Council Review
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, September 12, 2011

Prepared by:
Hartford Public Library, and Hartford 2000

There were 59 items on the original agenda. No additional items were submitted during the meeting. The next regular Council meeting will be held on Monday, September 26, 2011 at 7 P.M. in the Council Chambers in Hartford City Hall. The next public hearing will be Monday, September 19, 2011 at 7 PM.

This Review consists of two sections: Items of Special Interest and Action on All Agenda Items. The City''s official listing of 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

ITEMS OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Bird Habitat Grant – The Council adopted a resolution authorizing the City to accept a $70,000 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be used to enhance habitats in Hartford''s parks to attract migratory birds as they pass through the city. Hartford is located in a "fly way" for migratory birds and the parks serve as stop-overs during migration. The project will include research into plantings that can attract additional birds, installation of those plantings in Keney and Pope Parks on a pilot basis, and education and involvement of the public. The total cost of the project is $98,000 and the federal grant will be supplemented with $4,000 from the Hartford Parks Trust Fund and $14,000 in in-kind services from the Department of Public Works. (Segarra) (Item #3)

Kiosk Donation – The Council passed a resolution authorizing the City to enter into an agreement with Konover Commercial Corporation for the use of a kiosk, owned by Konover, at the corner of Asylum and Main Streets, for a police substation. There has recently been an increase in "flash mob" violence at this location. The violence is believed to be a result of the intersection being a high-traffic bus stop area where many teenagers change buses on school days. The police substation will be a deterrent to future violence and a source of early warning should a disturbance occur. It is proposed that, in return for allowing the City to use the kiosk, Konover will be granted a tax deduction in an amount equal to the value of their donation. (Segarra) (Item #6)

Electronics Recycling Month – The Council adopted a resolution designating November as Electronics Waste Recycling Month. The City employee Green Team has developed a plan to motivate both Hartford residents and the employees of the City and the Board of Education to recycle household and workplace electronics. The plan includes drop-off days to be held in neighborhoods and in City workplaces as well as outreach and education programs to publicize new ways to recycle electronics. (Segarra) (Item #15)

CDBG Task Force – The Council postponed action on a resolution that would establish a "CDBG Task Force" for the purpose of studying best practices of allocating Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and making recommendations regarding the City''s allocation process for CDBG funds. CDBG funds are granted to municipalities by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and communities have discretion in how they allocate their funds. As funding continues to decrease, competition for funding has increased and it is important that Hartford''s allocation process be up-to-date, fair, and streamlined. The Task Force shall submit its recommendations within 120 days. (Cotto) (Item #51)

Fresh Produce – The Council referred, to its Legislative Affairs Committee, a resolution that calls upon the Connecticut State Legislature to adopt legislation that would allow municipalities to offer a property tax exemption to bodega owners who dedicate at least 30% of their retail space to fresh produce. Many Hartford residents lack access to fresh, healthy food near their homes and this situation often leads to obesity and diabetes and other poor health outcomes. Providing tax exemptions would serve as an incentive to retailers to stock fresh produce, would make access more convenient for residents, and would improve their health. (Cotto) (Item #52)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. CareWare Grant. Authorization to accept $10,000 from the Community Health Center Association of CT for use in making improvements to the system used to maintain and report data on persons living with HIV/AIDS. (Segarra) Passed
2. Ryan White Grant. Authorization to apply for and accept $4 million in Ryan White grant funds from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to provide medical and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS. (Segarra) Passed
3. Bird Habitat Grant. Authorization to accept $70,000 from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to create habitats for migrating birds in Hartford parks. (Segarra) Passed
4. Contribution to Mental Health Board. Approval to contribute $9,000 to the North Central Regional Mental Health Board which involves local residents in determining the type of services that will be provided by the State Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. (Segarra) Passed
5. Placement of Medical Students. Authorization to enter into agreements with colleges and universities for placement of medical and nursing students in the Department of Health & Human Services. (Segarra) Passed
6. Kiosk Donation. Approval to accept the donation by Konover Commercial Corp. of the use of the kiosk at the corner of Asylum and Main Streets for a police substation. (Segarra) Passed
7. Roberta Jones. Naming of the dining room at the North Hartford Senior Center the "Roberta Jones Community Room". (Segarra) Referred to the Public Building Dedication Committee
8. Sale of 95 & 108 Park Street. Approval of the sale of 95 and 108 Park Street to the Spanish American Merchants Association. (Segarra) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
9. Intellectual Property Grant. Authorization to accept $198,038 from the U.S. Department of Justice for enforcement of laws against counterfeit and pirated merchandise. (Segarra) Passed
10. Grandparents Appointment. Confirmation of appointment of Rita Martinez to the Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. (Segarra) Postponed
11. Food Policy Appointment. Confirmation of appointment of Ron Pitz to the Commission on Food Policy. (Segarra) Postponed
12. Civilian Police Review Board Appointment. Confirmation of appointment of Jennifer Stephens and Ricardo Torres to the Civilian Police Review Board. (Segarra) Postponed
13. Historic Properties Appointment. Confirmation of reappointment of Michael O''Connell to the Historic Properties Commission. (Segarra) Passed
14. Pharmacy Benefits Manager. Approval to enter into a contract with CVS/Caremark for management of pharmacy benefits for active and retired City and Board of Education employees. (Segarra) Passed
15. Recycling Month. Designation of November as Electronics Waste Recycling Month in Hartford. (Segarra) Passed
16. Allocations of Funds. Allocation of $12,000 to the Friends of Keney Park for construction of a disc golf course, $1,500 to the Catholic Worker Home for summer youth programming, $3,000 to the Hope Out Loud Peace and Music Festival, $1,000 to Sacred Hearth Church for St. Vincent de Paul, $2,000 to Friends of Vintage Baseball, and $2,000 to the Christian Activities Council. (Cotto) Passed
17. Sportsmen''s Athletic Club. Allocation of $10,000 for the Sportsmen''s Athletic Club''s summer enrichment program. (Winch) Passed
18. Hartford Knights. Allocation of $10,000 to the Hartford Knights after-school youth program. (Winch) Passed
19. Hartford Knights. Allocation of $5,000 to the Hartford Knights for their youth football and cheer program. (Winch) Passed
20. OPMAD. Allocation of $7,500 to Organized Parents Make a Difference for after-school programs. (Boucher) Passed
21. Oil Drum Art. Allocation of $2,000 to allow 240 students to paint oil drums with environmental and nature themes for use as litter containers in parks and neighborhoods. (Winch, Deutsch) (also see #45 and 54) Passed
22. AHNA. Allocation of $5,000 to the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association. (Boucher) Passed
23. C.U.R.E.T. Allocation of $2,000 to the Center for Urban Research Education & Training. (Winch) Passed
24. Children''s Advocacy Center. Allocation of $1,000 to the Children''s Advocacy Center at St. Francis Hospital & Medical Center. (Winch) Passed
25. Judah House. Allocation of $10,500 for Judah House to assist women returning to the community form prison. (Deutsch) (also see #58) Passed
26. Spectrum in Motion. Allocation of $5,000 for the Spectrum in Motion Dance Ensemble for teen programming. (Deutsch) Passed
27. Sheff Movement. Allocation of $5,000 for the Sheff Movement. (Boucher) Passed
28. Lease at 253 High Street. Authorization to lease 512 square feet of space at the new Public Safety Complex to the Hartford Municipal Employees Federal Credit Union. (Segarra) Passed
29. Committee Report. Report from the Labor & Workforce Development Committee indicating that a quorum was not present to discuss proposed changes to the Ethics Ordinance. (also see #32) Received
30. Parking. Report from the Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee recommending approval of an ordinance granting an exception to the requirement that commercial parking lots have attendants present as long as a payment device is in place and there is regular security monitoring. (Kennedy) (also see #37) Received
31. Novelty Lighters. Report from the Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee recommending approval of an ordinance prohibiting the sale, gift or distribution, in Hartford, of lighters that are designed to be attractive to children. (Torres) (also see #33) Received
32. Ethics Code Revisions. Ordinance amending the City''s Ethics Code to expand the number of employees who must file financial disclosure forms and to address Council concerns about fraud, nepotism, and conflicts of interest. (Segarra) (also see #29) Passed
33. Novelty Lighters. Proposed ordinance prohibiting the sale, gift or distribution, in Hartford, of lighters that are designed to be attractive to children. (Torres) (also see #31) Passed
34. Employee Insurances. Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to establish the amounts that full-time, non-union employees pay for health insurance coverage. (Segarra) Passed
35. Repeal of Duplicate Language. Ordinance deleting a section of the Municipal Code governing employee insurance coverage which duplicates another section of the Code. (Segarra) Passed
36. Retiree Health Insurance. Ordinance allowing retirees the option to suspend City health insurance and reinstate it at a later date or to continue health benefits by paying 25% of the cost. (Segarra) Passed
37. Parking. Ordinance granting an exception to the requirement that commercial parking lots have attendants present as long as a payment device is in place and there is regular security monitoring. (Kennedy) (also see #30) Passed
38. 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) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee and Public Works, Parks & Environment
39. P &Z Appointment. Confirmation of reappointment of David Blatt to the Planning & Zoning Commission. (Segarra) Passed
40. Women''s Commission Appointments. Confirmation of appointment of Linda Moore-Wright and Marva Downes to the Permanent Commission on the Status of Hartford Women. (Segarra) Passed
41. Grandparents Commission Appointments. Confirmation of appointment of Linda Cobbs and Carmen Zayas to the Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. (Segarra) Passed
42. Fee Waiver. Request for a waiver of fees associated with the Black Eyed Blues Fest held by the CT Blues Society on June 3, 2011 in Bushnell Park. (Cotto) Passed
43. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Puerto Rican Parade held on June 5, 2011. (Cotto) Passed
44. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the "Impact Hartford" event sponsored by South New England Conference on October 2, 2010 in Bushnell Park. (Cotto) Passed
45. Oil Drum Art. Allocation of $1,000 to allow 240 students to paint oil drums with environmental and nature themes for use as litter containers in parks and neighborhoods. (Winch) (also see #21 and 54) Withdrawn
46. Appointment. Appointment of Christine Baptiste-McCalla as Executive Assistant to the Council President. (Winch) Passed
47. UANC. Allocation of $1,500 to the Upper Albany Neighborhood Collaborative (Winch) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
48. Grants. Allocation of $500 to the Hartford Community Center and $500 to the ABC Drill and Drum Initiative. (Winch). Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
49. Family Day Foundation. Allocation of $500 to the Family Day Foundation. (Winch) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
50. Hartford Public Library. Approval for the Library to serve alcohol at five events. (Cotto) Referred to Public Works, Parks & Environment Committee
51. CDBG Task Force. Establishment of a task force to study best practices in the allocation of CDBG funds and make recommendations to the Administration. (Cotto) Postponed
52. Fresh Produce. Request that the State Legislature authorize the City to provide property tax exemptions to bodega owners who dedicate at least 30% of their retail space to fresh produce. (Cotto) Referred to Legislative Affairs Committee
53. Knox Parks Foundation. Allocation of $2,000 to the Knox Parks Foundation to purchase trees for the MARG NRZ. (Brinson) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
54. Oil Drum Art. Allocation of $2,000 to allow 240 students to paint oil drums with environmental and nature themes for use as litter containers in parks and neighborhoods. (Brinson) (also see #21 and 45) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
55. Grants. Allocation of $1,500 to the Martin Luther King Jr. Soccer League, $2,500 to the Cricket Hall of Fame, $2,000 to the Artists Collective, $2,500 to the Blue Hills Civic Association, $5,000 to the Cultural Dance Troupe of the West Indies, $2,500 to the West Indian Foundation, and $3,000 to the Caribbean Resource Center. (Brinson) Referred to Operations, Management & Budget Committee
56. Women & Families Shelter. Resolution allocating $40,000 to the Salvation Army''s Marshall House shelter for women and families. (Deutsch) Passed
57. MDC. Resolution calling on the MDC to set aside jobs in the Clean Water Project for residents of member towns and institute elections for MDC commissioners. (Deutsch) Referred to Labor & Workforce Development Committee
58. Judah House. Allocation of $1,500 to Judah House. (Painter) (also see #25) Withdrawn
59. South Green. Allocation of $37,000 to the be used for improvements to South Green Park (Painter) Withdrawn

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.