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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Hartford City Council Public Hearing on CPRB and Tree Ordinance Amendments – July 21, 2026

Council Meetings — Tuesday, July 21, 2026

BodyHartford, Connecticut

SessionCouncil Meetings

DateTuesday, July 21, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:26:19

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:19

And welcome to this public hearing.

0:23

Hartford City Council.

0:24

I'm Councilman Josh Mickdom.

0:26

I am joined by Councilwoman Rossetti and it's a little hard for me because I'm on my phone to see who else, but I she's the one I noticed.

0:36

If any of my other council colleagues are here, forgive me, I just can't find you because we have a lot of people here tonight.

0:42

I am going to read the rules of this proceeding, and then I will quickly review what are the matters you may comment on.

0:53

Uh, and I then I'll go through the list, and I'll just ask everyone when they comment to state their name, of course, if they're speaking for themselves or if they're affiliated with some group and their home address or business address if they're speaking for the group, and then the issue they're speaking on and whether they're for it or against it.

1:19

So I'll just start by saying this.

1:22

This public hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the following procedures.

1:25

Each person wishing to address the council thereof shall, upon recognition by the presiding officer, which is me, give their name, address, and that they represent a group, and limit their remarks to five minutes.

1:36

All remarks will be addressed to the council as a body and not to any individual member.

1:41

Any person making personal impertinent or slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous while addressing the council shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further audience at said meeting, unless permission to remain is granted by two thirds voted the council members present in voting.

1:55

During public hearing, there shall be no debate by the council, although questions may be asked by council of persons making such presentations.

2:02

For members of the community, please be advised that this meeting is being broadcast and recorded by Hartford Public Access Television and can be viewed via the HPA TV Facebook page, Comtcast, Xfinity Channel 96, HPATV.org, channel 6032 for frontier customers, Spanish interpretations provided through a partnership with the city of Hartford and the Hartford Public Library.

2:24

Additional accommodations can be made available with enough notice to Office of Council President.

2:30

And now I am going to briefly read what are the issues that are up for comment today.

2:38

I am not going to delve into them, but I would urge anyone who wants to know more to go to Hartford.civicweb.net and go under meetings.

2:47

You will see the public comment, and then on the agenda, there is a link to every matter that is up for discussion.

2:54

So the issues are item 2.1, Mayor R.

2:58

Lumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the transfer of 28 Gillette Street to the Hartford Land Bank.

3:16

Councilwoman Rosado, Councilman Gale, Council President Clark, Councilman Mickdom, Councilman Thomas, Councilwoman Rosetti, and Councilwoman Surgeon with accompanying ordinance, amending Article 5, Division 5, Section 2-196 of the municipal code of Hartford to make revisions to the Civilian Police Review Board.

3:40

With accompanying ordinance, Chapter 6, Section 6-15, limitation on the number of dogs.

3:57

Item 2.6, Mayor Arlumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the sale of 905 West Boulevard to FQ Real Estate Ventures for redevelopment through the Lost of Homes Initiative.

4:06

Item 2.7, Mayor Aralumpalum with a company resolution approving the sale of 2243 Main Street to ER Wilson Real Estate LLC for redevelopment through the Lost of Homes Initiative.

4:17

Item 2.8, our Mayor Aralumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the sale of 684 and 686 Garden Street to Pariser Enterprises for redevelopment through the Lassa Homes Initiative.

4:28

Item 2.9 Council President Clark, Councilwoman Rosetti, Councilwoman Rosado, Councilwoman Surgeon, Councilwoman Billadu, and Councilman Gale with accompanying ordinance amending chapter 28, Article 6, subsection 28-152, that is the tree ordinance.

4:46

Item 2.10, Council President Clark, Councilwoman Rossetti, Councilwoman Rosado, Councilwoman Surgeon, Councilwoman Billadu, and Councilman Gale with accompanying ordinance, amending chapter 28, Article 6, subsection 28 164 of the municipal code of Hartford as amended also the tree ordinance.

5:07

Those are all the things, and if you want to refer to them by their item number or by what they are, like tree ordinance or CPRB, that's also fine.

5:17

We will know what you're talking about.

5:19

And now I am going to go to my list.

5:28

Yep.

5:29

Thank you much.

5:30

So when you hear Councilwoman Rosetti say wrap it up, please do that so she doesn't have to get rough with you.

5:37

And public uh hearing is uh five minutes.

5:43

Correct.

5:45

So I am going to call first on James Rukowski, who is the president of the Hartford Police Union.

5:52

Uh Mr.

5:53

Rukowski, are you here with us?

5:55

Sir I am.

5:56

Thank you.

5:56

All right.

5:57

You have the floor for five minutes.

5:59

Uh I'm going to be speaking on item 2.3, uh, the new CPRV ordinance 2-196.

6:10

I'm speaking on behalf of the Hartford Police Union.

6:14

Inspector General Joseph Lopez wrote this change in the ordinance for himself.

6:24

Not for accountability, not for transparency, not for the taxpayers, the city of Parkford.

6:31

Last week, when he spoke at the public safety meeting, openly admitted that he wrote this ordinance the way he did to protect his job and to secure money for himself in his department outside of the mayor's regular budget to do this.

6:54

One, he reclassifies his staff.

6:58

Only he can hire them, only he can fire them.

7:01

Not the mayor, not any city administrator.

7:05

Solely him.

7:07

He wrote the ordinance, so the mayor was no longer his boss, and no city administrator is his boss.

7:16

The people that he works with on the CPRB will be his boss, making it literally almost impossible to terminate him.

7:28

Third, he hijacked the budget out of the mayor's hands in violation of city charter to go through city council, no longer through the proper budgetary process.

7:52

He doesn't answer to the mayor, doesn't traders.

8:13

Does he intend to spend in the future?

8:18

Simple question.

8:19

Was there a cost analysis done of these new proposals on the impact it would have on the city of Park for taxpayers?

8:29

Did anybody review the ordinance in good fashion to see if there are legal ramifications to this that are going to cost money in the legal arena?

8:41

I believe the union did, and we found eight city charter violations.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Public Safety█████████████████████████████████████████████69%

Parks and Recreation█████8%

Community Engagement█████8%

Pending Litigation████6%

Procedural███4%

Public Engagement██3%

Transportation Safety█1%

Racial Equity█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Hartford City Council Public Hearing on CPRB and Tree Ordinance Amendments – July 21, 2026

On July 21, 2026, the Hartford City Council held a public hearing to receive testimony on several agenda items, including proposed amendments to the Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) ordinance (Item 2.3) and two amendments to the city's tree ordinance (Items 2.9 and 2.10). The hearing was presided over by Councilman Josh Mickdom, joined by Councilwoman Rossetti and other council members. The meeting lasted several hours and featured testimony from approximately 30 speakers, including residents, advocates, union representatives, and city officials. No votes were taken; the hearing was solely for public comment.

Public Comments & Testimony

Item 2.3 – CPRB Amendments:
- James Rukowski, President of Hartford Police Union: Opposed the amendments, arguing that the Inspector General (IG) wrote the changes to protect his own job and bypass the mayor's budget, violating the city charter. He claimed the IG would have sole hiring/firing authority and that the budget would be hijacked from the mayor. He expressed concern about fiscal impact and lack of checks and balances.
- Inspector General Joseph Lopez: Supported the amendments, explaining that the CPRB is an independent watchdog and that the changes are necessary to ensure transparency and accountability. He stated that the police union has consistently challenged civilian oversight and that the amendments would prevent the police department from blocking evidence. He noted his salary is $135,000 and that he took a pay cut to serve.
- Rev. Tracy Johnson Russell (St. Monica's Episcopal Church, Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance): Supported the amendments, citing five key improvements: full on-time evidence, police chief review of board findings, clear arbitration rules, subpoena power, and independent IG budget access.
- Andrea Hartman (Acting Chair, CPRB): Supported the amendments, stating that the board has faced legal opposition from the police union and department, and that the amendments are needed to clarify chain of command, evidence access, and arbitration procedures.
- Tim Fisher (CPRB member): Supported the amendments, noting that most complaints are not sustained, indicating fair policing, and that the board is an insurance policy against costly lawsuits like those in New Haven (citing a $38 million verdict and $200 million exposure).
- Angela Harris (Phillips Metropolitan CME Church Health Ministry, North Hartford Public Safety Coalition): Supported the amendments, emphasizing that public safety is a public health issue and that citizens need an independent review process.
- Carrie K. Allen (CPRB member): Supported the amendments, stating that independent oversight is pro-accountability and pro-public trust, and that financial accountability and operational independence are not mutually exclusive.
- Shamar Logan (Hartford resident): Expressed frustration with the complexity of the process, but supported the need for transparency and accessible information. She urged the council to make information more accessible to the public.
- Corey Betts (President, Greater Hartford NAACP): Supported the amendments, noting that the state IG and city IG serve different purposes and that the city’s consent decree history makes independent oversight essential. He commended council members for their leadership.
- Cassie Apaso (Campaign Zero): Supported the amendments, stating that civilian review boards must have unrestricted access to evidence and a neutral arbitration process. She noted that the current system allows the police chief to overrule board findings and that officers can refuse interviews.
- Eric Coleman (former state senator and judge): Supported the amendments, emphasizing the need for balance and oversight of police conduct, and noting that the union will always advocate for officers regardless of misconduct.
- Christopher Dukes (American Justice Project): Supported the amendments, sharing his personal experience of filing a complaint that was substantiated but not acted upon. He argued that the CPRB must have real power to prevent injustice.
- Ty Outlaw (Hartford resident): Supported the amendments, stating that as a victim of police brutality, he believes the board is necessary to give citizens a chance against the police.
- Attorney Sydney Shulman: Supported the amendments, noting that the proposed changes are not radical and have been standard practice for 50 years under the now-settled consent decree (Citron v. Vaughn). He highlighted that the firearms discharge review board had similar access to evidence and subpoena power.
- Brother Kelvin X Lovejoy (Student Minister, Mohammed Mosque No. 14, Center for Leadership and Justice): Supported the amendments, urging the council to act on justice and strengthen public trust.
- Other speakers including Sherelle Banks, Bridget Prince, Craig Stallings, and Joshua Serrano also expressed support for the CPRB amendments.
Items 2.9 and 2.10 – Tree Ordinance Amendments:
- Jack Hale (Chair, Hartford Tree Advisory Commission): Supported the amendments, explaining that the changes would ensure proper funding for tree maintenance and recognize trees as essential municipal infrastructure. He noted that the commission recommended passage.
- George De Leone (Tree Commissioner): Supported the amendments, calling them a big step for public health.
- Cecilia Drayton (Director of Sustainability, City of Hartford): Supported the amendments, emphasizing that trees are critical infrastructure for air and water quality.
Other Comments:
- Tanea Taylor and Ilyas Correa (Black Lives Matter 860): Spoke in support of the CPRB amendments but also raised concerns about flock surveillance cameras, the use of taxpayer-funded vehicles for police protests, and the need for a transparent inquiry into police conduct during the court appearance of an officer charged in the death of Stevie Jones. They also demanded justice for Everard Walker.

Discussion Items

CPRB Amendments (Item 2.3): The proposed amendments aim to: (1) require the police department to provide full, unredacted evidence to the CPRB and IG; (2) require the police chief to consider CPRB findings before making a final determination; (3) establish independent arbitration by a retired judge when the chief and CPRB disagree; (4) clarify the IG's independence and direct access to budget appropriations; and (5) strengthen subpoena power and interview rules. Union opposition focused on fiscal and charter concerns, while supporters argued these changes are necessary for effective oversight.
Tree Ordinance Amendments (Items 2.9 and 2.10): Amendment 2.9 revises the definition of trees as essential municipal green infrastructure; Amendment 2.10 ensures that funds collected for tree maintenance are deposited into a dedicated account and that the city actively pursues grant opportunities. Both were supported by the Tree Advisory Commission and city sustainability staff.

Key Outcomes

No votes were taken during the public hearing. The council will consider the testimony and may vote on the proposed ordinances at a future meeting.
The hearing adjourned after all speakers were heard, with Councilman Mickdom thanking participants for their engagement.

Meeting Transcript

And welcome to this public hearing. Hartford City Council. I'm Councilman Josh Mickdom. I am joined by Councilwoman Rossetti and it's a little hard for me because I'm on my phone to see who else, but I she's the one I noticed. If any of my other council colleagues are here, forgive me, I just can't find you because we have a lot of people here tonight. I am going to read the rules of this proceeding, and then I will quickly review what are the matters you may comment on. Uh, and I then I'll go through the list, and I'll just ask everyone when they comment to state their name, of course, if they're speaking for themselves or if they're affiliated with some group and their home address or business address if they're speaking for the group, and then the issue they're speaking on and whether they're for it or against it. So I'll just start by saying this. This public hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the following procedures. Each person wishing to address the council thereof shall, upon recognition by the presiding officer, which is me, give their name, address, and that they represent a group, and limit their remarks to five minutes. All remarks will be addressed to the council as a body and not to any individual member. Any person making personal impertinent or slanderous remarks or who becomes boisterous while addressing the council shall be forthwith barred by the presiding officer from further audience at said meeting, unless permission to remain is granted by two thirds voted the council members present in voting. During public hearing, there shall be no debate by the council, although questions may be asked by council of persons making such presentations. For members of the community, please be advised that this meeting is being broadcast and recorded by Hartford Public Access Television and can be viewed via the HPA TV Facebook page, Comtcast, Xfinity Channel 96, HPATV.org, channel 6032 for frontier customers, Spanish interpretations provided through a partnership with the city of Hartford and the Hartford Public Library. Additional accommodations can be made available with enough notice to Office of Council President. And now I am going to briefly read what are the issues that are up for comment today. I am not going to delve into them, but I would urge anyone who wants to know more to go to Hartford.civicweb.net and go under meetings. You will see the public comment, and then on the agenda, there is a link to every matter that is up for discussion. So the issues are item 2.1, Mayor R. Lumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the transfer of 28 Gillette Street to the Hartford Land Bank. Councilwoman Rosado, Councilman Gale, Council President Clark, Councilman Mickdom, Councilman Thomas, Councilwoman Rosetti, and Councilwoman Surgeon with accompanying ordinance, amending Article 5, Division 5, Section 2-196 of the municipal code of Hartford to make revisions to the Civilian Police Review Board. With accompanying ordinance, Chapter 6, Section 6-15, limitation on the number of dogs. Item 2.6, Mayor Arlumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the sale of 905 West Boulevard to FQ Real Estate Ventures for redevelopment through the Lost of Homes Initiative. Item 2.7, Mayor Aralumpalum with a company resolution approving the sale of 2243 Main Street to ER Wilson Real Estate LLC for redevelopment through the Lost of Homes Initiative. Item 2.8, our Mayor Aralumpalum with accompanying resolution approving the sale of 684 and 686 Garden Street to Pariser Enterprises for redevelopment through the Lassa Homes Initiative. Item 2.9 Council President Clark, Councilwoman Rosetti, Councilwoman Rosado, Councilwoman Surgeon, Councilwoman Billadu, and Councilman Gale with accompanying ordinance amending chapter 28, Article 6, subsection 28-152, that is the tree ordinance. Item 2.10, Council President Clark, Councilwoman Rossetti, Councilwoman Rosado, Councilwoman Surgeon, Councilwoman Billadu, and Councilman Gale with accompanying ordinance, amending chapter 28, Article 6, subsection 28 164 of the municipal code of Hartford as amended also the tree ordinance. Those are all the things, and if you want to refer to them by their item number or by what they are, like tree ordinance or CPRB, that's also fine. We will know what you're talking about. And now I am going to go to my list. Yep. Thank you much. So when you hear Councilwoman Rosetti say wrap it up, please do that so she doesn't have to get rough with you. And public uh hearing is uh five minutes. Correct. So I am going to call first on James Rukowski, who is the president of the Hartford Police Union. Uh Mr. Rukowski, are you here with us? Sir I am. Thank you. All right. You have the floor for five minutes. Uh I'm going to be speaking on item 2.3, uh, the new CPRV ordinance 2-196. I'm speaking on behalf of the Hartford Police Union. Inspector General Joseph Lopez wrote this change in the ordinance for himself. Not for accountability, not for transparency, not for the taxpayers, the city of Parkford. Last week, when he spoke at the public safety meeting, openly admitted that he wrote this ordinance the way he did to protect his job and to secure money for himself in his department outside of the mayor's regular budget to do this. One, he reclassifies his staff. Only he can hire them, only he can fire them. Not the mayor, not any city administrator.

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