Mayor Harkins’ State of the Town address
Stratford Star, By Mayor John Harkins on March 25, 2015 in Lead News, News
It is an honor to be here today, not only as the Mayor of Stratford, but as someone who for years has had the pleasure of representing you in state and local government working with the Stratford Rotary Club, Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Greater Bridgeport Regional Council and the Chamber of Commerce. I’d like to thank Ashcroft for once again sponsoring today’s event, and thank you to Oronoque Country Club for hosting this luncheon.
Over the course of the last 5 years, we have made great strides in creating an atmosphere where efforts to streamline the method and delivery of municipal government services can flourish. Part of my job has been to analyze town operations while seeking efficiencies and quite frankly questioning whether or not we should be providing a particular service. Times have changed and we can no longer live in the past. The phrase “it’s always been that way” or “that’s what the town has always done it” always leads me to conclude that we have probably been doing it wrong or probably shouldn’t be doing it all.
Today’s economic realities dictate the need for creative ideas and bold leadership. Municipalities simply can no longer do everything in an autonomous fashion without looking for savings to benefit its taxpayers. That is why I have proposed regionalizing Stratford’s water pollution control operations.
By merging our water pollution control authority with the Greater New Haven Region, we can ensure lower sewer rates, lower taxes, and improved services moving forward. Sounds too good to be true, Not really. It’s just common sense. Why are we in the business to begin with when we do not operate any other utilities? Not electricity. Not gas. Not oil.
Let me explain some of the other benefits of regionalization:
– Stratford will maintain an integral role in the governance and setting of sewer rates in a regional WPCA by having two seats on the regional board.
– $37 million in debt associated with the plant will be removed from Stratford’s books. This will represent a 10 percent reduction in Stratford’s bonded indebtedness. Thus helping the town’s bond rating
– Stratford will receive compensation for the sale of wastewater assets, as well an annual PILOT payment.
– The Town will maintain local control on decisions on whether or not to extend sewer lines.
Regionalization is a concept in which the time has come to embrace the benefits of shared services between municipalities. At a time when resources are limited – it only makes sense for local government to be more proactive and resourceful in the delivery of services. My administration will continue to look for ways to reduce costs through regionalization efforts and working with labor for the benefit of all taxpayers. The Governor recently established a committee to look at regionalization known as the MORE Commission, and the Speaker of the House is talking about the benefits of regionalization. We not only get the message here in Stratford but we are actually doing it. My thanks to our Chief Administrative Officer, Stephen Nocera for all of his work on this crucial project.
A lot of positive things have been happening in town and I would like to share some of them with you. We have taken on and will continue to take on the tough issues that have beleaguered our town for decades. For some it has been a lifetime. Stratford’s pension plan has been one of these tough issues, but with the help and guidance from our Finance director Susan Collier we were able to address this issue. Through the issuance of Pension Obligation Bonds in October 2013 we were able to avail ourselves of low interest rates that has allowed our pension fund to be currently 83% funded.
The pension fund will be fully funded within the next 25 years through long-term investment gains; employee contributions; and employer contributions. Debt service will remain fixed as employer contributions will stabilize and then lower in the long term. Long and short of it – the pension costs will be a smaller percentage of the annual operating budget and the pension fund will be healthy and self-sustaining.
Stratford EMS is another area that has greatly improved over the last five years. EMS Director Michael Loiz and staff have done a fantastic job over the years. Since 2012 volunteer participation has increased to over 25,000 hours which translates to increased coverage and participation from our volunteer staff; Stratford EMS reduced response time average by over 1 minute to a townwide average of 5 minutes 18 seconds in 2014; Stratford EMS has also decreased our passed calls, or use of “mutual aid” from other communities by approximately 75% resulting with better care coverage and service for Stratford Citizens. Thank you, Mike, for all of your efforts.
Many of our different departments in Town have made adjustments in operations for the benefit of our residents. Under the leadership of Fire Chief Robert McGrath, our Fire Department has gone through a revaluation process by the Insurance Services Office, also known as ISO, to upgrade our fire protection rating from a 4/9 to a straight 2, which can have a significant impact on fire insurance rates for both residential and commercial property owners in Stratford. Also as a part of that process, the Fire Department fleet has been upgraded to provide more modern firefighting equipment for our firefighters to serve the town better. If you are going to be in the fire protection business then you should do it right. Stratford is now doing it right – Thank you, Chief McGrath for all of your efforts.
Under the guidance of Chief Patrick Ridenhour, our police department has been working to improve police-youth relations with the re-establishment of the Stratford PAL, which now includes a boxing program, in addition to our Police Explorers. Due to the efforts of our patrol and investigative divisions, Stratford has experienced a 12% drop in overall crime the last two years. This trend in decreasing crime rates is a testament to all our police officers who are stepping up to the plate making sure residents and property owners are protected. Thank you, Chief Ridenhour for all that you do for our Town.
Our Human Resources Director Ron Ing is with us today. On the Human Resources front, through the collective bargaining process, we have been able to have all newly hired employees begin participating in a 401a plan and have finally closed out the defined benefit pension plans for new hires. Ron has also negotiated the removal of caps on medical contributions, which helps the Town better manage this large annual expenditure. Thanks, Ron, for making this progress.
In Stratford, we are fortunate to have one of the best town clerks in the state of Connecticut, Susan Pawluk. Susan was recently elected as Vice President of the Fairfield County Clerks Association. Congratulations Susan. Our clerk’s office is one of the most progressive in Connecticut, offering online technology for many types of records contained in the Town Clerk’s department. Land records and images printed back to 1986 can now be searched online. All recorded maps, over 3,700, going back to the early 1900’s are indexed and printable online. Other online searchable documents are Trade names, Liquor Permits, and Appointments to Boards and Commissions. This online technology offers greater transparency in searching valuable records for the public and town departments.
Our Public Health Director, Andrea Boissevain, continues to make sure our residents are protected and informed of health initiatives. The Health Department installed a medication drop box at the Police Station about a year and a half ago that has collected and properly disposed of almost 1,200 pounds of unused medication.
The Town of Stratford through the Youth and Family Advisory Board was recently awarded a federal Drug Free Communities grant of $625,000 over the next five years to implement data-driven strategies to protect our young people from the dangers of underage drinking and marijuana use. Andrea and her staff, including Tammy Trojanowski, work tirelessly engaging with the public in an effort to better inform individuals of smart healthy life choices. Thank you, Andrea, for all your hard work and advocacy.
Regardless of age, our local government impacts many individuals including seniors. The Baldwin Center continues to offer a myriad of programming from the ever-popular pickle ball to painting and writing classes to entertainment venues. Stratford Senior Services has increased staffing levels to meet the increasing demand for outreach services, connecting seniors and their families with services that can help them stay longer in their homes. Thank you to Diane Puterski for all of her work with our seniors.
Public parks and maintenance of public property has always been a challenge. Despite the weather or conditions we are always prepared in Stratford thanks to our Public Works Director Maurice McCarthy, better known as “Moe.” Short Beach, in my opinion, is the nicest beach in the State of Connecticut, by far. Over the last five years, we have continued to make improvements at Short Beach and other parks making sure they are clean and safe for the public to enjoy. This year we will be sprucing up Roosevelt Forest and replacing the pavilion making it handicap accessible. Continued maintenance of our town is always a challenge and I would like to thank Moe and the entire Public Works Department for making our town more attractive.
I’m pleased to report to you that much progress has been made on the economic development front during the last year.
Thanks to the hard work of Economic Development Director Karen Kaiser and Amy Knorr – Stratford has been able to sustain jobs and employers in town while attracting new business to our community. In Stratford we don’t just talk about Economic Development – we actually do it. Stratford is seeing the beginnings of an economic renaissance.
We recently welcomed the opening of the St. Vincent’s Hospital Urgent Medical Care center on Main Street, which is a welcome addition to our town. Nouvo Pasta, on Honeyspot Road Extension, has recently expanded their operation in town with a 40,000 s/f building. Nouvo Pasta has 120 employees and its products are sold throughout North America and Mexico. Connecticut Distributors is remaining in town and is adding approximately 50,000 s/f to their current distribution business. Other businesses in town that are expanding are Straton Industries, York Laboratories, UPS, WB Meyers, Concentra, U.S. Chrome and Two Roads Brewery.
Stratford Land Development is going to build and lease high-tech flex space in the Stratford Executive Park located off of Lordship Blvd. They have received approval for a tax abatement from the Town Council for one tenant that will be about half of the 500,000 s. f. building proposed. They will eventually build two buildings at 555 Lordship Boulevard to accommodate tenants.
The former skating rink on Washington Parkway is also under an agreement of sale for future redevelopment. 1350 Barnum Avenue, a vacant corner lot by Cutrafello’s, has been approved for a 6,000 s/f retail building. Joey C’s BBQ restaurant is opening in Stratford at the former Lumi site near B.J’s. This will be their second location and I am told it will be called a boat house and not a road house. LA Fitness has signed a lease at the former movie theater location on Barnum Avenue Cut-off and has begun renovations. Other New Businesses to Stratford include Sunbelt Rental, Kirby Vacuum, LA Barnaby Roofing, Norceadia, CareGiver Solutions, Nelson Ambulance, Nations Roofing and Unicare.
Forest City’s 128-unit apartment building located by Stratford Avenue and Main Street is 100% leased with a waiting list and Avalon Bay apartments located in the north end of town is about 95% leased. Both these large significant developments have added to our tax base.
Developer Point Stratford Renewal has been working through my administration to reach an agreement with DEEP on a remediation plan for the tidal flats at the former Stratford Army Engine Plant site. We are excited about the progress and look forward to an agreement being announced and the property being transferred from the Army to the developers this year. The long-awaited redevelopment of this vacant site is within reach, and will result in significant boost for Stratford’s economy, as well as for our entire region.
Our Economic Development Department is working with Stratford Companies connecting them with the State ofConnecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development to secure more than $3 million in Business express grants and loans. This program has helped create more than 100 jobs for Stratford and retained more than 350. The DECD worked with 4 companies on the job expansion tax credit program to create new jobs in Stratford.
On the Super Fund front, the property at 576 East Broadway will be cleaned up and put back into a productive use. This is a shovel-ready project, and after working with EPA on a site cleanup plan, the property is currently out to RFQ. We look forward to a successful redevelopment of this site in the near future.
If it sounds like a lot is happening in town, it’s because there is. We have come to a point in our town that those who conduct business here are beginning to tell their story of how Stratford is the place to be for their organization. It’s not just our pitch, it’s the pitch from the actual companies that are thriving here telling their story. They are our best testimonial. Knowing that if they need help they will not only get it, but knowing that we will be proactive with any assistance we can provide. This is what builds a strong working relationship between the town and local business. We are grateful that companies are staying here and expanding in Stratford. This is not luck, we have worked very hard for this success.
Our newly created Redevelopment Authority or RDA is already reaping benefits. The RDA has a signed lease with an option to purchase a town owned brownfield property at 993 Honeyspot Rd. Included in the lease is a requirement for capital improvements to the property. The RDA also has a signed lease on the town owned property, formerly Contract Plating, on 540 Long Brook Ave. This property recently was awarded a grant in the amount of $2.85 million dollars from the state of Connecticut for the demolition and remediation of this site. The town has foreclosed on a number of properties that have long-standing tax liens. The agency is working to clean up and develop these town-owned Brownfield properties.
The RDA’s purpose and mission is to devise and implement a diverse plan to promote industrial, economic and commercial development in Stratford. Articles have been recently published in the Fairfield County Business Journal and the CT Post regarding the success we are seeing here in Stratford, which is attracting national and international developers.
Recently, the state DOT will finally be making Exit 33 a full interchange with an on and off ramp on the south and northbound sides of I-95. Work on the full interchange is expected to be begin after work on the Moses Wheeler Bridge is completed in 2017. Our Metropolitan Planning Organization recently approved the allocation of $24 million for this project.
The completion of these ramps will provide easier access for our residents to I-95, but more importantly will bring much needed additional visits and commerce to our community and allow for easy accessibility to U.S. 1, Ferry Boulevard, the newly created Transit Oriented District, and our train station.
Speaking of the train station, if you haven’t noticed, construction is nearly complete and the station is open with more than 109 new permit spaces and eight new restaurant spaces. My compliments and thanks to my Chief of Staff Marc Dillon who was lead person on this project. Job well done.
Sikorsky Airport construction is on-going. Remediation of Raymark waste is nearly complete and Main Street will be open the end of May in time for the summer season. Main Street will be temporarily closed once again around Labor Day in order to finish final road construction that is anticipated to be completed by year’s end. Once completed we will have a safer, newly-improved Main Street and airport runway, which will include a safety zone. My thanks to Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch for working together allowing this project to move forward.
Moving Stratford forward is and always will be my priority. My recent proposed budget has municipal spending increasing at 1.2 % in the next fiscal year, which is well below the 2014 cost of living increase which was 1.69%. The proposed budget also increases the Board of Education by 1.6%. While the overall grand list saw a 2.5% reduction due to real estate revaluation, it also signaled a positive shift in the tax burden from residential taxpayers to commercial entities. The residential portion of the grand list saw a market correction of $119 million, while the commercial Grand List saw an increase of $72 million. Our long-term objective of strategizing aggressive economic development to reduce the residential tax burden is beginning to pay dividends. This proposed budget maintains all municipal services and once again increases education spending on behalf of our town’s children.
This budget is one that shows consideration for the taxpayer. Additionally, I will be proposing that the senior tax relief ordinance be looked at and modified in a way to increase tax relief for Stratford Seniors. As always I look forward to working with the Town Council on the budget. And I thank members of the council for all of their support over the last five years.
As Mayor, it is my job to ensure town operations and public safety are run well. It is also my job to work towards making Stratford a place that people want to live, work, and raise a family. Our town is changing for the better. We have so much potential in our town that is finally coming to light. I am proud to be a part of transforming our community into a destination, but more importantly proud to be serving as your Mayor.
Thank you all for being here today and for your continued support. God bless you and may God continue to bless the Town of Stratford.
