EAST MOUNTAIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

MINUTES

NOVEMBER 15, 2017

Attendees: 45

Meeting was called to order at 7:10 pm which began with the Pledge of allegiance led by Donna Burnes and followed by a Moment of Silence for our departed neighbors.

Officer Tiffany Healey reported:

· There was no criminal activity in the neighborhood this past month

· There were two concerns reported by residents such as suspicious activity in one of the houses in the neighborhood and people checking out cars on Westport Drive possibly to break into.

Guest speaker Ginger Manning, Public Information Specialist, CT Dept. of Transportation reported:

· Three bridges have been completed.

· Eastbound I-84 will open at the end of this year.

· Westbound I-84 will open in the spring of 2018

· Culverts are still under construction.

· Plank Road will run from Scott Rd. to Harpers Ferry Rd.

· New Scott Rd. bridge will open in two weeks.

· A new lane from Scott Rd. to Austin Rd. will open in two weeks.

· The project is running 10 months ahead of schedule and should be completed in July, 2019 which will remedy the bottleneck on I-84 in both directions.

· She then answered questions from concerned residents.

Treasurer’s Report by Colin Coburn was presented at the meeting and will be on file. You may contact him regarding this.

Secretary’s Report by Dory St. John

· Minutes from the October 8^th meeting have been posted on the EMNA Website.

· Correspondence has included: Get Well wishes have been sent to Charlie Corden, Larry Davino, and Selim Noujaim. Sympathy card has been sent to the Gasparri Family.

· One new EMNA neighbor moved into Rockledge Dr.

City Liaison Officer Mike Ptak reported:

· Flags have been taken down for the winter.

· Irrigation system at the park will be blown out when they do the irrigation system at the golf course.

Community Property Project Hon. Tom Brunnock reported:

· On Sept. 26^th the Zoning Commission granted permit to excavate 840,000 cubic yards of material on the property.

· There will be 216 trucks per day entering and leaving the property.

· It will take approximately 5 years to complete the excavation.

· Another appeal was filed last week.

· Next meeting will be on Dec. 20^th.

Alderwoman/State Representative Stephanie Cummings reported:

· The State Budget was finally approved. It was six months late.

· Some changes made to the budget include:

The Legislature will now vote on union contracts.

There will be a spending cap.

Waterbury will receive a $2.5 million increase in our budget.

Wendell Cross received bonding for K through 8.

Teachers will contribute an additional 1% toward their pension.

The Social Security Tax will eventually be phased out.

There will be an increase in the cigarette tax.

There will be no increase in tax on Uber rides.

There will be no increase in the sales tax.

There will be no increase in the restaurant tax.

There will be no increase in the income tax.

Car taxes will be capped at 37 mills and will increase to 45 mills by next year.

The city of Hartford will get some money from the state which will prevent bankruptcy.

There will be a $200 credit on Income Tax for senior citizens and people with dependents.

· She is sponsoring a fundraising drive at the Stop & Shop on Reidville Drive to benefit our Veterans this Sunday, November 19^th.

Our new Alderman, George Noujaim introduced himself. He will be accessible to residents by calling or texting his cell phone #: 203-802-8172.

Old Business:

· Last Sunday flags were removed from the East Mountain neighborhood. Forty of these flags have been damaged and many poles need new brackets due to the heavy rains and winds recently.

New Business:

· The Christmas Tree lighting will take place at East Mountain Park on Sunday, December 3^rd at 5:15. Santa will be there. Anyone can sign up to bring Christmas treats and we are asking people to bring a non-perishable item for the food bank.

· The Waterbury Artisans Marketplace will be held at City Hall on Saturday, November 18^th from 10am to 4pm. There will also be a variety of food trucks on Grand St.

· The Gilmartin Community Club will be at the Board of Alderman Meeting on November 20^th at 6:30 at City Hall and would also like members of other community clubs to attend also.

· The next meeting of EMNA will be held on December 20^th at 7:00. After a brief meeting there will be a Holiday Social. Please bring one of your favorite dishes to be shared.

Motion to adjourn by David Muccino, 2^nd by Tim Connolly.

Submitted by:

Dory St. John