We'll get going in a couple of minutes for our speaking program, folks.

And all the persons to this Common Council public hearing for April twenty first for the Neighborhood Assistance Act, part one, and the community development block grant program, part two.

Again, please remember to state your name and address and keep your comments to three minutes.

Are there any speakers for Neighborhood Assistance Act?

Any speakers for neighborhood assistance?

Any speakers for the Neighborhood Assistance Act tax credits.

Hearing none, this portion of the meeting is concluded.

And we will move on.

And according to our agenda, we're going to wait for our first speaker for the Mr.

Chair.

Well, let me back for that.

Yes, please.

I'd ask the clerk to read the uh notice of the public public hearing into the record.

I make a motion.

Mr.

Chair, I'd like to make a motion to wave the reading of the second.

Thank you.

Just the way we rehearsed it.

We're going to wait a few moments till seven ten.

And I have a list of uh speakers.

Um all the applicants for this year's grant program.

And we'll be commenced at seven ten p.m.

with uh warm the children program.

So uh we stand in recess for four three minutes.

That's right.

So that's not things.

So that's got Mark always used to say.

What did Scott said with the line of support?

Okay.

So do we speak his position or I can't need to do it?

Yes.

Oh, I see.

I have no.

Is there anything else you'd like to do, Mr.

Brain?

We do have the uh shape of hours.

I always go.

But he has other issues too.

But it was nice to see him give it to you.

We're not the dying generation.

We are the chapters.

We are the COVID.

Put that in quotes and say that.

Okay, we'll put my name after the little asterisk.

There we go.

All right, thank you.

At this time, we will begin the public hearing on the 2026 annual plan, community development block grant and home programs.

I will uh call up representatives from the list.

Once again, please remember to state your name and uh organization and address.

Keep your comments to three minutes.

The first organization to speak is Warm the Children.

Good evening.

Thank you for uh having me here.

Uh my name is Douglas Bray.

I'm here on behalf of the New Britain Lions Club Warm the Children program.

I've lived here in New Britain for 30 years and have been a lion for over 40 years.

I currently serve the club as its secretary.

It's long serving secretary.

Warm the Children is a collaboration of the Herald, the City of New Britain, you folks, the New Britain School District, and the Greater New Britain community.

We provide warm winter clothing and footwear to New Britain's children in need.

Since 2004, together, we have helped over 10,000 children, and we thank you for your past support.

Best of all, our program has no administrative fees, no overhead costs whatsoever.

A hundred percent of the money goes to buy winter clothing for the kids.

And this is how it works.

Beginning in the fall, we received donations from generous individuals, business foundations, and in the past, you folks.

Last year we raised over $30,000 from the community, but sadly, because of your three-year rule, we weren't able to get any money from the city last year.

This meant 100 fewer kids served.

Next, in our order of business, we contact the school social workers, all the elementary school social workers.

They give us the names and contact information for their children in need.

These children must be between the ages of three and ten years of age, and their families must fall within CDBG income limit standards.

Then we recruit dozens of volunteer shoppers from the community.

These include Lions, local church, many ch local church members, and other members of the community, and even in the past, older men and older women.

Shopping takes place between November and the end of December when JC Penny gives us extra dicks discounts.

Frankly, we respectfully request any amount to continue the city's involvement with this wonderful program.

So I'm asking you please help us, even though no funds have been allocated to this point.

What we say is in winter, no child should have to go to school in a sweatshirt and sneakers.

Thank you.

And thank you for your support in the past.

For over 57 years, our organization has partnered with the city to provide shelter, supportive housing, and critical services to individuals experiencing homelessness as they work turn long-term stability.

First, I want to express our sincere appreciation for the commission's recommendation to allocate 66,000 toward the window replacement project at 59 Arch Street.

We are extremely grateful for your continued investment in improving the quality of housing for the individuals that we serve.

These upgrades will make a meaningful difference in energy efficiency, comfort, and overall living conditions for our residents.

At 85 Arch, we provide 12 units of supportive housing, serving approximately 17 residents, all of whom transition out of homelessness and are working towards stability.

Similar to 59 Arch, the building is older and the existing windows are outdated and inefficient.

Residents experience significant drafts during the winter, excessive heat during the summer, and ongoing noise, disruption from outside.

These conditions directly impact comfort, health, and overall quality of life.

Upgrading these windows is not just a critical improvement, it is an investment in housing stability.

Energy efficient windows help regulate indoor temperatures, reduce utility costs, and create a healthier, more consistent living environment for residents who are already navigating significant life changes.

I understand that funding decisions are very complex.

And while we are extremely appreciative for the support for 59 Arch, I want to ensure that we're that the continued need at 85 Arch remains visible to all of you while you move forward final adoption of the 2026 annual action plan.

I want to thank you again for your time, your consideration, and your ongoing commitment to strengthening housing in our community.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Excuse me.

My name is Latanya Hill, and I privately represent Girls of Voices, Whole Girl Wellness, a program dedicated to empowering girls ages 10 to 18 to recognize their worth, build confidence, and find the strength to use their voices.

Today's middle and high school girls are navigating a world that is more complex and challenging than ever before.

They are facing pressures from every direction: social media, bullying, academic expectations, family instability, and growing mental health concerns.

Many are silently struggling with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and self-doubt.

In Connecticut, more than one-third of high school students report feeling persistently sad or hopeless.

And one in five children have been diagnosed with mental health condition, yet nearly half do not receive treatment.

Right here in New Britain, these challenges are intensified by the realities many of our girls face every day, including economic hardship and exposure to trauma.

At the same time, risky behaviors are increasing.

Vaping and marijuana use is becoming more normalized among adolescents, often as coping mechanisms for stress and emotional pain.

Bullying, both in school and online continues to impact nearly one in five students with girls disproportionately affected through social media and relational aggression that deeply impacts their self-worth.

In Connecticut, approximately one in ten girls report vaping while nearly one in seven report current marijuana use.

These behaviors are often linked to underlying mental health challenges, making every early precaution and prevention and intervention during adolescence critically important.

We cannot ignore the growing number of STD cases among our teens.

New Britain has higher STD rates.

Our young girls starting at the age of 13 have the highest STD burden in the state.

States, I mean rates are much higher among black and Hispanic girls.

Cities like Harford and New Britain have higher STD rates than the state average.

This behavior is often linked to early sexual activity, coercion, or abuse, which is why prevention and early education are critical.

This highlights a critical need for early education, prevention, and empowerment for girls while they're in their vulnerable years.

Girls with voices, whole girl ones exist to meet this moment.

We provide a safe, supportive instructive environment where girls can grow emotionally, socially, and mentally through mentorship, mental health, focused discussions, leadership development, and life skills training.

We help girls build confidence, develop healthy coping strategies, and make informed decisions.

We teach them how to manage stress, navigate peer pressure, build healthy relationships, and most importantly, we remind them that their voices matter.

When girl, when a girl believes in herself, everything changes.

She makes better choices, she sets higher goals, she sees her future differently.

But this work cannot continue without support.

Your investment allows us to provide a safe programming space and critical resources that directly impact the lives of girls in our community.

It allows us to reach more girls before they fall through the cracks.

Without consistent funding, too many girls would continue to struggle in silence without guidance and without support and without a voice.

Thank you for believing in our girls.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next organization is OIC of New Britain.

Good evening.

I'm Paulette Fox.

I'm the executive director of Opportunities Industrialization Center of New Britain.

And I live in New Britain.

I live at 14 Andrew Street.

OIC New Britain specializes in preparing young people to enter post-secondary education, vocational training programs, or the world of work.

OIC's goal is for all youth to successfully meet the complex challenges of young adulthood, especially for the minority population.

OIC New Britain remembers when the consolidated school district did a survey of the 40 developmental assets.

And guess what?

20 or less were found in our minority youth.

We need to be productive and make sure our youth are graduating in four years.

It is imperative that all youth have self-regulation, knowledge and skills, interests, and core values and mindsets in order to be successful in life.

The overall goal of OIC is to have every program participant graduate high school in four years with a plan for workforce success.

Please continue to support my rising young man heights of success.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms.

Fox.

All right, the next organization.

Uh up is Boys and Girls Club of New Britain.

Proposals six and seven.

Good evening.

My name is James Jones.

I'm the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of New Britain.

I live at 71 Karen Drive in New Britain.

Um thank you.

Good evening, Council members.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak with you today.

I'm here on behalf of the Boys and Girls Club and respectfully request your continued support and funding so we can continue serving the families who need us most.

For over 136 years, the Boys and Girls Club of New Britain has been a cornerstone of this community.

Generations of young people have walked through our doors.

And today the mission remains just as critical.

We provide a safe, structured, and supportive environment where youth can learn, grow, and build positive relationships with the caring adults during the most important hours of their day after school and during the summer.

We recently opened our registration for our summer enrichment program on the 15th of April.

Reality hit when we opened that registration because between the hours of 12 a.m.

and 4:32 a.m.

that same day, all of our 200 spots were filled in just about five hours.

That level of response makes one thing very clear.

The need in our community is not just real, it's overwhelming.

Families are relying on us now more than ever.

Now more than ever.

Many of the children we serve come from significant social and emotional needs, and we take the responsibilities seriously.

Our programs are designed not to just keep kids safe, but to help them succeed academically, socially, and emotionally, and keep them from staying in environments with people who they don't need to be with.

We provide meals, mentorship, academic support, and opportunities that many of our families would otherwise not be able to access.

At the same time, we're facing the same global increases and costs that everyone else is experiencing.

Despite that, we remain committed to keeping our programs affordable.

Who else would charge a family uh a dollar 67 cents a day for a school year?

Us.

We try very hard to make sure that we can make up what it really costs us to have these kids in our place and a safe place to be.

We also want to recognize and thank the council for your leadership.

We truly appreciate the effort.

Um, looking at your process and the way you balance this out seems very fair and a very fair process.

Your investment in the Boys and Girls Club is an investment in prevention and opportunity and the future of New Britain youth.

With that continued support, we can ensure that every child who needs us has a place to belong, a place to grow, and a place to succeed.

Thank you for your time and your partnership and commitment with us.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Jones.

The next organization is Greater New Britain Teen pregnancy prevention.

Good evening.

I'm Sayed Ali.

I'm a volunteer at Pathway Senderos, and I live at 97 Beaver Street.

All right, thank you.

All right.

Good evening, Council.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today, and more importantly, thank you for the recommendation to award a $15,000 community development grant to Pathway Senderos in support of their Pathways to Higher Success and Education Program.

I stand before you not as a representative, but I'm a proud alum and volunteer at Pathway Senderos.

As a current graduate student and incoming medical student and future physician, I stand as just one example of what intentional investment in first generation low-income students can achieve.

Oops, sorry.

But I also stand here as an advocate who understands that that trajectory is quite fragile without continuous support.

Pathway Senderos and the phenomenal individuals who work tirelessly every single day do an exceptional job of providing our students support, mentorship, and love through their formative years in middle and high school.

This is critical because in that same space they instill academic discipline, self-confidence, and a vision for our students in their very near futures.

And this is also critical because the stark reality is for first generation low-income students that our matriculation to post-secondary institutions is not the finish line, but it's rather the beginning of a long struggle of obstacles that become intensified as we pursue graduate studies.

When I matriculated to undergrad, my academic preparation was only one part of the equation.

However, I quickly realized that there are a plethora of barriers that can really shape a student's experiences in the post-secondary world.

The barriers described in our proposal are not just theoretical, but these are stark realities.

Financial instability, unexpected expenses, navigating complex institutions without guidance, and balancing familial responsibilities.

These are the factors that often determine if a student chooses to persist or chooses to quietly fall off track.

What this grant is supporting is not just a program, but it's rather a continuity of a student's academic journey.

It ensures that the investment we make in our formative years doesn't dissipate the moment a student graduates from high school and leaves our doors.

By extending academic guidance, financial assistance, mentorship, and social emotional support during those years, Pathways is addressing a critical gap when it comes to our educational pipeline.

This is how I begin to describe that we disrupt our pernicious cycle where first generation low-income students gain access to higher education but are not adequately supported to complete it.

And I can say with utmost certainty that one trusted source of support during those years can make the very difference between pushing forward and leaving.

So on behalf of Pathway Senderos and on behalf of students like myself, whose futures are greatly shaped by intentional investment like this.

Thank you.

Your support is not just funding a program, but you're reinforcing the idea that students like myself belong in higher education and that our success should be seen through to completion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And that is CARC.

CCARC.

Hi, how are you?

My name is Gaby DeVoe.

I am the community coordinator at CCARC, which is located at 950 Slater Road.

Thank you for this opportunity to present our home application for 171 Oakwood Drive in New Britain.

It is a seven-bedroom residential group home that has served adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities since 1984.

CCARC is requesting 249,000 in home refunds to rehabilitate and modernize areas of the home, improving accessibility, addressing water damage and aging finishes, and bringing essential facilities up to current ADA expectations so the home remains safe, sanitary, and fully usable for the residents and staff.

All residents are low-income and Title 19 recipients, and they rely on a stable accessible home with 24-7 support.

As residents age, mobility needs have increased, including individual transition transitioning to wheelchairs and creating urgent accessibility and safety demands for bathing, toileting, and safe movement throughout the home.

Our first floor bathroom has experienced repeated water leaks and long-term moisture damage, making it unusable for extended periods and creating hardship for residents and staff.

Without targeted rehabilitation, these conditions will worsen, increase risk, and threaten the home's long-term viability.

In addition, the secondary emergency egress is not ADA and approved and requires ramps to be installed for ease of access.

The project is coordinated rehabilitation plan focused on accessibility, safety, and durability.

Rebuild the this includes rebuilding the first floor bathroom as ADA compliant, including accessible walk-in shower, and proper clearances supporting safe bathing and transfers.

Construct a fully accessible ramp to the sunroom to remove a major barrier to entry and egress and improve emergency exit access.

Repairing the porch ceiling and remediate related water damage to protect the building in the building envelope and prevent reoccurring deterioration.

Replacing flooring and finishes in high use areas with moisture resistant, easy to maintain materials to reduce hazards and improve hygiene.

Upgrade, oh good lord, I'm almost done.

Upgrading the electrical circuits in the living areas as well, and modernizing the basement.

Thank you very much for your time.

Thank you.

Next up is the Department of Public Works.

Good evening, Council.

My name's Nick Burns.

I'm the right-of-way manager in the engineering division of the Department of Public Works here in New Britain.

Our department is requesting CDBG funding to repair and improve the quality of sidewalks and curb ramps in one of the low-income neighborhoods here in New Britain.

The project area is generally bounded by Stanley Street to the west, Kelsey to the south, Chapman to the east, and Smalley to the north.

This specific funding would be used on Church Street and on the corner of Stanley as well.

Census data indicates that in these neighborhoods, around 27% of residents do not own motor vehicles.

They rely on having safe sidewalks to facilitate access to and from housing, education, and training, places of worship, stores, restaurants, places of employment, and public transportation.

Providing area residents with these improved accessibility improvements throughout the city is a solution revitalizing neighborhoods.

This is also to facilitate an ongoing process to make the city more accessible and more accommodating for people with mobility impairments.

The rationale for the project is that many of the existing sidewalks in this neighborhood and in this area are in disrepair as well as the curb ramps at intersections, do not meet current ADA standards, and they pose a real risk to safety of pedestrians in these areas.

These are necessary improvements to improve access to private and public and elderly housing, schools, transit service, stores, shops, and restaurants.

ADA compliant ramps and safe sidewalks will encourage people to explore the city safely through the use of our sidewalk system.

These improvements would be constructed under the city's annual right-of-way improvement program that the Department of Public Works manages.

Thank you very much.

Thank you, Nick.

Next up is the uh fire department.

NFPD.

NDFD.

We are running a bit ahead of schedule in terms of the speakers, so anybody who's not here, we will come back to them.

But if somebody is here, I'll call up the next organization.

Next up after the fire department is Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Connecticut.

Good evening, everybody.

My name is Ryan Matthews.

I'm the Chief Programs and Operations Officer at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut.

I've been a part of the organization for nearly 15 years.

And though I think I'm on my eighth or ninth job title, I started in living rooms across the state, helping connect families in our program with one-to-one mentoring relationship with adult volunteers.

Many of those living rooms were right here in New Britain.

Back in 2012, I met a six-year-old girl named Marlise.

I sat in a small crowded apartment in Malikowski Circle with her family, actually holding her infant brother and trying to understand what she was carrying at such a young age.

She was one of 10 siblings, struggling with anxiety with school, with friendships.

What she needed was simple and profound.

Someone consistent, someone who would show her that there was more ahead for her and her family.

Not a superhero, just someone who would show up consistently and lend a helping hand.

It's been 14 years.

Linda and Marlise are still matched and active in our program.

Today, Marlise is working full-time, going to school part-time, building a life that once felt out of reach.

And when you see her now, you don't just see where she started, you see who she's become because someone, namely Linda, kept showing up.

That is what mentoring does.

And that is what currently the proposed 2026 consolidated plan is missing.

Today, 77% of New Britain students are economically disadvantaged.

One in three are chronically absent.

Only 17% are proficient in language arts and 14% in math.

These are not education issues.

They are early warning signs of long-term disconnection and higher community costs.

The plan makes important investments in buildings, in programs.

Without the social infrastructure around our young people, too many of them will never have access fully to the opportunities that their community has.

That is the gap we fill at Big Brothers Big Sisters.

After one year of mentoring, 87% of our young people identify their big as a very important adult.

80% improve their emotional self-regulation.

It's what helps young people stay and stay connected to the track that they're on before they fall off.

We are requesting your support to help reach these young people.

Without this investment, there are young people like Marlies who will simply go without that one person in their corner without their Linda.

So I respectfully ask you to reconsider and include Big Brothers Big Sisters in the final plan.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ryan.

Go right ahead.

Good evening, Council members.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you tonight.

My name is Nancy Rodriguez.

I am the director of Siena Learning Center, an adult ESL program serving immigrant residents here in New Britain for nearly 20 years.

Tonight I'm not simply representing an organization, I'm representing individuals who have lost their voice.

Not because they lack intelligence, work ethic, determination, but because they lack English.

Even when they have ideas, they feel invisible.

Language is not intelligence.

Language is access.

Language is a voice.

At Siena Learning Center, we help them regain their voice.

We currently serve 100 active learners supported by 40 dedicated volunteer tutors.

Over nearly two decades, we have served hundreds of residents from 20 nationalities.

We maintain a hundred retention percent retention rate among our core learners because our model really is based on relationship, small group instructions with long term mentoring.

Our learners prepare and pass their citizenship test, transition into English speaking jobs, pursue higher education, open businesses, attend PTA and IEP meetings with confidence, advocate for their children, and three even served as public office here in this city.

When immigrants learn English, they increase earning potential, open businesses, buy homes, pay taxes, and stabilize neighborhoods.

This is workforce development at community level.

We are supported by the Dominican Sisters of Peace, but our ESL instruction is entirely secular and open to all residents regarding their faith.

We do not rely on state funding to operate.

We are here tonight because although we are privately supported, rising operational costs and increased demands require partnership.

Our programs serve learners who need smaller relationship-based instructions and long-term mentoring.

Council members, many in this room understand what it means to navigate systems in a second language.

English acquisition is not about comfort, it's about dignity, it's about stability, it's about restoring voices.

Thank you for your time tonight.

Thank you, Ms.

Rodriguez.

Next organization is the uh recreation and community services department.

For proposals 14 and 15.

Okay, good evening.

My name is Maggie Winarski.

I work for the recreation and community services department.

Um I'm here to speak about the first proposal, which is uh the afterschool program.

Um the recreation and community services department submitted a proposal to request funding for the other kid counts after school program at Lincoln Elementary School.

For nearly 30 years, the recreation department has been a provider of after school programs that follow best practices.

After school school programs are well researched for their effectiveness with students, families, and communities.

They provide healthy and safe alternatives for kids during the afterschool hours.

Kids are able to get help with and complete their homework and build on school day learning, develop their social skills, build self-esteem, run and exercise.

The need for programs that support student outcomes and achievement in New Britain is great.

The KC After School program is designed to provide academic support, enrichment, and recreation activities for third through fifth grade students.

After school programs begin in September and run through May, meeting at the school site until 6 p.m.

This week at the afterschool program.

Um staff helped kids with their homework, kept them engaged in activities, served an after-school meal, and ran organized activities in the gym.

Their families are able to continue on with their day, knowing that their third through fifth grader was in a safe space in their school.

Funding for this project will enable the recreation department to offer an afterschool program to 35 kids and their families at Lincoln School and create jobs for young people in the community.

We ask that you consider funding for this project so that it can continue to benefit the community as a whole and the neighborhood that Lincoln Elementary School serves.

Thank you for your time and your consideration of the proposal submitted for funding from CDBG.

Have a good evening.

And we have the next uh parks and community services proposal.

Hi.

All right, good evening, everybody.

My name is Matt Schofield.

I'm the recreation program manager here for the City of New Britain.

I'm just gonna go around, I'm gonna hand off uh some pictures that I want to share with you.

All right, so I'm here to talk to you guys about Woolburg Pool.

Uh for more than 25 years.

Uh the pool has become a cornerstone for our community.

Each summer it serves over 10,000 residents.

Uh, families, children, and individuals of all abilities through daily swim, camp programming, swim lessons, sensory friendly opportunities, movie nights, and other community events.

It's more than just a pool, it's a vital, accessible gathering space that brings people together every summer.

Today, however, the pool's at a critical point.

Without significant investment, we are facing a very real possibility that this pool may not be able to continue operating within the next one or maybe even two years.

The core of the issue lies in the aging infrastructure.

The pool's filtration system is now 25 years old.

Uh well beyond its recommended lifespan.

While our city mechanics have worked tirelessly to keep our system running, ongoing constraints have forced us to rely on outdated and failing equipment.

So to be clear, guys, this is just not minor concerns.

These are system critical failures.

The main interior filter tank currently has a structural crack that is actively leaking.

But if the tank fails, like during a hot summer day, it could flood the entire pump room, causing catastrophic damage and immediate shutdown of operations.

At the same time, the cool's chemical controller responsible for can for maintaining safe PI, pH and chlorine levels.

It's pretty much obsolete.

Replacement parts are no longer manufactured, and the system fails, we could face extended closures as I've already as I've already explained.

Externally, the issues continue.

The gutter and joint systems require a placement to ensure proper water circulation in a zero depth entry pool.

Additionally, a leak in the underground pipe is causing a loss of approximately 2,000 gallons per day.

I'm sorry, per week.

Totally nearly 16,000 gallons over the entire season.

As you guys have already pictured, or if I've tried to picture, losing this pool would be substantial during the summer.

And just more importantly, the pool provides employment for over approximately 20 seasonal staff members each day, including lifeguards, attendants, and instructors.

Jobs that would be lost would be critical to our to our work deployment.

So guys, I'm just here to express the nature of what is wrong at the pool and how much it's needed.

I appreciate your time and consideration and your commitment to the quality of life here in New Britain.

Have a good night.

Thank you, Matt.

Our next organization is the Prudence Crandall Center.

Hello, my name is Barbara Damon, and I have the privilege of serving as president and CEO at Prudence Crandall Center, and appreciate your including us in the CDBG spending plan and your long-standing commitment to ensure that New Britain residents have a place to go when domestic violence hits them.

Domestic violence hits and affects people from every background, but for those already struggling financially, leaving an abusive relationship can mean stepping directly into homelessness.

Too often that instability forces families into an impossible choice and may end up returning to dangerous situations simply because they see no other path.

When survivors do make the courageous decision to leave, their most urgent need is safe, stable, affordable housing.

And the danger doesn't end when they walk out the door.

It follows them.

The window to act is narrow, and the stakes are often life and death.

We've seen that reality far too clearly.

Just last month in Plainville, Felicia Matthews and her two young daughters were killed.

And New Britain has endured this same kind of loss in recent years with the murders of Sabrina Finch and Alice Figueroa.

These are not distant tragedies, they are reminders of what's at risk and how important it is to invest in a path forward.

Our supportive housing program provides that path.

With trauma-informed wraparound services, our staff help families move from crisis to stability, from surviving to rebuilding.

This work changes outcomes.

It saves lives.

Our housing counseling and court advocacy services.

At a time when the need is growing, resources are shrinking.

This is not the moment to pull back.

It is the moment to lean in to ensure that when someone reaches out for help, we can answer in a way that supports long-term stability for these families.

Thank you for your continued support and for leaning in with us.

Thank you.

Next organization is the YMCA.

Good evening.

My name is Matt Walker.

I'm the youth sports director at the Meriden and New Brandon YMCA.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you tonight about a summer basketball training program and league we hope to bring to Willow Street Park.

Basketball has been a lifelong passion of mine.

I've played at both the Varsity High School and Collegiate level, along with coaching youth at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Through those experiences, I have seen how basketball can positively impact youth people both on and off the court.

For the past four summers, I've worked at Willow Street Park running Relo Rec Express, where I saw firsthand how much kids gravitate towards basketball.

That inspired this program, an accessible neighborhood-based opportunity where youth can walk to the park and participate in a structured positive program built around the YMCA's core values of respect, responsibility, and honesty.

This program addresses a real need.

Thank you for speaking.

Next organization is the New Britain Police Explorers.

Police Explorers.

Not yet.

Okay.

We're running about we're running about eight minutes ahead of schedule.

Unusual for the council.

Neighborhood Housing Services of New Britain.

Trying to decide who goes first here.

Um 223 Broad Street in New Britain.

And I'm here to speak on the um our Curtin Avenue Home Ownership Project.

We're requesting 150,000 in home funds for this project to create six new homes on a parcel at 50 Curtain Avenue.

Throughout its history, which goes back 40 48 years, I believe now.

NHS has always had a focus on home ownership.

We've done other types of projects, but homeownership's been one of our major major focuses.

And we have always tried to provide opportunities for low and moderate income households to have access to homeownership.

This project is a new one.

It's going to create six two family homes on the on that property.

Those homes will be for sale to households earning between 80 and 100,000, 80 and 100% of area median income.

The city's 150,000 contribution allows is actually what allows us to go down to the 80% AMI.

The state program focuses on slightly higher incomes.

So the houses that we're building, we built them version of it in Bristol, and it was quite successful.

The rental unit does uh is exactly the same.

Um the reason we're doing it that way is because in an era when cost of construction for new home can run half a million dollars or more, and interest rates are six percent or more.

Um making housing affordable to first time homebuyers is incredibly difficult.

Um I was at a meeting this morning where they said the average first-time home buyer in Connecticut now needs uh family income in excess of 170,000.

Um let me just wrap up by saying um we think this project is gonna be beneficial to the city, it's gonna be beneficial to low and moderate income homebuy, and we thank you for your support.

Chapter two.

Hi, I'm Daria Keys.

I'm the resource development director for neighborhood housing services of New Britain.

I'm here to discuss NHS's grant application for CDBG funding.

We are looking for partial funding for our REACH Pilot Program in New Britain.

This is an innovative early intervention eviction prevention program involving partnerships with landlords and services for tenants that include financial counseling, landlord tenant mediation, building repayment plans, and links to other needed services.

I want to point out that our target population for the REACH pilot is not unhoused persons.

We are trying to prevent people from becoming homeless.

The REACH Pilot's goal is to increase housing stability in New Britain among low-income families and individuals.

So why is REACH important for New Britain?

For five reasons.

First, New Britain has a ton of evictions.

Our city is ranked as the fifth highest number of eviction filings in Connecticut year after year.

Landlords file between 900 and 1,100 evictions each year in New Britain.

That means a high number of families are impacted.

Second, whether the tenant is evicted or not, it goes on the record.

It ruins their credit score and the future chances to rent an apartment, making them more likely to become unhoused or end up renting an unhealthy apartment.

Third, family members are also impacted.

Research has found that children and families that were evicted suffer with poor academic performance and disrupted attendance at school.

Research has also shown that family members experience worsening health outcomes.

Fourth, on top of all that, landlords have to pay costly court and lawyer fees.

When evictions cluster in a neighborhood, that neighborhood experiences more crime, poverty, and disinvestments.

And they're usually after the landlord has filed a notice to quit that gives the tenant a very brief window to remedy the situation.

By this time, rental back pay has accumulated, and the landlord-tenant relationship is unraveling.

So our counselors do their best to prevent evictions, but time is not on their side, and the problem has already started to snowball at that point.

So the best way to avoid the crisis is to start with an upstream early intervention program.

And our REACH program will do just that.

In our proposal, we are asking for CDBG funds that will help pay for the program manager position.

And I'll wrap up with this who will identify properties with high eviction rates, establish partnerships with landlords, and work with the landlords to set up early warning signs so they can refer tenants on the brink of financial difficulty to our housing counselors for effective services.

So on behalf of NHS, I'd like to thank you for past funding and for the consideration of our proposal.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thank you.

Thank you.

You you do have additional time, but you've covered all your requests.

Thank you very much.

Our next organization is the HRA, the Human Resources Agency.

Good evening, members of the council.

I'm Dr.

Marlowe Gropone.

I'm the executive director at the Human Resources Agency of New Britain, Inc.

I'm here today to address both uh requests for HRA of New Britain.

Um I'll be I'll be brief, but I'll be impactful.

Both of our requests are to support a continuing need that is growing in our community.

As many have mentioned tonight, um, and there's many requests that are worthy that are coming before you costs are increasing.

That means need is increasing, and particularly for those that we're serving that are in the most vulnerable categories, families with young children, seniors, people experiencing HIV and AIDS.

And so I'm here before you to encourage you to consider the recommendation of our commissioners to fund HRA's projects.

The New Britain Food and Resource Center project will be focused on ensuring that customers that are coming to consume the food distributions are connected to additional resources through a community health worker.

We have a trained community health worker that will be on site to provide access to support services directly to people that are coming to the food pantry at a critical time for them.

Because we understand that resources are also shrinking, particularly around food.

For those that help to supply us, they are also experiencing challenges with providing food so that we can distribute so we know that families need to explore other options for meeting their needs, and food is a basic need.

We're talking about 2,000 households that visit the pantry on a monthly basis to receive services, and that number continues to increase as the need increases.

With our HIV and AIDS living population, it is about housing stabilization.

While the housing costs continue to increase for them, and the resources continue to shrink for those who need these services that are related to Ryan White.

They are now having to make different decisions, difficult decisions that put their health in jeopardy.

These are decisions that we hope they won't have to make.

Part of what supports their physical and mental health and their emotional health.

All part that is necessary for their well-being as citizens in this community.

So we implore you to please consider our requests, and we're very grateful for your support over the years.

As you know, we're good for it.

We're here to serve the community.

Thank you and have a good evening.

Thank you, Dr.

Gropon.

Queen Anne Nazinga Center.

Somebody here.

Okay, we'll come back to them.

New Britain Senior Center.

Good evening, Council.

How are you?

My name is Rex Cohn.

And I have two proposals for you.

The first one is for a community community support worker.

Each year there's three big social programs that we do.

One is the property tax relief program.

The second one is the energy assistance program.

And the third one, the biggest one that we do is the renters rebate program.

And all three of these are for senior citizens on fixed incomes.

It provides them a little relief.

And we need we have in the past had a community support worker that has helped with all those applications and all the work for that.

Each year our renters rebate program alone does 1,200 applications.

We start from May and we go all the way to the end of September.

We run these appointments every 20 minutes from 9 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

for six months straight.

And in order for us to accommodate all those applications, it is really necessary to have someone there to go through the applications with the seniors, make sure that they have all their paperwork, and then properly file the paperwork with OPM.

So right now we have a community services coordinator who oversees the program, and without that, you know, one part-time person to help out, it would just take him away from all other duties that he has for six months of the year.

During the winter months, we do our property tax and energy assistance program.

Property tax is for senior homeowners.

If they are below the income limit, they get a break on their taxes, which is awesome.

And then our energy assistance program.

You guys know what the energy prices these days.

That program is bigger than ever and very important for our seniors.

So we do need all the help we can to you know help as many seniors as we can.

So that is for our community support worker.

We do appreciate your uh past um help with that.

And then um the second one that we put in for is for a new handicap accessible bus.

Um right now we have uh five vehicles in our fleet.

We have two cars, so uh a Ford Explorer and a Ford Ford Edge, and then we have three vans.

Um so they're the we have a 12-passenger van on a Ford E3 feet 350 chassis, so the bigger bus, and then we have a smaller one on a Ford Transit chassis.

Uh it's an eight-passenger, it's a little smaller, lower to the ground to get around the city a little better.

And then we have a 2011, which is in pretty rough shape at this moment is not operable.

The handicapped lift is beyond repair, and uh it's been sitting at City Yard for quite some time.

Um at this point, it's it's not worth fixing anymore.

So we uh applied for a grant um through the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

They get some money allotted each year to help fund for those vehicles, and uh they do an 80-20.

So they'll pay for 80% of the van, and then the city or town would have to pay for the other 20%.

Um so this proposal is for the other 20% of the vehicle.

Um, and this would help provide rides for the seniors.

Um, if you don't, if you're not familiar with our dialogue program, uh we do about 10,000 rides a year.

Uh we drive seniors to and from medical appointments, we take them grocery shopping, we go to Target, um, we go on different trips, we'll take them to a bees game, we'll go to um uh tomorrow.

We're gonna go into Farmington, we're gonna get a lunch with our lunch bunch.

Um, so it's we do a lot of uh great things with those vans.

Um, and it's important that we have three that are in good condition, um, especially with the handicapped lifts.

Um with the extra van, we can do more wheelchair rides, we can do more uh group rides into the senior center.

We can also um do uh more trips and special events and things like that.

So we are very hopeful that we do uh receive the funding for this new van as we can phase out the 2011 bus, and uh that'll put three operable uh vans in our fleet and uh put our dial ride program at a good capacity so we can accept more rides and do more business.

Um so those are our two proposals for you, and um thank you very much for your time and your consideration.

Thank you.

I'm just gonna backtrack a bit.

Is anybody from the New Britain Police Explorers here?

And Gilead Community Services.

All right.

And Queen Anne Zazinga.

Right.

And anybody from the fire department.

I haven't seen anybody.

Okay.

All right, we're gonna try and move forward.

Um list is Worldwide Youth Networks.

Hello.

Uh thank you for everything you've always done for us.

Um, this will be our 17th year.

My name is Dwayne Pierre.

I'm uh I'm the founder of World Wide East Networks.

Um, tradition before that, we were Paradigm Academy.

We've been in this in the school district for about 17 years now.

Um, our focus has always been tech education, and what we found out is that a lot of our students aren't receiving the level of education that they possibly could in order to receive the jobs in the tech fields.

And two things are happening.

Um, first and foremost, our students don't believe that they can do it, and they don't understand what the these opportunities are.

If I told somebody that they could learn coding for video games, then apply that to the biomedical engineering side of uh coding, they would look at me like I'm crazy because all they know is oh, like I play video games, I want to make video games.

We take that interest from students and we use it to create transitional opportunities.

So we've had students who have done quality assurance testing for uh tech companies.

You know, these are New Britain High School students who before ever setting foot in a computer lab were playing games on consoles, and we were like, okay, we're gonna transition from a console to a computer.

If you can play a game, we'll teach you how to code a game.

If we'll teach you how to code a game, what we'll do is we'll figure out where the jobs are in coding, right?

We have had an upward battle with trying to explain that what we do is not just about video games.

But if you want a student to show up, you have to meet them where they are, and we do that very successfully.

Several years ago, we were fighting to have students show up and like we would start off with eight students and have to grow.

Now, for 40 spaces, we get on average, this is the second year we've had 120 students show up to try to get into a program in New Britain High School that they think is play, and I'm telling them this is how you can get paid on the tail end of it.

So, yes, they play competitive.

Um, we've made it to several championships.

The things that that I'm impressed about, the things that that make me extremely happy is that we've had students who've gone on to receive full scholarships.

We've gone up, we've had students that have gone on to work for video game companies.

Um we've had students who have actually gone on to do more things that that that they've never dreamed they could when they walked into a program that they thought was gonna be about recreation, but we were like, no, this is about empowerment and employability.

That's what our focus is.

Um we hope that we get funding.

We appreciate everything you've done in the past, and we hope that you'll help us again in the future.

Thank you so much for your time.

Thanks for speaking.

Uh the next organization on the list is Arts for Learning Connecticut.

Nobody here from Arts for Learning Connecticut, okay.

The next organization is the New Britain Public Library.

See, we did our job.

You remember us.

Um, good evening, common counsel.

My name is Jazz Coakley, business manager for the New Britain Public Library, and I'd like to thank you for allowing us to come and speak before you tonight.

The library is here tonight to speak on behalf of the proposed allocation for the exterior renovation project to the New Britain Public Library's back entrance handicap ramp and staircase, a project that is essential to preserving both access, safety, and continued resources for our community.

Each year the library receives nearly 200,000 visits, and that number continues to grow.

For many residents, especially those from low and moderate income households, the library is more than a building.

It's a safe space, a resource, a place for the community to connect with one another.

Unfortunately, one of the main library, one of the main library branches access points and only handicapped wheelchair accessible access points is becoming non non-functional and in need of renovation.

The back entrance handicap ramp and staircase installed in 1976 in the Cooper Wing edition are now over 50 years old.

After decades of winters, salt treatments and constant use, there is a visible deterioration to the concrete structure.

While minor repairs over the years have helped maintain the entrance over time, it is no longer enough to ensure the safety and accessibility that our community deserves.

With an original request of 131,000 131,000 to renovate the main library's branch back entrance.

This project will include the demolition and reconstruction of the existing handicap ramp and staircase, and addition of a secondary ramp access point from the main parking lot, and the replacement of the aging awning structure that is currently covering the ramp.

These improvements will ensure the entrance meets modern ADA accessibility standards, strengthen strengthens the structural integrity of the building, and provides a safe environment for both staff staff and patrons.

This project aligns with the goals of the community development block grant initiative by addressing blight, supporting an under underserved and diverse community, and improving safe public access to a vital community resource.

Beyond structural improvements, this project also contributes to neighborhood revitalization by preserving a historic building, enhancing public space, improving safety, and strengthening the library's role as a hub for literacy, culture, and community engagement.

This project is about more than renovation and construction.

It is about equity, accessibility, and preserving a space that benefits our community.

We work very hard to ensure that every resident has the opportunity to become successful and well-informed by offering resources, services, and experiences that build skills and provide enrichment.

By funding our application, you are supporting our mission and ensuring that the main library branch is physically accessible to everyone for years to come.

Thank you for your time, your consideration, and your continuous support of the library.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

Good evening.

I'd like to thank the members of the Common Council for the opportunity to speak this evening and for your continued commitment to the residents of New Britain.

For nearly 50 years, our organization has helped adults in New Britain improve their literacy, learn English, and gain the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and support their families.

Many of the adults we serve are hardworking residents who want to move forward in their lives but face barriers that are difficult to overcome alone.

In New Britain today, about one in five residents has limited English proficiency.

Nearly one in five adults does not have a high school diploma, and 44% of households are cost-burdened by housing costs.

These numbers represent real people, parents who want to communicate with their child's teacher, workers who want to apply for better jobs, and neighbors who want to participate more fully in our community.

One of the students, one of our students came to New Britain with limited English, but a strong desire to work and support her family.

Originally from Somalia, she improved her English through tutoring with literacy volunteers, and was able to obtain a position at the Jerome Home here in New Britain, where she now helps care for elderly residents.

Today she is working, contributing to our local workforce, and building a more stable future for her family.

Stories like this show how improving literacy and English skills help residents enter the workforce while also supporting the staffing needs of local employers and essential services in our community.

Strong literacy and English skills are the foundation that allow adults to pursue job training, advance in their careers, and participate fully in the workforce.

Through the workforce literacy and economic advancement program, we provide individualized tutoring and workforce preparation that helps adults improve English, strengthen literacy, and build digital skills and prepare for employment or advancement.

In the coming year, we expect to serve 285 low and moderate income New Britain residents through weekly tutoring focused on helping adults prepare for work, improve communication, and advance their education.

Programs like this strengthen families, expand our local workforce, and support the long-term stability of neighborhoods throughout New Britain.

Literacy and workforce readiness are essential part of our community's economic foundation.

We appreciate the commission's recommendation and the opportunity to continue this work in New Britain.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Good evening, and uh thank you, Chair, Council, neighbors.

My name's Dana Snell, and I am the uh executive director of the Queen Ann and Zinga Center.

I promise to be short, sweet, and mildly inspirational, sort of like a TED talk with a snack.

You know, redevelopment takes time, careful work, but that slow progress can leave people feeling anxious, discouraged, and doubtful.

The buildings haven't all changed yet, and families are still waiting.

Waiting breeds skepticism.

That's understandable.

Promises without people who show up consistently feel like confetti in a windstorm, and that's where we come in.

Since 2021, our grownness program has been reliable part of this picture.

We've enrolled youth ages five to twenty, deliver 33 hours of life skills, financial literacy, job readiness, civic engagement, and creative expression.

We do this where families live.

We're not a flash of good intent.

We're a steady light that you can set your watch to.

80% of our kids don't complete, I'm sorry, 80% completion, measurable uh measurable increases in hope and self-esteem, and public performances where our kids don't just tell you what they learn, they show you.

Um redevelopment will arrive will arrive, and when it does, the buildings will be better.

But brick and mortar doesn't teach budgeting, leases, resumes, or how to advocate when a problem pops up.

People do.

Our programs help young people navigate systems, prepare for work, imagine owning their own homes, and someday turning temporary uncertainty into long-term stabilities.

We are grassroots, 35 years deep in New Britain, trusted by residents because we listen and adapt.

Residents ask for more programs, we adapt.

We uh answer the question.

We are a mix, we we mix art with practical skills, so learning sticks.

Performances show progress to the whole neighborhood.

Think of us as like the social mortar that keeps redeveloping neighborhoods from crumbling when a storm hits.

Invest in us in the community and the children.

Your funding doesn't just buy a single hour, it buys confidence that compounds.

One workshop becomes confident job interview.

Um, and that's revisiting so we feel on revitalization can feel on your block, not just a plan.

I end with a song.

Don't stop believing.

Hold on to the feeling.

You can keep going if you want.

Thank you.

And I am the president and CEO of New Britain Judo and Dynamic Arts, located right here in uh downtown New Britain.

For more than 68 years, we have served this community.

Tonight I am asking for your support of our HUD Block Grant proposal, which is titled Judal for Life, Empowerment Through Sports.

New Britain faces serious challenges.

Our incarceration rate is 683 per 100,000 residents, far above the state average.

Nearly 30% of the families we serve fall below the federal poverty guidelines.

The majority of our students, almost 74%, are Hispanic or black youth who are disproportionately affected by these conditions.

These are not the statistics, these are our neighbors, our children, our community.

Our HUD Block Grant proposal directly addresses these needs.

Through the Judo for Life Initiative, we will provide at least 15 full year memberships to low and moderate income youth at no cost to their families, and expand our equipment capacity to serve up to 50 students.

We are not just teaching judo, we are building discipline, resilience, and academ academic achievements in the young people of this city.

Let me give you some stats of a study we performed uh last summer.

A hundred percent of our parents report of improved behavior.

84% report improved academic performance.

63% cited stronger socialization and teamwork.

These outcomes are not anecdotal.

Peer-reviewed research, including a 2023 study in sports journal and a 2017 meta-analysis in aggression and violent behavior, confirms that structured traditional judo reduces youth violence, improves cognitive function, and builds social cohesion.

The criminology literature is equally clear.

Effective intervention must begin before the age of 12.

Our program starts at the age of five.

We are hitting that window.

We are the only judo club in New Britain.

Every instructor is sanctioned by USA Judo, a USA Olympic Committee member organization.

We conduct annual training, background checks, and maintain the highest safety standards.

We have produced athletes who have reached national and world rankings.

But our greatest achievement is right here in this community.

In the young people who walk through our doors and leave with confidence, focus, and purpose.

We are asking this council to support our HUD Block Grant application and to lend your voice to this proposal as it moves forward.

This funding is a catalyst, not a dependency.

I thank you for your time.

Thanks for speaking.

Good evening, Councilman.

We want to thank you guys again for recognizing us for the CBDG.

We really appreciate it.

You guys know that us being a nonprofit, especially inner city, it's really tough to get funding, especially from donors across the city, and asking parents for a couple of dollars for their kids to make it anywhere in nationals.

There's a hefty cost.

Uh, thanks to you guys.

It does help us offset some of the costs.

It helps us provide better opportunities for these kids.

And you know, we've been known for football and cheer, but we've grown drastically.

I was there 10 years ago as a coach.

I became a police officer five years ago, and PAL is different from what I remember Power to be.

We provide so many opportunities, not only for the kids, but parents.

They see officers as regular people.

I get approach.

I live in the city, I feel safe.

I have a lot of relationships with people, and all these kids really appreciate it.

It's always hi, Jose.

It's not Officer Perez.

It's always, hey Jose, can you help me out?

It's something that's very giving for us, and something that we really want to keep doing more.

We provide opportunities, a lot of things to you guys as well.

Um, you know, we are pal, and it's more than just football, it's more than sports.

We've created things like golf.

I mean, how many inner city programs have golf?

We are one of 30 in the nation to have uh junior PGA tour, and that's all thanks to the sergeant as well.

We grew from six kids to 30 just in golf.

Uh, we have an after-school program, and we let the kids run the after-school program.

We we care what they want, not what we want.

They run the program.

We provide so many different outlets for not only, like I said, the kids, but parents.

There's financial classes.

There's many things uh PAL should be recognized for, PAL should be known for.

It's more than just sports, it's about the kids, it's about our community.

Um, with that being said, the only thing that hasn't changed is the building.

Building the same place.

It's been for over 40 years.

I know uh the second thing that we put in for was to help us renovate the building, and it's something that it's gonna help us not only keep the kids safe, not only make the program better, uh, provide better lighting, better ceilings, better floors.

Um, it's something that we greatly appreciate because we want to continue to see this place get better, bigger.

We wanna keep PAL in New Britain and be for New Britain.

So we really appreciate you guys.

We want to thank you guys once again, and we hope that we get continual support.

Doors are always open anytime anybody wants to go, right?

Thank you guys.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is anybody from the downtown district?

New Britain, downtown district here.

Still a little early.

We'll go back.

YWCA of New Britain.

Good evening.

My name is Nicole Vilanueva, and I am the Child Care Incubator Project Coordinator with the YWCA neurita.

Thank you for having me.

We successfully trained 10 women for new written to become licensed child care business owners through comprehensive training that has helped them to start with a strong foundation.

Today four licenses, licensed businesses operate in our incubators, serving 32 children from zero to five.

And one runs a licensed second shift home daycare in the community.

We continue to provide coaching and mentoring to support their growth with rising demand.

We have waiting lists of families seeking care and women ready to launch or improve their child care businesses.

Building sustainable businesses and expanding access to quality care in our community.

Carla Allende, proud owner of Mommy Virg Family Child Care and part of the Incubator site programs, originally from Venezuela, where she was a teacher and discovered her passion for helping children learn and grow.

After moving to the United States, while us attending to the ESL and GED classes that the YWCA new Briton learn learn about the Childcare Business Incubator Project.

She was part of the very first training cohort where learned everything needed to start her business on the Buy Food.

At first, she wasn't sure if she could do it.

She knew how hard it was to start a child care business, but thanks to the incubator resources, support, continue guidance, she is succeeding in her business.

One of our main goals is to continue supporting women on the site.

And recently, we start supporting five family child care community pro five five family child care programs in the community in all aspects as business owners to offer quality services.

We are guiding them to minimize their risk of failure as new entrepreneurs and to grow the family home daycare owners community together.

Funding the incubator project with 10,000 will continue to benefit the community now and in the future.

It will also help open more high-quality child care for the community so more parents can go to work and support entrepreneurs and women in the child care field.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

What is it?

Why?

Oh I'm sorry, Dana.

Can you have two representatives from YWCA?

My apologies.

That's okay, no problem.

The floor is yours.

Perfect.

Um my name is Julie Sear, and I'm the director of the youth development programs at the YWCA in Britain.

Um, I'm here again to speak not only about the impact of our community health worker program, how it equips young people with real skills, creates pathways to meaningful careers, and strengthens the health of our community from within, but to also focus on how critical sustainability is for our program.

Programs like ours don't succeed on passion alone.

They require consistent investment to remain strong, accessible, and effective for the young people who rely on them.

This funding is vital in continuing another year of our work.

Our program serves youth who often face barriers to higher education and career opportunities.

Through this initiative, they are not only gaining college level experience while in high school, but they are also building confidence, stability, and a vision for their future.

Without continued funding, we risk creating gaps in the progress that can be incredibly difficult to recover from.

This funding allows us to sustain the structure that makes this program successful.

It supports staffing so we can provide hands-on guidance and mentorship.

It helps cover our materials and resources that ensure our students are prepared and set up for success.

It also allows us to continue to remove financial barriers so that participation is not limited by students' ability to pay.

Most importantly, it allows us to remain consistent.

Consistency is what builds trust within our youth.

It's helped it's what helps keep them engaged, showing up and believing in their own potential.

When programs disappear or scale back due to the lack of funding, it sends a message that opportunities are temporary.

We are working to build something lasting and something our community can depend on.

This investment is not just supporting a program, it's sustaining a pipeline of future community health workers who will go on to serve and uplift the very community that they come from.

We are not asking for support to start something new.

We are asking for the support to continue something that is already working and giving our youth a sense of purpose.

With your investment, we can ensure that the program does not just exist but continues to grow, adapt, and serve more young people who deserve this opportunity.

Thank you for funding us in the past.

Thank you again for your time, consideration, and commitment to building stronger healthy communities.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

And now I'll ask uh New Life Reentry Center.

Good evening.

My name is Pastor Dana Smith of New Life 2 Recovery Community / Reentry Center.

And I apologize that I couldn't make it to the first uh meeting where because I noticed where the funding came out that uh our name wasn't up there, but then I seen this one where it says we are number 37.

So they said I could complete my case.

The reason I wasn't here the first time because we had an emergency um in the neighborhood um with some Narcan, which was involved.

But anyway, I'm here now.

So I'm coming to ask for some support from the city on behalf of the re-entry center.

And at the reentry center, we service last year 100 something individuals coming home from incarceration.

Um we help put them up in uh some help them with housing, we help put them up in some of our recovery homes.

We helped them with uh reunification with the families.

We assisted them with resumes and job mock job interviews and we assist the city where I've been to a meeting where downtown district is uh rightly so uh having words about individuals being out, just hanging out in front of the stores and stuff.

But because of the re-entry center, the individuals are not just dropped off on the streets, they are coming straight directly to our center, and there when they're there, we do an intake, we assist their knees, and we plug them into whatever resources they may they may need at that time, whether it be housing, 201, CMHA Wheeler, or you know, just give them a hug or welcome home, which means a lot to individuals.

So we're asking that you guys reconsider and put us up there so we could uh continue to work and like the young ladies say, but this is nothing new.

We're just this is something we've been doing.

We just need funds to keep doing it and hire somebody part-time.

Um because it's it's the load is getting heavy, man.

It's getting summertime, and that means a lot more.

I don't know if you guys know about the prison system, but they release a lot of people during the summer so they can make room for those that's going in in the winter.

And uh, we need some help with those that are about to come home because some of them coming home are some of our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers.

So if you would please consider supporting us in our efforts, we would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Pastor Smith.

Next organization is New Britain Soccer Club.

Good evening, council members.

I assure you, um, I'm not blaming dress up.

I literally just came straight from the soccer fields.

Um, my name is Chris Cartelli, and I'm here on behalf of New Britain Soccer Club, a completely volunteer-run nonprofit organization that serves hundreds of families in the city of New Britain by providing a fun, safe, and positive environment to learn the game of soccer, and through that game build life skills.

Over the last several years, our club has accomplished something really remarkable since re-establishing the soccer program in New Britain around COVID time, around the 2020, 2021 era.

Um, soccer participation by New Britain Youth has nearly doubled, and today we serve roughly 475 players ages three up to 18 years old.

Every weekend at Willowbrook Park, you could see what makes soccer so special.

Kids from every neighborhood, every background, and every culture in our city come together on the same field.

Soccer is often called the global game, and in a diverse city like New Britain.

Um it has become a powerful way to build community, friendships, and opportunities for our youth.

But with all that growth comes a real challenge.

Um, the facilities that support this program, although we have great support from the city as far as the the parks go, the fields that we get to use, um, just have not kept pace with this rapid growth.

Um the clubhouse building at Willowbrook Park, which houses our concession stand and restroom was constructed about 25 years ago and has experienced significant deterioration from age, weather, and heavy public use.

The restrooms need modernization, the roof has reached the end of its useful life, and the concession stand lacks the infrastructure needed to operate a full and safe food service operation.

Um this project is about much more than renovating a building.

Uh it's about protecting and strengthening an important public resource that serves our community.

Each year, the facilities at Willowbrook Park support not only countless soccer games with these over 400 youth players, but also hundreds of parents, siblings, spectators benefiting roughly 2,000 people annually.

Um, most importantly, it supports families who might otherwise struggle to afford youth sports.

New Britain Soccer Club is committed to making sure that no child is ever turned away because of financial hardship.

Many of the families we serve qualifies low and moderate income households, and when a family cannot afford the registration fees, we've always find a way to make it work.

Um, but those scholarships are only possible because of fundraising.

The concession stand is one of the most important ways we generate those funds, um, and every dollar earned through there goes directly back into the program, helping provide uniforms, equipment, and reduced fees for families who need assistance.

Renovating this facility will allow us to operate the concession stand safely and effectively, increasing the funds available to support those families and ensuring that soccer in New Britain remains accessible to every child that wants to play.

So thank you for your consideration.

Have a good night.

Thank you, Chris.

I need to acknowledge uh Alderwoman Ortiz Luna has joined us for the remainder of the hearing.

I have uh three more organizations on the list.

Uh the next is New Britain Roots.

Good evening, and thank you so much for taking the time to hear um what I have to say on behalf of New Britain Roots.

Um, my name is Jenna Van Donsolar, and I am program manager at Roots.

Um, you might remember in the past I have brought with me some teenagers.

I don't have any with me in the past or today, because while we're still doing our youth programming, tonight I'm here to talk to you about our community fridge program, which is one of our newest food access programs.

So Roots is known for its education programs as well as our mobile market.

Um, since I started at Roots about three years ago, we recognized that there was a bit of a gap.

A lot of our neighbors, we our office is located right next to Malikowski Circle, would come to us at the end of our market and say, Hey, do you have any food that maybe you're not able to sell that you might be able to let us give to one of our neighbors who's going through a rough time?

And this happened consistently.

We began to build a relationship, know who might be of need in the community, and be able to redistribute our leftover produce at the end of market.

And I got me thinking, what if we made this a little bit easier for families who aren't able to get out to the market and use their SNAP benefits or maybe don't have any benefits that they can use for fresh produce.

New Britain is a community that has elevated food insecurity, both nationally and in the state of Connecticut.

And there's many organizations who are working to address this in a myriad of ways.

We installed three fridges, one of them at Pathway Senderos Youth Center, one of them at New Britain Senior Center, and the third at our office located right at Malikowski Circle.

All three of these fridges are heavily used by the community, both in terms of people receiving food, but also folks donating food that they have of access in their own lives.

So what we're asking for is support for this program.

It doesn't happen on its own.

There needs to be some coordination, some ensuring that the food that is in these fridges is safe, that it is not expired, that folks who are receiving food from this program are going to be healthy and safe and not be damaged by any of the food that they receive.

So this is a program that I personally believe really strongly in.

We've heard a lot of really strong feedback from our neighbors.

We've seen people directing other folks to utilize the fridge and to receive fresh produce from this.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

All right, good evening, council.

I was gonna sing a journey song, but my wife said if you want any money, you will not sing tonight.

So I'll scrap that portion.

Hey, Ready CT is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that focuses on workforce development for high school students at New Britain High.

Our organization offers two embedded program managers at New Britain High School who help enhance the academy curriculum for business and finance, manufacturing, engineering, and technology, health sciences, and public service by connecting what they are learning in the classroom to what employers are looking for in the work world.

Examples of the work-based learning that we offer include a 10-part career connected workshop series, including industry-based guest speakers, resume reviews, work site tours, mock interviews, and paid internships.

This year we are on track to offer over 100 paid internships with organizations such as the Hospital for Central Connecticut, the New Britain YWCA, the New Britain Friendship Center, New Britain Downtown District, Nutmeg Credit Union, Achieve Financial, AVNA, the New Britain Museum of American Art, Z2 Motorsports, and more.

These are New Britain-based businesses and organizations.

So we are looking to enhance the talent that is here and keep the talent that is here.

Last week alone, we hosted 40 sophomores for our week-long Yes Academy, which is youth employability skills.

On spring break, students came in for this.

Through our first responders Youth Academy, we are introducing high school students to careers in police, fire, and EMS.

Our signature summer program, Get Ready Immersive Traineeship, also known as Grit, introduces students to industry-related projects that are submitted by employers over a five-week period in the summertime.

It is networking in its purest form.

High school sophomores get the opportunity to connect with professionals in the work world two years before they even begin college or go into the work world.

It's no secret that Mayor Sanchez is an outspoken proponent of our programming at the high school in building a local pipeline for talent to feed industry right here in New Britain.

We appreciate your consideration.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

Annex renovations.

You can pass you can pass them around and we can all look at them.

High level talent.

Good evening.

I'm Don Naples, Treasurer of the Trinity on Maine Performing Arts Center in downtown New Britain.

It's Trinity on Maine Limited.

It says uh just Trinity there, but it should be Trinity hyphen on hyphen May.

Our project is uh bathroom renovation for our Annex.

The Annex building joining our historic church building at sixty-nine Main Street was built in nineteen sixty-seven.

The two adjoining bathrooms, male and female on the second floor, are in poor original condition, nearly sixty years old, and are not ADA compliant.

Increased use of our Stockman Gallery, which is in the uh same level in that building at the other end for weddings and other minority church services, choral rehearsals, and other gatherings, as well as attendees in the classrooms on the first and second floors for our nonprofit groups, including Queen Anne Zenga Center and Iris IRIS is the integrated refugee and immigrant services.

They were mentioned earlier.

They do classes in uh ESL and other things, uh, sponsored by the consolidated school district of New Britain, which just uh renewed for another season.

And they have increased the use of these two restrooms to year-round roofs.

Use this project was not scheduled, was not selected for a grant by the neighborhood development commission.

Um our original request was for thirty-seven thousand dollars by cutting it to the bone and uh reusing uh ceiling and flooring.

We cut it to twenty-three thousand four hundred.

I uh happy to present this before you thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Naples, and thanks for sharing the photos and the adjusted budget.

I think we've gone past the time.

All right, I don't see any further speakers and uh we've heard from all organizations.

There's no organizations in the room that hasn't been heard from.

So on that note, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

Make sure motion to adjourn.

Second Santiago, second by following uh Luna.

All those in favor?

Aye, vote.

It's now 853 p.m.

Thanks to all the representatives who spoke tonight.

Yeah, that one's fascinating.