Trump’s ‘Get America Building Again’ plan is coming to CT. Here’s how
Christoher Keating
Trying to build projects faster, the federal
transportation department is joining with its counterparts in Connecticut on
an agreement to cut red tape and speed up environmental permits.
President Donald Trump’s department announced Thursday that
it had reached a “first-of-its-kind programmatic agreement” that will cover an
estimated 90 construction projects each year.
The agreement is designed to speed up schedules by at least
six weeks for major projects such as the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on Interstate 95 between New
London and Groton, upgrades on the New Haven line of the Metro-North Commuter
Railroad, and a new bus system in New Haven.
The Trump administration says the plan will “Get America Building Again” by helping states to
complete projects faster.
U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven G. Bradbury says
the agreement will allow the state to “accelerate the review of individual
transportation projects that may affect historic properties” on the national
list.
“This first-of-its kind agreement is a great example of the
commonsense approach we are taking at USDOT to remove unnecessary burdens,
empower states, and deliver a safe and efficient world class transportation
system that Americans deserve,” Bradbury said in a statement. “We hope more
states are interested in entering this more efficient agreement to streamline
the regulatory process.”
Connecticut transportation commissioner Garrett Eucalitto
said that money will be saved in the process.
“This agreement is the result of productive collaborations
between CTDOT and our federal and state partners, and we deeply appreciate the
support from the U.S. Department of Transportation in making it a reality,” he
said. “By streamlining environmental reviews and cutting government red tape,
we can more efficiently advance projects and ultimately reduce costs.”
Since transportation projects are particularly known for red
tape, multiple agencies are involved in the agreement that stretches for more
than 30 pages. Those include the Federal Highway Railroad Administration,
Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration and Federal
Railroad Administration – plus the Connecticut transportation department,
Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation.
“We’ve slashed costly red tape and prevented unending
environmental reviews to build the big, beautiful infrastructure projects that
will propel America forward for generations,” U.S. Transportation Secretary
Sean P. Duffy said in a statement.
Old Lyme May Hold Second Referendum as Sewer Project Costs Jump 40%
Francisco Uranga
OLD LYME — Sewer construction in Sound View and Area B is
projected to cost at least 40% more than expected, even with state funding,
prompting a possible second town vote to raise the budget.
Steven Cinami, chair of Old Lyme’s Water and Pollution
Control Authority, said Wednesday that based on current bids, annual costs
would rise to $1,938 per standard property in the area, up from last
August’s estimate of under $1,400.
“We have actual bids instead of estimates,” Cinami said.
”Now I use real numbers.”
The Old Lyme beach sewer project aims to meet a state
environmental mandate to address pollution in the Connecticut River.
Several homeowners have
opposed the project, however, due to cost and claims that the state Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection used outdated pollution data.
Soundview homeowners, already facing tax
hikes after last year’s town reassessment, would see added costs from
a 20-year sewer construction payment plan.
On Tuesday, the Old Lyme WPCA voted to increase the budget
to $17.1 million to cover the total cost of the project. This represents an
increase of $7.6 million, or 80% more than the original budget approved in a
2019 referendum.
Bids received in February came in around $22 million for shared infrastructure
and $10.5 million for internal infrastructure Cinami said.
The Board of Selectmen may call for a second referendum to
address the new cost, but Selectman Jim Lampos said he doesn’t expect one to
happen before August. All Old Lyme residents would be allowed to vote, even
though only homeowners in the area would pay for the work.
Dennis Melluzzo, a WPCA member, Soundview homeowner and
vocal opponent of the project, was the only one who voted against the budget
increase.
“We raised the dollar amount to $17 million,” he said. “What
does it do for affordability?”
“Nothing,” Cinami replied. ”Because the bottom line stays
the same as before.”
According to Cinami, the total bonding for the project would
be $8.55 million, as DEEP would pay half the cost of the project — 25% as a
grant and another 25% as a forgivable loan.
“I know the numbers jump out at you. It’s a huge increase,”
Cinami said. ”We just have to explain that really well.”
The work includes building a sewer system in the Soundview
and Area B neighborhoods, which depend on the town’s WPCA, and three beach
associations — Miami Beach, Old Lyme Shores and Old Colony Beach.
Each association would pay for its internal work, while Old
Colony Beach would also finance the shared infrastructure and charge the other
associations annually for the cost. The shared infrastructure includes a trunk
line and a pumping station allowing wastewater to flow to East Lyme and then
New London, where it would be treated.
But Selectman Jim Lampos, a homeowner in Soundview, believes
the cost could be even higher than Cinami’s latest estimate.
“This number can go higher, still before the referendum,” he
told CT Examiner.
Lampos said the latest bids are valid only until the end of
June, and would likely expire because the bidding processes for Miami Beach and
Old Lyme Shores are pending. He also noted that homeowners would face added
costs not included in the bids, including $2,344 in regional buy-in fees and
about $8,000 to connect each house to the street lateral.
Lampos recalled that DEEP committed to covering half of the
cost, but with a maximum cap of $15 million for the entire project, including
work on beach associations. If the costs increase, residents would have to pay
more than half of the project.
Lampos highlighted that Old Lyme Shores will vote on May 24
on a referendum on the project, and if they decide not to join, the shared
infrastructure cost would be divided among fewer homeowners and each would pay
a higher cost.
Meriden approves $4.8 million plans for emergency dispatch center by police station
MERIDEN —The Planning Commission unanimously approved plans
to build a 6,000-square
foot emergency dispatch center at 32 W. Main St. next to the
police station.
The single-story center will serve as a communications and
operations hub for the city's police, fire and ambulance departments. The
project includes merging the city-owned lots at 32 and 50 West Main Street to
create a 16,093-square foot lot between the
Meriden Senior Center and the Meriden Police Department.
The current dispatch center is wedged in a room just a few
doors down from the main lobby of Meriden police headquarters, where 11
full-time and two part-time dispatchers coordinate police, fire and medical
responses to a range of ongoing emergencies. The center processes more than
61,000 calls for service each year.
Emergency officials have said the center is cramped, the
police department could use the space and two more dispatchers are expected
this year.
Construction is expected to begin in July and last 14
months, representatives said. The original project costs are around $4.8
million, with the city making up the $800,000 difference after a 2021 state
grant.
The new communications center will also house training space
and an emergency operations center, officials said.
The new communications building will be set back on the lot
with sidewalk access from West Main Street and Hanover Street. Entrance and
exits will be on both sides of the building, according to renderings from
Benesch and Silver Petrucelli Architects.
City Economic Development Director Joseph Feest said the
reason for the setback is to improve the sight line.
"If there is an emergency and somebody is looking for
the police department you don't have to turn to your left past two buildings
before you spot the building," Feest told commission members.
"Right now, it's an open line through."
A five-foot concrete walkway is proposed to connect the new
building to the police department. An above-ground generator is positioned
behind a 6-foot privacy slotted chain link fence, along the east property line.
Employee parking will be on existing lots. The proposed landscaping includes
eight new emerald green arborvitae trees, and lawn, shrubs, arborvitae and
white azaleas.
The city's Design Review Board approved the plan at its May
6 meeting.
City staff requested some more information on the lot
merger, a stormwater management plan and fencing and gates to conceal and
allow access to the generators.
"The proposed stormwater management is a closed system
that will not infiltrate; therefore, no test pits have been performed as they
are not necessary," project engineers stated.
They added stormwater management calculations and a
geotechnical report showed there shouldn't be any issue with the proposed
system.
The city had considered one other site for the new dispatch
center above the Pratt Street firehouse, but selected West Main Street. Studies
revealed the Pratt Street firehouse would have required extensive
renovations.
"This is a project that was previously approved at a
location behind the firehouse on Pratt Street," Holland stated in an
email. "We have taken a look at the costs involved with that location and
reviewed the feasibility study that was performed when this project was first
proposed and feel that putting the center next to the police station is the
best use of city resources."
The upsides for the West Main Street property, in addition
to lower construction costs, were seamless equipment and systems transitions as
well as better parking options.
"As you are all aware, when the feasibility studies
were conducted, the West Main Street location was deemed best suited and most
affordable," Police Chief Roberto Rosado said last year. "I would
like to highlight some additional considerations as to why the West Main Street
location is most favorable from the Police Department’s perspective. It comes
down to three reasons, systems integration, procedural integration, and the
potential for connection to current infrastructure."
East Windsor, lawmakers voice strong opposition to solar expansion
EAST WINDSOR — A large group of residents, along with local
and state
lawmakers, are urging the Connecticut Siting Council to reject a proposal
to expand an existing solar
array, arguing the council ignores public input and the impact to the
community.
The Siting Council was scheduled to reopen the docket
regarding the Gravel Pit Solar expansion Thursday.
Led by the grassroots East Windsor Citizens for Responsible
Solar, more than 1,100 residents have signed a petition in objection to an
expansion that would use 151 acres of land, including 46 acres of trees, to
generate an additional 30 megawatts of power.
The group objects to the expansion due to adverse impacts to
the environment, the loss of farmland and threats to the town's rural
character.
"We support renewable energy, but not at the cost of
our wetlands, forests and farmland," organizer Nicole Paradise said.
"This project would permanently alter the landscape and identity of East
Windsor."
The number of solar facilities in East Windsor has been a
hot topic for the past few years, with currently four built or under
construction, with another slated to be built, East Windsor First Selectman
Jason Bowsza said Thursday.
Neighbors have been vocal about their opposition to such
facilities, with some expressing concern
about noise generating from another facility on East Road owned by
NextEra Energy. Earlier this year, a
fire broke out at that facility, leading to
questions of safety by state and local lawmakers. That facility remains
offline.
"We feel that our town has done its part contributing
to Connecticut's clean energy goals with the current developments we will
have," Chris Dahl, co-founder of the opposition group, said.
Attorney and Selectman Keith Yagaloff has filed a formal
legal objection to reopening the Gravel Pit Solar docket, arguing the large
expansion is an "overreach," according to the petitioning group.
East Windsor First Selectman Jason Bowsza, who was among
those who signed the petition, said the Siting Council approves projects
without taking into account the accumulative impact to municipalities, a
required responsibility of the council.
"They really just approve them and forget them,"
Bowsza said. "In my experience, they don't give consideration to
municipalities."
He and his constituents have been outspoken in their
opposition to the Gravel Pit Solar expansion project, but feel as though they
are not being heard, Bowsza said.
"We're David throwing a stone at Goliath here and
hoping to shatter a couple of panels along the way," he said.
"There's nobody that I have met in the town of East
Windsor who has any interest in expansion of the Gravel Pit Solar
project," Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, said.
The Siting Council lacks transparency, has little
consideration for the short-term and long-term impacts to the community, and
"safety is an afterthought," he said.
Anwar, whose district includes East Windsor, wrote to the
council arguing the level of civic engagement shown by the petition reflects
"deep and widespread concerns about the environmental, safety, and
quality-of-life impacts of the project — concerns I share."
One of the "most troubling" aspect of the process
is the lack of public engagement, he wrote. "For a project of this scale,
the absence of transparency and local input is unacceptable."
Rep. Carol Hall, R-Enfield, whose district includes part of
East Windsor, said the two communities she represents are doing more than their
part to support solar arrays in the state.
Hall is calling for the elimination of the Siting Council
and giving authority back to local planning and zoning officials.
"We really do need to revamp the entire way we do these
solar projects," she said. "They're dumping all of these solar
projects into one area of the state, which is totally unfair."
The council, Hall said, routinely approves projects without
taking into consideration the opinions of residents or their elected
representatives.
"To me, it's a broken system," she said. "We
need to put it back in local control where it belongs."
Officials mark progress on new Northeast Middle School as bids come in under budget
Jack Crowley
BRISTOL – Bristol officials and educators gathered on
Wednesday to sign a steel beam that will soon become part of the new Northeast
Middle School, celebrating a milestone in the construction of the new school.
The beam signing, held at the current Northeast Middle
School, marked visible progress on the state-of-the-art school set to open next
to the existing school in fall 2026.
The new school is designed to feature a three-story academic
wing and a two-story specialty wing that will house art, music and technology
labs. It aims to provide a modern and comprehensive learning environment for
students, officials said.
Superintendent of Bristol Public Schools Iris White said the
project is currently under budget, with bids coming in at around $90 million –
$12 million less than the $102 million approved for the project. White said
costs haven’t been as high as expected when the project was being planned
during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The construction of the new middle school is another joint
venture between D’Amato and Downes Construction, who have previously worked
together on the recent renovation of Bristol’s City Hall and the Bristol Arts
and Innovation Magnet School.
The school’s opening is set to start a district-wide
redistricting plan first approved in 2022 under former Superintendent Catherine
Carbone.
Once the new Northeast Middle School is completed,
additional K–5 students will be shifted into Greene-Hills and West Bristol
schools to improve efficiency and parity across elementary schools, according
to the “Reimagining BPS 2023” redistricting plan.
Greene-Hills School and West Bristol School will transition
from K-8 schools to K-5 schools.
Middle schoolers from those two schools will be reassigned
to either Chippens Hill or Northeast Middle School, based largely on the
existing high school boundaries for Bristol Central and Bristol Eastern,
according to the plan. The district will also adjust elementary school
attendance zones across the city to further balance enrollment and resources.
Under the current reorganization plan, the Pre-K program
that has been at Edgewood School will be relocated while that building
undergoes renovations. White said she is having “ongoing conversations” with
the city and Board of Education to determine that location.
CT Senate overwhelmingly approves bill to loosen trade apprenticeship ratios
The state Senate on Wednesday gave overwhelming support to a
revised bill that will loosen the restrictions on hiring apprentices.
An amended version of Senate
Bill 1465 was approved by a 35-0 vote with one senator absent.
Existing state law sets a hiring ratio for apprentices that
certain trades must follow. The rule allows contractors to hire up to three
apprentices at a 1:1 ratio. After that, employers must abide by a 1:3 ratio,
which means that for each new apprentice, a company must have three additional
journeymen. So, a company with 12 licensed journeymen can only have six
apprentices on staff.
The rules apply to companies in the electrical; plumbing;
heating, piping, and cooling; sprinkler fitter; and sheet metal work trades.
The bill approved Wednesday, however, grants the
commissioner of the state Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) the power to
allow a licensed contractor to hire one or more additional apprentices, up to a
total of eight, even if the contractor does not employ enough journeypersons to
satisfy the hiring ratio.
Contractors must apply to DCP for relief from the ratio
requirement, must not have had any state disciplinary or enforcement actions
taken against them in the three years before seeking relief, and must show that
“good cause” exists for allowing the relief, the bill states.
It also requires the DCP commissioner to complete a review
of the ratio relief application within 10 days.
Advocates for the change argue the existing ratio restricts
licensed contractors from bringing on new hires to work in the trades, stifling
workforce development at a time when Connecticut has 82,000 job openings.
The trades, in particular, have been hard hit by labor
shortages.
Before the vote, Sen. James Maroney (D-Milford), who
co-chairs the General Law Committee, praised Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North
Haven), a ranking member of the committee, for his efforts on the bill.
“This is an issue that's really been before the General Law
Committee since I've been on the committee for years,” Maroney said. “This
year, he really dug in and worked on this bill, and he worked collaboratively
with a number of stakeholders who have signed off on the bill.”
Cicarella noted that the issue has been a “hot topic”
between union and nonunion shops.
“They both had very legitimate concerns,” he said. “Unions
wanted to make sure that the apprentices were being protected and used
correctly.”
He added that all stakeholders took part in conversations to
develop the bill, which he described as “a middle ground.”
“It is going to allow companies to bring on up to eight
apprentices in a streamlined fashion, utilizing the ratio relief,” he said.
Sen. Ryan Fazio (R-Greenwich) spoke in favor of the bill,
saying it will benefit not just young adults seeking to enter a trade, but have
a broader impact as well.
“Loosening some of those limitations, those barriers, will
give more of those people opportunity,” Fazio said. “But it will not just help
them, it will also help our economy writ large.”
He continued, “We've seen a decrease in many blue collar
jobs across our economy over many years in Connecticut, even as the white
collar economy sees an increase in job growth in the state. People who are in
skilled professions can make a great living and join the middle class.”