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Residents urge New Britain leaders to revive 2019 climate emergency declaration
Summary
Speakers at the Dec. 10 Common Council meeting urged the city to revisit its 2019 climate emergency declaration, calling for a joint task force, tree replanting, fleet electrification and a local air-quality study to address flooding, heat and public-health impacts.
Aram, who introduced himself as a former alderman, urged the Common Council on Dec. 10 to revive and act on New Britain's 2019 climate emergency declaration, calling it a blueprint for the new mayor and council.
"The New Britain residents are suffering from increasing extreme weather events causing increased flooding like the Allen Street Basin," Aram said, urging the council to establish "a joint task force" that would include city departments and council representatives and to take steps such as reducing fleet carbon emissions, creating a municipal composting program and replanting trees.
Lynette Maruso of Park Place also told the council she supported a renewed declaration and urged the city to commission a local air-quality study and update K'12 curricula to engage young people. "We need to find that study and look at it," she said, adding that public outreach could use social media to build engagement.
Councilors and staff responded during the public-participation follow-up by noting recent tree-planting efforts and building-efficiency work. One alderman said the city planted 89 trees at Osgood Park this past summer, with additional plantings in prior years, and described recent school renovations as meeting green-building standards that reduce impervious surfaces and add new tree plantings and solar installations.
Why it matters: Speakers tied local health and flooding problems to development patterns and the loss of mature trees, arguing that coordinated city action would both reduce local vulnerability and signal municipal leadership on climate in the absence of consistent federal action. Several callers asked the council to convert the 2019 declaration from a statement into a specific plan with timelines, funding options and measurable steps.
What happens next: Council members acknowledged the suggestions and said staff would review prior documents and study options. No formal motion to reinstate or revise the 2019 declaration was recorded during the meeting.
