Council Preview
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, May 23, 2011

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

The Council meeting will begin at 7 P.M. at Hartford City Hall in Council Chambers. The next Council meeting will be held at 7 PM on Monday, June 13th and the next public hearing will be Monday, June 20, 2011 at 7 PM.

There are 37 items on the agenda. Below is detailed information about items of special interest. Following those details is a listing of all agenda items, in layperson’s language. The complete official agenda for the Council meeting is available online by clicking on "Council Agendas" at the following web site: http://www.hartford.gov/government/Town&CityClerk/Minutes/council_meeting_minutes.htm

ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

New Agenda Items:

The following items appear for the first time on the Council's Agenda.

2011-12 Budget - The Council will take action on the City’s General Fund Budget. A proposed budget was submitted by the Mayor to the Court of Council. After holding a public hearing, the Council amended the Mayor’s budget by reducing expenditures and returned it to the Mayor for his action. The Mayor approved the budget with the amendments and returned it to the Council. The Council will now take action on ordinances which appropriate funding for operations and set the tax rate, as well as ordinances that authorize expenditures and bond issuances for vehicle purchases and school construction projects. (Item #1)

Restaurant Grading - The Council will consider an ordinance which establishes letter grades for restaurants based on the results of public health inspections. Grades of A or B will be assigned to the restaurants. A grade of A indicates 90% or better compliance with public health laws and a grade of B indicates at least 80% compliance. If a restaurant is rated at less than 80% compliance, no grade is issued and the restaurant must institute improvements and must be re-inspected. Each restaurant must post its grade so that it is visible to patrons and the general public. (Item #32)

Fraud Policy – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that establishes a City of Hartford Fraud Policy. The proposed Policy defines what constitutes fraud, establishes requirements and methods for identifying and reporting fraud, assigns responsibility for investigating and addressing fraud, and sets out the consequences for committing fraud. (Item #33)

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.

Naming - The Council will consider five resolutions that re-name or superimpose an honorary name on an existing street.

• Marietta Canty. The 100 block of Mahl Avenue will be superimposed with the name "Marietta Canty Way", to recognize the achievements of Hartford-born actress Marietta Canty. (Ritter) (Item #11)
• Maria B. Gonzalez. The corner of Francis Avenue and Francis Court will be superimposed with the name "Maria B. Gonzalez Corner" to honor the work of Maria Gonzalez in the Hartford community. (Torres) (Item #12)
• North Front Street. The name of North Front Street will be changed to Market Street Extension to avoid confusion with the new Front Street in downtown. (Segarra) (Item #13)
• Raul Gonzalez. The name "Raul Gonzalez Way". Will be superimposed on May Street to honor Bishop Raul Gonzalez, the founder of Youth Challenge. (Winch, Brinson) (Item #14)
• Juan Castillo. The gym at Bellizzi Middle School will be named the "Juan M. Castillo Gymnasium" in honor of Juan Castillo who founded the Latin American Basketball League at the school in 1984. (Cotto) (Item #15)

Establishment of Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that, if approved, will establish a Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation which shall be responsible for promoting and improving the integration of services for children, youth, and families. The Department will consist of three divisions: the Office of Young Children, the Office of Youth Services, and the Office of Recreation Services. (Segarra) (Item #21)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. 2011-12 Budget. Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2011-12 City Budget.
2. ACOTE Reappointment. Confirmation of the Mayor’s reappointment of Dr. Mark Mitchell to the Advisory Commission on the Environment. (Segarra)
3. Civilian Police Review Board Appointment. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Rita Ricciardi to the Civilian Police Review Board. (Segarra)
4. Neighborhood Assistance Act. Authorization for the City to submit, to the CT Department of Revenue Services, a list of 68 programs eligible to seek funding from businesses who would then receive a State tax credit in return for their donation. (Segarra)
5. Clay Hill Loan. Authorization for the City to write off an uncollectible $250,000 loan made with Community Development Block Grant funds in 1983 to Clay Hill Associates. (Segarra)
6. NRC Settlement. Authorization for the City to accept $25,765 as settlement of $103,061 owed to the City by the National Recycling Coalition for the pilot single-stream recycling program carried out by the City in 2008-09. (Segarra)
7. Hilton Hotel Parking Lease. Five-year extension of an existing 15-year lease with the Hilton Hotel for use of 100 parking spaces in the Church Street Garage. (Segarra)
8. HIV/AIDS Commission. Confirmation of the Mayor’s reappointment of Yvette Bello and appointment of Michael Hawkins to the HIV/AIDS Commission. (Segarra)
9. 3rd Quarter Report. Submission of the City’s Financial Report for the period January through March, 2011. (Segarra)
10. COW Report. Report of items considered at the Committee of the Whole meeting on May 5, 2011 and recommendations for approval by the Council.
11. Canty Way. Request that the 100 block of Mahl Avenue be known as Marietta Canty Way, to recognize the achievements of Hartford-born actress Marietta Canty. (Ritter)
12. Maria B. Gonzalez. Request that the corner of Francis Avenue and Francis Court be superimposed with the name of Maria B. Gonzalez to honor her work in the Hartford community. (Torres)
13. North Front Street. Approval to change the name of North Front Street to Market Street Extension. (Segarra)
14. Raul Gonzalez Way. Designation of May Street as "Raul Gonzalez Way". (Winch, Brinson)
15. Juan Castillo. Resolution to name the gym at Bellizzi Middle School the "Juan M. Castillo Gymnasium". (Cotto)
16. Conflicts of Interest. Requirement that the Corporation Counsel’s Office conduct conflict of interest checks for City officials and employees. (Kennedy)
17. Director of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation. Ordinance creating, in the nonunion and unclassified executive service, the position of Director of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation. (Segarra)
18. Parks & Recreation Commission. Ordinance assigning staffing responsibilities for the Parks & Recreation Commission to the Department of Public Works and establishing that the Director of Public Works and the Director of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation are ex officio members of the Commission. (Segarra)
19. Duties of Commission on Cultural Affairs. Ordinance stating that the Commission on Cultural Affairs will advise and assist the Office of Marketing, Events, and Cultural Affairs. (Segarra)
20. Development Services. Ordinance removing the grants management function and adding the Office of Marketing, Events, and Cultural Affairs to the Department of Development Services. (Segarra)
21. Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation. Ordinance establishing the Department of Families, Children, Youth, and Recreation. (Segarra)
22. Staffing of Commission on Cultural Affairs. Ordinance providing that the head of the Office of Marketing, Events, and Cultural Affairs shall staff the Commission on Cultural Affairs. (Segarra)
23. 311 System. Ordinance assigning management of the City’s 311 system to the Department of Emergency Services. (Segarra)
24. Equal Opportunity. Ordinance assigning responsibility to the Human Resources Department for providing advice and comment to the Mayor on equal opportunity and affirmative action and assigning responsibility for staffing five boards and commissions to Corporation Counsel. (Segarra)
25. Grants Management. Ordinance specifying that the Office of Management and Budget shall manage, administer and monitor federal and state grant and loan programs. (Segarra)
26. Use of Names of Parks and Facilities. Ordinance assigning responsibility to the Director of Public Works for approving the use of the names of parks and recreation facilities by organizations and recognizing such organizations as affiliates or representatives of the park or facility. (Segarra)
27. Civil Preparedness. Ordinance defining the purpose of the Civil Preparedness Division and establishing that the Fire Chief serves as the Director of Civil Preparedness. (Segarra)
28. Human Relations Commission. Ordinance assigning responsibility for staffing the Human Relations Commission to the Corporation Counsel’s Office. (Segarra)
29. Division of Recreation & Youth Services. Ordinance removing the Division of Recreation and Youth Services from the Department of Health & Human Services and reorganizing the department. (Segarra)
30. LGBT Commission. Ordinance assigning responsibility for staffing the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues to the Corporation Counsel’s Office. (Segarra)
31. Public Improvements. Ordinance appropriating $15 million for 24 public improvement projects and authorizing the issuance of bonds to finance the projects. (Segarra)
32. Restaurant Letter Grade. Ordinance implementing a system that will give a letter grade (A or B) to restaurants in accordance with the results of their public health inspections. (Segarra)
33. Fraud Policy. Ordinance establishing requirements and methods for identifying, reporting, investigating, and addressing fraud within City government. (Segarra)
34. Profiling. Resolution expressing support for a bill in the State Legislature that would improve Connecticut’s enforcement of the Penn Act which prohibits profiling by law enforcement personnel during traffic stops. (Cotto)
35. Library Event. Permission for the Library to serve alcohol at an event on August 27th. (Cotto)
36. Lien Release. Authorization for the City to release a lien on property at 407 Albany Avenue. (Brinson)
37. Caribbean American Heritage Month. Resolution declaring June as Caribbean American Heritage Month in Hartford. (Brinson)

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.