February blog post

Please support construction of a town septic system! This is our chance to put Westbrook on the map as a premier Connecticut destination!

On January 12, the town’s Board of Finance met to discuss how to use just over $2 million in funds the town will receive from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARPA). Democrats believe the town center should get $2 million in order to build a public septic system.
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Right now, the Town Center cannot accommodate any new coffee shops, ice cream parlors, or restaurants, because there is no capacity for legally required septic. Restaurants bring foot traffic, and foot traffic brings tax revenue.
Compare Westbrook’s town center to neighboring towns:

Westbrook Town Center

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Photo by Becky Coffey/Harbor News

Madison Town Center

Photo by New York Times

​Essex Town Center

Photo: Essex Station Luxury Rentals

Why the difference? Management. Essex and Madison are managed by activist Democrats. Westbrook for almost two decades has had a sleepy, do-nothing Republican town government.

The Republicans claim to have kept taxes low. That is not true. Yes the Mil rate can be misleading, due to the timing of the re-evaluations, but you can find the equalized Mil rates here on ctdata.org. Looking at the most recent data you’ll see that Westbrook’s property taxes are higher, with an equalized Mill rate of 17.01, than those of either Old Saybrook – which has an equalized Mill rate of 13.6 - or Essex, with an equalized Mill rate of 14.77.

At the Ethan's Landing development, for example, which is half in Westbrook and half in Old Saybrook, the same unit in Westbrook paid $1,700 more in taxes in 2020 than one across the driveway in Old Saybrook.

In total, Westbrook will receive around $2 million in ARPA funds this year and could also receive a $3 million grant for a septic system. We believe that the town leadership must commit to AT LEAST $1 MILLION IN 2022 ON A SEPTIC SYSTEM.
 
Proposals for using money from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) were discussed at a January 12 joint meeting of the Board of Selectmen (BOS) and Board of Finance (BOF). They agreed to include the following ARPA funds in the Town Budget:
1.      Fire Department Water Tank $150,000
2.      Police Department $261,000
3.      Conservation Commission $50,000
4.      Town Hall Ventilation – no amount defined

The town voted on these proposals at a Town Meeting on Wednesday February 2nd.
Next up, the town is considering the following appropriations from the ARPA Grant Fund:
1.      Westbrook Youth and Family Services:  $25,100
2.      Shoreline Soup Kitchen: for the purchase of a refrigerated truck. $10,000
3.      Social Services Dept: to assist low-income and elderly residents. $25,000
4.      Senior Center: to address mental, physical and cognitive needs of elderly residents. $30,900
5.      Town Hall Technology: $10,000
The BOS and BOF will continue to discuss additional proposals when they receive additional information. 
6.      River COG Regional Funding $200,000
Costs are being finalized. This will include digitization of records and reporting and auditing of the ARPA funds. Additional information will be needed to compare costs of these services through ARPA vs in-house.
7.      Westbrook Ambulance $985,000

The Westbrook Ambulance Association has requested ARPA funds for various public safety items including paid staff, CPR device, facility upgrades, gear and a new ambulance. The Ambulance is not a town agency and will be forwarded a copy of the “grant application” for outside agencies. When returned, the BOS will consider their request for ARPA funds. The BOS briefly discussed the possibility of the Ambulance becoming a Town Agency. Research will be done as to how to move forward with this service.

First Selectman John Hall said he talked to the First Selectwoman of Durham and discussed their recent contract with Middlesex Hospital to provide ambulance services.  John hall said “they got an unbelievable deal” on ambulance services.

The most important part:
The WDTC believes that the most important proposal before the town is whether and how to fund a new septic system. Democrats and Republicans agree that a Town Center Septic System is the key to Westbrook’s ability to realize its collective vision for a vibrant economy and a destination that will welcome all who live in, work in, and visit Westbrook.

We believe the town should move forward THIS YEAR on a new septic system.
Town Center Community Septic System $2,000,000

The Planning Commission with Democratic Chair Marylin Ozols (D) has applied for a grant that could cover over $3 million of the proposed community septic system for the Town Center.  When BOF member Chris Ehlert (D) asked if it was the consensus of the members of both boards to fund the Town Center Septic System all agreed that it was an important project that the Town should move forward on.  John Hall said, “I would like to leave at least a million dollars of the ARPA funds for this project” and “we have to do something, it’s what people want and have been asking for."
 
If the grant is approved, the Town will have to put up $1,000,000 to receive the funds.
The question remains, if the Town doesn’t receive the grant, will the Republican board members find another way to fund this project. 

The proposal to allocate money for the system will be voted on at a future town meeting, date yet to be set.
 
In the meantime, here is what residents can do:

• Write a letter to the editor of Harbor News to advocate using ARPA money for a septic system. Submit your letter here: https://www.zip06elections.com/submit-a-letter/
• Write a letter to First Selectman John Hall at [email protected] or telephone him at 860-399-3040, ext. 112
• Leave the WDTC a message on this blog.
• Post to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WestbrookDems

In other budget news:
In the 2021 budget, Westbrook allocated about $1 mln to replace the roof and heating/cooling system at Town Hall. Solar panels will be a consideration in the project. The Town Hall roof has been leaking on and off for years, thousands of dollars have gone into repairing it, another example of republicans kicking the can down the road and underfunding capital projects.

Republican maneuvering: In an unfortunately typical partisan fashion, Republican BOE members voted out Democratic Board of Education Chair Zack Hayden, a teacher, who had led the board in a non-partisan way for 1.5 very difficult years. During that time, the board undertook a superintendent search, multiple administrator searches, coped with ever-changing Covid protocols, and engaged in difficult budget discussions, among other things.

As Westbrook's school district deals with the pressures of declining enrollment, expectations for excellence from its families, and the complexities presented by educating during a pandemic, what could possibly be gained by bringing petty partisan politics into Westbrook's Board of Education?

Covid tests for free: The town distributed a few rapid Covid tests but far fewer than originally promised and with little public information. Now, everyone can order four free tests per household from the federal government here.
 
WDTC news
The Westbrook Democratic Town Committee, aka WDTC, held its biennial caucus on January 11th to elect new members to the committee.
The WDTC members are:

Note: There are still open slots, available to any registered Democrat in Westbrook. Please email [email protected] if you are interested, or submit a comment on our website, https://www.westbrookdems.org .
 
In 2021, government salaries were increased by 2.8% across the board…except for Mike Jenkins, the former Fire Chief, who got a 1.4% raise as a Public Works employee. That’s because Jenkins was dismissed as fire chief in late August because of repeatedly posting vitriolic comments on his Facebook page about then-candidates Joe Biden (whom he called a “retard”) and Kamala Harris (a “whore”). That was a breach of contract. Westbrook public employees sign a contract agreeing not to use hate speech in their public statements.
 
Your representatives
State Senator Norm Needleman urges you to get vaccinated. Check whether you’re eligible and make an appointment here.
 
State Rep Christine Goupil wants everyone to know that there’s a 15% boost to the SNAP program coming along. That’s a food-relief program. Subscribe to her newsletter here.
 
Commentary
Get Involved!
Democrats were asleep at the stick for 40 years and allowed the Tea Party to remake local government. Westbrook is a microcosm of this erosion of community. The lack of vision or willingness to invest in infrastructure like water treatment and sidewalks has made us into a drive-by town between destinations like Madison and Old Saybrook.
The same thing is happening now, as radical GOP activists take over school boards.
 
We have a historic opportunity to turn the tide. Westbrook is turning blue, and voters are beginning to mobilize. Westbrook has been majority Republican since 2005. In 2020, Westbrook went for Biden. In 2000 there was over 400 more Republicans than Democrats in Westbrook. As of October 2021, the gap is only 63 voters.
 
We have an opportunity to enact deep, structural change to make America a fairer place. Please join a meeting and see where you would like to pitch in. [email protected]
 
Upcoming Events
On Saturday, February 12 at 7 pm, the WDTC will host another of its wildly successful, semi-annual Trivia Nights. Teams have ten minutes to consult privately over each set of 10 questions on scout’s honor not to check Google. Some practice questions (don’t cheat by looking at answers below):

1. What was Rudi Giuliani’s campaign song when he ran in the Republican primary for president in 2004?
2. Who was murdered along with OJ Simpson’s estranged wife, Nicole?
3. Who won the World Series in 1965?
Note: the real questions are much more fun than these.
The top three teams will win prizes! Play in teams of 2-6 players.  Teams larger than 6 are welcome to play but will not be eligible for 1st place.  Need teammates? No worries- just show up, and we will help you find a welcoming and friendly team.
 
The game will be played online via Zoom. Meeting ID and passcode will be provided upon receipt of payment.
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Suggested donation for tickets is $20 per person
 
To purchase tickets please or mail your check to:
WDTC at P.O. BOX 417,
Westbrook, CT 06498
Or go to this link:
https://daycampaign.com/Event/WDTCOnlineTriviaNight21222

Questions? Contact Kate at 860-395-7964

The WDTC will be convening a quarterly meeting of just 30 minutes to inform Westbrook voters about what’s happening in town. Watch this space for the Winter 2022 date.

Answer 1: “Rudi Can’t Fail” by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones
Answer 2: Ronald Goldman
Answer 3: Los Angeles Dodgers