Ansonia makes solar, digital plans

Michael P. Mayko, August 11, 2014

ANSONIA -- The city is going solar.

The Board of Aldermen on Monday night approved a deal with Greenskies Renewable Energy LLC of Middletown to install solar panels on a heightened section of Ansonia's landfill site on North Division Street.

Chris Tymniak, the city's chief administrative officer, told the alderman that engineering will take about a month and installation about five weeks.

"They could begin providing energy by as soon as October," Tymniak said.

He said the projected savings on the city's electricity bill would be $43,000 this year and $80,000 in each of the next 19 years.

Meanwhile, the city also cut a deal withSmarthome and Theater Systems to install a digital recording system in the aldermanic chambers.

The aldermen approved spending $9,324 for the system, which includes a two-camera system. One of the cameras is to be trained on the city officials conducting the meeting and the other on the audience.

"This is something I proposed three and a half years ago," said John P. Marini, the city's corporation counsel, who was an alderman at the time.

"We know not everyone can attend a meeting," he said.

So, Marini said, those unable to attend a meeting could buy a DVD recording, download the audio and video onto a memory stick or watch the proceedings on a public access channel or YouTube.

"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to see their elected officials in action," he said. "It also part of our goal to bring transparency to government."

Marini said the city will be looking to reserve space on Comcast's Public Access Channel.

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