City passes rental registry

NORWICH – Few items were on the agenda for Tuesday night’s City of Norwich Common Council work session, but with the swearing-in of a new police officer and a public hearing on proposed changes to the city code, including the addition of the rental registration, the meeting, which started at 7 p.m., didn’t end until 9:15.

The meeting started on a positive note. Many members of the Norwich Police Department came to watch as Norwich native Brandon Clark was sworn in as a member of the City of Norwich Police Department. Police Chief Joseph Angelino welcomed him to the department.

“It’s so good to bring one of Norwich’s persons back to the city, to serve the city,” Mayor Joseph Maiurano said.

Then the meeting turned to other matters as the public hearing to amend Chapter 50 (Minimum Standards For Housing) of the City Code. Many landlords spoke out in support of the ordinance. Norwich resident Patrick McNeil was the first to speak. “Looking at the proposed changes, I believe this is a very good document,” McNeil said. That being said, McNeil proceeded to bring up minor issues with the document, including changes he would like to see in the wording in some places.

Fellow landlord and Norwich resident Kathleen Campbell had similar concerns, but took her complaints a step further. Campbell told the council that as an attorney, she has issues with the document in several areas, saying that it could be viewed as unconstitutional. Campbell specifically pointed to Section 1.6, which gives Norwich Police the right to act as an enforcement officer, inspecting buildings for code violations. “As an attorney, I’m concerned about the inclusion of any police officer (to act as an enforcement officer). It opens us up to illegal search and seizures.” Campbell also took issue with the wording in Section 2, which said enforcement officers would be able to inspect a rental dwelling with the permission of the occupant, but left out any notification or permission being given by the owner of the property.