Council Preview / Avances de la Agenda
Hartford City Council Meeting / Reunión del Concejo Municipal

Monday, March 25, 2013 / Lunes, 25 de marzo, 2013

Produced by Hartford 2000, Inc., the Hartford Public Library, and the Office of Councilman Joel Cruz, Jr.
Producida por Hartford 2000, Inc. en conjunto con la Biblioteca Pública de Hartford, y la Oficina del Concejal Joel Cruz Jr.

The Council meeting will begin at 7 P.M. at Hartford City Hall in Council Chambers. The next Council meeting will be Monday, April 8, 2013. The next public hearing will be Monday, April 15, 2012 at 7 PM.

La reunión del Concejo iniciara a las 7 PM en el edificio municipal en la Cámara del Concejo Municipal. La próxima reunión del Concejo será el lunes 8 de Abril a las 7 PM. La próxima Audiencia publica será el lunes 15 de Abril a las 7 PM.

There are 31 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 in English online by clicking on "Council Agendas" at the following web site: http://townclerk.hartford.gov/Webfiles/archive.aspx

Hay 31 articulos en la Agenda de esta reunión. Abajo encontrara información detallada acerca de algunos artículos de especial interés para los vecindarios. A continuación de estos detalles, esta una lista de todos los artículos de la agenda en un lenguaje sencillo. La agenda oficial completa para la reunión del concejo esta disponible en ingles por internet en el enlace “Council Agendas” en la dirección: http://townclerk.hartford.gov/Webfiles/archive.aspx

Items of Special Interest/Articulos de Especial Interest

New Agenda Items: The following items appear for the first time on the Council’s Agenda.

Articulos nuevos en la Agenda: Los siguientes artículos aparecen por primera vez en la agenda.

Brownfield Grant – The Council will consider at resolution that authorizes the City to accept a grant in the amount of $500,000 from the Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development through its Municipal Brownfield Grant Program. The Upper Albany NRZ applied for these funds for the clean-up of environmental contaminants on three City-owned properties. The properties are a vacant lot at 111 Homestead Avenue and the former Philbrick Booth & Spencer factory at 367 and 393 Homestead Avenue. The City will accept and manage the funds and the clean-up project. (Segarra) (Item #4)

Land Sales – The Council will consider two resolutions that approve the sale of City-owned land. The Administration is proposing to sell the vacant lot at 83 Mather Street for $10,000 to Carmen Cervantes who will use the property to provide parking for her 6-family apartment building which is adjacent to the land at 83 Mather. The Administration also proposes to sell vacant land at 49-63 and 66 Chestnut Street to NAEK Construction who will construct five 2-family houses to be sold to owner-occupants. (Segarra) (Items # 3 and 5)

Commission on Youth – The Council will consider an amendment to an existing ordinance concerning the Commission on Youth. The purpose of the commission is to provide advice on youth issues and on programs that will benefit youth. The Commission has not been active for several years. The ordinance will set the membership at eleven voting members who will be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by Council and five non-voting members who will be students in Hartford high schools and who will be appointed by the Board of Education. (Wooden, Cruz) (Item #30)

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.

Articulos previamente sometidos: Los artículos siguientes fueron previamente sometidos a la agenda del Concejo y fueron incluidos en las Agendas previas. Fueron referidos a algún comité, a la audiencia publica o fueron pospuestos. Ahora están de nuevo en esta Agenda para que se tomen acciones con ellos.

Library Café – The Council will consider a resolution that authorizes the Hartford Public Library to enter into a three-year agreement with Billings Forge Community Works, Inc. Billings Forge will operate the Café at the downtown Branch of the Library and will also carry out a culinary job training program for Hartford residents. Billings Forge was selected to provide these services through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process. (Segarra) (Item #20)

Immigration Task Force – The Council will consider a resolution establishing a task force for the purpose of creating a City commission on immigrant issues. The Immigrant Advisory Group, under the auspices of the Hartford Public Library, has recommended the creation of a commission in order to legitimize and elevate in importance the issues of new arrivals, to create a means for immigrant voices to be heard and understood, and to provide a way for immigrants to become civically engaged. (Cruz) (Item #22)

All Agenda Items / Todos los artículos de la agenda

Item # Articulo

1. Violence Against Women Grant. Authorization for the Mayor to accept a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to provide victims of domestic Violence with protection and services. (Segarra)
2. Loan Write-Offs. Approval for the City to write off two uncollectible housing loans. (Segarra)
3. Sale of 83 Mather Street. Approval for the City to sell a vacant lot at 83 Mather Street to Carmen Cervantes for $10,000. (Segarra)
4. Brownfield Grant. Authorization for the City to accept a $500,000 grant from the CT Department of Economic & Community Development on behalf of the Upper Albany NRZ for the environmental clean-up of 111, 367, and 393 Homestead Avenue. (Segarra)
5. Sale of 49-63 & 66 Chestnut Street. Approval for the City to sell three properties on Chestnut Street to NAEK Construction for $25,000 for development of five 2-family homes. (Segarra)
6. Cancer Planning Grant. Authorization for the City to accept a grant of $28,549 from the CT Dept. of Public Health to continue comprehensive cancer planning and to contract with Hartford Hospital for implementation of a portion of the program. (Segarra)
7. State Library Grant. Approval for the City to accept $9,500 in grant funds from the CT State Library for continued archiving of City records to make them accessible to the public. (Segarra)
8. Crossing Guard Contract. Approval of a 4-year labor contract between the School Crossing Guard’s Association and the City of Hartford. (Segarra)
9. Corporation Counsel. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Juan Figueroa as the City’s Corporation Counsel. (Segarra)
10. Chief Operating Officer. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Saundra Kee Borges as the City’s Chief Operating Officer. (Segarra)
11. Community Use of Schools. Report from the Council’s Education Committee on discussions held with the Hartford Public Schools about security changes needed to facilitate community use of schools after school hours.
12. Parkville Community Center. Report from the Council’s Education Committee on discussions held about the development of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Parkville Senior Center and Parkville Community Association and the Hartford Public Schools for use of the Parkville Community Center.
13. New Sports Fields. Report from the Council’s Education Committee on discussions held about the construction of two new multi-use sports fields in collaboration with the Cal Ripken Foundation.
14. Constable. Appointment of Radames Vasquez as a Constable. (Kennedy)
15. Hiring Freeze. Resolution requiring that no City positions be filled without Council approval and that no overtime be worked unless approved by Council. (Kennedy)
16. ESI. Resolution banning the awarding of an Exceptional Service Increment to any City employee when a City employee has been laid off in the previous 18 months. (Kennedy)
17. ESI. Report from the Operations, Management, Budget & Legislative Affairs Committee on an ordinance requiring that Council approve all Exceptional Service Increments given to City employees. (Kennedy) (also see #25)
18. Residency. Request to the Mayor that he assure that all Directors and certain other employees comply with residency requirements of the Municipal Code. (Cruz)
19. Constable. Appointment of Maly Rosado as Constable to replace Angel Arce. (Aponte, De Jesus)
20. Library Café. Authorization for the Library to contract with Billings Forge Community Works to operate a café and culinary job training program at the downtown Library. (Segarra)
21. Commission on the Environment. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointments of Abraham Scarr and Russell Williams to the Advisory Commission on the Environment. (Segarra)
22. Immigration Task Force. Creation of a task force for the purpose of creating a commission on immigrant issues. (Cruz)
23. Smart Policing Grant. Approval for the City to apply for and accept a grant of $602,092 from the U.S. Department of Justice to be used for the PROSPER program. (Segarra)
24. JAG Innovations Grant. Approval to apply for and accept a $1.0 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice for implementation of the Police Department’s South District Partnership. (Segarra)
25. ESI. Ordinance requiring that Council approve all Exceptional Service Increments given to City employees. (Kennedy) (also see #17)
26. Executive Assistant. Appointment of Malisa J. Diaz as Executive Assistant to Councilman Raul De Jesus. (De Jesus)
27. 20 & 36 Wolcott Street. Approval to sell City-owned land at 20 and 36 Wolcott Street to Pope Park Zion LLC for $11,000 for construction of two 2-family homes. (Segarra)
28. Council Staff. Ordinance stating that the administrative support for the Council shall consist of a chief of staff, five executive assistants, and a budget and policy analyst. (Wooden, Anderson, MacDonald)
29. Reallocation of Capital Funds. Ordinance appropriating $121,867 for renovation of the North Hartford Senior Center and $2,750,000 for the purpose of constructing two multi-use sports fields in partnership with the Cal Ripken Foundation. (Segarra)
30. Commission on Youth. Creation of a Commission on Youth consisting of 11 voting members and 5 non-voting members who are high school students and are appointed by the Board of Education. (Wooden, Cruz)
31. Youth PROMISE. Resolution urging the U.S. Congress to pass the Youth PROMISE Act which would address youth violence. (Wooden)

If you have any questions about the agenda, please email Linda Bayer at Htfd2000@aol.com or Fernando Marroquin at Marrf001@hartford.gov . The Bilingual Council Preview/Review is a joint project of Hartford 2000, the Hartford Public Library, and the Office of Councilman Joel Cruz, Jr.

Si usted tiene alguna pregunta acerca de la agenda, por favor envie un correo electronico a Linda Bayer, Htfd2000@aol.com y en Español a Fernando Marroquin, Marrf001@hartford.gov . La Agenda Bilingüe de las reuniones del Concejo Municipal es un proyecto de Hartford 2000, la Biblioteca publica de Hartford y la Oficina del Concejal Joel Cruz, Jr.