Trumbull’s Flush Job, News From The Post, And Monkey Suit

If the city is going to create a regional waste water authority, looks like it’ll have to do it without Trumbull.

Trumbull is sandwiched by Bridgeport and Monroe, so the only way Monroe can send its effluent to Bridgeport is through Trumbull. But Trumbull doesn’t want to play so this creates a fascinating configuration. State law allows creation of a regional authority by two towns, even if they’re not contiguous.

When Trumbull started to crunch the numbers it apparently didn’t make sense to do the deal. The major stumbling block for Trumbull’s entry is the massive capital improvements that must be made to the city’s antiquated sewage treatment system such as separating the sewer and storm pipes.

During heavy rains the water and effluent pass through the same pipe and oops, there goes the East Side under water.

By creating a separate regional entity, Mayor Bill Finch can transfer debt service for the city’s sewage treatment operation over to a new authority. This will help boost the city’s fund balance which will make Wall Street bond rating agencies smile on the city’s credit worthiness.

Bridgeport will move forward, without Trumbull, to try to make the deal work with Monroe. The new authority, if created in the expected 9 to 12 month timeframe, will have to satisfy Trumbull for allowing a Monroe hook-up. That should be an interesting negotiation.

The genesis of the regional authority is the plan by developer Bob Scinto to relocate the Jewish Home for the Elderly from Farifield to property he owns in Monroe. His property isn’t large enough for a stand-alone sewage treatment facility so to make the deal work Monroe would hook into the Trumbull pipeline that’s connected to Bridgeport.

Post It Note

What’s going on at the Connecticut Post? Awful times for everyone in print journalism. Post owner Hearst is looking for a few willing men and women to accept buyout offers at its Connecticut papers. From what I hear six or so in the Post news operation will accept.

Hearst owns a regional triangle of daily papers in Fairfield County from Greenwich and Stamford, over to Bridgeport and Danbury. I do most of my news reading on line, but I do receive both the Post and Danbury News-Times on Sunday. The guts of each Sunday paper is beginning to look similar, certainly several sections are the same. It seems just a matter of time before the papers will be identical except for the front page and a few jump pages.

And with that will come more consolidation and more cuts, and less knowledge of the community and less reporting. The kids that end up filling the web version of the paper will not understand the city such as an old fart like me so spread the word (and now for a commercial interruption), if you want a slice of government and political life you cannot get anywhere else, check out OIB.

Willie’s Monkey Suit

Hey, it looks like attorney Chuck Willinger finally has the monkey off his back. The savvy land-use attorney who was a target–and survived–the federal probe of Joe Ganim’s administration, has brought a lawsuit on behalf of the woman who was mauled in that ape attack. Maybe we’ll get Chuck to do a Pol Pod.

News release from Congressman Himes and Mayor Finch

Himes, Finch Announce $6M to Lessen Foreclosure Crisis

1,000 local foreclosures highlight need for assistance

BRIDGEPORT, CT – Congressman Jim Himes (CT-4) and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch announced today that $5,865,300 in federal funding to Bridgeport will be used to help lessen the crippling effects of foreclosure crisis through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. With over 1,000 foreclosed homes in Bridgeport, the investment is critical to stemming the tide of foreclosures the city faces and preventing the blight, reduced property tax value, and abandonment that inhibit economic development.

“Addressing the foreclosure crisis at the heart of our economic melt-down is one of the most important things we can do to turn our economy around,” said Congressman Himes. “I applaud Mayor Finch for taking quick action to ensure this funding gets into the hands of real people to make a real difference in our economy.”

In keeping with the premise that federal money should be spent quickly to ensure it has the greatest effect, the city must distribute this funding in the next 18 months. Additionally, in order to ensure that the help gets to those that need it most, 30% of the funds must be used for households at or below 50% of area median income. The program will invest in local neighborhoods in a number of ways, including:

Financial Mechanisms to purchase and redevelop foreclosed properties;
Purchase and rehabilitate homes and residential properties that have been abandoned or foreclosed upon;
Establish land banks for homes that have been foreclosed upon;
Demolish blighted structures; and
Redevelop demolished or blighted properties.

The city plans to partner with Housing Development Fund of Lower Fairfield County to leverage an additional $26.2 million of Smart Move Loan Pool funds.

“The magnitude of the housing crisis in the city of Bridgeport has no parallel in Connecticut,” Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch said. “Circumstances here are among the very worst in the country, but the $6 million will go a long way to helping us stabilize neighborhoods and help people get into homes they can afford. We are grateful to our partners at HUD, on Capitol Hill, and at the state Department of Economic and Community Development for recognizing the great need we have here in Bridgeport.”

Additional funding for local Neighborhood Stabilization Programs is also possible. While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was in negotiations between the U.S. House and Senate, Congressman Himes fought to maintain funding for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program. In a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Himes and a number of his colleagues explained that neighborhoods are in desperate need of these funds, which have successfully helped. As a result, an additional $1.9 billion from the Recovery Act will be available for Neighborhood Stabilization Programs through a competitive grant process.

Eddie and Anthony

State Senators Ed Gomes and Anthony Musto want to know what’s on your mind. Here’s your chance to speak up. See news release below:

SENS. GOMES, MUSTO PLAN BUDGET FORUM FOR BRIDGEPORT RESIDENTS

Schedule town-hall style forum for Monday, March 23

Bridgeport – State Senators Edwin Gomes (D-Bridgeport) and Anthony Musto (D-Trumbull) will host a town-hall style budget forum for area residents on Monday, March 23, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Burroughs Community Center on Fairfield Avenue.

The forum will focus on the current fiscal climate in the state, the budget deficit, the governor’s proposals to solve the budget crisis and the legislative efforts underway to help restore the state’s economy. The lawmakers will make a presentation and then take questions from those in attendance.

“These are tough times, and people have a lot of questions about what certain proposals will mean for them and what the legislature is going to do,” said Senator Gomes. “I hope that this forum will help answer those questions for people in Bridgeport.”

“We’re dealing with a budget deficit that’s really unprecedented, and that’s going to have a real impact on the services that the state provides,” Senator Musto said. “We need to hear from the people. We need to know their thoughts and know what’s most important to them. This forum will provide that opportunity, and I urge Bridgeport residents to come to the Burroughs Community Center and make their voices heard.”