On Thursday, March 2, there will be a public hearing at Washington Middle School, chaired by Public Works and Parks/Rec Committee Chairman, Councilor Mike Rohde. The topic involves a resolution to support the construction of a new sports complex at Falcon Field, prompted by a $2 million grant procurred through the State by State Senator Tom Gaffey. This grant is contingent upon a matching $2 million grant from the City.
Lobbying has begun in earnest, with letters to the editor running in support of the measure. I have heard both support and opposition from "man on the street" surveys, both solicited and unsolicited, as well as emails. The opposition is primarily, "The City can't afford it, I can't afford the taxes now." I'm sure other councilors have heard the same. (I've created an informal poll in the sidebar. While not scientific, it will give you a chance to give an opinion and view what other readers have said.).
I urge all interested parties, both for and against, or those who just want to hear opinions, to attend. This is a great time to be heard in person. Unfortunately, I will not be present due to business travel outside the state. But I have requested that the hearing be taped for viewing on the public channel, so others can see and hear for themselves as well. I will be watching it, as it will help me decide my vote when the time comes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.JPG)
21 comments:
and you list your occupation as "Majority Leader" on your blogger profile, you really should be ashamed of yourself. I must hand it to you though, Stevie, it's difficult to be that unabashedly grandiloquent. Kudos to you.
-George
This blog's a great idea. A very good way to communicate with citizens! Kudos to Meriden (very nice city, by the way).
State Senator Tom Gaffey tried to respond on this post, but for some reason was unable to. He sent me the following in an email message:
"Steve: My bill provides 50% of the project cost up to $2 million. Larry informed me that the cost is pegged at $3.5 by the staff. If that projection is correct, the $2 million you have posted is inaccurate.
Moreover, many people will oppose spending their tax dollars on anything, such as the liability the City is exposed to by the unsafe conditions at Ceppa. It all depends how you word the question."
I thank the senator for his clarification. I got the $2 million dollar match from the original R-J editorial on the issue. I haven't seen any actual cost projections or plan to date. And still, half of $3.5 million is still a large number, and one that the public should be aware of. If I can figure our how to correct the poll question to read "up to", I will.
In response to Mr.Gaffey's comment,- "Moreover, many people will oppose spending their tax dollars on anything, such as the liability the City is exposed to by the unsafe conditions at Ceppa."
What unsafe conditions are you referring to? The parents all sign a liability waiver to have their kids play football, baseball etc.
I don't want anyone hurt, but let's not skew the facts. Installing Astroturf is not the answer. Re-grade the field with a high enough crown and lay down the proper soil and materials for adequate drainage and you won't have as much mud.
This is a pork barrel project using our tax dollars. Use that money to dredge Hanover Pond and reduce flood control.
The next time a corporate business wants to come to Meriden, have them contribute to a new sports facility instead of giving them just tax breaks. All too often we see companies lured to Meriden by tax incentives and once the tax incentives have expired they leave. At least if they contributed to local projects we would still have something to show for our hospitality when they are gone.
Jim
Dear Steve,
Ceppa Field is not a field that can realistically be fixed. We knew that even when the city made the decision to repair the lights. As a city let's stop trying to band-aid problems and actually fix one for once. Platt and Maloney are a good example of how putting off fixing the problem in its entirety caused many headaches, additional costs and embarassment for the city. Do we need someone who signs a waiver to be paralyzed as a result of a fence being to close or a spectator severely injured by an athlete before we make a new field? As a city we should take the opportunity to learn from past mistakes and take the money the state is providing to create a field that can be a source of pride and not shame.
Jim stated, "It is a fact the artificial turf causes more knee injuries than real grass. I hate to see young kids having knee surgery because of Astroturf. Most professional stadiums have ripped up the artificial turf and gone back to real grass because of turf related injuries. Learn from that and don't spend a fortune on artificial turf. If you must put a football field at Falcon, and it looks as if it’s already a done deal, skip the Astroturf."
But the first thing Jim needs to do is find out the facts. First, the days of Astroturf are done. No one does Astroturf anymore for the reasons you stated. The surface would be what is called Field Turf. It is not hard like Astroturf and no "special shoes" are needed on it. Wear your normal cleats and not get the burns associated with Astroturf. Under the actual grassy turf is a layer of tiny rubberized particles that add cushion and protection for the athletes. Secondly, pro teams spend millions of dollars per year to keep their fields looking the way they do and only one game a week is played on it.
A sports complex is a great idea. A sports complex that the city only has to pay half for is practically unbelievable. Don't give away millions Meriden.
Do not let the opportunity pass to build a new facility at Falcon Field. Not only will it replace a field that has never been suitable for soccer and football, but the field can also generate revenue by renting it out. Do not let Meriden down!!!
Steve,
Please consider the residents that live adjacent to Falcon Field. We have to live with the noise and lighting of a softball field now. New stadium lighting would be much more disruption to our lives. the noise and traffic generated would be intolerable. The intersection of Westfield Rd and Baldwin can not handle the volume of traffic that a sporting event would generate.
Please not only consider the cost of this but also that residents of the nieghborhoods will be adversly affected.
Jim
Steve,
please consider the countless letters to the editor on behalf of the building of this stadium. Pay close attention to Tuesday's paper this week and Wednesday's. In Tuesday's article you can read about how our field and town is viewed as a "dump". In Wednesday's article you can read about the benefit to youth soccer in Meriden. REMEMBER this is a simple decision, BUILD THE FIELD. Talk to some of the athletes in this town and you will see our future leaders, like our current Mayor and Senator Gaffey as well as countless other people who have benefited from athletics. You owe it to them to step up as a leader and get this field built. Or you guys can continue to play the "poor town scenario" or the fix downtown bandwogen or my personal favorite the bicentenial celebration. I am a taxpayer and I would really like to see my money spent on something that number one will work number two is realistic, three won't have to be paid for entirely by city money, and finally the field will be something that will serve an actual purpose. Build the field based on the fact that you want to make some sort of legacy in Meriden. I do not believe as a Council you guys have done anything that has been truly great.
in response to the opposition...
Citizens in this city want opportunity, but when that opportunity comes everyone complains about cost, taxes and so forth. The Falcon Field complex is estimated to cost 3.5 million dollars, 2 million coming from the state. This is a tremendous opportunity for the town of Meriden. Field Turf is the way of the future. Our athletes can perform on a higher quality field better enabling them to enhance their skills. Yes Platt and Maloney have fields, but no ample parking, bad lighting and no bleechers. The Falcon Field Complex would be state of the art, in fact Meriden can make money by renting the facility for tournaments and state games. Ceppa Field should only be designed for baseball, the football/soccer field is in horrible condition. Yes students sign waivers, but do you still want to risk injury to them? The bleechers are unsafe, there is a walkway behind one endzone that is covered by roots, please explain how this is handicap accessible? We have a great opportunity to do something for this town, and for the towns future, lets think about them for a change, and lets not band-aid old problems.
Steve:
i am in favor of a new field for the city of meriden, falcon field may be a good location but what about the traffic? no one has said anything about traffic, there is only one way in and out of falcon field, westfield road a narrow two lane country road. ceppa has four access roads and the traffic is terrible after "big" games, what will the traffic at falcon field be like?
why not put the field downtown where you have better roads and easier access to highways and the rest of the city? stores are closing all over the city, even at the mall. what makes you think the center initiative will attract stores? you will need a big box store to get smaller stores, just look what happened up at the the ames plaza.
if you really want to make ceppa a baseball filed why aren't there any bullpens or batting cages there? even the ed walsh fields at hooker have better facilities than ceppa.
Steve,
Please put Meriden on the map by bringing some pride and enthusiasm back to the city! We can't always be the laughing stocks of other towns. You have a chance to bring a new way of thinking to Meriden. We all will be proud of you. Build the Field!
I want to support the Falcon field project. I have seen the soccer field conditions here in Meriden and they are horrible. The city had made plans to make the fields by Midstate Hospital a "field of dreams" with lighting, sprinklers, proper drainage and gorgeous grass. All we have there right now is either dry, dusty, grassless fields or muddy fields with puddles. Then there is Kronenberg fields, they are used for the older players, we have to deal with Atv's driving on them and digging them up. The grass is not always cut and Kids try to break into the concession stand, as well as garbage being left every where. That is the only field that we can use for the travel teams that the kids are not embarrassed of because we have a few volunteers that keep them in the best shape that we can.
My son played on Ceppa field this year. (Platt soccer only plays on it for the Platt/Maloney game, and the Platt/Wilcox game) I have to say, that field was in bad shape as well, muddy and dug up.
Also, at Falcon field where Washington Middle School plays their games, the fence is covered with Poison Ivy, and my son spent 3 years getting it as well as alot of his teammates.
All Meriden kids DESERVE something they can be proud of. Meriden gets enough bad press as it is, why not add something positive. I know that it is something that is going to be expensive, and I'm sure it wont even be complete by the time my son gets out of high school, but we need to look at the long haul.
Meriden needs to figure out what is most important...THE KIDS...they are Meriden's future. Education is most important, but athletics is very important as well. Sports tend to keep kids out of trouble, off drugs and they tend to do better academically as well. They must learn to manage their time to be able to do everything, they must keep their grades up at a C level or better in order to participate in their chosen sport.
Please support the Falcon Field project along with me.
Gina-mother of 2 soccer playing, honor roll students and President-Meriden Soccer Club
In response to the people who believe the price tag is too high, I just have a simple question. Would you rather pay for the new field, or for a lawsuit from the old one? I tend to believe that most people in Meriden educated or not would be able to see that spending money on the field instead of lawsuits would be wise decision.
If you took the time to just look at the fence closest to the scoreboard, you would see a fence maybe 6 feet at most away from the backline of the endzone. This is in direct violation of the rulebook for football! The book states that their should not be any obstructions within 15 feet. Therefore, if someone gets hit into that fence and for some reason they become seriously injured, they have a lawsuit. If we choose to keep the field we are to blame for any serious injuries resulting from the field.
I do agree that tax money should be spent to help the city of Meriden. This field will help. It will ensure the safety of some of the best and brightest people in this city. It is too easy to say that there are more important and pressing needs. SAFETY should be a pressing need. 1.65 million dollars is not that much money to spend to make people safe.
In response to JGhidinini,
I know it has been a long time since you were in high school, so it is easy to understand that you are against this field because it does not fit a need of yours. I am sure there are many other Meriden residents who feel the same way. I would just like to see you at least visit with some of the people who would directly benefit from this field and tell them that they do not deserve it. I am going to guess that their families pay taxes as well and would see the building of the field as something Meriden needs because it makes sense. Youth leagues, high schools, and the community will have a chance to use the field and the field will generate revenue. It makes sense to pay for a new field instead of repairing a field that will never be fixed.
Right now the state is offering the city half price on a 2006 brand new field and you want to hang onto a beaten down old field that will need repairs. I do not believe you would do the same thing if you were buying a house or a car. If you had the option of fixing the old house or car for the same amount of money to buy a new one, you would. If you were offered a special deal to purchase this from the state you would jump at it. So tell me why wouldn't the city do the same thing. I just hope that the powers that be have more vision then you do.
In response to the high schools, they are in disrepair because of similar short sighted thinking. Waiting to fix the roofs really was not a wise choice for this city, costing us a great deal of tax money. As will not taking this opportunity.
To John
The State WILL PAY half the construction costs.
As for maintaince (which is minimal), this can be paid from rental fees.
New Canaan "made" $40,000 last year; Danbury "made" $50,000.
tom ryan
Now is not the time to build this complex. Fix Platt and Maloney first! People keep talking about the state giving us money. Where do you think that money comes from? The sky? It's tax payer money too, yours and mine. Meriden cannot maintain the parks we have already. Have you thought about the traffic in the area of Falcon field? Look at the intersection of Westfield road and Broad. There's no left turn signal for traffic heading west. Look at the stop signs on Westfield road. I live in the area and nearly get killed each week because someone blows through the obscured stop signs.
I would love to have this sports complex for the kids, but I would rather have the school they sit in each day to be best it can be in terms of building safety, codes, etc.
As blogger, Jim, mentioned in a previous post on this subject, and also bantered about in other discussions - let's take a realistic look at using the existing athletic fields at Maloney and Platt for football and soccer (and throw in the band, too). This proposal really makes a lot of sense and I'm not sure why it is not seriously considered. Let's see, there are 2, count 'em 2, beautiful natural turf fields, with very effective drainage systems, plus they are relatively new. The high schools have ample parking, and facilities for locker rooms, coaches rooms and officials. What would be needed are some bleachers, and possibly some lighting if night games are a must. Why can't the Ceppa Field lights be transplanted to one of the sites; we just bought new ones only a few years ago. The fields are totally under utilized at the present time. Let's take a good hard look at this, before we jump on the "free" state money that's being dangled before us. The other bloggers are also correct in terms of additional expenses for maintenence, upkeep, unseen expenditures (and we all know anything having to do with construction by this town is wrought with cost overruns.)
Mr. Zerio, A little follow up please after reading Record Journal article "City Council hears about budget" on March 24. The $350,000 for the design of the new synthetic turf field, bleachers, fencing and press box - is that part of the 50% reimbursible construction from the state, or is that money the taxpayers are footing in total? If so, please see above posting regarding additional costs to this project we cannot afford. thanks, Mark
Anonymous 3/23 12:33-
The $350k for design approved by the Finance committee is 50% reimbursable under the terms of the grant. The vote Thursday, and noted in the most recent post above, recommends that the Council approve the financing of the project in partnership with the State, of which this is the first expenditure. The Council will again take a vote on a bond resolution when the final expenses are presented. I will tell you, there will be a clause in that final resolution that the City's contribution will not exceed what is presented as the final proposal. At this point it appears to be $1.6-1.7 million, which will be matched by the State. Again, this project will be applied against our bond cap, which means the Council will have to forego other capital expenses to make room for this projected $125k principal and interest annual payment for the next 15 years. I hope this answers your question.
Tell Tom Gaffe to get the rst of the money since he's so hot on this. Why iss he? What's in it for him? Anyone who knows him, knows he doesn't do anything unless he gets something..
Maybe he wants it named after him too...
Post a Comment