Librarians Soma Mitra and Phillip Modeen at a November City Hall rally.
The main library at 133 Elm.
Pay the city’s top librarian a higher salary. Pay every library worker a higher salary.
Interim City Librarian Maureen Sullivan made that funding pitch as she detailed the budget asks for one of New Haven’s most cherished and nationally celebrated public services — which, she argued, could do with a little more city fiscal love.
Charter Revision Commissioners: $5K could encourage more New Haveners to run for local legislative office.
Should alders receive their first pay raise in more than three decades — or is a $2,000 annual stipend enough to cover some of the costs of local legislators’ time-consuming and basically volunteer public-service jobs?
Just over two-thirds of alders attended last Monday's full board meeting. (The missing alders in this photo include some with relatively strong attendance records, like Honda Smith, Sal DeCola, and Eli Sabin.)
Only 24 of the city’s 30 alders on average have attended full Board of Alders meetings this term, raising questions about a spike in local legislative absences.
Darryl Brackeen, Jr. is stepping down this month from his role as Upper Westville’s alder, becoming the fourth local legislator this term to resign his seat.
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Laura Glesby |
Apr 10, 2023 9:18 am
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Laura Glesby Photo
Janice Parker: "We do our jobs diligently, and we deserve this raise."
After alders approved a long-anticipated city parks and blue-collar labor union contract, Janice Parker slipped out of the legislative chambers, teary-eyed and grinning. The moment she passed through the door, she burst into a victorious dance.
(Updated) The Elicker administration has submitted a plan to sell Fair Haven’s long-vacant former Strong School property to a developer for $500,000 — with a 20-year tax break — to create 50 affordable apartments.
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Thomas Breen |
Apr 3, 2023 12:51 pm
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City of New Haven images
New Haven is one step closer to having a quasi-public nonprofit charged with buying, fixing up, and selling blighted properties before megalandlords get there first, now that the Elicker Administration has formally submitted plans for a new city Land Bank.
Supt. Tracey: "I might be leaving here not closing a budget" if full $207M is not approved.
NHPS slide
Top school-district officials pitched alders on sending the Board of Education $207 million next fiscal year — as they made their case for why rising teacher salaries and special education costs warrant $4 million more than what the mayor has proposed.
Parks: "I wish nothing but success for the next coordinator of the Office of Violence Prevention."
Reuel Parks is stepping down from his role as the city’s first ever violence prevention coordinator roughly three months after taking on the new Elicker Administration job.
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Laura Glesby |
Mar 31, 2023 12:02 pm
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Police Chief Karl Jacobson: "Violent crime and crime scenes drive overtime."
NHPD data
Top city cops moved to transfer $4.3 million of unused salary funds to help cover staffing-gap-induced overtime overages — as they also looked to prevent another fiscal hole next year by upping the overtime budget and hiring more detectives, supervisors, and animal control officers.
After watching New Haven’s neighborhoods evolve from every perspective, Arlevia Samuel is now in charge of adapting the “livability” quest to a new era.
4-year terms, on the table at latest charter-review panel.
Hartford and Middletown recently moved from two-year to four-year terms for their mayors and local legislators. Should New Haven do the same?
The Charter Revision Commission considered that question while hearing from representatives of four other Connecticut towns, all of whom spoke in support of longer mayoral stints in office.
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Laura Glesby |
Mar 28, 2023 10:26 am
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Thomas Breen file photo
Some expensive cracked concrete, outside the Boathouse.
Cracking concrete outside the Canal Dock Boathouse is set to cost the city another $210,000 in legal fees, as a city-contractor lawsuit drags into its third year.
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Thomas Breen |
Mar 24, 2023 6:16 pm
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Thomas Breen photo
Newly minted Asst. Chief Colon takes the oath of office.
Surrounded by dozens of friends, family members, city workers, and police colleagues, Lt. Manmeet Colon raised her right hand and took the oath of office to become the city’s third assistant police chief — and the department’s first ever second-in-command of Asian descent.
Ashmun/Canal development site: Soon to get city $ infusion?
The Elicker Administration has proposed spending $5 million of federal pandemic-relief aid on helping delayed affordable housing developments get off the ground in Dixwell, West River, and the Ninth Square.
Ivana Lewis paints beside her mom, Shauniqua Davis, at a Wilson Library event.
The Wilson Library branch is a “second home” to Helen and her children — especially to 7‑year-old Eli, who devours every animal-themed book he can find.
In spare moments, Wilson staff members set aside volumes they think Eli will like. But most days, they’re kept busy with adults needing job applications or a place to rest their head while inebriated.
So Wilson staff, regulars, and allies are calling on the city to fund a full-time children’s librarian at Wilson — the only branch in the city to lack the funding for one.
Elicker fielding questions at reelection campaign kick-off.
Justin Elicker said he can understand where his numerous mayoral campaign opponents are coming from when they say they can do a better job tackling the city’s challenges.
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Laura Glesby |
Mar 17, 2023 12:04 pm
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Courtney Luciana Photo
Nan Bartow at the West River Greenway.
A trio of park stewards offered a budget revision pitch: undo the recent merger of the Parks and Public Works departments, and keep in the proposed new hires who’d care for the city’s greenspaces.
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Nora Grace-Flood |
Mar 14, 2023 3:31 pm
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Asst. Chief Justin McCarthy, Mayor Justin Elicker, Asst. Chief Dan Coughlin, retired firefighter William Coughlin, Asst. Drillmaster Shytan Floyd, and Chief John Alston.
Two New Haven natives have been promoted to top spots in the city’s fire department, with Dan Coughlin filling the role of assistant chief of operations and Shytan Floyd becoming assistant drillmaster.
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Nora Grace-Flood |
Mar 10, 2023 9:30 am
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Twining / L&M Partners image
A rendering of the future Winchester Green apartments.
Alders approved a 17-year tax abatement for dozens of planned new income-restricted apartments in Science Park — along with a rezoning plan that could allow for even more places to live, shop, and conduct research at the former Winchester factory site.
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Nora Grace-Flood |
Mar 8, 2023 2:10 pm
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Nora Grace-Flood photo
Paul C. at an encampment off Ella Grasso Boulevard, where a growing number of New Haveners are staying.
Alders voted to spend $4.8 million in federal money on affordable apartments and shelter space for the homeless — while inviting advocates to help oversee the plan’s rollout.
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Nora Grace-Flood |
Mar 8, 2023 11:32 am
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Nora Grace-Flood file photo
More $ sought for more recycling (in the blue toters).
Regionalized composting, recycling bin chips, and refuse savvy students could all lie in New Haven’s future — if the city gets requested dollars and support needed to amp up sustainable waste management education and practices.
