Council Previews & Reviews >> Reviews > June 26, 2000

Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, June 26, 2000

Prepared by: Citizens’ Research Education Network, Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 66 items on the regular agenda: one item was walked in at the meeting. All of the Council members were present. The Council recessed until Thursday, June 29 at 3:30 PM. The next regularly scheduled Council meeting will be July 10. The next public hearing will be July 17.

Charter Revision -- The Council postponed action on the final report from the Charter Revision Commission until Thursday, June 29 at 3:30 PM. The final report reflects changes made by the Commission after discussion with Council members and includes:

  • A stronger mayor with broader powers of appointment
  • Four year terms for the mayor and Council members
  • An increase from nine to 15 Council members
  • Election of Council members by districts. (Under the revised Charter the city would be divided into five districts with each district having three representatives.)
  • A seven member Board of Education; four elected, three appointed
  • Residency requirements for department heads and coordinators

The Council has 15 days from the date of submission (June 19, 2000) of the final report to respond. The Council may approve or reject the report, approve or reject parts of the report, and determine when the approved portions will be placed on the ballot for referendum.

Cintron Consent Decree and Racial Trigger Words -- The Council voted to postpone action, until Thursday, June 29, on a resolution which would direct the City Manger to join with the plaintiffs of the Cintron Decree in requesting that Special Master Richard Beider hold a hearing to determine if police officer Robert Casati is in violation of the Cintron v. Vaughan Consent Decree. Officer Casati was exonerated in May by State Arbitrator Albert G. Murphy from charges of using racial and bigoted slurs. According to the resolution, racial trigger words are illegal under federal anti-discrimination law and violate the Cintron Consent Decree. The Cintron Consent Decree Order dates from a 1973 civil action which set standards for a range of police actions.

Pay Raises for City Employees -- The Council passed a set of ordinances giving 2% pay increases to some city employees who are appointed or elected. The employees effected are non-union. The ordinances were reviewed for a second time by the Operations, Management, Budget, Education, and Labor Committee which is recommended removal of 20 of the pay increases. The pay increases would be retroactive to July 1, 1997.

Contracts for Firefighters and City of Hartford Professional Employees Association --

The Council passed resolutions ratifying labor contracts for the Hartford firefighters and the City of Hartford Professional Employees Association (CHPEA).

Bond Issue for November -- On the recommendation of City Manager Kee Borges, the Council voted to send to public hearing July 17 and to the Operations, Management, Budget, Education, and Labor Committee a bond ordinance for $35,000,000 for streetscape improvements. The ordinance would fund streetscape improvements, pedestrian enhancements, street reconstruction, and improvements to the city’s drainage and flood control system.

If approved after public hearing by the Council the ordinance would be placed on the November 7 ballot for voter referendum. There are seven other bond ordinances which could be added to the November ballot. (These ordinances have been to public hearing but were not on the agenda for the Council’s June 26 meeting.)

Body Piercing Revisited -- On recommendation of Deputy Mayor Sanchez, the Council passed an ordinance amending the recent action on body art statutes. The ordinance will allow ear-piercing procedures performed with a “mechanical device which utilizes pre-sterilized earrings in a single-unit, single-use cartridge system or is a disposable device.”

Preservation Policy -- On the recommendation of Deputy Mayor Sanchez, the Council passed a resolution directing the city to reevaluate its demolition policy. The resolution argues that the city should strongly consider “each building shell for reconstruction by removing impediments to redevelopment.”

Lewis Street Development -- The Council sent to public hearing Monday, July 17 and to the Housing Committee a resolution which would authorize the sale of properties on Lewis, Trumbull, and Pearl Streets, to Trumbull Centre, LLC. Trumbull Centre is proposing to build apartments and a parking garage on the properties.

Pope Park Swimming Pool -- The Council referred to public hearing July 17 and to the Operations, Management, Budget, Education, and Labor committee an appropriation ordinance which would fund the replacement of Pope Park swimming pool. The cost of the new pool would be $1,581,070. Financing would come from the FY 1999-2000 General Fund, $1,381,070, and from the FY 2000-2001 budget, $200,000.

If you have any questions about the agenda call Greg Vickers at CREN, 249‑1416.  The Citizens' Research Education Network is a non‑profit information and research center for Hartford community‑based organizations.

| Last update: September 25, 2012 |
     
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