Peter Nystrom Announcement Speech (4.26.13)

7/30/2019 Peter Nystrom Announcement Speech (4.26.13)

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Introduction

The city of Norwich has always been my home. I wasborn and raised here with my parents and my

brothers. I have raised my whole family here as well,sending my children to Park Nursery School, St.Patrick Cathedral, and Norwich Free Academy. Whilethey were growing up, my wife Linda and I wouldtake them to Mohegan Park to feed the ducks, playon the playscape, or just walk around Spaulding Pondenjoying a beautiful day with my family. We would goto the Norwichtown Mall, get a milkshake or ice

cream from Bee Bee Dairy, and then go see the littleanimals and the pet store, or let them play games inthe arcade. We would go to the marina for the Tasteof Italy every year, the Norwichtown green forNorwichtown Historic Days, and to St. Josephs onCliff Street for their carnival every spring. Norwichwas a great place to raise a family and makeunforgettable memories, and I believe, while many

things have changed, it still is.

As you all know, I have been representing this greatcity of Norwich in politics for almost 27 years. I havemet many amazing people, learned lessons andvalues that have stayed with me to this day. Whetherfrom the city council (where I first jumped intopolitics), the state house in Hartford, where I spent

nearly two decades representing all of you, or now asyour mayor for the past 3.5 years, it has been aprivilege and an honor to stand for this great city ofNorwich for all these years.

Three years ago things in this City were moving in

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much different directions. The focus became bringinggroups and organizations together, enhancingcommunities and improving efficiencies within thiscity. We have done that. Today, things are again

moving in a different direction. By working withNCDC and many other different departments, wehave focused on important issues like job retention,new opportunities for our city, putting Norwich backon the map, green energy initiatives, and education.

As far as job retention, we have created tools likethe downtown bond programs. This program allows

us to stand above other communities, one dedicatedto promoting a public/private partnership with a mainpurpose: to help stabilize and grow the grand list inthe city of Norwich.

While focusing on job retention, GuntherInternational Ltd actually planned to leave our citydue to escalating costs for their business. Integral

members of the city, like NCDC, NPU, the CityManager, and I, began a strategy of speaking withthe owners of their building, The New HampshireGroup. Because of the efforts of everyone involved,Gunther International Ltd. decided to keep theirbusiness here and stay in Norwich.

Another example of job retention is Nutmeg

Corporation. With the help of FEMA and DEEP,following the Yantic River flooding, there remains afinancial opportunity to help them find a newlocation.

New Business Opportunities

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The struggle in Norwich has always been gettingbusinesses to come. The opportunity arose towelcome new potential developers to our city, with

the combined efforts of people like the City Manager,the Planning Department, NCDC, and my office. In

June of 2011, Winstanley LLC of Massachusettsbegan expressing interest in the Norwichtown MallProperty, and eventually purchased it. As the publichas witnessed, new stores (like PetSense and HairCuttery) have opened and been repositioned to helpsustain others. With the passing of Ron Aliano, the

marinas future also came into question. We enteredinto discussion with Joyelle Management Group (outof Massachusetts), the result that we know today isthat they purchased the business, and completedrestoration providing us with a fully operationalmarina.

These 2 major decisions represent approximately

$25-$26 million dollars in investments in total here inthe City despite hard economic times. They addressa major point of mine throughout my first term: theyclearly represent the good that can occur wheneveryone works together for the same purpose, forone city.

The greatest example of an underperforming tax

base is the downtown area. While our city providesmany services, the revenue from the taxes collectedfalls short of the cost of the services. When votersapproved downtown business bonds, it gave us theopportunity to stand apart from any othercommunity (2010). The focus of these programs was

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to create an infusion of new commercial, retail andresidential opportunities in downtown. Our hope wasto create this movement back to downtown over a 5-year period. We must acknowledge that were more

than halfway through that five-year goal andalthough its been a slow and tedious experience, weare seeing a surge in new applications with strongbusiness plans from investors taking advantage ofthese programs according to NCDC. I can report toyou today that $1/2 million dollars in voter approvedmoney for rental assistance has been fully allocated.

The Council will soon be asked to move monies into

the rental assistance program from the other 2accounts-the loan and code compliance accounts.

While all of this has occurred I reached out to helpbring money to Norwich in other forms. My officereceives a host of grant notifications, both federaland state, to which I initiated local action to secure.One example is the Vibrant Communities Initiative or

VCI. I contacted the Connecticut Historic Trust,NCDC and the President of the Norwich Historicalsociety and we put a structure in place to apply forthe grant of $50,000. As of today, the grant wasawarded, the Requests For Proposals (RFPs) wereinitiated and work has been completed to repositionand repurpose historic building downtown whilemaintaining their historic value. I believe this allows

for the great historic value of Norwich to bepreserved well into the future.

Another major grant is $2 million for the sale ofnatural gas with private businesses like BackusHospital, Prime Electric and Levine Distributors.

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When my office received this grant opportunity Inotified our Clean Cities Coordinator, PeterPolubiatko of NCDC. He assisted in putting togetherthe grant application and coordinated efforts with

NPU. NPU expanded this opportunity by reaching outto employers in the City. Sometime this fall, well bebreaking ground for the installation of a natural gasfilling station in Norwichtown. This public/privateopportunity clearly pushes the city toward becominga greater green community. We must pause andgive credit to NPU- theyve been a shining exampleacross the State of Connecticut, operating the largest

public fleet of vehicles and leaders in the industry ofgreen technology.

Working with our Redevelopment Authority, chairedby Marge Blizzard, NCDC and I sought the approvalof the City Council to complete a citywide Brownfieldassessment plan for our city. This allows us to applyfor federal funding through the EPA to clean up our

old mills and other Brownfield sites.Following NPUs example one of the first initiatives asMayor, I authored a resolution to change thepurchasing policy for all city departments, requiringthem to search for Alternative Fuel Vehicles whenrequesting new vehicles during budget times. As amatter of public record, today the city is the proudowners of a new bus for the Senior Center fueled by

natural gas. It can transport 16 senior citizens andup to 3 wheelchairs. Public Works has purchased asmall dump truck powered by natural gas and we willsoon (May 23) see the first prototype of a fullyelectric trolley dedicated to providing free publictransportation throughout downtown. This is only

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possible because of the continued support anddedication of the Norwich Rotarians. We personallyowe them a deep debt of gratitude for completingthis project.

These are a number of important initiatives that Ihave promoted as Mayor. In seeking a second andfinal term, all these efforts can help lead to otheropportunities, working and pulling together for onecity.

A Platform For the Future

For the last six months, Ben Lathrop, mypredecessor, former Mayor and now the President ofNorwich Area Chamber of Commerce and I haverecognized and acknowledged the importance of avery active and vibrant tourism effort here in the Cityof Norwich. That plus the efforts of NCDC inpromoting Norwich as a member of the Last Green

Valley provide us with a wonderful opportunity in thenear future. Norwich is the southern- most point ofthe 35-town National Heritage Corridor in easternConnecticut and south-central Massachusetts knownas the Last Green Valley. The ultimate goal is toestablish 4 welcoming centers throughout the LGVregion, with Norwich possibly being one of them! AsMayor, I am proposing to seize this opportunity and

embrace the efforts of the Founders of the Society ofNorwich to revitalize and restore the Leffingwell Innand to develop the 2 parcels of land at the end ofRoute 2 as the welcoming center linked with the LastGreen Valley. I have already initiated discussionswith members of the Founders of the Society of

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Norwich. I will initiate the activity and supportnecessary with the next Council elected to bring thisto fruition. We will forever put Norwich on the map,with this regional tourism effort.

Many of us recognize that the city owns a number ofproperties in downtown. Also, at this time, a numberof privately owned properties are up for sale. Today Iask that we make a choice to create aredevelopment plan for downtown. Completing aredevelopment plan in downtown will allow us tobring additional financial resources to the table, to

encourage further investment. This builds on whatwe have already started with the downtown bondprograms.

As Mayor I will continue to further promote andallocate resources toward green initiatives inconsultation and partnership with NPU and furtheracknowledge and restore historic sites within the City

of Norwich. Such an effort has begun in partnershipwith Mohegan Tribe in promoting the development ofthe Uncas Leap site. I as Mayor, along with the nextcity council will pursue and complete this endeavor.

With Education consisting of 2/3 of the citys budget,there must continue to be a willing partnership aswas started when I became Mayor. True economic

development cannot occur unless new young familiesconsidering coming to Norwich see a strongeducation system supported by all. The partnershipthat we began when I became Mayor in workingopenly and collectively to enhance and improve thesystem of education here in Norwich must continue.

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Over the next 4 years, it is imperative that wecontinue to work as a team, to encouragetransparency in government. Even the failed police

bond represents that effort as it even includedmoving expenses. While it was rightly rejectedbecause of cost, the need remains. To this end werecently appointed a new Citizens Advisory Panel.

Their job is to review all prior physical sites anddocuments pertaining to a new location for a policedepartment. They will also accept new sites andrecommendations as part of their mission. The

future councils are responsible for addressing thefindings they present. As Mayor of the City ofNorwich, I strongly pushed for and supported a newexpanded police force, incorporating a community-policing model. We must never walk away fromcontinuing to strengthen our Public Safetyresponsibilities to families, property and businessesin the City of Norwich. Recent events have shown us

all too well the violent nature that is overcoming oursociety. We must remain steadfast in ourcommitment.

My platform for re-election:-I bring experience and results to this job unmatchedby other candidates-Completing a redevelopment plan for the downtown

-Re-establishing an active tourism board for the cityof Norwich and expanding our tourism connectionsthroughout the region-Continued strengthening of our community policingmodel and ensuring they have the resources forremaining safe in these troubled times. This must

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include finding a cost effective site for the PoliceStation.-Adopting further additional polices encouraginggreen technologies

-Further strengthen our working relationship withBoard of Education and assist them with theirmission-Because we are a full service city the tax burden ishigh. The responsibility of elected officials is to bringnew businesses and jobs to our city to relieve the taxburden.

A central theme can be found through all of theseefforts regardless of subject matter. We mustcontinue to provide an environment where familiesand businesses want to grow, stay, or relocate herein Norwich. Relieving the tax burden by helping theNPU sell more natural gas and electricity withexpanded customer base. The great city of Norwichhas always been my home, and it will continue to be

that way forever.

For all these reasons stated, I announce today I willbe seeking a second and final term as Mayor.Working together we are strong-pulling together weget results. Please join me in this campaign. I askfor your help and vote for one city, our city. Thankyou.

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Documents

Peter Nystrom Announcement Speech (4.26.13)