Good evening everyone.

I call to order this October first, twenty twenty-five public hearing and regular meeting of the committee on administration, finance, and law and public services.

The time is now 630 PM.

Ms.

Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Alderman Connors?

Present.

Alderman Barbosa.

Alderman McNamara?

Here.

Alderman Santiago.

Alderman Simpson?

Present.

Alderman Gibson.

Alderman Pabone?

Alderman Smedley?

Alderman Savedra?

You have a quorum also seated our Alderman Russell.

And Alderman Malinowski.

Sorry.

Thank you, Ms.

Clerk.

Thank you.

And when you get to your desk, will you please read into the record the notice of public hearing?

Oh, there's a little feedback.

Yeah, we got a little echo.

Unless someone wants to make a motion.

Alder Woman's uh Bullets of Aedra.

I make a motion that we um wave the reading.

All uh motion to waive the reading made by Alderman Bolins of Edra, seconded by Alderman uh Simpson.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All opposed, nay.

Motion carries, we didn't everything is waived.

Having been properly noticed, we will begin the public hearing.

Please remember to state your name and address for the record and limit your speaking time to three minutes.

The item for public hearing is three, six nine five five to amend chapter two of the code of ordinances to create a uniform term of office for department heads.

I have two uh speakers on the sign-up list.

Uh uh Donald Malinowski.

Good evening, state your name and address for the record.

You have three minutes.

Thank you.

Good evening, everybody.

After attending the council meeting on Wednesday, I felt compelled to come and speak tonight.

Um concerning uh this proposed ordinance.

I think it's appropriate at this point for me to read uh from our city charter, uh section eight two, except otherwise provided by state law or the charter, all department heads shall be appointed and subject to the authority of the mayor following the consent of the common council and may not be removed from office except for cause which shall not be political.

Uh the other section is terms of the department heads.

Common council discretion.

The common council may in its discretion establish by ordinance a uniform term of office for all department heads, which term shall be for a period no less than four years.

One should not necessarily do a thing.

The city of New Britain will be interviewing them.

The mayor will be interviewing them.

There is a process.

However, they will also be interviewing us.

And they will be trying to decide, especially for a position that requires them moving to the city, such as fire chief or police chief.

They will be trying to decide if they're going to move their established family to the city.

If they're going to sell their home somewhere else, whether it be local or whether it be somewhere else in the country.

And by the way, why should somebody decide they're going to move if we have a national search for a position?

Why should somebody decide to move across the country when in a four-year position, they don't even qualify for the retirement package that the city provides?

You need to be have five years to be vested.

So national results will yield no can't no candidates.

Thank you, Don.

Thank you, Don.

Next we have Michelle Malinowski.

I think I covered it.

Can you just know it's meeting out of the case?

Oh, sure.

Uh Donald Malinowski 69.

And uh I would also like to note that Alderman Santiago joined us at 6 uh 29 p.m.

for the record.

Um Chairwoman Malinowski from the Historic Preservation Commission.

The floor is yours.

Please state your name and address, and you got three minutes.

Microphone on, uh hit the man with the mouth, the person with the mouth there.

Yeah.

How many Malinowski's does it take Michelle Malinowski, 1928 Stanley Street, New Britain, Connecticut, 06053, and a lifelong resident of the city of New Britain.

Um many of my comments are gonna are actually mirroring uh those of the previous speaker.

Um I think what we need to address is um department head continuity is a key component of effective and efficient city government and creates a culture of stability within that department.

And some department heads possess historical and institutional knowledge of their departments and the functioning of city uh government, which is an axe um an asset.

I'm truly concerned that a four-year contract for department heads will diminish, and I stress that a pool of qualified candidates if a position becomes vacant, and also can create a revolving door of department heads, because people look and are searching for a position and they see that this position is basically four years, okay.

You know, they're gonna question why should I bother?

Okay, we want to draw the best, okay.

So I think what is outlined here or what is proposed is gonna be a detriment to the functioning, the government functioning of our departments and the city as a whole.

And I'm also concerned that the city, the city services, the needs of the residents will be negatively impacted by this proposal.

And the and this is my personal observation that I see this okay as a political overreach of council power, and I'm very dismayed by that.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Uh Michelle.

Any uh speakers online?

Yes.

Hello, caller ending 7451.

Please state your name and address for the record, and you have three minutes, seven, four, five, one caller ending seven, four, five, one.

Caller ending 7451.

Sorry, yes.

Floor is yours.

Three minutes.

State your name and address.

Yes.

My name is Albert Lucas.

Oh, you see it again.

Address is 66, Harbor closed.

Leave it 0651.

I can testify tonight on behalf of this proposal from personal experience of dealing with this here in the city of Haven.

Here I serve as our director of legislative services.

Back in 1992, we did a charter revision which included this similar provision.

Prior to that, we did not have a provision for terms for department heads, but we've had it now since 1992.

I will say that all of our departments we've done national searches for all of them.

We have no issues in terms of the retracting quality candidates related to the opening positions that we have had over the years.

Once they come in and give them the ability to have a check and be in charge of their of their department heads.

So from a perspective of a government perspective, I can tell you that from David has worked out very well over the years.

Again, the don't just be attracting professional candidates for all the departments.

And that is the case generally in most of the towns and cities around the state.

So I'm available to you all.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for the call.

Yeah, I'm sorry.

Thank you.

All right.

Are there any additional speakers for this item?

Are there any additional speakers for this item?

Seeing no speakers, we will close the public hearing and move on to the regular meeting.

The time is now 6 42 p.m.

I uh would ask if the caller wants to remain on the line.

Um given the subject matter expertise, we would be grateful for that.

Should anyone wants to ask the caller questions?

I'm not sure if that would uh hang on a minute.

Thank you.

All right.

Oh, there's an echo.

That was you need a position.

All right.

So seeing now no speakers, we will close the public hearing and move on to the regular meeting.

The time is now 643 p.m.

The item on the agenda is item number three six nine five five to amend chapter two of the code of ordinances to create a uniform term of office for department heads.

May I have a motion?

Mr.

Chair.

Alderman Santiago.

Just conversation's sake.

Make a motion to accept and refer to the council with a neutral recommendation.

I have a item number three six nine five five.

Motion made by Alderman Santiago.

Do I have a second?

Seconded by Alderman Simpson.

Motion to refer.

Uh is made.

Do we have any to discussion on the item?

Alderwoman Scott.

Hi, everybody.

Um I just want to say that this is a very simple.

Um, this is simple, and it's very good government.

Um, and it's good legislation, and we should move forward with this and take a look at it.

It's a positive move for our government for the city.

It follows our very own charter that we have that requires us to make these simple steps.

Um this resolution um to provide an ordinance for this resolution.

Um this is our responsibility for transparency and what we need to do to support our very own charter.

Um we need to move to do this for our department heads.

It's very simple, it's just missing, and it's not present, and this resolution would correct and implement things that are missing.

Um and I know that um I am not a voting member here tonight, but there are a couple of amendments I believe that need to be made to this um resolution, and um seeing as you know we do we had our caller call in from New Haven and let us know that for three decades um this has been working out there um and that you know I happen to be a professional myself, and I don't think that this would um deter me from applying for a job.

Um so I think I hope that you guys could look at this and um do the amendments now ask for the amendments that we need to look at this resolution further.

Mr.

Chairman, thank you, Alderwoman Scott, Alderman Balencived.

And make a motion to table.

Second motion to table is made by Alderwoman Blaine Zavedra, seconded by Alderman Smedley.

Is this a roll call vote?

No, but no, all in favor say aye.

Aye opposed, no.

I have I have five to three.

The motion the item is tabled.

Motion to adjourn made by Alderman Santiago, seconded by Alderman Gibson.

Time is now 646.

Thank you.