Common Council

REGULAR COMMON COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY, April 3, 2023 7:00 PM Hybrid Meeting ---------------------- MUNICIPAL BUILDING COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBER -and- Remotely via WebEx WebEx.com Join a Meeting Event # 2337 148 1586 Password: Middletown or Dial 408-418-9388 Access Code: 2337 148 1586 NOTE: if calling from a phone, please press *3 to activate hand raise function AGENDA 1. Call to Order A. Pledge of Allegiance B. Council Clerk Reads the Call of the Meeting and Mayor declares call a legal call and meeting a legal meeting 2. Accept/Amend the Agenda 3. Resolution: Honoring National Library Week: April 23 – 29, 2023 4. Approval of Minutes A. Common Council Special Meeting – Informational Workshop: Route 9 Concept Design Questions to Directors, at 6:00 PM, dated February 6, 2023 B. Common Council Regular Meeting, Including Questions to Directors, at 7:00 PM, dated March 6, 2023 C. Common Council Special Meeting – Voting Redistricting, at 5:30 PM, dated May 10, 2022 April 3, 2023 COMMON COUNCIL -- REGULAR MEETING Page 2 5. Public Hearing on Agenda Items A. Public Hearing on All Other Agenda Items -- Opens B. Public Hearing on All Other Agenda Items – Closes 6. Mayor requests Council Clerk to read appropriation requests and the Certificate of Director of Finance A. Human Resources Division: $25,000 -- Acct. No. 1000-05000-55480-0170, 52115; funds for Police Accountability Act ($22,000) and advertising ($3,000) B. Human Resources Division: $150,000 – Acct. No. 100-27000-52166; funds to hire Baker Tilly to conduct a compensation and classification study for the City workforce C. Health Department: $15,000 – Acct. No. 1000-26500-59200-0726; additional funds for shelter grant, including additional relocation costs D. Human Resources Division: $20,000 – Acct. No. 1000-05000-55480-0170; funds to cover unanticipated exhaustion of Police Sergeant and Police Lieutenant eligibility lists due to volume of retirements 7. Department, Committee, Commission Reports and Grant Confirmation Approval A. City Clerk’s Certificate B. Monthly Reports -- Finance Department: Transfer Report to March 21, 2023 C. Health Department – Acct. No. 3070-31000-59200-x-03388-2023; State grant for scholarship reimbursement, including registration for exam, books and other study materials, practice exam costs, and membership fees for Association of Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology: $2,500 D. Economic & Community Development Department – Acct. No. 3758-18500-59200-x-03096-2023; State Department of Economic & Community Development grant for public/private partnership, involving the City and 545 Main Realty LLC, for mixed use redevelopment of 545 Main Street, including creation of affordable residential units and start-up office space: $2,000,000 E. Economic & Community Development Department – Acct. No. 3759-18500-59200-x-03097-2023; State Department of Economic & Community Development Community Challenge Grant for adaptive reuse of underutilized buildings, including administrative legal fees ($7,500), creating residential and commercial space, and with the following grant allocations: (a) 545 Main Realty, LLC ($1,497,500); (b) DFC of Main Street 420, LLC ($719,900.97); (c) DFC of Main Street 428 ($904,468.22); (d) DFC of Middletown, LLC ($623,130.21); and YMCA of Northern Middlesex County, Inc. ($747,500): Total grant: $4,500,000 F. Board of Education – Acct. No. 2450-33000-59405-x-03025; miscellaneous grants: $2,039,558.80 G. Cafeteria/ Food Services Board of Education – Acct. No. 2450-33000-52183-x-x; food services grant: $218,858.48 H. Youth Services Bureau – Acct. No. 3614-06000-59200-x-x-2023-x; supplement to State DCF Large Enhancement Grant for youth diversion and development: $102 I. Youth Services Bureau – Acct. No. 3613-06000-59200-x-x-2023-x; supplement to State DCG Enhancement & Supplemental Grant to enhance diversion services: $154  April 3, 2023 COMMON COUNCIL -- REGULAR MEETING Page 3 J. Mayor’s Office/ Superintendent of Schools – Acct. No. 3730-33000-59200-0000-03080-2023-000; State supplemental grant for school readiness – quality enhancement: $231,040 K. Russell Library – Director’s Report, dated February 25, 2023 L. Russell Library – Directors’ Report, dated March 21, 2023 8. Reports to the Common Council A. American Rescue Plan B. Riverfront 9. Payment of all City bills when properly approved 10. Resolutions, Ordinances, etc. A. Approving that, following consultation with the Office of General Counsel as required by the Charter of the City of Middletown, the Common Council, as the City’s legislative body: (1) from time to time, subject to a vote of nine (9) members, the Common Council shall hire outside legal counsel to help it address individual legal matters; (2) existing funds in the Common Council’s FY 22-23 “Contractual Services” budget line shall be repurposed to cover these costs; and (3) a permanent line item shall be created and maintained as part of the Common Council FY23-24 budget, and in subsequent annual budgets going forward, to ensure that sufficient funds are available for such purpose. B. Approving the Arts & Culture Office request that $67,227.00 of the Art Support Services Grant (FY23) be allocated as follows for project and general operating support: Organization Amount ARTFARM $6,000.00 Wesleyan Potters $7,000.00 Ekklesia Ballet $8,000.00 Oddfellows Playhouse $12,000.00 Greater Middletown Concert Assoc. $6,000.00 Greater Middletown Chorale $7,000.00 The Buttonwood Tree $2,500.00 Joe Fonda $2,000.00 Artists for World Peace $7,900.00 PAL $1,082.00 Resonant Motion $2,825.00 Stacey Noujaim $920.00 Katherine Owens $2,500.00 Futures, Inc. $1,500.00 TOTAL $67,227.00 and that any agency receiving an Arts & Culture Office grant award must comply with the matching fund Code of Ordinances, Chapter 44, Section 44-11, section B, Municipal grant awards. C. ORDINANCE: Amending Chapter 166 (”Food and Food Products”) of the Code of Ordinance of the City of Middletown as Chapter 166 (“Food and Food Establishments”), Section 166-1 to Section 166-12, inclusive. April 3, 2023 COMMON COUNCIL -- REGULAR MEETING Page 4 D. Approving that additional ARPA grant funding is approved to reimburse subrecipients, who make application to the Task Force, upon a showing of hardship, for the following eligible administrative expenses: insurance and fidelity bond annual premiums, single audit contractual services, and financial/accounting contractual services, in an amount not to exceed 10% of their total award. E. Approving that a compensation and classification study for Local 466, UPSEU, and non-bargaining positions shall be performed; that Baker Tilly US, LLC be retained for this project; and that the Mayor is authorized to sign a contract for this project, subject to review and approval as to content and form by the Office of General Counsel. F. Approving that Mayor Benjamin D. Florsheim is authorized to sign and submit an application to the State of Connecticut, requesting an additional $175,000 from the Local Capital Projects Improvement Program funds for the full renovation cost for the Middletown Police Department Men’s and Women’s Locker Rooms; and that the current line item “MPD LOCKER ROOM RENOVATION” in the Capital Improvement Plan, be amended to reflect the additional $175,000, increasing the approved amount from $95,000 to $272,000. 11. Mayor’s Appointments 12. Adjournment K: review/ agenda – 23 April 06 – regular meeting – 6 April 2023