Dear Eleanore Turkington:
What is going on here in West Haven? I have lived here for more than 30 years on Lester Street, and something is definitely wrong.
Here are just a few issues: There is a couch sitting in front of 42-44 Lester St. It was put to the curb after bulk trash had passed. I had called the blight department to complain about this. I have also emailed the mayor several times and still the couch sits there. It is over a month now. I was told that the city will charge the homeowner $100 a day for trash that should not be there. If this is true,that household owes thousands.
There is a noise ordinance in West Haven Well, very loud Hispanic music that continues to play at 2:39 am, early Sunday morning . I called WHPD. Of course, they do not show up until almost 3 a.m. when the music was finally turned off before they got there.
Also, I thought you could not park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant. On the corner of Lester Street and Savin Avenue, cars are parked right next to the fire hydrant all the time. I have called the WHPD about that also. They do not always come to that call and when they do, they do not give tickets to the illegally parked cars. Aren’t our public servants supposed to be concerned with public safety? Obviously not for those who live on Lester Street.
The issues are long, and no one cares. So, I guess I can do whatever I want and will not be held legally responsible for my actions just like all the other people that the city turns a blind eye to. Leave big garbage on my sidewalk and play loud music all hours of the night.
If you want to live in a free-for-all town and do whatever you want without consequences, please come and live in West Haven, run by Nancy Rossi, a mayor that just doesn’t care. A mayor who is more concerned to getting elected instead of doing her job and helping the people.
PZ WH Resident
Dear Resident:
I requested a reply to your letter from Mayor Nancy Rossi. Here is the mayor’s response:
Dear Eleanore Turkington:
The first complaint I received was Friday, July 9, 8:09 p.m. through email.
The neighbor on Savin Avenue had his pool collapse dumping gallons of pool water in adjoining properties. The author of this letter wanted the city to clean up the water which damaged her grass and several gardens. I advised her to contact her homeowner’s insurance agent and she thanked me for the information, so I thought she was all set and pleased with the response.
The second complaint was Aug. 23. The same resident on Lester Street contacted me again through email to complain that two couches had been dumped in front of 42-44 Lester St. She said they were dumped after the last bulk trash pickup. The last bulk trash pickup was April 23, which was four months earlier. So, the couches stayed there four months before I learned about it.
I reached out to the resident to ask if she had contacted Public Works; she explained she contacted the Blight Department on Aug. 17. I asked if she knew who she spoke with, but she did not ask for the name. So, I forwarded the complaint to Public Works for the couches to be picked up. The resident went on to state she sent a text message with pictures on Wednesday Aug. 18, to 203-937-3590. The number belongs to the Building Department, but it is a land line, so the pictures could not be transmitted.
I did everything I could to assist the resident, and the couches were removed.
Then I received a request from Eleanore Turkington, West Haven Voice with an anonymous complaint letter from the Lester Street resident. The complaint letter never listed the pool complaint but did go into detail about the couches which states it had been over a month now which is inaccurate. I only found out about it on Aug. 23.
The resident goes on to list several complaints regarding loud music, parking in front of a fire hydrant, and complaints about WHPD. She had called WHPD, and she was not happy with the response time. My understanding is the WHPD has to prioritize the more serious complaints like a domestic, break in, automobile accident, etc.
As mayor, I call about all our residents and do my best t to facilitate complaints to the proper employee or department so the complaints will be rectified as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Mayor Nancy Rossi
You can send your gripes, comments and issues to [email protected]. Please include your name, address and phone number or you can mail your issues to Gripe Vine c/o West Haven Voice, 840 Boston Post Road, West Haven 06516. Your identity is kept in strict confidence with me. You can also submit through our online form.