Council Preview
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, February 23, 2009

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

The Council meeting will begin at 7 P.M. at Hartford City Hall in Council Chambers. The meeting will be preceded, at 6:00 PM, by an open agenda public hearing. The next Council meeting will be March 9 and the next public hearing will be March 16, 2009 at 7 PM.

There are 26 items on the agenda. Below is detailed information about items of special interest to neighborhoods. Following those details is a listing of all agenda items, in layperson's language. The complete official agenda for the Council meeting is available online by clicking on “Council Agendas” at the following web site: http://www.hartford.gov/government/Town&CityClerk/Agendas/archive.htm

ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

New Agenda Items

The following items appear for the first time on the Council's Agenda.

Golf Courses in Goodwin Park and Keney Park – The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into and execute a lease with MDM Golf, LLC, to manage Goodwin Park and Keney Park Golf Courses for five years with two renewal options of five years each at the mutual consent of the City and MDM. The rent to be paid by MDM to the City for the first five year term will be $100,000, rising to $125,000 for the second term and $150,000 for the third term if the lease is renewed. (Item #1)

Approval of Nominations for Boards, Committees, and Commissions – The Council will vote on a proposed amendment to an ordinance in the Municipal Code that, if approved, will require that all nominations made by the Mayor to various boards, committees, and commissions shall be referred to a relevant committee of the City Council before the City Council may vote in favor of or against a nomination. The boards, committees, and commissions to be included are: Board of Assessment Appeals, Board of Education, Committee on Abatement of Taxes and Assessments, Economic Development Commission, Ethics Commission, Hartford Housing Authority, Hartford Public Library, Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, Pension Commission, and the Zoning Board of Appeals. (Item #16)

Keith L. Carr, Sr., Corner – The Council will vote on a resolution that will result in the naming of the corner of Main Street and Albany Avenue, “Keith L. Carr, Sr., Corner.” Keith Carr, who passed away on January 7, 2008, is remembered as a community legend whose advocacy and commitment had a great impact on the West Indian/American community. He worked with youth through the design of an after school tutorial program at the Martin Luther King School in Hartford, a citywide fine arts summer program and a youth cricket program. He was also one of the first to organize merchants along Albany Avenue. His vision for Albany Avenue and Main Street served as a catalyst for many of the development plans currently being pursued for the area. (Item #17)

Previously Submitted Items:

The following items were previously on the Council Agenda and were included in the Council Preview/Review. They were referred to committees and/or public hearing or action was postponed by the Council. They are now on the agenda again for action.

Equestrian and Exhibition Center in Keney Park – Report from the Council's Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee on public comment heard on a resolution that would approve the selection of Ebony Horsewomen Inc. as the tentative developer for the purpose of identifying funding for the Connecticut Equestrian and Exhibition Center in Keney Park. A 200-acre section of the park has been identified for lease and an updated feasibility study has been completed that supports the need and economic opportunity for such a facility. The Council has referred the item to its Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee and its Planning & Economic Development Committee. (Item # 4)

Code of Ethics – The Council will consider amendments to the existing Code of Ethics ordinance. The amendments have to do with certain definitions, and with pension revocation in the event of convictions or pleas to criminal conduct, pension distribution pursuant to convictions or pleas to criminal conduct, and disclosure of financial records upon indictment or probable cause finding, arrest, or conviction of criminal conduct. A public hearing on this matter was held on Monday, November 17, 2008. The Council's Legislative Affairs Committee discussed the item but did not make a recommendation. The Council has previously postponed action on this item several times. (Item #5)

Ad Hoc Committee – The Council will consider a resolution stating that the City Council will appoint a three person ad-hoc committee composed of members of Council to work with the Mayor and the Unions to look for ways that Unions can assist the City in resolving the deficit and stabilizing its finances. This resolution was part of a series of ten resolutions addressing budget matters submitted in November 2008. Council has previously postponed action on this resolution several times. (Item #6)

Reduction in Salary for Highly Paid Managers – The Council will consider a resolution that City managers and executives with salaries above $80,000 accept progressively scaled salary reductions. The resolution states that City workers have been suffering losses of jobs and benefits and that, under these conditions, pay raises for government officials and highly-paid managers are not appropriate. The Council has previously postponed action on this item. (Item #7)

Historic Preservation Commission – The Council will consider an amendment to the Historic Preservation Ordinance that will delete the requirement that the ordinance terminate three years after it takes effect. The item was referred to the Planning & Economic Development Committee. (Item #13)

Day Off Without Pay – The Council will consider a resolution asking that the Mayor and his appointees volunteer to take a day off without pay in consideration of the difficult economic times and following the example of Governor Jodi Rell. The Council has previously postponed action on this matter. (Item #14)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. Golf Course Management. Authority to enter into a five-year lease with MDM Gold, LLC for management of Keney and Goodwin Golf Courses.
2. Second Quarter Report. Indication that 2nd Quarter Report will be submitted to the Council by February 23, 2009.
3. Revenue & Expenditure Report. Monthly Revenue & Expenditure Report for January 2009.
4. Equestrian Center. Report from the Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee summarizing public comment heard at the Committee's meeting on January 22nd.
5. Code of Ethics. Amendments to the City's Code of Ethics that expand definitions and provide for revocation of pensions of City officials or employees and reimbursement of monies spent by the City to pursue legal cases leading to convictions.
6. Ad-Hoc Committee. Appointment of a 3-person committee of councilmembers to work with the Mayor and City unions to seek ways to reduce the City's deficit and stabilize its finances.
7. Reduction in Salary. Resolution calling for City managers and executives with salaries above $80,000 to accept reductions in their pay.
8. Hartford Public High School. Authorization to appropriate $106.5 million and issue $105 million in bonds for renovation of Hartford Public High School.
9. Breakthrough Magnet School. Ordinance increasing the appropriation and bonding of funds for Breakthrough Magnet School by $1 million.
10. Classical Magnet School. Ordinance increasing the appropriation and bonding of funds for Classical Magnet School by $1.5 million.
11. PW,P&E Meeting Time. Approval to change the meeting time of the Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee to the 4th Thursday of each month at 5:30 PM in the Council Chambers.
12. Procurement. Proposed changes to the City's procurement system, including affirmative action.
13. Historic Preservation Commission. Deletion of a requirement that the historic preservation ordinance terminate three years after it takes effect.
14. Day Without Pay. Resolution asking the Mayor and his appointees to volunteer to take a day off without pay.
15. Appointment. Appointment of Robert Painter as an ad hoc member of the board of Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority.
16. Appointments. Ordinance requiring that all nominations made by the Mayor for seats on ten listed boards, commissions, and committees be referred to Council Committee before the Council votes on the nominations.
17. Keith Carr Corner. Resolution naming the corner of Main Street and Albany Avenue Keith L. Carr, Sr. Corner.
18. Independent Auditor. Resolution to designate (un-named) an independent auditor for the City.
19. Appointment. Resolution appointing Ronald Armstrong to a six year term on the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC).
20. Police Communications Contract. One-year renewal of contract with Nancy Mulroy to provide media and communications services to the Police Department with decreases in hours and weeks worked and reduction in hourly rate.
21. Fee Waiver. Request for fee waiver for Keney Park Family Day to be held on August 16, 2009.
22. Fee Waiver. Request for fee waiver for Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz to be held in Bushnell Park on July 17, 18, and 19, 2009.
23. Fee Waiver. Request for fee waiver for Annual Red Dress for Women Run, sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation, to be held in Elizabeth Park and surrounding streets on July 11, 2009.
24. Fee Waiver. Request for fee waiver for Phagwah (New Year) parade, sponsored by Shri Krishna Mandir, to be held in Goodwin Park on March 15, 2009.
25. Low-Power FM Radio. Resolution urging Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to restore the mandate to encourage and allow low-power FM radio channels to be licensed so that local citizens have increased access to the public airwaves.
26. Law School. Resolution creating a committee to study and explore the feasibility of creation of a Law School within the city of Hartford to meet the educational needs of residents under-represented in existing schools.

If you have any questions about the agenda, please call Richard Frieder at the Hartford Public Library, 695-6365, or Linda Bayer at Hartford 2000, 547-1663 X21. The Council Preview/Review is a joint project of Hartford 2000 and the Hartford Public Library.