My name is Peter Vizier, and I am president of the City Amber Council, and I'm the presiding officer of this public hearing, which I'm calling to order on April the 27th, 2026, approximately 6.03 p.m.

I ask Councilman Bridge to Please rise.

I believe it's please take your seats.

At this time, I'm going to call the roll for the City of Danbury Council.

Councilman Cuello.

Here.

Councilman Flanagan.

Present.

Councilman Hawley.

Councilwoman LePine.

Present.

Councilman Salvatore.

Present.

Councilman Bazade, present.

Councilwoman Gartner.

Present.

Councilwoman Faye.

Councilman Henry.

Councilman Wallace Smith called me.

She is in New York City.

Councilman.

Councilwoman Spain Reichel.

Councilman Giordano.

Councilwoman Jabar.

Councilman Rotello.

Councilman Chinese contacted me earlier today.

He's unavailable and will be absent.

Councilman Dwayne Perkins.

Councilman Britton.

Councilman McAllister has contacted me.

He is away in Indianapolis at a fire training session.

Councilwoman Robinson.

Councilman Laughinghouse contacted me earlier.

He is also away in business out of town.

Thank you.

Claire will be here late.

Right.

This time I'm going to read the public hearing notice.

The City of Danbury Common Count Council will hear comments from the general public at 6 p.m.

on Wednesday, April the 2nd, 22nd, in the third four council chambers.

The purpose is to listen to public comments regarding budget, ordinances, and resolutions.

Number one on tonight's agenda is an ordinance making appropriations for the fiscal year beginning on July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027, and a resolution levying the property taxes for that fiscal year.

The second item on tonight's agenda will be an ordinance appropriating three million dollars for public improvements for the 2026-2027 capital budget and authorizing the issuance of $3 million in bonds.

The third item on tonight's agenda are is the consideration of ordinances establishing the sewer rates effective July 1st, 2026.

The fourth item is ordinances establishing water rates effective July 1st, 2026.

The fifth item on tonight's agenda is the neighborhood assistance act.

The sixth item on tonight's agenda is the government entities review committee report.

The final item on tonight's agenda is number seven, amendments to ordinances regarding sections 14-21 through 14-80 of the City of Danbury.

I recognize uh Councilman Frank Salvatore.

Mr.

President, we've been advised that item number seven, which is also item number five on the committee of the whole, is being pulled due to substantive changes that still need to be made to the ordinance, and rather than waste the public's time to do a public hearing tonight, and again, once the other changes are made, they're pulling the item and will bring it back to us with all the changes, and we'll go through the process uh at a later date.

Thank you, Councilman Salvatore.

With that, this meeting is specifically for members of the public to speak on the agenda items listed in the notice.

Our job is to listen to your remarks, your comments, your observations and concerns regarding each of those individual items on tonight's agenda.

The council will not engage you, will not respond to questions, and and once you're recognized, you'll come forward, uh speak at a podium, state your name and address for the record.

As a note, once once public speaking portion is closed, we will we may take a short break depending upon how long this goes.

I am told by our audio visual engineers that it takes almost 10 minutes to start everything up again.

So maybe we might not take a break and just go right into the committee for the whole afterward.

So I will begin.

As to item number one, which is the general budget, an ordinance making appropriations for the fiscal year beginning on July 1st of 2026, ending on June 30th, 2027, and a resolution levying the property taxes for that same fiscal year.

Is there anyone present who wishes to speak and address us?

Yes, please.

Please step forward to the podium, state your name and address.

Good evening.

For the record, my name is Luisa Britton, and I live at 14 Fairfield Avenue.

I also serve as chairperson of the Board of Education.

I'm here tonight to express my strong support for the mayor's proposed budget.

Over the past several years, we have all seen the consequences of financial mismanagement and lack of alignment when it comes to educational funding.

Challenges that impacted not just numbers on a page, but our classrooms, our educators, and most importantly, our students.

But tonight feels different.

This budget reflects something we did not always have until just a few years ago.

Honesty, responsibility, and true collaboration.

I want to recognize our superintendent and her team who put in an incredible amount of work to develop a thoughtful, transparent, and data-driven budget to present to the board and the mayor.

Their work laid the foundation for the collaboration we are seeing today.

For too long, the relationship between the city and the Board of Education felt divided, almost like two separate municipalities working under the same roof.

That approach does not work when we are all serving the same families and the same future of Danbury.

What we are seeing now is a shift, one that recognizes a simple truth.

The Board of Education is the city, and the city is the Board of Education.

This budget reflects understanding.

It is realistic in numbers, responsible in its approach, and the product of partnership, not division.

Yes, it includes a responsible adjustment, an investment in stability, transparency, and doing things the right way moving forward.

It also includes a meaningful, fully funded increase to the Board of Education's appropriation, ensuring that we meet the needs of our students and properly support our teachers and staff.

At the end of the day, this budget is about people.

It is better for our kids, better for our educators, better for our schools, and ultimately better for Danbury.

I want to thank the mayor, the city council, the superintendent and her team, and my colleagues on the board for the collaboration that made this possible.

I respectfully urge you to support the budget and continue moving our city forward together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else present who would like to address the council regarding uh item number one, which is the general budget of the City of Danbury for 2026-2027?

Is there anyone else present who wishes to address us regarding the budget?

Uh has listed an item one on tonight's agenda.

Hearing no one, um, I'm going to move on to item two of our agenda.

Item two is an ordinance appropriating three million dollars for public improvements in the 2026-2027 capital budget and authorizing the issuance of $3 million in bonds.

Is there anyone present in the room who wishes to address us on the topic of item number two on tonight's agenda?

Is there anyone here who wishes to address the council regarding item number two?

For the final time, is there anyone here who wishes to address us regarding item two on tonight's public hearing agenda?

Hearing none, we'll move on to item number three on tonight's public hearing agenda, which is an ordinance establishing sewer rates effective July 1, 2026.

Is there anyone present here who wishes to address the council regarding item number three on tonight's agenda?

Is there anyone present who wishes to address us regarding item number three on tonight's agenda?

For the final time as to item number three, is there anyone present who would like to step forward and address us?

Hearing none, we will move on to item number four, which is an ordinance establishing water rates effective July 1, 2026.

Um is there anyone present in the who would wish to address the council regarding item number four, an ordinance establishing water rates?

Is there anyone present who would like to address the council regarding an ordinance establishing water rates?

For the final time, is there anyone present who would like to uh address us regarding water rates?

Hearing none, we'll move on to item number five, which is the neighborhood assistance act.

Is there anyone who wishes to speak regarding item number five on tonight's agenda, the neighborhood assistance act?

The second time, is there anyone here who wishes to address us regarding the neighborhood assistance act for the third and final time as to this item?

Is there anyone present in the room who'd like to address us regarding the neighborhood assistance act?

Hearing none, I will move on to item number six of tonight's agenda, which is the government entities review committee.

Is there anyone present who would like us to would like to address us regarding the government entities review committee?

Is there anyone present who would like to address us regarding the government entities review committee?

For the final time, is there anyone present who would like to address us regarding the government entities review committee?

Hearing none at this point, that would conclude that item.

We do not have item number seven, which was withdrawn.

I'll call for a motion to close the public hearing.

Second.

The motion having been made and seconded.

Um, are there any remarks regarding the public hearing from any members of the council?

Hearing none, I'll try your minds.

All those in favor of closing the public hearing, please respond by saying aye.

Aye.

Are there any nays?

The vote is in favor to close the public hearing.

It is so ordered.

I'll entertain a motion to adjourn the public hearing.

Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

We will not take a break.

We'll move right into the committee of the whole.

It was notice for six.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Sorry, sir.

It's 6 30.

So we have 15 minutes.

We will we will not continue.

I apologize.

Haste makes ways.