City Council

JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 A regular meeting of the Council of the City of Norwich was held April 3, 2017 at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers. Present: Mayor Hinchey, Aldermen Nystrom, Philbrick, Braddock, Gould, Martin and Nash. City Manager Salomone and Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll were also in attendance. Mayor Hinchey presided. Ald. Gould read the opening prayer and Ald. Martin led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Hinchey asked for a moment of silence for on April 3, 1962 the Norwich Fire department lost four men in the Van Tassel warehouse fire William Sheridan, Leonard Counihan, Edward Romano and Carl Burke. Upon motion of Ald. Philbrick, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adopt the minutes of March 6 and 20, 2017. Mayor Hinchey read the following proclamation: City Of Norwich Mayor’s Office Deberey Hinchey, Mayor P RO CL AMAT I O N WHEREAS, Sikhism is a religion founded in the Punjab region of South Asia over five centuries ago and introduced to the United States in the 19th century; and WHEREAS Sikhism is the fifth largest world independent religion with approximately 30 million adherents from diverse backgrounds throughout the world, including 700,000 adherents in the United States; and WHEREAS, Sikhs in the United States pursue diverse professions and walks of life, making rich contributions to the social, cultural, and economic vibrancy of the United States, including service as members of the United States Armed Forces— and WHEREAS, Vaisakhi is one of the most religiously significant days in Sikh history, commemorating the creation of the Khalsa, a fellowship of devout Sikhs, by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699; and WHEREAS, the Sikh religion is based on a belief in one God and the equality of all human beings; and 1 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 WHEREAS, the celebration of Vaisakhi includes performing Seva (selfless service), such as providing free meals to all visitors to Sikh Gurdwaras (Houses of Worship); and NOW THEREFORE, I, MAYOR DEBEREY HINCHEY AND NORWICH CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM, PETER ALBERT NYSTROM, ON BEHALF OF THE NORWICH CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, do hereby wish the Sikh American Community a joyous Vaisakhi celebration on April 14, 2017 (Mool Nanakshai Sikh Calendar) and Declare Vaisakhi Day as National Sikh Day. Dated this Third Day of April, 2017 Deberey Hinchey Peter Albert Nystrom Mayor President Pro Tem Upon a motion of President Pro Tem Nystrom, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to accept the resignation of Democles J Angelopoulos from the Community Development Advisory Board thanking him for his service. Upon a motion of Ald. Martin, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to accept the resignation of Zato Kadambaya from the Personnel and Pension Board thanking him for his service. City Manager Salomone presented his proposed budget, fiscal year 2017-18 report: Link to proposed budget Mayor Hinchey called for citizen comment on resolutions. Martin Rutchik, 1 Griffin Dr, Mystic talked about the issue surrounding resolution # 8 and how it is an embarrassment for the city. Chuck Evans, 49 Butternut Dr, commended Ald. Philbrick for standing up regarding resolution #9 and President Pro Tem Nystrom for calling for removals. He asked for a full audit to be done on all funds and to keep things above board. Rodney Bowie, 62 Roosevelt Ave, spoke in resolution #4 and questioned why he doesn’t get call backs from the listing agent after many attempts. Mayor Hinchey declared citizen comment on resolutions was closed. Upon a motion of Ald. Philbrick, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by City Manager Salomone. RESOLVED, that the first public hearing on the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017- 2018 will be held on Thursday, April 13, 2017, 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the second public hearing on the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 will be held on Monday, May 8, 2017 at 7:30 PM in the Council Chambers of City Hall. 2 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 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, the City Manager John L. Salomone has appointed with Councils approval as a regular member to the Youth Service Advisory Board for a term to expire on 2/01/19 or until a successor is appointed; Judith W. Post (U) NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Norwich hereby acknowledges the appointments of the above named to the Youth Service Advisory Board. Upon a motion of Ald. Philbrick, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Hinchey. WHEREAS, the City of Norwich leases land from the State of Connecticut located on the east side of the west branch of the Yantic River off West Main Street (CT. Route 82) near its intersection of West Thames Street (CT. Route 32) under Agreement No. 2.20-02 (07) which lease will expire on January 31, 2017; and WHEREAS, the City has the option to renew the lease agreement at no cost for an additional term of five (5) years from February 1, 2017 – January 31, 2022; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Norwich to exercise this option and extend the lease from February 1, 2017 to January 31, 2022. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, City Manager John Salomone be and hereby is authorized and directed to sign such documentation as is necessary to acknowledge and accept this lease extension on behalf of the City of Norwich and to sign and deliver it and such other documentation as may be necessary to extend the lease. Upon a motion of Gould, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Ald. Gould and Philbrick. WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich directed the issuance of Request for Proposal No. 13-05 seeking the services of a qualified property manager and/or real estate broker to help maintain and market various properties acquired by the City of Norwich; and WHEREAS, Allyn and Associates Realtors d/b/a Allyn and Associates LLC, Hyde Park Landscaping and Robin Keator, acting together, replied to the request and were selected to provide said services and have entered into agreements with respect to the maintenance and disposition of certain properties owned or acquired by the City of Norwich; and WHEREAS, the City of Norwich has acquired the property shown at map 102, block 5, lot 41, known as 15 Park Street acquired by a tax foreclosure; and 3 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Norwich to attempt to dispose of said properties by a negotiated sale using the services of Allyn and Associates Realtors. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, City Manager John Salomone be and hereby is authorized and directed on behalf of the City of Norwich to enter into a real estate listing agreement satisfactory to him and the corporation counsel with Allyn and Associates Realtors to offer to sell the property at 15 Park Street at a price recommended by Allyn and Associates Realtors; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, any offer to purchase said property recommended to the city by Allyn and Associates Realtors be presented to the council for its consideration and approval prior to the execution of any purchase and sales agreement. Upon a motion of Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Ald. Gould. WHEREAS, the City of Norwich following a foreclosure by sale acquired the property located at 19 North Cliff Street in June of 2016 by a deed recorded at volume 2966, page 313 of the Norwich Land Records; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Norwich to appoint a committee to review the condition of the property, to consider whether its size, location, and condition will allow it to be sold as is, and to make a recommendation to the Council regarding an appropriate disposition of the property; and WHEREAS, following such review should the committee intend to recommend the property be sold in “as is” condition the committee is to formulate an approach for selling the property, identify a proposed purchaser or purchasers of said property and recommend the same to the council in its report. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, a committee to be known as the “19 North Cliff Street Committee of Sale” consisting of: Stacy Gould Tucker Braddock Sofee Noblick James Quarto Gary Schnip Jim Heist Darryl Wickham be and hereby is established and those listed herein are appointed as the 19 North Cliff Street Committee of Sale to review the condition of the property and to make a recommendation to the Council of the City of Norwich, as to disposing of the property, but if its recommendation is to sell the property in “as is” condition it is to identify a prospective purchaser or purchasers for the property and to make a recommendation or recommendations with respect to any 4 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 proposed sale of the property to the Council of the City of Norwich for its consideration and approval; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that City Manager John Salomone be requested to provide the assistance of City Building Official James Troeger to the committee as an ex officio member of the same. Upon a motion of Ald. Martin, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Hinchey. WHEREAS, the William W. Backus Hospital provides excellent healthcare services for Norwich and surrounding communities; and WHEREAS, the William W. Backus Hospital has provided and continues to provide free and reduced priced services to residents of Norwich and surrounding communities who do not have the ability to pay for urgent and/or emergency services; and WHEREAS, through a recent reclassification, the William W. Backus Hospital has become eligible for special pricing on selected pharmaceutical products, the application process requiring that there be an Agreement in place with the local government recognizing the free and reduced price services provided by the William W. Backus Hospital; and WHEREAS, a copy of the proposed Agreement between William W. Backus Hospital and the City of Norwich is attached hereto as Exhibit A. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, City Manager John Salomone be and hereby is authorized and directed to enter into said Agreement with the William W. Backus Hospital on behalf of the City of Norwich and to exchange executed copies with the William W. Backus Hospital. 5 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 Mayor Hinchey recuses herself and leaves the room. President Pro Tem takes charge of the meeting. Upon motion of Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was voted to put the following resolution on the floor introduced by Ald. Philbrick: Ald. Philbrick moves to reconsider this action below. WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich at its meeting on March 20, 2017 considered an item on the agenda identified as Resolution 10, which resolution was amended and submitted to the council in its amended form but was not adopted following a tie vote; and WHEREAS, the Rules of the Council of the City of Norwich, as amended on January 3, 2017, permit reconsideration of a prior action of the council upon motion made at the meeting at which the action was taken or made on or before the adjournment of the next regular meeting of the Council of the City of Norwich; and WHEREAS, the sponsor of this resolution voted with the prevailing side on Resolution 10 at the March 20, 2017 meeting and wishes that such resolution be reconsidered suggesting it be separated into two resolutions for clarity. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that, it will accept a motion to reconsider such resolution to be considered either in the form to which it was amended on March 20, 2017 or divided into two separate resolutions for the convenience of the council, provided such motion is made by a member of the Council of the City of Norwich who voted on the prevailing side being one of the three members of the Council of the City of Norwich who voted against the adoption of said resolution as amended on March 20, 2017. On a vote of 5-1 with Ald. Braddock voting in opposition. Motion carries. 6 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 Upon a motion of Ald. Braddock, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was voted to put on the floor the following resolution introduced by Ald. Philbrick. WHEREAS, on March 6, 2017 the Council of the City of Norwich received reports from the Norwich Ethics Commission as to complaints made against Diana Boisclair, Robert Groner, Deberey Hinchey, John Bilda and Steven Sinko, all of which reports contain a request that a letter outlining the ethical violation found in each case by the Ethics Commission be included in the individual’s file with the City of Norwich in the city clerk’s office; and WHEREAS, the city clerk’s office does not currently maintain such a file for each individual other than the files maintained with respect to the ethics complaint made against each; and NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that, the city clerk, as secretary for the Council of the City of Norwich, be and hereby is directed to open a city council file for each individual as to whom she received a report from the Ethics Commission as described herein, and that a copy of this resolution and a copy of the pertinent individual report from the Norwich Ethics Commission be placed in such file. On a vote of 5-1 with Ald. Braddock voting in opposition. Motion carries. Upon a motion of Ald. Nash, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was voted to put on the floor the following resolution introduced by Ald. Philbrick. WHEREAS, on March 6, 2017 the Council of the City of Norwich received reports from the Norwich Ethics Commission as to complaints made against Diana Boisclair, Robert Groner, Deberey Hinchey, John Bilda and Steven Sinko, all of which reports contain a request that a letter outlining the ethical violation found in each case by the Ethics Commission be included in the individual’s file with the City of Norwich in the city clerk’s office; and WHEREAS, the council disagrees with the recommendation of the Ethics Commission that Diana Boisclair, Robert Groner and Deberey Hinchey repay only a portion of the Kentucky Derby trip cost per person. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that, the Council of the City of Norwich go on record as recommending that each individual against whom an ethical violation was found repay the full cost per person for the Kentucky Derby Trip for himself or herself and any of their respective spouses or invited guests. On a vote of 5-1 with Ald. Braddock voting in opposition. Motion carries. Mayor Hinchey returns and resumes charge of the meeting. Mayor Hinchey stated that the dates have already been established for the public hearing on the following ordinance. 7 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 AN ORDINANCE RELATIVE TO THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE CITY OF NORWICH AND THE CITY AND TOWN CONSOLIDATION DISTRICTS OF SAID CITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2017-18. BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, the following appropriations hereby are made to meet the expense of the City of Norwich and the City and Town Consolidation Districts of the City of Norwich for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018 to wit: 2015-16 Budget 2016-17 Budget 2017-18 Proposed City Manager 335,047 366,118 378,978 Finance 1,585,675 1,560,791 1,667,140 City Treasurer 240,893 249,551 265,597 Assessor 451,989 398,235 676,963 Human Resources 551,694 531,943 564,919 Law 538,358 511,000 511,000 City Clerk 468,703 416,925 489,735 City Council 376,585 364,541 365,657 Police 15,473,505 15,640,995 16,443,170 Fire - Central 2,020,619 2,031,726 2,043,461 Fire - East Great Plain 141,571 129,867 148,693 Fire - Laurel Hill 67,889 68,414 71,812 Fire - Occum 70,589 69,821 78,041 Fire - Taftville 164,399 161,333 165,397 Fire - Yantic 176,225 174,339 172,483 Human Services 2,049,169 1,853,699 2,239,601 Public Works 10,582,587 10,770,199 10,992,328 Election 141,799 155,988 145,786 Planning & Neighborhood Services 1,181,791 1,094,322 972,481 Debt Service 4,542,192 4,452,398 4,470,107 Miscellaneous 5,877,744 6,434,825 8,223,296 Emergency Management 85,476 88,945 86,528 Education 74,000,000 75,430,000 70,529,087 City Consolidation District 7,253,782 7,101,397 7,719,153 Town Consolidation District 579,990 584,174 587,588 TOTALS 128,958,271 130,641,546 130,009,001 General Operations 40,857,072 40,651,087 42,482,930 Debt Service 4,542,192 4,452,398 4,470,107 Capital Improvements 1,725,235 2,422,490 4,220,136 Education 74,000,000 75,430,000 70,529,087 City Consolidation District 7,253,782 7,101,397 7,719,153 Town Consolidation District 579,990 584,174 587,588 TOTALS 128,958,271 130,641,546 130,009,001 8 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH APRIL 3, 2017 Mayor Hinchey stated that the dates already have been established for the public hearing on the following ordinance. AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING THE TAX LEVIES ON THE LIST OF OCTOBER 1, 2016 BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH: Section 1. On the City Assessment list of 2016 a tax of thirty-nine and fifty-four hundredths (39.54) mills on the dollar is hereby granted to be levied upon the ratable Real Estate and Personal Property within the City of Norwich of the inhabitants of said City and all others liable to pay taxes therein. Section 2. On the City Assessment list of 2016 a tax of thirty-two (32.00) mills on the dollar is hereby granted to be levied upon the ratable Motor Vehicles within the City of Norwich of the inhabitants of said City and all others liable to pay taxes therein. Section 3. On the City Assessment list of 2016, a tax of forty-seven hundredths (0.47) mills on the dollar, is hereby granted to be levied for fire services upon the ratable Real Estate and Personal Property within the Town Consolidation District of the inhabitants of said District and of all others liable to pay taxes therein. Section 4. On the City Assessment list of 2016, a tax of eight and ninety-five hundredths (8.95) mills on the dollar, is hereby granted to be levied for fire services upon the ratable Real Estate and Personal Property within the City Consolidation District of the inhabitants of said District and of all others liable to pay taxes therein. Section 5. Real Estate and Personal Property, shall become due on July 1, 2017, and payable on said date in whole or in equal installments from that date, namely on July 1, 2017 and January 1, 2018 except that any tax of less than one hundred dollars shall be due and payable on July 1, 2017. If the first installment is not paid on or before August 1, 2017 or if the second installment is not paid on or before February 1, 2018, interest will be charged on any such delinquent payment at the rate of one and one-half (1½%) per cent per month from the due date or $2.00 whichever is greater, as provided for in the general statutes. Any person may pay the total amount of such tax for which he is liable at the time when the first installment shall be payable. Section 6. Motor Vehicle taxes shall become due and payable in whole on July 1, 2017. If the payment is not paid on or before August 1, 2017 interest will be charged on the delinquent payment at the rate of one and one-half (1½%) per cent per month from due date or $2.00 whichever is greater, as provided for in the general statutes. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Braddock, it was unanimously voted to adjourn at 8:55 pm. CITY CLERK 9