Bloomfield Council Adopts ICE Cooperation Limits

Town Council · Meeting of October 26, 2026

Bloomfield's Town Council adopted a resolution limiting staff cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The council passed the measure with six in favor, none opposed and one abstention, after Councilor Darrell Goodwin cited warnings of increased ICE activity in Connecticut and a recent raid in Newington. The policy bars town personnel, property or funds from assisting civil immigration enforcement "except where required by federal or state law or by judicial warrant" and requires an annual report to the council.

Goodwin said the vote matters because "immigrant families are living with fear and uncertainty." Separately, the council unanimously appointed Harriet Howard, Meredith Johnson and William Ortiz to the Board of Assessment Appeals, reviving an item tabled since September amid resident complaints over tax hikes from the town's property revaluation.

In the full story:

• Proclamations and Recognitions
• Bloomfield Public Schools Update
• Citizen Statements and Petitions
• Subcommittee Reports
• Consent Agenda and Appointments
• Board of Assessment Appeals Appointments
• Amendment of September 28 Minutes
• Resolution on Civil Immigration Enforcement Cooperation
• Town Manager's Report and Council Comments
• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report: 2,492 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of October 26, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the meeting transcript.

The Full Article

Proclamations and Recognitions

The meeting opened with a mayoral proclamation for National First Responders Day, explicitly naming public works employees alongside police, fire and EMS. Mayor Anthony Harrington cited 2019 U.S. Senate language recognizing public works as first responders before presenting the proclamation to Public Works crew leader Mario Salza and colleague Mike Drew, both of whom responded to an explosion on Banbury Lane. Salza, accepting on behalf of the department, said, "We're an award-winning organization, and we take pride in what we do," and noted that storms and downed trees, not just winter weather, regularly pull Public Works crews from their homes at night.

The council then presented a folded flag to Sharon Mann, widow of David Mann, a Town Councilor from 2017 to 2021 and Deputy Mayor from 2019 to 2021 who also served 18 years on the Conservation Energy and Environment Committee, on the Inland Wetlands and Water Courses Commission from 1999 to 2017, and on the Design Review Board from 2018 to 2025. Mann's wife told the council, "He never missed a council meeting, and he always read everything, and he was truly dedicated." Town Manager Schwab added that Mann and his wife had "engaged tirelessly to make Bloomfield just a beautiful welcome mat" and asked residents to volunteer for the Beautification Committee to help sustain that legacy.

Bloomfield Public Schools Update

Background and stakes: the superintendent's report is a standing monthly agenda item reflecting an ongoing effort, described by both the school district and the town manager, to formalize collaboration between the Board of Education and municipal departments on facilities, sustainability and student programming.

The superintendent, accompanied by a Board of Education member identified only as Dunbar, told the council the district's food service department now manages lunch delivery for East Granby Public Schools, which previously operated as a "brown bag district" with no hot-lunch program. The arrangement, credited to Nick Karambelas, the district's Director of Food Services, lets Bloomfield claim East Granby's student meal participation for additional state grant eligibility while giving local Bloomfield vendors a role in supplying food for both districts.

The superintendent also reported the Bloomfield Board of Education received the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education's Level 2 Leadership Award, which the district had not received since 2013 and which requires multiple years of Level 1 recognition plus demonstrated follow-through on initiatives. On facilities, she said sheetrock repairs at the GEMS building are substantially complete, a bathroom addition at Metacomet to serve students with special needs is in its inspection phase, and the district has floated preliminary plans to relocate its central office into Carmen Arace Middle School's second hallway, pending Board of Education review. She also described a planned bathroom addition at the Agri-Science Center, a tuition-generating program she said cannot expand enrollment without additional restroom capacity.

The presentation closed with four students from Bloomfield High School's honors civics class, brought by teacher Jeff Harper. Students Julian Schwartz, Jacob Rains and Harrison Close introduced themselves and described post-secondary plans in biology, public health and medicine, respectively; a fourth student did not attend. Councilor Merritt, a council member since 1975 with a gap in the 1980s, told the students civics was his favorite class at Bloomfield High School and encouraged them to stay engaged with town government.

Citizen Statements and Petitions

Resident Aaron Barringer, of 28 Kenmore Road, used public comment to credit Sharon Mann and the Beautification Committee's volunteers for reducing the Department of Public Works' workload on landscaping, then turned to a process complaint: he said the Committee on Committees has left town boards short-staffed for roughly five months, citing the Beautification Committee's unfilled interview slate from the summer and the Ethics Commission, which he said "has not even been on the agenda yet" despite a public call for applicants. He asked Mayor Harrington and Deputy Mayor Lloyd to prioritize the backlog.

Councilor DeBeethan Brown, speaking during the same portion of the meeting in her capacity as a resident, flagged three community items: an Access Health CT enrollment fair at First Cathedral; a renewed conversation with the Hartford Police Department about reviving a youth Explorer program after Bloomfield's own program lapsed roughly 20 years ago for lack of funding; and the Connecticut Higher Education Trust's "Dream Big" competition, open to any Connecticut student through written, video or art submissions, with a November 6 deadline and prizes totaling $350,000, including three top awards of $20,000 each.

Subcommittee Reports

Councilor reports covered several committees briefly. For Governance, Policy and Economic Development, Director of Public Works and Facilities Glenn Garrity reported Rockwell Park's Phase 1 construction documents are being finalized, and Director of Building and Land Use John Coleman reported the town's plan of conservation and development has been completed and sent to the Capitol Region Council of Governments for a 65-day review. Coleman's department logged 189 in-person visits, roughly 1,600 calls and 184 building permits in September, with permit values exceeding $78 million; he also noted the Popeyes site has paved its parking lot and activated its lights ahead of opening. Town Manager Schwab reported five Winterberry Mall businesses have applied for grant assistance following a recent power outage, and said the town is launching a Blue Ribbon Committee for budget development.

Finance and Public Health subcommittee reports were skipped because Deputy Mayor Lloyd, who was out sick, had been covering those portfolios for an absent Councilor Cooper. Councilor Oliver reported the Education, Workforce, Youth Development and Community Services Committee lacked quorum and took no action. Councilor Goodwin reported the Committee on Committees will next meet November 12 at 7 p.m. in the Wintonbury Room and is finalizing vote tabulation on pending appointments.

Consent Agenda and Appointments

The question before the body: whether to approve a slate of routine appointments without individual debate. The council approved its consent agenda unanimously by voice vote, which included appointing Cindy Ahern, Vanity Smith and Yanay Williams to the Youth Diversion Team for terms ending June 25, 2027, and Elka Spencer to the Youth Adult Council for a term ending December 1, 2027.

Board of Assessment Appeals Appointments

Background and stakes: this item, numbered 2027-06, had been tabled at the council's September 28, 2026 meeting amid a dispute over motion procedure, and returns now for final action. The question before the body was whether to appoint three candidates recommended by the Committee on Committees to fill all three seats on the Board of Assessment Appeals for terms ending November 8, 2027, a board that by rule must include at least one minority-party member.

The recommended candidates were Harriet Howard, a Democrat and current member seeking reappointment; Meredith Johnson, unaffiliated and a current member seeking reappointment; and William Ortiz, a Democrat and the board's current chair, also seeking reappointment. All three were interviewed July 9, 2026. A fourth applicant did not receive enough Committee on Committees votes for recommendation and was not named during the meeting.

Councilor Merritt used the discussion to revisit comments he said he made at a prior meeting questioning whether the Board of Assessment Appeals could help residents facing what he called "huge tax increases... caused by the revamp" of the town's property revaluation. After reviewing the board's training materials, he said he concluded the board lacks authority to provide the kind of relief he sought and apologized for any offense his earlier remarks caused, saying, "I think they're doing a fine job, and I think everybody else is doing a fine job." Councilor DeBeethan Brown suggested inviting board members to give the council a "101" presentation on their responsibilities and training, citing her own difficult prior experience with the board. Councilor Goodwin, describing himself as chair of the Committee on Committees, asked colleagues to raise concerns about nominees privately before public meetings rather than during the confirmation vote itself, saying members should avoid putting volunteers "in any form of embarrassment."

The council then voted unanimously by voice vote to appoint Howard, Johnson and Ortiz.

Amendment of September 28 Minutes

The council took up a separate item, 2027-11, to correct the previously approved minutes from its September 28, 2026 meeting, which a councilor's review found omitted several motions and vote tallies related to committee appointments, including a disputed point of order over who made an initial motion. Town Attorney Crumby advised that, under parliamentary rules, correcting an already-approved set of minutes requires the council to adopt a clearly marked amended version through a formal motion, with both the original and amended minutes forwarded to the town clerk for posting within seven days. The council moved to amend the minutes to insert the missing motion language for item 2027-26 on page 6, and the motion passed by voice vote with all members present voting in favor.

Resolution on Civil Immigration Enforcement Cooperation

Background and stakes: Councilor Goodwin said the resolution was drafted in anticipation of increased federal immigration enforcement activity in Connecticut this fall, citing a notice from the Connecticut Democratic Party and a recent ICE enforcement action in Newington. The council first voted, by voice vote, to suspend its rules to add the resolution, numbered 2027-12, to the evening's agenda as new business.

The question before the body was whether to adopt a formal municipal policy restricting town cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement. The resolution's operative text states that "municipal personnel time, property, equipment, or financial resources shall not be used to assist federal civil immigration enforcement activities, except where required by federal or state law or by judicial warrant." It directs the town manager to develop implementing guidelines ensuring employees do not participate in enforcement activities unless legally required, states that civil immigration detainer requests or administrative warrants "shall not be honored," and requires the town manager to provide an annual report to the council summarizing any federal immigration requests received and the town's responses. A construction clause clarifies the resolution does not interfere with lawful criminal investigations, prohibit compliance with binding legal obligations, or limit emergency cooperation necessary to protect public safety.

Councilor Goodwin, introducing the item, said the resolution was meant "to strengthen our own stance here in Bloomfield" and reassure residents that "the Council is thinking about them, considering what they are experiencing and going through." In council comments later in the meeting, he elaborated: "I think at a time when immigrant families are living with fear and uncertainty, this matters for the council to take a stance, to say something, to embolden and empower our town." No council member spoke against the resolution during deliberation.

The council voted to adopt the resolution with one member abstaining; based on the evening's roll call of seven voting members present, six voted in favor, none voted against and one abstained. The motion passed.

Town Manager's Report and Council Comments

Town Manager Schwab's report covered several items: the October 18 grand opening of Dog Star Rescue's new facility at 20 Northwood Drive, a nonprofit he said has helped more than 8,000 dogs find homes, with executive directors Nicole Fortenbaugh and Wendy Dobrent; a community event at Stewart's Barbershop in Winterberry Mall following the mall's recent power outage; the hiring of Melissa Mitchell as Assistant Director of Social and Youth Services, starting November 2; the Department of Public Works receiving the Connecticut Association of Street and Highway Officials' 2026 Distinguished Service Award, its second award in two years; and Assistant Assessor Pamela Jenjenbach passing the Certified Connecticut Municipal Assessor's examination. Schwab said he would be out of the country starting the next day, returning November 4, with Finance Director Donna Stewart in charge during his absence.

In council comments, Councilor DeBeethan Brown asked colleagues to begin "intentional conversation regarding the budget" and said Bloomfield is unusual among neighboring towns in allotting council members two minutes for comments rather than none. Councilor Merritt said the Finance Committee is examining the state's Homestead Act as a possible tool to reduce residential tax assessments broadly, separate from the Board of Assessment Appeals process. Mayor Harrington closed by relaying a conversation with the mayor of Norwich about a proposed state funding mechanism tied to Mohegan and Pequot gaming revenue, and Councilor DeBeethan Brown asked residents to lock car doors amid a reported increase in vehicle break-ins.

WHO WAS THERE

• Mayor Anthony Harrington, presiding.
• Councilor Darrell Goodwin, present, introduced the immigration resolution and reported for the Committee on Committees.
• Councilor DeBeethan Brown (Suzette DeBeethan Brown), present remotely, spoke during public comment as a resident.
• Councilor Mahan, present.
• Councilor Oliver, present, reported for Education, Workforce, Youth Development and Community Services.
• Councilor Merritt, present, discussed Board of Assessment Appeals and the Homestead Act.
• Councilor Waterhouse, present.
• Councilor Cooper, absent.
• Deputy Mayor Lloyd, absent due to illness; had been covering Finance and Public Health portfolios.
• Town Manager Schwab, delivered the manager's report.
• Glenn Garrity, Director of Public Works and Facilities.
• John Coleman, Director of Building and Land Use.
• Donna Stewart, Finance Director, named as acting lead during the town manager's planned absence.
• Superintendent of Schools (surname not given in transcript), presented Board of Education updates with Board of Education member Dunbar.
• Nick Karambelas, Director of Food Services for Bloomfield Public Schools, referenced in the superintendent's report.
• Mario Salza, Public Works crew leader, and Mike Drew, Public Works employee, recognized for emergency response.
• Jeff Harper, Bloomfield High School civics teacher, attended with students.
• Julian Schwartz, Jacob Rains and Harrison Close, Bloomfield High School students, introduced themselves to the council.
• Aaron Barringer, 28 Kenmore Road, resident, spoke during public comment.
• Sharon Mann, widow of former Councilor and Deputy Mayor David Mann, accepted a commemorative flag.

ORGANIZATIONS AND DOCUMENTS REFERENCED

• Capitol Region Council of Governments: receiving Bloomfield's completed plan of conservation and development for a 65-day review, per Director Coleman's report.
• Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE): awarded the Bloomfield Board of Education its Level 2 Leadership Award, cited in the superintendent's report.
• Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPS): joint event with CABE on November 20-21 referenced in school update.
• East Granby Public Schools: new food-service regionalization partnership with Bloomfield, discussed in school update.
• Access Health CT: sponsor of an enrollment fair cited by Councilor DeBeethan Brown in public comment.
• Hartford Police Department: Explorer youth program discussed as a model Bloomfield students could join.
• Connecticut Higher Education Trust (CHET) "Dream Big" competition: statewide student contest with a November 6 deadline, cited by Councilor DeBeethan Brown.
• Dog Star Rescue: nonprofit dog rescue whose new facility opening the town manager attended.
• Connecticut Association of Street and Highway Officials ("Cashew"): gave the Department of Public Works its 2026 Distinguished Service Award.
• Homestead Act (state law): cited by Councilor Merritt as a tool under Finance Committee review to reduce residential tax assessments.
• September 28, 2026 Town Council meeting minutes: the document amended under item 2027-11 to restore omitted motion language.
• Resolution 2027-12: the civil immigration enforcement cooperation policy adopted at this meeting.