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Prepared by: Citizens’ Research Education Network,
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000
There were 42 items on the agenda: four more were walked in during the meeting. The next Council meeting will be Monday, March 22, 2004 at 7 PM. The next public hearing will be March 15 at City Hall in Council Chambers. There will be a special public hearing for Community Development Block Grant funds on March 18: exact time and place of that meeting have not been determined.
Proposed Changes to Property Tax Structure: The Council passed on consent a resolution pertaining to the recommendations made by the Mayor and the Property Tax Task Force. By passing the resolution City Council has endorsed a homestead exemption for Hartford taxpayers. This change, and others suggested in the Tax Task Force report, will require legislative changes at the state level in order to be implemented.
According to the report of the Property Tax Task Force, if there are no changes made in Hartford's method of taxing, taxes could go up by 70% this summer for homeowners.
CDBG Funds for 2003-2004: The City Council referred to the Management and Budget Committee and to public hearing on March 18 a resolution authorizing the programming of $9,483,282 to various programs. (The time and place of the public hearing have not yet been determined.) The money represents the City's annual allotment of federal funds for local programs. The funds include:
Program Year 30 Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), $6,172,000,
Home Investment Partnership (HOME) $2,111,859,
Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) $1,023,000, and
Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG) $176,423.
“Friends of” Parks Contract Monitoring: The Council referred to the Public Works, Parks, and Environment Committee a resolution calling for committee hearings on how to best monitor and audit contractual relationships between Friends of the Various parks and vendors who sell food in the parks. Under the resolution the committee has 60 days to report back to the Council.
Coltsville Heritage Park: The Council passed on consent a resolution authorizing the Mayor to submit a proposal and grant application to the federal Economic Development Administration to fund renovation and related infrastructure costs and enter into agreement to administer funds associated with Coltsville Heritage Park. Up to $2 million will be requested. The grant requires a 20-25% local match, which will be covered by private and other sources.
Human Capitol Development Agenda: The Council received a report from the Health and Human Services Committee detailing discussions on the establishment of a human capitol development agenda. The purpose of the agenda is to identify gaps in services and to identify resources available from local, state, and federal sources. Among the areas of need identified were reintroduction of those formerly incarcerated, employment barriers, resources for grandparents, and a variety of health issues. The discussion will be continued by subgroups focusing on specific issues.
Improvements to School Buildings: The Council passed on consent an ordinance concerning an appropriation of $2,111,739 in the Capital Improvement Fund for general improvements to the following school buildings: Hartford Transitional Learning Academy, Bulkeley High School, and Martin Luther King School. The funds are from the State of Connecticut Department of Education and the work must be completed and paid for by October 31, 2005. Local matching funds are not required.
Coordination of Park Street Streetscape Project: The Council passed a resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the Spanish American Merchants Association (SAMA) to provide coordination of construction activities and associated interruption of business activities during the Park Street Streetscape Project for a fixed fee of $150,000.
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. |
