Council Previews & Reviews >> Reviews > July 9, 2007

Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, July 9, 2007

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 42 items on the original agenda.  Seven additional items were submitted during the meeting.  The next regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, August 13, 2007 at 7 P.M. in the Council Chambers in Hartford City Hall.  (Note:  The Council holds only one meeting in July and one in August.)  The next public hearing will be Monday, July 16, 2007 at 7 PM.

Actions taken on all items on this agenda can be found online at http://www.hartford.gov/government/Town&CityClerk/Minutes/council_meeting_minutes.htm

Public Health Bio-Terrorism Grant – The Council referred, to its Health & Human Services Committee, a resolution authorizing the acceptance of $200,000 in grants from the State of Connecticut and other agencies to implement the Public Health Bio-Terrorism Plan, which is in place to ensure a coordinated response to health and medical consequences of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and/or explosive Weapons of Mass Destruction event.  (Item #1)

RAMBUH Family Center – The Council referred, to its Health & Human Services Committee, a resolution authorizing the City to enter into a five year renewable lease with the Village for Families & Children, Inc., for the period July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2012, for the RAMBUH Family Center at 2 Holcomb Street, allowing the continuation of high quality school readiness and family support and education services for families in the Upper Albany/Blue Hills area of Hartford with children ages birth to eight.  Approximately 221 Hartford residents were served by the Center from 2005-2006.  A public hearing on this item will be held on July 16, 2007.  (Item #6)

Summer Youth Programs:  The Council received, from its Health and Human Services Committee, a report on the collaboration between the Office of Youth Services and the Health and Human Services Recreation Division to fund and oversee summer youth programming.  In response to a joint Request for Proposals, 77 proposals were submitted by community agencies and organizations.  Fifty programs were selected for funding totaling $278,151.  Programs will serve youth citywide, with concentrations in neighborhoods which experience outbreaks of violence, including Upper Albany, Northeast, Clay Arsenal, Blue Hills, and Asylum Hill.  The programs serve young people from kindergarten through 12th grade and range, in duration, from one to seven weeks.  The majority of programs are full-day for 4 to 6 weeks.  (Item #8)

Lead Hazard Reduction Grants for Lead Screening Services – The Council passed a resolution authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to access Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Lead Hazard Reduction grant funds to support the City of Hartford Childhood Lead Screening Project for the period July 1, 2007, until December 31, 2008, in the amount of $78,624.  State funding for the City of Hartford Childhood Lead Screening Project ended June 30, 2007.  The Project will be continued with the HUD grant funds.  (Item #12)

Division of Early Childhood – The Council had previously referred, to its Health and Human Services Committee, a resolution from the Mayor proposing that the City’s Day Care Program, currently part of the Health & Human Services Department, and the Mayor’s Office for Young children be consolidated into a newly created Division of Early Childhood.   The Council received a letter from the Committee indicating that the Committee has tabled the item pending receipt of documentation that clearly demonstrates the advantages of the consolidation.  (Item #13)

Reconstruction of Asylum Street – The Council approved an appropriations ordinance in the Capital Improvement Fund that provides $1,266,300 to finance the reconstruction of Asylum Street from Main Street to Trumbull Street.  The improvements include street pavement reconstruction, new decorative sidewalks and lighting, improved turning radii, and other amenities.  80% of the funding will come from the Federal Surface Transportation Program, and 20% from the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation.  A public hearing on the item was held on June 18, 2007 and the Planning & Economic Development Committee recommended its approval. (Item #17)

Convenience Stores – The Council adopted an ordinance which amends, slightly, the ordinance regulating extended hours convenience stores which was approved by Council at a previous meeting.  The amendment is to the section of the Code which requires a store, at which serious criminal activity occurs, to take certain actions.  The original ordinance required the store to take two actions:  1) have at least two employees on the premises between 10 PM and 5 AM and 2) install a secured safety enclosure for employees.  The amendment requires the store to take one of these actions, but not both.   The item was discharged from the Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee.  A public hearing was held on June 18th.  (Item #18)

Uncollectible Accounts Receivable – The Council passed a resolution deeming outstanding accounts receivable in the amount of $2,094,796 uncollectible and written off.  These have been certified by the Finance Department to be uncollected and uncollectible.  Corporation Counsel and outside agencies have attempted collection of these accounts and have also deemed them uncollectible.  The Council’s Finance and Revenue Committee recommended approval of the resolution.  The types of accounts receivable included in the total amount include Health & Human Services Department (Daycare Division and General Assistance Program), Fire Department, Department of Public Works (Open Claims), and Police Department (Private Duty).  (Item #19)

Land Acquisition – The Council referred, to its Planning & Economic Development Committee, two resolutions authorizing the Mayor to execute an option to purchase the property at 26-32 Atlantic Street for the sum of $580,000 and to gain access to the property for pre-development testing and inspection.  The property is intended to be used for the construction of the City’s new Public Safety Complex.  A public hearing on this matter will be held on Monday, July 16, 2007.  (Items #26 and 27)

Audit Reports – The Council passed a resolution requiring that reports of the Internal Audit Commission be made available for public inspection in the Office of the Town & City Clerk.  (Item #33)

“Walk-In” Agenda Items

Sale of Tax Liens - The Council passed a resolution approving a contract between the City and American Tax Funding for the purchase of tax liens.  At its meeting of June 25, 2007, the Council passed a resolution authorizing the Mayor to select and execute a Delinquent Tax Lien Agreement, for a sum exceeding $5.0 million, with a company to be selected from those who submitted bids during the week of June 25, 2007.  Four bids were received to purchase $5,260,752 in tax liens and American Tax Funding was the high bidder at $6,121,411.  The funds were received by the City on July 5, 2007.  (Item #45)

Property Purchase – The Council adopted two resolutions that authorize the inspection/testing and purchase of 31-37 Atlantic Street.  The Council previously authorized the acquisition of this property through eminent domain, but the City and the owner reached an agreement to purchase for a price of $225,000.  These resolutions were initially submitted to the Council on April 9, 2007 and a public hearing was held on April 16, 2007.  (Items #47 and 48)

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, 509-3710. The Council Preview/Review is a joint project of the Hartford 2000, and the Hartford Public Library.

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