Administration, Finance and Law Public Hearing and Meeting

The City of New Britain's Committee on Administration, Finance and Law held a public hearing and regular meeting on September 2, 2026. The primary agenda item discussed was a proposed ordinance amendment to replace the current hearing committee system for appeals of municipal citations with a hearing officer model, aligning with Connecticut General Statutes. The change aims to improve efficiency by allowing multiple hearing officers to handle appeals across various departments, including parking violations and health or blight citations, thereby reducing backlogs. An amendment was passed clarifying that hearing officers cannot be police officers or employees of the department issuing the citation. The committee discussed procedural details such as hearing scheduling, officer appointments by the mayor, and the scope of hearing officers' jurisdiction. The motion to refer the amended ordinance to the full council with a neutral recommendation was approved unanimously.