East Haven Residents Want Tweed Airport Expansion Information

Community engagement to discuss quality of life issues is very important in local government. However, what happens if local elected leaders plus members of voluntary boards and commissions do not allow for open public forums on topics such as Tweed Airport expansion that effect the entire town?

Mayor Carfora has not provided a document, a drawing, a map, a website, an economic analysis to constituents. Instead, only a few sound clips on mass media that have no more information, no website. Ray Baldwin, Chief of Administrative Services, accepted a free plane ride but is unable to provide documents. Even the Finance Committee of the New Haven Alders on August 30th questioned East Haven elected leaders noted absence from dissecting the 43-Year lease contract with emphasis on eminent domain, environmental concerns, lack of flood insurance and missing Community Benefits Plan. On August 3rd, Town Council Chair Joe Deko held a regular meeting but did not allow the invited guest, Sean Scanlon (Executive Director, Tweed-New Haven Airport and State Representative for Branford and Guilford), to engage with the public. Instead, town employee, Michelle Benivegna, made a call to East Haven Police Department to shut down the public meeting. (Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nhregister.com/news/amp/Frustrated-East-Haven-residents-lash-out-over-16363715.php ).

What are the benefits of airport expansion to East Haven? The Facebook page “East Haven Politics,” is conducting an airport survey. The preliminary results show that there is a need to inform the public, and most get updates via social media. The top concerns include traffic, air pollution, wildlife protection and noise. When asked what specific info do you need, answers included economic benefits, property values, noise mitigation, air quality, traffic volume on Hemingway Avenue, taxation, where exactly will entrance be, water quality sampling results at Morris Creek. Others questioned what elected leaders are doing on behalf of constituents and how they are using their platforms to inform the voter base.

If you would like to take the survey, there is an opportunity to sign up for a weekly newsletter that will get you citizen updates and primary documents via the “10,000 Hawks” neighborhood community group with members from East Haven, New Haven and Fair Haven; a Facebook page also available. Here is the survey link:

https://forms.gle/9t2AZPH1rCGE5GQS9

Thank you to all residents that stay informed, attend public meetings and put their voice on public records! Civic tools are the best way to influence change and make our town better. Transparency and accountability are action words, and an informed citizen makes a better voter!

Lorena Venegas