West Haven taxpayers can appeal property assessments

Taxpayers can appeal property assessments in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 27, 2022 — The Board of Assessment Appeals will hear appeals of real estate and personal property assessments on the 2021 grand list by appointment during March.

The board will also hear appeals of motor vehicle assessments on the 2020 supplemental motor vehicle grand list that received a tax bill due Jan. 1.

Any property owner who wants to appeal an assessment must submit a written application to the board. The assessor’s office must receive the completed form on or before Feb. 20.

Download an Application.

Applications are also available in the assessor’s office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St., or by calling the office at 203-937-3515. Staff members will answer questions about the appeal process.

Dell offers new team member discount program

Dell offers West Haven employees new team member discount program

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 27, 2022 — Because of West Haven’s ongoing relationship with Dell, the city is pleased to announce that Dell has extended discounting on consumer PCs to all West Haven employees and their families and friends.

Member benefits include:

· Exclusive monthly offers.

· Best-price guarantee on consumer PCs from Dell.

· Up to 30% off Dell PCs, electronics and accessories.

· Free enrollment in the Dell Rewards Loyalty Program: 3% back, plus free expedited shipping.

· Military and veterans receive an additional 10% discount.

· White-glove quoting from the MPP Executive Sales Team upon request — please provide member ID: 132940501.

All member discounts are built into the site, and members are not required to log in or use any codes to qualify for discounts.

For questions or concerns about the program, contact MPP Strategic Account Manager Bria Simmons at bria_simmons@dell.com.

Rossi making house calls to honor couples married 50 years

Rossi making house calls to honor W. Haven couples married 50 years

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 27, 2022 — For more than three decades, the city has honored West Haven couples who have been married for at least 50 years with a Valentine’s Day party featuring entertainment, dancing and refreshments.

And like last year, this year is no different — well, a little — with the city’s Valentine’s Day tradition continuing despite the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.

Without skipping a beat, the city will play Cupid for the 32nd straight year by once again holding an alternative event that celebrates the holiday of love from the safety of couples’ homes.

On Feb. 11, Rossi will recognize those sweethearts who have reached the half-century mark and beyond with a congratulatory gift delivered to their homes.

West Haven couples wishing to participate must RSVP to the Department of Elderly Services at 203-937-3507 by Wednesday.

Rossi delivers test kits, N95 masks to aid COVID response

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 21, 2022 — (Pictured, from left): Mayor Nancy R. Rossi delivers two boxes of COVID-19 at-home rapid tests and a box of N95 masks to Manager Louis Wadson and Assistant Manager Lisa Ehrbar of the Seacrest Retirement Center at 588 Ocean Ave. on Jan. 21.

Rossi and Public Works Commissioner Tom J. McCarthy distributed the test kits and personal protective equipment to nursing homes, churches and food pantries in West Haven as part of the city’s public health response to the pandemic.

(City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

Tax help offered in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 10, 2022 — The West Haven Senior Center is offering a free tax preparation service to help low-to-middle-income taxpayers.

The AARP Tax-Aide program is available by appointment from 9-11 a.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, starting Feb. 2, in the senior center at the upper level of the Johnson Community Center, 201 Noble St. Face masks are required regardless of vaccination status.

Special attention is given to help those 50 and older fill out federal tax forms.

The service, which includes tax counseling, is offered by trained volunteer tax preparers from AARP in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service.

For an appointment, call the senior center at 203-937-3507.

Taxes due in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 6, 2022 — The second installment of city tax bills — real estate, personal property, motor vehicle, sewer — were due Jan. 1, and payments after Feb. 1 are considered delinquent and subject to interest, Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli said.

The 2020 supplemental motor vehicle bills for vehicles registered after Oct. 1, 2020, were also due Jan. 1.

Payments can be made by cash, check, credit card, debit card or money order from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in the tax office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. The city has an ATM outside the office.

Taxpayers can also make a payment on the city website at Tax Collector. Sewer bills are on the same page but under a separate tab. Tax payment history can also be viewed and printed.

The fees for credit cards and electronic checks are available at Tax Collector Payments.

During tax season, taxes can be paid by the drop box outside the interior door of the tax office from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Taxes can also be paid by mail.

When paying by lockbox or drop box, the canceled check is the receipt.

Anyone needing a motor vehicle clearance must pay in person by cash, credit card, debit card or money order.

To enter City Hall, visitors must use the west entrance on the Savin Avenue side, wear a face mask and show ID to the security guard.

Schedule announced for bulk trash pickup, e-waste drop-off in 2022

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 5, 2022 — The 2022 bulk trash pickup weeks are April 25-29 and Sept. 12-16.

West Haven residents are reminded to separate metals, recyclables and regular trash from bulk trash and put them out no more than 24 hours before pickup. Violations carry a $100 fine per daily offense, Public Works Commissioner Tom J. McCarthy said.

Residents are also reminded to “Put a Lid on It!” and use lids on all trash cans. Rain-soaked trash costs West Haven 10 times more at the dump, said McCarthy, adding that using trash can lids will save the city money by reducing the weight of trash and cost of tipping fees.

Bulk items include couches, chairs, tables, carpeting, padding and fencing, which may not exceed 6 feet in length. No building materials, tires, mattresses, propane tanks or hazardous waste are accepted.

Options for disposing of building materials include renting a dumpster or bringing the materials to a disposal facility for a fee.

Tires can be brought to Town Fair Tire, 63 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $2.75 per tire.

Mattresses can be disposed of for free in a container at the city’s highway maintenance garage, 1 Collis St. Mattresses must be dry.

Hazardous waste can be dropped off for free at HazWaste Central, 90 Sargent Drive, New Haven. HazWaste is open Saturday mornings from mid-May through October.

Propane tanks can be brought to Taylor Rental, 304 Boston Post Road, Orange, for a fee of $10.60 per tank.

The amount of bulk trash per collection is limited to 6 cubic yards, which is equal to a pile of trash about 6 feet long, 6 feet wide and 4 ½ feet high.

Homeowners are required to rent a dumpster or hire a junk removal service at their expense if trash exceeds 6 cubic yards. Otherwise, trash exceeding 6 cubic yards will be left at the curb, and a $100 fine per daily offense will be imposed, McCarthy said.

To prevent a potential fine, property owners should familiarize themselves with the city’s trash guidelines at Public Works.

Bulk trash must be generated by the customer at the residential unit where it is collected. Trash will not be collected if it is generated by anyone other than the resident of the home.

Bulk items must be separated and orderly. Do not place them next to a mailbox or utility pole or close to a fence, McCarthy said.

Also, do not place bulk items in front of a vacant lot or home — they will not be collected, he said.

Details at Bulk Trash Pickup.

In addition to bulk trash, the city picks up metals, including household appliances, also known as white goods, and toilets. To schedule a pickup on their curbside collection day, residents must call the Highway Department at 203-937-3644 or 203-937-3585. Appliance doors must be removed.

The 2022 pickup schedule for leaf bags is April 1-June 1 and Oct. 1-Dec. 31. The 2022 pickup schedule for grass bags is May 16-Nov. 18. The bags are picked up on residents’ weekly collection days. Leaves and grass clippings must be in separate biodegradable paper bags and will not be accepted if they are in plastic bags.

The city also picks up brush that is cut into 3-to-6-foot lengths and tied in small bundles, no more than 70 pounds. Logs and stumps are prohibited.

Residents can bring grass clippings as well as bagged leaves and untied brush to the compost site, 1 Kimberly Ave., from 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and, starting in June, from 6:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays. The first cubic yard of compost is free with proof of residence. Additional compost costs $25 per cubic yard. Residents must bring their own buckets and shovels.

For a $50 fee, the Department of Public Works will deliver up to 2 cubic yards of compost to city homes.

For electronic items, including TVs, the 2022 e-waste drop-off days are Jan. 15, April 23, June 18 and Sept. 17.

Residents can drop off electronic recyclables — typically anything that contains a circuit board or needs a battery — from 8 a.m.-noon at the highway maintenance garage.

The city is partnering with Take 2 Inc. of Waterbury, a state-approved recycler and collector of universal e-waste devices, to collect residential electronic items on a quarterly basis.

The collection is free for residents who have such items as computers, monitors, printers, keyboards, modems, computer mice, tablet computers, TVs, VCRs, DVD players, photocopiers, fax machines, scanners, video game machines, digital media players, personal digital assistants, stereo equipment, telephones, cellphones, cameras, microwaves and other small appliances.

Anything that has refrigerant, including air conditioners and dehumidifiers, is not accepted. Those items are considered white goods, and residents are asked to schedule a pickup on their curbside collection day by calling the Highway Department.

Details at E-waste Drop-off.

For the e-waste drop-off, residents are asked to heed the following guidelines:

Stay in your vehicle.
Vehicles will be spaced out. Event workers will remove electronics from your vehicle. There should be no interaction between residents and workers.
No mattresses or box springs will be disposed of at the moment.
No smoke detectors, ballasts or hazardous waste — lighter fluid, liquids, paint — will be accepted.
Electronic items left curbside will be tagged with information on the e-waste schedule and must be removed, or face a potential fine.

Reminders about Christmas trees, holiday trash pickup in West Haven

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 5, 2022 — The city reminds residents not to put Christmas trees in plastic bags or stands for curbside pickup.

Lights must also be removed from Christmas trees. Plastic bags and other items can become tangled in the machine that grinds the trees into compost.

Christmas trees will be picked up in January and February only. Residents needing a pickup after Feb. 28 will be charged a $25 fee. Christmas trees can also be brought to the compost site at 1 Kimberly Ave.

Also, residents are reminded that four 2022 holidays will delay curbside pickup one day.

Affordable Waste Systems LLC of East Haven, the city’s private contractor for rubbish and recyclables, will not pick up rubbish, recyclables or metals on Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.

If a holiday falls on a weekday, pickup for that week will move ahead one day. But when a holiday like Thanksgiving falls on a Thursday, only Thursday and Friday’s collections will move up a day.

Thanksgiving is also the only holiday that excludes metal pickup in those affected districts.

Separate metals and recyclables from regular trash.

Detailed information about the city’s trash and recycling guidelines is available at Bulk Trash Pickup.