With the ending of my campaign for Mayor and my 2012-2013 election term we will shift all topical related posts over to Wallingford Politico.
This blog will remain searchable and stay online for the data it contains.
Thank you again for all the support over the past 12 months of the campaign for Mayor and over my term on the Wallingford Town Council.
For all the details on this news story please see “Mobile phone users urged to sign up for reverse 911” via the Record Journal
For the time being taking this action is especially important in Wallingford since there is no other method of alerting or push communications to the residents in the event of an emergency.
Unlike other towns that leverage the internet completely as well as through the use of social media like Facebook and Twitter, the reverse 911 system is the only way to reach town residents with automated messing. Unless you register your home or mobile phones for the reverse 911 service, you will not receive important information in an emergency.
You can select to get the alerts when driven by an emergency situation by text, email or a pre-recorded message by registering at www.ct.gov/ctalert
As published in the Record Journal Wednesday July 17, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD — A sometimes contentious discussion was held at Tuesday evening’s Town Council meeting on the proposed removal of 28 trees along Quinnipiac Street between Washington Street and Route 5.
The discussion was prompted by Councilor Nick Economopoulos, who said he is concerned that an arborist wasn’t consulted about work being planned, or for past downtown tree work. Economopoulos claimed that Public Works Director and Tree Warden Henry McCully said last year, during a hearing on the removal of six trees at Fishbein Park, that an arborist would be consulted in the future.
“I’m not going to dispute that,” McCully said, adding that the last time he spoke to an arborist was more than 10 years ago.
Over the next two years, McCully said, trees uptown and downtown would be replaced, but the type of trees that will replace them is still unknown. Not every tree will be replaced, he said; about 100 are marked for replacement.
“The trees are obviously overgrown and should be replaced,” McCully said.
Most trees in those areas were planted in the mid-1990s, others in the early 1990s, he said. In his time as tree warden, McCully said, trees have been replaced three times.
Overall, the project is estimated to cost about $65,000, McCully said, with the replacement of the 28 trees on Quinnipiac Street estimated at $15,700. The town has a tree removal and planting company under contract, he said. Trees cost about $268 each.
McCully and Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said that this will not be the last time trees are replaced.
“Are you telling me 12 years from now we’re going to do it again?“ Economopoulos said.
“Absolutely,” McCully responded. “Maybe a little longer than 12 years.”
“Will this be the last time trees are cut down? Absolutely not,” Dickinson said. Economopoulos was also displeased that a public hearing required by state statute on the removal of trees has been scheduled for 4 p.m. Friday at Town Hall.
“I’m the one who requested it, and I can’t be there,” he said.
Town Councilor Jason Zandri and his father, Geno, both suggested that hearings be held at times more convenient to the public.
McCully said he held last year’s public hearing on tree removal at 3 p.m. “I don’t see why 4 p.m. is all of a sudden difficult,” he said.
At one point, Council Chairman Bob Parisi had to slam his gavel to bring order to the meeting, as Economopoulos took offense to Councilor John LeTourneau’s remark that “It’s amazing we’re having an in depth discussion over trees.”
LeTourneau said trees shouldn’t even be planted downtown because there is not enough room between sidewalks and buildings.
“I believe Henry has been doing the right thing,” he said.
Jason Zandri said business owners in the area should be surveyed to see what they want.
“I would really like us to accommodate their concerns,” he said.
Councilor John Sullivan said he would like trees to be replanted; “I just want to make sure we take a lot of care in terms of layout.”
McCully said there is a desire to keep the layout as is, and to plant new trees in the holes where old trees are removed. It’s easier to plant them in the spot they were removed,he said. To his knowledge, McCully said, the trees are not regularly trimmed and are only pruned on an as-needed basis.
Jared Liu, a Wallingford resident with a background in urban forestry in the Washington, D.C., area, said during the meeting that to cut several trees down at once is “incredibly unprecedented.”
Typically, every fifth tree should be replaced every five years, he said, so that a replacement cycle is created.
Taking all the trees down at once “would create a lot of problems,” he said.
Liu suggested that the town consult with the state’s urban forester, who can give the town free advice. He also suggested the town look into grant and loan programs with the U.S. Small Business Administration, The U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. If there is enough interest in town, he also said state forestry officials can help organize a volunteer citizen action group that could help perform necessary labor at no charge to the town.
Paul Pender, who owns The Old Dublin on Quinnipiac Street, said he initiated tree removal when he lobbied the town to remove four trees from in front of his business because people could not see his sign.
“My only concern is my business,” he said. “I can’t blame Mr. McCully for any of this. He’s under direction from the mayor and the council.”
The public hearing on Friday will not be televised, McCully said. Several residents asked that the meeting be televised, or audio be recorded, but Dickinson said staff is not available. McCully said he would take note of all objections and render a decision by Monday.
Dickinson said that before fall, another meeting will be held by either the Town Council or Wallingford Center Inc. — which played a part in the decision to remove the trees — in order to discuss replacement plans.
Councilor John LeTourneau said trees shouldn’t even be planted downtown because there is not enough room between sidewalks and buildings. Councilor Jason Zandri said business owners in the area should be surveyed to see what they want.
As published in the Record Journal Tuesday July 9, 2013
As published in the Record Journal Thursday June 27, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD - At the request of Police Chief Douglas Dortenzio, the town will spend nearly $600,000 for new public safety software. It will replace aging software that controls police, fire and medical dispatching as well as investigative and administrative functions, Dortenzio said.
The software will be purchased from New World Systems. The department has spent about $1 million on technology from that company over the past 15 years, Dortenzio said, and has been happy with its service. The technology works together and cannot be interfaced with software from other companies, Dortenzio said.
The Town Council approved a bid waiver Tuesday to allow the department to continue buy equipment from New World Systems. The item was added to the agenda Tuesday night by waiving a rule. Several councilors wondered why they were first being told about the bid waiver that night.
“It was an oversight that it didn’t appear on the agenda,” said Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. “They bid the hardware, but they didn’t want to bid the software because they wanted to stay with New World Systems.”
Network hardware was publicly bid last month, Dortenzio said, and the costs came to $180,431.
The bid waiver passed on a 6-3 vote, with Jason Zandri, Nick Economopoulos and Craig Fishbein dissenting.
Zandri said a newer product could bring bigger savings. Dortenzio said the software replacement is a piece of a larger system that would cost far more to replace than the $1 million invested over the last 15 years.
“You’d have to come up with four or five times the money I’m asking for tonight,” Dortenzio said to the council.
Dortenzio said he was approached by New World Systems two years ago and was asked to purchase new software. The department put off the purchase, he said, “because it makes more financial sense now.” “I don’t know that another vendor couldn’t meet our needs,” Zandri said. “There’s nothing else to compare it too.”
While Fishbein agreed that new software needed to be bought, he was upset that Dortenzio went about soliciting a draft contract with New World Systems without telling the council.
“I don’t think that’s the procedure that should be followed,” Fishbein said. “It was my understanding you come before the council first to get permission to engage.”
Dortenzio said he communicated with New World Systems for six months to develop contract language.
“When I’m hearing these things are going on, I don’t think that’s the process,” Fishbein said.
Economopoulos also weighed in, saying “I just find this not the right way of doing business.”
Dickinson supported Dortenzio’s request.
“I fully support the efforts of the department to upgrade and proceed forward in a logical and efficient way,” Dickinson said.
To his knowledge, the mayor said, the town has never put to bid software for any department. Software has always been purchased through bid waivers, he said.
“I understand the importance of this, and sometimes the importance has to be the overriding factor of what we do,” said Town Council Chairman Bob Parisi.
“It’s just too critical of a system to shop around right now,” Councilor John Sullivan said.
Town Councilors John Le-Tourneau, Tom Laffin and Vincent Cervoni also said Tuesday night that they were comfortable with the bid waiver and had faith in Dortenzio’s work.
When questioned by Sullivan Tuesday night, Dortenzio called the new software a “premier product.”
Fishbein said he doesn’t “see it as a premier product if only a handful of towns in the state use it.”
Dortenzio said Berlin, Newtown, Waterbury, East Hartford, and Cheshire have the same software. The product isn’t more widespread in the state, Dortenzio said, because not all departments provide the same level of service. A cheaper product could be purchased, he said, but it would provide only one-third of the current software’s capabilities. Since correctly dispatching emergency vehicles is important, Dortenzio said he’d rather spend more money for a better system.
The council approved transferring $120,425 left over from the regular wages account and $475,506 from the town’s surplus to the department for the new software. Zandri and Economopoulos voted against both items.
With the new system, maintenance costs will decrease, Dortenzio said. Annually, the department will pay $119,212 in maintenance under a new contract with the company, $18,000 less than the current contract, he said.
This will be discussed at the Town Council meeting (TONIGHT) on Tuesday June 25, 2013
As published in the Record Journal Saturday June 22, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD – The town is considering the purchase of two houses on Prince Street to create more space for the historic Center Street Cemetery.
The purchase of property at 58 and 60 Prince St. will be considered at Tuesday’s Town Council meeting, said Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. The plan is to move the cemetery’s maintenance and office building to the property.
The town expects to buy 58 Prince St. for $148,000 and will look to acquire 60 Prince St. by eminent domain. The property was foreclosed upon and is for sale through a bank, Dickinson said.
The town is considering use of eminent domain because its inability to reach an agreement on a reasonable purchase price with the bank, Dickinson said. “We don’t want to pay more than it’s worth,” he said.
According to the town assessor’s office, 58 Prince St. is owned by Jack Delieto. As of 2010, the assessed value of the property is $113,400. Its full-market value is $162,000. According to the assessor’s office, 60 Prince St. was owned by Jo Santiago. Its assessed value, as of 2010, is $112,600. Its full-market value is $160,800.
Dickinson said it’s rare that two houses next to the cemetery are for sale at the same time. Since the Center Street Cemetery Association has identified a need for space, “now is the opportunity to acquire something,” he said.
The association operates and maintains the cemetery under an agreement with the town, he said. The organization is primarily funded by the town.
The six-acre cemetery, at the intersection of Center Street and Route 5 was established, in 1670. Lyman Hall, a Connecticut native who signed the Declaration of Independence, and Moses Yale Beach, a newspaper publisher and one of the founders of the Associated Press, are among those buried in the cemetery. Other graves contain those killed in both the Revolutionary and Civil wars, and the father of a woman tried for witchcraft.
Purchasing the two houses on Prince Street “would enable a move of the cemetery’s maintenance office and buildings off of their current site and into this area so there’s more area in the cemetery for the more typical purposes of a cemetery,” Dickinson said. “It allows for more flexibility.”
Bob Devaney, the cemetery’s caretaker, works in the maintenance and storage building. He could not be reached for comment Friday. Town Councilor John Le-Tourneau said a new, larger storage facility built on newly acquired land would allow Devaney a larger office space to meet with families.
A bucket loader used by Devaney is kept under a tarp right now, he said. A new building would create a storage garage for the machine. The current building would be demolished, according to LeTourneau, potentially creating “a great place to put a receiving vault for cremated remains.”
“Rarely do pieces of property surrounding cemeteries come up for sale like this,” LeTourneau said.
The Town Council will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Town Hall auditorium, 45 S. Main St.
As published in the Record Journal Wednesday June 19, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD - At the Town Council’s June 11 meeting, 54 bid waivers — from nine departments and one miscellaneous item from the mayor — were on the consent agenda, which is used to quickly deal with items that normally don’t warrant discussion. But not all councilors agree that bid waivers are good business.
“This is the start of the next (fiscal) year, so we have ongoing contractual issues for most of these, if not all of them,” Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said. “You want to start the new year able to pay bills and utilize services without having to come before the council with every issue.”
All the bid waivers were approved, but two councilors voted against them.
“This bid waiver thing, I don’t like,” Jason Zandri said.
Zandri, a Democrat, is running against Dickinson, a Republican, in the upcoming mayoral race. Town Councilor Nick Economopoulos, a Democrat, also voted against the waivers.
“I’m just not going to go with that,” Economopoulos said.
There’s a chance that, if certain services are put out to bid, the town could save money, Zandri said.
An example he used earlier this week is the Independence Day fireworks. The fireworks are no longer funded by the town, but were four years ago. Zandri said the town went out to bid for the show every year and always used the same vendor, paying about $40,000 a year. But now, Zandri said, he raises money through his own efforts, and can put on the same event for about $25,000 by using different vendors.
“Just because it’s something we’ve always done for simplicity’s sake, why not once in a while pick apart all of these to see if we can save something?” Zandri asked.
The town looks to waive the bidding process because, in certain circumstances, “only one vendor can provide the service,” Dickinson said. Such services included in the latest round were computer maintenance and telephone services, he said.
The mayor gave an example. If the town had a truck that could only be serviced by one company, he said, there’s no point in putting the job out to bid again.
Dickinson said there is history and rationale behind every waived bid.
Councilor John Sullivan, a Democrat, said he understands Zandri’s point, but added, “there’s a time and place for bid waivers, obviously.”
Sullivan said that if Zandri and Economopoulos were concerned, they should have had the bid waiver items removed from the consent agenda. Councilors can request before council meetings that items be removed from the consent agenda.
Councilor John LeTourneau, a Republican, said the town is always looking to save money. He said he feels confident that if there were a way to save money by putting services out to bid, it would have already happened.
“It’s not stuff you’re going to find big price variances in,” Councilor Vincent Cervoni, a Republican, said of services for which bids were waived.
Councilor Craig Fishbein, a Republican, said he has objected to specific bid waivers before, but had no issue with the waivers passed last week.
As published in the Record Journal Sunday June 9, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD — With a new train station will come added responsibilities for the Police Department, said Deputy Chief William Wright.
The station will be built at the intersection of South Cherry and Parker streets, according to state Department of Transportation plans. Construction is to begin in early 2014.
Wright said that “anytime you add another facility to the town, it is an added responsibility.”
“We are short-staffed,” Wright said, “but responsible policing will take control.”
Security concerns regarding the station were brought up by several town councilors at a public input session two weeks ago. At the meeting, state DOT officials presented plans for the new station. Plans include emergency telephones to be installed throughout the station and two parking lots. John Bernick, who is managing the New Haven-Hartford- Springfield commuter rail project that was the emphasis for the new station, said that the new station will be designed to be open, well-lit and safe. Bernick said cameras will be installed throughout the station and parking lots, and the station will be built with see-through paneling because “you want to be able to see what you’re walking into before you get into it.”
Councilors expressed concern over the fact that there will be no security personnel provided by the state or Amtrak at the station. Since the station won’t have security, Wright said it will become part of the department’s routine patrol. Just as is done in the current train station, Wright said officers will periodically walk through and patrol the new station on foot. “We are out on foot very often,” he said. Still, it’s “impossible to see every nook and cranny.”
Also, councilors said during the meeting that they feel cameras won’t help with safety because there would be no live feed anywhere. Bernick said the cameras are to serve as a deterrent, and to help catch criminals after the fact.
Video is only really useful “after the fact,” Wright said.
In Meriden, Bernick said some police officers will receive a live feed of video from the city’s new train station on displays in vehicles.
“Currently, we don’t have that technology in our patrol cars,” Wright said.
During the meeting two weeks ago, Town Councilor Craig Fishbein brought up concerns about the design of the parking lots. Bernick said the lots will be surrounded by foliage so that people in neighboring homes don’t have to look at a parking lot when they look out of their windows. Also, lighting in the lots will dim after a certain hour so the light does not bother neighbors late at night.
Fishbein said during the meeting that this design might actually attract crime.
“It remains a concern,” Fishbein said Friday.
“We share those concerns,” Wright said. But Wright said that he understands the complexities of trying to fit a new building where there has never been one.
The state is “trying to be a good neighbor,” he said. Wright said he understands both sides of the argument, and that responsible policing will prevent any issues.
Police Chief Douglas Dortenzio was involved with a group of town staff that worked with the state DOT to design the station. Dortenzio was unavailable for comment on Friday. Wright said Dortenzio did provide input on potential safety issues at the new station.
For police departments everywhere,“train stations have become areas where we spend a great deal of time,” Wright said. With good design and policing, crime can be minimized, he said. “We’re concerned about any areas where mass transit occurs.”
Tonight at the regularly scheduled Town Council meeting I will be asking to waive Rule 5 in order to present to the town (on behalf of The Fund) the donation for the Independence Day celebration which includes all the costs for the event (the fireworks, the town services, overtime for police and fire, etc.) as well as all the costs for the R Band performance which we were also able to save.
The meeting starts at 6:30 and I am expecting to be able to waive Rule 5 fairly early if you wanted to stop by and just see the Town Council vote on accepting the donation.
Thank you again Wallingford for helping us to get it done.
This is going to be item #9 on the Town Council Agenda for Tuesday May 28th; the meeting itself begins at 6:30PM
There is no way to be certain when the item will come up and it may be taken out of order; if you have any interest at all on this I would suggest you attend the meeting.
As published in the Record Journal Thursday May 23, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD — Town councilors said Thursday that they believe proposed changes to an outdoor dining ordinance will help downtown businesses attract more patrons.
“Let’s loosen it up a little bit to promote downtown businesses,” said John Sullivan.
A public hearing will be held Tuesday on the repeal of an ordinance that prohibits restaurants with outdoor seating from using umbrellas bearing the names of producers of alcoholic beverages. The new ordinance would also allow patrons seated outdoors to order drinks without ordering food, and to drink out of bottles.
The new ordinance also would extend outdoor dining until midnight. Currently, outdoor dining is supposed to end at 11 p.m. “It was archaic thinking,” Town Councilor John LeTourneau said of the ordinance enacted in 2004. Restaurant owners have voiced their concerns previously, he said.
“I assume it’s a good move for businesses at this point,” Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said. “I don’t see that it’s harmful.”
The proposed changes were approved by the Town Council Ordinance Committee on April 4. The committee is co-chaired by Craig Fishbein and Vincent Cervoni. The entire Town Council must vote on the issue after the public hearing.
Cervoni said Thursday that the ordinance change doesn’t only cover outdoor dining areas that serve alcohol. The revision clarifies how far an outdoor dining area can protrude onto a sidewalk.
The revision states that there must be enough space on the sidewalk to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Town Council Chairman Bob Parisi said proposed revisions “make the ordinance a little more business friendly.”
“We certainly don’t want to work against our businesses,” Parisi said.
In March, Cheryl Milot, owner of Gaetano’s Tavern on Main, offered her concerns to the committee. She argued that outdoor dining should be allowed past 11 p.m.
“There are times that we have to tell people, ‘You’ve got to come in now,’ “ Milot said at the time. “We do have people who come, have dinner and linger and have a couple more cocktails.”
Councilor Nick Economopoulos said Thursday that the changes will encourage business.
“I don’t see our town as being too rowdy,” he said.
Councilor Jason Zandri said the town should not be overly restrictive about drinking in outdoor dining areas.
“I definitely support it when I look at what other towns allow,” he said.
Photo by Dave Zajac courtesy of the Record-Journal
Patrons of Gaetano’s Tavern on Main enjoy a table outdoors Wednesday in downtown Wallingford. An ordinance being considered in town would, among other things, allow patrons seated outdoors to order drinks without ordering food, and to drink out of bottles.
This is your last chance to speak on any items that come up for change on the budget; I will post the full agenda but I can tell you right now it will be a long meeting.
Please see the below information regarding the changes being proposed due to an expected $531,411.00 shortfall from state funding.
The proposal is to make changes to nine general fund expenditures, the largest of which is expected of the Board of Education budget. This is being done to prevent a further increase in taxes.
Before this shortfall of funding from the state, taxes were proposed to go up approximately $46.00 per household on an median assessed home ($191,000.00). If your property is less than this, you could have expected a smaller increase and if it was larger then it would be more.
If these changes are not made or some other changes are not proposed and adopted then the only way to gap the $531,411.00 would be to raise taxes further. To do that the tax increase would need to go up by about an additional $26.00 so the total change for this year would be about $72.00 as listed above rather than the current $46.00
The much discussed Wallingford Incentive Housing Zone needs to become a part of our own reality to an area of development such as the one below outlined by Meriden (and by other towns along the rail line) or else we run the risk of not being in a position to compete with them.
In the 1970s Wallingford very wisely established the Industrial Zones and the Wallingford Industrial Park area which led to a boom of development for years. That boom has to this day bolstered the base in our Grand List but it’s pretty much at a plateau.
The Incentive Housing Zone and other transit oriented zones in and around the rail line is the next boom.
The commuter rail line for all the pro and con arguments is coming - question Wallingford needs to ask itself is “do we want to be a destination stop or a place for people to board and go elsewhere?”
As published in the Record Journal on Friday April 26, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD — On April 11, the day Town Councilor John Sullivan walked into the Weill Cornell Medical College at New York- Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan to have an operation for the prostate cancer he was diagnosed with a year earlier, his nerves were a wreck.
But nerves did not get in the way of a successful surgery. To the excitement of Sullivan’s family and friends, he can say “they got it all.” Sullivan says he is cancer free.
“People have been so kind to me,” Sullivan said. “I don’t deserve it.” Sullivan, who announced his condition to the public in a Record-Journal article that ran the day of his surgery, was supported before and after surgery by his wife, Sue. On the day of his surgery, Sullivan said, he was surprised that he was not wheeled into the operating room on a stretcher, as is routine on television. He remembers feeling strange walking into the room and lying himself down on the operating bed.
“You had a look of a puppy dog that was about to be euthanized,” Sullivan recalls his wife saying about his demeanor just before the operation.
Sullivan remembers being cold. Once he was unconscious, five robotic arms operated by Dr. Ashutosh Tewari did the work of removing Sullivan’s cancer through dime-size incisions. All the while, taped to his chest — over his heart — was a picture of his wife and daughter, Riley.
“For me, it was seconds,” Sullivan said of the surgery. “But it was three-and-a-half hours.”
After the operation, Sullivan was in pain. He said that during the surgery, his body was tipped so his head was far below his feet, forcing the blood from his organs. He was also pumped full of gas that made for a “very painful post-op,” Sullivan said.
Life is now beginning to return to normal, he said. After staying in New York City the Friday night after his surgery, the Sullivan family returned home to Wallingford. His wife is back to work as a full-time substitute teacher at Moses Y. Beach School. Sullivan said he’ll be resting at home for at least another week before he returns to his job at AT&T on a part-time basis. He’s also excited to soon return to his seat on the Town Council, although he’s not exactly sure when. “People didn’t elect me to hang around the house,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan said he’s heard from all his colleagues on the council, calling them a “caring bunch.”
He doesn’t see party lines on the Town Council. “I look at this as one body,” he said. Sullivan, a Democrat, is especially thankful for the support of Town Council Chairman Bob Parisi and Vice Chairman Vincent Cervoni, both Republicans. Sullivan said they have known about his illness from the beginning and have been there for him without hesitation.
“I’m very excited for him and very pleased,” Parisi said. “John and I have been friends for a long time. He’s doing well, and he’s got a good attitude and taking care of himself.”
Cervoni said his conversations with Sullivan about the recovery process have been encouraging.
“I’m thrilled that the prognosis is good,” Cervoni said. “I’m happy for him.”
Town Councilor Jason Zandri, a fellow Democrat, has stayed in touch with Sullivan via email.
“I’m happy to hear he’s doing better,” Zandri said. “It’ll be nice when he’s back up to speed to have him back on the council.”
From the experience over the last year of being diagnosed, preparing for and receiving surgery, Sullivan said he’s learned and wants to pass on that “men need to take their health into their own hands.”
A powerful experience for Sullivan came on Tuesday, when a man who was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer gave him a call to talk about what comes next.
“He was so happy to talk to someone,” said Sullivan, who referred the man to several doctors. “I know what it’s like to feel alone in this. I hope I helped this fellow.”
Sullivan is extremely thankful to his wife and daughter, and also appreciates the support of his in-laws, Bob and Ann DeMarchi, as well as the understanding of his employer.Friends such as Joe Gaetano and Shane and Chris Lachance have also been important to Sullivan, among dozens of other people.
From here on out, Sullivan will be checked every six months to make sure the cancer does not return.
“I’m just appreciative of all the support,” he said. “I do not have cancer anymore.”
PUBLIC HEARING
on the
FY 2013 – 2014 BUDGET
AGENDA
1. Pledge of Allegiance
2. Roll Call
3. PUBLIC HEARING
Ambulance/EMS Transport Fund
Animal Control
Board of Assessment Appeals
Board of Education
Board of Ethics
Board of Selectmen
Building Department
Cafeteria
Capital Appropriations Reserve
Capital and Non-Recurring
Capital and Non-Recurring Fund
Civil Preparedness
Conservation Commission
Contingency Account
Debt Services
Economic Development Commission
Employee Insurance and Other Benefits
Engineering Department
Finance Department
Fire Department
Fire Marshal
Government TV
Health Department
Inland Wetlands
Insurance-Property & Casualty
Law Department
Library
Mayor
Parks and Recreation
Pension Fund
Personnel, Pensions, & Risk Management
Planning & Zoning
Police Department
Probate Court
Program Planning
Public Utilities Commission
Public Works Department
Registrars of Voters
Six-Year Capital
Social Services Contributions
Town Council
Town Clerk
Utilities –Electric, Water & Sewer Divisions
Veterans Service Center
Youth & Social Services Bureau
Zoning Board of Appeals
As published in the Record Journal Wednesday April 3, 2013
http://www.erecordjournal.com/ee/recordjournal/publink.php?shareid=206d6501c
As published in the Record Journal on Friday March 15, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD – Supporters of a drop box for unused medications at the Police Department are criticizing Police Chief Douglas Dortenzio’s position that it’s up to residents to take personal responsibility and dispose of medications on their own.
A founding member of the Coalition for a Better Wallingford, Ken Welch, has advocated for the drop box as a way to counter prescription drug abuse.
Dortenzio said on Wednesday that the safest way to dispose of a medication is to put it out with the trash.
“I can’t be a substitute for responsible citizens,” he said.
Welch responded with harsh words Thursday, saying “I can’t believe this guy is a police chief.”
Welch disagreed with Dortenzio’s statement that personal responsibility is the key to disposing of unwanted prescription drugs.
“That comment blows my mind,” Welch said. “His value system is affecting his job.”
Dortenzio said Thursday that he didn’t want to get into a war of words.
“I’m not going to get into a mudslinging contest,” he said.
Dortenzio said the department supports disposal of unwanted medication, though not the drop box.
“A $1,000 trash can is a poor substitute for personal responsibility,” he said.
Welch had many criticisms of Dortenzio’s position, including the assertion that the police station lobby is too small for a drop box and would present handicapped-access issues.
The state Department of Consumer Protection, which oversees the medication drop box program, requires the box to be located in the lobby of any police station that participates. Welch said that lobby is not wheelchair accessible to begin with because there are stairs in the lobby. There is an elevator, which provides access to the lobby.
Dortenzio also said that parking would be an issue. The department’s lot is small, and people looking to drop off medications might have a hard time finding parking, Dortenzio said Wednesday.
“What, are 30 people going to show up at the same time?” Welch said.
Welch said that the only issue Dortenzio could possibly have with the medication drop box is the time police officers must take to empty and document the medication inside the box.
“Mr. Welch’s point about labor being involved is dead on,” Dortenzio said.
In a nearby town
Southington, with a population similar to Wallingford’s, adopted a medication drop box program in December. Since then, about 400 pounds of medication have been secured. Southington Police Sgt. Jeff Dobratz said that the box is typically emptied once a week.
Department of Consumer Protection procedures call for medication to be collected based on usage and that the boxes be checked weekly.
After medication is collected from the box, Dobratz said, it’s weighed, sealed and stored in the evidence room until “every so often we dispose of it.”
A case report must be filed every time the box is emptied. Dobratz said that the department has created a “generic boilerplate report,” in which the officer only has to enter the date, time and weight.
In all, the entire process of clearing out the box and filing a report takes about 15 minutes, Dobratz said.
Dortenzio said the staffing at the Police Department has shrunk significantly in the past two decades. He said having to devote staff to the medication drop box wouldn’t be wise.
“As a manager, I have to keep an eye on these things,” he said.
Dortenzio’s position also came under fire from members of the Town Council.
“The bottom line is, the chief of police is a personal disappointment to me in that he won’t do something that is easy,” said Town Councilor Nick Economopoulos. “I’m sure he’s going to come up with a 100 different reasons why it’s difficult.”
A majority of the council supports the medication drop box. Councilors made that clear during a meeting Tuesday when Welch brought up the issue. It was tabled so councilors could obtain more information.
“I disagree wholeheartedly with the mayor and police chief,” said Town Councilor John LeTourneau, who added that he doesn’t understand why other towns can successfully employ the drop box but Wallingford can’t.
Democratic Town Councilor Jason Zandri, who is running for mayor, potentially against longtime incumbent Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr., said a medication drop box “is a very simple thing to have.”
“I can’t imagine why we can’t do this,” he said.
Zandri said he’s looking into a way of working around the mayor’s decision-making power on the issue. Dickinson supports Dortenzio’s position.
The council can pass a resolution to make the drop box mandatory by creating an ordinance. According to the Town Charter, seven of nine council votes can override the mayor if he disapproves of a council passed ordinance.
Zandri said getting the seven affirmative votes would be an issue, though.
The mayor’s view
On Thursday, Dickinson stood behind Dortenzio.
“He’s the one who knows the way the department functions,” said Dickinson, who added that there should be “respect for the chief ’s decision.”
“If he feels it will absorb more time and effort than justifiable,” the drop box is unnecessary, Dickinson said.
Dickinson said that concentrating on the medication drop box as the town’s only answer to drug abuse issues isn’t wise.
“It’s one of the things that can be done, but it’s hardly the program,” he said. “This isn’t the only way to deal with things.”
While there may be other answers to drug abuse problems, like Dickinson’s suggestion of expanding the drug take-back program the Police Department takes part in twice yearly, it’s the lack of support from Dortenzio which angers Welch the most.
“His whole mission statement is based on getting the public to support him, but when the public needs support, they’re on their own,” Welch said.
“That’s not going to fly.”
As published in the Record Journal on Wednesday March 13, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD – The Town Council has authorized Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. to join the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, an organization that the town has not been involved with since 1980. Two employees of CCM presented the benefits of membership to the Town Council, at the mayor’s request, Tuesday night. The council then voted 7-1 to allow Dickinson to join the organization. Town Councilor Craig Fishbein voted against the measure, while Town Councilor Rosemary Rascati abstained because her son works for the organization.
“We want a chance to prove to you that you guys should be back with us,” said Kevin Maloney, CCM’s member relations director.The town joined CCM as a charter member in 1967, Maloney said. There are now 153 municipalities, out of 169 in the state, that are part of the organization.
Maloney said the organization’s benefits include representation at the General Assembly, before the state executive branch and regulatory agencies, and in the courts. CCM also provides management assistance, individualized inquiry service, assistance in municipal labor relations, technical assistance and training, policy development, research and analysis, publications, information programs, and service programs such as workers’ compensation, insurance, risk management and energy cost containment.
“The bottom line is we want the opportunity to earn your trust to work on Wallingford’s behalf,” Maloney said.
Membership in CCM is renewed annually and would normally cost the town $28,500. Maloney offered to make the town a member free until June 30, when a discounted fee of $20,000 would be imposed. The fee would be $28,500 in the following fiscal year.
“We have had zero dues increases three of our last four fiscal years,” Maloney said.
Also presenting on the behalf of CCM was Gina Calabro, director of membership services and marketing, who told the council about a prescription discount card program, introduced last September, that is available only to CCM members. The program offers discounts of 10 percent to 70 percent on prescription drugs at major pharmacies, and it is available to all residents, insured or not.
Calabro said that at no cost to the town, CCM mails cards to every family. One card can be used for an entire family, she said, and there are no age or in-
Please see CCM / 8
CCM
come requirements.
“It’s something that we’d love to see Wallingford be a part of as well,” Calabro said.
Dickinson said the prescription discount program is “a great way to assist people in a very practical, direct way.”
Fishbein opposed joining CCM because of disagreements on legal issues and legislation the organization has supported in the past. Maloney and Calabro were unable to answer several questions posed by Fishbein, instead saying they would get back to the town with answers.
Dickinson said that while disagreements on legislation can happen, the benefits of the prescription discount program outweigh any negatives.
“This is a program where the town becomes a member, and every person in town has a chance to benefit in a certain way,” he said. “For the fee we’re paying, I think we have a chance of extending a real helping hand.”
Fishbein responded that most residents in town are already insured, and that the largest beneficiaries to the prescription discount program would be illegal immigrants. Dickinson said that regardless of who you are, “you have an opportunity to receive a benefit that’s very practical.”
Fishbein argued that budget cuts have been made since 2009, including funding for Independence Day fireworks.
“And now, all of the sudden, we have $20,000 which we could’ve treated in the same manner,” he said. “I’m just having a lot of problems justifying between the two.”
“In my priority, entertainment is nice,” Dickinson responded, and “it certainly has meaning in patriotism, but it doesn’t come close to concerns in health.”
The mayor must finalize an agreement with CCM before the town is a member.
As published in the Record Journal on Wednesday March 6, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD – The Town Council will consider joining the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities after hearing a presentation from the statewide association about the benefits of membership during its Tuesday meeting.
Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said Friday that the association, founded in 1966, “came forward indicating their interest in having Wallingford.”
The town has never been a member of the CCM, but has periodically considered joining the organization, Dickinson said. “We previously felt it wasn’t justified,” he said, adding that “cost is always an issue.”
Municipalities must pay an annual membership fee to the CCM, Dickinson said. Normally, the yearly cost is about $28,000, but Dickinson said the CCM is currently offering a discounted, $20,000 annual rate to the town. Cost is based on population, he said.
According to the CCM’s website, the organization “celebrates the commonalities between, and champions the interests of, urban, suburban and rural communities.”
The services of the CCM listed on its website include management assistance, individualized inquiry service, assistance in municipal labor relations, technical assistance and training, policy development, research and analysis, publications, information programs, and service programs such as workers’ compensation, liability- automobile-property insurance, risk management, and energy cost-containment.
Dickinson said the CCM is “a resource for information and statistical backup for anything that might be of interest.”
Other benefits include the organization’s involvement with regulatory issues, such as phosphorous discharge limits, Dickinson said.
“I question why it’s necessary at this point,” Town Councilor Craig Fishbein said of joining the CCM. Fishbein said he was surprised to see the presentation on the council agenda, and is interested to “hear the reasons why (Dickinson) feels it’s necessary at this point.”
“I don’t know if it’s of any worth to the taxpayer,” Fishbein said of joining the CCM.
Dickinson wouldn’t offer an opinion Friday on whether or not he’d like the town to join the CCM. He said he’d rather offer his opinion on Tuesday.
“I’d like to see the presentation first,” he said.
Town Council Chairman Robert F. Parisi said he was “very pleased” with the proposal the mayor spoke to him about recently.
“It’s an excellent organization and they have a little different twist to it now, plus it’s always been a good resource,” he said. “I’m hoping it makes it through.”
The organization’s headquarters are in New Haven and it has offices in Hartford.
Town Council Chambers
7:00 PM
AGENDA
Moment of Silence
1. Pledge of Allegiance and Roll Call
2. Correspondence
3. Consent Agenda
3a. Consider and Approve Tax Refunds totaling $17,916.80 (#537 - #542)Acct. # 001-1000-010-1170 - Tax Collector
3b. Acceptance of Donation from Liberty Bank Foundation and Appropriation in the Amount of $5,000 for Youth and Social Services Special Fund WeCare to Donations Acct # 2134002-47152 and to Expenditures Acct # 21340100-58830 – Youth and Social Services
3c. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $12,600 to Meter Reading Expense Acct # 902 from Customer Records and Collections Acct # 903 - Electric Division
3d. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $2,250 to Capital Acct- Computers Acct # -to be Determined from Professional Services-Lawyers Acct # 10010300-56714 – Law Department
3e. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount in the Amount of $3,500 to Professional Services- Labor/Grievances Acct # 1002000-56812 - Personnel
3f. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $650 to Personal Computers Acct # 100112000-57000-00108 from Printers Acct # 10012000-57000-00109 - Personnel
3g. Consider and Approve a Town of Wallingford Fair Housing Resolution for 2013 - Mayor
3h. Consider and Approve Resolution Authorizing the Mayor to Execute a Master Municipal Agreement for Construction Projects between the State of Connecticut and the Town of Wallingford for a ten-year term- Engineering
3i. Consider and Approve the Appointment of Jeffrey Kohan to the Planning and Zoning Commission for a five-year term beginning immediately and ending January 8, 2018 – Chairman Robert F. Parisi
3j. Consider and Approve the Re-Appointment of Jeffrey Knickerbocker to the Zoning Board of Appeals for a five-year term beginning immediately and ending January 8, 2018 – Chairman Robert F. Parisi
3k. Approve minutes of Regular Town Council meeting of February 26, 2013
3l. Approve minutes of Special Town Council Meeting February 20, 2013
3m. Consider and Approve the Re-Appointment of Debra Phillips as an Alternate to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission for a three-year term beginning immediately and ending March 1, 2016 – Chairman Robert F. Parisi
4. Items Removed from the Consent Agenda
5. Report of the Board of Education’s 21st Century Innovation Project with Patty Pursell, Jan Murphy and Kate O’Donnell, 21st C. Innovation Team - Chairman Robert F. Parisi
6. Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Presentation - Mayor
7. Discussion and Possible Action regarding joining CCM - Mayor
8. Report from Coalition for a Better Wallingford with respect to a “Prescription Drug Drop Box.” – Chairman Robert F. Parisi
9. PUBLIC QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD
10. Consider and Approve Revision to job description for Administrative Application Technologist –BOE
11. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount in the Amount of $30,000 to Miscellaneous Distribution-Environmental Acct # 598 from Employee Pension & Benefits Acct # 926 – Electric Division
12. Consider and Approve a Bid Waiver to purchase a computer server with installation from TAB Computer Systems – Fire Chief
13. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $14,070 to Computer Server – New Acct from the following:
Volunteer Tax Abatement Acct # 10020150-52961 $6,640
Furniture Acct # 10020150-57000-00121 $750
Vehicle-Chief Acct # 10020150-57000-00124 $899
Contingency Acct # 10019000-58820 $5,781
- Fire Chief
14. Consider and Approve a Transfer in the Amount of $100,000 to Replacement Pay Acct # 10020150-51500 from Regular Salaries & Wages Acct # 10020150-51000 - Fire Chief
15. Executive Session pursuant to §1-200 (6)(D) of the Connecticut General Statutes with respect to the purchase, sale and/or leasing of property – Mayor
16. Executive Session pursuant to §1-225(f) and §1-200(6)(B) of the Connecticut General Statutes regarding to discuss the following tax appeals:
(a) K Brothers, LLC v. Town of Wallingford; and
(b) Wallingford Warehouse, LLC v. Town of Wallingford
- Corporation Counsel
17. Motion to consider and Approve the settlement of the K Brothers, LLC v. Town of Wallingford tax appeal matter as discussed in Executive Session- Corporation Counsel
18. Motion to consider and Approve the settlement of the Wallingford Warehouse, LLC v. Town of Wallingford tax appeal matter as discussed in Executive Session - Corporation Counsel
As posted http://www.town.wallingford.ct.us/News/newsView.asp?newsID=40968223
The Department of Public Works reminds local residents that when a parking ban is in effect during winter storms, temporary parking is available in municipal lots. The parking options listed below are located in the downtown area.
Town Hall - 45 South Main Street
Municipal Credit Union - 88 South Main Street
Wallingford Public Library - 200 North Man Street
Caplan/Wooding Property - located behind the building that corners North Main Street and Center Street
Simpson Court Rear Lot - park in designated municipal area
Whittlesey Avenue & Orchard Street - park in designated municipal area
Meadow Street & William Street - park in designated municipal area
Railroad Station - park behind station on the west side of the tracks
Please remember that relocating your vehicle from the street assists with the removal of snow and proper treatment of the roadway surface. When a parking ban is in effect, motor vehicles may not be parked on any public street and are subject to removal.
As published in the Record Journal on Monday February 18, 2013
By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz
WALLINGFORD - Joe Gouveia, a local winery owner who planned to purchase the former American Legion building on South Main Street, said Friday that he has rescinded his offer, leaving the controversial building in the ownership of the town and without any potential buyers.
After Gouveia received approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission in January to turn the building into two apartments, it seemed the town was only a stone’s throw away from its objective of selling the property. But after the Town Council failed to reach an agreement last week on how to address the building’s sewer issues, Gouveia decided, “It’s time to call it quits.”
On Friday, Gouveia said he told his attorney, Jerry Farrell Jr., to send a letter to inform the town “that we are no longer interested in the building.”
The town purchased the building in 1994 for $190,000 with the intent of razing it and using the property for Town Hall expansion or additional parking. But after years of litigation, a New Haven Superior Court judge ruled in February 2011 that the building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, could not be demolished.
After the court ruling, the town decided to put the building up for sale. Several interested parties were turned down because their plans were not in line with town objectives. After the building was put back out to bid last fall, Gouveia submitted the only offer, for $75,000. After working with the town on several occasions, Gouveia settled on turning the building into two apartments.
The only obstacle blocking the sale was a sewer problem discovered earlier this winter. An investigation by the Water and Sewer Division determined that the sewer line hooking the South Main Street building up to a main on Center Street was broken. Vincent Mascia, a senior engineer with the town, said the break in the line appears to have occurred near a handicapped ramp that protrudes from the building at 33-35 S. Main St., a property owned by the First Congregational Church. The Town Council looked to address the sewer issue during its meeting last Wednesday.
After a lengthy discussion, Councilor Jason Zandri proposed a motion to make the town 50 percent financially responsible, up to $20,000, for a new sewer line from the building, through the Parade Ground, connecting to the main on South Main Street. The motion failed on a 4-4 tie vote.
After the meeting, Gouveia said he had already invested about $13,000 into purchasing the building and was frustrated a deal could not be finalized Wednesday night. Running the new sewer line could cost from $27,000 to well over $30,000, according to rough estimates obtained by Gouveia. Several councilors asked Gouveia if he could wait for a solid estimate before they took any action, but Gouveia felt that would take weeks to months and that costs would keep piling up.
Gouveia hinted at backing out of the deal after the meeting, but made his intent clear on Friday.
“Sometimes the best deals are the ones you don’t make,” he said, adding that he doesn’t want to blame anyone for the failed purchase.
Councilor Nick Economopoulos voluntarily took partial blame for the inaction during Wednesday’s meeting. Economopoulos did not support Zandri, a fellow Democrat on the council, in his motion. Republicans Rosemary Rascati, Robert Parisi and Vincent Cervoni also didn’t support the motion.
“I feel terrible,” Economopoulos said. “I stuck to a principle and I didn’t support my fellow councilman.”
The councilor said he didn’t support the motion because he felt further investigation into who was responsible for the sheared sewer line should be done. He felt whoever was found responsible should have to pay for a new sewer line.
Ron Graziani, a trustee of First Congregational Church, said the handicapped ramp was built in 1999, that “all work was done with permits” and that there was no record of any sewer line in the area. Graziani said the church would accept no liability for the sewer line. If the town did decide the church was liable, legal action would be taken by the church, Graziani said.
“I really blew this one,” Economopoulos said, adding that the only option now is to fix up the building and put it back up for sale.
Councilor John LeTourneau, a Republican, called the failed purchase “a very sad thing for Wallingford.”
“Unfortunately, there were councilors up there that didn’t understand what was being proposed, and that really is a shame,” he said.
LeTourneau said he’s frustrated because he put time and effort into getting the building sold, and to see the sale fall apart because of a “lack of understanding on a motion” is upsetting.
“I’m just on a tirade with this,” he continued. “They just don’t get it,” LeTourneau said of the councilors who rejected the motion on Wednesday. “We strive for mediocrity.”
During the meeting, Parisi said he was against Zandri’s motion because he wanted a more solid estimate on a new sewer line first. Rascati agreed with Parisi.
Cervoni was of the same opinion, and wished Gouveia had attended Wednesday’s meeting with more information. During the meeting, he said he wasn’t against reducing the price of the building, but didn’t want to go overboard. On Friday, he said “I take no pleasure in Mr. Gouveia’s decision.”
The property is now unmarketable, Cervoni said, and he thinks the town should consider going back to court to get the injunction blocking the building’s destruction lifted.
Zandri said Friday it was no surprise Gouveia said he was not pursuing the building anymore after what happened at the council meeting.
“I think it’s unfortunate some of the discussion surrounded ‘a more solid price,’ ” he said, explaining that his motion would only make the town liable up to $20,000 at most, and if the project cost less than $40,000, the town would be even less financially liable.
With his suggested deal, Zandri said, “at the very worst, the town would have received $55,000 for the building.”
“Now we’re going to get zero,” he said.
As for what’s next, Zandri said the building will deteriorate to the point it falls down because he can’t see anyone else being interested in purchasing it. He took a similar stance to Cervoni, suggesting the town look into reversing the court injunction.
While Councilor John Sullivan, a Democrat, voted for Zandri’s motion, he too was surprised Gouveia didn’t come in with a solid estimate.
“I think it would have helped,” he said.
Sullivan said he believes putting the building back up for sale is the only option, but that he’s “sorry to see (Gouveia) go” because “I think he had good intentions.”
Tom Laffin, a Republican councilor, said he thinks Gouveia’s backing out is the “endgame for the building.”
He doesn’t think putting the building back up for sale will work, but sees no other option.
“I’m tired of hearing about the building,” Laffin said, adding that before the injunction he would have preferred to knock it down. “I’m not emotionally attached to the building like some are.”
On Friday, Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said the future of the building is in the Town Council’s hands.
“I think the council will have to determine where they want to head next,” he said.
LeTourneau said that no matter what happens next, the town loses. He said it will take $90,000 to knock the building down, and if it’s kept, “then we must put taxpayers’ dollars into the house.”
“Who won?” he asked. “Nobody won.”
