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Residents urge Meriden council to fix sidewalks, crosswalks and address homelessness and worker safety
Summary
During public comment residents urged the council to repair long-neglected sidewalks and crosswalks, hold shelter operators accountable for downtown disturbances, investigate a construction-site fatality and support a community anti-violence motorcade organized by the People Coalition of Connecticut.
Residents used the council’s public-comment period to press city officials on infrastructure, accessibility, public safety and contractor oversight.
Dan Zebrowski (39 Fiesta Heights) criticized sidewalk conditions citywide and flagged ADA accessibility problems, saying: "Sidewalks in the city of Meriden are in most deplorable condition." He urged use of CDBG funds and more active code enforcement to address broken and uneven sidewalks.
John Malavenda raised concerns about the area around Community Towers and said neighborhood management and shelter security are inadequate, noting difficulty contacting facility leadership. Jennifer Addy (55 Willow) thanked Public Works for recent cleanup on Willow Street but said shelter-related loitering, makeshift "chop shops" and non-functioning crosswalk signals on East Main Street create hazards for pedestrians and people who use mobility devices.
Bruce Conroy recounted a recent construction-site fatality on B Street where a young worker fell while setting trusses and said contractors had previously left 50 workers unpaid for two months; he urged elected officials to pay attention to contractor practices and worker safety.
Clarissa Sanchez and Henry Candido of the People Coalition of Connecticut said they sought permission for a motorcade to protest violence and support youth programming; Sanchez said the organization had not received a promised response and emphasized the campaign’s urgency: "We're not looking for a $100,000 ... This is about saving our children's life."
Presiding official (voice 2) closed public input after the scheduled speakers and moved the meeting to the consent calendar. The council did not make immediate operational decisions during the meeting to directly address the specific requests raised by speakers; next steps would come through relevant committees and staff follow-up.
The council’s next regular meeting was announced for Monday the fourth (date as stated during meeting); community members were directed to committee meetings and staff channels for follow-up.
