Common Council Regular Meeting - August 14, 2024
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Common Council Regular Meeting - August 14, 2024
The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, at 7:05 PM in Council Chambers, City Hall. Public participation began at 7:07 PM and concluded at 8:08 PM; the regular meeting resumed at 8:39 PM and adjourned at 9:41 PM. The meeting featured extensive public comment on Resolution No. 5 (ceasefire in Gaza and other conflicts), a substituted resolution that ultimately passed, along with discussions on traffic safety, park security, and numerous routine consent agenda items.
Consent Calendar
- Items A through O (reports from boards, commissions, and departments) were approved via a roll-call vote (13-0), with the exception of Item F (installation of pedestrian crossing signs at Martha Hart Park), which was removed from consent and referred back to the Police Commission.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Martha Hart Park safety: Ms. Cheney (address not given) and Mike Monahan (11 Kent Road) criticized the proposed sign-only solution, arguing it would not deter after-hours vehicle intrusion; Cheney requested a neighborhood survey and more enforcement.
- Resolution No. 5 (ceasefire): Multiple speakers addressed the council:
- Liz Aronson (424 Commonwealth Ave) spoke as a Jewish resident supporting the ceasefire, calling it a moral imperative.
- Andrew Miller (428 Lewis Road) opposed the original resolution as one-sided, urging focus on Ukraine and federal channels.
- Sarah White (Hartford resident, Jewish Voice for Peace) urged passage, citing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
- Sam Pudlin (Hartford resident, former New Britain native) supported the resolution, condemning anti-Semitism.
- Zee Rufen (Hartford resident, Polish-Jewish heritage) spoke in support, condemning Israeli actions.
- Carly Webb (811 East Street) supported the resolution, linking foreign military aid to local underfunding.
- Lily Mercado (19 Satcham Street) reiterated support, noting no dissent at the previous meeting.
- Liz Wirtz (1317 East Street) supported the resolution.
- Amin Ormseth (90 Gerard Avenue, Hartford) described personal ties to Palestine and urged passage.
- Ann Speyer (13 Audubon Street) opposed the resolution, arguing it would weaken Israel and ignored Hamas.
- Ken Speyer (13 Audubon Street) also opposed, calling for a balanced ceasefire and noting Hamas’s role.
- Omar Scott Ansar (249 Sterling Hill Road, Moose) supported the resolution, citing taxpayer costs.
- Gillian Davy (974 West Boulevard, Hartford) urged passage, labeling inaction as complicity in genocide.
- Jacob Pudlin (407 Monroe Street) urged council to pass the resolution as written without dilution.
- Daniel Salerno (former council member) argued the council should focus on local issues and that the resolution should be global.
- Dr. Boula Vermise (26 Chamberlain Street) spoke emotionally, connecting local issues to global oppression.
- John Board (Highland Terrace) opposed the resolution, calling it one-sided and urging focus on city business.
- Patrick Thompson (44 Brittany Farms Road) supported the resolution, vowing to continue advocacy.
- Call-in speakers Hillary Zerangrio (407 Monroe Street) and Shelley Goldman (New Haven) also supported the ceasefire.
- Other traffic and safety concerns: Frank Chase (24 Roxbury Road) requested expedited state bonding for Allen Street flood mitigation; Mike Monahan (11 Kent Road) reported speeding on Corbin Avenue and heavy truck traffic, requesting enforcement.
Discussion Items
- Resolution No. 5 (ceasefire): Alderman Simpson, the original sponsor, expressed support for a strong ceasefire resolution and opposed a substitute offered by Alderman Beloin-Saavedra, which expanded the scope to include Sudan, Ukraine, and other conflicts. After debate, Simpson’s amendments (adding ICJ ruling, “permanent” ceasefire, replacing “Gaza” with “Palestine”) failed on a 1-12 roll call. The substitute resolution then passed 13-0.
- Resolution No. 6 (political violence): Alderman Beloin-Saavedra introduced a resolution condemning political violence; Alderman Scott successfully amended it to include threats to election officials and the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The amended resolution passed unanimously.
- Other business: Resolutions on black business month, the Dozynki Festival, copier leases, salt purchase, and ARPA funding were approved with little debate.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution No. 5 (substitute): Passed 13-0, calling for ceasefires in Gaza, Ukraine, and Sudan, and urging adherence to international law.
- Resolution No. 6 (political violence): Passed unanimously as amended, condemning political violence and dehumanizing rhetoric.
- Item F (Martha Hart Park signage): Removed from consent agenda and referred back to the Police Commission for further study.
- Petitions: Items 1–4 and 6–9 were referred to appropriate commissions (Police, Public Works, City Plan). Item 5 was withdrawn.
- Other resolutions: All numbered resolutions (3–4, 7–16) were adopted, including honors for Rep. Anna Eshoo, black business month, the Dozynki Festival, equipment leases, engineering contracts, road salt purchase, accessory dwelling unit amendments, a ground lease with the Housing Authority, and acceptance of $4 million in additional ARPA funds.
Meeting Transcript
Just a few short minutes. Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I'd like to call to order the public participation of this common council meeting. The time now is seven oh seven. Just a friendly reminder, we do have a three-minute speaking limit. The time will be on the clock when you approach the podium. Please remember to state your name and address for the record. Um the proposed solution is to add a sign under the Martha Hart's sign that says park closed dust to dawn. That's laughable. People ignore stop signs in broad daylight, and you think cars coming into the Martha Hart Park at 2 a.m. are going to stop and say, oh, we can't come in and leave. It's just it's not going to happen. I don't think that this was a complete study. I suggest maybe sending letters to people in the surrounding area, giving them uh a means to um email or call and express anecdotal evidence of of activity in that park, which is disruptive to the to the neighborhood, damaging to the park, and truly is a dangerous situation. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you, Ms. Cheney. Up next I have Liz A. Aaron, thank you. Thank you. My name is Liz Aronson. I live at 424 Commonwealth Avenue in New Britain, and I want to speak on resolution number five about the ceasefire in Gaza. Um it's very important to me as a Jew, daughter of a rabbi, I care very much about the lives of the Israelis and the Palestinians. And too many people have died. And people might say, well, this is New Britain, this is a city. We have nothing to do with this. We can't make Netanyahu stop the war or stop the bombing, stop the killing. Um I think it's important to make a statement from a local group of people who all pay federal taxes and it's our tax money. And there was just another 20 billion dollars worth of weapons sent to fuel that war. And it seems to me that if, as Americans, not just residents of New Britain, but as Americans, we need to say no to this. We need to say no. And as Jews say, not in our name. And that's really all I want to say. Thank you very much. Thank you, Ms. Aronson. Our next speaker is Andrew Miller. I rise to speak for Ukraine. My name is Andrew Miller. I live at 428 Lewis Road in the city. Actually, I speak uh to the ceasefire resolution, which is very one-sided. I am for the ceasefire. I am not for that piece of garbage because it is so one-sided. The resolution is an obvious call for the destruction of the State of Israel, not for a ceasefire. It is performative only. Nothing we do here today will change what's happening there. We have a federal system. We have an election coming up. You have a way of making and expressing your opinion directly to your elected officials in Washington, D.C., where these matters are dealt with. I only have three minutes.
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