Council pulls inaccurate minutes from vote

Town Council · Meeting of September 14, 2026

BLOOMFIELD — The Bloomfield Town Council heard a Public Works warning on deferred capital maintenance and confirmed a finance department leadership change. Director of Public Works and Facilities Glenn Garrity told the council a Town Hall roof flagged for a $500,000 replacement in 2015 remains unfunded and the truck fleet has aged to 13 and 14 years, saying "I cannot promise that we'll be able to clear all our streets with the efficiency that we currently do." Town Manager Al Schwab announced Donna Stewart will become permanent Director of Finance, succeeding Daryl Hill. The council voted unanimously to close a public hearing on zoning and building fee ordinance revisions with no speakers, and pulled inaccurate August 24 meeting minutes from its consent agenda after Councilor Shamar Mahon flagged an omitted vote, tabling them to the next meeting.

Director John Coleman said the town expects word Friday on an $11.8 million town center grant and that fiscal 2026 added $126,408,000 to the grand list.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,463 words

Source: the Town Council meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

Public Hearing: Fee Ordinance Revisions

The council opened Monday's meeting with a public hearing on proposed revisions to Chapter 6, Sections 6-2, 6-6, 6-7 and 6-8 of the Bloomfield Code of Ordinances, plus Chapter 15, Section 15-6, governing planning and zoning application fees. The draft revisions had been available for inspection at the Town Clerk's Office. No one had signed up to speak, and no one on Zoom indicated interest in commenting. On a motion, second and voice vote, the council closed the hearing unanimously. No substantive fee figures were discussed on the record; the draft language itself remains available only through the clerk's office.

Wildlife Photo Contest Awards

Mayor Anthony C. Harrington presented awards for the Bloomfield Wild for Wildlife Photo Contest, recognizing contest participants for photographs highlighting the town's natural environment. Winners named included Gabriel Ohanji, Robert Maurice, Douglas Murray and Dwight Hatch (who was not present), with categories cited including "Dominator Power" and "Golden Hour Hunters." This was a presentation item with no council action.

Charter Revision Commission Update

Harrington used his opening remarks to address questions he said have come up during public comment about the newly reconstituted Charter Revision Commission, the second such commission in recent years. He said the council in February reconstituted the commission with the same membership as the previous one "in an attempt to build in some efficiency into the process," after the earlier commission's recommended revisions did not make the ballot. Harrington said the commission does not expect to complete its work until "sometime late next year," with the goal of getting revisions onto the November 2027 ballot. No vote was taken; this was informational.

Citizens' Statements and Petitions

Three residents addressed the council. Robert Berman, of 8 Hiram Lane, said he requested a copy of an addendum to the Town Attorney's contract from the Town Clerk's Office on July 22 and copies of the Town Attorney's invoices since November 2023 on August 17, and had received neither as of Monday. He said the clerk's office told him the addendum request was referred to the Town Manager's Office and the invoice request to the Finance Department, and that former finance employees told him invoices are scanned and retrievable within seconds. He asked the council to direct the town manager and Finance Department to produce the records within 48 hours and asked that his statement be entered into the official minutes.

Elizabeth Lane, who identified herself both as a resident of 33 Burnwood Drive and as the town's Library Director, highlighted Library Card Sign-Up Month and Hispanic Heritage Month, which begins September 15 and runs through October 15. She said 7,552 Bloomfield residents held active library cards as of September 1, and that a Bloomfield card can be used at any public library in Connecticut, including the newly opened Manchester Public Library.

Erin Berringer, of 28 Kenmore Road, described the library's Teen Advisory Group and a series of Interval House health education programs for teens covering dating violence, consent and digital safety. She also raised a budget-transparency point, saying roughly 7 percent of the current fiscal year budget appears in the town's Open Finance expenditure portal under undefined categories, and asked that the Finance Department recategorize those entries as new leadership takes over.

Subcommittee Reports

Deputy Mayor Cindi Lloyd, reporting for Finance, Budget, Audit & Bonding, said the fiscal 2025 audit is expected to be accepted for signature and submitted to the state soon, which would mark the first on-time audit start since 2020 once the town reaches fiscal 2027. She said account reconciliations are current for fiscal 2026 through July, and that the town remains in a state noncompliance status that would become delinquent if it extended past six months, underscoring the need to strengthen the finance department bench. She said the Board of Education's payroll system is still transitioning to the MUNIS platform but is actively using it for accounts payable.

A Public Health, Safety & Environment update, given in Councilor Todd Cooper's absence, noted a recent traffic fatality on Tunxis Avenue and a second incident in which a pedestrian was struck by a car, and urged drivers to be more attentive, particularly regarding phone use.

The Education, Workforce, Youth Development & Community Services report was deferred because Councilor Michael Oliver was attending to a family medical emergency.

Councilor Darrell Goodwin, chair of the Committee on Committees, said interviews are complete for the Bloomfield Housing Authority, Board of Assessment Appeals, Conservation Energy and Environment Committee, Economic Development Commission, Emergency Medical Services, Fair Rent Commission, Golf Advisory Committee, Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission, Lower Farmington River Committee, Public Art Commission, Recreation Committee, Youth Adult Council and Youth Diversion Team. He said the Ethics Commission is handled differently: nominees for that body go directly to the full council for a vote rather than through the Committee on Committees, which he said was clarified to avoid acting outside the ordinance.

Consent Agenda and Minutes Dispute

The consent agenda as printed included approval of August 10 and August 24 meeting minutes, tax refunds, and the Committee on Committees' recommended candidate for a Zoning Board of Appeals alternate vacancy. Before the vote, Councilor Mahon said the August 24 minutes were inaccurate because they did not reflect a motion and vote taken after the council returned from executive session to add an item to that meeting's agenda. Mahon said she had emailed a correction twice and had not received confirmation it was incorporated.

Deputy Mayor Lloyd said she recalled seeing the email and responding but did not have an exact recollection of its contents, and suggested all councilors review it before voting. The council then took two procedural votes: one to amend the consent agenda by removing the August 24 minutes (approved unanimously, no nays, no abstentions), and a second to approve the remaining consent agenda items, including the August 10 minutes, tax refunds and the ZBA alternate appointment (approved unanimously). A third motion then tabled the August 24 minutes specifically to the council's next meeting, to allow time to review edited language; that motion also passed unanimously.

Town Manager's Report: Staff Transitions

Town Manager Al Schwab outlined a round of personnel transitions. He said Donna Stewart, hired as a temporary finance employee roughly 30 days into his tenure after three-quarters of the finance department departed, will assume the role of Director of Finance effective Wednesday, succeeding outgoing Director Daryl Hill. Hill thanked the council and said "government is built to survive" despite departures, adding that the administration remains capable of continuing the work of recent years.

Stewart told the council that when she arrived, fiscal year 2024 work was incomplete, bank reconciliations were more than 14 months behind, the town held more than 30 bank and investment accounts, and fixed-asset and payroll tax tables had not been updated in years. She said those issues are now resolved: the fiscal 2024 audit was completed months ago, fiscal 2025 is expected to close around October 15, and fiscal 2026 trial-balance work should be ready by the end of October, pending the auditors' schedule. "To have three audits done in one year is phenomenal," she said, adding that bank reconciliations are up to date through August.

Schwab also said the town is in a second round of interviews for a new HR director, expects to make a hiring decision on an assistant director of senior and youth services by the end of the week, and that the assistant town engineer and full-time IT director positions remain open to external candidates. He said he plans to convene the first meeting of a "Town Manager's Blue Ribbon Budget Development Community Committee" this week, a group he described as including financial experts, community leaders and local executives, without naming members at this time.

Capital Improvement Plan: Deferred Maintenance

Schwab introduced Director of Public Works and Facilities Glenn Garrity to present what both described as an early, unscheduled warning ahead of the fiscal 2028 budget. Garrity, who has worked for the town 11 years, said the town nominally carries a five-year capital improvement plan but in practice only approves year one, reshuffling the remaining years annually. He said the backlog is now severe: the Town Hall slate roof, submitted for a $500,000 replacement in 2015, remains unaddressed, with the town instead spending about $8,000 per summer on patch repairs. He said the town's dump-truck fleet has aged to 13 and 14 years, beyond industry-standard life cycles, threatening snow-clearing efficiency, and that a replacement payloader is estimated at $500,000.

Garrity proposed shifting toward a 10-year capital plan with consistent annual set-asides, even without an attached project, "so we have a better idea of exactly what we're facing." He said he will bring a fuller presentation to the September 28 council meeting and invited councilors to an open house at the public works facility within two weeks. No vote was taken; this was a disclosure ahead of formal budget deliberations.

Economic Development Report

Director of Building and Land Use John Coleman gave the monthly economic development report he said he normally delivers to the Governance, Policy & Economic Development subcommittee. He said the town expects to learn Friday whether its town center redevelopment plan was shortlisted for grant funding, and soon after whether it will receive the requested $11.8 million, on a third attempt. A request for developer proposals to partner on the town center project closed Tuesday at 4 p.m.

On the Plan of Conservation and Development, Coleman said the Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ) approved the future land use map component and will hold a special meeting Thursday to review the remaining written draft chapter by chapter, ahead of a statutory public hearing and referral to the Capital Region Council of Governments.

Coleman listed developments under construction, including Seabury's 24-unit residential addition, a 32-unit development on Edith Lane, 29 single-family homes at Abbey Court (1120 Blue Hills Avenue), a second 40-unit apartment building on Jolly Road, and the 164-unit Arbella development nearing its leasing phase. He said the Popeyes restaurant project is moving toward completion after delays tied to Eversource's initial requirement that the project repower the entire Geisler's Plaza, which was resolved. He also cited a proposed roughly 230-unit development at 800 Cottage Grove Road, for which a fiscal impact analysis has been completed, and a fourth phase of the town center apartments proposed by developer Paul Butler, also under fiscal review. Coleman said the fiscal 2026 grand list added $126,408,000 in new construction value.

Wedgewood Apartments Parking Concerns

Councilor Suzette DeBeatham-Brown relayed resident complaints about insufficient parking at Wedgewood Apartments. Coleman said the development was approved under older zoning regulations before parking demand increased, and that the town, police department and Connecticut Transit are discussing options, including the possibility of regulated on-street parking or adjusting where buses stop along Wedgewood. "It is a challenge," Coleman said, adding he could not promise a solution that satisfies residents completely while preserving transit service.

Council Comments: Blue Ribbon Committee Transparency, Procedural Time Limits

During council comments, Councilor DeBeatham-Brown said she has sought direction from fellow councilors on guidance for the town manager regarding budget preparation and said she had not received input from colleagues; she also congratulated Councilor Mahon on a Legacy Leader Award received that week. Councilor Joseph Merritt questioned why councilors are limited to two minutes of comment while members of the public receive three, calling it worth revisiting, and praised incoming Finance Director Donna Stewart's qualifications. Councilor Goodwin encouraged more Republican and unaffiliated residents to apply for town boards and commissions, saying current applicants skew Democratic relative to available seats.

Councilor Mahon raised concerns that the town manager's new Blue Ribbon Budget Development Community Committee had been assembled through a closed process with undisclosed membership and an unclear application process. "It's a bit concerning that we don't know the names of the individuals. The process was closed, not fully open to the public," Mahon said, adding she was not alleging wrongdoing but believed public budget decisions should not be shaped in private. Mayor Harrington noted Mahon's comment period had expired and declined to let the town manager respond during council comments. A separate procedural exchange arose over whether time spent asking clarifying questions during department reports should count against councilors' two-minute comment allotment; Town Manager Schwab said he intends to invite such questions during his reports going forward.

Mayor Harrington closed with recognition of Bloomfield High School's 94 percent graduation rate and 78 percent college-enrollment rate among recent graduates, state track and field championships, and a planned October 2 Connecticut Minority Construction Council event at the Alvin and Beatrice Wood Human Services building.

Mayor Anthony C. Harrington, presiding Deputy Mayor Cindi A. Lloyd, present Darrell Goodwin, Councilor, Chair of the Committee on Committees Elizabeth A. Waterhouse, Councilor, present for roll call, departed before council comments concluded Joseph P. Merritt, Councilor, present Shamar A. Mahon, Councilor, present Suzette A. DeBeatham-Brown, Councilor, present Todd E. Cooper, Councilor, absent (cited family circumstances) Michael J. Oliver, Councilor, absent (family medical emergency)

Town Manager Al Schwab Daryl Hill, outgoing Director of Finance Donna Stewart, incoming Director of Finance (effective September 16) Glenn Garrity, Director of Public Works and Facilities John Coleman, Director of Building and Land Use Elizabeth Lane, Library Director

Public commenters: Robert Berman, 8 Hiram Lane, public-records requester; Erin Berringer, 28 Kenmore Road, speaking on Teen Advisory Group programming and budget transparency; Elizabeth Lane, 33 Burnwood Drive, speaking as Library Director.

Town Plan and Zoning Commission (TPZ) — approved the future land use map portion of the Plan of Conservation and Development and scheduled a special meeting to review the remaining draft. Capital Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) — statutory referral recipient once the POCD draft is finalized. Eversource — utility whose initial repowering requirement for the Popeyes project at Geisler's Plaza delayed that development. Connecticut Transit — bus operator whose routing through Wedgewood Apartments is central to the parking discussion. Bloomfield Chamber of Commerce, led by Vera Smith — organizing the September 19 Food Truck Festival. Connecticut Minority Construction Council — hosting an October 2 contractor outreach event at 330 Park Ave. Town Manager's Blue Ribbon Budget Development Community Committee — newly formed advisory body for the fiscal 2028 budget; membership not yet disclosed, criticized by Councilor Mahon for lack of transparency. Bloomfield Code of Ordinances, Chapter 6 (Sections 6-2, 6-6, 6-7, 6-8) and Chapter 15 (Section 15-6) — subject of the evening's public hearing on planning and zoning fees. Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) draft — under review by the TPZ ahead of public hearing. Fiscal Year 2026 Grand List — cited by Director Coleman as showing $126,408,000 in added construction value.