Update On Hickory Hill Watershed Controversy:
Letters, Secret Agreement Reveal Mayor's Doublespeak On Tilcon Deal
An exchange of August letters and documents between the administration of
Mayor Tim Stewart (R-New Britain) and the state Department of Public Health
shows that Stewart deliberately misled residents and other public officials
in an effort to gain quick approval for a controversial deal giving Tilcon
Connecticut, Inc. 131 acres of watershed land for its mining
operation.
In September, State Rep. Tim O’Brien (D-24) and State
Senator Don DeFronzo (D-6), reacting to concerns of residents and
environmentalists as well as Stewart’s contradictory statements and actions
on the issue, successfully sought repeal of a law that had initially cleared
the way for a Tilcon takeover of watershed land to expand its quarry
operation....To read the full story go to http://nbpoliticus.blogspot.com/
Morale, Abuse of Merit System By City Administration Cited in Endorsement of Wyskiewicz by Firefighter Local
New Britain Fire Fighters Local 992 (AFL-CIO) has endorsed the candidacy of Jim Wyskiewicz for Mayor favoring the at large alderman over incumbent Timothy Stewart, who has worked in the city Fire Department for 18 years.
Ed Preece, President of Local 992, spoke to the New Britain Democratic Town Committee on September 24th and announced his union's support for Wyskiewicz. "Morale is at an all time low. Any firefighter will tell you morale is at an all time low, said Preece." According to Local 992 officials, 38 members of the department have left over the last three years including four deputy chiefs and two assistant chiefs. Grievances have increased over the last three years and unresolved locally. The Firefighters' union said that 12 cases decided at the state level have supported the union's position.
New Britain Democratic Town Chair John McNamara asserted that Mayor Stewart is abusing a merit-based system for hirings and promotions in the department by reaching down and showing favoritism. "High-ranking candidates who have experience and come through the merit tests are being passed over. Cronyism and nepotism should not be replacing what is in place. Whatever the Mayor's experiences were in the Fire Department, he should not be using his office for vendettas or personal agendas. This will ultimately undermine public safety in the city."
In accepting the endorsement Ald. Wyskiewicz called the the situation "completely unacceptable." Said Wyskiewicz: "Areas of public safety are not playgrounds for politics."
Campaign Calendar:
Thursday October 4: Re-elect Adam Platosz for Alderman fundraiser at the Pulaski Democratic Club, 89 Grove Street, 6 p.m. Suggested donation $25.
Friday October 5: Absentee ballots become available. For applications visit the Town and City Clerk's office at City Hall, 27 West Main Street, New Britain.
Saturday, October 6: A evening reception for Jim Wyskiewicz for Mayor at the home of Olga Flores Jiantonio, 44 Eddy Glover Boulevard. Suggested donation $25.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Friday, September 21, 2007
21 September 2007
Lamont Leads CCSU Forum On Iraq, Wednesday, Sept. 26th Central Connecticut State University will be hosting a forum at 4 pm on Wednesday, September 26 to discuss: "The War, The Surge, and Staying the Course in Iraq." The panel includes Brigadier General Ret. John Johns and Michael O'Hanlon, a Brookings Institute scholar. The forum will be moderated by former Democratic candidate for Senate Ned Lamont, an adjunct faculty member in philosophy and political science this semester. "Connecticut helped kick off the debate about our military strategy in Iraq last year, so it seems appropriate that we get an update from two experts with different views on the war," said Lamont who remains politicially active since his U.S. Senate run last year. "Congress is still trying to make up its mind, what next. Maybe they should fly up to CCSU and listen in."
General Johns served in Vietnam and has written extensively on military strategy including: Counter Insurgency Operations: Mission Impossible. After retiring from the Army, he served as Assistant Secretary of Defense, Professor at The National Defense University at Fort McNair, and he is on the Board of the Council for a Livable World. Michael O'Hanlon returned from Iraq last summer and co-wrote a much discussed piece in The New York Times: "A War We Might Just Win." He is author of Hard Power: The New Politics of National Security.
The CCSU forum is open to the public and will take place from 4-5:15 at Founders Hall in the Administration Building at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain. Free parking is available at the Student Center parking lot, accessible via Ella Grasso Blvd.
Campaign Week: September 23-29
DTC Meeting Is Monday, September 24th
The September meeting of the Democratic Town Committee will be held Monday, September 24th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Pulaski Democratic Club, 89 Grove Street. Democrats will welcome Row B candidates and discuss :
- the 2007 municipal campaign and Get Out The Vote activities
- a vacancy for recording secretary on the Town Committee
- Justice of the Peace appointments to fill current vacancies.
All Democrats are welcome to attend. For more information newbritaindemocrat@gmail.com
Gregory Gerratana Campaign To Hold Fund Raiser, Wednesday, September 26
A reception in honor of Gregory J. Gerratana, candidate for city council in Ward 1, will be held Wednesday, September 26, 2007, 5-7 p.m.at Great Taste Chinese Restaurant, 597 Main Street, New Britain. The suggested donation is $75 Program advertising is available.
GOTV Supper For Democratic Slate Thursday (9/27) at Italian Fraternal Society
There will be a GOTV Supper for the Democratic slate on Thursday, September 27th, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Italian Fraternal Society, 131 Monroe Street. Cost is $20 per person; table sponsors $100. Call 827-9469 to make a reservation. An NBDTC event.
Wyskiewicz For Mayor Saturday Meetings
The Wyskiewicz For Mayor Committee holds weekly meetings on Saturdays at 9 a.m. at the Pulaski Democratic Club, 89 Grove Street. For more information www.jim4mayor.com
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
12 September 2007
Roy Centeno and Lori Rocha Gain Nominations For Ward 5 Council Seats
From The Hartford Courant, 9:03 PM EDT, September 11,
2007
"Rolando "Roy" Centeno and Lori Rocha, a common council member,
won the Democratic primary for two Ward 5 seats Tuesday, earning them slots on
the Nov. 6 ballot. Unofficially, Rocha received 349 votes. Centeno, a retired
police officer and political newcomer received 328 votes. John Carroll,
the only Democratic incumbent not to receive his party's endorsement, received
245 votes."
Rocha and Centeno thanked supporters at a post-primary party held at Zabbara's at Stanley Golf Course. "This has been an experience which I will never forget and one which has allowed me to learn and grow," said Centeno, a district leader on the Democratic Town Committee. "I will continue to work hard to make our city better."
Iraq Is Topic Of Cong. Murphy's Forum at Slade School, Thursday, September 13
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy will hold a second New Britain forum on Iraq policy on Thursday at the Slade Middle School, New Britain, at 7 p.m. as Congress considers ways to change Bush administration's course in the Mideast.
From The Hartford Courant, 9:03 PM EDT, September 11,
2007
"Rolando "Roy" Centeno and Lori Rocha, a common council member,
won the Democratic primary for two Ward 5 seats Tuesday, earning them slots on
the Nov. 6 ballot. Unofficially, Rocha received 349 votes. Centeno, a retired
police officer and political newcomer received 328 votes. John Carroll,
the only Democratic incumbent not to receive his party's endorsement, received
245 votes."
Rocha and Centeno thanked supporters at a post-primary party held at Zabbara's at Stanley Golf Course. "This has been an experience which I will never forget and one which has allowed me to learn and grow," said Centeno, a district leader on the Democratic Town Committee. "I will continue to work hard to make our city better."
Rick Guinness has the story in the New Britain Herald at http://www.newbritainherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18807263&BRD=1641&PAG=461&dept_id=10109&rfi=6
Residents Opposing Tilcon Watershed Deal To Meet Wednesday, September 12th;Wyskiewicz Hits Stewart's "Double Dealing" on issue
West End residents opposed to Tilcon Inc.'s plan to use watershed land in New Britain and Plainville have organized a meeting Wednesday, September 12th, at 6:30 p.m, at the Quartette Club, Wooster Street, Mayoral nominee and Ald. Jim Wyskiewicz is calling on the Stewart administration to heed a petition signed by 350 residents that expresses concerns about the plan that would involve expanded mining operations on the New Britain-Plainville border.
Mayor Stewart's contradictory statements on the land deal and failure to share information with the public in a timely fashion have prompted State Senator Don DeFronzo and State Rep. Tim O'Brien to call for repeal of special legislation approved in June that would have allowed the city to approve the deal in exchange for $15 million over 40 years. Blaming legislators, Stewart told residents in August that he would consider scuttling the deal if they brought him a petition. He subsequently moved back to his original position when he asked lawmakers to provide an exemption to environmental laws. New Britain lawmakers supported the 11th hour bill but inserted environmental safeguards into the approved bill.
Said Wyskiewicz: "For too long our town has been held hostage and our opportunities compromised by special interests and private dealings. I advocate truly representative government where citizens themselves are incorporated at every stage of the legislative process. In this instance, our government failed its citizens. Sadly, the current absence of leadership has caused a loss of accountability to the people we serve."
"In no active stage of the decision making process were the residents of Hickory Hill or citizens of New Britain at large consulted. Further, the legislation itself was hastily constructed and advocated by the current administration, leaving little time for review, dissent, or environmental analyses," said Wyskiewicz. His statement asserted that "Mayor Tim Stewart has received campaign donations from the principles of the corporation this deal advantages. Jim Wyskiewicz, alternatively seeks to advantage the citizens of the community and feels their interest should remain our only priority."
Local and state officials are reportedly in talks to resolve the issue in a manner that addresses environmental and public disclosure concerns that have arisen since Stewart's statements in early August.
Iraq Is Topic Of Cong. Murphy's Forum at Slade School, Thursday, September 13
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy will hold a second New Britain forum on Iraq policy on Thursday at the Slade Middle School, New Britain, at 7 p.m. as Congress considers ways to change Bush administration's course in the Mideast.
On Monday, Murphy who traveled to Iraq and Afghanistan in the spring with other lawmakers, issued a statement on testimony given by General Petraeus that sought to buy more time for the Bush policy:
Said Murphy: "General Petraeus attempted to put a positive spin on a failed policy. While the General highlighted some notable military successes, other credible reports underscore the lack of real progress we have made in Iraq. The Government Accountability Office’s report released last week shows the Iraqis have failed to achieve fifteen of eighteen benchmarks. General Jones’ report states that the Iraqis are far from being able to take over for their own security. And the daily news reports out of Iraq paint a grim picture. Our Armed Forces, stretched and deployed nearly to the breaking point, have done their duty bravely and courageously, but the ends to which they have been directed – the political stability of Iraq - are increasingly beyond their control. This surge isn’t working and General Petreaus effectively admitted this today. This summer has been the bloodiest yet so far for U.S. troops in Iraq, with 264 soldiers killed. There is indisputable proof that this strategy has not accomplished the basic goal laid out by the President in January – giving the Iraqis breathing room to achieve political consensus. To grant this Administration an extension of this failed policy would not only put our soldiers at greater risk, it would put this country as a whole in a more perilous position. I hope that today marks a new era in our national debate on Iraq. The President must face the facts; achieving military success will not lead to Iraqi political success." http://chrismurphy.house.gov/
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
5 September 2007
Primary Day For Ward 5 Council Seats Is Tuesday, September 11Vote Will Mark First Use of New Ballots
The Democratic Primary for Ward 5 seats on the New Britain City Council will take place at three polling places on Tuesday, September 11th. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m at
The Council district includes 3,388 registered Democrats who will be eligible to vote in next Tuesday's primary. Endorsed Democrats Roy Centeno and Ald. Lori Rocha (Row A) face incumbent John Carroll in the primary that will mark the city's first use of optically scanned voting cards that are being introduced statewide this year.
Centeno and Rocha received the endorsement of the Democratic Town Committee at its July 24th meeting. "Roy Centeno and Lori Rocha represent a good team on the City Council for Ward 5 residents," said Democratic Town Chair John McNamara. "They will proactively represent residents on neighborhood issues. Residents are going to need strong and independent voices on the council from that area, particularly as the Mayor's office seeks development of
On The Campaign Calendar
Tuesday, September 11: Primary Day in Council District 5. Polls open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Gaffney, DiLoreto and Holmes Schools.
Wednesday, September 12: Registrar of Voters holds lottery to determine order on election ballot of names of candidates for multi-seat offices (e.g. City Council)
Thursday, September 13: U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5) will hold a second New Britain discussion on Iraq at the Slade Middle School at 7 p.m.
Friday, September 14: State Rep. Elizabeth A. “Betty” Boukus and longtime former Democratic State Central Committee member Rosemary Morante will be honored by local Democrats at the party’s inaugural recognition reception slated for Friday, Sept. 14, 7 to 9:30 p.m., at the Whiting House, 65 Whiting St. Contact Plainville DTC Chair Jason Rupaka; (860) 793-8832.
Sunday, September 16: A Campaign Reception for Ward 3 Ald. Shirley Black will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the home of Gerri Brown-Springer, 15 Brookside Road, New Britain. The suggested donation is $25 payable to the Friends of Shirley Black, 301 Tremont Street, New Britain, CT 06051 Information is available at 826-8244.
Thursday, September 20: Wine & Cheese reception for Ward 3 Ald. Silvia Cruz at the home of former BOE member Deidre Ierardi, 130 Hazelmere Road, New Britain from 7 to 9 p.m. The suggested donation is $25 payable to Silvia Cruz for Council, 269 Washington Street, New Britain, CT 06051.
Thursday, September 27: Democratic Town Committee GOTV (Get Out The Vote) Pasta Supper, 6-8 p.m. at the Italian Fraternal Society, 131 Monroe Street. Tickets $20 pp; Table sponsors $100. New Britain Democratic Town Committee, Post Office Box 2112, New Britain, CT 06050.
Community Events
Saturday, September 8: New Britain's Irish Social Club, Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH), will hold the 2007 Family Picnic from noon to 5 p.m. at the Quartette Club, Wooster Street, New Britain. $12 pp, $20 Family. SLAINTE!
Saturday, September 15: New Britain Ukrainian Festival at Polanka-Falcon Field, Farmington Avenue, noon-10 p.m. sponsored by St. Josephat Ukrainian Catholic Church. Concert, dance and Ukrainiian Kitchen. Tickets at gate $5.
Saturday, September 22: New Britain Branch NAACP annual Freedom Dinner. 6 p.m. VIP Social Hour; 7 p.m. dinner at CCSU Student Ballroom, Ella Grasso Boulevard, New Britain. $60 pp includes membership; $100 VIP Social/membership; $30 for youth 21 and under. Guest Speaker: Dennis Hightower, former President of Disney Motion Pictures and Television. Information (860) 827-8322, 518-3347, 517-9891 or write: NAACP, P.O. Box 323, New Britain, CT 06050.
End Quote
"When anybody you elect tries to end the war, Bush blocks all intentions with a veto or threats of a veto that prevent it. And his Supreme Court is ready to validate whatever he does, this court with its five Catholic justices, and a chief who falls on his face a couple of times that we know of. Our politicians despair that there can be no way to override Bush and save our young and everybody of any age in Iraq. Of course there is. By all the energy and dignified disgust of a nation that needs it to keep any semblance of greatness, there is an extraordinary need for an impeachment of this president and his vice president. You start an impeachment with an investigator who starts to develop a case. That's what got Nixon out. He had the most expensive, elaborate defense in the world, and when they were pressed his assistants folded and Nixon quit. I wonder whether Bush and his people can do any better when pressed." -- Jimmy Breslin, columnist and author, Newsday, 8/26/2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
25 August 2007
Dozyinki 2007 – the centuries-old Polish tradition of celebrating a bountiful harvest -- is being held this weekend at Falcon Field on Farmington Avenue in New Britain.
The event runs through 9:30 p.m. Saturday and from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, August 26th. Parking is $2 per vehicle.
Making Schools Better: Hartford Superintendent's High School Plan Is Instructional For New Britain
In his earliest days as Hartford School Superintendent, Steven J. Adamoski was critical of the $100+ million investment that had been made in Hartford Public High School which kept the facility a big-box, comprehensive high school with too many students in one place.
One of the nation's oldest secondary schools, Hartford Public has faced years of accreditation issues and troubling measures of student performance that the physical overhaul and capital investment did not improve.
Adamoski, a former superintendent of Cincinnati, OH schools, was brought to Hartford by Mayor Eddie Perez and the Board of Education for change and reform in the capital city's troubled 25,000 pupil school system. His task is to implement a "turnaround plan." Several days ahead of the 2007-2008 school year the details of an "all-choice" plan for Hartford have emerged. According to the Hartford plan the district "will undertake a dramatic investment in the creation of new schools with the goal of bringing over 30 new, high-performing public schools into the Hartford system by 2017, with the majority of new schools up and running in the first five years."
Dismal student achievement scores have prompted a call by Adamowski for decentralization of its big high schools A story by Bob Frahm in the August 24th Hartford Courant focuses on the effort to be made over the next several years "to break the high schools up into smaller units."
"We have to redesign our [large] comprehensive high schools. We can't have these high schools continue to operate" in their current form, Adamowski told the Courant.
Like Hartford Public High, New Britain High is facing accreditation issues discussed by school board members, school officials and the public at an August 14th community meeting in New Britain. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Commission on Secondary Schools report of October 2006 noted deficiencies that NBHS needs to address: "The current plant at New Britain High School is not capable of adequately housing its rapidly increasing student body." The Commission noted that the Board of Education is taking steps starting with a 9th grade academy (to open this year). But the Commission also noted that "support for student learning is inadequate" with a student to counselor ratio of 330 to 1 and two library media specialists to serve 3,200 students.
Those ratios demonstrate that NBHS is still too much of a comprehensive high school that needs smaller units of students to deliver a better learning environment -- the sort of thing Adamowski is now trying to create in Hartford.
The New Britain Democratic Town Committee's platform calls for similar action: "The opening of a freshman academy is a positive first step toward a multi-faceted strategy of ce-centralizing education and creating learning communities." Despite the inequities that are built into the current means of financing the schools, a bold plan for high-performing schools similar to that being proposed in Hartford is needed in New Britain.
Dodd Presidential Campaign Comes To Portland, CT For Sunday 8/26 Fundraiser
State Democratic leaders and elected officials are hosting a "garden luncheon" for U.S. Senator Chris Dodd in support of his campaign for President on Sunday, August 26th at Saint Clements Castle, 1931 Portland-Cobalt Road in Portland. A $250 per person host reception will be held from noon to 1 p.m. A $100 per person general reception will be held from 1-3 p.m. at the banquet facility and grounds on the Connecticut River. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Kate Urbank at (203) 569-4942 or kurbank@chrisdodd.com. www.chrisdodd.com/aug26ct
A Gathering of Friends For Jim Wyskiewicz For Mayor August 28th
Colleagues and friends of Democratic Mayoral candidates Jim Wyskiewicz will hold an after work reception on Tuesday, August 28th from 6-8 p.m. at AD's Pizza, 377 South Center Street in Windsor Locks. The Wyskiewicz for Mayor event includes appetizers and a cash bar. Make a reservation to Jim4mayor@gmail.com .
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
New Britain Democrat 22 August 2007
Trueworthy For Common Council Party Is Thursday, August 23rd, 5-7 p.m.
Majority Leader To Emphasize Downtown Development, Education Aid And Infrastructure in Re-Election Bid
Majority Leader To Emphasize Downtown Development, Education Aid And Infrastructure in Re-Election Bid
A party to benefit the re-election campaign of City Council Majority Leader Michael Trueworthy will be held Thursday, August 23rd, 5-7 p.m. at the home of State Central Committeeman Ned Statchen and Liz Fitzsimmons, 196 South Mountain Street, New Britain.
Councillor At Large Trueworthy previously served as a City Councillor from Ward 2 and Chair of the Board of Assessment Appeal. Trueworthy is seeking a second term at large on the 15-member city council of which 12 members are Democrats. As majority leader Trueworthy points to his efforts to expand the Senior Property Tax exemption program -- a measure opposed by the Stewart administration and successful efforts enacting an ordinance which gives the City much more of an enforcement mechanism to go after absentee landlords and those who don’t maintain their investment properties.
Trueworthy is emphasizing several issues on the campaign trail including downtown re-development, improvement of customer service at City Hall, more equity in state education aid, infrastructure improvements and improvements to neighborhood parks.
Three months before the November 6th municipal election voter enrollment in New Britain totaled 29,764 at the end of July with Democrats accounting for 52.45% of the electorate at 15,614. Unaffiliated voters totaled 10,363 (34.8) and Republicans, 3,600 (12.05).
Actions For Peace Coming Up August 28th In Stamford, September 9th In Hartford
Lieberman, Shays To Be Urged To Oppose The War
An "Iraq Summer Take A Stand" campaign will challenge U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman and U.S. Rep. Chris Shays to take a stand on ending the War in Iraq. On August 28th peace advocates will gather at Stamford Government Center, 888 Washington Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. for a speaking program to urge independent Lieberman and Republican Shays to oppose the ongoing war in Iraq. The event will be preceded at 4 p.m. with door-to-door canvassing in Joe Lieberman's new neighborhood (Senator Lieberman recently changed moved from New Haven to Stamford) to "welcome him back to Stamford." As September nears and the release of a report on the situation in Iraq from military leaders is due, organizers want to "send a clear message to Shays and Lieberman about ending the war now."
On Sunday, September 9th the Coalition for Peace and Justice is the major sponsor of a "Hope Out Loud" Peace and Music Festival to begin at noon at Bushnell Park in Hartford. For more information log on to www.hopeoutloud.org/index.html
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Lawmakers To Seek Repeal Of Law Allowing Tilcon Watershed Lease
From NB Politicus
New Britain's Democratic legislators are expected to move quickly to repeal a recently enacted law sought by Mayor Timothy Stewart to allow the lease of watershed to Tilcon, Inc. for its quarry operations on the New Britain-Plainville border.
At issue is Public Act 07-244 signed into law by Gov. Rell in July that allows the city to change the use of watershed land to "allow for the lease of 131 acres." The approved legislation would allow New Britain to enter into a long-term lease with Tilcon, Inc. valued at $15 million -- an estimated $375,000 per year over 40 years.
This is the amount cited by Stewart, but not much more is known about the proposed deal since it has been kept under wraps at City Hall until the 11th hour move to get the special legislation last June.
The adopted legislation contains provisions inserted into the amendment by New Britain lawmakers that requires Tilcon to restore the leased land "for a public drinking water reservoir" and "the surrounding land for reforestation." The measure, however, drew sharp editorial criticisms three times in The Hartford Courant, the latest coming on August 10. The editorials asserted that the legislative "rat" allows the lease of watershed at the expense of environmental protection.
Allowing Tilcon, Inc. to lease the land also brought opposition from Hickory Hill residents at an August 7th "Night Out" meeting attended by State Senator Don DeFronzo, 24th District State Rep. Timothy O'Brien, Stewart and others officials.Complaints at the Hickory Hill Night Out meeting prompted Mayor Stewart to back away --at least temporarily-- from a Tilcon lease deal, despite the likelihood that his own Water Department has been discussing the lease behind closed doors for months -- without notification to residents, the City Council nor legislators. Pointing fingers at the Democratic lawmakers for the legislation without owning up to making the request himself, Stewart told residents they needed to petition the city on the issue and he would considering complying.
The call for a petition may have allayed concerns of some residents according to an August 8th Herald story, but Stewart gave no assurances that the lease to Tilcon would not occur.State Rep. O'Brien, writing on his blog last week, has weighed in on the late-filed bill that would permit a lease to Tilcon in confirming his plans to repeal the special legislation.
O'Brien said Democrats, during the last days of the 2007 session, "decided the best course of action, rather than keeping the city from even considering the idea, would be to place very strict requirements" on a Tilcon lease proposal, including their insertion of public hearings and environmental guarantees before the lease arrangement could move forward."After having now heard the concerns of people who live in the neighborhood around the proposed site and after learning more of the facts about this proposed deal, Senator DeFronzo and I have decided that this proposal, as a whole, is not in the best interests of the city, said O'Brien. "The Mayor has placed the onus on the neighborhood residents to prove that this deal should not go forward by saying that they should collect petition signatures before he will decide to reject this deal. But the neighborhood opposition to the city's plan with Tilcon is already very clear.And that is why Senator DeFronzo and I are doing just what the neighborhood is asking us to - we are acting to repeal this law."
The Stewart Administration's interest in completing a lease with Tilcon may not be over despite Stewart's questionable posturing in front of residents on August 7th. Tilcon's interest in acquiring a lease is represented at the city and state levels by Jay F. Malcynsky, a prominent New Britain Republican, whose firm, Gaffney, Bennett and Associates, is one of the state's most influential lobbying firms. Malcynsky has close ties to Republicans in the Mayor's office, the Governor's office and considerable experience working with Democratic legislators. Late last week Malcynsky was reportedly still trying to get the measure back on track.
Senator DeFronzo and Rep.O'Brien, however, are adamant that the measure allowing a lease to move forward needs to be rescinded at the earliest opportunity. They are convinced that the Stewart administration misrepresented facts about the Tilcon deal prior to the votes they cast for passage.
Subsequent efforts to allow a lease of watershed will get the full hearings and legislative oversight that they deserve. Meanwhile, the relationship between Stewart and New Britain's lawmakers couldn't be frostier.
New Britain's Democratic legislators are expected to move quickly to repeal a recently enacted law sought by Mayor Timothy Stewart to allow the lease of watershed to Tilcon, Inc. for its quarry operations on the New Britain-Plainville border.
At issue is Public Act 07-244 signed into law by Gov. Rell in July that allows the city to change the use of watershed land to "allow for the lease of 131 acres." The approved legislation would allow New Britain to enter into a long-term lease with Tilcon, Inc. valued at $15 million -- an estimated $375,000 per year over 40 years.
This is the amount cited by Stewart, but not much more is known about the proposed deal since it has been kept under wraps at City Hall until the 11th hour move to get the special legislation last June.
The adopted legislation contains provisions inserted into the amendment by New Britain lawmakers that requires Tilcon to restore the leased land "for a public drinking water reservoir" and "the surrounding land for reforestation." The measure, however, drew sharp editorial criticisms three times in The Hartford Courant, the latest coming on August 10. The editorials asserted that the legislative "rat" allows the lease of watershed at the expense of environmental protection.
Allowing Tilcon, Inc. to lease the land also brought opposition from Hickory Hill residents at an August 7th "Night Out" meeting attended by State Senator Don DeFronzo, 24th District State Rep. Timothy O'Brien, Stewart and others officials.Complaints at the Hickory Hill Night Out meeting prompted Mayor Stewart to back away --at least temporarily-- from a Tilcon lease deal, despite the likelihood that his own Water Department has been discussing the lease behind closed doors for months -- without notification to residents, the City Council nor legislators. Pointing fingers at the Democratic lawmakers for the legislation without owning up to making the request himself, Stewart told residents they needed to petition the city on the issue and he would considering complying.
The call for a petition may have allayed concerns of some residents according to an August 8th Herald story, but Stewart gave no assurances that the lease to Tilcon would not occur.State Rep. O'Brien, writing on his blog last week, has weighed in on the late-filed bill that would permit a lease to Tilcon in confirming his plans to repeal the special legislation.
"Approving this legislation in the first place was a tough call. It was
presented to the New Britain legislative delegation in the hectic final days of
the legislative session because - we were told - the city had just recently been
informed of the need for legislative approval and that a delay of the matter to
the 2008 session - which I would have preferred - would completely deny the city
the opportunity for $15 million in non-tax revenue."
O'Brien said Democrats, during the last days of the 2007 session, "decided the best course of action, rather than keeping the city from even considering the idea, would be to place very strict requirements" on a Tilcon lease proposal, including their insertion of public hearings and environmental guarantees before the lease arrangement could move forward."After having now heard the concerns of people who live in the neighborhood around the proposed site and after learning more of the facts about this proposed deal, Senator DeFronzo and I have decided that this proposal, as a whole, is not in the best interests of the city, said O'Brien. "The Mayor has placed the onus on the neighborhood residents to prove that this deal should not go forward by saying that they should collect petition signatures before he will decide to reject this deal. But the neighborhood opposition to the city's plan with Tilcon is already very clear.And that is why Senator DeFronzo and I are doing just what the neighborhood is asking us to - we are acting to repeal this law."
The Stewart Administration's interest in completing a lease with Tilcon may not be over despite Stewart's questionable posturing in front of residents on August 7th. Tilcon's interest in acquiring a lease is represented at the city and state levels by Jay F. Malcynsky, a prominent New Britain Republican, whose firm, Gaffney, Bennett and Associates, is one of the state's most influential lobbying firms. Malcynsky has close ties to Republicans in the Mayor's office, the Governor's office and considerable experience working with Democratic legislators. Late last week Malcynsky was reportedly still trying to get the measure back on track.
Senator DeFronzo and Rep.O'Brien, however, are adamant that the measure allowing a lease to move forward needs to be rescinded at the earliest opportunity. They are convinced that the Stewart administration misrepresented facts about the Tilcon deal prior to the votes they cast for passage.
Subsequent efforts to allow a lease of watershed will get the full hearings and legislative oversight that they deserve. Meanwhile, the relationship between Stewart and New Britain's lawmakers couldn't be frostier.
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