"Danbury's (police) headquarters is old, out-dated and worn out," said Chief Alan Baker. "It was built in 1971 for 75 officers and right now our strength is 152."
There is very little parking space, so the lawns at the department double as parking lots.
Baker said the old department was built before each desk had a computer. It was built before much of the modern forensic equipment was created, and its heating, ventilation and air condition equipment is faulty.
"We have six holding cells, and we'll frequently have 11 or 12 people in lock-up after the weekend," Baker said.
The city's police officers have been giving public tours of their building during the last month to show people their working conditions.
The police portion of the bond is $33.8 million. The city's voters have already committed $2.7 million to this project, and the city is in the process of buying the land needed for a new headquarters on Main Street near East Franklin Street.
The next item on the list is the parking garage and if you ever tried to park on Main Street, you understand why another garage is needed.
The second item on the bond vote is a parking garage for 386 cars on Library Place. A November 2002 feasibility study concluded that the city's biggest need for downtown parking was on the west side of Main Street.
The parking-needs study concluded nearly 160,000 square-feet of vacant space exists along Main Street, not including the vacant Palace Theater, and that parking would help property owners renovate and open that space up for leases.
Several downtown renovations were rejected by the city in the last several years due to the lack of parking.
[...]
A garage on the west side of Main Street (where Library Place is) could have the same impact the Patriot Garage had on the east side of Main Street, said John Kline, president of Union Savings Bank in Danbury.
"A new garage enhances the perception that downtown is more convenient," Kline said. "A whole section of Main Street will benefit."
The last portion of the bond is for improvments to the sewer plant. Hey, this is a no-brainer as I don't want any problems with the sewer system.
The sewer portion of the bond is $5.8 million. The money will be used to remove nitrogen from the effluent flowing from the plant. The city now pays $390,000 a year to release nitrogen into the Still River, and that expense will disappear when the plant is improved.
Hopefully, voters will approve the 48 million bond package but it's up to you to do your duty as citizens of Danbury and vote.
04.25.22 (RADIO): WSHU Latino group call on Connecticut lawmakers to open a Danbury charter school
06.03.22 (OP-ED): KUSHNER: "Career Academy ‘a great deal for Danbury"
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
The amended complaint states that plaintiffs sought to remedy the continued discriminatory and unauthorized enforcement of federal immigration laws against the Latino residents of the City of Danbury by Danbury's mayor and its police department.
Plaintiffs allege that the arrests violated their Fourth Amendment rights and the Connecticut Constitution because defendants conducted the arrests without valid warrants, in the absence of exigent circumstances, and without probable cause to believe that plaintiffs were engaged in unlawful activity. In addition, plaintiffs allege that defendants improperly stopped, detained, investigated, searched and arrested plaintiffs. Plaintiffs also allege that defendants violated their Fourteenth Amendment rights when they intentionally targeted plaintiffs, and arrested and detained them on the basis of their race, ethnicity and perceived national origin. Plaintiffs raise First Amendment, Due Process and tort claims.
Plaintiffs request declaratory relief, damages and attorneys fees.
On September 26, 2007, ten plaintiffs filed suit in response to an arrest of aday laborers at a public park in Danbury, Connecticut. Plaintiffs amended their complaint on November 26, 2007.
