[{"_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",7312977,"mediaKeyId","3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75","parentId",3552475,"title","City Council approves sale of North End Field, Baggot Street playground to University of New Haven for $500,000","audioSeconds",958,"startMs",2602000,"endMs",3560000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75&start=2602&end=3560","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75/thumbnail_2602000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7312977/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/City-Council-approves-sale-of-North-End-Field-Baggot-Street-playground-to-University-of-New-Haven-for-500000","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7312977-64133b377868ee42959df78dab877bc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159597&Signature=OGSd7WEtFygfSrdwEZo7ACvmEYAxdw0k7B2oLm7Q2mr8VZ-MCu~cPiYlgNRDdrHVSReLSsIfCd00R8SPr1nZw9S17dxfH6vyO46AM2xt069xpUt1yz~MxVR8dXb2OKo468Nqd0vEXtDYxsmhlIO6OjV2NI04g4llq9xyaAgEy5-qvo1liZ1TZ3A8reAxjJ-whQ3S-gENHrU~EV-tV9VuYYMhGE4TuisbNGOFFRbTZrENi1AQdpVmyVM8iI-W~s6crEbtDK4ufkMC0KzKuS9yd2CkAqzexCg7hmru~kScVnVsV4yV8zwm1ZxMWr8fUAQVmbLNOcLfBMF9OUhGvOu26w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of West Haven","date","2025-05-28T17:55:57.58Z","article","The West Haven City Council on May 27 approved the sale of North End Field and the Baggot Street playground — a combined 3.2-acre city-owned parcel — to the University of New Haven for $500,000.

The council accepted the offer after a public hearing and a favorable report from the West Haven Planning and Zoning Commission under Connecticut General Statute Section 8-24. Council members voted by roll call; seven members recorded affirmative votes and the motion passed.

George Sanote, vice president for finance at the University of New Haven, told the council the university is still developing plans for the property. “We are excited about this opportunity. I can't tell you that we have definitive plans. We're still working through that,” he said, adding that the university is inclined toward creating recreation space for students. Lou Annino, assistant vice president for facilities, joined Sanote at the meeting and confirmed the university owns the adjacent railroad salvage site that could affect access and future planning.

Mayor Dorinda Borer noted that previous attempts to market the property drew no bids because a narrow 10-foot driveway and neighboring uses limited access for potential buyers; she said ownership of adjacent parcels by UNH changes that constraint. Council members asked about traffic, construction access and potential community use; Sanote said he did not expect construction trucks to use Baggot Street and that the university would work to share plans as they develop. Councilman Steven Johnstone asked whether residents could use the recreation space in summer; Sanote replied, “The answer to that is yes.”

The council resolution authorizes Mayor Dorinda Borer to execute and deliver all documents required to complete the sale. The transaction was presented as a straightforward acceptance of the university’s offer; the council did not adopt detailed land-use conditions beyond the statutory referral process and the requirement that the sale comply with applicable state and local procedures.

Council members who raised procedural concerns were given responses by the city’s corporation counsel, who said deputy counsel completed due diligence before the purchase-and-sale agreement was drafted. Councilwoman Ruby Melton and others who were absent did not participate in the roll call.

The sale transfers the city-owned recreation parcels to a tax-exempt institution; council members and the city attorney explained that future tax—or PILOT—impacts depend on state PILOT calculations and specific uses the university ultimately pursues.

The council’s action concludes the municipal approval step; the university said it will return to the public and to city staff with more detailed plans as they are developed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025-05-27 City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The West Haven City Council voted to accept a $500,000 offer from the University of New Haven for a 3.2-acre parcel that includes North End Field and the Baggot Street playground following a public hearing and a favorable Planning & Zoning report.","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},6224207,"Public commenter raises concerns about police handling of local domestic-violence deaths",321,203000,524000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75&start=203&end=524","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75/thumbnail_203000.jpg","/articles/6224207/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Public-commenter-raises-concerns-about-police-handling-of-local-domestic-violence-deaths","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224207-94ecfe4e3b4aae763543fd8eb119de16/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159597&Signature=Ya7paGzKC15OfhgHRCiQ3etnBEk~IcvudC1zZ3dWM6qglozguCaeEJD3yfYFpshQOOs2moq1~LxdSWlkn-qWuoKbw5OS7Xk0WtqjrFXyfvEnRBcXFKxiaWvEqntEe6jBiIh6CX0LAECIpFsGG-yrRs8embU5k5NvotupdFqpOQ6LtK4~0QOkLnJhQzSbNBZyM~VuG67O0zLT07WZGK02mZuOXpp-VkBMgsSWVg3PqqWwRToyQ4VslZALHmYQMwDLI2lG-UwOptT3cjn3rBCCz22~KhIN3CjwpGjDKUWDb3IhV312XivGYAitr4UgZYXWgM79R-9fMWEPlni1D0iW7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A West Haven resident, Vanessa Suarez of Quinnipiac Avenue, used the council’s public comment period on May 27 to criticize local police response in multiple domestic-violence deaths and to press the city for answers about investigative urgency and consistency.

“2,800 hours. I want you to remember that number,” Suarez said, referring to the amount of investigative time the speaker said the West Haven Police reported publicly in a different recent case. She contrasted that figure with what she said were fewer investigative hours and delays in another case she identified as the murder of Roya, and she urged council members to review discrepancies in how investigations are prioritized.

Suarez told the council she had filed a complaint with police and asked why, in her view, the lead officer on the case had not acted with urgency. She said, “If we are to ask how many total hours have been dedicated to Roya's investigation, 2 years ongoing, what would that number be?” Suarez said she believed there are “discrepancies in the way police investigate women's death, and it has everything to do with police bias and misogyny.”

Council chairman and staff responded with a procedural point of order about public-comment rules and whether speakers may name individual city employees; the chair deferred to counsel on that point. The chair allowed Suarez to continue speaking after the point of order was raised.

Suarez also told council members that “there are 3 women and 1 child within 2 years that have died because of domestic violence at the hands of someone they knew,” and she said those deaths should prompt further action and review. Suarez framed her remarks as a call for urgency and impartiality in investigations; she did not ask the council to take a specific administrative action at the meeting.

The council did not take action on her remarks during the meeting. The remarks were part of the public-comment portion of the agenda and represent the speaker’s views, not council findings or determinations about investigative procedures.","A resident urged the council to investigate disparities in police responses after contrasting the West Haven Police’s reported 2,800 investigative hours in one case with what she described as delays in other investigations into deaths of women and a child.",{"_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},6224212,"New public works commissioner outlines priorities: close response loops, digitize records, fix aging drainage",1712,704000,2416000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75&start=704&end=2416","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75/thumbnail_704000.jpg","/articles/6224212/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/New-public-works-commissioner-outlines-priorities-close-response-loops-digitize-records-fix-aging-drainage","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224212-32ebe7b6290049674a8d1354401714ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159597&Signature=E6rbW3hivYwPv58h1CfC~por25JxuPhmH1YitGWZF9brGuSCOFtI9TjUndGoetgC1PvhWpr5ArDrEUHUXmWqzxp84xeClfWuUdgsKA9jq651etArSOCDH~TEHB-~4JJq0k~YmxtpYTmgO93Yi-Oioxy952KEwV~cTBU40C-tRqYzKpBqcM5XdIehhbiT38h5IzW3l0h78izm-KCCDejy-yegmeNiodnuxOHQpyqY2NW8cNNdkdcAJHaMJ3tLRiWX54OeRGTv6MAy1LYJPDn276mtA2bG30uBJ39fB3fDbetdSN1RNRDrwG9GBdNu08NKEd3~aJCg23BHIBaYLm-Vaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Phil Cicek, the City of West Haven’s new commissioner of public works, made his first formal appearance before the council on May 27 and outlined operational priorities including improving response follow-up to resident complaints, digitizing departmental records and addressing aging infrastructure.

“I'm 27 days into the job, trying to learn as much as I can right off the hop,” Commissioner Cicek said. He told the council he is auditing work processes to “close a lot of circles” — meaning the department needs to do more follow-up to residents after work orders are completed — and that he has begun site visits: “I visited 6 properties today, and each 1 of them had said that they've been sitting for at least a year or not longer.”

Cicek described immediate capital and maintenance priorities that could be funded by the recently authorized LOSIP allocation, identifying examples such as a long run of corroded corrugated metal drainage pipe found ahead of planned milling and paving on Cherry Street. He said crews repaired a 20–25-foot section but that roughly 700 feet remains in similar condition and could be a candidate for repair if funds are available. He also noted small facility repairs — for example, a damaged bathhouse ceiling — that could be addressed with modest grant dollars.

Council members praised Cicek’s responsiveness to emails and constituent complaints. Councilman Gary Donovan said requests to Cicek have been “not only quick, but…extremely quick” in completion, and other council members complimented his prompt email replies outside normal hours. Cicek described his background in landscape architecture, municipal parks and public-works operations and said he recently completed a master’s degree in human resources with a thesis on reorganizing public-works departments.

Cicek told the council he supports digitizing engineering and permit records that currently exist largely on paper or microfilm and said the council’s willingness to fund hardware and digitization would help the department close outstanding records and make files accessible.

No formal council action was required for the introduction; commissioners and council members encouraged Cicek to return with project lists as funding decisions are made.","Phil Cicek, recently appointed commissioner of public works, introduced himself to the council, described immediate priorities — improving constituent response, digitizing records and addressing deferred maintenance such as corroded corrugated drainage pipe — and answered council questions.",{"_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},6224219,"Council authorizes $76,109 in LOSIP funds for public-facilities projects; finance report projects $1.3 million general-fund surplus",2108,1212000,3320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75&start=1212&end=3320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3552475-66602a15cf92080a874e58f8edd4cb75/thumbnail_1212000.jpg","/articles/6224219/West-Haven/New-Haven-County/Connecticut/Council-authorizes-76109-in-LOSIP-funds-for-public-facilities-projects-finance-report-projects-13-million-general-fund-surplus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6224219-c53460d63f792073ba300d8806e7adde/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159597&Signature=Xc9XEqIl3lckPbTuOuTX9~6ZOhVzd78lpTeHS0qq8eWoyhFRfhUkr7tz9fjUTzaUxQ9BEIqNAAZeb2IIYqpakJwHzQpYe-qKKa9Gc95yZ7q-hH8KQGya7p6eagJ4JmMwUHbBW7TB-Y1w9eM77prcgD0p2hihWa1~KnJGNXmX~g2vY3BOzEGOI3l2IEItA4IXrUdfkoPLzrgk3mTHLf4otoyQ~ha6~yElJdLxkXMfkoot6trfSDlIEqmQqU8EPIoaEGqGKIig9SpeZugxkFvUy46bTpUK3JEec6GTVV9G86IyXcqKoiIhFJp4wp1QE4YNGMtvg-jBG3OFtQsNtIAF6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The West Haven City Council on May 27 authorized the finance director to obligate and add $76,109.04 in remaining LOSIP entitlement funds to a new “Public Facilities” capital-improvement project. The council’s action, requested by the finance and public works departments, places the state grant money into the FY24–25 capital improvement plan and caps local exposure at the grant amount.

Michael Gormeny, the city’s finance director, told the finance committee and council that LOSIP funds must be used in accordance with state LOSIP guidelines — primarily for renovation, repair, upgrades and improvements to eligible public buildings — and that the $76,109 was unallocated after reconciliation of older projects. “There’s no cost to taxpayers or anything like that. Again, this is grant money that comes through the state,” he said. Council members confirmed the city is capping expenditures at that amount and will not bond to cover additional work.

Gormeny also presented the monthly financial report for April, saying city officials continue to project a surplus across the main funds. “In the general fund right now, we’re projecting approximately a $1,300,000 surplus,” he said, while clarifying the number remains fluid through fiscal-year close as revenues and expenditures continue to be recorded.

Council members asked whether LOSIP funds have deadlines; Gormeny said the funds are governed by the program’s rules and are generally available for up to seven years from allocation. He also told the council the state recently changed its LOSIP process to provide some funds up front; the city expects a larger disbursement of roughly $900,000 in an upcoming round and will earmark those monies for standard capital buckets such as sidewalks and paving.

On a separate finance matter the council approved the transfer of uncollectible personal property and motor vehicle taxes from the 2021 grand list to the tax suspense book, in accordance with Connecticut General Statute Section 12-165. The amount transferred is $1,026,853.41, comprised of $346,287.56 in personal property (322 accounts), $560,199.89 in motor-vehicle accounts (2,149 accounts) and $120,365.96 in supplemental motor-vehicle accounts (554 accounts).

Council members and the mayor discussed timing for tax bills; Mayor Dorinda Borer noted the city cannot finalize and mail tax bills until the independent fire districts provide their mill-rate information. The mayor said the city is exploring an ordinance to change budget and tax deadlines or coordinate schedules with the fire districts so county and municipal billing align more predictably.

The council’s LOSIP authorization and suspense-list transfer were approved by voice vote; staff said projects funded by LOSIP will be selected and scheduled by Public Works within the $76,109 limit and that the city will petition the state if any unspent grant balance required an extension rather than a return of funds.","The City Council approved adding $76,109.04 in LOSIP entitlement funds to the FY24–25 capital improvement plan for public facilities. Finance director Michael Gormeny reported a projected general-fund surplus of about $1.3 million and the council approved transfer of uncollectible 2021 taxes to the suspense list totaling $1,026,853.41.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City Council approves sale of North End Field, Baggot Street playground to University of New Haven for $500,000

Public commenter raises concerns about police handling of local domestic-violence deaths

New public works commissioner outlines priorities: close response loops, digitize records, fix aging drainage

Council authorizes $76,109 in LOSIP funds for public-facilities projects; finance report projects $1.3 million general-fund surplus