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Dear Neighbors,
I hope everyone was able to enjoy some of the great Arts & Ideas events over the last two weeks. The festival is a terrific vehicle for bringing city residents together and showcasing New Haven to visitors.
Below is an update on some significant issues which impact the city / Ward 7 -- and a details about some upcoming fun summer events, including the city’s July 4th festivities.
Budget:
As most of you likely know, the Board Of Alders passed a fiscally responsible budget that makes important new investments in city services, meets obligations the city has to its employees and residents, while maintaining the current mill rate. We will keep a close eye on the impact of this week’s State budget negotiations on New Haven.
Comprehensive Plan of Development Hearing (Wednesday, July 15, 6:00 pm, City Hall, Meeting Rooms 1 & 2):
The public hearing on the Comprehensive Plan of Development which took place earlier this month will continue at the July meeting of the City Plan Committee. If you would like to give input into the revision of the Comprehensive Plan, or just listen to the discussion, I encourage you to attend this meeting. The most recent draft of the plan can be found at: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/cityplan/comprehensive.asp.
Subcommittee on High Risk/High Need Populations:
The Downtown Wooster Square Community Management Team is forming a subcommittee to focus on this critical issue. If you are interested in getting involved, please let me know and I will connect you with the organizers.
Jobs for Qualified New Haven Residents
In 2012, the Board of Alders created the New Haven Works job pipeline program to connect qualified New Haven residents with good jobs, recognizing that without good jobs, we cannot have strong communities. The program has already helped over 500 New Haven residents, including people from every neighborhood in the city, find new jobs. Efforts are being made to build partnerships with more employers to get at least 500 more New Haven Works candidates hired.
Board of Education Elections:
As a result of a 2013 charter referendum vote, New Haven’s Board of Education soon will have two elected adult voting members on the board (in addition to two non-voting student members), instead of being a completely mayorally-appointed board. Ward 7 is in District 2 for purposes of the Board of Elections vote. (Two new voting districts were created for the school board vote. Because our State Senate districts are broader than New Haven, they could not be used for the School Board districts.) In the months leading up to the election, you are likely to hear from candidates for the new position.
State Street Bridge: The State Street Bridge project is a State project, and so the city doesn’t have control over the timing of its completion. As everyone knows all too well, it is very behind schedule. However, we have been told that there may be a temporary traffic pattern opened within two months, with limited access of one lane in each direction. It is anticipated that the project will be completed this November or December.
Text Alerts: If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to sign up for text message alerts to let you know when your street will be swept, as well as to get emergency alerts for snow and hurricanes. To sign up, go to: cityofnewhaven.com/alerts/index.asp.
Summer events:
Concert / Fireworks on July 4th:
The United States Coast Guard Band will hold a concerts at 8:00 pm on July 4 on the Wilbur Cross High School field. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 pm that evening. The fireworks will be set off from the top of East Rock. The city is encouraging people to watch the fireworks from the Wilbur Cross field because access to the East Rock Summit will be closed to traffic from the evening of Friday, July 3, through the completion of the fireworks. Parking will be available at Wilbur Cross.
If it rains on July 4, the concert will be held in the Wilbur Cross auditorium and the fireworks will be postponed until Sunday, July 5.
Movies in the Parks:
The city is showing movies in the parks on Friday nights throughout the summer. The two parks closest to Ward 7 showing movies are:
College Woods: July 17, showing ET
Wooster Square Park: July 31, showing Casablanca
Movies start at 8:30 pm.
Farmer’s Markets: For details about when / where Farmer’s Markets are open throughout the city, go to: cityseed.org/market-schedule.
July office hour:
Tuesday, July 7, 7:00 pm: Elm City Community Market Café.
Sincerely, Abby
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