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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 meeting will be preceded, at 6:30 PM, by an open agenda public hearing. The next Council meeting will be Monday, August 14, 2006 at 7 P.M. The next public hearing will be Monday, July 17, 2006.
There are 61 items on the agenda. The complete agenda for the Council meeting is available online at http://www.hartford.gov/government/Town&CityClerk/Agendas/archive.htm
Previously Submitted Items: The following six items have previously appeared on the Council Agenda. They were referred to committees and/or public hearing. They are now on the agenda again for action.
Maternal Infant and Outreach Program (MIOP) - The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept $210,000 from Hartford Hospital and Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center for the continuation of the Maternal and Infant Outreach Program (MIOP). The goal of MIOP is to address infant mortality and morbidity rates in high risk families. The Council’s Health & Human Services Committee forwarded the resolution for action. (Item #23)
Hartford Building Bridges Project/New Day Program - The Council will take action on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept $520,000 from the State of Connecticut, Judicial Branch, to operate the Hartford Building Bridges Program in fiscal year 2006-07 through certain community organizations designated by the State. This is the second year of a three-year agreement. The Program is designed to aid men and women leaving the criminal justice system and help them continue their adjustment process as they re-enter society. The Council’s Health & Human Services Committee recommends favorable action. (Item #25)
Bond Sales for Public Improvements –The Council will consider this ordinance authorizing the sale of General Revenue Bonds in the amount of $4,750,000 for a variety of public improvement projects contained in the Capital Improvement Program of the Mayor’s Recommended 2006-2007 Budget. A public hearing on this matter was held on Monday, May 15, 2006 and the Management & Budget Committee has recommended approval. The Council previously postponed action on the ordinance. (Item #32)
Elizabeth Park Pedestrian and Vehicular Improvements – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that appropriates $200,000 for roadway improvements between Asylum Avenue and the Pond House Restaurant within Elizabeth Park. The funds have been provided by the Ethel F. Donaghue Trust for Elizabeth Park and will be used for material upgrades to the roadway, such as the use of brick pavers and granite curbs in place of standard bituminous materials. A public hearing on this item was held on Monday, June 19, 2006 and the Public Works, Parks and Environment Committee voted to recommend approval. (Items #31, 36)
Staffing for Three City Commissions – The Council will consider three ordinances affecting the Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women, the Commission on Disability Issues, and the Commission on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues. In all three cases, the current language in the Municipal Code states that the City shall provide clerical and staff assistance and shall designate a liaison with the commission. The ordinance, if passed, would change “shall” to “may”. The Health & Human Services Committee voted to reject the policy direction and send the ordinances to the full Council with a non-favorable recommendation. (Ordinances: Items # 34, 35, 39. Reports: Items #14, 15, 17)
Hartford Commission to End Homelessness – The Council will take action on an ordinance amending the Municipal Code to change the name of the existing “Commission on the Homeless” to “The Hartford Commission to End Homelessness” and to define the primary role of the commission as “to further develop and implement the Mayor’s plan to end chronic homelessness in the Hartford region by 2015”. The ordinance also increases the size of the commission from 13 to 21 members. A public hearing on this matter was held on Monday, June 19, 2006 and the Health & Human Services Committee recommends favorable action by the Council. (Items #16, 38)
North Main Street Project – The Council will consider a resolution allocating up to $120,000 in CDBG and UDAG funds for the North Main Street Streetscape Project, which will include new signage, plantings, lighting, walkways, streetscapes, bus shelters and two gateways - one at the intersection of Main and Windsor Streets and one on Main Street at the Windsor town line. Funds allocated by this resolution will be used for project soft costs and the purchase and installation of five bus shelters. The project has been developed through a collaboration of City staff, business owners, non-profits, NRZ members, and other stakeholders in the area. (Item #5)
Downtown Special Services District - The Council will vote on a proposed ordinance that, if passed, will allow the creation of a Business Improvement District (BID) for a significant portion of the Central Business District. The purpose of the BID is to provide public safety (excluding police and fire), cleaning, beautification, and marketing services in and for the BID. Upon passage of the ordinance, a referendum of owners of taxable properties within the District will be held to establish the BID. The District will have the power to assess, on its property owners, an additional tax levy of up to one mill to support itself and provide enhanced services. The BID will be governed by a 23-person Board of Commissioners which will adopt a budget for the BID. A draft budget proposes $222,000 in funding from the City to support activities associated with keeping downtown clean including installation of new trash receptacles, graffiti removal, and flower plantings. The ordinance has the strong support of Business for Downtown and the MetroHartford Alliance. (Item #40)
Appropriations in the Capital Improvement Fund for Parks and Swimming Pools – The Council will vote on a proposed ordinance that, if passed, will appropriate a total of $975,000 to finance five projects with reallocated Hartford Parks Trust Fund (HPTF) monies including: security fencing at Pope Park and Goodwin Park swimming pools ($250,000), Keney Park Boundless Playground Family Recreation Area ($250,000), park security/access management system at Colt, Keney and Columbus Parks ($275,000), entrance gates at Keney, Colt, Goodwin, and Columbus Parks ($100,000), and Elizabeth Park improvements related to zoning approval of Pond House café ($100,000). A public hearing on this ordinance is expected to be held on July 17, 2006. (Item #41)
Ida B. Wells Lane – The Council will consider a resolution changing the name of Coventry Street between Tower Avenue and Holcomb Street (which runs in front of the Ida B. Wells Senior Housing Complex) to Ida B. Wells Lane. (Item #61)
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. |
