City Council

Mayor Mark D. Boughton called the City Council meeting to order at 7:30pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Present were Council Members: Philip Curran, Michael Haddad, Jack Knapp, Warren Levy. Gregg Seabury, Colleen Stanley, Don Taylor, Philip Colla, Shay Nagarsheth, Michel Halas, Joseph Cavo, Fred Visconti, Andrew Wetmore, Charles Trombetta, Peter Nero, Duane Perkins, Benjamin Chianese, Paul Rotello, Mary Teicholz, Joseph Scozzafava PRESENT: 20 ABSENT : 1 Council Member Saadi was on military duty. Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant; Laszlo Pinter, Deputy Corporation Counsel and Corporation Counsel Robert Yamin were also present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG & PRAYER: Sean Hatch led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council member Curran led everyone in a prayer. PUBLIC SPEAKING Marion Liberati of 43 Old Lantern Road spoke on #6. Lynn Waller, 83 Highland Avenue spoke on item #6. Ms Farrell from the YMCA spoke on item #6. Margaret Mitchell, property owner at Park Place and Main Street spoke on #6. Sean Cavanaugh of 12 Crane St. spoke on #6. Darren Malachi of 19 Main Street spoke on #6. Charlie Setaro of 127 Deer Hill Avenue spoke on Department Reports. Andrea Gartner of 16 Hayestown Road and Director of City Center, spoke on items 2 and 6. John Noone of 99 Hospital Avenue spoke on #6. Public speaking closed at 7:58pm Mayor Boughton read the announcements for the month. MINUTES - Minutes of the Council Meetings held December 5, 2011 and December 6, 2011 Council Member Cavo moved to waive the reading of the minutes as all members have copies and additional copies are on file in the Office of the Legislative Assistant, seconded by Council Member Perkins. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Council Member Seabury read the Consent Calendar. 3 - Receive the Communication and confirm the appointment of Eileen Seidman (D) to serve as a member of the Commission on Aging with a term to expire October 1, 2014. 4 - Receive the Communication and confirm the appointment of Tanya Wulff Truax (U) to serve as a member of the Charles Ives Authority with a term to expire March 1, 2014. 8 – Receive the Communication and return the unspent balance of restricted funds originally donated by Mr. Joseph Dasilva, Jr. for the Palace Theater Restoration Planning Study. These funds totaling $5,000.00, which were restricted, represent ½ of Mr. DaSilvas original $10,000.00 donation. 9 – Receive the Communication and adopt the Resolution that will allow the City of Danbury Police Department to accept funding from the State of Connecticut, Department of Transportation for the “2012 Comprehensive DUI Enforcement Program”. This funding totaling 1 $$30,507.33 is funded by the State at 75% and the City at 25%. The City funds are available in the Police Department Budget Fiscal Year 2011/12. 10 - Receive the Communication and adopt the Resolution that will allow the City of Danbury Library to apply for and accept funding from the Woman’s Club of Danbury / New Fairfield. Requested funding in the amount of $200 will be used to purchase museum and park passes. There is no local match required. 11 - Receive the Communication and adopt the Resolution that will allow for the State of Connecticut Real Estate Tax Abatement for the Beaver Street Apartments Cooperative, Inc. for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012. This is for project number 017-44083, and the abatement will be in an amount not to exceed $10,000.00. Council Member Knapp moved to accept the Consent Calendar as presented, seconded by Council Member Wetmore. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 1 - COMMUNICATION - Appointments to the Police Department Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Colla moved to accept the communication and confirm the appointment of Ralph Anderson to the position of police officer for the City of Danbury, seconded by Council Member Nagarsheth. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Stanley moved to receive the communication and confirm the appointment of Christine Galgano to the position of police officer for the City of Danbury, seconded by Council Member Teicholz. Motion passed by unanimous vote 2 - COMMUNICATION - Appointment of Economic Development Director Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant read the communication. Council Member Levy moved to confirm the appointment of Bruce R. Tuomala as the Director of Economic Development, seconded by Council Member Seabury. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 3 - COMMUNICATION - Appointment to the Commission on Aging The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the appointment confirmed. 4 - COMMUNICATION - Appointment to the Charles Ives Authority The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the appointment confirmed. 5 - COMMUNICATION - Board of Education and NEA Agreement Council Member Cavo moved to receive the communication and take no action, seconded by Council Member Nagarsheth. Discussion followed. Upon the request of council member Cavo, Laszlo Pinter, Deputy Corporation Counsel, advised that the council’s obligation is to receive the contract. If no action is taken within 4 or 5 days, then the contract is adopted. Council Member Cavo’s concern was that the funding of the contract increase over the next two years would be difficult for the taxpayers to afford. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 6 - COMMUNICATION - Request for Ad Hoc - Exercise and Recreational Facilities Council Member Knapp moved to refer item to an Ad Hoc with Corporation Counsel, Director of Public Works, Director of Finance, Director of Planning, Director of Recreation and Director of Economic Development. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Knapp, Scozzafava and Nero to the committee. 2 7 - COMMUNICATION - Donation to City Emergency Shelter Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Wetmore moved to receive and accept the donation to the Emergency Shelter and send a letter of thanks, seconded by Council Member Trombetta. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 8 - COMMUNICATION - Return of Donation - Palace Theater Grant The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the return of the unspent balance of restricted funds approved. 9 - RESOLUTION - 2012 Comprehensive DUI Enforcement Program The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 10 - RESOLUTION - Woman's Club Grant - Library The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 11 - RESOLUTION - Real Estate Tax Abatement - Beaver Street Apartment The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 12 - AD HOC REPORT - Legislative Assistant Council Member Cavo moved to waive the reading of the report. As there was no objection, Mayor Boughton so ordered. Council Member Levy moved to receive the report and confirm the Mayor’s appointment of Jean Natale as the Legislative Assistant, seconded by Council Member Perkins. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 13 - DEPARTMENT REPORTS - Police, Fire, Health-Housing & Welfare, Dream Homes, Public Works, Permit Center, UNIT, Library, Elderly Services Chief Baker advised that due to the absence of two officers, the traffic violation numbers were down. David Day, Superintendent of Public Utilities, stated that there are approximately 2,000 hydrants in the City. Due to traffic accidents and general wear, some of the hydrants are out of service. Chief Herald explained that the Fire Department tests the hydrants and reports the information to Public Utilities. Critical hydrants are repaired within a few days of the report. Chief Herald also reminded everyone to shovel out the hydrants when it snows. Antonio Iadarola, P.E., Director of Public Works, advised that the high overtime hours for the employees of the Forestry Division were due to the clean up from Storm Alfred. He also gave a brief update on streetlight outages. CL&P has lagged behind on repairs and will be coming to Danbury to repair some of the lights soon. He advised that there is a strong focus to get CL&P to react to the requests for repairs. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton sunsetted the following committees: March 2007 item #21, April 2008 item #12, October 2008 item #24, January 2009 #11, May 2009, item 1, August 2009 item #11, October 2009 item #1, January 2010 item #2, April 2010 item #23, August 2010 item #9, September 2010 items #6 and #7, February 2011 item 3 #4, March 2011 items #2 and #3, June 2011 items #13 and #14 and August 2011 items #9 and #10 Mayor Boughton extended all other committees. There being no further business to come before the Council a motion was made at 8:40pm by Council Member Seabury to adjourn, seconded by Council Member Nero. Motion passed by unanimous vote to adjourn. Respectfully submitted, Dorathea A. Gulya-Stasny Recording Secretary Attest: Mark D. Boughton, Mayor 4