Stortz: 'The worst is yet to come'

A letter from former Mayor William Stortz:

We read and hear where Bristol, and other municipalities, continue to experience difficult financial times. And as I have said before, the worst is yet to come. Bristol, like other cities has to make cuts and raise taxes, to be able to balance the budget and still provide services. In reality, if the problem was addressed at the outset, things would not be this dire.

Following my last letter commenting on the fiscal situation, which included some suggestions on cost cutting and revenue enhancement, I received many additional ideas from city employees and non-city employees alike. The people are interested, and have some interesting ideas and observations. Some, but not all, are included in this letter.

But the key concept is that Bristolites, if encouraged and taken seriously, are willing to help. And City employees, considered by some to be part of the problem, can very well and should be, part of the solution.

Some of the ideas may not be doable, but the point is that people are thinking and want to help. Suggestions include: look at the high and increasing cost of outside Attorneys. Look at the city’s effort for sidewalk snow removal: why multiple departments, and should the routes be re-evaluated. Review the way workers are scheduled and utilized during snowstorms. Many people thought that the snow removal process should be looked at. Again, duplicate streetlights, especially North Main Street were mentioned. Lack of coordination between Departments with same or similar functions. A number of out of state registrations were seen in employee parking lots, let alone throughout the city. Cash flow and other procedures were mentioned. Some suggested going back to a 40-hour week to reduce OT and also to reduce staff and equipment needs over time. Early Retirement combined with flexibility for City to reassign staff. Combine Departments where feasible. Why do some supervisors get ½ automatic OT each day? Why get up to 5 days/yr off for good attendance?

There were many others, and hopefully there will be an effort to solicit ideas from those possibly willing to come forward. The situation is dire, and will be for some time. Besides the actual deficits, a Virtual deficit has been created: we are years behind on road maintenance, equipment maintenance and replacement are lagging, a number of millions have been taken from the Fund Balance, other infrastructure needs attention and money.

Once the budget is set, the BOF has done their job. Then it is up to management to live within that budget AND for management to try to make those changes that result in cost savings and revenue enhancement.

The State will be floundering for some time. The City should not count on increased support from them. The City must work to control it’s own destiny. These efforts should be year long, not be thought about at Budget time. Management must step up be proactive, and get as many people as possible involved. That can only result in more and different ideas.

As I said before, Bristol is a good city, with many good people. Working together, we can work our way through this and come out of it even better prepared for the long term.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Budget passes finance board on 5-4 vote

In a rare 5-4 vote that opens the door for the City Council to decide how high property taxes should go, the Board of Finance backed a $171.5 million municipal spending plan Thursday that would hike the mill rate 5.2 percent.

The budget calls for a spending increase of less than ⅓ of 1 percent, Mayor Art Ward said, and leaves many departments “pretty close to bone dry” for the coming fiscal year.

Declining state aid, shrinking income from interest and fees and other revenue hits caused by the recession created a gap in the money the city typically receives, officials said, leaving them with little option except to sock taxpayers for more.

“I know it isn’t going to be easy for anyone,” said Ward, who backed the budget.

But four members of the finance panel refused to go along — Janet Moylan, Mark Peterson, Cheryl Thibeault and Bob Casar.

That means that when a joint session of city councilors and finance board members gives final approval to the budget May 17, councilors could, at least in theory, side with the budget critics and lower the tax rate.

The system generally gives the nine-person finance board more clout in the decision, but when it’s divided so closely, councilors have the ability to tip the balance one way or another.

Two Republicans on the council, Ken Cockayne and David Mills, have already said they won’t go along with so big a tax hike. One Democrat, Cliff Block, said he would vote for it.

Assuming nobody flips, that leaves both sides with six votes. The other three councilors, Democrats Kevin McCauley, Kevin Fuller and Kate Matthews, could tip the balance either way. Fuller and Matthews are both newcomers.  CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Brickley challenges Larson

I wrote this story Monday morning, but it only made the paper today. Politics is not a real high priority in the news business anymore.
It still hasn't run in the Press.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Whoosjasonwelch.com

Candidates do goofy things to get noticed.
Take state Senate contender Jason Welch, for example, who's going to spend the next couple of Saturdays wearing one of those silly plastic glasses and nose things and holding a sign touting a website named www.whoosjasonwelch.com.
Believe it or not, a bunch of family, friends and Republicans are going to lend him a hand.
"We'll have lots of fun," Welch promised the GOP town committee the other day.
He said it was time "to liven up" the 31st District campaign while simultaneously building name recognition, a key piece of politics.
Personally, I can think of better ways to have fun, but doing odd things is probably a job requirement for setting foot in the state Senate so we can forgive Welch for a little silliness.
As he said, it's better than talking about "the parade of horribles" that's going on in Hartford these days.
Anyway, if you see a guy in funny plastic glasses by the side of the road, it's probably just Welch. Wave to him as you blow past him on the way to something better.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Residents back vendors at Ordinance Committee

A plea by restaurant owners to impose restrictions on downtown food vendors met with a storm of opposition at Wednesday’s Ordinance Committee meeting.
John Rudnick, a resident, said there is widespread support for the vendors in the community.
Rudnick said the hard-working, blue collar people of the city — “the heart of Bristol” — like to get a hot dog from an outdoor cart when they’re dirty, sweaty and don’t want to go to a sit-down restaurant.
About 100 people packed the City Council chambers to lend support to the vendors. A petition handed in by a vendor’s wife contained nearly 2,300 signatures backing the embattled food sellers who line North Main Street.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Meeting underway...

The meeting began with city Councilor Kevin McCauley reviewing the legal process for 15 minutes.
Resident Sam Alkas is the first up.
Alkas, a Frederick Street resident, said that if there is no firm plan on the former mall site, officials "shouldn't take away the free enterprise" system.
"Don't throw 'em all out because you need the business down here," he said.
John O'Sullivan said there is no problem with health on the carts.
"The real issue here is profitability," he said. "Buildings want to take away the business" from the vendors.
O'Sullivan said the vendors have been here longer.
Tim Lapierre, another resident, said that if parking is a major issue, you need more downtown than just government buildings.
One issue not brought up so far is that the vendors own property and businesses in Bristol. They pay taxes in Bristol.
"The whole thing is being blown out of proportion," Lapierre said.
He said the vendors offer good food at good prices. Building owners also have the option of running a cart. They don't have a valid reason for their push to restrict carts.
Al Cianchetti, a resident, said he wants the panel to be upfront and should not breach the basics of free enterprise.
"The gentleman who owns the restaurant is all wrong," Cianchetti said. He pointed out that lots of businesses in town have competitors next door or across the street.
He said he loves the food at Ken's Grill "and I don't want to see him move anyplace."
Larry Niek, another resident, thanked the committee for its public service. He said he appreciates the city's strong sense of community.
"Bristol is unique," he said, in its tolerance for all and for standing up for the little guy.
He said he favors letting the vendors alone. He said there are no health and safety issues, according to news stories in the Press.
Niek said that he hopes "there will always be a place for the vendors. They do contribute to a certain ambience" and culture.
Tom Doyle, another resident, said he favors vendors. "It's a convenient way to get a bite to eat," Doyle said.
He said that customers are always right. If a person picks a stand or cart, "that is their right."
Doyle recalled a peanut vendor who used to meet the train in Plainville.
Vendors belong in an urban area, he said. He said taxes are too high and "our priorities are out of whack."
Doyle said he'd rather see the mayors on their toes than the citizens on their knees so don't lengthen their their term of office.
Mike Clawson, who runs a vending truck, said there have been vendors in the city for 30 years or more. He said he's been in business for three years and offered a good meal at a fair price, quickly.
"We do provide food to a very different clientele"than the restaurants, Clawson said. "We're doing a very good service for them."
Ann Marie Meehan, a resident, who is married to Clawson, said there are no health or safety issues.
She said she has a petition with nearly 2,300 signatures from citizens who support the vendors, which she handed in.
Luis Medina, a resident, said the vendors "are trying to make a living." He said he wants to support vendors who are his friends.
John Rudnick, a resident, said there is a big feeling of support for the food vendors.
"Everyone is for the food vendor" for good reasons, Rudnick said. He said the city can't ignore the hard workers.
"The heart of Bristol" and the hard-wrking people, want to get a hot dog when they're dirty and sweaty and don't want to go to a restaurant, he said.
He said the vendors are working hard, too. Build on what's working, he said, don't try to change.
City Councilor Cliff Block said there's no attempt to ban vendors. "I'm pretty sure we're all in favor of keeping vendors," he said, but there may be new rules they would have to comply with.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said he doesn't want to take a position. "We have to consider everything," said McCauley, who heads the ordinance panel.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Ordinance panel gets underway

There are about 50 people here so far, plus a few police officers to keep things from getting too hot.
About a dozen folks have signed up to speak.
Edward Krawiecki, Jr, the city attorney, said he's going to stand in the back and watch.
The three committee members are up front -- Kevin McCauley, Cliff Block and David Mills. They are unlikely to do much more than listen today.
Mayor Art Ward is also here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Live blogging from City Hall for the great vendor vs. restaurants

If my internet connection holds up, you can keep up with the vendor fight before the city's Ordinance Committee right here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bristol's vendor rules much laxer than most

Check out reporter Jackie Majerus' story:
With policies that require lengthy applications and prohibitions selling on public streets, nearby towns have few itinerant food vendors.
Officials in Southington, Farmington, Plainville and West Hartford all said that as a rule, they don’t allow vending on their streets or town-owned property.
In Bristol, downtown restaurants are asking the city to crack down on the growing number of vendors in town, many of them operating out of parked vehicles on North Main Street across from City Hall and the court house. Supporters of the vendors are expected to turn out in force at City Hall today for a 5 p.m. Ordinance Committee meeting on the issue.  CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Officials still eyeing pension excess

There’s a growing push at City Hall to tap excess pension trust money to cover the cost of providing health care to municipal retirees.
Mayor Art Ward said he’s sought to open negotiations with the unions representing firefighters and the police, but neither has agreed to sit down for talks yet.
Shifting the extra pension cash into a new post-retirement health care trust fund would potentially save taxpayers millions of dollars, particularly if the stock market keeps rising so the excesses remain substantial.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Shifting toward the GOP?

Though it may mean nothing, during the past month, 18 people have switched their party registrations in Bristol.
Republican Registrar Sharon Krawiecki said 15 of them were Democrats or independents who signed up with the GOP.
There were just three Republicans who dumped their party.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Zydanowicz says to take the train

Press release:

Mark Zydanowicz Supports Local Rail  West Hartford - Mark Zydanowicz of West Hartford, Connecticut  release a statement supporting railroad in the Greater Central Connecticut.  The current plan is to tear up approximately nine miles of existing rail bed and to create a concrete walled  "bus way" to facilitate commuter service between New Britain and Hartford. "Once the rail bed is taken for a bus way, it is lost forever.

Zydanowicz: Stop railroading the "Rail Road" West Hartford CT Republican 1st Congressional Candidate Mark Zydanowicz said today, "The only transportation solution that makes sense is improved connectivity of rail lines within the Greater Central Connecticut region for both passenger and freight service" After studying the issue and attending a hearing last week at the State Capital, Zydanowicz has joined the fight to stop the nine mile $600 million proposed bus way that will increase rider ship from the current level of 11,000 per day to 15,000. "Do the math", Zydanowicz said, "The biggest problem I have with this proposal is not only the cost but it does little to help economic development along the proposed route. A rail solution costs about $1million per mile and has a much broader return on investment and commerce" he said. The current plan is to tear up approximately nine miles of existing rail bed and to create aconcrete walled "bus way" to facilitate commuter service between New Britain and Hartford. "Why not facilitate commuter and freight service not only between Hartford and New Britain, but between the entire Central Connecticut corridor increasing access to New York City and Boston by the use of rail"? Zydanowicz asked. "Once the rail bed is taken for a bus way, it is lost forever. We lose the opportunity for a much more feasible rail solution. If elected I will act swiftly to create traction for a rail solution, both freight and passenger to better serve the needs of the 1st District and Connecticut. Zydanowicz concluded.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Schiff wows 'em in Bristol

Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Peter Schiff got an enthusiastic response Monday from Bristol Republicans who listened to his harsh rejection of what Democrats are doing in Washington.
Schiff, a wealthy financial advisor, said the government's vast deficit spending is "sucking all the lifeblood out of the private sector."
He said that senators are "completely clueless" and fail to recognize they "are being lied to by Wall Street" about the best way to respond to the economy's troubles.
Schiff told the GOP's town committee that the problems that caused the economic collapse were all rooted in national politics. He blamed the Federal Reserve for making borrowing too cheap and government agencies for insuring housing loans that would never have passed muster if the private sector had been forced to look closely at them.
He said he's made his money "trying to protect the wealth of my customers from the destructive policies coming out of Washington."
Schiff, who's locked in a three-way battle for the right to claim the GOP line in this year's Senate race, said that because of federal money policy and too much regulation, "Free markets weren't allowed to function."
That's why they ground to a halt in September 2008, he said.
Schiff said that U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd's financial regulation bill "doesn't do anything to address" the underlying woes that caused the crisis. Instead, he said, it just adds more red tape.
"We are making the problems worse," he said.
Schiff said that during the past decade, the volume of regulations covering financial institutions has grown substantially, to the point where it is "unreal." It's getting so hard for anyone but the largest banks and finance firms to comply with the rules that forming new businesses is becoming all but impossible.
Schiff said he never could have set up his own shop with today's red tape.
His main concern, though, is an out-of-control federal deficit that has reached $12.5 trillion and is heading for $14 trillion by next year.
To pay the interest on that debt today is possible, he said, only because of policies that have held interest rates in check.
But when interest rates rise, Schiff said, the government won't be able to pay back the money it owes.
"Where are we going to get that money?" Schiff asked.
He said the government will only have two choices: default on its obligations or rely on inflation to undermine the money, "which, unfortunately, is exactly what we['re going to do."
Schiff said that the high-tech bubble's burst a decade ago at least left us with some interesting new companies and technologies. When the housing bubble burst a few years ago, at least we had some new houses to show for it.
Now, he said, we're in the middle of a "government bubble" that will leave us with nothing at all when it bursts.
"Nothing is getting better. We are digging ourselves into a deeper hole," Schiff said. "We can't keep spending and regulating the economy and expecting it to survive."
Schiff said he would block further efforts to spend money the government doesn't have.
He would also, he said, take the hard steps necessary to shave spending.
"The problems cannot be solved without pissing people off," Schiff said.
He said the Congress has to begin to do the right thing "before it's too late."
Unless it acts soon, Schiff said, "they'll wipe out the savings of an entire generation."
If he's elected and can get 39 others to join him in the Senate, "we can shut down the government."
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

The latest in the vendors fight

With the Ordinance Committee slated to take up the issue of what to do with the food vendors downtown again at 5 p.m. Wednesday, take note of reporter Jackie Majerus' stories in Tuesday's Press:
Vendors measure up
Food vendors do well on health inspections
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fitzgerald to run against Wright

More tomorrow, but Republican Jill Fitzgerald said this evening she plans to seek a rematch for the 77th state House seat that state Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat, has held since 2008.
Fitzgerald put up a good fight last time. This time, she said, the GOP has the momentum, with good issues and solid candidates.
"The moment is now," she said.  CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Wright to escort tall, young women around the Capitol

State Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat, just issued this press release:

REP. WRIGHT ANNOUNCES SAINT PAUL HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS INVITED TO THE STATE CAPITOL TUESDAY

State Representative Christopher Wright (D-Bristol)  is announcing the Saint Paul High School Girls Basketball team, which won the Class S State Championship earlier this year, will be visiting the State Capitol Tuesday at his invitation.

“As a 1984 graduate of Saint Paul’s myself, I am very pleased the team and coaches will be visiting with us Tuesday,” Rep. Wright said. “We are all proud of their achievement and all of Bristol and area towns where the players come from are proud of them.”

The team is scheduled to be at the Legislative Office Building at 11:30 a.m. They will be given a tour of the Capitol facilities and may be introduced to lawmakers in the House and Senate chambers depending on Tuesday’s legislative agenda.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

High speed rail could boost Central Connecticut's fortunes

Central Connecticut could get a big economic boost if plans to create high speed rail between New Haven and Springfield, Mass. by 2016 come to fruition, officials said Monday.

Creating the high speed corridor would lead to more investments in the region that are bound to lead to more jobs and growth, said state Sen. Donald DeFronzo, the New Britain Democrat who is co-chair of the transportation committee.

DeFronzo said it would mean a lot to the area if residents could get on a train and be in New York City in a couple of hours for a reasonable fee.

State leaders, including DeFronzo, met behind closed doors Monday morning with U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood to discuss the prospects for snagging federal money to boost the high speed rail line that would run through Berlin and Newington.

“This is one issue that we are all together on,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, a Democrat who’s retiring this year.

Dodd said that if the state meets the required timetables for studies and other work along the way, construction could begin in 2014 and the entire project could be finished in 2016. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STORY

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Dodd hopes for bipartisan financial bill

During a stopover at the state Capitol this morning, U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd said there is "a very strong likelihood we'll have a bipartisan bill" to regulate the financial industry.
Dodd said there will be a vote later today on whether to begin debate on the issue. He said he hopes there are 60 votes to let the discussions get underway.
Dodd, who is meeting with Republican counterpart Richard Shelby at 1:30 this afternoon, said that clamping down on the excess of financiers "shouldn't be a partisan issue."
Dodd said that 18 months ago, when Wall Street imploded, the government was left with no option except for the controversial bailouts begun under President George W. Bush.
If it happened again today, he said, the results would be the same.
"We have not changed a thing," Dodd said.
But the regulations proposed in Dodd's bill would change everything, the senator said.
Dodd, the senior Democrat from Connecticut, said that once the measure becomes law, there will be no more bailouts.
"If you fail, you fail" under the new proposed rules, Dodd said.
The regulations set rules for exotic financial transactions such as derivatives swaps, he said.
Dodd said that if the Senate agrees to take up the bill, "then we begin the slog through the legislative process" to fine-tune the measure.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Another GOP challenger for Larson

It turns out that Mark Zydanowicz isn't the only Republican taking aim at U.S. Rep. John Larson.
Federal Election Commission filings show that Ann Brickley, whose campaign headquarters are in Wethersfield, is also taking on the East Hartford Democrat.
Brickley for Congress filed paperwork on April 16 -- four days after Zydanowicz's formal announcement -- indicated her desire to claim the GOP line in the November 2 general election.
Brickley has a website -- www.brickleyforcongress.org -- but it doesn't have anything much yet. She doesn't even list a bank for her campaign treasury.
She was listed in 2007 as a principal consultant for The W Group. Its website at the time carried this description of Brickley's background:
Ann Brickley has over 25 years of information technology, process improvement, and engineering leadership experience. She has led business transformation efforts to deliver bottom-line results in both business leadership as well as consulting roles.
Prior to joining The W Group, Ann was the founder and head of Sage & Swift, a consulting firm that helps companies improve business processes, information technology and manage change. Her clients included Philips, GE, Henkel-Loctite, AIG, Northeast Utilities, Capgemini, and other Fortune 1000 companies in manufacturing, service, financial, healthcare, and energy industries.
Ann spent 15 years at GE in a variety of senior IT, engineering, business leadership and consulting roles. As Manager of Business Process Improvement, she launched the GE Industrial Systems business-wide process improvement initiative. In this role, reporting to the CEO, she led the transformation of the entire order-through-remittance process resulting in 50% improvement in customer satisfaction. While she was Manager of IT Applications, she created a business process for prioritization of resources, focused in-house resources in areas of highest value-add, and provided customer direct access to information, which resulted in significant growth and productivity benefits. Earlier at GE, she was responsible for Engineering Shared Services. She led the redesign of the new product development process to reduce time to market, and exchanged best practices with other leading companies. Ann was a leader of the GE Work-Out and Change Acceleration Processes.
Previously, Ann was a member of the GE Corporate IT Council and a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Connecticut School of Computer Engineering. She has served as adjunct faculty to GE’s Crotonville Leadership Development Center and Information Technology Leadership Programs for the past 10 years.
Ann received her BS and MS degrees in engineering from the University of Connecticut. She received the University Scholar award for academic excellence—the highest academic award at the University. Ann is a licensed Professional Engineer. 
I believe she is president of Sage & Swift, a 15-year-old management consulting firm. Here is her LinkedIn profile.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Street lights stay illuminated, for now at least

A bid to save money by shutting off a third of the city’s street lights this year is stalled.
“Government just moves so slow,” said city Councilor Cliff Block, who proposed the move this winter as a way to slash electricity costs by more than $250,000 annually.
The immediate problem, city officials said, is that they cannot get updated maps of the lights from Connecticut Light & Power quickly enough. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

So what's the party Wednesday evening?

To the anonymous poster or posters who keep talking about the city spending taxpayer money on a party Wednesday night, let's not beat around the bush. What exactly are you talking about? Who held a party? For what purpose?
If you know the who, what, where, when and why, let's have it. You're anonymous, so tell all.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Remembering Armenia

At the state Capitol today, Armenian-Americans and their friends joined together to mark an annual remembrance of the holocaust that consumed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Armenians nearly a century ago.
State Rep. Chris Wright, a Bristol Democrat, prepared these remarks for delivery at the yearly event:

Good Morning and welcome to the State Capital and welcome to the 95^th  anniversary remembrance of  the Armenian Genocide.  As we gather here today I am reminded of why we still do this, why we are so determined to remind the world of what happened to the Armenian People.  In the weeks leading up to today, I would get a polite but blank stare when telling people that we were having an Armenian Genocide Commemoration ceremony.  The sad fact is that few people know the story of the Armenian people.  As the events move closer to the 100 year mark, the task of reminding the world grows even more important.

We hear the saying that those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it, and it sounds like a cliché.  But one just needs to look at the obvious examples of Nazi Germany, Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Darfur to know just how true this saying is.  If we allow the world to forget what happened to us, we make it all the easier for the next dictator, the next fanatic to preach ethnic cleansing or racial purity and start the killing all over again.  We must not let this happen.  For the sake of those who died in the Genocide, and for the sake of those who survived, let us leave here today and keep their memory alive until the words “never again” truly fulfill their meaning.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Courthouse deal may fall apart

A tentative deal that would save the Bristol courthouse from closing is on hold, at least for now, while legislators wrangle over the issue and the state Senate president delays action until after a state budget is adopted. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City tells skateboarders to shape up

City leaders have a message for unruly and sometimes destructive visitors to the skatepark — shape up or get out.
Officials said they hope the many responsible users of the $500,000 skatepark at Rockwell Park will take it upon themselves to clamp down on loud music, swearing, vandalism and other problems that are creating a growing number of complaints.
“If they’re not going to police it themselves, we’ll have to take it over,” Mayor Art Ward.
Ward said that police are spending ever more time in the area and the cost of keeping things under control there is escalating.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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 Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

What would you tell someone thinking of moving to Bristol?

Here is someone who is thinking of moving to Bristol or nearby. What would you tell them about the Mum City and its neighbors?
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Dump the lieutenant governor? Why not?

The Courant's Rick Green may be right on the money -- $500K of it, actually -- in suggesting today the elimination of the lieutenant governor's position. Read his column here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bristol courthouse won't close

A deal struck yesterday between judicial officials and Gov. Jodi Rell will, among other things, keep the Bristol courthouse open. Here's Christine Stuart's report on CT News Junkie.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

A thoroughly questionable statement

Not to pick a fight or anything, but take a look at state Department of Transportation's spokesman Kevin Nursick's comment today in defending the proposed busway between Hartford and New Britain.
Nursick said the busway project is one of the best examples in the country of a "thoroughly planned, thoroughly studied and thoroughly vetted transportation project."
That's pretty questionable.
Go back to the original study that put the busway at the top of the agenda rather than commuter rail or some other option. That study -- the one that was supposedly so thorough -- never gave even a passing thought to the commuting needs of Bristol or Plymouth, towns that together have more population than New Britain.
The study simply ignored all of us.
What really happened is the artificial planning lines of the regional government agencies created a truncated study that failed to take into account many of the issues that actually exist.
Since then, even the towns along the bus corridor -- particularly West Hartford and Newington -- have decided they don't particularly want the busway. But it just keeps chugging along anyway, waiting for the day when the plans turn into yet another strip of asphalt in a region that doesn't lack for roads.
I have no idea whether rail is viable or not. It may be a dumb way to go. Honestly, the issue really hasn't been studied.
Yet it is perfectly obvious that if this busway is an example of a thoroughly planned, studied and vetted project, there's something thoroughly wrong with the whole system that decides what projects get done.
Even Michael Sanders, who's heading the effort to build the busway, said today that the last study looking at rail was done a decade ago -- and only looked at the prospects for rail service between Plainville and Hartford.
Sanders also said that it's not the busway foes who have been disingenous: it's everyone.
"Both sides are disingenuous," Sanders said. "We need to find a place in the middle."
That seems reasonable -- a lot more so that Nursick, who called only the busway critics disingenuous.
So maybe we can all agree that what's really disingenuous is for public relations people paid by taxpayers to take sides instead of sticking to the facts.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Nuchie's owner backs downtown restaurants in vendor fight

In a story by reporter Jackie Majerus, the owner of Nuchie's weighs in on the food vendor issue downtown...
Food vendors that sell lunch from a van or cart on the street shouldn’t be allowed in town because they hurt restaurants with a permanent location, a local banquet hall owner said.
Dave Pasqualicchio, co-owner of Nuchie’s in Forestville, said he agrees with downtown property landlord George Carpenter’s protest last week, which was partly aimed at the vendors across from City Hall. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Busway battles rage on

Several stories worth catching:

Restoring rail to the region instead of paving a nine-mile busway between Hartford and New Britain is an environmentally friendly alternative, the Sierra Club said in an Earth Day press conference. CLICK HERE FOR STORY

The effort to block the proposed busway between Hartford and New Britain picked up the backing of two top Republican candidates Thursday.
“The future is rail — and high-speed rail at that,” said 1st District congressional hopeful Mark Zydanowicz.
Jason Welch, who is angling to snatch the 31st District state Senate seat, said the busway “is not a bad idea. It’s just not the best idea.” CLICK HERE FOR STORY

A recent spate of statements against the New Britain-Hartford busway by Bristol officials and political hopefuls prompted one state Department of Transportation official to describe them as “selfish” and not reflecting “the best interests of the state.”
DOT spokesman Kevin Nursick said the busway project is one of the best examples in the country of a “thoroughly planned, thoroughly studied and thoroughly vetted transportation project,” and to indicate otherwise would be disingenuous. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Mills calls for more spending cuts

Republican city Councilor David Mills, in response to my request for his thoughts on the budget yesterday, wrote a long response. Here it is:

This is in response to your request for my thoughts on the proposed 5.5% increase in the Municipal Budget.

I would like to start by thanking each department head, the Mayor, the Board of Finance, and the Comptroller’s office for all their hard work in preparing the budget. Each has presented their thoughts on the economic state of our city and has worked diligently to pare down the requests to something we can afford.

As a newcomer to the budget process, I have witnessed the work of and dedication of everyone to do what is best for Bristol.

With that said, I cannot support the possibility of a 5.5% increase in the City Budget. I have spoken to many people concerning this issue and most people believe they are being taxed to death. Their trust of government, no matter what level is at best skeptical. They witness the ineptness of the Federal and State Governments and their spending habits, knowing full well that their taxes will increase at both of those levels, and therefore do not want to see an additional increase on the local level.

Recently, I spoke with a local small businessman concerning the budget. He responded by saying his business was off because of the economy, and was having to adjust his spending habits. Although he supported the Municipal workers, he wondered why, since the revenue to the city was down, should they expect a pay increase when most other workers were experiencing a decrease? His question to me was,”if revenue to the city is down, does it make sense to ask these same people to pay more?”He asked if everyone took into consideration the revenue producers when formulating a budget. If they are earning less money, why should government take more?

I have done a great deal of thinking about our budget situation in Bristol. I have attended the workshops and asked questions to get justification for the figures presented. I have found many of the figures to be very general in nature and in some instances answers were not to my satisfaction.

I believe that a sound education system is the backbone of any community. I have been impressed by what has been accomplished over recent years to elevate Bristol to the model status we now enjoy. This took a tremendous commitment from the City to fund the program and the Administrators to present a vision for accomplishment and most importantly the staff to implement the plan on an everyday basis. I do not believe throwing money at a problem is the solution. The solution to the education problem is dedicated teachers, which most are, and involvement of the parents in the educational process.

With that said, I believe we can reduce the school budget and I have made some suggestions as to where I thought this could happen. I am not the expert, but I do know that education takes place in the classroom and this is not an area to cut. I believe there can be a small amount that would be available to lower our projected increase. This should be done without cutting athletic and other extracurricular activities which is always threatened.

On the City side, Police and Fire are always very difficult to address. Public safety is always an issue that no one would jeopardize. I would question the staffing levels understanding that there are regulations that we must follow.

v  One area that must be addressed concerning the Police and Firemen this year is GASB 45. The Firemen are awaiting the Arbitration award and I can understand their reluctance to enter into any further negotiations, but why are the police also reluctant? Gasb45 was addressed before I was elected to the Council, so to say that more time is needed, and more requests to the Police and Fire Unions to come to the table are necessary is just delaying the inevitable. It is also not offering the city the opportunity to realize a $700,000- to $800,000 savings in a year that we are hurting. Is the cities best interest ever served?

Finally, the rest of the municipal departments. We need our infrastructure to be upgraded on a consistent schedule. We want our Parks to remain the Gem of the City,. Our Library is outstanding and could be the nicest municipal building in town. The workers at City Hall do an excellent job assisting the public and assuring our City Government functions well. So where do we cut?

I believe some of the departments can be consolidated, thus eliminating some supervisory positions and providing better services by avoiding duplication. I believe the Department heads should be encouraged to streamline their department for the greatest efficiency. There should be flexibility in scheduling to allow for services to be offered when they are most needed. Work schedules must allow for utilization of manpower throughout the workforce. Do the Public Works Department and the Parks and Education all have to do outside maintenance work independent of each other? Would our playing fields and thus the public be better served by consolidating this function so a better product is created? What if there was a field crew that was assigned to specialize in field maintenance?

This is only one example of consolidation and utilization of all employees. How many additional areas should be addressed? How much better could we serve the public if the contracts allowed work to be done on a schedule that would also fit the needs of the public?

In closing, I realize I have presented ideas that may not be implemented now. However, if we are going to prosper in the future and continue to progress, these and many other situations need to be addressed.

 My role as a Councilman is relegated to voting for or against the budget. Until I am totally convinced that every area has been totally scrutinized, I will not support this budget. I do remain totally open to all information to assist me in my decision.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Welch says no to busway, yes to rail

Press release issued this morning by Republican state Senate candidate Jason Welch:

Welch for State Senate Addresses Regional Transportation

BRISTOL, CT – Welch for State Senate released the following statement on commuter rail in central Connecticut:

The old Yankee saying is that “you can’t get there from here,” and that saying is especially true for those of us living in Bristol.  A congested route 6, a half constructed route 72 and no major thoroughfare through the city are serious impediments to bringing jobs back to the region.  This is why we need to fight to bring commuter rail back to Bristol.  Providing effective and efficient transportation is one of government’s legitimate purposes, but that purpose has been neglected in Bristol for the past 18 years.

The reality is that Connecticut is the fourth most densely populated state.  We need, therefore, a transportation infrastructure that can sensibly support such a dense population.  The best solution is the return of commuter rail to the 31^st District: rail to Hartford and rail to New York City.  Commuter rail will make the district more attractive to new residents, boost home values, help keep critical businesses such as ESPN in the area and provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to start and locate businesses here.  All of this means more jobs in greater Bristol.

Though a busway from New Britain to Hartford might be a good fix to some of central Connecticut’s transportation problems, it is not the best.  And government ought not to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on anything less than the best.

My voice is another voice for commuter rail.  It is the common sense solution to our transportation problems.  Commuter rail will serve more people and cost less than the New Britain-Hartford busway.  It will also alleviate one of the major impediments to bringing jobs back to Bristol, namely a lack of efficient transportation to and from the area.

We must do everything we can to support rail.  Jason will attend today’s press conference in Room 1A of the Legislative Office Building at 11:30.

Jason Welch seeks to be the Republican nominee to the State Senate race for the 31^st District, which includes Bristol, Plainville, Plymouth and parts of Harwinton.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Local leaders talk taxes and more

I asked a number of people in politics yesterday. from both parties, about their thoughts on the proposed property tax hike. Here are their answers, which I'll keep updating as I hear from more of them:
Former Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski:
THE ANNUAL3  ACT PLAY HAS STARTED.
ACT 1   THROW OUT A RIDICULOUS NUMBER OF A 6 PER CENT INCREASE WITH ALL DEPT HEADS SCREENING THIS IS THE MINIMUM NEEDED TO RUN THE CITY,  \
ACT TWO   DIRECT ALL DEPT HEADS  TO CUT THEIR REQUESTS,     THE B,O,E, WILL SCREAM THE LOUDEST SAYING THE CHILDREN WILL BE HURT THE MOST(  HOLDING THE KIDS AS HOSTAGE)
ACT 3   THE  INCREASE WILL BE SHAVED IN HALF AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL LOOK AROUND AND SAY WHAT A GOOD JOB THEIR DOING.  I KNOW FROM 6 YRS  ON THE COUNCIL..  I NEVER VOTED  FOR A TAX HIKE, BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WERE OTHER CUTS THAT COULD BE MADE  TO   REDUCE A TAX HIKE.
SENIORS ARE SCRAPING BY   YOUNG FAMILIES ARE STRUGGLING TO STAY AFLOAT BUT THE HIKES GO  ON.SURROUNDING TOWNS  ARE CUTTING SERVICES TO HOLD THE TAX HIKE DOWN.  
ONE PROBLEM IS WITH THE  NUMBER OF OUT OF TOWNES WHO  HEAD DEPARTMENTS  AND ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY HAVE THE SAME F FEELINGS FOR BRISTOL THAT A LOCAL PERSON WOULD SHOULD CONTACT ME AS  I HAVE OCEANFRONT PROPERTY IN ARIZONA ID LIKE TO SELL THEM.
MARK  TWAIN WROTE THE FOLLOWING WHICH APPLIES TO ALL POLITICIANS LOCAL STATE  AND NATIONAL THE  WRITER INCLUDED  :  "ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CAT AND A LIE IS THE CAT HAS ONLY NINE LIVES "
GOP city Chair Tom Barnes, Jr:
As the budget season comes to an end it looks like the taxpayers in the City of Bristol are going to see a tax hike that could be as high as 7 percent for the coming fiscal year.   Last year the argument was people are really hurting and can’t accept ANY increase in their taxes, so the Mayor, City Council and the Board of Finance worked for a zero percent increase. Through hard work they were able to meet this goal, but it used many one-time revenue sources that made it even harder to balance the books this year.  The rainy day fund is spent, the City Roads are the worst I have seen them in years and we still have a budget deficit.  Why is this year SO different than last year?  Could it have anything to do with it not being an election year?

Taxpayers are still struggling to make ends meet, unemployment is still high locally and nationally and the city infrastructure is still in decline. So why sock the taxpayer with a large increase this year?  Because we did not see a small increase last year and we used all our one-time resources to make that happen. Now (in a non-election year) we are seeing a large increase in taxes, no early retirement incentives, no layoffs, and no concessions from the city unions. Why is that? 

We had some discussion about using some of the over funding in the City Pensions to help us meet our retiree medical benefit costs. Where has that issue gone?  I have personally spent many evenings at meetings to discuss this issue to see if it made sense, but in the end it was a waste of my time and my committee members’ time.

Is this issue going to be the one that gets discussed and passed next year to keep the mill  rate down?  Next year is an election year after all.

Republican city Councilor Ken Cockayne:

I will not support any increases at all.  Tough decisions need to be made and in my mind increasing taxes is not an option.  We need to find alternatives to this.  Unfortunately that could include cuts.  I don't know what those cuts are, but I fear it will not only be a loss of services, but a loss of jobs as well.  This is the proverbial Gorilla in the room that no one wants to acknowledge.  I feel this is avoidable, but without everyone on board recognizing the urgency of this situation we may be in trouble.

Another option that appeared to be gaining traction is the GASB 45.  However, with some of the parties refusing to come to the table to negotiate this, combined with what appears to be an unwillingness from the administration to push, it will likely be shelved.  I predict it will be put off until it can offer the most bang for the buck during an election year, which is a shame.  We are playing politics with people's lives and I truely hope voters and taxpayers see through this.  We are going to end up losing jobs in this town and we have a viable alternative right in front of us. 

I hear people's frustration with everything that is happening in this economy everyday.  I so badly wish things were as simple as saying no to everything, but it is not.  We need to progress as a city in a fiscally responsible way and prioritize when and where we are spending our tax dollars.   We must do whatever we can to preserve the jobs we have and increase opportunities at the same time.  That does not necessarily mean more municipal employees.  If we can improve our town with smart investments, then we can attract more families, businesses, jobs and ultimately more tax revenue.  It is very difficult balance to achieve, especially in tough economic times. 

Unsuccessful 2009 Republican City Council candidate Derek Czenczelewski:
A 1.44-mills property tax hike is not something that I would support. It's unbelievable that this is even being considered with the current financial situation many Bristol taxpayers are currently in. Simply raising taxes will not solve our budget crisis. We need responsible, universal cuts across the board. Some people believe that a cut is when a board requests two million dollars more from their previous year's budget, and the city "only" gives them one million more. I'm not sure where these people are from, but where I'm from that's not a cut. That's spending money we don't have. We need to scale back our budget, and only after serious, substantial cuts are made would I even consider a small ( under .5) mill rate increase. Our current situation is somewhat similar to the American auto industry. Most of our financial obligations are tied up in past and present employee salaries. We can either be like Ford, fixing our problems internally and becoming more streamlined and efficient. Or we can be like Chrysler, taking a bailout from the taxpayers and never really correcting our inefficiencies. How about sending this budget to referendum and letting the taxpayers choose which plan makes the most sense?

On a side note, I wanted to say something about the City Council's decision to purchase the property at 268 Park St. I find it troubling that our council, who just a few months ago ran on the "Fiscal Conservative" platform would vote to spend money on a "want." Purchasing this property is not a need, it is a want. Plans to renovate Muzzy Field are still years away from being feasible, so purchasing this property can wait. I'd hate to have to tell 3 or 4 employees they are no longer being employed because we wanted to aesthetically enhance the property in front of Muzzy Field. I couldn't bring myself to telling school children they wont have new textbooks because our elected officials can't tell the difference between a necessity and a nicety. It's fair to say that this decision was a serious lapse in judgment and I sincerely hope our officials realize that before any deal is formally made. My message to our city officials is clear: You were elected to represent the taxpayers and to be fiscally conservative, as you all claimed to be during the campaign season. This decision is not fiscally responsible. While I agree with all of you that opening up Muzzy Field would be aesthetically pleasing, and should happen in time, that time is not now.
Gary Lawton, independent mayoral candidate last year:
 I think it really shows the carelessness on part of our city government.
First I agree that the school budget needs to be looked at very closely. I mean we pay Dr. Striefer almost 200,000 a year. I mean we are a city were the medien income is about 55,000, New Britian, Meridan and Waterbury all pay there Superintendent of schools about 150,000 a year and there populations are greater and medien income is more than ours. I say start at the top and work our way down, dont penalize the people in the trenches make those at the top pay first, work our way down.
 Second, While on the subject of paycuts, when I ran for Mayor i said i would cut my salary down to 60,000 a year, well lets see that done . Once agian start at the top start cutting salaries its time for some at the top  to give a bit more than those at the bottom. We as taxpayers should have the right to take awya pay for poor performance as well as reward  and this would be a good time to do it.
  Third, it is time to make the hard choices, does the library really need to be open every day, can't some departments be combined,  to many duplicates of equipment between all the departments, can some of it be shared so that excess can be sold off. City Hall closes 1 day a week. Departments sharing vehicles instead of each having there own, so on and so forth can all add up to some real savings.
 Finally I was brought up to go  by the rule if you don't have it you don't spend it, yet this current city government , and I blame them all,  just keep spending. It is true every Department does not want to lose its funding,SUCK IT UP PEOPLE, you need  start using some fiscal responsibilty and start just saying no to certain things, because in the end  it will not  matter if  Bristol possibly goes bankrupt or just fade out of existance.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City plans fireworks show in June

The city is aiming to celebrate its 225th birthday with a bang.
More accurately, it’s angling for a lot of explosions overhead with a big fireworks show downtown.
The city’s 225th Anniversary Committee is trying to raise $12,000 to pay for a fireworks display June 12 on the former mall site on North Main Street.
The committee has been asking businesses, organizations and residents to assist with the expense. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Vandalism a growing problem on North Main Street

Vandals have been wreaking havoc along North Main Street recently.
“It’s a big time problem,” said Mark Asadow, the owner of the Super Natural Market & Deli, whose sign has suffered more than $1,400 worth of damage this month, including some Tuesday night.
“We can’t keep up with the vandalism,” he said.
Vandals also struck Blondie’s Grill for the past couple of nights. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City leaders divided on 5.5 percent tax hike

A divided Board of Finance is moving ahead with a proposed $171.5 million spending plan that would hike property taxes by 5.5 percent.
Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski, who called himself “super conservative,” said officials “have done everything possible” to cope with plunging revenues and rising costs.
“I don’t think we want to get to the point where we cripple city services” or harm education, Miecznikowski said.
Fiscal overseers sliced nearly $1 million from the draft budget, but the plan still seeks to increase the mill rate from 25.99 to 27.43. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Anti-busway group to form

A new Alliance to promote commuter rail -- and oppose the proposed busway between Hartford and New Britain -- is slated to be unveiled Thursday morning.
Two state representatives, Republican Bill Hamzy and Democrat Frank Nicastro, are joining forces with the Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce and the Connecticut Sierra Club to push for rail.
They're holding a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Room 1A of the Legislative Office Building in Hartford to disclose details.
Clearly, the battle to stop the $573 million busway is not quite over.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Blondie's vandalized

Vandals have struck Blondie’s Grill for the past couple of nights.
Perhaps in response to a plea by downtown restaurants for city help in forcing street vendors to move out, vandals have hit Blondie’s for two nights in a row, according to Sarah Vickers, one of the owners. CLICK HERE FOR STORY

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Tax hike now set at 5.5 percent

By making some more cuts and fiddling with a few line items, the city's Board of Finance is now eyeing a 5.5 percent property tax hike this year.

That would raise the mill rate from 25.99 to 27.43 for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1.

It isn't clear, though, that the increase will win approval. At least three finance board members may vote against it and perhaps more. Some city councilors may be wary as well.

More details to follow in Thursday's Bristol Press.*******
Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

State budget a colossal mess

In the eyes of local officials at least, state leaders have displayed almost staggering audacity in tackling whopping deficits by doing nearly everything wrong -- borrowing against future revenues, sucking money out of reserves, reducing payments into already underfunded pension trusts and so on.
Bristol's comptroller, Glenn Klocko, pronounced it "crazy" last night and he's exactly right.
State leaders, on both sides of the political aisle, are destroying Connecticut's credit rating by shoving tough decisions down the road in the vain hope that something better will somehow happen.

Klocko said that when he watches what the state is doing, "it really frightens me."

I don't profess to have the answers, but I do know that when you're faced with hard decisions, it's a lot better to try to deal with them honestly. The state is just shoving the bills into a box and hoping creditors won't come calling. It never works.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City plans to spend $175K for Park Street property

View Larger Map

Despite concerns about spending more money at a tight budget time, city councilors unanimously endorsed a bid to try to buy the last remaining house beside historic Muzzy Field.
“This is the type of opportunity you have to avail yourself of when it comes up,” Mayor Art Ward said.
Councilors agreed to offer $175,000 for the rental property at 268 Park St., which is for sale. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Finance board tackles budget again tonight

When the Board of Finance meets for a workshop session tonight, members are likely to search for ways to slice a proposed 6.4 percent property tax hike.

Mayor Art Ward said officials will endeavor to cut the proposed $172.5 million spending plan that would hike property taxes by 1.66 mills for the fiscal year that begins July 1.
That plan, which has not been endorsed by any city board, was left on the table following the most recent finance board meeting.

But it quickly became clear that it might be difficult to muster the political support for so large a tax hike during such a rough economy.  CLICK HERE FOR STORY.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Carpenter holds his own 'tea party'

Developer George Carpenter is most assuredly not afraid to fight City Hall.
When he lined North Main Street with construction vehicles last week, and forcing food vendors from their favored spots, Carpenter aimed to grab the public’s attention for a handful of his gripes with government.
“I decided it was time for me to hold my own tea party,” Carpenter said Monday. “I did what I did and I’m glad I did it.”  CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Carpenter hopes to buy a vacated school

Developer George Carpenter is eager to overhaul one of the old schools the city plans to close.
There are plans to close four schools by the summer of 2012 — O’Connell, Greene-Hills and Bingham elementary schools and Memorial Boulevard Middle School. Bingham is shutting down at the end of the school year in June.
“I’m looking forward to buying one of these properties,” Carpenter said Monday. CLICK HERE FOR STORY
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Carpenter's very own tea party

Developer George Carpenter's tea party protest last week -- when he lined North Main Street with construction trucks -- was prompted by a series of complaints with City Hall.
He told me this morning that his grievances include the treatment of downtown restaurants, parking woes, the decision to put a new school on Chippens Hill instead of downtown and more. You can read about it in tomorrow's Press.
In the meantime, anybody got a photograph of the protest that we could run in the paper? I'd love to see what it looked like.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Civil War memorial eyed for Boulevard

Here's another story by reporter Jackie Majerus that you shouldn't miss:
To ensure that Bristol’s Civil War dead are never forgotten, there’s an effort under way to erect a new monument in their honor on Memorial Boulevard.
Led by Peter Imperator, the ad-hoc committee of local seniors is trying to raise funds for the monument in time to have it dedicated Memorial Day 2011.
“Our mission is to put a monument on the Boulevard — a new one,” said Imperator, who, like some others on the committee, is active with the Bristol Veterans Council.
Click here for the full story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Johnson and Lodovico leaving zoning

Don't miss reporter Jackie Majerus' story about the imminent departure of two longtime zoning commissioners. Click here for story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Moylan takes aim at spending plan

Aiming to knock the proposed tax hike down to 3 percent, Board of Finance member Janet Moylan is eyeing across-the-board spending cuts.
To reach her goal, she would need to find $2.8 million to slice away from the proposed budget that would hike taxes by 6.4 percent in the coming year.
Cutting education, she said, would have to be part of it.
To absorb its fair share of the reduction, the allocation for education would be reduced by $750,000 — putting the overall school budget about $250,000 below this year’s level.  Click here for story.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Carpenter protests Armory plan

Developer George Carpenter, whose own bid for the Armory was shelved by the state, staged a unique protest downtown today. See the story on WFSB's website here.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Anyone going to charter commission tonight?

I'm off today for a funeral -- not my own -- so I can't make the Charter Revision Commission this evening at City Hall (at 6 p.m.). It's going to be an interesting one, focused on term lengths and such.
If you go, tell us what you heard!
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Downtown overseers given three more years

The entire seven-member board of the Bristol Downtown Development Corp. was unanimously reappointed last night by city councilors to another three-year term. They're all set through April, 2013.
Mayor Art Ward said the seven volunteer commissioners have "a commendable job" moving the project ahead.
"I believe they'll pull us forward," Ward said.
The BDDC is a nonprofit created by the city to oversee the development of the 17-acre former mall site downtown. It is negotiating with a Long Island developer who is interested in taking a crack at bringing the property to life.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City says no to Armory building

A unanimous vote by the City Council to decline the chance to buy the former Armory building on Center Street makes it likely the state will sell the massive structure for $305,000 to local attorneys who aim to create a skating center there.
The two lawyers, Alfred Morrocco and Joel Cohen, were the high bidders for the 61 Center St. structure. There were at least two other bidders, state officials said.
Morrocco and Cohen said they are aiming to put an inline skating rink in the former gymnasium. Cohen said there would also be three restaurants and other activities. He said a day care facility is also possible.
The lawyers had planned a similar facility on Broad Street a decade ago that fell through.
Mayor Art Ward said it is going to be "very, very expensive to rehabilitate this building."
But Morrocco said he's sure that it can be done. Both he and Cohen said they would fix the roof, update the electrical system and make other necessary renovations.
It remains unclear where people would park when coming to the rink. Cohen said, though, that they've got a plan.
The Armory only has six parking spaces and street parking is limited in the area.
Before Armory Associates, the attorneys' firm, can buy the property, state lawyers have to review the deal and the contract terms. It will likely take months.
Gov. Jodi Rell decided to sell the Armory, which was vacant, in a bid to bring in extra revenue for the state, which is facing a fiscal meltdown.
Ward said in the past, the city would have been given the chance to buy it for $1. Instead, the city could only have it if it offered more than the attorneys.
The mayor said, though, that the Armory isn't needed for municipal use and isn't worth having even for $1 because of the repair tab associated with the historic building.

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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Moylan eyes a cut in school spending

Aiming to knock the proposed tax hike down to 3 percent, Board of Finance member Janet Moylan is eyeing across-the-board cuts to chop away enough spending.
To get there, she would need to find $2.8 million to slice away from the proposed budget that would hike taxes by 6.4 percent in the coming year.
Cutting education, she said, would have to be part of it.
To absorb its fair share of the reduction, the allocation for education would be reduced by $750,000 -- putting the overall school budget about $250,000 below this year's level.
"They can't get away scot free," Moylan said.
She said she's not sure that she will ultimately push for so much cutting. She said she wants to know the impact on every department first.
But, Moylan said, people are struggling and it's too much to ask them to pay more than 6 percent more in property taxes.
She said she is just not sure the city as a whole can afford to shell out so much more.
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Copyright 2010. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City taxpayers may see property taxes rise 6 percent or more

I'll add more details here on Wednesday, but here a couple of stories that begin to lay out the picture:

A big tax hike is possible this year
Despite a sagging economy that’s put a tenth of the city’s workers on the jobless rolls, the Board of Finance is eyeing a 6.4 percent hike in property taxes this year.
Mayor Art Ward said the increase is in the city’s best interests while Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said the proposed mill rate would ease the city’s fiscal worries for the long run.
A majority of finance commissioners said this week they would support raising the mill rate from 25.99 to 27.65 for the budget year that begins July 1. Click here for the story.

Some are opposed to such a big tax hike
Critics are taking aim at a proposed property tax hike.
“It’s bull,” said city Councilor Ken Cockayne.
“I would vote against it today,” said Bob Casar, the newest member of the Board of Finance.
Janet Moylan, another finance commissioner, said that with so many out of work or struggling, she’s not sure such a large tax hike is responsible. Click here for the story.
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