City Council agenda for tonight (Monday) at 7, City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace:
COMMUNICATIONS TO BE REFERRED TO COMMITTEES:
Communication from City Attorney re: Proposed Settlement of Pending Litigation with Marian Evans, referred to Miscellaneous Matters Committee.
Communication from Mayor re: Appointment of Maura Crossin (D) to the Port Authority Commission, referred to Miscellaneous Matters Committee.
Communication from Central Grants re: Grant Submission: United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) 2014 Lead Safe for Kids Sake Grant Program, referred to Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.
Communication from Central Grants re: Grant Submission: United States Environmental Protection Agency Targeted Brownfield Assessment (TBA) Program, referred to Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.
Communication from Central Grants re: Grant Submission: State of Connecticut Department of Housing’s (DOH) Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Tranche 1-Application for Public Facilities, Infrastructure and Planning, referred to Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.
Communication from Central Grants re: Grant Submission: State of Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) for Water Quality Bio-filtration and Best Management Practices Implementation at Beardsley Zoo, referred to Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee.
Communication from Tax Collector re: Municipal Suspense Tax Book, referred to Budget and Appropriations Committee.
RESOLUTIONS TO BE REFERRED TO BOARDS, COMMISSIONS, ETC.:
Resolution presented by Council Members Banta and Taylor-Moye re: Proposed Request that Gregory Street be given the Honorary Designation of Bishop J.C. White Boulevard by adding his name above the street Signage on the Corner of Gregory and Lafayette Streets, referred to Public Safety and Transportation Committee.
Contracts Committee Report re: Hangar Lease Agreement with the Connecticut Aerospace Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. for the Location of the Connecticut Air & Space Center at Igor Sikorsky Memorial Airport.
Contracts Committee Report re: Master Municipal Agreement for Construction Projects with the State of Connecticut Department of Transportation.
Contracts Committee Report re: Resolution to Authorize and Approve the Transfer of Title from the State of Connecticut to the City for Water Street between Stratford Avenue and State Street in Furtherance of the City’s Downtown Intermodal Streetscape Project.
Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee Report re: Disposition and Redevelopment of City-Owned Property Located at 143 Fifth Street.
Economic and Community Development and Environment Committee Report re: Disposition and Redevelopment of City- Owned Properties to Habitat for Humanity.
City Council representatives as cheerleaders? See all those Grant submissions. They require approval by the City Council I suspect. That would be the reason they show up on the Council agenda.
OK, but once they are approved, did you know this is the last time there appears to be a public review or record of such Grants? You’re not surprised, you say? If the City (Council side and BOE) receives about $150 Million each year, more or less in such Grants, is it too much to ask all the money be listed in budget fashion with the number of people doing work or the equipment or services put to work for the City? Or would my Council person, Sue Brannelly, feel this would result in too much micromanaging from the taxpaying sector?
It might account for the purchase of water taxis and armored personnel carriers, however. And connect behavior in certain departments to their budgets. With no one really monitoring the expenditures of the administration, funny things are bound to happen. Would you believe illegal outlays of taxpayer funds? And if you heard local media are less excited about illegal goings-on in Bridgeport than ‘good news’ from New Fairfield, you have some sense on the state of investigative reporting, don’t you? Well there is always the Court system as a hopeful member of the “check and balance” fraternity. Perhaps when a docket number is assigned, the “newsies” will flock to the carrion. Time will tell.
Apart from all the grants, did anyone notice the request for approval of settlement for Marian Evans? That was a long time ago–middle-of-the-night firing of the Director of the Department of Health. Be interesting to see how much Finch is going to have to pay for this one. Has anyone kept a list of all the settlements we’ve had to pay for Finch’s arbitrary and capricious firing and removal of people he doesn’t like? Can hardly wait to see what we pay for settling the sure-to-come lawsuit over the firing of the airport manager. Just one expensive folly after another.
Well said, Baffled. I would LOVE to see a list of ALL the lawsuits and settlements the City has made as a result of personnel issues during the Finch administration. No doubt the numbers would be staggering; but who cares, it’s not your money, is it Bill?
Good catch by Baffled! Probably in the six-figure range like Ralph Jacobs.
Good catch! This blog has become a form of crowd sourcing in which ideas are shared and the general public learns more. This type of crowd sourcing will be one of the best forms of accountability and transparency.
A lot of interest in the goings-on at Testo’s but in the meantime and in the absence of City Council President Tom McCarthy, Denese Taylor-Moye, third in City command hierarchy, presided over public speaking (with the assistance of Councilman Paoletto as timekeeper?).
When the initial roll call was read there were only eight Council members present. Three of the regular public speakers addressed the mini-Council gathered, and then a representative of the fledgling Air Museum presented some prepared remarks as there was an item on the agenda Consent Calendar regarding a hangar lease. The group supporting the Museum feel the City is not appreciating the investment they have made (approaching $2 Million) and the future operation of the Museum with volunteers that will bring genuine tourism to this City location. The item will go back to Committee for additional info provided. Dollar per year lease to the group but the coverage of utilities, etc. going forward is equally important to the group.
And Dr. Marian Evans’ suit was the first item on the referral calendar. Councilman Torres raised the issue the case as initially presented had four named City Employees listed including the City Attorney. The nature of actions alleged in the suit may have left those individuals without City legal protection. Torres indicated he had used a portion of his stipend to subscribe to West Law, an internet service with details on cases. He began to question how the City could defend individuals who were named (and who otherwise might have to retain counsel personally) and was told the Case had been ‘renamed’ and was now against the City of Bridgeport.
Conflicts of interest are a constant theme in irregularities in Bridgeport governance. How can any person wearing multiple hats (representing responsibilities and/or interests) have the ability and sense of equity to wear all in justice. They cannot. And the Council lived up to that a few moments later when they were instructed to review and sign forms preparatory to voting on HUD-CDBG Grants for City millions annually that would eliminate from voting those who have conflicts. (It seems it is only with this HUD grant the Council comes face to face with the concept of conflicts of interest.)
Dr. Evans fell out of favor with the Finch team and they failed to renew her contract. Supporters in 2010 indicated she was a person of integrity who refused to participate in shady dealings. It is interesting to see Howard Gardner and Marilyn Moore among others were strong in identifying her termination as unjust and discriminatory. One way to move people “off the bench” and onto the field of community decision-making is to make martyrs of good people doing their assigned tasks. Finch never did open up the reasons for dropping Evans aside from saying it was a “personnel decision.” And it looks like the legal expenses since then and a settlement may raise this termination to a six-figure expense. Who cares about personnel issues where service indicators are not observed, are unreliable, and evaluations are something used in other communities? Time will tell.