New Alders Take Oath — In Unison

A year after first taking an oath of office in a private swearing-in ceremony at City Hall, Ward 21 Alder Troy Streater stepped onto the stage of City Hall with 28 other alders for his first full-fledged inauguration.

That made it feel different. It felt like being part of a team.

Streater was also one of seven alders who experienced their first New Year’s Day inauguration Monday afternoon. 

Streater stood alone when he was sworn in last February after winning a mid-term special election to replace former Alder Steve Winter, who took a job as the city’s climate director. On Monday his was just one of 30 hands to raise as U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery asked each incoming alder to accept their roles as municipal individuals inside the Wilbur Cross auditorium.

Streater, like other newcomers who spoke to the Independent following the event, said he saw the two-hour ceremony as more than a chance to realize his individual responsibilities as a representative. It was an opportunity to recognize the layers of teamwork required to govern a city.

One hundred family members and friends did attend his mid-term private inauguration. Still, Streater said it was extra special to walk into Wilbur Cross on New Year’s Day and stand with his fellow alders — to forget the ego of public service and remember the necessity of community to prompt change.

“It showed how everyone comes together,” he said. He pointd to the presence of Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and state Attorney William Tong on stage and hundreds of community and family members in the audience as illustrative of the collective work it takes to get something as seemingly simple as functioning street lights and speed bumps in place. 

Continuing to make sure that funding goes towards those basic necessities, Streater said, remains his top priority throughout his next term: He wants to keep installing more street lights along Dixwell Avenue, build speed bumps on St. Ronan Street, and establish a public park on Gibbs Street.

He also wants to work with adjacent alders to make sure the Winchester Green — an upcoming research, residential and shopping hub along Winchester Avenue — promises employment opportunities for all nearby New Haveners likely to be affected by the development. 

“I grew up in that ward,” he said. ​“I want to make sure that, once it’s up, this development really revives a spot that’s been dormant for more than 40 years.” 

Ward 9 Alder Caroline Smith, who represents parts of Fair Haven and East Rock, said the event marked ​“a time to really take a moment and feel the responsibility of the role.”

Smith reflected on how the role of alders is not just to lead themselves, but to empower others to participate in the democratic process as best they can.

As the co-founder of Collab, an entrepreneur training and support program, Smith said her chief focus in office is fostering ​“inclusive economic development,” or finding ways to help extant and potential business owners in her ward grow both independently and collectively.

“I want to bring State Street business owners together,” she said, to uncover common funding pots and compile local job opportunities for residents.

In addition to bringing business owners into more direct conversations with one another and their elected representatives, Smith said she invited several young people she identified from around New Haven to the inauguration to encourage further engagement with city government, like 25-year-old Kobey Smith, who works with the New Haven Chamber of Commerce and is not related to Alder Smith despite the common last name. 

“Hopefully they’ll be able to see themselves in these seats one day,” Smith said. 

Twenty-year-old Kiana Flores, meanwhile, was the youngest alder sworn in Monday. A junior at Yale who grew up in Fair Haven and will now represent downtown, she said her primary focus is getting greener transit on tap for the city, including building out more bike lanes across the city.

The inauguration itself reminded her of the first goal she hopes to accomplish in the coming weeks: learning from the alders themselves about how to be an alder.

Beyond more bike lanes, Flores said she isn’t sure about ​“specific resolutions” regarding what she wants to get done in office. But she said she has already been attending ​“trainings” with other alders to learn the bureaucratic complexities behind getting policies passed — and to find ​“security in knowing that it’s all a learning process.” 

The following individuals were sworn on to the Board of Alders Monday afternoon (29 in person):

Ward 1: Kiana E. Flores

Ward 2: Frank E. Douglass Jr. 

Ward 3: Ron Hurt

Ward 4: Evelyn Rodriguez

Ward 5: Kampton Singh 

Ward 6: Carmen Rodriguez

Ward 7: Eli Sabin

Ward 8: Ellen Cupo

Ward 9: Caroline T. Smith

Ward 10: Anna M. Festa

Ward 11: Henry ​“Rodney” Murphy

Ward 12: Theresa L. Morant

Ward 13: Rosa Ferraro Santana

Ward 14: Sarah A. Miller

Ward 15: Frank R. Redente

Ward 16: José L. Crespo

Ward 17: Salvatore C. Punzo

Ward 18: Salvatore E. DeCola

Ward 19: Kimberly R. Edwards

Ward 20: Brittiany T. Mabery-Niblack

Ward 21: Maceo Troy Streater

Ward 22: Jeanette L. Morrison 

Ward 23: Tyisha S. Walker-Myers

Ward 24: Evette T. Hamilton

Ward 25. Adam J. Marchand

Ward 26: Amy D. Marx (not present)

Ward 27: Richard W. Furlow

Ward 28: Thomas R. Ficklin Jr.

Ward 29: Brian Wingate

Ward 30: Honda Smith