The agenda for the council meeting Tuesday night was considerable and unfortunately I ran out of battery before the council ran out of agenda. The video of what I got is below. I believe I only got about 2 minutes through the adult ordinances discussion.
There were some very notable items on the agenda Tuesday.
EHPD K9 Division
Officer Todd Mona and his dog Primo were recognized for their receipt of the 2007 Daniel Wasson Memorial K-9 Award.
The EHPD K-9 Division was recognized for their accomplishments in placing 1st as well as receiving multiple best in show awards in the 2008 Canine Olympics.
EH Allstars Softball Team
The Allstars softball team received recognition for their second championship domination in a row. Councilman Weinberg expressed his excitement at this second win being proof that the first wasn’t a fluke.
The council also discussed and passed the adult ordinances as recommended by the ordinance committee. What was notable in the discussion was when Chairman Kehoe was describing why and what changes were made from the prior version which was spoken on at the public hearing. Although Councilman Horan spoke precisely as required in describing the purpose of the legislation, mitigation of secondary effects, Kehoe and Weinberg betrayed this purpose.
At one point Weinberg made a statement that although federal law (failing to realize it is the constitution not federal law which requires it, or not recognizing the difference in the two) requires us to permit adult businesses in town these ordinances are going to make them not want to come to town. In other words these ordinances are in his view intended to or will have the effect of causing someone who wishes to open or operate a protected adult business to censor their own speech by choosing not to do so. That is unconstitutional as well.
Kehoe in his explanation of the changes to the ordinances explained on multiple items how they were changed in this final version because their lawyer, Mr. Gerard, told them they were indefensible since they could not come up with any plausible way they would mitigate secondary effects. In short, Kehoe admitted through the words that lay between the lines that in drafting these ordinances the primary concern of the council was preventing adult businesses from operating in town with secondary effects being an after thought considered only for constitutional defense. Are these public betrayals of the intent and purpose statement which preface the ordinances enough to give Attorney Silver or Coleman some some rope to hang them with? That I don’t know. Let us hope not.
Tags: Bill Horan, Daniel Silver, East Hartford, East Hartford Police Department, K-9, Kim Coleman, Marc Weinberg, Masters Club LLC, Pitkin St Entertainment LLC, Rich Kehoe, Town Council
