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Local small-business owner, faith leader and residents urge action on parking, reentry services and public-safety records
Summary
During public participation Michelle Ramos urged business parking permits for small storefronts; Anthony Janice pitched a 'Fresh Start' transitional housing and reentry program for people recently released from incarceration; other residents raised questions about tax abatements and a missing police report.
At the beginning of the Jan. 14 New Britain Common Council meeting several residents used the public-participation period to raise neighborhood and programmatic concerns.
Michelle Ramos, who said she opened a grocery store on Dec. 20 at 41 R Street, asked the council to consider a business parking permit or reserved curbspace to allow owners to serve customers without repeated ticketing. "I run a grocery store... we have no private parking... I prefer to park in the front if there's a possible way we can have like a reserved parking for business owners," Ramos said, noting her long hours and the difficulties of moving a vehicle while running the store.
Anthony Janice, senior pastor at Solidar Rock Spiritual Center, described a proposed nonprofit called Fresh Start designed to provide academic and vocational training, counseling, transitional housing and other wraparound services for adults 21+ recently released from correctional facilities. Janice said the program would work with local partners and seek mayoral and council approval.
John Kristophic asked for clarity on the city's bonded debt and discussed tax-abatement calculations for a downtown property he referred to as "the Brit." Council members responded that an independent audit showed the city's current bonded debt service is $294,185,000.
Kelly Nos used his time to describe a personal injury he said was not properly recorded by the police and requested a meeting with the police chief. He said witnesses exist but the report is missing from the record.
Council members thanked the speakers and offered to follow up: several members volunteered to meet with Ramos about parking and to work with Janice to explore his Fresh Start proposal.
