TOWN COUNCIL MAJORITY OFFICE
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 22, 2008
PRESENT Chair Richard F. Kehoe and Councillors William P. Horan (arrived 5:48 PM)
and Donald Pitkin (via telephone)
ALSO
PRESENT Melody Currey, Mayor
Michael Walsh, Finance Director
Billy Taylor, Public Works Director
Hockanum River Committee:
Doug Smith, Paula Flack, Peter Klock, Dave Cannell
Burnside Avenue Condo Association:
Susan Kniep, 50 Olde Roberts Street
Scott Hollister, 35 Kencove Drive
Anthony Hollister, 907 Forbes Street
Bruce Jokubaitis, 11 Kingston Drive
CALL TO ORDER
Temporary Chair Kehoe called the meeting to order at 5:42 p.m.
To accommodate the people present for the Hockanum River Committee and the Trash Collection for Condominiums, the agenda was taken out of order.
NEW BUSINESS
Hockanum River Committee
The ordinance committee discussed the issue of establishing a Hockanum River Commission for the purposes of providing an official agency to improve the Hockanum River
and increase the appreciation and the use of the Hockanum River. Doug Smith, from the Hockanum River Committee, addressed the ordinance committee and spoke about his group's activities along the river and the desire to have a commission that could coordinate, among other things, a canoe race along the Hockanum River. Several other residents spoke in favor establishing such a commission.
The committee reviewed the January 20th draft of the ordinance establishing the Hockanum River Commission. It was noted that there should be a slight revision to the last line of subsection (b) to read "Parks and Recreation Director", instead of "Parks of Recreation Director". With that change:
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to send the January 20, 2008 draft of the Hockanum River Commission ordinance to the Town
Council for the purposes of setting a public hearing date.
Motion carried 3/0.
The Chair explained to those present that they would be welcomed to speak on the ordinance at either the February 5, 2008 Town Council meeting or at the public hearing which would most likely be on February 19, 2008.
Trash Collection for Condominiums – Chapter 16, Section 16-5
The Chair indicated that the Council had been approached by members of a small condominium association located on Burnside Avenue, who had requested a waiver of the 50% homeownership requirement for condominiums to qualify for trash pickup. Cindy Brown, Mark Porriello and Bonnie Kiniry, who are members of the Burnside Avenue Association, addressed the committee on the financial problems facing their association which consists of only fourteen units. The Chair expressed his concern that the 50% homeownership rule has a logical reason for the town making that number as a cut-off, and that any lower number or exceptions could cause problems from a legal stand point.
The committee and the group discussed other possibilities including potentially offering the town's recycling pickup service to the condominium associations which may be less expensive than their current contract with their recycling and solid waste hauler.
The committee agreed to gather the following information:
1. a list of all condominium associations in East Hartford and the number of units within each
association.
2. the per household cost of East Hartford's trash pickup
3. the per household cost of East Hartford's recycling service
The Burnside Avenue Condominium Association would explore what the per unit cost is separately for trash pickup and recycling. The committee agreed to take up this item at the ordinance committee meeting provided that such information has been gathered prior to that meeting.
NOMINATION OF OFFICERS
Don Pitkin placed in nomination the name of
Rich Kehoe as Chair of the Ordinance Committee.
Bill Horan seconded that nomination.
Don Pitkin placed in nomination the name of
Bill Horan as Secretary of the Ordinance Committee.
Rich Kehoe seconded that nomination.
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to close the nominations and have the secretary cast one ballot for Rich
Kehoe as Chair and Bill Horan as secretary of the Ordinance Committee.
Motion carried 3/0.
ADOPTION OF RULES GOVERNING MEETINGS
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to adopt the rules of the Chair as the rules governing the
meetings of the ordinance committee with challenges of
the rulings of the Chair being resolved in accordance with
Robert's Rules of Order as currently adopted by the Town Council.
Motion carried 3/0.
ESTABLISHMENT OF MEETING DATES
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to hold meetings at the call of the Chair.
Motion carried 3/0.
STORAGE OF RECORDS
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to store records in the Town Council office.
Motion carried 3/0.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
October 23, 2007
MOTION Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to approve the October 23, 2007 Ordinance Committee minutes.
Motion carried 3/0.
Fence Regulations, Section 302.7 of the ICC Property Maintenance Code
The Chair noted that the committee would not act on the proposed fence ordinance pending Inspections and Permits Director Bonnie Nichols comments on the proposed ordinance.
Other Post-Employment Benefits Trust – Chapter 10, New Article 9.
The committee discussed the issue of liability for the town for health insurance benefits for retirees. Such benefits are contractual promises that are made by the town in conjunction with a contract with the town's unions. Such long term liability must be calculated and included in the town's financial report pursuant to a new rule by the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB). The committee reviewed the January 20, 2008 draft of the proposed ordinance and discussed the concept of establishing a board in ordinance that was, in essence, the retirement board. There was also general agreement to establish a retiree benefit trust fund designed to start the process of putting money aside for the payment of health insurance benefits for retired town employees, recognizing that a substantial part of this obligation will not
come due for decades from now. The Finance Director will provide further comments on the draft of the proposed ordinance to the committee. The committee will take no further action pending receipt of his comments.
OLD BUSINESS
Revisions to Town Ordinances
No action at this time.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Don Pitkin
seconded by Bill Horan
to adjourn (7:24 p.m.)
Motion carried 3/0.
cc: Town Council
Mayor Currey
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
Bonnie Nichols, Director, Inspections & Permits
Billy Taylor, Director, Public Works
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