Feedback from the Campaign Trail
/Below is some of what I’ve heard from voters when knocking doors
“It’s Time” - I met a gentleman who, like me, was born and raised in New Haven and like me, spent a good part of his life in the Edgewood neighborhood. When I explained how the current Alder has been in place for more than 10 years, his response was. “Yep, it’s time for him to go”.
“That’s between me and the machine” - People campaigning for the current Alder and a prospective Mayoral Candidate (NOT Liam) came right out and directly asked, “who do you plan to vote for”. Her response, “That’s between me and the machine”
“Who are these people?” - Apparently some of the suburban Unite Here members were out knocking doors for our current Alder. Not sure why people from outside New Haven feel they have a right to get involved in our elections
“We just pulled our kids out of Edgewood School” - A mom of three who was fed up with the dysfunction and decided to send her children to a Christian school
I’ve met the current Alder, but I’ve spoken with you in these last 10 minutes more than I have with him in the last 10 years” - A teacher who loved teaching in the New Haven school system but left because of the bureaucracy and overreach from Meadow Street.
Opinion Piece:What the FRAC?
/From the New Haven Independent:
The following opinion essay was submitted by Dennis Serfilippi, a certified public accountant who works as a chief financial officer consulting for early- and late-stage technology companies.
New Haven is flush with $188 million in funding — $115 million from the feds, $50 million from the state, $10 million from Yale, and a $13 million tax increase. Yet, the city’s sole independent financial body, the Financial Review and Audit Commission (FRAC), lies dormant and without a chairperson. And when FRAC was active, it was operating largely in violation of the city charter. To read the entire opinion, please click below https://www.newhavenindependent.org/article/frac_oped
Revaluation Evaluation: Taxes to Increase in Poorer Neighborhoods
/I ran some quick analysis on the excel sheets provided by the city’s tax assessor. Here are the highlights.
Properties in poorer neighborhoods (Dixwell, the Hill, Newhallville, Fair Haven) increased the most. Owners of properties in these neighborhoods will pay significantly more in taxes going forward.
Multi-unit (2, 3 and 4 family) properties (particularly in poorer neighborhoods) increased the most. Owners of these properties will pay more in taxes going forward.
Expect landlords to increase rents to compensate for the higher taxes.
Single family and Condo properties increased the least and will pay less in taxes.
Assessments of larger properties continue to be appraised significantly below recent sales prices, leaving the ‘little guy’, owners of smaller properties, to bear a disproportionate share of the tax burden.
Residential values increased more than Commercial and Industrial values. Residential owners will share a higher percent of the tax burden next year.
Click here to see how your neighborhood will be impacted
If you would like to get a general sense of how much you’ll pay in taxes going forward, go to the Residential tab in this workbook and find your property. Go to the far right of the spreadsheet to see the current and expected taxes.
The workbook assumes the following:
1. The data provided by the city is correct; some assessment amounts look to be incorrect
2. For the current fiscal year July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, the city taxed residential properties in total approximately $129 million.
3. The city will again tax residential properties in total $129 million next fiscal year July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. In all likelihood, the city will need to increase taxes.
4. The analysis does not include the impact of tax phase-ins.
Torres and KDW Respond to Loitering/Drugs. Elicker Silent
/I asked the 3 candidates for Mayor to respond to the NHI article regarding Whalley businesses tackling loitering and drugs. Below is the full text of their replies in the order received. Mayor Elicker did not respond to multiple emails seeking comment. Candidate Dubois-Walton has offered to meet with Whalley business owners.
Candidate Torres
We live in a city where we have swung the pendulum so far to one side or the other. There is no balance in this city. It has proven not to work. We can not use the excuse that this is happening all over the country. We had these problems long before covid.
Under the past administration I fought to get aid, under our current mayor I sought aid since he announced he was running. They did nothing.
I am birthed out of the unconsciousness of these two tyrant reigns. We desperately need someone who cares about the entire city. Not just one group because of ethnicity or another because of their income bracket.
It is my sentiment that the issues Whalley Avenue is living through are no different than the rest of the city. My thoughts are that social work must become the fabric of the community. Only then those vulnerable will also have a chance. We need a comprehensive community support structure addressing mental health, homelessness, and addiction putting to work community based programs addressing hunger, poverty, and crime as they are the key. These programs must support education, jobs, and access to care to be able to start moving the community to a balanced place.
Other cities in Connecticut and organizations work tirelessly towards one common goal: a safer community.
Addressing mental health, homelessness, substance abuse, and children’s needs are geared towards promoting a police department that knows clearly cut their job description, involvement, and ensures we do not over-police.
Mental health, homelessness, and substance abuse is not an excuse for crime but it is also better in the hands of those who can help such as medical and social service community partners. People with mental illness put in prison means they will be incarcerated twice as long, much less receive the treatment they need. And also, more than likely to be unemployed, and jailed in a perpetuating cycle.
What works? Crisis services. Crisis services reduce police involvement. Educating our current system such as judiciary, and empowering community; while routing 911 calls is how we can embark in having a cohesive system that will reduce the level of overwhelming failure we see in our city today.
The City of New Haven has over 5000 wonderful organizations but none that will deal with the issues to the level we need it. The lack of communication and united front these organizations show must be replaced with a supportive relationship between them, government, and the community.
Zoning of business is also key. Some of them have no place in communities that are already ailing and in dire need of change. In fact, it makes these communities much more unsafe than prior to the allowance of capitalization of the most vulnerable.
The concept of “zero tolerance” has proven to not work and it is a danger to our communities. We saw in the last few weeks the current administration say if you shoot there will be zero tolerance. It did not work in the ‘80s and it will not work now. These are responses with no thought given to our circumstances while proving the current administration does not care about the vulnerable in our city or our circumstances. Pledging over policing when we do not have enough police to do their job is putting even them in danger.
Things like urination, panhandling, littering, and other minor offenses alone are not large crimes but a nuisance. I take it very seriously nonetheless. But not at the brutalization of any group of people. Most definitely, not by using “order maintenance police'' as it only leads to more arrests of black and brown, LGBTQIA, sex workers, homeless, mentally ill, drug addiction community. Reality is it hurts us all. This also leads to police brutalization of others. I know because it happened to me when this administration pledged zero tolerance for the sake of winning votes in this election.
Police in regular attire mistreated me.
Make no mistake, I am very proud of men and women who take an oath to protect and serve. I thank you for your hard work. I am not one to think defunding the police is a wise idea because we need them as part of our social construct.
Honesty is also admitting that public servants in our city are connected to major crimes. “One bad apple” does hurt all of us. We should hold all public officials to the highest standards to ensure they themselves do not brutalize our community because it is happening here.
We also need to engage Alders and management teams to understand their ward. To work in unity with other wards, together to find solutions that will help the city. I have visited the wards, and since been on the trail to the Democratic convention; I experienced each ward as being states apart from each other. We are one city. United. “No man left behind” should be the most powerful message we send to all constituents.
I have seen greatness in cities where government and organizations unite to work for the betterment of the community. This makes me think about passing the Community Health Work legislature a few years back. I am very proud of the work this committee did because it gives us an avenue today to work with the community in a more holistic way.
We need people that know the issues from life experiences, not just education. To get to know our issues and our people ensuring we build an infrastructure eradicating health disparities. To do this work great organizations already exist and work very hard to put their best foot forward for the community. They are not getting the acknowledgement or respect they deserve. But, I say we need you! As a leader in our city I want to work with them. Because every single one of us counts and matters.
Here is where the cycle ends. Here is where we can birth a city for all. One city that stands together in an unbreakable bond that will stand the test of time now and in the future. This can be done!
Candidate Dubois-Walton
There are several components to addressing this successfully. I'll discuss each in turn.
Intervention: Issues of loitering and substance abuse are the types of incidents that we propose to redirect out of the NHPD through our creation of the Office of Neighborhood Safety, a civilian-led workforce that is equipped to deal with issues that are better served by social services systems. Intervention efforts would be directed to either ONS or NHPD as necessary, taking into account history and previous engagements.
Prevention: We should strengthen connections with community providers to ensure access to assessment and treatment services, and ensure the unhoused have access to a coordinated access network and workforce system. This also must include a real economic development plan that encourages job training and that has impacts in every neighborhood.
Responsiveness and Support for Business Owners: We should enhance support for local business owners to ensure coordinated response to complaints that relate to city services - cleanliness, nuisance activity, lighting, tree trimming. We need regular walkthroughs, identified point persons charged with coordinating city response and follow up, user friendly portals for accessing information and requesting support, and business to business communication and support systems.
Neighborhood and Commercial District Planning: We need a regular cycle of neighborhood and commercial planning and feedback with identified performance metrics and reporting on those metrics. Issues of blight, vacancies, marketing, business development, etc. would be addressed through data-informed analysis, plan and implementation.
Mayor Elicker
No response
Questions for Public Safety Mtg with NHPD
/Below is a list of questions submitted by the public so far. If you’d like to submit a question you may do so anonymously by completing the Google Form found here
1. Staffing and Resources
a. How many police are on the force at this time? How many compared to prior years? How many police does the City need? What is the current status of vacancies in the NHPD? Is the right command structure in place? How many police are out on the streets?
b. Can the city re-hire retired NHPD officers?
c. If it costs $100K to recruit and train a new officer, why not offer a $50K bonus (paid over 5 or 10 years) to recruit retired officers or officer from other departments.
d. Yale compliments its police force with about 100 security guards, why can’t the city do the same thing – particularly in areas with mostly non-violent crime?
e. Is it true that only 20 officers are on duty from 11PM – 7 AM?
f. Can the city hire back retired NHPD officers?
g. Can you think of calls for service that would be better handled by a different department? Noise complaints, for example. Can you provide a list?
h. What is the situation with Project Longevity under current COVID and budget circumstances? Does Project Longevity receive funding from the NHPD?
i. District 9 is a very large policing district. Why hasn’t it been divided in two? Same question from District 2 (West Hills/Westville)
j. There still is no "active" police patrol in our neighborhoods (Westville). Police sit in their cars talking to each other in the Beki parking lot.
k. What is the PROACTIVE plan regarding drugs and firearms? Wouldn't it make sense to stop cars to ensure compliance with Licenses/Regis./Too dark windows/lights out/covered plates/etc.? Wouldn't that be a PROACTIVE way to find illegal drugs and guns? Wouldn't that be a better way to use limited resources? What is the Gang Task Force doing? Does the police force really have to wait until a crime is committed before they act?
2. Quality of Life Concerns
a. Little to no traffic enforcement since spring 2020. Quality of life greatly diminished by constant motorcycle and illegal car muffler noise and speeding. Shoreline cities nearby have figured out how to address this. Those responsible for breaking the NH noise ordinance know that the NHPD will not stop them so they ride up and down the NH shoreline day and night.
b. What tangible steps are being taken to reduce drag racing? How about dirt bikes? Both are pervasive.
c. If police can't chase dirt bikers how is the new $2k penalty going to help?
d. Why no enforcement of quality of life concerns in City Parks: drinking/drugs, littering, people parking after dark in no parking area.
3. Technology and Communications
a. Does the City use license plate reader technology to identify stolen cars?
b. Most large cities use high-definition cameras. How is it possible that someone can drive into the city and commit a shooting or other violent act without the car being captured on video? Does New Haven use high-definition cameras?
c. Why aren't police dispatchers part of/staffed by the NHPD? They seem to be poorly trained, and overly scrutinize the reason for the call to determine if it's worthy of an officer response.
d. I check the Ring Neighbors App every day. I’ve seen the NHPD use the app once or twice. Why doesn’t the City use this technology?
e. Why doesn’t the city provide the ability to file a police report online - for minor incidents such as bicycle stolen, car break-in etc.
f. Waterbury has a voluntary private camera registration program to assist its police force in solving crimes. Would you support a similar program in New Haven?
g. The x6316 non-emergency phone number has too many options. Why doesn’t the City restore the x6316 non-emergency phone number so persons requesting a police response to a non-emergency situation don’t need to wait before speaking with an operator?
4. More specific questions
a. I am surprised there that there has been so much crime early in the mornings around the city, a person was shot on my block at 5:30 am in September 2020. There have been other shootings in the early morning hours over the past year in Westville & Beaver Hills, just when adults are headed to work and children & teens headed to school pre or post pandemic. This is a big safety concern since there are more people out on the street at this time of day than let's say 2a.m. How is this being addressed?
b. There was a murder in my area in Oct 2020 was never solve and the lady that was kill people are squatting in her condo. We need something done now
c. Where was patrol from 9 to 11:40 the night the boxer died. Why no covid ordinances followed? Rosette was lit by 9 pm why pd did not answer your non- emergency phone?
d. There has been an increase in home invasions while people are home, increase in shootings some which are drive-by. What is the plan to decrease these acts of crime? Children are in these homes and are in the neighborhood taking walks with parents. What can be done?
e. What is the department's doing about muggings of Yale community members downtown and on/near campus? The NHPD is given detailed information regarding criminal activity in a neighborhood, including photos and video; yet they refuse to act other than to pass the incident off to another department. Why?
Activists Hijack Budget Hearing w Help from BOA. Media Turns Blind Eye
/
This post is probably going to upset quite a few people, but that’s OK. It’s an important statement to make.
Local activists looking to shame Yale University hijacked Monday evening’s BOA public budget hearing, the Board of Finance was complicit, and our local media turned a blind eye to the truth.
I agree Yale can and should do more. And when the COVID crisis passes I plan to engage Yale in ways to work with New Haven. But, I take strong exception to the fraud that was perpetuated on the public at Monday night’s public “budget” hearing. It's not what was said, or who said it, or how. But rather it's the lack of transparency and reporting surrounding the hearing.
To read the stories in the NHI and NHR , you'd think that a group of unaffiliated, zealous New Haven residents, outraged at Yale University, spontaneously decided to appear via zoom and testify 'about the budget'. Nothing is further from the truth.
The people who testified Monday evening were organized, recruited, and prepped in advance by local activists looking to further shame Yale. I know because I received several emails from people notifying me of the effort. No surprise why most of the people who testified were speaking from prepared remarks and couldn't even pronounce some of the words they were reading. These people were coached. But this, in and of itself is not a problem. Groups organize and lobby all the time.
But what is worrisome is that the BOA was complicit in allowing anti-yale activists to hijack the "budget discussion". The Unite Here backed BOA sat back and appeared surprised by the turnout and testimony when in fact it was a made for TV, YouTube event. So many times in the past I've seen the Alders cut off and interrupt public testimony when it isn’t relevant. But, not last night; last night was reserved for anyone willing to jump on the Unite Here/Anti-Yale bandwagon and the Unite Here backed Alders rolled out the red carpet for its supporters.
It took a global pandemic to get the BOA to enter the 21st Century of communicating with the public by adopting live, interactive meetings. But, instead of using the opportunity to engage and inform the public regarding City Finances, at a time when the pandemic could push the City into bankruptcy, it ceded the stage to its political supporters. Sadly, none of this collusion comes as a surprise to those who follow New Haven politics. But what IS a surprise, and what is very dangerous is the complete lack of reporting on the issue from our local media.
I’ve read the NHI and NHR articles about Monday night’s theatre and nowhere have I seen it reported that (a) the turnout was organized by local activists (b) people were provided talking points and (c) a Google Form for “Public Testimony Prep” and (d) the BOA played along and relaxed the rules to allow people to testify. It’s possible the media doesn’t know this was a staged event, but if it did, and chose not to report it, that’s dangerous. Last night’s BOA Hearing was nothing like what it has been portrayed to be – and the public should know the full story.
Alders Can’t Hear Us!
/The Board of Alders can’t hear us - literally! Public hearings regarding the ‘20 -’21 Budget are about to begin and if they’re anything like the one’s held last year they promise to be a disaster.
During the public hearing held at Hillhouse High last Spring, the Alders sat in the orchestra pit where they couldn’t be seen or heard, there was only 1 microphone that was passed around, and even though it was 45 degrees outside, the air conditioning was turned on inside. And of course, the general public had to wait until the end of the hearing before making comments.
Public Hearings at the BOA Chambers are no better: the sound system doesn’t work well, the projector is small, people testifying sit with their back to the public, and attendees sit behind the often vacant Alder desks.
I’d like to see some changes as follows:
Find a way to amplify the sound system.
Invest in a projector everyone can see.
Modify the seating arrangement so people testifying don’t have their back to the public.
Allow the public to sit closer.
Allow the public to provide comment earlier in the hearing.
Broadcast the sessions. perhaps via Facebook Live or a similar app.
Too often the BOA doesn’t answer questions asked by the public. If a member of the public asks a question, the BOA should answer it, or promise to respond in writing at a later date.
The Board (and public) should be allowed to submit questions in writing in advance of the public session and the Dept Heads should respond 24 hrs in advance of the public session so as to avoid any excuses by Dept heads for not having an answer to a question. This way, the public session time would be used for more substantive discussions.
Dept Heads should be required to submit any presentations at least 24 hours in advance of a public hearing so the BOA and general public meeting can be prepared to ask questions.
Any numbers submitted to the Board must include the detailed calculations.
The City spends $625 million a year. Surely we can find a few dollars in the budget to improve the public hearing experience and process.