by | Aug 10, 2021 3:40 pm | Comments (2)
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Ralph Walker Skating Rink.
Alders unanimously advanced two proposed public-private accords — one that would keep a community health center in Dixwell for the next two decades, another that would bring an ice rink management company to Upper State Street for the next five years.
Continue reading ‘Hill Health, Skating Rink Contracts Advance’
by | Aug 10, 2021 9:37 am | Comments (16)
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Rethinking government: Community Services Administrator Mehul Dalal discusses plans at press conference last week.
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The city’s pitch for a new Department of Community Resilience.
Alders unanimously advanced the Elicker Administration’s proposed creation of a new bulked up and reorganized social problem-solving city department — after debating using short-term federal cash to address long-term societal problems.
by | Jul 8, 2021 6:08 pm | Comments (32)
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Karen DuBois-Walton (center) at Thursday’s tax presser, part 2.
A PILOT promise has been broken, mayoral challenger Karen DuBois-Walton claimed: More state aid has come in, but local taxes haven’t dropped.
A PILOT promise has been kept, Mayor Justin Elicker replied: More state aid has come in, and local taxes haven’t spiked.
by | Jun 29, 2021 12:32 pm | Comments (23)
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Board Prez Walker-Myers at pension session: All ideas are welcome.
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Gordon Hamlin offered a trigger warning before making his pitch for a “shared risk” solution to the city’s underfunded public pensions.
“There’s something in this proposal for everyone to love,” Hamlin advised, “and there’s something in this proposal for everyone to hate.”
Continue reading ‘“Shared Risk,” Shared Pain Pensions Pitched’
by | Jun 24, 2021 8:15 pm | Comments (29)
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DuBois-Walton at presser: Mayor’s job is to find way to do what’s right.
If something appears wrong — like city government OK’ing, with almost no questions asked, $900,000 in state tax breaks for companies accused of fraud and controlled by an imprisoned sex predator — what should a mayor do?
Mayoral candidate Karen DuBois-Walton offered an answer Thursday that differed from the one offered by her opponent: Find a legal way to do what’s right.
Continue reading ‘DuBois-Walton Hits Mayor On Taxes, Breaks’
by | Jun 9, 2021 9:19 pm | Comments (11)
New Haven can expect to receive $90 million this coming year in state payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) — more than twice as much as last year.
Continue reading ‘State Budget Result: City’s PILOT Doubles+’
by | Jun 7, 2021 10:14 am | Comments (5)
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City Budget Director Gormany: Lots more money coming the city’s way.
The federal aid tidal wave just got $25.3 million bigger.
by | Jun 4, 2021 11:57 am | Comments (7)
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Mayor Elicker: “Fully fund the tiered PILOT program.”
The city’s fiscal future hangs in the balance as state lawmakers and the governor play chicken on municipal aid — and as Mayor Justin Elicker weighs whether or not to sign an alder-approved city budget that assumes a hefty fiscal bump from Hartford.
by | Jun 3, 2021 3:49 pm | Comments (6)
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CFO Phillip Penn: Watch out for that funding cliff.
The New Haven Board of Education Wednesday night adopted a $198 million budget for the fiscal year starting July 1.
Though the board got millions less from the city than requested, this budget will not require layoffs or cuts, thanks to federal Covid-19 relief.
At the same time, a majority of board members voted down $5 hourly raises to parttime paraprofessionals, with the promise of some kind of raise before the end of the summer.
Continue reading ‘$198M School Budget Approved, As Fed Rescue $ Closes Deficit’
by | May 26, 2021 10:31 pm | Comments (21)
Markeshia Ricks file photo
Alder Wingate: “Bold” moves on crime.
Alders overwhelmingly adopted a $606.3 million operating budget for the new fiscal year that keeps taxes flat and the libraries open, jacks up the city’s pension contributions — and assumes the state and Yale will fork over an extra $53 million.
by | May 26, 2021 4:44 pm | Comments (17)
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Fairbank Apartments: No tax break for new owners. For now.
LISHTA member and Morris Cove Alder Sal DeCola: NHI comments make secrecy necessary.
Alders lambasted two low-income senior apartment building owners for failing to show up to defend requested tax breaks and for attempting to take advantage of a cash-strapped city without creating new subsidized housing.
It turns out the landlords were never invited — and they had filed plans about which the alders were either unaware or confused.
by | May 24, 2021 3:57 pm | Comments (22)
Tenant Fabian Rosario and Rosa Rivera outside Fairbank: “Perfect.”
Thomas Breen photo
Newly sold Fairbank Apartments at 355 Ferry St.
A California-based affordable housing developer has purchased a Fair Haven senior apartment complex for $11.1 million — and is seeking a local tax break for a $7 million rehab.
by | May 21, 2021 2:54 pm | Comments (3)
City of New Haven
How the city plans to spend the first $26.3M in American Rescue Plan money.
Alders have fast-tracked approval of city plans to spend the first $26 million-plus in federal pandemic-era aid to bolster lost municipal revenue and build up a host of summer youth programs moved ahead.
Continue reading ‘City’s First $26.3M Covid-Aid Spending Plan Advances’
by | May 14, 2021 9:27 am | Comments (11)
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Westville’s Mitchell library: No longer on the chopping block. If it ever really was.
Alders cast the first of two votes needed to pass a new city budget — ditching a “crisis” version tax increase and library closure, embracing a “forward” version assuming the state and Yale will pony up an extra $53 million.
Continue reading ‘“Crisis” Wanes: “Forward” Budget Advances’
by | May 11, 2021 11:21 am | Comments (4)
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The new Q House, on the rise on Dixwell Ave.
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Monday night’s Finance Committee hearing.
Committee alders enthusiastically endorsed a three-year, $300,000 contract between the city and LEAP that would have the local youth tutoring and recreation agency manage — and fundraise for — the reborn “Q House” Dixwell Avenue community center.
by | May 11, 2021 9:20 am | Comments (10)
Thomas Breen / Zoom photos
Young New Haveners who spoke up at Monday’s budget hearing. Clockwise from top left: Kiana Flores, Jamila Washington, Eva Hana Starkey, Abiba Biao.
Seven-year-old Westville resident Eva Hana Starkey took a breath, leaned towards the camera from her father’s lap, and issued her budget-season plea to city lawmakers:
“I want the Mitchell Library to be open.”
Starkey was the youngest of two dozen members of the public to testify Monday night during the aldermanic Finance Committee’s last public hearing of this year’s budget-making season.
by | Apr 27, 2021 12:37 pm | Comments (14)
Zoom
Board of Alders President Tyisha Walker-Myers at Monday’s task force meeting.
City of New Haven chart.
Recent history of rising city pension costs.
Alders have brought back to life a pension task force to help figure out ways for the city to plug a nearly billion-dollar hole.
by | Apr 16, 2021 2:59 pm | Comments (14)
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NHPS Supt. Iline Tracey: “Money, money everywhere.”
NHPS Slide
The city’s typically cash-strapped school system has a big challenge, and a big opportunity: Figuring out how to spend $136 million in pandemic-induced federal relief over the next few years without getting hooked on the short-term dough.
Continue reading ‘Schools Q: How To Spend All That Federal $’
by | Apr 13, 2021 1:13 pm | Comments (6)
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City Budget Director Gormany: Praised at Monday night’s hearing for police and fire OT realism, slammed for potential library closure.
Increase police and fire overtime? Realistic budgeting.
Close a library branch? Disastrous, disingenuous politics.
Those two takes about the city’s budget-making process emerged during the latest virtual workshop on Mayor Justin Elicker’s two proposed Fiscal Year 2021 – 2022 (FY22) general fund budgets — a $589.1 million “crisis” version and a $606.2 million “forward together” budget.
by | Apr 6, 2021 9:07 am | Comments (16)
City of New Haven slide
City workers and administrators are leaving their jobs at a quicker clip than local government can find replacements.
Why is that happening? And what can the city do to catch up?
by | Apr 5, 2021 1:51 pm | Comments (32)
Thomas Breen pre-pandemic photo
City Plan Director Woods (right) with Acting LCI Executive Director Arlevia Samuel: Rezoning is top priority.
No more tinkering around the edges. It’s time to start overhauling the city’s entire, half-century-old zoning code.
City Plan Director Aïcha Woods issued that call to land-use-reform arms when describing one of the top priorities for her department in the year — and years — to come.
by | Apr 5, 2021 12:30 pm | Comments (2)
Thomas Breen photo
Q House, under construction on Dixwell Ave.
Oversee Q House programming. Hire and manage staff. Handle a portion of fundraising for the site. And establish relationships with community partners.
Those are some of the responsibilities detailed in a city proposal to enter into a three-year, $300,000-in-total contract with LEAP that would have that local youth tutoring and recreation nonprofit run the soon-to-open, reborn Dixwell community center.
by | Apr 2, 2021 9:01 am | Comments (19)
Wikimedia image
Fiber internet, coming soon to a neighborhood near us?
New Haven is trying again to bring high-speed Internet service to neighborhoods citywide, with a $1 million planned pilot and possible help on the way from D.C.
by | Apr 1, 2021 2:22 pm | Comments (5)
Twitter photo
Hill Alder Ron Hurt gets vaccinated at Career High School popup clinic on March 20.
When public schools close for April recess later this month, the city plans to open a Covid-19 mass vaccination clinic at Career High School in the Hill with the explicit goal of providing shots for eligible New Haven youth.
Continue reading ‘City Plans Covid Vaccine Clinic For High Schoolers During April Recess’
by | Apr 1, 2021 1:40 pm | Comments (11)
Thomas Breen photo
The new Q House, coming online this summer.
LEAP’s Fernandez: Ready to roll.
The city has tapped the youth tutoring and recreation agency LEAP to oversee programming at the reborn Dixwell Q House community center.