The City Council’s Public Welfare Committee appointed a nine-person ad-hoc committee to study the homeless issue in New London.
The committee, which will report back to the city in late September, was formed in response to the council’s authorization of the emergency homeless shelter at St. James Episcopal Church to operate through April of next year.
While the committee will examine ways to improve services and relations with the city’s business community, the most pressing issue—whether intoxicated people would be allowed to stay at the shelter—has already been decided.
On July 7, the City Council, in a 4-3 vote, forced the shelter to become “dry” by July 31. While the homeless committee appointments passed 3-0, Democratic Councilors John Maynard and Michael Buscetto, neither of whom sit on the Public Welfare Committee, harshly criticized a member of the public who alerted the committee that a dry shelter might be in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Laura Natusch, a small business owner who served as the Green Party’s campaign manager in the 2007 municipal election, opined that the city would leave itself open to a lawsuit.
Buscetto indicated he was disappointed that litigation was mentioned at the start of a community dialogue about homelessness.
“It’s not the way to start off this committee,” he said.
Buscetto added that the council allows the shelter to operate out of the kindness of its heart, even though it is in violation of zoning laws.
Maynard lashed out, saying that Natusch should “be ashamed of herself.”
“If this is the way we are going to dialogue, then I need to rethink what I am doing,” he said.
Councilor Margaret Curtin, a Democrat, defended Natusch.
“I don’t think Laura was threatening a lawsuit,” she said. Curtin added that the council allowed the homeless shelter not out of magnanimity, rather “because it was the right thing to do.”
Republican Councilor Adam Sprecace informed Natusch that the city attorney will rule on any possible violation of ADA.
Outdoor Movies Downtown
The Hygienic Art Park will be screening films every Wednesday night for the remainder of the summer.
And admission is very un-multiplex-like—it’s free.
“It’s where art meets culture and community,” said Andrew Bell, one of the Outdoor Movie Series’ organizers.
The movies began earlier this month with a showing of the 1958 popcorn thriller The Blob, a New London in-joke referring to the public art piece hanging off a Bank Street building.
Bell said the Hygienic installs a large screen onto the Art Park stage, onto which the films are digitally rear-projected.
Upcoming movies include My Fair Lady, The Manchurian Candidate, and perhaps some European cinema, Bell said.
Bell encouraged people to bring their dinners and a bottle of wine and spend the evening watching a movie.
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. with the films starting at 8:30 p.m. Call 860-443-8001 for more information.