Hartford council adds supplemental items, approves consent calendar including state grants and property sales

The Hartford Common Council on July 14 voted to add a slate of supplemental agenda items, approved a consent calendar that included state grant awards and several property sales, and referred other items to standing committees.

The council added 15 supplemental items to the agenda by a roll-call vote after Majority Leader Rossetti moved to suspend the rules so the items could be considered. The items placed on consent included resolutions authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services to accept funding and execute contracts with the National Council on Aging; permission for Sportsman Athletic Club to use an outdoor sound system during West Indian celebration week; multiple property sale and purchase-and-sale authorizations for parcels on Wells, Garden and Homestead streets; and three state Community Investment Fund awards through the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) totaling the amounts described on the agenda.

Why it matters: the actions put state funding and several real-estate transactions on track for administrative execution or additional review by council committees. One of the state awards includes a $4,000,000 DECD grant intended to pay for demolition and abatement at 150 Windsor Street, identified on the agenda as the former Windsor Street data center. Another award listed was $1,600,000 from DECD’s Community Investment Fund and a $250,000 Community Investment Fund planning grant.

Councilman Gail raised a question about item 6.14, the $250,000 planning grant for the Talcott Street garage site, noting lingering questions about prior council resolutions involving a private entity identified on the record as Shelbourne. “This concerns the Talcott Street garage ... this same piece of property was subject to several resolutions of this council, with the Shelbourne entity, and that there are some questions lingering as to what Shelbourne was potentially obligated to do,” Gail said during the consent calendar discussion. Majority Leader Rossetti responded that the $250,000 from DECD is for research into potential uses and is separate from any obligations of the private entity. “We're accepting this $250,000 sum from DECD. Again, nothing to do with that company, but to actually do some research and what can be actually placed at that site,” Rossetti said.

The council also directed a staff communication (item 6.8) asking the Department of Public Works to evaluate and reconfigure bike lanes with an explicit aim of supporting small-business viability and multimodal safety. The council referred several items to committees: an appointment to the Housing Authority and a proposed 20-year solar lease and easement agreement with CTEC Solar were referred to the Planning, Economic Development and Housing Committee; a proposal to reestablish the Sister Cities program was referred to the Labor, Education, Workforce and Youth Committee.

The council postponed one ordinance — an amendment to chapter 31, article 3, sections 31-87 and 31-95 of the municipal code, described in the agenda as measures "to preserve the safety of city streets and sidewalks post construction by utilities and others and post repaving by the city" — to Aug. 11, 2025. The motion to postpone was made by Majority Leader Rossetti and seconded; the postponement passed by roll-call vote.

Votes at a glance - Approve minutes (05/21/2025 reconvening and 06/23/2025): motion carried by roll call (recorded on the transcript as the motion being approved; individual yesses recorded in the roll call). - Suspend rules to add supplemental items: motion carried by roll call. - Place designated items on consent (including the DECD grants, property sales and the National Council on Aging contract authority): motion carried by roll call after brief discussion. - Receive/Refer committee reports and communications (multiple items 6.2–6.9): motions carried by roll call. - Refer appointment of Rishi Ashand to the Housing Authority and a proposed 20-year solar lease with CTEC Solar to the Planning, Economic Development and Housing Committee: motion carried by roll call. - Refer reestablishment of the Sister Cities program to the Labor, Education, Workforce and Youth Committee: motion carried by roll call. - Postpone ordinance amending municipal code sections 31-87 and 31-95 to Aug. 11, 2025: motion carried by roll call.

The meeting closed with the council president and majority leader offering summer greetings and the council adjourning for the month.