The city seal.
ANSONIA — The annual budget, frozen shakes, the new police station and celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. were some of the topics of conversation during the Tuesday (Jan. 12) Board of Aldermen meeting.
Mayor David Cassetti kicked the meeting off by inviting all to tune in to a virtual celebration of the life of MLK on Jan. 18.
“Next Monday we celebrate the life of MLK,” Cassetti said. “He was a proponent, above all else, of peace. And with the New Year, comes renewed hope and new challenges. The (MLK) bust outside of City Hall serves as a constant reminder of that. Ansonia continues to move forward on a positive path, and we are stronger than ever.”
The city’s annual MLK celebration, normally held at the Macedonia Baptist Church, has moved to a virtual event due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic starting at noon Jan. 18.
All Valley residents and the public at large are encouraged to join the celebration via Zoom, by entering the meeting ID: 83882589584. No password is required to join the free event.
According to the Greg Johnson, the Valley’s NAACP President, the event will feature videos, spoken-word, poems, speeches and a “call to action” to continue the work of MLK here in the Valley.
Cassetti was also pleased to announce that yet another new business will soon be calling Ansonia home. Charged Ansonia, Frozen Shakes, is slated to open later this month at the former Subway location at 36 Pershing Dr. The menu will feature nutritious shakes and energizing teas.
Getting students and staff back into the classroom is slated for Jan. 19, according to Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco. City schools switched over to fully remote
learning in November after COVID cases in the Valley —especially in Ansonia — began to spike.
“We go back Jan. 19 to a hybrid model,” DiBacco told the aldermen. “My hope is we go back Feb. 1 to all in-person learning.”
“We’re doing our best to get our students and staff back in safely,” DiBacco added. “But if we don’t have enough certified staff on hand, we will have to shut down. I won’t put uncertified people in front of our kids just to keep schools open. I want the kids to be learning.”
DiBacco added he’s hopeful that “by the end of January or early February,” all teachers should get the first round of the COVID-19 vaccine.
DiBacco lauded staff, students and Ansonia’s families for being cooperative and understanding during these challenging times.
Regarding city budget news, Ansonia’s new Chief Fiscal Officer Kurt Miller gave the board a quick update on the upcoming annual budget process.
“Most departments have submitted their budgets, all of them are due by this Friday,” Miller said. “If the (individual department’s) budgets aren’t submitted by then, we will create a budget for them.”
Miller said the timeline for the annual budget process has changed a bit. A draft budget is slated to be ready Feb. 8; followed by a “90 percent” budget draft due March 1 and the projected presentation of the Mayor’s budget set for March 9.
Ansonia Police Chief Andrew Cota gave the board a brief update on the new police station taking shape downtown. The building now has heat and power, the new outside tower is nearly complete and IT and radio communication equipment is being installed. Windows are also being installed. Officials expect the renovation to be complete in early June.
