New Britain Common Council Regular Meeting - March 25, 2026
New Britain Common Council Regular Meeting - March 25, 2026
The New Britain Common Council held its regular meeting on March 25, 2026, beginning at 7:04 PM with public participation and convening at 7:37 PM. The meeting covered public comments on homelessness, shelter closures, neighborhood safety, and job resources, followed by discussion of delinquent utility accounts of elected officials, and approval of resolutions on women's history, mental health, committee appointments, and grants.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Louis Malabe, representing the Homeless Advisory Task Force (Hat Force), stated that homelessness is not solely about housing but involves mental health, trauma, addiction, harm reduction, and life skills. He noted that Hat Force was invited to collaborate on a yearly mental health resolution presented by Alderwoman Scott.
- Iris Viscarondo, a New Britain resident, requested the council help save the overflow shelter at First Lutheran Church, which is set to close on April 1. She reported that the shelter provides 44 beds, showers, and bathrooms, and that closure would force people to a designated encampment with no bathroom or shower, over an hour away from the Hope Connecticut Center. She cited a 44% increase in Connecticut's homeless population since 2021 and over 140 deaths of people experiencing homelessness statewide last year. She urged extending the shelter through the summer.
- Julie Swan, on behalf of the East Side NRZ, invited council members to a joint meeting of all NRZs on April 2 at the Senior Center to encourage aldermanic involvement and support for neighborhood initiatives.
- Alberto Duarte, a resident of 119 Willow Street, requested a vote on his earlier proposal to make Willow Street Park safer, citing concerns about crime and drugs. He also discussed homelessness, noting a 13% increase in New Britain's homeless population and 3,500 homeless statewide, and called for more action.
- Lisa (caller) suggested using the library's job workshop and career resources to support people seeking employment, especially after the closure of Stanley Black & Decker.
Discussion Items
- Delinquent Utility Accounts of Elected Officials (Item B): Alderman Santiago introduced a petition regarding past-due utility balances of elected officials. Corporate Counsel reported that two elected officials had balances: Jessica Julian (who paid her bill earlier that day) and Alderman Robert Smedley, who owes $12,641.23. Counsel explained that the account was referred to collections after 270 days and a lien was placed, but no payment plan was made in eight years. A freeze on collections occurred in 2023, but counsel noted that the account should have gone to foreclosure by year five. Council members questioned why the process stopped and whether interest continued accruing. Counsel stated the new administration is reviewing all collection files and will pursue more aggressive enforcement for those who choose not to pay, while offering hardship consideration for others.
- Women's History Month Resolution (Item 1): A resolution recognizing the contributions of women and urging adoption was presented and supported by several council members, who highlighted local women leaders and the importance of honoring women year-round.
- Mental Health Awareness Resolution (Item 6): Alderwoman Scott introduced a resolution designating May and the entire year of 2026 as Mental Health Awareness Month in New Britain, emphasizing the need to remove stigma, support access to services, and prioritize mental health education. Council members spoke in support, noting resources like Wheeler Clinic and the 988 suicide prevention hotline.
- Committee Appointments (Items 2 & 3): Alderman McNamara moved to appoint Alderman Marrero to the Administration, Finance, Law, and Public Services Committee, and Alderman Barrero as liaison to the Fire Commissioners and Parks and Recreation Commission. Alderman Simpson offered a friendly amendment to add himself to the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) liaison, which was seconded and approved.
- Fire Department Grant (Item 4): A resolution to contract with the Connecticut Fire Academy for rope rescue training, funded by a FEMA grant totaling $56,026 ($24,400 for operations, $31,626 for technician certification), was adopted.
- After School Program Grant (Item 5): A resolution to appropriate $150,000 from the 21st Century Community Learning Center grant for after-school programming from July 5, 2025, through September 30, 2026, was adopted.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously (11-0).
- Item B (Delinquent Utility Accounts): Adopted by voice vote, with further action by Corporate Counsel to review and enforce collections.
- Item 1 (Women's History Month): Adopted by voice vote.
- Item 2 (Committee Vacancy): Adopted by voice vote.
- Item 3 (Liaison Appointments): Adopted as amended by voice vote, adding Alderman Simpson to TOD.
- Item 4 (Fire Grant): Adopted by voice vote.
- Item 5 (After School Grant): Adopted by voice vote.
- Item 6 (Mental Health Awareness): Adopted by voice vote.
- Petitions: Referred to City Plan Commission, Zoning Subcommittee, and Department of Public Works as noted.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome all to the regular meeting of the Common Council for March 25th. And the time is now 704 PM. We'll begin. The meeting is always with public participation. Yes, anybody wishes to speak. Remember to state your name and address clearly for the record. Address your remarks to the chair, not a individual members or to the audience. Good evening, members of the city council, committee leaders and residents. My name is Louis Malabe as I stand here before you today, representing the homeless advisory task force called the Hat Force. The Half Horse, not created in a boardroom. It was born from real voices, real survivors, from residents who know well that homelessness is not a statistic, a reality, including myself. It was also built from shelters, from encampments, as you can see in front of you, from voices of people who have often been ignored or silenced. Let me be clear. Homelessness is not about housing. It's about mental health, trauma, addiction, harm reduction, life skills, and most importantly, it's about systems that people cannot navigate while they're already struggling, trying to survive. And this year, Hat Force and invited to collaborate on a year on a yearly mental health resolution initiative to take the mental health crisis and find solutions not just for homelessness, not just for people who are in house, but for people who are dealing with mental health. Thanks to that, presented by Elder Woman Scott, she will be presenting a resolution on that. Many people speak about homeless, but very few can say that they lived it. Stories. Good evening. My name is Iris Viscarondo, and I am a resident from New Britain. And I'm here tonight because I'm asking you to help us save a program that is keeping real people alive. In sixth day on April 1, the overflow shelter at First Lutheran Church closed. That shelter is funded by the Friendship Service Center. It gives 44 people a place to sleep at night, a shower, and a bathroom. 44 people who have nowhere else to live. They're being told right now to go to a camp, a designated encampment with no bathroom and no shower, more than an hour away from the Hope Connecticut Center on Arc Street, which is the only place in the city where they can access the service that helped them get housing one hour away from a shower and one hour away from help. Connecticut homelessness population has grown 44% since 2021. Statewide, more than 140 people died while experienced homelessness just last year in here in New Britain, too. 14040 people, and we are talking about removing 44 emergency beds in the middle of the crisis. On March 7, business owners in the city came before you concerned about homelessness on our street. I understand that concern, but closing those 44 beds will not only make homelessness disappear, but we'll also bring 44 more people to this street. The people in that chair are not invisible. There are people who have case managers right now, but need a house. And this is the short term that they have right now. I know our major wants to make a stop place for them, but is that a long term? We need a place, we need a building, and that takes time. This is right here, right now. And what we only asking is to extend it during the summer for them to have a place to go to the bathroom and a place to learn again how to take a bath. I want you to see in the pictures that you have. That's the encampment that we have, the only camp right now that is available for them to stay with no bathroom, no tower, and basically out in the winter, and also in the summer, and that will bring a cause also to the business owner. Extending this period and giving this program of funding, it's a win-win situation because then the business owner always gonna complain, but not that much because it's gonna be more 44 more people out. So just take it into consideration and please help us with this. Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next speaker is Julie Swan. Hi, my name is Julie Swan. I'm here on behalf of the East Side NRZ. I'm sure that uh you guys got an email from Jessica. The East Side NRZ is going to be hosting a uh meeting of all the NRZs together.
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