The special Committee of the Whole meeting of City Council on Thursday offered no surprises.
The motion was divided so that each potential appointee could be voted on separately.
Rich Wareing and Cherita McIntye received yes votes from all present councilmembers. Matt Poland and Dr. Jose Colon-Rivas both received seven votes in favor with Councilperson MacDonald abstaining. Mayor Segarra received seven votes in favor, with only Councilperson Cotto showing objection.
Councilperson Deutsch was absent from the meeting. Continue reading 'Board of Education Votes are In'»
Tonight, City Council passed the “Resolution Restoring Good Jobs at the Hartford Courant,” on the consent calendar with only Councilperson Wooden abstaining.
Before voting, several members of the City Council explained their motives. Continue reading 'City Council Calls on Courant to Rehire Cleaners'»
Eight office cleaners at the Hartford Courant lost their jobs in December.
There is no hope for recourse for many who suffer job loss. This has not been the case in Hartford, where the community has rallied around the janitors whose pay was deemed too costly at the same company that provided $42 million in bonuses for others at the Tribune.
On January 9, 2012, residents spoke out before a City Council meeting, urging officials to take some kind of action on this matter. Last Saturday, the Hartford Organizing Group held a “comfort food feast” to raise funds for the janitors. They raised nearly $1400, which will be presented to the cleaners today at the “Project the Truth” march and rally slated for 4:30 this afternoon. The protest will begin in front of the Old State House and conclude at the corner of State Street and Columbus Boulevard.
At the next meeting of the City Council, there will be discussion of the following resolution:
During the last meeting, there was talk of the City possibly advertising its job openings in local media sources that are not owned by the Tribune.
UPDATE: edited (20 Jan 2012) to show expanded version of the resolution
The installment of letter grades on restaurant windows and doors recently has created confusion, even though the ordinance responsible for this was adopted and in effect in June 2011, with an 8-0 vote from City Council.
Restaurants, already requiring inspection, now must display the outcome of these routine checks. The grades are large, on letter-sized paper. Those who attempt to camouflage, deface, or remove the letter grade could have their license suspended or revoked.
Restaurants that receive a grade lower than a ‘B’ (80%) have nothing to display within five feet of the front door or on the drive-thru menu at establishments to which that applies. They would be reinspected after a set amount of time, and the letter grade for the subsequent visit would be assigned, if they pass. If not, they must deal with a failed health inspection as before this ordinance passed, with the only difference being that the public knows something is amiss by the lack of grade affixed to the front entrance.
Not all food vendors must display letter grades. The ordinance explains:
Besides these exemptions, there are some exceptions for the requirement that the grade be displayed within five feet of the front door. For food courts, like the one in State House Square or in El Mercado, each vendor still needs to display its grade, but it can be in any number of places: menu, counter, in the “initial patron contact area,” or in another location deemed acceptable by the Director of Health and Human Services. Continue reading 'Restaurant Ratings'»
Although City Council took its first official action of 2012 last week, Monday evening was its first regular (read: not accompanied by ceremony) meeting.
The public comment session showed two prevailing issues on residents’ and stakeholders’ minds: housing and employment. Continue reading 'On Residents’ Minds'»
It was standing room only — and that room to stand was hard to find — for the audience of Tuesday evening’s inauguration. A true Hartford event, those in fur, suits, and velvet mingled with those in rhinestones, denim, t-shirts and cowboy hats.
The ceremony included an invocation and benediction split between four readers (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim), three songs performed live by students at Kinsella School, Martin Luther King School, Bulkeley High School, and High School, Inc., the Pledge of Allegiance led by Girl Scouts, presentation of a staff and gold key to Segarra, and some speeches.
From the first floor, one could embrace the fanfare, but from an aerial view, cynicism could come as easily as spotting comb-overs and which officials appeared to be playing with their phones during the ceremony.
The first resolution that the Court of Common Council voted on was who to appoint as Council President. Continue reading 'Pomp, Divisiveness, and New City Council President'»
If your New Year’s resolutions included increasing your level of civic engagement, then you can take a step toward fulfilling that goal tonight. The swearing in ceremony will take place in the atrium of City Hall. This is free and open to the public, but about forty seats will already be reserved for the families and friends of Mayor Segarra and the incoming City Council.
Mayor Segarra, who was appointed and sworn in during the Perez scandal in June 2010, has been elected by the people and will begin his first full term as Hartford’s 66th mayor.
City Councilpersons being sworn in include eight men and one woman: Alex Aponte (Democrat), Kyle Anderson (D), Luis Cotto (Working Families), Raul DeJesus (D), Larry Deutsch (WF), Cynthia Jennings (WF), Ken Kennedy (D), David MacDonald (D), and Shawn Wooden (D).
Adam Cloud, who was appointed to the position of Treasurer in February 2011, will be sworn in as well. Continue reading 'Swearing at Seven'»
How bad has the bed bug situation gotten? Enough, apparently, to call for an amendment to the Pest Extermination Ordinance. On Monday, there will be a public hearing to allow residents to chime in on the matter.
In a letter to the Council, Mayor Segarra calls for an amendment which would fine tenants who either create or refuse to deal with bed bug situations:
Continue reading 'Things That Go Itch in the Night'»
The decision to remove a second-generation scion of the Charter Oak was bittersweet for many parishioners at Center Church, but in September, the tree at the corner of Main and Gold was taken down. Now, a milled slab of it is on display at the Connecticut Historical Society as part of the New Life for Connecticut Trees exhibit.
It’s in good company.
Also on display: furniture made from a tree that stood in front of the Ivoryton Playhouse. That former tree’s story? In its shade, Marlon Brando and Katharine Hepburn used to run through their lines. Continue reading 'Upcycling Urban Trees'»
Early, unofficial results show the six endorsed Democrats (Anderson, Aponte, DeJesus, Kennedy, MacDonald, and Wooden) and three of the four running on the Working Families slate (Cotto, Deutsch, and Jennings) winning seats on Hartford’s City Council.
At the Red Rock Tavern, the Working Families Party celebrated their win. Followed by booming applause, Jennings said that the only Republican elected was Segarra. The Mayor ran as a Democrat, but had accepted the endorsement by the Republicans and was on the ballot for both parties.
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