State Rep. Jack Hennessy will host a neighborhood forum on Thursday, 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the North Branch Library, 3455 Madison Avenue. From Hennessy:
The forum was to originally focus on constituent complaints about rowdy college student renters affecting the quality of life in their neighborhoods, but officials from Sacred Heart University have said they will be unable to attend due to the installation ceremony of Frank J Caggiano as Bishop of the Diocese of Bridgeport. The forum will instead give residents the opportunity to discuss quality of life and environmental issues with state and city officials. The Ox Brook flood control project will also be a topic.
“This is not a political event,” said Rep. Jack Hennessy (D-Bridgeport). “It is a forum to discuss important public health and quality of life issues that impact our neighborhoods. It will take a team effort, but if we keep the city’s feet to the fire on things like the Ox Brook flood control project, we will see results.”
The Bridgeport Police Department, Mayor, City Council members, Public Facilities, Zoning Enforcement and Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental protection have been invited to attend.
Nice to know after nine years as state rep for the North End of Bridgeport, Jack Hennessy is FINALLY going to represent his constituents. Nice to know he extricated himself from under the weight of Chris Caruso. Now maybe there will be some substantive results from his extrication.
Bob, Hennessy had been very active in fighting the zone change for Testo’s restaurant. The zoning board ultimately approved the change but Hennessy was there front and center. Always give credit where credit is due. He may have been looked at as a puppet for Caruso, but Chris always performed for the North End residents. That being said, the North End does need attention. The millions of dollars wasted on a streetscape project that never was completed yet other like projects are going on throughout the city. Our gateway to Trumbull is a mess. The litter is out of control. As for Sacred Heart, there is a lot of money to be made by Bridgeport businesses. I would suggest North End business groups get together and market the North Main-Madison corridor. These kids have money, nice cars and looking for places all the time. Check out Merritt Canteen some weekend at 2 am–packed.
I salute Jack Hennessy for his activity on behalf of people in his district (as well as throughout the City by his support of 5724 during the last session).
Setting up neighborhood meetings to learn about local issues, to listen to residents and taxpayers, to respond to them, to inform them what is currently happening and where their support is required is very smart. But it is not practiced in any major way in most neighborhoods in the City.
Some reasons have been offered such as: our part of town does not have an NRZ, or there is no place to hold such a meeting, or no one cares. Well if you are a regular OIB reader, you know we have plenty of citywide issues, financial and otherwise, which do not get regular systematic airing and response in current governance structures.
So it does take ‘stakeholders,’ those who live in an area who have an expectation that is not being met, and who have a willingness to go the extra mile to create a forum, an agenda, a group of attendees and promote local subject matter. This has happened in Black Rock, the West End and other areas due to church action. The voice of the people gets expressed and sometimes it is heard.
It cannot just be heard before elections or at budget process or it is seen as calculating and cynical. And it can be led by Council persons but they may be more effective if ‘informed neighbors’ take the lead, and the CC members come in to share their knowledge of a subject, of process or just in support. It is not guaranteed to work, but failure to generate these open meetings doesn’t accomplish anything either. Time will tell.
All since Caruso got his “job” with the State of CT. Prior there is little evidence of Hennessy’s involvements in the community or any record of legislation he initiated. I commend him for his current activity, but not for anything before. Remember the “Solitaire Scandal?” Typical of his involvement. It also cost the Milford rep her job and should have cost him his but for Caruso’s intervention.
*** I would have to agree on some of Bob’s political points there about where Mr. Hennessy was before, during and after C. Caruso’s time in state office! *** IT IS WHAT IT IS! ***