The 10-member state Bond Commission is poised to approve $382.8 million in general obligation bonds and $535.3 million in special revenue bonds at a meeting Wednesday where the most controversial item is $10 million.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who isn’t seeking re-election, wants the state Department of Transportation to bond $10 million to study the implementation of electronic tolls.
State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, a member of the Bond Commission, has said he won’t be voting in favor of the study, but it’s unclear how many other members, aside from the two Republican lawmakers, will be swayed to vote against the proposal.
The Democratic legislative leaders have embraced the proposal while Republicans have panned it calling it “frivolous” and unnecessary.
Wednesday’s Bond Commission agenda also includes $19.6 million for homeowners with crumbling foundations. And $8 million for Electric Boat and $3 million for KPMG LLP to assist with their expansion in Stamford. The company is expected to create up to 110 new jobs within four years of receiving the money.
“We look forward next year to moving into newly-renovated space that will have state-of-the-art technology and work space to allow our highly-skilled professionals to deliver a best-in-class experience for our Stamford-area clients,” Bob Garrett, KPMG managing partner for a region that includes New York City, Stamford, Long Island and northern New Jersey, said.
There’s also $11 million of undefined money under the Manufacturing Assistance Act for the Department of Economic and Community Development to use as it sees fit.
There’s $6.5 million to help charter schools with capital improvements and $750,000 to help a handful of state parks that experienced a lot of property damage when several tornadoes touched down in the state on May 15. The money will be used to help Sleeping Giant, Wharton Brook, Kettletown and Squantz Pond State Parks, the Naugatuck State Forest and sections of the Connecticut Blue Trail System. It is anticipated that up to 75 percent of costs incurred will be provided by the federal government pending approval of a federal disaster declaration.
There are also millions of dollars for housing projects in both New Haven and Hartford.
There’s $8 million o finance flood control and shoreline rehabilitation at East Shore Park and Long Wharf in New Haven. The improvements will increase the resiliency of these areas through improved stormwater management and will include the design and construction of new innovative living shorelines. There’s also $7.5 million to renovate the former Thomas Quirk Middle School in Hartford for used by the Police Athletic League as a Boys and Girls Club and for used by the Hartford Police Academy.
There’s also $10 million to provide a grant-in-aid or equity investment to Sheldon Oak to finance redevelopment of the three-story mixed use building at 696-714 Albany Avenue, along with the single story retail building at 690 Albany Avenue in Hartford. The mixed use building will be renovated into eight rental units, with four affordable units, over 3,500 square feet of retail space. The deteriorated, single-story building will be demolished to create parking and green space.