The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on January 22, 2025, beginning at 7:05 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public testimony on infrastructure and immigration issues, the unanimous adoption of a consent agenda and several resolutions, and the referral of a tax agreement. Several petitions by the absent Alderman Smedley were listed on the agenda but were not taken up.
The Council unanimously approved (13-0) Items A through G, including the monthly checks report from the Finance Department, a Zoning Subcommittee recommendation to regulate the screening of rooftop and ground-mounted mechanicals and dumpsters, and recommendations from the Committee on Planning, Zoning and Housing to amend city code sections (7-62, 11-16, 11-38, 21-72, 21-168) to comply with Connecticut General Statutes Section 49-73b.
Is your colleague here? No. All right. Okay. Okay. This is the January twenty-second, twenty twenty five meeting of the regular common council. It's time for public participation at 7 01 p.m. Umybody wishing to speak. You have three minutes. Uh state your name and address. And we'll begin public participation with Mr. Frank Chase. Frank Chase, 24 Roxbury. My wife Sharon and I have been campaigning since 2023 to correct the infrastructure problems related to the Allen Street system in our neighborhood. This system serves one hundred and seventy-seven acres of developed congested residential neighborhoods. Intense rainfall infiltrates our compromised underground infrastructure, flooding and saturating our land, overwhelming our storm sewer system and retention pond. Our particular section of this acreage receives the brunt of the contaminated flooding water. The contaminants in the flooding water include a toxic mix of bacteria, fecal matter, fats, motor oil, grease, etc. As Mayor Stewart noted back in 2013 when she took office, the Allen Street project is our most pressing need. The Allen Street project is critical to resolving chronic issues, including flooding due to storm shore failures, sanitary backups and breaks due to insufficient capacity and the system's age. These cross connections and the flooding also impair the Matta Basset water treatment facility in Cromwell, which serves New Britain's and six other towns. The experts call it I and I inflow and infiltration. During these storm sewer flooding events, we are treating excess storm and groundwater in our wastewater system, adding to our costs. It's called the whack-a-mole. What next with this city administration? We are anticipating the fiscal chance. We have no money. Weston Simpson Engineers confirmed the Allen Street project must be a high priority because the infrastructure is at crisis levels. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chase. Chase's name is the only name I have listed. So I'll ask is there anybody in the audience who wishes to speak? I see a gentleman in the third row. Name and address. Yes, good evening. Roy Centennial, two eighty nine Slater road. And thank you for your service. Everyone's service. And it involves my question is statement if the INS targets our city to perform the deportation rates. But otherwise, I wouldn't like to see our police department assisting INS, pulling families, people from schools, churches. Anybody else in the audience wish to speak on any issue? Anyone else? Anyone else hearing none? Are there any callers? No callers. They've heard all the woman Scott. Hi. Um, happy New Year. Um, thank you, Frank, for always coming.