Education, Workforce, Youth Development & Community Services Subcommittee - Regular Meeting

Where are we? We're gonna move forward. Good evening.

Good evening. So, first item, announcements and presentations is the addition of counselor.

Mr. Mayor, we can't hear you. Turn your mic on. Good move. Thank you. Should I Should I go through our lineup? Uh we have uh Councelor Waterhouse, Councelor McCclary, Councelor Goodwin, and uh um Deputy Mayor Lloyd who is joining us. Uh and uh uh the mayor is here. And I believe uh councelor Oliver will be joining us momentarily. Okay. Uh we are just missing one counselor. Um so under announcements and presentations, we are announcing the addition of councelor Derell Goodwin to the education, workforce, youth development, and community services subcommittee. We welcome you, Sarah. Woohoo.

Glad to be here.

He has he has already been sworn in, so he's 100% on board and and we certainly appreciate you coming on board and uh we wish nothing but the best for you. Uh we will now as I await. Okay. So, we're going to have a brief report on the Bloomfield Trades program from uh Councelor Mike Oliver. Before he does that, I just want to give him something that uh we received recently at Makerpace. It is the organization that uh cooperatively worked with the town to bring about the trades program. So at their gayla, the gayla 2025, we were in honore, the town of Bloomfield. And so this was thanks for our support and I'm delivering it to Councilman Oliver because he was instrumental in bringing the program to them. So we've been missing each other the last couple days. So appreciate you, man. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome.

All right. So, we're on to new business and that is uh discussing discussion regarding community benefits agreement with the Arabella Blue Hills. So, um we have made a decision

that there is there are still things to talk about and uh we're going to table the discussion uh with regard to Arbella tonight until the language of this proposal is confirmed. Um so at this point my recommendation is that we forward uh this discussion to the council without recommendation. In other words, we're not the committee is not able to make a formal recommendation uh whether it be uh favorable or unfavorable. What we are saying is that we want the full council to have discussion regarding uh uh this proposal and that gives us time and our bella time to work through the uh uh issues that need to be addressed. And we certainly anticipate that by the time of our next uh council meeting, which will be October 14th at 7, that uh we will have that language. And we do anticipate uh a favorable outcome, but we can't really speak to it at this point. So, um, we're going to recommend I'm going to recommend that, um, this discussion be moved to council without recommendation. Um, is there a second?

Mr. Mayor, are you asking to table? You said two things. You said you were recommending that we table or you're asking us to move it forward without a recommendation. You said two things and I'm asking which one is it. Okay. So if we table it, it just moves.

Okay. So we're doing the recommendation without recommendation. So I make a motion that this discussion regarding uh the community benefits agreement with VRBella at Blue Hills. Move to councel without recommendation. Is there a second?

There is no second to this recommendation. I will I will second it, but I'm not going to support the motion. So, I'll second it just so you guys can have um conversation, but I don't support it. So, I'll just give you a friendly second, Mr. Mayor. Okay. Is there any discussion?

Um, I'm going to abstain because the whole purpose of this meeting was for us to come up with an agreement. Uh, and we met multiple times before this to come up with language for an agreement. And the talks that we've had regarding this have been pulled back. And I I'm I'm I'm going to abstain from the vote. Okay. Any any other discussion? I see councelor Goodwin and councelor McClary. So, I'll go with councelor Goodwin and then we'll move to councelor mccclary.

Uh my question is really just about uh clarity in relation to the October 14th meeting. Do we have any information from them that they will have the language ready by that date or have they confirmed that yes everything

I've been advised that they will pro it will be provided prior to that meeting um whether it's favorable to us in terms of our discussions I don't know but there will be uh conversations between Arbella and our team um prior to our upcoming uh council meeting. Okay. So, and just to make sure we're all on the same page, what I hear you saying is, can we table this and move it to the council because by the time we have the council meeting, we should have their next proposal, correct? Or their response to the things that have been requested.

Yes. Okay. Thanks,

Council McCclary. Um, so then why don't we keep this I my my thought is I I'm also um um in the line with uh council Oliver. Um and I just would hope that we would just it's always easy for us to just keep this in committee because then if there's the language that we don't agree with then it get cut it gets stuck at count town council and then we're push forced to put it back and time keeps elapsing and we wait time waste time. So why don't we just leave it here and if there is some movement before now and Monday, the agenda for the council meeting has to be out by Friday. So that gives you Thursday to actually um schedule a meeting for this uh committee again to come up with the language, have the discussion and move it to council on Thursday for it to be placed on the agenda for Friday to make sure that for Monday's meeting so that we make sure that um everyone is in um uh one accord because if everyone is not in one accord, if it is brought to council and is put up for a vote and it dies, then nobody wins or nothing happens. So, I'm just concerned about being boxed in. Um so, we could either leave it here um in committee until the language is done. Um or um if there's enough votes and the will is to move it to council, then that's the will, but I will be abstaining from the vote tonight.

Miss Mr. Mayor, pard Mr. Mayor, pardon my interjection. Uh if you don't mind, could I have a a brief uh brief sidebar uh with you uh on a telephone call? Yes. Thank you. So, we will pause the meeting for a moment. Mr. Mayor, I make a motion that we go into recess. A a brief sidebar during our meeting. Mr. Mayor, I make a I make a I make a motion that we uh go into recess. What is going on here? Point of order. What is going on here, Mr. Mayor? Ridiculous. Mr. Mayor, you're on mute. Tony, I think he's going on his phone call.

But phone call in the middle of the meeting is insane. You're out of order, Mr. uh councelor. And so are you, counselor. Nope. I have the floor. The mayor never The mayor never acknowledged you. Point of order, Mr. Mayor. Councelor McClary was speaking. our town attorney spoke to us regarding possibly having a conversation. So, I'm going to finish with councelor mccclary and then yep, we'll have councelor on and then I'm going to move for Mr. Mayor. I'd like to make a motion that we recess for 15 minutes. Is there a second? Second. All those in favor? I I Any nays?

Nensions. Okay. Uh, mayor, thank you. Okay, the eyes have it. So, we're going to take applause for 15 minutes. Yeah, Mr. Mayor, and just for the record, it may be because he's trying to protect us from a legal um perspective. So, I just want to make sure that you as the mayor and the chair of the committee protects the town interest. And so, when the town attorney asks to have a sidebar, it's not no um, for the record, it's not no backroom deal. is just to make sure that the town is protected and the process in which we're doing so that we don't put uh at greater liability. So that's why this could have been discussed this could have been discussed prior to the meeting.

We are now on pause for 15 minutes. Thank you. We'll be back very shortly.

Good evening residents. We are back from our pause. Motion to exit re uh exit recess. Second, get back to regular business. Thank you. Thank you. So, I would like to rescend my earlier motion and I would like to move forward with a motion to table this discussion until um uh our next meeting. So, move

second. Wait. Per second. Yeah. Discussion. We have all those in favor. No discussion. Discussion. Oh, excuse me. Discussion. But but my understanding is tableabling does not uh necessarily include discussion on this matter. Uh okay. Motion to table. Okay. That's right. So all those in favor? I I I I three four. Any naysay? Nay. That was shorter than 15 minutes.

And the mayor follows. Uh basically the motion carries. Um so this item is being tabled because uh there will be substantive work being done between now and our next workforce meeting so that it will be prepared for our October 14th town council meeting. Perfect. Thank you. Uh Mr. Mayor. Yes. Yeah. The the problem that I'm having with this and I had my hand raised. I had my hand I had my hand raised before before we even went to that motion of for recess.

Point of order. You know the problem that I'm having with this mayor point of order we have to keep in mind we have to keep in mind these individuals have loans and funding that is tied up in this body and the more we delay the more we put in danger their funding. Mayor, this is this is madness that we're continuing to delay. We've cancelled We've canled a meeting. We've delayed. We've delayed. We did in delay. That's all that I'm hearing. Point of order. Would you like to say another one, McLaren? We have We are in discussion. We're not in discussion, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor, we're not in discussion. Mr. Mayor,

the mayor has the floor. Point of order. The mayor has the floor. Mr. Mayor, point of order. I've called the point of order. He needs to acknowledge me. Mr. Mayor, the item has been ta the item have been tabled. There is no discussion on this item anymore. You have to move to the next item on the agenda. You cannot you're out of order. If you continue to have a discussion without this being on the agenda, we So this item this item is closed at this point. We move to the next item which is public comments.

Thank you. So we will look for any in room comments that Yes, we have Ernest Francis.

Mr. Francis, we we just need you to come there. State your name and your address and you'll have three minutes. All right. So my name is Ernest Francis. Um 28 Woodford Drive is my address. Um the reason for my um speaking today is that I was on the proer library project as part of local 230. um they hired local individuals there and as a result of that I worked there for I don't know almost a year and during that time um what happened was is that other contractors came in from out of state and they didn't want me there right so as a result of that I eventually moved on and got top-notch flaggers and I opened up a traffic control company but what I would like to see is that more Bloomfield residents and contractors are able to be part of this project. We want to make sure that there we are inclusive. We want to make sure that the economy that the money stays in the community and not leave the community. I understand that um some of his matters might be tabled right now, but I look forward to see what's going to happen with this. Thank you. May short and sweet. Thank you. Appreciate it.

Are there any other one more Crystal Green?

Yes. Good evening. Thank you for allowing me to speak today. My name is Crystal Green. I would uh Bloomfield resident. I live at 93 Brooklyn Avenue. I would access this project um include language that allows um state certified or registered apprenticeships to be on this project. I myself have benefited from um coming through an apprenticeship program. Um I've been able to secure a great living, have health care, uh put in for my retirement, have annuity, things of that nature. Um I was more than a number. I was more than a female on a job site. I was more than just a black woman. Um I was invested in and it led me to have a brighter, more successful future. Um, I think that if you don't use uh young, young men and women or people who want to get into the building trades and have it done the right way that um somebody like me would have been lost in the mix and would have just been used uh for statistics or metrics. Um I hope that you guys do the right thing and um try to put something in that protects the future of building um in as a whole. Thank you. Thank you very much.

We have one more person. Yes.

Greetings James McGovern 25 Diana Drive. Listening to the discussions regarding Harbella. I think it's a great idea. Would love to see it move forward. Um been a resident for 56 years. um and support this as an idea. The only things that I think um are missing are two different things. One, I like the idea of prioritization or set aides for certain demographics. Um um loves to ramble on about poverty. I'd like to see some set aides for veterans. Um we do in this town to serve um the people who honorably served our town and like to see that fixed. though some set aides for people who honorably served and swore an oath to our constitution. Um that is something that is very rare for seeing people um show respect to our constitution. Second thing I'd like to see is um some support for those who have been incarcerated. Connecticut and the Democrats have made it damn hard for those who have made a mistake in life to recover. um and being able to um get, you know, maybe some people who can do housekeeping or yard work, outside work, you know, that type of thing who are incarcerated and get those types of people back in our community employed would be um grateful as well. Those of their residents are underserved in Bloomfield. I'd like to see that resolved. Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. Do we have any more inch chamber people? No. Do we have any residents online that would like to speak? We see any hand raised? No. Going to call it again. Any residents that are online that would like to uh partake in this discussion, please uh raise your virtual hand and we will acknowledge you. And for the last time uh we ask anyone who is online to raise your virtual hand so that you can participate in this discussion. And I see no hands. So we will uh make a recommendation a motion that we close public comments.

So move. So move and at this point we come to the adjournment of this meeting. Second. Thank you all and have a great evening.