Hartford council approves consent calendar, refers housing and budget items and postpones several ordinances

Council President TJ Clark presided over the Hartford Court of Common Council meeting on April 13, 2026. The council approved the minutes of March 23, 2026, passed a multi-item consent calendar of grant acceptances, appointments and a lease authorization, and moved several housing- and budget-related items to committee for further review.

Majority Leader Kelly Below moved to approve the March 23 minutes and to place ten items on the consent calendar, including multiple U.S. Department of Transportation grant acceptances, a Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant, a grant and equipment installation proposal for public internet in the Upper Albany Avenue area, school reserve fund allocation for a learning corridor fire alarm modernization project, acceptance of a donated vehicle for the autotheft unit, a FY2026 distracted-driving high-visibility enforcement grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation Highway Safety Office, and three appointment resolutions (pension commission, internal audit commission and MDC commission). The motions were seconded and the clerk recorded affirmative roll-call responses; the council announced each motion carried.

The council also voted to receive a set of committee reports and to refer several items to committees. Council members referred the city’s annual action plan for CDBG/ESG/HOME funding to the Operations, Management, Budget and Government Accountability Committee (hearing scheduled April 20, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.) and sent multiple Lots to Homes sales resolutions (including 58–60 Earl Street, 21 Elmer Street and 97 Ashley Street) to committee with public hearings set for April 20 at 7:00 p.m. The council additionally referred a resolution to allocate $500,000 of cannabis tax revenue to Health and Human Services (and related referrals to Planning, Economic Development and Housing) and confirmed multiple appointments and a $20,000 youth flag football grant.

On a separate set of motions, the council voted to postpone several agenda items until April 27, 2026. Postponed items included a resolution declaring traffic violence a public health crisis; an ordinance to amend Chapter 18, section 18-110 of the Hartford Municipal Code to provide relocation services to displaced tenants; an ordinance amending Chapter 7; an ordinance limiting numbers of dogs and cats (Chapter 6, section 6-15); and an ordinance to establish a Puerto Rican and Hispanic History and Culture Commission. The council also postponed a resolution directing the Department of Public Works to evaluate and reconfigure bike lanes to support small-business viability and multimodal safety.

Council President TJ Clark closed the meeting after announcing upcoming department budget presentations and schedule details for April 15, 20, 22 and 23, and a final budget public hearing at Weaver High School on April 20 at 6:00 p.m. "This council meeting is now adjourned," Clark said.

Votes at a glance

- Approve minutes (March 23, 2026): Motion moved by Majority Leader Kelly Below; recorded affirmative roll-call responses; outcome: approved. - Consent calendar (items 5.1–5.10): Moved by Kelly Below; outcome: approved (includes multiple DOT grants, appointments, lease authorization). - Receive committee reports (items 3.1–4.15): Moved and approved. - Refer to committees (items 3.2, 6.1, 3.3–3.8): Referred with hearings scheduled (includes Lots to Homes sales; $500,000 cannabis allocation). - Postponed items (5.11–5.16): Postponed to April 27, 2026 (includes traffic violence resolution; tenant relocation ordinance; Puerto Rican and Hispanic commission ordinance).

Next steps

Several items referred to committee will appear on April 20 and subsequent committee agendas; postponed ordinances will be considered at the April 27 council meeting.