Middle School will be due on May 1, 2013.
By extending the time for the temporary notes, it will allow the town to apply for state reimbursement of $1.3 million.”

Although construction on the Seymour Middle School project was technically completed in 2002, due to a number of factors and delays, the town was unable to pursue state reimbursement through the Bureau of School Facilities until very recently.
Their internal process could take up to six months and the temporary notes on the construction project mature on May 1 of this year. State statute (C.G.S. Sec. 7-378a) limits the renewal of temporary notes to 10 years from the date of initial issuance.

Without an extension on the terms of the construction note, the town would need to pay about $550,000 on May 1.

Conroy said, “During a time where we have been impacted with several large storms that are affecting our local budgets, Seymour cannot afford a large hit to its budget.”

The legislation awaits a vote by the Finance Committee.

In addition to representing the 105th Assembly District, Conroy is a member of the Seymour Board of Selectmen.

This information is taken from a press release from Conroy’s office.

Gentile hails capital-improvement funds for O'Brien

Malloy announces $3.5M for upgrades at tech schools

HARTFORD -  Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said the State Bond Commission was scheduled to vote Wednesday afternoon on a $3.5 million allocation to be used to upgrade and modernize academic and trade equipment in programs throughout Connecticut’s technical high school system.

The bond funding will be allocated to individual schools based on the system’s capital equipment and improvement plan, which was approved by the Connecticut State Board of Education in May. 

The plan prioritizes key investments throughout the system in areas such as trade and academic equipment purchases, expansion of manufacturing programming, and technology and infrastructure improvements.

“On my Jobs Tour last year, I heard time and again from employers about the need for skilled labor, particularly in precision manufacturing,” Malloy said.
“At a time when many of our residents are looking for work, it’s frustrating to know that positions are available, but we don’t always have the workforce necessary to fill them.  The funding we are allocating to Connecticut’s technical schools will help students learn the latest techniques on the newest equipment so they can have the opportunity to fill some of these open positions and secure a good paying job with good benefits.”

State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, said, "These funds will go a long way in providing necessary capital improvements that have been needed for a very long time at O'Brien Tech.

"As a state school, it is our responsibility to make sure we are providing a safe learning environment for the students who choose to attend technical schools like Emmett O'Brien."

 

Connecticut Department of Education Commissioner Stefan Pryor said, “As a high-quality public school option for students in Connecticut, technical high schools provide coursework and training that helps graduates compete in our global economy.  These investments will add to the momentum created by reforms in the Governor’s education package that establish a new model for technical school governance and strengthen the pipeline to Connecticut’s leading employers.”

Connecticut’s technical high school system currently operates 16 degree-granting technical high schools, one technical education center, and two aviation maintenance programs serving approximately 11,200 full-time high school and adult day students, with comprehensive education and training in 36 occupational areas and 2,000 apprenticeship students.

High school students receive a college preparatory curriculum and earn a Connecticut high school diploma as well as a certificate in a specific trade technology.