The City Council’s Republican leader apparently blocked two resolutions proposed by Council Democrats related to COVID-19, for days, from being included in the Council’s agenda, apparently wanting them rewritten before being published to the public.
While the agenda of the April 8, 2020 Council meeting, which was distributed on Monday, April 6th, days later than usual, does include both of the Democrats’ proposals, plus two apparent alternative proposal introduced by Council Republicans, emails between Council members appear to reveal the backstory to the delayed agenda and the competing pairs of resolutions.
At issue were apparently two resolutions responding to the COVID-19 pandemic introduced by Council Democrats, one concerning city employees working from home during he pandemic and the other accepting tax relief for taxpayers offered by Gov. Ned Lamont (D-CT).
Despite Democrats saying that they wanted the two resolutions to appear on the Council agenda as they had proposed them, the Council’s President Pro-Tempore, Ald. Kristian Rosado (R-2), the Council’s Republican leader, apparently said that,
We are currently working on revised language for Resolutions 6 and 14. Once completed, I will certainly get back to you later in the day to discuss further. Until then, I will not be approving any agenda items until both parties agree on Resolution languages.
But the Council Democrats’ leader, Ald. Manny Sanchez (D-AL), responded to Rosado that,
The standing rules allow for any alderperson to be able to submit a resolution on the agenda prior to the deadline. Both of these resolutions have met that threshold.
Sanchez said that, if Republicans wanted to propose changes, “this should really happen on the council floor and in public.”
Ald. Chris Anderson (D-AL) had previously insisted to Rosado that, “I want my version, endorsed by our caucus, to be put forward now and on the record,” saying that he was willing to work on amendments.
In the end, the Council agenda was distributed, but with the two Republican alternatives in addition to the Democrats’ proposals.
Rosado said that he was holding up the resolutions to, “show a united front in presenting Resolutions of this nature that addresses what both parties feel are equally important to our residents, taxpayers, and city workers.”
But, in both cases, the Republican alternatives to the Democrats’ resolutions propose less actual direct action.
The Democrats’ proposal on city employees working from home during the pandemic would provide that, “Mayor Erin Stewart would provide the appropriate devices and technology to allow where-ever possible for city employees to work from home.”
The Republicans’ alternative would provide only, “that the Common Council encourages the leadership of city unions to work with Mayor Erin Stewart to ensure that essential City of New Britain operations continue throughout this unprecedented time.”
The Democrats’ proposal on tax relief concerned two emergency programs that Gov. Lamont approved in his Executive Order 7S, providing relief for taxpayers harmed because of the pandemic – a 90 day tax and water and sewer bill Deferment Program and a 90 day decrease in the penalty for delinquent taxes and water and sewer bills. But the Governor required that local legislative bodies approve one or both programs for them to take effect in their cities and towns.
The Democrats’ resolution would directly put the City Council on the record as approving both the tax Deferment Program and tax Low Interest Rate Program.
Instead, the Republicans’ alternative appears to provide the option to Republican Mayor Erin Stewart to decide on the city’s, “participation in one or both of the Deferment Program and the Low Interest Rate Program.”
Both pairs of resolutions are on the agenda of the City Council meeting tonight, April 8, 2020.
