Did you know, the charter of the city is changing again?
I checked the Valley Indy, The CT Post, and the New Haven Register, no stories.
A band is playing at Nolan Field and we have posters, banners on fences, stories in the news, postings on Facebook and CodeRed notifications thru the emergency system.
Changing the laws of Ansonia, zero stories, postings, calls, and texts.
Why is this not on the front page of the city website or a press release to the Valley news orgs? The special meeting agenda, it says “Consideration of changes proposed during public hearing.” In the posted minutes, the direction is not clear, the comments are summarized.
Is this the open government we were promised?
What is the status of the millions of referendum dollars? There’s nothing posted.
Did you know, there is no Ansonia Economic Development Commission?
2017 — more cancellations than meetings
2018 — three meetings scheduled and three cancellations.
It disappeared without notification.
We have so many missed opportunities because there is a very small group, performing the economic development functions in our city.
We have the Official Designation, “Home of the Bicycle,” with an annual pilgrimage of riding teams and a day to celebrate the birthplace of the modern bicycle. The event was dropped. The Bicycling / Walking trail that connects Fairfield and New Haven Counties has no safe way to reach downtown, no bike racks, no bike lanes, no signage. We could have a bike share system sponsored by health orgs. Potential shoppers walking and biking from apartments in Shelton, are ready to visit to eat and shop. Ansonia has done nothing to welcome visitors.
It has been said there will be new apartments downtown with more retail and a microbrewery. How do we bring in millennials to rent those apartments? What things will they do after work? After you dine at one of our world class restaurants, there are very few boutique style shops to spend money at. Franchises only do not make a successful downtown. Small businesses make the downtown diverse and desirable. There are no efforts to help small businesses other than a storefront improvement loan. Space is overpriced or too big for a small boutique to afford. The city center plan has been ignored allowing churches, social clubs, and recruiting centers in prime retail space, creating blank storefronts.
We have open spaces that could hold exercise stations for the health conscious or bike share, stone game tables and various activities, but all we have is empty places.
We have a beautiful waterfront. We cannot utilize a park there, but why not build a canoe and kayak launch on the riverside. We have access to the Housatonic and Long Island Sound. What better way to keep youths engaged in the Valley’s nautical history as they explore the old shipyards and ports Housatonic River.
Streets and sidewalks are crumbling. Sidewalks and curbs are left to the property owner, which don’t get fixed. Either put a blight lien on two thirds of the city or repair the sidewalks and curbs with the streets. When sidewalks are fixed, assessed home values increase the tax base along with community pride — less blight.
My taxes are the highest in 26 years – I expect better results from our leaders.
William Luneski (U)
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