Rochelle announces funds for Derby housing, Ansonia Opera House remediation

Friends and Neighbors, 

Good news for economic redevelopment and affordable housing this week in the 104th District! 

In Derby, the Trolley Pointe development under construction on Main Street will receive a $2.625 million loan from Build For CT, a program of the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA). 

Trolley Pointe is a 105-unit apartment building at the site of the former Lifetouch property downtown, and 21 of the units fall under the state’s affordable designation — meaning households that earn between 60 to 80 percent of the area’s median income. 

The project had originally been described as market rate when it was reviewed and approved by the Derby Planning and Zoning Commission. Gov. Ned Lamont approved a series of state grants totaling $20 million that will be used to support the remediation and redevelopment of 21 blighted properties consisting of 150 acres of contaminated land in 18 municipalities across Connecticut, including Ansonia. 

Ansonia will receive a $200,000 grant for environmental, hazardous building materials, and structural assessments that will facilitate the development of cost estimates and options to repurpose the former Ansonia Opera House at 100 Main St.

This is from a press release from state Rep. Kara Rochelle.

Elected officials ask Ansonia residents to complete Gatison Park survey

Gatison Park in Ansonia / Contributed photo 

ANSONIA - State Rep. Kara Rochelle (D-Ansonia, Derby), 1st Ward Alderman Dan King, and attendees of the Gatison Park community meeting are seeking community participation for a survey on the most favored improvements.

Residents of the 1st and 2nd Wards of Ansonia, along with anyone else who uses the park, are especially encouraged to participate, but all Ansonia residents are welcome to take the survey.

During the 2024 legislative session, Rochelle was able to secure $100,000 in state dollars for Gatison Park improvements. 

This funding will be sent to the city to be used on the park with the city having authority on specific improvements for which the funds will be used.  Attendees of a Gatison Park community meeting developed the idea of the public survey to involve the entire community. 

The Gatison Park group wants to make sure the true needs and priorities of the neighborhood are voiced to the administration.

“This is a great way to get involved and make sure everyone’s voices are included,” said Rochelle. “Hearing the neighborhood’s input is the best way to make sure that Gatison is more kid-friendly, welcoming, and safe for all and specific improvements that residents favor are prioritized,” she said.

“This is a great opportunity for members of our community to have input in this project,” Alderman King said. “This park is for the residents in the neighborhood so we feel it should reflect their needs and wants.”

This is a bipartisan effort to reflect Ansonia community needs. 

The survey can be taken at this LINK: https://www.housedems.ct.gov/Rochelle/GatisonSurvey.

Rochelle serves the 104th District, which includes Ansonia and Derby.

This is from a press release from Rochelle's office.

Mayor Dziekan signs emergency declaration for City of Derby

Richard Dziekan

DERBY - With all of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, earlier today I signed an emergency declaration for the City of Derby. 

This move loosens some constraints in the City Charter and allows us to react quickly to any issues that may arise over the coming weeks. I want to make it clear that we do not have any confirmed cases of Coronavirus here in Derby, but we are following the recommendation of the city attorney, our local emergency management department, and other professionals who have advised me to take this step.

The main reason for doing so is to open up access to state and federal funding that would not otherwise be available. 

With this declaration, I also have certain latitude to manage this crisis I would normally not have, including the ability to make emergency purchases of equipment to support critical functions like the PD and other first responders.

Our main priority is the safety of our staff and residents. We understand that some actions that have been taken thus far may cause hardship for our residents. Please know that we do not make these difficult decisions lightly and we ask for your continued patience and understanding as we work through this difficult period.

As the home to Griffin Hospital and its Cancer Center, we wish to protect all our residents and patients of the Hospital during this difficult time. 
We have been in contact with Griffin Hospital and the Naugatuck Valley Health District to keep the lines of communication open and transparent. Together we will work to reduce the exposure of our citizens and guests.

Derby City Hall, the Veterans Community Center, the Senior Center, and Derby Public Library will remain closed as announced last week and our schools will be closed until at least March 27, 2020. All in person, board and commission meetings will be cancelled until the end of March and updates on meeting schedules for April will be announced at a later date. Certain meetings will take place via the Zoom application and will be posted to the city website. All other city events are cancelled and will be rescheduled if possible.

I ask that all residents continue to be vigilant about protecting themselves and each other from the virus. Most importantly, please avoid all unnecessary gatherings. If you must go out in public, use social distancing to limit your contact with others and wash your hands frequently. If you are feeling sick, it is highly recommended that you remain home to avoid spreading the illness. Please reach out via phone, text or email to family and friends who may live alone to make sure they are feeling ok. 

If you believe you or someone in your family has contracted COVID-19, please contact your healthcare provider or emergency room rather than going to the emergency room to seek testing.

We’re all in this together so it is important that we make a collective effort to protect the vulnerable in our community. 

A copy of the Emergency Declaration is attached to this document.

We would like to direct our residents to the following resources to familiarize themselves with the facts about the virus and precautions that should be taken:

Naugatuck Valley Health District - http://www.nvhd.org/coronaviruses/COVID-19/ 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html 

Dial 2-1-1 or text CTCOVID to 898211 with questions or concerns.

We are acting out of an abundance of caution and have no reason to believe that there is currently any immediate cause for concern in Derby. 

It is important that we do everything in our power to keep it that way. We encourage our residents to approach this virus with caution and to follow the steps recommended by public health officials to reduce unnecessary contact and slow the spread. 
I understand many residents may disagree with this decision, but we ask for patience and understanding as we work through this together. This situation is very fluid and we are following the most current directives of our local health department and the state and federal governments. We will continue to update you in the coming days as more information becomes available.

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact my office at 203.736.1450 Extension 221 or www.derbyct.gov.

Rochelle lauds $1M in state aid for Cicia Manor upgrades in Derby

Kara Rochelle

HARTFORD - State Rep. Kara Rochelle, D-Ansonia/Derby, this week applauded the announcement of $1 million in state aid awarded to Derby’s Housing Authority for improvements to Cicia Manor, which provides housing to elderly and disabled residents.  

The funding, administered by the state Department of Housing with resources from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, is part of $13 million in Community Development Block Grants awarded to 13 municipalities across the state after a competitive application process. 

The grants will help provide infrastructure upgrades that will modernize and rehabilitate housing for low and moderate-income individuals.

“I want to thank and praise all parties, as this was a true team effort," Rochelle said.  "Of note, a warm thank you to Derby Housing Authority Chair Linda Fusco for spearheading these effort, coordinating state and local officials, and being the soul and force behind the work. I’d also like to thank Derby Housing Authority Commissioner Adam Pacheco for joining me in Hartford to meet with state Department of Housing officials to advocate for Derby’s needs; Grant Writers Patty Finn and Peter Testa for their well-crafted application; Derby’s State Elderly Coordinator Ellen Oczkowski who coordinated much of the local data, Mayor Richard Dziekan and the Derby legislative delegation, state Rep. Themis Klarides, state Rep. Nicole Klarides-Ditria, and state Sen. George S. Logan for their letter of support; Gov. Ned Lamont, state DOH Commissioner Seila Mosquera-Bruno, and her team for seeing the value in allocating resources to our community, and many others who have had their hand in bringing this to fruition for our residents.  When we work together, good things happen.”

The proposed scope of work for Cicia Manor is to create three new ADA-Complaint residential units and make ADA upgrades to the Community Building. The kitchen area will be renovated. The existing bathrooms will be redesigned to address access, floor space, turning radius, approach zones, and clearances. 

The electric baseboard heating system will be supplemented with a heat pump significantly reducing electrical usage, and generator installation will allow the community building to be used as a place of refuge for all residents in the event of power outages.


This is a press release from Rochelle's office.

Gentile lauds state funding to combat blighted sites in Ansonia, Derby

To help boost economic development 

HARTFORD - State Rep. Linda M. Gentile, D-Ansonia, today lauded efforts to increase local economic development and combat Derby’s and Ansonia’s blighted properties through approval of $400,000 in funding to assess its brownfield sites for future revitalization.

Ansonia and Derby were two of 14 municipalities selected to receive a portion of $13.6 million in state-funded grants to combat blight across Connecticut.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced the round of funding Monday.

This funding includes $12.1 million in grants for eight remediation and redevelopment projects, and an additional $1.5 million for eight assessment projects.

These funds will pay for the assessment of these properties and prepare them for future revitalization.

Ansonia and Derby have been awarded:

• A $200,000 grant for the investigation of a 2.7-acre parcel located at 65 Main St. in Ansonia.
• A $200,000 grant for the investigation of 19 acres on Derby’s Main Street related to the city’s downtown redevelopment plans.

“This funding is a key investment in Ansonia’s and Derby’s local economies. Not only will we be putting these properties back into productive use, but we will be increasing our tax base while simultaneously building a better place for our residents to live, work, and raise a family,” Gentile said.

Connecticut has invested more than $220 million in brownfield redevelopment since 2012. Through this, more than 3,000 permanent jobs and 15,000 construction jobs have been created in the state.

All of the funds will be awarded through the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

For information about DECD’s brownfield redevelopment programs, visit www.ctbrownfields.gov.

This is a press release from Gentile's office.

Derby students, educators, officials celebrate approval of athletic field project

Derby students, educators, town and state elected officials celebrate the state Bond Commission’s approval of $2.99 million for the Derby athletic field project Friday at the state Capitol complex. / Contributed photo

Conroy: Dems restore state funding to Griffin Hospital in Derby

HARTFORD - State Rep. Theresa Conroy, D-Seymour, Beacon Falls, Derby today announced Democrats in the General Assembly have restored significant funding to the state’s hospitals, including $3.5 million in funding for Griffin Hospital in Derby. 

Theresa Conroy

The legislature met in special session Tuesday night to approve a package of spending cuts and reforms to close a deficit in the current year’s state budget. 
Included in the package is the restoration of approximately $50 million in hospital funds.

“On September 23, I pledged to fight Governor Malloy’s cuts to Griffin Hospital; in October we secured funding for small hospitals; and now the legislature approved a budget reform package that restores $3.5 million of the Governor’s cuts to Griffin,” Conroy said.

In June of this year, Legislative Democrats approved a state budget that included $4.8 million for Griffin Hospital. In September, Gov. Dannel Malloy unveiled a package of budget rescissions that included up to $84 million in cuts to hospitals and reduced Griffin’s state funding to $1.2 million. 

Conroy worked to ease the impact to Griffin Hospital and by early October, Malloy agreed to restore $14.1 million to the state’s small hospitals. 

Last night, the Legislative Democrats approved a bill that restored funding for Griffin to $4.72 million.

“We appreciate Rep. Conroy’s continued advocacy on behalf of Griffin Hospital,” said Patrick Charmel, Griffin Hospital President and CEO. 

“The reduction in the Governor’s rescission cuts contained in the legislation passed today will help to preserve Griffin’s ability to fulfill its care giving mission.”

“This week in 1909, Griffin Hospital opened a 24-bed hospital on Seymour Avenue in Derby,” Conroy said. 
“The first patient was admitted on Dec. 9 where the price was 31 cents a day. The Connecticut General Assembly has always had a part in the history of Griffin, from granting the charter in June 1901 to today – ensuring that we maintain funding to keep this great institution in the Valley to serve our residents.”

This is a press release from the office of Connecticut Democrats.

Crisco hails release of $3.3M to Griffin Hospital in Derby

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph Crisco Jr., D-Woodbridge, today welcomed news that the Malloy administration has decided to release $3.3 million to Griffin Hospital in Derby from a newly-created small hospital pool of funds in order to make up for some of the hospital funding cuts announced by the governor as part of his Sept. 18 rescissions package to help address a projected revenue deficit.

State Sen. Joseph Crisco

“For over 100 years, Griffin Hospital has not only been caring for the residents of The Valley, but they have been a part of our community in all the things they do,” Crisco said. “This reinstated funding – the type of increased hospital funding that I fought for this past spring – is good news for the people who work at Griffin Hospital and for the people who rely on the care they receive at Griffin Hospital.”

Today, the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) announced that Connecticut will distribute $14.1 million to small hospitals through the Small Hospital Pool. The six hospitals set to receive payments are Bristol, Day Kimball, Griffin, Charlotte Hungerford, Johnson, and Milford.

This money is available because OPM is reprioritizing a portion of the remaining quarter of Medicaid supplemental payments—that is, from that portion of the supplemental pool that was not rescinded. The new Small Hospital Pool payment plan reprioritizes a portion of the remaining quarter Medicaid supplemental payment.

According to OPM, the Small Hospital Pool was established this year for hospitals with no more than 180 beds, not affiliated with any other hospital, and are not in contiguous towns. 
The Medicaid Supplemental Pool is the program by which the state returns to the hospitals a portion of hospital tax revenue on a quarterly basis. 
On Sept. 18, 2015, the final three quarters of installments for Medicaid Supplemental and Small Hospital Pools were rescinded, and the first quarter installment had yet to be released to the hospitals.


This is a press release from Crisco's office.

State restores funding to Griffin Hospital in Derby

Gentile, Conroy express gratitude

HARTFORD - The Office of Policy and Management announced today the state will distribute $14.1 million to small hospitals through the Small Hospital Pool.

With massive differences between large hospitals and small ones in profit margins—differences of hundreds of millions of dollars annually—OPM is taking this proactive action to support six small hospitals.

Connecticut hospitals had one of their best years on record last year, when hospital health systems saw total revenue in excess of expenses of $916.4 million – a $186.2 million (or 26%) increase from the previous fiscal year.

In the years prior, large hospital health systems made upwards of $400 million, $600 million, and $700 million.

Yet, while large hospitals have healthy margins and robust executive compensation, there are small hospitals are in need of additional assistance to continue to provide services. As such, OPM is proactively reallocating a portion of existing supplemental Medicaid payments toward helping those small hospitals independent of larger hospital systems that tend to be more profitable.

The six hospitals set to receive payments are Bristol, Day Kimball, Griffin, Charlotte Hungerford, Johnson, and Milford. This money is available because OPM is reprioritizing a portion of the remaining quarter of Medicaid supplemental payments—that is, from that portion of the supplemental pool that was not rescinded.

Some larger hospitals saw billions in revenue from operations last year. None of the six “small hospitals” that will receive this proactive reallocation receive more than $176.1 million individually. The combined operations revenue of these six hospitals is, in sum, about 1/8 of that of Yale-New Haven and Hartford Healthcare combined. In the last four years, those two hospitals took in more than 50% of the total revenue over expenses for all hospitals and hospital systems in the state.

In FY 14, nine hospitals had total margins over 9% and 14 hospitals over 5%. That’s as state aid to hospitals has increased by roughly $1 billion over the past decade.

“We know that hospitals are not one-size-fits all, and that’s why we’re proactively reprioritizing and reallocating dollars to support small hospitals that need support most. To be clear, hospital systems are seeing extraordinary revenues, but today we’re working to reprioritize and reallocate payments so we can assist the small hospitals and support patient care. The six small hospitals we are helping today lost millions in FY2014, and we’re proactively working to support them. The other 15 larger hospital systems made in excess of $900 million,” OPM Secretary Ben Barnes stated. “With such discrepancies between large and small hospitals – between those who are making hundreds of millions of dollars per year and those that aren’t – we are trying to help those small hospitals serving our Medicaid population.”


"I'm grateful to Gov. Malloy for restoring these funds which in turn, provide critical services and public safety for Ansonia and Derby residents," said Deputy Speaker of the House Linda M. Gentile. Griffin Hospital is our largest employer, so a stable job situation for employees is vital."

“I’m pleased Gov. Malloy recognized what the effect of the proposed cuts would have on Griffin Hospital and reconsidered,” said state Rep. Theresa Conroy. “The level of healthcare for Naugatuck Valley residents will remain top notch thanks to this restoration of funding.”

The new Small Hospital Pool payment plan reprioritizes a portion of the remaining quarter Medicaid Supplemental payment.
The Small Hospital Pool was established this year for hospitals with no more than 180 beds, not affiliated with any other hospital, and are not in contiguous towns.

The Medicaid Supplemental Pool is the program by which the state returns to the hospitals a portion of hospital tax revenue on a quarterly basis.

On Sept.18, 2015, the final three quarters of installments for Medicaid Supplemental and Small Hospital Pools were rescinded, and the first quarter installment had yet to be released to the hospitals.

Hospital	Payment From Small Hospital Pool
Bristol	$2,917,675
Day Kimball	$2,777,203
Griffin	$3,315,317
Hungerford	$2,051,467
Johnson	$2,301,469
Milford	$736,870

This is a press release from the office of the House Democrats.

Ansonia's Wakelee Avenue to get major facelift

City receives $3.5M state grant 
Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti announces 'Wake Up Wakelee!' initiative Tuesday morning outside Lear Pharmacy on Wakelee Avenue.

ANSONIA - Wakelee Avenue, a major thoroughfare on the city’s West Side, will soon receive a $3.5 million upgrade.

Mayor David S. Cassetti Tuesday announced the city’s Wake Up Wakelee! initiative, which will mean a complete reconstruct of a mile of Wakelee Avenue. 

The project will stretch from Division Street to Franklin Street.

The city received a $3.54 million grant from the state Department of Transportation for the reconstruction. The work will include new concrete curbing, curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, driveway aprons, pavement markings, drainage structures/pipes and utility pole relocation.

Cassetti held a press conference in front of Lear Pharmacy at 198 Wakelee Ave. to make the announcement. Republican Fifth Ward Alderman Joan Radin owns Lear Pharmacy.

Cassetti said, “Wakelee Avenue is a major artery for the City of Ansonia that has been neglected for too long. The pavement is in poor condition, the sidewalks are intermittent and in disrepair and there is a lack of adequate drainage. I am pleased that ConnDOT has granted us the funding for this project.

“With this initiative to ‘Wake Up Wakelee!’ we will breathe new life in both the street and its surrounding neighborhoods. This is one more major victory for the City of Ansonia,” he said.

The construction phase will be paid for by DOT funds, while the city will be responsible for paying design fees, Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley said. The city hopes to start construction in the fall, she said.

“The ‘Wake Up Wakelee!’ initiative is part of an overall plan to help improve the look and feel of Ansonia. It’s a significant step forward for our residents and the myriad businesses that line Wakelee Avenue,” O’Malley said.

“Infrastructure means everything to economic development,” she said. “The infrastructure has been sorely neglected.”

There are about 50 businesses located along Wakelee Avenue.

Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President Bill Purcell hailed the plan. He called Wakelee Avenue “a beautiful street and a vital corridor.”

Radin said the reconstruction project “means a lot for this area. We get more traffic than Main Street.”

Ansonia's Wakelee Avenue to get major facelift

City receives $3.5M state grant 
Ansonia Mayor David S. Cassetti announces 'Wake Up Wakelee!' initiative Tuesday morning outside Lear Pharmacy on Wakelee Avenue.

ANSONIA - Wakelee Avenue, a major thoroughfare on the city’s West Side, will soon receive a $3.5 million upgrade.

Mayor David S. Cassetti Tuesday announced the city’s Wake Up Wakelee! initiative, which will mean a complete reconstruct of a mile of Wakelee Avenue. 

The project will stretch from Division Street to Franklin Street.

The city received a $3.54 million grant from the state Department of Transportation for the reconstruction. The work will include new concrete curbing, curb ramps, sidewalks, crosswalks, driveway aprons, pavement markings, drainage structures/pipes and utility pole relocation.

Cassetti held a press conference in front of Lear Pharmacy at 198 Wakelee Ave. to make the announcement. Republican Fifth Ward Alderman Joan Radin owns Lear Pharmacy.

Cassetti said, “Wakelee Avenue is a major artery for the City of Ansonia that has been neglected for too long. The pavement is in poor condition, the sidewalks are intermittent and in disrepair and there is a lack of adequate drainage. I am pleased that ConnDOT has granted us the funding for this project.

“With this initiative to ‘Wake Up Wakelee!’ we will breathe new life in both the street and its surrounding neighborhoods. This is one more major victory for the City of Ansonia,” he said.

The construction phase will be paid for by DOT funds, while the city will be responsible for paying design fees, Economic Development Director Sheila O’Malley said. The city hopes to start construction in the fall, she said.

“The ‘Wake Up Wakelee!’ initiative is part of an overall plan to help improve the look and feel of Ansonia. It’s a significant step forward for our residents and the myriad businesses that line Wakelee Avenue,” O’Malley said.

“Infrastructure means everything to economic development,” she said. “The infrastructure has been sorely neglected.”

There are about 50 businesses located along Wakelee Avenue.

Greater Valley Chamber of Commerce President Bill Purcell hailed the plan. He called Wakelee Avenue “a beautiful street and a vital corridor.”

Radin said the reconstruction project “means a lot for this area. We get more traffic than Main Street.”