This public comment meeting on September 14, 2026, featured over 30 speakers addressing topics including the renaming of the South End Wellness Senior Center, a proposed Brazilian community center, veterans housing, surveillance cameras, school funding, and city services. No council votes or decisions occurred; the session was devoted to hearing public testimony.
Education and School Funding: Chris Eschelman noted that Hartford public school enrollment has declined roughly in half since the early 1990s without corresponding consolidation, creating challenges. Shamar Logan and Evelise Correa called for restored school librarians and reopening the planetarium at Hartford High School.
Brazilian Community Center: Esther Sanchez Nike requested the city convey 154, 156, and 158 Francis Avenue to establish a Brazilian Community Center and museum. She stated the property has been vacant for 15 years. Celine Ribeiro and Carla Ferreira spoke in support, emphasizing benefits to the broader community.
Renaming the South End Wellness Senior Center: A large majority of speakers urged the council to rename the center after Hyacinth Yenny, a longtime volunteer and community leader. Supporters included Jackie Nadal, State Representative Jimmy Sanchez, Melissa Yenny (her daughter), Dr. Charlotte Cynthia, Edwin Vargas, Cindy Avizi, and many others. They argued Yenny co-founded the center and continues to serve its visitors daily. One speaker, Raquel Calderon, opposed the name change, stating the current name is fine and that center staff should be recognized. Hyacinth Yenny herself spoke, thanking the council and also asking them not to approve any new smoke or vape shops.
Veterans Housing: Several speakers advocated for converting the former John C. Clark School into housing and services for homeless veterans through the United Veterans Alliance of Connecticut. Supporters included Elaine Hatcher, Bridget Prince, Stephanie Keegan, John C. Clark III, and Chris Narang. They cited the building's long vacancy and the need to honor veterans' service.
Flock Camera Surveillance: Evelise Correa and Shamar Logan criticized the installation of Flock cameras, noting the Mayor rejected the contract. They raised privacy concerns and requested a list of camera locations.
Workforce Frontline Employers Summit: Sherry Carter requested municipal partnership for a summit in April 2027 aimed at addressing toxic workplace environments and mental health. She asked for city backing and fee waivers.
Snow and Ice Removal Enforcement: Alicia Barrows called for stricter fines and immediate infractions for large property owners failing to clear sidewalks, citing safety hazards.
Pope Park Accessibility: Carmen Worcester and Diane York described dangerous access to Pope Park Recreation Center, especially for people with disabilities, and asked for accessibility improvements.
Technology and AI Committee: William Moffitt discussed the proposed committee, urging caution on data centers and AI reliance, and warned against replacing human roles like librarians with AI.
City Cleanliness: Mike McGarry and Raquel Calderon highlighted litter and unkempt public spaces, calling for more proactive maintenance and cleanup teams.
Other: Hyacinth Yenny asked the council to oppose new smoke and vape shops. Logan Singerman thanked the city for traffic calming on Cornwall Street. Several speakers also addressed the need for equitable school funding and regional shelter system reform.
No formal actions or votes were taken during this public comment session. The council heard testimony on multiple issues and will consider them in future deliberations. Several speakers submitted materials and promised to follow up via email.
Good evening, everyone. We'd like to call this public comment to order for today's September 14th, twenty twenty-six. Comcast Channel Ninety Six, Frontier Channel Six Zero Three Two, HBA TV.org, HBA TV Facebook page, HPA TV's YouTube channel, HPA TV, Roku TV, Apple TV, Amazon TV, and apps. This meeting is also being rebroadcasted on HPA TV's YouTube channel and Facebook page. If so, please state what group you are representing and the address of said group or organization. Every speaker shall limit their remarks to three minutes only. All remarks shall be addressed to the council as a body and not to any member of council thereof. During public comment, no member of the council shall address the council as a member of the public. Unless permission to remain is granted by two-thirds vote of the council members present in voting. During the public comment period, members of the council are not allowed to debate with the speaker or amongst themselves about what's being said. And with that said, uh, we're gonna call our first uh person to speak, which is Chris Eschelman, Chris Eschelman, 39 Stratford Road, West Hartford. Council members. I live in Greater Hartford. I'm the father of two children, and that makes me interested in things such as education funding. And it looks from the data as I look at it that the number of students attending a typical public school in Hartford has fallen roughly in half since the early 1990s. So grab it to grab a school, public school that's been around for a while for every 10 students it had in the early 90s, it's got five or six now. And from what I can tell, it also looks like schools haven't really consolidated much over the same time. I can imagine as I'm looking at the data with fresh eyes, that this creates challenges for those running the shop. I'm not a business owner, I don't I don't pretend to be, but if I think of things in terms of my house, if our bills and housing costs continue to stay the same over time, insurance, maintenance and upkeep, uh electric, everything, but our combined income fell a little bit every year. We would need to downsize really quick. I'm only suggesting it because as I look at the data, again, with the eyes that have only been here for four or five years, I wonder if for some in the community this is the type of gradual change that might have sort of slipped under the radar in a way that if it if it had shown up all at once, it might be really impossible to ignore. So I wanted to share the data as I was seeing it as a relative newcomer to the area because I found the trend quite striking. That's it. Thank you. Uh honorable chair, members of the city council, city officials, and members of the community. My name is Esther Sanchez Nike. I'm a community leader for the Brazilians in Connecticut and Brazilians in the US. I'm here today standing in front of you to request 154, 156, and 158, Francis Avenue to become the office of the Brazilian Community Center. We opened the Brazilian Community Center in 2004, and we have done so many help and so um offering service to the community. I used to have my center at 1911 Park Street for about 20 years, but we closed when we brought the Brazilian councilate to Connecticut. It was a petition that I made with the Minister of Foreign Relations of Brazil, and fortunately, we had the opening of the Brazilian consulate here in Hartford. If we are honored to get these properties, we are planning to make this is the how the property looks today. A few years ago, about five 15 years ago, we used to be the Peruvian club. And it's been vacant for about 15 years. And everybody is so happy to have the Brazilian community center there. We are going to have Portuguese for kids, Portuguese for adults. We have services with uh medical, dental, uh, you name it. We also have Capoeira. We have uh the Brazilian festival that unfortunately we had to cancel due to the ICE arrests throughout Connecticut, but we had planned to have it on uh September 20th. And uh the cultural center uh next to that building 154 Francis Avenue. This is a historical building, the uh red one right there. We are planning to have a museum with the history of Brazilians in Connecticut. Brazilians start came into coming to Connecticut in 1958. I've been studying and know the history of Brazilians in Connecticut, and we are planning to have a book. And now with the possibility of um having uh these properties, we're planning to have not only the book but also a museum. We also are planning to have right here a place to have lectures. I recently opened a Brazil Connecticut Chamber of Commerce, and uh we are planning to have all the functions next month. We are having a function at the public library for all the Brazilian interpreters here in Connecticut who like to improve the businesses because a business that grows means more revenue, means more tax paying to the state of Connecticut to the United States of America. And this is what we are looking for. You're over your time, please.