Allen St. Problem-Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St: Flooding Updates Our 18th Presentation to City Officials

To: -All Past and Current City Officials and All Current Department Directors
-All Long Suffering Flood Victims; Taxpayers, Property Owners and Residents

This updated record is being shared regarding the status of our neighborhoods’ storm-sewer systems and the Federal-State-City responses. Our concerns must be given the highest priority. Our quality of life is suffering and our property values have declined by 15%. When the contaminated flooding water recedes, we are forgotten by our city officials. Even though our critical neighborhood is not in a flood zone, the flooding continues…6x’s in 2023. The tropical rainy season for 2024 is now here.

In case you may have missed it, the Cardinal Engineering Final Plan for the Allen St. Project #2 should be completed shortly per the NBPW Design Schedule. See attachment below. Our state legislators have noted their willingness to help us procure a state bond worth $10M for the nearly $15M Allen St. Project. As we understand it, the City of New Britain is obligated to make up the difference, which seems to be close to $5M at this time. As you know, the $4M transfer, approved and confirmed by the current mayor and her chief of staff, appears to be a charade of some sort, loaded with deficiencies per Finance Director Perugini. Therefore, we must proceed cautiously. More to come…

By the numbers: Over the past 9 months we have provided all of you with our supporting documentation via e-mail and in hard copies. Feel free to reach out to us with any questions, constructive suggestions, etc. Remember, the current mayor wrote that she welcomes our criticisms and questions regarding her fiscal spending habits and her decision making.

1) We purchased 22-24 Roxbury Road in 1973 with a healthy, dry basement and a flood free property. Our property and neighborhood are not the same today.

2) Former Public Works Director Joe Carilli, in the mid-nineties, wrote that the entire Allen St. Basin, including the Hampton-Eton Sub Basin needs storm-sewer upgrades per city engineers.

3) Over the next 30 years, development increased in the Allen St. area and our weather is more severe due to climate change both further stressing the compromised Allen St. Storm-Sewer System. City Officials chose to neglect and mismanage the Allen St. Problem.

4) The current mayor noted in her memos to State Legislators 2013-2024; Her legislative priorities for the City of New Britain including our most pressing need, the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St:

The Allen St. Project #2 is critical to resolving chronic issues including flooding due to storm-sewer failures, sanitary sewer back-ups and breaks due to insufficient capacity and the system’s age. The Allen St. Problem is a hazard we need to mitigate. It is evident now more than ever, that we need to see this project come to fruition.

5) Public Works Director, Mark Moriarty, in 2023 confirmed for us that the storm-sewer system serving the Allen St. Basin area is outdated and undersized with deteriorating clay-mains and laterals.

6) Weston-Sampson engineers wrote in 2023 that the Allen St. Project #2 must be a high priority because the infrastructure is at crisis levels.

7) The current mayor noted in 2023 during an interview with NBC: Climate change is here; Be Prepared…We are the City is Not.

Many of our neighbors including us have responsibly stepped up to install expensive water drainage systems and mitigation devices in our properties to help better manage the flooding water from the compromised Allen St. Storm-Sewer System. The Allen St. Problem is beyond our control. Our engineers tell us the flooding water must be redirected and controlled ASAP. Again, the infrastructure is at crisis levels. Our properties and structures are at risk.

Specifically in our case, the city’s insurance carrier did approve our claims for storm-sewer flooding related expenses from 2023. We may have more claims going forward depending on the consequences of any future severe weather events and any further delays by our city officials regarding the required, overdue storm-sewer upgrades on Allen St. The Allen St. Problem is beyond our control.

8) In 2024 the current mayor noted in a Herald interview that there are storm-sanitary cross connections on Allen St. which further complicates the Allen St. Problem. Factor in the flooding due to storm-sewer failures, sanitary sewer back-ups and breaks due to insufficient capacity, deteriorating clay mains and laterals due to age… We have an urgent public health emergency. Our city officials have neglected and mismanaged the Allen St. Problem for 30 years, including 10 years on the current mayor’s watch.

9) The final Cardinal Engineering Plan will be completed soon per the NBPW Design Schedule. Funding engineering is now required to responsibly finance the Allen St. Project #2. Federal-State-City bonding, grants and other funding instruments will be required to complete this nearly $15M project. We may need as much as $5M to fulfill the city’s obligations.

10) Where is the money? Our state legislators report that millions of dollars have flowed to the City of New Britain. Since 2013 the current mayor has prioritized and allocated this money for many other higher profile projects. Not one dollar for the Allen St. Project #2, our most pressing need.

11) Where is the money? Where is the required accountability? Recently, $56M flowed to the city from ARPA Funds. Not one dollar allocated for the Allen St. Project #2, our most pressing need. We have learned that no one knows for sure the status of this money and the status of the various higher profile projects it was allocated for. Pending and progressing tells us little or nothing. See attachment below and this link from the NBP: City Report on Federal COVID Recovery Funding Does Not Show How Much Unspent – New Britain Progressive Newspaper

City Report on Federal COVID Recovery Funding Does Not Show How Much Unspent

12) Where is the money? Where is the required transparency? The current mayor approved and confirmed with resolutions #36236 and 36258-1 a $4M transfer from the General Fund to the Public Works Account for the Allen St. Project #2 just weeks before our last election in 2023. Now we have learned that there are deficiencies with the current mayor’s transfer methods negating this $4M transfer promised by the mayor and her chief of staff. Did this $4M ever exist for this seemingly, magical transfer charade? See Attachments, below.

13) Where is the money? We, along with the other taxpayers in our neighborhood, have diligently paid our taxes for decades. We are demanding our fair share of money from Federal-State-City governments to fund, our most pressing need… The Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St. We have been patiently waiting for 30 years!!

As we have detailed for you over the past 9 months with our narratives and articles, the evidence and the facts are revealing. The reality is simple: The city has the funding sources to complete the Allen St. Project. Thus far, city officials have failed to obtain new funding from these sources and have prioritized available funds for other higher profile projects such as the Bee Hive Bridge, Stanley Reception Pavilion, Public Works Operations Center, Downtown Luxury Housing and many others.

After 30 years, the funding shell game continues with shifting project priorities while our tax dollars are lost in the fiscal shuffle. We have learned that the State Mandated Audit Report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023 is now nearly 6 months late. It was due December 31, 2023. This seems to be more unfortunate fiscal reporting delays which impacts all of us. Meanwhile, the contaminated flooding water from the compromised Allen St. Storm-Sewer System continues to threaten us with each passing weather event. Obviously, our skepticism and cynicism is justified based on the current mayor’s failed efforts to prioritize and fund the Allen St. Project #2.

Our neighborhood and block, (over 35 properties) resembles that of a third world country during these flooding events. We have an urgent public health emergency that has been concealed from us, downplayed, neglected and mismanaged for the past 30 years, including 10 years on this current mayor’s watch.

The cause is undeniable…The effects will be catastrophic if the flooding is allowed to continue. There are many storm-sewer challenges in New Britain, however, none greater than the Allen St. Problem. I have attached the recent engineering reports from Weston-Sampson Engineers (Project Nar.) and from Taddonio Engineering (24 Roxbury.) for your convenience, confirming all of our concerns regarding the compromised storm-sewer system conditions on Allen St. and the resulting flooding which imperils the surrounding neighborhoods.

Prioritize and Fund the Allen St. Project #2 Oak St. to Beacon St!

Thank you.

Frank and Sharon Chase

Taxpayers and Flooding Victims