Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, March 12, 2012

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 27 items on the original agenda. No additional items were submitted during the meeting. The next public hearing will be Monday, March 19, 2012 at 7 PM. The next regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 7 P.M. All meetings are held in the Council Chambers in Hartford City Hall.

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

960 Main Street – The Council referred, to its Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and to public hearing, a resolution authorizing an amendment to the lease between the City of Hartford and the owners of 960 Main Street (the former G. Fox building). Currently, the Hartford Public Schools occupy the 8th and 9th floors and a portion of the basement. They wish to open a welcome center in retail space on the first floor. Under the lease amendment, the City would rent 1,854 square feet of space for an annual rental payment of $22,248 which will include electricity, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Tenant improvements would be paid for by the Hartford Public Schools and reimbursed by the building owners. (Segarra) (Item #2)

Summer Meals – The Council passed a resolution that authorizes the City to apply for and accept a grant of approximately $250,000 in US Department of Agriculture funds through the Connecticut Department of Education. The funds will be used to provide approximately 75,000 breakfasts and lunches to children and youth during the summer when school breakfast and lunch programs are not available. Meals will be provided from June 25 through August 17 at 35 sites throughout Hartford, including parks, libraries, and recreation centers. (Segarra) (Item#3)

Sale of City-Owned Land – The Council tabled 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 Parkville NRZ opposed the sale. The Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee voted to return the item to Council without a recommendation. (Segarra) (Item #9) Note: Because the item had previously been tabled, the action to table at this meeting will result in there being no further consideration of the item by the Council.

General Obligation Bonds – The Council approved an ordinance authorizing the City to issue $5.3 million in General Obligation Bonds for the purpose of providing a grant to the owners of the Colt Gateway project for the renovation of the South Armory building into 79 units of housing. The project is the site of the former Colt Manufacturing Company and, when renovations are completed, will include residential, office, and retail development. The designation of the area as a National Park is currently pending. (Segarra) (Item #13 and 19)

Elderly Tax Relief – The Council referred, to its Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and to public hearing, an ordinance which would make changes to the City’s Elderly Tax Relief program. The program provides tax credits to homeowners who are 65 years of age or older whose incomes are below certain limits. The ordinance would increase the income limits from $35,400 to $45,500 for individuals and from $41,600 to $52,000 for married couples. The $500 tax credit would be retained for one to three family homes but would be increased to $1,500 for four family houses. The ordinance would also replace annual applications with biannual applications. (Segarra) (Item #24)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. Settlement. Proposed settlement of Rhashim Campbell v. City of Hartford. (Segarra) Passed
2. Lease Agreement. Amendment to a lease between the City and the owner of 960 Main Street for rental of an additional 1,854 square feet on the first floor for use as a welcome center for the Hartford Public Schools. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and public hearing
3. Summer Meals. Authorization to accept a $250,000 grant from the CT Department of Education for summer breakfasts and lunches for children and youth. (Segarra) Passed
4. State Library Grant. Authorization to accept a $9,500 grant from the CT State Library for the continued archiving of City documents. (Segarra) Passed
5. Commission on Aging. Confirmation of reappointments of Harry Hartie and Ethel Wallace-Jenkins to the Commission on Aging. (Segarra) Referred to Health & Human Services Committee
6. Easement. Approval for the City to enter into an agreement to allow Comcast of Connecticut to use a 10’ by 700’ piece of City land at 61 Savitt Way to install underground communication cables. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and public hearing
7. NCAAA Grant Funds. Authorization for the City to accept $249,000 in grant funds from the North Central Area on Agency for Dial-a-Ride services, the Home Help program, and the Keep on Living program. (Segarra) Passed
8. Homeless Issues. Report from the Health & Human Services Committee on the March 5th meeting at which homeless issues were discussed. Received
9. 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) Tabled
10. Planning & Zoning Commission. Resolution was divided into two. Confirmation of appointment of Anthony Koos to the Planning & Zoning Commission was approved. Confirmation of Ramon Espinoza and John Lupo as regular members, and Gerry Pleasant as an alternate member, of the Planning & Zoning Commission was postponed. (Segarra)
11. Redevelopment Agency. Resolution was divided into two. Confirmation of appointments of Bernadine Silvers and Suzanne Hopgood to the Hartford Redevelopment Agency was approved. Confirmation of reappointment of Steven Bonafonte to the Hartford Redevelopment Agency was postponed. (Segarra)
12. Parking Authority. Confirmation of the appointment of Mathew Jasinski to the Hartford Parking Authority. (Segarra) Passed
13. Bonding. Report by the Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee on discussions regarding authorization to sell $5.3 million in General Obligation Bonds to provide a grant to Colt Gateway for rehabilitation of the South Armory building into housing units. (Segarra) Received
14. 220 High Street. Approval to sell City-owned property at 220 High Street to the Greater Hartford Police Federal Credit Union for $157,000. (Segarra) Passed
15. Food Policy. Confirmation of the appointment of Martha Page to the Commission on Food Policy. (Segarra) Passed
16. Bed Bugs. Report from Health & Human Services Committee recommending passage of an ordinance concerning the management and enforcement of bed bug extermination in Hartford residences. (Segarra) Received
17. Bank of America. Requirement that Bank of America notify the City’s Corporation Counsel prior to foreclosing on any Hartford residential or commercial property. (Deutsch) Withdrawn
18. Special Assessment. Report from the Quality of Life, Public Safety, & Housing Committee recommending approval of an ordinance creating a process and procedures for placing a special assessment on blighted properties. (Segarra) Received
19. Bonding. Authorization to sell $5.3 million in General Obligation Bonds to provide a grant to Colt Gateway for rehabilitation of the South Armory building into housing units. (Segarra) Passed
20. Special Assessment. Creation of a process and procedures for placing a special assessment on blighted properties. (Segarra) Passed
21. Bed Bugs. Ordinance concerning the management and enforcement of bed bug extermination in Hartford residences. (Segarra) Passed
22. Riverfront Parks. Approval for subcontractors of Riverfront Recapture, Inc. to serve alcohol at events in the Riverfront Parks. (Segarra) Passed
23. Traffic Study. Resolution asking the Mayor to conduct a study of the possibility of changing one-way directions on School and Colonial Streets. (Cotto) Passed
24. Elderly Tax Relief. Amendments to the Elderly Tax Relief program to raise income limits to $52,000 for a married couple and $45,500 for a single individual and to increase the tax credit on a 4-family home from $500 to $1,500. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee and public hearing
25. Dillon Stadium. Resolution asking the Mayor to issue a Request for Proposals for naming rights for Dillon Stadium. (Cotto) Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee
26. Marshall House. Allocation of $40,676 to Marshall House for its shelter for women and families. (Deutsch, Jennings) Postponed to March 26, 2012
27. Investigation. Call for investigation, by the Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee, of the poor conditions of city streets brought about by work done by construction and utility contractors. (Deutsch) Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee

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.