City Council Meeting Summary - Jan 26, 2026

This virtual meeting of the City of Hartford held on January 26, 2026, convened at 00:21:44 UTC. Council President TJ Clark presided over the session, which included the approval of previous minutes, the unanimous adoption of items to the consent calendar, the referral of several resolutions to committee, the postponement of specific ordinances, and the approval of a resolution establishing the Sister Cities program despite one council member's objection regarding the selection of appointees.

Consent Calendar

• Item 6.1: The council unanimously approved a motion to approve a tentative successor collective bargaining agreement between the City of Hartford and the Hartford Firefighters Association Local 760.
• Item 6.3: The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the sale of three properties (10, 18, and 1441 Albany Avenue; and 1441 Main Street) to the Hartford Foundation for public purposes.
• Item 7.3: The council unanimously approved a resolution calling for an administrative report on the effect of the revaluation of the grant list as of October 1, 2026, specifically regarding the assessor.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No formal public comment period was recorded in this specific transcript segment; however, Councilwoman Surgeon provided a statement to the floor during the discussion of Item 7.1 regarding the process of selecting program appointees.

Discussion Items

• Item 7.1 (Sister Cities Program): Council President Clark inquired why the item was placed on action. Councilwoman Surgeon raised her hand to comment and stated she disagreed with the item not due to the program itself, but due to the process of selecting the initial appointees. She expressed that the program had been stagnant for decades, revived two years prior with an Irish delegation, and that she felt excluded from the new organizational structure. She noted that long-time community leaders involved in the program were not consulted. She stated she could not vote for the item because she "disagreed with the way the initial program was put together."

Key Outcomes

• Minutes: The minutes of the January 12, 2026, meeting were approved unanimously (9 Yes, 0 No).
• Consent Calendar: Items 6.1, 6.3, and 7.3 were moved to and approved on the consent calendar unanimously (9 Yes, 0 No).
• Received Items: Item 4.1 (Budget and Government Accountability Committee report on the Firefighters' agreement) was received unanimously (9 Yes, 0 No).
• Referred Items: The following were referred to the Labor, Educational Workforce, and Youth Committee unanimously (9 Yes, 0 No):
  • Item 3.1: Authorization to accept grant funds from the CT Department of Children and Families.
  • Item 7.2: Resolution affirming Council oversight regarding the Hartford Board of Education's science of reading and kindergarten literacy compliance.
  • Item 5.1: Ordinance amending Section 32-18 of the municipal code to extend the elderly tax relief program (Public hearing scheduled for Feb 17, 2026).
• Postponed Items: The following items were unanimously postponed (9 Yes, 0 No):
  • Item 6.2: Ordinance providing adequate relocation services to displaced tenants.
  • Item 6.4: Ordinance amending display of flags.
  • Item 6.5: Ordinance limiting the number of dogs and cats.
  • Item 6.6: Ordinance amending Chapter 7 of the Hartford Municipal Code.
• Action on Item 7.1: The Resolution establishing the City of Hartford sister cities program membership and initial structure passed with a vote tally of 8 Yes, 1 No. Councilwoman Surgeon voted "No," citing disagreement with the selection process for appointees.
• Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned with a notice that City Hall would remain open while Harvard Public Schools were closed for the following day.