Connecticut Town & City - August 2016

AUGUST 2016

While Washington battles back-and-forth on guns, CCM avoids getting caught up in the politics of the issue. Instead, we focus on helping local leaders do what they do best — work to protect their communities through prevention and preparedness.

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICERS President, Mark D. Boughton, Mayor of Danbury 1st Vice President, Susan S. Bransfield, First Selectwoman of Portland 2nd Vice President, John A. Elsesser, Town Manager of Coventry

With this issue of CT&C, we are beginning a new series that will present opposing views — in a point-counterpoint format — on major public policy issues facing Connecticut. We hope you find it stimulating and informative. Page 10

DIRECTORS Luke A. Bronin, Mayor of Hartford Robert M. Congdon, First Selectman of Preston Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Toni N. Harp, Mayor of New Haven Barbara M. Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury Deb Hinchey, Mayor of Norwich Catherine Iino, First Selectwoman of Killingworth Curt Leng, Mayor of Hamden Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield W. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of Seymour

Inside this issue...

Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury

4 Gun Violence Lisa Pellegrini, First Selectman of Somers 10 Point/Counterpoint Scott Shanley, General Manager of Manchester 12 Combating Drug Abuse Mark Walter, First Selectman of East Haddam Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland 14 Sustainable Communities PAST PRESIDENTS 16 Drones Present Opportunities Matthew B. Galligan Town Manager of South Windsor 17 Poverty Across Connecticut Herbert C. Rosenthal former First Selectman of Newtown 18 2016 Convention Keynote Speaker HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS 19 Municipal Consulting Elizabeth Paterson, former Mayor of Mansfield Stephen Cassano, Selectman of Manchester 20 Winnin’ New Britain 21 CCM 2017 Legislative Preview 22 State-local Issue Bulletins CCM STAFF 23 CIRMA Executive Director, Joe DeLong 26 Town News Stories Deputy Director, Ron Thomas Leo Paul, First Selectman of Litchfield

Managing Editor, Kevin Maloney Layout & Design, Matthew Ford Production Assistant, Joan Bailey Writer, Christopher Cooper Editorial Assistant, Beth Scanlon

THE BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE OF MUNICIPALITIES 900 CHAPEL ST., 9TH FLOOR, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-2807

Connecticut Town & City © 2016 Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

Gun Violence

No ready answers; outreach needed

By Jack Kramer

C

oming to consensus on gun ownership rights in this country is a useless exercise. Whether it is in the halls of Congress or in the bars or streets of every city in America, there are clearly two, divided camps: pass the toughest gun regulations we can, or, don’t dare tamper with our 2nd Amendment rights.

What isn’t disputable, however, is no matter where you side on the issue of gun ownership rights, city, town, law, school, and every other person who has municipal responsibilities under their umbrella is spending more time thinking, and working, on how to keep their communities safe.

The spike in mass violence gun incidents across the world, the country, and in our very own small state of Connecticut, has forced the issue to the front burner.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012 in Newtown, when 20-year- old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children aged between 6 and 7 years old as well as six adult staff members.

Prior to driving to the school, Lanza shot and killed his mother at their Newtown home.

As first responders arrived at the scene, Lanza committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

The incident was the deadliest mass shooting at a high school or grade school in United States history.

Other incidents of mass shooting besides Sandy Hook include the 50 killed in an Orlando, Florida nightclub in June of this year, the 32 killed in Blacksburg, Virginia in 2007, 14 killed in San Bernardino, California in 2015, and 12 killed in Aurora, Colorado in 2012 — among many others.

But those headline-grabbing killings are only a small

4 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

portion of the day-to-day violence that is plaguing our country’s cities and towns — and Connecticut is not immune from that violence.

NEED TO BE PROACTIVE One approach — the easy one — for the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities — is to sit on the sidelines and let politicians battle back-and-forth on guns, or allow racial tensions between police and community continue to escalate.

Joe DeLong, executive director of CCM, said the association won’t take the easy way out. “Gun violence at the local level is very real and sitting on the sidelines while our communities face this reality daily would be a dereliction of our responsibility to our members as well as our neighbors,’’ said DeLong.

“CCM cannot afford to get caught up in the politics of the issue; instead we must provide the gambit of information from first responders to community activists so that municipal leaders can do what they have always shown to do better than our friends at the nation’s and state’s capitols: bring their communities together to solve complex challenges,’’ added DeLong.

But what exactly can and should community leaders be doing to fight this nationwide plague?

Mary Ann Jacob was at Sandy Hook Elementary the day of the mass shooting and her actions as a clerk in the library played a role in helping save many more children from serious injury or death that horrific day.

Jacob is now the chairman of Newtown’s Legislative Council. She understands that the issue of gun violence is a complex one, with no easy answers.

“I come from a home with gun owners and believe

the 2nd Amendment and gun violence prevention can live side by side in our communities as it does in my home,’’ said Jacob.

Jacob said school security, police communications, and mental health support for the community are all vital components of any strategy to protect citizens from gun violence.

She pointed out, however, “For the last three years Newtown has been fortunate to receive generous support from the state and federal government in grants that have allowed us to build the infrastructure we need to support our community.’’

responding officers and detectives instant momentum in their investigations.’’

Harp added: “Nearly one-third of New Haven is now electronically patrolled by this gunshot detection system; the resulting head start for police helps them track down the guns used, and the people who fired them.’’

“I come from a home with gun owners and believe the 2nd Amendment and gun violence prevention can live side by side in our communities as it does in my home,” - Mary Ann Jacob

Jacob continued: “But going forward, while those needs will continue, the burden of cost will shift to the municipality. Our urban communities have had to deal with these issues for many, many years and our police forces know that effective peace-keeping starts with laws that gives them tools in their toolboxes to work with.’’

TARGETING GUN VIOLENCE One of those “urban’’ communities is New Haven, where city officials said they use a multi-pronged strategy to combat gun violence.

Mayor Toni N. Harp said: “There is irrefutable, nationwide evidence of too many guns available for too many who should not have them.”

Despite falling crimes rates nationwide, gun murders remain constant. In 2015, there were 12,000 gun deaths within the United States, 39 of which were the result of mass shootings.

CCM’s DeLong said: “As tragic as they are, an examination of all the issues, not only gun rights, needs to be part of the conversation. Unless there are effective legal, political, and cultural efforts to thwart the criminal class, even lower rates of gun ownership may not be enough to stop widespread violence.’’

RESPONSE According to Mayor Harp, one approach being taken

by New Haven includes “a comprehensive effort to combat this including expanded use of ShotSpotter technology, which provides remarkably accurate information about shots fired — how many, where, and often even what caliber — in short order to give

And the effort to keep communities safe doesn’t end with the police.

Rick Fontana, deputy director of the City of New Haven’s Office of Emergency Management, said: “We must be prepared to respond to workplace violence and active shooter situations — unpredictable events without logic or patterns — further complicating the immense responsibility of first responders.’’

Fontana continued, “In terms of emergency preparedness, New Haven is working to ensure that all public safety personnel are now vigilant with what we call ‘situational awareness’ — constantly reviewing and strengthening evacuation plans and security enhancement of high-risk areas, including all government facilities, in the event of random or premeditated violence, and deciding how to fit first responders in terms of protective gear and other equipment.’’

BALANCING IDEOLOGY AND PUBLIC SAFETY Response to the threat guns can have on a community’s safety requires both reactive and proactive strategies.

Newtown’s Jacob said: “Tackling the broader issue of gun violence prevention can protect our communities from the suffering, trauma, and costs associated with gun violence. We need to look at this from a public safety point of view, just like we would other issues that face our communities.

“Here in Newtown we recognize and respect our citizens’ rights to own firearms and use them,’’ said Jacob.

“We also recognize and accept with that right comes a tremendous responsibility to see that the use of those firearms is governed fairly to protect both those using them and those not using them.

“Often we are asked as leaders of our communities to tackle difficult issues. It’s our responsibility to have those discussions and take that responsibility seriously,’’ added Jacob.

continues on 6

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 5

From police hiring and training to providing resources for police and promoting community relations, there needs to be a broader vision and model of communication that weaves a stronger fabric throughout neighborhoods that alert and identify problems sooner.

In Hamden, the town has put an enhanced focus on community police efforts and outreach, opened two police substations, increased bike patrols, and implemented walking beats for the first time in four decades.

Mayor Curt Leng said: “This approach, where residents don’t just see officers as people from afar to be intimidated by, but as people that are relatable, that you can cultivate a relationship with and then have the comfort level to talk to in real terms about what is happening in your neighborhood has been and can be invaluable with changing the culture of neighborhoods.’’

Leng, who is a member of the nationwide group “Mayors Against Illegal Guns,’’ said Hamden is also engaged in having local discussions and forums and gun buyback programs. “These are positive programs that will continue the discussion and bring neighbors together to talk to other neighbors about their positions on

“You need to make sure there is a strong, continuous dialogue ongoing between the cops and the community they serve,’’ said retired Branford Police Chief John DeCarlo.

DeCarlo, an associate professor at the Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences at the University of New Haven, is a well-respected expert and author on policing methodologies and their effects on crime.

“There is a need for an increased civility in dealings between citizens and their police departments,’’ said DeCarlo.

In Hamden, an enhanced effort has been made by police to recognize and alter responses to traffic violations in order to reduce the disproportionately higher rate of minority drivers that are pulled over by police. This recognition and change in approach by law enforcement in Hamden is being recognized statewide as a model for others to consider.

IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT GUNS Bridgeport Police Chief Armando “AJ” Perez said po-

“These are positive programs that will continue the discussion and bring neighbors together to talk to other neighbors about their positions on things like police activity, criminal activity, and gun control — just to name a few.’’

- Mayor Curt Leng things like police activity, criminal activity, and gun control — just to name a few.’’

licing gun safety is a particular challenge in Connecticut’s large cities.

Leng continued that while it is difficult, if not impossible, to peel back the rhetoric over the political fight over gun ownership rights, there are proactive steps that can be taken to protect citizens.

“The population density, challenging socio-economic conditions, and lack of education all contribute to an increased crime rate,’’ said Perez. “Illegal firearms are attractive to young, urban men who view them as a status symbol. This contributes to a marked increase in homicides and aggravated assaults. We have seen many tragic examples of this in Bridgeport.’’

He said: “We need to consider implementing local action…we are considering some rules similar to those approved in Boston, that require all firearm vendors and retailers who respond to bids for the purchase of department firearms to complete a survey about responsible gun vendor practices.’’

RE-EXAMINING CURRENT PRACTICES The challenge to create change is breaking through the decades of mistrust that sometimes exists between segments of the population and police. Throw in the added issue of racial tension that often exists in bigger communities and the mistrust grows deeper.

6 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Police reform can’t fix an economy that is tougher on people with lower income levels.

Perez said to address the problems of guns and violence “we dedicate a large number of personnel and physical resources to track and seize firearms, through lengthy and sometimes costly investigations. We form collaborations with state and federal agencies to enforce firearm laws.’’

POLICE: GUARDIANS, NOT WARRIORS No longer are police officers being asked to only enforce the law. Along with traditional duties, police are responsible to now serve in a variety of other roles that will promote better living conditions and enhance community relations.

To enhance the relationships between police and residents, community policing is an approach being advanced in many police departments.

Community policing is the concept that trust and mutual respect between police and the communities are crucial to public safety. It emphasizes the systemic use of community engagement, partnerships, problem-solving, and proactively addressing conditions that cultivate crime and social disorder.

New Haven has embraced this approach through the New Haven Community and Public Relations Task Force established in March 2015. While only in its infant stage, results are paying off.

From New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman: “Among many beneficial byproducts of community policing in New Haven, mutually protective relationships grow among residents and police officers, in which each looks out for the safety and well-being of the other.’’

Esserman added: “This dynamic, in which police are an extension of the community rather than a foreign presence layered over it, compliments the department’s extremely well-disciplined officers and routine de-escalation training they receive to try and make violence and the use of force far less frequent.”

The change in operations can include the adoption of new technology, such as body cameras, which can promote and enhance trust and safety between the police and the community.

During his tenure as police chief in Branford, DeCarlo was one of the first top cops in the state to have his department wear body cameras.

“I always thought body cameras were a good idea,’’ said DeCarlo. “It increases civility on both the cops’ side and the side of citizens when you are both being watched. Everyone tends to be on their best behavior.’’

CONNECTICUT’S SMALLER TOWNS REACHING OUT, ALSO Outreach and community policing aren’t limited to Connecticut’s biggest cities.

Small towns that utilize resident state troopers are not immune from the need to engage and promote community relations. These troopers need to be aware of the philosophy of the community, and ensure that other troopers that may not be in the town every day, but do respond, are also aware.

In the small town of Litchfield, population slightly more than 8,300, First Selectman Leo Paul, Jr. said: “While we don’t have the day-to-day issues with gun violence that the bigger cities in Connecticut do, it doesn’t mean we aren’t thinking about how to keep our community safe.

“Nobody is immune to the dangers,’’ said Paul.

Litchfield, a town of close to 57 square miles, is policed by a resident state trooper, plus two full-time police officers. “We’re fortunate that we are a small enough continues on 8

CCM Schedules Forum On Community Policing And Gun Violence

T

he Connecticut Conference of Municipalities will be sponsoring a day-long forum to address public safety and gun violence in the state and promote strategies and initiatives to ensure safer and better prepared communities.

Town and city officials are invited to the late September forum.

The forum, at a date yet to be announced, will feature a series of guest speakers and panels to talk about how towns can be proactive to address gun violence and community policing, as well as how to best be prepared to handle any emergency situation that arises.

Joe DeLong, executive director of CCM, said, “We, in our role as a municipal league, want to be as helpful as possible on such a sensitive topic as gun safety by giving our member towns all the response resource options that are available.’’

“Those towns, and their leaders, can then decide which of those resource options are most useful in their communities,’’ said DeLong.

Productive conversations and presentations offered at the forum are intended to help to lead officials towards actions that will help communities evolve, said DeLong. At the local level, actions rather than rhetoric are more important, said the CCM leader.

— Jack Kramer AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

town that everybody in town knows our officers and vice versa,’’ said Paul. “That goes a long way in making sure the dialogue goes back-and-forth between both sides.’’ That dialogue, Paul said, is important to preventing any potentially volatile issues from impacting community safety.

DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA Often promoting, sometimes hindering positive change, is the reality of 24-hour news coverage, social media, the internet, and cell phone cameras.

The new wave of media has allowed marginalized communities to bypass traditional media in order to speak for themselves with no filter. Meanwhile, we are bombarded with constant images or video of alleged bad public and/or police behavior, both on regular and social media.

“Guns have gotten much, much more prevalent in recent years,’’ said DeCarlo. “Despite that, we still have relatively few shootings in this country. It’s just that the ones we do are on our Facebook and Twitter feeds all day long. We can’t escape it.’’

NO EASY ANSWERS As was stated in the beginning, consensus on gun ownership rights in this country isn’t likely. However, productive conversations may lead to actions that will help us evolve. In particular, at the local level, where action is more prevalent and important than rhetoric.

police and residents time for adjustments to be made. It may be years until seamless implementation can occur.

The changes will build a foundation where community forums will turn from confrontational, one side verse another, to one where they stand up together.

PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITY What is not disputable is the municipal responsibility to ensure communities are safe.

Going forward, those who are working to make our communities safer reiterate there are no easy answers — just more hard work.

Said CCM’s DeLong: “Issues surrounding guns and gun violence are very polarizing. Unfortunately, the discussion inevitably leads to a debate over gun control versus a strict interpretation of the 2nd Amendment. “The issue of guns leads to a partisan divide and seemingly little to nothing gets accomplished on our streets,’’ said DeLong.

“The safe play,’’ said DeLong, “for nonpartisan municipal associations like CCM is to leave the discussion up to others. However, our job is to provide our members with educational materials and all the resources available to meet the individual governance needs of their communities.

“As the elected voices of their city or town they must determine,’’ said DeLong, “what approach is appropriate for their community.’’

Community policing success will come with time. The implementation of new approaches and policies will take

“We’re fortunate that we are a small enough town that everybody in town knows our officers and vice versa,’’ - First Selectman Leo Paul

8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

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Point Austerity Hurts The Economy

collecting a larger share of taxes on internet sales, and closing the Expedia loophole.

By Lori J. Pelletier, President, CT AFL-CIO

C

Currently, certain large employers in the state pay their workers such low wages, they are eligible for state-subsidized health care, housing, and food stamps. The low wage employer fee would recoup hundreds of millions of dollars from companies (like Wal-Mart and Dunkin Donuts) that exploit our social safety nets at taxpayer expense.

onnecticut has an austerity problem. Exhibit A is the recent state budget that legislators rammed through at the last minute in May. What has austerity bought us so far?

Tightening laws on internet sales and online travel companies would not require an increase in taxes, but instead would close loopholes and raise tens of millions of dollars for critical public services.

Closing these loopholes will help small businesses located in Connecticut who already play by the rules and must compete against online companies that take advantage of these loopholes.

Layoffs of public service workers like corrections officers, police, and para-educators — even revenue-generating interpreters for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Closing of state parks and laying off lifeguards. Cutting daycare subsidies for low-income parents who need them so they can continue to work and be productive.

It has made us less safe and with a diminished quality of life that is so cherished in our state.

What’s more, the governor’s much hyped “no tax” budget merely pushed the burden of responsible governing to our cities and towns. While the state layoffs are making the headlines, it’s easy to miss the myriad of other stories about increases in property taxes, cutting of municipal services, or the layoffs of workers in our school districts. Vital services once provided by the state are now being pushed down to the city and town level, for example, handling unclaimed human remains.

Laying off and not filling vacancies for more than 2,000 state workers has a ripple effect across the economy, further squeezing small business owners.

Austerity policies don’t lead to growth, only less money in consumers’ pockets and a bigger economic crisis from which to dig ourselves out.

We need to promote policies that grow the economy and make it work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. The Connecticut AFL-CIO advocates a broad range of solutions.

•

Increasing revenue in the state: This can be accomplished by passing a low wage employer fee,

10 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

With this issue of CT&C, we are beginning a new series that will present opposing views — in a pointcounterpoint format — on major public policy issues facing Connecticut.

•

Reforming our business and individual tax system: Creating a progressive business tax structure, which encourages growth instead of the current system of picking winners and losers. Allowing our personal income tax collection to incorporate 21st century delivery of earnings (e.g., capital gains and independent contractors).

•

Ending costly privatization and outsourcing schemes: Over the past year, the public has witnessed what happens when you outsource work that can be performed by state employees. The DMV software upgrade, done by a private for-profit company, has caused increased wait times and listed vehicles in the wrong municipalities. Outsourcing this work has been a terrible failure and has cost the state millions of dollars with nothing but a broken system to show for it.

The challenges of fixing the state budget are large, but not insurmountable as long as we focus on growing the economy for everyone. Let’s continue to make Connecticut a state that values its working people and provides an exceptional education system and quality of life that is the envy of the country.

We hope you find it stimulating and informative. If you have any suggestions for future topics, please contact Kevin Maloney at kmaloney@ccm-ct.org.

Counterpoint

How To Fix The Connecticut State Budget

By Joe Brennan, President & CEO, CBIA

P

olicymakers can take two steps to fix Connecticut’s ongoing budget problems in a sustainable way: foster greater economic growth and set spending priorities based on the core functions of state government — what we need, not everything we want.

Our reality is crystal clear: We won’t fix our fiscal problems without greater economic growth.

We can argue over policy choices needed to remedy the situation, but we can’t argue over the fact that Connecticut’s economic growth has been unacceptable.

In 2011, for example, the state’s economy actually shrunk by 0.9 percent, while the national economy overall grew by 1.4 percent. In 2015, our economy grew by 0.6 percent, compared with 2.4 percent for the nation overall, ranking Connecticut 43rd out of 50 states in Gross State Product.

Clearly, this has to change if we’re going to stabilize the state’s fiscal condition, as well as the fiscal condition of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns.

One thing we know won’t work is additional tax increases.

How do we know this? Despite two of the largest state tax increases in state history over the last five years, we still have massive recurring budget deficits and even greater long-term, unfunded liabilities.

As Connecticut’s taxes rise and economic growth stagnates, too many residents — and some businesses — are seeking more favorable locations.

Seven states lost population between July 1, 2014, and July 1, 2015, with Connecticut experiencing the third-highest net loss: 3,876 people, or -0.11 percent.

An analysis by McKinsey & Company released earlier this year shows that much of the state’s outmigration

is occurring among our youngest and most well-educated citizens.

In 2014, 42 percent of the 18,367 people leaving the state were ages 18 — 24.

That same year, Connecticut had a net loss of 11,570 people 25 years or older with at least an associate’s degree or some college; 33 percent of those held bachelor’s degrees, and 16 percent graduate degrees.

Wealth is also leaving the state.

From 2012 through 2013, the average adjusted gross income (AGI) of households moving to Connecticut was $91,000, while the AGI for those moving out was $112,000 — a trend with serious implications for state tax revenue.

Since tax increases are not bringing in the expected revenues and cannot be relied upon to fix the state budget, the obvious solution is to aggressively pursue structural reforms to state government that cut costs and reflect better prioritization of spending.

Every state agency’s operations and management structure should be thoroughly audited to identify ways to cut costs, lean processes, and reduce head count through attrition. That way, we can meet the needs of state residents while keeping Connecticut affordable.

Part of this task must also be to ensure that public-sector compensation and benefits packages are affordable for taxpayers.

And lawmakers must fully enact a workable spending cap without loopholes, which was part of the deal with taxpayers in 1991 when the state income tax was passed, to help avoid fiscal problems in the future.

Business owners and entrepreneurs need confidence that the state will exercise fiscal discipline if they’re going to invest in Connecticut, create jobs, and grow the economy.

Holding the line on state spending sends a signal that Connecticut is a great place to invest and grow, and we need that investment now.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

Drug Abuse Prevention

New CCM report shows how local officials can best combat drug abuse in their communities

C

CM has just published a dynamic new public policy toolkit for local and state leaders on “How Local Officials Can Combat Drug Abuse” that shows how municipal leaders can lead the fight locally on an issue that is complex, and a solution that is not singular; and is one that reaches out from the municipal CEO to first responders and those within our schools, parks and recreation, and other local service providers.

The 25 page “toolkit” report highlights 10 steps that every municipality can pursue to better combat drug abuse in their community: •

Dedicate time to understand substance abuse and the drug epidemic in your community;

•

Take the lead to increase public awareness and engagement;

•

Designate a municipal point person or contact regarding substance abuse;

•

Encourage community, regional, and statewide collaboration; and

•

Develop a one-page fact sheet and resource guide for residents.

(Find the full report at ccm-ct.org.)

Also, promote alternative programs — for both teens and adults — aimed at prevention and intervention; partner with schools on prevention programs and curriculum; provide first responders and increase public awareness regarding naloxone; create safe disposal sites to discard prescription drugs; and become an advocate toward policy change.

The report also includes the most recent 2016 data and the trends since 2012 regarding the most frequent accidental overdoses in Connecticut.

“Connecticut, like the rest of the country, is going through a serious opioid epidemic,” says Rudy Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield and Chair of the CCM Drug Abuse Prevention Work Group. “The rate at which Connecticut is seeing overdose deaths is staggering. This is a statewide issue that must be confronted. Local officials have the capacity and obligation to lead their communities through this epidemic by providing practical policies to combat this crisis.”

“Substance abuse and opioid addiction is a public health crisis impacting every community in Connecticut. Local officials — the front line of action — are in the most important position to combat this growing epidemic,” emphasizes Michael Muszynski, CCM Advocacy Manager. “Through coalition building, imple12 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

mentation of proven best practices, and engagement of community leaders and stakeholders, municipal leaders can make a real difference in addressing the crisis. In doing so, lives will be saved and healthier and safer communities will thrive.”

Since the summer of 2014, CCM has engaged its Drug Abuse Prevention Work Group with examining the growing concern of substance abuse in Connecticut.

Enhancing intra- and inter-community information sharing, increasing public education and awareness, ensuring effective coordination of resources among federal, state, and local agencies, law enforcement, education, and pursuing policies and additional resources were found to be essential key points that would be needed.

The Work Group involves a wide range of partners, service providers, advocates, experts, and organizations to gather the broadest possible perspective on the issue.

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For Further Questions: Call 877.981.3312 or email uscommunities@premierinc.com AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY www.uscommunities.org/premiermedical

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Resilient Towns

CCM and its Task Force on Sustainability partner with ECSU to present best practices in sustainability efforts in CT

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CM has published a new public policy toolkit for local leaders on “Sustainable Communities.”

The publication highlights innovative practices by towns and cities in this important arena across the state and the nation that improve the quality of life for our citizens and at the same time provide municipal services more efficiently and save residential and business property taxpayers money.

The 38-page report covers such critical sustainability issues as Sustainability Planning, Energy Efficiency, Local Foods, Land Use and Transportation, Materials Management, Resilience and Climate Adaptation, Clean Energy Generation, and municipal initiatives outside of Connecticut.

The report highlights nearly 30 current best practices across these areas from communities of all sizes from every region of the state.

“This toolkit marks the beginning of a new CCM commitment to working more actively with towns and cities to help municipal leaders advance sustainability efforts,” says Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director.

“Sustainability, in practice, reflects the intersection of three areas of concern for local governments: economy, environment, and the inclusion of social concerns.

While acknowledging the basic definition as well as the triple bottom line, local governments must also determine what sustainability means to the citizens of their community.”

Charged with strategy development is CCM’s new Task Force on Sustainability, which will serve to provide a blueprint for sustainable projects in Connecticut communities. A goal of the task force is to provide communities with the ability to exchange information and materials necessary to develop environmentally sustainable projects that simultaneously reduce cost and the property tax burden of Connecticut residents.

“It is critical that Connecticut’s towns and cities continue to develop sustainable policies to help communities develop environmentally friendly projects that benefit

Connecticut residents as a whole,” notes Betsy Paterson, Chair of CCM’s Task Force on Sustainability.

The task force will act as a leader on sustainable policy issues and invest in efforts to enhance a green economy, leading to the creation of green jobs. The task force partners with universities, non-profits, and others to gain expertise on reducing negative impacts on ecosystem vitality.

Connecticut towns and cities whose sustainability efforts are highlighted in the report include: Beacon Falls, Bethel, Bridgeport, Bridgewater, Columbia, East Hartford, Enfield, Guilford, Hartford, Mansfield, Meriden, Milford, New Britain, New London, Norwich, Old Saybrook, Putnam, Seymour, Stamford, Suffield, West Hartford, and Westport.

“Producing sustainable eco-friendly projects will help foster a vibrant and clean environment for Connecticut’s communities.”

- Kurt Miller First Selectman, Seymour Vice Chair, CCM’s Task Force on Sustainability 14 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

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AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

Soaring Popularity

Drones bring new opportunities, new laws

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ake way for the drones and the many uses these unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) present to private citizens, businesses, and municipalities. Much more than a fun hobby, drones are offering opportunities in public safety, promotion, and government efficiency.

enacted legislation. In 2015, 45 states attempted to pass drone laws; 26 succeeded. This year, 41 states had drone legislation introduced; 10 states enacted the bills. In Connecticut, the General Assembly has tried every year since 2014 to enact drone legislation but has not yet adopted a law.

Their popularity has increased at an astounding clip and so too have efforts to regulate them at the local and state level, particularly when questions of privacy and safety arise. CCM is pleased to provide members with “Regulating Drone Use,” an InfoKit that offers a comprehensive look at the ongoing evolution of drone use in the U.S. and Connecticut’s regulatory response.

Absent any state law here, drone operators do not have to be licensed pilots. More and more, drones are finding work in the business and local government arenas. Municipalities are finding that having that eye in the sky can be a benefit on many fronts. Some of the uses include:

The primary regulatory authority of drones is the Federal Aviation Administration because the FAA is the sole authority of navigable airspace. However, the FAA’s main concern is to ensure that aircraft are operated safely, and its regulatory reach does not extend to privacy issues. In 2015, the FAA began requiring that drones be registered. The registration is free and can be done online at the FAA website. It is required for both commercial and hobby use. A recent FAA report predicts that 1.9 million drones will be purchased by hobbyists in 2016, and the report predicts an increase of more than 20 percent every year through 2020.

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Economic development promotion

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Search and rescue

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Crime, accident, and fire scene investigation

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Aerial photography of town events

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Monitoring and inspecting infrastructure

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Property inspections and appraisals

The FAA has a balance to strike — ensuring the safe use of U.S. airspace without “stifling innovation and the development of commercial drone markets.” That’s where state and local governments come in.

Since 2014, many states including Connecticut have stepped up efforts to put drone laws on the books that address both safety and privacy issues. In 2014, 35 states proposed drone laws and 10 states actually 16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

CCM will continue to stay on top of this emerging technology and assist members in their growing interest in using drones. As of July 1, CIRMA began insuring towns that use drones in a hobbyist capacity, making certain that the craft operate at legal and appropriate height above private property. While the benefits of using drones are many, there is a continued focus and commitment to ensure that privacy rights are protected.

CCM’s well-researched report and InfoKit will help inform the conversation around drone safety, uses, and laws. It’s a conversation worth having because in the airspace above Connecticut and the country, drones have created quite a buzz.

Happiness And Hope Effects of poverty vary by location

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ne question, five Connecticuts. How poverty affects families in your communities depends on where you live.

That was the overriding theme of a recent statewide survey that polled nearly 17,000 Connecticut residents.

The “WellBeing Survey,” conducted

by DataHaven, a non-profit Connecticut-based partnership of more than 100 state and local governments, healthcare, academic, and community institutions, identified both barriers and opportunities for Connecticut citizens, gauging their overall contentment with their current situation and expectations for the future. The survey crossed geographic, racial, and economic lines in getting to the roots of their happiness and hope.

While the survey analyzed responses from 80 different metrics such as income, crime, safety, education, health, employment, and opportunity, it began with one simple question: “Are you satisfied with the city or area where you live?”

The recurring theme to that question was that happiness was tied to income and disparities in income were largely based on where someone lived. The survey divided all 169 cities and towns into five groups that shared similarities: urban core, urban periphery, suburban, rural, and wealthy.

An example of some of the communities assigned to those classifications were: •

Urban Core: Hartford, New Britain, Waterbury, New Haven, Bridgeport, and New London

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Urban Periphery: Most of Hartford’s suburbs, including West Hartford, East Hartford, Manchester, Wethersfield, and Newington

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Suburban: Glastonbury, Simsbury, Farmington, Canton, Avon, and similar communities

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Rural: Towns in eastern and northwestern Connecticut

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Wealthy: Lower Fairfield county towns

About 90 percent of the respondents with household incomes over $200,000 said they were satisfied with where they live — but as income dropped, so did the level of satisfaction with where they lived.

Residents in the larger cities had significantly lower rates of overall satisfaction and greater concerns about government responsiveness, police effectiveness, and public services. However, a higher proportion of adult respondents in Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport, and New Haven felt that their neighborhoods were improving.

When respondents were asked how satisfied they were with their lives, the same trend occurred. Some 90 percent of respondents with household incomes over $200,000 said they were “completely” or “mostly satisfied.” For respondents with incomes between $15,000 and $30,000, only 56 percent were “completely” or “mostly satisfied.”

Fewer than 45 percent of respondents with incomes below $15,000 expressed complete satisfaction.

A sampling of other results were: •

Fourteen percent of Connecticut workers were considered “under-employed,” meaning they have no job or are working part-time and would rather find a full-time job.

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Sixty-six percent of Connecticut residents say they are either doing all right or living comfortably, but some 11 percent are finding it “difficult” or “very difficult.” Another 21 percent say they are “just getting by.”

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Nearly one out of every 20 Connecticut adults lacks health insurance, a figure that has significantly improved in recent years.

Survey partners are hopeful that municipalities, non-profit agencies, and others can use the results to more effectively target resources to the groups that will benefit the most.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 17

Innovative Leadership

CCM Annual Convention keynote speaker has inspiring, motivational story to tell

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ontinuing a tradition of hosting speakers who inform and inspire at its annual convention, CCM is proud to announce author and professional speaker Matt Jones as this year’s keynote speaker.

Jones will deliver the Keynote speech at Foxwoods Resort Casino on November 15, 2016, and will be the featured speaker at the previous night’s gala dinner in commemoration of CCM’s 50th year of service to towns and cities.

Matt Jones is a three-time cancer survivor whose story of triumph over adversity has inspired audiences and been featured in both magazines and TV shows around the globe. As he began his senior year of college in the fall of 2002, Jones was sleeping up to 16 hours a day and thought that he must have mononucleosis. A trip to the doctor led to blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy, and at age 23 Jones received a diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer. Jones then began a long period of treatment, as this cancer could be fatal in as little as a few weeks to a few months if left untreated.

Jones’ cancer returned for a third time in January of 2004 while he waited for a bone marrow donor, and spread to his cerebral spinal fluid. His doctors put his chances of survival at less than 10 percent. Due to an infection at the site of a device placed in his head to

help treat the cancer, Jones’ body temperature spiked above 104 degrees, and one of his kidneys began to fail. His doctors notified his family and friends, as they were unsure Jones would make it through the night.

Against all odds, Jones’ cancer went into remission for a third time. As he began to recover, Jones had to overcome memory loss, slurred speech, disorientation, and had to relearn how to walk. After full body radiation and several intense rounds of chemotherapy, Jones underwent a bone marrow transplant.

The transplant was a success, and on Mother’s Day of 2004, Jones walked out of the hospital and has been in remission ever since. One year after completing chemotherapy, Jones completed the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon. Jones completed the Rome Marathon in March of 2010. His goal is to complete a marathon on every continent.

Jones is a thought leader who offers solutions to problems commonly faced by both individuals and organizations. Through his speeches, Jones aims to flame the fire within people and their organizations to develop a “Marathon Mentality,” helping them to overcome challenges and reach their full potential, while improving daily, and striving for greater goal attainment and life fulfillment.

Matt Jones

Professional Inspirational Speaker 18 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Making A Good Thing Even Better CCM expands Municipal Consulting Service

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or many years CCM’s Municipal Management Consulting Service (MMCS) program offered member towns and cities temporary assistance by providing expert consulting on projects that exceeded the capabilities of town staff, including assignments like temporary staffing and operational studies.

Now CCM is making a good thing even better and the program even stronger — with the newly expanded and re-named Municipal Consulting Service (MCS) which now includes: •

Grant writing and researching

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RFP drafting

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Project management

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Operational reviews

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Change implementation

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Organizational studies

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Strategic planning

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Finance and budgeting

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Purchasing

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Facilities management

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Temporary staffing during recruitment for full-time replacement employees

To re-launch the MCS service, CCM sought proposals from independent consultants through a completive RFQ process. And, to ensure that school districts are not left out, CCM retained a consultant with extensive educational experience, including as a former Connecticut school superintendent.

With the selection process now complete, CCM’s MCS program is ready to assist CCM member municipalities, their school districts, and local public agencies with a full complement of essential services. And, through its administration and oversight of the program, CCM will ensure that all MCS consultants exceed member expectations. Contact Andy Merola at 203-498-3056, or amerola@ccm-ct.org for additional information and assistance.

We brighten lives in more ways than one.

We proudly support the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities for all that they do to help improve everyday life for every resident of Connecticut.

eversource.com

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 19

Way To Go New Britain

National Civic League honors New Britain and nine other communities as 2016 All-America City Award winners

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he City of New Britain has been honored by the National Civic League (NCL) along with nine other communities across the nation as winners of the NCL 2016 All-America City Awards, an annual honor given each year to towns, cities, counties, tribes, neighborhoods, and metropolitan regions for outstanding civic accomplishments.

The overall criteria for winning an All-America City Award include impact, inclusiveness, public engagement and the use of collaborative problem-solving strategies linking the private, public, and non-profit sectors.

This year, the All-America City Awards program highlighted community efforts to “ensure that all our children are healthy and successful in school and life.” The finalist communities addressed topics such as: school attendance, racial equity, health and well-being (of children, parents, and community), neighborhood safety, poverty, nutrition, affordable housing, and healthy natural environments.

“New Britain and the other All-America cities for 2016 are doing amazing work to engage their communities in helping to assure the well-being of young people,” says Doug Linkhart, President of the National Civic League. “We’re constantly impressed by their innovation and dedication in bringing together groups and individuals together to address critical issues such as health and educational success. While there are certainly many other successful community engagement efforts to improve opportunities for young people, All-America City winners clearly rise to the top.”

“This is another major feather in New Britain’s cap and representative of so many wonderful things happening here in our community,” says Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain.

See below for the other cities in addition to New Britain that were named All-America City Award winners for 2016.

New Britain was honored for (1) its academic summer enrichment experience; (2) its work fighting chronic absenteeism; and (3) its efforts to reduce childhood obesity.

Summer Enrichment Experience The New Britain Summer Enrichment Experience (SEE) combats summer learning loss by combining traditional summer school classroom time with traditional extended day enrichment programming offered by community-based organizations. Working in collaboration, principals, teachers, and community providers developed an innovative and integrated curriculum that allowed students to make connections between lessons in the classroom and real world experiences.

20 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain

With significant gains in reading, writing, and math for students in the program in 2011, 2012, and 2013, the summer program expanded in 2014 to three district elementary schools serving more than 600 students.

Fighting Chronic Absenteeism In December of 2011, the Consolidated School District of New Britain looked at the rate of chronic absenteeism in its schools and was troubled to learn that nearly one-third of students attended school less than 90 percent of the time — the worst in the state. During the 2012-2013 school year, the district rolled out their Kindergarten Counts pilot initiative to begin addressing the absenteeism issues. The 2013-2014 school year data showed the kindergarten chronic absenteeism rate at 13 percent, a 42 percent reduction in only one year. The critical part of the Kindergarten Counts program was employing two highly trained family intervention specialists who engaged parents through phone calls, home visits, and referrals to help set the family up for success around their child’s attendance.

Reducing Childhood Obesity In 2008, the Coalition for New Britain Youth drafted an ambitious plan to combat the rate of obesity and asthma in area youth. Initial research indicated that only 47 percent of 4 year olds were found to have a healthy body mass index (BMI). In response, the coalition implemented the Healthy Alternatives for Little

Ones (HALO) program for preschoolers in New Britain and by 2012, 61 percent of preschoolers measured at a healthy BMI. Here are the other 2016 All-America City Winners: •

Hayward, California

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Lakewood, Colorado

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Fall River, Massachusetts

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Columbia Heights, Minnesota

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Asheboro, North Carolina

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Hartsville, South Carolina

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San Antonio, Texas

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Norfolk, Virginia

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Brown Deer, Wisconsin

Working with groups such as the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, the National Civic League sought to cast a spotlight in 2016 on local examples of innovative and effective community problem solving, recognizing the broad array of influences on the success of children and the need for all sectors to address those influences.

To be eligible for an All-America City Award, each community had to complete an application demonstrating their efforts and make a presentation to a jury of civic experts focusing on three outstanding examples of collaborative community problem solving. More than 550 communities have won the All-America City Award since the program was launched in 1949.

CCM’S 2017 State Legislation Program Process starts now to be ready for later

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hen it comes to preparing for the annual session of the Connecticut General Assembly, there is no “off-season” for CCM staff. When you spin CCM’s “Wheel of Fortune” legislative calendar, it doesn’t matter if you land on January or June, there is always something happening.

Whether it’s analyzing recently enacted laws adopted during the last session or formulating ideas for new legislative proposals for the next session, at the forefront of CCM’s legislative program is trying to find ways to make old laws better and to propose new ones that will improve the quality of life in Hometown, Connecticut.

A key piece of the preparation process involves soliciting suggestions for new laws or changes to existing ones from officials of CCM-member towns. Each year, CCM conducts a survey of local leaders designed to gain ideas and recommendations for new legislative proposals.

Suggestions gleaned from the

survey are submitted to CCM’s issue-based policy committees for evaluation and consideration for inclusion in CCM’s Legislative Program.

The standing policy committees include Education; Environmental Management and Energy; Labor Relations; Municipal Law, Liability and Insurance; Public Safety, Crime Prevention and Code Enforcement; Land Use, Housing and Community Development; Public Health and Human Services; Taxes and Finance; and Transportation and Infrastructure. Policy committee members work closely with local officials to discuss and evaluate ideas and proposals for new laws.

The annual legislative survey routinely garners dozens of recommendations from local government leaders on issues that have included Special Education funding, minumun budget requirement reform, prevailing wage reform, PILOT, school readiness, land use, and virtually every other issue important to CCM’s member towns.

CCM relies on its member municipalities for these important ideas and accordingly, town leaders are represented on both the Policy and Legislative Committees. CCM’s Legislative Committee acts as a “committee of the whole.”

Local leaders bring insights — and irreplaceable front-line experience — to the fight to advance town interests in the General Assembly and at the Executive Branch.

(Note: The 2017 General Assembly will convene on January 7 and is scheduled to adjourn on June 3.)

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

We’ve Got Questions

CCM poses key issues for CT’s congressional office seekers

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CM is again undertaking a comprehensive federal questionnaire to all Connecticut candidates for U.S. Representative — with the candidates’ responses on key local issues that will be published online, in key conference publications, and provided to all Connecticut news media — print, television, radio, and online in late September.

“These are the critical federal-local issues facing towns and cities across the state that we need our Congressional office seekers to step up and deliver the funding and other support that will better enable local government to improve the quality of life for our residents in these arenas,” says Ron Thomas, CCM Deputy Executive Director.

This questionnaire is divided into five issue areas: (A) Infrastructure Support, (B) Public Safety, (C) Poverty Reduction & Economic Opportunity, (D) Community Revitalization & Affordable Housing, and (E) Education Reform.

Stay tuned to see how federal candidates in your community respond!

Getting Candidates Involved

CCM state-local issue reports will help raise profile of key town issues with 2016 State Legislative candidates

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he work undertaken by lawmakers during the annual legislative session always includes many proposals that directly affect the interests of towns — so ensuring that Connecticut has a General Assembly composed of individuals who understand what is at stake for local property taxpayers is critically important.

Accordingly, biennially CCM engages in a program aimed at educating candidates for state legislative office about key issues that affect towns and cities.

CCM issues a series of state-local issue bulletins that provide candidates with critical information on municipal issues, even before they are elected, including detailed analyses of issues like state/local finance, local infrastructure, unfunded mandates, and others.

CCM develops resources and outlines strategies for involving candidates throughout the General Assembly election cycle, to educate candidates about key municipal issues and to urge their advocacy and support of public policies that are most important to local leaders and property taxpayers.

Through the bulletins and other outreach, CCM keeps a steady flow of information, feedback, and dialogue with candidates. The bulletins are provided to both incumbent lawmakers and challengers, municipal chief executives, and other state and federal leaders.

Here are some of the major issues to be analyzed in the 2017 Candidate Bulletins: •

Municipal Finance: Need for Property Tax Reform (including revenue diversification)

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Distressed Municipalities

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State Mandates

22 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

•

Transportation/Infrastructure

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Regionalism

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Sustainability

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Education Finance

CCM staff and member local officials also help reinforce the themes in the bulletins by meeting with state and federal candidates to discuss the bulletin issues and other intergovernmental issues critical to Connecticut towns and cities.

CIRMA Employment Practices Liability Helpline A new value-added program for CIRMA LAP members

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mployment practices law is changing rapidly and is more complex than ever. CIRMA announces its new value-added Employment Practices Liability (EPL) Helpline.

Starting October 1, 2016, CIRMA’s Liability-AutoProperty (LAP) members will have a new resource for expert advice about employment practices liability.

CIRMA has partnered with FordHarrison, the nation’s preeminent law firm specializing in employment and labor law, to provide its LAP members convenient access to legal advice on employment practices via the Helpline program.

“The EPL Helpline is designed to provide municipal and public school officials — especially those who may not otherwise have direct access to Human Resource services or specialized legal advice — with an expert source of guidance on employment practices,” said David Demchak, President and CEO, CIRMA. The EPL Helpline provides access to one hour of legal advice per month for no charge to CIRMA LAP members.

The Helpline provides guidance to municipal and school officials on a broad range of employment

practices topics, including: •

Hiring, promotion, leave, and termination practices.

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Harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and discipline issues.

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Compliance areas, including wage and hour laws, Americans with Disabilities Act, and CHRO.

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Union and labor relations.

Employment practices questions can be called or emailed to the EPL Helpline service. CIRMA members will also receive news alerts and access to webinars on employment-related topics as part of the program.

“Delivering value while continually enhancing our service solutions to our members has been and will continue to be a priority for CIRMA,” Demchak added.

The Employment Practices Liability program is a value-added part of CIRMA LAP membership; the program is exclusive to CIRMA in Connecticut. For more information about the program, please contact your CIRMA Risk Management Consultant or visit the CIRMA website/LAP program.

CIRMA Promotions and New Hires CIRMA continues to develop and reward professional excellence CIRMA is pleased to announce that Cathy Gambrell has been promoted to Senior Technical Claim Manager in the Liability-Auto-Property Claims Department. In her new role, Cathy will provide technical oversight, guidance, and direction for the Liability-Auto-Property claims technicians as well as continued management of one of CIRMA’s two LAP units.

Devon Pelle has joined CIRMA as a Workers’ Compensation Claims Representative working with Mike Gillon, Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager. Devon has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Clemson University. Devon’s most recent experience is with State Farms Insurance.

Within the Workers’ Compensation Claims Unit, Nicholas Carone has been promoted to Workers’ Compensation Representative, working with Lisa Mattei, Workers’ Compensation Claims Manager.

Nicholas, a graduate of the University of Connecticut, Storrs, joined CIRMA in the fall of 2015.

Galen Holloway has joined CIRMA as a Workers’ Compensation Claims Assistant working with Betty Ju, Workers’ Compensation Claims Administration Team Leader. His most recent position was as an Insurance Verification Specialist with Griffin Hospital.

Stay informed!

CIRMA reminds its members to sign up to receive notices about Training & Education programs, safety alerts, and other important news and service announcements. Visit CIRMATraining.org to sign up!

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 23

CIRMA Delivering Value: CIRMA’s 5th Equity Distribution $3.2 million Members’ Equity Distribution, July 2016

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reat news arrived for CIRMA members in July in the form of a $3.2 million Members’ Equity Distribution.

“A Distribution of Member’s Equity is always welcome — this year especially. We appreciate CIRMA’s leadership in making the distribution a reality once again,” said Barbara Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury and CIRMA Chairman of the Board.

The July distribution is CIRMA’s fifth in six years, raising the program’s total distributions to $14.7 million.

“CIRMA’s Members’ Equity Distribution program represents the best of CIRMA: The value of our strong governance, member ownership, financial discipline, and professional expertise,” said David Demchak, CIRMA President and Chief Executive Officer. This year’s distribution is the result of CIRMA’s outstanding financial and operational results and our members’ strong commitment to risk management.

“We appreciate your work, the good service, and the opportunity for significant cost savings that we have with CIRMA.” - Leslee B. Hill, First Selectman, Canton

A stellar start to the 2016-17 policy year for CIRMA A renewal rate of 100% and the addition of nine new members boosted CIRMA’s total membership to a new high of 396 for the new policy year. CIRMA welcomes the following new members: •

City of Norwich and the Norwich Public Schools

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Town of Beacon Falls

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Town of North Canaan and the North Canaan Public Schools

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Town of Southington and the Southington Public Schools

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Canaan Fire District

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Chatham Health District

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Lisbon Public Schools

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North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance

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Regional School District 11

CIRMA is especially pleased to welcome its newest members and is thankful to all of its members for returning this year. CIRMA’s renewal rates have averaged 99% for the last five years — a remarkable achievement and an indication of the value CIRMA delivers to its members and the trust they place in CIRMA. “Membership in CIRMA delivers nonstop value to Connecticut towns and cities through rate stability, valued-added services, tailored coverage, and a Members’ Equity Distribution Program,” said Barbara Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury and CIRMA Chairman of the Board.

CIRMA’s premiums reached a new high of over $96.5 million. The growth in premiums was based on growth in membership and exposures, not rate increases.

Aggregate rate indications were 0% and 0% for the Workers’ Compensation and Liability-Auto-Property pools for the 2016-17 policy year.

Call for Entries — Excellence in Risk Management Award, 2017 CIRMA’s new Excellence in Risk Management Award program recognizes CIRMA members’ outstanding risk management programs. Entries for the 2017 Award Program can be submitted from August 1 through September 30. One award recipient will be honored in each of the following award categories: • Substantial Impact on Loss Cost Factors • Sustained Risk Management Programs • New and Innovative Risk Management Initiatives • Establishing Risk Management as an Organizational Priority CIRMA encourages all its members to apply. Download an application form from www.CIRMA.org.

24 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

CIRMA

$3.2 Million in Members’ Equity Distribution

& Value-added programs for municipalities and public schools.... ¡ Employment Practices Liability Helpline ¡ Law Enforcement Crisis Management Program ¡ Risk Management Training & Education Programs

¡ Cyber Liability Program ¡ Drone Coverage ¡ Enhanced Volunteer Firefighter Accident Insurance

Visit www.CIRMA.org or contact your CIRMA Member Services Representative or Risk Management Consultant to learn more about these and our many other value-added programs.

CIVIC AMENITIES Eyes On The Future

Milford looks to expand municipal golf course

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ilford is keeping its eye on the ball — the little white one that is, that bewitches and sometimes bedevils golfers the world over.

The city recently added to its open space inventory with the purchase of a seven-acre parcel adjacent to the city-owned golf course. The possible uses of the piece include an expansion of the nine-hole course, not to add more holes but to make the par 32 course longer on certain holes.

Until those plans are finalized, however, the purchase means the addition of another green place to the list of Milford’s open spaces.

The purchase is a win-win for lovers of green spaces — the original plan would have seen a 63-unit housing development occupy the land. That proposal was modified to a five-home subdivision before the developers decided to pull the plug. Neighborhood opposition was part of the reason the developers withdrew the plan. Now the neighbors will hear only the occasional sound of “fore!”

26 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

The site includes the original house built on the property in 1868, which is being rented to a local family. The property also features some “excellent” period barns according to city officials.

The parcel was originally part of a huge apple orchard, and apple trees still line the course which opened in 1997, fittingly, as the Orchards Golf Course. The town built it utilizing funds it received when the Iroquois Gas Pipeline was extended through Milford.

The course is maintained and operated through funds raised from greens fees and memberships.

The $1.6 million purchase price is coming from a variety of sources, including income from the Iroquois Pipeline, blighted property liens, an open-space fund that developers contribute to, and an upkeep fund and greens fees from the golf course. About $210,000 will be coming from city coffers.

ENERGY

Shining A Light

Yale researches solar energy progress in Connecticut

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ome of the smaller towns in Connecticut are making big strides in solar power.

YOUR RANK

Just how much solar capacity towns currently have or plan to have and how easy it is to get local permits for solar power were among the metrics identified in a recent statewide study conducted by Yale.

YOUR OVERALL RANK

Windsor residential permit fees are $30 for the first $1,000 of installation costs and then $13 for each additional $1,000 cost of the project. Windsor Building Officer John Ruzzo says the town has approved 380 solar applications. A recent solar energy promotion co-promoted with neighboring towns brought in nearly 40 solar applications to Windsor.

Statewide, about 8,600 homeowners had solar power installed on their properties. The state offers incentives for homeowners to install solar panels as part of the goal to produce 300 megawatts in residential solar power by 2022.

The Yale research team included data scientists and policy experts from the University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies as well as researchers from Yale-NUS College in Singapore.

1 out of 169 1 out of 38 126 out of 169

YOUR OVERALL SCORE

83 out of 100

Average Peer Score: Average CT Score:

67 out of 100 63 out of 100

CATEGORY SCORE (out of 100)

SOLAR ADOPTION:

100

How much residential solar PV has been adopted in your municipality?

CLEAN ENERGY ENGAGEMENT:

Coventry officials say it’s been a community-wide effort.

According to the study, permitting policies and fees for residential solar power varied widely from town to town. Some towns offer solar power permits in one day, while others can take up to a month. Permit fees vary from nocharge to just over $1,000, with the state average being about $370.

Coventry Peer Group Rank1: Solar Permitting Rank2:

The researchers ranked Coventry number one among Connecticut towns and rounding out the top five were Ashford, Mansfield, Simsbury, and Windsor.

“We’ve really been promoting it to our citizens and trying to make it less awkward to put in solar power,” Coventry Town Manager John Elsesser says. The town used community input in streamlining the permitting process.

CT Municipal Solar Scorecard 2016

1st

90

How involved is your municipality in supporting clean energy programs?

i

INFORMATION AVAILABILITY: How much information does your municipality make available online to residents about residential solar PV and other energy resources?

PERMIT PROCESS: How streamlined are the permitting processes for residential roofmounted solar PV systems in your municipality?

PERMIT TIME & COST: How much time and money is required to obtain permits for residential roof-mounted solar PV systems in your municipality?

Municipal Profile

100

About this Scorecard This scorecard measures your municipality’s impact on residential solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment in Connecticut, and how your town is contributing to the state's goal for 300MW of residential solar PV. The scorecard assesses your municipality in five categories. Your Overall Progress is your total score across all five categories.

Municipalities are then ranked according to their Overall Progress score: • Your Overall Rank shows how you compare to all 169 CT municipalities.

• Your Peer Group Rank evaluates how you compare to municipalities in your Council of Governments (COG).

• Your Solar Permitting Rank evaluates your permit process for residential solar PV statewide.

66

66

Total residential solar PV capacity

The five categories are made up of individual indicators, which can be found on the back of the scorecard. Each indicator has a target, and is weighted based on importance. All scores are out of 100.

Your indicator score measures how closely you are to meeting the target. A score of 50, for example, means your municipality is halfway there!

For more information and how to improve your score, visit: www.ctsolarscoreboard.com.

Number of approved vs completed projects4

Average permit fee5

Typical permit processing time6

Coventry

856 kW 28 projects/ 1,000 homes3

23 approved vs 117 completed

$ 455

11 to 15 days

CT Average

633 kW 21 projects/ 1,000 homes3

27 approved vs 86 completed

$ 373

11 days

1 Peer groups are based on regional Councils of Government. Municipalities that are served only through a municipal electric utility are in their own grouping. Coventry is in the Capitol COG group. 2Combined total of the Permit Process and Time & Cost scores, ranked 1 to 169. 3Home defined as an owner-occupied household. 4Number of projects approved for state incentives but not yet installed, and number of completed systems as of April 30, 2016. 5Based on the average system cost of residential PV systems installed in CT in 2015 ($28,670 for a 7.9 kW system before rebates). 6Building permit for a roof-mounted residential solar PV system.

Municipal Solar Scorecards for every town & city in Connecticut are available at www.ctsolarscoreboard.com.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Hub Of Activity

Transit-oriented development reshaping Meriden

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t is a trend sweeping the nation as more folks begin to migrate back to the city, swapping traffic headaches for proximity to public transportation and giant suburban malls for convenient nearby retail offerings.

Meriden is among the Connecticut communities embracing that transit-oriented trend and developers have noticed.

The city has several projects currently in progress, beginning with the construction of a new train station that will be one of the stops along the enhanced New Haven to Springfield commuter line. The state is investing more than $600 million in the project to run more daily trains beginning in 2018, getting more cars off of I-91, and encouraging development up and down the corridor.

Development is already happening around the rail station project area. Across the street from the steel infrastructure that will soon become the new Meriden station, there is a 63-unit apartment building that is going up, offering a mix of market-rate and affordable housing. There is also a parking garage under construction that will be part of the entire mix of housing, retail, and transit.

About $110 million in state, federal, and private money have helped finance the projects. Once completed and with amenities all within walking distance, the new downtown will have something for everyone — young professionals and empty-nesters.

City officials are eagerly watching it all take shape.

“It’s been a decade of hard work,” says Meriden City Councilor David Lowell.

Transit Transition

Windsor Locks lands state grant to boost downtown revival

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evitalizing downtown Windsor Locks and linking that rebirth to a planned commuter station got a big boost recently in the form of a state grant targeting transit-oriented development.

The $137,000 grant will allow the town to accelerate work on three Main Street properties adjacent to the commuter station. Officials say the funds will be used to pay for all preliminary work project expenses, such as land acquisition, survey costs, appraisals, and legal and environmental expenses.

The town had initially requested $1.7 million from the state to include construction costs but can

apply for the construction costs once the preliminary work is completed and the project is deemed “shovel ready.”

“The important thing is that the state has bought into this project and has given us the funds we need to move this important project forward,” First Selectman Chris Kervick says.

The town plans to purchase a former post office to then re-sell it to a developer. The property would then be developed into a mixeduse, retail building with apartments on the top floors and commercial property on the ground floor.

28 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

The town has already invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in state grants and local capital to upgrade the town hall and reconstruct several streets in the vicinity of the proposed transit center. At the heart of the project is relocating the Amtrak train stop back to downtown and complementing that with mixed-use development. The town has been working with the State Department of Transportation the past three years on the relocation project.

“Revitalizing Main Street is like completing a jigsaw puzzle,” Kervick says. “This is just one more important piece fitting into place.”

ENVIRONMENT

Happy Trails

Towns team up to connect the open space dots

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ast Lyme, Salem, Lyme, and East Haddam recently marked the long-awaited opening of a 14-mile trail linking a long section of protected woodlands and meadows in the four towns with a brief ceremony at the western trailhead at the Chapel Farm Preserve in East Haddam.

The maps indicated that there was a network of trails through the open space areas that could be connected if easements for hiking could be obtained.

The new path is the result of a fouryear effort by the Eightmile River Wild & Scenic Watershed Coordinating Committee, and the four towns.

The new trail was named after the late Richard H. Goodwin who taught botany at Connecticut College in New London for many years.

Goodwin was a founding member of the Nature Conservancy and a resident of East Haddam.

Patricia Young, program director of the committee, says the idea emerged during a review of open space maps in the four towns, three of which — Lyme, Salem, and East Haddam — are in the Eightmile River watershed.

The trail begins in East Lyme, then heads north through property owned

by Yale University that surrounds Powers Lake. It then connects with an existing path through the East Lyme portion of Nehantic State Forest, then enters Salem, and then connects to existing trails in Lyme.

Volunteers blazed the trail, created parking areas, repaired eroded areas on old forest roads, installed signs, and developed trail maps.

Young says while there are some short stretches with steep terrain on the trail, most of the hike is “moderate hiking.”

Next, it winds through Salem Land Trust property before beginning a new section of trail cut through the state-owned Eightmile Wildlife Management Area in East Haddam, before ending at a preserve in East Haddam.

Funding was provided by the town of East Haddam, the East Haddam Land Trust, the National Park Service, and the state’s Connecticut Trail Grant Program.

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AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

ENVIRONMENT New Haven Proves It’s “For The Birds” Earns designation as Urban Bird Treaty city

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ith a recent stroke of her pen, New Haven Mayor Toni Harp signed an Urban Conservation Treaty for Migratory Birds and with that designation, New Haven is now one of 26 urban bird treaty cities in the country and only the second in Connecticut.

The ceremony celebrating the official designation by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was part of the city’s celebration of International Migratory Bird Day and the centennial anniversary of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The mayor was joined in the celebration by neighborhood partners and local students — as well as live birds of prey and other “birds of a feather” who flocked together for the historic event.

The Urban Bird Treaty program is a cooperative effort between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and participating U.S. cities that brings together private citizens, federal, state, and municipal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations to conserve migratory birds.

The program’s goal is to connect people and habitats, restore open spaces, improve water quality in Long Island Sound, and inspire the next generation of conservation leaders.

The long list of project partners includes Audubon Connecticut; Common Ground High School; Urban Farm and Environmental Center; Yale Urban Resources Initiative;

the City of New Haven Department of Parks, Recreation and Trees; Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New England Coastal Program; Yale Peabody Museum; Menunkatuck Audubon Society; Southern Connecticut State University; New Haven Land Trust; and New Haven Public Schools.

The designation is the result of efforts to create “Urban Oases” in schools, parks, and yards across New Haven.

30 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Audubon Connecticut received an Urban Bird Treaty grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support the development of programming associated with the designation.

In 2012, the Urban Oases program was designated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as one of the first Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership Programs in the country, known as the “New Haven Harbor Watershed Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership.”

GOVERNANCE

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Second Chance City Bridgeport jobs program aims to give ex-offenders a fresh start

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he City of Bridgeport is engaging its business community in a second-chance initiative, asking employers to consider hiring ex-offenders and providing funds to pay the first few months of a new worker’s salary.

Mayor Joe Ganim, who unScott K. Wilderman derstands the importance of President/CEO of second chances, has asked the Career Resources, Inc. City Council to approve $50,000 in seed money for the salary pool, which will also include grants and contributions.

The goal, he says, is to convince employers to take a chance on people who are looking for a fresh start.

“People really just want an opportunity to work, make a living, support their families,” Ganim says. “I do feel we have an obligation on the local level to step up and take the lead.”

The mayor has joined forces with the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and will be asking the Business Council’s 1,000 members to sign a pledge that they would be willing to give ex-offenders an opportunity.

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“We thrive based on acceptance of others. We thrive based on second chances,” says Business Council President Paul Timpanelli.

Some local employers, such as the University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College, have already stepped up and offered their support for the program. Job trainers in the city, such as Scott Wilderman of Career Resources, Inc., explained that his organization does a great job of providing job services and training for disadvantaged clients. The next step, he says, is to have employers step in and hire them.

Local dairy owner Douglas Wade is among those who have hired workers with criminal backgrounds.

“Any employer that doesn’t take the time to interview these people is missing out on very good employees,” Wade says.

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AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 31

GOVERNANCE Battling Blight

Ansonia task force takes aim at violators

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nsonia’s tough anti-blight laws are paying off with some $35,000 collected in liens over the last year but city officials know there is more work to do.

Now the newly formed Anti-Blight Task Force is going after illegal apartments that have become a growing concern. Officials have uncovered people living in attics, basements, garages, and other makeshift dwellings.

“We had a case of a guy living in a shed paying $650 in rent,” Blight Enforcement Officer David Blackwell, Sr. says. “He was a registered sex offender.”

Anti-blight ordinances passed in the last two years give a homeowner 10 days to clean up a blighted area or appeal the citation. Penalties of $100 per day are levied if no appeal or clean-up occurs.

Fines increase to $250 a day if the property is not cleaned up after 30 days. The ordinance allows the

city to hire a contractor to clean up the property and the bill is then attached as a lien.

The blight citations are issued by Ansonia’s blight officer but police also have the authority to write the citations, which require the homeowner to appear in court.

The task force also plans to hold informational meetings with homeowners and tenants. In those sessions, landlords would be brought up to speed on the anti-blight ordinance and on the various federal assistance programs that could help remediate code violations.

Ansonia Corporation Counsel John Marini says the ordinance respects the rights of private property owners. The appeal process gives residents and business owners an opportunity to explain their side before a neutral hearing officer. He also says the goal is not to punish but to get the property back to a safe condition as quickly as possible.

“The program gives the city unprecedented flexibility to work with residents and business owners to achieve remediation without the implementation of costly fines,” Marini says. “Again, the goal is prompt remediation of conditions that threaten the health, safety, and property values of our residents.”

Raising Revenue

North Haven adds fees for inspections

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orth Haven officials have found another source of revenue — it’s for services the town is already doing for free.

Voters in June approved proposals that would allow the town to start charging for fire inspections and zoning enforcement services. First Selectman Michael Freda says it’s a move to modernize the town’s operations.

“Other towns and municipalities have done updates to their fees,” Freda says. “The goal is to increase our top line revenue.”

Additionally, the town isn’t waiting around for the state’s finances to stabilize. With more uncertainty from the state budget, finding other revenue sources makes sense and lessens local dependence on state funding. Freda says the town has generally charged less than other municipalities for some services, or in some cases, charged nothing at all.

32 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

For the Fire Department, adding the fees for inspections will be a big help. Fire Chief Paul Januszewski says the inspections, which are state mandates, take up a lot of time. The chief and deputy chief are the only individuals certified to conduct the inspections.

Chief Januszewski says time spent on the inspections affects department operations and notes that municipalities can be liable if inspections aren’t in compliance with state law. The town has more than 1,200 buildings that must be inspected every one to four years.

The new revenue stream, he says, now could help finance training for other members.

“We’ll enforce the regulations better with staff that is trained for this purpose,” the chief says. “It is required by general state statute 29-305 that inspections are done on all businesses, industrial complexes, schools — anything except one or two-family homes — anywhere from every one to four years.”

INTER-MUNICIPAL COOPERATION Innovation Runs Through It Robust rail service key link through region’s “Knowledge Corridor”

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here are nearly four dozen institutions of higher learning between New Haven, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. Leveraging the knowledge-base from those academic communities as well as traditional and emerging industries in the region is the basis for New England’s Knowledge Corridor — an initiative aimed at sharing and boosting a shared economy, history, and culture.

“Reality is we’re about half an hour away from each other, most cities in the country, you could drive half an hour and you’d still be in the same city, and the opportunity to talk about how we can combine our assets, use them together to market this region as a powerhouse in the country, is something that would benefit both of our cities,” Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin says.

Bronin was joined by several other municipal leaders at a recent conference in Windsor Locks, hosted by the New England Knowledge Corridor Partnership. Participants discussed how their communities can benefit from each other and compete in a changing economy by optimizing shared industries, a major airport in Bradley International, and educational opportunities to train the workforce of the future.

One of the key links will be enhanced train services up and down the corridor. Connecticut is spending more than $640 million in both state and federal money to improve the New Haven to Springfield line. Plans are to add 16 daily trains from New Haven to Hartford with 12 proceeding from Hartford to Springfield in 2018.

The rail service will help link traditional industries that have helped define the region as leaders in insurance and financial services as well as precision machining.

Insurance giants such as The Hartford, Travelers, Aetna,

and MassMutual are deeply rooted in the corridor and employ tens of thousands of people. United Technologies is among the biggest names in manufacturing but the region is also known for the hundreds of smaller machine shops that subcontract with the aerospace, defense, and firearms industries. In addition, there are growing opportunities in the emerging industries of healthcare and biotech, both of which require major education clusters.

Conference participants noted that the workforce for all of these industries doesn’t stop at the respective state lines but is a dynamic factor for the regional economy.

“Thousands of people got up together and went to jobs in Connecticut. Thousands of people got up in Connecticut and went to jobs in Massachusetts. They didn’t need a passport, they didn’t stop at the border, they probably didn’t even notice. We’ve got to begin to get our behavior and thinking in sync with the reality,” says Tim Brennan of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

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For additional information, contact Andy Merola, (203) 498-3056 | amerola@ccm-ct.org.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 33

PUBLIC SAFETY Real Crime, Real Time

Hartford police use enhanced surveillance

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artford is joining a growing number of cities across the country by monitoring real-time data through surveillance cameras and other high-tech data gathering systems.

The city launched its new Real-Time Crime and Data Intelligence Center earlier this year. That has police department staff members watching banks of flat-screen monitors that broadcast feeds from surveillance cameras. The Center also houses computers that contain data from license plate readers and gunshot detection systems.

Staff uses the real-time data, such as video at businesses or even schools, to inform officers at crime scenes about locations of suspects.

The video feeds and other information, gleaned from criminal databases, can be sent directly to an officer’s cellphone.

“It’s such a great asset having everybody under one roof,” says Sgt. Johnmichael O’Hare. “It’s all about transfer of information.”

O’Hare, who oversees the monitoring center, says since opening in February, the technology has already provided crucial information in hundreds of crimes and has led to several arrests.

The first Real Time Crime Center opened in New York in 2005. In addition to Hartford, cities that have opened centers in the past year include Springfield, Massachu-

setts and Wilmington, Delaware. In Connecticut, Bridgeport is planning to open a center.

These high-tech crime-fighting centers also come with high price tags, some in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many cities are relying on federal grants and drug forfeiture funds to help finance them.

While a tremendous help to officers in the field, the real-time approach has raised privacy concerns from civil liberties advocates.

Hartford officials say they understand the privacy concerns and take them seriously.

“We have to respect people’s civil rights at all times,” Hartford Police Chief James Rovella says.

Hale And Hearty

Middletown firefighters focus on fitness

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irefighters risk their lives on every call and the perils of battling a raging fire are all around. But there’s another serious and lethal risk that these everyday heroes must guard against — sudden cardiac death.

According to medical experts, sudden cardiac deaths account for 60 to 90 percent of on-duty deaths among firefighters. And now the University of Connecticut and Hartford Hospital have teamed up to study the reasons behind those grim statistics.

They’ve found ready, willing, and very able research subjects at the Middletown Fire Department. The Middletown Fire Department is one of the few departments that have an on-site fitness facility, which researchers say is a big step in the right direction toward preventing on-duty deaths.

“The average citizen doesn’t realize how physically demanding and team-oriented the job is,” firefighter James Ehman says. “It’s vital to be in shape. We depend on it, the team depends on it, and we owe it to the public.”

Five Middletown firefighters opened the gym in an old Salvation Army building adjacent to their Main Street firehouse. The firefighters have certifications in fitness and opened the gym with funds from a donation from

34 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Aetna and money from the Common Council. The gym is named after a fallen colleague, Capt. Joseph Pagano, who died of a heart attack while on duty when he returned from an emergency call.

So just how fit are the Middletown firefighters? Five civilians, including Mayor Daniel Drew, found out during a friendly fitness competition that incorporated many of the tasks firefighters do every day.

Participants had to compete in full 80-pound firefighting gear. The contests included climbing four flights of stairs, forcing their way through a steel door, crawling through a two-foot round tube, lugging heavy hoses, and spraying every 10 seconds. But wait, there’s more!

They also had to drag a 150-pound dummy and swing a sledgehammer repeatedly onto a heavy block to simulate cutting through a roof.

Needless to say, the civilians had their work cut out for them and all came away impressed.

“It’s a window into the physical strain of being a firefighter,” Mayor Drew says. ”Every single day these men and women exert themselves in a way impossible to conceive of without experiencing it first. The men and women who work here are heroes. They do a level of work and at a caliber that’s hard to explain.”

PUBLIC SAFETY The Future Of Firefighting Selectmen OK fire consulting contract

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estport wants its fire department primed for firefighting in the 21st century, says First Selectman Jim Marpe recently in leading fellow Board of Selectmen members in approving a consulting contract to study the department.

The Saugatuck fire station is the town’s oldest, built in 1900. Greens Farms was built in 1929. He says the goal “is to think about what firefighting means in the 21st century, and not just next year or five years out.”

He added: “Because when you are thinking of building fire stations, you need to be thinking 50, 75 years out because once built they will be there.”

Bob Galan, who heads the Fire Department Strategic Planning Steering Committee appointed in October to study the issues (see WestportNow, Oct. 29, 2015), responded, “Two of ours are approaching 100.”

The board approved a contract with Matrix Consulting Group, which is headquartered in California but has offices in Texas, Illinois, and the Boston area.

Marpe says the study was an outgrowth of a short-lived effort several years ago to relocate the Saugatuck fire station to townowned land adjacent to a park on Riverside Avenue.

“In fact, there are a whole set of bigger questions here,” he says.

“Given the way homes and buildings are constructed now, and presumably fireproofed in a certain way, as we have learned, they are full of toxic things and once lit up are more dangerous than anything we fought in the last century.”

He pondered the role of drones in firefighting or robotics and asked where the productivity opportunities are in a modernized firefighting force.

Saugatuck fire station in Westport was built in 1900.

Responding to a question from Selectman Avi Kaner whether the consultants would look at regionalization, Galan said they would look at regionalization or shared services with other communities.

Westport currently has mutual aid pacts with neighboring communities and its dispatch center currently handles 911 fire calls for New Canaan.

Galan says Matrix, at the town’s urging, has partnered with Lothrop Associates, an architectural firm headquartered in White Plains, New York.

dimension as you move forward in identifying what your needs are, consolidating, and where you locate things,” he says.

Galan says the Matrix Consulting Group’s initial bid was in the $40,000 range but with Lothrop added, it became in the $60,000 range.

He added that the company has worked in municipalities similar to Westport, including those with a river dividing the community in half.

“It’s a wrinkle that not every town has,” Galan says.

“Having the architectural piece in there really gives you an added AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

TECHNOLOGY Saving Money And The Environment New Britain shines a light on energy savings

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all it an energy-savings triple play — New Britain is implementing three energy-saving projects in the school district that will save the city about $3.3 million over a 20-year period.

The projects include the retrofit of two middle schools with LED lighting and the decision to take New Britain High School off its regular power grid through Eversource.

At the two middle schools, 3,500 standard fluorescent lighting fixtures will be replaced with LED lighting. And by the end of this calendar year, the high school will generate its own electricity using a fuel cell and will rely on Eversource only for back-up.

The largest cost savings will be generated by the fuel cell, which will be located on the high school property. The school district signed a 20-year power purchase agreement and the project works by piping natural gas into the fuel cell.

In addition, some of the extra heat will be used to heat the high school building during the winter.

The idea for all three projects came from Alderman Robert Smedley, who is also the school district’s energy and facilities compliance officer.

Smedley says the new lighting will reduce electricity use and reduce maintenance costs and labor because the bulbs will last longer.

Eversource is financing the cost of the equipment based on the savings generated and the school district expects annual savings of about $80,000 over the four-year agreement.

Last year, the school district spent about $400,000 on electricity payments to Eversource for the high school which will realize a savings of about $30,000 in the first year.

The savings will grow each year, based on the escalation rate of electricity costs.

“In the long run, we are becoming more environmentally friendly by using clean energy,” says Board of Education Chairwoman Sharon Beloin-Saavedra.

Eye In The Sky

West Haven Fire Department uses drone to keep first responders safe

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ook! Up in the sky — it’s a bird, it’s a plane! Actually it’s a firefighting drone.

As popularity for these unmanned aircraft grows, so do their uses for businesses and public safety. For example, insurance companies are employing drones to survey damaged areas after storms and other catastrophes.

The Federal Aviation Administration now requires that drones be registered, a mandate that began in 2015. Since then, more than 325,000 drones have been registered nationally. The registration is free and can be done on the FAA website, but is mandatory for both businesses and hobbyists.

— a season when there is always an increase in water rescue calls.

“We can have the chief officer launch the drone to locate any boater in distress or swimmer in distress,” O’Brien says.

The chief says the drone can also help local officials to survey shoreline damage after a major storm or hurricane.

Documenting the damage using before and after photographs will help the city when it applies to FEMA to recoup funds.

“It’s a new technology that everyone is trying to get their hands on.”

- Chief James O’Brien

In West Haven, drones are proving useful tools to help keep first responders safe. Having that eye in the sky allows firefighters to get a better overall look of a situation during search and rescue. They also cover a lot more ground.

West Haven Fire Chief James O’Brien says the technology has come in particularly handy this summer 36 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

Chemical spills are another scenario where the fire department could employ the drone, Chief O’Brien says.

Through the drone, first responders would be able to discern what materials they will be encountering.

“If we have an incident along the railroad tracks, or along the I-95 corridor, under certain applications we would be able to apply it in order to keep our firefighters and the public safe,” says O’Brien. “It’s a new technology that everyone is trying to get their hands on.”

VOLUNTEERS Making Mental Health A Priority Berlin woman makes strides for mental health service, advocacy

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Berlin woman has her sights set on making a difference when it comes to raising awareness about mental health.

Rachel Prior is bringing her passion for the issue to the local level. Prior is planning the first Mental Health Walk in Berlin, a fundraising event set to kick off in May 2017. The Goodwin College student who turned a school assignment into a worthy cause has been doing her homework well in advance.

“I watched a lot of videos on these different walks and wondered if there were any mental health walks,” she says.

She says the location for the first walk will be at either the Berlin Fairgrounds or Pistol Creek. Prior, who also volunteers at the Veterans Hospital in Newington, chose May for the event because it is nationally recognized as Mental Health Month. Her fundraising efforts will benefit Mental Health Connecticut (MHC), a non-profit education and advocacy group that has been serving Connecticut communities for decades.

MHC programs include residential services, supported and transitional employment, peer support, case management, and education. The programs are offered in Bridgeport, Danbury, Stamford, Torrington, Waterbury, and West Hartford.

MHC officials applaud the young woman’s initiative and passion to bring awareness to the cause.

“It’s really important, especially for the younger generation to really take up this work,” says Suzi Craig, MHC senior director of Advocacy & Development.

Although her first fundraising walk is still several months away, Prior has been eagerly promoting it on social media, distributing fliers around town, and drumming up interest at the Veterans Hospital.

“It affects everyone in some way,” Prior says. “We need to let people know that it’s OK not to be OK.”

Ending Hunger

Naugatuck’s Board of Education works to improve nutrition for youth

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ho said there’s no free lunch? Volunteers from Naugatuck’s Board of Education have made sure that for youths in town aged 18 and younger, there is indeed a free lunch this summer.

Numerous studies have established that nutrition plays a key role in the ability to learn and that poor, early life nutrition can have long-lasting negative consequences for cognitive ability. Nutrition is a key influence on student learning potential and school performance.

Even poorly nourished children who undergo a period of accelerated growth once their diet improves and appear normal as an adult may experience the emergence of

cognitive or other developmental disabilities later in life.

Other studies show that nutrition can directly affect the mental capacity of school-aged children. Iron deficiency, even in early stages, can decrease dopamine transmission, which negatively impacts cognition.

Volunteers from the Naugatuck Board of Education recently ensured that youth in the community would be provided with free accessible meals during the summer by kicking off the annual summer food resource program during the last week in June. The volunteers then headed out across town to promote the program and make sure all residents were aware of the service which continues until

August 19th.

Meals are available on weekdays at a variety of locations including elementary schools, high schools, local parks and recreational facilities, and the YMCA. The program is offered in collaboration with End Hunger Connecticut! which is a statewide anti-hunger and food security organization that serves as a comprehensive anti-hunger resource for policymakers, community organizations, and low-income families.

The goal of EHC! is to improve the levels of food security and nutrition among Connecticut families while creating and supporting policies that move families toward self-sufficiency.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 37

VOLUNTEERS Beyond Cookies

Girl Scouts from Granby and East Granby recognized for projects

T

wo Girl Scouts recently undertook volunteer community projects that focused on children’s health issues and helped raise awareness of eating well, exercising regularly, and knowing the valuable skills of hands-only CPR. Holly Corcoran of East Granby organized a health fair in her community where organizations across the state including the American Health Association, Bristol Hospital, and Connecticut Poison Control hosted tables with hands-on activities and pamphlets for attendees.

Holly’s “Kids Health and Wellness Fair,” helped educate her town and neighboring communities on the benefits of eating healthier and taking part in regular exercise. East Granby officials were so impressed with her efforts that they want to continue to host a Health and Well-

ness Fair each year.

A second scout, Emily Olchowski of Granby, coordinated a health fair teaching the valuable skills of hands-only CPR. At the fair, attendees were provided with heart health and safety information including exercise, healthy eating, and stress management.

Emily also created informational posters and a booklet which provides step-by-step directions for those who wish to recreate events.

She also donated her posters to her public library and her local middle school to better inform the public of the importance of health safety, healthy living, and how to perform CPR. The two scouts undertook their projects in order to achieve the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award

Rep. Tami Zawistowski, right, with Holly Corcoran. Corcoran was awarded Girl Scouts’ Gold Award.

38 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | AUGUST 2016

that Girl Scout Seniors can earn.

In order to earn the Gold Award, a scout must do the following: Choose an issue: Use your values and skills to identify a community issue you care about; Investigate: Research everything you can about the issue; Get help: Invite others to support and take action with you; Create a plan: Create a project plan that achieves sustainable and measurable impact; Present your plan and get feedback: Sum up your project plan for your Girl Scout Council; Take action: Take the lead to carry out your plan; Educate and inspire: Share what you have experienced with others.

AROUND TOWN

H

artford recently made the Top Ten list of America’s fittest cities! In a study to determine the fittest cities in America, Hartford was ranked 9th, based on a variety of data analyzed by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) that included death rates for diseases, number of athletically-centered facilities, and health education. Hartford scored well for death rate for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, walkability, and farmer’s markets per capita.

Members of the Stratford Fire Department braved the heat of the summer recently and participated in forcible entry training. Stratford firefighters took part in the handson training for the entire department with Connecticut Custom Fire Training.

The Trumbull Police Department recently co-sponsored — along with the Greater Bridgeport NAACP — a community forum on race and law enforcement at a local elementary school. The community discussion was open to residents of surrounding towns as well as Trumbull, and was organized in the wake of several police-related killings across the nation.

A team of volunteers of all ages worked with civic and business

MB

MUNICIPAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE PLATINUM

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MUNICIPAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE GOLD

leaders in New Britain to perform aesthetic and safety work on 10 city homes in association with the non-profit Rebuilding Together New Britain. Work included repairing roofs, constructing handicapped ramps, raking yards, and house painting for those who otherwise do not have the financial resources to do so.

Bridgeport made the list of the country’s best-run cities, compiled from a new report from WalletHub. The Park City ranked 83rd out of the survey’s 150 cities. The survey looked at each area’s city services, total budget per capita, financial stability, safety, education, and

more. Hartford and New Haven also made the list at 139th and 142nd respectively.

Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton has officially declared the City of Danbury a Purple Heart City with a proclamation at a recent dedication of combat-wounded parking spaces located at the Danbury War Memorial.

“The City of Danbury strongly supports its military population,” says Mayor Boughton. “We appreciate the sacrifices our Purple Heart recipients have made in defending our freedoms.”

Digital BackOffice PowerSecure, Inc. formerly ESCO William Blair & Company A. H. Harris & Sons, Inc. • Celtic Energy DTC • ECG Engineering • Fuss & O’Neill RealTerm Energy • Sertex Tanko Lighting • TRC

CCM appreciates their support and commitment to CCM and its members.

AUGUST 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 39

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