City Council

CITY COUNCIL MEETING September 5, 2012 Mayor Mark D. Boughton called the City Council Meeting to order at 7:30pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Present were Council Members: Philip Curran, Jack Knapp, Warren Levy, Gregg Seabury, Colleen Stanley, Michael Halas, Shay Nagarsheth, Joseph Cavo, Thomas Saadi, Fred Visconti, Andrew Wetmore, Peter Nero, Duane Perkins, Benjamin Chianese, Paul Rotello, Joe Scozzafava and Mary Teicholz Council Member Haddad was out of town on business, Council Member Taylor was ill and Council Members Colla and Darcy were out of town on family business. PRESENT: 17 ABSENT : 4 Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, Robert J. Yamin, Corporation Counsel; and Laszlo Pinter, Deputy Corporation Counsel were also present. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG & PRAYER Madison Halas led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. Council Member Wetmore led everyone in a prayer. PUBLIC SPEAKING Charles Setaro, 27 Deer Hill Avenue, spoke on item 19. Julie Schmitter, Director of Danbury Youth Services introduced Tom Thomassen from the Danbury Youth Employment Project. Mr. Thomassen gave a brief overview of the program. Fifty-five (55) students were employed in the summer program with a total 6,100 hours work. There was 95% attendance and an additional 1,000 volunteer hours by the students participating in the program. Student participants Diana Diaz spoke about her experience working at the Hispanic Center and Shivoni spoke about her experience working at South Street School. Shivoni also spoke about working at Great Plain School last year. Both students expressed their appreciation for the program. Lynn Taborsak, 110 Hayestown Road, spoke on item 19. Public speaking ended at 7:55 PM. Mayor Boughton read the announcements for the month. MINUTES - Minutes of the Council Meeting held on August 7 and the August 20, 2012 Special Meeting Council Member Cavo moved to waive the reading of the minutes of the August 7 and August 20th Special Meeting 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 re-appropriate $261,352.05 into the General Fund accounts based on previously appropriated, encumbered and/or unspent monies from the fiscal year 2011/2012. 11 - Receive the Communication and Adopt the Resolution allowing Mayor Mark D. Boughton or his designee, Paul Estefan, Airport Administrator to apply for and accept funding from the FAA and State of Connecticut towards the cost of rehabilitation of Hazard Beacons and Rotating Beacons. Funds totaling $19,345.00 shall be transferred from the contingency account to cover the City’s share of the $773,788.00 project. 1 12 - Receive the Communication and Adopt the Resolution to renew the Personal Services Agreement between the City of Danbury and the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health to maintain and house a mass casualty response trailer to be used in critical events or incidents. 14 - Receive the Communication and Adopt the Resolution authorizing Mayor Mark D. Boughton to apply for and accept funding through the State of Connecticut LOCIP program for Elevator Modernization at the Old Library Building totaling $92,400.00 15 - Receive the Communication and Adopt the Resolution authorizing Mayor Mark D. Boughton to execute an agreement between the City of Danbury and the State of Connecticut for the construction, inspection and maintenance of the Backus Avenue Traffic Signal, State Project No. 34-325 and Federal Aid Project No. CN: 1034 (112). 16 - Receive the Communication and Adopt the Resolution authorizing Mayor Mark D. Boughton or his designee, David Day, Superintendent of Public Utilities, to apply for a State of Connecticut Department of Public Health grant/loan program regarding the Hawthorne Terrace Water System Upgrade – Emergency Generator Funding. Council Member Knapp moved to accept the Consent as presented, seconded by Council Member Stanley. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 1 – COMMUNICATION - Promotion – Fire Department Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Halas moved to receive the communication and confirm the promotion of Lt. Joseph Halas to the position of Fire Captain, seconded by Council Member Stanley. Council Members Curran and Halas spoke in favor and congratulated Lt. Halas. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton thanked Fire Captain Halas for his work for the City and extended his congratulations. 2 – COMMUNICATION - Purchase of Land – Rockwood Lane Council Member Nagarsheth moved to refer the item to an Ad Hoc with Corporation Counsel and the Director of Finance and the Director of Planning with reports from Planning and the Tax Assessor. Mayor Boughton so ordered and appointed Council Members Taylor, Haddad and Rotello to the committee. 3 – COMMUNICATION - Certification – General Fund Re-appropriations The communication was received on the Consent Calendar and the re-appropriation approved. 4 – COMMUNICATION - DXR Holdings, LLC – Wallingford Road Council Member Knapp moved to refer to Corporation Counsel, Aviation Commission, and Airport Administrator and Planning for reports. 5 – COMMUNICATION - Donation – Still River Greenway – Bedoukain Research Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Stanley moved to accept the communication and accept the donation in the amount of $2,500 from Bedoukian Research to adopt the native garden zone at the entry to the Greenway to be named “The Bedoukian Research Garden”, seconded by Council Member Nagarsheth. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 6 – COMMUNICATION - Anonymous Donation - Still River Greenway Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Wetmore moved to receive the communication and accept the donation of $500 per month for the next five years totaling $30,000 for the Still River Greenway, seconded by Council Member Rotello. Council Member Saadi advised that members of the Council and city staff have done due diligence of the public records to ensure that there is no business pending by this individual with the City and we have no potential conflict of interest in accepting this donation. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 7 – COMMUNICATION - Donation to Parks and Recreation – United Way and Boehringer Ingleheim Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Nagarsheth moved to receive the communication and accept the donation for the Born Learning Trail, 2 seconded by Council Member Stanley. Motion passed by unanimous vote. 8 – COMMUNICATION - Maintenance Easement – Union Savings Bank Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Teicholz moved to refer item to Corporation Council. Mayor Boughton so ordered. 9 – COMMUNICATION - Requisition for Sewer Extension – 3 Scuppo Road Council Member Curran moved to refer item to Engineering and Planning for reports. Mayor Boughton so ordered. 10 – COMMUNICATION - Request for Water Extension (Fire Hydrant) - Morgan Avenue - Ingersoll Auto of Danbury Council Member Curran moved to refer item to Engineering and Planning for reports. Mayor Boughton so ordered. 11 – RESOLUTION - FAA Grant – Hazard and Rotating Beacons at Airport The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 12 – RESOLUTION - Mass Casualty Trailer DPH Log #2013-0037 The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 13 - RESOLUTION - HVCEO Grant Applications Jean Natale, Legislative Assistant, read the communication. Council Member Seabury moved to adopt the Resolution authorizing Danbury to participate with the Housatonic Valley Council of Governments in applying for grants to the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management-Regional Performance Incentive Program as specified, seconded by Council Member Teicholz. Discussion followed regarding the intended purposes of the proposed grants. Permanent Collection Centers for Household Hazardous Waste and Emergency Sheltering Needs for medically vulnerable populations were discussed. Atty. Pinter explained that the council that the motion was the process to authorize the City to partner with the other towns within the region to make application and the City would not be forced to undertake a program/facility. Process, procedures and protections were discussed. 14 – RESOLUTION - LOCIP 2012 Application The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 15 – RESOLUTION - Backus Avenue Traffic Signal Coordination The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 16 – RESOLUTION - Hawthorne Terrace Water System Upgrade – Emergency Generator Funding The communication and Resolution were received on the Consent Calendar and the Resolution adopted. 17 – AD HOC REPORT - Downtown Incentive Package Council member Cavo moved to recommit this item in it’s entirety for revision to Ordinance 17- 7, seconded by Council Member Saadi. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Mayor Boughton stated that the committee consisted of Council Members Darcy, Cavo and Nero. 18 - AD HOC REPORT - Newtown Road – Proposed Land Swap Council Member Cavo moved to waive the reading of the Report as all members have copies and additional copies are on file in the Office of the Legislative Assistant, seconded by Council Member Levy. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Council Member Teicholz moved to refer to a Public Hearing. Mayor Boughton so ordered. 19 – DEPARTMENT REPORTS - Police, Fire, Statement of Condition, (Fire Department), Health-Housing and Welfare, Dream Homes, Public Works, Permit, UNIT, Elderly Services, Library, Summer Youth Program 3 Council Member Cavo moved to waive the reading of the Department Reports as all members have copies and additional copies are on file in the Office of the Legislative Assistant, seconded by Council Member Nagarsheth. Upon the request of Council Member Visconti, Chief Baker advised that he would look into the pocket-bike noise issue. He stated that it is a difficult issue to enforce, but research would be conducted. Council Member Levy extended his congratulations to Training and Safety Officer, Mark Omasta for receiving the Association of Fire Chiefs Safety and Health Section Safety Officer of the Year Award. Council Member Levy also noted an improvement in firefighter test scores. Upon the request of Council Member Stanley, Richard Palanzo, Supt. of Public Buildings gave a brief overview of his statistical report. Mayor Boughton noted that burglaries were down in the City. Mayor Boughton extended his sympathy to the family of Larry Miguel, who was a retired member of the UNIT team. Motion passed by unanimous vote. There being no further business to come before the Council, a motion was made at 8:47pm by Council Member Seabury, seconded by Council Mmember Nagarsheth to adjourn. Motion passed by unanimous vote. Respectfully submitted, Dorathea A. Gulya-Stasny Recording Secretary Attest: Mark D. Boughton, Mayor 4