A still image from the video of the Aug. 8 Derby BOA/A meeting.
DERBY – The Derby Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen, also known as Derby’s legislative body, met Aug. 8 to discuss various matters of public import.
Here is a rundown of the meeting:
Summer Concerts
During the public portion of the meeting, Derby Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo reminded the board that there is a free concert series every Tuesday evening on the Derby Green in August. The concerts will be on Friday nights in September. Click here for a schedule.
Street Takeovers
Resident Frederick Pickorski said Derby’s state representatives in Hartford should do more to combat ‘street takeovers,’ where large groups of motor vehicles shut down a road to cause a scene. Click here for a previous Valley Indy story on a takeover in Derby.
Earlier this year the state House of Representatives passed a bill dealing with street takeovers but it failed to pass the state Senate.
State Reps. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, Kara Rochelle and Mary Welander all voted for the bill. They each represent parts of Derby.
Storm Cleanup
Resident Tom Lionetti thanked the Derby Public Works Department for working hard during a severe thunderstorm that passed through the area on Aug. 3. The storm brought with it 60 mph wind gusts. Downed trees and branches caused power outages for much of Derby.
Resident Karen Kemmesies also thanked the emergency responders and public works for dealing with the storm and its aftermath. She suggested public works keep an eye on the spillway at Witek Park, which she said appears to be getting clogged with vegetation which might cause road flooding.
Alderwoman Sarak Widomski also thanked the DPW and emergency responders for their assistance.
Party!
The board unanimously appointed Kim Mastrianni, Grace Sojka, and Laurel Vicidomino to the city’s 350th Anniversary Committee.
Eagle Scout Project
The board unanimously approved an Eagle Scout project submitted by Keegan Goodwin of Troop 3. Goodwin will be creating a system of signs along the 1.7 mile Derby Greenway that will work like highway markers.
Goodwin said the signs will help emergency responders find people who need help on the Greenway, such as when a person is injured.
Right now it’s a bit of a guessing game, but coded directional markers on signs called in by people in need will make it easier to locate people, Goodwin said. The signs’ coordinances will also be added to GPS.
“You are helping with the safety of our community and anyone who uses the Derby Greenway,” Alderwoman Widomski told the scout.
Lawsuits And Blight Fines
The Alders met in executive session to discuss three matters:
‘Pending litigation’ involving 118 Harold Ave.
2 Factory St., property acquisition
395 Hawthorne Ave., blight litigation settlement
Executive sessions are a type of meeting closed to the public. They are an option for the government when discussing contracts, real estate deals, specific employees and lawsuits. The law does not force the government to discuss those matters in private. It’s an option.
Votes cannot happen in private.
Garofalo was invited into the executive session, along with Linda Fusco, Mayor Joseph DiMartino’s chief of staff. The mayor was not present at the meeting because he was under the weather, according to Alderwoman Widomski.
Regarding 118 Harold Ave. and 395 Hawthorne Ave., the board voted unanimously to accept settlement deals presumably described in private by Derby Corporation Counsel Richard J. Buturla. However, no details were shared with the public at the meeting.
The state’s civil court database shows that the City of Derby was in foreclosure proceedings against 118 Harold Ave. The property owed the city about $193,000 in blight fines dating back to 2019. The current owner is listed as Mortgage Assets Management, LLC out of Texas. That company has been fighting the foreclosure in court.
The property – a one-story ranch built in 1955 – was sold to the current owner in April for $305,000, according to an online assessor’s database. The property was owned locally until 2021, when a previous mortgage company foreclosed on the original owner.
395 Hawthorne Ave. is a 5,000 square-foot house near Roseland Apizza. It has been vacant for years. Sale photos show the interior needs work. It is owned by Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. in Virginia. The property was most recently placed on the city’s blight list in 2021.
The yard was overgrown and a swimming pool was falling apart, according to a report from the city’s blight department. Properties on the blight list are subject to fines of $100 a day. The property has been cleaned up since 2021, and Zillow.com lists it as being under contract.
The board did not take action on acquiring 2 Factory St. This is the scrapyard the city has been trying to acquire or move for years in order to attract more investment to the south side of Main Street. Negotiations continue.
