City Council

JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 The regular meeting of the Council of the City of Norwich was held March 19, 2018, at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers. Present: Mayor Nystrom, Ald. Nash, Gould, Philbrick, DeLucia, Burnham and Browning. City Manager Salomone and Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll were also in attendance. Mayor Nystrom presided. President Pro Tem Nash read the opening prayer and Ald. Philbrick led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Nystrom apologized to the Norwich Bulletin and staff for a recent negative comment. Mayor Nystrom called for citizen comment. Please be advised that meetings of the Norwich City Council can be viewed in their entirety on the City of Norwich website “norwichct.org”. Janet Koch, 35 ½ South B St, objected to recent attacks on the newspaper. Linda Theodoru, 37 Taftville-Occum Rd, stated the public should be informed be it positive or negative. Joann Martin, Clifton Pl, stated she was not pleased with two Council members’ recent comments. Mike Dziavit, 248 Browning Rd, praised the work of the Human Resources Department. Diane Stone, 251 Harland Rd, stated the Council should represent all residents of the City. Sherry Ostrout, 251 Harland Rd, she felt some recent comments were startling and bizarre. Ben Haith, 39 Fanning Ave, asked to support the transportation system and the Reid & Hughes project. Beryl Fishbone, 19 Bliss Place, asked for transparency in local government. David Crabb, 47 Prospect St, endorsed Mayor Hinchey’s Economic Development Strategic Plan. Andrew Harvey, 71 William St, asked to move the Reid & Hughes project forward. Greg Grippo, 209 Boswell Ave, spoke on what he perceived to be various failings of the City. Rodney Bowie, 62 Roosevelt Ave, thanked Abby Dolliver for the honest Board of Education budget. Marvin Serruto, 100 Starr St, reminisced of a home in his former Baltic Street neighborhood. Mayor Nystrom declared citizen comment closed. 1 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 Ald. DeLucia asked for a moment of personal privilege believing the Council should be held accountable for their actions and supports freedom of speech and of the press. Ald. Nash asked for a moment of personal privilege and spoke with respect to his work for the City and his confidence that he would be able to perform his duties appropriately. Ald. Philbrick asked for a moment of personal privilege stating she supports the position she has recently taken. Ald. Philbrick left the room at this time at 8:15 pm. President Pro Tem Nash read the following proclamation: PROCLAMATION WHEREAS, Janice Thompson has been employed by the City of Norwich 34 years beginning on November 21, 1983, serving as a General Assistance Accountant; and WHEREAS, Janice has steadily been promoted and has obtained the position of Administrative Coordinator, which had been expanded to include the Rose City Senior Center, Youth and Family Services and the Recreation Department; and WHEREAS, Janice has been awarded the Distinguished Services award for outstanding achievement in 2001 for helping to establish the City’s Safety Net Committee; and WHEREAS, Janice ran the Backpack Program for 14 years, writing grants to provide an estimated 10,000 backpacks to Norwich children; and WHEREAS, Janice administered the Kingship Respite Program, making Norwich Human Service the only agency permitted to by the CT Probate Court, a direct result of the financial and accounting expertise of Janice; and WHEREAS, Janice was instrumental in helping to open the Municipal Childcare Center, providing quality childcare to the children of Norwich employees; and WHEREAS, Janice wrote, garnered and administered numerous local, state and federal grants, bringing millions of dollars of aid into the City of Norwich saving taxpayers untold dollars and is responsible for many other endeavors, too numerous to list on one proclamation, over the course of 34 years of service. NOW THEREFORE, I, MAYOR PETER ALBERT NYSTROM AND NORWICH CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PRO TEM, WILLIAM NASH, ON BEHALF OF THE NORWICH CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, do hereby thank Janice Thompson for her hard work and dedication on behalf of the City of Norwich. Dated this Seventh Day of March, 2018 Peter Albert Nystrom William Nash Mayor President Pro Tem 2 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 Oral presentation given by Jim O’Shea of Achievements Unlimited of CT regarding the City Managers special meetings. http://norwichct.org/DocumentCenter/View/4095 City Manager Report: To: Mayor Nystrom and members of the City Council From: John Salomone, City Manager Subject: City Manager’s Report Date: March 19, 2018 The City was notified of the Opportunity Zone Program which is a new community development program to induce long-term investments in low-income communities. The program provides federal tax incentives for investors to re-invest unrealized capital gains into Opportunity Zones through Opportunity Funds. Each governor may designate up to 25% of the qualified census tracts in the state as Opportunity Zones of which Norwich has six out of the nine census tracts identified by the governor. NCDC worked in conjunction with the Mayor, the Community Development Office, Planning & Development Office and Norwich Public Utilities to compile the information needed for the application. My office sent the application via email on the due date of March 16th. This could create a significant opportunity for long-term investment in the City, its waterfront and the downtown. Thank you to those that helped compile and complete the information that was needed for the application. The Mayor and I had a conference call with Betsy Crum from the Women’s Institute on March 7th after they were notified that they had not been approved for the Downtown Development Bond through NCDC. Southeastern CT Council of Governments (SECCOG) in conjunction with the Southeastern Connecticut Housing Alliance released the 2018 Housing Needs Assessment for the southeastern Connecticut region at a session that was held at Otis Library on March 15th. Some of the key points included: • The number of households in the region is expected to increase by 7,200 (2015-2030) • There is a potential shift in housing preferences of younger households looking for communities with more urban characteristics. • Hiring by General Dynamic Electric Boat will further exacerbate housing shortage. The complete report is available at www.secccog.org. Active Shooter Training for City Office personnel was held on March 15th. Sixty-four people attended one of the 2 sessions that were presented by Deputy Chief Chris Ferace and Sgt. Tom Lazzaro. Thank you to both of them for an informative presentation. The handout “Avoid Deny Defend” was sent to all city employees after the session. The City Manager’s Office will be accepting Neighborhood Assistance Applications until June 1st, 2018. A press release was sent to the newspapers and it has been posted on the City’s website. I’ve attached the Key Financial Indicators report for the eight months ended February 28th from Comptroller Josh Pothier which coincides with the major tax collection and storm seasons. 3 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 Mayor Nystrom called for citizen comment on resolutions. Nina Barclay, Lathrop Lane, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Susan Masse, 1 Sachem Terrace, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Christine Rogers, 75 Charter Oak, Hartford, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Susan Augustyniak, 101 Broad St, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Gil Skillman, 101 Broad St, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Heather Romanski, 297 Scotland Rd, was disappointed in the process of membership selection on resolution #7. Ald. Philbrick returned at 8:50 pm. Irene Schienberg, 12 Jones Ct, spoke in favor with reservation on resolution #8. Dale Plumber, 25 Broadway, spoke in favor of resolution #8. Caroleen Frey, 9 Indian Hill Rd, thanked the Council for their service and talked about the assets Norwich has. Rodney Bowie, 62 Roosevelt Ave, spoke in favor of resolution #8. David Crabb, 47 Prospect St, spoke in opposition to resolution #8 Ben Haith, 39 Fanning Ave, talked about his background. H. Tucker Braddock, 868 Scotland Rd, addressed resolution #8. Brian Kobylarz, 16 Hobart Ave, spoke in support of resolution #8. Bill Block, 1 Sachem Terrace, spoke in favor of resolution #8. William Allen, 25 Broadway, spoke in support of resolution #8. Mayor Nystrom declared citizen comment on resolutions closed. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Burnham, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Ald. Gould. WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich by resolution adopted January 16, 2018 authorized the 19 North Cliff Street Committee of Sale to negotiate and draft a Development Agreement for 19 North Cliff Street with the Preferred Developer identified as the Burnham Square Development Agency, LLC; and 4 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 WHEREAS, the Preferred Developer registered with the Connecticut Secretary of State as a domestic limited liability company on January 19, 2018 under the business name of Burnham Square Development LLC; and WHEREAS, the 19 North Cliff Street Committee of Sale has negotiated a Development Agreement with Burnham Square Development LLC, a copy of which is attached to this resolution as Exhibit A, hereby presented to the Council for its consideration; and WHEREAS, on February 28, 2018 Burnham Square Development LLC executed said Agreement, which remains subject to Council approval. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that its resolution adopted January 16, 2018 be amended by substituting the name Burnham Square Development LLC in the resolution in place of Burnham Square Development Agency LLC wherever the latter name appears; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that it approves the proposed Development Agreement presented to it as between the City of Norwich and Burnham Square Development LLC for the renovation of 19 North Cliff Street; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that City Manager John Salomone be and hereby is authorized and directed to execute said Development Agreement on behalf of the City of Norwich as well as such other documents or correspondence as may be necessary to effectuate the same; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that the 19 North Cliff Street Committee of Sale be requested to continue to act on behalf of the city in periodically reviewing the renovations and be and hereby is authorized to monitor the performance of the Burnham Square Development LLC and to report to the council regarding the same at least biannually and additionally as necessary. Upon a motion of President Pro Tem Nash, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom and Ald. Philbrick. WHEREAS, the Norwich Harbor Management Commission and the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce will be co-producing “Rock the Docks 2018”, 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 11, 2018 Wednesday, July 18, 2018 Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Wednesday, August 1, 2018 Wednesday, August 8, 2018 Wednesday, August 15, 2018 Wednesday, August 22 and 29, 2018 (Rain Dates if needed) WHEREAS, “Rock the Docks” will allow the entire community to enjoy a variety of music and entertainment at a scenic location; and 5 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 WHEREAS, the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc., established through the Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce, proposes to make available beer and wine for sale 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 and the sales to be handled by an appropriately licensed, insured 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, the City Manager John Salomone is authorized and directed to grant permission to the Greater Norwich Area Business and Industry Foundation, Inc. to arrange for the sale and serving of beer and wine at the “Rock the Docks 2018” concert series to be held on the dates listed herein at the Howard T. Brown Park, subject to satisfactory proof that the sponsoring entity and any vendor selected by it shall have insurance coverage satisfactory to the City shall have complied with the applicable regulations of the state liquor control relating to such sales. Upon a motion of Ald. Burnham, seconded by President Pro Tem Nash, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom, President Pro Tem Nash, Ald. Gould and Philbrick. WHEREAS, the Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee of Norwich will sponsor the 27th year of “The Taste of Italy” at the Howard T. Brown Park on September 8th, 2018. WHEREAS, “The Taste of Italy” allows the Italian Community to share its cultural heritage with the Norwich Community and permits festival goers to enjoy the food, music and entertainment of Italy; and WHEREAS, the Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee of Norwich has requested permission to sell beer and wine during the festival. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that pursuant to Section 13.14.2 of the Norwich Code of Ordinances, the City Manager John Salomone be and is hereby authorized to grant the Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee of Norwich permission to serve and sell beer and wine at “The Taste of Italy” festival to be held on September 8th, 2018 at the Howard T. Brown Park subject to satisfactory proof that the Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee of Norwich has complied with 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 Italian Heritage and Cultural Committee of Norwich and any vendor of beer and/or wine for the event. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Burnham, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom. 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 2018 carnival hosted by the Norwich Noontime Rotary, if approved by the Council, will be held from Thursday, May 24, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. to Monday, May 28, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. at Howard T. Brown Park (setup of the carnival will be Wednesday, May 23); and 6 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 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. Upon a motion of President Pro Tem Nash, seconded by Ald. Burnham, 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 Zoning Board of Appeals for a term to expire on 2/28/20 or until a successor is appointed; Peter Cuprak (R) NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Norwich hereby acknowledges the appointments of the above named to the Zoning Board of Appeals. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Burnham, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Ald. Gould, DeLucia and Philbrick. BE IT RESOLVED that the below named be appointed as regular member of the Commission for the Persons with Disabilities with a term to expire on March 16, 2019 or until a successor is appointed: Laurieann Messore (R) Upon a motion of Ald. Burnham, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom. WHEREAS, facilities owned by the City of Norwich and used for school purposes are placed under the control of the Board of Education while so used and returned to the control of the City of Norwich when such use is discontinued; and WHEREAS, the proper upkeep, maintenance and structural improvement of school facilities require regular interactions among the Board of Education, the Council of the City of Norwich, the City Administration and parents and the community; and WHEREAS, recent studies have recommended the consolidation of existing schools to better serve the city; and WHEREAS, the Council finds that the establishment of a committee made up of representatives as listed will facilitate the exchange of information necessary to fulfil the city’s responsibilities with respect to school facilities and any proposed consideration. 7 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that, a committee to be known as the 2018 School Facilities Review Committee be and hereby is established to meet as often as it deems necessary for the purpose of evaluating school facilities and for making such recommendations and reports as it deems appropriate and necessary; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that the following be and hereby are appointed as members of said committee; and See Schedule A attached hereto BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that said Committee is requested to hold an organizational meeting on or before April 15, 2018 at a time and place to be selected by Mayor Peter Nystrom and to report to the Council on a regular basis. 2018 School Facilities Committee Council Representatives: Stacy Gould Joseph DeLucia Board of Education Representatives: Dr. Yvette Jacaruso Tricia Staley Community/Parent Representatives: John Levangie Paula Rosenberg Bell Mark Bettencourt Susan Blinderman-Staff-NPS Delisia Dollinger-Staff-NPS Charles Cottle Ryan Telford Ex-Officio Members: Abby Dolliver, Superintendent-NPS Peter Nystrom, Mayor Athena Nagel, Business Administrator-NPS Josh Pothier, Comptroller John Salomone, City Manager Michael Driscoll, Corporation Council Dolores Thayer, Facilities Manager-NPS 8 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 19, 2018 Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Burnham, it was voted to put the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom and Ald. Gould on the floor. WHEREAS, the Women’s Institute by e-mail of March 2, 2018 provided the city with an update on its efforts to obtain funding for the Reid & Hughes project pursuant to the Development Agreement entered into between the Women’s Institute Realty of Connecticut, Inc. and the City of Norwich, indicating at that time that it had $250,000 in approved or committed grant funding, was seeking an additional $150,000 for code correction work through the Norwich Community Development Corporation, had applied for funding of an additional $65,000, and has a loan commitment of $211,689.33; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich on March 5, 2018 authorized City Manager John Salomone to act on behalf of the City of Norwich to effectuate the city’s responsibilities under the Development Agreement if the Women’s Institute advised that it had secured the funding sought through the Norwich Community Development Corporation; and WHEREAS, that funding did not materialize; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich finds it to be in the best interest of the City of Norwich for the Women’s Institute to complete the Stabilization Phase of the Reid & Hughes project, and is prepared to provide funding of $150,000 if a satisfactory amendment to the Development Agreement between the City of Norwich and the Women’s Institute Realty of Connecticut, Inc. can be agreed to, it being the intention of the council that any funding from the city whether secured or otherwise, be spent after all applicable grant funding and only if the expenditure of city funds is necessary to and will result in the stabilization of the Reid & Hughes Building. 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 attempt to negotiate an amendment to the Development Agreement between the City of Norwich and the Women’s Institute Realty of Connecticut, Inc. establishing terms and conditions applicable to any funds to be provided to the project by the City of Norwich up to a figure of $150,000 for the Stabilization Phase, as well as any extensions to the Development Agreement timeline which may be required, and present the same to the Council for its consideration and potential approval at the Council meeting of April 2, 2018; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH that, the sum of $150,000 be and hereby is appropriated for this purpose from the 2017-2018 Capital Budget for Road Improvements (account 10218-88600) to be expended only if an amendment to the Development Agreement satisfactory to the Council of the City of Norwich can be reached with the Women’s Institute Realty of Connecticut, Inc. On a vote of 6-1 with Ald. Philbrick voting in opposition. Resolution passes. Upon motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by President Pro Tem Nash, it was unanimously voted to adjourn at 10:10 P.M. City Clerk 9