The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 31, 2008

Wallingford, et al: Covanta and CRRA come to terms. All is well with the trash disposal business. Who’d of thunk it?

State: Gift cards. It’s an interesting subject, given the multiple closings. But some places doo okay with it, as noted in a later edition.

Meriden: Rushford proceeding with rehab of the former WWII hosp. building which it rents.

Meriden: Detective sues city and colleague over accidental injury involving a second cruiser. I don’t much care who was right and wrong in the accident, but I thought this was the sort of fellow-servant case that was eliminated by the workers’ compensation system.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 30, 2008

Wallingford: Electric division charges to rise. This apparently has more to do with transmission and distribution costs than generation. Figure.

Meriden: City building fees to go up? Given the potential profit developers can make, given the relative shortage of undeveloped land in Meriden, and given the fact that the fees haven’t been changed since the 1980s, these fee increases look pretty minimal. I’d charge a lot more, frankly. Times won’t always be bad.

Meriden: this trash business gets more and more curious. City has put off bidding on new internal contract to see where and how the inter-municipal trash collection system will go. Which makes sense. And I guess we’ll have to cross the bridge about whole city or no city pickup of garbage, also. A difference between 14,000 tons and 30,000 tons is significant. Meanwhile, CRRA decides today whether to buy or sell the plant. Given that all 5 towns have opted for the competition’s offer, you’d think CRRA would bow out gracefully, as it’s theoretically non-profit. But betting is they’ll buy. And then what?

Southington: the charter revision panel gets its first marching orders.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec.29, 2008

Wallingford: plan to create a pedestrian-Mecca in downtown Wallingford. Seems like a very interesting concept, and once certainly pointing in the right direction.

Wallingford/State: Rep. Mushinsky has the job of checking out existing state agencies and making recommenda-tions on their retention or removal. That’s an interesting challenge.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec.28, 2008

Wallingford/Hamden/etc.: Wintergreen’s funding in some doubt, as is Edison, as state considers education funding cuts. The legislature is going to have to find money to pay for these schools one way or another, and copping out a sticking it to the towns is the least attractive options, I think. It’s inconceivable to let them close.

Meriden: We The People making a push for nominations and representations on city boards etc. Well, why not?

Southington: Open Spaces committee not planning to meet in 2009. If meetings must be posted at the beginning of the year, can the body then schedule an unscheduled meeting if something comes up? Why not at least schedule one meeting, just to make sure nobody in the group has moved away?

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec.27, 2008

Wallingford: Charter Amendment considers the clerk’s position becoming appointed by the mayor. Brodinsky is showing openness in suggesting it be a mayoral appointment. Part of the process, though, may be a decision on the part of both parties not to make it a contested issue. Meriden elects a clerk every four years and has elected the same person several times, partly due to cross endorsements.

Cheshire, Meriden, etc.: Security at local stores is up, reflecting increase in shoplifting, which probably reflects the sagging economy. At least such an explanation is suggested.

Area: All four Ys report difficulties with compliance with a pool pump cover requirement because the law was poorly drawn. Nothing like the old “one size fits all” legislative mandate!

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec.26, 2008

Meriden: partially empty shelves in school libraries. That’s a miserable place to practice “economy” just like skimping on textbooks (and that should be taken as skimping electronic books or text resources as well). These materials are cheap, relative to the benefit conferred.

Wallingford: New veterans’ affairs person has been working for nearly three months. Seems to be progressing, but we look to see his report on the needs of the office.

Meriden: Shortage of spaces at Shelter Now is not a good thing. Reflective of the sour employment economy. They’ve taken care of Wall Street (sort of). How about Main Street?

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 24, 2008

Wallingford: So the electric division rates are rising, as approved. No doubt, too, that any rate increases approved for Northeast Utilities will take effect as well. I understand rising utility costs when the price of the oil being burned is doubling. But that’s not been the case for six months. So the “market” only reacts when prices rise?

Meriden: Congressman Murphy says this may be the session for health care reform. I hope so.

Southington: Man arrested for road rage incident. Good. There should be more of that. But this may be, in addition to the habit of “letting it all hang out” a result of too much not following the rules.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 23, 2008

Meriden: The approach being taken at Crestwood is to deal with each tenant individually. That’s fine, and it’s legal. But it also means that one tenant won’t be in a position to compare notes with others directly. Those who have missed the whole discussion will probably simply pay as requested, even if they have to eat dog food to do so. While I suppose ownership has every right to take rents to market values at will, once HUD rules expire, this is a situation which strongly recommends a legislative remedy.

State: the machine gun death in Massachusetts of that youngster at a gun show: now leading to criminal prosecu-tions. Local police chief, who also happened to be owner of a firm which promoted the gun show, now charged as is the owner of the club. Have they charged the father yet? He is a doctor and was on the spot, and instead of reaching to take the gun from the boy’s hands he was reaching for his camera. I hate to say so, but his was the on-the-spot error of judgment it seems to me. But of course he is already punished.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec.22, 2008

Area/Southington: So nice for Mount Southington that there’s all this snow to get the ski season off to a good start. Let’s hope the snow, but not its consequences, hangs around for a while.

Meriden: more news about those Rent increases on the Crestwood development. The HUD renewal leases seem to hold power regardless of ownership.

Meriden: Y’s Men hosts Ellen Rusconi-Black, who has a Canada Goose deterrent operation. Makes a whole lot of sense to me.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec.21, 2008

Meriden: The story about the Pledge of Allegiance has drawn several letters, and it’s easy to see why. The disrespect is a sort of algorithm for today’s youth as contrasted with older generations. Yet it should be born in mind that the Pledge is only a symbolic statement regarding patriotism regarding the flag, which itself is a symbol of the nation.

Meriden: Diversity study suggests Meriden has fewer minority members of its work force than its population might suggest. The question is, given the fiscal abilities of the city and the limited pool of minority candidates, how to do better. A related issue relates to Connecticut’s racial isolation.

Meriden: Sgt. Nesci lauded for work with the DEA over the last couple of years. It offers resources, training, and creates good liaisons with other agents and departments

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec.20, 2008

Southington: the audit and the Parks Dept. nepotism. I suspect Moise is correct in thinking that the operational audit might have disclosed such a situation. But the deeper point is that it was not apparently thought wrong al-though it was widely known.

Meriden: Airport lighting around the newly renovated portions. Let’s be sure that new security lighting is also full cut-off lighting as Connecticut’s law requires in many cases.

Southington: Police Captaincy situation. Now appears moot, but I certainly hope the meeting tomorrow is an opportunity for chief and officers to discuss any plans for realigning the department.

Meriden: Two local HR cases reach new stage: officer Lawlor, tax collector Calabrese. Good thing.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec.19, 2008

Meriden: Postal Service and its union have reached some sort of compromise on the route situation. I certainly hope it works out.

Wallingford (and the other four towns): Covanta/CRRA. Dickinson to CRRA to seek non-action on its option. The script is weirder and weirder.

Meriden, Southington (and others): Aquifer protection action pending. Time to do it, if it’s required.
Aquifer protection action pending. Time to do it, if it’s required.

The Editor's Notepod, Thurs., Dec. 18, 2008

Southington: the issue of nepotism in employment of relatives of Parks Dept. employees. Nothing particular against the people identified in the article, but it is kind of hard to believe that no one has raised the matter before as a potential problem. It’s really not rocket science. I would think that not hiring close relatives in municipal situations had been pretty standard for quite some time.

Meriden: Hanover Pond dredging. It’s a big job. If the muck can be made into an island and that would save a good deal of cash, it sounds like a plan — providing it doesn’t smell too bad. But any way you cut it, it’s an expensive job.

Meriden: Meanwhile, Silver Lake dredging seems to be moving forward and making good progress.

State: Democrats decide not to censure Joe Lieberman, but to send a letter expressing disappointment instead. I would imagine that unless he is completely self-deluded, his poll numbers are telling him something.

The Editor's Notepod, Wed., Dec. 17 2008

Meriden: Glad to see that Wilcox is assisting the Quinnipiac River Watershed Assoc. in the renovation project. There’s a good synergy in getting the high school kids something real to do for a non-profit.

Meriden: Problem with HUD compliance on lead abatement programs. There’s no question that HUD regs are complicated, but with lead paint abatement . . .? This is not a new issue. If HUD changed something, you might think they’d make a point of letting grantees in on the change.

Cheshire: mill rate/revaluation issues. With revaluation now taking place every 5 years, to avoid the sort of sticker shock people used to receive on learning of 10 years of change, the situation still seems to confuse people. 1) it is natural that taxes will go up some each year. Been that way for decades. Maybe the recession will change that, but it’s not likely. 2) Revaluation is more likely to result in shifts in the tax burden among different types of property – commercial, residential, rental, industrial – as properties change values unequally. Most of any increase in value is offset by decreases in the mill rate, but not all, so taxes rise. And, as the town manager says, in this case, although values have all gone down recently, they remain higher than they were five years ago. Of course, it never does seem to happen that a revaluation is made during a property low — or perhaps no one complains when it does.

Wallingford: town becomes the 5th of the 5 to approve the Covanta contract . . . which now seems not to matter, since CRRA may go ahead and decide to pay fair market value for the plant itself instead of letting Covanta exercise its $1 option. And no one still knows the value or what would happen if it does so. That is the most bizarre set-up. Would this be a demonstration of the craziness of quasi-public corporations?

Wallingford/Durham: another bullet strike, another study planned by Durham. Look, if every gun used at the Range is not registered and checked for ballistic markings each time it’s used, there’s just no way that any bullet discovered down range can be identified — or shown to be NOT from the Range. And that is what is needed.

The Editor's Notepod, Tues., Dec. 16, 2008

Meriden, Wallingford, Cheshire: Covanta/CRRA trash disposal. Meriden approves Covanta contract, Wallingford expected to, North Haven may have done so Monday night. Fine. That’s the way the water’s running. But the lens has shifted. Now it appears that CRRA may exercise its option of buying at fair Market value (a totally unknown figure) at the end of the contract, the end of 2009. This would bump any contract the towns have reached with Covanta. It’s the same thing as before, either Covanta buys the place for a $1 or CRRA gets it at fair market value, but the equation has somehow twisted.

Meriden: Use of a drug dog to sniff around apartments at Crestwood II. Just because something might be legal doesn’t mean anyone should be doing it.

Meriden: Repair of the pipe on Britannia Street. Seems like a workable solution, and cheaper than digging the whole darn thing up and replacing. But 14-16 feet down? Why so deep? I’ll bet there’s an interesting engineering story behind that!

Southington: the Aquifer protection rules. It’s time to get this done. Other towns have coped. Yes, it makes some rules, but these are for everyone’s benefit. Everyone lives here, not just developers.

The Editor's Notepod, Mon., Dec.15, 2008

Meriden: Monument errors. It’s too bad they happen, but they appear to be common. I recall when the additional names were rounded up and placed on the monument, something that Ray Morin had a part in, I think. It’s a situation not unlike that of a memorial gift (to a school, for instance) when the bench or tree or doorbell or whatever is damaged, dies or stops working. Up to some point, an effort to honor the gift is appropriate . . . but how far?

Wallingford: the testing program for monitoring elderly folks who live alone seems like an excellent program to me.

Meriden: Water tower, radio tower atop Dexter/Carpenter. They’ve had trouble with that water reservoir up there as I recall. I did once live fairly close to the top of that hill. I can’t imagine a water tower or a radio tower would be a property enhancer, but I have no idea how bad the current water pressure is.

The Editor's Notepod, Sun., Dec.14, 2008

Wallingford/Durham: the issue on the bullet question is one of proof. But how can a link between the bullet holes and the range be proved?

Southington: doesn’t seem quite fair to me to complain about Masci’s overtime if he is a one-man department. Would the objectors rather have him stay home from functions? That’s not how it’s done.

Meriden: city’s purchase of two hybrid cars is hereby noted and approved — even if the price of gasoline has dropped back to ridiculously — even dangerously — low levels.

The Editor's Notepod, Sat., Dec.13, 2008

Meriden: Hi-oh Silver, Away! An incident from the Wild West as some yahoo in a rented car runs over a cop’s foot and drives away . . . to Cromwell? Hope they nail this sucker. I know that any time a driver is stopped, all the illegal things one has done lately come tom mind, but this panic suggests a little more than merely rolling through a stop sign!

Wallingford: the parking problem. Having attempted parking a couple of years ago on the block South of Center St., I can see the difficulty. It’s one faced by many traditional downtowns which have rejected the idea of more vertical parking or of converting empty lots. But how about Wooding-Kaplan?

Area: we are lucky, I think, that we had rain instead of ice at the end of last week. That won’t ease the pain of anyone who suffered water damage, though, and for them our sympathies are extended.

The Editor's Notepod, Fri., Dec.12, 2008

Wallingford: sorry to hear of closing of Barnett Books. It’s a tough time for book publishers as well as other people, according to what I’ve heard.

Area: municipalities gird their shovel-ready projects for anticipated federal dollars. While we can all eagerly await the largesse from Washington, and hope it arrives PDQ! we would be well-advised not to begin spending the cash until it is clearly granted.

Southington: Parking Authority donnybrook really gives the town a black eye. Except it’s not clear who really did the dirty work.

The Editor's Notepod, Thursday, December 11, 2008

Area: Bus transit plans canceled. This is penny-wise and dollar foolish. Even though the price of gas is down. And it is certainly a strangeness that profits go up when price of gasoline goes down. I suppose they sell more gallons, and there’s also more room for the profit margin. Also, just as the CEO of the ICPA says, that stations don’t pass on the full extent of the price increases, they probably don’t pass on the full extent of decreases, either. That’s not just gas stations. Any volatile market would work that way, I’d think.

Southington: Up-close on Eric Daigle, and the whole story. I think it’s too bad that it all worked out in this manner. As we said when Daigle’s name was originally mentioned, he seems like a natural asset to a police department.

Meriden: Crestwood II rent increases demonstrates the dark side of the federally assisted development, which is that eventually, the federal assistance is paid ff, and the owner is then able to move toward the market value, never mind who the tenants are.

The Editor's Notebod, Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Southington: Councilors explain their votes on the police captaincy. The matter is settled solely on the transfer of funds issue, but left unsettled is the chief’s possible reorganization of the department. That’s probably a matter to be dealt with . . . if not by the police commission, then by the council.

Wallingford: Charter commission. Further demonstration of what the issue really is.

Southington: Appointments to the charter commission. There seem to be some non-officials on the panel, but some familiar faces as well. We will see how it all works.

Cheshire: Council approves the Covanta contract, heaving out CRRA. This is probably going to be the pattern. Let’s hope that it proves to be the right long-term choice.

The Editor's Notebod, Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Wallingford: The charter panel votes, along party lines, votes to change the veto power. If this is not a politically motivated change, then what is it? And if it is, why not say so, make it an upfront part of the program, and place it in a separate position on the referendum, when that happens.

Southington: a 4-4 vote on the motion to transfer cash for the promotion of the captain means it falls. Ergo, the plan is dead. Without chance of revival?

Meriden: Trashing the shrine on Coe Ave. is pretty nasty.

Meriden: evidently, the presence of city non-profits in the Park selling cookies and cocoa seems to have worked out pretty well for participants. That’s a good thing.

State: Rell will be speaking with state employee unions. This is a situation where tact and finesse is everything. Otherwise, all that happens is pushing and shoving.

Meriden: Contract for Phase II of the linear trail design. I am delighted to see this project moving forward. The first part, through the gorge, has been a fine success.

The Editor's Notepod, Monday, December 8, 2008

Meriden: Chief Cossette asks for expansion of Police Service Technician system. That’s a request we can back. It seems pretty cheap, too, and if it can help train and retrain officers, it’s a good idea.

Cheshire: Ethics Board. Don’t need one? Baloney. It’s a flat-out good idea to have an outside person look at the facts of an allegation and make a public ruling on the potential for conflict. No way that’s going to happen when the whole thing is handled by office memos or conference.

Southington: The idea of a 10 percent cut in state support for public schools, as mentioned here in a Southington context, isn’t acceptable. The technique is simply cutting the cost sharing grants — which isn’t enough to begin with. Stop fixing roads, if need be. Don’t fix the airport. Don’t hire anyone new at the MVD. But this is a foolish area to make across the board cuts. If taxes are necessary to support the program, taxes it must be.

The Editor's Notepod, Sunday, December 7, 2008

Wallingford: the mayoral veto and the charter revision. But we’ve been here before!

West Haven: suit settled with family of kid who got killed on Interstate 95 after he ran from police following a fistfight. Killed by a truck, as he tried to cross the road. Family gets $400,000. Taxpayers should be furious.

The Editor's Notepod, Saturday, December 6, 2008

Meriden: cancellation of the Wetlands meeting on Murdock Ave. site was correct move. I’d also think the developer would expect public attendance. And, for him to consider, if they dislike the project so much that he is worried about the public being there, then perhaps it’s time to modify the project. The idea of having one IWWC member at a time pay a site visit may indeed be permissible under FoI rules, but it is a drop-dead terrible idea from the standpoint of reaching an unimpeachable decision.

Southington: mass resignation over non-appointment of a colleague. There could be more to this story than meets the eyes. But then again, maybe not . . . like Bill Comerford sudden withdrawal from Housing Authority post in Wallingford.

Meriden: Another suit over that acreage on Cathole Mountain. This is most unfortunate. Is there such a thing as an order prohibiting further suits? I think they’ve been repealed. Too bad.

The Editor's Notepod, Friday, December 5, 2008

Southington: That Greenway Commons idea still seems like a good plan, which costs the state nothing. I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t pass.

Meriden: How can rent be raised unilaterally on a lease just after a lease has been signed?

Meriden: Public meeting on private land with public excluded raises some FoI issues.

Cheshire: a zero tolerance policy for bullying…I suppose that makes more sense than allowing kids to take turns, secure in the knowledge that it takes more than one incident to win a punishment. But the “zero tolerance” rule as an official policy means that every incident of any kind gets treated to a full dress crime and punish-ment scenario. Does this really help anyone?

Southington/Cheshire: charges after the powder-puff contest. Perhaps everyone needs to rethink the occasion. A traditional informal event is one thing. A highly competitive and passionate occasion is another.

The Editor's Notepod, Thursday, December 4, 2008

Southington: Charter Commission soon to be named. Composition of group is important, of course. Lots of diversity is fine. Non-officials are fine. But too many strong personalities who may (or may not) have agendas may not be fine. And there is as yet no indication whether the intent is to update charter sections or to rewrite the town government from scratch. That could make deadlock.

Meriden: Inland Wetlands has a donnybrook over a site visit. That the commission would go ahead with a visit, despite the recommendation of the professional staff and without the public is an insult to the both. And it is also rather amusing to wonder if the wetlands impact is significant enough to warrant a hearing — given that the project is strongly opposed in any form by so many neighbors.

Meriden & Economy: tough times for booksellers. This is as bad and dangerous as tough times for newspapers.

Wallingford: the Habitat issue; a withdrawal. If there’s a specific issue with the piece of property, near the Choate Boathouse, which the town wants to develop (and given the record on Wooding-Caplan, The Legion Building and other, long-suffering properties, the plan is rather long-range at most charitable), I can understand putting off this proposal. Why play footsy, though? Perhaps I’m reading into it more than is there but is there a feeling that the non-profit agency is out to do something underhanded or immoral? That needs to be remedied.

The Editor's Notepod, Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Meriden/Middlefield/Wallingford: it’s a Middlefield decision and story, but I am delighted that the arrangements for the town to buy the Powder Ridge property, including the ski area, have been accomplished. And suddenly, for a good deal less than might have been thought the last time I happened to read about the issue.

Meriden: Little cows and other critters on Brownstone ridge causing problems. How should this sort of difficulty be handled?

State: Gov. Rell met with pres. elect. to discuss economic stimulus. I can recall no other president to be anywhere near so busy, but then few have had to face anything like the economic crisis. Rell seemed upbeat. Murphy speaking of public works projects to get folks working, now called infrastructure, which sounds like one good idea. Fasano says use federal $$ to balance budget, but that doesn’t really do anything identifiable, does it?

Wallingford: The trash/energy plant decision is coming up soon. Better hope all the reviewing is done.

The Editor's Notepod, Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Southington: the police appointment. This saga goes on and on. There’s a lesson here, somewhere, but I’m darned if I can figure out what it is.

Wallingford: An unfortunate situation regarding the 250-year-old house on North Main St. It’s very sad when we let history go up in smoke like that.

Meriden/state: statistics on arrests, fatalities, accidents over the holiday weekend. Fatalities, dropping from 4 to 1 (a 75 percent drop) is statistically irrelevant — to everyone, I suppose, but the poor victim and survivors. The number of accidents increased, as did DUI arrests, by about 10 percent each. But the weather was nasty. How much do accidents increase during holidays? Seat-belt violations are down!

Meriden: results at the mall are mixed and somewhat hedged. Isn’t it becoming clear that putting so many annual eggs in one basket for retail is a dangerous thing to do? Or is that like trying to convince people not to buy gas guzzlers and to take the train or bus instead?

The Editor's Notepod, Monday, December 1, 2008

Wallingford: charter panel considers electing zoning board. In general, I think the fewer elected officials there are, the more that responsibility is concentrated. In the specific case of a zoning board member, electing them requires a platform (beyond, “I’m such a good guy”) and that’s hard to do on land use cases without promising a certain type of decision. And that threatens litmus tests.

Southington: economic summit meeting, SEED (Southington Enterprise and Economic Development). Slogan, “Southington is open for business.” Might that not take it a little too far? How to residents feel about all those abatements for business?