Stratford Town Council Votes on Sale, Regionalization of WPCA Plant

The Stratford Town Council approved by an 7-2 vote to sell the town’s waste treatment plant and merge with the Greater New Haven Water Pollution Control Authority at a special meeting Thursday night, according to the Connecticut Post.

The Post reports that as a result of the sale, Stratford will get an $11 million infusion of cash, annual payments in lieu of taxes of at least $200,000 and also relief from $37 million in debt that resulted from a major waste treatment upgrade in 2009. The town will also have two seats on the GNHWPCA’s board of directors.

Stratford Mayor John Harkins has been a proponent of the move, saying at his State of the Town address that by merging the water pollution control authority with Greater New Haven, the town can “ensure lower sewer rates, lower taxes, and improved services moving forward. Sounds too good to be true, not really. It’s just common sense. Why are we in the business to begin with when we do not operate any other utilities? Not electricity. Not gas. Not oil.”

However, the move did not come without controversy as about 25 people spoke out against it at Monday night’s public hearing at Flood Middle School and a protest rally was held prior to Thursday night’s council vote.

Terry Masters, who heads the group For Stratford that held the rally, told the Connecticut Post after the vote that the issue is “not over yet” and vowed that her group will be “seeking a referendum on this important issue.”

Read the full story at the Connecticut Post here.

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