Town leaders believe that for North Haven’s best interest voters should approve all parts of a proposed $14 million bonding package.

If passed at referendum on Jan. 24, bonding would finance $9.23 million in construction and renovations at North Haven’s four firehouses, $4.06 million for milling and paving of approximately 20 miles of roads and $710,000 for a new Public Works garage.

Each project will be voted on separately as three different questions on the ballot. At a Jan. 11 public meeting in North Haven High School’s auditorium, municipal officials urged residents’ approval of all three measures.

“At this point here in North Haven, we have a level of infrastructure that’s in significant decline,” said First Selectman Michael Freda, onstage, to the audience. “Our goal in this government is to show you exactly what this town needs to enhance its image, functionality and public safety for the future.”

“In my opinion, our infrastructure problems could adversely affect property values in town, and would just cost us more to fix down the road,” he added.

Timing is perfect to enter into new bonding agreements, Freda stated, for North Haven “is retiring major amounts of debt and because we can borrow at all-time low rates because the town is in great financial shape.” Large debt soon coming off of town books includes past construction costs for the Water Pollution Control Plant and high school.

“There seems to be this misnomer that we’re going to be borrowing all $14 million right away if this passes,” Freda said. “That’s not true. The borrowing would take place over a three-year period.”

In the current town budget, debt payments total $6.8 million. Should all $14 million in new bonds be passed, next fiscal year’s debt payments would only be $6.59 million, down $213,000, Freda said, because so much debt will soon be retired.

By 2019, even if voters approve all $14 million of capital improvements, yearly budget debt payments would be below $6 million. However, should all three items fail at referendum, debt payments next year would be only $5.7 million, and would dip beneath $5 million by 2019.

“There is risk in doing nothing, because our infrastructure would continue to decay,” Freda said, including North Haven’s four firehouses, which Fire Department representatives depicted as dangerously outdated.

“When I was first asked to be a part of this, like many of you I had never visited the fire department’s buildings. I thought that the buildings were safe and sound,” said Bridgeport firefighter, town resident and project committee member Lt. James Buck, “What I found out was very different.”

Fire Headquarters on Broadway is so undersized, according to Buck, that certain emergency equipment must be kept offsite at volunteer firehouses. “When you don’t have equipment at the same place as the department, unfortunately that leads to delays in response time,” he said. “And delays can hurt us.”

The Montowese Volunteer Company’s headquarters at 282 Quinnipiac Avenue is North Haven’s oldest firehouse. “It was built in the 30s and shows it,” Buck said. “And when you walk in you will see diesel exhaust soot on all the walls of the building, because diesel exhaust permeates the building whenever the volunteers start an apparatus.”

As Montowese’s garage dimensions were tailored for fire trucks common to the 1930s, newer, larger and longer apparatuses fit in with only inches to spare. “That delays response time,” Buck said.

Buildings for West Ridge and Northeast volunteer companies suffer from similar health hazards and cramped quarters, Buck said. “The clearance is so small at West Ridge, that if it snows while firefighters are out, they have to stop and shovel the snow away when they get back or the extra couple of inches of snow will make the apparatus crash into the top of the bay,” Buck said.

“We wouldn’t expect any locals or residents to work under these conditions,” he added. “Our firefighters have been working under these conditions for too long. I think they deserve more than that.”

Public Works’ request for a new facility is because a garage the department leases at 2 Grasso Avenue for sanitation and recycling vehicles and employees will no longer be available. “That property got sold and the new owner wants to bring in his own business,” said Public Works Director Lynn Sadosky.

Sadosky said that leasing elsewhere had been considered, but ultimately town officials determined that construction of a new garage at Public Works’ 110 Elm Street property would be less expensive long-term.

“This structure will have a lifespan of 50 or more years,” Sadosky said. “This would be a good financial decision.”

While North Haven can afford to mill and pave several miles of road per year, Sadosky said that costs for roads in need of such upgrades are greater than the town’s ability to afford them under normal circumstances.

“Everybody drives on these roadways,” she said. “I respectively ask that you come out on Jan. 24 and vote positively for the milling and paving of our roadways.”

Town decision-makers may encounter opposition to proposed bonding over costs. “I don’t question the need for the renovations and improvements to the firehouses,” said resident Norm Andrews during a public comment portion, “but, as a former businessman, and because of the economic times that we live in now, I am really concerned about the expenditures.”

“Instead of using all of these savings for the firehouses, maybe it would be possible to hold the line on taxes, which have certainly gone up,” he added.

Fire Chief Vincent Landisio defended the firehouses’ $9.23 million bonding price tag as inexpensive compared to nearby municipal projects of similar scope. “We have methodically gone through the cost-analysis of all these buildings,” he said. “These firehouses will be the cornerstone of the community for the next 40 to 50 years.”

“Our buildings are still open to anyone who wants to come in and see them before referendum,” he added. “We hope you’ll support our fire department as we have supported the community for the last 99 years.”