Council Approves Exterior Improvement Grant for Della's Deli, Changes to November Meeting Times
By Chris Johnson on October 29, 2024
A downtown business will receive some assistance via a grant for recent exterior improvements as City Council on Monday approved a Bridgeport Development Authority recommendation.
Community Development Director Andrea Kerr said the Development Authority met on Oct. 21 and unanimously approved the request of Della’s Deli for the exterior improvement grant.
Also at Monday’s regular meeting, Council finalized its November plans with meetings on back-to-back days.
“November 18th will be a regular meeting and November 19th will be the first half of our annual strategic planning meeting,” Mayor Andy Lang said.
According to its charter, Council is required to have two meetings per month. The normal schedule is for the second Monday of each month followed by another two weeks after.
Lang noted that adjusting the schedule in November and December is something Council has done in the past in order to get both meetings in without interfering with holidays at the end of each month.
The only other items of new business on the agenda were a series of reappointments.
Dave Parsons was reappointed to the Bridgeport Cyber Security Advisory Committee for a term of three years from April 1, 2024 through March 31, 2027.
Bridget Furbee and John Stogran were reappointed to the Bridgeport Development Authority for terms of three years from Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2027.
Fred Sartoris was reappointed to the Bridgeport Development Authority for a term of three years from Nov. 1 through Oct. 31, 2027.
Hank Murray, Robert Greer and Doug Gray were reappointed to the Bridgeport Planning Commission for terms of three years from Nov. 1, 2024 through Oct. 31, 2027.
A discussion on Charles Pointe TIF was originally scheduled for Monday’s meeting but postponed to a date to be determined.
In Lang’s Report by the Mayor he welcomed two international guests to the meeting as his daughter’s friends from France were in attendance. He then turned the floor over to Patrick Ford, for his first official City Manager’s Report since his recent hiring.
Ford took the time to offer thanks to everybody who has helped him make a seamless transition into his new job and how impressed he is with projects and activities he has seen completed, currently going on and being planned for from Parks and Recreation, the City Library, Public Works and the Police Department.
During closing comments from Council members, Clayton Rice thanked Public Works for their recent efforts. Jon Griffith and Hank Murray, who provided the invocation at the start of the meeting, both welcomed the visitors from France and welcomed Ford to his first Council meeting.
Councilman John Wilson had the final word and he raved about the Bridgeport High School Theatre Department’s performance of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.
“Amazing,” Wilson said. “Academy awards for everything and everybody. It was outstanding.”
Editor's Note: In top photo (from left): Councilman Don Burton, Councilman Jon Griffith, Councilman Clayton Rice, Councilman Jason Campbell, Police Chief Mark Rogers, City Manager Patrick Ford, Mayor Andy Lang, Councilman John Wilson, City Recorder Hank Murray and City Attorney Dean Ramsey. Second photo is of Rice (left) and Campbell and bottom photo is of Wilson.
