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City councils

Secret Development Deal Rocks New London: A Call to Action

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The city of New London has come under scrutiny for awarding prime developer status to a Long Island engineering firm without public input or competitive bidding. Advanced American Engineering, led by David Hancock, was chosen by Mayor Passero, who reportedly took the recommendation of Yehuda Amar, a businessman with a history of alleged extortion and bribery charges. The city council voted to approve the deal behind closed doors, without providing any details or an opportunity for public comment.

Key Takeaways:

  • The city of New London awarded prime developer status to Advanced American Engineering without a request for proposals or public input.
  • The developer, David Hancock, has no experience in waterfront development and his company has only a "virtual" office on Long Island.
  • The city's mayor, Passero, took the recommendation of Yehuda Amar, who is facing charges of bribery, tax evasion, and conspiracy.
  • The city council voted on the deal behind closed doors, without providing any details or an opportunity for public comment.
  • The mayor promised that the developer would unveil their plans within weeks, but this has yet to happen.
  • The city councilors who voted for the deal should be held accountable and replaced with new candidates who prioritize transparency and public input.
  • The city should wait out the one-year contract and let it expire before starting the process over with a competitive bid.

Statistics:

  • 21: The number of felony charges leveled against Yehuda Amar, including bribery, obtaining property under false pretenses, conspiracy, and failures to file corporate and personal income tax returns.
  • February: The next pretrial conference date for Yehuda Amar's trial.
  • 1 year: The length of the contract with Advanced American Engineering, which will expire before any development can begin.
  • 100%: The percentage of the developer's plan that remains unknown to the public, despite promises of publicity.

Sources:

  • Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha's statement on Yehuda Amar's indictment (December 2019)
  • The Day (New London, Conn.) article by David Collins (October 28, 2021)

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