Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, March 22, 2010

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 42 items on the original agenda. One additional item was submitted during the meeting. The next regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 7 P.M. in the Council Chambers in Hartford City Hall, preceded at 6:00 by a public comment period. The next public hearing will be Monday, April 19, 2010 at 7 PM.

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

Land Sale – The Council passed a resolution authorizing the sale of a 13 acre parcel of land at 1020 Wethersfield Avenue to the Metropolitan District for a price of $1.6 million. This land will be used by the District for construction of the South Hartford Conveyance and Storage Tunnel which is part of the Clean Water Project. The 13 acres is part of a 21 acre parcel. The City will retain easements to provide access to portions of the City's flood control system including a pumping station and Clark Dike. A public hearing on this matter was held on March 15 and the Council's Planning & Economic Development Committee recommended approval. (Item #7)

Living Wage – The Council adopted amendments to the Living Wage Ordinance which requires that employers with certain contracts with the City must pay a living wage to their employees. The amendments expand the types of contractors covered by the ordinance to include construction contracts and contracts for management supervision and apply the provisions of the law to contracts of more than $20,000 (reduced from $50,000). "Living wage" is defined as 120% (up from 110%) of the federal poverty level for a family of four. If the employer does not provide health benefits, additional payment must be made to the employee. The ordinance is administered by the Human Relations Department. A public hearing was held on this matter on March 15 and the Council's Labor and Workforce Development Committee recommended approval. (Items #9 and 42)

Geraldine McBride Corner – The Council passed a resolution naming the corner of Burnham and Granby Streets "Geraldine McBride Corner" in honor of Ms. McBride who was a crossing guard for 17 years and was killed as she saved two young boys from being hit by a vehicle at the intersection. The Public Building Dedication Committee recommended approval. (Item #15)

Appeals of FOI Decisions – The Council postponed action on a resolution advising and urging the Mayor to no longer authorize appeals of Freedom of Information (FOI) Commission decisions unless the City Council approves such an appeal and that any fines or sanctions imposed by the Commission be borne by the individual employed by the City rather than at taxpayers' expense. The City has spent over $200,000 on FOI cases and unsuccessful appeals in the past 18 months. (Item #23)

Corporation Counsel – The Council tabled a resolution that would have the Council take a vote of no confidence in Corporation Counsel John Rose due to recent involvement of the Corporation Counsel's office in election contests, losses of Freedom of Information (FOI) appeals, and unnecessary expenses for taxpayers. (Item #24)

Auction of City Owned Properties – The Council referred, to its Operations Management & Budget and Housing Committees and public hearing on April 19th, a resolution authorizing the Mayor to sell 32 City owned properties. All of the properties are vacant and have been deemed suitable for development. The sale will provide housing and economic development opportunities and will provide the City with needed revenue. A public hearing was held on this matter on March 15, 2010. (Item #25)

M.L.King Elementary School – The Council referred, to its Planning & Economic Development Committee, a resolution requesting the Hartford Preservation Alliance to consider the inclusion of the Martin Luther King School building on the State Register of Historic Places. The building was formerly Weaver High School, was designed in 1922 by architects Frank Cooper and Philip Mason, and is an architecturally distinguished Collegiate Gothic high school. (Item #43)

ACTION ON ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. Summer Lunch. Approval to operate the summer lunch program for Hartford children and to apply for funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for the meals. Passed
2. Dial-a-Ride. Approval to accept $73,406 from the CT Department of Transportation to operate the Dial-a-Ride program for seniors and people with disabilities. Passed
3. Appointment. Appointment of Kevin Burnham as new director of Public Works. Postponed
4. Waiver of Liens. Authorization of acceptance of $35,000 in payment of $47,751 in principal and interest liens on 59 Branford Street (placed as a result of public assistance to the late Annie Longstreet) to allow the property to be sold by Ms. Longstreet's estate. Referred to Housing Committee
5. Senior Services. Approval to accept $229,000 from the North Central Area on Aging under the Older Americans Act to be used for Dial-a-Ride, Home Help, and Disease Prevention and Health Promotion programs. Passed
6. Lease. Approval to extend, for an additional five years, the City's lease of 365 Broad Street and 11 Flower Street to the Hartford Courant for use as a parking lot, at a rate of $35 per parking space. Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee, Planning & Zoning Commission, and Public Hearing.
7. Land Sale. Approval to sell a 13 acre land parcel at 1020 Wethersfield Avenue to the Metropolitan District for $1.6 million. Passed
8. Sigourney Mews. Authorization for the City to extend and renegotiate the terms of the lease of 198 Collins Street to Sigourney Mews Associates. Passed
9. Living Wage. Committee report recommending approval of a proposal to extend requirements of existing ordinance to contracts of more than $20,000 for construction and management supervision and to define a living wage as 120% of the federal poverty level for a family of four (also see #42). Received
10. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and street closures for the Phagwah Parade held by the Shri Krishna Mandir in Goodwin Park and nearby streets on March 6, 2010. Passed
11. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and street closures for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure to be held on June 4 and 5, 2010 in Bushnell Park. Passed
12. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and street closures for the 39th Annual Saint Patrick's Day Parade held in downtown Hartford on March 13, 2010. Passed
13. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and street closures for the O'Hartford 5K run sponsored by the Hartford Marathon Foundation on March 14, 2010 in downtown Hartford. Passed
14. Offenses. Report from the Council's Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee recommending approval of amendments to the Municipal Code regarding penalties for a variety of offenses to remove the penalty of a jail sentence and delete certain specifications for the type of community service that individuals arrested for graffiti are subject to (also see #16). Received
15. Geraldine McBride Corner. Designation of the corner of Burnham and Granby Streets as "Geraldine McBride Corner". Passed
16. Offenses. Amendments to the Municipal Code regarding penalties for a variety of offenses to remove the penalty of a jail sentence and delete certain specifications for the type of community service that individuals arrested for graffiti are subject to (also see #14). Passed
17. St. Martin's Outreach. Allocation of $10,000 to St. Martin's Outreach Certified Nursing Assistant Program. Postponed
18. Exceptional Service Increments. Requirement that increments for exceptional service of more than $3,500 be approved by the Council and that a quarterly report of all increments be provided to the Council by the Administration. Passed
19. Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission. Proposal to specify that the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission shall include representatives of the Friends of Parks groups. Passed
20. Commission on Cultural Affairs. Proposed requirement that, if the Commission on Cultural Affairs does not have a quorum, the City Council shall consult with the Parks & Recreation Commission on any new improvements in public parks. Postponed
21. Reappointment. Reappointment of Marianne Landry to the Human Relations Commission. Passed
22. Appointments. Appointment of Stanford Walker and reappointment of Mary Rickel Pelletier to the Parks & Recreation Commission. Passed
23. FOI. Resolution urging the Mayor to not authorize any appeals to Freedom of Information decisions without Council approval and that fines levied on employees be paid by the employee, not by City government. Postponed
24. No Confidence. Resolution that the City Council takes a vote of no confidence in Corporation Counsel John Rose. Tabled
25. Sale of Properties. Authorization to sell 32 City-owned properties at auction in April. Referred to Operations, Management & Budget and Housing Committees and Public Hearing.
26. Appointment. Appointment of Craig Mergins to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission. Postponed
27. Appointment. Appointment of Stephen B. Dauphine to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Postponed
28. Appointment. Appointment of William Young to the Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. Postponed
29. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for a kickball tournament to be sponsored by WAKA, Hartford Division, and held in Colt Park on May 8, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
30. Teacher Seniority. Resolution expressing opposition to changing teacher seniority rules from a district-wide system to a school-based system. Failed
31. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and approval of street closure for the "Pour House Summer Block Party Series" to be held on Allyn Street on April 20, June 18, and Sept. 17, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
32. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Coleman Brothers Carnival to be held in Colt Park May 4–7, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
33. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and approval of street closures for the 27th Walk Against Hunger to be sponsored by Foodshare in the West End and Asylum Hill on May 2, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
34. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Coleman Brothers Carnival to be held in Pope Park June 1-6, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
35. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the IAC Columbus Fundraiser to be held in Columbus Park April 15-18, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
36. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and approval of street closures for a Good Friday Procession to be held by St. Augustine and St. Lawrence O'Toole Churches on April 2, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
37. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees and street closure at 285 Church Street for an Easter Vigil sponsored by St. Patrick-St. Anthony Church on April 3, 2010. Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
38. Audit Commission. Request for an informational session with the Internal Audit Commission. Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
39. Lawsuit. Request for halt to expenditures on Moffitt v. City of Hartford without full report to Council on status of the case. Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
40. Corporation Counsel. Request for Council not to transfer any funds for the payment of outside legal counsel. Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
41. Board of Education. Resolution requiring the Board of Education to adhere to its current budget and collective bargaining agreements. Failed
42. Living Wage. Approval of a proposal to extend requirements of existing ordinance to contracts of more than $20,000 for construction and management supervision and to define a living wage as 120% of the federal poverty level for a family of four (also see #9) Passed
43. M.L.King School. Request to the Hartford Preservation Alliance to consider the Martin Luther King Elementary School building for inclusion on the State Register of Historic Places. Referred to Planning & Economic Development Committee

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.