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Tuesday, March 15, 2016

THIS IS GETTING TIRING

I must be in the mood for beatings tonight, but here goes. I really am getting of tired of people that love to blame our budget problems and everything else to do with money on the City Treasurer . The City Treasurer is really the glorified keeper of the checkbook for the City of Hartford.( Sorry Adam)

The definition of the Treasurer's position is below, directly from the Hartford City Charter. No where will you find in there that he is responsible for the City's  budget, allocating money to departments(other than paying their bills when properly  requested) or any other financial responsibilities. I am sure he can (and probably does) make  financial  recommendations, but no one is bound to accept them. That is the Council's function as the fiduciary body for the City. Probably one of the largest and most important roles of the Treasurer is managing the Pension fund and heading the Pension Commission.

You may not like the Treasurer, but read the section below before commenting on so called " wrong doing"

Sec. 1. - City treasurer.    There shall be a city treasurer, who shall have the powers set forth in this Charter, or as otherwise provided by law. (a) Duties. The city treasurer shall have the following responsibilities, as well as any others set forth in this Charter, the General Statutes or by ordinance: (1) Custodian of city funds. Except as otherwise provided in or pursuant to any of the provisions to which reference is made in subparagraph (4) below, the city treasurer shall have custody of, and shall disburse, all funds belonging to the city and shall deposit the same in one (1) or more authorized public depositories. For purposes of this chapter, an "authorized public depository" shall be any bank and/or trust company that qualifies as qualified public depository under and pursuant to the General Statutes to the extent the same has been designated as such by the council on the recommendation of the mayor, following consultation with the city treasurer. (2) Treasurer of town deposit fund and capital improvement funds. Investment responsibilities. The city treasurer shall have custody, and shall be treasurer, of the town deposit fund and the capital improvement fund as well as any trust or like funds which are established by or under this Charter or the General Statutes for any eleemosynary purposes by or for the benefit of the city of Hartford, its residents or any of its public parks, buildings or other improvements. In that capacity, the city treasurer shall have authority to invest and reinvest the assets of all such funds in cash, securities and other investment instruments and/or vehicles which are legal for the investment of trust funds under the General Statutes, consistent with the fiduciary and other standards set forth in the Connecticut Uniform Prudent Investors Act. Nothing herein shall be construed to prevent sinking funds and trust funds from continuing to be managed by the trust companies managing them at the effective date of this Charter, unless the appointment is revoked by the council for cause. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the management of any trust fund, or any trust fund is hereafter created, the council shall have power, on the recommendation of the city treasurer, to designate one (1) or more authorized public depositories to manage the same, which designation shall continue until revoked by the council for cause. (3) Disbursements. The city treasurer shall make no disbursement from any funds of the city except by check or electronic transfer signed or authorized by the city treasurer. Each check or transfer shall be based upon a voucher or payroll duly audited by the director of finance. Before signing any check or authorizing any transfer the city treasurer shall be satisfied that such check or transfer represents the payment of a duly authorized obligation of the city. The city treasurer shall keep such books and records as the director of finance shall prescribe. The city treasurer's official bond shall be a surety company bond in an amount sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the General Statutes and the ordinances. (4) The role of the city treasurer with regard to city pension funds. The city treasurer shall have the specifically delineated responsibilities pertaining to the care, custody and investment of the assets held in various of the pension and retirement funds that are maintained on behalf of current and/or former city employees and their beneficiaries, and such powers incident to such responsibilities (including the power, upon approval of the pension commission, to invest and reinvest the same and to enter contracts with qualified custodians, investment advisers and life insurance companies) all as and in the manner referred to in Chapter XII of this Charter.

OVERSIGHT BOARD LEGISLATION DRAFTED FOR HARTFORD, READY TO BE INTRODUCED

One the heels of Mayor Luke Bronin's first State of the City Address last night, Hartford's dire financial condition is becoming more evident by the minute.

Draft legislation has been formulated to institute an oversight board for the City of Hartford and its finances and related operations. This is also clear vindication for "We the People" a some in the mainstream media doubted my sources last week when I first broke the story of the possibility of a State takeover or oversight board for Hartford


Twitter feed from the Hartford Courant's Rick Green

According to sources, the bill is expected to be introduced by Senator John Fonfara, passage is not definite .
otentially b a tough sell to once again bail out Hartford.

HARTFORD TREASURER RE-APPOINTS ATTORNEY BRUCE RUBENSTEIN TO AUDIT COMMISSION

Hartford's City Treasurer Adam Cloud today re-appointed Hartford Attorney and resident Bruce Rubenstein  to another four year term on Hartford's Audit Commission.

Rubenstein has been an aggressive member of the commission in his first term, helping to expose and investigate corruption and waste throughout City government. Rubenstein is one of three members on the Commission

COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING MONDAY

OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE
MONDAY MARCH 21, 2016
Councilpersons; Concepción, Deutsch, Gale, Jennings, and Sánchez will represent the Council at a Public Hearing to be held in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Building at 7:00 P.M., Monday March 21, 2016.
1. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO ENTER INTO A LEASE WITH THE CONNECTICUT CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER FOR OFFICE SPACE LOCATED AT 379-381 WASHINGTON STREET. MAYOR BRONIN
Referred to Planning and Zoning Commission
2. ORDINANCE TO IMPLEMENT THE CHARTER PROVISION AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF REGISTRAR OF VOTERS. (COUNCILMAN GALE)
Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget Committee and Government Accountability
3. ORDINANCE AMENDING CHAPTER 22, MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC BY ADDING THERETO ARTICLE IV, OBSTRUCTING INTERSECTION, OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE. (MAJORITY LEADER CONCEPCIÓN) (COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE II) (COUNCILMAN GALE) (COUNCILMAN SÁNCHEZ) (COUNCILWOMAN THAMES) (COUNCILWOMAN WINCH)
Referred to the Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee
4. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY TO SELL AND ISSUE UP TO $85 MILLION IN GENERAL OBLIGATIONS REFUNDING BONDS. MAYOR BRONIN
Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget Committee and Government Accountability
Attest: John V. Bazzano
City Clerk
For more information on committee meeting date please contact the following:
A regular Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee meeting will be held on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers.
Kevin L. Murray 860-757-9563
Kevin.murray@hartford.gov
Kristen Squillante 860-757-9567
Squilante.Kristen@hartford.gov
A regular Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee meeting will be held on the third Monday of each month at 5:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers.
Juan Hernandez 860-757- 9570
Juan.hernandez@

HARTFORD CITY COUNCIL ACTIONS FOR MARCH 14, 2016

PREPARED BY THE OFFICE OF HARTFORD'S TOWN AND CITY CLERK , JOHN BAZZANO. DISTRIBUTED BY SIXTO LAZU

MEETING OF THE COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL
March 14, 2016
The minutes of the regular meetings of February 8 & 22, 2016 were approved without objection.
ACTION TAKEN
COMMUNICATIONS
1. MAYOR BRONIN, Presentation State of the City Address.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________Received
2. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to accept HIV
Prevention Grant funding from the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
3. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to accept a grant from
the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environment Protection (DEEP) Community
Garden Grant Initiative for improvements to the Neighborhood Community Garden located at
122 Enfield Street.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
4. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to enter into a lease
agreement with Club Car, LLC., for leasing golf carts at Keney Park Golf Course.
___________________________Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee
5. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to accept funds from
the Emergency Management Performance Grant from the Connecticut Department of
Emergency Services and Public Protection.
________________________________________________________Referred to the Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee
6. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to enter into a two-
year contracts with four service providers as part of the Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration
and Healthy Homes Program.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
7. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution concerning the appointment of four
individuals as regular members and three alternate member too the Zoning Board of Appeals.
_____________________________________________Referred to the Planning, Economic Developmen and Housing Committee
8. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to apply for and
accept a grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) Highway Safety
Office for enforcement of Distracting Driving offenses.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
9. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution concerning the appointment of various
individuals to the Tree Advisory Commission.
___ _________________________________________ ______Referred to the Public Works, Parks and Environment Committee
10. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to accept a three-year
grant from the Connecticut Department of Health to address a variety of public health needs.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
11. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution concerning the appointment of various
individuals as members to the Hartford Parking Authority (HPA).
Replacement________________Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee
12. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution concerning the appointment of Marilyn
Cruz-Aponte as Director of the Hartford Department of Public Works.
March 28, 2016 @ 6:00pm
_____ _________________________________________ ___________________________Referred to the Committee of the Whole
13. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to issue a $665,000
loan to RBH Group to assist in financing an approximately $20 million mixed use
development at 370 Asylum Street.
___________________________Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee
14. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the City to sell and issue up
to $85 million in General Obligations Refunding Bonds.
HEARING DATE - Monday, March 21, 2016
___________________________Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee
15. MAYOR BRONIN, with accompanying resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept an
Enhanced 911 Capital Expenditure Grant from the Connecticut Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
16. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE, Communication concerning updates
from the Department of Health and Human Services.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________Received
17. PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE, Communication
concerning the MDC/Niagara Bottling proposal and fact finding visit to Flint Michigan.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________Received
REPORTS
18. PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING COMMITTEE, with
accompanying resolution concerning the appointment of Adrian Texidor to the Hartford
Stadium Authority.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
19. PLANNING, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING COMMITTEE, with
accompanying resolution authorizing the City to enter into a Construction Agreement and an
Operating Agreement with the Hartford Public Library at 500 Main Street.
__________________________________________________________________Action postponed until March 28, 2016
FOR ACTION
20. Ordinance Establishing Hartford as a Sanctuary City.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
PROPOSED ORDINANCES
21. (MAJORITY LEADER CONCEPCION) (COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE II)
(COUNCILMAN GALE) (COUNCILMAN SANCHEZ) (COUNCILWOMAN THAMES)
(COUNCILWOMAN WINCH) Ordinance Amending Chapter 22, Motor Vehicles and Traffic
by adding thereto Article IV, Obstructing Intersection, of the Municipal Code
HEARING DATE - Monday, March 21, 2016
_________________________________________________________Referred to the Quality of Life and Public Safety Committee
22. (COUNCILMAN GALE) Ordinance to Implement the Charter
Provision Authorizing the Appointment of Registrar of Voters.
HEARING DATE - Monday, March 21, 2016
Replacement________________Referred to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee
RESOLUTIONS
23. (COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE II) (MAJORITY LEADER CONCEPCION)
(COUNCILWOMAN WINCH) (COUNCILWOMAN THAMES) Acceptance of
contributions from the City of Hartford Employee Retirement Fund to create a City Treasurer
Internship Program with the purpose of providing stipends to students participants of the
program from Hartford Public High Schools.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
24. (COUNCIL PRESIDENT CLARKE II) (COUNCILWOMAN JENNINGS) (COUNCILMAN
SANCHEZ) The Court of Common Council hereby appoints Council President Thomas J.
Clarke II as a member of the School Building Committee.
______________________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
25. (MINORITY LEADER BERMUDEZ) Support by Court of Common Council for the
passage of House Bill 5370, An Act Increasing The Minimum Fair Wage.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________Withdrawn
26. (MINORITY LEADER BERMUDEZ) Support by Court of Common Council for the
passage of Senate Bill 221, An Act Concerning Paid Family and Medical Leave.
Replacement__________________________________Referred to the Planning, Economic Developmen and Housing Committee
27. (COUNCILMAN SANCHEZ) (MAJORITY LEADER CONCEPCION) (MINORITY
LEADER BERMUDEZ) The Court of Common Council recognizes September 15, 2016
through October 15, 2016 as Hispanic Heritage Month and encourages the participation of
individuals of all cultural backgrounds to participle in this annual homage.
Replacement __________________________________________________________________-______________________Consent
28. (COUNCILMAN SANCHEZ) The Hartford Court of Common Council endorses and
supports the Hartford Veterans War Memorial Park-Over Deck project and request to initiate
the required park over deck design process that is necessary to obtain state and federal transit
oriented development funding already identified for constructing the project.
Replacement _________________________________Referred to the Planning, Economic Developmen and Housing Committee
Attest: John V. Bazzano
City Clerk

Monday, March 14, 2016

MAYOR BRONIN'S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS

MAYOR BRONIN DELIVERS FIRST ‘STATE OF THE CITY’ ADDRESS
 
— NEWS AND COMMUNITY STATEMENT —
 
(March 14, 2016) Today, Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin delivered his 2016 State of the City address at Hartford City Hall.  Below are Mayor Bronin’s full remarks as prepared.
Council President Clarke, Members of the Court of Common Council, Treasurer Cloud, Members of Hartford’s Delegation to the General Assembly.
Thank you for your service to our city. It’s a privilege to work in partnership with you.

To the citizens of the City of Hartford, thank you for allowing me to serve you as your Mayor.

To our local businesses, small and large, to our non-profit partners, to our faith-based leaders and community volunteers — thank you for your commitment to our great city.

And to the hardworking employees in every city department, thank you for everything you do, every day, for the people of Hartford. I’m proud to work alongside you.

Finally, to my wife Sara and our three children, thank you and I love you.

---

Our city is the economic and cultural heart of this region.

It is the capital city, home to cultural institutions that outshine cities much larger than ours. Home to a business community that includes world-class, global companies, and small, creative local entrepreneurs.

Home to residents who work so hard, who serve their community and who persevere.

One Hartford, diverse, resilient. With a downtown that is increasingly vibrant. With distinct neighborhoods that remain the true soul of Hartford.  With magnificent architecture and parks, a legacy of our proud history.

And so, I can with confidence report that the state of our city can and will be strong — if we face our challenges honestly, with clear vision and with an unflinching willingness to do the difficult things those challenges demand.

I stand here as a new mayor. You have put your faith and trust in me, and in this new city council, to lead our city forward. I will honor that trust by being forthright with you, always.

And so I must also report, as directly and as plainly as I can, that while our city is strong, the state of our financial condition is dire.

We are in a state of fiscal emergency. How did we get here? Part of the answer is that, for too long, Hartford failed to make tough choices.

Past administrations borrowed liberally.  To make things easier in the short-run, they refinanced debt, pushing payments into the future. The bill is now coming due.

This year, the amount we will pay for debt service — the equivalent of mortgage payments on a home — was $10 million. Next year, it will be close to $30 million.  By 2019, it will be nearly $50 million. That’s if we don’t borrow another dollar, which isn’t realistic.
Past administrations promised benefits that Hartford’s tax base cannot support.

Our annual contributions to the pension fund have gone from under $10 million in 2010 to more than $40 million this year and next. And our healthcare costs rise dramatically year after year.

The City of Hartford administers more than sixty different health insurance plans for retirees, a costly burden that defies logic, but is required by past negotiations.

When some employees leave service, they receive six figure payouts of sick and vacation time. And when some employees retire today, they retire with annual pensions that far exceed their base pay.

I don’t say this to disparage our hardworking city employees, who earned their benefits under the contracts they negotiated. I believe that those who serve the public deserve good benefits and a safe retirement.

But the reality is that for too long, the City of Hartford made promises that are not sustainable.

And, of course, past administrations raised taxes. Again and again. Today, Hartford’s small businesses pay the highest taxes in the state, more than twice what they’d pay in most neighboring towns.

Those tax increases raised money in the short term, but they drove businesses out and made it harder and harder for Hartford to grow.

Facing big deficits, past administrations bought time with one-time revenues — selling parking garages, raiding employee benefit reserves.

If you look at the budgets of the last few years and take out the one-time revenues, our city has been running tens of millions of dollars in deficit year after year.

Today, we are in a full-blown crisis and we cannot avoid it, we cannot ignore it, and we cannot solve it unless we all make very difficult, very painful decisions.

On June 30th, we will finish this fiscal year millions of dollars in deficit, and will draw down nearly half of the city’s reserves.

This year’s problem is small in comparison to next year’s problem — and the years beyond. Without painful changes, we will soon face deficits so big that even eliminating our entire police department and our entire fire department would not close the gap.

We’re like a household that’s taken out a second mortgage, maxed out the credit cards, and borrowed money from family and friends to keep up with the payments.

While we made some changes in the household budget, we didn’t make enough. As long as our expenses are higher than our income, the problem will get worse.

In years past, we might have hoped for relief from the State of Connecticut. Today, the State of Connecticut faces its own crisis, and the best we can probably hope for is to avoid getting cut.

We can’t expect any bailouts from the State. What can we expect?
There must be cuts in services and there will be layoffs. Difficult cuts that no one wants to make, and that in better times we wouldn’t even contemplate. Cuts in services that are important. Not cutting fat, but sacrificing things that matter.

There must be significant changes in labor contracts even with those layoffs, because we have no choice.

We must consider decreasing our pension contributions. Not because our pensions are fully-funded, but because a city in our financial position doesn’t have the luxury of fully-funding pensions in the near-term.

There must be help from our tax-exempt institutions. Institutions that are a vital part of our city — as employers, as centers of excellence, as points of pride. Institutions whose financial help we still need.

We must have a conversation with our largest property owners. These companies pay large tax bills already — and their philanthropic giving supports countless organizations serving Hartford residents. But we must nonetheless ask them to do more.

We may need changes in state law to achieve some of these things, and we will seek whatever changes we believe are necessary to put Hartford on a sound foundation, working in partnership with our outstanding Hartford delegation.

I’ve been blunt about the mistakes that got us here. I’ve been blunt about some of the steps that we must take. But let me be equally blunt in saying this:

Over the long-term, we can’t do this on our own here in Hartford.

The deepest cuts, the most painful concessions, the elimination of services, and even the most generous help from partners in Hartford — all of that will only get us part of the way toward closing the gap in the years ahead.

Because while part of the problem was a failure to make tough choices in the past, part of the problem is beyond the direct control of any Mayor or City Council.
Our city is less than eighteen square miles. Property taxes are our only real source of local revenue, yet more than half of our property is tax- exempt — because we’re home to institutions that serve the region and the state, but which pay no taxes to the City of Hartford.

We live in a region that is among the most affluent in America, yet we shoulder the responsibility of serving neighborhoods that are among the poorest in the nation.

We shoulder a burden that we cannot sustain alone, and that must be shared more broadly.  Not just for Hartford’s sake, but for the region and for the state.

This region needs a strong, healthy urban center at its core.

If we allow Hartford to fall into a cycle of crisis and decline, the impact will be felt not just in Hartford, but in home prices, home sales and unemployment numbers in West Hartford, Simsbury, Windsor, Glastonbury, Bloomfield, and every surrounding town.
If, on the other hand, we position ourselves to compete with the Austins, the Pittsburghs, the Louisvilles of America, the entire region will reap the rewards in jobs, in home prices, and in a virtuous cycle of innovation and growth.

In the long run, aside from getting our own house in order, there are three parts to the solution, all of which require us to build a consensus for change well beyond Hartford’s borders:

One is greater support from the state, despite the state’s budget crisis. Hartford is the state capital, and we all share an interest in — and responsibility for — Hartford’s success.

Another is to stop talking about regionalism and start regionalizing.

Regionalizing can take many forms. Sharing of services. Sharing of revenues. Or, as nearly every successful metro region in the country has done, actually breaking down boundaries.

Let there be no mistaking this reality: if we collectively cling to our New England provincialism too long, we will — sooner rather than later — find ourselves mourning the loss of the New England we love.

And a third part, which rests in the hands of the broader American electorate, is for the federal government to make real investments, once again, in state and local government — in transportation, in infrastructure, in education, in public safety, in research and development, in youth employment. The kinds of investment that helped make America great in the first place.

I have spoken at length tonight about our fiscal position. I will continue to speak publicly, in town halls and in community meetings, where residents have the chance to ask me questions directly.

This administration will tackle our challenges head-on, regardless of the political cost.

But this administration will not be defined by crisis alone. Even as we work hard to make the changes we need to survive, we will fight for our priorities.

We remain committed to doing everything we can to make our streets safer, and our neighborhoods stronger. By recruiting the next generation of police officers as so many Hartford police prepare to retire; by modernizing law enforcement, using cameras and other technology; and by engaging our community more effectively.

We embrace the principle that small things matter. Blighted properties, empty lots and litter can weigh a neighborhood down, and fixing those small things can change a whole community.

We will use every legal tool available to us to combat blight, and transfer chronically blighted properties into productive, caring hands.

We will continue to seek private resources to help put our young men and women to work — with a particular focus on building a Youth Service
Corps that gives our young people a chance to earn a paycheck while working for their community.

And I will advocate tirelessly for changes in our criminal justice system that will help make Connecticut — and Hartford — a true second chance society. That means lobbying private employers to “Ban the Box.”

That means reforming pre-trial detention, so that jail time has more to do with your crime and less to do with ability to make bail. And that means continuing to reform the pardon and parole process.

Most important of all, we will do everything we can to recruit and retain employers, small and big. We will help build a city that fosters innovation, incubation and entrepreneurship, because that’s what drives real, long-term growth — not expensive buildings or baseball stadiums.

When I launched my campaign for Mayor a year ago, I said that Hartford is at a moment of tremendous challenge and tremendous opportunity. Today, I believe that more than ever.

Next year, the University of Connecticut will open its doors downtown. In 2018, we will see commuter rail service linking New Haven, Hartford and Springfield.

The Capital Region Development Authority, which has fueled the residential development in downtown, now has capital set aside for investment in our neighborhoods.

There is increased interest in developing in Hartford, and a renewed excitement about Hartford in our surrounding towns.

The opportunities are real, and they are near. The challenges, too, are real. And they’re already here. The only way to seize our opportunities is to confront our challenges.

Tonight, I ask all of you to join me in securing Hartford’s future by confronting its financial challenges boldly.

We will not accept a future of decline for our city.

We will build Hartford on a sound foundation, so that what we build will last.

We will do whatever it takes to ensure that sometime in the future, a mayor will be able to stand in this chamber and declare that the state of our city is as strong as it has ever been.

Thank you all. May God Bless the United States of America, the State of Connecticut, and the great City of Hartford.