BRIDGEPORT -- Since the late 1990s, under three different mayors, the city has completed 39 school construction projects of various sizes worth well more than a half-billion dollars.
And there are seven initiatives valued at $271 million in the planning or building stages: New Longfellow and Roosevelt elementary schools; a new Harding High School; renovations or additions to Central High and Black Rock schools; and new roofs for Bassick High and Dunbar Elementary schools. Beginning in late 1999, one company -- O&G Industries of Torrington, which recently supplied the above statistics -- has run the show as Bridgeport's schools program manager.
That means O&G is the city's agent with all of the public and private entities involved with planning, scheduling, budgeting, design and construction. City officials said there is nothing unusual about the 14-year relationship. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
East Hampton considering 9 mile natural gas pipeline
EAST HAMPTON >> Natural gas could be coming to a substantial portion of town under a proposal outlined to three town boards this week. If the proposal is adopted, Connecticut Natural Gas could construct a nine-mile-long gas pipeline through town, a project that is expected to cost upwards of $5.7 million. Town Manager Michael Maniscalco outlined the proposal to the town council, the Board of Education and the Board of Finance during a special tri-board meeting on Tuesday.
The proposal has been the subject of discussion between the utility and the manager for much of the past two years, Maniscalco said on Wednesday. Installation of the pipeline could yield taxes of as much as $100,000 a year, Maniscalco said. The pipeline would enter town from a tie-in at St. Clement’s Castle. It would then follow Route 66 town to the intersection of Route 16 and then across 16 to Spring Street. It would follow Spring up through the Village Center to Main Street, “where it Ts out,” with one arm going up to the high school and the other to service Laurel Ridge and then on toward the Marlborough town line, Maniscalco said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Carr Brook Bridge reopens in time for Portland fair
PORTLAND >> It’s a result with a double benefit: the Carr Brook Bridge on Route 17A has reopened – just in time for the Portland Agricultural Fair. The bridge had been closed for repairs since early May. When the state Department of Transportation announced it was closing the bridge – and, by extension, through traffic along Route 17A – First Selectwoman Susan S. Bransfield told the DOT the bridge had to be reopened by this weekend to accommodate traffic to and from the fair.
The state said it would comply with her request. But when the completion date slipped from Oct. 1 back to Oct. 8, town and fair officials alike grew concerned. Fair Vice President Kelly Chester said the bridge needed to be reopened so that it would not interfere with the fair’s emergency evacuation plan. But their concerns were for naught: the bridge reopened Tuesday afternoon. “I am very pleased with the bridge, and I want to compliment the DOT for a job well-done,” Bransfield said on Thursday. “It’s wider, and it offers beautiful views of the Connecticut River,” Bransfield said. However, “There is still some more work that still needs to be done along the sides of the road, so we ask that motorists who use the bridge obey the posted speed limit and drive with caution,” Bransfield said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Hub park begins to take shape
MERIDEN — A portion of Harbor Brook can be seen running through the 14-acre Meriden Hub site for the first time in more than 40 years after it was recently uncovered. Its uncovering is part of the city’s effort to create a park on the downtown parcel. The project consists of building a public park on the former commercial site downtown between State and Pratt streets to help with flood control. Three brooks in underground culverts will be diverted into a single, uncovered channel running north to south through the site. A section of Harbor Brook, in the southwest corner of the property, was uncovered last week. Behind sheet pilings installed to support State Street are two culverts lying parallel at the southwest corner of the property. Harbor Brook runs through the culverts and underneath East Main Street. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Stonnington closes recently renovated athletic field
Stonington - The town has closed the newly renovated all-purpose field at the high school until next year because the work done by the company it hired has resulted in unplayable conditions. The town awarded the $194,501 contract to the low bidder, Aqua Turf Irrigation of Orange, even though 2012 news reports in the Weston Forum show that the Town of Weston charged Aqua Turf with abandoning a baseball field renovation there. This forced Weston to hire a new contractor to fix the problems and complete the $144,900 project. In the Weston Forum report, Weston officials charged that Aqua Turf broke irrigation lines, didn't have the proper equipment to remove rocks and installed a cheaper variety of clay than that called for in the contract. The town also had to resod the field. Weston withheld $46,000 of the $144,900 payment to Aqua Turf while its president, Marc D'Andrea, disputed the Weston allegations, saying he did the job properly. He added there had been many irrational people involved in the project and that the controversy had severely affected his health. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Putnam to open bids Tuesday for construction of tech park bridge
PUTNAM — Tuesday will cap off a busy week for the QuinebaugRegionalTechnicalPark when the Board of Selectmen awards a bid to construct the bridge that will link the project to Kennedy Drive.
The board will choose the lowest bidder, Tully Construction, out of 10 bidders at a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday. “It’s been an outstanding week,” Mayor Tony Falzarano said. “When you’re campaigning you promise to get things done and this bridge was one of the things I promised and we’re going to be able to put a shovel in the ground in the beginning of November.” On Tuesday, Pomfret joined the park as partner with the purchase of one share. On Thursday, Brooklyn residents agreed, by a slim margin, to purchase two shares. Proponents in both towns pointed to the regional benefits of the park, especially for job creation and revenue sharing. Scotland purchased the first share in the park months ago. Town Administrator Douglas Cutler said he was pleased to get so many bids for the bridge. The YMCA, which will be located in the park, needs the bridge construction to start before it can start construction on its $14 million facility. The bids, Cutler said, ranged from Tully’s $2,248,000 low bid to just under $3.5 million. By law, Putnam must accept the lowest bid as long as the contractor can meet the requirements of the job, Cutler said. CME Associates, the engineering firm that designed the bridge has vetted Tully and recommended the selectmen award it the bid, Cutler said. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Oil dealers lawsuit: CT natural gas expansion violates environmental laws
An association representing 585 heating oil and gasoline dealers filed suit Friday against two state agencies, arguing that a legally required environmental study was not conducted before forging ahead with a $7 billion natural-gas pipeline expansion. Yankee Gas, Connecticut Natural Gas, and Southern Connecticut Gas already have begun installing new capacity as a part of the state's plan to add convert upwards of 300,000 homes to natural gas. The plan, approved in November 2013, includes expanded capacity and 900 miles of new mains. But the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association claims in its Superior Court suit that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection fast-tracked the plan, failing to conduct an environmental impact assessment required by the state's Environmental Policy Act. The suit says the distribution system serving the state leaked 200,000 metric tons of gas in 2011 and 2012, which contributes greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Decision nears for stadium in Hartford
HARTFORD — After more than a year of closed-door negotiations and four months of public debate, the question of whether Hartford will build a minor-league baseball stadium is expected to be answered Tuesday. The city council is scheduled to vote on a $350 million development north of downtown. Members have signaled they have the support needed to approve it. Six votes are required for adoption. "I'm ready to move this thing forward," Councilman Kyle Anderson, a Democrat, said. "I see it as a multifaceted opportunity that's presented itself for Hartford to revitalize an area that's been dormant, for economic development purposes, for 30 to 40 years. I don't see that as a gamble."
But some council members see a risk. Larry Deutsch, a member of the Working Families Party, said he would support the development if the stadium weren't part of it. He's concerned about the affect on city taxpayers. "I would like to have the predictability and certainty in city finances to avoid possible layoffs and pension cuts," he said. "Most people are trying to be optimistic, but it's a gamble.
"When you go somewhere like Foxwoods [Resort Casino], you're probably not going to win, but some people are lucky and that's their hope. I like to be optimistic, but it's not a safe thing to do on behalf of people who live in the city, work in the city and have pensions." CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Sheehan retiring as CEO of MDC
Charles “Chuck” Sheehan will retire in February after 10 years as chief executive officer of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), the Hartford region’s water and sewer authority.
“For a decade, I have had the distinct honor of serving with hundreds of dedicated MDC employees, past and present,” Sheehan, 65, of Suffield, said in a Friday email to workers at the Hartford-based agency. “Time advances and we all must move on in our lives. Accordingly, after long and careful consideration, it is with regret that I inform you today, I will be stepping down…effective February 1, 2015.” Sheehan, paid $279,875 a year, is expected to receive an annual pension of $112,500. That’s based on 19 years’ total service – 10 at the MDC and nine with East Hartford, one of the MDC’s eight member-municipalities, where he was town engineer and deputy public works director.
Sheehan headed the MDC as it embarked on a massive 20-year, $2.1-billion “Clean Water Project” in 2006 to reconstruct sanitary and storm sewers in and around Hartford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Decision nears for stadium in Hartford
HARTFORD — After more than a year of closed-door negotiations and four months of public debate, the question of whether Hartford will build a minor-league baseball stadium is expected to be answered Tuesday. The city council is scheduled to vote on a $350 million development north of downtown. Members have signaled they have the support needed to approve it. Six votes are required for adoption. "I'm ready to move this thing forward," Councilman Kyle Anderson, a Democrat, said. "I see it as a multifaceted opportunity that's presented itself for Hartford to revitalize an area that's been dormant, for economic development purposes, for 30 to 40 years. I don't see that as a gamble."
But some council members see a risk. Larry Deutsch, a member of the Working Families Party, said he would support the development if the stadium weren't part of it. He's concerned about the affect on city taxpayers. "I would like to have the predictability and certainty in city finances to avoid possible layoffs and pension cuts," he said. "Most people are trying to be optimistic, but it's a gamble.
"When you go somewhere like Foxwoods [Resort Casino], you're probably not going to win, but some people are lucky and that's their hope. I like to be optimistic, but it's not a safe thing to do on behalf of people who live in the city, work in the city and have pensions." CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE
Sheehan retiring as CEO of MDC
Charles “Chuck” Sheehan will retire in February after 10 years as chief executive officer of the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC), the Hartford region’s water and sewer authority.
“For a decade, I have had the distinct honor of serving with hundreds of dedicated MDC employees, past and present,” Sheehan, 65, of Suffield, said in a Friday email to workers at the Hartford-based agency. “Time advances and we all must move on in our lives. Accordingly, after long and careful consideration, it is with regret that I inform you today, I will be stepping down…effective February 1, 2015.” Sheehan, paid $279,875 a year, is expected to receive an annual pension of $112,500. That’s based on 19 years’ total service – 10 at the MDC and nine with East Hartford, one of the MDC’s eight member-municipalities, where he was town engineer and deputy public works director.
Sheehan headed the MDC as it embarked on a massive 20-year, $2.1-billion “Clean Water Project” in 2006 to reconstruct sanitary and storm sewers in and around Hartford. CLICK TITLE TO CONTIUNUE