NL TAX HIKE MINIMAL
Last year, New London residents were hit with a massive 6-point-9 percent tax increase. That won’t happen this year, as Mayor Mike Passero has proposed a 91-point-8 million dollar budget, which includes a spending increase of three-point-one percent. Passero’s budget proposal presented last night would increase the city’s tax rate by point-four mills. The mayor says three city employees would lose their jobs under his spending plan, while a single police officer would be hired. Budget deliberations begin this week.
CLEANUP COMING
The final yearlong cleanup at the former Norwich Hospital property in Preston is expected to start in mid-to late April, pending receipt of state environmental permits for ground remediation. Preston First Selectman Robert Congdon and Redevelopment Agency Chairman Sean Nugent met with DEEP officials (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection) recently to review the town’s permit applications for the final cleanup. Once the cleanup is completed, the town will have 30 days to submit a final report to DEEP for certification that the remediation has been completed. Then, the town would be free to transfer ownership of the property to Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. The cleanup is expected to take about 12 months.
THE CASE THAT NEVER ENDS
The Town of Stonington has appealed an arbitrator’s decision to overturn the suspension of fired Highway Supervisor Louis DiCesare II. Last Thursday, town labor attorney Meredith Diette, filed an application to vacate the award by arbitrator Peter Adomeit, charging that “he exceeded his powers” while disregarding the law, in making his decision. The appeal asks a judge to vacate the award and send the case back to Adomeit to determine whether the town had just cause to suspend DiCesare based on the evidence and arguments that were presented.
SCHOOL SUPERS SCRUTINIZED
Facing their fifth storm in less than a month, yesterday Southeastern Connecticut school superintendents made the decision to remain open without delays. Many area towns got almost six inches of snow. Some parents said road conditions warranted a cancellation or delay Monday, but school officials said they made the right call. They also were quick to say student safety guided the decisions and this winter’s abnormally high number of snow days wasn’t part of the equation.
MEETING ON MILLSTONE SAFETY TOMORROW NIGHT
A discussion of the Millstone Power Station’s safety performance will be held during a Connecticut Nuclear Energy Advisory Council meeting at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Waterford Public Library. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff responsible for plant inspections, including resident inspectors based at Millstone full time, will take questions from the public at the meeting. Millstone Units 2 and 3 operated safely throughout 2017, according to the NRC.
