City Council Meeting Notes

Meriden's City Council approved or referred several measures at a short meeting Monday night, including a new fire lane, and the go-ahead for the city to apply for state historic preservation funds.

Approved

Councilors approved a resolution from the Finance Committee to establish a Fire Lane in front of the at 105 Miller Street.

The council gave the green light to the city to apply for a grant of $20,000 to the state for a State Historic Preservation Survey and Planning Grant. The grant would fund city efforts to "identify and categorize properties according to their age and historic value," City Manager Lawrence Kendzior said. Those initial steps would help property owners apply for their own historic preservation grants. The grant, according to a resolution, would not require any matching funds from the city.

Mayor Michael S. Rohde's appointment of the Rev. James Olson, and Linda Mesite to the city's Human Rights Advisory Board was approved by councilors.

Sent to Finance Committee

The council sent a Public Safety Committee resolution for a proposed streetlight on the corner of Lucia Drive and Lou Ann Terrace to the council's Finance Committee. The pole would cost $284.38, with $1,000 for installation, according to a committee resolution. The yearly energy cost is estimated at $142.

Councilors also referred a bid to fill four Water Pollution Control Facility Vacancies to the Finance Committee, an assistant Manager, a laboratory technician, a maintenance mechanic 1, and a maintenance mechanic 3. Two of the openings are from retirements, one is from a resignation, and the fourth is a new position the Public Utilties Division is requesting to help with the additional needs of the newly upgrated Water Pollution Control Facility.

An agreement with the City of Meriden Public Health Nurses CHCA Unit #8 – was sent to the Finance Committee. The agreement would include a 1.7% increase in wages. According to the council's resolution, the wage increases "are in line with that given to other units and in the municipal market."

The council sent a resolution for the city to purchase a large two-family home at 684 Broad St for $90,000 to the Finance Committee. The funds would be taken out of $380,000 federal grant provided to the city through the 2011 Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3. According to the resolution, the city will substantially rehabilitate the structure to be reused as a two-family home, "in accordance with the city's best interests, improving the surrounding neighborhood and increasing the city's tax base.

Public Comment

Residents brought up a number of different issues at the city's quarterly public comment hearing Monday night – one railed against signing a labor agreement for construction of the city's high schools, another asked how a proposed rezoning of parts of the city from muliti-family to single family homes would be enforced. 

Resident and runner Andrew Piatek told councilors that smoking should be banned at the track at Platt High School and the Linear Trail. He said he's happened upon smokers while running at both places. Councilors said they would follow up on the issue.

Joe Torchia said that many of the Hall of Fame plaques in City Hall needed to be updated with death dates, "It looks like my grandfather's 108 and doing very well." Mayor Rohde said he would forward the request to the non-profit group that runs the Hall of Fame.