Welcome to the January 14th regular meeting of the Common Council. Happy New Year to all. We will begin the public participation portion of the meeting. And the time is now 7.01. I have a list of folks I'll call upon and then anybody else who wishes to speak and address the council. Please remember to state your name and address clearly for the record. Limit your speaking time to three minutes. And if anybody again has not signed up, anybody who wishes to speak may do so. The first name on the list is Michelle Ramos. Good evening all my name is Michelle Ramos located at 41 R Street in New Britain. No business owner to a grocery store. I do get a little nervous talking in public but I'm here in reference to concerns of parking. I just opened my business on December 20th. I was raised in the area in Glen Street and R Street and I decided to do business. As of today I saw that we were getting tickets outside of the business. I run a grocery store and where we have no private parking for us as the business owners. I'm next to a shelter Hope Center across the street from a church. Me and other business owners in the area are concerned because we park in the front of the businesses so we can run our business but we cannot pay for it for parking every 30 minutes 2 hours. Pay attention to the ticket if it's expiring where we're getting a ticket as we're running a business. We can have customers in the store. We can't leave the store unattended to run outside to move a car or pay for more parking more parking to stay longer. I run my business I open at 6 in the morning and I close at 11 at night. So I normally park in front of my business. I work with my 8 month old there and it's kind of hard for me to look for any other parking when the when my business has parking right in the front. My concern is more can us as business owners have a parking permit that we can place on our vehicle so they know that OK these are business people here. It's not that they're just parking to hang out or go to different places. They did offer parking in the back of the building before but that's a residential area and they need permits there. And the area to be honest is not so good. Because we do have a lot of homeless I don't judge nobody everybody has their downfalls but they do a lot of break in stealing cars they tow cars back there. So it's very concerning especially me not having interest from the back of the building. My interest is in the front so I prefer to park in the front. If there's a possible way we can have like a reserve parking for business owners or if something can be done in reference to parking for us. That's my reason as to why I'm here today is my concern. I cannot afford to pay for a business, pay for my house, and then have tickets on top of that. It's kind of difficult. It's a lot of out of pockets. Well, thank you, Michelle, for calling to our attention. When everybody's finished speaking, all the persons may wish to respond to what you said. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all. Our next speaker is Anthony Jonese. Anthony. Good evening I'm Anthony Jonese 292 Eddie Glover Boulevard. Senior Pastor Solid Rock Spiritual Center here in New Britain. Reason why I'm here is I guess to give my three minute pitch of a proposal. OUR CHURCH IS TRYING TO DO HERE IN THE CITY. WE HAVE A PROGRAM, FRESH START PROGRAM IS A NONPROFIT HUMAN AND SOCIAL SERVICE INITIATIVE RUN BY HPN INTERNATIONAL, AN INTEGRATED AUXILIARY OF SOLAR ROCK SPIRITUAL CENTER IN NEW BRITAIN. THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO ADDRESS TRANSITIONAL HOUSING NEEDS FOR CLIENTS AT SAMARITAN HOUSE EAST IN NEW BRITAIN PENDING APPROVAL OF COURSE OF MAYOR SANCHEZ AND NEW BRITAIN CITY COUNCIL AND OFFICE OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT. Solid Rock Spiritual Center is currently working with Pastor Michael Casey of St. Francis Parish and the Archdiocese of Hartford to procure one of their vacant properties located at 655 East Street and Newington Avenue. Frustrate is a program that provides academic vocational education, life skill training courses, mental health education counseling, physical health training, transitional housing, emergency sheltering during the winter months, and credit counseling. Debt repayment is crucial for rebuilding our clients' credit worthiness and social score. In addition, our program aids clients with children and family reunification, if at all possible. Our program is a comprehensive initiative designed to support adults 21 years old who have recently been released from a correctional facility in Hartford, New Haven, or New London counties. Eligibility is open to those who have served 30 to 60 days in a state-certified halfway house. This program is uniquely designed to be the only academic vocational-based facility providing long-term transitional housing and wraparound services for former inmates who were enrolled in college degree or certified vocational curriculum under the Second Chance Pell program while incarcerated. Crest Heart offers this program for up to two years. Our clients will engage. an eight-step empowerment program that reteaches necessary life skill essentials for developing self-sufficiency. These steps include personal development, continued academic vocational training, substance abuse counseling, people skills building, spiritual counseling, physical health activities, independent skills, and community involvement through volunteerism. Moving from detention to homelessness, in adopted social living creates an environment where clients have an opportunity to thrive and adopt collective approaches with collective actions to achieve shared goals and solve complex problems that cannot be achieved by one entity alone. Jobs and job training programs are essential for client success and long-term stability. Stakeholders in New Britain such as Greatest Dairy, Springbrook Ice and Fuel, Personal Oil, Company, and New Britain Public Works are all significant role, play a significant role in this community development project. Positive human development is what strong communities and wise leaders do. We lift folks up. Thank you very much for this time. Thank you, Mr. Janice. Our next speaker is John Christopic. John Krystopic, 292 Linwich Street. Thanks for this opportunity. Good luck to the new members of the Common Council, and thanks to the returning members. I am sure that the new administration has a top priority to hire a Chief Operations Officer. I think that Mary Pokorsky deserves a raise for having two positions. I would like to know how much bond money the City of New Britain owes. How much, what are the durations of the bonds? There has been quite a bit of refinancing over the past years. Usually refinancing makes for lower payments, but you end up paying more money. Now let's talk about the BRIT. Its first value, $12,693,000. Seventy percent taxable, $8,885,000. They should have paid $348,000. They're paying 50, 50 for the next 26 years. Oh, I'm sorry, a 2% increase per year. Well, after 26 years, that will amount to $83,000 at the 26th year. I see Yasko just recently sold the building. It wasn't in the paper how much they paid for it, but I looked it up on that company's website, and it was $30,070,000 in Dorado Lakewood, New Jersey. So let's take $30 million. That's a good starting point for what their property taxes would be. At 30 million, a 70% valuation is 21 million. The mill rate of 39.18, they would be paying $824,000 in taxes. They get to take over the tax abatement from the original owner. I just hope that the new owners have better luck and bringing in a restaurant with flair to the Brit. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Christophic. That's all the names I have on the list. Anybody else wish to address the council? Hello, my name is Kelly Noss. I live at 29th Street in Britain. Still the church's property where my head got cracked open. Okay, so... Man, I want to talk to that guy right there, the police chief, directly. So, the police chief... Kevin, you can address the council, and I'm sure he's listening. Okay, okay. But I'd like to have eye-to-eye on that damn wall that's in my way. Because, you know, I'm a man, I talk eye-to-eye. Okay, so... So everybody knows my story where my head got cracked open feeding a breakfast with 60 witnesses and me being a witness also and my priest in her office. So how is it that I have my police report that says that I didn't even give any police report whatsoever? Why is that? And why is it... The me and the police chief here haven't talked in all these years. Where are all my witnesses? I have them because I just went down to New Life right here, and I talked to the pastor. Me and him go back, way back. You know, like the old Cadillacs? Me and him. We go way back. Me and him fed our town together. And then when I tell him my story, he looks at me and says, Kelly, man, I can't believe your town. How do you not have any police report? Do you know I brought three of my witnesses to the police department, and they were going to arrest me and my witnesses that watched me get my head cracked open in a church. And all this time, I've been telling you guys at the town hall, and nobody's listening. Okay, so I build race cars for a living, okay? I got a ticket doing 142 miles an hour. You know my best friends? They're state cops. All of them. Every single one. State cops, they saved me. But a town in the Britain cop that's supposed to be doing his job, why will they not give me any meeting with the police chief when I got my head cracked open? You're not going to have an Episcopal church or one of the priests come to you Because I'm fighting the Episcopal priest and the Episcopal diocese. Do you know why I didn't get no workman's comp? Because your police report sounds like I got a hangnail. Amen. Are there any callers in the queue? Anybody else wish to speak. Anybody else. Anybody else hearing none. That concludes public participation for this meeting. Time is now 716. Are there any council members that would like to make comment on what they heard at public participation. Alderman Scott. I want to just thank the first person who came with your business. I heard your concerns and I'd like to talk to you further about it. We want to support businesses and I want to thank you for having a business here in the city. And to our pastor who came thank you for coming out. Sounds like a wonderful wraparound service that you're talking about. So I'd love to talk with you more about that as well. And John thanks for coming. And with your concerns for the BRIT I think We share those concerns. And I would love to see a wonderful, what did you say, the wonderful, I'd love to see a restaurant with flair as well. So thanks for coming. And Kelly, thanks for coming out. And we do hear you. And let's talk more and see if we can get a meeting for you, okay? Thank you so much. Thank you. Alderman Smedley. Thank you. Mr. Christophek had a question about what our total debt service was. We just actually had an independent audit conducted and the total number for our current debt service is two hundred ninety four million one hundred and eighty five thousand dollars. So that is the current debt bonded debt that the city has at this point. And then just a comment about the the BRIT I'd much rather have the building with a tax abatement versus a fifteen thousand dollar tax bill in a blighted downtown. Thank you. Thank you. Any other persons wish to respond to what they heard? Anybody? Anybody? Hearing none, this concludes this portion of the meeting, and we'll begin the regular meeting shortly. It's 7-18. Good evening. I call to order the January 14th, 2026 regular meeting of the Common Council. The time is now 726 p.m. Madam Clerk will you please call the call the roll. ELLIE WILSON- Yes Your Honor. Alderman McNamara. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderwoman Scott. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Simpson. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Smedley. Present. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Malinowski. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Hargraves. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Gibson. Aye. ELLIE WILSON- Alderwoman DeLernia. Here. ELLIE WILSON- Alderman Santiago. Present. Alderwoman Barbosa. Alderwoman Sanchez. Alderwoman Vargas. Alderwoman Maldonado. Alderman Centeno. Alderwoman Ortiz-Luna. Your Honor, there are 14 present and one absent. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Madam Clerk, now for the invocation, which will be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Yes if everyone can please stand for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance. Dear Lord as we open this first council meeting of the new year for the city of New Britain we thank you for a new year of life. Help us to live in the goodness that comes from doing what you have destined us to do. May our discussions be respectful and productive. Our decisions thoughtful and fair and our actions guided by integrity transparency and accountability. Let us work collaboratively mindful of New Britain's rich history and diverse community while remained focus on building a safe, inclusive, and prosperous city for all. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Alderman Santiago for the minutes. Thank you, Your Honor. I make a motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 19, 2025 and December 12, 2025. Second. Second by Alderman Smedley. Any questions and comments? Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed nay. Motion carries. Mr. Mayor, point of order. Sir, I raise with a point of order, and I'm not sure I should direct it to whether it's to you or to Corporation Counsel. This evening we have a new city clerk, and Ms. Delandro, I know you're more than capable of carrying out this meeting as working with her before. I just want to ensure the security of our meeting and the integrity. Under what process was Ms. Delandro appointed as the city clerk? Point of order, Your Honor. That is not an item on this agenda. and it's not a point of order. I will change it to a point of privilege, then, on behalf of the concern of the entire body to make sure that our meeting is legal. We're going to move on to the next item on agenda. Okay, so no transparency that she's not qualified for the position. Thank you. Alderman Santiago for the amendments. Thank you, Your Honor. I make a motion to amend the agenda by withdrawing item number one. Second by Alderman Simpson. Okay, any questions or comments? Seeing none, Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Alderman McNamara? Yes. Alderwoman Scott? Yes. Alderman Simpson? Yes. Alderman Smedley? Yes. Alderman Malinowski? Yes. Alderman Hargraves? Yes. Alderman Gibson? Alderwoman Delernia. Yes. Alderman Santiago. Yes. Alderwoman Barbosa. Yes. Alderwoman Sanchez. Yes. Alderwoman Vargas. Yes. Alderwoman Maldonado. Yes. Alderman Centeno. Yes. Alderwoman Ortiz-Luna. Yes. Your Honor, there are 14 yes, one, excuse me, 13 yes. Sorry, Your Honor, you mentioned my name. Oh, I'm sorry, it said Santiago. Yes. Your Honor, there's 14 yes. Thank you. Motion carries. Madam Clerk, any petitions? Yes, Your Honor. We have 11 petitions. Petition number one, Alderman Scott, for the appropriate department to conduct a study to determine if the installation of a crosswalk in front of the senior center is warranted. Referred to Police Commission. Petition number two, Alderman Santiago for the appropriate department to conduct a study to determine ways to address constituent concerns regarding on-street parking blocking trash pickup bins. Referred to Public Works Department. Petition number three, Mark Ullen of Z2 Motorsports, LLC. seeks granting of a certificate of location approval to allow state DMV issuance of a motor vehicle dealer and a repair license for a property known as 724 Allen Street. Refer to city plan commission and zoning subcommittee. Petition number four, Alderman Scott for the appropriate department to conduct a parking study on Cornelius Street to determine if on-street parking should be allowed and the no parking restrictions removed. Refer to police commission. Petition number five, Alderman Smedley, Malinowski, DeLernia, Hargraves, and Gibson for the mayor's office to provide clarification regarding the executive order dated January 5th, 2026. Refer to mayor's office. Petition number six, Alderman Smedley, Malinowski, DeLernia, Hargraves, and Gibson for the mayor's office to provide clarification regarding the current job posting superintendent of Public Works Utilities. Refer to Human Resources Department of Public Works. Petition number seven Alderman Smedley Malinowski Delernia Hargraves and Gibson for the mayor's office to provide clarification regarding the appointment of a new town clerk on January 12 2006. Refer to Human Resources Department. Petition number eight. Alderwoman Vargas for the appropriate department to address the safety and infrastructure concerns on Forest Street and Liberty Street. Refer to Police Commission and Public Works Department. Petition number nine. Alderwoman Vargas for the appropriate department to address ongoing traffic safety, pedestrian safety, and quality of life concerns on Vine Street and in Walnut Hill Park. Refer to the Police Commission and Public Works Department. Petition number 10, Alderwoman Vargas for the appropriate department to address several dangerous conditions along Reservoir Road, particularly at its intersections with Kenwood Drive, Victoria Road, and Shuttle Meadow Avenue. Refer to the Police Commission and Public Works Department. And the last petition, number 11, Alderwoman Vargas for the appropriate department to address persistent traffic safety, noise, and enforcement issues, including but not limited to Lincoln Street, Steel Street, Corbin Avenue, South Main Street, Glen Street, Monroe Street, Mill Street, Stanley Street, Worcester Street, and surrounding residential side streets. Refer to Police Commission and Public Works Department. Thank you, Your Honor. That concludes the petitions. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Your Honor, motion to appeal. Sorry, I'd like to appeal your decision to move on from my petition for privilege. Point of order, we've moved on and it should have been appealed at the time. Okay, new point. Not to mention the fact that the statements that were made were out of order for this floor. How so? Through you, Your Honor. You attacked the personality of an individual and particularly the qualifications and that should not be done on this floor. Your Honor, I didn't attack the personality. I actually said I understand she's probably more than capable of the duties of running this meeting tonight because we did work. We're not going to continue the conversation here. It's done. I'm concerned that we're violating the state statute. We're done with that issue. So we're going to move on. Alderman Santiago for the consent agenda, please. Thank you, Your Honor. I make a motion to accept the consent agenda of A, C, F, and G. Second by Alderman Sanchez. Okay. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Yes, Your Honor. Alderman McNamara. Aye. Alderman Scott. Aye. Alderman Simpson. Aye. Alderman Smedley. Aye. Alderman Malinowski. Aye. Alderman Hargraves. Aye. Alderman Gibson. Aye. Alderman Delurnia. Aye. Alderman Santiago. Yes. Alderwoman Barbosa. Yes. Alderwoman Sanchez. Yes. Alderwoman Vargas. Yes. Alderwoman Maldonado. Yes. Alderman Centeno. Aye. Alderwoman Ortiz-Luna. Yes. Your Honor, 14 yes, 1 abstain, 1 absent. Motion carries. Reports of Boards, Commissions, Departments, and Legislative Committees. Alderman Smedley for Item B. Thank you, Your Honor. Motion to accept and adopt item B. Second by Alderman Malinowski. Your Honor, this is related to the appointment of, or the petition that we submitted, which is related to the council administrative position. And through you, to my colleague, Alderman Santiago, I just want to talk about a couple questions related to the position. Alderman Santiago. All right. Yes. Thank you, sir. Can you talk to us about what the planned process is for the replacement of this position? Mr. Through the charter, it does require that the majority, pro temp majority and minority leader go through the process of the human resource, which again, we did. We sent the qualification, sorry, excuse me, the report and so it will be submitted today to be posted for civil service. in which from there there will be coming to us through applications and we'll be looking through it and doing as the charter allows us to. Are there any changes to the job description? There was a couple of changes. Most of it is basically just we're reflecting from what the original was before and what we had now and because since it's not a union position there is some you know that requirements don't have to reflect on the union's requirements. So the position Previously, in the last term, the union had that position. Correct. Excuse me, I'm sorry. In the previous election year, the previous term, the position was a union position. Correct. So was there a negotiation with the union that the union released that position? As I emailed everyone, the MOU, the leadership especially, I sent an email to the MOU, the discussion between the mayor and the... the person that was filling that position and also the union had a discussion agreement in which it would be removed right after the release of that person's term. The sunset agreement. Okay. Thank you. Those are all the questions I have. Thank you. Thank you. Any further discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed nay. Motion carries. Alderman Smedley for item number, item D. Thank you, Your Honor. I make a motion to accept and adopt item D. Seconded by Malinowski Alderman Malinowski. Alderman Malinowski Thank you. So the names that were turned back in the report of the transition team is there somebody here who can identify which departments that they worked with specifically. Corporate counsel we'll have Mary Pokorsky come up. Okay I believe Randall Jakubowski was education. Donald DiFranzo was finance. Rick Lopes was public works if I recall correctly. Susie Ambulinski was public safety. Tony Lynn Collins I believe was legislative affairs. And Diana Reyes I apologize I forgot what what she was what department she was. DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHICH DEPARTMENT SHE WAS? I THINK SHE WAS DIANA REYES WAS EDUCATION. SO RAND JOCHEBOWSKI WAS EDUCATION. THROUGH YOU MAYOR I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S APPROPRIATE TO MS. PECORSKI OR ATTORNEY PECORSKI I'M SORRY. CHRIS ANDERSON WAS ON THE TRANSITION TEAM MR. ANDERSON FORMER ALDERMAN OR NOT ON THE TRANSITION TEAM? I DON'T BELIEVE HE WAS ON THE TRANSITION TEAM. SO IN WHAT CAPACITY IS HE WAS HE ASSISTING IN FINANCE? He's assisting as a temporary, Linda Gard can answer that question if she's here, but I believe as a consultant or an employee. Your Honor. Could I speak to that? Yes. Councilman McNamara. I believe the attorney is correct. As a temporary consultant, I need not remind you that the director of finance, and I believe the number two in finance, left within the last two months. Mm-hmm. And we've heard perennially of short staffing in that department. And Mr. Anderson has expertise in accounting, and so I think he's a temporary person to assist the new administration. Okay. Thank you. I don't have any further questions. Councilwoman DeLarna. Hi, thank you. I also have a question about the positions. Was Greg Geratana on the list as well and what is his position currently. ELLIE WILSON- Mr. Geratana is not on he was not on the transition team. He is employed as a volunteer not employed excuse me he's a volunteer in the mayor's office and he's assisting with them but he's not paid. DIRECTOR HARRIS- Thank you. ELLIE WILSON- You're welcome. DIRECTOR DEWOLF- None of the positions are paid. Correct none of the yes that's right the transition team was not paid either. How long there was no end date for the transition are they all still in place and do we have an end date. No I believe the transition is complete. The transition is complete but we're having one last meeting should be coming up by the end of this month. OK thank you. You're welcome. Any other discussion? Councilman Simpson. Just really quickly on the motion itself. I believe when the motion was stated, it was stated as accept and adopt, but we just accept this report, correct? Yes. That's correct. I'll change to accept. I apologize. Thank you, Alderman. Thank you, Mayor. Councilman Santiago. Thank you Your Honor. I just want to thank the transition team for spending their time doing you know doing their due diligence for the city of New Berlin. Coming in and volunteering to actually help support the mayor and the city on making sure that everything was running smoothly. Thank you. Thank you Councilman. Any other discussion? Seeing none. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say nay. Motion carries. Alderman Smedley for item E. Thank you sir. I make a motion to accept item E. Second by Alderman Malinowski. This is a petition report related to the Allen Street project and through you Mayor if I may call Mr. Moriarty to the podium just to talk about the funding sources. Mr. Moriarty. Thank you. Through you, Mayor. So Mr. Moriarty, I understand from the previous term that we had allocated and secured $6 million in local funding for this project. In the report, you identify an additional $3 million that has been secured. Can you talk to us about how and where that money was secured? Yep. There was $2 million of state bonding that came in for the Allen Street project. I know the request is a lot larger, but we secured two. We were awarded – it's almost a $1 million grant, just a little bit – a couple thousand short of that from EPA. It's an earmark. From where, I'm sorry? U.S. EPA. And that's specific to sewer work. Originally, we were pursuing money for more sewer I&I work. because the Allen Street project has so much sewer work in it like actually replacing the sewers. We talked to our contact at EPA. They said that we could reallocate that money specific to Allen Street. There was nothing preventing us from doing that. So that got us the additional million dollars that brought that total to three. Okay. The one million dollars was there a resolution presented to the council from your department to accept that money. as the INI money or the sewer money? I don't believe so. I don't remember, honestly. Okay. I'm not attacking anybody here, but I think we have to have a resolution to accept that money at some point as grant money. And then your report also talked about an additional $8 to $9 million. Can you talk to us about that? Okay. I mean, that's... not an additional eight to nine million dollars. That's including the three million dollars. So that's where basically. Okay so earlier when we talked on the phone you described six million local to me, two million in state, one million from the department that you just talked about. Both were received in the fall of 2025 and then we talked about an eight to nine million dollar lots of application that will be submitted in February. misunderstanding than just between the two of us the project's estimated at 14 million dollars that's our current estimate um six million dollars has been committed locally we have three million dollars that has been already secured um a lots of application at time of application is five million dollars five million you are allowed to a 20 20 increase over that um afterwards so um Optimistically, we know that it should be a $5 million application. This project should score very well. There's no reason to believe we won't get $5 million from that. Now, we've been successful on other projects on getting that additional 20%. It's probably a little strategy that's going to have to go on there. Okay. So based on the lots application, which is going to be February of 2026, correct? You should score or you did score on the pre-test already, like pre-credit application? We've reviewed scoring criteria for this project with CROG staff. We have competed on a lot, and with the lots of program, it's not like you're competing in one, like three projects out of all the CROG communities they're going to get. There's going to be 20 projects, maybe more projects. Scoring criteria favors communities like New Britain, Hartford, in the region. So we're quite sure we're going to score high enough to get this project funded through lots of. Through you, Mayor, just a final wrap-up question. All said and done, you get the lots of money. What's the timeline for the project? Once it gets accepted through CROG, which takes a couple of two to three months. Then they submit it to DOT. That could be, believe it or not, any of us that work here understand sometimes state agencies can be a little bit of a logjam, but we're optimistic that we would hear back from DOT in the fall. Our intention is to make sure the design is wrapped up so once we do hear back, that we're in position to go out to bid. So I don't know. I mean it's it's hard to say because the funding agencies that are involved in this could hold up the project but I know that we're going to just be in position once the funding is here that we'll be ready to go out to bid. Thank you. Thank you Mayor. I just want to thank Mark Moriarty and Mayor Sanchez for working together and getting this project moving. It's been sitting for 12 years and lots of families have been affected living in sewer living in poor conditions losing property value. So again I want to thank you both for working together and getting this rolling. Of course. Any other questions for Mark. Do you have one for Mark. No for Mark no. OK. You're all set. Or you can sit. Councilman Santiago. Yeah, I would like to also echo my colleague on how actually just started off previous council with the bonding, but the consistency that's been going on with this administration from the first day on that he's committed to doing it between the mayor and Mark Marotti that has been working on trying to get this lots of monies. Yes, we all know that it takes a process, but it's been commitment through the council, the mayor, the mayors, BUT ESPECIALLY NOW THAT WE'RE MORE COMMITTED THAN ANYTHING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALLEN STREET GETS TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THIS ADMINISTRATION IS OVER, AND THAT'S WHAT YOUR COMMITMENT WAS FOR, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DETERMINED TO DO, AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN. THERE'S NO PARTICIPATION FROM THE AUDIENCE. COUNCILMAN MCMURR. THANK YOU. Yes, thank you, Your Honor. To Alderman Smedley's point about your resolution, the financial package will be coming in all its multiple parts to the Council, and this is a short-term project. This is the number one capital improvement project, infrastructure project, that will be accomplished in the short term. And as you know, we started at zero dollars two and a half years ago. except for an appropriation that was withdrawn. And I think we're going to get all the financial packages in a short time to move forward with the project. Thank you, Your Honor. Thank you, Councilman. Any other, just Councilwoman Scott. I also wanted to thank our Mayor for working on this and making it a priority. I got an email from a constituent saying that you're going to be meeting with some of the residents about this and we really appreciate that you're taking this right away and working on it. This has been going on for over decades, 30 years. It's been an issue and our houses are being affected and homeowners are struggling. So we really appreciate it and I'm glad that we're taking the steps towards getting things done. So thank you. And thank you Mark as well. Any other discussion. Councilwoman Luna. Thank you Your Honor. I also want to thank Director Moriarty. Just a reminder I was the one that put in the resolution about three four years ago which it was 15 votes. It went through four million dollars and then due to politics you don't know what happened right. But I'm glad that this is this project is actually moving along. Thank you Mark. Thank you, Councilwoman. Any other discussion? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. Motion carries. Now to the resolutions. Alderman Scott for item number two. Thank you, Your Honor. I make a motion to accept and adopt item number one. Two. Two, sorry. Second. Second by Alderman Hargrens. This is for Muslim American Heritage Awareness Month. And the city of New Britain is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect among all residents. Muslim Americans have made significant contributions to the culture, social, economic, and political fabric of the United States, and the presence in New Britain enriches our community, which is why this is very important. Muslim Americans have excelled in promoting the community by their achievements in various industries, including medicine, education, technology, businesses, public service, community, faith, family and services, et cetera. Recognizing and celebrating the heritage and contributions of Muslim Americans fosters understanding and unity among all citizens. January has been recognized in various communities and states as Muslim American Heritage Month serving as an opportunity to honor the achievements history and culture of Muslim Americans. And I just wanted to say that our mayor and I met with the Islamic Center several times and they have told us how they don't really feel like they're a part of our community. They they want to feel more welcome here and it makes me really sad. Everybody should feel like they're welcome and I know Our mayor agrees with us that we want to do better and make sure that everyone feels like they're part of the community here in New Britain. And so I urge adoption of this resolution. Thank you Councilwoman. Any questions or comments? Seeing none. All those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay. Motion carries. Alderman Simpson for item number three. Thank you, Your Honor. I rise to make a motion to accept and adopt item number three. Second. Second by Alderman Luna. Thank you. This is a grant and budget expenditure relating to the Beeline Trail. Basically, we are having an increased revenue of $5.4 million, and we are using $3.6 million of it for construction contracts. I urge adoption. Any comments, questions? Okay, seeing none, all those in favor, say aye. All those opposed nay. Motion carries. Alderwoman Luna Ortiz for item number four. Thank you Your Honor. I make a motion to accept and adopt item number four. Second by Alderman Barbosa. This resolution is to approve two after school grants received from the state of Connecticut Department of Education in the total amount of three hundred seven thousand seven $760 to the Recreation and Community Services Department for the Every Kid Counts After-School Program and I urge adoption. Any comments, questions? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed nay. The motion carries. Alderman Nguyen Ortiz for item number five. Thank you, Your Honor. This resolution, or I'm sorry. I make a motion to accept and adopt item number five. Second by Alderman Santiago. This resolution is to allow the recreation of recreational community service department to receive one hundred eight thousand six hundred seventy seven dollars from the grant that was received to fund the every kid accounts after school program expansion and I urge adoption. Any questions or comments. Seeing none all those in favor say aye. All those opposed nay. Motion carries. Alderwoman Sanchez for item number six. Thank you Your Honor I make a motion to accept and adopt item number six. Second by Alderwoman Barbosa. All right this resolution is for the Willow Street Park Improvement Electrical Services as follows. To his honor, the Mayor and the Common Council of the City of New Britain, the underside may leave to recommend the adoption of the following. Whereas on March 26, 2025, the New Britain City Council approved $1.6 million in bonding to fund the expansion and improvement to Willow Street Park, and whereas planning and programming for the Willow Street Park improvements have been led by the City's Recreation and Community Services Department. We designed construction support from the Public Works and Engineering and Field Services Division, and whereas on September 24, 2025, the New Brunswick City Council passed a resolution to approve a procurement program to construction services for the Willow Street Park Improvement Project. Whereas Consulting Engineering Services Incorporated, CES, is an electrical engineering consultant that will perform Professional engineering services for the lighting required for the Willow Street Park improvement. And we ask CES has submitted a proposal to perform this work at a fee of $50,000. Now therefore be resolved. The city is authorized to hire consultant engineering services for work associated with electrical engineering services for the Willow Street Park improvement project. And I urge adoption. Any questions or comments? Seeing none, all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed nay. Motion carries. Alderman Centeno for item number seven. Thank you, Your Honor. Make a motion to accept and adopt resolution number six, please. Second by Alderman Luna. This resolution is in reference to the . Sir, Your Honor, can we just have his mic on? Can you hear me now?