Governing in the age of COVID-19 is a challenge, particularly for legislative bodies.
Face-to-face meetings with colleagues, and more importantly constituents, are happening less often, if at all.
Republican lawmakers in the General Assembly, which is currently operating without the public allowed inside the state Capitol, rightly raised red flags recently, arguing that the separation between policymakers and the public could increase the chances of ill-advised legislation being proposed and passed.
That disconnect between legislator and constituent can lead to siloed thinking. And it has been on full display in the city of Hartford since the start of the new year.
Two policies in particular, proposed by a few members of the city council, have created quite a stir.
One aimed to significantly increase fees paid by parking-lot operators, while another proposed fines on landlords with long-term retail vacancies.
To be sure, both policies were well-meaning — they aimed to increase commercial activity in a downtown hit hard by the pandemic.
In reality they would have had the opposite effect, and they’ve been rightfully put on the back burner, at least for now.
But even more troubling than the policy proposals themselves is the fact that the business community wasn’t briefed on either of them before they appeared on the city council agenda.
That lack of communication can create a sense of mistrust and lead to a business unfriendly environment.
The proposals demonstrated that some council members aren’t only on a different page with the business community, but are reading from an entirely different playbook.
The purpose of this column isn’t to play the blame game or go into a deep policy debate about either issue.
Instead I’m calling for a hard and fast reset of the relationship between Hartford’s business community and the city council.
They can ill-afford to be rowing in different directions as the city and state gear up for a post-COVID recovery.
And repairing that relationship starts with making sure there is one to begin with.
The first step is to simply convene a series of regular meetings between Hartford investors/businesses — both from downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods — and city council members. These can be in-person or virtual meetings, but there needs to be some relationship building.
Mayor Luke Bronin and the MetroHartford Alliance/Hartford Chamber of Commerce, which are known to have a good working relationship, should play some type of convening role.
Council members must get a better understanding of what it will take to turn Hartford into a more vibrant 24/7 city, while business leaders must understand the budgetary and other pressures faced by local elected leaders.
There already appears to be some progress on this front. Following a rejection of the vacant storefront fine proposal, city council Democrats said they’ve joined with the Hartford Business Improvement District, and other business leaders, to form a task force to develop policies that will aid Hartford’s economic recovery.
Common ground will only be found through fruitful conversation.
And to be clear, I’m not asking the city council to capitulate to all the needs and desires of the business community, but at least hear and consider them. It could lead to new ideas for public-private partnerships.
In addition to more communication, the city should think about a carrot rather than stick approach to stimulating growth.
Higher taxes and fines aren’t going to lead to new development or retail activity. But a stable and reliable business environment can certainly help.
