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04-08-08 Ordinance Committee
TOWN COUNCIL MAJORITY OFFICE

ORDINANCE COMMITTEE

APRIL 8, 2008


PRESENT  Chair Richard F. Kehoe, Councillors William P. Horan and Donald H. Pitkin    
                         
ALSO               
PRESENT Michael Walsh, Finance Director
        Billy Taylor, Public Works Director
        Bonnie Nichols, Inspections and Permits Director
        Burnside Avenue Condominium Association members:
                Cynthia Brown, William Brown, Sophie Brown

CALL TO ORDER   

Chair Kehoe called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.


APPROVAL OF MINUTES

February 28, 2008 Meeting

MOTION  By Don Pitkin
                seconded by Bill Horan
                to approve the February 28, 2008 Ordinance Committee minutes.
                Motion carried 3/0.

OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK

Individuals who wanted to speak on agenda items agreed to do so when that particular matter was discussed.

OLD BUSINESS

Revisions to Town Ordinances

The Chair indicated that another chapter in the Town of East Hartford Code of Ordinances would be discussed in May 2008.

Chapter 16, Section 16-5, Trash Collection for Condominiums

The committee reviewed the costs of the town on a per household basis to pick-up both trash and recycling materials and compared it to the price which Burnside Condominiums was paying to a private collector. The town’s per household cost was much cheaper. The committee also reviewed a list of the condominium complexes by unit and indicated that there were between nine and thirteen complexes of 15 units or less.  The committee agreed to study this information and ask for further information from the Public Works Director concerning which of the condominium complexes with 15 units or less are already receiving trash pick up services from the town.  The committee agreed to postpone action on this item pending receipt of that information from the Public Works director and further discussions with the Mayor on this issue.

Chapter 10, New Article 9: Other Post-employment Benefits Trust

The committee reviewed the January 28, 2008 draft of the proposed ordinance concerning post employment benefits trust and made two minor changes to that draft which reflect the fact that both pension and retiree benefits from the pension fund are provided to non-union employees as well as union employees. Therefore the references to pension contracts were broadened to include non-union workers who, by contract or agreement with the town, received benefits paid out of those funds.  Those changes are incorporated and become the April 8, 2008 draft.

MOTION  By Don Pitkin
                seconded by Bill Horan
                to send the April 8, 2008 draft of the proposed ordinance, entitled Pension
and Retiree Benefit Board, to the Town Council for the purposes of
                setting a public hearing date.
                Motion carried 3/0.


NEW BUSINESS

Chain Link Fence Slats

The ordinance committee reviewed photographs of a chain link fence on Park Avenue which contained slats in between the chain links of various colors and were poorly maintained.  The slats protruded out of the top and curled underneath the bottom of the fence.  Inspections and Permits Director Bonnie Nichols felt that the current fence ordinance should be clarified to specifically address the use of slats in this manner.  The Committee reviewed the current ordinance regarding fences, which is an amendment to subdivision (17) of Section 7-8 of the Code of Ordinances and agreed to add the following sentence at the end of subdivision (17):  “Any slats in between the chain links of a fence shall be of a uniform color pattern and shall be trimmed to grade level and to the top rail of the fence.”  With this addition, the current fence ordinance becomes the proposed April 8, 2008 draft of the ordinance entitled, Chain Link Fence Slats.


MOTION  By Don Pitkin
                seconded by Bill Horan
                to send the April 8, 2008 draft of the proposed ordinance, entitled
Chain Link Fence Slats, to the Town Council for the purposes of
setting a public hearing date.
                Motion carried 3/0.

Adult Entertainment

The Chair distributed two model ordinances regarding the regulation of the operations of adult entertainment businesses for the committee’s future consideration. The Chair noted that the committee and all members of the Town Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission were to meet later this month to gather further information regarding the impact of adult-oriented entertainment on surrounding neighborhoods and the town.  The committee agreed to take up this matter after that meeting.


ADJOURNMENT
MOTION  By Don Pitkin
                seconded by Bill Horan
                to adjourn (8:00 p.m.)
                Motion carried 3/0.




cc:  Town Council
      Mayor Currey
      Mike Walsh, Finance Director
      Billy Taylor, Public Works Director
      Bonnie Nichols, Director, Inspections & Permits
      Burnside Avenue Condominium Association members:
                Cynthia Brown, William Brown, Sophie Brown