Thank you for joining.

There are residents here in person and those viewing on the meeting at on HBATV.org.

You can view the meeting on Channel 96 on Comcast and Channel 6032 on Frontier.

I am now calling the regular schedule meeting of uh September 8th, 2025 to order.

Mr.

Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Biladu.

Here.

Councilman Clark.

Present.

Councilman Gayle.

Councilman Hernandez.

Here.

Councilman Mickdom.

Here.

Councilman Rosato.

Present.

Councilwoman Rosetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Here.

Councilman Thomas.

Here.

You have a quorum, Madam President.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

Shall we raise?

I pledge the leader of the flag of the United States.

Thank you.

Tonight, I was meant to let everyone know that Majority Leader Rosetti is not here with us.

Also Councilman John Gale was doing double duty today.

He had to go to an MDC meeting, and he wanted it to let everyone know that's why he is not here.

Uh he had to definitely uh do that.

So just see asked for to make the statements for everybody to understand the reason why he's not here.

So assistant lord majority leader, you have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

To you, I'd like to make the motion that we approve the minutes of the August 11th, 2025 City Council meeting.

Second.

To accept the minutes from the August 11, 2025 virtual council meeting.

Or are there any discussion on the motion?

Seeing our hearing none, Mr.

Town Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Bilder.

Yes.

Councilman Clark?

Yes.

Councilman Gale.

Councilman Hernandez?

Yes.

Councilman Mickdom.

Yes.

Councilman Rosato?

Yes.

Councilman Rosetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Yes.

And Councilman Thomas.

Yes.

Pass.

Thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

To you would like to make the motion that we uh put the following items on our consent calendar.

Item 3.2, Mayor Awalampalam with a company resolution authorizing the city of Harvard to accept grant funds in the amount of 1875 from the Metropolitan District MDC to support the 15th annual OMW legacy community health and wellness fair.

Item 3.8 Mayor Armalampana with a company resolution authorizing the Harvard Police Department to accept the donation of a passenger vehicle from the National Insurance Crime Bureau and ICB for the use by the auto theft unit.

Item 5.2 Majority Leader Rosetti, Council President Surgeon, Assistant Major Lee De Clark, Councilwoman Bilidou, Councilman Hernandez, Councilwoman Rosato, resolution establishing the sister cities program.

Item 5.4 with a substitution.

Mayor Arba Lampelon with accompanying resolutions uh conform confirming the reappointments of Richard Holland to the Commission on Cultural Affairs and Item 6.1 resolution by Council President Surgeon, Councilman Hernandez, Councilwoman Biladu on raising the pride flag at City Hall for Hartford Pride Week.

Second.

Thank you.

A motion has been made and properly second to put the following item on consent calendar.

Items 3.2, items 3.8, items 5.2, and item 5.4 substitution and item 6.1.

Are there any discussion on the items on the consent calendar?

Seeing or hearing no discussion, Mr.

Town Purple, please call the roll.

On the consent calendar items.

Councilman Biladu.

Yes.

Councilman Clark?

Yes.

Councilman Gale.

Councilman Hernandez?

Yes.

Councilman Micktum?

Yes.

Councilwoman Rosotto?

Yes.

Councilwoman Rosetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Yes.

And Councilman Thomas.

Yes.

Consent calendar passes.

Thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

Is it a majority leader?

You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

There you'd like to place to make the motion that we place on the received items.

Make a motion to receive the following items.

Item 4.1, Committee of the Whole, with accompanying resolution confirming the appointment of James C.

Rivella as Chief of Police for the Hartford Police Department.

And item four item 4.2 Labor Education Workforce and Youth Development Committee report discussing the resolution re-establishing the sister cities program.

Presentation by Eric Lucer town the city clerk.

Second.

Thank you.

Motion has been made and properly seconded to place items 4.1 and 4.2 on uh on the receipt.

Um councilman councilman rosado?

You okay?

All right, good.

Okay, so um on the receive calendar, we have um items 4.1 and 4.2, which has um been made and properly seconded.

Are there any discussion on the uh two items on the for that's being received?

Seeing our hearing no discussion, Mr.

Town Clerk.

On the received items, councilman Biladu?

Yes, Councilman Clark, yes, Councilman Gale, Councilman Hernandez, yes, Councilman Micktam, yes, Councilman Rosado, yes, Councilman Rosetti, Council President Surgeon, yes, and Councilman Thomas, yes, pass uh thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

Thank you, Madam President.

Through you'd like to make the motion that we refer the following items to the following committees.

Item 3.1 to the dedication public dedication committee, mayor A.

With accompanying resolution authorizing a commemorative street sign to be placed on High Street location of the City of Hartford Public Safety Complex in honor of Detective Robert Bobby Garden.

Item 3.6 to the quality of life and public safety committee meeting.

Mayor Armalampalam with accompanying resolution authorizing the city to lease office space from NHAH, the second LLC to establish Northeast District Hartford Police Office at 127, 133 Martin Street, item 3.

To the Planning Economic Development Housing Committee.

Mayor A.

Rampalam with the company resolution authorizing the city to transfer two city-owned properties to South Side Institutions Neighborhood Alliance Inc.

Sina for the development of two two family homes with a public hearing on Monday September 15, 2025 at 7 p.m.

And also an 824 review.

Item 3.4 to the planning economic development and housing committee.

Mayor Auralampalan with the company resolution authorizing the city to transfer four city-owned properties to Habitat for Humanity of the North Central Connecticut H F H N C C for the development of four new owner occupied residences with a public hearing on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Also with the 824 review.

Item 3.5 to the planning economic development housing committee.

Mayor Armalampalam with accompanying resolution authorizing the redevelopment of 110 Washington Street and underutilized city owned property currently used as a warming center with a public hearing on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 7 p.m.

and also with the 824 review.

Item 3.7 to the operations management budget and government accountability committee.

Mayor Arbalampalam with the company resolution authorizing the write-off of the following receivables which are recorded as receivable and deferred revenue in the city's general ledger.

Item 6.2 to the plan and economic development sorry to the operations management budget and government accountability committee.

I didn't want to bring give you any I know Council President Surgeon system appointing Octavia Rodney to the Internal Audit Commission, which goes to the operations management budget and government accountability committee.

Second.

I think um Sister Majority Leader Clark is trying to give me more items to my committee.

Three wasn't enough.

Thank you, sir.

Um a motion has been made and properly seconded to refer the following items to the committees.

Items 3.1 to the public dedication committee, items 3.6 to the Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee, items 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5.

All three items have a September 15th public hearing uh at 7 p.m.

Also a 824 review.

Um that's gonna be sent to the planning economic development and housing committee, items 3.7 and 6.2 to the operation management budget and accountability committee.

The items have been properly seconded.

Probably made and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing or hearing discussion, Mr.

Town Clerk.

On the referred items.

Councilwoman Billedoo?

Yes.

Councilman Clark?

Yes.

Councilman Gale.

Councilman Hernandez.

Yes.

Councilman Mickton?

Yes.

Councilwoman Rosado?

Yes.

Councilman Rosetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Yes.

And Councilman Thomas.

Yes.

Items pass.

I'm sorry, Mr.

Sister Majority.

You have the floor.

Thank you, Madam President.

The U.

I'd like to make the motion that we postpone item 5.3.

Councilman Gale, Councilman Hernandez, an ordinance amending chapter 31, Article 3, Sections 31-87 and 31-95 of the municipal code of Hartford to preserve the safety of city streets and sidewalks post construction by utilities and others and post repaving by the city.

Second.

Motion has been made and properly seconded to postpone the following items.

Items 5.3 to the September 202nd council meeting.

Yeah, you may have to.

I think Corp Council would probably have a better answer, but I believe it's substantial change corp council.

We didn't have to go back to public hearing.

Yeah, attorney combs before she left.

She we decided that it was substantial, so we wanted to take it back to council committee to not present it as the new form.

Understood.

Thank you.

Through you, Madam President.

Yeah, uh attorney Combs did send me the uh new draft ordinance as well, and I'm also reviewing it, and I'll I will support you when it comes back to committee.

Okay.

So is that something we do here or that's for a later time?

How do we take it back all out of these agenda back to council to committee?

I mean you can vote to refer it back to committee.

It is in committee.

Okay.

It is still in committee.

Still on committee.

It is still in committee.

Okay.

Okay.

My apologies.

Thank you.

So basically, you would have it substantial.

You'd have to send it back out to uh send another public hearing for it.

Okay.

Yeah.

Just a point of order, if I could, just a really a question.

So do do we need to keep having it here and postponing it?

I mean discharged that right.

Gotcha.

All right.

You're good.

Thank you.

All right.

So motion's been made improperly second to postpone again the item.

I think I call for discussion.

We already have discussion.

So Mr.

Town Clerk called the road for postponing of items 5.3.

On the postpone item for September 22nd, 2025, Councilman Billadu.

Yes.

Councilman Clark?

Yes.

Councilman Gale.

Councilman Hernandez.

Yes.

Councilman Mickdom.

Yes.

Councilman Rosato?

Yes.

Councilwoman Rosetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Yes.

And Councilman Thomas.

Yes.

Item is postponed.

Thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

Sister Majority Leader.

You have the floor, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Do you like to make the motion that we take action on item 5.1?

Mayor Avalan with the company resolution confirming the appointment of James C.

Ravella as Chief of Police for the Harvard Police Department.

Second.

A motion has been made and promptly seconded and place items 5.1 on for action.

Are there any discussion?

Councilman Mitchell.

Thank you, Madam President.

I will try I made notes, so I'll try to be brief by not ranging too widely.

But I am going to vote no on this, and I just want to say why.

And it's three reasons.

The first has nothing to do with uh Chief Ravella.

It's just a question of process.

Um the we we had one nominee who turns out we didn't do a background check on and he had to withdraw his name.

And then we did a proper search with the search firm, and we had someone else we were talking to, and then that fell through.

And in the meantime, the community really came together and they tried to express what they wanted.

You know, uh AJ Johnson and the North help me out with the acronym.

That group for North Hartford Safety Coalition.

Those folks really did yeoman's work bringing people together, fostering discussions, and what they were asking for was local candidates.

They were asking for multiple candidates to be presented to the public and to this body.

And none of that happened.

We spent a bunch of money on searching to not do any of those things.

And you know, I was told that we can't have the candidates um be public while they're in the candidate phase because it'll discourage them from taking the job, but the other way didn't work either, right?

So we spent a bunch of time and a bunch of money and a bunch of community members put a lot of their time and effort and it feels like for nothing.

And that has nothing to do with Chief Rivella, but our only option to say this is not how you should do it, mayor, is to vote no.

And I think that's a good enough reason to say that we recognize the work that all those folks did and that we want a better process.

Two is strategy.

I asked this chief when or this potential chief when he was at the committee of the whole meeting.

Um did he what did he think about our numbers and where they needed to be?

And he said that he wanted to do basically what the previous chief had done, which was get us up to 450 or 470 cops.

Remember, the previous chief came before us and he said that more police doesn't reduce crime.

That hasn't been shown.

And more police spending doesn't reduce crime.

And he couldn't share with us a formula or a reason for the number.

But he said, I want this number, and we said sure.

And we gave him the money that he asked for.

And that police spending is budgetary handcuffs for us.

All right.

It keeps us from doing the things that have been shown actually to make lives better and reduce crime.

We do it every year.

They come in and they talk to us about their expertise and about crime and about this and about that, and then we just give them the money, and that money doesn't go to peace builders and it doesn't go to our schools, and it doesn't go to a host of things that have been scientifically shown to reduce crime.

And if he doesn't have a new strategy, if his strategy is the same strategy as Stody's, we should find somebody with more innovative ideas and more willingness to actually look at the data to make our city safer and not just an insistence on more money for my department.

And lastly, the question of how we keep our immigrant residents safe.

Council President wouldn't let him answer that question, which you know I disagree with.

He's a big boy, he can answer questions on his own.

But the fact is we need someone who would have said, no, no, no, Council President, I got it.

That's where we're at right now.

We have a growing dictatorship.

I know folks think we can keep our head down and get past it, but that's not how dictatorships work.

They don't stop at the top line and then chill.

They consolidate their power until their power is full.

And we need to be ready.

And from what I've heard from this candidate, he's not ready.

So for all those reasons, I'm a vote no, and I would ask a couple of you to join me.

Okay.

Thank you.

Are there any other discussion?

Seeing our here and no other further discussion.

Mr.

Town Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilman Billadu?

Yes.

Councilman Clark?

Yes.

Councilman Gail.

Councilman Hernandez?

Yes.

Councilman Mickham?

No.

Councilman Rosado.

Yes.

Councilman Rossetti.

Council President Surgeon?

Yes.

Councilman Thomas.

No.

Item passes.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

Town Clerk.

Seeing that we have no other items uh to no other business to take up.

I want to thank everyone for joining us tonight.

And um the meeting is adjourned.