Council Previews & Reviews >> Previews > September 27, 2010

Council Preview
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, September 27, 2010

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 on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 (due to the Columbus Day holiday) and the next public hearing will be Monday, October 18, 2010 at 7 PM. There are 30 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.

Coltsville Corridor Streetscape Improvements – The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement between the State of Connecticut and the City of Hartford for the Coltsville Corridor Streetscape Improvement project. The agreement will provide the City with 100% of the funding needed to complete the design and contract documents for the project. The maximum reimbursement will be $849,656. (Item #1)

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Grant – The Council will consider a resolution authorizing the City to apply for and receive $2,690,356 in federal grant funds to continue the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. Hartford's WIC program has been operated by the Department of Health & Human Services since 1978. It provides supplemental foods, health care referrals and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. (Item #3)

Lead Poisoning Prevention Program – The Council will vote on a resolution authorizing the City to apply for and receive approximately $66,834 in grant funds from the Connecticut Association of Directors of Health, Inc. (CADH) to continue the Department of Health & Human Services' lead poisoning prevention efforts. The grant will support the continuation of the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program which provides childhood lead poisoning prevention and intervention services. (Item #4)

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.

Novelty Lighter Regulation – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that would regulate novelty lighters - those which are designed to be attractive to children by incorporating flashing lights, musical sounds, or a toy-like appearance. The ordinance would prohibit the sale, gift, or distribution of such lighters within the city of Hartford. The Council's Quality of Life & Public Safety Committee recommends postponement of this item pending additional review by Corporation Counsel. (Torres) (Item #11)

Campaign Contributions – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance that would prohibit campaign contributions by City contractors to candidates running for Mayor, Council, Board of Education, Treasurer, and Registrar of Voters. City contractors include individuals, business entities, and nonprofit organizations that have agreements or contracts with the City of Hartford, Hartford Parking Authority, Hartford Housing Authority, or the Board of Education, as well as those who have submitted bids or proposals for the purpose of obtaining an agreement or contract. Contributions would be prohibited to candidates, exploratory committees, and political and party committees. A public hearing was held on this item on July 19. The item has been postponed several times. (Cotto) (Item #12)

Parks & Recreation – The Council will consider two proposed ordinances which, together, would change the way the City's parks and recreation functions are organized. The first ordinance would remove the Parks Maintenance Division from the Department of Public Works and would remove the Division of Recreation and Youth Services from the Department of Health and Human Services. The second ordinance would create a separate Department of Parks and Recreation which would consist of three divisions: Administration, Parks, and Recreation & Youth Services. The changes would be effective 90 days after passage of the ordinances. A public hearing on this matter was held on June 21, 2010. The item has been postponed several times. (Cotto) (Items #14 and 15)

Limits on Intelligence Collection and Profiling – The Council will consider an ordinance that would limit the Police Department's domestic surveillance and immigration enforcement activities. The proposed ordinance would 1) limit surveillance and intelligence collection to activities related to criminal behavior, 2) limit dissemination of criminal or intelligence information to other law enforcement agencies and not to military or private sector entities, 3) prohibit profiling on the basis of religion, race, or national origin, 4) prohibit searches except for probable cause, 5) prohibit demands for identification, except where criminal activity is suspected, 6) establish measures to prevent profiling, 7) prohibit infiltration of groups or organizations pursuing First Amendment protected activity, 8) prohibit undercover investigation of religious or political organizations, and 9) establish limits on Police cooperation with Federal or Military officials. A public hearing was held on this matter on August 16, 2010. (Cotto) (Item #18)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

  1. Coltsville Streetscape. Approval to execute an agreement with the State of CT for a grant of $849,656 for plans and specifications for streetscape improvements in the area around Coltsville. (Segarra)
  2. CRRA PILOT. Approval to enter into an agreement with the CT Resources Recovery Authority for payment in lieu of taxes of $106,618 per year on property at 2 Reserve Road. (Segarra)
  3. WIC Grant. Authorization to apply for and receive $2.6 million in federal grant funds to provide nutrition counseling, health care referrals, and healthy foods to low-income women, infants and children under 5 years old. (Segarra)
  4. Lead Poisoning Prevention. Approval to apply for and accept $66,834 in grant funds from the CT Association of Directors of Health to be used to continue lead poisoning prevention efforts. (Segarra)
  5. Executive Session. Request for Council to go into Executive Session to discuss the resolution of Etienne Ruiz v. City of Hartford. (Segarra)
  6. Executive Session. Request for Council to go into Executive Session to discuss potential resolution of USA Contractors v. City of Hartford. (Segarra)
  7. School Safety Issues. Letter from the Council's Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee regarding a request to have a joint meeting with the Education Committee to discuss school safety issues. (Torres)
  8. Food Service Licenses. Authorization to create an amnesty program to partially waive late fees due from food service establishments who failed to renew their licenses in a timely fashion. Late fees were not charged by City staff to some vendors in error. (Perez)
  9. School Bus Contracts. Request that the Administration investigate school bus contracts to determine if there are willful or unintentional violations of the Living Wage Ordinance. Labor & Workforce Development Committee recommends postponement. (Winch, Airey-Wilson)
  10. Property Acquisition. Authorization for the City to accept ownership of properties at 126-128 and 130-132 New Park Avenue, 8-10 Francis Court, and 161 Francis Avenue from the owner, Vincent Guiliano, through quit-claim deeds. (Segarra)
  11. Novelty Lighters. Proposed ordinance prohibiting the sale, gift or distribution of lighters, in Hartford, that are designed to be attractive to children. (Torres) Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee recommends postponement.
  12. Campaign Contributions. Proposed ordinance prohibiting individuals and entities who have contracts with the City of Hartford from making contributions to candidates for Mayor, Council, Registrar of Voters, Treasurer, or Board of Education. (Cotto)
  13. Board of Education Budget. Request to the Board of Education to provide the Council with adopted line-item budgets for the past two fiscal years and year-to-date figures for the current fiscal year. (Deutsch, Segarra)
  14. Parks & Recreation. Ordinance creating a Department of Parks & Recreation to include Parks Maintenance and Recreation and Youth Services. (Cotto)
  15. Organization. Ordinance removing the division of Parks Maintenance from the Public Works Department and removing the division of Recreation & Youth Services from the Department of Health & Human Services. (Cotto)
  16. Liberty Street. Authorization to execute Purchase and Sale Agreement for 18-20 Liberty Street. (Segarra)
  17. Appointment. Appointment of Dr. Robert Painter to the Capital Region Council of Governments Policy Board. (Boucher, Winch, Kennedy, Torres, Ritter)
  18. Intelligence Collection and Profiling. Ordinance limiting domestic surveillance and immigration enforcement activities by the Police Department. (Cotto)
  19. Retirement Incentive Program. Proposed ordinance implementing a voluntary retirement incentive program for non-union General Government employees. (Segarra)
  20. Council Committees. Appointment of Councilman Alexander Aponte to the Council's Planning & Economic Development and Legislative Affairs Committees. (Winch)
  21. Hartford Hurricanes. Allocation of $6,000 to the Hartford Hurricanes youth football and cheerleading program. (Winch)
  22. Contributions. Allocation of funding to 6 programs: $5,000 to First Night – One City, One Plan, One Earth; $2,000 to Farmers Markets Harvest Market; $5,000 to Hartford Basic Human Needs Strategic Action; $5,000 to the Sheff Movement; $5,000 to City Promotions; $2,000 to Friends & Families of Forster Heights Park. (Boucher)
  23. Contributions. Allocation of undetermined amount of funds to the Greater Hartford Festival of Jazz and Scapegoat Garden Dance Company. (Cotto)
  24. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Mighty 4 Hartford Bboy/Skate Jam sponsored by the Underground Coalition on September 26, 2010 at New Ross, County Wexford Park. (Cotto)
  25. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the West End Civic Association's Evergreen Block Party on October 2, 2010. (Cotto)
  26. Fee Waiver. Waiver of fees for the Columbus Day Parade and Festival on October 8-10, 2010 on Franklin Avenue. (Cotto, Boucher)
  27. Permission. Permission for the African American Caribbean Coalition and the Office of Kenneth Kennedy, Jr. to serve alcohol at a fundraising event in City Hall on November 18, 2010. (Cotto)
  28. Appointment. Resolution that Council should appoint its member to the Internal Audit Commission. (Kennedy)
  29. Contribution. Allocation of $1,000 to the Hartford Botanical Garden Planning Committee. (Ritter)
  30. Contribution. Allocation of $15,000 to OPUS, Inc. for its after-school quilting programs. (Winch)

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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