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Prepared by: Citizens’ Research Education Network,
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000
There are 83 items
on the agenda. The Council meeting will begin at 8 P.M. It will be preceded by an open agenda public
hearing that will begin at 7:30. The
next Council meeting will be Monday, April 28th at 8 P.M. at
Hartford City Hall in Council Chambers.
CDBG Funds for
2003-2004 -- The Operations, Management, and Budget Committee held a
meeting on Thursday, March 20, 2003 regarding nine funding resolutions. The City Council will vote on the
resolutions, which include City Manager Lee Erdmann’s recommendations for the
allocation of funds for the Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG),
the Emergency Shelter Grant Program (ESG), Housing Opportunities for Persons
With AIDS (HOPWA), tracking of homeless persons served by the Hartford
Continuum, and the Home Investment Partnership program (HOME).
This year’s available funds ($7.9 million - $8.1 million,
depending on the federal budget) represent a 10% to 9% decrease from last years
funding. The decrease is due primarily
to the incorporation of 2000 Census data into HUD’s allocation process. (Item # 25)
“Take Time to
Care House Parties” – The
Council will vote on a resolution which will authorize the City Manager to
accept a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation in an amount up to $13,600 to
support the Hartford Health Department’s “Take Time to Care House Parties” for
the period May 1, 2003 through December 31, 2003. This program is designed to encourage women of childbearing age
in the Frog Hollow and Upper Albany neighborhoods to live a healthy lifestyle
and to receive proper prenatal care while pregnant. (Item # 7)
Design Center – The Council will vote on a resolution
which would instruct the City Manager to facilitate the implementation of a
Hartford Design Center. Among other
things the Design Center would develop guidelines based on the vision of
Hartford’s built environment adopted by the City’s policy makers. The Design Center would be established as a
non-profit organization and work with the “Rising Star” Neighborhoods and “Pride
Blocks” to implement the recommendations of the Mayor’s Homeownership Task
Force.
The primary
partners in its creation would be the City of Hartford and the University of
Hartford. The yearly budget for the
Design Center is estimated to be around $500,000, though much of the cost will
be received as in-kind services. This
item had been referred to the Commission on the City Plan, which approves of
the Design Center but has recommended to postpone the implementation of the
Design Center until the adequate financial resources can be allocated. The Planning, Economic Development, and
Zoning Committee also voted to table the implementation of the report entitled
“Toward the Establishment of the Hartford Design Center. (Items # 20, 22 & 44)
Main-John-Hudson
Street Redevelopment Project – The Council will vote on a resolution which would authorize the City
Manager to utilize the funds from the sale of One American Plaza for the
acquisition of certain properties in the Main-John-Hudson Street Project. These properties are located on the southwest
corner of Park and Main Streets. Upon
the passage of this resolution, the Hartford Redevelopment Agency will
authorize their staff who are in charge of the project to reauthorize the
eminent domain provision. (Item # 24)
Advisory
Commission on the Environment – The Council will vote to adopt an ordinance that will create an
Advisory Commission on the Environment. This Commission will among other things ensure the monitoring of
landfill activities, advocate for the full enforcement of environmental laws
and regulations, and monitor practices that are potentially hazardous to the
health of Hartford residents. (Item #
57)
Frog Hollow
South NRZ – The Council
will refer to public hearing the strategic plan of the South Frog Hollow
NRZ. The ordinance will go to public
hearing on April 21, 2003. (Item # 53)
CDBG Funds – The Council will vote on a resolution
authorizing the City Manager to reprogram $200,000 in CDBG funds from the
Hartford Revitalization Fund to help pay for eligible costs associated with the
implementation of the programs associated with the Mayor’s Homeownership Task
Force. Funds will be distributed
according to the local Department of Housing and Urban Development Office, the
Office of the Mayor, and the Office of Grants Management. (Item # 27)
Retirement
Incentives –- The Council
will vote to adopt an ordinance that will reduce the penalty by half that union
employees will pay if they retire before age 60. The ordinance states that any employee who has at least 15 years
of service whose age plus years of service equals 55 is entitled to
retire. (Item # 56 & 67)
Mandatory Sick
Exchange – The Council will
vote to adopt an ordinance that will adjust a retiree’s pension according to
the number of unused sick days accumulated. The pension will be adjusted so that one whole year of service will be
added for every 20 days of unused accumulated sick days. A maximum of 4 years credit will be
allotted. (Item # 55)
If you have any questions about the agenda call Greg Vickers at CREN, 249-1416 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. |
