The following is a partial transcript to the episode’s introduction. Press play to listen to the whole conversation.
Hi everyone welcome to Navel Gazing: The Valley Indy Podcast. I am Eugene Driscoll of ValleyIndy.org.
Before I begin I want to read a message about how you can help your neighbors in the Valley”
“COVID-19 has changed life as we know it, and the Valley needs your help now more than ever.
The region’s health and human service providers face unprecedented challenges in meeting the needs of those affected by the pandemic.
Some organizations are even at risk of closing their doors.
You can make a difference right here in our community by joining with others in three ways: Give directly to Valley nonprofits. Participate in the Valley United Way annual campaign. Or, support the Valley Community COVID-19 Response & Recovery Fund.
Visit valleyfoundation.org to learn more.”
My guest is Rick Dunne, the executive director of The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments. Welcome back to the program, Rick.
And Mr. Jack Walsh, the chairman of the Derby Water Pollution Control Authority, an appointed, volunteer position.
Welcome back, Mr. Walsh.
I want to address comments that I’ve read on the Derby Community Forum, a Facebook group not affiliated with Derby gov’t.
But first, some background:
Derby residents recently received bills from the WPCA. My bill was $449 (which I could pay in two installments) plus a $257 annual capital fee that I am paying because in 2014, Derby voters approved borrowing up to $31.2 million to make repairs and upgrades to the sewer system. That included replacing aging pumping facilities.
That $257 capital fee will be paid by Derby folks for the next 28 or so (after recording the podcast, I learned Ansonia residents are paying a similar capital fee).
So there have been comments on Facebook recently saying that the city missed some type of grant that could have made paying for this work easier.
One was from a person named Jeff (I’m choosing not to use full names because they weren’t asked to be dragged into a public discussion of this), but Jeff said:
“So I get my sewer assessment today along with the extra pumping station assessment that I will be paying for the next 20 plus years because the last Democratic Administration screwed up and missed the deadline for a grant costing the Derby Taxpayer approximately 33 Million Dollars.”
Another comment was from Glenn:
“The previous administration did not submit the grants on time, so now here we are stuck with the full bill.”
These comments struck me because I sat in countless discussions about the WPCA referendum under the administrations of both former Mayors Staffieri and Dugatto and I simply have no memory of this being brought up.
I have vague memories from public forums held in 2012 or 2013 when it was mentioned that Derby actually didn’t qualify for some federal grant money.
But, I don’t know, maybe it swept under the rug.
So Rick, in your capacity as a person in the know about such matters, take us back to the run-up to the 2014 vote. And then, later, we’ll have Jack talk about how the WPCA has gone from being in hot water with state and federal environmental regulators to being a more healthy entity in Derby — and about the sewer rates in general.
SO RICK, DID THE CITY OF DERBY NOT APPLY FOR GRANT MONEY?
Click play to listen to an unedited, unfiltered discussion of the Derby WPCA with Dunne and Walsh.
