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/

City school system officials are proposing to build two new schools to replace a handful of aging buildings, including a $125 million pre-K-8 school and a $75 million center for special education. Jorge Garcia, the district’s chief operations officer, said the elementary school would be built at the site of the old Harding High School and serve students who currently attend Beardsley, Edison and Hall schools. Garcia said the proposals were based on recommendations included in a recent facilities study that urged the district to shutter seven school buildings, construct four new ones and perform major renovations on eight others. Garcia described the proposed elementary school as a state-of-the-art facility. He said that unlike older schools, the new one would be fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and feature air conditioning and proper ventilation.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/education/article/bridgeport-new-school-buildings-20317700.php

After years of delays, state transportation officials are reviving plans to overhaul the 75-year-old Heroes Tunnel on the Wilbur Cross Parkway. The long-overdue project would bring much-needed upgrades to the busy tunnel, which carries about 74,000 vehicles per day through West Rock Ridge in New Haven, according to the state Department of Transportation. This week, DOT officials met with leaders from New Haven, Woodbridge and Hamden to update them on the project, agency spokesperson Josh Morgan said in an email. The meeting covered the tunnel’s current condition and the proposed scope of work, which the state estimates will cost about $150 million and begin in 2028, he said. According to the slideshow, the project will include structural repairs to the tunnel liners, which typically are made of steel or concrete and provide stability and support. Plans also call for improved ventilation and fire protection systems, enhanced lighting and new signage to guide both drivers and pedestrians.

https://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/ct-heroes-tunnel-2028-upgrade-wilbur-cross-parkway-20318936.php