New Britain Common Council Meeting Summary, December 10, 2025

The New Britain Common Council convened a regular meeting on December 10, 2025, beginning with public participation and moving to a series of legislative items. The session featured significant public testimony regarding climate action, police accountability, and civil rights, alongside council responses. The council approved a holiday greeting, amended standing rules regarding petition submission timelines to increase transparency, and passed several resolutions authorizing mayor-led negotiations for housing projects and purchasing fleet vehicles. One resolution regarding blower purchases was tabled pending clarification on the receiving department.

Consent Calendar

• Item 5: Authorization of Federal Highway Safety funds ($9,999.36) for overtime related to the clicket or ticket program for seatbelt enforcement during the holiday season.
• Item 6: Acceptance of the Revenue Collector's report regarding refunds, abatements, and corrections totaling $28,680.
• Item 7: Authorization for Engineering Professional Services to engage ESRI (formerly ERSI) for GIS support services at a fee of $16,720.
• Item 9: Purchase of a 2026 Ford F-150 for the Public Works Utilities/Water Division to replace a vehicle damaged in an accident.
• Item 10: Purchase of a new 150 Ford pickup truck for the Public Works Department for $42,751.10.
• Item 12: Purchase of two 2026 Ford Police Interceptors for the Police Department at a total cost of $142,500.
• Item 13: Purchase of three Ford Explorers for the Police Department totaling $4,917.93 (amended to include specific account number).
• Unanimous Holiday Greeting: Adoption of a resolution wishing citizens a peaceful holiday season, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Aram (Former Alderman): Expressed full support for reenacting the 2019 Climate Change Emergency Declaration as a blueprint for the new administration. He positioned the city's current vulnerability to floods and heat against the backdrop of federal retreat on climate action and highlighted specific past failures in tree replacement and the use of impervious surfaces (e.g., artificial turf, Costco parking).
• Jonathan Figueroa (Harford County Audit): Advocated for policies ensuring civil rights and police accountability. He expressed concern that public trust is undermined by internal-only investigations and requested concrete steps for ongoing civil rights and de-escalation training. He requested an update on the investigation into the "Puff and Go" smoke shop and sought accountability regarding the arrest of Jose Cruz at the public library.
• Kelly Noss: Expressed significant concern over the obstruction of access to her police report and investigation documents following a traumatic assault. She positioned that her refusal to give a statement in the official report was factually incorrect given her brain injury and lack of ability to read, arguing that the denial of records may be shielding individuals responsible for the assault.
• Benancio Paroa: Expressed strong opposition to perceived racism by city staff and the threat to his small business on West Main Street. He stated he feels targeted by the city due to his inability to work due to a recent brain injury and recounted an incident where he was told to seek a Spanish-speaking hearing for a complaint, which he identified as a racist gesture. He argued that if the city does not want the store, it should compensate them to leave.
• Lynette Macaruso: Expressed full support for the 2019 climate declaration and the need for local action amidst federal inaction. She advocated for updating K-12 curricula and conducting a local air quality study, citing a belief (rumored to be true) that New Britain's pollution contributes to higher asthma rates among children.
• Alberto Duarte: Presented a detailed proposal for improving Willow Street Park safety. He positioned that visibility, lighting, surveillance (including AI recognition), and emergency buttons are necessary to deter vandalism and loitering. He advocated for the construction of a recreation center at the HRA building location and community engagement activities.

Discussion Items

• Standing Rules Amendment (Petitions):
  • Alderwoman Scott & Delernia (Support): Expressed support for the amendment mandating petitions be submitted the day before the meeting to promote transparency and public access. Alderman Scott noted she was discouraged from filing petitions in the past for redundant information. Alderman Delernia clarified that redundant petitions were previously discouraged, not the petitions themselves.
  • Alderman Simpson (Opposition/Clarification): Questioned the necessity of the change so soon after adopting standing rules. He asked for clarification on the timeline for training a new administrative supervisor.
  • Alderman Smedley (Opposition/Concern): Expressed concern that the 8:15 a.m. deadline creates a bottleneck that could delay urgent citizen concerns, effectively discouraging the petition process. He questioned the Corporate Counsel's response to his inquiry about the workload of the Council Supervisor, noting she could not immediately answer after 14 years of service. He argued the change does not address the real issue of transparency.
  • Council Administrative Supervisor (Giratana): Stated the change is intended to create a written statement for the council and public ahead of the meeting. She noted she cannot determine how long it will take to train a new supervisor.
  • Correction: The council initially voted on a motion to close debate but failed to vote on the substantive amendment before moving to the next item. A correction was made to first vote on the amendment.
• Resolution 36575-2 (Ground Lease):
  • Correction: The council initially voted on the motion to pass without correcting a procedural error regarding the amendment. The Clerk instructed the body to go back and vote on the amendment authorizing Mayor Sanchez.
  • Outcome: The amendment was adopted to replace Mayor Erin E. Stewart with Mayor Bobby Sanchez as the authorized negotiator for the ground lease with the New Britain Housing Authority and JHM Group.
• Resolution 36576-2 (Cooperation Agreement):
  • Context: This resolution mirrors the previous one, authorizing Mayor Sanchez to negotiate a cooperation agreement with the Housing Authority and JHM Group.
  • Clarification: A council member requested clarification on the phasing of the Mount Pleasant housing project. Ms. Woody (representative) clarified the project has five phases. This item is Phase 1, involving the tearing down of 253 units and replacing them with 333 units, designed to limit disruption to residents.
• Resolution 36573-2 / Item 8 (Windstorm Blowers):
  • Discrepancy: Alderman Hardgrave questioned the resolution's attribution to the "New Britain Parks and Community Services Department," noting the department's actual name is "Recreation and Community Services" and that these items do not fit the golf course or cemetery needs.
  • Clarification: The Fleet Manager explained the blowers are "stand-on" units used on multi-use trails and roadways, not specifically for the Golf Course. Corporate Counsel noted the resolution was submitted by Jack Piper and was miswritten regarding the department name.
  • Outcome: Due to the uncertainty regarding the specific department and the lack of information in the packet regarding repair costs for the other vehicles (referenced in Item 11 discussion but relevant to the fleet context), the council voted to table Item 8 until further information is provided.
• Item 11 (Facilities and Energy Vehicles):
  • Amendment: An amendment was passed to include the specific account number (2553-15055-5741).
  • Clarification: Alderman Hardgrave raised questions about the specific vehicles. It was clarified that the Ford Explorer (Vehicle 130) replaces a 19-year-old vehicle with transmission issues where repair costs exceed value. The Ford F-250 is a primary plow unit (17 years old) also exceeding its vehicle life cycle.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda Approved: Items 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, and 13 were passed unanimously.
• Standing Rules Amended: The Standing Rules were amended to require petition submissions by 8:15 a.m. the day before the meeting to ensure transparency and public access, with exceptions for emergencies.
• Mayor Authorization: Resolutions 36575-2 and 36576-2 were amended to authorize Mayor Bobby Sanchez (instead of Mayor Erin E. Stewart) to negotiate and execute a ground lease and a cooperation agreement respectively with the New Britain Housing Authority and JHM Group.
• Project Phase Confirmation: The Mount Pleasant housing project was confirmed to be a five-phase initiative, with the current authorization covering Phase 1.
• Item Tabled: Item 8 (purchase of windstorm blowers) was tabled due to discrepancies in the department name and the need for clarification on fleet vehicle usage/replacement logic.
• Meeting Adjourned: The meeting was adjourned at 8:21 p.m.
• Next Steps: Council members Smedley and Delernia have requested information on job freezes and the mayor's transition team, which are being referred to the Human Resources and Mayor's offices.