11-02-2026 City Council

The November 2, 2026 New London City Council meeting included several procurement and funding items. A city-issued RFP for custodial services drew objections from the public works union, which said the work overlaps with duties performed by bargaining-unit employees and is connected to an unresolved labor complaint. The mayor said the administration does not generally subcontract bargaining-unit work and would review the RFP. The Ocean Beach committee reported that it is operating under a letter of intent for the upstairs banquet space and is considering whether to use an outside vendor or operate the concession space in-house; a longer-term contract is expected to come before the council in the coming months. The council also approved state-grant appropriations for youth recreation and wellness programming, including a $100,000 item that passed 6–1. Members discussed recommended $10,000 allocations for youth baseball and football/cheerleading programs over two years, clarifying that these were recommendations rather than binding directives. The council approved a public-works vehicle purchase funded from the capital reserve; the transcript does not provide the purchase amount. Members discussed fleet maintenance and funding sources, with a finance committee discussion suggested ahead of the budget cycle.

The council also considered an ordinance setting civil penalties for rental properties that violate the property maintenance code, including a proposed schedule of $500 for a first offense, $1,250 for a second offense within 12 months, and $2,000 for subsequent offenses, with a possible written warning and up to 30 days to correct a violation. The transcript does not clearly capture the final disposition of that ordinance. Public comments additionally raised the proposed landlord registry, housing conditions, violence prevention, council stipends, and access to youth spaces; no procurement action was identified on those subjects.