Courtney Tours Stimulus Recipients

From the New London Day, April 8, 2009

As the wind ripped across Stonington Harbor early Tuesday afternoon, Congressman Joe Courtney stood at Don's Dock in Stonington with a small group of people.

Among them were two Stonington men who have spent the past four years trying to persuade Amtrak to fund a project that will raise the clearance under two railroad bridges so more boats can gain access to the upper harbor and the marina at Don's Dock, which caters to small boats.

Courtney had come to celebrate the announcement that $10 million of the $1.3 billion that Amtrak is receiving in federal stimulus money will be used to replace the century-old spans and increase the clearances.

Don's Dock was among several stops the Democrat from the 2nd District made Tuesday as he visited places that will receive federal stimulus money.

Courtney was not able to say exactly how many jobs the $10 million bridge project would create, but he said it would provide work for steelworkers, masons and others in the building trades, who he said have been particularly hard-hit by the recession, layoffs and foreclosures.

”This is the kind of work that will help get that segment of the economy going again,” he said. “It's also an investment in our transportation system.”

Ian Hetherington, owner of Don's Dock, said the work will also benefit his plans to add 120 slips to his operation. He said the expansion will eventually lead to the hiring of six more employees.

Courtney said he will press Amtrak to start work on the 8-month-long project this year.

Because the bridge clearances are so low now, small boats can get under them for only a few hours a day; no vessel can pass at high tide. The project will raise the bridges by 18 and 23 inches, respectively, which will allow boats to pass under during most tides and give larger boats access as well.

When Bryan Chesebrough and Andy Williams heard Amtrak was going to replace the bridges back in 2005, they began a campaign to persuade the railroad they could complete the project and increase the clearance without raising the height of the tracks.

The project was eventually approved but never funded. But both men said Tuesday their persistence paid off.

”There were plenty of times when we could have given up on this and thrown our hands up in the air,” said Williams, a native of Scotland who recently became a U.S. citizen. “This is an example of what can happen when you get involved.”

Courtney said it appears that eastern Connecticut has received more Amtrak stimulus money than any other congressional district.

Also approved was $100 million to replace the Niantic River Bridge, $16 million to paint the Thames River bridge, $7 million to replace the Miamicock River bridge in Niantic and $2 million to replace a bridge in Madison.

Polish for the Crystal

Later in the afternoon in New London, the wind was still howling, this time along the shores of the Thames River, when Courtney stopped by the Thames River Apartments to see how the New London Housing Authority will use $381,000 from the Capital Fund Program.

”This is a job that will benefit the citizens and help create jobs in our city,'' said Joseph Abrams, executive director of the authority.

The money will be used to refurbish the courtyard of the high-rise apartments on Crystal Avenue, including new playgrounds, benches and picnic tables, trees, lighting and other amenities for the residents.

”We're going to tear it all up and give people a nice place to be outside, day and night,'' Abrams said as he stood in the courtyard between the two buildings, which has not changed since the nine-story structures were erected in 1967. Original wooden benches are splintered and the playground equipment is missing pieces.

The housing authority will hire 10 New London residents immediately, preferably from low-income housing, Abrams said, to help with prep work for the project such as tearing out the old playground equipment. The jobs will be temporary but on a full-time basis, he said.

The contractor, who has yet to be hired, will be required to hire the 10 workers, Abrams said, at the same rate of pay as other landscape workers.

”It will be part of the contract,'' Abrams said. “And if they need more labor, we're going to ask they hire from the city of New London.''

Kent and Frost Landscape Architecture of Mystic is working on the plans and is expected to submit drawings in about two weeks. The project is expected to go out to bid in about three months.

”We need to make it an enjoyable and inviting place,'' said Chad Frost. “It needs to be safe and durable.''

Courtney praised Abrams for having a project that will provide jobs while updating a dilapidated area that badly needs an overhaul.

Kara Storniolo, manager of the complex, said the more than 200 kids who live at the complex with their parents deserve a better place to live and play.

”I can't wait to have a playground,'' she said. “It'll be great to have no puddles after it rains, and no trip hazards.”

Subsidizing safety

Next, Courtney visited the New London Police Department to learn where stimulus money going there might be used. The police were awarded $105,392 in early March from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Courtney also met with officers, detectives and union officials before going on a ride-along with Patrol Officer Tricia Marcaccio. Courtney told the officers he and the Obama administration believe it is important to invest in job growth as well as in public safety.

”We're doing both, to try to make sure there's no risk to the public safety during this economic downturn,” he said. “The economy is in a depression.”

Courtney said the Byrnes grant would help fill a gap in equipment funding, and said the stimulus bill also contains more than a $1 billion for the COPS (Community Oriented Policing Services) program, which, when distributed, will not require the recipient communities to match the funds, as in the past. He reiterated that point later in a meeting with Police Chief Bruce Rinehart.

”That's what we need,” Rinehart said. “The problem with these grants is the matching requirement. Some communities just don't have it.”

Rinehart asked if the funds the city receives from the COPS grant, which is designated for hiring new officers, might also be applied to retaining officers.

”If it could be fashioned to pay existing officers, it would still be a part of the stimulus,” Rinehart said. “It would keep people off of unemployment.”

The chief expressed concern that recently hired officers might have to be laid off if the city cuts the public-safety budget.

”Some of our officers passed on jobs in other communities,” he said. “To have to let them go when they first get here would be a shame.”

When Courtney noted that school superintendents facing a similar scenario are asking the same question about money they would be receiving, Rinehart pointed out he was headed for a City Council meeting later in the evening.

”The department went backwards five or six years ago,” he said. “I hope that doesn't happen when I get to the council tonight. We have been steadily building up the department. I hope the council doesn't vote to do that. That would be a shame.”

”The goal,” Courtney said, “is to prevent that.”