Date: Fri 17-Nov-1995

By ANDY GOROSKO

Published: Aug 11, 1999 12:00 am

Publication: Bee

Author: ANDYG

Quick Words:

sewers-hook-up

Full Text:

Property Owners Will Get Sewer Hook-Up Orders In Late '97

B Y A NDREW G OROSKO

At some point after the municipal sewer system is finished in October 1997,

the town will issue an order to property owners who have access to sewers to

connect to the sewer system, according to Peter Grose, sewering project

director for Fuss and O'Neill, Inc, the town's consulting engineers.

Water Pollution Control Authority (WPCA) Chairman Peter Alagna said he expects

that when the connection order is issued, the town will give property owners

several months and possibly as much as six months, to connect their houses and

businesses to the sewer system. Because there are only a limited number of

contractors qualified to connect buildings to the sewer system, Mr Alagna said

he doesn't expect all sections of town which are served by the sewer system to

connect to it simultaneously.

The town doesn't yet have a target date for all buildings with access to the

sewer system to be connected to it, Mr Alagna said.

Property owners will be acting independently of the town when they make

arrangements to connect to the system, he said. Out-of-pocket costs for sewer

hookups will be borne solely by property owners.

Unlike public sewer lines, which are publicly owned whether they are on public

property or on private property which has a town public sewer easement, the

sewer hookup lines which connect buildings to the sewer system are privately

owned.

The town plans to prepare a list of state-licensed contractors who are

qualified to connect buildings to the sewer system. Such contractors are known

as drainlayers.

After the sewage treatment plant is complete in October 1997, the town will be

able to process the wastewater which is discharged by the state's facilities

at Fairfield Hills, thus helping the town to correct any technical problems

with the sewage plant operations before town sewage is discharged into the

treatment plant, Mr Alagna said. The wastewater from Fairfield Hills currently

is processed at a sewage plant there which will be shut down when the new

town-state plant opens.

The new plant has been designed to handle approximately one million gallons of

wastewater daily, one-third of which is reserved for town use.

The town is under a state pollution abatement order to rectify longstanding

groundwater pollution problems posed by failing septic systems at Taunton Pond

North, The Borough, and Sandy Hook Center. A sewer system is considered a

permanent solution to the pollution problems in those areas.

Town officials had hoped the sewer system would be complete by the end of

1996, but various factors have caused the projected completion date to slip to

October 1997. Delaying factors include the redesign of the treatment plant

required by the discovery of archaeological artifacts there, plus protracted

negotiations between the town and the state over construction of the treatment

plant, according to Mr Alagna.

The archaeolgical finds at the treatment plant site resulted in a reversed

order of construction for the sewer system, with sewer pipe in outlying areas

being installed first. Typically, the sewage treatment plant is the first

element of a sewer system to be built.

Nighthawk Track And Field Teams Host Meet

New Heights Vacation Bible School Returning

Next HRRA Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Off Event Scheduled In Newtown

Genealogy Club's Next Program To Dig Into 'Dissecting A Civil War Pension Record'

Choral Society Planning ‘Voices Of America’ Performance

The editorial took no position on the budget going up or down so you're reading things into the editorial that simply aren't there. The turnout is tied to the lack of passage, in that people who came out to vote last time did not this time, indicating a lack of support on their part. Perhaps it wasn't spelled out clearly enough, but that's what the editorial was driving at, people showing lack of support by not casting a vote. The editorial did address likely concerns among voters that may have led to lack of support and lack of turnout. This lower turnout also follows increasing turnout over the past four referendums in three years (meaning it is an aberration from that), and increased turnout is something that I do push for regularly in editorials. Any disappointment you might be seeing is at the break in that trend, not at whether the budget passed or not. I'd rather see more people come out and vote "no" then not vote at all.

Lower Turnout Results In Two Budget Defeats

Clearly, property owners no longer want to bear the burden of expenses while the state does not meet it’s responsibilities. Rising costs must be addressed by actions that do not include yearly increases of property owners’ taxes. The state of CT must meet its share of the educational costs, and other costs.

Town And School Budgets Fail At Referendum

This feels like an oddly misleading headline and narrative, particularly coming from the Editorial Board. The headline "Lower Turnout Results in Two Budget Defeats" pushes a misleading narrative regarding voter turnout, and then seeks to tie the outcome of the referendum to that misleading narrative. Sure, voter turn out for this year's referendum, 18%, was lower than last year's. However, last year's turnout, 25.4%, represented the highest turnout in the most recent 10 budget referendums. If you take the time to examine turnout percentages between 2017 and 2026 (2017: 19.9, 2018: 15.7, 2019: 17, 2020: 0, 2021: 8.98, 2022: 7.7, 2023: 8.8, 2024: 15.1/17.49, 2025: 25.4, 2026: 18), this year's turnout was actually the third highest in the past 10 cycles. Perhaps the headline of this article should say "Lower Voter Turnout Than Last Year", which is more accurate, rather than creating an impression that this year's turnout is some type of aberration - a narrative that the turnout numbers, in all their binary glory, simply do not support. Further, the headline of this article appears to tie the "lower turnout" to the defeated budgets. Sure, that could be true. But, perhaps, its more likely that Newtown residents are feeling the squeeze of multiple economic influences. In Newtown, we've experienced property revaluations and increased municipal spending. Eversource continues to raise rates. The state legislature gives PURA the authority to impose Public Benefit charges that benefit a tiny percentage of the public (and subsequently burdening the rest of us). At the national level, inflation has run rampant for years and many of those costs remain high to this day. In short, the data tells a far less dramatic—and far more honest—story than the headline suggests. This wasn’t an electorate vanishing in apathy; it was a fairly typical turnout delivering an verdict that, perhaps, some at the Editorial Board didn't like. At some point, it’s worth considering that residents aren’t confused, disengaged, or misled by turnout; they’re simply doing math at their kitchen tables and concluding that “no” is the only responsible answer left.

Enjoyed the forum which only confirmed my support for Brandon Moore as the Democratic candidate to run for the state representative position. Brandon Moore did not waiver about his duty to all the people, if elected, when an issue presents itself that requires that he voice a difference of opinion for the wellbeing of Newtown residents. If Michelle Ku’s 16 years have led to her loyalty being to other elected officials, as she implied, then Newtown is going to continue to witness actions that do not protect its residents. She could not unseat republican, Mitch Bolinsky, during a Blue Wave, and once again, will not do it now. Winning that seat is critical for all. That explains why her previous campaign committee now campaigns for Brandon Moore. It explains all the endorsements he has received from local elected democratic officials. It’s why we need Brandon Moore to be the democratic candidate to run for state representative.

Second Newtown DTC, League Of Women Voters Candidates Event Planned

Appreciated the opportunity to hear from both candidates as we were present for the College Dems forum but only heard from Brandon Moore. It was an opportunity to see who can unseat the Republican incumbent and there is no doubt that Brandon Moore should be the Democratic candidate. One concerned parent posed a question about discrimination unaddressed by the school district and interestingly enough, Michelle Ku, who proudly speaks of her Board membership years, said little, while Brandon Moore passionately addressed the issue along with his experience as an Apache Helicopter Commander. This family is supporting Brandon Moore. We need change and someone who is not afraid to disagree, especially about the rising costs of living in Newtown.

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Date: Fri 17-Nov-1995

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