Council Preview
Hartford City Council Meeting

Monday, November 22, 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 Monday, December 13 at 7 PM (preceded at 6 PM by a public comment period) and the next public hearing will be Monday, December 20, 2010 at 7 PM.

There are 44 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.

I-84 Viaduct Study – The Council will vote on a resolution endorsing the “I-84 Viaduct Study: Options for Replacing the I-84 Viaduct in Downtown Hartford.” The Study evaluated several options for replacement of the existing viaduct which is reaching the end of its useful life. The viaduct is a ¾ mile long section of elevated highway that extends from the Sisson Avenue interchange to the Asylum and Capitol interchanges of Interstate 84. (Item #2)

Marketing Plan for Hartford – The Council will consider a resolution proposing that the Mayor request that Development Services provide an update on present marketing plans for Hartford, that recommendations be made to Council on strengthening the City of Hartford’s marketing capacity, and that staff report back within 90 days. (Item #16)

Elderly Tax Relief Program – The Council will consider a proposed ordinance amending Section 32-18(j) of the Municipal Code extending the Elderly Tax Relief Program to elderly Hartford homeowners for taxes due on the Grand List of October 1, 2010. To qualify for this tax relief residents must have been 65 years of age or older by December 31, 2009. They must also be the owner/occupant of a 1, 2, or 3 family residence and must qualify for the following income limits: $41,600 for a married couple and $35,400 for a married individual. The recommended maximum benefit is $500. (Item #33)

Removing 3:30–6:00pm Parking Prohibitions – The Council will vote on a resolution requesting that the Chief Operating Officer direct the Director of Public Works to remove the 3:30–6:00pm parking prohibitions in the Central Business District (CBD). This parking restriction creates an atmosphere that downtown is closing for business at a time when restaurants and other establishments are trying to draw customers in. There is no verifiable data showing that this parking restriction encourages people to use off-street lots or parking garages. (Item #42)

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.

Moratorium – The Council will consider a resolution that would recommend, to the Planning & Zoning Commission and Economic Development Department, a one-year moratorium on granting permission for tax exemptions on property in Hartford while a review of zoning restrictions, policies, and procedures is undertaken with regard to property tax-exemptions. Exceptions to the moratorium during the one-year period could be granted for projects that enhance the value of the grand list and meet a critical human service need. The Council’s Planning & Economic Development Committee recommends postponement. (Winch) (Item #15)

Raising of Retirement Age – The Council will consider a resolution requesting assistance from the Mayor’s Office for proposing and amending ordinances to raise the age at which newly hired non-unionized employees can collect pensions. The City’s recently empanelled Fiscal Analysis Task Force recommended the retirement age be raised to make the City’s retirement program more comparable with that offered by the State. The Council’s Labor & Workforce Development Committee recommends postponement, pending receipt of additional information. (Ritter) (Item #22)

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 #25 and 27)

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 has recommended postponement of this item pending additional review by Corporation Counsel. (Torres) (Item #26)

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 #28)

Neighborhood Project Assistance – The Council will consider two resolutions which would provide funding for the hiring of Community Development Liaison/Coordinators to implement neighborhood plans and strategies, such as the Webster Street and Barbour Street Development Projects. (Boucher, Winch) (Items #36 and 37)

LIST OF ALL AGENDA ITEMS

Item #

1. On-Call Engineers. Authorization for the City to extend one-year contracts with engineering firms, who are “on-call” for City assignments, for up to two years. (Segarra)
2. I-84 Viaduct Study. Endorsement of the study of replacement options for the I-84 viaduct. (Segarra)
3. 1st Quarter Financial Report. Report to Council by the Administration on financial activity during July, August, and September of 2010. (Segarra)
4. Public Information. Extension of the contract with Nancy Mulroy to provide public information services to the Hartford Police Department through June 30, 2011. (Segarra)
5. George Cruz Corner. Correction of previous resolution to designate the intersection of Main and Pleasant Streets as George Cruz Corner. (Segarra)
6. Avon Rowing. Authorization to enter into a new contract with the Avon High School Rowing Team for use of Batterson Park for crew practice. (Segarra)
7. Donations. Approval for the Department of Health & Human Services to solicit and accept monetary donations for the Healthy Hartford Campaign. (Segarra)
8. Health Insurance. Request that the Administration pursue new alternatives for City contracts for health insurance for employees, retirees and government. (Deutsch)
9. Commission on Disability Issues. Report from the Health & Human Services Committee on ordinance changing the composition of the Commission on Disability Issues. (also see # 30)
10. Committee Report. Report from the Health & Human Services Committee on discussions held on November 1, 2010.
11. Committee Report. Report from the Education Committee on discussions held on October 27, 2010.
12. Committee Report. Report from the Education Committee on discussions on adult literacy held on October 27, 2010.
13. Committee Report. Report from the Education Committee on discussions on upcoming legislative strategies for school funding held on October 27, 2010.
14. License Agreement. Authorization to execute a license agreement with Paganelli Construction Corp. for use of 272 Garden Street and Bedford Street Extension as a staging area for the MDC’s Garden Street Relief Sewer Project. (Segarra)
15. Moratorium. Proposal to establish a one-year moratorium on location of new tax-exempt property in Hartford. (Winch)
16. Marketing Hartford. Request that the Administration provide an update on marketing plans and make recommendations on strengthening Hartford’s marketing capacities. (Boucher, Ritter)
17. License Agreement. Authorization to extend a license agreement with Baltazar Contractors for use of 140-146 Homestead Avenue for equipment storage for the MDC’s Burton Street sewer separation project. (Segarra)
18. License Agreement. Authorization to extend a license agreement with Coastline Construction Corp. for use of 111 Homestead Avenue for equipment storage for the MDC’s Edgewood Street sewer separation project. (Segarra)
19. Rental Foreclosures. Request that the Mayor provide information on how it will address foreclosures on approximately 3,000 rental housing units owned by the Marks, Alphabet and Surrey Groups. (Boucher)
20. 18 and 20 Liberty Street. Authorization of the sale of 18 and 20 Liberty Street to Habitat for Humanity for $20,000 for the purpose of constructing 2 single family homes. (Segarra)
21. Anti-Blight. Request that the Mayor provide an assessment of what additional staff capacity would be needed to enforce the Anti-Blight ordinance. (Boucher)
22. Retirement Age. Resolution requesting assistance from the Mayor’s Office in preparing a proposal for raising the age of retirement for newly hired non-union City employees. (Ritter)
23. Appointment. Resolution that Council should appoint its member to the Internal Audit Commission. (Kennedy) (To be withdrawn. See #35)
24. 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)
25. Parks & Recreation. Ordinance creating a Department of Parks & Recreation to include Parks Maintenance and Recreation and Youth Services. (Cotto)
26. Novelty Lighters. Proposed ordinance prohibiting the sale, gift or distribution, in Hartford, of lighters that are designed to be attractive to children. (Torres)
27. Organizational Changes. 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)
28. 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)
29. 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. (Winch, Airey-Wilson)
30. Commission on Disability Issues. Ordinance specifying the composition of the Commission on Disability Issues to include people with disabilities, representatives of organizations serving those with disabilities, and relatives of or those who are active with the issues of people with disabilities. (Segarra) (also see #9)
31. Library. Approval for the Hartford Public Library to serve alcohol at its Latino Empowerment Fund event on November 30, 2010. (Cotto)
32. Monetary Settlements. Authorization for the Corporation Counsel to settle claims for up to $25,000 without approval by Mayor or Council and to settle claims between $25,000 and $50,000 with approval of the Mayor. (Segarra)
33. Elderly Tax Relief. Approval to extend, for another year, the program to provide $500 tax benefits to elderly homeowners with lower incomes. (Segarra)
34. Late Fee Amnesty. Ordinance authorizing a one-time amnesty on payment of late fees for certain food establishments who renewed their licenses late. (Segarra)
35. Internal Audit Commission. Appointment of Hans Jung, CFA, to the Internal Audit Commission. (Kennedy)
36. Neighborhood Coordinator. Allocation of $120,000 for hiring individuals to coordinate implementation of plans in Northeast, Upper Albany, Blue Hills, and Webster Street area. (Winch)
37. Northeast NRZ. Allocation of $30,000 to the Northeast NRZ for hiring of individuals to assist with Barbour Street development. (Winch)
38. Mortgage Refinancing. Request to Senators and Congresspersons to assist homeowners facing foreclosures. (Winch)
39. Cancellation of Meeting. Cancellation of the December 27, 2010 meeting of the Court of Common Council. (Winch)
40. Allocations. Allocation of $1,000 each to the CT Center for Nonviolence, Mutual Housing Association of Greater Hartford, the John E. Rogers African American Cultural Center, and the Upper Albany Neighborhood Collaborative. (Cotto)
41. Permission. Permission for the Keney Park Pond House to serve alcohol at a Young Professionals Social on December 9, 2010. (Cotto)
42. Removal of Parking Ban. Request to the Administration that prohibitions on parking between 3:30 and 6:00 PM be removed in the central business district in all feasible locations. (Cotto)
43. Permission. Permission for the Hartford Public Library to serve alcohol at an event for the ACLU on November 22, 2010. (Cotto)
44. Allocation. Allocation of $2,000 to Saturday Hoopsters. (Ritter)

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.