After spurning regional senior center, Derby plan stalls

DERBY — Months after rejecting an offer to partner with neighboring Ansonia in a regional senior center, Derby seniors appear no closer to having a new place of their own.

Christine Sonsini, the executive director of the city’s on Main Street, took the opportunity at Thursday’s meeting of the city’s Board of Aldermen & Alderwomen to ask city officials what was taking so long to find a location for a new center.

“The members of the senior center would like to know what the delay is with this committee, which is not met even one time since its inception,” Sonsini said.

In June, the board rejected an offer by Ansonia to merge the two cities’ center centers at the Ansonia Police Station. Instead, the city formed its own search committee, led by Alderman Brian Coppolo, to scout suitable locations, but the group has yet to meet.

Mayor Rich Dziekan blamed Coppolo for the delay.

“I’m still waiting to see what Brian wants to do. But Brian’s been MIA,” Dziekan said.

Coppolo has been on a leave of absence from his job as a firefighter, according to Walt Mayhew, Dziekan’s chief of staff. He last attended August’s board meeting.

But Alderwoman Anita Dugatto said, as the person who had formed the search committee, Dziekan could have called a meeting. Alderman

Gino DiGiovanni countered by saying the lack of meetings was a result of Coppolo believing the committee had been disbanded in August, which he said, wasn’t the case.

Dziekan disbanded three subcommittees in August, citing decision-making delays, but the search committee for the senior center was not one of them.

But whatever the cause, the result is there has been no progress in finding a suitable location, Dugatto said.

“It’s not Brian that’s holding it up, but we’re in a holding pattern,” Dugatto said.

Derby has been looking for a new senior center since at least 2021, when city officials conducted a town hall-style meeting with Ansonia officials over combining their centers. The city ultimately rejected the combined senior center plan in June, citing concerns over equity in the location and structural issues with the parking garage at the Ansonia site.

Had the two cities regionalized, Derby would have paid $300,000 for construction over 10 years and the two cities would have been jointly responsible for the operating budget.

Dziekan criticized the board for the decision, calling it a disservice to the city’s seniors.

On Thursday, he continued to criticize the rejection, specifically targeting Dugatto’s claim that he should have convened the committee.

“Why do I want to overstep Brian, because he had these great ideas,” Dziekan said. “So hopefully he has a magical place that he’s going to build the senior center, but he hasn’t come up with anything.”

But Dziekan did agree to make an effort to get the process started.

“Monday, I will reach out to the Democrats to figure out a path to take,” he said.

“Why do I want to overstep Brian, because he had these great ideas. So hopefully he has a magical place that he’s going to build the senior center, but he hasn’t come up with anything.” Mayor Rich Dziekan