Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, January 10, 2011

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 36 items on the original agenda. Two additional items were submitted during the meeting. The next regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, January 23, 2012 at 7 P.M. in the Council Chambers in Hartford City Hall. The next public hearing will be Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 7 PM.

This Review consists of two sections: Items of Special Interest and Action on All Agenda Items. The City’s official listing of actions taken on all items on this agenda can be found online at: http://www.hartford.gov/government/Town&CityClerk/Minutes/council_meeting_minutes.htm

ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Sale of Tax Liens – The Council referred, to its Operations, Management & Budget Committee, a resolution that authorizes the City to sell tax liens on 217 Beacon Street to the West End Civic Association (WECA) for $1.00 and the promise to pay the City the amount due under the liens. The liens were placed by the City as a result of the failure of the current owner to pay property taxes owed on the property, which is a blighted two-family house. WECA will foreclose on the tax liens and take ownership of the property. They will then transfer title to a contractor who will renovate the building in a manner that is consistent with the architectural character and historical nature of the property and neighborhood. (Segarra) (Item #13)

New Voting Districts – The Council passed a resolution approving the boundaries of new voting districts for the city of Hartford. Every ten years, the boundaries of Connecticut’s House, Senate, and Congressional districts are adjusted based upon population changes reflected in the U.S. Census. These changes have resulted in the need to reconfigure the city’s voting districts. Maps of the new districts and legal descriptions of the boundaries are available in the office of the Town and City Clerk. (Segarra) (Item #14)

Tax Collector’s Report – The Council received the Tax Collector’s Annual Report for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The report indicates that tax collections exceeded the budgeted amount by $4.7 million. The report also provides highlights of actions taken by the City to improve customer service, including a one-time fee relief program, which allowed delinquent motor vehicle tax payers to pay amounts due without added collection fees, and a change to motor vehicle collection procedures which allows taxpayers to make payments at City Hall instead of to the collection vendor. (Nelson) (Item #16)

Sale of City-Owned Land – The Council referred, to its Planning & Economic Development Committee, a resolution authorizing the City to sell a vacant parcel of land, located in the Parkville Neighborhood adjacent to the Stop & Shop Supermarket, to Hayes Property for construction of a fueling station. The City acquired the four properties at 126 and 130 New Park Avenue and 8 and 161 Francis Court and issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of the site. Hayes Properties responded to the RFP and was selected to be recommended to the Council as the developer. The proposed use is subject to approval by both the Capitol Region Council of Governments and the Hartford Planning & Zoning Commission. The Parkville NRZ opposes the sale and the Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee previously voted to table the item. (Segarra) (Item #17)

Council Rules – The Council adopted Rules for the 2012-2016 term. The rules include meeting schedules, procedures for conducting meetings, the process for accepting items for consideration at a Council meeting, and the establishment of committees. Committees are: Education, Health & Human Services, Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs, Planning & Economic Development, Quality of Life, Public Safety & Housing, and Public Works, Parks & Environment. Council meetings will continue to be held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays at 7 PM and Public Hearings on the 3rd Monday at 7 PM. The Rules also provide for public comment between 6 and 7 PM on the date of the first Council meeting of the month and at every Council Committee meeting. (Wooden) (Item #22)

Charter Revision – The Council referred, to its Operations, Management, Budget and Legislative Affairs Committee, a resolution stating that a Charter Revision Commission be appointed for the purpose of undertaking a review of the current City Charter and all aspects of the structure of Hartford City Government. (Cotto) (Item #27)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. NSP Grant. Authorization to accept a $1,625,000 grant from the CT Department of Economic & Community Development to be used for renovation of blighted buildings in Frog Hollow, Clay Arsenal, and Asylum Hill for homeownership. (Segarra) Passed
2. Lead Poisoning Prevention. Approval to accept $79,394 from the CT Department of Public Health to be used for lead poisoning prevention activities. (Segarra) Passed
3. Park Street Grant. Authorization to accept $4.7 million in grant funds from the CT Department of Economic & Community Development to be used for façade improvements along Park Street and renovation of the Lyric Theater for use as an Hispanic Cultural Center. (Segarra) Passed
4. Brownfields Grant. Approval to accept a grant of $450,000 from the CT Department of Economic & Community Development for remediation of contaminated soil on the site of the former Capewell factory. (Segarra) Passed
5. Cities Readiness. Authorization to accept $26,000 from the CT Department of Public Health for emergency preparedness enhancements. (Segarra) Passed
6. Land Sale. Approval for the City to sell 41 and 42 Grand Street to the Charter Oak Health Center for surface parking lots for staff and patients. (Segarra) Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Public Hearing on February 21, 2012
7. PAL. Resolution accepting the donation of space by the T.W. Raftery Company for use by the Police Activities League (PAL). (Segarra) Passed
8. Motorcycle. Acceptance of the donation of a 2009 Harley Davidson Motorcycle from Whelen Engineering Company for use by the Hartford Police Department’s Traffic Division. (Segarra) Passed
9. Capitol Towers Tax Abatement. Authorization to enter into a 30-year tax abatement for the 144 unit Capitol Towers elderly housing complex. (Segarra) Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee and Operations, Management, Budget and Legislative Affairs Committee
10. Underwood Large Family Tax Abatement. Authorization to enter into a 30-year tax abatement for the 25 unit Underwood Large Family housing complex. (Segarra) ) Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee and Operations, Management, Budget and Legislative Affairs Committee
11. Underwood Elderly Tax Abatement. Authorization to enter into a 30 year tax abatement for the 136 unit Underwood Elderly housing complex. (Segarra) ) Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee and Operations, Management, Budget and Legislative Affairs Committee
12. Settlement. Approval of the settlement of M.A. New England v. City of Hartford for $437,500. (Segarra) Passed
13. Sale of Tax Lien. Authorization to sell the tax liens on 217 Beacon Street to the West End Civic Association for $1.00. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and Public Hearing on January 17, 2012
14. Voting Districts. Approval of new voting districts for the city of Hartford. (Segarra) Passed
15. Transfer of Funds. Transfer of $55,000 to the Office of the Registrars of Voters. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
16. Tax Collector’s Report. Report of activities and collections during the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. (Nelson) Received
17. Sale of City Land. Approval of the sale of City-owned land at 126 and 130 New Park Avenue and 8 and 161 Francis Court to Hayes Properties for construction of a fueling station. (Segarra) Referred to the Planning & Economic Development Committee
18. Power Generation. Establishment of a task force to investigate the creation of a municipally-owned power generation and supply facility. (Deutsch) Referred to the Planning & Economic Development Committee
19. LGBTI Commission. Ordinance changing the composition of the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues from all Hartford residents to a majority of Hartford residents. (Segarra) ) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
20. Bed Bugs. Ordinance concerning the management and enforcement of bed bug extermination in Hartford residences. (Segarra) Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
21. Appointment. Appointment of James Sargent as Executive Assistant to Council President Shawn Wooden. (Wooden) Passed
22. Council Rules. Adoption of Council Rules for the period 2012 – 2016. (Wooden) (also see #31) Passed
23. Appointment. Appointment of Monique Daley as Executive Assistant to Councilman Kyle Anderson. (Anderson) Passed
24. Reappointment. Reappointment of Olga Colon as Executive Assistant to Councilman Alexander Aponte. (Aponte) Passed
25. CT Pride. Allocation of $2,000 to CT Pride Hartford. (Aponte) ) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
26. UANC. Allocation of $2,000 to the Upper Albany Neighborhood Collaborative. (Aponte) ) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
27. Charter Revision. Establishment of a Charter Revision Commission. (Cotto) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
28. Appointment. Appointment of Fernando Marroquin as Executive Assistant to Councilman Luis Cotto. (Cotto) Passed
29. Traffic Study. Resolution asking the Mayor to conduct a study of the possibility of changing one-way directions on School and Colonial Streets. (Cotto) Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
30. Appointment. Appointment of Giselle Feliciano as Executive Assistant to Councilman Raul DeJesus. (DeJesus) Passed
31. Council Rules. Proposed amendment to Council Rules setting time limits for Committees to report back to Council. (Deutsch, Jennings) Tabled
32. Reappointment. Reappointment of Shelly Jackson as Executive Assistant to Councilman Larry Deutsch. (Deutsch) Passed
33. Appointment. Appointment of Jean Ward as Executive Assistant to Councilwoman Cynthia Jennings. (Jennings) Passed
34. West Indian Foundation. Allocation of $2,500 to the West Indian Foundation. (Kennedy) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee
35. Reappointment. Reappointment of Georgiana Holloway as Executive Assistant to Councilman Kenneth Kennedy. (Kennedy) Passed
36. Majority Leader. Appointment of Councilman Alexander Aponte as Majority Leader of the Court of Common Council. (Kennedy, Wooden) Passed
37. Council Committees. Appointment of members to the Council’s Standing Committees. (Wooden) Passed
38. Minority Leader. Appointment of Councilman Larry Deutsch as Minority Leader of the Court of Common Council. (Jennings) Passed

If you have any questions about the agenda, please call Richard Frieder at the Hartford Public Library, 695-6365, or email Linda Bayer at lbayer@Hartford2000.org. The Council Preview/Review is a joint project of Hartford 2000 and the Hartford Public Library.