The Regular Meeting of the New Britain Common Council was held on Wednesday, September 24, 2025. Public participation began at 7:00 PM and the regular meeting was called to order at 8:06 PM, adjourning at 8:48 PM. The council heard public comments on multiple topics, considered a consent agenda, and debated resolutions including the appointment of a new Planning and Development Director and a significant budget amendment.
Item 8: Appointment of Justin Dorsey as Director of Planning and Development - Council members questioned Mr. Dorsey on his qualifications, including technical knowledge of bike lanes, permeable surfaces, transit-oriented development, and city planning processes. He acknowledged gaps but emphasized his experience and ability to work with staff. Alderwoman Barbosa raised concerns about resume inconsistencies and the timing of the appointment near the end of the mayoral term. Others, including Alderman Malinowski, Alderwoman Savagedra, and Alderman Smedley, supported his relationships and commitment to the city. The motion carried on a voice vote; Alderwoman Scott voted no.
Item 11: Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget Transfer and Amendment - Alderman Santiago introduced an amendment to strike the original $470,000 for pickleball courts and instead allocate $370,000 to general park improvements, $50,000 to a security deposits and homelessness prevention program, and $50,000 to ADA-compliant sidewalk repairs. The amendment was seconded by Alderwoman Savagedra and passed on a voice vote. The council then voted on the resolution as amended, with a unanimous 15-0 roll call in favor. Several members credited public input for the change.
Welcome everybody, we're beginning going momentarily. I don't know what the way anymore, so I'm a quote. I try to pick whatever I don't have to iron. Thanks. After that, can and we have some online callers tonight. Frank Chase, 24 Roxbury Road. More debunked talking points. Stewart and Savidra did not walk the Allen Street neighbor Allen Street neighborhoods with Sharon and I. Attached is Mayor Stewart's letter to state bonding commission members and Piscopo recapping their visit to Allen Street with Leader McNamara, Sevidra, and others. As you will read in Stewart's letter, no amount of money was noted by Napoli and Piscobo during their visit, and certainly there was no indication that the state would cover the entire Allen Street Project shortfall. The Allen Street Project remains a city funding issue, six million dollars short, which has been neglected and mismanaged for 30 years, including 12 years on Stewart's watch. Our due diligence since 2023 has uncovered the facts. Stewart took office in 2013 with a nearly complete cardinal engineering plan from Mayor O'Brien with a price tag of nearly 7 million. Stewart chose to ignore O'Brien's plan. The 2025 updated cardinal engineering plan for Allen Street is now nearly 15 million. Now Stewart claims she has a 25 million dollar unassigned balance in the general fund. After 12 years, here's another opportunity for Stewart to finally correct the Allen Street infrastructure problem. Council leaders McDamara, Santiago, Sanchez noted during regarding Stewart's recent six million dollar proposal. We welcome the availability of unaudited fund balances from the last fiscal year to allocate funds for the Board of Education, tax stabilization, and needed capital improvements. The city should use these general fund dollars to meet more urgent priorities other than the addition of more pickleball courts. Democratic leaders said alternatives should be considered for using the 450 470,000 that meet compelling needs in the community to prevent evictions, reduce food insecurity, and improve streets and infrastructure in our neighborhoods. APX consultants wrote inflow and infiltration 101. This is a this is similar to the Allen Street problem. Inflow and infiltration refers to entry of groundwater and stormwater into sanitary sewer systems. I and I strain strains wastewater systems by increasing the flow levels. In many cases, I and I accounts for 50% of the annual flow to treatment plants. It is estimated that I and I cost U.S. cities around 100 billion annually. Simply put, a single, simply put, a single leak can cost upwards of $10,000 in increased operational and treatment costs. Beyond the fiscal burden, communities may face property damage, environmental degradation, public and public health concerns when storm sewer systems are pushed beyond their limits. In 2023, Weston Simpson engineers declare the Allen Street Project must be a priority because the infrastructure is at crisis levels. To date, Stewart has refused to prioritize fully fund and construct the Allen Street project. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chase. Our next speaker is Mike Thompson. Hello, everybody here. Michael Thompson, 39th Pendleton Road, New Britain, Connecticut. I'm here to speak on a uh conversation on Facebook that I had with Alderman Simpson. Um Alderman Simpson's dehumilit uh dehum dehumanitizing rhetoric in the wake of the tragic assassination of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk on a Utah College campus early this month. An act of senseless political violence has shocked the nation and heightened fears of escalating division. Many of us in New Britain hoped our elected leaders would rise above the fray. We yearn for words of unity, condemnation of violence, and commitment to civil discourse. Instead, one of our own aldermen, Nate Simpson, chose a path of bile and dehumanizing not just the victim, but anyone who dares to disagree with his worldview. As reported in Simpson's own Facebook post following Kirk's death, Alderman wrote, Charles Kirk died as he lived. His work supported right-wing political violence. He gave no empathy on and on. This is mere criticism. It is a chilling attempt to justify the tragedy by painting the victim as deserving of his fate. Kirk, whoever won't view on politic on his political uh aspirations and his lifestyle, uh, was a husband, a father, and a political figure gunned down in cold blood.