Common Council Meeting Monday, December 6

At its meeting tonight (7PM), the Common Council will consider a land swap, funding for small businesses and arts projects, an important commission appointment, and whether to express its support for the implementation of the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) in Connecticut.

The land swap would be a trade of 25 acres of privately owned land for 8 acres of city-owned land. The city land is adjacent to Lawrence elementary school, it would allow Dominick Demartino to develop his adjacent land near the Cromwell town line. The 25 acres of land includes sensitive wetlands, it would be protected as open space if the city acquires it.

The Council will also vote on the allocation of money to local businesses. First, whether to allocate $5000 CARES ACT Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) each to Cantina Café Ristorante LLC, Yu’s LLC DBA Juicy Cajun Seafood, and Relish Six Seven Zero, LLC. Second, whether to allocate $26,050 of the Art Support Services Grant to 7 local arts organizations: Every Note Counts Music Program ($7,800), Peter Oberc and John Barton ($5,000), Artfarm ($4,000), Artists for World Peace ($4,000), Oddfellows Playhouse ($2,500), Connecticut Storytelling Center ($2,000), and Livia Cox ($750). 

The Council will vote on whether to confirm Mayor Florsheim's appointment of Kelly Sweeney to fill a vacancy as an alternate on Planning and Zoning. Sweeney finished second in the November election for Planning and Zoning, she would fill a seat vacated by Shanay Fulton, who is now a full commissioner. Sweeney has served on the Charter Revision Commission and on the Board of Ethics. In her campaign for Planning and Zoning, Sweeney emphasized the need for preserving open space and ensuring that there is affordable housing and recreation opportunities.

The Council will consider whether to endorse the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional plan to  reduce carbon emissions from the transportation sector.  If  implemented, TCI will create allowances for the wholesale distribution of oil and gas, place a fee upon those allowances, and invest the resulting revenue in clean public transportation, electric vehicle infrastructure, and non-motorized transportation options such as bike routes. Over time, the allowances will decline and the cost will rise, to ensure lower emissions from transportation. 

In addition to these issues, the Council will hear an update on the Board of Education – Independent Investigation, the Arrigoni Bridge Project, and the 21st Century Bond, Including Update on American Rescue Plan Expenditures.

The Common Council monthly meeting is Monday, December 6th, 7PM. It is hybrid, open to the public in person in Council Chambers, and on the internet through WebEx.

The agenda is here.