[5:38] Full disclosure, we have new iPads, and so we are having some technical difficulties, so I apologize for that. But we will call the Tuesday, September 8th, town council meeting to order, and we will begin with Pledge of Allegiance.

[5:51] I

[5:54] would like to lead you into

[5:59] the Republic.

[6:09] Roll call, Mr. Davidoff.

[6:11] Good evening, Madam Mayor.

[6:13] Good evening.

[6:13] Mayor Cantor.

[6:15] Here.

[6:16] Councillor Harris.

[6:17] Here.

[6:18] Councillor Lazarus.

[6:19] Present.

[6:19] Councillor Lyon.

[6:20] Here.

[6:21] Councillor McGinnis.

[6:22] Here.

[6:22] Deputy Mayor Poin.

[6:23] Here.

[6:24] Councillor Walters.

[6:25] Here.

[6:26] Councillor Wang.

[6:27] Here.

[6:28] Councillor Wintergrad.

[6:29] Here.

[6:29] All present.

[6:31] Thank you, Mr. Davidoff.

[6:32] And I'm going to go to the podium and read a couple of proclamations.

[6:43] It's a full house and I'm going to save that proclamation for a second because I think

[6:48] you'll all appreciate the first one.

[6:50] As we think about, we look at the blue skies and we think about 25 years ago and how our

[6:56] country has changed and all that has happened since then.

[7:00] So whereas September 11th, 2026 marks the 25th anniversary of a day that forever changed

[7:07] our nation.

[7:08] A day of unimaginable loss, extraordinary courage, and enduring remembrance.

[7:13] And whereas on September 11th, 2001, nearly 3,000 innocent people lost their lives in the

[7:18] terrorist attacks on our nation, including the brave first responders who ran toward danger

[7:23] while others were running away.

[7:27] Whereas the town of West Hartford remembers, with profound sadness, Joseph Lennahan, a 1978

[7:32] graduate of Hall High School who was working on the 89th floor of the South Tower of the World

[7:39] Trade Center when it struck. Joseph was one of our own, a member of our community whose life

[7:44] and promise were taken far too soon. And whereas we remember Joseph, not simply as a name,

[7:50] among the thousands lost but as a son, brother, friend, classmate, colleague, and member of the West

[7:56] Harvard community, his memory remains a part of the story of our town and a reminder that the events

[8:01] of that day touched communities everywhere and whereas September 11th also calls on us to recognize

[8:07] the courage and dedication of the men and women of the West hired fire department and the West

[8:12] Hartford Police Department who answer the call to serve every day and willingly place themselves

[8:17] in harm's way to protect our residents and one another and whereas 25 years later we continue to

[8:22] remember the lives lost honor the families forever changed and express our deepest gratitude

[8:28] to the first responders, public safety professionals, volunteers and countless Americans who responded with courage and compassion in the face of tragedy.

[8:38] And whereas remembrance is an act of love and service is an act of courage, on this anniversary we recommit ourselves to never forgetting those we lost and to honoring their memory through the way we care for and protect one another.

[8:52] Now, therefore, great proclaim that on behalf of the town council and the residents of West

[8:57] Hartford, I, Mayor Sherry G. Cantor, do hereby recognize September 11, 2026 as the 25th

[9:04] anniversary of September 11, 2001, honors the memory of Joseph Lennahand and all of those

[9:09] who lost their lives and express our profound gratitude to the brave men and women of the

[9:14] West Hartford Fire and the police departments who put themselves in harm's way each day to

[9:19] protect and serve our community. Let us pause as a community to remember to honor and to give

[9:25] thanks and that we carry forward the enduring lesson of September 11, 2001 that in our darkest

[9:31] moments courage shines brightest when we stand together. We'll just take a moment of silence. Thank

[9:37] you.

[9:49] Thank you. And I think that the transition to the cert recognition is also says so much about

[9:58] you all and the volunteers and their willingness and interest and commitment and serving our community,

[10:05] and we're so grateful for all that you do. So this is official proclamation. I don't know if

[10:09] there's so many in particular who wants to receive it. Bob? Oh, oh, jeep, please. Okay.

[10:29] Whereas the

[10:30] National Community Emergency Response Team Cert program was established in 1986 to educate and train

[10:37] community members in disaster preparedness, basic disaster response skills, and ways to

[10:43] safely assist their communities before, during and after emergencies.

[10:48] And whereas 2026, March the 40th anniversary of the National Cert Program celebrating

[10:54] four decades of empowering volunteers to strengthen community preparedness and resilience

[10:59] across the United States.

[11:01] Whereas the West Hartford Community Emergency Response Team was established in 2021 under

[11:06] Under the leadership of the West Hartford Office of Emergency Management, directed by Chief

[11:11] Greg Priest, Director of Emergency Management in 2026, marks the fifth anniversary of

[11:17] the re-established West Hartford Cert Program.

[11:20] And whereas since 2021, West Hartford has trained 387 residents in emergency preparedness and

[11:27] disaster response, and Cert volunteers can contribute more than 14,000 hours of dedicated service

[11:34] to the town of West Hartford, whereas West Hartford cert volunteers have played an important role

[11:39] in supporting the town's COVID-19 response, assisting at emergency scenes, supporting emergency

[11:45] shelter operations, helping at the local food pantry, providing public education and assisting

[11:51] with community events and public safety initiatives. And whereas National Cert Week provides an opportunity

[11:57] to recognize the dedication and accomplishments of West Hartford cert volunteers promote training

[12:02] and encourage all residents to become better prepared for emergencies.

[12:07] Now, therefore, it be proclaimed that on behalf of the Town Council and the residents

[12:10] of West Harford, I, Mayor Sherry G. Cantor, in appreciation for everything cert does here

[12:17] by proclaim September 20 through 2026 as National Community Emergency Response Team week

[12:24] in West Harford, and encourage all residents to recognize the outstanding service of our

[12:29] certain volunteers participate in emergency preparedness activities and learn how they can

[12:34] contribute to building a safer, stronger, and more resilient community.

[12:39] And, Chief Priest, would you like to say a few words?

[12:42] I would love to, Mayor.

[12:43] Thank you so very much.

[12:44] I appreciate it.

[12:45] So, let me tell you about what the best part of my job is and the worst part of my job.

[12:49] This, all in the same moment because I am up here accepting an award for all of these

[12:56] fantastic people out here in the 360 or so that are not here present. So what Bob said to me is

[13:04] is, hey chief, you got to go up and accept a proclamation. So Bob, Mike and Bob, if you could have

[13:09] you join me up here just for these very few remarks because I

[13:18] will employ my best back draft speech,

[13:20] which is Hugo Wigo. So in all seriousness, I just have just a very few quick things to say. And the

[13:28] The first is Mike, who's going out the door, right?

[13:34] So I want to look at the council and the mayor and say thank you very much.

[13:38] I know you run a lot of proclamations and there are a lot of wonderful things about this

[13:41] community that you put down in a piece of paper to acknowledge.

[13:44] But this is one of the best decisions this council has made and the mayor has made because

[13:48] you have some fantastic people in your community who are doing a ton of work, but let me tell

[13:53] you what they're giving you.

[13:54] They're giving you their time and that is the most valuable commodity that a human being

[13:58] has.

[13:59] So, thank you very much for recognizing them.

[14:01] So as I shift my body language back, and I look back to this incredible team of leaders

[14:06] right here.

[14:07] What I will tell you is, they make my job easy.

[14:10] I really don't even point them in a direction, and I think all I do is say, yes, except for

[14:15] the COTS Bob, but I usually fold, but you know, this team was really the brainchild of Bob

[14:23] and then the Bob and the Mike join this.

[14:25] And then what you what you have here is I think one of the most resilient communities based on the fact that each one of you and all of the other 387 people had volunteered your time to come learn how to be more personally prepared, which then leads to a better prepared community.

[14:42] Following that up what I love about the cert program is this there is a place for everybody look around seriously look around in the room.

[14:50] people from different backgrounds, different ages, different abilities, right?

[14:54] And that is what is most fantastic about the cert team.

[14:56] There's a place for you here as we all work towards making a better.

[15:00] And say for community. So at the risk of going long, my last part that I will say is, is we are recruiting additional cert members. So if you're watching the rest of this, I even remembered that all by myself. You don't even have to tell me. Bob usually is like, all right, chief, you got to say this. But the reality is is, thank you guys very, very much. Turn to your neighbors, turn to your friends, turn to the people in the town and see if you can get some more folks to come out and be prepared. And thank you very much for what you do at every one of our events, every meeting that you go to. It means a lot to me personally and professionally.

[15:29] thank you so very much and a less one round of applause for the team of leaders here. Thank you.

[15:40] We should probably have a picture of that one, right? All right. Here we go. All right, Ronnie, we're going to.

[15:53] It's all right, perhaps Town Clerk and the Councilor Lazarus will come out too because you guys

[15:59] don't have your green shirts on. I know it's like a St. Patrick's Day parade over here, but we need you

[16:03] to kind of move over into the green because they have had the training for cert as well, so thank you.

[16:49] We are in a green shirt.

[16:51] Okay,

[16:55] no

[17:24] They said, don't take it personally, you can all leave.

[17:28] I wouldn't.

[17:32] Oh,

[17:37] thank you.

[17:38] Thank you so much.

[17:44] And before we...

[17:46] Hi, back.

[17:48] Good night.

[17:49] Oh, wow.

[17:50] Big Dallas.

[17:53] Before we get into the actual meat of the rest of the meeting, I just wanted to acknowledge

[17:59] the devastating floods in Nepal and the impact that it's had on members of our own community.

[18:06] Many West Harvard residents have family and friends and loved ones in Nepal and I know

[18:10] this tragedy has caused tremendous pain, worry, uncertainty, and our thoughts are with everyone

[18:15] who has been affected, especially those who are grieving or awaiting news about loved ones.

[18:21] When a candle is lit in the Nepheles culture, it serves two purposes to illuminate the path

[18:27] for those who have died and during Diwali to help those far from home find their way back.

[18:33] As Miyajeworski wrote in Weha, tonight we need both Rupesh,

[18:41] said, Chief Advisor to the Nepalese Association of Connecticut during the Kindle Light

[18:45] Vigil that was held on Sunday evening, right outside town hall.

[18:50] And I just want to think I could not attend, I actually was out of town, but I want to

[18:54] thank Tiffany, Ben, Jason and John, I think that's all the council that members that were

[18:58] there.

[19:00] Oh, Barry, I'm sorry, Barry, for being there and I appreciate their presence and their support.

[19:05] support. But this is just the beginning of our support. West Harvard will continue to

[19:10] stand with our Nepalese neighbors, their families here and abroad, and all of those

[19:14] affected by this disaster. We'll be here for you for those difficult days ahead. West

[19:19] Harvard is a community that comes together in difficult moments, and we will continue

[19:23] to offer compassion, support, and solidarity. And there is a donation page on the Nepalese

[19:30] associations page. If you need it, we can get it to you. It's a QR code. And I didn't, I tried,

[19:36] it didn't work the first time I did it and the second time I did it, it did work. So it is up and

[19:40] running. All right. With that, we will go to public forum. Mr. Dodge, could you just check?

[20:02] I'm going to read the, well, first the law, the rule of speaking at the meeting is that it has

[20:12] related to something on the agenda. And there are several people that signed up. I don't

[20:16] know if people thought it was a sign-up sheet because that's off in the case. But if not

[20:20] and you are speaking to something on the agenda, just please let me know your name address

[20:25] and what you are speaking to. First is Richard McSorley. Okay. And I'm Michelle McSorley.

[20:33] Oh, I'm sorry. I've got you. Okay. So just tell us what you're speaking to and your name

[20:39] and address further and you go up to please go to the mic so WAC TV can pick it up and it's

[20:45] on voice activating. I would like to open up first with a thank you to all first responders

[20:51] for running in when others must run out and good evening Mayor Cantor, members of the council

[21:00] and town manager led with. My name is Richard McSorley and I live around the block from Webster Hill

[21:07] We have a special elementary.

[21:09] Every morning and afternoon.

[21:11] Hundreds of elementary students

[21:13] walked and bike.

[21:15] The websray elementary right now

[21:16] they have to navigate streets

[21:18] where traffic safety rules are

[21:19] routinely ignored.

[21:21] Drivers regularly pull into the

[21:23] bike lane.

[21:24] I just do want to ask which item

[21:28] on the agenda are you referring

[21:30] to do.

[21:30] had I did not know it had to be on the agenda okay transparency yeah so we

[21:36] because we usually have a lot of business to do we we take written comment we

[21:41] do that once a month and the other we do just take comment on so I will make

[21:48] an exception but that you know that it is a little hard for us because we do

[21:52] again have a lot of business to do and oftentimes the time time constraints so

[21:57] So we will all receive your comment.

[22:00] We cannot have a conversation.

[22:02] We will receive it in three minutes as max and whatever you can always send us your comments.

[22:08] Okay.

[22:09] Thank you.

[22:13] Drivers regularly pull into the bike lane directly beneath no stopping or standing signs

[22:18] and now the new no drop off signs.

[22:20] They let the children out into live traffic.

[22:23] Through traffic gets forced over the W.O. lines into oncoming cars.

[22:27] other drivers make three point blind turns in the middle of the street while families are trying to cross.

[22:33] We have already sent reminder emails as a school and as the PTO.

[22:38] We have tried periodic police patrols.

[22:41] Earlier last week a cruiser was parked on Webster Hill Boulevard.

[22:44] Yet drivers still lined up and parked in the bike lane directly across from it.

[22:48] As Representative Kate for our pointed out after seeing the photos,

[22:52] having an officer present without enforcing the rules tells drivers that the behavior is acceptable.

[22:58] Town leadership has pointed to long-term planning the safe streets for all grant

[23:03] and that work is worthwhile. But planning a study does not produce, does not protect a seven-year-old

[23:09] walking to school tomorrow. Under vision zero our streets should be designed so drivers simply

[23:15] cannot make these dangerous maneuvers. Our crossing guard has already proven what works. She puts out

[23:21] on both sides of the crosswalk and cars

[23:23] respect the boundary.

[23:24] We need the town to apply that exact same common sense to the rest of the street.

[23:29] Please set out heavy cones or install folding delineators along the bike lane.

[23:34] Also,

[23:36] install us a standard 25 mile an hour school is on sign.

[23:41] We put physical boundaries in the roadway drivers follow them.

[23:44] That takes the daily burden off our police department and gives our neighborhood kids

[23:48] the protection you need right now. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. McSorley. Okay, the next person

[23:54] to sign up is Frank. Beginno?

[24:00] No, it's not.

[24:06] Because we made one exception, I guess I'll have to make

[24:08] two, but I really, three minutes and no, I can't, I can't. I really, yeah.

[24:18] Can you just submit

[24:19] We're not giving us because

[24:24] we're not we can't respond anyway so we would hear you and so it's something that's very important.

[24:31] We know and we have received a lot of emails and it would be unfair actually for you to speak to it and other people can't because that's right.

[24:38] We are going to talk about it. We're waiting on some guidance from the state so.

[24:44] Month, two months, three months.

[24:47] I hope it in the month but I don't know.

[24:50] Okay, it's a serious issue.

[24:52] I know.

[24:53] Thank you.

[24:53] All right.

[24:55] Okay.

[24:56] So we will now go to, is there anybody else in the audience that would like to speak to

[25:01] something that's on the agenda?

[25:03] Okay.

[25:05] Seeing none, we will go to no consent.

[25:07] We will go to five.

[25:09] Ms. Pullin.

[25:14] Thank you.

[25:16] Let's see.

[25:20] Approval of minutes.

[25:21] That's all.

[25:24] Okay.

[25:25] Thank you Madam Mayor.

[25:26] I move to approve the town council meeting.

[25:27] Meeting minutes from August 12th, 2026.

[25:31] Second.

[25:32] Motion's been made in second and all those in favor.

[25:35] Aye.

[25:36] Any post?

[25:37] Motion carries.

[25:38] We will go to number seven, Ms. Bourne.

[25:41] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[25:44] I move to adopt a resolution authorizing the town manager to participate in the state of

[25:48] Connecticut, legislatively directed grant fund program, to support the construction of

[25:54] the Trout Brook Trail East Coast Greenway connector.

[26:00] Second.

[26:00] motion has been made a second in Mr. Smith.

[26:03] Thank you Madam Mayor.

[26:05] Thank you to all the Councillors.

[26:07] It's a really exciting resolution that I'd like to discuss

[26:11] with all of you this evening.

[26:12] We also discuss this at our last finance and administration

[26:16] committee meeting.

[26:17] And it was an idea that was born by the mayor.

[26:21] And it goes back a few years ago and she had approached us

[26:26] and our team and really had that vision of somehow connecting our trout brook trail to the East Coast Greenway and East Coast Greenway is a trail that runs 3,000 miles from Florida and eventually it will go to Maine and traveling through, of course, all of those states in between.

[26:47] It will come through Connecticut and it will go, it does get nearest in Bloomfield and Harford.

[26:54] but does not come through West Hartford so we worked with our team of

[27:03] engineers began having conversations with the city of Hartford to see if

[27:09] there was a way for us to make this connection and through that spirit of

[27:13] cooperation with the city and our team we had identified have identified a

[27:19] pathway to get a connect direct connection between the Trialbrook trail in the

[27:24] East Coast Greenway, and that will include bike lanes going up the Psyllum Avenue heading

[27:31] into Elizabeth Park, and there will be a bike lane that goes through Elizabeth Park,

[27:37] crosses over Prospect Avenue onto the other half of Psyllum Park, and then down Psyllum Avenue,

[27:45] and then down Sycamore across to Albany Avenue. So very excited about those improvements

[27:54] that will be forthcoming this year we did we worked with our mayor worked with

[28:00] Senators Slap and we were able to secure $400,000 in grant funding to help us

[28:09] completely fund the construction of this connector between Fraudbrook Trail

[28:14] and the eventual East Coast Grant East Coast Greenway so it will include signage

[28:22] pavement markings, safety improvements for cyclists and pedestrians, and certainly

[28:29] is an example of what can happen when we look beyond just our municipal boundaries and

[28:35] explore different ways that we can work with our colleagues across the border to make something

[28:42] like this happen. So again, thank you, Mayor, and thank you to Senator Slap for securing this

[28:49] funding through the state. So, through you, Madam Mayor, happy to answer any questions

[28:54] that the council may have.

[28:56] Thank you very much, Mr. Leibhurt, because we discussed this in finance, I'm going to

[28:59] kick it off to Deputy Mayor. Thank you very much, and I think

[29:05] Sam and your explain this very well. We're excited to provide another opportunity for people

[29:10] to ride their bikes, walk through or just participate in recreation in our town and connect

[29:18] to a longer trail. So thank you to those who were involved in helping to secure these funds and looking forward to seeing it happen.

[29:26] Thank you. Any other comments?

[29:29] Okay, Mr. Lance.

[29:31] Thank you, Madam Mayor. First of all, thank you for your leadership on this, including chocolate trail all of it.

[29:38] You've been a visionary. You've really led the way on these things.

[29:41] It's selfishly, we had friends in town over the weekend.

[29:45] I was traveling about a got back Sunday so I was able to spend Sunday evening and Monday

[29:49] with them.

[29:49] We were driving by traffic trail and in this area as well and I was able to brag to them

[29:54] about what we're doing in terms of connecting to this and I think it's just wonderful.

[29:57] And just yet another reason why West

[30:00] Third is incredibly welcoming and a great walkable community. So thank you on that. I'll be supporting it. Thank you. Anybody else? Okay. I just want to echo my thanks to Senator Slatt for being such a good partner in supporting projects like this. And we're really appreciative. And of course to the town manager and town staff for their creativity and their commitment to making it happen. So thank you. All right. All those in favor?

[30:35] Thank you, Madam Mayor. I move to adopt a resolution authorizing the town manager to

[30:40] participate in the state of Connecticut Legislatively Directed Grant Fund program to support

[30:44] the Miracle League field pedestrian bridge replacement project. Second, motions been made

[30:50] and second, I'm Mr. Ledwood. Thank you, Madam Mayor. And you all may recall that we discussed

[30:55] us this particular grant at our last council meeting in August.

[31:00] And we received a grant and again through Senator Slap to fund the replacement of the

[31:07] Miracle League Bridge, which is that connection between the new parking lot that will be built in the fields.

[31:14] And at our last council meeting, we had a resolution accepting these funds.

[31:19] And then in the interim, we participated in a call with the state where we learned we also

[31:25] needed a resolution technically applying for that grant through the state so this resolution

[31:31] takes care of that particular administrative process so you're not all imagining things

[31:38] we all did discuss at the last meeting but this takes care of a requirement that the

[31:45] state has asked of us so happy to answer any questions that the council may have.

[31:50] Thank you, Mr. Leadworth as the town manager said we have already discussed it, but if anybody has any comments

[31:59] What do you say oh

[32:03] Mr. Land oh, I'm sorry

[32:06] All right, I seen none okay all those in favor. Hi. Hi any opposed motion carries let us see Ms. Paul

[32:18] Thank you Madam Mayor. I moved to adopt a resolution appropriating a donation and

[32:22] and unexpended funds to support programs and activities

[32:25] for America's 250 commemoration.

[32:28] Second motion has been made and seconded, Mr. Litt.

[32:31] Thank you, so this resolution will do two things.

[32:34] It will allow us to roll over $974.81 of unexpended funds

[32:40] from our America 250 account.

[32:43] And this resolution will also appropriate

[32:45] an additional $750 donated from the Connecticut Humanities

[32:50] these council to put towards our culminating America 250 event, which will be held later this fall.

[32:58] It'll be our third annual West Hartford Community Block Party.

[33:02] And I think in our Finance and Administration Committee meeting, I said it would be held

[33:06] at town hall.

[33:07] It's actually going to be held at Blueback Square on November 1st.

[33:11] So this $974 combined with the $750 will allow us to add some music entertainment to that

[33:22] block party for this culminating America 250 event.

[33:29] I'm happy to answer any questions at the council head, Madam Mayor.

[33:32] Thank you, Mr. Leadwith.

[33:33] Are there any comments or questions we did talk about this and Ms. Harris.

[33:40] Yes.

[33:41] Dr. Harris.

[33:43] Thank you.

[33:44] Through you, Madam Mayor.

[33:45] And we, this may have been discussed, but was, is this the entire cost to the town for

[33:51] this event?

[33:52] Or is this just a piece of the cost?

[33:54] This will be through you, Madam Mayor, to Councillor Harris' question.

[33:57] So this will, this is all we have remaining in the account and we'll go towards the music

[34:04] for this particular event.

[34:05] So a lot of the black party, if you've attended, I think you were, I remember seeing

[34:10] new there last year, if I don't, if I remember correctly. So it's a lot of volunteers and folks setting

[34:16] up different booths and opportunities for our residents to see all the various clubs and organizations

[34:22] and commissions that are out there and part of this event. So we do have a series of genre of music

[34:30] that we would like to have included in this event and this money will go towards funding those

[34:36] performances.

[34:39] Okay, thank you. Thank you, Dr. Harris. Are there any other

[34:42] comments or questions? Okay, seeing none. All those in favor? Hi. Hi. Any opposed?

[34:49] Motion carries, letter D, Ms. Pullen. Thank you, Madam Mayor. I move to adopt a

[34:54] resolution appropriating unexpended donation funds from the Arthur R. Carling

[34:58] Revocable Trust. Second, motions were made in second and Mr. Lemme. Thank you. So

[35:05] So this trust, we were the beneficiary of a $500,000

[35:10] request from the Arthur R. Carling revocable trust.

[35:16] And we appropriated those funds that $500,000 this past April.

[35:21] And those were used to purchase vehicles within our fire department in

[35:28] Mr. Carling's name.

[35:29] So we have $61,538 left of that $500,000

[35:35] which we were enrolled into this fiscal year to finalize the outfitting of the three light duty

[35:43] vehicles that were purchased through with this bequest. So just by a way of summary, as you may

[35:51] recall, Mr. Carling lived in West Hart for most of his life and passed away back in 2003. He was a

[35:58] the veteran of war war two and was a past president of the rotary. So we are incredibly

[36:05] again grateful to Mr. Carling and his family for making this request to the town of West

[36:12] Hartford and to our fire department specifically.

[36:16] Thank you very much. Mr. Ledwith and we had been graced with Mr. Carling's generosity before.

[36:24] and I do remember like the whole thank you note there is not I don't think he has

[36:30] living relatives or there was no thank you Madam Mary yes he has living relatives

[36:38] live in Florida so we weren't able to get them to come up for part of a

[36:43] ceremony thank you all right this was discussed I think in human and leisure

[37:05] Thank you Madam Mayor I move to adopt a resolution appropriating funds on the West Hartford library fund to purchase computers furniture equipment and professional services second motions remain a second.

[37:17] Thank you so the West Hartford Library Fund is a special revenue fund used to account for grants and annually the available fund balance in the West Hartford Library Fund is appropriated at the recommendation of the Library Administration and in accordance with the purpose of the fund so this year we had a total of $30,125.63 in the fund and we would be using those funds to purchase computers.

[37:46] computers, library furniture, and equipment, as well as miscellaneous administrative expenses,

[37:54] and then other professional services to fund those speakers and

[37:59] authors who will come as a matter of fact, we have one coming up, that this will help pay towards as well.

[38:06] Thank you, Mr. Leadwitz.

[38:08] Yes, we have quite the author coming up.

[38:10] Mr. Year, yeah, amazing.

[38:12] All right, any other comments or questions on this?

[38:17] We did discuss this in committee.

[38:19] All right, all those in favor?

[38:21] Sorry, sorry, sorry, Mr. Dr. Wayne, go ahead.

[38:24] Thank you, through you, Mayor Canter.

[38:26] Apologies if this was covered in FNA,

[38:29] but what's Miss Linius administrative expenses?

[38:32] Like can you give an example?

[38:33] So those will be used for consultants if I remember correctly.

[38:39] I can find out the exact, I don't remember off the top of my head and I didn't write it down, but I can get that response to you tomorrow, Councillor Wei.

[38:56] Okay. Well, I think we're voting on the information we have here, so all those in favor?

[39:04] Hi.

[39:05] Any opposed?

[39:07] Motion carries.

[39:08] Thank you very much.

[39:08] Letter F, Ms. Polin.

[39:10] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[39:11] I move to adopt a resolution appropriating unexpended grant funds in the 2026, 2027 general fund budget for various town departments.

[39:19] Second, motion is being made.

[39:21] The second name Mr. Lightway.

[39:23] Thank you Madam Mayor.

[39:24] So this resolution allows us to roll over unexpended funds for nine grant awards that were received last fiscal year and

[39:32] roll them over into this fiscal year to be expended in the coming months.

[39:36] We have an Amplify grant, a bulletproof vest grant, a DUI enforcement grant, a grant

[39:46] from the John G. Martin Foundation, a State of Connecticut Department of Aging and Disability

[39:53] Services grant, a youth recovery grant, a Borrowett CT program grant, and a public library

[40:02] incentive grant program. So if these grants, you know, when we bring these grants forward

[40:08] to the council, we receive them. They don't line up perfectly with the like July 1st

[40:14] to June 30th fiscal year. So we will receive these at any various time during the fiscal

[40:21] year. And if we're not able to expand all of those funds, we will come to the council

[40:25] and ask to roll over the unused portion of that grant into the following fiscal year to

[40:31] to use them up over the next few months.

[40:34] So this combines all nine of those grants

[40:38] into one resolution and through you, Madam Mayor,

[40:42] happy to answer any questions at the council head.

[40:45] Thank you, Mr. Leadwith.

[40:46] Are there any comments or questions?

[40:51] Okay, seeing none, all those in favor?

[40:53] Hi.

[40:54] Any opposed?

[40:56] Motion carries, letter, G Ms. Bowen.

[40:59] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[41:00] I move to adopt a resolution approving a collective bargaining

[41:03] meeting agreement with CSCA, SCIU local 2001 clerical unit for the period July 1, 2025 through

[41:10] June 30, 2029. Second.

[41:13] Motion is made in second, Mr. Leib.

[41:16] Thank you and before you this evening is a tentative agreement between SCIU local 2001

[41:23] which represents our clerical bargaining unit and this is a small but very powerful group

[41:31] of employees that serve our organization.

[41:36] So we have 39 clerical employees who are part of this bargaining unit.

[41:43] And as I said in the Finance and Administration Committee meeting last week,

[41:48] they really are the backbone of our daily operation supporting every department within the town.

[41:55] So public works, police, fire, library, community center, senior centers,

[41:59] right here in town hall, so just a very, very important group of employees who provide

[42:10] valuable services to all of us and including our community.

[42:16] So the negotiations for this agreement took place over the course of pretty much the last

[42:22] year, a little bit longer than that, and they were led by our Director of Human Resources,

[42:27] versus Josephine Agnello-Beeley, as well as our outside counsel Ken Weinstock.

[42:34] And the agreement you're voting on this evening addresses wages, health insurance, retirement

[42:40] and several other terms and conditions of employment.

[42:44] So the agreement does provide a 3% general wage increase in each of the four years of the

[42:52] agreement and it goes retroactive to July 1st of 25 followed by increases in July of 26, 27, and the last year of the contract would be July of 28.

[43:04] The total wage impact through fiscal year 29 is $351,000 plus approximately $27,000 in associated social security and Medicare costs.

[43:18] and the retroactive portion of this wage increases $83,000.

[43:24] So negotiations did take place back in 25, led by, as I said, Josephine and Ken.

[43:32] But we hit a little bit of a roadblock when it came to pension benefits.

[43:38] And I know the council is aware of changes that we made to our pension plan for tier three employees a number of years ago.

[43:47] and a lot of our unions, when we sit down and negotiate,

[43:52] we'll try to claw back on some of those changes

[43:54] and those aren't anything that we'd be able to do.

[43:57] So that became a little bit of a roadblock

[44:00] during the negotiations,

[44:01] which is why it kind of went on as long as it did.

[44:07] The contract also increases employee contributions

[44:10] towards health insurance.

[44:13] Employees will ultimately contribute 20%

[44:16] of the fully insured rate, subject to salary-based caps that increase over the term of the agreement.

[44:22] So that salary caps will increase from 5.75% of an employee's wages to 6.75%, and that's

[44:31] for employees hired prior to July 1st of 23, and that it will increase to 7.25% for employees

[44:39] He's hired after July 1st of 23 and represents a meaningful increase in the employee's share

[44:46] of the health insurance costs to help address our ongoing health care expenses.

[44:54] The agreement also maintains a previously negotiated arrangement for one employee participating

[44:59] and that

[45:00] Towns deferred, a defined contribution plan rather than our defined benefit plan, our defined benefit pension plan. So there is a pension plan out there called MERS, municipal employee retirement system, and a lot of cities and towns all participate in MERS. And this particular employee, we hired after they retired from MERS. And under the MERS plan, you're not able to participate in another defined benefit pension plan.

[45:29] So we, with the cooperation of the Union carved them out and put them into a street to find contribution plan.

[45:39] There are a few other targeted operational provisions as well.

[45:43] Staff assistant in the police records division who has assigned payroll responsibilities will receive a $25 per day stipend.

[45:52] During this 12 week assignment and this agreement also clarifies the town's responsibility

[45:59] for a job-related educational and training programs designed to improve employees' opportunities

[46:05] for promotion, with courses graded on a pass-fail basis reimbursed at 75%.

[46:14] The agreement reflects what we feel is a fair balance of between providing a competitive

[46:22] wage that allows us to recruit and retain staff while also maintaining a benefit

[46:29] package that recognizes our increasing costs on the health insurance side, so we do appreciate

[46:39] the cooperation of this particular group and really, as I said earlier, really appreciate

[46:46] what they do day in and day out to support all of our various departments around the town,

[46:50] as well as our residents who come into these various departments to seek services.

[46:58] So with that as a summary mayor, I will pause there and turn it back to you and the council for any questions that you may have.

[47:08] Thank you, Mr. Leadwith. We did go over this with pretty thoroughly in finance and administration. I don't know.

[47:16] I must point, if you want to start, I will ask any report on the committee meeting.

[47:23] Thank you very much and thank you, Mr. Leadwith, for explaining all of that.

[47:28] We did have a robust conversation about this and really do want to send a note of gratitude

[47:34] to everybody who stayed at the table and worked diligently to achieve this agreement, which

[47:41] has a lot of creative aspects to it, to try to accommodate different pieces for, as you

[47:49] mentioned.

[47:49] And we have certain employees who need a special accommodation here.

[47:55] I believe, if I remember correctly, that there are about 37, 39.

[48:00] 39, thank you.

[48:02] Employees in this particular bargaining unit.

[48:05] And we appreciate all of them and are, again,

[48:10] grateful for their commitment to the residents of our town

[48:14] and for providing a professional and welcoming atmosphere

[48:18] You're here at Town Hall and thanks to those who helped negotiate this agreement.

[48:24] Thank you Ms. Bowen.

[48:25] Any other comments or questions?

[48:28] Well, they don't worry about it.

[48:29] It's all right.

[48:30] Dr. Harris.

[48:32] Thank you.

[48:33] Through you, Madam Mayor.

[48:34] Sorry.

[48:35] I was not in the F&A meeting.

[48:38] I'm just curious.

[48:39] You said several numbers there.

[48:41] What is the actual impact in terms of total dollars over the three-year period if you would know?

[48:51] Through you, Madam Mayor, to Councillor Harris's question.

[48:55] So the 3% general wage increase results in a total wage impact of $351,000 over the course

[49:04] of those four years, $27,000 in associated social security costs and Medicare costs.

[49:13] And the first year of the retroactive wage increased back to July 1st to $25,000 is $83,000.

[49:22] And was there any additional health care costs that we would be paying?

[49:30] So the way that the plan is set up, there's a fully-insured cost at the State Partnership Plan builds the town for health insurance and the employees will end up paying more for that health insurance, and so essentially it closes a gap between how much the town is funding for health insurance.

[49:50] So it moves from 20% of the fully-insured rate, but there's a cap on that 20% in terms of what their wages are.

[50:01] So it's a little bit of a complicated formula for finance to have to figure out for every individual, but that cap will increase from 5.75% up to 6.75% for employees higher prior to July 1st of 23.

[50:17] And then that number goes to seven and a quarter percent for employees that are hired after July 1st of 23.

[50:24] So it's essentially an eight to ten percent increase in the employees health insurance contributions over that time.

[50:32] Yeah, I know you said all those numbers.

[50:34] I just didn't quite understand what they were working across one other question.

[50:41] So I also had a question regarding who's doing these negotiations because we've had a few of these come through already and I just was wondering because I come from the Board of Ed where the Board of Ed members are part of the negotiating team or at least they're in those deliberations.

[51:01] and I was just wondering if that was ever a consideration that, you know, a town councilor

[51:08] or maybe more than one town councilor ever is part of these negotiations.

[51:13] Through you, Madam Mayor, and that's certainly a prerogative that the council could consider,

[51:19] so in the case that you're referring to. So the Board of Education, just so all of the town

[51:24] Council's nose, so the Board of Ed has 12 bargaining units and the teachers represent

[51:31] the, obviously, the largest bargaining unit on both the town and the school district

[51:38] and represent the largest dollar amount as part of that as well, so the Board does sit

[51:44] in on those negotiations for the teachers union but not for the other, well, for the administrators

[51:51] So those two units, so certainly happy to entertain that on the town side.

[52:00] I mean, our unions are much smaller.

[52:04] You know, this one's 39 employees.

[52:08] And under the teachers contract and the administrators contract,

[52:15] those are both covered under by state statute by the teacher tenure.

[52:20] or I'm forgetting that it's been a few years since I did it.

[52:23] So I'm forgetting the term that applies here,

[52:26] but those negotiations have to essentially have a very fixed time frame

[52:32] from which those negotiations take place.

[52:34] So you have to have that contract negotiated, mediated,

[52:39] and arbitrated by a specific date in November.

[52:42] So it starts in September and it's done by the middle of November.

[52:46] our contract negotiations like this one went back well over a year so it would

[52:52] take a lot of time for the counselors to to sit in on on something like that so

[52:58] but you know certainly happy to have that conversation further with with any

[53:02] of you so but again that teacher and administrator timeline is very condensed

[53:07] and you do it over the course of three meetings no thank you I appreciate

[53:13] at that. I do think, though, that as somebody who sat in those meetings, I do think you

[53:20] come away with a much deeper understanding of how the negotiations work, and I do think

[53:26] there's benefit to that, but to understand there is a much tighter timeline on it. Thank

[53:32] you. Thank you, Dr. Harris. Any other comments?

[53:36] questions. All right, all those in favor? Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Motion carries. So that

[53:45] was G. The discussion was for G and each, right? No. That was just for G. Yep. Sorry. I did

[53:52] this figure. We do this one separately. Okay. Ms. Fullen. That's fine. All right. Are we going

[53:58] to do a roll call vote on the contract? Oh, I'm sorry. Yes. We will. Yep. We will go back

[54:03] I can do roll call. Yes. Thank you. It's on my notes.

[54:05] I'm sorry. Mr. David. Mayor Cantor.

[54:08] Yes.

[54:09] Councillor Harris. Yes.

[54:12] Councillor Lazarus. Yes.

[54:14] Councillor Lyons. Yes.

[54:15] Councillor McGuinness. Yes.

[54:17] Councillor Poorn. Yes.

[54:19] Councillor Walters. Yes.

[54:20] Councillor Wang. Yes.

[54:22] Councillor Wintergrim. Yes.

[54:24] 9-0. Thank you, Mr. David off.

[54:26] Okay. Letter H. Ms. Poorn.

[54:29] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[54:30] I move to adopt a resolution approving a collective bargaining agreement with CSEA,

[54:35] SCIU, local 2001, professional and management unit for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2029.

[54:45] Second, thank you, motion's been made.

[54:47] Second, Mr. Libbich.

[54:48] Thank you, so a lot of the details that we just discussed in the clerical unit apply to this agreement as well.

[54:56] So our professional management bargaining unit represents 88 employees, so a little bit larger than our clerical unit, but

[55:05] again, a very important group of employees within our organization and it includes most of our community development team.

[55:13] So that's engineering, our building department, our planning and zoning, as well as employees from our employee relations,

[55:21] sorry, public relations, employee relations,

[55:24] economic development, IT, assessor's office,

[55:29] tax office, finance office, social services

[55:33] and leisure services, so they cover a wide spectrum

[55:38] of departments within the town.

[55:41] And there are a group, many of you have met

[55:44] and worked with and some of our committee work

[55:46] and had a chance to meet them.

[55:48] And it's a group that I work very closely with as well and rely on every single day.

[55:55] So they have a tremendous responsibility for managing some of the most important functions

[56:02] of municipal government, and their expertise is critical to our ability to provide outstanding

[56:10] services to our residents every single day.

[56:13] This agreement, again, as well addresses wages, health insurance contributions, as well

[56:18] as other conditions of employment, and this negotiation process took place over the

[56:24] same amount of time period that our clerical one did as well, and it was, again, tied to

[56:30] that pension issue of which we were not able to make any changes for tier 3 employees.

[56:37] And the negotiations were led by Josephine Agnello-Vili and our outside council Ken Weinstock.

[56:47] So similarly to the clerical unit does call for a 3% general wage increase in each of

[56:53] the four years and does have a retroactive increase back to July 1st of 2025.

[56:59] The total wage impact for this group is about $1.18 million over the course of those four years

[57:08] and Social Security and Medicare costs as well.

[57:14] And then the first that retroactive wage settlement for that first year is $290,000.

[57:20] So the same employee contributions to health insurance that we just discussed are enforced with this particularly unit as well.

[57:29] So we will increase, they pay 20% of that fully insured rate with a cap on their wages.

[57:37] But we will increase that cap from 5.75% to 6.75% for employees higher prior to February 24.

[57:45] And that capital rise to 7.25% for employees that were hired after February of 2024.

[57:52] And again, represents about an 8 to 10% increase in health insurance employee contributions into the health insurance,

[58:00] which helps offset the town's increase in those areas.

[58:06] There are several other targeted provisions to this agreement.

[58:10] We were struggling with hiring our full time librarians for Sunday hours so we do provide a hundred dollar differential for our library librarians who will work on Sunday.

[58:26] And then we have our building department, our IT department.

[58:31] And we have several different departments where we will have to call in employees like if we had a, you know, fire in the middle of the night, our building department would be called into, to go to that emergency, and we will provide a two hour comp time provision for those employees who are called out to work outside of the normal work day so that would include nights and weekends.

[58:58] and then our employees in this unit also earn cop time.

[59:05] So when they attend a meeting at night,

[59:08] like our planning and zoning staff,

[59:10] they do a compensatory time, compensatory time.

[59:18] And we will allow them to cash out

[59:21] five of those days each year.

[59:24] We, in the clerical unit, I described a scenario where we had hired someone who was participating in the MERS plan, retiring from another time.

[59:34] We also have someone in the professional management unit who retired from MERS and we hired so they cannot participate in our defined benefit plan and we carved them out and put them into a straight defined contribution plan.

[59:49] So that summarizes the negotiations for this particular bargain unit and I will pause there and through the amount of mayor happy to answer any questions.

[1:00:00] Questions at the council head. Thank you, Mr. Lightwith, and the number of employees for this group. All right. I'm just following you on. Yes, thank you very much, Madam Mayor. And again, we did have a robust conversation about this at the conclusion of our Finance and Administration Committee meeting on Friday. Appreciate everybody's hard work in achieving this agreement as well. I think when you listen to the town manager talk about some of these compensatory

[1:00:29] time situations, it makes you realize that running the town is not a nine to five kind

[1:00:37] of a job Monday through Friday. I know many of us are frequent visitors to the library,

[1:00:45] nights, weekends, and particularly during the Sunday hours. So it does take a little extra

[1:00:51] to be open on Sundays. I think we're open about 10 or 11 Sundays a year now. And then similarly

[1:00:59] If you think about emergencies that might arise, either at town hall with IT work or any

[1:01:06] of our other buildings, it does take some time outside of the normal Monday through Friday

[1:01:12] 9-5 and this agreement reflects that.

[1:01:16] I also just wanted to note, and this of course goes for the agreement that we just approved

[1:01:21] under item G as well, that when we adopted our budget this year, we did leave room in the

[1:01:27] a budget to cover these retroactive payments

[1:01:31] that we're going to be profaring to the employees

[1:01:35] who are covered under these agreements.

[1:01:37] So any concerns about the retroactive piece,

[1:01:41] that is there's room for that in our current town budget.

[1:01:45] So again, thank you to those who participated

[1:01:47] in the negotiation and I urge your support.

[1:01:51] Thank you, Ms. Bowling.

[1:01:52] Any other comments or questions?

[1:01:54] Okay,

[1:01:58] I just want to reiterate my thank you to, you know, both Josephine and Ken for their

[1:02:05] help on this, it's challenging and our pension has been a long, long time issue for the

[1:02:14] town and it really is important that we stick to our plan and not increase our liability.

[1:02:23] So I appreciate all of our everybody involved in negotiating getting to this point is important and just not only is the retroactive included in the budget but we also budget forward for the budget year of what the salaries were going to be so the impact we will not have a financial impact in the current year obviously going forward there will be again any other questions comments.

[1:02:51] All right, and we'll go through the roll call, Mr. David off.

[1:02:56] Mayor Canter.

[1:02:57] Yes.

[1:02:58] Councillor Harris.

[1:02:59] Yes.

[1:03:00] Councillor Lazarus.

[1:03:01] Yes.

[1:03:02] Councillor Lyon.

[1:03:02] Yes.

[1:03:03] Councillor McGinnis.

[1:03:04] Yes.

[1:03:05] Deputy Mayor Pohen.

[1:03:06] Yes.

[1:03:06] Councillor Walters.

[1:03:08] Yes.

[1:03:08] Councillor Wang.

[1:03:09] Yes.

[1:03:10] Councillor Winograd.

[1:03:10] Yes.

[1:03:11] Passes 90.

[1:03:12] Thank you, Mr. David off.

[1:03:14] All right.

[1:03:15] Now we are at reports from town manager, Mr. Good.

[1:03:18] Thank you.

[1:03:18] I'll begin the town manager's report with summary of upcoming council business

[1:03:24] We will have a public works facilities and sustainability committee meeting on Thursday, September 10th at 8 a.m

[1:03:31] And then our next council meeting takes place on Tuesday, September 22nd here in the council chambers at 7.30

[1:03:38] And have some several updates that I'd like to share with you. I know the no-webster statue

[1:03:46] I think spent some time on social media last week.

[1:03:50] But on Thursday, September 3, the NOAA Webster Statue was cleaned as part of ongoing maintenance

[1:03:57] work at Webster Walk.

[1:03:59] Specialized cleaning solution was applied to the statue causing it to turn reddish brown

[1:04:03] and alarming some of our residents.

[1:04:06] The discoloration was a reaction that occurs as the treatment kills and removes bacteria,

[1:04:12] a fungus and other biological growth that has accumulated on the surface.

[1:04:17] So the statue was rinsed and restored Friday morning, and now is looking better than ever.

[1:04:25] And Noah will also get his pointer finger re-installed, which I know has been on everyone's

[1:04:31] mind for many years now.

[1:04:34] The town has been awarded the Government Finance Officer Association's Distinguished Budget

[1:04:39] at presentation award for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026.

[1:04:43] This achievement reflects teamwork.

[1:04:46] Careful attention to detail in the dedication and

[1:04:49] numerous hours spent compiling and proofreading the budget document.

[1:04:53] Special thanks and recognition go to Patty Lewis, Lisa Newton, Erica Sledge, Jackie McLaughlin, Amy Sikola,

[1:05:01] Evan Siamento, Kerry Huffer, and the financial services staff who made this award possible.

[1:05:09] The residents are invited to a public information meeting on Thursday, September 10th at Elmore Community Center

[1:05:14] to learn about the Cain and Kennedy Brook flood study.

[1:05:18] This meeting will be held from 4.30 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a presentation from 5.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.

[1:05:26] Residents are encouraged to learn more about the study and submit comments or questions to Cain,

[1:05:31] Kennedy, at West Arford, C.T. Gov, by September 24th, 2026.

[1:05:38] Residents are invited to attend one of the AARP community workshop sessions to hear

[1:05:43] about the wage, well, age, well survey results and participate in breakout sessions to

[1:05:49] share feedback on what they need to thrive in West Hartford at any age.

[1:05:54] The workshops will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd at the Bishop's Corner Senior Center

[1:05:59] from 5.30 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 8th at the Elmwood Community Center Auditorium

[1:06:05] from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., and then again on Wednesday, November 4th at Town Hall from 5.30 to 7.30 p.m.

[1:06:14] Registration is encouraged, so please call Bishop's Corner Senior Center, Elmwood Senior Center,

[1:06:20] or email WHSC at westharfordct.gov, and of course Watkins are also welcome.

[1:06:30] And folks can visit our website to learn more about the West Harford Age Friendly Community

[1:06:34] initiative.

[1:06:38] September as we heard earlier is national preparedness month so one of the best ways to

[1:06:43] prepare is to get trained, learn valuable skills and join the West Hartford community emergency

[1:06:47] response team. The program is open to anyone 18 or older who lives or attend school in West Hartford.

[1:06:54] The next West Hartford Cert training class begins October 3rd, 2026. Since 2021 close to 400 residents

[1:07:02] that completed the training and donated over 12,000 hours of volunteer time to help

[1:07:07] that special events in town-wide emergencies.

[1:07:12] The Westart for Fire Department invites you to a special milestone presentation on Wednesday

[1:07:18] tomorrow morning, September 9th, at 10.30 a.m. in the town hall auditorium as they mark the

[1:07:23] 10th anniversary of the paramedic program that began in 2016.

[1:07:30] The Board of Assessment Appeals will hold sessions for motor vehicle assessments on

[1:07:34] on the October 1st, 2025 grand list,

[1:07:37] meaning we'll be held in room 142 at Town Hall

[1:07:40] on Thursday, September 17th,

[1:07:43] from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

[1:07:45] and Saturday, September 19th, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

[1:07:49] The September appeals are heard on a first come,

[1:07:52] first served basis, the registered vehicle owner,

[1:07:55] owner or appointed agent must bring a completed application form

[1:07:59] to the selected appeals date,

[1:08:00] along with any information showing the assessor did not base the assessment on the vehicle's original MSRP.

[1:08:10] Please contact the assessor's office by calling 860-561-741-4 for questions regarding the Board of Assessment Appeals process.

[1:08:20] We now have three new food waste drop-off bins.

[1:08:26] We have one at Wulket Park at the Chatfield Drive Entrance,

[1:08:31] Beechelin Park at 847 South Quaker and Sterling Field

[1:08:36] at 836 Flat Push Avenue.

[1:08:39] Over 93 tons of food scraps have been diverted

[1:08:42] from the trash in just the past year,

[1:08:44] thanks to the more than 1,640 residents

[1:08:48] who have downloaded the Metro Key app

[1:08:50] to drop off their scraps.

[1:08:52] For a complete list of all 11 drop off locations,

[1:08:55] a more information, please go to our public works website.

[1:09:01] Applications are being accepted until September 15th,

[1:09:04] for the first emergency energy assistance cycle.

[1:09:07] Applications are available on the Generation Power CD website,

[1:09:11] formerly known as Operation Fuel,

[1:09:15] or by calling 860-243-2345.

[1:09:19] The next application cycles are December 1 through 15th, December 1 through 15th, 2026, and March 1 through 15th and 2027.

[1:09:32] West Harp Ferd Social Services is accepting applications for Connecticut's renters rebate program for eligible residents.

[1:09:41] the state of Connecticut renter's rebate program offers rebates up to $900 for

[1:09:46] Mary couples or $700 for an individual and please the deadline is to apply September 30th,

[1:09:54] so please contact our social services department for more information.

[1:10:00] And the Connecticut Department of Transportation is hosting a series of open-style public information

[1:10:06] meetings across the state for the Connecticut State Rail Plan. These meetings provide an opportunity

[1:10:13] to learn about the plan, speak directly with project team members and share feedback on the future

[1:10:18] of passenger and freight trail transportation in Connecticut. The Hartford meeting will be held

[1:10:23] on Tuesday, September 22, from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. at the Hartford Union Station at one union place

[1:10:32] and downtown Hartford. The updated Connecticut State Rail Plan is expected to be completed

[1:10:38] in the winter of 2027 and as we all know we hope to one day have a rail station right here

[1:10:46] in West Hartford so come on out and voice your support for such an endeavor here in town.

[1:10:51] So that concludes the town manager's report this evening, Madam Mayor. This is also will be

[1:10:57] available online for folks to download more information, but happy to answer any questions

[1:11:03] that you may have. Thank you, Mr. Ledwith. Are there any questions for the town manager?

[1:11:09] Mr. Dr. Wang. Thank you, through you, Mayor Canter, to town manager. Ledwith, just in

[1:11:16] terms of road paving, do we have any, is there, is the repaving and redesign of the other part

[1:11:26] of Park Road as well as Cedric Road still on track for this year.

[1:11:30] Through you, Madam Mayor.

[1:11:32] So we are on track to start the projects for both streets this season and complete

[1:11:38] them next season.

[1:11:40] So they won't be like Cedric, for example, won't be completely done this year.

[1:11:44] But we will start it and finish it up in the spring of 2007, I can't believe I'm saying

[1:11:51] that.

[1:11:52] Okay.

[1:11:53] Okay.

[1:11:53] You're welcome.

[1:11:55] Okay.

[1:11:55] Thank you.

[1:11:56] Any other questions for the time manager?

[1:11:59] Okay.

[1:12:00] Seeing none, go to reports from Corporation Council.

[1:12:02] Mr. Dodge.

[1:12:04] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[1:12:05] I have no formal report, and we do not require an executive session.

[1:12:09] Thank you, Mr. Dodge.

[1:12:10] Are there any questions for Corporation Council?

[1:12:13] Okay.

[1:12:14] Seeing none, go to announcements, and I will try to do these quickly.

[1:12:18] Today, Hall Highs launched at Food Hall High Students, three environmentally-minded student

[1:12:24] researchers from Hall are conducting a survey to better understand residents awareness,

[1:12:29] ability, motivation, and barriers related to participation in the Food Scraps collection

[1:12:34] program.

[1:12:35] Over the next several months, they have learned about food waste, local sustainability efforts,

[1:12:39] and how neighbors across West Harvard think about diverting food scraps.

[1:12:42] Perhaps the survey will run from September 10th through September 30th, and all West

[1:12:48] Hartford residents are asked to take a few minutes to complete the survey.

[1:12:52] Your participation directly supports these students work and empowers them to develop

[1:12:56] thoughtful community-centered recommendations, and there's a link on our website.

[1:13:02] On these reports, special thanks to Eagle Scout, Erin Shamstein, as an alum of KP Jazz Band

[1:13:10] and a life scout at troop 163 and a current sophomore.

[1:13:14] And Jazz ensemble member at Hall High, Erin wanted to connect his passion for

[1:13:18] music with his gratitude for the West Harvard Public School Band Directors.

[1:13:22] And his Eagle Scout project is a team of volunteers building professional grade

[1:13:27] podiums for the band directors at King Philip, Bristol, and

[1:13:30] middle, Cedric middle schools.

[1:13:32] These conducting platforms elevate the band director and

[1:13:34] provide an effective way to lead students during concerts.

[1:13:38] That's really cool.

[1:13:39] Thank you, Erin.

[1:13:40] Real Albeer Festival will take this is the 11th annual, will take place on Saturday, September

[1:13:47] 12th on at NOAA Webster House to 27 South Main Street, 1 to 4 p.m. local brewers were challenged

[1:13:56] to develop a special cast creation incorporating at least one ingredient found in NOAA Webster's

[1:14:01] 18th Century Garden or Pantry and there's a link to get tickets protecting youth in a digital

[1:14:08] the world will take place.

[1:14:09] This discussion, important discussion will take place on September 15th, 630 to 8 p.m.

[1:14:14] at Town Hall, room 400, Marla Daken, LCSW Founder, and Clinical Director of Farmington

[1:14:21] Valley Counseling Center, and Mary McFee, Founder, and CEO of Grounded Logic and Executive Director

[1:14:26] of Grounded Minds, and there is a registration link.

[1:14:30] 40th annual West Hartford Chamber Golf Tournament will take place on September 15th.

[1:14:36] This is the 40th Annual Golf Tournament at Wampanoag.

[1:14:40] Sign up for full day of golf, food, connections,

[1:14:44] and enjoy 18 holes of breakfast buffet on course games, cocktail,

[1:14:48] and it's a really great event and there is a link

[1:14:51] to the register. West Harvard Women's Corral

[1:14:56] invites prospective singers to attend its first

[1:15:00] Members to rehearsals, September 15th and 22nd at 7 p.m. at Temple Sinai, New West 41 West

[1:15:06] Hartford Road in Newington. This offers a non- auditioned opportunity to learn and perform

[1:15:12] choral music and invites new singers to experience rehearsing with its four-part vocal group, no

[1:15:18] obligation to join, just come and sing. Greater Hartford Civility Summit will take place

[1:15:23] This right here, September 16th, civility matters, how we listen, lead, disagree and engage with one another, shapes the communities we build, join elected officials, municipal leaders, educator, nonprofit partners, and community leaders for a morning of meaningful conversation and practical tools to strengthen our civic culture.

[1:15:43] It will be 8.30 to 12.30 at Town Hall, and a light breakfast will be served.

[1:15:48] And I want to thank Adrian Billingsmith for her work on this.

[1:15:50] This came out of a Crog idea with the mayor of Weathersfield, myself, and Matt Hart.

[1:15:57] And it should be very interesting.

[1:16:00] Chamber Cabaret Saturday September 19th will take place in the Town Hall auditorium at 3 p.m.

[1:16:08] and this is West Harford Symphony Orchestra and Autumn Harvest Dinner, Blueback Squares

[1:16:13] Farmer Market and Delamar West Harford are hosting this dinner, October 25th from

[1:16:18] five to nine. This is the Farm to Table event thoughtfully curated for a

[1:16:22] course dinner by executive chef Michael Guia showcasing the freshest season line

[1:16:28] gradients and there is a link portion of the proceeds from every ticket will

[1:16:34] benefit the Blueback Square Farmer's Market and support its mission of

[1:16:38] Connecting local farmers, artisans, and residents, and we're grateful for all that they do and bring to this community any other announcements.

[1:16:48] Okay, I'll go to Mr. Walters, and I'll go to Ms. Lazarus, Ms. Walters.

[1:16:52] Thank you.

[1:16:53] I left you out of the other.

[1:16:56] Thank you, and through you Madam Mayor, and hopefully I'm not stealing council Lazarus thunder.

[1:17:01] will be open so we'll be able to

[1:17:04] access it and go in and have some fun.

[1:17:10] It's going to take place from 10 to 4 on Saturday October

[1:17:17] 3. They are going to have like an antique trolley going

[1:17:21] back and forth giving rides. All kinds of activities.

[1:17:25] The street will be open so we'll be able to access it and go

[1:17:30] and have some fun and experience part growth.

[1:17:33] Thank you.

[1:17:34] That's great.

[1:17:34] Thank you.

[1:17:35] And we do have a meeting between then,

[1:17:37] so September 2nd, I'm sure it would have been on there.

[1:17:39] But go ahead.

[1:17:40] Go ahead, Ms. Lasker.

[1:17:41] Thank you.

[1:17:42] Through you, Madam Mayor.

[1:17:43] I just want to share with the public that,

[1:17:46] on September 21st,

[1:17:48] I will be moderating a community conversation

[1:17:51] that's sponsored by Wasco,

[1:17:53] West Hartford, African-Americans,

[1:17:55] social and cultural organization.

[1:17:57] The title of the conversation

[1:17:59] is beyond the ballot community conversation on civic engagement.

[1:18:03] So for folks who are interested in getting more involved in the community,

[1:18:09] this will be a great conversation, especially if you might be averse to politics or political conversations.

[1:18:15] The panelists include the honorable Secretary Thomas, Secretary of the State, Stephanie Thomas,

[1:18:23] Matt Conway, Executive Director at the Rise Up Group,

[1:18:27] Adrian Billing-Smith, who is the Employee and Development Community Engagement Manager for the town.

[1:18:33] Louis Rodriguez Porter, Director of Volunteer Services at Connecticut Food Share,

[1:18:38] and Elizabeth Marathono, President of Connecticut Alliance for Retired Americans.

[1:18:43] It promises to be a great conversation on how to get more engaged outside of politics.

[1:18:50] Thank you.

[1:18:51] Thank you, Mr. Lazarus.

[1:18:52] are there, Mr. Lawrence?

[1:18:55] Thank you, Madam Mayor.

[1:18:56] I have something to mention, but I'm going to ask through you

[1:18:58] to Councillor Lazarus if there is a flyer for that event.

[1:19:02] Could you please share?

[1:19:04] We'll do.

[1:19:04] Thank you.

[1:19:04] I'll be grateful.

[1:19:05] Thank you very much.

[1:19:07] I always like to mention a town that cares for those with food

[1:19:11] and securities in need for food.

[1:19:13] We have a wonderful collection location right downstairs on the first floor.

[1:19:16] It's coming in the main entrance.

[1:19:18] Please think about our kids.

[1:19:19] think about the families that are in need and please consider bringing some

[1:19:24] non-perishable food donations. In any time they welcome any time during

[1:19:28] town hours and it is always greatly appreciated. Thank you. Thank you Madam

[1:19:32] Mayor. Thank you Mr. Lions. Any other? I'm doing Jewish holiday so I got that. All right.

[1:19:44] So I just one of the holiest days of the Jewish year are September 12th and

[1:19:49] 13th and September 21st, so unfortunately we will not be able to attend WASCO, but I wish

[1:19:56] it's new year and then the day of atonement, so I do wish our Jewish family, our Jewish community

[1:20:02] members happy holiday, happy new year and a meaningful fast and safe fast. Are there any other questions?

[1:20:12] All right. With that without objection, I make a motion to adjourn. Is there any objection?

[1:20:17] We are now adjourned. Thank you.

Town Council Meeting

Transcript