Commentary – New Britain Alderman John McNamara

Alderman McNamara Cites Key Priorities in Bid for Second Term

Democratic Alderman John McNamara (D-4), seeking a second, two-year term on the New Britain Common Council, says key priorities for city government over the next two years include affordable housing and fair taxes, neighborhood flood relief, equitable funding for schools and safer streets.

2025 Municipal Campaign

“Council Democrats have sought to restore checks and balances to City Hall with more transparency in budgeting and to make municipal government more responsive to neighborhood needs during this term,” said McNamara. “More progress can be made by electing a Democratic Mayor and a stronger Democratic majority on the Council and Board of Education this year. “

Key Issues

Housing And Taxes: Services for unhoused individuals and families have been stretched to the limit in New Britain. The executive director of the Friendship Service Center records increasing numbers of residents displaced because of higher rents. While the current city administration touts luxury units with 26-year tax breaks coming on the market, affordable housing is hard to find even for those with vouchers (Section 8). The Council needs to address the housing crisis by encouraging and approving affordable developments, making the fair rent commission ordinance stronger (to include tenant unions at large, multi unit apartments) and beefing up code enforcement. Additional options need to be considered for property tax relief for seniors, veterans & limited income individuals based on ability to pay.

Neighborhood Flood Relief. Addressing stormwater/sewage problems caused by a dilapidated infrastructure is a priority in my ward and throughout the city. Heavy rains have repeatedly caused flooding, public health risks and damages to certain neighborhoods over the last three years, including mine. For years City Hall turned a deaf ear to neighborhoods hit by damage to property and public health, but some progress has been made. Stormwater upgrades need to be at top of the capital improvement list along with advancing green infrastructure. Over the last two years funds have been secured to address the issue in the Overlook-McKinley neighborhood and efforts are accelerating to raise remaining funds in the Allen Street-Belvidere nieghborhood through the efforts of the city’s legislative delegation.

Public School Funding. At $16,814 per pupil New Britain ranks 160th in CT in local aid, below the state median of $21,676. Over 12 years local school aid has been flat funded in the current Mayor’s budgets. Education needs to be a greater priority in future budgets. The push for educational cost sharing and tax reform that will make funding for schools equitable regardless of zip code must continue. Over-reliance on property taxes must end.

Traffic Safety Action Plan (Vision Zero) The Common Council took the first step of the Vision Zero initiative last December by adopting a Council resolution, introduced by Assistant Majority Leader Iris Sanchez (D-3), that accepted a federal transportation grant and established the task force “to develop a comprehensive Safety Action Plan to identify projects and strategies that will reduce fatalities and serious injuries at high crash locations in New Britain.” On June 11th the Common Council adopted a new ordinance to allow the use of automated traffic enforcement safety devices (ATESD) under a state law enabling communities to use the video technology as part of safety action plans. Democrats look forward to implementation of traffic calming measures to curb speeding and dangerous driving and reach the Vision Zero goals.

McNamara is serving his first term on the Common Council and is the Council’s majority leader. A former Democratic Town Chairperson, he was previously elected to the Board of Assessment Appeals and chaired the city Building Commission.

McNamara worked as Institutional advancement director at Capital Community College (now known as CT State Capital) for 22 years before retiring in early 2022. At Capital, McNamara was elected to the Congress of CT Community Colleges (4Cs) SEIU Local 1973 Delegate Assembly representing faculty and staff on the campus.

New Britain’s Ward 4 is the area that includes the neighborhoods near Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) spreading north and west to Brittany Farms and Batterson Park.

To contact John: 860-416-0665 mcnamara4council@gmail.com

For updates and more information: http://mcnamara4council.org

paid for by McNamara 4 Council. Michael McNamara, Treasurer. Approved by John McNamara

Neighborhood Flooding Update

Public Hearing On Flood Relief Initiative Wednesday, November 6

From http://nbpoliticus.com

November 1, 2024

City Starts ‘Courtesy’ Response Service; Homeowner Flood Relief Is On Council Agenda

By John McNamara

More New Britain property owners are seeking compensation from the city for property damage caused by storm water flooding and sewage overflows, according to caseloads recorded by the city’s Corporation Counsel in recent years.

The Corporation Counsel “handles claims and lawsuits filed against the City of New Britain” including personal injury, workers’ compensation and property damages. Over four years (2020-2023) 168 claims were filed for various damages and personal injuries. In 2020 (4) and 2021 (5) property owners brought nine sewer/flooding claims. In 2022, seven were recorded. Through 2022 less than 15 percent of cases involved sewer and flooding problems. In 2023, however, the sewer back-up cases increased to 26 accounting for 41 percent of 2023 cases. Over the four years $179,503 claims have been approved involving 15 property owners “as the result of flooding” based on data from the Corporation Counsel.

The increase in claims stems from frequent and intense storms that have overwhelmed the city’s aging stormwater and sewage system in vulnerable neighborhoods. The outmoded storm water-sewage system has caused problems for decades, with homeowners incurring out of pocket expenses and loss of insurance since the 1990s.

City Hall Update

Through the FLUSH program (Fresh Line For Upgrades for Sanitary Health) and the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) the city’s Department of Public Works has identified projects over the last decade that will replace lead pipes and aging and broken infrastructure to reduce the risk to residences and neighborhoods. These projects require more investments from local, state and federal sources to be completed. Over decades, however, the city has pushed bonding for sewage projects down the road, preferring to wait for federal grants and using municipal borrowing for other purposes.

Since the summer of 2023 the dramatic jump in flooding has led to a public outcry, especially from residents in the Overlook Avenue-McKinley Drive and Allen Street area near CCSU. Only in the last year, thanks to public pressure, has progress been made on capital funding for Allen and Overlook where extensive damage occurs.

“Rapid Response” Service And Neighborhood Flood Relief Initiative

Responding to the flooding damages and public pressure, the Stewart Administration via the Corporation Counsel recently rolled out a “rapid response service” as part of the FLUSH program. Described as a “courtesy” program “to promptly address sanitary sewer claims upon homeowner contact with the city” the service involves the Department of Public Works (DPW) determining if city sewer mains cause back-ups. The homeowner will then be offered restoration services from Apple Valley Servicemaster, a partner with PMA, the city’s third party risk manager and insurance underwriter for liability claims.

According to a DPW official, homeowners must contact the city as soon as the back-up problems occur and, if deemed eligible, “it is highly recommended” that they use Apple Valley to mitigate the damages of flooding. The courtesy service “automatically starts the claim process if the homeowner signs on to Apple Valley Servicemaster.” Otherwise owners may seek other firms to address flooding and also retain the right to file claims to recover their out of pocket expenses. “Rapid Response” is similar to services in the cities of Stamford and West Haven, according to the Corporation Counsel.

Common Council Democrats have proposed a neighborhood flood relief initiative to “provide immediate and direct relief to homeowners whose properties are damaged by storm water and sewage when extreme weather leads to flooding and damages.”

“In lieu of capital improvements and other long-term mitigation activities,” a September resolution states, “a Neighborhood Flood Relief Pilot Program can provide immediate and direct relief to homeowners whose properties are damaged by storm water and sewage when extreme weather leads to flooding and damages.”

The neighborhood flood relief initiative will be the subject of a public hearing on Wednesday, November 6, at 6:30 p.m. before the Common Council’s Administration, Finance, Law and Public Services Committee.
Meeting Notice

The pilot program will provide a grant up to $7,500 to owner-occupied dwellings of up to 1 to 3 units on a first-come, first-served basis to reduce or eliminate the risk of repeat damage to basements, buildings and mechanical systems not covered by insurance or other sources. The flood relief initiative is meant to compliment the rapid response service which only begins when storms occur and property damage is occurring. The neighborhood flood relief proposal equips property owners with devices and services to prevent damages thereby reducing the need for new claims against the city. Modeled after a Hartford program in the capital city’s north end neighborhoods, grants would fund sump pumps, French drains, lateral replacement, window wells, basement windows, gutters, drain snaking , video camera inspections, sewer jetting, basement cleanouts, new boilers, hot water heaters, electrical components and mold remediation.

*Basement flooding at a Brighton Street home near Allen Street after heavy rains in August 2024*

The resolution calls for use of an estimated $500,000, which is a portion of an additional municipal aid received from the state legislature for the current fiscal year. “This initiative is a start at reducing damages to homes as the city seeks state and federal support for capital improvements to modernize the failing sewer and stormwater system,” proponents say.

The neighborhood flood relief initiative will be the subject of a public hearing on Wednesday, November 6, at 6:30 p.m. before the Common Council’s Administration, Finance, Law and Public Services Committee.

John McNamara is an alderman from Ward 4 and the Common Council Majority Leader. He has been sharing stories and writing about local government and the community on his nbpoliticus.com blog since 2006.

Municipal Budget Update

Mayor’s Mill Rate Increase Will Hike Taxes An Average Of $204 On Single Family Homes

Here is my take on the municipal budget that will take effect July 1.

The good news is that the Legislature appropriated $10 million more for tax relief or addressing unmet needs in the coming 2025 fiscal year. The bad news is a 1.31 mill rate increase and less local aid to education than 2024.

“The Mayor and Council will face more challenges next year at budget time and will not have the one-time funding provided by the Legislature’s stabilization plan for town aid and educational cost sharing funding. If past is prelude the city’s legislative delegation can be expected to push for and get increases for both education, PILOT and other forms of town aid when the General Assembly convenes next January to adopt a new biennial state budget. The situation points to the need for more fiscal discipline at City Hall than is the case now and making property tax relief a priority at the local and state level in 2025.”

John McNamara