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Legislative Alert
The Connecticut House of Representatives may be voting on a solution to fix the Special Transportation Fund as early as next week. Use this link https://www.votervoice.net/CCIA/campaigns/58617/respond
to call your State Representative tell them to vote in favor of using the existing car sales tax to fix the funding shortfall in the Special Transportation Fund.
Make the call. Leave a message. $4.3 billion of projects are at stake! Please forward this message to as many people in your organization as possible!Speaker says toll vote next week
VIDEO
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) - The Speaker of the House, Rep. Joe Aresimowicz (D-Berlin), says a decision on moving forward with electronic highway tolls must be made next week and that lawmakers need only look out the window at the Capitol to see why.
He says the crumbling highway stanchions on Interstate 84 near the Capitol show how desperately the state needs more revenue for transportation infrastructure.
House Democrats in the House discussed electronic tolls in closed caucus on Tuesday night. Now, on Wednesday, the Speaker says the vote is coming early next week.
Related Content: 'Toll Trolls' invade Capitol ahead of expected toll vote
The Speaker of the House said that state lawmakers need to look no farther than just behind the State Capitol Complex to see why there must be a vote on electronic tolls next week.
The elevated I-84 highway that carries over 170,000 cars and trucks daily is nearly covered with paint markings made by the D.O.T. where repairs must be made to the deteriorating structure to keep it usable.
The highway system and ramps were built in the 1960's and have been slated for replacement, but the D.O.T. and the Governor say there is not enough cash flow coming into the 'Special Transportation Fund' to allow the state to borrow the billions of dollars the project would cost.
"Walk right behind the L.O.B. parking garage, take a pillar, a picture of the stanchions with more white paint and X's on it than anything else," stated Aresimowicz.
He said the bill he wants will instruct the D.O.T. to create a plan that will provide discounts or tax credits for Connecticut residents, regular commuters, and low income residents, plus require a cut in the gas tax once the tolls are implemented.
The House Democratic co-chair of the Transportation Committee (D-Rocky Hill) said, "One of my top priorities would be the reduction of the 'Gas Tax."
Related Content: Capitol Report: Talking potential tolls in Connecticut
The House Republican leader, Rep. Themis Klarides (R-Derby) added she's open to a discussion on tolls, but that all the plans they've seen are non starters.
She noted that a trip from New York City to Niagra Falls, which is about 400 miles, costs about $20 in tolls, adding, "Their proposal from Greenwich to New Haven, which is about 40 miles is almost $10, it's not realistic."
There appears to be no support at all for the Governor's proposal to increase the Gas Tax seven cents and impose a $3 fee on tires.
Aresimowicz promises House vote on tolls
KEITH M. PHANEUF AND MARK PAZNIOKAS
House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said Tuesday he intends to call a vote next week on legislation making an initial commitment to implementing electronic highway tolls, despite Republican opposition that could brand Democrats as the party of tolls.
Many Democrats are nervous at the prospect of an election-year vote on a still-developing bill that would provide no immediate financial relief to the depleted Special Transportation Fund, instead authorizing the Department of Transportation to begin what is expected to be a multi-year process.
"I'm not willing to walk away from this session with doing nothing to solve this problem," Aresimowicz told Capitol reporters. "Our job is to rep the citizens of the state and make very difficult decisions for the betterment of this state. This falls into that category for me."
The Democratic majority in the House has fallen from 114-37 after the 2008 election to 79-71, saddling Aresimowicz with the smallest working majority in decades. Opposition by just five House Democrats to tolls would scuttle the effort.
Aresimowicz said he did not fear Republican campaign mailers accusing Democrats of opening Connecticut motorists to tolls on every major highway, saying the counter message would be to label Republicans as choosing higher commuter bus and train fares and a freeze on transportation repairs as preferable to tolls.
"Are they prepared for the mailers of they're the party of no tolls and crumbling infrastructure that makes us not competitive with neighboring states?" he asked.
The legislature's constitutional adjournment deadline is midnight May 9. One of the challenges facing Aresimowicz is drawing a bill with sufficient detail to convince Democrats to risk an election-year vote.
Aresimowicz said he wants to see legislation that provides a significant discount — as high as 50 percent — to in-state drivers. This could be provided in several ways, including through an income-tax credit, or a reduced price for commuter highway passes.
Aresimowicz said he believes that even with in-state discounts, tolls could raise up to $1 billion per year once fully implemented, with close to half of the revenue coming from out-of-state motorists.
"Those are the discussions that we need to have," he said, adding that the alternative is to accept a series of wide-ranging cutbacks in Connecticut's transportation program.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has been warning since November that the Special Transportation Fund, which uses fuel taxes and transit revenue to pay debt service on borrowing for transportation projects, is headed for insolvency.
Absent more funding, the state is facing scrapping some rail services, raising fares, and suspending 40 percent of planned capital projects worth about $4.3 billion in construction activity — including major highway projects such as rebuilding the Hartford viaduct, the Malloy administration says.
Republican legislators have countered that Connecticut must better prioritize its transportation program and borrowing in general.
"It's clear the majority of Republicans have staked out a position" on tolls, Aresimowicz said, charging the GOP is motivated by election-year politics. "It's clear we're going to have to do it on our own."
One tolls-related bill has cleared the Transportation and Finance, Revenue & Bonding committees, but it's fate remains uncertain.
That measure would direct the Department of Transportation to develop a plan to establish tolling on Interstates 84, 91 and 95, and on the Merritt and Wilbur Cross parkways. The department also would assess where toll gantries should be located, how much revenue would be raised from the system, and what types of discounts might be offered to Connecticut residents.
The bill also would allow the legislature 30 days to act upon the report after receiving it during the 2019 General Assembly session. But if the House and Senate did not reject the DOT's plan, the restoration of tolling would be deemed approved.
But even with that option, House Republicans remain wary of the bill.
House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby, said this should come as no surprise to Aresimowicz or to anyone else.
"We have the third smallest state in the country and every toll proposal has given us options of everywhere from 50 to 80 some-odd tolls," she said. "That is a non-starter for us."
"We are open to conversations about tolls, but they must be something reasonable," Klarides added.
But Aresimowicz said the GOP and other toll opponents have distorted the potential impact, adding this has been facilitated — at least in part — by the bill that has cleared two legislative committees.
"There's so much gray area," he said. "It allows individuals that are hellbent on stopping tolls to define it any way they want. I've heard every ludicrous argument."
Rep. Tony Guerrera, D-Rocky Hill, co-chair of the Transportation Committee and an ardent supporter of electronic tolling, said legislators who allow the transportation program to languish should not assume that makes them safe on Election Day.
"There's always a price to pay no matter what you do," he said. "You have to argue your point and show where you stand."
Centre Square road likely to be completed in June
BRISTOL - Progress is continuing on the construction of a road through Centre Square, according to city officials.
“Work is ongoing,” said Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu. “We are putting the pipes in our road and conduits that will then be connected with the Bristol Hospital building.”
Raymond Rogozinski, city engineer, further elaborated on the road work.
“Various utilities are going into the road as well as the sanitary sewer system and a potable water system has been installed along with most of the electrical system,” he said. “The final tie-ins are still required. We’ve also done some of the telecom conduits.”
Rogozinski said the project will include streetscape components to match the aesthetics of downtown, full underground utilities and updated traffic signals.
“Moving forward we will be installing curbing, paving, concrete sidewalks and a brick area between the sidewalk and the curb,” he said.
The planned 1,000-foot “Centre Square Access Road” will begin at the intersection of North Main and Laurel Streets, and will cut through Centre Square to Riverside Avenue. It will provide access to the Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center, which is planned for the corner of Riverside and Main Street.
The Department of Public Works and Engineering Division is overseeing the project, which was designed by Milone & MacBroom Inc. The stated goal of the project is to develop a “pedestrian-oriented downtown that supports new retail, housing, offices and recreation.”
The Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center will start off the development of Centre Square.
Zoppo-Sassu said that in a recent conversation with Bristol Hospital President and CEO Kurt Barwis, she was informed that there would “most likely be shovels in the ground in May” for the Ambulatory Care Center.
As for the road, Rogozinski said that, due to delays in coordinating with utilities, the road project will most likely be completed by June instead of May, which was the estimate last October.
Zoppo-Sassu also said the City has received inquiries about other parcels on the property.
“These proposals are being discussed and evaluated to determine if they are an appropriate fit for downtown and our zoning requirements,” said Zoppo-Sassu.
The contract for the access road was given to Schultz Corporation of Terryville. A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 3 of last year.
State orders contractors to stop work on Southington hotel
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — Seven companies working on the Courtyard by Marriott on West Street have received stop work orders from the state Department of Labor, the most recent issued earlier this month.
The stop work orders are issued to companies that “knowingly misrepresent employees as independent contractors” according to the labor department. The orders can also be issued to companies that provide incorrect information to insurance companies on the number of employees in order to pay a lower premium.
AJ Patel of Ava Group received approval to build the hotel in 2016. A person answering the phone at the company declined to comment on the stop work orders when contacted Tuesday.
In August, J9 Builders and VCI Construction Services received stop work orders. According to Mohammodu Giwa, spokesman for the labor department, no releases have been issued for those orders.
Giwa said there have been several companies that have overseen work on the hotel. A previous general contractor has left the job.
“We have the property owner recorded as AJ Patel who operates under various business names such as J9 Builders LLC, Southington Hospitality Management LLC, Ava Realty Southington LLC and Ava Group,” he said. “Patel had reported to me on (August 30, 2017) that J9 Builders was a subsidiary of parent company Ava Group/Ava Realty Southington LLC who owns the property.”
Several workers with New England Regional Council of Carpenters Local 326 demonstrated outside the hotel construction site last week. Ernest Pagan, union organizer with the local, said the misrepresentation of workers robs state and local governments of payroll taxes and affects workers who aren’t provided the proper insurance.
“We want the community and people to know what’s happening here,” Pagan said.
According to the labor department, employees are on a payroll, fill out a timecard and receive a paycheck from which taxes are deducted. Independent contractors are in business for themselves and file taxes as a business or sole proprietor.
The hotel is part of a larger development along that portion of West Street. Adjacent is a commercial plaza owned by local developer Mark Lovley which contains a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. Other businesses include Cheshire Coffee, Nutmeg Credit Union and Silk Nails.
On April 11, five more companies were issued stop work orders. The companies, Mendez Bros Home Improvement, Advanced Drywall Systems II LLC, Elizondro’s Carpentry LLC, Claros Construction and Southington Hospitality couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
Raymond Rogozinski, city engineer, further elaborated on the road work.
“Various utilities are going into the road as well as the sanitary sewer system and a potable water system has been installed along with most of the electrical system,” he said. “The final tie-ins are still required. We’ve also done some of the telecom conduits.”
Rogozinski said the project will include streetscape components to match the aesthetics of downtown, full underground utilities and updated traffic signals.
“Moving forward we will be installing curbing, paving, concrete sidewalks and a brick area between the sidewalk and the curb,” he said.
The planned 1,000-foot “Centre Square Access Road” will begin at the intersection of North Main and Laurel Streets, and will cut through Centre Square to Riverside Avenue. It will provide access to the Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center, which is planned for the corner of Riverside and Main Street.
The Department of Public Works and Engineering Division is overseeing the project, which was designed by Milone & MacBroom Inc. The stated goal of the project is to develop a “pedestrian-oriented downtown that supports new retail, housing, offices and recreation.”
The Bristol Hospital Ambulatory Care Center will start off the development of Centre Square.
Zoppo-Sassu said that in a recent conversation with Bristol Hospital President and CEO Kurt Barwis, she was informed that there would “most likely be shovels in the ground in May” for the Ambulatory Care Center.
As for the road, Rogozinski said that, due to delays in coordinating with utilities, the road project will most likely be completed by June instead of May, which was the estimate last October.
Zoppo-Sassu also said the City has received inquiries about other parcels on the property.
“These proposals are being discussed and evaluated to determine if they are an appropriate fit for downtown and our zoning requirements,” said Zoppo-Sassu.
The contract for the access road was given to Schultz Corporation of Terryville. A formal groundbreaking ceremony was held Oct. 3 of last year.
State orders contractors to stop work on Southington hotel
Jesse Buchanan
SOUTHINGTON — Seven companies working on the Courtyard by Marriott on West Street have received stop work orders from the state Department of Labor, the most recent issued earlier this month.
The stop work orders are issued to companies that “knowingly misrepresent employees as independent contractors” according to the labor department. The orders can also be issued to companies that provide incorrect information to insurance companies on the number of employees in order to pay a lower premium.
AJ Patel of Ava Group received approval to build the hotel in 2016. A person answering the phone at the company declined to comment on the stop work orders when contacted Tuesday.
In August, J9 Builders and VCI Construction Services received stop work orders. According to Mohammodu Giwa, spokesman for the labor department, no releases have been issued for those orders.
Giwa said there have been several companies that have overseen work on the hotel. A previous general contractor has left the job.
“We have the property owner recorded as AJ Patel who operates under various business names such as J9 Builders LLC, Southington Hospitality Management LLC, Ava Realty Southington LLC and Ava Group,” he said. “Patel had reported to me on (August 30, 2017) that J9 Builders was a subsidiary of parent company Ava Group/Ava Realty Southington LLC who owns the property.”
Several workers with New England Regional Council of Carpenters Local 326 demonstrated outside the hotel construction site last week. Ernest Pagan, union organizer with the local, said the misrepresentation of workers robs state and local governments of payroll taxes and affects workers who aren’t provided the proper insurance.
“We want the community and people to know what’s happening here,” Pagan said.
According to the labor department, employees are on a payroll, fill out a timecard and receive a paycheck from which taxes are deducted. Independent contractors are in business for themselves and file taxes as a business or sole proprietor.
The hotel is part of a larger development along that portion of West Street. Adjacent is a commercial plaza owned by local developer Mark Lovley which contains a Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen. Other businesses include Cheshire Coffee, Nutmeg Credit Union and Silk Nails.
On April 11, five more companies were issued stop work orders. The companies, Mendez Bros Home Improvement, Advanced Drywall Systems II LLC, Elizondro’s Carpentry LLC, Claros Construction and Southington Hospitality couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.