Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel opened the meeting and asked everyone to introduce themselves.

Announcements and Committee Updates:

• Library Committee:
  • Connie Matheson announced that the 3^rd Annual Whitneyville Branch Library fund raiser was a success, netting $1,873 that will be donated for library materials and activities.
  • As per Phase II of our plan, new carpeting has been installed.
  • The committee is looking for new members.

• Music Committee:
  • Deirdre Dolan announced that the committee is set to hold concerts on the 3^rd Thursday in June, July, and August in DeNicola Park, with a rain location in Whitneyville Cultural Commons.
    • June – Jazz
    • July – Sing Along
    • August – Klezmer
  • About 80 – 100 are expected to attend each concert.

• Officer Elections:
  • Mark Foran was elected WCA President
  • Deborah Maldonado was re-elected Treasurer
  • Scott Matheson was elected Secretary to fill out Mark Foran’s term.

Dale Kroop, Hamden Economic and Neighborhood Development:

Guest speaker Dale Kroop was introduced.

• Dale noted that Hamden is updating a Long Range Economic Plan that involves five towns.  The plan is updated ever two years.
• Commercial property is doing well, with a 95% occupancy rate among shopping centers.
• The Whitney Center is the town’s largest employer after Town Government and Quinnipiac University.
• The Canal Crossing apartment complex is planned for seven buildings totaling 393 units.  Four are currently 100% occupied.  A fifth unit is expected to open in August.  A significant number of tenants are employed by Yale.
• The town is investigating the possibility of bringing high speed broadband internet access to Hamden. Stiff opposition is expected from Comcast and Frontier.
• The Plan of Conservation and Development is expected to be finished in this fall.
• Retail projects were discussed.  Ulta has completed the move from North Haven, while Marshalls and TJ Maxx have reduced their store spaces.
• Putnam Place was discussed.  When Stop and Shop pulled out and no other grocery chain wanted it, Porter and Chester relocated there.  CVS is coming, as well as a trampoline amusement.
• The former Hamden Middle School was discussed.
  • Remediation is almost complete.
  • A developer has been selected to create 57 elderly housing units, of which 30 will be mixed income.  It’s expected to open in 2022-23.
  • The gym will be converted into a community center.
  • Business incubator with space for 20 tenants is planned.

Dale then took questions, which included:

• Responding to a question regarding the commercial district, he noted that Whitneyville doesn’t qualify for HUD loans for façade improvements and lobbying is necessary to obtain funding from other sources.
• Regarding the status of Powder Farm, he stated that the 131-acre property is owned by the Olin Corporation, which is under a consent degree to clean it up.  The cost is estimated at $8 to $10 million.  There has been interest in private acquisition for open space.
• The new fire station on Putnam Avenue will occupy 3 ½ acres.
• The 115-room Marriott Residence Inn is under construction again in Centerville.
• There has not been a lot of interaction between the Town and Quinnipiac.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 pm.

Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel opened the meeting and asked everyone to introduce themselves.

Announcements and Committee Updates:

• Officer Elections
  • There will be elections for the offices of President and Treasurer at the May WCA meeting.
  • Term limits require a new President, while position of Treasurer can be filled by the incumbent.  Deb Maldanado is willing to continue in that role.

• Treasurer’s Report
  • The Gardening Committee account has a balance of $3347.82.
  • The WCA general account has a balance of $1,238.26.

• Annual Meeting on May 16
  • State Senator Martin Looney and Hamden Economic Development Director Dale Kroop have been invited to speak at the next WCA Meeting.

• Library Committee:
  • Connie Matheson announced that the 3^rd Annual Whitneyville Branch Library fund raiser will be held on May 3^rd at 6:00 pm at the Playwright.  A donation of $30 can be made in advance or at the door.
  • Connie also noted that children’s author Deborah Freedman’s reading on February 9^th attracted twelve children and adults.

• Music Committee:
  • Deirdre Dolan announced the lineups for the 5^th Annual Music in the Park series.  Concerts will be held on the 3^rd Thursday in June, July, and August in DeNicola Park.
    • June – Jazz
    • July – Sing Along
    • August – Klezmer

• Merchants Meeting:
  • Liz Hellwig reported on a meeting held with local merchants regarding business concerns in Whitneyville.
    • Parking was the major issue.
    • The intersection of Putnam and Whitney Avenues.
    • Potential for sidewalk sales and other events.

Proposed Tree Planting Program:

Bob Pattison gave an overview of the program:

• Tree planting usually occurs on Saturdays using the town’s overtime account.
• Given other issues (including the tornado cleanup), it probably won’t happen this year.
• Bob proposed that the Town procure the trees and deliver to the civic associations for volunteer planting.  Mayor Leng likes the idea and will consult with the Hamden Tree Commission about implementation.
• Bob also mentioned that the switch to LED street lighting is ongoing.  He has proposed that the Town purchase and operate the lights instead of paying UI (United Illuminating) to do it.  Mayor Leng likes the idea.  Expect the process to happen in the next three months.

Hamden Tree Commission:

Susan Sternberg gave an overview of the Tree Commission’s work:

• The Commission aims to get a Town Tree Ordinance passed.  This will enable Hamden to apply for grants.
• A tree pruning workshop will be held at Bassett Park on Saturday from 9 – 10:30 AM.  The rain date is March 30th.
• A tree walk will be held at Broken Arrow Farms.

Legislative Council Update:

Justin Farmer, Legislative Council Member representing Whitneyville, spoke on several issues.

• He noted that the overtime for tree planting comes from the leaf collection budget.
• A new Town of Hamden website is in development.  The Town is looking for local input before finalizing the design.  It is expected to go live in July.
• Mayor Leng presented his budget proposal for the next fiscal year, which would total $230 million.
  • $84 million is earmarked for education. 
  • The proposal incorporates a one mil increase in the tax rate.
  • Five new police would be added, of which 3 would be stationed at schools.
  • Pension payments would be at 85% of full funding.
  • The budget also anticipates $2 million in union concessions.

• Justin’s primary concerns as a councilman:
  • More transportation infrastructure
  • Conversion of street lights to LEDs
  • Broadband internet access for the town
  • Universal pre-K program
  • New firehouse on Putnam Avenue

• Justin mentioned that he is now on the Children’s Center Board.  They are looking into possible fund raising strategies.

• Justin urged residents to use the See-Click-Fix website to report local issues to the Town.

New Business:

• Mike Lockett briefly announced that Mayor Leng is considering creation of a Traffic Advisory Committee.  There was a discussion of the WCA’s participation on this committee.
• The status of the Waite Street reconstruction project was also discussed.  After the meeting, Town Engineer Mark Austin gave this update:
  • The Town has applied for the acceptance of the project at the CT DOT and are waiting for a response.  It has been there about 4 months now.  The Town is planning on bidding the Engineering Services shortly.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.

Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel opened the meeting at 7:05 and asked everyone at the meeting to introduce themselves.

Announcements and Committee Updates:

• Dave noted that the WCA Board has reviewed the draft Hamden Plan of Conservation and Development and prepared comments.  He provided an overview of our response.  The WCA’s comments have been circulated to the Ridge Hill and Spring Glen Civic Associations with the thought of consolidating all three CA’s comments in one letter.  However, we will file our own comments separately to ensure they are received in time.
• Library Committee:
  • Connie Matheson announced that the Whitneyville Branch Library event in November featuring author Bruce Coffin was a success.  The event was standing room only.
  • Connie also noted that children’s author and illustrator Deborah Freedman will be reading at the library on February 9^th at 10:30 AM.
  • The 3^rd Annual Library Fundraiser will be held on May 3^rd.  Previous events have raised about $2,000 in each year.
  • Library Committee member Kari Nordstrom made a plan for improvements to the branch that has begun to be implemented.  The Town Librarian is working with the committee to implement the plan.
• Treasurer’s Report:
  • $1285.25 in the WCA bank account
  • $347.82 in the Garden Club account
• Officer Elections
  • There will be elections for the offices of President and Treasurer at the May WCA meeting.
  • Term limits require a new President, while the Treasurer can be filled by the incumbent.  Deb Maldonado is willing to continue if no one else is interested.

Upcoming Legislative Session.  Dave introduced State Rep. Mike D’Agostino who provided an over view of the forthcoming legislative session.  He noted that many of the new Democratic members are from Fairfield County, which should add an interesting dynamic to the process.

• Governor Lamont is working on his budget proposal.  The overall budget will be in the range of $20 billion with a current deficit of $1.4 billion.  Unless revenue can be raised – such as enacting highway tolls – cuts in service will have to occur.
  • He noted that state employees may be asked for more givebacks, but that further cuts to pay and benefits will be detrimental to the retention of quality staff.
  • Town aid is another area that could experience cuts.  Those in turn could have an effect on Hamden’s mil rate, which is already one of the highest in the state.
  • Health and social programs such as HUSKY may have cuts.
  • Mike urged the WCA membership to contact other legislators representing Hamden to ensure their help in mitigating the economic impact on our town.
• Mike is working on legislation that would change the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) formula to account for each town’s actual ECS needs.  He noted that while Hamden is a relatively affluent town, our student population isn’t.
• Mike has dialogue with the Town regarding Hamden’s needs in the upcoming session.  He’s prepared a bill to allow municipalities to assess a public safety fee on college students.  Another bill would relieve towns of the need to provide transportation services for private school students. A third would permit municipalities to have different mil rates for residential and non-residential properties.
• Mike discussed some large bonding projects for which Hamden is working to secure state funding.
  • New firehouse(s) and a training facility.
  • Alice Peck and West Woods school renovations. 
• The Town is also looking to secure funding that would provide a universal Pre-K program.
• There was a discussion of the lack of an adequate juvenile justice facility in Connecticut.  Mike mentioned that, while he has put in a bill to transfer the High Meadows property on Hartford Turnpike, DCF is considering it as a site for a new facility.  Connie Matheson noted that there is currently a need for a 60 bed locked facility.  Mike offered to arrange a tour of High Meadows.

The meeting was opened for questions:

• There was a discussion of plans to stop net metering (for electricity).
• There was a suggestion that traffic calming strategies need to be implemented on Augur Street.
• Construction status of the Waite Street bridge is unknown.  See the May 2018 meeting notes for a discussion with the Town Engineer on initial plans.
• There was a discussion of the potential for traffic calming and parking on Whitney Avenue, a state route.  Mike is having a meeting with the new Transportation Commissioner and will raise the issue.
• A new adult marijuana bill will come before Mike’s committee.  It looks like this one won’t be smoked like last year’s. 
• Mike also noted that there is thought being given to a state-wide, rather than municipal, property tax by the General Assembly.

Mike will send copies of all his bills to the WCA.

Adjournment.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:55.

Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel opened the meeting at 7:07.

Announcements:

• Dave noted that public meetings on the Hamden Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) will be held on November 24^th and December 18^th. He urged members to attend and express their views.
• Dave noted that Wine 101 was celebrating their second anniversary with wine tastings on Friday and Saturday.
• Dave stated that the meeting at the Children’s Center had been well received and well attended. Connie Matheson noted that the October community meeting with the Children’s Center had been cancelled.  Updates on the Children’s Center will be presented as they arise.  Dave noted that the state’s only locked facility for minors is closed and that about 60 children who need that environment are being placed elsewhere in the system on a temporary basis.
• Dave and Mike Lockett (Ridge Hill Civic Association) met with Mayor Leng, who provided an update regarding the new street lights. An application has been made to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) to permit towns to purchase their own street lights.  This may improve negotiations with United Illuminating in the future.

Committee Updates. WCA committee updates included:

• Treasurer. The WCA has $1,089 in the bank.  The Garden Committee has $347 saved.  All Whitneyville residents are invited to join the WCA as voting members.
• Library Committee. Connie noted the upcoming free, neighborhood gathering on November 29^th at 7:00 pm in the Whitneyville Branch Library.  Bruce Coffin will do a reading from his memoir, The Long Light of Those Days.  Snacks will be available.

Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD):

• The plan is revised every 10 years. Dave noted that the town’s November and December meetings are an opportunity for public input.  He then opened a discussion regarding what members of the WCA wanted to see in the plan.  A lively discussion by the membership ensued.

The following issues were raised in the discussion:

• Expanded regionalization of services. The regional Health District was cited as a successful example.
• Improved mass transit, including consideration of different modes, such as trolley and monorail.
• Improved parking in the business district, including the possibility of a parking structure with ground level businesses if a location can be identified.
• Traffic calming improvements on Whitney Avenue.
• Adding a left turn arrow at the intersection of Putnam Avenue and Newhall Street.
• Fill in of gaps in the sidewalk network.
• Improved access to the Farmington Canal State Park Trail.
• Examination of alternatives for the reuse of the Board of Education (BOE) Building should the BOE relocate.
• Public access to Lake Whitney, including kayaking.
• A town-wide tree planting plan.
• Continued farmland preservation in the town.
• Creation of passive recreational space on the Powder Farm property.

The discussion also included issues related to improving the Whitneyville community in general.  Suggestions included:

• A Halloween parade for children
• Movie Night at DeNicola Park
• A town-wide community calendar
• Business of the Month promotions
• A winter social event
• Possibility of making the Ralston Street New Year’s Ball Droop as an official event
• Consideration of possible locations for sledding

Future Meetings:

• Dave noted that he had invited Representative Mike D’Agostino to speak at the January meeting regarding the new gubernatorial administration and General Assembly. (Mike subsequently accepted.)
• Mark Foran has contact information for a retired Hamden firefighter who has a presentation on the history of the Hamden Fire Department. His recent appearance at the Dunbar Civic Association was well received.

Adjournment.  The meeting adjourned at 8:15.

September 20, 2018 Meeting Notes

Welcome. This meeting was held at the Children’s Center of Hamden, 1400 Whitney Avenue. President Dave Bechtel called the meeting to order about 7:10.  He welcomed everyone and thanked the Children’s Center for hosting the meeting and providing the snacks and beverages.

Announcements:

• Michael Ross has resigned as Chair of the Library Committee
• At the Board of Ed Operations committee meeting on Monday, September 24, there will be a presentation of the revised report from the consultants working on “Rethink, Restructure, Revise” plan for Hamden schools. The meeting will be at 7:00 pm at the Hamden Middle School.
• There will be a Town-Wide Forum on LED Streetlights – Sat. Sept. 29, 2-4pm, Hamden High School. Room C-107.

 Committee Updates.  WCA committee updates included:

• Music Committee. Dave reviewed the very well attended summer 2018 series. He also reported that Jan Kazienko, who has chaired the music committee for several years has resigned and Deidre Dolan will be the new chair. New committee members are always welcome so think about it and watch for meeting announcements later this year.
•  Library Committee: WCA vice president Connie Mattheson reported that in July, the Committee members presented a check to the Library Director and Board for $2,350, proceeds from the Books and Booze fundraiser for the Whitneyville Branch Library. The Committee will meet in October to make plans for this year’s events and to choose a new chair.  Any new members are welcome.

Program:  Dave introduced the program, noting that the Children’s Center is a very visible part of our community and yet many of us don’t really know what they do.  He introduced Dan Lyga (Chief Executive Officer), and turned the program over to Dan.  Dan introduced Cheryl Smith (Chief Operating Officer), Sarah Lockery (Director of Development and Community Relations) and Detective Stephen Rossacci (Hamden Police Department liaison to the Children’s Center).

Dan started with the history of the Children’s Center, showing the evolution of locations and services provided for the past 185 years:

• 1833: Began as an orphanage, New Haven Orphan Asylum, the first child caring facility in Connecticut;
• 1925: Moved to current location in Hamden;
• 1940’s-50’s: Added medical care for children with polio;
• Served as adoption agency for a period of time;
• 1960’s – 1980’s: Added treatment for children with behavioral health and substance abuse issues: and
• 1990’s – 2005: Provided services and treatment with heavy emphasis on residential treatment. (100+ youth sleeping onsite and 45 day-program slots.)

Cheryl provided more detail on the programs and services provided in recent years and helped us understand how the evolution of research and theories of treatment impact what services and programs the Center provides.

• Currently (2018) has 47 beds and almost 100 served in day programs. This clearly demonstrates the shift from congregate care to day programs since 2005.
• Currently there are nine discreet programs currently administered by the Children’s Center.
• Program types vary from Clinical Day school, to Outpatient Substance Abuse to Crisis Stabilization and full Residential Treatment.
• The number of clients, the age ranges, and the gender vary by program.
• The average stay varies from 3 days to 12 months and one small group home serves adult women as long as needed.
• The Center also offers a number of programs for the children in addition to treatment and school. These include culinary arts, music and a gardening/ healthy eating / farmers’ market activity.

Detective Rossacci explained his role as police liaison officer.  He discussed his types of engagement and interaction with the children and the Center and clarified what the police can and cannot do:

• Clarified laws regarding stopping juveniles. Per a 2005 law, staff at the Children’s Center are not allowed by law to physically restrain youth from leaving unless they are a threat to themselves or others.  That is why people may see staff following a young person trying to convince them to return to the Center.
• Shared broader juvenile justice problems seen statewide, including auto thefts related to gang activities and how police departments are responding.
• The Children’s Center has been partnering with Hamden Police Department – assigning an additional officer in the neighborhood every evening starting at 6 pm. The officer checks in with the 24-hour onsite supervisor and is the first point of contact for any concerns from The Children’s Center or the 911 operator in Hamden.
• Steve repeatedly encouraged everyone to call the police, any time you see something that doesn’t seem right – whether related to the Children’s Center or not.

Dan opened up the floor for questions and a very engaged audience responded.  For almost an hour, Dan, Cheryl, Steve and Sarah answered questions. The conversation and discussions ranged from very specific questions about the Children’s Center of Hamden to the broader topics of children’s services and juvenile justice, nationally or at the State level in Connecticut.

Information was shared about Connecticut state departments that were, or are, involved including the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and the Division of Court Support Services (CSSD).  The team explained how these are evolving at our State level and what has happened in the past year, what is happening now, what is not happening that should be.

• The closing of Connecticut Juvenile Training School (CJTS) resulted in lack of locked juvenile facilities in the state. The State did not plan adequately before closing the facility. The responsibility shifted responsibility from DCF to CSSD.
• The State issued a request for proposals (RFP) for private facilities to meet the need for approximately 60 beds. Only one response was received and it was not acceptable.  The state is drafting a new RFP.  Juveniles impacted currently held in prisons or are being referred to other programs across the state.
• The Children’s Center did not submit an RFP. They do not have the appropriate facility for the population from CJTS or those juveniles requiring a locked facility. The Children’s Center does not plan to serve that population. In the interim, they have been asked to take clients and these will be considered on a case by case basis and will not be accepted until a full assessment has been completed.

What has the Children’s Center done in addition to the relationship with the police?

• Instituted monthly meetings with community, police, and elected officials. (This meeting is one of the results of those meetings.)
• Installed additional cameras in common areas.
• Installed delayed crash bars on doors in cottages with frequent runaways.
• Is using special activities/trips, etc. as incentives.
• Created work programs for youth.

Where do we go from here?

• Communicate your questions and concerns – the sooner the better. Ideas and suggestions welcome.  Call or email The Children’s Center any time:
• Cheryl Smith at csmith@tccoh.org or 203-248-2116 x269.
• Dan Lyga at dlyga@tccoh.org or 203-248-2116 x202
• Any time day or night, you can call the 24-hour Supervisor On Site at 203-627-2273.
• Rossacci urged residents to call 911 if there is an immediate concern about crime (rather than the Children’s Center). “We’re here to serve you.”
• Advocate for a full continuum of care at the state level. Speak to and write your legislators – state and local.  “We know the economy is a huge issue, but how are we making sure our youth and our communities are safe?”

It was agreed that the meetings which include the Children’s Center, the police, community groups and local elected officials will continue. Information about the Children’s Center and advocacy opportunities will be shared by newsletters, on websites and social media and in future WCA meetings as necessary or appropriate.

Adjournment.  The meeting was adjourned at 9:05 pm.

May 17, 2018 Meeting Notes

Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel called the meeting to order at 7:10.  Board members introduced themselves.  Treasurer Deb Maldonado showed everyone new WCA membership cards that can serve as proof of membership to vote at meetings.

Elections.  WCA elections were held for Vice President and Secretary:

• Connie Matheson was unanimously elected to Vice President.
• Mark Foran was unanimously elected to Secretary.

Committee Updates.  WCA committee updates included:

• Library Committee: Connie reported that on April 27 the Books and Booze fundraiser was held. Like last year, the event was a great success, more than 70 in attendance, great involvement of the local merchants in support of a raffle, and most importantly the event raised $2,300 for the library. Last year’s fundraiser funded many great additions to the library including children’s activities, books, films, and learning materials.
• Music Committee. Jan Kasienko announced that the 5th year of the WCA summer music series will begin in June. June 13 is jazz, July 11 is a singalong, and August 8 is classical. Times are 6-8 pm at Denicola Park on Treadwell Street, and the committee is still working on a rain location. Scott Matheson suggested renting a large tent in case of rain; Janet said that would be considered.

Presentation by Julie Smith, Director of Arts and Culture for Hamden.  Julie Smith introduced herself and said she sees her job as promoting arts as an economic development driver for the town, to entice people and businesses to Hamden as it is a great place to live. She presented the following points:

• Hamden has a lot of great artists, many phenomenal painters, writers, musicians, etc. The town is trying to create a cultural centerpiece in the town center. The question is how to spread the word not only within Hamden but also regionally.
• This year’s summer outdoor concerts in town center will focus more on local talent and will have a jazz night for the first time. This year will also feature reggae, disco, and 70s rock.
• Julie suggested that the WCA and other groups send information on neighborhood events like the Summer Music Concerts to her and she will promote them.

Presentation by Mark Austin, Hamden Town Engineer.  Mark Austin talked about the proposals for Mather and Waite Street bridge redesign. In the past the proposed project was criticized for being inappropriate for the neighborhood, and the town lost the grant money that would have funded it. This year that same grant pool was not funded by the state, but it will take three years for design and approval, so the town is starting the input process now in hopes of qualifying for grants in future and having citizen support moving forward.

Using a response poll requesting opinions and ideas for the project, Mark said he has already received a lot of responses from the public indicating what they want to see in this project. Anyone can respond; the link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3NJ867X. Currently, responses are 50-50 from Spring Garden and Whitneyville.

Mark opened up the floor for input.  Questions and suggestions included the following:

• The previous plan was to widen the bridge for truck traffic. Is that the plan this time? Mark’s response: To get funding outside of the local government, projects must provide for access to trucks.
• Given the age and condition of the bridges, the best course is to close both structures at the same time during construction. Also, it is key that the town ensure there is not diminished water capacity in the neighborhood. Mark’s response: Ensuring water capacity is required and standard in any project of this nature.
• Will there be sidewalks? Mark’s response: The current conceptual plan shows sidewalks from both the north and south that will be connected to newly built sidewalk extensions on Waite and Mather.
• Will there be a stop sign on Mather at Waite? Is this an opportunity to add one between Dixwell and Whitney to slow down traffic, because this is something the residents of Mather feel strongly about. Mark noted that as a suggestion,
• The town can put lights on the bridges, not huge cobra lights but pedestrian sized lighting.
• The ongoing challenge to solving traffic issues is that Mather is viewed as a pass-through, and Whitney is a state road, and the neighborhood as a result loses walkability. Mark’s response: There are limited east-west through streets in this area of Hamden, but there is discussion at the state level of turning roads like Whitney into local roads — and in fact that has long been a state recommendation — but the state ignores their own recommendations.
• Cheshire has a stoplight pedestrians can press to stop traffic just for pedestrians. Mark’s response: There are two different ways to accomplish this, but he is not sure which mechanism would work.
• The town should widen the bridge but not the road! Mark’s response: The roads can stay narrow, and will be required to have guard rails.
• What will be the aesthetics of the projects? Mark’s response: Stone or faux stone can be used to improve the look of the project.
• One concern is the rise of the road on Mather as it approaches Dixwell due to speeding. The road there is already raised enough. Mark’s response: He has a concern about the aesthetics of that idea, and suggested that the rise creates a separation between the industrial nature of Dixwell and the Whitneyville neighborhood.
• Is the town trying to modify poor driver behavior? Can the police increase their enforcement of traffic laws? Wouldn’t that be more cost effective? Can stop signs help slow down speeders? Mark’s response: The Hamden police have been stepping up their enforcement. Another way to slow traffic and increase safety is to construct a three-way stop at the Waite-Mather intersection. That would slow down traffic as would a circle in that location.

Mark also announced that Hamden received a $2.8 million grant for various sidewalk improvements including Davis Street and Treadwell Street to the bike trail. He also noted the schedules for replacing sidewalks in Hamden, which unfortunately has a very long list of streets.  One person asked about Caroline Street, which needs serious help.  Mark stated that repairs are prioritized by when the complaint is received by the town. They are placed on a to-do list and handled sequentially. The only way around that system is when a street poses an imminent danger from an engineering perspective. Caroline Street is on the to-do list. To get a street on the list, go to Hamden.com and find the link to the street complaint app.

New Business.  Dave asked participants if they had any new business.  One participant noted the recent incident at the Children’s Center; he had expected this to be a topic of tonight’s meeting.  Dave acknowledged that citizens were concerned about recent events connected to the Children’s Center, and brought up the idea of a community discussion of the issue. He said the subject was not on the agenda tonight (the speakers had been engaged prior to the incident), but the WCA will be working on setting up a meeting that approaches the ongoing issues with a broader perspective.  There was a recent meeting between several residents, the Children’s Center and the Hamden Police which could serve as a model.

Other participants suggested trimming trees along Putnam Street (they can submit request via See-Click-Fix at http://www.hamden.com/seeclickfix), and supporting a neighborhood clean-up.  The WCA had sponsored clean-up days in past years but had low participation.

Adjournment.  The meeting was adjourned at 8:50.

March 15, 2018 Meeting Notes

Welcome.  Meeting called to order by President Dave Bechtel at 7:12.  Board introductions were made.

Announcements.  Dave drew attention to the various printouts and information on the table:

• Updates on economic development from Hamden’s Department of Economic and Community Development (see http://www.hamden-ct.com/News/default.asp for the latest updates).
• March 24th the Hamden Tree Commission is having a tree-pruning workshop at the Whitneyville Branch Library.
• At the January WCA meeting, the Hamden Police Department shared resources on avoiding scams and preventing crime.

The WCA Annual Meeting is May 17; the vice-president and the secretary positions are up for a vote. Any members who are interested in joining the board can contact current WCA board members to learn more about these positions.

Committee Updates.  Deirdre Dolan gave the Music Committee Meeting report:

• Denicola Park will again be the location.
• Three concerts will be organized, each with a different musical genre: Jazz, Singalong, and Classical. Dates are not solid yet but may be 6/13, 7/11, and 8/8.
• We need funds: Looking to put a “Donate” button on the website; will also be approaching some potential sponsors. Liz Hellwig said her store “Framed” would be a sponsor.
• The next Music Committee meeting will be held on 3/25/18.

Dave gave the Library Report:

• The 2nd Annual “Books and Booze” fundraiser event is scheduled for April 27th at the Playwright from 6-8 p.m. Cost is $30 per person. The event was highly successful last year. Those interested can RSVP at: https://goo.gl/forms/3QoLbNe02BrruABH3.

Mill River Watershed Plan.  Mark Foran introduced Save the Sound’s Nicole Davis who is the Project Coordinator for the Mill River Watershed Plan. Save the Sound received a grant from the state to look at non-point source pollution entering Long Island Sound from Connecticut. The last component is looking at the Mill River’s 25-acre watershed. There are known sources of pollution, for example English Station, but those known sources are not the focus of this study. Instead Save the Sound is looking at the quality of water entering the river from throughout the watershed, especially the elevated bacterial and the impairment of aquatic life and recreation.

Bacterial aggravators include stormwater, illegal discharges, and septic systems. The objective is to reduce these sources of impairment through many projects including identification of water quality issues, engaging watershed municipalities and the public, and consolidating existing plans and studies to increase efficiency and stimulate action. Consultants are currently finishing up much of this legwork, and the final plan should be unveiled in the early summer this year.

The project’s success hinges on community education and involvement. Save the Sound is expecting improved access to the river.

Nicole said the river is relatively clean, but she wouldn’t eat fish that were caught downstream of the dam due to some contaminated sites in that area.

Whitneyville residents asked a number of questions and made suggestions Nicole will take back to the Steering Committee. She will send WCA a copy of her presentation that we will put on our website (see http://whitneyville.org/mill-river-watershed-plan/). One of the concerns was increased access to the areas of the river that make up the reservoirs, with discussion of the pros and cons.

Mark Foran will be attending upcoming Steering Committee meetings that relate to the Mill River on behalf of the WCA.

Nicole encouraged participants to sign up to receive updates on the planning process.  You can contact Nicole directly at ndavis@savethesound.org.

Adjournment.  Dave thanked Nicole for her presentation and adjourned the meeting at 8:20.

 

January 18, 2018 Whitneyville Civic Association (WCA) Meeting

Welcome.  Meeting called to order by President Dave Bechtel at 7:05.

The sign-in sheet was passed around. Board members and those in attendance introduced themselves and stated which street they live on.

Treasurer Deb Weckerle said all members will get a membership card, most likely in March.

Announcements.  Dave let people know about the Family Library event coming up at the library in February. The second Booze and Books library fundraiser will be held on April 27, as well as another Evening in the Stacks event to be held at a date to be determined soon.

Janet Kazienko announced that the Music Committee will be meeting at 7:30 next Monday.

Dave mentioned that local postman Dave Misthal is retiring and there’s a party for him on January 31 at the Playwright at 6 pm.

Presentation by Hamden Police.  Sgt. John Testa said he considers the WCA to be a neighborhood wide block watch. Sgt. Testa gave some safety tips:

• If someone breaks into your car but doesn’t steal anything, you should still inform the police.
• Detective Sean Dolan was introduced as the officer in charge of the block watches. Stay in touch with him as he follows what’s going on the neighborhood.
• Stay in touch with what’s going on through the Hamden Police Department Facebook page.
• Don’t fall for scams. If there is a scam going around, let the police know so they can track it.
• Keep an inventory list of items in your house, take pictures, and it is much easier for the police to help in case of theft. Most stolen items end up in pawn shops, and serial numbers can help with easy identification.
• Always lock your car. Bring valuables inside. Deterrence is the first step in reducing crime. Exterior cameras can be especially helpful. Having exterior lights on is great, but motion detector lights are very effective.
• If you see something, say something.

Meeting participants shared their concerns and questions:

• Cathy told a story about a neighbor who used an anonymous tip line that led to an arrest for breaking and entering. She mentioned Reports.com as a good resource. Detective Dolan said that’s good for following up on finding out what may have happened on your street if you saw police cars but don’t know what had happened. You can either call anonymously or come to the station, but communication is key.
• Cathy said her neighbors sometimes expect her, a block watch captain, to call about their crimes. She also said that ever since she went through the Hamden Police Citizens Academy, she is more likely to call the police if she has seen something suspicious. Dolan said the police are always looking for people who want to form block watches.
• Is there anything that can be done if a junked car has been left on the street? Yes, the police can look into it, and if it is there illegally, it can be “red-tagged” and towed.
• Laine Harris asked if the police can do anything when a commercial or municipal neighbor dumps the snow from their property, sometimes across a road or highway, onto your property. Sgt. Testa said he wasn’t sure but it could be an infraction which would lead to a ticket. The best option is to try to talk to whoever is paying the snow removal contractor.
• Leaving a television on, with a timer, can make your house more secure when you are away on vacation.

Introduction of Justin Farmer.  Justin Farmer, Whitneyville’s new representative on the Hamden Legislative Council, thanked everyone for their support and spoke briefly about his goals for the year.

State Budget Update.  State Rep. Mike D’Agostino said many of the progressive budget ideas that the WCA and he wanted to see enacted this year will not be enacted due to partisan gridlock. One issue was the car tax. Towns can now bill 39 mils for car taxes but no more than that. And the state was going to reimburse the difference the maximum car tax and a municipalities actual mil rate, but will not because of nonspecific budget language and state budget shortfalls. For Hamden, that’s a loss of $2 million. Efforts are being made to fix the budget language compelling the state to release these funds. Contact your representatives and Sen. Martin Looney asking them to fix the car tax issue.

Halting all transportation projects in the state: Why is Governor Malloy doing this? The transportation fund is taken from the gas tax, but the money coming in from the gas tax has gone down due to lower usage of gasoline. Can instituting tolls help? Yes, but most politicians, especially Republicans, don’t want to introduce new taxes, but Mike finds this attitude highly frustrating. He wants the leadership to at least call for a vote. He believes that will happen this year.

Adding factors like special education and ELL (English Language Learners) into the state budget education formula now has a lot of momentum in Hartford. Towns can bring forward a legal argument that their educational funding is not constitutionally adequate. Hamden is certainly in a position, due to decreases in funding, to make that argument.

The ECS (Education Cost Sharing) formula was changed somewhat this year to recognize that all towns do not need a share of ECS, or do not need the same amount per pupil. A town like Hamden certainly needs more per pupil than Greenwich does, largely due to special education, ELL, and a roughly 50% free or reduced lunch population.

Adjournment.  Dave thanked the guest speakers and adjourned the meeting at 8:45.

November 16, 2017 Whitneyville Civic Association Meeting 

Welcome.  Meeting called to order by President Dave Bechtel at 7:05.  

Board members and those in attendance introduced themselves and stated which street they live on.

Announcements.  Dave let people know about the Evening in the Stacks event coming up on November 30th at 6 pm at the library. Also, the library has been painted, which is good news, although the trellis, which was an architectural feature, was determined to be too rotted to be used.

Guest Speaker Mayor Curt Leng.  As  Mayor Curt Leng arrived, Dave outlined some issues that citizens who could not attend hoped the Mayor would address.

The Mayor opened by addressing the issues that Dave mentioned:

• Library Painting.  He reported that the town had not planned to take down the trellis when painting the library, so he would look into whether there is any way to repair and reuse it.
• Parking.  He said that if there is a way to expand parking on and near Whitney Avenue, he is in favor of it.  
• Food trucks.  Food trucks do not need permits if they are short term, but if the truck is there long term, it will be treated as a permanent structure. Laine Harris, founder of Whitneyville Cultural Commons, said the town planning and zoning needs to develop ordinances and regulations for food trucks. Eventually this will be brought forward into the public arena, discussed and voted on, he added.
• Neighborhood Business Area. Signage would be a welcome addition to enhance and identify the business area. There are some plans that were created and they need to be brought out and looked at again, the Mayor said.
• Library Improvements.  $50,000, plus money that the state has just released, will be granted for future library improvements, the Mayor announced.
• Rental rebate program. In the past, the Mayor said, $50 to $900 was available from the state for rebates for poor, elderly, and disabled citizens to help with rent, but the state recently passed a law releasing the funds but also requiring that municipalities pay half of what was promised with the funds being taken out of grant monies.
• Sidewalks. The Mayor listed new improvements that will be coming to Whitneyville. The town just got a $3 million grant to fill gaps in sidewalks in the Treadwell street area, but the sidewalks along Mather will be dealt with in a different grant round.
• Traffic calming.  Police enforcement actions have been tripled and quadrupled this year across the town to ensure that drivers know the town is being vigilant in stopping drivers and warning or ticketing them if they exceed speed limits, he said.
• Street Lighting. United Illuminating (UI) was offering lighting upgrades that would use 4,000 kelvin bulbs which is 1000 kelvin more on the color spectrum than what is recommended by the American Medical Association.  UI was not supportive of efforts to change to 3000k bulbs, but eventually has agreed to listen to the community and recently held an educational meeting. The town is now considering whether it can purchase the street lights, saving the town  $300,000+ dollars, and giving Hamden residents a big improvement in their street lighting (this has been done in towns in the Eversource region).

The meeting was opened up for citizen input. Some of the items discussed include the following:

• Concerns were raised about unsafe intersections. An example is the left turn from the Putnam Street extension onto Whitney Street where there is no left turn signal. Mayor Leng made a note to study that issue.
• Farmington Canal Path safety. Hamden’s Police Chief says that when the path is being used, it is the safest place in Hamden. That said, there was a recent deadly shooting just off the path on a side street. Not much is known about the incident specifics. The Mayor said emergency call boxes along the trail definitely increase path users sense of safety and helps to get information quickly to police, helping to solve crimes.
• Policy on signs.  No signs are allowed on UI poles, but signs are also not allowed anywhere between yards and a street. For various reasons, this is a tough regulation to enforce.
• Parking on Whitney Avenue near business district. Kari Nordstrom said he had created a plan to show parking on Whitney Avenue, but the Department of Transportation (DOT) strongly opposed the idea. A compromise was proposed to create a cut-out to allow five cars. The Mayor said a cut-out might be more appealing to DOT. Liz Hellwig said the business community is in favor of more parking but not in front of the businesses which would block the sight lines.
• Canal as economic driver. Mikro, a craft beer pub, is relocating to take advantage of the access and open space of the canal pathway. The Mayor said he thought this would attract more businesses to open along the canal.

Adjournment.  President Dave Bechtel thanked Mayor Leng for his presence and participation and adjourned the meeting at 8:30 p.m.

September 21, 2017 Whitneyville Civic Association Meeting

Welcome.  President Dave Bechtel welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the Board members and Committee chairs. Dave announced, on behalf of Library Committee, that the library event held in the spring raised $2,443, and Maureen has gotten the funds and has started to allocate it for use.

Committee Updates.  Mark Foran gave the Traffic committee update. In light of all these apartments going in on Mather, Mark did three days of car counting to get a baseline to see how traffic is impacted once they are fully opened. Also discovered that the average speed on Mather is 36 mph. Highest was in the forties, but most were in the mid 30s. Speed is an issue, while capacity is not. Mark’s suggestion was speed tables on cut-through streets. The bridge over the canal can be dropped to help with safety. And the service road could be permanently open to relieve traffic on Mather.

A Music Jam recap was given by Former President Jan Kazienko. The three concerts went very smoothly. The anchor musicians were given money for the first time and this was appreciated.  The committee will have a wrap-up meeting where we hope to have more new ideas.

Secretary Deirdre Dolan gave an update on progress with the National Wildlife Foundation’s Backyard Habitat project. Five Whitneyville residents have already expressed an interest in getting involved in the project. There is a sign-up sheet for anyone else who would like to join the committee.

So far two yards in Whitneyville have been designated as certified Backyard Habitats. We will have to officially register Whitneyville and have a consultation with an National Wildlife Foundation representative to find out how many homes, parks, and public buildings will be needed to qualify for Community Wildlife Habitat status. It costs $100 to register, so that’s something the committee will need to do: raise the registration fee.

Only two CT towns are currently certified: Willimantic and Colchester.  There’s a piece of information we are really going to need and can’t find: how many people live in Whitneyville?  Many in attendance recommended using Census tract data.

Guest Speaker.  Dale Kroop, Hamden’s Director of Economic and Community Development, gave an update on economic development work in the neighborhood. He suggested that citizens visit his website,  http://www.hamden-ct.com/default.asp or email Dale at dkroop@hamden.com to sign up to get his emails.

Dale said the retail marketplace forecast is that by 2022 most shopping malls will be closed. By contrast, Hamden has the lowest retail vacancy rate in the region.

Other information from Dale included:

• First Niagra building is now under contract with a New Haven boutique.
•  On Mather, 80 units of affordable housing in a low-rise building are being built across from the larger apartment development.
•  Other new businesses are going in as a result of the new residential development on Mather.
•  The town’s job is to balance the needs of people and the marketplace.
•  Putnam Place Plaza, where Stop and Shop was located, is left with a big hole. The  Shopping Center owners are looking for viable tenants who will be able pay their bills. Location, demographics, and zero foot traffic (nearby homes and businesses) may call for alternative uses, for example, a school or nonprofits.

Secretary Deirdre Dolan had to leave, but made a quick announcement:  Leonard Young, 12 Augur Street, belongs to Gimme Shelter which raises funds & awareness for Hamden’s Animal Control Gift Fund to design, build & staff a new Animal Shelter.

Their next event is this Saturday and it has a Whitneyville theme: wines from Wine 101 and food from Le Petit Gourmet! The event will be from 2 – 4 PM at a private residence on Blake Road. See the flyer on the other side of the dais for more information.

Vice-President Connie Matheson resumed taking minutes for the remainder of the meeting.

Dale Kroop continued his overview of economic development projects on Dixwell Avenue.  He discussed a number of completed projects and reviewed the scope and status of vacant buildings and properties.  He summarized the history of the former Hamden Middle School site and presented details of the current redevelopment plan including 57 units of mixed income housing, a community center and the abatement of the contaminated elements of the site. He then switched to Whitney Avenue speaking mainly about the repurposing of the Centerville Lumber site.

Dale stated that about 50 percent of his time is spent on small business development, coaching (some of our Whitneyville business owners were mentioned) and working with “solopreneurs” in nine industry clusters that meet several times during the year.  He closed by suggesting that we check out his website for full details.

LED Street Light Update.  Bob Pattison and Christina Crowder, from Spring Glen Association, gave an update on the work that they have been doing with regard to the LED street light conversion proposed by United Illuminating (UI). Their research has presented further concerns about what the “right’ fixture would actually be.  They have also spoken to towns who have been able to purchase the light fixtures from the utility and contract privately for maintenance, recognizing about a 50% savings. They have a proposal in front of the Mayor and hope to meet with him soon.  A public meeting on this topic is being planned.

Adjournment.  Dave adjourned the meeting at 9:30.