Public info meeting rescheduled for Coastal Resilience Plan Feb. 22

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 8, 2017 — The second public informational meeting in the development of the city’s Community Coastal Resilience Plan has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Feb. 22.

The meeting, moved from Jan. 31 because of snow, will take place in the Harriet C. North Community Room on the second floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. The snow date is Feb. 23.

At the first meeting in July, residents and business owners discussed the types of coastal hazards West Haven will face in the future, said David W. Killeen, assistant city planner.

At the upcoming meeting, residents and business owners will learn about the available methods of adapting to the city’s changing coastal environment to become more resilient to tidal flooding, storm surge, sea level rise and erosion, Killeen said.

“The Coastal Resilience Plan will develop options for adapting to coastal risks over the long term, with an emphasis on protecting people, buildings and West Haven’s infrastructure,” Killeen said.

As part of the planning effort, the city’s engineering consultant, Milone & MacBroom Inc. of Cheshire, is conducting a resident survey. Company officials will discuss the preliminary results at the public meeting Feb. 22.

To take the survey, go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WestHavenCRP.

Anyone with questions about the survey can contact Killeen at 203-937-3500, ext. 3007, or at dkilleen@westhaven-ct.gov.

Bulk trash pickup week, e-waste drop-off day in March

Bulk trash pickup week, e-waste drop-off day coming in March

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 8, 2017 — The next e-waste drop-off day is March 4, and the next bulk trash pickup week is March 6-10.

City officials said the two services are not the same, however, and are reminding residents to take note of the difference.

During bulk trash week, crews will not pick up electronic items, including TVs. They will only pick up such bulk items as couches, chairs, mattresses, tables, carpeting, padding, fencing and small amounts of bundled lumber, which may not exceed 6 feet in length.

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

More details at Bulk Trash Pickup.

For electronic recyclables, which are defined as typically anything that plugs in or needs a battery, residents must drop off those items from 8 a.m.-noon at the highway maintenance garage, 1 Collis St.

The collection is free for residents who have such electronic items as TVs, hand-held video games, computers and monitors, copiers and scanners, microwave and toaster ovens, dehumidifiers and other small appliances.

More details at E-waste Drop-off.

Applications due March 15 for 10th phase of Brick Campaign

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 8, 2017 — The West Haven Veterans Council has launched the 10th phase of its popular Brick Campaign.

In November 2006, the council began the first of 10 campaigns selling bricks to memorialize vets on the 100-yard Veterans Walk of Honor between the William A. Soderman and Vietnam Veterans memorials in Bradley Point Park.

The bricks, which cost $75, have charcoal lettering for personalized messages.

To download an application, click on Veterans Brick Application.

Applications are also available in the mayor’s office at City Hall, 355 Main St. For details, call 203-937-3510. Applications are due March 15.

The dedication of the 10th phase of the brick Walk of Honor is set for 5 p.m. May 27.

About 2,500 bricks have been installed so far, including 135 for the ninth phase, which was dedicated last May and 104 for the eighth phase, which was dedicated in May 2015 along with a granite stone in memory of Lorelee “Lori” Grenfell, longtime president of the Veterans Council, who died Feb. 19, 2015, at age 60. The memorial was crafted by Giordano Bros. Monuments of Derby Avenue.

The walkway’s first phase and the city’s first Korean War memorial were dedicated in May 2007.

In May 2008, the walkway’s second phase and a memorial in honor of World War II Army Pfc. William A. Soderman were dedicated.

Soderman received the Medal of Honor after he distinguished himself in December 1944 while defending an important road junction near Rocherath, Belgium.

Four years after his death, on July 1, 1984, the flagpole in Bradley Point Park was dedicated in Soderman’s memory.

City Human Resources Commissioner Beth A. Sabo has overseen the construction of all phases of the walkway, which was built by City Point Construction Co. of Fresh Meadow Road.

Sabo has also supervised the design and placement of the granite Korean War and Soderman memorials, which were made by Shelley Bros. Monuments of Guilford.

Also in 2008, 14 grave markers that signify every war in U.S. history and peacetime were dedicated. The markers are mounted on granite posts.

Elderly, disabled homeowners offered tax relief

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 8, 2017 — Assessor Ann Marie Gradoia is accepting applications for tax relief programs for elderly and disabled homeowners.

Residents can apply for the programs, based on their 2016 incomes, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays, Feb. 15-May 15, in the assessor’s office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St.

The state elderly and disabled homeowners program offers tax reduction benefits depending on income and marital status.

To qualify, the applicant or spouse must be 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2016, or permanently and totally disabled as defined by Social Security.

Income limits, including Social Security, are $42,900 for a married couple and $35,200 for a single person.

To qualify for the West Haven senior tax freeze program, the applicant must be 70 years old by the end of the previous calendar year and have lived in the city for 20 consecutive years.

Income limits, excluding Social Security, are $50,000 for a married couple and $35,000 for a single person. Those eligible for the program must reapply each year.

The state tax freeze program is only for residents already enrolled with incomes not exceeding $6,000, excluding Social Security.

Applicants who receive railroad retirement benefits must include the taxable portion.

The assessor’s office is also accepting applications until Oct. 1 for additional veterans exemptions. The maximum income is $42,900 for a married applicant and $35,200 for a single applicant.

Taxpayers can appeal real estate, personal property and supplemental motor vehicle assessments

WEST HAVEN, Feb. 8, 2017 — The Board of Assessment Appeals will hear appeals of real estate and personal property assessments on the 2016 grand list by appointment during March in the assessor’s office at City Hall.

The board will also hear appeals of motor vehicle assessments on the 2015 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 to have it stamped in by 5 p.m. Feb. 17.

Applications are 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. To download an application, click on Board of Assessment Appeals.

Over 200 brave frigid water, waves to aid breast cancer fight

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 30, 2017 — More than 200 intrepid participants — including Mayor Edward M. O’Brien, navy blue T-shirt, and his son, David, WHHS T-shirt — navigate 2-foot swells in the 41-degree water of Long Island Sound during the 17th annual Icy Plunge for the Cure benefit Jan. 28 at Savin Rock Beach. As pledges continue to roll in, the plunge, presented by the West Haven Breast Cancer Awareness Committee, has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research and education, buoyed by top individual fundraiser Anthony Cordone’s $5,500 and $2,448 collected by Johnny’s Juicers, the top group fundraiser. After the event, inside the toasty Savin Rock Conference Center, committee member Beth A. Sabo, the city’s commissioner of human resources, announced that Cordone has raised close to $200,000 for the cause since the inaugural plunge in 2001. To view the photo gallery, click on Scenes from the 2017 Icy Plunge for the Cure. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

New plow trucks rolled out

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 26, 2017 — From left, Public Works Commissioner Dominic Perrotti, Mayor Edward M. O’Brien and fleet equipment supervisor Robert A. Orifice Sr. show four of the department’s new Freightliner “severe-duty” plow trucks Jan. 25 at the highway maintenance garage on Collis Street. The high-tech trucks, with six more joining them soon, are equipped with plows and computer-controlled spreaders that manage how much sand and salt are used, as well as ergonomical cabs, heated windshields, LED lighting and stainless steel bodies. The trucks, outfitted for $200,000 each and specifically geared for municipal use, are part of the city’s commitment to replacing the Public Works Department’s aging fleet, which has not had an upgrade since the purchase of two plow trucks in 2012. (City Photo/Michael P. Walsh)

O’Brien named treasurer of Regional Council of Governments

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 26, 2017 — Mayor Edward M. O’Brien has been appointed to serve as treasurer on the Executive Committee of the South Central Regional Council of Governments.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve on the Executive Committee of SCRCOG,” O’Brien said of his appointment Jan. 25. “I am eager to roll up my sleeves with my fellow mayors and first selectmen to ensure that our region’s future remains bright and hopeful for all our people.”

In a letter to O’Brien, SCRCOG Executive Director Carl J. Amento wrote: “Congratulations on your election today at the Board meeting of the South Central Regional Council of Governments as the Board’s new Treasurer. We look forward to working with you in your new position during the coming year.”

O’Brien was named for the yearlong seat by the Nominating Committee of North Haven First Selectman Michael J. Freda, Branford First Selectman James B. Cosgrove and Madison First Selectman Tom Banisch.

In addition to O’Brien, SCRCOG’s 2017 officers and Executive Committee members include New Haven Mayor Toni Harp as chairwoman, Guilford First Selectman Joseph S. Mazza as vice chair and Cosgrove as secretary.

O’Brien also sits on SCRCOG’s Transportation and Emergency Management and Hazard Mitigation committees.

As an officer and Executive Committee member, O’Brien will help steer planning initiatives for the region’s 15 municipalities: Bethany, Branford, East Haven, Guilford, Hamden, Madison, Meriden, Milford, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge.

SCRCOG, based at 127 Washington Ave. in North Haven, provides a platform for intermunicipal coordination, cooperation and decision-making. Since its inception in 1985, the planning organization, whose region covers about 570,000 people, has addressed numerous issues, such as those related to housing, transportation, land-use planning and economic development.

Longtime married couples to be honored Feb. 14

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 6, 2017 — City couples married at least 50 years will be honored during the city’s 27th annual Valentine’s Day party from 1:30-3:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Savin Rock Conference Center, 6 Rock St.

The couples will receive chocolates and roses from the mayor’s office.

The party, featuring music by the Clam Diggers, will include cake and coffee.

For reservations, call Elderly Services Director Sharon R. Mancini at 203-937-3507 by Feb. 10.

Tax help offered to residents 60 and older

WEST HAVEN, Jan. 6, 2017 — 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. 1, at the Johnson Community Center, 201 Noble St.

Special attention is given to help those 60 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.

City issues snow rules for parking

WEST HAVEN, Dec. 12, 2016 — To help expedite snow removal, the Department of Public Works is reminding residents and businesses to observe parking regulations during and after snowstorms.

Under normal snow conditions, once snow begins to fall, a parking ban is in effect on the even-numbered side of most roads, unless one is posted with a “no parking” sign on the odd side.

The ban is in effect for 36 hours after a snowstorm. Residents are urged to park in driveways or designated private lots.

During an official snow emergency declared by Mayor Edward M. O’Brien, a parking ban will run from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on both sides of Campbell and Savin avenues, Morgan Lane, Elm Street, Meloy Road, Second Avenue from Elm to Beach streets and Main Street from Savin to Washington avenues.

Police will tag and tow vehicles violating the parking ordinance at the owner’s expense.

Per city ordinance, residents and businesses are responsible for removing snow from sidewalks on and bordering their properties. Also, per ordinance, plowing or blowing snow into city streets is prohibited, and violators are subject to fines.

Residents and businesses with mailboxes damaged by snow thrown from a plow are the responsibility of the property owner. The city will only repair mailboxes damaged by the striking of a plow blade if there is visible evidence, such as paint or tire tracks.

Snow removal around mailboxes is the property owner’s responsibility.

For information, call the Public Works Department at 203-937-3585.

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