[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6081519,"mediaKeyId","2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc","parentId",2942142,"title","Resident asks West Haven to publish police AI and surveillance data policies","audioSeconds",96,"startMs",2383000,"endMs",2479000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc&start=2383&end=2479","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc/thumbnail_2383000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6081519/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Resident-asks-West-Haven-to-publish-police-AI-and-surveillance-data-policies","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081519-9f04349b74882ae5fa39783a6f196a19/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201278&Signature=MZ7~cdGX6WIYDGFHRgMz~NVNQkX~~hpxpGqP9nEaTqy9YX9eA05p6L5X17m~SfFvhUBLxx0ht9ND1YlZ8hUJSC97rFNNWR9hHT4hieT5DMilp93FymkAPrtJOWs~cesdouspnFhub7WjdKww3UZu1UYJhiZ5wvPvpX-bVPuOS-4W-SLaPJueJ~~yIRnVuq5ErSeyalqujMpQCKpPoVjZ5O~lhSBhDaSD8jiTAWMgMQPfpJWOgs5KkP9XxPKg8tx~P1Qfu7ROLr42xe9eIjpcrkTq9DWkkPdDgt6wZCBps1kdK0vUgbJpNcFXzz83UdNwZMyrXDBQ6QR8QYNjk0saGA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of West Haven","date","2025-04-09T14:30:07Z","article","Jordan Wolatinsky of Prospect Avenue asked the council whether the city would make public information about the police department’s use of surveillance technology and any associated AI systems, focusing on data security and oversight.

\"I'd like to see what the transparency is for the AI data for the police department with all of the new technology,\" Wolatinsky said, asking specifically about implementation, oversight and approval processes and requesting that the information be made public.

Council staff responded that the meeting was a public‑comment forum and offered to provide Wolatinsky with follow-up information. The comment was entered into the hearing record for the council’s consideration during upcoming budget and departmental reviews.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-04-03 City Council Special Meeting Part 2","oneSentenceSummary","A West Haven resident asked the council to make public the police department’s policies on AI and surveillance technology, raising questions about data security, oversight and approval processes.","taxTitle","West Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut","taxId",4248,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081523,"West Haven Public Library urges council to approve FY26 funding, cites rising use and digital access needs",178,1623000,1801000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc&start=1623&end=1801","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc/thumbnail_1623000.jpg","/articles/6081523/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/West-Haven-Public-Library-urges-council-to-approve-FY26-funding-cites-rising-use-and-digital-access-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081523-344a411f06ccd17a0f2a68cbe2239ccf/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201278&Signature=UvBVSam5Vp6O2FjdqRH4oDOBSbgnbSUfRG1qjab2YrG~OcTi3gqDiIQAQHvvw2MN1Hc32IhzGqbASOxMSXDWwhbtSuuJJfTfBIdgn3BHxT~roqe-XgMAINpgWHPdHDkuSz9la6KSJoq719h5XrJp50jWv4kPjuQqr-WX2TZUPpyLUhRD92ekSMGBq8vbjyEv9E9L2AgBGEmMXrnlY1194-~hNPhVQC6OCMDVtfa-6OFkB0TWac-73R~OWSeZV3UNyJU7zsB~lk05GXTWztMnbrnXyS5cA8Ui2pCs-boUbX0Rw3aADiL38WRmOHz01K6r~07HvRNG-c2PCS3zs2SFCw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Catherine Bushman read a statement to the council on behalf of Colleen Bailey, director of the West Haven Public Library, urging support for the library’s portion of the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget.

\"The library is a mere 1% of the city's total budget with that funding providing a myriad of resources from books and DVDs, access to computers and wifi, and many programs and spaces to learn and study,\" Bushman read, noting the library has increasingly served as a \"third space\" for residents and also acts as a warming and cooling center.

The statement said the library recorded 29,937 Wi‑Fi connections last year (a 19% increase) and 123,211 visits (an 8% increase), and described programs such as a digital navigator service that helps residents obtain and use long-term laptop loans after training. The statement also noted that roughly one in five West Haven residents lack internet access at home, and that library resources help bridge that gap.

The library representative thanked the mayor and finance director for meeting with the library on its budget request and asked the council to sustain funding so the library can continue to provide technology access, educational programs and community spaces.","The West Haven Public Library director asked the council to support the proposed FY26 budget for libraries, saying library services account for about 1% of the city budget while offering critical internet access, programs and community services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081527,"Sandy Point Neighborhood Association urges council to fund sewer plant upgrades in FY26 budget",129,639000,768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc&start=639&end=768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc/thumbnail_639000.jpg","/articles/6081527/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Sandy-Point-Neighborhood-Association-urges-council-to-fund-sewer-plant-upgrades-in-FY26-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081527-fb6f380db0081b3d75f47d1f12f75f33/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201278&Signature=iRrH~~ucsatdrhHDt36lcr74FYbUHCAv1jRPnQ-8l9TykZ8WfhSZhTAPqY4T7oY5qBu4sK6S8BbnRoVI6Jf7aTDKcEApzNcaMcfKRD7WlDZreazG0zHVm1UW7TbS3d4HjojT~kxSy1hbRnHeJDPyP-KasfcOVswk0sHuxkLaGWzxigE0L6gRkoVkd0-LBbyNp9TqA7BbQ1NIEEDd~5K0AoHHHd5QBr373KrWiPL77tVXFhzxnEiZ-1Pqa1OesuSUyzQGy0UA~4SFHuOGnhaYipnmIcxK8p6P6wobQhTxSK9BirCgeia4jurlJCt5zWmiGGKVmtEXM26wFgM7VHRpuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Beverly Gerritsen, speaking for the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association, urged the West Haven City Council to support the portion of the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget that would address upgrades to the Water Pollution Control Commission (WPCC) facility.

\"It is imperative that we invest in the necessary upgrades for the sewer, our clean water, our regulatory requirements, and the health of our residents,\" Gerritsen said, adding that plant upgrades have been neglected for several years and the facility is at a \"critical junction.\" She described conversations with commissioners and staff and said the commission members were dedicated to addressing facility needs.

Gerritsen also shared personal experience to illustrate household cost consequences of aging sewer infrastructure: she said recent replacement of about 20 feet of sewer line in the basement of her 100-year-old home cost about $3,000.

The speaker asked the council to view work at the WPCC as an investment in public health and regulatory compliance rather than a discretionary expense. No formal action was taken at the hearing; the comment was part of the public record for the council’s pending budget deliberations.","A Sandy Point Neighborhood Association representative and a resident urged the council to approve funding for Water Pollution Control Commission facility upgrades, citing neglected infrastructure and public health concerns.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6081532,"West Haven public hearing on FY26 budget draws mixed reaction over taxes, pay increases and revaluation",2076,1549000,3625000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc&start=1549&end=3625","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2942142-b32d7d3b577f68bba61af6cd930c0abc/thumbnail_1549000.jpg","/articles/6081532/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/West-Haven-public-hearing-on-FY26-budget-draws-mixed-reaction-over-taxes-pay-increases-and-revaluation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6081532-ad651ab8003d330750bed530aa897345/orig.mp4?Expires=1775201278&Signature=VEpUHxwXX0SA0pBdN3jRAc9K9~5gedE4JYJirGRpkJvWGond4Y5Ctol9GJ9evR2vWNarbGXVU~9w0XNGb7mowVNLDbiOanwisIpT0zD8edOcbMXgz3rGNTwQeBf8Dr44C6bPQM7KCEts-lsvjPBKbqlK~L4jPCNNlBlVSad6gr1hX5zZ3Ctmwnyb~JIsjHT6iuIhfwb9DX05pt39ZZhpJ9y90ZeTuY94BFQgsxEJojliuavph-UnUf6y5CRz7qQjOrtB23MoLKhmM1uPCjN-5nk0fcriUGkPhnKuoVAUS~6g6GU4MsF4P552Pn4QSqqTcXKRN8a4FzYU3JGododOnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The West Haven City Council heard more than a dozen public comments on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget at a public hearing that focused on property tax impacts, department salary increases and the effects of a recent state-mandated property revaluation.

John Mistall, a West Shore resident, told the council he and his wife live on Social Security and worried they may not be able to afford rising costs. \"There is concern, somebody like me and my wife, we live on Social Security,\" Mistall said, and he cited a number of line-item increases in the proposed budget — for example, what he described as an 11% rise in expenses tied to the city council, mayor's office and labor relations and a $400,000 (44%) increase in Public Works Administration — and asked whether those increases could be cut.

Other speakers split along similar lines. Paige Weinstein of 20 Platte Avenue said a 2.6% budget increase \"is a reasonable and responsible approach\" to address deferred maintenance and wage issues, and she pointed to West Haven's A-minus long-term credit rating from S&P Global as support for the administration's financial management. By contrast, letters read into the record and in-person speakers including Robert Woodcock and an emailed statement from Catherine Blakesley criticized proposed raises and questioned the format of the budget presentation and large salary changes for certain positions.

The hearing produced a series of specific concerns residents asked the council to address: how particular raises were justified, whether some positions or pay increases were recommended by the mayor’s office without departmental requests, the timing and local effect of the state revaluation enacted under Public Act 22.74, and whether seniors and veterans who live on fixed incomes were being adequately protected from tax increases.

Council leadership outlined next steps at the meeting's close: the finance committee and council will begin departmental line-by-line deliberations on April 8, with a charter requirement that changes to the budget need a two-thirds vote of the council and final action occurs on or before the first Thursday in May.

The public hearing included multiple written letters submitted for the record that both urged additional spending restraint and praised the administration's efforts to stabilize city finances. One letter noted the mayor's administration had recovered previously stolen pandemic relief funds, while another letter called for stronger energy benchmarking and accountability to reduce long-term costs.

The council meeting concluded after the public hearing; a motion to adjourn carried and the council scheduled the start of budget deliberations.","At a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, West Haven residents expressed both support and concern: supporters said the 2.6% increase is modest and needed for services, while opponents flagged large salary bumps, line-item increases and impacts from a state-mandated revaluation.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident asks West Haven to publish police AI and surveillance data policies

West Haven Public Library urges council to approve FY26 funding, cites rising use and digital access needs

Sandy Point Neighborhood Association urges council to fund sewer plant upgrades in FY26 budget

West Haven public hearing on FY26 budget draws mixed reaction over taxes, pay increases and revaluation