Branford Firehouse OK’d

The Democrats and Republicans finally came together at the RTM last night, voting by acclamation to approve a new $12.5 million fire headquarters to replace the dilapidated building where firefighters now work. Scores of firefighters who had stood three-deep against the back wall at the main room at Canoe Brook Senior Center for nearly three hours cheered and applauded. So did the audience.
 

Frank Twohill, the Republican minority leader, said the new headquarters at 45 North Main St. would be a state-of-the-art facility. The Democrats across the aisle applauded this turnabout. Last month the very same Republicans in a joint committee rejected the new firehouse. Now it appeared there was a unanimous bipartisanagreement by the 30-member RTM.

The reason the committee had voted it down on Aug. 26 was, as RTM Republican Peter Black said, ​“confusion about the vote and sticker shock” over the $12.5 million cost. (The Board of Finance in a bipartisan vote previously approved the project.)

At 9 p.m., an hour into the meeting Wednesday night, the architects and construction manager had just finished up their presentation. In 20 minutes the legislative body completed a task that had been 20 years in the making. That’s how long the town of Branford has needed a new fire headquarters and ambulance delivery service. The Democrats beamed at what appeared such enthusiastic cooperation for a new fire house. In the audience, Republican Third Selectman John Opie reached over to shake the hand of Fire Chief Jack Ahern.

And then the Republicans let loose. 

Yes, they told the packed room, the Democrats, who hold the majority, could have their new firehouse, but no, the Republicans would not approve the $600,000 it would take to move the public works garage off the site so that the new fire headquarters could, in fact, be built.

The public works garage has to be moved because the current fire headquarters needs to function as a new fire headquarters is constructed on the public works footprint. 

The RTM Republicans then mounted a 90-minute battle, not budging from their position to keep public works where it is or in the alternative to find a better rental facility than the one proposed. They wanted a hiatus, to buy time. They wanted to send the issue back to committee, for at least a month, probably longer. That way work could be done on finding a permanent site for public works. Nearly three years ago First Selectman Unk DaRos has said it would go on the Tabor property which the town owns. And it still might. A public works committee appointed at the Board of Selectmen meeting earlier in the evening will look into various sites.

“We disapprove of having to pay rent for the public works facility,” Minority Leader Twohill declared. ​“We put our heads together and we decided to leave it where it is. There is no need to move it. It is a no brainer.” His comments came after these projects underwent eight months of review and approvals by regulatory bodies and the town’s Board of Finance. Twohill’s concern was the $12 million for one project and his claim of $6-$8 million for a new public works building.

Republican RTM member Jamie Cosgrove said ​“I am not in favor of moving them [public works] for three years; maybe we need a year-to- year lease.” He said putting the issue back to a committee for a month or two would not delay the fire headquarters project; it could still proceed.

Republican Clerk Dennis Flanagan said ​“We are only asking for a 30 day delay” to look at the options for public works. ​“This has nothing to do with the firehouse.” The firefighters listened closely.
 
Democratic Majority Leader Anthony Giardiello didn’t buy that analysis. ​“We are about to make the same mistake we made a year ago by moving on the firehouse, but not on public works, “ a reference to the decision by the RTM to not approve drawings for a public works building and instead send it back to committee where it has languished.

“You are voting yes on the car and no on the gasoline,” he declared. The firefighters, about 40 of them, erupted in spontaneous applause at the back of the room. 

Republican RTM member Michael Nardella, still pressing for an alternative plan involving a swap involving a proposed senior center, then stood up to ask if the town planner was at the meeting. She was not. 
 
None of the building or land ideas put forth by the Republicans in the last month have been vetted by any town board or commission. No applications have been submitted to Planning and Zoning or to the RTM regarding placing the fire headquarters at another site. Yet Nardella,declared: ​“This is the biggest planning meeting of the year and there is no one here from planning.”

He then postulated to nays from the audience that the fire union is more important to the Democrats than is the public works union. ​“Tell me where public works is going,” he demanded. ​“I don’t see a plan.”

Democratic RTM member David Baker said he wanted the views about the rental facility from the director of public works, Edward Masotta, So a few weeks back he asked him. Masotta told him the rental facility would be adequate. ​“Not wonderful, but adequate.” He said he had looked at quite a few buildings. He told Baker the new rental is big enough. ​“Can you fix it, if you have to? Baker asked.

“Yes,” Masotta told him. ​“He is telling me the building is okay. I didn’t necessarily like it, but it will do. I am assuming he knows what he is doing. If he doesn’t he should be fired.”

Assistant Fire Chief Shaun Heffernan recalled a similar conversation with Masotta and repeated it to the audience that had filled the room. Someone got up to ask if Masotta was in the room. People looked around and couldn’t find him. He wasn’t there, someone said. 

In fact, Masotta was there. We found him after the meeting in a corridor whose door opened onto the main room. Several people gathered in the corridor to try to hear the discussion. 

We asked him why he didn’t speak at the meeting. ​“I am not saying anything,” he responded. Then he thought about it and added: it was too crowded inside.

Masotta’s role in the delays in fire house/public works process is just beginning to become known. Twohill said in a prior interview that Masotta did not want to leave the current site.

First Selectman Unk DaRos alluded to Masotta’s role from the floor. First he explained to the 80-plus people in the room additional facts about the rental facility for public works. He agreed that the ventilation of the building needed to be fixed. He said it would be a temporary lease and that the town has no intention of contaminating the site, a concern raised by several Republican RTM members. ​“We do not want to contaminate a site. We are municipality and we can’t do that. As for the public works director, he is unhappy about moving. Period.” The firefighters applauded. 

Sandra Reiners, the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, told Twohill that ​“moving public works is a necessary condition. There is a framework and a plan being developed for public works. Holding the fire station hostage to this public works building is not in the public’s interest,” she said. 

Reiners said no bids could go out for the fire department, and they were expected to do so in November, unless it can be put on a specific site.
 
Town Enginner Janice Plasiak agreed. Unless the $600,000 was approved for a public works rental, the new firehouse could not be put out for bid.

“We cannot bid the project if we cannot actually construct it,” Plaziak said.

That did it. 

The RTM could not first approve a new firehouse project and then not construct it on a site for which it had approvals. 

The vote to re-refer the public works issue back to committee was defeated 19 – 9. All nine Republicans said yes. This time there were no Democratic crossovers. Mary Davis was the lone Democratic RTM member who was absent; she had a leg injury. The moderator, Scott Thayer, votes only to break a tie.

Then came the actual vote on allocating the $600,000 for the temporary rental of a public works building. It passed by unanimous voice vote.

The audience burst into applause.

The fire headquarters battle was finally over. The battle showed that the Democrats could pull together if they had to and support the first selectman’s position. It also showed that the Republicans could be a vocal, unified entity, raising a series of complicated issues at the 11th hour. 

Afterwards, DaRos said, ​“This is long overdue. We have been very fortunate playing Russian roulette with public safety but I must commend the department in being patient. I do know that three years ago there was a certain expectation that we were going to get this job done. And now we are going to move forward and get this job done. And I think the people of Branford should have a facility they can be proud of.”

Chief Ahern was asked how he felt at this moment in the town’s history: ​“We are very excited. I can’t thank everybody enough. All the support we had tonight. Many people did a lot of work on this, he said — Janice (Plaziak), Shaun (Heffernan) Tom Mahoney ( a deputy chief.) This is truly a building the town will be proud of and the firefighters will proud of. We can’t wait. The morale has increased by 100 percent. You can see that.”

As Ahern wrapped up his conversation with the press, RTM Republican Marc Riccio, who earlier in the evening asked to delay the public works project for six months, came up to the chief. 

“We made you work for it, but you got it,” Riccio told the chief. Then Riccio, the new vice-chair of the Republican Town Committee left.

The chief was silent.

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