Lamont proposes trucks-only tolls
By Ken Dixon
Ned Lamont, the Democrats’ endorsed candidate for governor, has been pitching the idea of highway tolls — but only for trucks — as a way to raise the kind of revenue that could help pull Connecticut out of its budgetary death spiral.
Last week the state of Rhode Island instituted just such a trucks-only tolling program on Interstate-95. No sooner was the first dollar collected, than the trucking industry vowed to fight the new toll in court.
The new Rhode Island law is a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Interstate Commerce clause, and Connecticut’s would be the same said Joe Scully, president of the Connecticut Motor Transportation Association and the voice of truckers in the State Capitol. Truckers already pay their fair share, Scully said.
“Under congestion pricing it makes it unaffordable to drive on the highway,” Scully said.
At a time when the most-important election issue may be the state’s transportation crisis — nonstop traffic, aging highways and bridges, and crowded trains — most of the eight hopefuls for governor are opposed to tolls, framing the issue as just another source of revenue to be squandered by legislators and government.
Oz Griebel, an independent candidate for governor who is the former chairman of the state’s Transportation Strategy Board, says that highway tolls are vitally needed, and inevitable. Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, hoping to petition his way onto the Democratic primary in August, also favors tolls. The rest of the pack are looking for other ways to address the state’s infrastructure problem.
Lamont, a Greenwich businessman best known for nearly defeating U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman in 2006, says that trucks-only tolls, with higher prices during commuting hours, would open up the highways for cars during the morning and evening rushes.
“When it comes to transportation I need a more reliable and predictable revenue stream that we can leverage and make the investments we need,” Lamont said recently on the campaign trail. “That starts with electronic tolling, when some of our biggest trucks, coming in from out of state, using our roads, tax-free, create tons of maintenance issues, and we’ll see where it goes from there.”
Joe McGee, vice president for policy at the Fairfield County Business Council, says transportation is the key to the state’s economic future and the crisis demands creative thinking.
“This whole issue of transportation is important,” McGee said. “But we really need to hear their specifics because the state is in trouble.” He called Lamont’s idea for trucks-only tolls, charging them more — so-called “congestion pricing” — during rush hours to discourage driving, the kind of “out of the box thinking” that Connecticut may need.
Griebel, who was chairman of the state transportation board back when it began work in 2001 said “I believe in electronic tolls. They have to be a piece of the game.” David Stemerman, a former hedge fund executive from Greenwich who hopes to petition on to the Republican primary ballot, wants to add one or two lanes to I-95 to ease congestion. Of the candidates for governor, he has the widest-ranging transportation proposal with plans to pursue public-private partnerships to save money and a massive audit of the DOT to identify waste.
“This should be a terrific business opportunity,” he said.
Republican candidates’ transportation plans
Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton: Revive the Transportation Strategy Board; put 30 percent of future borrowing into infrastructure.
Tim Herbst, former first selectman of Trumbull: Expand Sikorsky Memmorial Airport; audit the state’s Special Transportation Fund; invest in high-speed rail.
David Stemerman, hedge funder from Greenwich: Privatize Bradley International Airport; widen Interstate-95; provide high-speed ferry service to Bridgeport.
Steve Obsitnik, tech entrepreneur of Westport: Connecticut’s congressional delegation is failing in bringing funding for necessary infrstructure; building roads in Connecticut costs twice as much as other states.
Bob Stefanowski, corporate executive of Madison: Cites “crumbling infrastructure” three times on his website.
Democratic candidates’ transportation plans
Ned Lamont: Highway tolls for trucks only; wants faster train service on the Northeast corridor.
Guy Smith, former executive from Greenwich: Scale down Metro-North bridge over the Norwalk River replacement from a $1.1-billion swing-style span to an immovable, flat bridge to save $700 million for other projects.
Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim: His website does not list transportation or infrastructure among his eight top campaign issues, but he has said he’s in favor of tolls.
Northwest CT Chamber of Commerce: Employer Resource: One Stop Workforce Operations
You are probably wondering “One-Stop Workforce Operations, what’s that?” It is one of the best kept secrets in Connecticut regarding resources to employers!
The American Job Center, also known as the One-Stop, is a network of organizations working as a team to promote a universal approach to provide effective workforce assistance to businesses. This collaboration of state and local organizations along with the regional workforce development boards is designed to provide a seamless delivery system of programs and services. Employers gain access to this network by registering on CTHires, www.cthires.com, the Department of Labor’s no cost online job bank.
The American Job Centers (AJCs) provide a variety of employment-related services for Connecticut’s businesses at little or no cost. Staff at the AJCs can provide assistance with services such as job posting on CTHires, recruiting and screening qualified applicants, guidance on reaching out to specific populations in employers’ recruiting efforts, job matching and labor market information. Employers in this region can contact Michelle Caffe, Business Services Specialist, at (203) 437-3308 or michelle.caffe@ct.gov.
Along with recruitment and hiring assistance, AJC staff can also help employers to access available training grants and employer incentives that will assist with upskilling current employees and creating jobs to grow your workforce. Some of these programs include:Manufacturing Innovation Fund Incumbent Worker Training: The program provides training grants to Connecticut manufacturers for growing innovative and technology-based manufacturing businesses in Connecticut. Contact Michelle Caffe for more information.
Apprenticeship Training: Apprenticeship programs in the State of Connecticut are administered by the Department of Labor’s, Office of Apprenticeship Training. Skilled consultants provide technical assistance, monitoring, and consulting services to qualified employers that take on the responsibilities of program sponsorship.
Subsidized Training and Employment Program (Step Up): Step Up offers two programs: the Wage Subsidy Program, the Small Manufacturer Training Grant Program and the Unemployed Armed Forces Member Subsidized Training and Employment Program. Each offers employer incentives to hire new employees and create jobs.
On-the-Job Training Program (OJT): The OJT program enables employers to build their workforce by hiring and training quality, pre-screened candidates with assistance of at least 50% or more of the employee’s starting wage for up to 800 hours. Contact Steve Gray at steve.gray@nrwib.org for more information on Step Up or OJT.
The local AJCs and the NW Workforce Development Board also offer funding for a wide array of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) training options to eligible adult and dislocated job seekers. Those trainings on the Department of Labor’s Eligible Training Provider List can be funded up to $4,000. Some of these trainings include but are not limited to: Advanced Manufacturing, Culinary Arts, and Patient Care Technician. The goal of the training is to help to develop a high quality workforce.
The NW Workforce Development Board also has several grant funded trainings available to eligible job seekers. These include: Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG): The Health Careers Advancement Project (Health CAP) provides opportunities for eligible participants to enter and advance along a career in the healthcare field.
ITXpress Tech Hire Program: The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board and our partners in South Central Connecticut have been awarded a $4 million TechHire Partnership Grant. The project will train unemployed and out-of-school young adults (ages 17-29) and upgrade skills of current workers for jobs in the IT Industry including software development, information system management, and computer programming.
Brownfield Job Training Program: This program is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. The training offered under this program is a 40 hour per week, 8 week curriculum of instruction in the following: OSHA / EPA laws and regulations; OSHA Hazwoper Training; Underground / above ground storage tank removal; Blood-borne pathogens; OSHA hazard communications; Hazardous material handling; Confined space entry; Safety awareness in work environment; Personal protective equipment and respirators; Lead and asbestos abatement; and RCA / DOT hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation. CLICK TITLE TO CONTINUE
Senior living complex wins approval from Meriden Planning Commission
MERIDEN — The Planning Commission approved an application for a high-end independent living complex on Bee Street last week.
M2 Realty USA plans to construct an 111-unit apartment building at 406 Bee St. Plans call for a large L-shaped apartment building on the nearly 8-acre property.
The building would be for tenants 55 and older and contain a mix of large studios, one- and two-bedroom units, with amenities such as an on-site restaurant and media center.
The City Council had previously approved rezoning the area to allow larger-scale senior housing projects.
While parking had initially been a concern for some commissioners who worried residents would have long walks to their units, a redesigned site map showed parking wrapping around the L-shaped building on two sides. Access points were also added so fire engines could get to apartments on the inside of the complex facing the courtyard.
“I’m really happy with the way they changed the parking,” said Commissioner Ross Gulino. “I can see people utilizing it a lot better. They did a nice job.”
During a public hearing, resident Dan Zabrowski expressed support for the project.
“Just get it done,” Zabrowski said. “It’s a beautiful complex on paper. It’s an asset to the City of Meriden.”
The commission unanimously approved the project. The developer hopes to begin construction this year and complete the project in spring of 2020.
Oops. Route 1 in Stonington may need paving again
It's paving season, and in Stonington that recently brought a full week of traffic disruption as the main road through town, Route 1, was stripped of old pavement and covered with new.
Apparently, like many others who followed the progress of this much-needed paving, I thought there was some delay when they stopped about two weeks ago, and that they would be back to finish and smooth out the plain seam running down two sides of the road.
When the painted yellow center lines went down, though, it began to look permanent, and forever flawed.
Indeed, I knew I was not alone in puzzling through the state of the paving project once someone sent me a thread on the Stonington community Facebook page with dozens of postings complaining about the work.
A state Department of Transportation spokesman confirmed last week that the $870,000 project was in fact botched, and parts of it, if not all of it, will need to be resurfaced.
The DOT has notified the contractor, American Industries of Jewett City, that the finished job is not acceptable but Kevin Nursick, the DOT spokesman, said the state is not prepared yet to say it is the fault of the contractor.
That determination will be made after DOT sends its pavement analysis experts — who knew there was such a person? — for an examination.
I left a message at American Industries' office Friday asking for comment about the problem and didn't hear back.
The strange seam actually appears in sections of both the eastbound and westbound lanes. The project covers a distance of 2.59 miles, between Broadway Extension to Route 1A, essentially the main drag between Mystic and the vicinity of Stonington Borough.
Nursick said the seams leave what the DOT is calling a washboard effect on the surface. It is a bit disconcerting as you see it ahead on the road and you can feel it slightly as you drive over it. I did get out of the car and examine it and it is not as large a difference in height as it seems when you look at it from a distance.
Nursick said every effort will be made to minimize the disruption in repairing it, since people have been through traffic delays for the initial paving. Some significant repairs, removal and repaving may be needed in sections but it is unlikely a full repaving would be necessary, he suggested.
That will be determined once the pavement analysis experts have concluded their investigation.
Stay tuned.
The paving season, it seems, will be a bit more fulsome in Stonington this year.
This is the opinion of David Collins.
Stanley Black & Decker: New Britain Fuel Cell Project Will Be 'Transformational'
Don Stacom
With fresh support from the state, the proposed fuel cell energy park in a vacant industrial complex will help develop a fresh identity for New Britain, Stanley Black & Decker said Thursday.
“Not too far from here, almost exactly 175 years ago, Frederick Stanley founded the Stanley Works, and it really transformed New Britain in a positive way,” company spokesman Tim Perra told reporters at a vacant Stanley factory building Thursday. “We believe this project has the potential to transform New Britain in exactly the same way.”Stanley along with EIP LLC, Doosan Fuel Cell America and Mayor Erin Stewart held a press conference to announce EIP’s plans to build Connecticut’s biggest fuel cell center in a 45,000-square-foot Curtis Street building that was once a Stanley hardware stamping plant.
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Wednesday endorsed the New Britain plan as one of Connecticut’s major clean energy projects That decision means EIP will start constructing the 20-megawatt facility in early 2019, said Mark Wick, a partner in the company. It will install 44 fuel cells — roughly the size of truck trailers — and have them connected to the power grid by the end of 2019, Wick said.
“This is going to be the catalyst for incredible development,” Stewart said.
Stanley will lease part of its sprawling vacant factory complex at Myrtle and Curtis streets to EIP. After the fuel cell center is built, EIP will remodel Stanley’s six-story, World War II-era factory — the biggest remaining piece of the old Stanley Works complex — as a high-speed data center. Stewart and EIP said that could generate more than 2,500 jobs.
The first phase will create a few dozen temporary construction jobs and about a dozen long-term positions for technicians to operate the plant, according to EIP. Later phases will expand the plant and add the data center. “This will be the largest fuel cell installation in Connecticut” when it opens, said Michael Coskun, business development manager for South Windsor-based Doosan. “When phase 3 is completed, it will be the largest fuel cell installation in the world.”
Doosan manufactures fuel cells, which generate electricity though a chemical reaction that doesn’t generate pollution.Stanley has been demolishing its vacant factories east of Curtis. The property will initially be used for parking for the data center, but EIP says it could be the site of new technology buildings in the future. Stanley intends to remodel and reuse the buildings west of Curtis.
EIP predicts the fuel cell operation alone will generate $8 million in tax revenue for New Britain over the next 20 years, and that later phases of the project would generate another $33 million in that time.