Residents Invited to Speak at all Commission Meetings
By Robin Vinci at May 17, 2024 | 9:00 am | Print
There is a number of commission meetings held each month. Residents are invited to attend and speak at them and not just at Common Council meetings.
“A few weeks ago we had a meeting with all the chairmans of the commissions,” said Justin Dorsey, aide to Mayor Erin Stewart. “It was the first time anyone can remember doing that. Many said they were disappointed with the lack of public participation. It is a common theme that no one comes out to speak.”
City Hall wants the public to play a role in every aspect of City government.
“We want the public to understand we have these commissions,” said Dorsey. “And come out and speak.”
The New Britain City Journal will begin posting weekly meetings of each commission. Each meeting holds public audience at the very beginning.
Here is a recap of what each does and when they meet.
The Parks and Recreation Commission meets once a month and discusses items like The New Britain Rock cats and other big events that happen at the parks such as the Race in the Park.
The Police Commission and Fire commission meet monthly and discuss issues related to those departments.
The Board of Finance meets twice a week from January through March. Some members also are parts of the pension sub committee or bonding sub committee.
The Board of Ethics meets as needed. Anyone can file a complaint and then holding a meeting.
The Civil Service meets once a month and deals with hiring of employees.
The City Planning Commission meets monthly and does a lot of reporting to the Common Council subcommittees and the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).
The ZBA meets every two months or more if needed.
The Ordinance Board of Appeals deals with parking or blight tickets that people want to appeal. They meet usually twice a month and residents are encouraged to plead their case. It does not include state infractions.
The Housing Authority deals with public housing that the city owns. It meets once a month and rotates at Malikowski, Circle, Mount Pleasant and Knapp Village.
The Commission on Community and Neighborhood Development (CCND) deals with deal with Community Development Block Grants (CDBG). In March proposals get submitted to the commission. People say why they need money and then this board makes recommendations to the council.
The Common Council has a number of subcommittees:
Planning, Zoning and Housing meets on Tuesdays
Administration, Finance and Law meets as needed when there is a change to an ordinance The Council sends new or changes to ordinances to them and then they send it back with a positive, negative or neutral recommendation.
The Bonding Commission meets when needed on Wednesday nights before some council meetings.
The City is also trying to get meetings scheduled in one centralized place on the website. Meetings are posted on the front door on Main St.; as you enter the building from the parking garage on third floor and in front of elevators on first floor. The City Journal will also be posting them on Facebook, on their website at nbcityjournal.com and in the newspaper.
“The goal is to get each commission’s agendas online too,” said Dorsey. “This way people can see if there is something specific they want to speak about.”
