City Council

JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Norwich was held April 18, 2016 at 7:00 PM in Council Chambers. Present: Mayor Hinchey, Aldermen Nystrom, Philbrick, Braddock, Gould, Martin and Nash (7:02pm). City Manager Salomone and Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll were also in attendance. Mayor Hinchey presided. Ald. Martin read the opening prayer and Ald. Braddock led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Hinchey called for citizen comment. Greg Grippo, 209 Boswell Ave, addressed four items: 1. Asked to look into an incentive program to save the Reid & Hughes Building. 2. He questioned why two organizations were not allowed to clean up the YMCA landscape because of a liability issue. 3. Asked about a company on the suspense list. 4. Raised some concerns about timely waste clean-up. David Crabb, 47 Prospect St stated he doesn’t agree with raising taxes to fund education. John Blackburn, 15 Alice St, stated that when Norwich budgets pass they are balanced and that Hartford should take a lesson. Mayor Hinchey declared citizen comment closed Mayor Hinchey read the following proclamation: 1 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to accept the letter of resignation from Charles Jaskiewicz from the Kelly Middle School Building Committee and thanking him for his service. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to accept the letter of resignation from Leland Loose from the Redevelopment Agency and thanking him for his service. 2 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 City Manager’s Report: To: Mayor and members of the City Council From: John Salomone, City Manager Subject: City Manager’s Report Date: April 18, 2016 In the course of the last two weeks, budget hearings were held for 17 city departments, including Norwich Public Utilities and the Board of Education; and the first of two public hearings was conducted. Interviews were held to fill the planner position; however, in the interim a plan has been developed to utilize a consultant to fulfill the duties of the planner. On Saturday, April 9th, Mayor Hinchey, members of the Broad Street Neighborhood Watch committee and myself, along with several city employees took part in a targeted neighborhood walk throughout the Broad Street area. The target area encompassed Broad, Grove, Warren, Spaulding and Rockwell Streets; Treadway, Freeman, McKinley and Platt Avenues; and McKinley Avenue Extension. A common complaint throughout the walk was the overall condition of the sidewalks, many of which were in bad shape. This is a concern, not only for aesthetics, but also due to the fact that children walk to and from school each day. The other complaint that was uniform throughout the walk was the presence of trash and recycling cans left on the sidewalks, rather than returned to the appropriate homes after pickup. A complete report of the walkthrough is attached for your information. Union negotiations are underway for several City unions, including Public Works Supervisors and the Fire Department. We have scheduled future meetings into April and May. I met with Senator Cathy Osten, who briefed me on the State budget and requested capital budget information from us. I attended a meeting with the William Britnell, CT DOT, and Attorney Bill Sweeney to discuss the location of one of the proposed roundabouts so that a new business can locate in the Marcus Plaza. In May, Public Works Director Ryan Thompson is being deployed to Iraq for a period of 6 months. During his absence, Patrick McLaughlin will be the interim Public Works Director. On April 28th, members of the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, representatives from the Mohegan Tribe, and Amy Jean McKowen from US EPA Region 1 will be visiting the Uncas Leap property to review the site as a possible field trip for a Tribal Land and Environmental Forum to take place this August. The Uncas Leap site appeals to them not only for its tribal historic value, but also from a brownfields perspective. It this site is chosen, the August tour will be attended by representatives from Native American tribes across the nation. I continue to attend the NPU City Wide Coordination Meetings to receive information on active developments throughout the city I am happy to discuss any of the above with you in further detail. 3 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 ESTABLISHED 1659 CITY OF NORWICH CONNECTICUT JOHN SALOMONE 100 Broadway CITY MANAGER Norwich, CT 06360 (860) 823-3747 Fax (860) 885-2131 Broad Street Targeted Attention Team Walk April 9, 2016 On Saturday, April 9, 2016 City officials met with members of the Broad Street Neighborhood Watch Committee to conduct a targeted attention team walk along Broad Street and the surrounding neighborhood. City officials included Mayor Deb Hinchey, City Manager John Salomone, Blight Control Officer Dan Coley, Angelo Yeitz from Public Works, Norwich Police Officers Chastang and Camp, and Jeanne Kurasz. The Broad Street Committee was led by Stacey Moed- Klein. The walk began at the corner of Broad and Grove Streets. After reviewing some issues on Grove Street, the walk progressed over Treadway Avenue, where a discussion was held with regard to converting Treadway back to a two-way street. The Committee feels that if two-way traffic was allowed on Treadway, it would eliminate the need to use Platt Avenue, which is a blind corner turn onto Broad Street. However, the narrowness of the road, and the need for on- street parking could make two-way traffic impassable. In addition to the above mentioned streets, the tour of the area included Warren and Spaulding Streets, Freeman and McKinley Avenues, McKinley Avenue Extension, Rockwell Street and Platt Avenue. A common complaint throughout the walk was the number of trash and recycling cans that are left on the sidewalk, rather than put away after garbage collection. Currently there is no ordinance in place requiring trash cans be moved from the street. The overall poor condition of the sidewalks throughout the neighborhood was also a common theme. In some locations debris from lawns is raked onto the sidewalks where it is left to pile up. The neighborhood is comprised on large Victorian homes, many of which have been converted to multi-family units. Residents are concerned not only about the condition of the sidewalks, but the lack of sidewalks in the Rockwell Street area. This is because neighborhood children walk to and from NFA along this road. There are also areas in the neighborhood where suspected illegal activities are taking place. This information was shared directly with the Norwich Police Department. 4 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 The attached report lists those properties along the route that were identified as having blight or other concerns that impact the safety or appearance of the neighborhood. Click Here: http://www.norwichct.org/DocumentCenter/View/2645 Mayor Hinchey called for citizen comment on resolutions. David Crabb, 47 Prospect St, questioned resolution #4 and asked to elevate transparency in this budget. He also asked how many properties are in this account. Rodney Bowie, 62 Roosevelt Ave, spoke in support of resolution #5 for the lead paint grant stating it’s a win for the City. Mayor Hinchey declared citizen comment on resolutions is closed. Upon a motion of Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould, to adopt the following resolution introduced by City Manager Salomone. Motion by Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould it was unanimously voted to amend the third paragraph to change to “City Manager John Salomone” WHEREAS, the City Clerk’s Office has been approved for an Historic Document Preservation Grant in the amount of $5,000 for converting land records from paper copy to imaged copy; and WHEREAS, there are no matching funds required by the City. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that City Manager, John Salomone is empowered to execute and deliver in the name and on behalf of this municipality a contract with the Connecticut State Library for an Historic Documents Preservation Grant. Motion passes. Upon a motion of Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by City Manager Salomone. WHEREAS, the Norwich Noontime Rotary has held a carnival in downtown Norwich for the past several years to raise funds for its projects; and WHEREAS, the 2016 carnival hosted by the Norwich Noontime Rotary will be held from Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 4:00 p.m. to Monday, May 30, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at the Viaduct parking lot; and WHEREAS, the Rotary carnival is a popular event bringing residents and visitors to the downtown to enjoy the rides, entertainments, and refreshments available at the carnival. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that it invites and welcomes those patronizing the Norwich Noontime Rotary Carnival and that it offers it’s thanks to the Norwich Noontime Rotary for its efforts. 5 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 Upon a motion of Ald. Martin, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Ald. Braddock and Martin. WHEREAS, the Norwich Harbor Management Commission and the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce will be co-producing “Rock the Docks 2016”, a series of concerts to be held at Howard T. Brown Park from 6:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. on the following dates: Wednesday, July 6, 2016 Wednesday, July 13, 2016 Wednesday, July 20, 2016 Wednesday, July 27, 2016 Wednesday, August 3, 2016 Wednesday, August 10, 2016; and WHEREAS, “Rock the Docks” will allow the entire community to enjoy a variety of music and entertainment at a scenic location; and WHEREAS, the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc., established through the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, proposes to sell beer and wine during the concert series to patrons thereof at a location in Howard T. Brown Park, the proceeds of the sales to be used to support the concert series with these sales to be handled by an appropriately licensed and permitted entity. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, pursuant to Section 13.14.2 of the Norwich Code of Ordinances, City Manager John Salomone be and hereby is authorized to grant the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc. permission to sell beer or wine at the “Rock the Docks 2016” celebration to be held on Wednesday’s as listed above or as rescheduled at the Howard T. Brown Park, subject to satisfactory proof that the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc. has complied with the applicable regulations of the State Liquor Commission; that identification will be mandatory from each person purchasing an alcoholic beverage; that the sales of beer and wine will be made under a proper liquor license, and that proper insurances will be obtained and maintained by the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc. and any vendor of beer and/or wine for the event. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by City Manager Salomone. WHEREAS, Section 12-165 of the Connecticut General Statutes, as amended by Section 35 of Public Act 13-276 provides for the administrative procedure for transferring real estate taxes deemed uncollectible to the “suspense” tax book; and, WHEREAS, taxes transferred to the suspense tax book are no longer listed as an asset of the city in its annual financial report; and, 6  JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 WHEREAS, listed below are the names and addresses of the persons against whom certain real estate taxes on the Grand Lists up to and including 2014 were levied and which the Tax Collector believes such taxes are uncollectible because of lack of payment for several years; and, WHEREAS, in accordance with the Tax Collector’s recommendation the aggregate sum of $105,742.01 in real estate tax on the Grand Lists up to and including 2014, to be transferred to the suspense tax book; and, WHEREAS, nothing herein contained shall be construed as an abatement of any tax transferred to the suspense tax account, but any such taxes, as it shall have been increased by interest, penalty fees and charges may be collected; and NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that the aggregate sum of $105,742.01 representing uncollectible real estate taxes on the Grand Lists up to and including 2014, be and the same hereby are transferred to the suspense account. PROPERTY OWNER NAME PROPERTY ADDRESS UNIQUE ID 2014 GL TAX AMT 56 ALICE ST LLC 56 ALICE ST 100-002-0562 1,033.30 BILL HENRY ESTATE OF 117 RIVER AVE 004-954-0001 38.46 CARPENTER IRENE 44 NORWICH AVE #38 001-774-0001 322.83 EGGOMAN/PONT CENTER FIN/HALE MILL 45 SUNNYSIDE ST 008-930-0001 434.62 EGGOMAN/PONT CENTER FIN/HALE MILL 244 YANTIC RD 008-929-0001 769.86 EISS ALAN + DONNA 53 PRENTICE #23 036-001-0023 285.60 EVANS MEMORIAL AME ZION 14 GROVE ST 713-125-0001 634.40 FOOT OF FIFTH 5TH CANAL END OF STREET 008-136-0001 514.26 HASELMAN PETER BEEBE RD 120-002-0001 248.34 JAMES MARK ALLEN SEVENTH ST 009-466-0001 389.30 KILKELLY DELIA ESTATE OF 35 LAMBERT DR REAR 005-748-0001 24.84 NAUTILAS DEVELOPMENT LAUREL HILL 712-562-0001 67.28 SCHNIP BLDG CO 97 FOREST ST 010-034-0001 331.62 STRATTON BURTON 751 NORTH MAIN ST 010-879-0001 634.40 THAMES/LAUREL HILL 7 HILLSIDE AVE 011-208-0001 1,312.06 THERMOS NORWICH DEV/AUCTION MASTERS 68 THERMOS AVE 011-222-0001 17,128.58 THERMOS NORWICH DEV/AUCTION MASTERS 116 THERMOS AVE 011-223-0001 1,542.74 THERMOS NORWICH DEV/AUCTION MASTERS HOLLAND AVE 011-218-0001 2,018.52 THERMOS NORWICH DEV/AUCTION MASTERS 20 CROWN ST 011-219-0001 1,115.00 THERMOS NORWICH DEV/AUCTION MASTERS 85 HILLSIDE AVE 011-225-0001 6,007.50 TRIANON GROUP LLC/HINSCH OAKRIDGE ST 002-381-0001 836.24 YMCA OF SOUTHEASTERN ST 337-341 MAIN ST 713-153-0001 70,052.26 105,742.01 Upon a motion of Ald. Martin, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Hinchey and City Manager Salomone. 7 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 18, 2016 WHEREAS, the City of Norwich has an abundance of aging housing stock where lead-based paint continues to remain a hazard, especially for children residing in such housing, and WHEREAS, children, particular those under the age of six, can have multiple health risks and permanent damage from elevated blood lead levels, and WHEREAS, Uncas Health District, the Norwich Property Rehab Program and official data compiled by government agencies confirm that there are children in Norwich that are diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels, and WHEREAS, the Norwich Office of Community Development is writing a grant to be filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to exceed $3.33 million from the Lead- Based Paint Hazard Control Grant Program in order to reduce the occurrence of elevated blood lead levels, and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that the City Manager is authorized to apply for a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Grant program in the amount not to exceed $3.33 million. Upon motion to Ald. Martin, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adjourn at 7:30 pm. CITY CLERK 8