TOWN COUNCIL MAJORITY OFFICE
ORDINANCE COMMITTEE
JULY 15, 2013
PRESENT Chair Rich Kehoe, Councillors Bill Horan and Eric Thompson
ALSO Rich Gentile, Assistant Corporation Counsel
PRESENT Robert DeCrescenzo, Attorney for Martin Motors
Mr. Max O’Meara, Martin Motors, LLC
Susan Kniep
Don Sugalski
George Agnelli, Jr.
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Kehoe called the meeting to order at 5:35 p.m.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
January 23, 2013 Meeting
MOTION By Eric Thompson
seconded by Bill Horan
to approve the January 23, 2013 meeting minutes.
Motion carried 3/0.
OPPORTUNITY FOR RESIDENTS TO SPEAK
The Chair indicated that he would allow people to speak now and ahead of each of the agenda items.
Susan Kniep, 50 Olde Roberts Street, commented on the following: (1) will not support any increase in the Mayor’s salary – she believes we need to send a message to the unions; (2) believes that the town’s Code of Ethics should be revised to address a number of issues that she has included in a memo to the Ordinance Committee.
George Agnelli, Jr., 92 Langford Lane, supports an increase in the Mayor’s salary, pointing out that her salary is much less than the Directors that she supervises. Mr. Agnelli also supports the relocation of the billboards from 275 Connecticut Boulevard to Roberts Street along Interstate 84.
OLD BUSINESS
Code of Ethics
The Committee reviewed the existing code of ethics and determined that there were a number of provisions that they would look at, including a comparison with the city of New Britain’s ethics statutes, a potential revision to the town’s ordinances to require that any person contracting with the town indicate whether that person has contributed to a campaign of a town official and also that if the entity contracting with the town is an “LLC”, the LLC must certify that none of the individuals who have ownership interest in the LLC have contributed to a town official’s campaign, or if they have, to disclose such contribution.
The Corporation Counsel’s office will review the ordinance for its applicability to members of the town’s boards and commissions. The Committee will also review a handout which Councillor Thompson provided to the Committee which gives a general overview of ethics statutes. Once this information has been reviewed by Committee members, they will determine which provisions they would wish to pursue at a later date.
Mayor’s Salary – Section 2-3
The Committee reviewed documentation that indicated that the Mayor’s salary has remained the same since 2008 and since that time, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) has increased between 13% and 16%. The Committee discussed the various options for addressing the erosion of the Mayor’s salary due to inflation and determined that an amount equal to 50% of the CPI increase since 2008 would be appropriate and is equal to an annual increase of 1.6% since 2008.
MOTION By Bill Horan
seconded by Rich Kehoe
to send the 07-15-13 draft of Section 2-3, entitled Mayor’s Salary,
which draft shall provide an 8% increase effective November 11, 2013,
to the Town Council for the purposes of setting a public hearing date.
Motion carried 2/1. Nay: Thompson
Councillor Thompson indicated he would not support any increase in the Mayor’s salary.
MAYOR'S SALARY
(Draft 07-15-13)
Section 2-3 of the East Hartford Code of Ordinances is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof:
Beginning November 11, 2013, the Mayor's salary shall be $87,912, which represents an 8% increase – approximately half of the increase in the Consumer Price Index since 2008.
NEW BUSINESS
Relocation of Billboards: 275 Connecticut Boulevard
The Committee heard a presentation from Attorney Robert DeCrescenzo, regarding the removal of two billboards with a total of four facings comprising an aggregate total of 1396 square feet from property that is owned by Martin Motors LLC. In return, the applicant would be authorized to place one billboard with two facings on property on Roberts Street that is currently owned by Freightliner with the billboard visible from I-84. Attorney DeCrescenzo indicated that the property on Connecticut Boulevard could be developed if the billboards were removed and that the billboards would provide an economic benefit to both Freightliner and the town through an increase in property taxes received by the town. Additionally, the town would be provided with some space on the billboard at various times during the calendar year.
The Committee reviewed the information that was provided to them and determined that they would continue to review such information and take this item up at the next Ordinance Committee meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION By Eric Thompson
seconded by Bill Horan
to adjourn (6:40 p.m.)
Motion carried 3/0.
cc: Mayor Leclerc
Town Council
Rich Gentile, Assistant Corporation Counsel
Mike Walsh, Finance Director
Susan Kniep
George Agnelli
Don Sugalski
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