Tax relief programs for elderly, disabled homeowners offered

West Haven, Jan. 30, 2023 — The assessor’s office is accepting applications by appointment for tax relief programs for elderly and disabled homeowners.

West Haven residents can apply for the programs, based on their 2022 taxable and untaxable incomes, weekdays from Feb. 15-May 15 in the assessor’s office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. For an appointment, call 203-937-3515. No walk-ins.

The state offers a tax reduction benefit depending on income and marital status through the circuit breaker program. To qualify, the applicant or spouse must be 65 or older by Dec. 31, 2022, or permanently and totally disabled as defined by Social Security.

Income limits, including Social Security, are $49,100 for a married couple and $40,300 for a single person. Those eligible for the program must reapply every two years.

To qualify for the West Haven tax freeze program, the applicant must be age 70 by Dec. 31, 2022, and have lived in the city for at least 20 consecutive years. The program will freeze the city portion of the resident’s taxes only for the upcoming year.

Income limits, excluding Social Security, are $50,000 for a married couple and $35,000 for a single person. Those eligible for the program must reapply each year.

The assessor’s office is also accepting applications until Oct. 1 for additional veterans exemptions. The maximum income is $49,100 for a married applicant and $40,300 for a single applicant.

For veterans who are 100% service connected, income limits are $21,000 for a married applicant and $18,000 for a single applicant. Social Security and veterans disability payments do not count for 100% disabled veterans only. All other ratings must include veterans disability payments and Social Security.

Taxpayers can appeal property assessments in West Haven

West Haven, Jan. 30, 2023 — The Board of Assessment Appeals will hear appeals of real estate and personal property assessments on the 2022 grand list by appointment during March.

The board will also hear appeals of motor vehicle assessments on the 2021 supplemental motor vehicle grand list that received a tax bill due Jan. 1.

Any property owner who wants to appeal an assessment must submit a written application to the board. The assessor’s office must receive the completed form on or before Feb. 20.

Download an Application.

Applications are also available in the assessor’s office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St., or by calling the office at 203-937-3515. Staff members will answer questions about the appeal process.

West Haven Valentine’s Day party honoring couples married 50 years

West Haven, Jan. 24, 2023 — For the first time in three years, the city will honor West Haven couples who have been married for at least 50 years with an in-person Valentine’s Day party, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.

The coronavirus pandemic had temporarily forced the city to reinvent its decades-old Valentine’s Day tradition by organizing back-to-back alternative events that celebrated the holiday of love from the safety of couples’ homes. While the events were welcomed and kept the tradition alive, they were not the same, Rossi said.

With that socially distanced reinvention now history, the city will play Cupid for the 33rd straight year by holding its Valentine’s Day party, complete with entertainment, dancing and refreshments, at the West Haven Senior Center, 201 Noble St.

At noon Feb. 14, Rossi will recognize those sweethearts who have reached the half-century mark and beyond with chocolates and roses from the mayor’s office.

The two-hour party will include live music and hors d’oeuvres.

Rossi will also recognize the oldest and youngest couples.

For reservations, call Elderly Services Director Alyssa Maddern at 203-937-3507 by Feb. 8.

West Haven residents must bring leaf bags to compost site until April 15

West Haven, Jan. 24, 2023 — Residents are reminded that leaf bag pickup ended Dec. 15.

The city will not pick up leaf bags until the curbside service resumes the week of April 15.

Until then, residents must bring all leaf bags — paper, no plastic — to the compost site, 1 Kimberly Ave., from 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Proof of residence is required.

The 2023 pickup schedule for leaf bags is April 15-June 1 and Oct. 1-Dec. 15.

West Haven permanently removing skateboard park on Beach Street

West Haven, Jan. 24, 2023 — In preparation for the second phase of this year’s road-raising project, the city is permanently removing the Beach Street Skatepark.

On Monday night, the City Council unanimously approved funds to dismantle the shoreline skateboard park. The money was initially approved by the West Haven ARPA Committee and is provided by the city’s American Rescue Plan Act spending plan through a grant from the U.S. Treasury Department.

The city awarded the skatepark contract, called “Demolition of Cement Structures,” in early November to Cerilli Construction LLC, which submitted the lowest bid of $23,525, said Ernie Chiarelli, the project coordinator and sidewalk inspector for the Department of Public Works.

By comparison, Chiarelli said the highest bidder submitted a proposal of $60,800 for the work.

Under the bid specifications, Cerilli, based in North Haven, is tasked with taking apart the park’s huge precast concrete ramps, removing the remaining asphalt, transporting the demolished concrete and asphalt to a location determined by the city, and removing and reinstalling the existing chain-link fencing.

The 170-by-90-foot park was constructed in 2004 for $96,000 by Skate Parks Inc. of Scituate, Massachusetts, and is based in the Morse Park municipal parking lot next to the former Chick’s Drive-in restaurant.

According to Chiarelli and other city officials, the 19-year-old skatepark has fallen into disrepair and out of popularity in recent years. Vandalism has caused dangerous conditions for skateboarders, and flooding from the nearby Old Field Creek salt marsh has deteriorated the concrete ramps, making them a liability, he said.

In addition, the raising of Beach Street is slated to incorporate 25% of the skatepark along the fence line and would force the city to relocate the park.

Chiarelli said that according to estimates, relocating the skatepark would cost at least $60,000, not including surface preparation work, such as installing an asphalt pad and fencing.

But after consulting with contractors, Chiarelli said the city determined that relocating the park could not work because the concrete ramps would likely fall apart when moved “due to concrete degradation.”

The demolition work is expected to begin within two weeks and take about 10 days to complete.

Residents learn ‘what goes in the blue bin, what doesn’t’

West Haven, Jan. 20, 2023 — A standing room-only crowd of more than 100 residents participated in a free recycling workshop at City Hall on Jan. 19 to learn “what goes in the blue bin and what doesn’t.”

Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, a staunch supporter of recycling, greeted the crowd before introducing guest speaker Sherill Baldwin of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, who led the “What’s In, What’s Out” workshop with DEEP’s Emma MacDonald in the Harriet C. North Community Room.

“The city has recently received many questions regarding trash and recycling, and I hope this workshop will help clarify what goes in the blue bin and what doesn’t,” Rossi said. “Sherill is a knowledgeable professional, and I am glad she is here to join us tonight.”

Baldwin, an environmental analyst at DEEP since 2008, has been involved in sustainable materials management for 37 years. MacDonald, a 2021 graduate of UConn who earned a bachelor’s degree in sustainable forest resources, has been an environmental analyst at DEEP’s sustainable materials management office since June 2022.

Baldwin and MacDonald focused their 90-minute PowerPoint presentation on recycling education. They also discussed various recycling do’s and don’ts with residents, including the steps before putting acceptable items into recycling bins.

“Empty, clean, rinse and repeat for each item,” they said. “Do not shred, box or bag items.”

“In” recyclables include: paper and cardboard items, such as newspapers, magazines, food and beverage cartons, mixed paper and flattened boxes; glass items, such as bottles and jars; metal items, such as food and beverage cans, aluminum foil and foil containers; and plastic items, such as jugs, tubs and lids.

“Out” recyclables include: plastic bags and plastic wrap (return to retailer); food and liquid (empty all containers); clothing and linens (use donation programs); tanglers (no hoses, wires, chains or electronics); and combustibles (no propane tanks, batteries or nonfood-grade aerosol cans, such as spray paint and pesticides).

The informative workshop included a Q&A session and was attended by City Council members Robbin Watt Hamilton, D-5, Victor M. Borras, D-8, Robert Bruneau, D-9, Gary Donovan, D-at large, and Colleen O’Connor, R-at large.

Participants received a green food scrap bin from members of the city’s recycling management team, including Grant Coordinator Doug Colter and assistant grant writer Olivia Bissanti, who organized the workshop. They were joined by team volunteers Lilia Rodriguez and Natalie Roach.

Public Works Commissioner Tom J. McCarthy, who also spoke, and Pamela Roach, the city’s waste and energy consultant, raffled off Dunkin’ gift cards and reusable tote bags.

Taxes due now in West Haven

West Haven, Jan. 17, 2023 — The second installment of city tax bills — real estate, personal property, motor vehicle, sewer — was due Jan. 1, and payments after Feb. 1 are considered delinquent and subject to interest, Tax Collector Dorothy Chambrelli said.

The 2021 supplemental motor vehicle bills are for vehicles registered after Oct. 1, 2021, and were also due Jan. 1.

Payments — full or partial — can be made by cash, check, credit card, debit card or money order from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays in the tax office on the first floor of City Hall, 355 Main St. The building has an ATM on the first floor.

Taxpayers can also make payments online at My Tax Bill. Sewer bills are on the same page but under a separate tab. Tax payment history can also be viewed and printed.

The fees for credit cards and electronic checks are available at Payments.

During tax season, taxes can be paid by the drop box outside the interior door of the tax office from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Do not leave cash or credit card information in the drop box.

When paying by drop box, the canceled check is the receipt.

Taxes can also be paid by mail to the Office of the Tax Collector, City of West Haven, P.O. Box 401, West Haven, CT 06516.

Anyone needing a motor vehicle clearance must pay in person by cash, credit card, debit card or money order.

To enter City Hall, visitors must use the west entrance on the Savin Avenue side. Face masks are strongly recommended.

Free radon test kits available

West Haven, Jan. 17, 2023 — It’s not too late to test your home for radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer.

The city Health Department has a limited number of free radon test kits, Health Director Maureen B. Lillis said.

To receive a test kit, call the department at 203-937-3660. A sanitarian from the department will deliver the kit and help place it in the home, Lillis said.

Radon is a colorless, odorless and naturally occurring radioactive gas formed from the natural decay of uranium. It’s found in rock, water and soil.

While radon in outdoor air poses a relatively low risk to human health, it can enter homes from the surrounding soil and become a health hazard inside buildings, Lillis said.

To learn more about radon, visit the state Department of Public Health’s Radon Program.

City issues snow rules for parking

West Haven, Jan. 17, 2023 — To help crews expedite snow removal, Public Works Commissioner Tom J. McCarthy is reminding residents and businesses to observe parking regulations during and after storms.

Per the “Severe Weather” parking ordinance under Chapter 188 of the West Haven Code, police will ticket and tow vehicles violating the ordinance at the owner’s expense. Violators will receive a $100 fine.

Once snow begins to fall, a parking ban is in effect on the even-numbered side of most roads, unless one is posted with a “No Parking” sign on the odd side.

The ban is in effect for 36 hours after a storm. Residents are urged to park in driveways or designated private lots.

However, during an official snow emergency declared by Mayor Nancy R. Rossi, a parking ban will run from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. on both sides of Campbell and Savin avenues, Morgan Lane, Elm Street, Meloy Road, Second Avenue from Elm to Beach streets, and Main Street from Savin to Washington avenues.

McCarthy is also reminding residents and businesses to shovel their sidewalks within 24 hours after a storm or face a $25 fine “for each day that the violation persists.”

According to the “Removal of Snow and Ice” ordinance under Chapter 195 of the West Haven Code, people are given 24 hours to remove snow from sidewalks on and bordering their properties. Violators are subject to the $25-per-day fine, which is enforced by the Police Department, the ordinance states.

To report a complaint, call the department’s nonemergency line at 203-937-3900. Complaints are kept confidential.

McCarthy also pointed out that plowing or blowing snow into city streets is prohibited and violators are subject to a $60 fine for each offense, per the ordinance.

Also, residents and businesses with mailboxes damaged by snow thrown from a plow are the responsibility of the property owner. The city will only repair mailboxes damaged by the striking of a plow blade if there is visible evidence, such as paint or tire tracks.

Snow removal around mailboxes is the property owner’s responsibility.

Residents are also urged to help firefighters keep hydrants clear of snow.

For more information, call the Highway Department at 203-937-3644.

West Haven heralds launch of state’s largest food-to-clean-energy program

West Haven, Nov. 14, 2022 — West Haven is the first city in the state to offer a citywide curbside food scrap diversion option to all single-family residents, Mayor Nancy R. Rossi announced.

Rossi said the program allows all single-family homes — one, two and three families — to easily separate food scraps and have them collected at the curb in the same container now used for residents’ trash collection.

The city has received a $1.3 million Sustainable Materials Management grant from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to develop and launch a food-to-clean-energy program.

Grant Coordinator Doug Colter, who secured the funding for the city, said the state is facing a solid waste disposal crisis, as traditional options for disposing of municipal solid waste are diminishing or becoming more expensive. With fewer and rapidly aging disposal options in Connecticut, residents and municipal leaders can expect disposal costs to increase at the remaining waste incineration facilities “as well as out-of-state landfilling,” Colter said.

On Nov. 7, the West Haven Food to Clean Energy program launched a nine-month pilot project for curbside food scrap diversion. Participation in the program comes at no cost to the 16,000 eligible households.

Colter said the funding covers the purchase of special color-coded bags for trash and for food scrap separation for the nine-month pilot. It also covers the cost of educational materials — mailers, a website and a Connect mobile app — along with personnel to sort the bags and the shipment of food scraps to Quantum Biopower in Southington, where the food will be converted into clean electricity, he said.

More details at Food Scrap Recycling.

Informational Materials

The Downsizing Donation Guide: A Resource for Residents of New Haven County (PDF)

What’s In? What’s Out? A Guide to Recycling (PDF)