The senior center is being built on a separate floor within the building at 65 Main St. that houses the Ansonia Police Department.
ANSONIA/DERBY – The Ansonia Board of Aldermen unanimously voted Tuesday to allow the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments to pursue grant money for a regional senior center.
Ansonia and Derby governments have been talking for some time about consolidating senior centers. However, merging senior centers has yet to be endorsed by the Derby Board of Aldermen and Alderwomen.
Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan and Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti’s administration support a plan that would see the Derby Senior Center close and its members migrate to a new senior center being built within 65 Main St. in Ansonia, the same building that houses a new Ansonia Police Department.
“This is a very significant resolution regarding the merger of an Ansonia and Derby senior center,” Mayor David Cassetti said Tuesday. “I am confident that with the approval of this grant, it will help with the capital and operating costs to run a regional senior center.”
Derby senior center members at various meetings – and those interviewed by The Valley Indy – have shown strong support for the merger. The Derby Senior Center is next to the crumbling parking garage, and the senior center’s layout is awful, they said.
But some Derby Aldermen/Alderwomen are not convinced merging with Ansonia is in Derby’s best interest. While Ansonia Aldermen are advocating for a regional space, their counterparts in Derby are heading in another direction.
The Derby legislators rejected a proposed agreement with Ansonia in June by a 5 – 4 vote.
In July, the same agreement with a slight modification was up for discussion at an Aldermen/Alderwomen meeting. However, the procedure was met with opposition.
Second Ward Alderman Brian Coppolo put forth a successful motion at the meeting to send the senior center discussion to a subcommittee.
The subcommittee was to create a senior center search committee. The idea, according to Coppolo, was to find a suitable location for a Derby Senior Center within Derby’s borders – not with Ansonia.
The subcommittee met earlier this month and recommended names to be placed on a senior center search committee.
However, Vincent Marino, the Derby corporation counsel, questioned whether the subcommittee had the power to create the committee and name names. He indicated the power lies with Mayor Dziekan.
Both Derby and Ansonia use the same law firm.
After hitting roadblocks over potential cost concerns in Derby, Cassetti and Dziekan wrote a letter asking NVCOG to apply for grant money that could be used to defray capital and/or operating costs connected to the project.
That’s the initiative Ansonia Aldermen endorsed Tuesday.
“This is an amazing incentive that can benefit both communities,” corporation counsel John Marini said. “NVCOG told us there is state money up to $1 million that could benefit both sides. A big thanks to (NVCOG executive director) Rick Dunne for bringing this opportunity to our attention.”
Sheila O’Malley, Ansonia’s economic development director, said Derby’s Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen must also pass a resolution in order for the grant application to move forward.
“It has to be a regional effort,” she said.
But whether there’s enough support on the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen remains to be seen. The Derby Alders are scheduled to meet in person for a meeting at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday, Aug. 11) but the senior center/NVCOG resolution is not on the agenda. Whether Mayor Dziekan will pursue the grant without majority support remains to be seen.
The Valley Indy reached out to Mayor Dziekan and Sarah Widomski, the Democratic president of the BOA/A, on Tuesday but did not hear back as of Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday’s agenda does include a discussion of forming a senior center search committee, the composition of which could create conflict.
In addition to potential cost concerns, some Derby Alderman, such as Rob Hyder, have expressed concerns about working with Mayor Cassetti.
The Ansonia mayor has been pressuring Derby to merge by insulting the elected officials, in part. It rubbed Hyder and others in Derby the wrong way.
On Saturday, July 23, Cassetti described the NVCOG initiative as “an offer them bozos (on the) Derby Board of Aldermen can’t refuse.” Cassetti made the remark on The Valley Indy’s Facebook page.
A regional senior center with Ansonia was supported in Derby in June by Alderman Ron Sill, a Democrat; Gino DiGiovanni, a Republican; Charles Sampson, a Republican, and; Alderman Kevin Sharkey, a Democrat.
It was opposed in June by Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro, a Democrat; Alderwoman Anita Dugatto, a Democrat; Alderwoman Sarah Widomski, a Democrat; Alderman Brian Coppolo, a Democrat, and Alderman Rob Hyder, an independent who ran with Mayor Dziekan on the Republican line.
In Ansonia, Alderman Steve Adamowski said a combined senior center in a new space would be a good thing for both communities..
“There’s no doubt that the seniors in both communities would be better served with a significantly improved facility and programs,” Adamowski said. “Taxpayers in both communities will benefit from the efficiencies of a combined center. I’m confident this will serve as a building block for other shared services in both communities.”
