Goal: Easier access to local government

Mayor wants more community engagement in city matters

MIDDLETOWN — For Mayor Ben Florsheim, the use of virtual platforms is a way to “bring people together.”

To continue a practice of using such means that has become regular during the pandemic, Florsheim will be giving weekly updates on municipal matters on social media, as a way to connect with constituents as well as encourage more engagement surrounding city issues.

Prior to each month’s Common Council meeting, Florsheim holds a Facebook Live session during which he talks about that evening’s agenda. He announced the “exciting” development that these will now be done on a weekly basis to inform the public of topics of discussion, as well as field questions.

Florsheim ran for office on a platform of making it easier for residents to be involved in governmental processes, he said, according to the Facebook video. “We’ve done things this year to try to move in that direction, including implementing SeeClickFix, and doing these Facebook town halls when it comes to the council,” he said.

Such efforts were interrupted by the pandemic, the mayor said, making it harder to gather for inperson conversations. “One of the silver linings of these past year is that is it has introduced us to all the ways we weren’t utilizing this before to use these virtual platforms to bring people together,” he said.

The Common Council addressed a number of matters at this week’s hourlong session, in addition to passing along the draft of the 2030 Plan of Conservation and Development to zoning board members.

A total of $328,072 in CARES Act Grant monies was approved for initiatives, such as to prevent, prepare for and respond to the coronavirus in order to meet the federal Housing Urban Development’s objectives, according to video footage of Monday night’s virtual meeting.

Councilors voted on an appropriation of $2,500 to allow Recreation & Commu

nity Services staff to help the senior center serve older adults during the pandemic, to purchase supplies to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, to prepare for safe reopening, and respond to COVID-related issues.

In other business, the draft of the 2030 Plan of Conservation and Development was approved. After it is reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission, the final version is expected to be voted upon Jan. 13.

During the discussion, Deputy Majority Leader Grady Faulkner talked about the history of such plans spelled out in the plan, specifically those addressing economic and social inequality. “I impress upon [the Planning and Zoning Commission] to at least mention some sort of initiative in that area as part of the plan,” he said, according to the video.

“What I think happens is, we identify things, and sometimes we talk about them, but, if we don’t have them in front of us, we don’t approach them. We forget about them,” Faulkner said.

He suggested the city could “leverage” resources such as the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Side Street to Main Street program, which teaches budding minority business owners all the skills necessary to operate their endeavors. He told participants he’d also like to see the Middlesex County Historical Society, which last year held a Middle Passage ceremony at Harbor Park, to acknowledge Middletown’s participation in the slave trade and Underground Railroad.

In other business, city leaders approved six $5,000 in CARES Act Community Development Block Grants to Tropical Sun, 871 Newfield St.; Two Sabos (Conspiracy), 350 Main St.; Emanuel’s Salon, 573 Newfield St.; Tschudin’s Chocolates, Cigar Social (dba Man Cave), 386 Main St.; and Middletown Massage Therapy, 834 Newfield St.

Council members also passed a $3,000 appropriation from the general fund to pay for relocation costs for displaced Middletown residents, as required by the Connecticut Uniform Relocation Act. That will be used for rehousing apartment residents temporarily in the case of housing code violations, Elak said Tuesday.

He offered the example of an enforcement officer being called to a home for an emergency involving a broken heater. City statute requires his office pay for a hotel for residents until the property owner fixes the problem. The landlord is then billed for expenses.

CARES Act grants, in the amount of $5,000, are still available. For information and to apply, visit middletownct.gov.

Bill De Kine Photography / Contributed photo Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim this week announced his plan to report directly to the community on a regular basis about current issues the city is facing — so as to more closely connect residents with the matters that affect them.