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DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE SOUTH NORWALK OFFICIAL SITE Robert Burgess, Chairman Sylvester Maultsby, Vice-Chair Al Ayme, Secretary Mary R. Geake, Corresponding Secretary Yvonne Rodriguez, Treasurer We appreciate your contributions. Please send contributions payable to: DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT ~B~ COMMITTEE ~click here~ STATE OF THE CITY | '2005 - '2007 STATE OF THE CITY | '2007 - Present CT. STATE NEWS | ISSUES NATIONAL NEWS | ISSUES MAILING LIST EVENTS | PICTURES VIEW | POST - BLOG STREET MAP OF SOUTH NORWALK |
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PRESS RELEASES VOLUNTEER to join our team of members and government officials. You can make a difference. We are glad to hear from Norwalk residents with their ideas, suggestions and/or concerns, and those who recognize the importance of engaging dynamic participation in the political process. |
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And when it came to the Meadow Street Transfer Station in South Norwalk it took rallies, press conferences, organizations and groups of residents and communities rising in protest, flyer distributions,
announcements, seeking help from Washington DC., seeking alliances, threats of taking the fight to the federal government, appeals to compassion for the children, the sick, the elderly. Taking photos and
making public presentations. A vigil in front of City Hall invoking a Higher Power. Large numbers of residents pleading before the city council. This has been the traditional Republican administrations’ way
of dealing with South Norwalk. The analogy to the school child swallowing a piece of candy didn't apply here. In the end, the first vote to scrap Meadow Street Transfer Station was unanimous. Republicans quickly understood that they had lost the fight, so they did the best thing they could to save face under the circumstances and showed bi-partisanship. MEADOW STREET TRANSFER STATION Each council member spoke about the public outcry on issues protecting health and quality of life in South Norwalk and surrounding communities, and some said it had changed their minds; all voted against the original intent of using the Meadow Street Transfer Station for the collection of trash in huge quantities. Attending, (R) Republican Party member (D) Democratic Party member Dick Moccia, Mayor (R) Fred Bondi, At-Large (D) Amanda Brown, At-Large (D) Michael Geake, At-Large (D) Doug Sutton, At-Large (D) Steve Serasis, District A (D) Phyllis Bolden, District B (D) Carvin Hiliard, District B (D) Laurel Lindstrom, District C (D) Bill Krummel, District E (D) Rick McQuaid, At-Large (R) Richard Bonefant, District A (R) Doug Hempstead, District D (R) Kelly Straniti, District D (R) Andrew Conroy, District E (R) Nicholas Kydes, District C (R) -absent- The Agenda for the council on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 called for a vote on the following items, 3a. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an agreement with City Carting, Inc. for the operation of the Meadow Street and Crescent Street transfer stations and the transport and disposal of solid waste for a term of ten years commencing on January 1, 2009. Terms in accordance with term sheet negotiated, May 23, 2008. Account No. 014042 5298. 3b. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute a Lease Agreement with Meadow Street Partners, LLC for the lease of 8-18 Meadow Street/Lot 92A for a term of ten years commencing on January 1, 2009. Terms in accordance with term sheet negotiated May 23, 2008. Account No. 014042 5298?? OR 4. Authorize the Mayor, Richard A. Moccia, to execute an agreement with City Carting, Inc. for the operation of the Crescent Street transfer station and the transportation and disposal of solid waste for a term of five years, commencing on January 1, 2009, and for a sum not to exceed $13,668,605 (based on an estimated 23,000 tons per year.). Account No. 014042 5298 The vote on items 3a and 3b failed, 13 against - 0 in favor (Straniti abstained) Usage of Meadow Street Transfer Station was voted out. Vote on a motion to send the Crescent Street item back to committee ends up failing because of a tie vote and the tie vote goes to a fail. The votes: Fred Bondi N Richard Bonefant N Andrew Conroy N Michael Geake N (Geake passed first) Doug Hempstead N Rick McQuaid N Kelly Straniti N Phyllis Bolden Y Amanda Brown Y Carvin Hilliard Y Bill Krummel Y Laurel Lindstrom Y Steven Serasis Y Doug Sutton Y Council members then voted on the approval of the Crescent Street proposal. Vote ends up failing because of a tie vote and the tie vote goes to a fail. Mayor Moccia broke the tie in favor of approving the Crescent street option #4. The votes: continued next column..... |
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Fred Bondi N Richard Bonnefant N Andrew Conroy N Michael Geake N (Geake passed first) Doug Hempstead N Rick McQuaid N Kelly Straniti N Phyllis Bolden Y Amanda Brown Y Carvin Hilliard Y Bill Krummel Y Laurel Lindstrom Y Steven Serasis Y Doug Sutton Y THE ADVOCATE. Council Rejects Garbage Contract Votes to approve continuing operations on Crescent Street By Alexandra Fenwick Staff Writer 07/23/2008 02:55:54 AM EDT NORWALK - After rejecting a plan to haul commercial garbage to Stamford-based City Carting's transfer station at Meadow Street in South Norwalk Tuesday night, the Common Council voted on an alternate plan to hire City Carting for a five-year contract to operate the city's transfer station at Crescent Street. After four presentations and public hearings on a new city garbage contract, the Common Council voted down a controversial plan Tuesday night to lease a private Meadow Street transfer station for commercial garbage dumping. "I believe it is apparent from the voices of the people and from private conversation that Meadow Street is not a viable option," Mayor Richard Moccia said to applause from audience members who have opposed the Meadow Street plan at every recent hearing and meeting. "I believe in my heart and soul we could have worked at Meadow Street and could have been happy, but it doesn't appear that has been the will of people or the will of the council," he said. With one member absent, and one abstention from Republican Minority Leader Kelly Straniti, the remaining 13 council members voted against the Meadow Street plan. The city has offered two choices for garbage hauling once its contract with the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority expires Jan. 1. Under the plan rejected Tuesday, the Department of Public Works recommended leasing the Meadow Street site for all commercial garbage while reserving the city-owned transfer station on Crescent Street for residents who haul their trash and for expanded recycling. This would save the city $1 million annually, officials have said. The Crescent Street plan maintains the status quo for the city and will cost about $13.7 million a year based on an estimated 23,000 tons of garbage per year. A procedural vote to further delay the Crescent Street plan and send the contract back to the Department of Public Works Committee failed in a tie Tuesday, bringing the contract itself up for a vote. The contractual item ended in another tie and Moccia cast the deciding vote to approve the contract. "I think the information is there, misinformation has been presented and I'm voting to move the contract with City Carting forward so the city can move forward," Moccia said. Neighbors of the Meadow Street facility have said the savings were not worth the negative effect on their quality of life. They urged the council to accept the second option to continue commercial and residential dumping at the Crescent Street station. The Rev. Nellie Mann of Calvary Baptist Church held a brief prayer vigil in City Hall before the meeting. "We did it to bring people together, because prayer changes, and we hope hearts and minds will change this evening," Mann said. Bill Galasso, a 62-year Norwalk resident who has worked as an accountant in waste management, was the sole voice in favor of the Meadow Street plan at Tuesday's meeting. "I hope you vote for this transfer station. This is the right place at the right time. We're not talking about putting something new in South Norwalk, we're talking only about who is going to operate the transfer station," Galasso said. "This is the right thing for the continued next column..... |
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people of Norwalk as a whole, and I hope the council will look at the city as a whole." Meadow Gardens Tenants' Association president Yolanda Dancy said the decision seemed simple from where she lives, a half-block away from the Meadow Street transfer station.She applauded the decision to reject the plan. "I'm tired of coming to meetings when the choice is so very clear on what we should do and how we should vote. When it comes to the health of our children, there is no choice," Dancy said. "On the left side (of Meadow Gardens) our children are faced with violence, drug use, killings and stabbings, and now they look to the right and there is more garbage, more dust, more traffic and more things that are unbearable for these kids." At-large council member Michael Geake, who lives in South Norwalk, was joined by several council members in saying the good thing about the garbage contract controversy was that it put a spotlight on existing traffic, noise and odor issues in the Meadow Street neighborhood. "Years ago, before I knew there was a Norwalk, the city decided to put low-income housing in a heavy industrial area," Geake said. "That was absolutely wrong, but it's too late to do anything about it now. "THANK YOU" TO ALL SUPPORTERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES IN THE FIGHT TO KEEP TRASH OUT OF SOUTH NORWALK We wish to express our Thanks and Gratitude to the hundreds of people who supported the initiative of the Democratic District ~B~ Committee of South Norwalk, Harbor View Association, Village Creek, Wilson Point, Meadow Gardens, Neighborhood Coalition for Open Government, Shorefront Park and residents of South Norwalk to STOP THE CITY OF NORWALK PLANS TO DUMP MORE TRASH IN SOUTH NORWALK. We also express our heartfelt Thanks and Gratitude to the Democratic Town Committee of Norwalk, Democratic District ~E~ Committee for their resolutions in support of our efforts and all Democratic members of Districts A, C and D for their strong support and to the members of the City Council for their vote to exclude the Meadow Street Transfer Station Facility from city plans. A Democratic Party initiative to send the use of Crescent Street Facility option back to committee in order to gather more information, a study on environmental impact, health, quality of life issues and to better inform the rest of the council and the public at-large was voted in favor by the Democratic members of the City Council and voted against by Republican councilmen. Mayor Dick Moccia failed to act on a tie that could've sent the measure back to committee. Moccia rushed to sign the contract with City Carting & Recycling, Inc. Monday, August 4, 2008 without further consideration for any impact on Crescent street. CRESCENT STREET RESIDENTS DESERVE BETTER. Robert (Bobby) Burgess, chairman Democratic District~B~ Committee DICK MOCCIA AND CITY CARTING. THIS IS THE INCOMPETENCE AND DANGEROUS DEALINGS THAT MAYOR DICK MOCCIA HAS BROUGHT TO CITY GOVERNMENT FBI Probe Into Mt. Vernon Mob Trash Deals Renews Questions About County Trash Contracts, And Arm-Twisting of Legislators By Larry Schwartz By Richard Blassberg Last Thursday’s raid on Mount Vernon City Hall by some half dozen FBI agents, armed with a search warrant for continued page 8.....  «««PREVIOUS NEXT»»» |
| NORWALK'S REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION IS FAILING TOO MANY OF ITS CITIZENS |
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