Lawyers for East Haven agreed the town will review in "good faith" the authority’s application for a building permit to construct the station on the town side of the airport.
East Haven Mayor Joe Maturo’s administration was refusing to issue the permit because the town has an ordinance that says it will not issue a building permit for property on which the owner owes delinquent taxes.
East Haven began levying taxes against New Haven, which owns the airport and leases it to the authority, last year. New Haven disputes the tax bill and has filed a lawsuit saying the levy is illegal.
In return for agreeing to review the building permit application, East Haven got a concession from New Haven. The city will encumber $345,000 to pay the taxes on the property if the judge who rules on New Haven’s lawsuit contesting the taxes decides the taxes are legal. That process could take years.
The amount New Haven allegedly owes will continue to mount as the lawsuit moves through the courts.
Lawyers for the town, the city and the authority reached the agreement during meetings in Superior Court in New Haven.
Lawyer Hugh Keefe, representing the town, read the agreement to Judge Jon C. Blue, who approved it.
The judge asked the lawyers to appear before him July 5 to set a schedule for hearings on the lawsuit.
All sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
Authority Executive Director Edwin V. Selden said he had feared further delays in getting the permit would make it difficult for a contractor to finish building the fire station before winter shut down the job.
"Our concern is that there’s a great deal of ground preparation work to do," he said. "If you slide this for another three or four weeks, the contractor will not be able to enclose the building (before) severe winter sets in."
The airport’s fire apparatus is now housed in a public works maintenance garage.
"Our intention has been to increase the margin of safety at the airport and this is part of that process," Selden said.
East Haven Town Attorney Lawrence C. Sgrignari said the town suggested several weeks ago it would issue the building permit if New Haven set aside money to pay a judgment in case the city loses the tax lawsuit.
"We’re very pleased it’s resolved along these lines," he said.
The agreement brings an added benefit for the town, East Haven Assessor Michael J. Milici said.
The town will consider the fire station to be taxable property.
"This decision not only locks in the ($345,000), but it also gives us a chance to bring in more tax money with the additional building," he said.
New Haven Deputy Corporation Counsel Thomas W.
Ude Jr. said that while the city is confident it will win the lawsuit and not have to pay the taxes, the city always planned to pay any judgment that might be issued in the matter.
"The city pays its obligations, its judgments," he said. "There was never any reason to question whether the city would be able to pay this money." |
| İNew Haven Register 2000 |
