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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 public hearing will be Monday, December 18, 2006. The Council meeting of December 26, 2006 has been cancelled.
There are 31 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 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.
Naming of Vine Street – The Council will act on a resolution giving Vine Street the honorary name of “Ella L. Cromwell Boulevard”. A public hearing on the matter was held on Monday, October 16, 2006 and the Public Building Dedication Committee recommends the honorary naming. (Item #12)
Plaza Mayor – The Council will consider a request by the Planning and Economic Development Committee to refer the resolution approving a land disposition agreement to public hearing on December 18, 2006. At the Council meeting of November 27th, the Council referred two resolutions, on this project, to the Planning and Economic Development Committee. The first resolution authorizes the Finance Director to make necessary fund transfers in order to provide $4.6 million in financial assistance to the project. The second resolution grants initial approval of a disposition agreement with the developer, Plaza Mayor LLC. The Plaza Mayor project is a mixed-use development on 2.25 acres of vacant land at the corner of Park and Main Streets. The proposal calls for 30 townhouse style condominiums to be constructed atop ground level retail that will surround a public plaza. The proposal will also include a banquet venue and a combination of covered and uncovered parking. (Item #13)
Transportation Projects – The Council will act on a resolution endorsing the submission of four applications to the Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) for Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) funds. The Planning and Economic Development Committee recommends approval of the resolution. The resolution that was referred to the Committee had only three projects. However, the Committee is adding a fourth project for Council’s approval. The projects, in order of priority, are now: 1) the realignment of the intersection of Asylum Avenue, Farmington Avenue, and Broad Street, 2) the realignment of the intersection of Albany Avenue and North Main Street, 3) parking and traffic improvements on Trinity Street, and 4) pavement rehabilitation on Farmington Avenue. The City must provide 10% of the project cost and must agree to perform long-term maintenance, repair, and operation of the completed improvements. (Item #15)
Front Street – The Council will consider a resolution authorizing the Mayor to develop and submit an application to the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for a $5 million loan, through the Section 108 program, for the retail and entertainment component of the Front Street development. The City had secured a $5 million Section 108 grant for the same purpose in 1999, but the project did not move forward and the commitment lapsed. The resolution also authorizes the Administration to allocate $11,000 in UDAG repayment funds for the preparation of the Section 108 application and subsequent agreements by consultant Development Solutions, Inc. The Planning and Economic Development Committee recommends approval. (Item #16)
Wastewater Treatment – The Council will act upon a resolution, recommended by the Advisory Commission on the Environment, that encourages the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) to cease using chlorine gas as a disinfectant at the wastewater treatment plant in Hartford and to adopt safer alternatives. The resolution also asks that the MDC adopt a timetable for phasing out their use of chlorine gas and participate with Hartford Emergency Response personnel in training on responding to chlorine gas releases. The Health and Human Services Committee recommends approval. (Item #20)
Lead Prevention and Remediation – The Council will act upon a resolution authorizing the Director of Health and Human Services to implement lead prevention and remediation programs funded by two grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: a $3 million Lead Hazard Control grant, and a grant for $3.4 million for a Lead Demonstration Program. Both grants are for three-year programs. The grants will be used to remediate lead in 621 low income, non-public housing units, provide lead education to 432 property owners, provide lead awareness education to 900 pregnant and parenting women, support annual workshops for early childhood professionals, and reach out to 1200 individuals to establish a Lead Prevention Network. The Health and Human Services Committee recommends approval. (Item #21)
New Agenda Items
Truancy Prevention and Intervention – The Council will consider a resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept a $150,000 grant from the St. Paul Travelers Foundation to be used for truancy prevention and intervention. The Police Department will use the funds for increasing the hours of truancy detectives, engaging parents, teachers and mentors, promoting coordination of community-based programs, and supervising the Neighborhood Enforcement Stabilization Team (NEST) in the schools. (Item #4)
Disparity Study – The Council will consider a resolution authorizing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) for the purpose of sharing the expense of hiring a consultant to conduct a disparity study. The study will identify disparities between in the number/percentage/value of contracts obtained by small, local, minority- and woman-owned, and disadvantaged businesses, as compared to their numbers in the community. The results of the study will be used to establish and/or support programs that provide opportunities for these businesses in the City’s capital improvement projects and the MDC’s Clean Water Project. (Item #7)
Construction Trades Hiring Practices – The Council will receive a communication from Councilman Kenneth Kennedy asking the Council to review a New Haven ordinance and consider creating a similar ordinance in Hartford that would use a municipality’s contracting activity to encourage/require improved hiring practices to increase the numbers of minorities and women in the construction trades. (Item #25)
Capital Projects – The Council will consider an ordinance to appropriate $1,975,000 from the Capital Improvement Fund to undertake five projects. The projects are: 1) replacement of the roofs on seven City buildings, 2) replacement of the heating systems in six City buildings, 3) ongoing repairs and resurfacing of city streets, 4) continued implementation of traffic calming improvements throughout city neighborhoods, and 5) replacement of damaged or downed decorative streetlight fixtures. All funds for these improvements will be provided by the State of Connecticut through its Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP). (Item #26)
Bicycle Parking – The Council will consider a resolution committing the City of Hartford to provide 12% of the costs ($38,500) of a pilot project to promote bicycle use in the Capital Region through the provision of bicycle racks and lockers in Hartford. The remainder of the costs will be paid by the Federal government, the Central Connecticut Bicycle Alliance, and the Greater Hartford Transit District. (Item #27)
Community Lighting – The Council will act on a resolution that asks the Mayor to authorize up to $20,000 to initiate a pilot project to enhance public safety and quality of life in the Southwest neighborhood, by improving street lighting and residential yard and porch lighting. The resolution also asks the Mayor to authorize a feasibility plan for implementation in other areas of the city if neighborhood groups express interest. (Item #30)
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. |
