Regular Meeting of the New Britain Common Council - October 9, 2024
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Regular Meeting of the New Britain Common Council - October 9, 2024
The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, beginning with public participation at 7:00 PM and the regular session at 7:23 PM in Council Chambers at City Hall. All 15 aldermen were present. The meeting included a Mayor's veto override vote, several resolutions, and a major infrastructure contract award.
Consent Calendar
- Items A (Claims for Injuries/Property Damage) and C (Finance Dept. Monthly Checks Report) were approved unanimously (15-0) as part of the consent agenda.
- Item B (Report on Appointment of Shayne Livingston as Clerk of Committees) was removed from the consent agenda and voted separately. After debate, the report was accepted unanimously with welcoming remarks from multiple council members.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Frank Chase (24 Roxbury Road) described ongoing flooding on Monroe Street and the Allen Street Basin area, blaming city officials for 30 years of neglect of storm sewer systems. He cited a $14 million Cardinal Engineering plan awaiting implementation and criticized the city for hiding surplus funds. He urged action to prevent further catastrophic flooding.
- John Board (Highland Harris) called on the council to pass resolutions recognizing the one-year anniversary of October 7th and the Jewish High Holy Days, noting that draft resolutions existed but were not on the agenda. He urged inclusivity.
- Paul Cantzero (250 Hill Hurst Avenue) opposed the Indigenous Peoples' Day resolution, arguing it diminishes Columbus Day, which he said is important to New Britain's Italian American heritage. He also noted that Italian Heritage Month was not recognized.
- Shawne Scott (340 High Street, calling in) expressed support for the Indigenous Peoples' Day resolution but asked for resolutions for Jewish holidays and Italian American Heritage Month to recognize the city's diversity. She also questioned why the mayor would veto a council-appointed position.
- Alan Horde (145 Columbus Boulevard) supported the Indigenous Peoples' Day resolution and requested removal of former Mayor Timothy Stewart's name from a police department community room due to his statements of bigotry.
Discussion Items
- Mayor's Veto – Appointment of Shayne Livingston (Resolution 36615): The council debated the mayor's veto of the appointment. Alderman Smedley argued the process violated the city charter because the appointment should have been a simple report, not a resolution, and that the minority caucus was not provided a resume. The council voted 8-7 to sustain the veto (needed 10 to override), thus upholding the mayor's decision. All speakers emphasized the veto was about process, not the individual.
- Resolution 6 – John Downey Drive Corridor Improvements (Bid 4144): This $5,386,083.50 contract with Martin Laviero Contractor for street safety improvements (narrowing roadway, adding sidewalks, multi-use trail, trees) was initially moved for referral but withdrawn after a recess. Director Mark Moriarty presented details: project fully funded by state LOTSIP grants, no local tax money; design done in-house saved money; bid came in ~$1M under estimate; contractor has strong history with the city. After questions on timetable (completion expected in one-two construction seasons) and granite curb lead times, the resolution was adopted by voice vote with unanimous support.
- Resolution 7 – Parking Meters and Kiosks (Bid 4180): Proposal to replace outdated kiosks and meters (transition from 3G to new technology) with contracts for POM, Inc. and Duncan Technologies for dual space meters and Flowbird for kiosks. Director John DeGidio explained the need to replace broken equipment to restore revenue. A motion to refer to Planning, Zoning & Housing (PZ&H) committee passed 8-7 after debate over whether referral was necessary.
- Resolution 8 – Parking Management Systems (Bid 4180): Contract with NetTech Solutions and MPAY2PARK for parking management and pay-by-cell services. An existing vendor, no price changes for consumers, improvements like text-to-pay. Again a motion to refer to PZ&H committee passed 8-7.
Key Outcomes
- Veto sustained (8-7): The mayor's veto of the appointment of Shayne Livingston as Clerk of Committees was upheld.
- Minutes approved: Minutes of the September 11, 2024 regular meeting were approved.
- Petition referred: A traffic study and speed mitigation on Monroe Street (Corbin Avenue to Arch Street) was sent to the police commission.
- Indigenous Peoples' Day: Resolution adopted, recognizing the second Monday of October each year as Indigenous Peoples' Day in New Britain.
- National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Adopted, with remarks from Alderwoman Beloin-Saavedra celebrating the city’s inclusive programs.
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Adopted, with statistics: 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer; 1 in 36 will die; 40,000 women die annually.
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month: Adopted, noting that 24 people per minute are victims of intimate partner violence (over 12 million annually). The Prudence Crandall Center was highlighted.
- Every Kid Counts After School Program: $338,800 in state grants approved for after-school programs at six elementary schools.
- John Downey Drive Corridor Improvements: Contract awarded to Martin Laviero Contractor ($5,386,083.50); project fully funded by state grants; expected construction start in spring 2025.
- Parking Meter/Kiosk and Management Contracts: Both referred to PZ&H committee for further review, despite calls to approve immediately.
Meeting adjourned at 8:46 PM.
Meeting Transcript
I want to welcome you to the October 9th meeting of the New Britain Common Council. It's time for uh public participation. It's now 7 p.m. Uh that's just the speakers to remember to state your name and address for the record. Speaking time limit is three minutes. Uh recognize the names on our list. And uh also if anybody is calling in remotely, or anybody else in the room that wants to be heard. Our first name is Mr. Frank Chase. Frank Chase, 24 Roxbury. We purchased 24 Roxbury Road in 1973 with a healthy dry basement and a flood-free property. Our property in our neighborhood is not the same today. Over the years, as responsible homeowners, we've made every effort to mitigate our flooding damage and losses. The compromised outdated and undersized storm sewer systems in the Allen Street Basin and in the Hampton Eaton sub basement basin were first identified 30 years ago by Director of Public Works Joe Corelli. These systems have been ignored, neglected, and mismanaged by elected and appointed city officials for decades. Over 50 properties are flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods, including the retention pond. Ten floods since July 4th, 2023. The unhealthy contaminated water contains bacteria, fecal matter, fat, smote oil, grease, etc. The cause is undeniable, the effects will be catastrophic if the flooding is allowed to continue. Weston Simpson engineers reported the state of the infrastructure is at crisis levels. Regardless of the age of our structures, needless wear and tear in and around our structures is accelerated by this out of control flooding water from our compromised storm sewer systems. The flooding is not an act of God. Our city officials are responsible for this neglect, mismanagement, and damage to our properties and structures. If our memory serves us, the city auditors were concerned about unused money sitting in various subaccounts. Why was this money allowed to languish in these sub ac subaccounts hidden from our constituents? Back in 2013, the current mayor was elected and had seven million dollars had a seven million dollar cardinal engineering plan ready to go for the Allen Street project. Nothing happened. Okay, now where was I? Director Perigini spoke regarding sudden fiscal surpluses, appropri approximately sixteen million. If our memory serves us, the city auditors were concerned about unused money sitting in various subaccounts. We were told by city officials in no uncertain terms the city had no money to spare for our storm sewer systems. Why was this money allowed to languish in these sub accounts hidden from our constituents? Back in 2013, the current mayor was elected and had a seven million dollar cardinal engineering plan ready to go for the Allen Street project. I'm gonna keep going. Nothing happened. Now we have an updated $14 million plus cardinal engineering plan waiting for implementation. This updated plan cannot be lost in the fiscal shuffle again. Two small paragraphs left. This fake transfer was eventually rejected by Peregini. This administrative debacle prior to an election is concerning all of us to this day. City officials demand accountability, credibility, and transparency from their constituents. We do not receive the same courtesy from our city officials. No more gotcha moments. What about isms? It's time for all of us to look into the mirror and ask ourselves is this who we want to be? It's not the time to throw up your hands. It's the time to step up and roll up your sleeves. Meanwhile, our neighborhoods will continue to flood. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.
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