[Special Legislative Session on December 15, 2025.]
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GOOD EVENING. CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER. SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION. DAY 25 ZERO 32. I WOULD ASK YOU TO PLEASE JOIN US IN STANDING FOR THE PLEDGE, FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING PRAYER BY COUNCILMAN GINGER DANA. 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. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE MANY BLESSINGS YOU CONTINUE TO SHARE WITH OUR COMMUNITY. AS WE ENTER THIS SEASON OF REFLECTION, WE ARE MINDFUL OF THE GIFT OF FAMILY, THE SUPPORT OF NEIGHBORS, AND THE SPIRIT OF UNITY THAT BRINGS US TOGETHER.
GUIDE US TO LOOK PAST OUR DIFFERENCES AND TO OFFER COMPASSION TO THOSE IN NEED.
FILL OUR COMMUNITY WITH PEACE AND LOVE AND FILL OUR HEARTS WITH GRATITUDE. BLESS ALL WHO SERVE IN OUR SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND THOSE WHO QUIETLY GIVE TO MAKE OUR COUNTY A BETTER PLACE. HELP US REMEMBER THOSE WHO ARE LONELY, GRIEVING, OR FACING CHALLENGES AND MOVE US TO BE A SOURCE OF COMFORT AND HOPE. MAY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON ONE OF JOY AND WARMTH FOR ALL. AMEN. AMEN. AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR. UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
RECONSIDERATION OF VETOED BILL 25 ZERO 12. ARTICLE ONE LABOR RELATIONS OF CHAPTER 38 PERSONNEL THE HARTFORD COUNTY CODE. MAY I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE? COUNCIL PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO OVERRIDE THE VETO PUT FORWARD BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ON BILL 25 012. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND? THANK YOU, MISS ROBERT. IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO RECONSIDER THE VETOED BILL 25 ZERO 12. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. BENNETT? I JUST WANT TO REAFFIRM EVERYTHING I PREVIOUSLY SAID ABOUT THIS BILL AND THE REASONS FOR IT. THEY'VE BEEN UNCHANGING NOW FOR MONTHS. AND WHY THIS BILL IS IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, IT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAS IN HIS STATEMENTS AND TO CONFUSE THE PUBLIC AND TO CONTINUE TO USE UNTRUE STATEMENTS. YOU KNOW, JUST RECENTLY, TODAY TELLING PEOPLE THAT LABOR ATTORNEYS CAME AND TESTIFIED BEFORE THE COUNTY COUNCIL, WHEN NO LABOR ATTORNEYS CAME BEFORE US AT OUR PUBLIC HEARING, AND IT WAS RECORDED AND ON TV. SO IF THAT'S THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT WE LIE ABOUT THAT ARE SO EASY TO KNOW, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE LIED ABOUT THAT NO ONE CAN PROVE OTHERWISE? SO THIS BILL IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND IT HELPS TAKE CARE OF OUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES. ANYONE ELSE? MR. MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON THE BILL UNDER SECTION 607 OF THE CHARTER. THE PERSONAL ADVISORY BOARD IS AUTHORIZED TO HEAR APPEALS FROM CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN BY THE PERSONNEL OFFICER, THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS THAT EXISTS IN THE COUNTY CODE IS FOUND IN ARTICLE FOUR OF CHAPTER 38. THE SECTION DEFINES GRIEVANCE AS A DISPUTE OVER THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PERSONNEL CODE, REGULATIONS OR POLICIES. IMPORTANTLY, THE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT WITH OUR UNIONS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THAT DEFINITION. AS A RESULT, DISPUTES ARISING UNDER THOSE AGREEMENTS DO NOT FALL WITHIN THE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN ARTICLE FOUR. BOTH THE CODE AND THE CHARTER ARE SILENT ON HOW ALLEGED BREACHES OF THOSE AGREEMENTS ARE TO BE RESOLVED. FINALLY, BILL 2512 EXPRESSLY EXCLUDES MATTERS COVERED UNDER SECTION 607 OF THE CHARTER FROM ARBITRATION BECAUSE THOSE MATTERS FALL WITHIN THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE PERSONNEL ADVISORY BOARD. SO THANK YOU. PRESIDENT. COUNCIL PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? MR. RILEY? YES. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WE GOT A LOT OF EMAILS ON ON THIS LEGISLATION. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD. MR. IF YOU IF YOU COULD HELP ME, I ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS THE OTHER TIME, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWERS ON THAT, WHEN IN FACT THEY DECIDE TO GO WHEN IN FACT AN ARBITRATOR IS HIRED AND THEY GO TO ARBITRATION. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT AT LEAST I SAY 70% OF MY EMAILS IS WHO'S PAYING FOR THE COST OF THE ARBITRATOR? SO IF YOU COULD SOMEHOW ELABORATE ON THAT, AT LEAST FOR THE PUBLIC'S SAKE AND ALSO MINE, I THINK THAT'S NOT IN THIS BILL. SO THAT, AS I SAID AT THE LAST, THE LAST TIME IS LEFT UP TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE UNIONS TO NEGOTIATE THAT. SO THEY WILL NEGOTIATE THAT IN THE MOU, IN THE MOA, IT WILL IT WILL BE SO WHEN WHAT THIS DOES IS REQUIRE THAT THERE'S AN ENFORCEMENT PROVISION ADDED TO THE MOA, WHICH SAYS BINDING ARBITRATION FOR THESE KINDS OF GRIEVANCES. SO ALL THE PARAMETERS, HOW LONG THEY HAVE TO TAKE THE DECISION TO A BINDING ARBITRATOR, FIVE DAYS, TEN DAYS, 20 DAYS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR THAT SPLIT? THE LOSING PARTY, THE UNIONS, THE COUNTY, ALL OF THAT? AGAIN,
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I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR COUNCILMAN BENNETT, BUT I BELIEVE HIS PURPOSE WAS TO LET THOSE THINGS BE DETERMINED BY THE PARTIES THAT THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT. LET THAT BE DETERMINED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE UNIONS, THOSE PARAMETERS. RIGHT. BUT YOU GIVE ME PAUSE WHEN YOU SAY YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR FOR COUNCILMAN BENNETT. I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT COUNCILMAN BENNETT'S. I'M WORRIED ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BILL. SO. BUT HE WAS THE HE WAS THE SPONSOR OF THE BILL, AND THAT LANGUAGE IS NOT IN THERE. AGAIN, I BELIEVE SO THAT IT COULD BE LEFT TO THE PARTIES THAT HAVE THE TEETH IN THIS. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT WILL BE SAYING WE WANT TO SPLIT THE COST. WE WANT YOU TO PAY FOR THE WHOLE THING. THIS IS THE TIME BY WHICH YOU HAVE TO FILE FOR A BINDING ARBITRATOR, ALL OF THOSE THINGS. OKAY. SO AS FAR AS AS MY ATTORNEY, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE ATTORNEY WILL BE DECIDED WHEN THE MOA IS AGREED TO THOSE. YES. ALL OF THOSE DETAILS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WILL BE PLACED IN THE MOA BY THE PARTIES, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE UNIONS. OKAY, AGAIN, I JUST APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE YES, EVERYBODY THINKS IT'S GOING TO RUN INTO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. CORRECT.AND THAT'S NOT CORRECT. WILL NOT RUN INTO MR. BENNETT. AND I JUST WANTED TO AFFIRM WHAT MR. SAID, THAT THE POINT OF THAT IS FOR THE FLEXIBILITY THAT IF THE BARGAINING UNITS AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SET MOA IN TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, WE SET THE PARAMETER AT TEN DAYS TO FILE, AND WE REALIZE THAT'S NOT ENOUGH TIME TO GIVE PEOPLE. WE SHOULD CHANGE IT TO 20 DAYS. THEY CAN RENEGOTIATE THAT AT THE MOA LEVEL, RATHER THAN HAVING TO COME BACK TO US AS LEGISLATION. AND THAT GIVES THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE THE AUTHORITY TO NEGOTIATE HOW THAT SHOULD BEST WORK, RATHER THAN US SAYING TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, HERE ARE THE PARAMETERS BY WHICH YOU MUST HAVE BINDING ARBITRATION. ALL THE ITTY BITTY DETAILS LIKE TIMING AND HOW THE COST STRUCTURE IS SHARED IS UP FOR THEM TO NEGOTIATE. THANKS, MISS ROBERT. YES, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, YOU KNOW, IN READING THE EMAILS THAT I'VE SEEN AND WHEN WE WERE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE PERSONAL ADVISORY BOARD CAN DO SO MUCH. RIGHT. AND THEY'RE THERE FOR THOSE MINOR DISPUTES. AND WHAT I MEAN BY MINOR DISPUTES IS, YOU KNOW, DISCIPLINARY AND THINGS TO THAT NATURE WHERE THEY HAVE GONE UP THE LINE AND CHAIN ARBITRATION WAS PUT IN THERE TO TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACT AS A WHOLE AND TO PROTECT SOMEONE WHO IS IN THE CONTRACT THAT SAYS, HEY, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GETTING ALL OF MY TIME THAT IS ALLOTTED FOR MY BREAKS OR FOR MY LUNCH TIME, AND OR I'M NOT GETTING TIME OFF THAT'S ALLOTTED FOR ME. AND I'M WORKING LIKE SIX SHIFTS BACK TO BACK TO BACK. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF IT. I AM A TRAINED MEDIATOR. I HAVE DONE OVER 500 MEDIATIONS, AND MY JUDGES ALWAYS SAID THIS ONE THING IT IS BEST FOR YOU TO WORK IT OUT AMONGST YOURSELVES AND SOMETIMES GOING TO THE PROCESS OF MEDIATION PRIOR TO EVEN GETTING TO AN ARBITRATION IS THE BEST CASE SCENARIO. BUT THIS ARBITRATION POINT IS A STOP GAP FOR THOSE THAT CANNOT EVEN GET TO THE MEDIATION PROCESS, THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK THROUGH THAT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO NEED SOMEONE TO SAY, HEY, X, Y, AND Z, THE COST OF IT IS GOING TO BE AT THE RATE OF HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO GET THROUGH THAT ARBITRATION PROCESS. IT MIGHT TAKE SOMEONE ONE WEEK, IT MIGHT TAKE SOMEONE FOUR WEEKS. IT'S ALL GOING TO BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS. AND YOU CANNOT DETERMINE EXACTLY WHAT THAT COST WILL BE. BUT IN REALITY, WE COULD TAKE IT TO COURT RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S STILL YOU'RE GOING TO BE PAYING AN ATTORNEY TO FIGHT THAT SAME BATTLE IN COURT. SO I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO BE CLEAR. IT'S IT'S A LOT MORE TO IT. AND I THINK EVERYONE IS HEARING A LOT OF DIFFERENT DISCREPANCIES. AND I ALWAYS SAY WHEN YOU HEAR TWO SIDES OF DIFFERENCE OF A STORY, THERE'S ALWAYS TRUTH IN THE MIDDLE. SO LOOK AT THOSE FACTS. THANK YOU, MR. RILEY. MR. LEDGER, MAYBE AGAIN I'M MISTAKEN BECAUSE OF WHAT MY COLLEAGUE SAID. BUT ONCE YOU GO TO ARBITRATION, THAT'S IT. THERE IS NO COURT. THERE IS NO COURT. WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS WITHOUT THAT, LIKE RIGHT NOW, THERE'S POTENTIALLY A GRIEVANCE BEING APPEALED TO THE CIRCUIT COURT. I GOT IN THERE. NOW I GOT IT CORRECT. THANK YOU.
THAT'S IF THIS IS NOT THE CASE. THIS BILL DOES NOT APPRECIATE IT. ANYONE ELSE? MISS DIXON? MR. PRESIDENT? HI, MRS. ROBERTS. HI, MRS. EMHOFF. HI, MR. GIORDANO. HI, MR. RILEY. HI, MR. MRS. HI, MR. BENNETT, I YOU'RE BEING SEVEN VOTES IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, ZERO IN A NEGATIVE.
THE VETO OVERRIDE IS HEREBY APPROVED. NONE OF THAT, PLEASE. AND WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.