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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 next opportunity for public comment will be March 14 at 6:30 PM and the next public hearing will be Monday, March 21, 2008 at 7 PM.
There are 22 items on the agenda. The complete 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/Minutes/council_meeting_minutes.htm.
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.
Youth Advisory Council – The Council will consider an ordinance establishing a Youth Advisory Council. Action on this item was postponed by Council at its February 13th meeting. The ordinance proposes that the Council be composed of nine (9) residents who are full-time students at any school in Hartford and who are elected by their peers in a citywide election. The Council will advise and assist the Mayor and Council in programs that benefit youth and may undertake activities to encourage youth to be involved in the community. The Council will also keep track of conditions and needs of young people in the areas of employment, health, recreation, safety, and general welfare. The Council will collaborate with the City’s Youth Commission which is staffed by the Office of Youth Services. (Item #1)
Tax Fixing Agreement: The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing a tax assessment fixing agreement with The Hartford Fire Insurance Company and International Business Machines Corporation (IBM). The Hartford plans to construct a 31,725 square foot addition to its headquarters on Farmington Avenue and renovate 106,500 square feet of existing space to house a new data center within which will be equipment owned by both The Hartford and IBM. The Hartford has requested a tax assessment fixing agreement on the property improvements and the information technology equipment. State Law allows the assessment to be increased gradually over 8 years, from 10% in 2008 to 100% in 2015. The Council’s Operations, Management and Budget Committee recommends approval. (Item #6)
Proposed Lease: The Council will consider a resolution authorizing the City to lease space at 2 Holcomb Street to the NAACP for three years beginning April 1, 2008 at a charge of $1.00 per month. A public hearing on this matter was held on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 and the Council’s Operations, Management & Budget Committee recommends approval. The matter was also referred to the Health & Human Services Committee. (Item #8)
Old State House: The Council’s Operations, Management & Budget Committee recommends approval of a resolution that authorizes the City to terminate the lease with the Old State House Association for the Old State House (which is owned by the City) and enter into a lease with the State of Connecticut’s Joint Committee on Legislative Management. The lease will be for 99 years at a rent of $1.00 per year and JCLM will be responsible for all operations, maintenance and repairs, and capital improvements. A public hearing on this matter was held on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. (Item #9)
Referendum on Salaries of City Council Members – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that, if approved, will result in a referendum being on the ballot for the November 2008 election on whether or not the salaries of City Council members should be raised to $26,650 from the current salary of $15,000. If approved, the raise would take effect in January 2012 following the next Council elections. This proposed raise reflects the rate of inflation since the last salary adjustment in 1988, and is an attempt to bring the value of the council salary close to its 1988 amount. The Council’s Labor & Workforce Development Committee discussed this item and voted to send it to the Council for further discussion and recommendations. (Item #11 and 12)
Registration of Vacant Buildings – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance amending the Municipal Code regarding the registration of vacant buildings and lots, registration standards, and reporting requirements (Section 9-98A). If approved, the proposed amendment would require that owners of vacant buildings or lots register their properties at the department of economic development and that, in the case of buildings or lots that are to remain vacant, the owner submit a plan for securing the building or lot. Owners of the properties would pay an annual fee of $99.00, and would incur a fine of $99.00 per day in the event of non-compliance. There was a public hearing on this ordinance on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 and the matter was referred to the Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee. (Item #13)
Property Tax Reform – The Council will consider a veto by the Mayor of action taken by the Council at its February 13th meeting adopting a series of recommendations for property tax reform. The reasons given by the Mayor for the veto include failure of the Council to consider the Mayor’s original resolution and/or amend it in accordance with Council Rules and the lack of Council action on the controversial aspects of the recommendations made by the Property Tax Reform Task Force. The Mayor maintains that the Council’s action only supports the status quo and does not provide clear direction to Hartford’s State Legislative delegation. (Item #2)
Anti-Blight Amendment – The Council will consider an ordinance amending the definition of “blighted premises” in the City’s anti-blight regulations (Section 9-91 of the Municipal Code). The amendment deletes the requirement that City staff must have identified at least one violation of building, housing, zoning, fire, or health codes that pose a significant risk to health or safety on the premises or in the surrounding neighborhood. (Item #14)
Charter Revision Commission – The Council will vote on a resolution that will result in the establishment of a Charter Revision Commission by April 1, 2008. The City Charter was last amended in 2001. The resolution states that there is currently considerable public sentiment to again amend the Charter to create better balance of power between the Mayor and the City Council. The proposed Commission would undertake a thorough review of the current City Charter and all aspects of the structure of the City Government, including but not limited to the appointment of certain boards and commissions by the City Council, the appointment of the Corporation Counsel by the City Council, the authority of the City Treasurer in financial matters governing the City, special elections for the mayor, and the composition of the City Council. (Item #21)
Office of Human Relations Hiring Freeze – The Council will vote on a resolution calling upon the Mayor to lift the hiring freeze for the Office of Human Relations and reinstate and fill all budgeted positions. The resolution also calls upon the Department of Human Resources, through the Mayor, to provide the Office of Human Relations with appropriate levels of staffing needed to implement all programs, ordinances, and resolutions by Council. The resolution has been proposed because the Office of Human Relations has not implemented the Fair Lending Program, the Affirmative Action Plan, and the Affirmative Supplier Diversity Program. (Item #22)
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, 509-3710. The Council Preview/Review is a joint project of the Hartford 2000, and the Hartford Public Library. |
