Plans to tackle $10 million worth of deferred maintenance and other work at Groton-New London Airport will resume this summer, but the scope and timing of that work depends on whether a two-year order to suspend aviation fuel taxes ends next month as scheduled, Connecticut Airport Authority officials said Monday. But if the tax suspension deal is extended, it will jeopardize that phased improvement work and call into question the long-term viability of the state’s five general-aviation airports, said Tony Sheridan, chairman of the authority’s Board of Directors. The tax is set to resume on July 1, but at a reduced rate of 15 cents per gallon with the bulk of the revenue funneled to general-aviation airports. That fuel-tax cut, down from about 30 cents a gallon, is expected to drop the CAA’s pre-2023 revenue by about half. Shea said the authority’s general-aviation airport operations budget now operates at a $3.5 million annual deficit, a debt compounded by another $2.1 million in capital infrastructure expenses.

https://theday.com/news/744265/ct-airport-authority-officials-warn-of-tough-decisions-if-fuel-tax-deal-extended/

The legislation that cleared the House and Senate in a single afternoon is the product of intense negotiations resolved with unusual alacrity by traditional antagonists at the state Capitol on business and insurance issues: unions vs. business, and trial lawyers vs. insurers. The bipartisan clarifying language was an element of a partisan budget bill passed to address a Medicaid deficiency. The bill cleared both chambers on party-line votes. The unanimous court decision issued March 18 in Gardner vs. Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services focused on a narrow question with far-reaching impact: How much discretion do administrative law judges overseeing workers’ compensation claims have in awarding temporary benefits? In addition to clarifying the language cited by the court, which limited total compensation, the legislation also slightly expanded the injuries covered by workers’ compensation.

CT legislature jumps to avoid 235% hike in workers’ comp rates

An amended version of Senate Bill 1465 was approved by a 35-0 vote with one senator absent. Existing state law sets a hiring ratio for apprentices that certain trades must follow. The rule allows contractors to hire up to three apprentices at a 1:1 ratio. After that, employers must abide by a 1:3 ratio, which means that for each new apprentice, a company must have three additional journeymen. Contractors must apply to DCP for relief from the ratio requirement, must not have had any state disciplinary or enforcement actions taken against them in the three years before seeking relief, and must show that “good cause” exists for allowing the relief, the bill states. Cicarella noted that the issue has been a “hot topic” between union and nonunion shops. “They both had very legitimate concerns,” he said. “Unions wanted to make sure that the apprentices were being protected and used correctly.” He added that all stakeholders took part in conversations to develop the bill, which he described as “a middle ground.”

CT Senate overwhelmingly approves bill to loosen trade apprenticeship ratios

A large group of residents, along with local and state lawmakers, are urging the Connecticut Siting Council to reject a proposal to expand an existing solar array, arguing the council ignores public input and the impact to the community. The Siting Council voted on Thursday to reopen the docket for the expansion of the Gravel Pit Solar array, but residents and lawmakers may be encouraged by some of the comments from council members. Attorney and Selectman Keith Yagaloff has filed a formal legal objection to reopening the Gravel Pit Solar docket, arguing the large expansion is an “overreach,” according to the petitioning group. In the end the council voted 5-1 with one abstention to reopen the application, with Chairwoman Elin Katz assuring that the voices of residents will be considered.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/journalinquirer/article/ct-east-windsor-gravel-pit-solar-siting-council-20328709.php

The Planning Commission unanimously approved plans to build a 6,000-square foot emergency dispatch center at 32 W. Main St. next to the police station. The project includes merging the city-owned lots at 32 and 50 West Main Street to create a 16,093-square foot lot between the Meriden Senior Center and the Meriden Police Department. Construction is expected to begin in July and last 14 months, representatives said. The original project costs are around $4.8 million, with the city making up the $800,000 difference after a 2021 state grant. The upsides for the West Main Street property, in addition to lower construction costs, were seamless equipment and systems transitions as well as better parking options.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/recordjournal/article/meriden-communications-center-dispatch-police-20328893.php

Sewer construction in Sound View and Area B is projected to cost at least 40% more than expected, even with state funding, prompting a possible second town vote to raise the budget. Steven Cinami, chair of Old Lyme’s Water and Pollution Control Authority, said Wednesday that based on current bids, annual costs would rise to $1,938 per standard property in the area, up from last August’s estimate of under $1,400. “We have actual bids instead of estimates,” Cinami said. ”Now I use real numbers.” On Tuesday, the Old Lyme WPCA voted to increase the budget to $17.1 million to cover the total cost of the project. This represents an increase of $7.6 million, or 80% more than the original budget approved in a 2019 referendum. Bids received in February came in around $22 million for shared infrastructure and $10.5 million for internal infrastructure Cinami said.

Old Lyme May Hold Second Referendum as Sewer Project Costs Jump 40%

President Donald Trump’s department announced Thursday that it had reached a “first-of-its-kind programmatic agreement” that will cover an estimated 90 construction projects each year. The agreement is designed to speed up schedules by at least six weeks for major projects such as the Gold Star Memorial Bridge on Interstate 95 between New London and Groton, upgrades on the New Haven line of the Metro-North Commuter Railroad, and a new bus system in New Haven. The Trump administration says the plan will “Get America Building Again” by helping states to complete projects faster. Since transportation projects are particularly known for red tape, multiple agencies are involved in the agreement that stretches for more than 30 pages. Those include the Federal Highway Railroad Administration, Federal Highway Administration, and Federal Transit Administration and Federal Railroad Administration – plus the Connecticut transportation department, Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trump-s-get-america-building-again-plan-is-coming-to-ct-here-s-how/ar-AA1EQjXx?ocid=BingNewsVerp&cvid=02a1c637edac49b7f82bd9e7ab2462ff&ei=10

Union officials claim that it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously injured or killed at the Bee Street construction site where 36-year-old Elvin Monzon-Guzman died last week. The subcontractor that Monzon-Guzman was working for was fined $16,500 by the state Department of Labor for payroll and workers’ compensation violations just days before the fatal accident, agency staff said. On May 7, shortly after work resumed because some of the problems were rectified, Monzon-Guzman, of Lynn, Mass., was struck by a truss that was being moved as part of the construction project on Bee Street, next to the Flats 390 apartment complex, police said. A.R. Building Company officials did not respond to a request for comment. Azedo confirmed that some of the subcontractors had received stop-work orders related to payroll and other issues, but he felt the Department of Labor issued the orders because they needed time to sort out the problems.

https://www.ctinsider.com/recordjournal/article/elvin-monzon-guzman-meriden-bee-death-osha-20325144.php?utm_content=hed&sid=5af4ad4b24c17c5fa420329b&ss=A&st_rid=a0f9da8c-0e61-4c3b-b465-15287c8fc7db&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ctin%20%7C%20rj%20briefing

City officials estimate that a full renovation of Fire Station 1 on North Main Street will cost $5.5 million. The city administration is asking the Board of Aldermen to approve an additional $6.7 million in city bonding to pay for the North Side Firehouse project, upgrades to several other firehouses, and preliminary costs related to the replacement of Fire Station 5 on East Main, including property acquisition. The scope of work for the planned $5.5 million renovation of Fire Station 1 includes structural repairs, interior renovations, including living quarters on the second floor, and necessary upgrades to meet safety and operational standards. The existing firehouse at 1979 North Main St. was constructed in 1968. The city accepted requests for proposals from contractors for the Fire Station 1 project from March 28 to April 29.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/waterbury/article/waterbury-north-side-firehouse-renovation-20324725.php

Residents looking to block an expansion of a huge solar array on East Windsor farmland got a boost Wednesday when the town’s legislative delegation put out a bipartisan statement slamming the proposal as damaging and unwelcome. Anwar, a Democrat, along with Democratic Rep. Jaime Foster and Republican Rep. Carol Hall issued a call for the Connecticut Siting Council to reject a request from Desri Holdings L.P. to approve more than 150 additional acres in East Windsor for solar arrays. Residents and town leaders argue that East Windsor and a few other sparsely populated towns with large quantities of farmland are being forced to carry most of the weight of renewable energy for the state and beyond. Desri, a New York-based renewable energy company, contends the expansion will provide “cost effective, stably priced, renewable energy to Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island customers,” saying it would deliver power to high-demand centers including Hartford, Providence and western Massachusetts. The company has approval for a 120-megawatt project, and is asking the Siting Council to approve an additional 30 megawatts.

https://www.courant.com/2025/05/15/petition-signatures-against-massive-solar-array-in-rural-ct-town-top-1100/