The Committee to Strengthen the Sheldon/Charter Oak Neighborhood, Inc. (CSS/CON) MONTHLY BOARD MEETING (Virtual, via Zoom)
CSS/CON DIRECTORS PRESENT:
Chris McArdle, CSS/CON President, Chair; Donna Williams, Treasurer; Ann Snyder, Resident; Jack Hale, Church of the Good Shepherd; Mike Zaleski, Riverfront Recapture; Bernadine Silvers, Vice President; Cheryl Zeiner, Resident; Kathy Shaw, Executive Director, Mercy Housing
CSS/CON DIRECTORS NOT PRESENT:
Kevin Buckeridge, Resident; Mary Ramdeen, Resident; Kate Pacelle, Resident; Kim Sinclair, Resident; Donna Swarr, Colt Park Foundation; Emily Wolfe, Sheldon-Charter Oak
RESIDENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, AND OTHERS PRESENT:
Thomas Madden, BFJ Planning; Kimberly Alexander, COH, Community Engagement; Alexander Castro, Department of Development Services; Captain Jose Rivera, HFD Special Services; Mary Salvey, Hartford Preservation Alliance; Community Service Officer Anthony Gaudino, HPD; James Collins, Dillon Place Apartments; Nuchette Black-Burke, Hartford Public Schools; Jinelle Hooker, Hartford Public Schools; Kim Gauthier, Administrative Assistant, Hartford Next
The 10 April 2023 meeting was called to order by Chris McArdle at 5:30 PM; Roll call was taken by Kim Gauthier; a quorum was present.
Motion: Chris McArdle confirmed the receipt of meeting minutes for March 2022 and called for a motion to accept the minutes; motion made by Michael Zaleski, seconded by Anne Snyder. Minutes accepted unanimously.
A monthly newsletter will be forthcoming and it will focus on CSSCON specifically and not repeat information.
Nuchette Black-Burke, Hartford Public Schools, Office of Outreach, Family and Community Partnerships
• Nuchette asked “who’s in the room?” and what connection attendees had to Hartford.
• Schools in the NRZ are
• The district has a Model for Excellence that consists of four areas: High Quality Teaching and Learning, Engaging Family and Community Partnerships, Welcoming Culture and Nurturing Climate, and Skillful Staff and Effective Operations. These are the guiding principles for the entire district.
• Partners working with NRZ schools are YMCA, and the Boys and Girls Clubs.
• Schools within the CSSCON NRZ are Betances Early Learning Lab (PK3-4); Kinsella Magnet School of Performing Arts (PK-8 Campus); and Sport and Medical Sciences Academy (6-12). All schools within the NRZ are magnet schools.
• There are approximately 640 students live in that area.
• The magnet school process is a lottery for interested students in and outside of Hartford.
• To integrate students into the community, the school district has developed a position called the Family and Community Service Support Provider. The Provider for each campus within the CSSCON NRZ:
o Marielina Molina, Betances Early Learning Lab, molinam001@hartfordschools.org
o Vanessa Rodriguez, Kinsella Magnet School of the Performing Arts (K-8), rivev002@hartfordschools.org
o Joshua Duenas, Sports Medical and Science Academy, diazn001@hartfordschools.org
Question from Cheryl Zeiner: interested in resources available to students with special needs.
• Each school has a Governance Council; they work at school data, budget, and talk to the principals on a monthly basis. If anyone in the NRZ is interested in being part of the School Governance Council should contact Hartford Public Schools at the beginning of the school year.
• Information for residents of CSSCON about Hartford Schools can be obtained through the Welcome Center and Office of Enrollment & School Choice (Central Office), 330 Wethersfield Ave, Hartford, CT 06113, 860-695-8400.
• As an office, they want to develop partnerships with the Hartford community. Questions or feedback can be shared at outreach@hartfordschools.org.
• Answer to Cheryl Zeiner’s question, there is a department of support services for students with special needs. They do outplacement and some families engage private schools for their students.
• Nuchette Black-Burke will forward information about the number of students who are in the NRZ to Chris McArdle.
Officer Gaudino, Hartford Police Department
• There is a major issue in the area of car break-ins Sheldon and Charter Oak area. If anyone sees suspicious vehicles or has any information or photos, video surveillance please text Officer Gaudino.
• As warm weather approaches, ATVs and dirt bikes will be an issue in Colt Park, the PD developing plan to deal with those facts.
Question: Donna Williams asked about a specific report; a woman reported her house broken into and car stolen. Officer Gaudino will follow up with Donna directly.
Comment: Chris McArdle requested traffic statistics for future meetings
Thomas Madden, BFJ Planning, Hartford Brainard Airport Study Update
• BFJ Planning is the consultant doing the Brainard Airport property study. Tasked to finish within 9 months.
• The purpose of the study is to give Hartford a stake into how the airport is used, it is to “assess the benefits and opportunity costs to the city of Hartford and to the state of the current use and alternative uses of the Hartford Brainard Airport property.”
• Public meeting schedule:
o Thursday, April 13, 2023 at the Early Childhood Center from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
o May 18, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
o July 13, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm
o August 10, 2023 from 6:30 – 8:00 pm
• Public Engagement Events:
o April 2023 – format, location, and time TBD
o June 2023 – format, location, and time TBD
• Public Survey is available online between April and June 2023
o Website https://hartfordbrainardairportstudy2023.com in English and Spanish
• They will review the economic, regulatory, and environmental (including remediation plans) impacts.
• Alternate Development Scenarios report will explore any redevelopment recommendations. The draft report is due to the DECD August 31, 2023. The final presentation to the Finance, Revenue, and Bonding Committee is due October 15, 2023.
Question – Jack Hale: Is anyone talking with the National Park Service and the potential relationship between the Service and the Colt Building donations to the National Park Service that are underway?
Thomas Madden: They have to look at a recreational option for the property, connections have to be made with the state, whether or not to keep the property an airport, downtown Hartford, the parks in Hartford, and the National Park Service related to the Colt property.
Comment – Jack Hale: wealthy individuals who collect antique weapons will have an interest in the Colt area when the National Park Service comes in and they have their own planes. Unsure of the impact their trips in and out of Hartford will have.
Thomas Madden: As decisions are made, funding sources will be reviewed and it will be determined whether money will come from donations, individuals, the state, etc.
Capt. Jose Rivera, Hartford Fire Department, Special Services
• Number of incidents for March was 86 compared to 64 last month.
Medical calls – 55
Rescue calls – 2 (elevator rescues or extrication from vehicles)
Hazardous materials – 0
Fires – 0
Fire alarm activations – 9
Last month service calls
• Fires from last month that stand out:
o At 86 Webster Street, a fire at a large apartment complex displaced 65 people. The fire was due to a bathroom vent. The Fire Marshall recommends exhaust fans be maintained by washing the fan and letting it dry before running it. Do not run the fan for long periods of time; purchase a timer switch in case you forget to turn it off. If you hear a scraping noise or smell smoke when you turn on the fan, have it replaced before using it.
o 320 Farmington Avenue, a fire at another apartment complex 10 people were displaced. The cause of the fire was likely a light fixture that malfunctioned. If you see flickering lights or breakers that are frequently tripped, it could be a sign of an electrical problem.
o A mattress fire on Capitol Avenue displaced 3 people. The fire was likely caused by a power strip that looked like it was tampered with, the third prong ground was removed.
o Another mention of the fires involving lithium ion batteries. Please let friends and family know about the dangers. Unfortunately, some of the fires in the New York area were fatal.
Alexander Castro, Dept. of Development Services
• Note that the department is working to respond to questions and requests in a 2-3 week time frame.
• The zoning board appeals meeting for the CSSCON area is May 2, 2023.
• Resurfacing is going to begin on April 15th at 7:00 am beginning at Wall Street up to Gold Street. The project is expected to end approximately May 15th.
Kimberly Alexander, COH, Community Engagement
• Calls to 311 last month were 22; many were minor such as plumbing services which were meant for public work; other issues were potholes, bulk waste violations.
• There was a budget hearing last Wednesday at Weaver High School. There will be another meeting on April 27, 2023. The link is in the chat.
• There is a copy of the budget online for individuals to look at.
• The new Spring/Summer resident’s book was recently published. Hard copies are available from the Community Outreach office; it can also be found online. The Spanish translation is not available yet, but will be shortly.
• Earth Day Celebration on April 20, 2023 _ Seeds will be given away free. There is also a chance to register and get a tree for your front yard or green belt. The specific type of trees is not known but they will be native to Hartford/Connecticut.
• The Brainard Airport Study public session is this Thursday, April 13, 2023.
Chris McArdle, Closing Comments
• The report about the Barnard Park Dog Park will be going to Grace Yi in the immediate future. The response from the city will be shared at the next monthly meeting.
• A request has been made to the registrar of voters for a list of people in the CSSCON area who have voted regularly. It makes sense to reach out to regular voters about activity in the NRZ. Cheryl Zeiner will go to the Town Clerk’s office and manually assemble the voting records.
• There will be a regular newsletter forthcoming.
Jack Hale, Church of the Good Shepherd
• Questioned whether or not CSSCON should continue meeting at a physical location, the Church of the Good Shepherd. It was determined that information about the physical location will be included on electronic reminders and invitations.
• The city plans to plant about 300 trees and Sheldon Oak is one of the target neighborhoods. If anyone has suggestions about where to plant trees, please provide the information to Jack Hale as soon as possible. Trees will be planted this spring and again in the fall. The type of tree will be up to the city.
• Depending on whether a tree is to be planted on public or private property, Grace Yi may be part of the process; Alexander Castro will check for additional details.
Motion to Adjourn by Jack Hale, second by Kathy Shaw. Meeting adjourned at 6:46 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kim Gauthier, Administrative Assistant, Hartford Next