Bridgeport’s nine-member legislative delegation will feature two key voices on the housing front with State Rep. Antonio Felipe reappointed chair of the Housing Committee as well as State Senator Herron Gaston named vice chair of Housing and reappointed chair of Public Safety.
The General Assembly convenes for session January 8.
Gaston news release follows:
State Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport) has been named Chair of the Public Safety Committee, which oversees all matters relating to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Senator Gaston has also been named Vice Chair of the Housing Committee, which works to evaluate and define all housing options needed for affordable housing throughout Connecticut.
“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to chair the Public Safety Committee for a second year in a row,” said Sen. Gaston. “It’s an honor to continue working alongside such dedicated individuals and working to protect the safety of individuals and their families in Connecticut. I am also grateful Senator Looney appointed me to lead the Housing Committee. We must continue to our efforts to offer affordable housing and rental assistance to people in our state. I am looking forward to working on legislation that will help homeowners and renters.”
“Senator Gaston made great progress for our state while chairing the Public Safety Committee, and I have no doubt he will continue to be a valuable leader for the next two years,” said Sen. Looney. “Senator Gaston has been a champion for housing issues locally and I am excited to add his leadership to the Housing Committee as a Vice Chair.”
The Public Safety and Security Committee has cognizance of all matters relating to (A) the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and (B) civil preparedness and homeland security, state police, the state-wide organized crime investigative task force, municipal police training, fire marshals, the fire safety code, the state building code, and legalized gambling.
The Housing Committee has cognizance of all matters relating to housing and housing programs.
Maybe this time our so called Flucking leaders, will do some thing about affordable housing for Bridgeport?
Bridgeport Landing Development got away with 420 units of new housing for the rich on the waterfront and not one unit of mandated (State affordable Housing Plan) for this city’s people!
It seems to me Sen. Looney’s appointments are made to keep Affordable Housing 0ut ?!.
Last night’s year-end comments to the City Council. I was the only listed speaker on behalf of the public. But two City Council members used the three minute opportunity to address their fellow Council members (and the public) also. Is this the only way the public gets note of potential issues of City note whether it is about actions of the Council when a member is absent or actions of a City Board that seems a reversal of a previous decision with no changes in the fact pattern in a land use matter.
CC Comments – 12-16-2024
City Council members the year 2024 ends within 15 days of tonight. Many holidays will be celebrated but likely with less enthusiasm if we were certain that people understood what they were voting for in elections.
We face Council municipal elections during the New Year of 2025. Do you have any role in organizing Casual Community Conversations in your District as part of listening to the residents of your District? Does holding or arranging informal gatherings at locations in your District, depending on social media for publicity, offer a low expense way of interacting with the folks you offer to represent? Who is better at answering questions than an informed representative like yourself? You can provide the basic information of CIVICS ignored, forgotten, or misunderstood in the past by Americans who are likely part of the 80% or more who avoid using their common sense and right to become informed and then fail to vote.
Other questions I raised in the past year have to do with the Ordinance to register your residence address in January. Only 15 people completed this requirement in 2024 although more than 150 officials including the Mayor, in excess of 50% of City Council members and most residents appointed to Boards and Commissions faced the requirement. A CC Fair Housing Commission ordinance in 2022. No Mayoral appointments in 24 months?
Why does the Mayor’s office fail to have a record of ALL Boards and Commissions listing all current members, those appointed with time before expiry, as well as those who have neither been re-appointed nor replaced? What is the evaluation process used, fairly and equally, in the City to assure that members are actually diverse, qualified, in attendance, and participating without conflicts of interest in their public service?
And what initiative are you awaiting to appoint an interested and qualified group of voter/residents to review the Charter of the City? More than one person can find fault with the structure and operation of City governance. Why not let them do some work, explore some possibilities for improving the status quo, and prepare us for the challenges that most certainly lie ahead of us? Time will tell.
Bridgeport ranks poorly in independent study of permitting process
for so long Bridgeport residence always wonder WHY WHY WHY DOES IT TAKE SO LONG FOR ANYTHING TO GET BUILT
https://www.ctpost.com/news/article/bridgeport-joe-ganim-permitting-inefficency-19983923.php
WELL READ
AGAIN A FREAKING JOKE