Alarm Ordinance - further clarification

The City's Deputy CAO Jennifer Pugh and attorney Roderick Williams recently provided additional clarifications pertaining to the City's new Alarm Ordinance.  Please also read my earlier Blog. 
The City created this new ordinance to attempt to mitigate the thousands of false alarms that the NHPD responds to every year.  It also puts more responsibility on the alarm companies, increases penalties to offset costs in responding to false alarms, re-builds the old registration database that was lost, and completely replaces the old alarm registration program that was deemed ineffective.

Some key points:
* The alarm companies are responsible for registering their clients who subscribe to their monitoring services. The alarm company could be fined for not registering them.
* Alarm owners who do not subscribe to a monitoring service are responsible for registering their own alarms. If they fail to register, they could get fined.
* Although the ordinance does not specifically say so, it was clarified earlier that the alarm penalties will "reset" each year. residents will be allowed one free false alarm per year, not just a total of one, forever.

A brochure further explaining the program IS NOW AVAILABLE HERE accompanying the application is an 8 page "Guide."

BOA Meeting 1/19/10 - agenda

The second BOA meeting of the year is Tuesday, Jan 19th @ 7:00pm.  The agenda this week includes the Board voting to elect BOA representative(s) (usually one or two) to the many City Charter specified City Commissions.  Also, the BOA will be asked to formally approve Tax Refunds (mostly over payments or other errors) which have been processed by the City Tax Collector.  The only other agenda is to hear Communications: 1) to create a residential parking zone for Woodland & Tilton streets in Alderwoman Jone's Ward 21. 2) City Controller submitting the Audit statements for FY ending 6/30/2009. 3) a request to install a sign over the public sidewalk at Labyrinth Books, 290 York Street. 4) several Mayoral reappointments of citizens to various commissions (these will next go to the Aldermanic Affairs Committee). 5) the establishment of a Charter Revision Commission (this is per City Charter every 10 years) 6) a citizen's petition for property tax abatement (this will head to Tax Abatement Committee)

Meeting Agenda and Minutes (journal) can be found here (if they're not posted yet, I can usually email them to folks that request)

2010 Legislative Update - State Delegation

The New Haven Legislative Delegation would like to invite the public to the 2010 Legislative Update on Saturday, January 23rd from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. in the Aldermanic Chambers at City Hall. The purpose of this event is to discuss the inner workings of the legislature and the upcoming 2010 legislative session.

I'm passing along this invite which came directly to all the Aldermen but is open to the public too. It's a chance to meet your State representatives including State Representative (Ward 25 resident), Pat Dillon.

City Trees

Parks, Recreation & Trees have assigned a crew to work on stump removals during the winter months. They are noting and marking stumps for CBYD and they'll try remove as many as they can in the next few months. They are also working on removing the unsightly 10' tall stumps that have been left from time to time and occasionally used by the utility companies for pole anchors.

Stump removal of course does not have the same high priority as addressing dangerous tree issues. Safety concerns will always be the Park Dept.'s number one priority as custodians of our City's thousands of trees.

Urban Resources Initiative is the City's current tree planting partner. The Mayor has pledged to increase tree planting and re-planting over the next several years. I have asked the Parks Dept. to include stump removal as integral to this planting initiative.

Please download URI's Fall News Letter (.pdf) to read more about what they have already done and what they plan to do as a partner with the City to plant more trees.

Please also read my Blog about my meeting in Oct. with Parks Dep. Dir. Christy Hass who is also the City's Tree Warden.

BOA meeting report - 1/4/10

The first BOA meeting of 2010 was held last Monday, Jan 4th. The first order of business took place during Democratic Caucus. 28 of the 30 members are Democrats and caucus from 5:45 - 6:30 before meetings. Nominations for Majority Leader where heard and incumbent Majority Leader Katrina Jones (21-D) was the sole nominee and re-elected Majority Leader. Greg Morehead (22-D) was the sole nominee and re-elected Deputy Majority Leader.

The agenda was run through, with Morehead, on behalf of a few colleagues, recommending that a pending order from LCI to approve the quitclaim of land on Ashmun St to Science Park be sent back to committee (BOA's Community Dev.) for further consideration. This is a parcel upon which that the owners of Science Park plan to build a daycare. Neighbors hope for more assurance that this will indeed serve the neighbors/neighborhood.

There was also discussion in caucus regarding a resolution up for vote "...strongly supporting camera-based red light enforcement... urging the General Assembly [State] to pass legislation which would allow municipalities to install much-needed red light cameras... and that the New Haven BOA is prepared to approve the passage and implementation of a red light camera enforcement program..." This is only a resolution to try to show New Haven residents' support and to hopefully encourage the State legislature to pass enabling legislation. The BOA can then debate and create the program and corresponding ordinance(s). It was decided in caucus to bring this item to a vote as this resolution has made its way through the process including public testimony and committee evaluation. There was only public testimony in support which also included the Chief of Police's support and thus the City Services & Environmental Policy committee recommendation was "favorable."

Then our colleagues Arlene DePino (18-R) & Maureen O'Sullivan-Best (11-I) join us, City administration representatives, and City Dept. representatives in a session that is open to reporters and the public to observe any further discussion of the meeting agenda before the regular Meeting which begins at 7:00pm. This week there were no questions nor further discussion.

The meeting opened with Divine Guidance from Alderman Michael Smart (8-D). The Majority Leader then moved the first five Communications which carried unanimously including sliver lot sales to several adjacent property owners and Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven.

The Board then approved the acceptance of the loan from the State of a Statewide Tactical On-Scene Communication System. Also, several old items were given "leave to withdraw."

Then there was lively discussion and debate on the red-light camera resolution brought by new Alderman Darnell Goldson (30-D). He was against this resolution as were a few of his colleagues. He wanted more time for it to be considered especially for him and others new to the board. Those in support mainly argued that due diligence and process, including lots of time by members, had led to moving this item to a vote. After debate continued and Alderman Goldson's motion to recommit was "called" by Alderman Michael Jones (1-D) and confirmed by a 2/3rds roll-call vote, debate continued on the resolution itself for several minutes but eventually gave way to a vote on the resolution which passed on a vocal majority (perhaps 3-6 Nay votes).

And then with a couple Alders honoring recently passed City residents, including Freddie Fixer creator Ed Grant [NHI article linked], the meeting ended just after 8pm

Magnet School Applications due Feb 12th

Magnet School Applications are due by Friday, Feb. 12th. There is a Citywide information Fair on Wednesday, Jan. 13 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the New Haven Field House at Hill House HS.

You can download an application and visit the NHPS Magnet Schools web-page for more information. A list of all Open Houses can be found here, including:

EDGEWOOD MAGNET (K-8) Open Houses
737 Edgewood Ave., (203) 946-8611
Thursday, Jan. 14, 6:30pm
Thursday, Jan. 21, 10am
Wednesday, Jan. 27, 10am

Edgewood Magnet School requires an application to attend and applicants will be given Neighborhood and Sibling preference. Applicants wishing to check/confirm they live in the "attendance zone" should check the Registration Street Directory from the NHPS website.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you drop off applications IN PERSON at 54 Meadow Street and get a receipt. There are lots of rumors regarding this process. Please CALL me with any questions. Also, I'd like to hear from prospective Edgewood Kindergarten parents and anyone new to the neighborhood/school that plans to apply for a grades 1-8 spot, please call or email. Thanks!

Alarm Registration - new City ordinance - UPDATED 1/24

Yes, a new Alarm system registration ordinance will soon go into effect.  Here is some more info in my most recent Blog.  There will be a Brochure available soon and I will link to it. For some more background you also could read this NHI article.

You can get the registration form here which is also linked from the City's Home Page.

Click here for a Word file (.doc) of the actual 14 page ordinance.

This new ordinance replaces the old program for which many folks have door stickers.

Email

Please send me your email address if you would like to get Neighborhood News, Info & Updates.

dildine2009@comcast.net

Thanks!

Newest BOE member is Edgewood Parent

I recently met (briefly) the newest NHPS Board of Education member, Ferdinand L. Risco Jr., the other day at the Inauguration reception. His bio has recently been added to the NHPS website's BOE members' Bio page.

First BOA meeting of 2010 - agenda

Monday, Jan. 4th, 2010 @ 7:00pm - City Hall

First thing to do is to elect the leadership positions: Board President, President Pro Tempore, Majority Leader & Deputy Majority Leader.

Agenda also includes in part:
(here's were agenda & minutes can be found. Note: public/final version lags draft versions Alders are provided -- contact me if they're not available here, and you'd like to know what's upcoming at the next meeting):

Communications:
1) Mayor's required submission of budgetary & financial reports for 11/09 as required by Section 62 of the City's Charter.
2) Mayor's reappointment of Anika Lamar to the Solid Waste Authority Board
3) Purchasing Agent requesting an emergency procurement ($19,900) to replace the boiler at the Micro Society Magnet School
4) Cultural Affairs Director requesting the authorization to accept a $8450 grant from CT Commission on Culture & Tourism
5) Whalley Ave. Special Services District (WSSD) requesting approval to change their by-laws thus changing the formula for their additional property tax levy.
6) Requests from LCI to approve several properties for disposition including sliver-lot sales & sales to Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven.

Here's my "report back" from this first meeting of 2010.