New Haven Independent

Perez (pictured), the Board of Aldermen’s most prominent critical voice of the city administration, said he had been “concerned” he might have been bumped off of the Litigation Settlement Committee after fighting a $480K tax break to the Anastasio family. But no one ran against him and he got to keep his post.

The committee was one of 23 boards and commissions that include a seat for an aldermanic representative. A new slate of reps for 2008-09 was nominated and unanimously approved in an election at the Board of Aldermen’s second meeting of the
new year in City Hall Tuesday night.

East Shore Alderman Al Paolillo kept his seat on the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority. Asked what he thought of the WPCA’s aggressive use of foreclosures to crack down on people who owned money, Paolillo defended the practice. “I think what the agency is trying to do is increase the collection rate.” The agency is trying to boost a 92 percent collection rate that has cost it $1 million in lost revenue.

Scroll to the bottom of the story for a list of some of the other aldermen recently elected to boards and commissions.

Also Tuesday, renowned Hill pencil artist Gregory Krikko (pictured) got an aldermanic OK to receive two once-blighted properties, 63 Ann St. and 215 West St., from the city. Krikko is building a museum/ artist studio . Click here to read a story about his remarkable work.

As part of a bigger push to be involved in long-term planning on issues of heavy budgetary weight, aldermen passed a resolution requiring that they be notified seven months before collective bargaining agreements expire and need to be renegotiated. Alderwoman Ina Silverman said she hoped the resolution would give aldermen more input.

Committee assignments selected Tuesday night:

Ad Hoc Living Wage Commission—Smart, Goldfield, Brison
Affirmative Action Commission—Castro
Capitol Projects - DePino, Sandman
School Readiness Council—Lemar, Brison
City Plan Commission—Lemar
Cultural Affairs— Clark
Development Commission—Clark
Parks Commission—Castro, DePino
Peace Commission—Colon, Brison
Property Acquisition and Disposition Committee— Jackson-Brooks, Antunes, DePino
Youth Commission—J. Rodriguez, Plattus