City Council

To: Mayor Mark D. Boughton and Members of the Common Council Re: Minutes of the Common Council Meeting held January 3, 2007. The meeting was called to order at 7:30 p.m. The Pledge of Allegiance and the Prayer were recited. The members were recorded as: PRESENT – McMahon, Nagarsheth, Trombetta, Calandrino, Perkins, Visconti, Chianese, Esposito, Saadi, Cavo, Basso, Rotello, Diggs, Cutsumpas, Riley, Saracino and Taborsak. ABSENT – Johnson, Teicholz, Seabury and Stanley. 17 PRESENT – 4 ABSENT PUBLIC SPEAKING Lynn Waller, 83 Highland Avenue – Spoke on item 8. She is very enthusiastic on this issue for the Seniors in Danbury and thanks to the Democrats for allowing her to sit in on their caucus and get her questions answered. Chris Halfar, 8 Settler’s Hill Road – Spoke on item 7. Glad the sex offender ordinance is going back to committee – it is too broad – the sex offenders may not register. MINUTES – Minutes of the Common Council Meeting held December 5, 2006. Mr. Cavo made a motion to adopt the minutes as presented and waive the reading as all members have copies. Seconded by Mrs. Basso. Motion carried unanimously. CONSENT CALENDAR – Mrs. Basso presented the following items for the Consent Calendar: 3 – Receive the communication and approve the appointments of Alan T. Boyce and Mark S. Chory to the Entities Review Committee. 10 – Receive the communication and approve the transfer of funds into the Fire Department Special Services Account # 2010.5052 in the amount of $25,000. 12- Receive the communication and authorize the office of the Corporation Counsel to acquire the easements described therein necessary to go forward with the West Side Interceptor Sewer Project. 14- Receive the communication and approve the resolution authorizing Mayor Mark D. Boughton to enter into a MOU with the State Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security pursuant to the requirements of the grant. 15 – Receive the communication and approve the resolution that would allow the City of Danbury to apply for our portion of the United Way/Phase 25 Emergency Food and Shelter Program Grant. 19 – Receive the report and take no action at this time. Ms. Saracino moved to accept the Consent Calendar as read. Seconded by Mr. Riley. Motion carried unanimously. Page 1 of 5 1 – COMMUNICATION – Promotion of Sergeant within the Police Department. Letter from Mayor Boughton requesting confirmation of the promotion of Gary Guertin to the position of Sergeant for the Danbury Police Department. Mr. Cavo moved to receive the communication and confirm the appointment. Seconded by Mr. Chianese. Motion carried unanimously. 2 - COMMUNICATION - Appointments to the Police Department Letter from Mayor Boughton requesting confirmation of the appointment of both Richard D. Velez and Rafael A. Nieves as Police Officers for the Danbury Police Department. Mr. Trombetta moved to receive the communication and confirm the appointments. Seconded by Mr. Saadi. Motion carried unanimously. 3 - CONSENTED – Appointments to Entities Review Committee Letter from Mayor Boughton requesting confirmation of the appointments of Council Members Pauline Basso, Louise McMahon and Paul Rotello and the re-appointments of Alan T. Boyce and Mark S. Chory as members of the Government Entities Review Committee. The communication was received on the consent calendar and the appointment confirmed. 4 - COMMUNICATION - Donation to Welfare, Social Services – WCSU Letter requesting permission to accept $25.00 donation from WCSU in appreciation of Claudette Fogarty’s presentation to a Sociology Class at WCSU. Mr. Nagarsheth moved to receive the communication, accept the donation and send a letter of thanks. Seconded by Mr. Chianese. Motion carried unanimously. 5 - COMMUNICATION - Donation to Department of Elderly Services Letter requesting permission to accept a donation from Ridgefield Crossing, The Gardens and Maplewood (each for $25.00) for performances by The Cellmates and The Senior Center Chorus. Mr. Cavo moved to receive the communication, accept the donations and send a letter of thanks. Seconded by Mr. Cutsumpas. Motion carried unanimously. 6 – COMMUNICATION – Request for Ad Hoc Committee – Parkland Preservation Ms. McMahon asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Corporation Counsel and the Director of Planning. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Nagarsheth, Cutsumpas and Visconti to the committee. 7 – COMMUNICATION – Request for Ad Hoc Committee – Sex Offender Ordinance revisions Mr. Calandrino asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Corporation Counsel and Police Chief. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Teicholz, Basso and Perkins to the committee. 8 – COMMUNICATION – Request for Ad Hoc Committee – Cap on real property taxes for seniors Mr. Riley asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Director of Finance and Tax Assessor. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Trombetta, Nagarsheth and Perkins to the committee. 9 – COMMUNICATION – Request for Ad Hoc Committee – Property tax abatement for volunteer firefighters, EMT’s and paramedics Ms. Saracino asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Corporation Counsel, Director of Finance and Tax Assessor. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Trombetta, Nagarsheth and Perkins to the committee. 2 Page 2 of 5 10 - CONSENTED – Request for Transfer of Funds – Fire Department / Special Services Account Memo from Deputy Fire Chief Phil Curran requesting $25,000.00 be transferred into the Special Services Account #2010.5052 due to ongoing events. The communication was received on the consent calendar and the transfer was confirmed. 11 – COMMUNICATION – Request from Board of Education – additional appropriations Mr. Riley asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Director of Finance and Superintendent of Schools for the Board of Education. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Riley, McMahon and Visconti to the committee. 12 – CONSENTED – West Side Sewer Interceptor – Phase 1 easements Receive the communication and authorize the office of Corporation Counsel to negotiate and take the necessary steps to acquire the proposed easements from Interstate Business Center and the Danbury Acquisition Corporation. 13 - COMMUNICATION - Request for Sewer Extension – 109 Park Avenue Ms. McMahon asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, the Director of Public Works and a 30-day report from the Planning Commission. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Rotello, Chianese and Cutsumpas to the committee. 14 - CONSENTED - Resolution – Homeland Security Grant Receive the communication and approve the resolution allowing the City of Danbury to apply for and receive the Homeland Security Grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security. The communication was received on the consent calendar. See Appendix for Resolution. 15 - CONSENTED - Resolution – United Way/Phase 25 Emergency Food/Shelter program grant Receive the communication and approve the resolution allowing the City of Danbury to apply for and receive the grant from FEMA for fund to operate the Homeless Shelter. The communication was received on the consent calendar. See Appendix for Resolution. 16 - REPORT – Park Avenue Traffic and Speed Study Mr. Cavo moved to receive the report and authorize the departments to take the actions recommend by the report. Seconded by Mr. Nagarsheth. Discussion followed about available funding and timetables. Motion carried unanimously. 17 - REPORT – Request to Rescind Main Street North Redevelopment Plan Ms. Diggs moved to receive the report and rescind the Main Street North Redevelopment Plan. Seconded by Mrs. Basso. Discussion followed if this rescission would affect any other program? No – it is site specific. Any problems with contaminated soil? None – clean up will be up to residential use. Motion carried unanimously. 18 - REPORT – Request to Amend Affordable Housing Program Mr. Nagarsheth asked that this be referred to an ad hoc committee, Corporation Counsel, Tax Assessor and Director of Health, Housing and Welfare. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Saracino, Johnson and Esposito to the committee. 3 Page 3 of 5 19 – CONSENTED - AD HOC REPORT – Audit Committee Receive the report and adopt the committee recommendation to accept the audit. The report was received on the Consent Calendar and the committee recommendation accepted. 20- DEPARTMENT REPORTS - Police, Fire, Fire Marshall, Elderly Services, Health, Housing & Welfare, Dream Homes, Public Works, Permit Center, and Library. Mr. Cavo made a motion to accept the department reports as submitted and waive the reading as all members have copies and copies are on file in the Office of the City Clerk. Seconded by Mr. Nagarsheth. Discussion followed with questions to the Police Chief, Director of Health, Housing & Welfare and the Finance Director. Motion carried unanimously. Mayor Boughton extended all committees. Mayor Boughton announced a seminar to be held in February for all council members on the 311 system. There being no further business to come before the Common Council a motion was made at 8:25 P.M. by Mr. Cavo for the meeting to be adjourned. Respectfully submitted, _________________________________ ROBIN A. SHEPARD, Executive Secretary ATTEST: _________________________________ MARK D. BOUGHTON, Mayor APPENDIX TO COMMON COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 3, 2007 14 - CONSENTED - Resolution – Homeland Security Grant WHEREAS, the State of Connecticut’s Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) is the designated recipient and State Administrative Agency (SAA) of the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office of Grants and Training for the federal fiscal year 2006; and WHEREAS, DEMHS is retaining local funds from Grant No. 2006-GE-T6-0008 in the total amount of $6,342,520.00, on behalf of local units of government for regional set-aside projects; and WHEREAS, such regional projects may include regional collaboration, medical preparedness and response, communications centers, hazards planning and outreach, natural disaster preparedness and State intelligence and fusion centers; and WHEREAS, The City of Danbury is a sub-state local jurisdiction recognized as an eligible jurisdiction to receive grant funds not included in said set aside projects listed, in the amount of $54,938.00, to be utilized as determined by the City of Danbury Office of Emergency Preparedness. 4 Page 4 of 5 NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT Mayor Mark D. Boughton or his designee, the Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness be and hereby are authorized to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOA”) with the State Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security for the purposes of this grant, and to execute and deliver all related documents as required, and to do all acts and things deemed necessary to carry out the purposes hereof. 15 - CONSENTED - Resolution – United Way/Phase 25 Emergency Food/Shelter program grant WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has made grant funds available for the purpose of acquiring homeless shelter supplies; and WHEREAS, the City of Danbury wishes to make application to FEMA for their portion of available funds to be used for said purpose; and WHEREAS, if said application is approved, the City of Danbury wishes to accept said funds. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Mayor Mark D. Boughton is hereby authorized to apply for the aforesaid grant and if said application is approved, to accept said funds and execute any agreements or other documents necessary to effectuate the purposes hereof. 5 Page 5 of 5