Council Previews & Reviews >> Previews > June 27, 2011

Council Preview
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, June 27, 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 July 11, 2011, preceded at 6 PM by an open agenda public hearing.

There are 27 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 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.

Farmers Market Nutrition Program – The Council will act on a resolution that authorizes the City to accept $3,593 from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to be used to provide coupons to low income women and children who participate in the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition program. These coupons can be used to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables at farmers markets, thereby improving nutrition and supporting the agricultural economy. (Item #2)

Homeless Women and Children – The Council will consider a resolution allocating $30,000 to the Salvation Army’s Marshall House to continue to provide shelter to women and children who are homeless. This facility was originally intended only to be open in the winter. The resolution also calls for the City to work with Journey Home, Inc. to develop a strategy to address the issue of homelessness among women and children. (Item #3)

Council Salaries – The Council will consider two resolutions which, together, call for the Town Clerk to place, on the November election ballot, a question which asks the voters to decide whether an ordinance that was passed on November 4, 2008 increasing the annual salary of Council Members from $15,000 to $26,500 should be repealed, thus restoring the salary to $15,000. (Items 24 & 25)

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.

HUD Annual Action Plan – The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing the submission and adoption of the City of Hartford Annual Action Plan for Fiscal Year 2011-12. The Plan describes the City’s intended use of approximately $7.5 million in Federal entitlement grant funds which the City expects to receive from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development through four programs: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Home Investment Partnership (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). (Item #4)

Restaurant Grading - The Council will consider an ordinance which would establish 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 #20)

Fraud Policy – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that would establish 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 #21)

Item #

  1. Uncollectible Taxes. Authorization to transfer $759,000 in uncollectible personal property taxes to the “suspense book” (an accounting function). (Segarra)
  2. Farmers Market Nutrition Program. Approval to accept $3,593 from the CT Department of Agriculture to provide coupons to low income mothers to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. (Segarra)
  3. Homeless Women & Children. Resolution authorizing the creation of a strategy to address homelessness of women and children and authorizing the allocation of $30,000 to the Salvation Army’s Marshall House to provide shelter to such families. (Segarra, Deutsch)
  4. HUD Annual Action Plan. Adoption of the 2011-12 Annual Plan for the use of $7.5 million in HUD entitlement grant funds, including Community Development Block Grant, Emergency Solutions Grant, Home Investment Partnership, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS. (Segarra)
  5. 45 Evergreen Avenue. Authorization for the City to accept $259,000 and the deed to the property at 45 Evergreen Avenue in payment of a lien of $329,561 resulting from the City’s demolition of the building after a fire. (Segarra)
  6. Report on Parking Authority Charges. Report by the Operations, Management & Budget Committee recommending passage of an ordinance granting authority to the Hartford Parking Authority to set rates in parking facilities. (Segarra)
  7. Report on Parking Authority Charges. Report by the Operations, Management & Budget Committee recommending passage of an ordinance deleting existing language requiring Council approval of parking facility rates. (Segarra)
  8. 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)
  9. Morgan Street Garage. Authorization for the City to refinance, with taxable bonds, up to $25 million in debt on the Morgan Street Garage. (Segarra)
  10. 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)
  11. Conflicts of Interest. Report by the Labor & Workforce Development Committee of a June 14th meeting to discuss a proposed requirement that the Corporation Counsel’s Office conduct conflict of interest checks for City officials and employees. (Kennedy)
  12. Parks & Recreation Commission Appointment. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Donna Swarr to the Parks & Recreation Advisory Commission. (Segarra)
  13. Grandparents Commission Appointment. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Graciela Davila to the Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. (Segarra)
  14. Workers Compensation Claim. Proposed settlement of a workers compensation claim by Gary Woods for an amount up to $230,000. (Segarra)
  15. Finance Director. Confirmation of the Mayor’s appointment of Julio C. Molleda as Director of Finance. (Segarra)
  16. Conflicts of Interest. Report by the Labor & Workforce Development Committee of an April 20th meeting to discuss a proposed requirement that the Corporation Counsel’s Office conduct conflict of interest checks for City officials and employees. (Kennedy)
  17. Heating of Occupied Building. Proposed ordinance decreasing the minimum temperature (from 68 degrees to 65 degrees) to which property owners must heat the interiors of occupied buildings and requiring that such temperatures must be maintained at all times of day. (Segarra)
  18. Workforce Task Force. Appointment of five individuals to the Workforce Task Force which is to examine employment opportunities in the city of Hartford. (Winch)
  19. Public Improvements. Ordinance appropriating $15 million for 24 public improvement projects and authorizing the issuance of bonds to finance the projects. (Segarra)
  20. 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)
  21. Fraud Policy. Ordinance establishing requirements and methods for identifying, reporting, investigating, and addressing fraud within City government. (Segarra)
  22. Parks Trust Fund. Ordinance defining the types of costs which are eligible for payment through the Parks Trust Fund as part of capital projects. (Segarra)
  23. Ethics Requirements. Request to the Administration to revise the City’s Ethics Ordinance to address concerns expressed by Council members about fraud, nepotism, and conflicts of interest. (Winch, Painter)
  24. Council Salaries. Direction to the Town Clerk to place on the November ballot a repeal of prior voter approval of an increase in the annual salary of Council members from $15,000 to $26,500, effective January 1, 2012 (see #25). (Boucher, Kennedy, Painter, Torres)
  25. Referendum Question. Approval of proposed wording for the ballot question repealing increase in Council member salaries (see #24). (Boucher, Kennedy, Painter, Torres)
  26. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Corpus Christi Procession to be held by the Office of Hispanic Evangelization on June 26, 2011. (Cotto)
  27. Sound System. Authorization for the West Indian Social Club to use an outdoor sound system from 9PM to 12:30 AM on August 9th, and from 9 PM to 1 AM on August 12th and 13th.

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.

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