The Derby Senior Center on Main Street.
DERBY — “Don’t give us bologna.”
“Subcommittee after committee after committee. How many committees do you need to see that the seniors need (a) safe place?“
Derby Senior Center members did not sound happy on Thursday after learning the Derby Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen would not vote again on an agreement to merge its senior center with Ansonia and send Derby members to a new senior center under construction in Ansonia.
Instead, Derby’s legislative body opted to send the senior center issue to a subcommittee, whose members will be tasked with creating another committee to look for locations for a senior center within Derby’s borders.
It’s the latest twist in the decade-plus road to a new facility for Derby senior centers — and the Derby senior centers sounded sick and tired of the journey.
Click play to listen to the audio from the meeting.
A Valley Indy reporter did not attend the meeting, but the city posted the audio from the meeting on its website Thursday night immediately after the meeting. The discussion begins at the 20-minute mark of this audio clip if you want to listen.
Background
The current Derby Senior Center is on Main Street, in a building that simply doesn’t work as a place for older folks to gather, seniors say. The elevator is shoddy, a bathroom can’t be used because the floor is weak, the rooms are small and boxy, and seniors have to park in a dank parking garage that is falling apart.
Meanwhile, Ansonia government is building a $1.9 million new senior center within a building at 65 Main St. — and they’ve invited Derby to join.
Mayor Rich Dziekan’s administration has supported the idea since it was first mentioned in public in 2021.
A room full of Derby Senior Center members The Valley Indy interviewed in May were adamant about wanting to merge with Ansonia and to move to a new facility. Click here to read the story.
They complained to The Valley Indy at length about the condition of the current building on Main Street, saying it had no parking and was becoming increasingly unsafe.
According to a deal that was in the works, the 30-year agreement with the City of Ansonia included three, 20-year options to renew. Derby would have paid 25 percent of the senior center construction costs, not to exceed $300,000. The $300,000 would be paid off in 10 annual payments of $30,000.
Derby and Ansonia would split the yearly operational costs, which include employee salaries, electricity, heat and other items. Derby would not have been on the hook for capital costs, such as building repairs.
There would have been no cap on the number of Derby seniors (defined as 50 years of age and up) who could join the combined senior center. The Derby Senior center executive director and assistant director would have kept their jobs, with Derby’s executive director becoming in charge of the merged center.
The Derby Aldermen & Alderwomen rejected that agreement by a 5 – 4 vote in June.
Alderwoman Barbara DeGennaro (Democrat), Alderwoman Anita Dugatto (Democrat), Alderwoman Sarah Widomski (Democrat), Alderman Brian Coppolo (Democrat) and Alderman Rob Hyder (unaffiliated, ran on Republican line) voted to reject the agreement.
Alderman Gino DiGiovanni (Republican), Alderman Ron Sill (Democrat), Alderman Charles Sampson (Republican) and Alderman Kevin Sharkey (Democrat) voted to approve the agreement
Thursday’s Meeting
A slightly altered agreement was on the Alders’ table Thursday: it included language saying some parking in the area of 65 Main St. in Ansonia would be specifically designated for senior center members. The change was made in response to concerns raised by Derby elected officials.
At Thursday’s meeting, Alderwoman DeGennaro questioned why the senior center agreement with Ansonia was back on the table after being voted down in June.
“You can’t vote again because you are unhappy,” she said.
Mayor Dziekan said the agreement being discussed was new.
Alderman Coppolo made a motion to send the issue to a subcommittee, which clearly frustrated some seniors in the audience, according to the audio recording.
The seniors pointed out there’s no land in Derby for a senior center — something various administrations in Derby have said going back to 2009.
Coppolo’s motion called for a subcommittee to recommend names for a senior center search committee, essentially, and those names would return to the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen in August for full-board approval.
The motion drew groans from the audience.
Mayor Dziekan opposed sending the matter to a subcommittee, saying there had been four years of discussions already. The mayor was referring to discussions to use a building on Coon Hollow Road as a senior center. The city, with the support of the mayor and the local legislators, opted to sell the building and land instead.
“You want to step back another four years? I don’t get this board,” Dziekan said.
He said that some of the seniors might not live to see the end of the Aldermanic process, given how long it is taking.
Coppolo said that in two days he had found two possible locations for a senior center in Derby. But he didn’t name the locations.
Derby Town/City Clerk Marc Garofalo pointed out that in nine years the city had never appointed a committee to study the senior center issue. Walt Mayhew interrupted to point out Garofalo had no right to speak. Garofalo said Mayhew didn’t have the right to speak as he’s paid staff (Garofalo’s position is elected, Mayhew is the mayor’s chief of staff).). Garofalo later apologized for his comments.
Alderwoman Widomski said state grants have been going to other communities for senior centers and community centers. Money might now be available for Derby that wasn’t before, she indicated.
“Why are we not looking for funds?” Widomski said.
Dziekan said the state representatives do not give Derby consideration.
“Why didn’t you do this a long time ago?” a woman in the audience asked. The meeting became freewheeling, with the audience joining in and reacting to the Alders’ conversation.
At one point Alderwoman Widomski said, “this board does care.”
“No you don’t, Sarah,” a woman replied.
Another person in the audience said building a senior center in Derby would be more expensive than the deal on the table with Ansonia.
Alderman Hyder said he could not justify spending $300,000 of Derby taxpayer money for a building Derby will not have equity in. Hyder said the “new” agreement, compared to the agreement voted down in June, only contained some new information about parking. “I can’t imagine that’s going to shift the votes,” he said.
Hyder also characterized Derby’s relationship with Ansonia as “abusive,” noting the City of Ansonia canceled a fuel agreement between the two cities.
“The state of Connecticut wants us to regionalize,” Mayor Dziekan said. “This is what we get. More studies, more studies, more studies. Listen, I’ve been doing the best I can to get this through.“
Alderwoman Dugatto said creating a search committee/study committee for the senior center issue could put the city in a position to obtain state dollars.
“You have to create something to go to the state so they can give you money. This is the first step to do that,” Dugatto said.
Ultimately the vote was 8 – 1 to send the matter to the subcommittee. Alderman Kevin Sharkey voted no. However, several of the yes votes weren’t really yes votes. Aldermen DiGiovanni, Sill and Sampson all voted yes, but essentially did so to keep the issue alive. They all previously voted to merge with Ansonia.
After the vote, one of the seniors reminded the board that the people in the audience will vote on Election Day.
