From left to right: Sen. Paul Doyle, Rockfall Foundation Executive Director Claire Rusowicz, Sen. Len Suzio, Rep. Joseph Serra.

In a May 17 ceremony at Dekoven House Community Center, area legislators presented an official citation to The Rockfall Foundation (www.rockfallfoundation.org) in honor of the 40th anniversary of the foundation’s granting program.

The Rockfall Foundation supports environmental education, conservation and planning initiatives in Middlesex County.

“The Rockfall Foundation is one of Connecticut’s oldest environmental organizations,” Sen. Len Suzio said. “For decades, this organization has brought people together to conserve and enhance the county’s natural environment. We are all so proud of the great work they do, and they are deserving of this honor to mark a major milestone.”

Meriden resident Dr. Robert Bertolli (left) talks to Sen. Len Suzio (right) about the technology he uses in his optometry practice. On May 11, Suzio visited Bertolli’s Sears Optical office location in Westfield Mall and presented him with an official citation. Bertolli has been named Optometrist of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Optometrists.

On May 11, State Sen. Len Suzio presented an official citation to Meriden resident Dr. Robert Bertolli on being named Optometrist of the Year by the Connecticut Association of Optometrists.

Bertolli, an optometrist for 28 years, has an office location in the Westfield Mall at Sears Optical.

“Dr. Bertolli deserves this honor not just for his skills as an optometrist but also for the effort he makes to give back to the profession and to the community,” Sen. Suzio said during a tour of Sears Optical. “He truly cares about residents of Meriden and we are so proud of his accomplishment.”

Suzio (www.senatorsuzio.com) represents Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown and Rockfall. He can be reached at Len.Suzio@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421.

State Sen. Len Suzio speaks on the floor of the Connecticut State Senate.

From 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 15, State Sen. Len Suzio will hold a Town Hall Meeting at the Meriden Public Library’s Griffin Room.

Suzio will update taxpayers on the recently completed 2012 legislative session.

Suzio will also discuss:

“I urge taxpayers to come out to the library on Tuesday evening,” Sen. Suzio said. “I will tell you where our state finances stand and discuss policies which were passed at the State Capitol. Stop by, say hello, and get your questions answered.”

The library is located at 105 Miller Street.

Those who cannot attend can contact Suzio at Len.Suzio@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421.

At the wire, lawmakers approve Meriden high school money

HARTFORD — The state General Assembly unanimously passed legislation Wednesday that will allow for the renovation of Maloney and Platt high schools as architects have designed, even though they would have been too big for full state reimbursement.

The measure passed in the Senate late Wednesday night on the final day of the legislative session after passing in the House earlier in the day.

It now heads to the governor’s desk for approval.

State Sen. Len Suzio supported the measure and praised the teamwork he said led to its passage.

“What a shot in the arm for Meriden,” Suzio said. “This legislation is a tribute to the hard work of the city’s delegation on behalf of taxpayers. Speaker of the House Chris Donovan, Rep. Cathy Abercrombie, and Rep. Buddy Altobello all did an excellent job in getting this language passed in the House on the final day of the legislative session. The $220 million in renovations to our high schools would not be possible without significant state assistance. We are so pleased to have gotten this done on behalf of the students, parents and taxpayers of Meriden. It’s a big victory, and it truly was a team effort.”

Meriden submitted plans to renovate both schools, as well as demolishing pieces and creating additions, last June. The proposed projects have a combined cost estimated at $220 million, with the city aiming for a 77.14 percent reimbursement rate from the state, resulting in a roughly $51 million cost for Meriden.

As the buildings stand, neither would qualify for the 77.14 percent reimbursement rate because they are over the maximum size eligible for state reimbursement. Maloney, proposed at 256,600 square feet, would not have received any reimbursement for 35,000 square feet. Platt, proposed at 247,700 square feet, was 44,000 square feet too large.

With Maloney’s project close to $420 per square foot and Platt’s near $451, the cost could have been an additional $35 million.

On Tuesday, amendments for the reimbursement bill were submitted, including one that eased the burden on Meriden. Once the project names were changed from “expansion and alteration” to “renovation projects,” Meriden became eligible for a space specification waiver that ensures full reimbursement for the entire project, and both schools’ pools, which were also too large.

The amendment, submitted by state Rep. Andrew Fleischmann and state Sen. Andrea Stillman, came just months after each expressed concerns in the General Assembly’s Education Committee in February.

“We are talking about two, not just expensive, but very large projects where student population has been declining,” Stillman, D-Waterford, had said. “I think this is the first time I’ve seen two schools of this magnitude on the same agenda.”

Stillman and Fleischmann, D-West Hartford, who chair the Education Committee, met with Speaker of the House Christopher G. Donovan, Meriden Board of Education President Mark Hughes, School Superintendent Mark D. Benigni, School Building Committee Chairman Matthew C. Dominello Sr., and others to make the amendment possible.

“I called a meeting so that the education department could understand that the projects made sense,” Donovan said. “Since 1955, when the schools were being built, state officials have done things that have prevented renovations like this from happening, without realizing it.”

Donovan alluded to items like required space increases to accommodate the American With Disabilities Act. Those requirements were a major reason for significant size increases at both schools. The concerns of lawmakers prompted the local board to look at potentially downsizing the buildings. The board, however, refused, not wanting to cut class offerings because of other required size increases.

“Our curricular specifications are fairly modest moving forward,” Hughes said. “The only reduction we could have made would be to eliminate curricular offerings.”

Benigni applauded Donovan and the city’s delegation for ensuring that a waiver was possible and was implemented.

“Just because of the sheer amount of money, you’re always a little bit concerned,” he said. “But we knew Speaker Donovan and the delegation were working on our behalf … I’m glad they spent hours and hours on this, realizing these are the schools that the school district and the city needs.”

The concerns of renovating two schools at once were addressed, Donovan said, reasoning that the schools were built at the same time. Though several municipalities across the state have two or more high schools, Meriden may be the only one to have both schools built at the same time.

The designs of the high schools will still need to be approved by the state. Though the date for Platt is yet to be determined, a meeting to finalize Maloney’s budget has been scheduled for the end of the month. Both school renovation budgets have been worked down close to $100 million each.

A meeting to approve final design and budget plans for Maloney with state officials is also scheduled for the end of May. Portions of the project would then be put to bid and renovations could begin by November.

State Sen. Leonard F. Suzio defended his credentials as a fiscal conservative Wednesday after voting for the Democrats’ $20.5 billion budget proposal Tuesday night.

Suzio, a Meriden Republican, has earned a reputation as a fierce opponent of tax hikes and excessive spending over his first term representing the state’s 13th Senatorial District, and spent the earlier part of the day pushing a Republican package that included the elimination of the state’s gross receipts gasoline tax.

However, when that effort failed in a party-line vote, he made the surprising step of casting his party’s only vote for the Democratic alternative. The budget passed easily even without Republican support, and is awaiting final approval from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.

On Wednesday, Suzio said that, while there was plenty to dislike in the budget, he voted for it because of its benefits to his constituents in Meriden, Cheshire, Middlefield and Middletown. Each municipality will receive an increase in Education Cost Sharing grants, along with increased reimbursement for students it sends to the state-run Thomas Edison Middle School in Meriden.

Under either party’s budget plan, Meriden would receive an extra $1.78 million in ECS money.

“I voted for it because I was elected to represent the best interest of the people of the 13th District. I have objections to some of the gimmicks in the budget, but the education money is critically important to Meriden schools,” Suzio said. “That was probably the most decisive factor.”

Suzio made the same break from the rest of his party last month during an Appropriations Committee vote on an almost identical package, again citing the benefits to the district’s schools.

Meriden City Councilor Dante Bartolomeo, who is seeking the Democratic nomination to oppose Suzio this fall, questioned Suzio’s party principles.

“It seems to me he has abandoned his Republican Party, but that’s his decision. I question how he would respond if, in fact, his first vote for the Republican budget was successful,” she said.

Suzio, however, said he believes his unconventional vote showed his loyalty to his constituents over partisan politics.
“As an incumbent, my voting record should be examined,” he said. “I think it’s a good indicator that I’ll put aside partisan perspective to do what’s good for the district. I won’t cling to a rigid, ideological way of thinking.”

State Sen. Len Suzio (left) greets a taxpayer in Cheshire. Suzio’s bid to lower the gas tax by 18 cents a gallon this summer was rejected by Democrats in the State Senate on Tuesday night May 8.

State Sen. Len Suzio’s proposal to lower the gas tax this summer was defeated on a party line vote in the state senate on Tuesday night (May 8) at the State Capitol.

“Democrats are now on record,” Suzio said of the 21 to 14 vote. “They were not willing to give motorists an 18-cent-a-gallon break at the pumps this summer. Remember that every time you fill up.”

Suzio’s “2 for 2” plan called for the gas tax to be lowered from its current 7.5 percent to 2 percent for the 2 summer driving months. The lower tax would save approximately 18 cents per gallon.

Suzio had attempted to attach his “2 for 2” plan as an amendment onto the state budget adjustment bill on Tuesday night.

Suzio argued in the Senate debate that as a result of high gas prices, the state of Connecticut has collected a $60 million windfall in gas taxes over and above what the governor and legislature budgeted for in 2011.

“I want to give part of that windfall back to taxpayers,” Suzio said. “Lower the gas tax and you will increase transactions and stimulate our economy. Lower the gas tax and you won’t see so many taxpayers crossing the state’s borders to fill up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.”

Thousands of taxpayers have signed Suzio’s gas tax relief petition at www.senatorsuzio.com .

Despite the defeat, Suzio said he wants taxpayers to know he will not stop fighting for gas tax relief.

“I view this as a 10-round championship fight, and we are still in the early rounds,” Suzio said. “We are going to prevail in the end if we keep the pressure up on the legislators who defend high gas taxes. We’re just getting started.”

Suzio represents Meriden, Cheshire, Middlefield, Middletown and Rockfall. He can be reached at Len.Suzio@cga.ct.gov or at 800 842 1421.

State Sen. Len Suzio (center) leads the cheers for gas tax relief during his April 30 “Lower the Gas Tax” rally at a Meriden Gulf gas station. Suzio’s proposal to lower the gas tax by 18 cents a gallon this summer is expected to get a vote on Tuesday.

State Sen. Len Suzio today said that on Tuesday (May 8) he is looking forward to attaching an amendment onto the state budget adjustment bill which aims to reduce the gas tax by 18 cents a gallon this summer.

“Tuesday is the day,” Suzio said. “Legislators will vote on whether they want to give motorists substantial relief at the pumps this summer. We will all find out where our elected officials stand on this issue. Everyone will be on record.”

Suzio’s “2 for 2” plan calls for the gas tax to be lowered from its current 7.5 percent to 2 percent for the 2 summer driving months.

The plan, which Suzio estimates will save motorists 18 cents a gallon this summer, has the support of the entire Senate Republican caucus.

“Thousands of Connecticut taxpayers have told me they want relief,” Suzio said. “They come in droves to my ‘Lower the Gas Tax’ rallies to make that point. They have signed my gas tax petitions, and they tell me to keep fighting for them.”

Suzio said that as a result of high gas prices, the state of Connecticut has collected a $60 million windfall in gas taxes over and above what the governor and legislature budgeted for in 2011.

“I want to give part of that windfall back to taxpayers,” Suzio said. “With this proposal, I’m also challenging the governor and legislature to test the theory that lower taxes will increase transactions and stimulate our economy. Lower gas taxes and you won’t see so many taxpayers crossing the state’s borders to fill up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.”

On Monday, Suzio’s “2 for 2″ amendment came close to being called during debate on a revenue-related bill, but the bill was put aside by Senate Democrats before the amendment was brought out.

To view Suzio’s amendment: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/lcoamd/2012LCO04378-R00-AMD.htm.

State Sen. Len Suzio and Meriden American Legion Post 45 members outside of Post 45. Suzio will participate in a noon flag raising ceremony at Post 45 on Friday.

On Friday, May 11, State Sen. Len Suzio will participate in a noon flag raising ceremony at Meriden American Legion Post 45.

Suzio obtained the United States flag from the State of Connecticut’s Office of Legislative Management. The flag was flown over the State Capitol in Hartford.

“This flag ceremony will honor the American flag as the symbol of our country and all the hopes, dreams, and people it consists of,” Suzio said. “A new flag was badly needed at Post 45, and I am pleased we will be able to provide a brand new and beautiful one in time for Memorial Day.”

“Post 45 has a lot of history and is a center of activity for city residents,” Suzio said. “I want the flag to be a focal point when people arrive here. We are proud of our veterans. They are heroes. They deserve the very best.”

Suzio has also been raising awareness of state and federal tax credits for employers who hire veterans.

“Many employers aren’t aware of the tax credits,” Suzio said. “That’s why I have sent letters to more than 9,000 companies in the 13th Senate District to make sure business owners know what is available out there. It’s one thing to pass a law. It’s another to make it happen and work.”

A company can earn up to $9,600 in tax credits if it hires a veteran with service-connected disabilities who has been unemployed for more than six months. Companies can earn an additional $900 per month tax credit for up to three years by hiring a veteran for a newly created position.

Post 45 is located at 835 Hanover Road.