WORKSHOPS

SESSION A 9:45-10:45

A1 State Commissioners’ Panel

Municipal officials often long for direct access to state agency heads to obtain clarity on requirements or to expedite required procedures. This session will provide local officials with the opportunity to learn how budget reductions to state agencies will impact towns and cities and how state agencies are working to continue to provide key services to municipalities in light of these reductions. Local officials are looking to learn how more can be done with less through “red tape” reduction and improved efficiency. Be a part of this important discussion on improvingt the State-Local Partnership with key State Commissioners!

A2 Advancing Racial Equity in Connecticut’s Towns and Cities

During this session, municpal officials will provide overviews of what their towns and cities are doing to advance racial equity.

A3 Risk Management for Municipal Officials

Co-sponsored by CIRMA

This session will provide an overview of the multitude of risks faced by Connecticut’s municipalities and school districts. Additionally, presenters will discuss the best practices to implement risk management as a core function to continue to achieve the municipalities mission and work towards its vision.

A4 PFAS - The Hidden Expense

This presentation will be a follow-up to the 3-part PFAS Webinar Series presented in the Spring of 2020 and will discuss ways that municipalities may have to deal with PFAS investigations and remediation costs. The presentation will provide 1) an update on CTDEEP current and proposed PFAS actions, and 2) a case study that discussed the impacts to a municipality that used firefighting foams, including investigation techniques and developing cost assessments using traditional and alternative remedial technologies.

A5 CT Trail Finder: Engaging Trails & Greenspaces for Economic Development & Public Health

Co-sponsored by Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS)

The State of Connecticut has a vast number of open space and outdoor recreational opportunities, many of which were heavily used and explored during the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will explore how communities can make the most of trails and green spaces to promote public health and economic development. The session will include an overview of tools for greenspace promotion including the Connecticut Trail Finder, www.cttrailfinder.com a free, interactive mapping website designed to help Connecticut residents and visitors explore trail and outdoor recreation opportunities, trailside services, and events as well as information for trail and land managers on how you can add trail systems to the tool. The session will also include discussion of greenspace disparities, impacts of increased use during the COVID-19 pandemic, and ways to engage new users. The Connecticut Trail Finder is funded through generous support from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Department of Transportation.

SESSION B 1:45-2:45

B1 Risks Of Not Promoting Fair & Equitable Workplace

Co-sponsored by CIRMA

This session will provide attendees with an understanding of the employment practices, and reputational risks of not supporting and promoting a fair and equitable workplace. It will discuss the symptoms of employment culture and behaviors that lead to discrimination claims, Risk Management strategies to reduce these risks, and a review of current cases and legislation identification of best practices.

B2 CAPSS Blueprint To Transform Connecticut’s Public Schools

Co-sponsored by CT Association of Public School Superintendents (CAPSS)

The CAPSS Blueprint is an allencompassing, equitable strategy for funding and improving public education in Connecticut, one which addresses the highest priority needs as expressed by the Superintendents of Schools. These recommendations are aimed at state funding, legislation and state and local action.

B3 Social Services: Everything You Wanted to Know

Co-sponsored by Connecticut Local Administrators of Social Services, Inc. (CLASS)

Social Services at the local level is often misunderstood. Cities/Towns often provide this service to residents but don’t understand what Social Services is and why it is important. This presentation will allow municipal staff to:

• learn about what Social Services does

• understand why all town departments should be interacting with Social Services

• understand how all residents can be assisted; not just the poor

• learn how revenue is generated by Social Services

Also this presentation will allow participants to ask questions. (Social Services can also be referred to as Human Services etc. at the town level.)

B4 Affordable Housing & Land Use Legislation

Co-sponsored by Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys (CAMA)

This session will provide an overview of the nuts and bolts of Public Act 21-29 and how it impacts municipal affordable housing and comprehensive zoning plans.

B5 Making Our Communities Great Places To Live For All: Examples And Stories From CT Municipal Leaders

This workshop will showcase municipal leaders from Sustainable CT certified communities who will share stories about their town initiatives to build more inclusive, resilient, thriving communities. Municipal leaders will share best practices that will include examples from the broad range of Sustainable CT impact areas: inclusion and equity, local economies, land and natural resources, arts and culture, land use planning, mobility/ transportation, clean energy, community engagement, materials management, health and wellness, affordable housing, and homelessness prevention. Presenters will use of engaging storytelling to engage, inspire, and promote peer learning.

SESSION C 3:30-4:30

C1 CCM’s ARP Advisory Service Committee

Connecticut towns and cities received approximately $2.55 billion statewide in funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The funds from the ARP will be allocated and utilized for the next 5 years to invest in short and long-term strategies to address public health, economic recovery and infrastructure projects. Members of CCM’s Advisory Service Committee will discuss projects that have been considered and guidance that to assist towns and cities make investments that will afford returns into the future.

C2 Successfully Managing Short-Term Grants and Funds

This session will focus on how to successfully manage competitive grants and other short-term funding sources and how to avoid common pitfalls municipalities may encounter. With the pandemic and events of 2020, many federal and state funding programs emerged and municipalities were quickly charged with effectively allocating and managing an inflex of funds.

C3 Cybersecurity: Preventing Costly Attacks to Your Municipality

Are you concerned about the IT security of your municipality? Many cities and towns across the region have experienced phishing scams, exposure to dark web threats, internal hacks, and attacks to steal critical information data about your citizens and operations. The average cost of ransomware payouts tripled last year, rising to $233,817. In this session, we will cover how you can know your exposure and strategies to secure your IT systems, including best practices used to help other municipalities prevent and thwart cyber-attacks.

C4 Municipal Collective Bargaining After COVID-19

Co-sponsored by Connecticut Public Employer Labor Relations Association (ConnPELRA)

This presentation will review how municipal collective bargaining has changed and will continue to change after the pandemic. Bargaining topics such as work at home arrangements, use of sick time for pandemic-related absences, workplace accommodations and union demands for hazard pay will be reviewed. The advantages of bargaining in person and/ or over Zoom will be discussed. How to respond to union requests for information related to PPP, ARP and Cares Act funding will be addressed. This presentation will also address the significance of new legislation in Connecticut, that takes effect on October 1, 2021, applicable to governmental employers regarding disclosure of employee information, union dues, and union access to facilities, systems and employees.

C5 Connecticut’s Financial Outlook – Beyond the Headlines

Connecticut’s pension obligations and high taxes are well covered headline news. Less clear - but no less important – is the state’s complete financial picture. How burdensome are the state’s obligations on Connecticut residents? On your city or town? Relative to other states? Join us to go beyond the headlines for a view into Connecticut’s total financial standing, and how Connecticut stacks up against peers and the nation.