Jeffries praises response to Somerset Circle fire

A note I got last night from Democratic City Council hopeful Steve Jeffries:

Not sure if you know this but I actually live in the Glenwood Condominiums, literally less than 100 yards away from 36 Somerset Circle where the horrific fire on Tuesday broke out causing serious damage to the Condo along with serious injuries to two of my neighbors.   I learned from my neighbors the response time for both fire fighters and police to my neighbors on Tuesday was just under 7 minutes!  Had the response time been longer  I think it is safe to say that there would have been a fatality or two instead of everyone being saved including their pet cat.  With my campaign in full swing and going door to door meeting with voters, one concern that I have pledged is to ensure that the fire and police department will always be there for each and everyone should a crisis ever occur. 

As a candidate for City Council here in the 1st District I have pledged my support to work with all union workers if elected in November, including the fire and police.  These unsung hero's have always had my deep respect and admiration for the jobs they do, literally putting their lives on the line each and everyday in order to provide protection and security for all Bristol residents.  Reflecting on the tragedy of 911 and the sacrifices that were made on that day, especially by NYFD and NYPD, it gives me even more appreciation for our fire and police departments knowing that we are in good hands!  Thank you!

Copyright 2013 All rights reserved. Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fire request sets off heated discussion

City fire officials are turning up the heat in a bid to win the right to douse any fires in town that they deem a nuisance.

“We’re just looking for something really simple,” Fire Chief Jon Pose said.

The Fire Department wants a legal change that would allow senior fire officers who determine a blaze presents a problem – from smoke or embers –to order it doused.

The request, however, has sent sparks flying.

The Ordinance Committee, which is pondering the request, is wary about handing off the power to firefighters to put out backyard fires that are burning in a controlled setting.

Tom Conlin, a city attorney, said he’s concerned about handing over the power to put out campfires, bonfires and other controlled fires merely because a fire official deems it a possible nuisance.

He said he would prefer any new law include a more defined, measurable standard.

It isn’t clear what that standard could be. Click here for the full story.

A midnight ban on outdoor fires?

City leaders are eyeing the possibility of banning open fires after midnight.

City Councilor Cliff Block said that officials are thinking of declaring a midnight curfew for burning campfires, bonfires, outdoor fire pits and the like,

There is no time limit now for most fires.

Brush can only be burned from sunrise to sunset, officials said, so they are thinking of making it so that nothing can be burned outside between midnight and sunrise. Click here for the full story.


Update: The story that appears on the Press website has an error that city Councilor Kevin McCauley pointed out. Here is the correction:

BRISTOL – The Bristol-Burlington Health District regulates the open burning of brush, not bonfires, as a story in Tuesday’s paper incorrectly stated.

There is a possibility that bonfires may also be regulated, but for now at least they are not.

City Councilor Kevin McCauley, who heads the Ordinance Committee, said Tuesday that the first step in the process for burning brush is to get a permit from the health district.

That permit needs to be put on file with the city fire marshal’s office.

On the day that someone wants to burn the brush, they must contact the Fire Department for specific authorization, which will be granted or not depending on weather conditions, McCauley said.

The department doesn’t want to take a chance that it could turn into a wild fire or brush fire, said McCauley, a city firefighters.

The Ordinance Committee is considering the possibility of permits for bonfires, McCauley said, which would likely be processed through the Fire Department alone.

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

McCauley injured in line of duty

City Councilor Kevin McCauley, a Bristol firefighter, apparently shattered his ankle on a fire call over the weekend, according to a couple of colleagues.
McCauley slipped on some black ice while responding to a Middle Street fire call, they said, and went down with all of his gear on.
Mayor Art Ward told the crowd at tonight's downtown hearing that McCauley was on a call and broke his ankle.
He's said to be in real pain and facing some pretty serious reconstruction surgery.
I'll try to talk to McCauley Tuesday to get the real story. Let's hope he's back on his feet soon.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Bristol Fire videos

Poking around the web today, I ran across a whole bunch of YouTube videos from someone calling himself "tylerweatherman," who shoots footage of fire-related incidents in Bristol. He calls his channel "Bristol Fire News."

I found them oddly interesting. Check them out here.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Turning up the heat

A proposal to turn off the furnace at a little-used former school is generating plenty of heat at City Hall.
At a time when city officials are scrambling to find ways to hang on to taxpayers’ cash, one source of savings could be to turn off the boiler at the 165 Hill St. building that’s only used for a little storage.
Fire Chief Jon Pose, whose department controls the old South Chippens School, said there’s no reason to leave the heat on. He said it costs almost $10,000 a year to keep the place heated to 50 degrees during cold weather.
But Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that turning off the heat would cause so much damage to occur that future repairs would far exceed the cost of maintaining it now – if the 73-year-old building could be used at all.
City councilors urged the Board of Finance to come up with the money to keep the heat on this winter. The only dissenter was city Councilor Ken Cockayne, who said that leaving the furnace off for a couple of years wouldn’t harm the building.
Finance board members said last winter they were deeply skeptical of the need to heat the building, which is next door to Engine 2. They did not include any money in the budget to cover the tab.
City Councilor Cliff Block said he has a house in Vermont that he leaves without heat every winter after draining its pipes. He said it’s been fine for 20 years.
But Veselka said the old school has a “very moist” basement and the plaster walls would deteriorate quickly if the air is too frigid.
Pose said the walls are already in bad shape and he doesn’t think they’d worsen much.
He said the city should use the building only for cold storage. Someday, he said, the structure may be torn down to make way for a renovation of the neighboring firehouse.
Minor said that if the city isn’t going to turn on the heat, it should demolish the building or lease it out.
Pose said that if the city rents it out, the lease should be short-term so that it won’t get in the way of any firehouse project down the line.
The structure has been vacant since the nonprofit CW Resources moved out a year and a half ago for new quarters on Broad Street. It had been paying $1 a year to use the building since 1974.
The site has been used as a school since 1755, when a one-room school was put up there. After a fire destroyed an early building, the existing one was erected in 1936. It remained open until about 1970, officials said.
The property is assessed for nearly $500,000.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Democratic chair retires as city firefighter

After 27 years on the job, city firefighter Elliott Nelson retired last Saturday.
Nelson, the city's Democratic Party chairman, went out "in a blaze of glory," according to Mayor Art Ward.
Fire Chief Jon Pose and others said that Nelson was among the firefighters who tackled a wild fire that consumed a Burlington Avenue barn last Friday night -- a sweltering, sticky, awful one.
"I earned my money that night," Nelson said.
Nelson retired the next day.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

New firehouse: dream to shovel-ready in three months

A proposal to construct a new firehouse to replace the aging Vincent P. Kelly Road building has gone from concept to shovel-ready in less than three months.

But it still isn’t a sure thing that the $4 million project will get the federal stimulus funding that municipal leaders are hoping for.

Mayor Art Ward said at if the city firehouse project is lucky enough to make the cut, it would be a huge help for taxpayers.

It would also be the first major step toward bringing the aging firehouses “up to speed with modernization,” Ward said.

Fire Chief Jon Pose said that he is impressed by the “just incredible work” of city officials and boards to push through all the paperwork in plans so quickly.

“Everyone was just so cooperative,” Pose said.

Don Goranson, a longtime fire commissioner, said the grant application prepared by Robyn Bugbee, the city’s grants coordinator, was excellent. He said it did a stellar job of making the case for funding for Bristol’s firehouse.

City officials hope to snag federal economic stimulus money to pay for construction of the new four-bay firehouse that would take the place of the half century old Engine 4 building.

The existing building has two bays for trucks.

If Bristol’s firehouse is among the projects funded, the federal government would wind up paying 80 percent of the cost of the new station, leaving the city with only an $800,000 bill to get a new building.

The federal stimulus package includes $210 million for qualified firehouses, which can receive up to $5 million apiece.

There are likely to be thousands of municipalities and fire districts seeking funding so Bristol’s chances may longer than city officials anticipate. But it can’t hurt to have U.S. Rep. John Larson, an East Hartford Democrat who holds a powerful leadership post in the House, pushing for the project in his district, officials said.

The city opted to use an off-the-shelf architectural design that worked best at the 2.2-acre Vincent P. Kelly firehouse site.

It agreed to pay $25,000 to Friar Associates, Inc. for the architectural renderings if the grant comes through.

A 2008 study by Kaestle Boos Associates determined that updating and expanding four of the city’s firehouses would cost $13 million. That would cover the firehouses on Hill Street, Church Avenue, Vincent P. Kelly Road and Mix Street , all of which suffer from cramped quarters, little privacy, limited parking and many operational issues that should be addressed.

At the time of the study, Pose said the firehouses lack energy efficiency and have "tired" mechanical, electrical and furnace systems. None has air conditioning, he said.
"These buildings have reached the end of their usable life," said Pose a year and a half ago.

Currently, the city has just one firehouse that can take its largest truck, according to Pose. With larger, wider trucks growing more common, the vehicles barely fit in any of the firehouses.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City eyeing a new firehouse

The city is eyeing a new $4 million fire station to replace the existing one on Vincent P. Kelly Road.

City officials hope to snag federal economic stimulus money to pay for construction of the new four-bay firehouse that would take the place of the half century old Engine 4 building.

The existing building has two bays for trucks.

City councilors plan Tuesday to ask for a necessary review of the idea by the Planning Commission.

“We have absolutely nothing to lose by pursuing it,” Mayor Art Ward said Friday.

He said that if Bristol’s firehouse is among the projects funded, the federal government would wind up paying 80 percent of the cost of the new station, leaving the city with only an $800,000 bill to get a new building.

At this point, there has been no design work, so the first step for the city would be to hire an architect to draw up the particulars for a firehouse there.

But several officials said the city would likely use an off-the-shelf design to shorten the timetable, allowing for construction to begin relatively soon.

That is part of the reason the city chose to begin its long-term plan to overhaul firehouses with the one on Vincent P. Kelly Road, they said. Its location makes it much easier to use a standard design than the other firehouses.

A possible upgrade for the city’s firehouses has been in the works for several years.

“It was already in the mix of things to do,” Ward said.

Officials said the extra bays may make it possible to coordinate the repairs and maintenance of fire vehicles with the public works garage across the street. There’s a chance for more coordination and efficiency in the operation, they said.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Firehouse chimney tilting dangerously

A 45-foot tall brick chimney beside the central firehouse is beginning to tilt.
Though it’s got a long way to go before it matches the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it’s leaning far enough to worry city officials who are racing to have it knocked down before it comes down on its own.
“It could be dangerous,” said city Councilor Cliff Block.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said that he noticed several weeks ago that “a distinct tilt” had afflicted the half century old chimney on the north side of the firehouse.
The freestanding chimney is connected by a single metal pipe to the firehouse itself. An emergency generator sits right beside it.
At this point, Pose said, the chimney is 8 inches off center, but there’s concern that it could creep further sideways.
“The base of the chimney is crumbling,” Pose said.
The city’s purchasing agent, Roger Rousseau, is soliciting bids to take down the chimney.
“Before it falls down, we’re going to tear it down,” Pose said.
It will likely be replaced by a power vent on the side of the firehouse that can serve the same function for a fraction of the cost of building a new chimney.
Public Works Director Walter Veselka said that when the chimney is removed this spring, the city will try to preserve as many bricks from it as possible to use for future renovations of the firehouse.
That way, Pose said, any bricks that have to be replaced can match the ones that have been there since the 1960s.
Veselka said that saving bricks will add a little bit to the cost, but it’s worth it.
The fire board and the city’s building committee each agreed this week to proceed with the chimney’s removal.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

House fire on South Street

Sometime early this morning, a multi-family house at 322 South St. caught fire, forcing residents to flee and sending one youngster to the hospital with smoke inhalation.

The two-family, 1930 house is badly damaged. In the picture above, of course, it's not.

I'll have more later.

By the way, have I mentioned how nice it would be to have a police reporter on the staff again?

Update at 2:45  p.m. --

A two-alarm fire on a South Street house early Friday left two families homeless and put an 11-year-old boy in the hospital after inhaling too much smoke.

Deputy Fire Chief Jay Kolakoski said the blaze began at 5:45 a.m. when a space heater apparently set a mattress on fire in the basement of the 322 South St. house.

Flames reached up behind the walls through the first and second floors and into the attic in the rear of the 1930 house, the deputy chief said.

But the 18 firefighters who ultimately fought the fire were able to put it out without losing the entire structure. It was, however, badly damaged and filled with smoke.

All of the eight people living inside were able to escape, Kolakoski said, but the boy showed signs of breathing in too much carbon monoxide so he was taken to Bristol Hospital. His condition is not known, but he’s likely to recover fully.

A firefighter hurt his knee battling the blaze, the deputy chief said. He was treated and released from the hospital.

Kolakoski said the two families living in the house are being taken care of by the American Red Cross, which often helps fire victims get back on their feet.

He said the fire has been ruled an accident. It appears that an electrical space heater had been placed too close to a mattress, Kolakoski said.

City land records say the owner of the dwelling is Christopher Remillard, who purchased it I 2006. It is assessed for $124,510.

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Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Police and firefighters' charity game raised over $4K

Press release from the police union:

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 11/25/08

From: Peter Kot, President

Bristol Police Union, Local #754

On Friday, November 21, 2008 the Bristol Police Union and Bristol Fire Union played their 2^nd annual charity flag football game at Bristol’s Muzzy Field. This year, the charity being supported was the Bristol Community Organization’s Emergency Fuel Fund which provides low-income citizens in Bristol with monies to heat their homes. In this economy of high fuel costs and high unemployment, the unions felt this was a most worthy cause. Hundreds of pounds of food were also collected and donated to the Salvation Army’s local soup kitchen.

Nearly four dozen Police and Fire Union members participated in the game which yielded an impressive and decisive 35-0 victory for the Police. This evens the record at 1-1 for each team.

The Bristol Police Union, Local #754 would like to thank the citizens and businesses in the Community that generously donated to this worthwhile cause. The event raised a total of $4,000.00 which will be donated to the B.C.O. The Bristol Police Union, Bristol PBA and Bristol Fire Union are proud supporters and we thank all that braved the cold to come out and support this event. We hope to continue and grow the event in the years to come.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fire Department gets federal funds

Press release from U.S. Rep. John Larson, the East Hartford Democrat whose 1st District includes Bristol:

Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) announced today that the City of Bristol Fire Department has won a $24,320 grant from the Department of Homeland Security’s Assistance to Firefighters Program. The Bristol Fire Department will use the funds to train all of their active firefighters to operate fire trucks and equipment. With the training, the 80 firefighters of the Bristol Fire Department will be in compliance with the National Fire Protection Association’s standards for operating a fire apparatus.
“I am thrilled that the Bristol Fire Department will receive this funding. It will provide critical training for Bristol’s firefighters and improve the safety and security of one of our local communities,” said Larson. “The Assistance to Firefighters Program provides fire departments across the nation with the ability to serve their community. It is the responsibility of Congress to ensure that essential programs such as this continue to be funded and supported.”
Bristol Mayor Art Ward said, “The City of Bristol and its fire department greatly appreciate the work of Congressman Larson to address the professional needs of the city’s fire department, especially in this time of budgetary constraints.”

In Fiscal Year 2008, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program will award approximately $500 million directly to fire departments and EMS organizations around the country to enhance their response capabilities, meet NFPA compliance guidelines and to effectively protect the health and safety of the public and emergency response personnel with respect to fire and all other hazards.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Firehouse fixups to cost $13 million

Story by reporter Jackie Majerus:

Updating and expanding four of the city's firehouses would cost about $13 million, consultants told fire commissioners Wednesday.
The consultants from the architectural firm Kaestle Boos Associates said the firehouses on Hill Street, Church Avenue, Vincent P. Kelly Road and Mix Street are mostly cramped quarters with limited parking and other issues that could be addressed by expansions at each site.
For an additional $4.7 million, they said, the city could add a new training facility and a "burn building" for exercises.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said the firehouses lack energy efficiency and have "tired" mechanical, electrical and furnace systems. None has air conditioning, he said.
"These buildings have reached the end of their usable life," said Pose.
Sleeping quarters and restrooms aren't private, Pose said.
"There's no facilities for female firefighters," said Pose. "All of our firehouses share those same problems."
The new designs show separate bedrooms for individual firefighters, said Pose, and additional space for more personnel "if that ever happens."
Currently, the city has just one firehouse that can take its largest truck, according to Pose. He said the trend in firefighting equipment is for larger, wider and taller trucks.
"They barely fit now in any of our firehouses," said Pose.
Kaestle Boos, hired a year ago to evaluate the condition of four of the city's firehouses, gave an estimate of $2.6 million to double the size of Engine Co. No. 2 on Hill Street.
"It is a snug site," said Jim Sperry of Kaestle Boos, with limited parking but good sight lines and only minor drainage issues.
Engine Co. No. 3 on Church Avenue is the tightest spot of all, according to Sperry, who said it is also a challenging location.
Dave King of Kaestle Boos proposed a second story addition to the Church Avenue firehouse that would more than double the space there. He said it would cost about $3.1 million.
On Vincent P. Kelly Road, Engine Co. No. 4 has available land, King said. He said the firehouse is using only a little more than half of its 2.2 acre property, while a huge sand storage facility takes up the rest.
"We need to address the dome there," said Mayor Art Ward, who said the matter will be taken up soon with the public works department.
Kaestle Boos recommends more than doubling the size of that firehouse, a project they estimate would cost about $3.5 million.
Adding a "burn building" for training firefighters could be another $800,000 or more, the architects said, and a new training facility would push the cost up by another $3.7 million.
Lastly, at Engine Co. No. 5 on Mix Street, a high water table, poor storm drainage and heavy traffic are problems.
"It can certainly be a real challenge to get the trucks in and out," said Sperry.
Improvements to the Mix Street firehouse, the architects said, would more than double the space and carry a price tag of $3.8 million.
The consultants are expected to soon give a presentation on their findings and recommendations to city finance commissioners.

And a related story:
With the imminent move of CW Resources from its longtime Hill Street quarters to a large location on Broad Street, the city is eyeing the nonprofit’s current home for potential use by the Fire Department.
“They could use that building for something,” said city Councilor Cliff Block.
The old school building, which housed the South Chippin Hill School, is next door to the Engine 2 firehouse on Hill Street.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said he would be interested in the facility, though he’s not yet sure how the department could best use it.
“It’s available and it’s there,” Block said. “It’s not going to cost us anything.”
The Fire Department is preparing to overhaul all of its firehouses, including the central headquarters on North Main Street. Plans remain tentative.
Pose and Block said that the ultimate use for the old school on Hill Street probably would likely be settled as part of the overhaul process.
CW Resources, which provides employment to people with disabilities, has been in the 1,200-square-foot Hill Street building since 1974. It is moving this spring to Broad Street.
The existing building site began its civic life as a one-room school in 1755.
According to state records, the city spent $2,500 in 1914 to open a new rural school called South Chippins School, which apparently had two rooms and was open until 1936. The building, since remodeled, is owned by the city, which has leased it to CW Resources for the past 34 years.
Block said it appears the structure is in good shape.
He firehouse next door has long had a shortage of space, officials said, so gaining the extra property is bound to help.
City officials haven’t made any decisions about the property yet.


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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Water department stops maintaining private hydrants

Leafing through the Water Board's meeting minutes the other day, I found that it agreed in October to stop maintaining 145 private hydrants located around town. The department said it had a hard enough time keeping up with needs of its own hydrants.
Spurring the change, according to the minutes, was "a recent fire on Davis Drive where it was found that all of their private hydrants were inoperable."
Imagine that.
All of the hydrants at the Cambridge Park housing project, where there are scores of old public housing units, weren't working.
It's damn lucky that there wasn't a catastrophe.
I don't know if they've been fixed.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

A new firehouse for Bristol?

The city plans to investigate the possibility of building a new firehouse that could better serve its fast-growing southwestern corner.
Responding to a call from freshman city Councilor Ken Cockayne to set up a panel to probe the idea, Mayor Art Ward said, “We can set that up.”
Ward said the idea’s been kicked around for many years and with all the new houses in the Cedar Lake area of town, it’s probably time to take a look at it.
Fire Chief Jon Pose said that “a quick response time” is crucial when there’s an emergency so it would improve public safety for firefighters to be closer.
“It’s definitely a concern,” Ward said.
The city has flirted at times with moving the central firehouse a little closer to that part of town in order to cut some time off responses and free up the lucrative North Main Street site for development.
Former Mayor William Stortz said this fall there’s interest by developers in buying the firehouse.
As it is, the central station requires renovations that would cost at least $2.1 million, officials said, while building a new one might cost $4 million, not counting the land required for it.
Cockayne said he’d like to see a committee that included Pose, a City Council member, fire commissioners and perhaps some ordinary citizens.
Ward said he thinks one could be established under the auspices of the Fire Board, probably including the council representation assigned to fire issues, Democrat Cliff Block.
Second-term city Councilor Kevin McCauley, a firefighter, said he highly recommends the city look into the issue.
Ward said a new firehouse could possibly be built near Bristol Central High School or on the former Chic Miller auto dealership at the foot of the big hill on Wolcott Street.
Councilors rejected the idea of buying the former dealership last fall because of concerns about the cost and possible pollution.
City Councilor Frank Nicastro said at the time that he’s also worried about buying up more privately held land.
"We're taking a valuable piece of property off the tax rolls if we buy it," Nicastro said.
Nicastro called it a "nice piece of property, commercially zoned" and said it would be "wrong" to purchase it without a real plan.
At the time, Ward sided with Stortz and Republican city Councilor Mike Rimcoski to look into the purchase, but nobody else agreed so the idea died.

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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

City Council, live, part 4

Now they're talking about possible property purchases.
Mayor William Stortz said he's bringing up Lepore property behind City Hall for discussion.
Frank Nicastro said council already voted 4-2 not to pursue it. That was in July.
Stortz said City Hall is "running short of space" and acquiring space may alleviate space woes and perhaps make it possible to combine fire inspection and building inspection in one area.
The mayor said a bigger lot is for sale than before that includes office building and homes. Moving the building office there would give it 25 percent more space than it has now, the mayor said.
Initial inspection found the building sound, the mayor said. Some renovations would be needed, he said.
The mayor is asking if city is interested in talking about it.
Art Ward said that by pursuing it, "we're Band-Aiding the situation. It's coming back again to ... how many things we're going to have on our plate."
Ward said that with mall redevelopment, this area of downtown may be more commercially desireable. "I would be looking for more permanent locations," Ward said.
The mayor agrees it is a Band-Aid in some ways but could be worthwhile for four or five years.
Nobody wants to pursue. No vote.
Now talking about the Chic Miller property. Recently sold under foreclosure, the mayor said. "We have been unable to find out what the price was," he said.
"It is available" and could be used to replace Engine 1, Stortz said.
Or it could be used for an additional firehouse with more emergency equipment, he said. Could also be a new police facility or a combination public safety buiding, Stortz said.
"It could have an awful lot of possibilities," Stortz said, even using it for vehicle maintenance by public works.
"It has a lot of potential uses. Depending on the price, it could be worthwhile," Stortz said.
There is interest by developers in buying firehouse. Renovating existing one is $2.1 million, at a minimum, and a new one is about $3.5 million, the mayor said.
Asking if council wants him to pursue more information.
Nicastro said, "We have an awful lot on our plate." He also said we don't have a plan for this property. "We're taking a valuable piece of property off the tax rolls if we buy it," Nicastro said.
Nicastro called it a "nice piece of property, commercially zoned" and said it would be "wrong" to purchase it without a real plan.
"We're taking too much off the tax rolls and the taxpayers don't deserve that," Nicastro said.
Minor said he would like to hear from fire and police chiefs about it.
Ward said there have been general discussions among fire officials, but nothing formal. He said it's not much closer to southwestern corner than the central firehouse.
"I would be in favor of continuing discussions or looking into potentials" for the site, Ward said.
Minor said it likely won't be available for long.
Stortz asked if the council wants a more complete report in a couple of weeks if officials are interested in exploring it.
The mayor said police department says it is running out of space, too.
Ward said we spent $4 million in police renovations a decade ago. Southington built new one recently for $7 million.
So, Ward said, he would like a more in-depth report in the future.
Zoppo wondered why we don't know the sale price.
"We've asked around. Even the real estate people aren't aware of the details," Stortz said.
City attorney Edward Krawiecki said city had a foreclosure action pending but Chic Miller and a bank had a deal a couple of years ago. In court, they entered into agreement with blank deed to be held in escrow by trustee in bankruptcy. The trustee could fill in the blank with buyer.
Krawiecki said bank had rights to the deed. He said the city thinks part of new owner's deal was that he had to pay our taxes so $290k in back taxes paid. Not sure what other numbers were a part of it. The bank attorney said his client doesn't want to disclose terms.
"I continue to nudge him," Krawiecki said.
"It would be interesting to know the price," the mayor said, but the city would offer what it's worth.
Nicastro asked about environmental studies of the property.
Krawiecki said a preliminary environmental report done six years ago and found minimal concerns. But it was not a formal phase one study.
Nicastro said he is "very cautious" about that.
"We don't have a plan in place. We're moving in the wrong direction," Nicastro said.
Stortz said he agrees we should have a plan. "I can't disagree with that," the mayor said.
But, he said, he felt obligated to raise the issue so council could decide whether to look into it.
Ward made a motion to have the mayor keep looking into it. Rimcoski seconded it.
Stortz, Rimcoski and Ward voted yes.
Minor, Zoppo and Nicastro voted no.
So the motion failed.
Adjourned.


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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Fire station in southwestern Bristol?

BRISTOL – While candidates generally agree that adding more hydrants in the fast-growing southwestern section will help improve fire safety, some are ready to go further.
At least two city councilors, Frank Nicastro and Kevin McCauley, said they favor a new firehouse closer to the area in order to slice response times in a crisis.
Among all the municipal candidates who answered questions from the Press, only Democratic mayoral nominee Ellen Zoppo threw cold water on the idea.
Zoppo, a three-term councilor, said the city has “a good working relationship with Wolcott which was a fire house on the southern side of Cedar Lake and the Terryville station on Fall Mountain.”
Moreover, she said, “I believe response rates to this area from” the central firehouse downtown “is acceptable, and I am not aware of any instance where delayed response has been an issue.”
That runs contrary to what McCauley, a city firefighter, had to say.
He said, as did Zoppo, that a lack of water lines and hydrants doesn’t help. But the Water Department has been extending lines during the last few years and is continuing its efforts to bring municipal water to more of the area.
But McCauley also said that another reason for concern is “the absence of a fire station” close to the neighborhoods in that part of Bristol.
“Past studies have shown a need for coverage based in this region for quicker response times,” he said.
“Simply moving Fire Headquarters to a closer location, while maintaining a downtown presence, would not be enough, especially with more subdivisions being developed,” McCauley said.
A new station for the area “will have a beneficial effect on insurance ratings for the city and homeowners,” he added.
Former Mayor Frank Nicastro, who is seeking a second term as a councilor in the 3rd District, said he has long pushed for a firehouse that could better serve the southwestern area of town with its “massive growth.”
“They should strongly look at putting something up there” on Fall Mountain, Nicastro said.
As it is, he said, it takes as much as seven minutes for a fire truck to reach that section of the city, which is too long.
Nicastro said the firehouses were placed in the right spots decades ago but population shifts need to be taken into account now.
“We could make some moves and shift things around,” Nicastro said.
City Councilor Art Ward, who is challenging Zoppo in the Sept. 11 mayoral primary, said the “the southwestern section of the city needs to have city services of water, sewer and fire safety made available to property owners, as soon as possible, in a timely and affordable manner.”
“The city has recently completed a water pump station to service this area and consideration is being given to the future” location or relocation of a firehouse to provide more coverage there, Ward said.
“While it appears there is a need for a fire station in this portion of the city, we have to proceed carefully,” said Ken Cockayne, a 2nd District Republican council contender. He said the city has to keep the big picture in mind.
Joe Geladino, a 2nd District council hopeful, also said the southwestern part of the city “needs better police and fire protection.”
“We don’t necessarily need a new firehouse, but increasing the infrastructure to include water lines and fire hydrants would certainly bolster the existing fire protection,” he said.
“A long-term plan might include moving the existing fire station from the center of downtown to a location that would better serve this section of town, perhaps to a location on or in the vicinity of Divinity Street,” Geladino said.
Tom Ragaini, a former councilor who is running as an independent for the council in the 2nd District, said a new firehouse may be necessary. He said he would like to see more study.
City Councilor Craig Minor, a Democrat, said he “would hope that the Board of Fire Commissioners is fully aware of this situation and that the commissioners will make a recommendation at the appropriate time.”
“The City Council relies on these boards to provide expert oversight on technical infrastructure issues,” he said.
“At the risk of being overly bureaucratic,” Cockayne said, “I would propose that a study be completed with heavy emphasis the input of our fire personnel. Who in this city knows better the needs of our emergency personnel then the men and women who are doing the job themselves?”
Bob Merrick, a 3rd District GOP council candidate, said he would like to see a forum for residents to ask representatives from the police, fire and emergency medical services questions about public safety and to hear residents’ ideas for change.
Every major mayor and council candidate was given the chance to respond to the question. Some did not answer. Others said they preferred not to comment.


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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com

Federal Hill arson plea

Within hours of the fire that destroyed a historic house at 380 Main St., former Republican City Council candidate Steve Coan was convinced it was arson -- and pretty damn sure who lit the match.
The city's fire chief, Denis Pieri, has come to the same conclusion. Pieri's asking for the public's help in solving the crime.
Though Coan's wise enough not to name anyone, he's doing what he can to convince the person he thinks is behind the fire to turn himself in.
At this week's council meeting, Coan took the podium during public participation to declare, "We have a lunatic loose in this city."
He said that he and his neighbors on Federal Hill are "afraid to sleep" at night for fear that a maniac could strike their homes.
Coan said that he hopes the arsonist will come forward.
"Turn yourself in," Coan said, aware the cameras were rolling. "Get some help."