City Council

JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 7, 2022 The regular meeting of the Council of the City of Norwich was held March 7, 2022 at 7:30 PM in Council Chambers. Present: Mayor Nystrom, President Pro Tem DeLucia, Ald. Neuendorf, Gould, Singh, Burto and Wilson. City Manager Salomone and Corporation Counsel Michael Driscoll were also in attendance. Mayor Nystrom presided. Ald. Gould read the opening prayer and Ald. Wilson led the members in the Pledge of Allegiance. Mayor Nystrom called for a moment of silence for the people of Ukraine. Please be advised that meetings of the Norwich City Council can be viewed in their entirety on the City of Norwich website “norwichct.org”. Upon a Motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Singh, on a roll call vote it was unanimously voted to adopt the minutes of February 7 and 22, 2022. CITY MANAGERS REPORT To: Mayor Nystrom and members of the City Council From: John Salomone, City Manager Subject: City Manager’s Report Date: March 7, 2022 Meetings attended were with State representatives and legislators, Southeastern Council of Governments (SCCOG), and Connecticut Conference of Municipalities Legislative Committee Meeting (CCM). Comptroller, Josh Pothier and I have started the budget review process with staff. Effective February 28th, based on the significant improvement in the infection rates of COVID‐19, the City’s mask policy in City owned buildings was changed to “Please wear a mask if not vaccinated”. The health and safety of our employees, their families and our community is our main concern. We will continue to monitor conditions in our region very closely and adjust our policies and procedures whenever necessary. Norwich Public Works hosted a regional Point of Distribution on March 2nd for DEMHS Region 4 to distribute COVID test kits and supplies to schools in the region. Norwich Fire and volunteer departments are organizing a program to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Van Tassel fire and explosion that claimed the lives of 4 Norwich firemen. The ceremony will be held at Fire Headquarters on Sunday, April 3rd. Further details will follow when available. Norwich Recreation Winter Session has been a big success with many programs at the maximum enrollment. The 4th Annual Spring Egg‐stravaganza will be held on April 9th at Dickenman Field. Registration is available on the Recreation Departments web page at www.norwichct.org. Norwich Youth and Family Services hosted a Community Panel to address recent concerns regarding substance use in our community. Experts on the panel included Reliance Health, Perceptions Program, and doctor from the Hartford Health Care ER Department. A Narcan was included as part of the panel. The link to the panel can be found on the NYFS YouTube channel. They have an upcoming event “Hidden In Plain Sight Training” (Substance Use Prevention Program) scheduled for March 10th. Norwich Human Services is actively seeking worksites for the summer youth employment program. These partnerships provide critical opportunities for disadvantaged youth to learn employability skills and earn summer income while supporting area businesses and organizations with summer staff at no cost to them. Information is available on the City’s Facebook page. 1 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 7, 2022 Norwich Human Services would like to recognize Erin Haggan, Coordinator of Youth and Family Services, for her advocacy to bring awareness to the genetic disorder, Trisomy. Her efforts helped to establish the declaration of March 2022 as Trisomy Awareness Month in the State of CT by Governor Lamont. I have attached the notes from the Fire Chiefs meetings held in January and February. City Manager’s Report to Public Safety March 9, 2022 meeting I met with the Fire Chiefs three times over the past several weeks. In January I held a hybrid Chiefs meeting with some meeting in person and others joining via Turbobridge. Following that meeting we did another hybrid meeting in late January with American Ambulance. The Chiefs and I also met in person on February 15th. The Chiefs met on their own with radio project representatives. We followed up on previous discussions regarding American Ambulance, the citywide radio project, firefighter physicals, NFA program, ARP funded project ideas, SOP committee, storm response, dispatch concerns, Emergency Reporting, and other topics There were a few questions on the nature of calls that the FDs have been sent to which prompted the additional meeting with American Ambulance. We revisited issues that were raised when we met with American back in November, acknowledging that some gains were made, but there is still more to do. The Chiefs will be meeting with American to review EMD procedures. The NFA fire program is on hold for now due to COVID and end of your schedules. Chief Eyberse will look to bring it back up in the future. The SOP committee continues to meet, and will report back to the Chiefs as they make progress. The ARP fund will be used to purchase Lucas Devices for all of the FDs that currently do not have one. Chief Montoya will follow up with Finance on the required forms. I asked the Chiefs to bring other potential ARP projects to the group. The radio project was discussed as a group, and also in separate meetings with Motorola and State reps. The vendor should have all they need to move forward with ordering components and accessories per the Chiefs input. The reporting software that the FDs use: Emergency Reporting, was sold to ESO. The Chiefs will be attending meetings with ESO to see how the migration from ER to ESO will proceed. One of their concerns is the ability to maintain historical data in ER when the move is made to ESO. There are a number of additional questions that they will pose to ESO during their upcoming meetings. The RFP for a citywide standard for Firefighter physicals was in final draft form. There were some challenges with the level of physical required for the different positions across the departments (interior firefighter, support personnel, etc). The purchasing agent is involved in the discussion and recommended starting the RFP with the standard for interior firefighter, then adjusting it for those that can get by with less requirements. The Chiefs shared successes and challenges with different providers, and also discussed physical fitness aspect of annual physicals. 2 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 7, 2022 We discussed the recent winter storm response and specifically some issues that were raised during the February Public Safety meeting. We will include NPW in a future meeting to address some of the Chiefs’ concerns. My next scheduled meeting with the Chiefs is March 15th. Please be advised that meetings of the Norwich City Council can be viewed in their entirety on the City of Norwich website “norwichct.org”. Mayor Nystrom called for citizen comment on resolutions. Kevin Brown, President NCDC, thanked the Council for taking on this endeavor. Mayor Nystrom declared citizen comment closed. Upon a motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Wilson, on a roll call vote it was unanimously voted to adopt the following resolution introduced by Mayor Nystrom, President Pro Tem DeLucia and Ald. Gould. WHEREAS, on February 22, 2022 Mayor Peter Albert Nystrom, Alderwoman Stacy Gould and Alderman Derell Q. Wilson introduced an ordinance entitled: “AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9 DEFINITIONS, SECTION 9.2 DEFINED TERMS, OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS TO ADD MANUFACTURING RELATED TERMS, INCLUDING MANUFACTURING, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, FOOD MANUFACTURING, PRECISION MANUFACTURING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND RESEARCH LABORATORIES” and a first reading of the same was held; and WHEREAS, the rules of the council permit such an ordinance to be withdrawn by the sponsors at any time before decision without leave of the council, but require zoning matters to be resubmitted only within 60 days of withdrawal and no more than once a year; and WHEREAS, a substitute ordinance similarly titled clarifying the definition of manufacturing, sponsored by Mayor Peter Albert Nystrom, Alderwoman Stacy Gould, and Alderman Joseph DeLucia will be proposed to the council and introduced at this meeting; and WHEREAS, this new ordinance will likely follow the same schedule of notification, public hearing and second reading as the ordinance previously introduced and the council finds it to be prudent to formally recognize a withdrawal of the first ordinance by its sponsors to avoid confusion. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that the ordinance entitled: 3 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 7, 2022 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9 DEFINITIONS, SECTION 9.2 DEFINED TERMS, OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS TO ADD MANUFACTURING RELATED TERMS, INCLUDING MANUFACTURING, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, FOOD MANUFACTURING, PRECISION MANUFACTURING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND RESEARCH LABORATORIES introduced by Mayor Peter Albert Nystrom, Alderwoman Stacy Gould, and Alderman Derell Q. Wilson at the council meeting of February 22, 2022 be and hereby is withdrawn in anticipation of a new ordinance similarly titled being introduced at this meeting or within 60 days of the date of this resolution formally recognizing the withdrawal of the first proposed ordinance. Upon a motion of President Pro Tem DeLucia, seconded by Ald. Gould, it was unanimously voted to refer the below to the Commission on the City Plan, Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, CT DEEP, Towns: Lisbon, Preston, Bozrah, Montville, Franklin Sprague and Preston, Water Companies: NPU and Montville WPCA, waive the full reading of the text and set a public hearing on April 4, 2022 at 6:30 pm for the second reading and action for the following ordinance introduced by Mayor Nystrom, President Pro Tem DeLucia Ald. Gould. AN ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 9 DEFINITIONS, SECTION 9.2 DEFINED TERMS, OF THE ZONING REGULATIONS TO ADD MANUFACTURING RELATED TERMS, INCLUDING MANUFACTURING, ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, FOOD MANUFACTURING, PRECISION MANUFACTURING, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, AND RESEARCH LABORATORIES WHEREAS, the Norwich Zoning Regulations in Chapter 9 Definitions at Section 9.2 Defined Terms define certain words for purposes of the Zoning Regulations; and WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Norwich as Zoning Commission finds that adding certain Manufacturing and Research and Development related terms to the defined terms will assist in interpreting and implementing the Zoning Regulations. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH, that Section 9.2 of Chapter 9 of the Zoning Regulations be amended by adding the following terms as listed herein, said amendment to take effect on the 10th day following passage and publication of this ordinance pursuant to Section 11 of Chapter V of the Code of Ordinances of the Charter of the City of Norwich. 9.2 Defined Terms Manufacturing Related Terms Manufacturing is the process of turning raw materials or parts into finished goods through the use of tools, human labor, machinery, and chemical processing, including, similar uses specified under CGS §32-9p(d), the definition of a Manufacturing Facility. Commercial cultivation, micro- cultivation, manufacturing, and production of plant-based products, and food or beverages, may be permitted as Manufacturing, Advanced Manufacturing, Food Manufacturing, Precision Manufacturing, and Research and Development. 4 JOURNAL OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORWICH MARCH 7, 2022 Advanced Manufacturing is the use of innovative technologies to create products. Advanced manufacturing can include production activities that depend on information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking. Food Manufacturing is the commercial production and packaging of foods and beverages. A food manufacturer is responsible for the purity and proper labeling of the product and includes breweries and commercial bakeries which are primarily engaged in the manufacturing of baked goods for sale and distribution by other businesses. A restaurant or retail bakery is not considered a food manufacturer. Precision Manufacturing is the machining of individual pieces that requires identical parts to be created in large quantities for industries such as medical and aeronautical. Research and Development (R&D) includes activities directed toward the innovation, introduction, and improvement of products and processes. Research Laboratories means a facility or a specially designated area of a facility used primarily for research, development, and testing activity, and not primarily involved in the production of goods for commercial sale. Research and Development – See Manufacturing Upon motion of Ald. Gould, seconded by Ald. Singh, on a roll call vote it was unanimously voted to adjourn at 7:44 pm. City Clerk 5