New Deputy City Attorney Confirmed

The Common Council approved Kori Wisneski as new Deputy City Attorney at its meeting last night. There was no controversy over Wisneski as a future Attorney for the City, but two Councilwomen voted against confirmation, citing concerns over the process of hiring, and a proposed reorganization of the City Attorney's office and the Personnel Department.

Wisneski graduated from Mercy High School, got her bachelor's degree from College Of The Holy Cross, and her law degree from Quinnipiac. For the past 6 years she has been an Attorney at Robinson & Cole in Hartford.

She touted her experience as a litigator, and repeatedly stated that she likes to be on her feet, arguing a case in court. However, she also stressed that she would work hard to prevent litigation involving the city. In her application, she wrote, "I worked on a team of attorneys that successfully negotiated a resolution on behalf of a town against its chief of police for alleged misconduct."

Wisneski is a daughter of the Termine and Maltese families of Middletown and has settled in the city as an adult, she boasted, "I've lived 27 out of [my] 33 years in Middletown." Several of the Councilmen appeared to have known her for many years, Councilman Phil Pessina said, "I'm very proud of you.... It's a long way from the softball field of Mercy to this position."

The only dissenting votes were from Councilwomen Deb Kleckowski and Linda Salafia. Wisneski applied for the position of City Attorney, and Salafia said that the position of Deputy City Attorney was created only after someone else was hired for City Attorney. She said that the new job was not advertised before being given to Wisneski.

Kleckowski also objected to the process of the hiring. She said she had learned form correspondence by Mayor Drew that he would be proposing to merge the Personnel and the Legal Departments, and she did not think it was appropriate to hire a deputy attorney with this uncertainty ahead. Councilman Gerry Daley responded that the deputy city attorney had always handled labor issues, and it should have been no surprise that the city would merge the departments, because the Mayor's task force had recommended this.

Council Approves Expenditures With An Eye To The Future

The Common Council took a number of steps with significant price tags, but which have the promise of future dividends. Expenditures for parking, webcasting of city meetings, and connecting to the Mattabesset regional sewer treatment plant were approved.

Parking

The Council took two actions to increase the number of parking spaces available downtown. It approved the expenditure of $200,000 for the demolition of a building on Liberty Street, and the construction of a neighborhood parking facility. The building currently houses Automatic Machine Products, a manufacturer of automated machine parts such as brass valves, milling and drilling machine parts, hydraulic press and pressure testing parts and accessories. Part of the money will help the company relocate to the Remington Rand Building.

Council Honors Interim Schools Administrators

The Common Council at its meeting last night warmly thanked David Larson and John Sullivan, for their service as Interim Superintendent and Interim Associate Superintendent of Schools. After a proclamation for Larson was read by Councilman Tom Serra, and a proclamation for Sullivan read by Councilman Gerry Daley, Serra jokingly said that each man must be a superman for having stepped into a difficult situation and accomplished so much.

He presented them with attire befitting their status.

Council Postpones Decision on River Road Apartment Tax Abatement

Breaking news.
The Common Council voted 8-3 to postpone discussion and a decision on a resolution to offer a large tax abatement and fee reduction to a developer proposing to build luxury apartments on River Road. The Council will take up the matter at its December 3rd meeting.

Return to The Eye later for more details of the developer's presentation to the Council, public comments, and the Council deliberations.

Large Subsidy To Developer To Be Considered By Council Tomorrow

The Common Council will vote at its meeting Tuesday (7PM) on a resolution granting fee waivers and property tax relief to a developer, Waterhouse Development Company, for a proposed luxury apartment project on River Road. The resolution was endorsed by the Economic Development Commission at its August meeting (The Hartford Courant covered the EDC meeting HERE). The proposed subsidy is between $3M and $4M.

The Economic Development Commission based its endorsement in part on a presentation on the "upscale residential" River Road Apartments from Martin Smith, who is one of the founders of Waterhouse and in charge of land acquisition. According to the draft minutes of EDC, there would be "176-200 units depending on bedroom mix", and the project will cost $36M with a value of $25M in buildings. The developers will also be applying for State and Federal subsidies for environmentally responsible building.

The resolution, if passed, would provide two forms of city subsidy to the Waterhouse Company: an immediate reduction in construction costs of perhaps $500,000, and 7 year tax subsidy of at least $3.2M.

Common Council Votes Unanimously to Bring Bond on Mattabassett District to Referendum

The discussion of a $37 million bond concerning Middletown’s full membership in the Mattabassett District dominated the proceedings at Monday’s Common Council meeting. Following a spirited and illuminating discussion of the bond, the council voted unanimously to bring the bonding question to referendum.

On Election Day on November 6th, voters will have to answer whether they support bounding “for the planning, design, acquisition and construction of a force main and inter-municipal pump station in connection with Mattabassett regionalization project”, which a portion of the ordinance reads. Middletown is currently not a member of the district, and only sends some of its wastewater to the Mattabassett.

A number of council members made their strong support for the measure clear. “For me, this is one of the most important referendum questions,” said Councilman Ron Klattenberg. “It’s transformational. This vote can change the character of Middletown. Our riverfront is valuable. Anyone who knows about the plant knows. This has to be done. There’s no question.”

Councilman Phil Pessina also spoke about the positive impact the project would have on the riverfront. “This is an important project,” he said. “Construction will mean the economic development of the waterfront. One thing we’ve been talking about is a boat launch. This is the first step in doing it.”

Majority leader Tom Serra said the benefits to the city and ratepayers would include the stabilization of sewer rates and the enhancement of economic development and environmental quality.

Former Mayor Sebastian Giuliano was one of a handful of citizens who stated their support for the project. He stated that it would strongly improve both the environmental and public health of the city. “The best message you can send to citizens and partners in the district is that it has the full support of the administration and legislative branch, recommending it be put on the ballot,” Giuliano.

Quentin “Q” Phipps, the Executive Director of the Middletown Business District, also lent his support and said the bound would me backed fully by the MBD. The bond’s importance becomes much more evident when you consider that Middletown is under federal mandate to either upgrade the existing sewer plant on River Road or join a sewer district. The stretch of riverfront property on this road that includes the city’s antiquated sewage treatment facility would be decommissioned and razed if Middletown becomes a full member of the Mattabassett District. Doing so would allow an expansion of the waterfront area.

Resident and former councilman Earl Roberts expressed significant concerns about the project. “I’m concerned about our ability to play,” Roberts said. “That’s a lot of bonding. Be cautious,” he urged the council. “What’s the urgency?” Roberts stated. “I hope you ask yourselves this question, because this is a big debt and we’re not out of the woods yet with this economy.”

Pessina addressed Roberts’s statements by saying that Middletown should counteract the cost of the project by pursuing grants. “The public worries that we spend money,” Pessina said.” But we have a responsibility to direct the finance director to get grants, to look for alternative financing to defray the costs.”

Mayor Daniel Drew summed up the bond discussion before the unanimous vote. He stated that the city will aggressively pursue state grants for the project, and that he believes its costs will not necessarily meet the full cost of the bond ordinance. Drew also spoke about how fully joining the District and its Regionalization Project would be the most cost effective way for Middletown to upgrade its water quality and stabilize the sewer rates its citizens pay.

Middletown’s Sewer Department has 10,000 customers and now maintains approximately 130 miles of pipes, 15 pumping stations and the treatment plant on River Road.

Council Approves Liquor Permit Purchase

The Common Council tonight approved the expenditure of $60,000 to purchase a Package Store Permit to sell liquor. The permit is currently owned by Capitol Package, which is located in the old theater just south of Main Street Market. The Capitol building itself was recently sold to the owner of Main Street Market.

The city is purchasing the license to eliminate a liquor store on Main Street, and to facilitate the old Capitol Theater building being put to another use. The city will place a deed restriction on the property to prevent any future owner from operating a liquor store in that building.

Quentin Phipps, Director of the Downtown Business District, said that downtown business owners strongly supported the city's purchase, because it would remove the negative impact that the liquor store was having on Main Street.

Earle Roberts, former council member, said it was inappropriate for the government to purchase a license for commerce. He said that if there was a value to the owner of the building or neighboring business, to taking that liquor license out of circulation, then they, not the city, should purchase the license, "That's capitalism, leave it alone!"

The Council voted 9 to 3 in favor of the $60,000 appropriation. Two Democrats, Grady Faulkner, and Todd Berch, and one Republican, Linda Salafia, voted against.

Schools PTAs Urge Parents to Support School Budget

The Board of Education goes before the Common Council this evening at 7pm to make its case for the 2012-2013 School Budget.  Mayor Drew said he would flat fund the educational budget on April 3rd, which would mean cuts of almost $3.5 million to amount the BOE has asked for.

School PTAs are urging parents to attend tonight's meeting to show support for the budget as proposed.  Interim Superintendent Dr. David Larson is expected to comment on at least the following arguments in support of a fully funded budget:

·         A 0% increase is less than a current services budget because of salary and benefit contracted increases.
·         78% of the education budget goes to instruction
·         75% of the budget is for salaries and insurance benefits
·         Maintain class size
·         Need for school librarians/media specialists to support the implementation of the common core – new national standards for education.
·         Need for interventionists to support our required SRBI (Scientifically Researched Based Intervention) implementation and the Common Core.
·         Update of our Student Information System to Power School to improve communication with parents and students as well as organization and access of student data (i.e. grades, enrollment, attendance…).

On April 17th, former BOE Chairman Ted Raczka, now the Budget Committee Chair, commented on what the loss of millions would do to the school budget:  "Extra-curricular activities will start to go, and if we're short millions, we will have to look at staffing levels.  Most of our retirements were done last year, and so it's not a good picture."  Raczka went on to say, "The reason I'm sitting over here at the end of the table [referring to where he sits at BOE meetings] is because I want to see money spent in classrooms.  I don't care about politics.  If you look at our funding compared to other communities, we're not getting it, and we're going to suffer because of that."


Raczka mentioned that he thought the Common Council would put some of the money back, but in the end, Middletown as a whole has to be serious about funding a quality education.


{Author's Note:  If you don't know what Common Core refers to, it's the new national standards for education coming out of DC.  Connecticut adopted the standards on July 7, 2010.  Click here for more information.}

And Then There Were Three: Council Members' Recusal Shuts Down McMahon Appeal

Former Acting Police Chief Patrick McMahon appeared before a special meeting of the Common Council this evening, to appeal his termination as Deputy Chief. The meeting was cancelled after every one of the attending Democratic Council members recused themselves from hearing the appeal.

Council Approves Parking Ticket Collection Contract, Police Expansion, and Senior Tax Relief

Parking Scofflaws Beware!
The Council approved, by a vote of 8-4, a plan to hire an outside company to implement a parking ticket and billing technology. The company, Complus Data, will charge the city a monthly fee of $1700, and 20% of all past due tickets and 8% of all tickets going forward.

Geen Thazampallath told the Council that the current system is antiquated: tickets are written by hand, and manually entered into the data base. He said that the collection rate on tickets was only about 60%, because if the city does not already have an address on the car's owner, then it was impossible to contact the person responsible for the ticket. He said that if the collection rate could be increased from 60% to 90%, then the city could reap over $100,000 per year, "We believe we have hundreds of thousands of dollars of unpaid tickets."

The Four Council members voting against the resolution expressed concerns that the city was not getting the best possible deal from Complus Data. Councilwomen Hope Kasper and Mary Bartolotta, in particular, wanted more details and documentation about the current rate of ticket collection, and what could be expected from the company in the future.

There was also considerable discussion over whether the Parking Department could use the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) to help track down those with outstanding parking tickets. Thazampallath, backed up by City Attorney Tim Lynch, said that the NCIC database could only be used by Parking officials if they were certified police officers, employed by the Police Department.

Police Force to Expand
The Council unanimously approved the addition of three new police officers, one of them a Sergeant. Councilman Santangelo said that Middletown should have a force of 120 officers, and that this was an important step towards that direction.

Senior Tax Relief
The Common Council unanimously approved the Senior Tax Relief programs proposed by Mayor Dan Drew, and endorsed last week by the Finance and Government Operations Committee. Ed Dypa said that a plan like this was proposed 6 years ago, and he praised Drew for making it finally happen, "I appreciate it and ask the council to look at the ordinance favorably.”

Fuel Efficiency To Be A Consideration In Purchase Of City Vehicles

The Common Council unanimously passed a resolution which it hoped would save costs for the city, and reduce pollution.

The full text of the resolution is as follows:

WHEREAS, the current CNR has vehicles listed to be purchased at a future date and the City is concerned about costs for fuel and the environment.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIDDLETOWN: That all future vehicle purchases shall be approved by the Finance and Government Operations Committee who will review the efficiency of the vehicles before purchasing.

Council members agreed that most city vehicles did not need to be large SUVs.

Council Honors Xavier Football

Students and coaches associated with the Xavier football team filled the chambers of the Common Council voted tonight, as the Council paid tribute to the team's second consecutive State Class LL Championship.

Councilman Gerry Daley read a proclamation, which honored the football players and coaching staff, and also the cheerleaders.

Middletown Mother Begins Online Petition: No Confidence in Special Ed. Dept. Admins

Letter submitted to the Eye Editors from a mother of a child receiving special education services in the Middletown Public School system:

To the Editor:

I have created a petition addressed to Mayor Daniel T. Drew, the Common Council and Board of Education members which seeks the terminations of Ann Perzan, Laurie Slade and Mindy Otis of Middletown's Department of Pupil Services and Special Education.

The three administrators have consistently failed the students in this town and their families. They have violated the rights of children with disabilities by not providing them access to services that they need to learn in a non-restrictive environment. They have not included parents in the process of changes that directly impact the children with special needs, their families and the mainstream community.

They have not provided their staff with infrastructure needed to implement learning. They have failed to keep special needs children, their staff and the community safe. The evidence of this is their recent decision to disband the DEAL program housed at Lawrence School and place special needs children into the community without infrastructure to ensure that the children are safe; that the staff are trained properly to deliver services; and that communication and training were conducted to the general population and staffing.

As the leaders of the Special Education Department, this is unacceptable behavior and their actions prove they are not competent in their positions and need to be removed immediately.

We have lost confidence in their ability to provide a nurturing environment that ensures our special needs children are being educated in a safe, legal and least restrictive environment.

Jane Flanders Majewski, Middletown

http://www.change.org/petitions/middletown-connecticut-residents-seek-change

New Billing Software For Water And Sewer Approved by Council

The Common Council on Tuesday night approved the expenditure of $110,000 for a new billing software system for the Water and Sewer Department. However, they did so with a collective tone that called to mind a reluctant father bailing out (this is the last time, I'm warning you!) an irresponsible teenage child.

Councilman Tom Serra was particularly peeved at the expenditure, noting that this was the third time in recent years that Water and Sewer was getting new software. A chastened IT Director Bill Oliver assured him that this time it would be functional.

The current Water and Sewer billing system is from Northern Data Systems. Director Guy Russo explained to the Council that it made too many mistakes, "In three billing cycles we have yet to put out a bill with quality."

In response to leading questions from Councilman Bob Santangelo, Russo said that it was imperative that a new billing system be purchased as soon as possible, so that it could be operational in time for the May billing cycle. He said that after extensive research, his department, with the support of Oliver, had chosen a system from Continental Utility Systems. Continental specializes in Water and Sewer, and Russo expressed his confidence that the new system would be successful.

Several Council members, including Linda Salafia and Deb Kleckowski, asked Oliver if Continental Utility would be integrated with other city software packages. Oliver told the Council that it would not immediately interface with the Tax Collection software, but that when the Tax Collection software was upgraded, integration with the Water and Sewer software would be a priority.

Councilwoman Mary Bartoletta asked Mayor Dan Drew what safeguards the city would have to ensure that this software purchase would produce the promised result. Drew said that he would be negotiating a purchase contract with Continental Utility, and he would make sure that there would be language in the contract which protected the city.

The resolution approving the purchase was passed unanimously, albeit with many exasperated sighs on the part of the Council members.

Council Acts On Jobs: Delays Municipal Hiring And Supports Private Enterprise

The Common Council took two actions regarding jobs at their monthly meeting last night. It rejected the hiring of permanent replacements for three recently retired city workers, and approved the expenditure of $40,000 to help businesses which are experiencing economic hardship to pay low to moderate income employees.

Municipal Retirements

In the current fiscal year, an incentive program has induced about 30 city employees to take early retirement. The budget approved by the Council last year reflected an anticipated $200,000 in savings as a result. Several Councilmen, notably Tom Serra, have expressed frustration that these savings have not been realized.

One month prior to the election, the Council enacted a hiring freeze: "... no vacant position(s) due to retirement shall be filled until such time as the Finance and Government Operations Commission has had time to review said position as to its effectiveness and efficiency."

The Finance and Government Operations Commission (F&G) last week heard from the City Attorney, the Tax Collector, and the Health Department that they were understaffed, and approved three new hires. The Hartford Courant reported that Mayor Dan Drew on Friday refused to proceed with the hires until after he heard from a task force on efficiency and consolidation of city departments.

The F&G recommendation was on the agenda to be approved last night, and two members of F&G maintained their support for the three new positions. Ron Klattenberg said "These positions are urgent and they are critical." Phil Pessina told his colleagues, "We really did look at these positions really seriously."

They failed to persuade other council members, and the council voted 10-2 against the F&G recommendation.

Mayor Drew said that he would consider hiring temporary workers to fill pressing needs. He said that the budget outlook was as grim as it has been in any modern time, and he repeatedly said that he did not want to hire someone who might then be laid off due to budget shortfalls.

"Bridge Construction Small Business Disruption Job Retention Program"
Afternoon traffic on North Main Street is badly hurting the retail business, according to the owner of It's Only Natural. The Council debated whether to implement a $40,000 program (with disharmonious title above), to support such businesses, as a way to spare them from having to lay off their low and moderate income employees. The program would require companies to divulge financial information to demonstrate that a drop in business correlated with the onset of bridge construction. This information would be kept confidential.

This confidentiality bothered Councilwoman Deborah Kleckowski, who argued that applications for public funds should be open for the public to see. Kleckowski also suggested that it would be very difficult to determine how much of an economic hardship was due to traffic and how much was due to other factors. She questioned the fundamental logic of giving a business money to pay workers whom the business itself is arguing are not needed because of the traffic problems.

Kleckowski and Councilman Grady Faulkner said that the money would be better spent by improving access to the buildings.

The majority of the Council viewed the program as a natural extension of all the support that the City provides to local businesses, and voted to approve it.

Councilman Bob Santangelo said, "The real issue here is the retention of small businesses. ... This is not a giveaway."

Solar Power Plan Supported By Council

The Common Council authorized Mayor Drew to negotiate and sign an agreement with Greenskies, Inc, to build solar systems on City property and sell the electricity to the City at a rate of 6¢ per kilowatt hour. This is less than half of the cost that the City is currently paying.

Common Council Approves Legislation to Develop Bicycle Pathway

"This request will go a long way towards starting to build a bicycle path plan for Middletown,” said resident Beth Emery at last night’s Common Council meeting in regards to the $20,000 appropriation request from the Planning, Conservation and Development Departments for developing a comprehensive bicycle pathway/complete streets plan from the Wesleyan Heights area to downtown. “I hope the committee that looks at the plan considers the numerous ways it can be done and selects the best plan for Middletown.”

For Emery and many others who support the proposed project, it may just be on its way to becoming a reality. Following informative and entertaining public comments from both supporters and detractors of the pathway, the Council voted unanimously to approve the appropriation request. They then voted unanimously to develop a comprehensive plan for a pathway and complete streets in order to access up to $800,000 in federal transportation enhancement funds.

Emery’s feelings towards the pathway proposal were shared by a majority of the audience, if the hands raised in approval of it can be believed. While a few of the residents who got up to speak were proudly in favor of the proposal, residents of Wesleyan Heights were seriously worried about the effect such a pathway could have on their private neighborhood.

The proposed pathway would link Wesleyan Hills along Long Hill Road to Wesleyan University and downtown. The path could be used by both bicyclists and pedestrians for recreation and would allow them to travel between home, work and downtown on off-road bicycle paths.

A group of residents passionately argued for the virtues of building a bicycle pathway in Middletown. John Hall, the head of the Jonah Center for Earth and Art, has been the lead advocate for the project. His organization has been working to get legislation passed in support of the pathway, and Hall argued that its existence would work to combat issues like the climate crisis and urban density. Hall urged the Council to approve the appropriation request for the good of the city, lest it make a huge mistake. Matt Lesser followed the route of praising the council, thanking them for leading the effort to build a pathway through the town. It was Emery however, who outlined the responsibility many believe the city has in front of it by stating it would have to look at every possible angle before choosing the most efficient plan. Those opposing Emery did not necessarily disagree with her basic argument. But they believed that the current version ignores the wishes of the residents of Wesleyan Hills.

Joyce Rossitter articulated the concerns of Wesleyan Hills residents when she spoke. Rossitter stated that they had not been given any notice of the current proposal. She asked that the council postpone its vote, saying “we have not been given a fair and accurate picture of the plan.” Thomas Hutton, the Vice President of Wesleyan Hills board association, supported her declaration of there being too little room in the streets surrounding their neighborhood to allow for a pathway. Hutton stated that the walkways within Wesleyan Hills were not meant for bicycles. The pair said that they were ultimately supportive of a Middletown pathway. But they constantly made the point that their neighborhood was a private one and the city needed to not have a future pathway disrupting life in Wesleyan Hills.

The councilmen and woman was receptive to the concerns of Wesleyan Hills resident. Councilman Ronald Klattenburg and Mayor Daniel Drew said that the Council had not done a strong enough job in exposing the proposal to Wesleyan Hills residents. Klattenburg acknowledged their concerns would have to be thoroughly considered but stated the lack of time the city had to apply for federal funds led to the legislation being rushed. Mayor Daniel Drew addressed one of Wesleyan Hills resident’s most immediate concerns when he stated the Wesleyan Hills walkway trails would not be connected to any bike paths, as those living in Wesleyan Hills were led to believe. “This wasn’t articulated well enough by the city,” he stated. “I take responsibility for that.”

The City Council unanimously approved the appropriation request to develop a bicycle pathway/complete streets plan. It then unanimously approved a resolution to develop a detailed version of this plan in order to access federal funding. In doing so, the Council declared with a clear voice that a bicycle pathway is essential to Middletown’s future.

Both Councilman Kattenburg and Councilwoman Deborah Kleckowski were strong supporters of the legislation. “A pathway will not be purely recreational,” he said. “It will demonstrate that there are alternatives to vehicular travel.”

“Having completed streets is very important for the future of our town,” Kleckowski spoke. “A pathway will create easy access for pedestrians and bikers from areas like Randolph Road, Saybrook Road and Connecticut Valley Hospital to downtown.”

While discussion of the pathway/complete streets legislation dominated last night’s proceedings, there were many other significant issues that came up for debate. Chief among them was a resolution that the citizens of Middletown do not support the release of murderer David Messenger from Connecticut Valley Hospital into the community. Though each Council member was extremely supportive of the resolution, it managed to generate much lively commentary and debate.

Councilman Thomas J. Serra set the tone for the debate when he said, “Messenger’s release does not affect the Psychiatric Safety Review Board’s well being or daily safety like it does ours. I am strongly opposed to Messenger’s release. ” Councilman Phillip J. Pessina shared that opposition and even stated of CVH’s Review Board, “Compassion should not overtake caution for a committee.” However, Pessina’s idea of having Messenger be implemented with a tracking device if he was released into the community was met with significant opposition. Councilman Joseph Bibsi seemed to speak for the entire Council when he said of the idea, “We don’t want to even crack the door. We want to keep him out period.” Though he took a measured tone in doing so, Mayor Daniel Drew, agreed, making it clear that Middletown should take every action possible to keep David Messenger out after his crimes.

The Common Council passed further important legislation Monday night. A $250,000 appropriation to restore funding to Public Works in various areas as a result of Hurricane Irene and Storm Alfred and to address the still damaged trees in the city passed unanimously. An $85,000 appropriation to pay for replacement employees and overtime dispatchers in Central Communications also passed unanimously. A resolution to create a Reserve Account from the city’s General Fund by deducting 5 percent from each line item, with certain exceptions, was amended to read that the mayor would establish the reserve account and that the sum being deducted would be 10 percent. The resolution then passed by a 10-2 vote. The one failed resolution on the night was a $4,450 appropriation request from the Police Department so that it will be able to properly pay for officer’s overtime for the Middnight on Main 2012 event. The council members failed the resolution unanimously, believing the appropriation request excessive.

Finally, a number of former council members were honored at the beginning of the meeting. Chief among them was former Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, who thanked his of his former colleagues for their service.

Letter to Voters: Councilman Phil Pessina

The voters of Middletown,
I want to thank the voters for their confidence for electing me to my 3rd term on the Common Council, along with the rest of our Republican Team. It was very rewarding for me to continue my dialogue with our community members as I have done over my past two terms and during my campaign in the various neighborhoods I visited. I heard your frustrations, suggestions and the need for government to work for you in a more amicable and cost efficient manner.
Our Republican Team & I can assure you that you can expect to see our support and respectful advocacy for a more conservative approach towards the utilization of your tax payer dollars and a greater appreciation for the need to continue to fund and build upon our Fund Balance Savings.
We will encourage the new administration to incorporate more transparency in our city government, centered upon a greater need for a collaborative bipartisan approach towards your concerns and issues. We will encourage for a more relaxed and different format of our Community Council Meetings which will allow for questions and answers as we navigate through the different parts of our city neighborhoods. Community Conversations can change negative perceptions on issues into positive results when we engage our community stakeholders.
We will look forward to working with the new Board of Education Members and their anticipated New Leadership Team in a more harmonious manner. We will be stressing the need for the board to recognize the importance of our City Charter in the same way as they do towards their policies and adhere to both these documents in a more collaborative manner.
We also are respectfully requesting on your behalf, that the board commence with a more open and collaborative transparent approach with their Budget Development Process by co sponsoring with the Common Council a Budget Workshop for a better understanding of their budget process and the expenditures of city taxpayer dollars. This openness will address the public’s demand for fiscal accountability.
We will advocate for the board and city to look for real ways to combine city and board duplicate services which will allow for a more cost effective, real shared services fiscal approach to government. These suggestions will then allow for the Board to concentrate on continued innovative opportunities towards the educational needs of our children and youth.
We look forward to working with Mayor elect Dan Drew’s Administration for enhanced communications which we feel will be the basis for our city’s continued economic and infrastructure growth and for the continued health and safety of our City of Middletown which we all know and love!
Thank you,
Councilman Philip J. Pessina
Minority Leader

Candidate Profile: Earle Roberts (R) Common Council

The below information is a part of the Eye's Elections 2011 series to provide information to voting citizens and does not represent any endorsement by the Middletown Eye or any of its authors.

Throughout his tenure on the Common Council, Earle Robers earned a hard fought reputation as someone who pays attention to details and demands answers. He is running to return the Council, bringing a sharp pencil and a desire to make sure Middletown’s tax dollars are spent properly with the most value in return.

“We are facing serious budget issues and keeping our private sector employed depends on smaller government,” said Roberts, a life-long Middletown resident.

Roberts attended Middletown schools and attended the University of Hartford. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1964-1967 and honorably discharged. Roberts is an active member of American Legion Post 75.

Working with his hands as a skilled tool and die maker, Roberts understands hard work and how hard Middletown residents work to pay their taxes while expecting good services.

Roberts served three terms on the Common Council and two five year terms as Commissioner and Chairman of the South Fire District, Vice Chairman of the Inland Wetlands Commission, and as Middletown’s representative to the Connecticut River Assembly.

“ I believe elected officials should always explain their actions and back them up with facts.” said Roberts. “ Middletown has a great future as long as we are honest and diligent in our responsibilities as elected officials.” He and his wife Elizabeth have two children

http://middletownctgop.com/

Giuliano Vetos $10,000 Appropriation For Investigation

Mayor Giuliano has vetoed the $10,000 appropriation by the Common Council to hire an outside law firm or professional to conduct an investigation of the Mayor's Office, the Personnel Department, and the Water and Sewer Department. In a separate resolution the Council directed that the investigation be into the mayor's decision to move the director and assistant director of Water and Sewer from their offices on Berlin Street to offices within City Hall.

In his "Statement of Objection Accompanying Veto", the mayor laid out several technical reasons for his action. He wrote that this was not an investigation by the Council (which is authorized by the charter), but instead an investigation by a private entity. "The Common Council can no more delegate its power to investigate to an outside entity any more than it could delegate its power to adopt ordinances to an outside entity."

Giuliano also said that hiring an outside entity would be an unlawful attempt to circumvent public scrutiny, "It is also a requirement that an investigation pursuant to to Ch. III, 8 is a legal proceeding of the common Council, and, thus, subject to the Freedom of Information Act."

The Council has 10 days to override the mayor's veto. 8 votes are needed for such an override, votes that clearly exist because all 8 Democratic Council members supported the $10,000 appropriation.

The Council meets Thursday in a community session at Macdonough School, but the veto override is not on the currently available agenda.