Regular Meeting of the Common Council – September 10, 2025
Regular Meeting of the Common Council – September 10, 2025
The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on September 10, 2025, at 7:21 PM in Council Chambers. The meeting included public participation, approval of consent agenda, and unanimous adoption of 18 resolutions covering traffic safety, cultural recognitions, public works, and community events.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Frank Chase (24 Roxbury) criticized Mayor Stewart for failing to upgrade the Allen Street storm sewer system over 30 years, including 12 years under the current administration. Alderwoman Beloin-Saavedra responded that the city had committed $6 million while the state only provided $2 million, contrary to initial promises of a one-third city match.
- Michelle Stewart Copes (281 Rocky Hill Ave), chair of the NAACP Economic Development Committee, spoke in support of the multicultural business directory petition, emphasizing its potential to boost economic revenue and support local multicultural businesses.
- Tina Santana spoke in favor of the ordinance targeting motorized street takeovers, describing the noise and safety hazards affecting her special needs children and urging police to have more enforcement tools.
Consent Calendar
- Items A, C, D, E, and F were approved unanimously (15-0). Item B (sale of surplus vehicles) was removed from consent and later approved separately. The consent items included: claims for injuries/property damage, finance department report, Festa Italiana 2025 recommendation, traffic study request at 121 Belmont Street, and an ordinance amendment on motor scooters and off-road vehicles (Item F).
Discussion Items
- Petitions: Five petitions were referred to appropriate departments: traffic enforcement at Alexander Road and Country Club Road; installation of a "No Outlet" sign at Belridge Road and Batterson Drive; creation of a multicultural business listing category on VisitNBCT.com; police monitoring of Lawlor Street and LaSalle Street; and pavement assessment on Oneida and Sachem Streets.
- Resolution 1 (Ordinance Amendment on Motor Scooters, Dirt Bikes, etc.): Adopted unanimously. Alderwoman Beloin-Saavedra noted it provides police with additional enforcement tools, including vehicle confiscation and increased fines for organizers. Several alderpersons shared personal stories, with Alderwoman Barbosa recalling her brother's fatal motorcycle accident.
- Resolution 11 (Vision Zero Safety Action Plan): Adopted unanimously. Mark Moriarty presented the plan, which analyzed 6,000 crashes (2019-2023), with an average of 23 serious injuries/fatalities per year. The goal is a 50% reduction by 2035 and zero fatalities by 2045. Key actions include redesigning dangerous intersections, automated enforcement cameras, improved lighting, and concurrent pedestrian crossing phases. The plan also highlights the Lincoln School Bicycle Education Program, which received a Vision Zero award.
- Resolution 12 (Automated Traffic Enforcement Vendor Selection): Adopted unanimously. Alderwoman Beloin-Saavedra explained this is step 2 of a 5-step process; the vendor was selected unanimously from a pre-qualified list. The program is cost-neutral, with the vendor paid through violations. Final locations will require a public hearing and council approval.
- Resolution 13 (K9 Purchase): Adopted unanimously. The council approved $9,000 for a German Shorthaired Pointer named Yeti from K9 Guardian, Inc. Chief of Police described the canine unit expansion to five dogs, including two shepherds, two pointers, and a bloodhound, used for tracking, apprehension, and evidence recovery.
- Other Resolutions (2-10, 14-18): All adopted unanimously. These included: Festa Italiana (Sept 14), Puerto Rican Festival (Sept 14), Puerto Rican Flag Raising (Sept 12), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15-Oct 15), Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Patriot Day (Sept 11), POW/MIA Recognition Day (Sept 19), Leukemia/Lymphoma/Myeloma Awareness Month, Neighborhood Century Celebration on North Brighton Street, LoCIP budget amendment (revised to $1,515,489.11), sand purchase for snow/ice control ($16.25/cubic yard), authorization to apply for federal Highlands designation, purchase of roll-out trash containers ($32,684), and tax abatements/corrections/refunds.
Key Outcomes
- All resolutions and agenda items were adopted unanimously. No votes in opposition were recorded. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:51 PM after completing the entire agenda.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome to the September 10th 2025 regular meeting of the Common Council. It is now 701 PM, and we'll begin with public participation. I have uh three names on a list. When you come up, uh please state your name and address for the record. And again, you have three minutes, and then I'll recognize anybody else who wishes to speak remotely or in the audience. Our first speaker tonight is Frank Chase. Frank Chase, 24 Roxbury. Dear Mayor Stewart, our city officials over the past thirty years have failed to upgrade the compromised Allen Street storm sewer system. This includes twelve years on your watch. Our due diligence since 2023 has uncovered the facts. We have been proactive with the assistance of Majority Leader McNamara making the required effort to appeal to your good senses. Leader McNamara understands the peril our neighborhoods, blacks and properties are in. Common sense tells us if you did understand after twelve years in office, would have surely prioritized, you would have surely prioritized fully funded and constructed the Allen Street project. As a reminder, we were invited by you to voice our concerns regarding your priorities and your fiscal behavior. Our criticisms are fact-based as we have detail for you in all of our narratives. You wrote to us, you are not kind to me, and you will never be. To date, you have refused to prioritize fully fund and construct the Allen Street Project. The cause and effect is undeniable. Our taxpayers deserve better than this. Our quality of life continues to suffer. Our safety continues to continues to be in harm's way. And 50 plus properties and structures are all at risk. Why do you continue to ignore the critical nature of the Allen Street problem when you have the resources to construct the Allen Street project now? Why are you choosing to ignore all of us in the Allen Street neighborhoods? Mayor Stewart, you have the authority to correct these hazardous conditions, and it's your responsibility to correct these hazardous conditions. Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Chase. Our next speaker is Michelle Stewart Copes. I live at 281 Rocky Hill Avenue here in New Britain. And I chair the NACP Economic Development Committee as well as the Multicultural Business Association with Candace Scott. And I'm here to support the Multicultural Business Directory petition. I really think it can truly help the city because the majority of our population is multicultural. It can only develop the commerce in our city, the economic revenue gaps, which is the goal of the NACP, and it can build and bolster the tax revenue and base so that businesses can stay and be supported. The purpose of this directory is so that we can all know who each other is. We really don't know that. And to have a public listing of it will help us to be able to support each other, to be able to make referrals and to keep cities here in New Britain. We recently had a potluck meeting on the 25th, and it was really great. And Devon Tanksley had come to speak with us. He owned my wife didn't cook, and he talked about how it really would have been beneficial if we had invested in each other, supported each other, really was able to be there to promote our businesses, and also to make the city better as a wonderful multicultural city, rich in its ethnicity. So I hope that you support it. I hope that you help to develop it because it will be the first time it's been done. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Michelle. Third speaker on the list is Tina Santana. Thank you for this opportunity. That really impact my life. You guys would usually see me here talking about school district stuff because I do serve on the board of head. But the reality is, like all of you, we live in the city of New Britain, and we are faced with the same issues, and I'm pretty sure you are too.
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