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.

We have four Broad Street, North Oak uh Area Arch, and Eastside.

Uh East Side is one of the biggest ones here.

Um, we're hoping that you guys will come and join us on April 2nd at the Senior Center.

Uh, we would like to get more of our council people involved in the East Side and try to build up our East Side.

Um, we do a lot in the community.

Um, I know Jason, you've been to a lot of mine, and I and and Geral used to come to a lot of mine, Willie Pabone and stuff.

So we're hoping to get the the aldermen back in contact with their NRZs and really help them to move forward things that they want to get done in the city and get more people involved in their energy because they are stakeholders.

So uh we hope that we'll see a lot of you guys there, especially the ones that are in NRC right now, um, to help support the meeting and your people in your NRC.

Thank you, Julie.

Next speaker I have my listeners, Alberto Duarte.

You're about 10th on the list, Alberto, but there are no names between the third and the 10th speaker.

So kind of like when I do karaoke.

Yeah.

Let me stop.

Well, anyways, my name is Alberto Duarte, and I live at 119 Willow Street in New Breton.

So the last meeting that I had attended.

I gave 15 council members a paper saying how can we make the Willow Street Park safer?

And I had asked not to table it, but to vote on it to say yes.

You hear things on it on the news or through people.

Right?

I've been there 58 years.

I can talk it and back it.

But we really really need to have that park safe, especially if you're extending it.

Because we don't want to see any crime, drugs.

I don't care that they do marijuana.

I don't give a crap about that.

But you're gonna have families who want to be going down there.

And I have a vision, how I want to put up a community center.

No, I belong to the NRZ on Oak Street.

Now I have to figure out a way to fund it, which can take lots and lots of time.

Now we can go back down to the homeless.

I've been there a few times.

Florida and up here.

I talked to a lot of them.

Some choose to be out here.

Some have the resources, don't want to take it.

And what no one, since I've been coming, they talk about homeless, they talk about mental health, blah blah blah.

Why not?

They use the resource to go like CMHA.

Or what's the other one?

Well, the other one.

Go in there.

Do um what did that registration and all this other stuff?

That's one outlet.

And yes, we have an abundance of homeless people, which New Britain went up 13% since last year.

That's a lot.

State hall wide, we have 3,500 homeless people.

And that's one per capita of 1,000 people.

So and I know you guys are trying to do something with the homeless.

Enough is not being done.

Truly, it isn't.

Like she was saying, but only the Hope Center.

But there is not enough being done in the city because everybody turns a blind damn I.

Thank you.

Thanks for speaking.

Welcome.

Does anybody else wish to address the council?

Anybody?

anybody else?

Seeing none?

Anyone calling in?

7069.

Hello, caller.

7069.

Uh state your name and address.

The floor is yours.

Hello.

Go ahead.

Hello.

Hi.

Hi, go ahead, Lisa.

Yeah, just um 53 packages.

And uh I'm calling to um make a congestion for people who are looking for work.

Um, the people who are getting late off on family work and anyone else looking for employment.

And then one to turn to uh with library.

Uh job we thought is there as well with the career correct for um pre-quoting for interview.

There's um a lot of uh way to uh prepare for interviews and uh uh job searching and sometimes they can be a tensor, so we should be supportive of people who are trying to find new jobs and make it a cop with that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Lou.

Uh no other callers online again.

Anybody else wish to speak to the council?

Anybody else?

Anybody else seeing none?

This concludes uh this portion of public participation.

Uh uh invite any older persons to comment on uh what they've heard at public participation tonight, older woman bargas.

I just want to thank everyone who spoke today.

Uh Lewis and Iris.

I've worked uh closely with you guys uh these last couple of months, it seems, and um your work is not going unnoticed, so I just want to share that with you guys.

Um you know, I have accompanied them to the encampments.

Um it's not a nice sight to see.

Um we I agree with you guys, I agree with all of you.

There would there is more that needs to be done.

Um, and um just know that I won't stop until we get there.

So Julie, I'm glad to finally meet you.

I followed you on Facebook for a long time.

You always share my my post, so um, I have written the date down, so I will definitely be in attendance.

Umberto, and I will go back to what you shared with us.

Um I met you at the VASA Um North Street um NRZ meeting, and um I know that your passion is your neighborhood, and I I um we need more folks like you, so keep fighting the good fight.

And um, yeah, so I just want to thank everyone for being here today.

Thank you.

All the ones, all the ones, Scott.

Hey everybody.

Um thank you.

So I'll go down the list.

So, Lewis, um, thanks for coming.

I know you've been working really hard.

I want to thank you for all the hard work that you've been putting in on this, and for being brave and sharing your own story with everyone.

I think that's extremely important for people to hear.

And this is a human rights issue, housing.

Um shelter, uh, education, food, having healthy food, and medical care are all human rights, and we need to be working on those human rights, making sure everybody has access to them.

Thank you, Iris, for coming as well and sharing these facts and the concern with April 1st being the deadline date.

Um, and also talking about the mental health.

Um, there is a mental health awareness resolution that I'm putting in tonight for mental health for the whole year because it is extremely important, and it impacts every facet of everything and literally anything that we do here.

Um the NRZ, thank you for coming out.

I was just at the last meeting.

I'm really happy and I'm excited that the NRZ is getting more we're getting more movement with it, we're getting more re-established here, and I'm super excited about that.

We're planning actually, and Lewis has been working on this too.

Um, we're planning a neighborhood um cleanup for Earth Day Week.

So that's I'm really excited about us getting organized and really starting to work on things.

And Alberto, I think that ties into what you were saying.

Um, the stuff that the NRZ does, I think the cut in collaboration with things that you do.

I know you really care about the community and the things that you're doing, working with the NRZ and collaboration with us and other groups if we all start working together in the parking racks, yes, because I was just talking to Mallory about the cleanup as well.

Um, that we if we all work together, that we can actually do things and we can help and the whole homeless situation because we circle back to that again with what you were saying.

Uh my biggest concern with that is that people cannot afford to live anywhere right now, like housing is so expensive, so we need more affordable housing because people that are on fixed incomes can't afford to get homes right now, and we need more.

I think this is what Lewis, some of the work that you're talking about.

It's like a wraparound service that we need.

So it's taking care of living, um, life skills, mental health, career development.

Um, so it's we really need to, and then I mean we can talk more about it later, but there's this whole thing where people like when you're mentioning the baths, I think Iris, you're mentioning that, the people are getting institutionalized almost and forgetting how to do basic things that they used to do, and so now we have to reteach and re-help.

Um, it's sort of like similar to being incarcerated.

Um, so that's the same kind of thing.

And Lisa, thanks for calling in and sharing your suggestions.

I think I hope that that's helpful for someone to hear who might be looking for a job.

It's really sad that the Stanley closed down and people are unemployed, and hopefully, you know, we can help each other out in any way that we can.

So thank you so much, everybody.

Thank you, Alderman.

Alderman Simpson.

Thank you.

Uh thank you everybody for actually coming out and sitting here in the meeting here.

I know you guys got time and lives you've taken away from to be here with us.

Um, I will say you will see me at that meeting on April 2nd.

Um what something something that ties what everybody who spoke today together is that every single one of the things that was mentioned on this podium doesn't have have to happen in isolation of one another, they can be complimentary programs and complementary services, and I've seen it time and time again where community organizers get to the point where exactly where we're at, where we have we know what this community needs, right?

What we need is a plan forward, we need steps to take, we need targets to identify and make material asks from, right?

And so as we go forward with these different tangents, right?

And I say tangents because they're not material yet.

So what makes them the main thing?

We all need housing, we all need education, we all need jobs, we all need to pay the bills and keep the lights on.

So one thing I would really urge is considering the ability for us to take a step back and zoom out and say, okay, how do our chemists play with our tax preparers who play with our kitchen workers?

Everybody seems to work in their own little field, but the truth is it's we don't.

We impact each other whether we know there's a vacuum or not, right?

So when it comes to housing, when it comes to jobs, when it comes to wraparound services, I am eager to see where that conversation goes because we as a city are struggling with what's going to happen next in our story.

We had the closure of Stanley mentioned, right?

This is one of our Bs on our city seal, of which we have now lost all of them.

So where do we go as a city?

Where do we go as a community, right?

As we tackle housing, as we tackle these other issues.

We can't go east, it gets more expensive in Rhode Island at the beach.

Same thing with the south of Connecticut.

Massachusetts gets more expensive, and the people seeking cheaper rents are coming from New York and Fairfield County and the like.

So as we tackle with issues like gentrification here, we must ask where do we go?

We need to stay here.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

Any other members wish to come?

President Santiago.

Thank you.

I always enjoy when people come to speak their piece, speak for other people.

They might not feel discouraged to come to the podium.

And I was always encouraged for people to come in and speak what they feel or they see or need.

Um I know a lot of times Facebook is their avenue, right?

Um, but again, a lot of times, you know, even here, sometimes you're not heard, right?

Um, or get discouraged.

And I appreciate every single one of you guys that come here and express their concerns or other people's concerns, or even information about the NRZ.

I did get the message yesterday about the second, and I definitely will be there.

Um I'm the one that's trying to encourage the Norfolk to kind of revivalize this, you know, because again, it's been out of you know, contact for about a couple of years now.

So I'm glad that uh Vanessa and a couple other members, there's one here that's starting to step up and actually help try to get that one going.

And it's great that you all four collab together to kind of branch off each other and kind of figure out how long, how come you guys are still surviving and some of these aren't, right?

So it's always good to do the collabs, and I always always believe in that, it takes a visit, right?

Um the homelessness.

I could guarantee you right now, I was with the mayor a couple of times this couple of weeks at the governor's at the Capitol Hall, and that was one of the things he was speaking about was how can we combat that, right?

He knows that the summer's coming and there's gonna be more, and we actually had the the business meeting.

That was one of the his concerns was what his mention was that he knows that this when the summer comes, gets warmer, it's gonna, you know, they're gonna start releasing them, and they're gonna be out, and it's his concerns is that downtown and and our street, you know, getting the same population that it was prior to.

So he's I guarantee you that that I'm I was there personally to hear him advocate for education, homelessness, small businesses.

There's multiple things that he was there advocating for, trying to get you know, state fundings, obviously.

Um, because again, you know, we don't really tap into our our residents, right?

They've already been tapped out.

Most of them were where we're at right now because they they didn't have the funds to continue to pay those mortgages and bills and you know things, and they're in that needs as as others were.

So trust me, I could tell you this, and and for myself that he's been there fighting for it.

And and uh just wanted to thank everyone again for coming out and speaking and continue to speak and get your voices heard for the even the voice.

That's what we're here for too, right?

We're supposed to be speaking for the the our community, and so we should be representative too.

Appreciate it.

Any other members?

Hallman Morero.

Good evening, everyone.

Uh, thank you guys for coming.

Um, I just wanted to thank everyone who's showed up and even called in um tonight.

Um, I know a lot of this has a lot of relatable uh subjects.

Um with that being said, um I have actually done a few events already with uh Mr.

Mave and Iris.

Um and you know it's it's not going unheard.

Uh we know it's an ongoing issue, um, and and we will continue to fight the fight.

Um, it does take a village, and we are aware, um, and and we will continue until we find a resolution.

But uh again, thank you guys all, um, especially uh Alberta with the Willow Street uh situation.

I actually spoke to an individual prior to this uh regarding that, and uh we will look into that as well and we'll see what we can do in our part.

Thank you guys.

Thank you, Alderman.

Uh seeing none, I I just want to say uh the remarks have been timely tonight.

Given the April one is the time where shelter space is reduced.

Uh that it's built up because of the cold weather.

Uh the council's aware of the service gaps.

We've been talked about.

We're looking forward to recommendations from the mayor's task force.

And also to proactively uh address these issues in this term.

So uh much appreciated.

That being said, this concludes this portion of the meeting.

The regular meeting will begin shortly.

It's seven thirty.

Okay.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Um is they have to be four.

Um you doing.

They went out.

Oh, this Saturday.

You're going?

Yeah, I'll try and get the root things.

Well, what is it?

Like a three-hour drive for you?

No, it's it's uh how far how far is it?

You're where?

Oh, okay.

So that's not two hours, two ten.

Okay, we're sticking to the crispy out there.

Who?

Alderman, can you take your seats, please?

I call to order the March twenty-fifth, twenty twenty-six regular meeting of the Common Council.

The time is now seven thirty-seven p.m.

Madam Clerk, will you please call the roll?

Yes, your honor.

Alderman McDamara?

Here.

Alderwoman Scott.

Alderman Simpson.

Here.

Alderman Smedley.

Excuse.

Alderman Malinowski.

Here.

Alderman Gibson.

Alderwoman Delarnia.

Here.

Alderman Santiago.

Present.

Alderwoman Barbosa.

Excuse.

Alderwoman Vargas.

Alderwoman Maldonado.

Alderman Centeno.

Present.

Alderwoman Ortiz Luna.

Excuse.

Alderman Alba Barrero.

Present.

Eleven present, Your Honor.

Three excused.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Madam Clerk for the invocation, followed by the pleasure allegiance.

Everyone could please stand.

We pause in this moment to give you thanks for your presence, your wisdom, and your guiding hand over this common council and the city of New Britain.

As we gather at the close of the month of March, we reflect with gratitude on the many blessings you have bestowed upon this community.

We thank you for the leadership and strength to endure challenges, the vision to pursue progress, and the unity to serve the greater good.

As we conclude women's history month, we honor the countless women, past and present, whose leadership, resilience, and courage have shaped our city, our state, and our nation.

May their legacy inspire all who serve here to lead with integrity, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to justice.

And as the season begins to shift, remind us of that new growth is possible, that renewal is with within reach, and that together we can build a future rooted in hope and a shared responsibility.

Bless this council, bless the city, and bless the work of all who serve.

Amen.

So if everyone can stand up and we can have a moment of silence, please.

No amendments.

Madam Clerk, any petitions?

Yes, Your Honor.

We have five petitions.

Petition number one.

Pemoran Ramber of New Britain muffler seeking grant seeks granting of a certificate certificate of location approval to allow state DMV insuance of a motor vehicle repair license for property known as 46 Washington Street.

Referred to City Plan Commission and Zoning Subcommittee.

Petition number two, Kevin Naska on behalf of Kim Lee Horn and Associates of Mavis Discount Tire seeking grant seeks granting of a certificate of location approval to allow state SMV issuance of a motor vehicle repair license for property known as 615 Hartford Road.

Referred to city plan commission and zoning subcommittee.

Petition number three, Alderman Simpson to conduct a traffic study at the intersection of Coolidge Street and Munro Street.

Alderwoman Scott to install no littering signs on the following streets Lawler Street, Oak Street, LaSalle Street, Walton Street, Tremont Street, and Clark Street.

Referred to the Department of Public Works.

Alderwoman Scott to install, please pick up after your dog.

Referred the Department of Public World.

Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Alderman Santiago for the consent agenda.

Thank you.

Thank you, Honor.

Make a motion to accept the consent agenda A.

Second by Alderwoman Vargas.

Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

Alderman McNamara.

Yes.

Alderwoman Scott.

Yes.

Alderman Simpson.

Yes.

Alderman Malinowski.

Alderman Gibson.

Alderwoman Delernia.

Yes.

Alderman Santiago.

Yes.

Alder Woman Vargas.

Yes.

Alderwoman Maldonado.

Alderman Santeno.

Yes.

Alderman Barrero.

Yes.

11.

Yes, Your Honor.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Alderman Santiago for item B.

Excuse me.

Motion carries.

Alderman Santiago for item B.

Thank you, Honor.

Make a motion to accept item B.

Second by Alderman Barrero.

This was the petition that inquired about election officials passing due to utility balances.

And um this right here, um, again, we were asking for uh residents or individuals that had uh past due balances due to the point of you know we are you know being transparent about all our basic uh laundry, right?

And um this is was something that uh again we have two members that that are elected officials that were um due, but just to give heads up, Jessica Julian.

She actually paid hers today, so she has a zero balance just to give that that sets up.

So we'll be only one member that would be participant at this.

Oh thank you.

Thank you.

But um I would like to ask for uh corporate counsel to uh come up quite a question.

Corporate counsel, please through the chair.

Um the to corporate counsel.

Um the report notes that the count has been referred to collections since September 2023.

Can you explain why that practice stopped?

Why the process stopped?

Yep, the practice stopped in regards to the all the collections, yes.

This particular one, but uh we're talking about uh alderman Robert Smedley.

It says so here it says that um that through the the notes says here that uh the notes from notes accounts has been referred to collections since September of 2023.

Can you explain why the practice stopped?

It didn't just get referred.

There was just a little background.

Okay, there was a process on all delinquent utilities for taxes and and and so forth, and there's a trigger date of 270 days.

Umce those 270 days pass, then it uh is referred um with a letter.

There's a letter that goes out to the individual.

Let them know that that these taxes are due.

In this particular case, the letter went out, and it after the 270 days, it was actually 12,641 dollars and 23 cents.

That was due um back then.

Okay.

So the the reason why is inquiring because I have actually a couple of consensuates that have been complaining about their bills, right?

That their interest has gone up, and it's been a couple of years we've been actually talking about this uh remember with Mr.

Scott, where there was issues with the weight of interest and the liens and and and foreclosure threats and all these things, and I even have consumers that I have really had calls from buyers that want to buy their homes because they heard the liens are on their homes.

And it just feels just feels unwary for me that that these individuals were getting these pressures, and this individual didn't get any of those pressures.

I I can't speak to who's getting pressure or um who got pressure and who didn't get pressure.

I can only speak to the request that was made um in regards to the report that was requested, and it was only requested in regards to elected officials.

Correct.

As we found out today, um the Jessica um paid her bill, and she had been paying all along.

Correct.

The difference between um, and she's an elected official, I believe, is just for transparency, she's a democrat.

Right.

Um, and she owed money.

Right.

And uh the re there's um uh Alderman Smedley, which is another focus of this request, because he is an elected official.

And though, by the way, those are the only two elected officials that were um cited um in regards to owing money, so that means everybody else is safe.

Okay, everyone else has paid their taxes.

But in this particular case, um Alderman Smedley's uh bill um goes back eight years, and prior to that apparently there were some um payments.

I I can't tell you what because I didn't go back that far.

Correct.

Um but uh there was a trigger at the 270 days, there was a letter that went out.

Um after a year, there was a lien that was put on the property.

Um, and all that time um everyone has an opportunity to negotiate and make payments.

Um the city's obviously the city recognizes that a lot of people don't always have the money and they fall into these hardships, and so the focus of the corporation council and the city when they go out to collections is to help the homeowner or the person who owes the money to make these payment plans.

Um over the last eight years, no payment plan has been made for this particular person.

Thank you.

Do other tax periods bear the cost when accounts remain unpaid for years like this?

Well, of course.

I mean, when we're not getting we're we're revenue driven in regards to how we do our budget, and if the money's not there to provide for the line items that we need to pay for when people don't pay their taxes, of course, or pay their or make arrangements to pay them, at least even slowly, that's less money that we have in the till to be able to meet our expenses.

So my question is how does this process really work as in in general?

Because I mean, I know like you said, it goes for the 2270 days, it goes it goes through all this process, but like where does it stop?

Where does it where the because again I like I said I have constituents that are really um I'm sorry it might be you know that that our press right now again they've been their their bill has been for I think from the last time I met them, it was about six years ago, and their bill is up to 27,000, and theirs started off at I think it was like eight.

And so I'm just looking at the comparison of the if you look at the interest rates, if there was an interest rates, how that works theirs almost doubled, and as when I'm looking at here, he's he hasn't even moved.

It hasn't even like barely well alderman, you the request was only for elected officials, correct?

Um I I can speak as to the process.

I mean, this is all statutory, of course.

The city can't just um go and charge somebody whatever they want.

Right.

This is all statutory.

So if someone has a 27,000 dollar bill, um those are those are the taxes, um interest and penalties that accrue over time.

Right.

In this particular case, as of today, it's um twelve over twelve thousand dollars for and I can only speak to what was requested, which was elected officials.

Correct.

The one the other person um who owed money, Jessica, she paid her bill, and she had been paying all along in regards to um Alderman Smedley.

Um, I can't say that because for the last eight years nothing has happened.

All right, thank you.

Barbas?

Thank you.

Um Corporate Council through Can you outline the city's uh standard policy for delinquent utility accounts, just so that we all have an understanding on the policy and process?

Well, the pop the policy, first of all, is to give the homeowner or the residents every opportunity to make payments.

We recognize that the people in the city don't always have the funds to meet their obligation.

So that's why there's there are triggers, right?

After 270 days, if nothing happens, which is almost a year, right?

It's a it's three quarters of a year, if no payments are made, then there's there's a letter that goes out, and after a year, no action other than a lien on the property.

Now a lien is significant because it puts the homeowner on notice that look, you need to take care of this or your house is in jeopardy.

Um after the year, then uh it's referred out usually for collections, and um if it's under 2,000, it goes to a tax service.

If it's on if it's over 2,000, the prior practice for the prior administration was they would send the um collection matter over to GB Law here in the city um to make those collections.

Um after that, if the if the if they're not collected, then there's foreclosure proceedings that start typically, um, and that's usually after a couple of years that that happens, and that has happened to many residents where foreclosure proceedings have started.

Matter of fact, there are a couple of examples where people went through that process and they were specifically told to pay their bill, it went to collections, um, it went to the law firm, it went to another lawyer for foreclosure, and eventually they actually paid their bill because again, they didn't want to lose their home.

So you don't see any of this happen in this instance.

In this particular case, no, that did not happen.

I I can't speak as to why.

Um there was some mention that there was a freeze on collections a couple of years ago, like I believe in 2023.

And that um freeze would not have affected this particular case because that was three years ago.

The collection of this particular alderman, that and that's our focus for the report, um, was eight years ago, so it wouldn't affect it him.

So based on the report that we have, it says last payment was 2018.

So you're saying from 2018 up until 2023 payments should have been made.

Well, in yes, um, and the reason the reason it's it should have been made, well, there could have been a couple other things.

One is because of all the multiple letters that the homeowner gets from the city and from the collections.

I mean, nobody wants to get a collection letter, right?

And those those procedures were followed in regards to this particular alderman.

Um, and that should have triggered payments.

After it was clear that the payments were not made, and I would say on the average, two to three years later, after collect going through the process 270 days, you put a lien on the on the property after a year, then you send it to collections for this amount.

At that point, within a reasonable amount of time, I would I would say about a year or two, there should have been some collection enforcement, which is different, right?

The collection enforcement is a foreclosure where you actually file a lawsuit against the individual to collect those funds.

And these other two cases that I've read up on that actually happened, and we actually got the money.

So I just want to also confirm the name on the report.

Um GB law group.

Um so just to confirm the person overseeing collections operations for debts over $2,000 was also appointed as the former administration's corporate counsel.

Is that also correct?

That is correct.

Uh the corporation council, prior corporation counsel in the prior administration was also the person who uh was who the cases were referred to to uh collect the money through GB law.

So his responsibility was to continue to uh get that money on behalf of the city?

Yes.

Is it standard practice for an account with this level of debt?

This is kind of a significant amount for many years unpaid um to remain unresolved amount of time.

As the alderman pointed out earlier, there have been other cases where enforcement was taken um within the two years, um, no later than three years.

Um it is unusual that it would be eight years.

I don't have an answer as to why was there any other similar actions?

Any similar actions um against him in the past that you know of?

Yeah, well, well, there are, and and the problem is that the people that I don't want to really say their names because quite frankly uh nor their addresses, but I can tell you that one was on Lawler Street back in 2019.

Uh another one um was uh well let's talk about the 2019.

In 2019, the procedure was that it was referred to collections in uh June 15th of 2019, and then it was referred to an outside attorney in 2024.

Not the same attorney, not the same attorney.

This was this is where I explained it earlier, where they went through a process, right?

They gave the homeowner an opportunity to pay.

And and maybe there were some payments, maybe there weren't, but it got to the point where it's clear that they weren't gonna pay.

In that particular case, it was five years, but it went to foreclosure, and then we got our money.

And in another case, again, um similar situation, but this one was a little the time was a little shorter.

It was referred to the law firm um in 2022, but in 2024, the foreclosure action started, and and those amounts, by the way, were um ten thousand dollars and nine thousand dollars.

So the second one actually went quicker for the foreclosure, and we we got our money.

Well, the city was able to uh uh get the money.

So other law firms have been able to collect on our behalf successfully.

Well, I I I don't know if it's a matter of collecting.

I think that when it gets serious, you know, you when you put the lien on, you hope that the homeowner is on notice that you have to do something.

When it goes to collections, you you hope that the homeowner is going to take some action because they don't want that on their credit report and they they want to take care of the problem.

Um, but when it goes to the lawyer for foreclosure, it's a whole different animal and a lot more serious because now action is actually being taken.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you all for the so many other things I want to say, but I won't, so thank you, Alderwoman.

Um other woman Maldonado.

Uh counsel, I know you mentioned a freeze.

Do you know who made the decision of that freeze?

I that's a great question.

I I don't know, I don't have the answer to that.

It had to be an administrative decision to do that.

It certainly wasn't through the corporation council.

And when you say administration, what like what position that person will have?

Well, not unlike what the mayor did when he first started as mayor and and froze all um all hiring um that type of administration.

I would I would think that I don't know the answer specifically, but I would assume that they had to come from the mayor.

Can you come can you please confirm the amount the Alderman's medley old again?

That that amount is 12,641 dollars and 23 cents.

All right.

Thank you.

Welcome.

Thank you, Alderwoman.

All the woman's scrap.

I just want to just be clear, like so.

There was a freeze on, so he didn't, there's no interest being collected.

Well, I I'm not sure when the interest Alderwoman stopped.

But I I don't know that that particular freeze would have affected um an account so delinquent.

I again I'm not privy to that information, and I and I certainly don't want to speculate.

There was um interest that was accrued, let's just say up at least up to that point, and whether or not any interest accrued after that or penalties, because remember it's not just the bill, it's the interest, statutory interest, plus penalties that that they're incurred.

Um I don't know up to what point that interest was charged.

It may be that during the freeze there wasn't any interest, but I don't want to speculate.

I I don't know that for a fact, and I don't want you to take it as a fact.

What it could very well be that the interest is still running.

Okay.

So what what what do we do about this then?

I'm sorry, I can't like what what can we do about this then?

Or how do we find out?

Well, I I mean this is a new administration, and um you know the corporation council has reviewed a lot of different um files um similar to the request of um Alderman Santiago that there are other people in the same boat.

I mean, no one should be held in a different standard.

I think that the standard for any administration is to hold everybody accountable equally, whether or not you're uh elected official or not, um, because the layperson for transparency purposes wants to make sure that even our government officials are doing what they're supposed to do.

So I I think this administration's made it very clear, at least through through this office, that collections, as a matter of fact, what I've done was requested the all the collection files back from GB Law so that we can review them and the people that deserve a break to be able to make payment plans, that's our goal.

We we don't want to hurt the residents.

But at the same time, when they're not actively participating in the process and they're not making their payments, and they're just basically saying to the city, we're not gonna pay.

So through our office, that collection process at this point, once we get the files back, um, is gonna be sought more a little more aggressive so that we can again try to bring in money for the city.

It's not a guarantee, but you know, it certainly is our approach is to review each case to see which one merits consideration, um, and then review those cases for people who have decided that they don't care, and then we refer them to foreclosure and move forward because they've already gotten the notices, they've already gotten their their time to be able to make those payments, and they've chosen not to, regardless of a hardship.

Right.

Because if they had a hardship and they called the the corporation council and said, hey, listen, you know, I'm disabled, I don't have a lot of money, I'm on social security, I don't want to lose my house.

Can we work something out?

Of course, that's going to be considered.

That's a hardship.

Um, but if it's someone who's working full time and had and is able to pay and is choosing not to pay, we have to as a city be able to distinguish between those people.

We can't treat them all the same in the sense that yes, they owe the money, but we have to give them the ability to pay.

Um, and even in the court systems, if a person doesn't have the ability to pay, they they usually won't.

But in this case, we have collateral, which is usually a house, and that's why we put the lien on it.

So our office is going to aggressively review these files and take a look at the ones that need to be considered in a different light than those who continue to ignore the city's request to make payment.

Is there a lien on his property?

I I can't speak to that, but because I didn't look, but following procedure, there should be a lien after the year, and it's eight years later.

So if there's not a lien, there's a problem.

Right.

Okay.

I appreciate what you're saying, because when I was on the board of assessment and appeals, a lot of people would come in and say they have a hardship and there's not really a lot you could do in that position about that.

But if we're gonna work on that through this administration, I think that would be wonderful because there are some people who maybe they had a heart, you know, they might have had a health condition or something like that, or something happened in their family, and they can't keep up, they need to have some.

And all the women, it's not that they're not gonna pay.

Right, it's just a their consideration, especially if it's early on in the process where they're they're in a in the sense salvageable, because some of these properties, as you well know, um, have such a debt that they're upside down on their mortgage, despite the equity that the homes are enjoying these days.

And so, you know, when they're telling us that um they have a hardship and they don't want to lose their house, we consider that, but when they're telling us after a certain period of time that look, I don't care because I'm not gonna pay, right?

Then at that point we need to get aggressive to so that this the residents of New Britain know that no one gets special favors here.

Yeah, thank you so much.

You're welcome.

Thank you, all the women Alderman Simpson.

Thank you, Your Honor.

So just real quick, the it was over $12,000 and 12,641 dollars and 23 cents.

And to answer the all the other woman's question, I don't know if interest is still accruing.

That I got, I was more curious about the collections process.

So this bill never entered collections.

No, it did.

So it was passed over to GB Law Group.

That's right.

After which there was a freeze on collections, I'm confused.

No, you're putting the card.

No.

In this particular case, well before 2018, there were no payments.

2023, the freeze happened.

So that's 2020 for yeah.

Okay.

And in other similar cases, by that time, the property was already in foreclosure.

Right.

So in this particular case, and we're only talking about the request elected officials.

There could very well be other people out there that I don't know about because the request was specific.

But in this particular case, unlike the other one that within five years went to foreclosure and we got our money, in this particular case, even with the freeze, if you consider it, um, some action should have been taken.

Right.

So if it goes to collections, it's then on, and this is where roles get kind of wishy-washy.

If the prior corporation council's private law office is responsible for handling these collections, and his Alderman Smithley's bill was in collections, would the failure of that collection be on the private practice, or would it be on the city for failing to collect that?

Well, the city, well, you know, I don't know what the priority is.

I need to preface that what I'm going to say because I don't know what the prior administration's process was.

So let me let me do let me say that, okay.

But assuming um municipal tax collection practices are followed, and there is such a thing as a process, then by the fifth year, that property should have been in foreclosure.

For some reason, it went to collections, but for some reason it did not go forward.

Interesting.

So it was in collections, but it was just never actually collected.

Not as of this date.

Interesting.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

Okay.

Thank you, Honor.

Does the city have some type of forgiveness program?

That's a great question.

Um, to my knowledge, I don't believe that under statute we can do that.

Um, but the the quick answer is no.

Um because we're dealing with state statutes, and you know, again, transparency and treating everybody equally.

Um, and who's to say that one person is more deserving of a forgiveness than another person.

But if if we follow state statute, that forgiveness is not possible.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ar.

Thank you, Alderman.

Okay.

Seeing no further discussion.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed, nay.

Motion carries.

Alderman Vargas for item number one.

Thank you, Your Honor.

I make a motion to accept and adopt item number one.

Second by Alderman Gibson.

To his honor, the mayor and the common council of the city of New Breton.

I recommend the following uh recommend the adoption of the following.

Whereas women of every race, socioeconomic status, and ethnic background have made historic contributions to the growth and strength of our nation in countless ways, and women have played uh and continue to play a critical economic, cultural, and social role in every facet of life by constant constituting a significant portion of the labor force working inside and outside of the home, and whereas women have played a unique role throughout history by providing the majority of the volunteer labor force, and whereas women were particularly important in the establishment of early charitable philanthropic and cultural institutions, and whereas women of every race, class, and ethnic background served as early leaders in the forefront of every major progressive social change movement, and whereas women have been leaders in not only securing rights of suffrage, equal opportunity, but also in the abolitionist movement, the emancipation movement, the industrial labor movement, the civil rights movement, and other movements, especially the peace movement, which creates a fairer and most just society for all, and where despite these contributions, the role of women in history has been consistently overlooked and undervalued in the literature, teaching, and study of history, and therefore I urge adoption.

Any discussion Alderman Scott.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Um, I just want to say that us as women, we are beautiful, we're smart, we're talented, we're creative beings who love and nature, neutral our community and our families.

In today's times, we work, um, we're obviously we're very good at having careers and and um and doing things in our career world, but most of all, most importantly, we're we're mothers, um, and we're like the mother, we're umas, we're like the mother of the earth, so we can work and we can take care of our families and do all these things, and I think women are just absolutely beautiful because of that.

So thank you.

Thank you, old woman.

Anyone else?

Alderman Simpson.

Thank you.

I read this resolution, and as I'm pouring through a bunch of New Britain history, a couple names do come to mind, particularly around the right to vote and the labor movement, particularly one.

You may remember Connie Collins, rest her soul.

Um and it's important that we speak these names because without doing so we forget, and it's been so long since many of these struggles have persevered in giving us a higher quality of life that we don't even know that we don't know, right?

So I think of names, one giant whose uh shoulders we do get to stand on today.

She still runs these programs, Paulette Fox at OIC.

Um Mr.

Alton, you know, not a woman, but Mr.

Alton Brooks was certainly supportive in his work of universal suffrage and and fairer workplaces and anti-discrimination measures in the city, and her first name does escape me right now, but Ms.

Bassett was the first woman to vote in New Britain.

And so when we speak these names, look for these names around town because hopefully they'll remind us of who we are and where we come from as a city, a place for all people.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

And I urge adoption.

Any Alderman Centenno.

Thank you, Honor.

I just want to say thank you, ladies.

You bring life into the world.

You nurture, you take care of us.

Thank you so much.

And for mom up in heaven.

Thank you, mom.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

Okay.

Alderman Santiago.

I definitely rise to support the women.

They don't need a month.

They need a year, they need a 360, 365.

They had to tolerate us.

I'm sorry.

Kudos soon.

My wife, whoo.

She's she's a great soul.

My mother-in-law, Russ Urso, she was a great woman.

Um that's where my wife got hers, you know, courage, her her nourishing, her her strength, um, her mother, the instincts, her compassion.

Um, that's what she does with the kids that she worked with.

She passes it on, she teaches she she teaches every kid like it is her own, just to make sure they have they have that love.

And my mom, that's another strong woman, because it's to raise five kids and me being the oldest, and I was a knucklehead, I'm not gonna lie, but you know what?

She kept me straight.

She always kept making me look you know forward, not behind.

And um, I to be honest, I didn't even know what this politics was about, and so I really look at my mom.

She was advocate in Hartford, Mimi Casa, Hart.

She was out there, and I didn't see it because you know I was looking another way, but now that I really really look at it, she was my inspiration to to give back to the community that I live that I love, and I raise my family in.

And you know, you women definitely need more than just a month, and I definitely urge this resolution, adoption.

Thank you, Alderman.

Okay.

Seeing all the discussion, all those in favor say aye.

All those opposed say nay.

Motion carries.

Alderman McNamara for item number two.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Uh motion to accept an adopt number two.

Second by Alderman Santiago.

This is a resolution to uh fill a vacancy on one of our subject matter committees, administration, finance, law, and public services with the um election of uh Alderman Sanchez to the State House and uh joining the AFL committee will be the colleague to my left, Wardre Alderman Marero, and I uh urge adoption.

Is there any discussion?

Okay, no discussion.

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Aye, all those opposed say nay.

Motion carries, Alderman MacNamere up on number item number three.

Anyway, exercise.

Uh this is a similar resolution uh to uh fill vacancy on uh or to appoint Alderman Barrero to uh two of the boards and commissions, of which he'll be a liaison, one of the council members being liaison to it, and that'll be the fire commissioners and the parks and rec recreation commission.

So I similarly urge unanimous approval, Mayor.

Who did second this?

Second and adopt.

Oh, motion to accept and adopt.

I thank the corporation.

And who's second?

Second.

Alderman Simpson.

Okay.

Any discussion?

Alderman Simpson.

Simpson.

Thank you, Your Honor.

At the risk of overloading my schedule, I just see that transit oriented development has nobody.

I'd be happy to throw my name in the ring there if this council would so approve an amendment.

Alderman McMahon.

I have no objection to the friendly amendment, particularly if we have no representation.

I'll take I'll take the hit on time.

So you want to amend?

Sure.

I'd like to rise to make a motion to amend this item by adding Alderman Nathan Simpson to the section listed under TOD.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Alderman Santiago on the amendment.

Okay, so on the amendment, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All those um opposed say nay.

Motion carries.

Now back to the item number three.

Any other discussion?

As amended.

As amended.

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say nay.

Motion carries.

Um Alderman Barrero for item number four.

Thank you, Your Honor.

I make a motion to accept and adopt item number four.

Second.

Second by Alderman Santiago.

Okay.

Britain.

And whereas the New Britain Fire Department continues to identify and seek grant fundings, alternative funding streams, and offset financial impact in the city of New Britain.

And whereas New Britain Fire Department was awarded a FEMA 2023 Assistant Firefighters grant for professional development training, including rope rescue operation, rope rescue technician.

Whereas the mayor and the council of the city pass resolution 36674 adopting the budget for this project, and whereas the Connecticut Fire Department has selected to provide four deliveries of rope rescue operations and two deliveries of rope rescue technician training certification programs, and therefore uh be it resolved that the city of New Britain uh New Britain Fire shall shall contract with the Connecticut Fire Academy to provide a training and certificate certification programs for the rope rescue operations for four uh deliveries at 6,100 each, total of 24,400, and rope rescue technicians to deliveries at 15,813 each, total of 31,626, funded from the fire department grants and special revenue fund.

Thank you, Alderman.

Any discussion?

Seeing none.

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed say nay.

Motion carries.

Alderman Centenno for item number five.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Make a motion to accept and adopt item number five.

Second by Alderman Vargas.

This resolution uh the purpose of this resolution is uh the the recreation division of the rec recreation and community service department is requesting budget approval of a grant to provide after school programming from the 21st century community learning center.

This is uh the last year, this is the year number five, actually.

Hopefully, it's not the last of the grant, and funding has been granted for these programs that will provide services such as academic support environment enrichment and recreation and wellness activities in city youth in an after school environment.

The 21st century community learning center grant will pay for personnel and administrative costs associated associated with the proposal uh for uh proposed programming strategy for the period of July 5th, 2025 through September 30th, 2026.

So therefore be a resolved that the total amount of 150,000 dollars be appropriated to the city's special revenue fund structure in accordance with the requirements of the grants and agency.

I urge adoption.

Thank you.

Thank you, Alderman.

Any discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed saying nay.

Motion carries.

Alderman Scott for item number six.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Um, I make a motion to accept and adopt item number six.

Second by Alderman Santiago.

Um, this resolution is for mental health awareness for the year of 2026.

Millions of people face mental health challenges and their unmet mental health needs.

Accordingly, to the centers of disease and control and prevention, mental health disorders, and chronic conditions, and without proper diagnosis and treatment, children can face problems at home, school, which and interfere with their future development.

More resources and dedication to the school's prevention, early detention, detection, and um mental health disorders in children.

Childhood depression is more likely to persist into adulthood if it's left untreated.

There has been a great concern with social media and mental health.

Actually, Arizona, I just heard today has some kind of case where they're saying there's a problem with the social media.

Umcial media impacts the bullying, depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

Disparities remain access and mental health treatment for communities of color, Asian, Native, American, Hispanic, and Black individuals are less likely to have mental health care to their counterparts.

Suicide is a significant public health issue that can have an enduring impact on individuals in the community.

As in the past years, it would be appropriate to observe May as the mental health awareness month.

And given the scale of these issues, it's appropriate to designate May as a mental health month.

And collaboration of focusing on the whole year of 2026.

So let it be resolved that the common council of New Britain designates, will designate May when May comes, but also the year of 2026 as mental health awareness in New Britain to remove stigma associated with mental illnesses and place at emphasis on mental health.

Declares mental health as a priority, supports access to mental health services.

Recognizing mental health will begin as equal, as important as physical health, supports working, promote public awareness and mental health, encouraging providing critical information, and support individuals and families affected by mental health.

Encourages all individuals to draw designate May will be mental health awareness, but the year 2026.

We had a situation next door in Hartford where the police were called and a man was murdered.

So we need we want to look at that within our city as well.

Education, our kids cannot learn if they are struggling with a mental health disorder and need support.

So the reason why this was put in is to encourage awareness of mental health and educate people and making it our priority in the city to help each other out, even in this council to educate our city and to give more resources throughout the year, not just during May, but throughout the year at every event that we have and whenever we can to help each other out.

So thank you.

Thank you, Alderwoman.

Any discussion?

Alderwomen Vargas.

I just want to um say that New Bretton is so lucky to have so many great agencies and organizations really tackling this mental health.

Um, I've had the privilege of working with folks at Wheeler Clinic, um, at CMHA, um, at community health center, um, and there's definitely a lot of resources out there.

Um, I think a lot of folks one are too afraid to ask for help.

Um, so I think we have to continue to have the discussion that it's okay to ask for help.

Um, you know, a lot of people are struggling, and I should no one should be embarrassed to ask for help.

Um, you know, suicide is definitely on the rise.

Um, and definitely as quick as we can remember nine one one.

Um, we can call nine eight eight, um, which is a suicide prevention line.

Um, if anyone's uh, you know, threatening to harm themselves, um, just to remember that and just to have the conversation with anyone.

Um, you'd be surprised how one simple hello, one simple let me help you with that can really turn somebody's mental health around that day.

So um, just reminding everyone to be kind, um, not just in May, not just in April, but every single day, um, because um, this world is ugly, and um, we can't be ugly with it.

So, thank you.

Totally agree.

Any other seeing none?

All those in favor say aye.

Aye.

All those opposed nay.

Motion carries.

Motion to adjourn, seconded by Alderman Centennial.

All those in favor say aye.

All those opposed nay.

Motion carries.