[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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",6582012,"mediaKeyId","3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5","parentId",3176603,"title","Hartford corporation counsel reports reduced outside-counsel use and kicks off case-management system","audioSeconds",675,"startMs",8530000,"endMs",9205000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5&start=8530&end=9205","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5/thumbnail_8530000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6582012/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-corporation-counsel-reports-reduced-outside-counsel-use-and-kicks-off-case-management-system","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582012-82d21f51b7f791396878ea9c24e38f18/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183214&Signature=fGeaO2WiK1tWGx01yOGugwQNMCo5SBKMSMXA~-5OlPfm354V0poJyHIMHXheqtaPHVhgHvbaovFPKbXLgTy7KbSCNmOpReHipUTGsoeE3vVNpmJJ6n~DFwMRl4DK1-WC3LuhxBa3nov~zfS1mNrgUq1svP7vLaqDbuVkWDc5iALs5MAhEMeAKbtaiJVmoyuUEBsjjgWRcU-JFXtEqbx5RnTELtTbt9fZe4uKKIOdd2eurQm2GhLQIwL0y4KrxkohG69wR2QUaLvuOCjO9mKecOQHs0FJHGAurW3R0kUyyav4e5kwmgB-L5x3kPIl8NbPq6BDZPoAhf9fIb9rgSuBPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Hartford, CN","date","2025-05-02T01:03:17.823Z","article","Corporation Counsel Jonathan Harding briefed the committee on legal work supporting the city, saying the office has reduced its use of outside counsel and is starting implementation of an internal case-management system to track litigation, agreements and assignments.

Harding said his office handles a wide range of work — litigation, real-estate documents, MOUs and ordinance drafting — and noted the department will seek to fill a posted deputy corporation counsel position. He also announced the upcoming retirement of senior assistant corporation counsel Jim Delvisco, who has worked with the city for 11 years.

Harding said the office negotiated an MOU with the MDC to resolve a longstanding dispute related to compliance with the city’s MS4 stormwater permit and that attorneys are managing numerous ordinances and agreements across departments. He said the new case-management system will improve the office’s ability to generate data and reports about caseloads and outcomes.

Why it matters: the legal office’s reduced reliance on outside counsel and a formal case-management system could deliver faster, more consistent legal support to city departments and improve transparency about legal exposure and settlements.

Council reaction: Harding acknowledged the demands on the office and thanked staff for late-night and weekend work. Council members asked procedural questions and raised requests for written follow-ups on cases that produce policy lessons; Harding said the office will aim to provide more standardized data once the case-management rollout is complete.

Ending: Harding said he intends to fill the deputy counsel vacancy promptly and will continue to provide legal advice and ordinance drafting in support of city operations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Hartford FY2026 Budget Hearing: May 1st, 2025 Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","Corporation Counsel Jonathan Harding told council members the office has reduced reliance on outside counsel, will implement a new case-management system and plans to fill a deputy counsel vacancy; a senior assistant will retire next week.","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},6582017,"Hartford details hospital-based violence intervention, credible messengers and reentry services",196,5492000,5688000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5&start=5492&end=5688","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5/thumbnail_5492000.jpg","/articles/6582017/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-details-hospital-based-violence-intervention-credible-messengers-and-reentry-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582017-618c38629435cfa7bfd84635886b1010/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183214&Signature=MBmXvb~zCUY7lW2PHo~9EikrXRxxCmFR0yabDQ7nV8BGjnoazvTMNEpR6P97RUvHXa5N0nuYs3cBZJ0sv0HGKcK9Dm9uvcmYbGfvh9~7pn8aTuH07FTH-hxTPXyrOujAtY4HNz~vuVSPv3sVPFEgMlgSGV9PHKvnmORbxPj6oXd0wicB82gWhfIHpMOQN33cQWnf1rW9cBCgnIWC-L8ILt9HEKJFWk1RXO0ktL4zTygPeZdiTmYKzrKYELIP3pn2OeTzzanp1BvJMaSyZlN-kU3QJWM28nSJHNGj~3Q384uwRrZOJT0inZ9-JahEZ8o7JeseE2DdaCc-FYodW5JhoQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Office of Violence Prevention (OVP), represented at the budget hearing by Shay Ajay and director Siobhan Campbell, briefed council members on a slate of current programs and funding sources the administration expects to continue supporting in the coming fiscal year.

OVP programs described include a hospital-based violence intervention initiative across trauma centers and local community-based organizations, midnight basketball and neighborhood ambassador clean-ups. Ajay said the hospital-based program connects victims and families with CBOs and follow-up care after hospital discharge.

Credible messengers and training: the OVP has trained and employed more than 25 credible messengers — life coaches matched with at-risk individuals — and partners with Capital Community College for training and graduation of participants. The OVP also funds outreach and casework through the Capital City Crime Center and other partners.

Reentry welcome center: the reentry program reported enrolling 24 Hartford residents in 2025 to date; the center provides one-stop services for housing, employment and case management support for people returning from incarceration.

Funding and sustainment: Ajay and Campbell said the OVP receives ongoing support from municipal sources including NIP bottle surcharge funds and cannabis tax revenue in addition to grant funding. Ajay told the committee that the administration plans to continue funding the hospital-based intervention and credible-messenger programs in the next fiscal year.

Why it matters: the OVP’s work links hospitals, community organizations and the police department to coordinate post-trauma services, employment navigation and neighborhood-level suppression/prevention activities. Council members asked about program capacity and summer youth programming; the administration said they plan to sustain and scale key interventions and to work with community partners on summer service plans.

Ending: Ajay and Campbell described early indicators of program reach and said funding and program design remain priorities for the incoming fiscal year.","The chief operating officer summarized ongoing violence-prevention work: hospital-based intervention partnerships with trauma centers, a roster of credible messengers, midnight basketball, a reentry welcome center and funding streams including cannabis tax and a NIP bottle surcharge.",{"_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},6582022,"Hartford COO outlines new deputy post, special-events reform and $700K energy savings",2056,3796000,5852000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5&start=3796&end=5852","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5/thumbnail_3796000.jpg","/articles/6582022/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-COO-outlines-new-deputy-post-special-events-reform-and-700K-energy-savings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582022-a3f03bd528af5dc30fbb0498d907c4f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183214&Signature=SJUsaURg8krls6aqDhLzeBOkw8PjlMZ-vQwTpG7l7Mj18ZCt8lfq3ZWuUdWijdRQBYczPdq~fDIED8bgNbDI7FPfprn8fgZoq-fhKCUqdOY89w3bppwJ~2aKkLrx0EegETnOgkV-f9bKhMeshlo27b8p5Cg~twYRXEbCCTP3yuVizEH3wZKwiOz4ajQddYCcdG6bQ6UiWFWdTwnrvjFMbNpwyNAinSgJHXvITQLQz3PWZ5t92Ntbn8jcgy2s6y9P25~9dZtpJQnHcK7UDpOl7PsP6VEZBkWvzMaqo1jOe4Z0bNKmy4q7DDDUQhr0GjhtpH5B1HmMGM1bIyMqF2lsfw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Operating Officer Shay Ajay told the council’s budget committee that the COO’s office will add a deputy COO role in the next fiscal year and is reorganizing several functions to improve operations, performance measurement and customer service.

Ajay said the deputy COO position is intended to reduce the office’s span of control and help manage special projects and operational incidents that require cross-department coordination. \"That is going to be helpful in terms of managing the scope of span of control,\" Ajay said when describing the role’s responsibilities.

Special events and permitting: Ajay said the administration has moved special-events oversight from the Department of Development Services into the COO’s office and hired a director of marketing, operations and special events. The office plans to provide event organizers with cost estimates before permits are issued to avoid the “surprise” post-event fees the council has criticized. Ajay said the special-events office will gather required details up front and push requests to departments (police, public works, fire) so an estimated invoice can be issued to applicants before the event.

Fleet and asset management: Ajay said the city has a three-year contract with Samsara and intends to expand GPS tracking across the municipal fleet, aiming for completion by the end of the year. \"We are going to be working on utilizing GPS function of the equipment that we currently have for city vehicles,\" he said.

Performance management and capital projects: Ajay also described a newly filled performance manager role (Kitty Tyrone) and expanded CIP staff to manage the five-year capital program for parks, schools and infrastructure. Ajay said CIP and sustainability work produced an estimated $700,000 in avoided energy costs through renegotiated energy rates, and the sustainability team secured $150,000 in CDBG funds for residential efficiency upgrades and an outreach campaign that enrolled more than 1,000 residents in a solar/savings program.

Why it matters: Reorganizing special-events management and centralizing marketing aims to reduce administrative burden and unexpected costs for community organizers; expanding GPS and CIP support targets better asset oversight and capital delivery.

Council questions and follow up: Council members pressed for a timeline for the deputy COO hire (salary band and fringe benefits were discussed) and asked when public-facing dashboards tied to Accela and other systems would be available. Ajay said dashboards are in development and that data exists in many systems but integration is incomplete. On fleet GPS, Ajay said the goal is to complete implementation by the end of the year.

Ending: Ajay invited council members to share ideas for special-events workflow and said the office will continue to work on dashboards, procurement improvements and cross-department performance reporting.","Chief Operating Officer Shay Ajay described organizational changes, a planned deputy COO role, reforms to special-events permitting to eliminate surprise fees, a Samsara GPS rollout for city vehicles, and sustainability projects yielding an estimated $700,000 in avoided energy costs.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6582027,"Hartford budget hearing: no tax increase; $5M neighborhood investment, $6.5M homeownership push with $2M state match",1520,395000,1915000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5&start=395&end=1915","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3176603-b5b75ee10738e70f251b658c637240f5/thumbnail_395000.jpg","/articles/6582027/Hartford-City/Hartford-County/Connecticut/Hartford-budget-hearing-no-tax-increase-5M-neighborhood-investment-65M-homeownership-push-with-2M-state-match","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6582027-dae3f1baac0a80a8aa93183015db04b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771183214&Signature=U-xJJiQ~4Fiak89G7tQONqpKhxOCJntkvLyZiOPaeMu7Q~XgVF2Oftfu668tUW6WbGePAivKXVAwV35D2Gu7AQ~QiYGdflEAs0tZHEgSt4KjKpf3n5kI2MSCQH93YIl8HcXlAKF5xjVB4NyJgfjqgIS4-8oR8lu3UlnvMOOrJXEf~xCRk0zc7HnGJnlu24Z9Ykw5bm-TP7FaEViflXlBLkyE3RGnkGXYF4JD8k4O9PlY-syIrEAuUz-HuU4a9IEVPfouygZzsz-itZTy-B6-5ALew2rYY-sOmO3y-B2VLu~F5SWZhJJMk7STUZm1147D0WXfRx0VrSYbZgERxbfu8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The mayor’s chief of staff, James Wolf, told the Operations Management Budget & Government Accountability Committee that the proposed fiscal plan would not raise residents’ property taxes and that the administration is prioritizing neighborhood investment and housing initiatives.

“This budget includes no tax increases for residents,” Wolf said, describing a budget he said was difficult to assemble given regional mill-rate increases. He highlighted a $5,000,000 neighborhood investment fund aimed at key commercial corridors and said the city plans to commit $6,500,000 to programs to increase homeownership in Hartford, leveraging an additional $2,000,000 in state funding for a Neighborhood Homes Investment Act pilot.

The Neighborhood Homes Investment Act pilot will be run by the State Department of Housing (DOH), Wolf said. DOH will work with community development financial institutions to develop program rules; Wolf said more program details could appear this summer or into the fall. Wolf also said federal legislation to create tax credits is under discussion in Congress and that the pilot in Hartford is intended to test a grant-based approach quickly before any state tax-credit model is pursued.

Why it matters: the hearing framed the mayor’s budget priorities as investments in commerce and housing without raising residents’ tax bills. Council members pressed for timelines and eligibility details for the state-backed homeownership pilot; Wolf said programmatic specifics are still being finalized by DOH.

City priorities described: Wolf and Melinda Johnson, director of the Office of Community Engagement, said the administration wants to boost neighborhood safety through reinstated foot patrols and the mayor’s neighborhood investment initiative, which has funded small businesses and neighborhood projects. Wolf said the city funded “night gyms” that served more than 1,000 children last summer and intends to continue the program.

Renters’ protections and insurance: Council members asked about a renters’ insurance proposal the mayor has discussed. Wolf said the administration plans to pursue a renter’s insurance program after the budget process and “look forward to robust council input” on program design. He said options under consideration include a public option, partnerships with insurers, or targeted subsidies, but he did not provide cost estimates.

311 and community supports: Johnson told the committee the Office of Community Engagement administered roughly $34,000 in urgent supports during the first quarter through partnerships with United Way’s Rapid Release Funds, Operation Fuel and other nonprofits; those Rapid Release grants are typically up to $1,000 per occurrence and are distributed after in-person verification. Johnson said municipal ID services and other resident supports continue to be offered through the office and partner locations.

Council reaction and next steps: Council members pressed for more detail and quick timelines on the homeownership pilot and for expansion of the neighborhood investment program to other corridors. Wolf said pre-applications for the neighborhood investment program are underway and that selections and early pipeline projects could be visible about a year from the start of the application process. Wolf and Johnson said staff will share program updates and rollout details as they are finalized.

Ending: Committee members thanked the mayor’s office team for the presentation and asked for continued follow-up on program rules, timelines and staffing for the initiatives discussed.","At a city budget hearing, the mayor’s office outlined priorities including a balanced budget with no tax increase, a $5 million neighborhood investment fund for commercial corridors, and a $6.5 million city commitment to a homeownership pilot leveraging $2 million in state funds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hartford corporation counsel reports reduced outside-counsel use and kicks off case-management system

Hartford details hospital-based violence intervention, credible messengers and reentry services

Hartford COO outlines new deputy post, special-events reform and $700K energy savings

Hartford budget hearing: no tax increase; $5M neighborhood investment, $6.5M homeownership push with $2M state match