Question re rail...
Fuller said the city needs to study to find out if commuters will even use it. He said parking is crucial.
The city also needs to look at "a tough subject" and make efforts to clean up Summer Street, where the station may be. People need "a veryu nice place to get off."
"The train is the future of our state," Block said.
Road improvements and buses "just seem to put more traffic on our streets," Block said, and rail is a way to get the cars off the roads.
Block said the cost of up to $100 million is worth it.
Rimcoski said he "would love to see a railroad" connecting Central Connecticut towns.
"But we have to face the facts" and recognize most cars have one driver "and you're not going to see these people flock to the railroads," he said.
He said that convincing people to use it won't be easy.
Q -- What can you do to attract new biz?
Rimcoski said, "We have to make them want to come here" with tax incentives, "a safe area," "a green area" and more.
He said Bristol won't attract a big industrial concern, but it can take in a number of smaller firms if we offer tax incentives.
Fuller said he agrees.
"Green technology is how we get the people here," Fuller said, with wind towers on the mountains so we can get lower rates.
Block said he agrees with both, but the city also needs to market the city more. He said the Bristol Developmen Authority should promote the city.
He said the city's zoning rules should also be business-friendly.
Closing statements --
Block said it has been "a trying year for all of us" because of the downturn in the economy.
"We do have bright spots in spite of the economy," he said, including Route 72, interest in the former mall site and more. "The groundwork is being laid for the revitalization of Bristol," Block said.
He said he has the experience to make the crucial decisions that are coming up.
Block urged everyone to vote.
Rimcoski said there is daily gridlock on Route 6.
"There may to be radical things done" to address the problem, he said.
He urged the mayor and City Council "to take more control" from department heads who are becoming "small little capitals in themselves."
Rimcoski said nearly half the city's employees live out of town. He said the city should try to hire Bristol residents.
"This year's going to be a very difficult year," he said, with service cuts likely. "This is going to hurt," Rimcoski said.
Fuller said he's qualified to serve because "the pulse of the community I think I feel" from talking to students, teachers and administrators.
"Times are ugly right now," Fuller said, and the city has to look at options and regional solutions.
He said "it's time to be a doer" and not a dreamer.
"It's time to make a difference,'" Fuller said.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Showing posts with label Rimcoski. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rimcoski. Show all posts
October 20, 2009
City Council debate, part 1
Eldianne Bishop has the flu. That is awful for her.
Now the three remaining candidates are going at it, without fireworks.
First, they talked about Route 72.
Then downtown...
"I'd like to see a traditional downtown," Rimcoski said, with buildings people can walk between.
He said the city has "to get buildings back on the tax rolls," "but don't look for an anchor store because it's not going to happen."
Rimcoski said we have to go back to the 1940s and 1950s motif.
Block said it will wind up a mix of retail and residential, part of a pedestrian-friendly downtown.
"It will have the look of buildings on upper Main Street," Block said. It will include barber shops, restaurants and small stores.
"It will not be another Route 6, but a place we can take pride in," Block said.
Fuller said we have to find stores that can make it over the long run.
He said ESPN should put up "a small-scale ESPN Zone. ... It doesn't have to be a big one."
Fuller said officials also have to push for educational facilities there to help fill the gap for manufacturers.
"Let's sit down and see what's going to make this work," Fuller said.
Question about higher education.....
Fuller said he would like to see satellite schools at Depot Square or perhaps reuse of old industrial buildings.
He said we "should train the people in this town."
Students say they want to get out of town, but we can't let them get away. "Maybe we can keep some of these kids," with better training, Fuller said.
Block said Tunxis may need more space in Bristol and perhaps Briarwood College might be interested, too.
Rimcoski said Bristol has lots of skilled labor that isn't used to its fullest.
The sole Republican here said there ought to be more satellite classes in town -- whether in Depot Square or somewhere else -- where people can earn college credits toward a degree.
Question re marketing Bristol..
Block said the city's website needs an overhaul to help attract newcomers. "Ours leaves a lot to be desired," he said, and the city should invest more in it.
Fuller said the city needs to showcase its best face. It needs to "think out of the box" to promote itself.
"We want to be a leader, not a follower in this technology," he said, including pushing green power such as wind energy.
"We can lure in the people who are building these technologies," Fuller said.
Rimcoski said the city needs to market the city more on a state and national level, letting people know of the skilled help available here.
"We have to offer tax incentives" to companies to bring jobs," Rimcoski said. They're needed to get them in the door.
He said the city could pay firms that hire more people.
Rimcoski said the city has retailers, but it needs more manufacturers.
Now the three remaining candidates are going at it, without fireworks.
First, they talked about Route 72.
Then downtown...
"I'd like to see a traditional downtown," Rimcoski said, with buildings people can walk between.
He said the city has "to get buildings back on the tax rolls," "but don't look for an anchor store because it's not going to happen."
Rimcoski said we have to go back to the 1940s and 1950s motif.
Block said it will wind up a mix of retail and residential, part of a pedestrian-friendly downtown.
"It will have the look of buildings on upper Main Street," Block said. It will include barber shops, restaurants and small stores.
"It will not be another Route 6, but a place we can take pride in," Block said.
Fuller said we have to find stores that can make it over the long run.
He said ESPN should put up "a small-scale ESPN Zone. ... It doesn't have to be a big one."
Fuller said officials also have to push for educational facilities there to help fill the gap for manufacturers.
"Let's sit down and see what's going to make this work," Fuller said.
Question about higher education.....
Fuller said he would like to see satellite schools at Depot Square or perhaps reuse of old industrial buildings.
He said we "should train the people in this town."
Students say they want to get out of town, but we can't let them get away. "Maybe we can keep some of these kids," with better training, Fuller said.
Block said Tunxis may need more space in Bristol and perhaps Briarwood College might be interested, too.
Rimcoski said Bristol has lots of skilled labor that isn't used to its fullest.
The sole Republican here said there ought to be more satellite classes in town -- whether in Depot Square or somewhere else -- where people can earn college credits toward a degree.
Question re marketing Bristol..
Block said the city's website needs an overhaul to help attract newcomers. "Ours leaves a lot to be desired," he said, and the city should invest more in it.
Fuller said the city needs to showcase its best face. It needs to "think out of the box" to promote itself.
"We want to be a leader, not a follower in this technology," he said, including pushing green power such as wind energy.
"We can lure in the people who are building these technologies," Fuller said.
Rimcoski said the city needs to market the city more on a state and national level, letting people know of the skilled help available here.
"We have to offer tax incentives" to companies to bring jobs," Rimcoski said. They're needed to get them in the door.
He said the city could pay firms that hire more people.
Rimcoski said the city has retailers, but it needs more manufacturers.
August 17, 2009
Councilors ready to lop off some heads
When city councilors endorsed the $159,000 widening of Center Street last week, they thought the state was picking up the tab.
It isn’t.
The money is actually coming entirely from city coffers, part of a 2004 bond package that also included the North Main Street streetscape project, according to David Bertnagel, the city’s chief accountant.
The only councilors to oppose the project, Democrat Kevin McCauley, said that because decision-makers “were erroneously informed at the City Council meeting that this allocation was from the state funds, I have asked the mayor and City Council to bring forth this issue at the next opportunity for reconsideration as we can discuss it openly again.”
Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said he agreed on the need for a special meeting.
“I will come to it with my ax all sharpened, ready to cut off somebody’s head,” Rimcoski said Monday
“There are very few things I cannot tolerate,” Rimcoski said, and one of them “is being outright lied to.
He said that if officials were unsure of the answer, they should have said so rather than misleading the council, even if it wasn’t done deliberately.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka, who told councilors the money was coming from the state, said Monday that he thought it was.
“If I’m proved incorrect, then so be it,” Veselka said.
Several officials who tried to untangle the issue Monday said that money for downtown projects generally comes out of a pool of cash that once included $2 million from the state and $2.2 million from the city. Much of that has been spent already, though, and it can be unclear where any particular allocation originated.
It turned out, though, that the Center Street widening was specifically included in the 2004 bond package so it is entirely city money, not state cash.
Bertnagel said he can understand why officials got confused.
McCauley said “a better expenditure of city funds” would be to cover the cost of some major road projects that had been budgeted but got cut in the city’s rush to save money this year.
Bertnagel said, however, that the bond money can’t be shifted to some other use.
“We can’t just automatically use that money for another project,” Bertnagel said. He said if the city decided not to do the project, it would have to repay the bondholders, not shift the spending to another project.
Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director, said the Center Street project was on the list created years ago for necessary downtown improvement.
He said it hasn’t been a priority recently, but does have the backing of the Bristol Development Authority.
Veselka said that when the design was first proposed, the idea was to add a right turn only lane for Center Street traffic turning onto North Main Street. But a traffic study found it would help more to make a left turn only lane instead.
That design was finished this year, Veselka said, and sent out for bids.
The council last week agreed to award the contract to the Vernon-based VMS Construction Co.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
It isn’t.
The money is actually coming entirely from city coffers, part of a 2004 bond package that also included the North Main Street streetscape project, according to David Bertnagel, the city’s chief accountant.
The only councilors to oppose the project, Democrat Kevin McCauley, said that because decision-makers “were erroneously informed at the City Council meeting that this allocation was from the state funds, I have asked the mayor and City Council to bring forth this issue at the next opportunity for reconsideration as we can discuss it openly again.”
Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said he agreed on the need for a special meeting.
“I will come to it with my ax all sharpened, ready to cut off somebody’s head,” Rimcoski said Monday
“There are very few things I cannot tolerate,” Rimcoski said, and one of them “is being outright lied to.
He said that if officials were unsure of the answer, they should have said so rather than misleading the council, even if it wasn’t done deliberately.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka, who told councilors the money was coming from the state, said Monday that he thought it was.
“If I’m proved incorrect, then so be it,” Veselka said.
Several officials who tried to untangle the issue Monday said that money for downtown projects generally comes out of a pool of cash that once included $2 million from the state and $2.2 million from the city. Much of that has been spent already, though, and it can be unclear where any particular allocation originated.
It turned out, though, that the Center Street widening was specifically included in the 2004 bond package so it is entirely city money, not state cash.
Bertnagel said he can understand why officials got confused.
McCauley said “a better expenditure of city funds” would be to cover the cost of some major road projects that had been budgeted but got cut in the city’s rush to save money this year.
Bertnagel said, however, that the bond money can’t be shifted to some other use.
“We can’t just automatically use that money for another project,” Bertnagel said. He said if the city decided not to do the project, it would have to repay the bondholders, not shift the spending to another project.
Jonathan Rosenthal, the city’s economic development director, said the Center Street project was on the list created years ago for necessary downtown improvement.
He said it hasn’t been a priority recently, but does have the backing of the Bristol Development Authority.
Veselka said that when the design was first proposed, the idea was to add a right turn only lane for Center Street traffic turning onto North Main Street. But a traffic study found it would help more to make a left turn only lane instead.
That design was finished this year, Veselka said, and sent out for bids.
The council last week agreed to award the contract to the Vernon-based VMS Construction Co.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 16, 2009
Rimcoski push to strip away pensions from felons moving to committee
A proposal to strip the pensions of city workers who are convicted of felonies that violate the public trust is heading to committee.
Pushed by city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, councilors agreed this week to have the Ordinance Committee consider the proposal.
“The idea of sending a check to a state prison bothers me,” Rimcoski said.
Though the city hasn’t had an employee charged with a felony related to his job in decades, Rimcoski said he doesn’t want to see a situation develop here as it has in some other towns and on the state level.
He initially raised the idea last winter, but opted to wait to see if state lawmakers would act to ax pensions of government workers who wind up behind bars.
Rimcoski said nothing happened on the measure in the legislature -- lawmakers “are not doing much of anything,” he said -- so he’s pushing it on the city level.
When he raised the plan last winter, Rimcoski said it angers him to see state workers who are accused of crimes making a quick retirement to lock in their pensions.
"You shouldn't be sending pension checks to the prisons," Rimcoski said.
The issue has been bandied about since the massive scandal that rocked the administration of former Gov. John Rowland, who resigned in disgrace and spent time in federal prison for corruption.
There haven't been any significant scandals at City Hall, but other municipalities around the state have seen workers charged with serious crimes.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
May 19, 2009
Cockayne and Rimcoski
It's no secret that first-term Republican city Councilor Ken Cockayne doesn't have too much use for veteran GOP Councilor Mike Rimcoski. He said he considers the senior councilor too prone to go along with Mayor Art Ward and the city's unions.
So when Rimcoski told the Republican Town Committee last night that he planned to seek another two-year term on the council, Cockayne's annoyance was readily apparent.
"Ah, shit," he said.
After a pause, Cockayne looked at me and added, "You're not going to print that, right?"
"Sure I am," I replied.
And I have.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
March 16, 2009
School budget struggles to stay on track
Though school officials have tossed aside plans to hand out layoff notices to scores of non-tenured teachers and others, it remains unclear how much of the $104 million “go forward” budget will receive funding from the state and city.
“I will do everything in my power to knock it down,” city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said.
School Superintendent Philip Streifer said that he is troubled by “a significant drop-off in state aid” that makes it increasingly difficult for administrators to maintain the level of education needed in Bristol.
The proposed school spending plan seeks $3.7 million more than the schools got during the current fiscal year, mostly to cover rising health care costs for employees, special education and higher salaries.
But it appears that state aid levels may remain level – or potentially even decline in the face of a budgetary meltdown – so finding the extra cash to pay the higher tab may prove a trick.
The federal government’s recent stimulus package includes money for education that may help cover some of the tab, officials said, but because of its one-time nature, whatever benefits it offer may make future budgets even more difficult to fund.
“In the next year or two, we could be laying 100 or more” employees, Streifer said, all of them in areas where city schools are not mandated to provide services, such as special education.
Rimcoski said he doesn’t know where all the necessary dollars are going to come from.
“I’ve got people losing houses” in Bristol already, he said, and pushing property taxes higher isn’t going to help anyone.
“We’ve reached the saturation point in this city,” said Rimcoski, a veteran GOP councilor from northeastern Bristol’s 1st District.
Streifer said he understands the impact of rising costs on local taxpayers and sympathizes with the plight many face.
Mayor Art Ward said the city is “just at the beginning” of the budget process this year.
He said he expects “a lot of transition” in the city’s spending plans as the overall picture becomes clearer.
Streifer and Ward said they hope that state lawmakers will pursue mandate relief that could ease the pressure on school funding.
With fewer mandates, the schools could use the money available to cover broader needs, they said, and help stretch the budget.
“I wish they’d mandate everything,” Streifer said, so that he would be required to do everything the schools need instead of focusing only on some areas.
The amount of money the schools will get from the city will be set in May at a joint session of the Board of Finance and City Council. The finance panel will prepare a draft budget by late April.
City leaders are eyeing a property tax freeze, but some are skeptical of the idea because it could bring so much hardship to education in particular.
What you can do
There is a budget hearing on the school spending plan slated for 6 p.m., Wednesday at the Board of Education where the city’s Board of Finance will review the request.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
February 14, 2009
City's politicians freeze own pay, but reject effort to cut their salaries
City councilors plan to freeze the pay of Bristol’s elected leaders for the next two years, but a committee turned back an attempt to reduce salaries instead.
The three-person Salary Committee recently backed a pay freeze that would lock in this year’s salary levels through 2011.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro, who chairs the salary panel, said the freeze would send a message to taxpayers and municipal workers that Bristol’s elected leaders are ready to set an example for the sacrifices needed to get through the economic crisis.
But city Councilor Cliff Block said he would prefer to slice the pay levels by 3 percent so that election officials would make what they did in 2008.
Block argued that when the 3 percent raise for this year was set back in 2007, “we didn’t know the world was coming to an end in ’08.”
He said that nobody would have supported that increase had they known so much turmoil and heartache lay ahead.
Block said a pay cut would send an even stronger message than a freeze.
But Nicastro and the panel’s other member, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, said that a pay freeze was enough.
Nicastro said that he’s not running for reelection so the money doesn’t matter to him at all. He said this simply a matter of conscience and fairness.
“We had a chance to make a statement,” Block said, “but I got outmaneuvered by the two older gents.”
Block said that Ward, the only elected leader to earn full-time pay, would lose about $3,000 a year the council backed a 3 percent cut.
“Art doesn’t need that other 3 grand,” Block said.
Rimcoski said he would go along with letting officials have the option of taking less money, if that’s possible.
Block said that taking less money themselves would perhaps help with efforts to push for the city’s unions to accept cuts.
But Nicastro and Rimcoski said there is no way that municipal unions would ever agree to a pay cut. A freeze, they said, is possible. But a pay cut goes too far, they said.
“I want a pay cut,” Block said.
In committee, Block was the only one to vote for the 3 percent cut. He did not join Nicastro and Rimcoski in voting for the freeze instead.
Rimcoski, the salary panel’s only Republican, said he favored a freeze because that’s what Mayor Art Ward asked the panel to do.
Nicastro said that he wouldn’t necessarily object to cutting the pay for councilors and the mayor, but it would be wrong to slice the pay of the treasurer or Board of Assessment Appeals members who earn so little now.
But the difference is minimal.
A Board of Assessment Appeals member would make $1,140 for the next two years if pay is frozen. It it’s cut 3 percent, he would get $33 a year less.
The treasurer would earn $296 less over the two years if his pay were cut 3 percent.
The Salary Committee’s pay freeze proposal heads to the council in March, where it’s possible another effort to cut the pay of elected officials may be made.
Current pay for city leaders
Mayor - $102,025
City councilors - $10,156
City treasurer - $5,079
Board of Assessment Appeals chair -- $1,343
Board of Assessment Appeals - $1,140
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
February 10, 2009
The funny case of Henry Raymond's car repair tab
This story has been updated with comments from Henry Raymond and the members of the city's Claims Committee. Please see the end for city Councilor Craig Minor's comments, too.
Update on Thursday:
Just to make sure the whole picture is available, I called city Councilor Craig Minor, who wound up calling back and talking to reporter Jackie Majerus.
Minor said that city Councilor Cliff Block called him after the Claims Committee met last month.
"He was troubled by something that had occurred and wanted to talk to me about it," said Minor.
Minor said claims panel had a longstanding practice of not paying out on the first claim about a pothole or other road problem. Using that logic, if it happened a second time, a claim might be paid, because the city would have been on notice of a problem.
But the first person to encounter it is simply out of luck.
"Our position is, we didn't know about it," said Minor.
Henry Raymond was the first to report that particular problem on Lincoln Avenue, said Minor. Had the committee followed its normal process, it would have told Raymond, sorry, but the city isn't paying.
"In this case, they approved it anyway," said Minor. "For some reason, they didn't follow the procedure in this case."
After speaking with Block, Minor said he phoned Councilor Ken Cockayne, leaving him a message.
He got a call back from Councilor Mike Rimcoski, said Minor, who defended paying Raymond's claim. [Cockayne said that he called Rimcoski, the chairman, to tell him about Minor’s interest.]
Minor said he told Rimcoski that if Raymond's claim went on the claims report for automatic payment, he would object.
As a result, "Mike took the Henry Raymond claim off the report," said Minor.
Rimcoski invited Minor to the next Claims Committee meeting, Minor said. At the meeting, the committee revisited Raymond's claim, Minor said, and reversed its initial decision.
The fact that the incident with Raymond's car happened on a state project, said Minor, complicates things. He said the claim belonged with the state or its contractor, where the committee ultimately advised Raymond to take it.
"It wasn't our fault in the first place," said Minor.
As for whether Cockayne and Rimcoski were doing a favor for a friend by initially approving Raymond's claim, Minor said he couldn't know what they were thinking at the time.
"That's not for me to say," said Minor.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Back in December, Henry Raymond III drove a 2000 Audi Quattro across the new highway construction on Lincoln Avenue, hitting a bump that managed "to puncture a hole in my oil pan" that caused the oil to drain all over his driveway.
The damage necessitated the towing of the vehicle to a repair shop, according to a December 16 claim that Raymond submitted to City Hall.
Raymond asked for reimbursement for the $470.60 repair tab because poor conditions on a city road caused it.
What typically happens in these sorts of cases is that they are investigated by the appropriate agency and then the tab is, if justified, paid.
First stop for the claim was a three-person Claims Committee that consists currently of city Councilors Mike Rimcoski, Ken Cockayne and Cliff Block.
Raymond said that Rimcoski told him to come in and bring pictures.
The panel took a look at the claim and rather than sending it on to the state Department of Transportation, which would probably bear responsibility since it's building the highway there, it opted to pay Raymond his money.
“He gave a very strong case,” said Rimcoski, who chairs the panel.
Raymond said he told the chairman, “I don’t want any special favors.”
The committee decided to pay the claim on a 2-1 vote, with Block in opposition.
“It was not a city claim,” Block said. “It’s obvious.”
“In these times, I do not feel like giving our money away,” Block added.
Raymond said he felt betrayed by Block, who told him to his face that he deserved the money but voted against giving it to him after Raymond left the session.
The claim payment was included among the items listed on the consent agenda for January's City Council meeting, which is generally reserved for things that nobody has a problem with. They are routinely passed unanimously.
Had that happened, Raymond would have received the money he asked for.
But at the council meeting, Rimcoski said he wanted the claims removed from that part of the agenda, opening the door to discussion of it in more detail and the potential of an up or down vote on the money for Raymond.
He didn't say why, but once the item got yanked off the consent agenda, it was promptly sent back to the Claims Committee on a unanimous vote.
“Questions were raised,” Rimcoski said, so he agreed to reconsider the issue. “Rather than have any questions raised, we moved it back to committee.”
At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, councilors unanimously agreed to forward Raymond's bill to the state, which may pay it.
Cockayne explained his changed vote as a way to correct a mistake.
“I didn’t have my facts correct” the first time around, Cockayne said. “We corrected the erred decision” when the claims panel got another chance to look into it, he said.
Rimcoski said that if Raymond was the first person to complain about the bump, he might get shut out. It seems that the state – and city, too -- will probably pay if it already had reason to know about the problematic spot.
Adding to the speculation surrounding this issue is that Raymond, who's considered a genuinely decent guy, is a Republican stalwart.
So, too, are Rimcoski and Cockayne.
Block is a Democrat, as is the rest of the City Council.
But was there an attempt to do a political favor? That’s not clear.
Raymond’s claim appears typical and there’s no indication he did anything wrong.
But the committee’s handling of the case was, at least, unusual.
Yet in the end, Raymond didn’t get any money from the city and, so far, hasn’t gotten any from the state either.
He said he doesn’t see a problem of any sort – except for partisan politics getting in the way of serving the people.
“They’re just trying to hit the Republicans,” Raymond said. “This is what’s wrong with politics.”
Update on Thursday:
Just to make sure the whole picture is available, I called city Councilor Craig Minor, who wound up calling back and talking to reporter Jackie Majerus.
Minor said that city Councilor Cliff Block called him after the Claims Committee met last month.
"He was troubled by something that had occurred and wanted to talk to me about it," said Minor.
Minor said claims panel had a longstanding practice of not paying out on the first claim about a pothole or other road problem. Using that logic, if it happened a second time, a claim might be paid, because the city would have been on notice of a problem.
But the first person to encounter it is simply out of luck.
"Our position is, we didn't know about it," said Minor.
Henry Raymond was the first to report that particular problem on Lincoln Avenue, said Minor. Had the committee followed its normal process, it would have told Raymond, sorry, but the city isn't paying.
"In this case, they approved it anyway," said Minor. "For some reason, they didn't follow the procedure in this case."
After speaking with Block, Minor said he phoned Councilor Ken Cockayne, leaving him a message.
He got a call back from Councilor Mike Rimcoski, said Minor, who defended paying Raymond's claim. [Cockayne said that he called Rimcoski, the chairman, to tell him about Minor’s interest.]
Minor said he told Rimcoski that if Raymond's claim went on the claims report for automatic payment, he would object.
As a result, "Mike took the Henry Raymond claim off the report," said Minor.
Rimcoski invited Minor to the next Claims Committee meeting, Minor said. At the meeting, the committee revisited Raymond's claim, Minor said, and reversed its initial decision.
The fact that the incident with Raymond's car happened on a state project, said Minor, complicates things. He said the claim belonged with the state or its contractor, where the committee ultimately advised Raymond to take it.
"It wasn't our fault in the first place," said Minor.
As for whether Cockayne and Rimcoski were doing a favor for a friend by initially approving Raymond's claim, Minor said he couldn't know what they were thinking at the time.
"That's not for me to say," said Minor.
*******
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 26, 2009
Rimcoski: Felons shouldn't get public pensions
The city should strip away the pensions of its employees who are convicted of felonies, a city councilor said.
Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said that he wants to ax the pensions of those who have violated the public trust.
He said he hasn't yet made a formal request to change the city's policy because he wants to get more information from the state first.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat who is also a city councilor, said that state lawmakers have debated the idea for many hours in the General Assembly without approving it.
The hitch at the state level, he said, was a concern that in punishing felons, legislators would also be snatching money from spouses and children who did nothing wrong.
"It's still being looked at," said Nicastro, who represents the 79th District, encompassing the southern third of Bristol.
Rimcoski, who has pushed the idea in the past, said it angers him to see state workers who are accused of crimes making a quick retirement to lock in their pensions.
"You shouldn't be sending pension checks to the prisons," Rimcoski said.
Nicastro said he absolutely agreed with Rimcoski on that point.
The issue has been bandied about since the scandal that rocked the administration of former Gov. John Rowland, who resigned in disgrace and spent time in federal prison for corruption.
There haven't been any significant scandals at City Hall, but other municipalities around the state have seen workers charged with serious crimes.
Rimcoski said he would bring up the policy again after he gathers the additional information he seeks.
Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 21, 2009
Some seek full city ownership of Nelson Field
An image of Nelson Field that Moon-willow placed on Flickr.
Some Bristol political leaders hope to convince state officials to hand over Nelson Field to city control.
State Rep. Frank Nicastro, a Bristol Democrat, said he’s setting up a meeting soon with state Department of Environmental Protection officials to talk about prospects for the move.
A city councilor, Republican Mike Rimcoski, has pushed the idea for many years as a way to open recreational options for the 50-acre open field off Burlington Avenue.
The state and city split the cost of purchasing the field in 1988 under the Recreation & National Heritage Trust Program with the understanding it would be left as open space.
It is used these days mostly by sledders in the winter and kite enthusiasts in warmer weather.
Mayor Art Ward said Wednesday he’s not against the idea – and supports the concept – but is worried that taking possession of the property might mean higher costs for the city during a tough economic time.
“Anything’s worse considering,” Ward said, but the details of the arrangement are crucial.
He said he would want to know more about who would maintain the property and whether the city would have any increased liability if it owned the land completely.
As it is, there is not much done to maintain the property by anyone.
The city constructed a 15-space parking lot for the field in 1996 after much prodding by two councilors at the time, Stretch Norton and Gerard Couture.
They said that without better parking, someone would get killed darting among cars parked along the busy road.
That lot doesn’t require much effort to keep up.
Ward said he believes that a private contractor mows the field for hay each fall, but that’s probably about it for routine matters.
Some years ago, bluebird houses were erected along the edge of the field, which is apparently a good habitat for the birds. That had the DEP’s backing but was done privately.
Rimcoski said he has heard that as part of the original land deal, the state was supposed to chip in $10,000 annually for maintenance of the property. But nobody seems to know whether that’s true. City lawyers are investigating.
Nicastro said that at this point, he’s merely looking into the prospects for the city’s takeover of the property. Nothing’s likely to happen quickly.
Given the city and state’s commitment to preserving open space, it is highly unlikely that any change would result in the development of the land.
At most, officials have said, it would remain part of the park system and perhaps ultimately have some recreational improvements.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
January 14, 2009
Rimcoski, Block likely to see relection; McCauley's plans unknown
Two veteran Democrats plan to step down as city councilors this year.
Both Frank Nicastro and Craig Minor, who hold the 3rd District’s two seats on the council, said they’re not going to seek reelection to the part-time position this fall.
Nicastro, who also serves as the 79th District’s state representative, said he is “too busy in Hartford” to continue dividing his time between municipal and state issues.
Minor, a three-term incumbent, said, “Six years is long enough. It’s time for new ideas and new blood.”
Among the rest of the six-member council, three said they are at least leaning toward another political race this year.
Both Republican Mike Rimcoski and Democrat Cliff Block – the 1st District’s councilors – said they are inclined to run for reelection.
Freshman Republican Ken Cockayne in the 2nd District said he’s going to file papers soon to run for office this year – but he wouldn’t say which one. There’s been some speculation that Cockayne might run for mayor, but most expect him to seek another council term.
The only other member of the council, Kevin McCauley, declined to comment on his plans.
Rimcoski, who served on the council in the early 1990s, said he’s leaning toward a run for a third consecutive term. But he’s not sure it will be as much fun.
“I’m going to miss Craig because I won’t have anyone to pick on,” Rimcoski joked.
Block said he’s “considering running again” for a second term from the northeastern Bristol district where Mayor Art Ward also lives.
Minor said in December that he notified the Democratic Town Committee recently about his decision to give up his 3rd District seat so it would have plenty of time to recruit and vet a good candidate to take his place.Minor said that letting people know early on “removes the drama” that so often surrounds political decisions.“I don’t like drama and I think a lot of politicians do,” Minor said.Minor, who works as the town planner in Cromwell, said he wants to devote his attention to a few issues he cares deeply about instead of taking on whatever his council duties require.“This way I can expend my free time on the specific issues that I care about,” Minor said.The councilor said he’s not ruling out a future political run “but certainly not in the near future.”Minor said he doesn’t think that telling people of his decision will weaken him politically in the months ahead.“I’ve always worked well with the other people on the council” on both sides of the aisle, he said, and he’s sure that will continue.Nicastro is in his second consecutive term as a 3rd District councilor, a position he sought after taking a two-year break following a decade in the mayor's office. He served for three terms as one of the district's council members before winning the city's top job in 1993.Nicastro has served in the state House since knocking out longtime incumbent Democratic state Rep. Kosta Diamantis in a hard-fought 2006 primary. He won reelection to the state post last year.With the decision by Nicastro and Minor to depart from the council, the Democrats will have two open seats in the 3rd District.
Among the likely contenders for Democratic backing are Terry Parker and Charles Cyr, though there are surely others with an interest as well.
Councilors earn about $10,000 annually and serve two-year terms. The positions often serve as a jumping off point for mayoral contenders, since most mayors have served on the council before seeking higher office.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Both Frank Nicastro and Craig Minor, who hold the 3rd District’s two seats on the council, said they’re not going to seek reelection to the part-time position this fall.
Nicastro, who also serves as the 79th District’s state representative, said he is “too busy in Hartford” to continue dividing his time between municipal and state issues.
Minor, a three-term incumbent, said, “Six years is long enough. It’s time for new ideas and new blood.”
Among the rest of the six-member council, three said they are at least leaning toward another political race this year.
Both Republican Mike Rimcoski and Democrat Cliff Block – the 1st District’s councilors – said they are inclined to run for reelection.
Freshman Republican Ken Cockayne in the 2nd District said he’s going to file papers soon to run for office this year – but he wouldn’t say which one. There’s been some speculation that Cockayne might run for mayor, but most expect him to seek another council term.
The only other member of the council, Kevin McCauley, declined to comment on his plans.
Rimcoski, who served on the council in the early 1990s, said he’s leaning toward a run for a third consecutive term. But he’s not sure it will be as much fun.
“I’m going to miss Craig because I won’t have anyone to pick on,” Rimcoski joked.
Block said he’s “considering running again” for a second term from the northeastern Bristol district where Mayor Art Ward also lives.
Minor said in December that he notified the Democratic Town Committee recently about his decision to give up his 3rd District seat so it would have plenty of time to recruit and vet a good candidate to take his place.Minor said that letting people know early on “removes the drama” that so often surrounds political decisions.“I don’t like drama and I think a lot of politicians do,” Minor said.Minor, who works as the town planner in Cromwell, said he wants to devote his attention to a few issues he cares deeply about instead of taking on whatever his council duties require.“This way I can expend my free time on the specific issues that I care about,” Minor said.The councilor said he’s not ruling out a future political run “but certainly not in the near future.”Minor said he doesn’t think that telling people of his decision will weaken him politically in the months ahead.“I’ve always worked well with the other people on the council” on both sides of the aisle, he said, and he’s sure that will continue.Nicastro is in his second consecutive term as a 3rd District councilor, a position he sought after taking a two-year break following a decade in the mayor's office. He served for three terms as one of the district's council members before winning the city's top job in 1993.Nicastro has served in the state House since knocking out longtime incumbent Democratic state Rep. Kosta Diamantis in a hard-fought 2006 primary. He won reelection to the state post last year.With the decision by Nicastro and Minor to depart from the council, the Democrats will have two open seats in the 3rd District.
Among the likely contenders for Democratic backing are Terry Parker and Charles Cyr, though there are surely others with an interest as well.
Councilors earn about $10,000 annually and serve two-year terms. The positions often serve as a jumping off point for mayoral contenders, since most mayors have served on the council before seeking higher office.
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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
November 6, 2008
Rimcoski: pick the cheaper architects for school project
A city councilor is upset that officials plan to hire the more costly of two architectural firms vying to draw up blueprints for the proposed 900-student school on Pine Street.
The Forestville School Building Committee agreed recently to spend an extra $365,000 to hire a Hartford firm rather than the Massachusetts-based Drummey Rosane Anderson, Inc. that prepared the initial plans for the $132 million project to construct two kindergarten to eighth grade schools.
“It’s upsetting,” said city Councilor Mike Rimcoski, who called it a blow to taxpayers to shell out more than necessary for the project.
The school panel is seeking the city’s green light to hire Tai Soo Kim, Partners and Architects of Hartford for $2.14 million to draw up the detailed plans necessary to move ahead with the school slated for construction on the former Crowley dealership site.
It bypassed DRA, the runner-up in the architectural competition, which proposed doing the work for $1.785 million, Rimcoski said.
Superintendent Philip Streifer said that the architects need to finish their work in a year so the city can get the state’s blessing on the blueprints in time to have a construction contract signed by June 13, 2010.
He said the timetable is extremely tight, but it can be done.
Rimcoski said that city councilors are ready to ask the school panel to take another look at the architect selection and either change the pick or justify spending more.
“We’re not talking about peanuts. We’re talking about an 18 percent difference,” Rimcoski said.
Rimcoski said that DRA should be able to get off to a faster start, too, because of its familiarity with the project.
The veteran GOP councilor said that he has no personal stake in the decision.
“I wouldn’t know DRA if they ran over me with a truck,” Rimcoski said.
Rimcoski said he just wants taxpayers to get the possible deal.
City councilors plan to meet with both school building committees at 6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 17 to go over the projects and perhaps give final approval to the proposed Matthews Street site for the second school.
Educators hope to build the two new schools by 2015 and to shutter four older buildings – Memorial Boulevard Middle School and three elementary schools: Bingham, O’Connell and Greene-Hills.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 18, 2008
No fees for city job seekers
A proposal to begin charging job seekers at City Hall a fee fell flat this week.
“There’s other ways we can save money,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who heads the Salary Committee.
The salary panel killed the request because its members feared that imposing a fee for those seeking to take the police and fire tests – the first step toward getting a public safety position in Bristol – could potentially keep good people from coming forward.
Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said that charging about $12 an applicant would bring the city about $2,000 annually, an idea she said was spurred by Mayor Art Ward’s request that department chiefs look for ways to bring in new revenue to cover costs.
Many municipalities in the state charge fees for entry level police and fire tests, Ferguson said, including West Hartford, which imposes a $20 charge; New Britain, which asks for $35; and Waterbury, which socks residents for $75 and out-of-towners for $100.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski suggested that if Bristol opted to begin imposing fees, it should ask for $10 from residents and $15 from those hailing from other towns. He said it would probably average out to about $12 per applicant that way.
Ferguson said there are about 100 applicants annually for firefighter jobs and usually a bit less for police positions.
Hitting them up for the expenses involved would be “a way to cover some of the costs for the testing,” Ferguson said.
City Councilor Cliff Block said that he worries that if the city begins requiring a fee, some qualified people won’t bother to apply.
“I don’t want to deter anyone,” Block said. “I’d like as many people tested as possible so we get the best and the brightest.”
Block said that the $2,000 or so the city might get from test-takers is “not going to make much of a difference in the budget.”
“Not the way you vote,” Rimcoski responded.
But Rimcoski agreed that the $2,000 the city might gain is “peanuts” in the big picture.
Nicastro said he had “mixed feelings” about the issue, but that Block had made a good argument for leaving the system the way it is.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
“There’s other ways we can save money,” said city Councilor Frank Nicastro, who heads the Salary Committee.
The salary panel killed the request because its members feared that imposing a fee for those seeking to take the police and fire tests – the first step toward getting a public safety position in Bristol – could potentially keep good people from coming forward.
Personnel Director Diane Ferguson said that charging about $12 an applicant would bring the city about $2,000 annually, an idea she said was spurred by Mayor Art Ward’s request that department chiefs look for ways to bring in new revenue to cover costs.
Many municipalities in the state charge fees for entry level police and fire tests, Ferguson said, including West Hartford, which imposes a $20 charge; New Britain, which asks for $35; and Waterbury, which socks residents for $75 and out-of-towners for $100.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski suggested that if Bristol opted to begin imposing fees, it should ask for $10 from residents and $15 from those hailing from other towns. He said it would probably average out to about $12 per applicant that way.
Ferguson said there are about 100 applicants annually for firefighter jobs and usually a bit less for police positions.
Hitting them up for the expenses involved would be “a way to cover some of the costs for the testing,” Ferguson said.
City Councilor Cliff Block said that he worries that if the city begins requiring a fee, some qualified people won’t bother to apply.
“I don’t want to deter anyone,” Block said. “I’d like as many people tested as possible so we get the best and the brightest.”
Block said that the $2,000 or so the city might get from test-takers is “not going to make much of a difference in the budget.”
“Not the way you vote,” Rimcoski responded.
But Rimcoski agreed that the $2,000 the city might gain is “peanuts” in the big picture.
Nicastro said he had “mixed feelings” about the issue, but that Block had made a good argument for leaving the system the way it is.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 17, 2008
Hiring locals not as easy as it sounds
Changing hiring rules at City Hall to make it easier for Bristol residents to get entry-level jobs may be harder than supporters realized.
The top problem may be that it’s not easy to determine where somebody lives.
“It’s difficult to police,” said Personnel Director Diane Ferguson. “I don’t know how you’re going to know.”
It would be relatively easy, officials said Wednesday, for somebody to use a Bristol address on a job application for a municipal position.
Beyond that, Ferguson said, it isn’t clear just how the city could give its residents a leg up in the process.
Towns that offer their residents a boost in seeking jobs usually give them extra points on a Civil Service scale, she said. But Bristol doesn’t use that system in its hiring.
So it isn’t obvious how officials could provide a built-in advantage for residents without revising the entire hiring system.
The city uses a 100-point scale in grading applicants for police and fire jobs, officials said, and because of that it has been able to offer veterans an extra 5 points on top of their test scores, perhaps propelling some job seekers into contention for a position.
But other city positions, including the custodial and public works spots that city Councilor Mike Rimcoski is aiming to hand to Bristol residents, are not filled using a point system.
Ferguson said that her office and the relevant departmental supervisors weed through applications to determine which ones are most qualified for the positions that are open.
The best of the bunch, officials said, are interviewed in person before hiring decisions are made.
Rimcoski said hiring locally would mean more money would be kept in the city’s economy.
But Councilor Cliff Block said that he would rather the city hire based on merit so that it gets the best employees possible.
“Cliff Block doesn’t want to give local people the job,” Rimcoski said.
Block fired back that if the city builds two new schools and funds its education system properly, “the best and brightest” applicants will come from Bristol.
Ferguson said about 58 percent of city positions are filled by Bristol residents currently.
“That’s lousy,” Rimcoski said.
“Because our schools are lousy,” city Councilor Craig Minor responded.
“You must have gone to them,” Rimcoski fired back.
The Salary Committee agreed to consider the issue further next month.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
The top problem may be that it’s not easy to determine where somebody lives.
“It’s difficult to police,” said Personnel Director Diane Ferguson. “I don’t know how you’re going to know.”
It would be relatively easy, officials said Wednesday, for somebody to use a Bristol address on a job application for a municipal position.
Beyond that, Ferguson said, it isn’t clear just how the city could give its residents a leg up in the process.
Towns that offer their residents a boost in seeking jobs usually give them extra points on a Civil Service scale, she said. But Bristol doesn’t use that system in its hiring.
So it isn’t obvious how officials could provide a built-in advantage for residents without revising the entire hiring system.
The city uses a 100-point scale in grading applicants for police and fire jobs, officials said, and because of that it has been able to offer veterans an extra 5 points on top of their test scores, perhaps propelling some job seekers into contention for a position.
But other city positions, including the custodial and public works spots that city Councilor Mike Rimcoski is aiming to hand to Bristol residents, are not filled using a point system.
Ferguson said that her office and the relevant departmental supervisors weed through applications to determine which ones are most qualified for the positions that are open.
The best of the bunch, officials said, are interviewed in person before hiring decisions are made.
Rimcoski said hiring locally would mean more money would be kept in the city’s economy.
But Councilor Cliff Block said that he would rather the city hire based on merit so that it gets the best employees possible.
“Cliff Block doesn’t want to give local people the job,” Rimcoski said.
Block fired back that if the city builds two new schools and funds its education system properly, “the best and brightest” applicants will come from Bristol.
Ferguson said about 58 percent of city positions are filled by Bristol residents currently.
“That’s lousy,” Rimcoski said.
“Because our schools are lousy,” city Councilor Craig Minor responded.
“You must have gone to them,” Rimcoski fired back.
The Salary Committee agreed to consider the issue further next month.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Rimcoski calls himself "a mushroom"
"I'm a mushroom. They keep me in the dark and feed me bullshit," city Councilor Mike Rimcoski told me today.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 12, 2008
City lawyers to look at yard waste fee hike
City attorneys are looking into the legalities of having the City Council get the last word on fee hikes in the yard waste collection program whose cost is set to rise 70 percent to cover its expenses.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said he made “a bad error” in mistakenly backing the increase from $50 to $85 annually during a recent Public Works Board meeting.
“It was my fault for letting it slip through,” Rimcoski said. “I dropped the ball.”
But, he said, the council “should have the final say” rather than letting department jack up fees so sharply without any direct council involvement.
“If we’re going to take the grief for it,” Rimcoski said, then politicians ought to have a role in setting fees that residents have to pay.
Mayor Art Ward said that departments have to take the responsibility of making sure that fees cover the cost of operating programs.
“They should have the jurisdiction over their operation,” the mayor said, adding that he’s ordered them to review their fees in anticipation of the next budget to make sure that fees are keeping up with expenses.
City Councilor Craig Minor said that politicians need to know “when to draw the line” in overseeing charges to residents.
He said that he generally favors letting departments deal with fees themselves or councilors could wind up weighing what library fines should be.
Dale Clift, the city attorney, said his office will take a look at the relevant ordinances and determine the authority for setting fees.
He said that once lawyers figure out which legal provisions apply, they’ll refer the issue to the proper committees, including the council and public works panel.
Public works commissioners hiked the fee for the yard waste collection program this summer after recognizing the $50 annual charge it has had for nearly a decade wasn’t enough to cover rising costs.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said he made “a bad error” in mistakenly backing the increase from $50 to $85 annually during a recent Public Works Board meeting.
“It was my fault for letting it slip through,” Rimcoski said. “I dropped the ball.”
But, he said, the council “should have the final say” rather than letting department jack up fees so sharply without any direct council involvement.
“If we’re going to take the grief for it,” Rimcoski said, then politicians ought to have a role in setting fees that residents have to pay.
Mayor Art Ward said that departments have to take the responsibility of making sure that fees cover the cost of operating programs.
“They should have the jurisdiction over their operation,” the mayor said, adding that he’s ordered them to review their fees in anticipation of the next budget to make sure that fees are keeping up with expenses.
City Councilor Craig Minor said that politicians need to know “when to draw the line” in overseeing charges to residents.
He said that he generally favors letting departments deal with fees themselves or councilors could wind up weighing what library fines should be.
Dale Clift, the city attorney, said his office will take a look at the relevant ordinances and determine the authority for setting fees.
He said that once lawyers figure out which legal provisions apply, they’ll refer the issue to the proper committees, including the council and public works panel.
Public works commissioners hiked the fee for the yard waste collection program this summer after recognizing the $50 annual charge it has had for nearly a decade wasn’t enough to cover rising costs.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
September 11, 2008
Hire Bristol folks first?
A new bid to have the city hire more Bristol residents is likely going nowhere.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said that he wants the personnel office to give city residents a leg up when it comes to claiming entry level jobs on the municipal payroll.
Rimcoski said he can’t understand why the city would put its own residents on an equal footing with people who live elsewhere, at least when it comes to entry level positions that don’t require special skills.
At least some of his colleagues disagree.
“I want the best person for the job,” city Councilor Craig Minor said.
He added that historically, officials have shown “a penchant for corruption” in hiring locally rather than taking the most qualified applicant.
Two other councilors, Cliff Block and Ken Cockayne, said they agree with Minor’s position.
Neither Minor nor any other official wanted to explain the corruption comment, but officials and city workers have said over the years that employees have been hired because they had relatives in positions of power.
The Salary Committee is going to look into Rimcoski’s proposal to see if it makes sense.
“It can’t hurt to discuss it,” city Councilor Frank Nicastro said.
Mayor Art Ward said that given the hard economic times that are socking many families, “consideration should be given” to hiring locally when possible.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that if two people are equally qualified and one is from Bristol, it should matter. Residents contribute more to the city as a whole, he said.
Minor said he agrees that the salary panel ought to take up the issue “so it can be discredited and put to bed.”
Rimcoski said that Minor’s view may be “colored somewhat” because he holds a full-time job as the town planner of Cromwell.
Rimcoski said that if wanted a city job in an entry level post, he ought to get it before someone from another town.
“Let’s face it. I could be a laborer or a custodian,” Rimcoski said.
“I’d hire you,” Minor said in response.
“So you could fire me,” Rimcoski fired back.
“Or work you to death,” Minor answered.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski said that he wants the personnel office to give city residents a leg up when it comes to claiming entry level jobs on the municipal payroll.
Rimcoski said he can’t understand why the city would put its own residents on an equal footing with people who live elsewhere, at least when it comes to entry level positions that don’t require special skills.
At least some of his colleagues disagree.
“I want the best person for the job,” city Councilor Craig Minor said.
He added that historically, officials have shown “a penchant for corruption” in hiring locally rather than taking the most qualified applicant.
Two other councilors, Cliff Block and Ken Cockayne, said they agree with Minor’s position.
Neither Minor nor any other official wanted to explain the corruption comment, but officials and city workers have said over the years that employees have been hired because they had relatives in positions of power.
The Salary Committee is going to look into Rimcoski’s proposal to see if it makes sense.
“It can’t hurt to discuss it,” city Councilor Frank Nicastro said.
Mayor Art Ward said that given the hard economic times that are socking many families, “consideration should be given” to hiring locally when possible.
City Councilor Kevin McCauley said that if two people are equally qualified and one is from Bristol, it should matter. Residents contribute more to the city as a whole, he said.
Minor said he agrees that the salary panel ought to take up the issue “so it can be discredited and put to bed.”
Rimcoski said that Minor’s view may be “colored somewhat” because he holds a full-time job as the town planner of Cromwell.
Rimcoski said that if wanted a city job in an entry level post, he ought to get it before someone from another town.
“Let’s face it. I could be a laborer or a custodian,” Rimcoski said.
“I’d hire you,” Minor said in response.
“So you could fire me,” Rimcoski fired back.
“Or work you to death,” Minor answered.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 27, 2008
Yard waste program costs to rise sharply
The cost of participating in the city’s yard waste collection program is set to rise sharply.Those choosing to participate in the green waste collection program will pay 70 percent more next year than they have had to shell out for the past several years.
A city panel recently agreed to hike the fee from $50 to $85 annually in order to cover the expense of running the program.
City Councilor Mike Rimcoski, who voted for the change in committee, called the increase “ridiculous” and insisted that the City Council should have a shot at trimming it back.
Rimcoski said that with so many residents scrimping to pay for fuel and taxes, there’s no excuse for hitting up residents for such a whopping increase in one program.
Mayor Art Ward said he wishes that the cost didn’t require such a large percentage increase.
But, he said, it’s important that a voluntary program covers its costs so that taxpayers as a whole don’t wind up subsidizing a service that is not required.
The mayor said that city officials need to do a better job of staying on top of rising costs so that increases are done regularly instead of waiting for years and then socking taxpayers with “phenomenal increases.”
“It’s not fair to the taxpayers to experience sticker shock,” Ward said.
Bristol is one of the few municipalities in the state to offer curbside yard waste collection.
The city started offering the fee-based, curbside program a decade ago after state environmental regulators barred anyone from tossing grass clippings, tree branches and other yard-related leftovers in the garbage.
Most towns have done nothing to help residents cope with the state-mandated ban on yard waste in trash.
The $50 annual fee has been in place since at least 2001.
Officials said when they began the program that giving people the chance to put out one big barrel of yard waste weekly is a benefit to many.
They also said they would continue the program as long as it supported itself. They said they wouldn’t subsidize its expense.
But as fuel costs rose and employee salaries went up, the fee remained the same until this year.
Ward said that he hopes every department at City Hall will take a look at its services and make sure that the fees charged cover as much of the cost as they should.
That’s one way to hold down next year’s budget and limit tax hikes, he said.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
August 20, 2008
Windmills on the mall site?
When a resident suggested yesterday that the city consider installing windmills on the former mall site downtown in order to create more electricity, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski offered the obvious response.
"There's enough hot air coming out of City Hall," he said, to keep the windmills churning.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
"There's enough hot air coming out of City Hall," he said, to keep the windmills churning.
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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
July 8, 2008
Council plans to fight CL&P
The city plans to fight for more than $380,000 it says Connecticut Light & Power owes it for past billing mistakes.
City Councilor Cliff Block said he anticipates a long, hard battle to collect the cash for mistakes in old streetlighting bills, but “the payoff at the end is going to be significant.”
"We feel we've got hard case evidence" to prove it, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said, and officials intend to fight for every penny.
Councilors unanimously agreed to give officials and Municipal Energy, the consultant helping find the billing errors, another 45 days to search for more mistakes and then to launch a legal fight to get the money.
The utility company has admitted that it made mistakes. It offered the city $86,000 in compensation.
But Municipal Energy tapped into a wealth of public works records to argue that Bristol is actually owed at least $380,000.
The consultant stands to make about $55,000 if the city’s claim holds up, which would leave taxpayers with about an extra $240,000 if the city can win the case that Municipal Energy helped it make.
The city hired the firm a year and a half ago for $10,000 plus 15 percent of whatever the city earns above $86,000 from taking on the utility giant.
Bristol is one of about 50 towns and cities challenging the payouts that CL&P offered and the state Department of Utility Control approved.
Block said that Bristol, which may have the most records to prove its case, is setting the pace in taking on the power company.
He warned, though, that nobody should expect to see any money soon. He said there is “going to be a heck of a fight” with CL&P because the utility stands to lose millions if Bristol can thwart its initial offer, since it would likely open the door for other cities to collect bigger checks, too.
Rimcoski said the city is going to try to enlist Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s support for its quest for cash that officials say Bristol deserves.
"We're holding our ground," Rimcoski said.
Here are a number of reports from Municipal Energy that lay out in detail what's at the root of the controversy. The company's president, Ken Johnson, kindly provided the documents today at my request.
Municipal Energy Report to the Streetlight Committee (April 3, 2008)
Energy's Bristol's Refund Calculation Summary
Municipal Energy New Found Report on March 2, 2008
Municipal Energy New Found Lights (March 7, 2008)
Municipal Energy's New Found spreadsheet
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
City Councilor Cliff Block said he anticipates a long, hard battle to collect the cash for mistakes in old streetlighting bills, but “the payoff at the end is going to be significant.”
"We feel we've got hard case evidence" to prove it, city Councilor Mike Rimcoski said, and officials intend to fight for every penny.
Councilors unanimously agreed to give officials and Municipal Energy, the consultant helping find the billing errors, another 45 days to search for more mistakes and then to launch a legal fight to get the money.
The utility company has admitted that it made mistakes. It offered the city $86,000 in compensation.
But Municipal Energy tapped into a wealth of public works records to argue that Bristol is actually owed at least $380,000.
The consultant stands to make about $55,000 if the city’s claim holds up, which would leave taxpayers with about an extra $240,000 if the city can win the case that Municipal Energy helped it make.
The city hired the firm a year and a half ago for $10,000 plus 15 percent of whatever the city earns above $86,000 from taking on the utility giant.
Bristol is one of about 50 towns and cities challenging the payouts that CL&P offered and the state Department of Utility Control approved.
Block said that Bristol, which may have the most records to prove its case, is setting the pace in taking on the power company.
He warned, though, that nobody should expect to see any money soon. He said there is “going to be a heck of a fight” with CL&P because the utility stands to lose millions if Bristol can thwart its initial offer, since it would likely open the door for other cities to collect bigger checks, too.
Rimcoski said the city is going to try to enlist Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s support for its quest for cash that officials say Bristol deserves.
"We're holding our ground," Rimcoski said.
Here are a number of reports from Municipal Energy that lay out in detail what's at the root of the controversy. The company's president, Ken Johnson, kindly provided the documents today at my request.
Municipal Energy Report to the Streetlight Committee (April 3, 2008)
Energy's Bristol's Refund Calculation Summary
Municipal Energy New Found Report on March 2, 2008
Municipal Energy New Found Lights (March 7, 2008)
Municipal Energy's New Found spreadsheet
*******
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
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