Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, February 14, 2005

Prepared by: Citizens’ Research Education Network, Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There are 57 items on the agenda. The Council meeting will begin at 7 P.M. at Hartford City Hall in Council Chambers. It will be preceded by an open agenda public hearing that will begin at 6:30 P.M. The next Council meeting will be Monday, February 28, 2005 at 7 P.M. The next public hearing will be Tuesday, February 22^nd. The public hearing will be Tuesday rather than Monday due to observance of Presidents’ Day.

Local Law Enforcement Block Grant:  The Council passed on consent a resolution authorizing Mayor Eddie Perez to accept $118,188 in federal Local Law Enforcement Block Grants funds to be used primarily to continue block watch organizing programs.  A portion of the funds will also be used for enforcement of hot spots and the Police Explorers youth program. 

Solving the City’s Waste Disposal Issues:  The Council passed a resolution calling on the Mayor to request information from the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority (CRRA) on the landfill.  The resolution also asks the Mayor to explore ways to make recycling convenient and safe for residents and business owners, and that he provide quarterly updates to the Council and the Public Works, Parks, and Environment Committee on waste disposal issues.

Pope Park:  The Council referred to the Public Works and Park Committee and to a public hearing on February 22^nd, a proposed ordinance that if approved would result in a supplemental appropriation of $50,000 in the Hartford Parks Trust Fund to implement the Master Plan for Pope Park. Total project costs are $550,000.  In addition to the $50,000 to be appropriated by the proposed ordinance, $100,000 was previously allocated and $400,000 will be funded by a grant from the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.

Funding for the Northend Senior Center:  The Council passed a resolution authorizing the City to apply for and receive funding for the Northend Senior Center from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.  The Foundation has invited the City to apply for a three year grant.  The request will be for $453,140 and, if awarded, will be used to fund two new staff positions and to sustain center operations and programs.

No Heat Program:  The Council passed a resolution authorizing the Mayor to identify funds to contribute towards the cost of the No Heat Program and to direct Licenses & Inspections (L&I) and the Division of Grants Management to manage the funds for the program.  Under the No Heat Program, landlords are required to provide safe and adequate heat.  If heat fails in a building, the landlord has up to six hours to complete repairs after which time L&I is directed to take steps to “arrest the owner, make repairs and /or provide temporary shelter, and bill the owner of all costs, including costs of inspection.” 

Bio-terrorism Preparedness Grant:  The Council passed a resolution authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to accept funding in the amount of $110,640.38 from the Centers for Disease Control, through the Connecticut Department of Public Health, to develop the infrastructure needed to plan and prepare for a bio-terrorism event.  This funding will be used to continue efforts begun in 2002 to develop a comprehensive bio-terrorism plan.  

Hartford Healthy Start:  The Council passed a resolution authorizing the City to apply for and receive funds for the Hartford Healthy Start: Eliminating Disparities Grant in the amount of $750,000 for use over four years.  It is expected that approximately 1,150 women and their children and infants would be served resulting in improved birth outcomes for participants in nine neighborhoods:  Northeast, Upper Albany, Clay Arsenal, Blue Hills, Asylum Hill, Frog Hollow, Parkville, Sheldon Charter Oak, and South Green.  The grant is made available through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Cemetery Proposal for Batterson Park:  The Council received a communication from the Public Works, Parks, and Environment Committee with regards to a proposal to use a portion of Batterson Park for a cemetery.  The cemetery would be managed by Memorial Properties in New Jersey and would potentially generate $50,000 a year for Hartford.  Some considerations expressed during the meeting included concerns for wetlands and runoff, additional buildings that may be needed, and how receptive the town of Farmington is about the cemetery.  (The land is in Farmington.)  There was no resolution attached to the communication.

If you have any questions about the agenda call Greg Vickers at CREN, 509-3701 or Richard Frieder at the Hartford Public Library, 695-6365.  The Council Preview is a joint project of the Citizens' Research Education Network and the Hartford Public Library.