Regular Meeting of the New Britain Common Council - April 9, 2025
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Regular Meeting of the New Britain Common Council - April 9, 2025
The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public participation, recognition of the St. Patrick's Day contingent, approval of minutes, and action on multiple resolutions. Key decisions included the unanimous appointment of Mallory Dupree as Director of Recreation and Community Services and approval of a contract with Cigna Healthcare as the city's third-party medical insurance administrator over union objections. The meeting adjourned at 11:06 PM.
Consent Calendar
- Approved: Minutes of the regular meeting of March 12, 2025.
- Approved: Consent Agenda (Item A) including claims for injuries/property damage and various proclamations (Earth Day, Easter, Passover, Fair Housing, Autism Acceptance, Minority Health, Child Abuse Prevention, Arab American Heritage).
Recognition of the New Britain St. Patrick's Day Contingent
- Chloe Santana presented awards: Best Town Contingent in the Greater Hartford St. Patrick's Day Parade (third year), Best Float (first attempt), and Best High School Band (New Britain High School Marching Band). Council thanked the contingent and band.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Mallory Dupree Appointment (Item 17): Over 20 speakers, including residents, community leaders, union representatives, and former city employees, expressed strong support for appointing Mallory Dupree as Director of Recreation and Community Services. Speakers highlighted her 25-year career, leadership in community services, grant management, and deep ties to New Britain. Many urged the council to set aside politics. Notable speakers included Justin Dorsey (former chief of staff, speaking as resident), Patrick Dorsey (Parks and Rec Commission chair), Paul Caton Zero (fire commissioner), Patrick Ciardula (EMS chief), Paulette Fox (OIC executive director), Nicole Sanders (OIC board member), John Bedigny (YMCA CEO), Marcy Muscal (YMCA), Robin Sharp (former YWCA director), Omar McDew (36-year city employee), Matt Schofield (recreation professional), James Jones (Boys & Girls Club CEO), and several youth participants. No speakers opposed the appointment.
- Cigna Healthcare Contract (Item 1): Several union representatives and employees voiced concerns about the transition from Anthem to Cigna. Margaret Dobrowski (dispatch union president) requested a postponement due to lack of information on formularies and provider networks. Dave McCarski (police union president) cited a 97.3% provider match but noted 55 behavioral health providers out of network and 78 prescription drugs excluded from the formulary. Mike Nodden (retired fire captain, insurance expert) questioned the projected savings and urged more time for review. Miles Mason (firefighters union president) asked to table the vote, citing a demand to bargain and the need for due diligence. No speakers voiced support for the Cigna contract during public comment.
Discussion Items
- Item 17 – Appointment of Mallory Dupree: Alderman Smedley presented the resolution, noting that Mallory Dupree scored highest in the competitive civil service process, which included an oral panel with council members and community professionals. Following public testimony, multiple council members (Beloin-Savedra, Alden, Barboza, Smedley, Hargraves, Malinowski, Gibson) spoke in favor, emphasizing her qualifications, community support, and adherence to charter process. The vote was unanimous.
- Item 1 – Cigna Healthcare Contract: After returning from executive session (9:08 PM to 10:14 PM), Alderman Smedley reported projected savings of $1.7 million in the first year and $6.85 million over three years. Alderman Beloin-Savedra defended the transition, stating the city is self-insured, benefits meet the 97% comparability requirement, and a 12-month grace period exists for 3% of providers not initially in network, with negotiations ongoing. Alderman Simpson opposed, citing insufficient time for review and union concerns. Alderman Scott expressed discomfort with the short timeline but noted the continuity-of-care provision. Alderman McNamara supported while noting the decision could have been made earlier. The vote was 13 in favor (Scott initially hesitated but voted yes), 1 opposed (Simpson).
- Items 2-16: These resolutions were approved by voice vote without debate:
- Item 2 (Earth Day): Recognized April 22, 2025, as Earth Day.
- Item 3 (Easter): Recognized Easter.
- Item 4 (Passover): Recognized Passover (April 12-20).
- Item 5 (Fair Housing Month): Recognized April as National Fair Housing Month, emphasizing city’s commitment to fair housing laws.
- Item 6 (Autism Acceptance): Recognized April as Autism Acceptance and Awareness Month. Captain Bukowitz of New Britain Police presented the 911 Autism Registry (25 forms, 20 residences) and sensory kits donated by Hometown Foundation.
- Item 7 (Minority Health Month): Recognized April as National Minority Health Month.
- Item 8 (Child Abuse Prevention Month): Recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention Month.
- Item 9 (Arab American Heritage Month): Recognized April as Arab American Heritage Month; Alderman Scott read a constituent statement.
- Item 10 (Firefighting Gear): Authorized $78,700 to C&S Specialty for 20 sets of Lion V-Force structural firefighting gear (PFAS-free).
- Item 11 (EMPG Grant): Accepted EMPG program conditions for FFY 2024.
- Item 12 (Laundry Services): Awarded three-year contract to Super Saver Laundromat for fire department laundry services.
- Item 13 (Concession Rights): Awarded ice cream/food truck concession rights to Queen Ice Cream, Two Brothers Ice Cream, and SEMO Ice Cream for various parks.
- Item 14 (Catch Basin Cleaning): Authorized $69,000 to Shaw Vac Services for cleaning up to 1,000 catch basins.
- Item 15 (Fireworks): Approved two-year contract with Pyrotecnico Fireworks, Inc. for July 4 fireworks: $25,000 in 2025 and $30,000 in 2026 (the 250th birthday of America).
- Item 16 (Tax Abatements): Approved tax abatements, corrections, and refunds totaling $16,393.
Key Outcomes
- Mallory Dupree appointed Director of Recreation and Community Services (unanimous vote). The council approved the mayor's recommendation following a competitive civil service process.
- Cigna Healthcare contract approved (13-1 vote). The council approved the city entering into an agreement with Cigna Healthcare as third-party administrator for medical insurance, over objections from union representatives who requested more time and information. The contract includes a 12-month grace period for affected providers.
- All remaining resolutions (Items 2-16) passed by voice vote.
- A moment of silence was observed for victims of a tragedy in the Dominican Republic (over 120 deaths, including a singer and two baseball players), requested by Alderman Sanchez.
Meeting Transcript
This is a regular meeting of the common council Wednesday, April 9th, 2025. And we begin as always with public participation. I have a list to call upon. Please limit your speaking time to three minutes. State your name and address for the record. And the first name I have on the list is Justin Dorsey. Good evening, Justin Dorsey, uh 279 Steele Street. Uh sometimes it's 27 West Main Street, but tonight I'm here, not in my capacity as chief of staff, but I'm here as a resident and also a former employee of what was then known as the New Britain Parks and Recreation Department. It's uncommon for me to speak before this council during public participation, so it should show that I am passionate about what I'm about to say. As I said, tonight I'm here as a resident, and I'm here to express my support for the appointment of Mallory Dupree as the director of recreation and community services. I've known Mallory for almost 25 years, and she's um she's a lifelong resident and product of New Britain schools, has a bachelor's degree in recreation, and is currently enrolled in classes for her master's in recreation administration. Mallory has spent almost all of her working career working for the city of New Britain and supporting the city's youth and all of our residents. Unfortunately, over the last few days, I've heard some members of the council have some concerns regarding Mallory's appointment. First concern I heard was Mallory has never been a director before. I'd like to point out that she has been a director before as acting director for the last three months here. Uh for the previous six years she was director of community services, and prior to that she spent a decade as a director of youth development at the Y at WCA. Every person who's ever been a director at some point wasn't a director before they were given that opportunity. Another concern I heard was excuse me. Some council members haven't had enough time to review. The council agenda was posted with this resolution on Thursday. At any point, any council member could have reached out to human resources to request a copy of the resume. To my knowledge, the first time a member of the council reached out to Linda Gard, HR director, was yesterday morning. Members of both caucuses participated in the interview panel where Mallory scored the highest out of everyone. And Mallory is here tonight. Something that is not customary for the appointment process. And in the past, there's been times where resolutions were submitted with blank names and put in at that meeting. Thank you, Justin. My name is Patrick Dorsey and I live at 370 Worcester Street in New Britain. First of all, I'd like to thank the council for their hard work and dedication. Everybody here works a lot hard work behind the scenes. And I know it's a lifestyle for you guys. It's just not a job. And we appreciate everything you do. Secondly, I'd like to say the person that spoke before me, a good looking gentleman, came from Good Roots. I echo all his report back to you. You know, he's very passionate what he thinks, and I believe Mallory will make a great director of the Parks and Rec. I've been a member of the parking rec department for a member of the parking rec commission for 22 years, and presently I am the commission. I am the chairman. I'm here tonight to endorse Mallory Dupre to the position of director of the recreation and community service of the City of New Britain. In the past, I've had the honor and privilege to work closely with the two past directors, Bill DeMeo and Eric Barbareri. And I believe I have the experience and I know what it takes to select a good director and a leader, and Mallory Dupre is all of those attributes. She is well respected by her peers and her subordinates, and I have known Mallory close to 30 years, and I seen her come up through the ranks of the park, and I consider myself a good judge of character, and Mallory is the right person, and she earned that position. I asked the council to show her your sense of confidence and unanimous support, and I thank you in advance for your consideration and approval. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Dorsey. Next speaker on the list is Paul Caton Zero. Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of the council. Paul Canton Zero, 250 Hill Hurst Avenue.
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