City Council

Honorable Mark D. Boughton, Mayor Common Council Members Mayor Mark D. Boughton called the Common Council Meeting to order at 7:30PM on Tuesday, August 4, 2009. Present were Council Members: Louise McMahon, Shay Nagarsheth, Michael Halas, Charles Trombetta, Michael Calandrino, Duane E. Perkins, Fred Visconti, Benjamin Chianese, John J. Esposito, Thomas J. Saadi, Joseph M. Cavo, Paul T. Rotello, Jane Diggs, Mary Teicholz, Robert F. Arconti, Philip Curran, Jack Knapp, Warren Levy, Gregg Seabury, Colleen A. Stanley Absent were Council Members: Councilman Riley (out of town on family business) PRESENT: 20 ABSENT: 1 Also present were Jean Natale, City Clerk; Robert J. Yamin, Corporation Counsel and Laszlo L. Pinter, Deputy Corporation Counsel. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG & PRAYER: Antonio Iadarola, P.E., Director of Public Works led everyone in the room in the Pledge of Allegiance. Councilman Esposito led everyone in the room in a prayer. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: Mark Hasskarl, Danbury Library Director - 7 Cornell Road spoke in favor of item #11. Lynn Waller- 83 Highland Avenue spoke in favor of item #11 and in opposition of item #14. Carlo Juliano- 17 Skyline Drive expressed concerns regarding item #11. Mayor Boughton read the announcement for the month. MINUTES – Councilman Cavo moved to waive the reading of the minutes of the Common Council Meeting held July7 2, 2009 as Council members have copies and copies are also available in the City Clerk’s Office, seconded by Councilman Perkins. Motion passed by unanimous vote. CONSENT CALENDAR: Mayor Boughton noted that Councilman Levy will recuse himself on item #8. Councilman Seabury presented the following items for the Consent Calendar: 2. COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Dress for Success Receive the communication and accept the donation of $400.00, from the employees of the City of Danbury, for the Dress for Success Program, and transfer funds into line item Heath Donations account 6000.03 and send the appropriate letter of thanks. 3. COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Police Department Receive the communication and accept the donations totaling $440.00 for the Danbury Police Department’s first Junior Police Academy, and send the appropriate letters of thanks. 1 Page 1 of 4 4 - COMMUNICATION - Donation to the Homeless Shelter Receive the communication and accept the donation of $25.00 from Costco Wholesale for the Homeless Shelter, place into line item Health Donations account 6000.02 and send the appropriate letter of thanks. 5 - COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Elderly Services Receive the communication and accept the donations totaling $605.00 to the Department of Elderly Services line item 5002.6000 and send the appropriate letters of thanks. 6 - COMMUNICATION - Water and Sewer Fund Re-appropriations Receive the communication and approve the re-appropriation of $105,151.46 to the Water Fund accounts and $347,745.88 to the Sewer Fund accounts. 7 - COMMUNICATION - Ambulance Fund Re-appropriations Receive the communication and approve the re-appropriation of $18,644.00 to the Ambulance Fund account. 8 - COMMUNICATION - Drainage Easement - Danbury Cemetery Association Property Receive the communication and authorize the Corporation Counsel’s office to take the steps necessary to acquire the new drainage easement through Danbury Cemetery Association property on Tamarack Avenue. 9 - RESOLUTION - Bryne JAG Program - Police Department Receive the communication and adopt the Resolution to authorize Mayor Mark D. Boughton or Police Chief Alan Baker to apply for and accept funding, not to exceed $33, 137.00, from the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Program under Edward Byrne Memorial JAG Formula Program. 12 - RESOLUTION - 2009 Recreational Trails Grant Receive the communication and adopt the Resolution to authorize Mayor Mark D. Boughton or Scott LeRoy to apply for and accept funding from the State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection for its 2009 Recreational Trails Grant Program. 13 - RESOLUTION - Department of Management and Homeland Security Grant Receive the communication and adopt the Resolution to authorize Mayor Mark D. Boughton or Paul Estefan to execute a Memorandum of Agreement Regarding the Use of Federal Grant Funding and Custodial Ownership of Regional Assets in DEMHS Region 5. 14 - REPORT - Request for Lease Rate Reduction and Reimbursement -EAS Receive the Report and take no action. 15 - REPORT - Request for Sewer Extension - Ann's Place Receive the communication and approve the request for a sewer extension for Ann’s Place, Sawmill Rd., subject to compliance with the standard City Engineering Dept. and Dept. of Public Utility conditions associated with sewer main construction and the submission of plans and documents satisfactory to Corporation Counsel. 16 - AD HOC REPORT - Request to Purchase Roadway Receive the report and approve the recommendations of the committee. Councilwoman Teicholz moved to adopt the Consent Calendar as presented, seconded by Councilman Perkins. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 2 Page 2 of 4 1 - COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc - 5 Lakeside Road Councilwoman McMahon moved to refer to an Ad Hoc with Corporation Counsel, a representative from the Mayor’s Office and the Director of Public Utilities. Council Members Visconti, Teicholz and Seabury were appointed to the committee. 2 - COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Dress for Success The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the donations accepted. 3 - COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Police Department The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the donations accepted. 4 - COMMUNICATION - Donation to the Homeless Shelter The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the donation accepted. 5 - COMMUNICATION - Donations to the Elderly Services The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the donations accepted. 6 - COMMUNICATION - Water and Sewer Fund Re-appropriations The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the re-appropriation approved. 7 - COMMUNICATION - Ambulance Fund Re-appropriations The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the re-appropriation approved. 8 - COMMUNICATION - Drainage Easement - Danbury Cemetery Association Property The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and authorization granted. 9 - RESOLUTION - Bryne JAG Program - Police Department The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted 10 - RESOLUTION - Tax Liens City Clerk Natale read the communication. Councilwoman Teicholz moved to receive the communication and adopt the Resolution to authorize the Mayor to execute assignment agreements of tax liens with one or more assignee firms, when deemed to be in the best interests of the City of Danbury, seconded by Councilman Curran. Upon request, Scott Ferguson, Tax Collector explained that putting the current year, prior year and utility liens out to bid would prompt companies to offer their best prices. The proposed process would expedite the collection of liens by executing contracts upon the award of the bid. The revenues would also be reported on a monthly basis to the Council. Councilman Saadi, Councilman Levy and Councilman Rotello expressed concerns with the proposal. Council Members McMahon, Nagarsheth, Halas, Trombetta, Calandrino, Visconti, Chianese, Esposito, Cavo, Diggs, Teicholz, Arconti, Curran, Knapp, Levy, Seabury and Stanley voted in favor. Council Members Perkins, Saadi and Rotello voted in opposition. Motion passed 17/3. 11 - RESOLUTION - Smoke Free Zones Councilman Cavo moved to refer to an Ad Hoc with Corporation Counsel, a representative from the Mayor’s Office, Library Director and a representative from Danbury Hospital. Council Members Cavo, Seabury and Rotello were appointed to the committee. 12 - RESOLUTION - 2009 Recreational Trails Grant The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 3 Page 3 of 4 13 - RESOLUTION - Department of Management and Homeland Security Grant The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 14- REPORT - Request for Lease Rate Reduction and Reimbursement -EAS The Report was received on the Consent Calendar and no action taken. 15 - REPORT - Request for Sewer Extension - Ann's Place The Report was received on the Consent Calendar and the request approved subject to conditions. 16 - AD HOC REPORT - Request to Purchase Roadway The Report was received on the Consent Calendar and the recommendation of the committee approved. 17 - DEPARTMENT REPORTS - Police, Fire, Health-Housing & Welfare, Dream Homes, Public Works, Permit Center, UNIT, Elderly Services, Library Councilman Cavo moved to waive the reading of the Department Reports as all members have copies and additional copies are available in the City Clerk’s Office, seconded by Councilman Curran. Councilman Saadi noted that there was no representative from the school system present. Councilman Levy inquired about the impact of the state budget. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton extended all committees. As there was no further business to come before the Common Council, a motion was made at 8:08 P.M. by Councilman Cavo to adjourn the meeting, seconded by Councilman Rotello. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Dorathea A. Gulya-Stasny Recording Secretary Attest, Mark D. Boughton, Mayor 4 Page 4 of 4