We are on.

We're on.

So thank you, Withnesky.

Good afternoon, everybody.

We are here for the special meeting of the General Council Commission.

It's Wednesday, May 20th, 2026.

I'm calling the meeting to order.

I do see individuals on.

I'm assuming you're here for the public comment.

So I'll move right to public comment and allow comments at this time, or you can comment as we get to the item that you're here to uh speak speak on.

So what's your preference for those that are here?

So Chief Albert, Deputy Chief Davis.

I would say for the for the city staff, perhaps you want to wait till we get to the item.

I do see Ms.

Mary Ellen on.

She may want to speak since there is here.

So are you here to speak, Myth Mary Ellen for public comment?

Sure, I can if if you'd like me to as I think you all know, and and the city has uh funded with ARPA funds for a million dollars is our new facility, which is going to be known as St.

Vincent's Commons, which is currently under construction.

Um we are moving our operations totally off of Main Street into the new facility on Liberty Street uh this time next year.

And what came up is uh it's sort of a first of its kind in Connecticut for Department of Housing, where we're we're merging a cold weather shelter, homeless services, our soup kitchen, and uh administration, our scattered site housing program, and also um 16 units of what's called um efficiency supportive housing units of housing permanent housing under the supportive housing model from HUD.

Uh those units are fully subsidized by a HUD grant in our name, and uh the individuals will be coming off the Middle Town Meriden Wallingford Coordinated Access Network, which is the statewide system that we all when we do housing for the homeless have to take clients off the list.

So 16 individuals who have prolonged um uh history of homelessness as well as a disabling condition will qualify for this housing.

There will also be a full-time case manager embedded in the project who are dedicated to the 16 units, uh housing case manager, also funded by HUD.

And what what this triggered with the city, because the whole building is in our nonprofit arena um legally, but there's a state statute, I believe, and I'm not a lawyer, so please bear with me that the 16 units uh were taxable for uh real estate taxes.

Obviously, um, you know, we we raise a lot of money every year.

We're a two and a half million dollar organization operationally.

Um the new building is a 14 million dollar project, which we have raised all of the money for without carrying a mortgage, which took me uh four years to do, but we did it.

Um so I have worked with the city legal department with economic development with Christine.

That and certainly the warming center is a project we do for the city every year.

Uh we took that on when Columbus House um ended their tenure with it, and I was committed to do it to build a space for it, so I don't have to rent a space in the community.

Uh it will have bathrooms, laundry, and shower.

It will also serve the city when we have uh disaster of some need and there's uh or a fire where we have to get a family or some people quickly before we can get them in a hotel.

We'll open our space for you, and we'll probably be helping to run it for cooling centers in the summer as needed.

I kind of do that already in the soup kitchen when I can.

Um, so we are seeking a real estate tax abatement of 40 years on the 16 units only.

I have paid taxes and water taxes and sewer taxes since I purchased the three lots in 2022 or three, I can't remember now.

But I've made the commitment.

I I paid um all the property taxes going forward.

I will continue to pay those till I open the building next year.

In fairness, um, you deserve to be paid for those taxes, and I've carried that um and I will continue till we open the building.

Um, and I will continue till we open the building.

So I think that's my quick synopsis of my ask.

Um we are here to serve Middletown for as long as you need us.

And I think it has been a goal for a long time to get St.

Vincent's off of Main Street, which I wholeheartedly support as the right move.

Uh we will be in a gated community.

Um so we are very excited and construction is we're almost ready to put the first floor on.

We're out of the basement.

Happy to answer any questions.

Excellent.

So um move to so this is public comment.

We typically don't have questions doing the public comment section.

Um Miss Uh Mary Ellen, if you can hang on when we get to your item, and if folks have questions for you, they can ask questions at that at that time.

Uh now I'll move to uh the next item, which is the approval of minutes uh dated March 12th, 2026.

That was our regular meeting.

Is there a motion to approve the minute?

So moved.

So moved second, John.

We don't move and second it.