NORWALK — If Common Council members had their doubts about hiring The Grasso Cos. LLC to pave Norwalk streets for the coming year, residents left no doubt about their feelings.
Citing past noise complaints, unpaid taxes and zoning violations, they urged the local legislative body on Tuesday evening to reject a $3.4 million paving contract with the company based at 314 Wilson Ave. in South Norwalk.
“I live directly across the marsh from Grasso Construction,” said Paul Braschi, who lives on Splitrock Road. “They have been the worst neighbor I can ever imagine. They do construction activities all night. We call the police five times, six times a year."
Braschi said the city should not “reward this kind of behavior by giving them a contract.”
The council heard the concerns and voted, without discussion, to return the proposed contract to its Public Works Committee.
Councilman Travis L. Simms, a District B Democrat who strongly opposed the contract, said after the council meeting at City Hall he was pleased with the council’s action. “I don’t know the Grassos, I don’t know the corporation, but as an elected official, I’m here to look out for the best interests of the taxpayers and for the city,” Simms said. “It’s irresponsible as an elected official to push this forward, to award a contract of (roughly) $4 million to a company that’s not been in compliance and has many violations against them.”
At issue was whether the city should hire The Grasso Cos., run by Joseph M. Grasso Jr., when the company run by his father, The Original Grasso Construction Co., owes the city approximately $270,000 in unpaid taxes, according to the Norwalk Tax Collector’s Office.
The city’s law department inquired with the Tax Collector’s Office and Department of Planning and Zoning. In a letter Friday, Corporation Counsel Mario F. Coppola wrote that The Grasso Cos. has no outstanding accounts with the city and is not in violation of any of the city’s regulations. At Tuesday evening’s council meeting, Splitrock Road resident Pat Kuschner acknowledged the distinction between the two Grasso companies.
“I understand that the father’s actions should not overshadow the son,” Kuschner said, but urged the council to reject the paving contract given the history of the father’s company.
“If Mr. Grasso Jr. is not related to Mr. Grasso Sr., then why when he brings an application before the Common Council or when he’s asking to be awarded a contract, does the Grasso company suddenly become compliant?” Kuschner asked. “If there’s no relationship, why do they suddenly become compliant?”
Luke Conrad, attorney for The Grasso Cos., urged the council to approve the paving contract based upon hiring rules and the potential cost to taxpayers if the second lowest bidder were hired.
“Personally, I would not want to see my municipality spend an additional $128,138 to go to a second bidder,” Conrad said. “There’s statutes in Connecticut. There’s a public bidding statute. The bid is to go to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, and with this bid and other bids that Grasso has been passed on, there will be $250,000 approximately, take it or leave it, in money that we’ve passed onto the taxpayers solely because the contractor is not popular in the town.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction starting on Route 85 in Salem
Salem — Preparations for a Connecticut Department of Transportation project to widen part of Route 85 in Salem will begin this week and run into the summer.
Traffic delays are expected between Skyline Drive and the Shady Brook picnic area from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday until Sunday, July 2.
The project, which will widen the road and provide additional drainage to improve safety and operation, will start in September and run through November. Construction in the fall will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., and alternate routes will be advised.
East Lyme voters support elementary school renovations
East Lyme — Voters at a referendum Tuesday backed a $37.5 million bonding proposal to upgrade the town’s three elementary schools, bringing to a close years of discussion on how to address the aging buildings.
Townspeople voted 1247-430 to support the proposal that will keep open and renovate all three of the town's elementary schools.
The proposal calls for improvements to the schools’ air quality, handicapped accessibility, security, interior building finishes and electrical, lighting and technology. Plans include the replacement of the roof at Flanders Elementary School; reconfigured drop-off areas at Lillie B. Haynes and the re-establishment of the second gym; and upgrades to the gym and exterior masonry and the replacement of windows at Niantic Center School.
There is an anticipated $5.4 million in state reimbursement for the project, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton.
Newton said Tuesday that he was ecstatic with the large number of votes in favor of the plan.
"It means our community is invested in getting our elementary schools back in the shape they should be," he said. "I think it was a great team effort on behalf of the town and Board of Education and all the parties in between to bring a responsible plan forward that is going to meet the needs of our elementary students for the future."
Construction is slated to begin in June 2018 and wrap up in fall 2019.
School officials contemplated different proposals for the town’s elementary schools, before moving forward with the current plan.
A previous proposal called for renovating the Lillie B. Haynes School “as new,” closing the Niantic Center School and providing Flanders Elementary School with some refurbishments until it could be rebuilt in five to seven years. Prior to that, school officials contemplated renovating Niantic Center and building a new school on the Flanders site, while closing Lillie B. Haynes and returning the building to the town.
School officials said the latest plan, which entails alterations to the three existing buildings, would accommodate revised enrollment projections that forecast an uptick in elementary students, and would be fiscally prudent.
The referendum on the current plan originally was scheduled for March 14, but was postponed due to a snowstorm.
Townspeople turning out to vote during the rainy afternoon on Tuesday offered their viewpoints on the proposal. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
CT nets $1.8M from unemployment cheaters
The Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL) and the Division of Criminal Justice have worked together to arrest 200 people charged with illegally collecting more than $5.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits.
Since the state's "Chasing Cheaters" program began in June 2013, it has recovered nearly $1.8 million, which has been returned to the state's unemployment fund for paying benefits, State Labor Commissioner Scott D. Jackson said.
The thefts "hurt employers, the taxpayers of Connecticut, and the state's overall economic health, and it is our responsibility to protect the system for those residents that are legitimately depending upon benefits while looking for new employment," Jackson said.
The 200th arrest involved an individual who collected $10,884 in unemployment benefits while also working, Jackson said. Approximately 25 percent of those arrested have paid back the owed benefit payments in full, while ongoing repayments are being made by others as part of court-ordered restitution.
The thefts are intentional, not a mistake, said Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane.
Additional information about the program can also be found on the DOL website by using the search feature and entering the words "fraud prosecution program."
Some Cities' Development Around CTfastrak Highlighted On Busway's 2nd Anniversary
Two years after CTfastrak buses started rolling through central Connecticut, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said on Tuesday that the transit system is paying off by spurring new residential development.
Malloy and several senior state officials rode a bus from Hartford to the Elmwood section of West Hartford for a press conference at the site of 616 New Park, a planned four-story apartment complex next to the bus station.
"We are seeing new mixed-used developments being created all along the route, bringing life to neighborhoods where just a few years ago there were eyesores," Malloy said.
Malloy's administration contends that 616 New Park and the proposed Columbus Commons 160-unit apartment complex in New Britain are evidence that CTfastrak is fostering transit-oriented development.
“I understand that the father’s actions should not overshadow the son,” Kuschner said, but urged the council to reject the paving contract given the history of the father’s company.
“If Mr. Grasso Jr. is not related to Mr. Grasso Sr., then why when he brings an application before the Common Council or when he’s asking to be awarded a contract, does the Grasso company suddenly become compliant?” Kuschner asked. “If there’s no relationship, why do they suddenly become compliant?”
Luke Conrad, attorney for The Grasso Cos., urged the council to approve the paving contract based upon hiring rules and the potential cost to taxpayers if the second lowest bidder were hired.
“Personally, I would not want to see my municipality spend an additional $128,138 to go to a second bidder,” Conrad said. “There’s statutes in Connecticut. There’s a public bidding statute. The bid is to go to the lowest responsible and responsive bidder, and with this bid and other bids that Grasso has been passed on, there will be $250,000 approximately, take it or leave it, in money that we’ve passed onto the taxpayers solely because the contractor is not popular in the town.” CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Construction starting on Route 85 in Salem
Salem — Preparations for a Connecticut Department of Transportation project to widen part of Route 85 in Salem will begin this week and run into the summer.
Traffic delays are expected between Skyline Drive and the Shady Brook picnic area from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday until Sunday, July 2.
The project, which will widen the road and provide additional drainage to improve safety and operation, will start in September and run through November. Construction in the fall will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., and alternate routes will be advised.
East Lyme voters support elementary school renovations
East Lyme — Voters at a referendum Tuesday backed a $37.5 million bonding proposal to upgrade the town’s three elementary schools, bringing to a close years of discussion on how to address the aging buildings.
Townspeople voted 1247-430 to support the proposal that will keep open and renovate all three of the town's elementary schools.
The proposal calls for improvements to the schools’ air quality, handicapped accessibility, security, interior building finishes and electrical, lighting and technology. Plans include the replacement of the roof at Flanders Elementary School; reconfigured drop-off areas at Lillie B. Haynes and the re-establishment of the second gym; and upgrades to the gym and exterior masonry and the replacement of windows at Niantic Center School.
There is an anticipated $5.4 million in state reimbursement for the project, according to Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Newton.
Newton said Tuesday that he was ecstatic with the large number of votes in favor of the plan.
"It means our community is invested in getting our elementary schools back in the shape they should be," he said. "I think it was a great team effort on behalf of the town and Board of Education and all the parties in between to bring a responsible plan forward that is going to meet the needs of our elementary students for the future."
Construction is slated to begin in June 2018 and wrap up in fall 2019.
School officials contemplated different proposals for the town’s elementary schools, before moving forward with the current plan.
A previous proposal called for renovating the Lillie B. Haynes School “as new,” closing the Niantic Center School and providing Flanders Elementary School with some refurbishments until it could be rebuilt in five to seven years. Prior to that, school officials contemplated renovating Niantic Center and building a new school on the Flanders site, while closing Lillie B. Haynes and returning the building to the town.
The referendum on the current plan originally was scheduled for March 14, but was postponed due to a snowstorm.
Townspeople turning out to vote during the rainy afternoon on Tuesday offered their viewpoints on the proposal. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
CT nets $1.8M from unemployment cheaters
The Connecticut Department of Labor (DOL) and the Division of Criminal Justice have worked together to arrest 200 people charged with illegally collecting more than $5.5 million in unemployment insurance benefits.
Since the state's "Chasing Cheaters" program began in June 2013, it has recovered nearly $1.8 million, which has been returned to the state's unemployment fund for paying benefits, State Labor Commissioner Scott D. Jackson said.
The thefts "hurt employers, the taxpayers of Connecticut, and the state's overall economic health, and it is our responsibility to protect the system for those residents that are legitimately depending upon benefits while looking for new employment," Jackson said.
The 200th arrest involved an individual who collected $10,884 in unemployment benefits while also working, Jackson said. Approximately 25 percent of those arrested have paid back the owed benefit payments in full, while ongoing repayments are being made by others as part of court-ordered restitution.
The thefts are intentional, not a mistake, said Chief State's Attorney Kevin T. Kane.
Additional information about the program can also be found on the DOL website by using the search feature and entering the words "fraud prosecution program."
Some Cities' Development Around CTfastrak Highlighted On Busway's 2nd Anniversary
Two years after CTfastrak buses started rolling through central Connecticut, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said on Tuesday that the transit system is paying off by spurring new residential development.
Malloy and several senior state officials rode a bus from Hartford to the Elmwood section of West Hartford for a press conference at the site of 616 New Park, a planned four-story apartment complex next to the bus station.
"We are seeing new mixed-used developments being created all along the route, bringing life to neighborhoods where just a few years ago there were eyesores," Malloy said.
Malloy's administration contends that 616 New Park and the proposed Columbus Commons 160-unit apartment complex in New Britain are evidence that CTfastrak is fostering transit-oriented development.
The $20 million project on New Park Avenue is expected to create 54 apartments and 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, additions that West Hartford Mayor Shari Cantor said will help the growth of Elmwood. This transformative project will bring new energy, activity and most importantly customers to New Park Avenue," Cantor told reporters.The state transportation department used the event to announce that CTfastrak has provided more than 5 million passenger rides since it opened on March 28,2015, and was reaching 20,000 rides on weekdays in the late summer. Last month's ridership was up about 20 percent over the same period a year earlier, the DOT reported.
"The business community and residents are excited about the economic development opportunities a successful transit system can bring," said Michael Sanders, the senior DOT manager who oversaw the busway's construction.
When committing in 2011 to build the roughly $567 million CTfastrak system, Malloy predicted that a modern rapid transit operation connecting Hartford, New Britain and the suburbs of Newington and West Hartford would draw developers to nearby properties — particularly the vacant storefronts and abandoned warehouses along the route.
So far, there has been no flood of private funding or procession of construction vehicles. Lyle Wray, executive director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments, cautions that transit-oriented development takes years or decades. He's confident that reasonably priced apartments close to CTfastrak stations — with stores, entertainment and services conveniently nearby — will appeal to young workers who don't want cars or the burden of suburban home ownership. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
"The business community and residents are excited about the economic development opportunities a successful transit system can bring," said Michael Sanders, the senior DOT manager who oversaw the busway's construction.
When committing in 2011 to build the roughly $567 million CTfastrak system, Malloy predicted that a modern rapid transit operation connecting Hartford, New Britain and the suburbs of Newington and West Hartford would draw developers to nearby properties — particularly the vacant storefronts and abandoned warehouses along the route.
So far, there has been no flood of private funding or procession of construction vehicles. Lyle Wray, executive director of the Capitol Region Council of Governments, cautions that transit-oriented development takes years or decades. He's confident that reasonably priced apartments close to CTfastrak stations — with stores, entertainment and services conveniently nearby — will appeal to young workers who don't want cars or the burden of suburban home ownership. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE