[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6604581,"mediaKeyId","2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b","parentId",2987572,"title","Council approves Parkville Special Services District ordinance with amendment on mayoral appointments","audioSeconds",618,"startMs",2658000,"endMs",3276000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b&start=2658&end=3276","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b/thumbnail_2658000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6604581/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Council-approves-Parkville-Special-Services-District-ordinance-with-amendment-on-mayoral-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604581-527e097165836c2872ae759d97d9e58e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171820&Signature=Bgmw2jS4U9gv8oPaqxcaAyvpcBIYPEcBn4IjIfoQw9o07obRWbKNxXhpjuzH19aM5gcxvjQPuokxjrYiF8AlCVZCSVNStIT24TZcYdFsTYjI~DwBO61QwfpUV5SjFvR6vYfagWrIOSv6vqGhxk6iNVRWyf6WzvaAkPF7my~i4~FodHWW6GmJ2~XZyifvWPFYnsMoN8ZQqXQ3FiH2ShwanEgl7kxc-DOthdIdFscD-s-nyakgvYbcwu-rnwpY9A-zJUuqorKOvJv-tPuIYYDggdJml-JAIVAVTWlCju7C9ZVyWmSpybCJ5UNDqVRov4HpLEn5MFM3MS0K1k5PmCfTnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Hartford, CN","date","2025-04-15T00:22:43.443Z","article","The Court of Common Council voted April 15 to adopt an ordinance amending Chapter 28 of the municipal code to establish the Parkville Special Services District and approved a floor amendment changing how board appointments will be handled.

The original motion moved the ordinance with an amendment to section 28‑26(b)(1) that struck the phrase \"subject to approval by city council,\" effectively leaving appointment authority to the mayor and the mayor’s designee. Proponents on the floor described the change as consistent with other business improvement and special‑services districts in the city, saying routine mayoral appointments to similar entities historically have not required council confirmation.

Opponents, including Councilman Gayle and Councilman Mitcham, urged retaining council approval. Gayle said council oversight is customary and recalled rarely rejecting mayoral nominees, but he argued the council should at least review appointments. Mitcham and others said the council is a coequal branch and should exercise oversight to ensure long‑term governance accountability for a district that will outlast current officeholders.

After discussion, the council voted first on the amendment to remove the council‑approval language. The amendment vote recorded: Councilwoman Bilodeau — Yes; Councilman Clark — Yes; Councilman Gayle — No; Councilman Hernandez — Yes; Councilman Mickham — No; Councilman Rosato — Yes; Councilwoman Rosetti — Yes; Council President Surgeon — Yes; Councilman Thomas — No. The amendment passed.

The council then voted on the ordinance as amended. The roll call on the amended ordinance recorded: Councilwoman Bilodeau — Yes; Councilman Clark — Yes; Councilman Gayle — Abstain; Councilman Hernandez — Yes; Councilman Mickham — Yes; Councilman Rosato — Yes; Councilwoman Rosetti — Yes; Council President Surgeon — Yes; Councilman Thomas — Yes. The amended ordinance passed; Councilman Gayle was recorded as abstaining.

Sponsors listed on the agenda included Mayor Aru Laplomb (file sponsor on behalf of the administration) and the item was discussed at committee prior to the full‑council vote. The ordinance text and the amendment are in the April 15 meeting record; the transcript shows the change shifts confirmation of Parkville district appointees to mayoral discretion. Implementation responsibilities were not spelled out in the meeting transcript beyond routine administration and appointments.

Council members on both sides framed their positions around local precedent and oversight: proponents emphasized continuity with other improvement districts; opponents emphasized the council’s role as an oversight body for long‑lived quasi‑governmental entities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Hartford Council Meeting April 14th, 2025 Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","The council voted April 15 to adopt an ordinance establishing the Parkville Special Services District (Chapter 28) and approved an amendment that removed council approval language for mayoral appointments to the district board; the final ordinance passed with one abstention.","taxTitle","Hartford City, Hartford County, Connecticut","taxId",5895,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6604586,"Hartford council approves Christian‑flag raising after heated debate on constitutionality",770,1884000,2654000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b&start=1884&end=2654","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b/thumbnail_1884000.jpg","/articles/6604586/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-council-approves-Christianflag-raising-after-heated-debate-on-constitutionality","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604586-eb1bc8449cfc056db9fd0d22e574031e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171820&Signature=aMbF1K0G-GVgs3SGiB4018afddAFSM2XvWYGi2XNrv4jId6NwTAkn37gd9VV9zzs5NYhGRSy6Ho729Zg8a1bmXyeGbghfbhnU~FRVdnov3V-Og1phsGslpa1wZfZ-ws80tx3c5GPHxxWd-FbXm2vtSQabTO18oxmPYHluFS1bNNK3gwxtORgRBQRaI07snX-38iyM2K9df7KbzZnTeGExTgEtpXDaZa90vIRHJqfI3pedWipJ8xZBtuRI1uydL-Ruo4bn-dZD~HREnkd1BCQ5q9dpVPR7vcMs12BG-7lxzlhybdiGJTD7uKtG1bjkRlXgMDtqM9gM-qZhGO7mzSkKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Court of Common Council voted April 15 to authorize a Christian‑flag raising at city hall after more than an hour of debate over separation of church and state and city policy.

Councilwoman Jill Rosato and sponsors including Council President Shirley Surgeon and Majority Leader Rosetti moved to take action on File 7.1, a resolution authorizing the Christian flag to be raised. The chamber heard extended opposition from Councilman Dan Mitcham and a legal objection from Councilman Gayle, who argued the resolution conflicted with a city ordinance and the Establishment Clause.

Councilman Dan Mitcham said the council “do[es] a disservice to the constitutional separation between church and state” and warned that recognizing a single religion from a civic body risks divisiveness. Councilman Gayle pointed to Ordinance 2‑13 — which the council adopted previously — and said the city’s flagpoles “are not intended to serve as a forum for free expression by the public,” arguing that allowing a city‑endorsed religious symbol would convert the flagpole into government speech endorsing religion.

Councilman Thomas urged recognition of the city’s churches and their community work, saying he understood objections from residents harmed by religious institutions but favored acknowledging faith groups’ contributions. Councilman Mitcham responded that historical practice of meeting in churches had excluded some groups and that a civic endorsement of Christianity could recall that exclusion.

After members called the question, the council voted on the resolution. The roll call recorded: Councilwoman Bilodeau — Yes; Councilman Clark — Yes; Councilman Gayle — No; Councilman Hernandez — Yes; Councilman McDermott — No; Councilman Rosato — Yes; Councilwoman Rosetti — Yes; Council President Surgeon — Yes; Councilman Thomas — Yes. The resolution passed.

Sponsors listed on the agenda included Councilwoman Rosato, Council President Surgeon, Majority Leader Rosetti, Assistant Majority Leader Clark, Councilwoman Bilodeau and Councilman Hernandez. The measure is recorded in the meeting minutes as approved; no legal challenge or subsequent action was recorded in the transcript.

Speakers opposing the measure framed their objections as legal and constitutional; proponents framed the vote as municipal recognition of faith groups’ civic work. The record shows sustained public‑policy concern among several council members about equal treatment of religions and the city’s own flag‑use ordinance, Ordinance 2‑13.","The Court of Common Council voted April 15 to authorize raising a Christian flag at City Hall despite objections that the resolution violates a city ordinance and the First Amendment; the measure passed after a roll‑call vote.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6604591,"Hartford council honors firefighters who resuscitated infant Alina Delorbe",782,456000,1238000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b&start=456&end=1238","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2987572-66bb05ed9c3c2355f5b76c1ed33fee3b/thumbnail_456000.jpg","/articles/6604591/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-council-honors-firefighters-who-resuscitated-infant-Alina-Delorbe","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6604591-bc3558e6a1694f6b76f5d66a2267ee5a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171820&Signature=ojTA2yeNRkOP1EjO9K1319ZdPEJ1oSXPguqAq4ggOvv1wZJnXmaB7jjzTH47sutbqXWuV4ryliY2fsdF4JjD8cRy8Ga5VVj3CfPG~TegJbbZrNdKlVoxc-kiKDe1LyRtrBumAfLL6feuMNd1Yz065hZmPnFscaSyjKpZJAAIDhsiGDYw6yYk9juF16xVR2FJxFwt1pMiP7yYnTgk6RQuJ59HZZhWfzAb9CZQl6kuLttmlZgXFEOSopHBL8BBBezGn9N3hRffO8MCC4H~K5ZIYGBLL730Kae8BnwpA8LIgpmNr-dShrA2l4XIu338iDN1CNNcq2kJyNjLPXC2eekC1g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members on the Court of Common Council presented citations and a city proclamation April 15 to four Hartford Fire Department personnel and to baby Alina Delorbe after a February 14, 2024, emergency in which firefighters resuscitated the infant.

The family of the child described the episode and thanked the crew. Francesca Roman, Alina’s mother, told the council that when Alina was two weeks old on Feb. 14, 2024, “she stopped breathing” and that the child “went purple.” Roman said she was hysterical but recalled Firefighter Justin Ford arriving with an oxygen tank and Lieutenant Nelson Viera and the crew providing life‑saving care.

The council’s recognition included citations for Lieutenant Nelson Viera, Firefighter Justin Ford, Firefighter Evan Seals and Firefighter Samuel Caraballo and a proclamation for Alina. Councilman Miguel Hernandez introduced the family and the firefighters and invited Roman to summarize the incident for the chamber.

Lieutenant Nelson Viera, speaking for the crew, described the response: the baby “had no pulse, was not breathing” when they arrived and “within, I wouldn't say 3 or 4 minutes, we got a pulse back. We got a heart rate back.” Viera said the crew continued CPR and oxygen until ambulance personnel were on scene and that they rode with the family to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. Viera said the crew later learned Alina celebrated her first birthday and that the visit to the firehouse on Feb. 14 moved the team emotionally.

Several council members praised the firefighters. Council President Shirley Surgeon said the rescue “is what you do for a living…this is how you serve the residents of the city of Hartford.” The council recorded the ceremonial presentation during its April 15 meeting; no formal ordinance or budget action was associated with the citations.

The family and council members also noted that the city and state delegations provided additional proclamations. State Representative Jimmy Sanchez and the Hartford state delegation were cited by a council speaker as having provided proclamations for the firefighters.

The council meeting record shows the citation text commending Lieutenant Viera, Ford, Seals and Caraballo for “unwavering courage, skill and professionalism” during the Feb. 14, 2024, response. The presentation closed with council members and the family taking photos and wishing Alina a happy first birthday.","The Court of Common Council presented citations and a proclamation April 15 to four Hartford Fire Department members who resuscitated newborn Alina Delorbe after a February 14, 2024, emergency; family members and firefighters described the call and recovery.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves Parkville Special Services District ordinance with amendment on mayoral appointments

Hartford council approves Christian‑flag raising after heated debate on constitutionality

Hartford council honors firefighters who resuscitated infant Alina Delorbe