Connecticut Town & City - September 2019

SEPTEMBER 2019

WE’RE

ALL IN CT

GET READY FOR CCM’S EPIC 2019 ANNUAL CONVENTION DECEMBER 3-4 @ FOXWOODS RESORT

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Program & Pricing Eligibility: The $75.00 Public Interest Contract Price is being made available by Adapt Pharma in an effort to provide affordable access to Narcan for entities that serve the public interest with limited funding. Public Interest Pricing is available to U.S. Communities participating agencies that have signed participation documents for Premier’s Medical Surgical and Pharmaceutical Group Purchasing Program and by purchasing Narcan directly from Adapt Pharma. Purchasing direct from Adapt is subject to terms and conditions including but not limited to credit evaluation, product returns limitations and no recourse to 3rd party public or private insurance. No freight charge when purchasing a minimum of 48 units.

Narcan is just one product in a comprehensive program to reduce the costs of medical products used by participating agencies. If you cannot meet the minimum order requirements, Narcan will be available through certain Premier authorized pharmacy distributors, at a higher price point. Premier customer service representatives can put you in touch with the appropriate representative.

Accessing the Agreement: The following steps are required to gain access to the Adapt Pharma agreement.

• Participating agency must be registered with U.S. Communities Cooperative Purchasing Program.

• Participating agency must also be a member of Premier’s group purchasing program for Medical Surgical and Pharmaceutical products. For more information, click here. o To join, access the Premier website on the U.S. Communities website or go directly to the Premier registration site. o Once the electronic registration is completed you must download, complete, sign, and submit a Facility Authorization & Vendor Fee Agreement ("Exhibit A") to premierreach@premierinc.com to become a member.

• To purchase directly from Adapt Pharma exclusive distribution partner, Smith Medical Partners, the following is required: • Set up an account by calling 855-798-6483. Provide the following information to the representative: o Name of Buying Entity o Email Address and Phone Number o State Medical/Pharmacy License • Logistics Information: o Orders ship the same day o Packages are sent via UPS (no freight charge with a minimum purchase of 48 units) o Order cut-off time is 5 p.m. Central Time Zone.

• Setting up pricing and establishing accounts with all entities should take less than 14 days.

For Further Questions: Call 877.981.3312 or email uscommunities@premierinc.com

www.uscommunities.org/premiermedical

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICERS President, Neil O’Leary Mayor of Waterbury 1st Vice President, Michael Freda First Selectman of North Haven 2nd Vice President, Luke A. Bronin Mayor of Hartford DIRECTORS Tom Banisch, First Selectman of Madison Robert M. Congdon, First Selectman of Preston John A. Elsesser, Town Manager of Coventry

Inside this issue...

Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Toni N. Harp, Mayor of New Haven Barbara M. Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury Matthew Knickerbocker, First Selectman of Bethel Catherine Iino, First Selectwoman of Killingworth Marcia A. Leclerc, Mayor of East Hartford Curt Leng, Mayor of Hamden W. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of Seymour Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield Leo Paul, First Selectman of Litchfield Brandon Robertson, Town Manager of Avon John Salomone, City Manager of Norwich Scott Shanley, General Manager of Manchester Jayme J. Stevenson, First Selectman of Darien Erin Stewart, Mayor of New Britain Daniel Syme, First Selectman of Scotland Michael C. Tetreau, First Selectman of Fairfield Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator of Columbia PAST PRESIDENTS Mark D. Boughton Mayor of Danbury Matthew B. Galligan Town Manager of South Windsor Herbert C. Rosenthal former First Selectman of Newtown Susan S. Bransfield First Selectwoman of Portland

CCM Annual Convention

4

Annual Report on the General Assembly

9

NLC Comes to Bridgeport

10

Cybersecurity Concerns? Use CCM’s IT in a Box

12

2019 CCM Annual Convention

14

CCM Podcast Celebrates First Anniversary

16

Marijuana Symposium: Lessons from Denver

17

CIRMA News

20

News from Members

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Elizabeth Paterson, former Mayor of Mansfield Stephen Cassano, Selectman of Manchester Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland CCM STAFF Executive Director, Joe DeLong Deputy Director, Ron Thomas Managing Editor, Kevin Maloney Layout & Design, Matthew Ford Writer, Christopher Gilson

Connecticut Town & City © 2019 Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

How Will A Law Affect My Community?

Our Annual Report on the General Assembly has the answers

T

he long legislative session that ended this past June was the first after the 2018 elections that brought the state Governor Ned Lamont and a nearly supermajority Democratic General Assembly. While ideas about bringing back tolls and recreational marijuana were on the table, they never panned out.

Instead, we saw new legislation on Crumbling Foundations, Fracking Waste, Municipal Shared Services, Minimum Wage, and even a law on electric scooters was passed. Our Annual Report on the General Assembly has all the information you’ll need to know about what’s going to affect municipalities.

Below is a list of bills that you as members have expressed interest in following during the session. The General Assembly Report is out in full, and available on our website at https://www.ccm-ct.org/ppa-reports-publications

PA 19-35 (Various) RENEWABLE ENERGY CREDIT PROGRAMS Among other things, (1) extends existing renewable energy programs, including traditional net metering, the LREC/ZREC program, and the Green Bank’s Residential Solar Investment Program, (2) requires PURA to study the value of distributed energy resources and take findings into account when determining tariffs for new renewable programs required under PA 18-50; delays certain related deadlines; and allows for a longer netting period, and (3) increases, from $10 million to $20 million, the amount of credits authorized under the state’s virtual net metering program.

PA 19-77 (7/1/19) MUNICIPAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND COASTAL RESILIENCY FUND Allows a municipality to establish a climate change and coastal resiliency reserve fund. It may do this upon the recommendation of its chief executive officer, approval of its budget-making authority, and majority vote of its legislative body. Under the bill, such fund may contain (1) funds authorized to be transferred from the municipality’s general fund cash surplus at the end of a fiscal year, and (2) proceeds of bonds, notes, or other obligations issued to fund property or casualty losses or projects related to the presence of pyrrhotite in the

concrete foundations of residential buildings.

PA 19-112 (7/8/19) STATEWIDE BAN ON FRACTURING WASTE With a limited exception for research, permanently bans accepting, receiving, collecting, storing, treating, transferring, selling, acquiring, handling, applying, processing, and disposing of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) waste, natural gas waste, or oil waste in Connecticut. The bill was amended by the Senate to specify that the state law on fracking, natural gas, and oil waste preempts related municipal ordinances.

PA 19-36 (7/1/19) PROPERT TAX ABATEMENT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS Increases the maximum property tax abatement municipalities may, by ordinance, provide to certain active and retired volunteer emergency personnel from $1,000 to $1,500 for FYs 20 and 21, and from $1,500 to $2,000 for FY 22 and thereafter.

PA 19-54 (07/01/19) OPPORTUNITY ZONES Makes various changes concerning the promotion and development of the state’s federally designated opportunity zones, including but not limited to (1) requiring DECD to identify, market, and sell ten vacant state-owned properties located in opportunity zones, (2) conducting various outreach efforts concerning

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the state’s opportunity zones, (3) extending the historic structure rehabilitation tax credit’s 30% credit to such projects located in opportunity zones and giving these projects preference, and (4) requiring DECD to give priority to approving state financial assistance for certain brownfield remediation projects located in opportunity zones.

Also allows opportunity zone projects to receive assistance from DECD’s Office of the Permit Ombudsman.

PA 19-92 (1/1/2019) ABANDONED AND BLIGHTED PROPERTY RECEIVORSHIP Establishes a mechanism to rehabilitate abandoned properties in municipalities with populations of at least 35,000 by providing that if an owner of a residential, commercial, or industrial building fails to maintain it in accordance with applicable municipal codes, the Superior Court may appoint a receiver to make the necessary improvements. Under the bill, “owners” are holders of legal title to, or of a legal or equitable interest in, a building. (Owners include heirs, assignees, trustees, beneficiaries, or building lessees, if the interest is a matter of public record). A “receiver” is a person or entity that takes possession of a building under the bill’s provisions to rehabilitate or otherwise dispose of it.

PA 19-175 (7/12/19) LAND BANKS (1) Establishes a framework for municipalities, either on their own or jointly with other municipalities, to create nonprofit land bank authorities (“authorities”) to acquire, maintain, and dispose of real property, except for brownfields (i.e., abandoned or underused sites where actual or potential pollution prevents redevelopment, reuse, or expansion), (2) requires each authority to be governed by a board of directors and gives the board broad powers to carry out the authority’s purposes, including the power to enter into contracts and borrow money, and (3) exempts from state and local taxes any real property and interest in real property (“real property”) an authority holds and income it derives from the property.

For any property conveyed by an authority, the bill requires municipalities to remit to the authority 50% of the taxes they collect on the property in the following five years. It also allows them to issue revenue bonds backed by the revenue from their assets (i.e., property sales) and establishes a process by which the authority’s board of directors may dissolve a land bank authority and specifies how it must distribute its assets if it dissolves.

PA 19-192 (6/26/19) CRUMBLING FOUNDATIONS Addresses the issue of crumbling foundations by (1) broadening the definition of “residential building” to mean single- or multi-family residential units, including a condominium unit or unit in a common interest community; or a building containing one or more of the units described above, (2) providing a seat for the Executive Director of the Northeastern Council of Governments on the Board of Directors for the crumbling foundation captive insurance company, (3) requires municipalities located in the Capitol

Region Council of Governments that acquire residential real property to provide a residential condition report disclosing the presence of pyrrhotite in the foundation or repairs that have been made to the foundation of the property and (4) creates a “supplemental collapsing foundation loan program” to assist with remediation efforts and requires the CT Housing Finance Authority to administer the program.

PA 19-193 (7/1/19) MUNICIPAL SHARED SERVICES Among other things, (1) allows towns and cities to override their charters to share or consolidate services, (2) modifies the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations’ (ACIR) membership, providing CCM with five appointments to the group and expands ACIR’s reporting requirements to include information on the direct impact municipal mandates will have on local governments and (3) allows regional councils of government to borrow funds for the purchase of real property.

PA 19-118 (Various) REVISIONS TO PUBLIC HEALTH LAWS Among other things, (1) restructures the EMT certification process by adopting a national standard and allowing greater flexibility for individuals to complete classroom and practical training. This is intended to reduce the burden of the current certification and renewal process; and (2) attempts to clarify the property tax status for non-profit nursing homes.

PA 19-124 (Various) Municipal Employees’ Retirement System Effective July 1, 2019, increases the required employee contribution rate for participants in the Municipal Employee Retirement System

(MERS) by .5 of 1% a year for the next six fiscal years for a total increase of 3%.

PA 19-4 (5/28/19) MINIMUM WAGE Raises the state minimum hourly wage from $10.10 to $11.00 on October 1, 2019; from $11.00 to $12.00 on September 1, 2020; from $12.00 to $13.00 on August 1, 2021; from $13.00 to $14.00 on July 1, 2022; and from $14.00 to $15.00 on June 1, 2023. Indexes any future increases to annual changes in the employment cost index (ECI) beginning on January 1, 2024.

Starting October 1, 2019, the bill also changes the “training wage” that employers may pay to learners, beginners, and people under age 18.

Eliminates the training wage exceptions for learners and beginners, and limits the training wage to only people under age 18, except emancipated minors. It requires learners and beginners who are at least age 18 to be paid the full minimum wage.

The training wage is 85% of the minimum wage and allows employers to pay the training wage to people under age 18 for the first 90 days of their employment. After 90 days, the employer is required to pay the full minimum wage to the employee.

PA 19-16 (10/1/19) SEXUAL HARASSMENT Among other things, makes various changes concerning sexual harassment and discrimination complaints filed with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). In particular, (1) expands requirements for employers to train employees on sexual harassment laws within six months of their hiring and supplemental training every ten years (in addition, all supervisors, regardless of organizational size, must undergo two hours of training), (2) extends the time to file a CHRO complaint alleging continues on 6

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 5

employer discrimination, including sexual harassment, and (3) allows courts to order punitive damages in discrimination cases released from CHRO jurisdiction.

(PA 19-93 made various amendments to PA 19-16 by making changes relating to CHRO’s authority to ensure compliance, impose fines and other administrative changes)

PA 19-25 PAID FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE (6/11/19) Establishes a paid family and med-

ical leave insurance system funded by a new .5% payroll tax on all employees. Municipal and local or regional board of education (BOE) employees are included in the program if their collective bargaining agent negotiates inclusion in the program. Once a municipal employer or BOE negotiates inclusion in the program for the members of one of its bargaining units, all of the municipality’s or BOE’s employees who are not part of a collective bargaining unit are required to be enrolled in the program and are considered covered public employees.

PA 19-162 (10/01/19) REGULATING ELECTRIC FOOT SCOOTERS Extends this authority to allow municipalities to regulate e-scooters as long as the ordinances do not conflict with state laws or regulations.

Among other things, municipalities can adopt ordinances requiring annual licensing of e-scooters or requiring the registration of e-scooter sales and ownership changes.

Still Waiting

TAR and LoCIP delayed, while school funding is approved

I

t needs no explanation that towns and cities in Connecticut are reliant on the state to get them their necessary funds on time. The essential Town Aid Roads (TAR) grant and the Local Capital Improvement Program (LoCIP) are still awaiting approval from the Bond Commission, which is controlled by Governor Lamont. While a “debt diet” might seem like a good bit of branding, it cannot keep towns from receiving essential infrastructure dollars.

TAR and LoCIP represent the biggest annual grants for infrastructure repairs at $60 million and $30 million, respectively. While CCM currently does not anticipate any changes to those funding amounts, without approvals they force towns to expend their own funds for repaving and other transportation related projects — many of which are time sensitive and must be completed before winter sets in.

The TAR grant is split in two payments; one in July and one January. Because it is now bonded, the payments cannot be processed until the bond funds are allocated.

Joe DeLong, CCM’s Executive Director gave a statement on the TAR grants to Keith Phaneuf of the CT Mirror, one of the few outlets to shine a light on this deeply important issue. DeLong said local leaders “start to question how much they are really concerned about Connecticut’s transportation infrastructure when something as basic and vital as TAR grants aren’t getting out on time.”

TAR grants have been held up in the past, most recently in early 2018 under former Governor Malloy. At that time, CCM urged both the then-governor and State Bond Commission take action and release the final $30 million payment so that towns could not only provide jobs but make the necessary repairs before they sustain further damage, increasing the cost of repairs.

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For 2019, as both TAR grants and LoCIP are held up, towns are left hoping that they can replace non-budget funds that they spent from their surplus rainy day funds.

On July 22, the General Assembly passed PA 19-1, which authorizes eight school construction grants totaling $160.5 million toward total project costs of $229 million. It also exempts certain school construction projects from various statutory and regulatory requirements in order to allow them to qualify for state reimbursement grants, or a higher level of reimbursement grant.

Under this grant program, the state reimburses towns and local school districts for a percentage of eligible school construction costs. It also makes changes in school construction laws concerning school building committee membership, reimbursement rates for diversity schools, and school construction project contracting rules and various technical and conforming changes.

Approving this grant proves how essential the money coming out of the Bond Commission is — it is literally the roads we drive on and the construction of the schools our children attend. But even this good bit of news is not enough to offset the dangerous waiting game being played with our municipalities’ infrastructure.

It is important that municipalities not be left hanging in the wait for these funds. Governor Lamont has time and time again acknowledged the importance of infrastructure in the future growth of our state. It is time to take action on TAR and LoCIP so that municipalities can make time-sensitive and life-saving repairs without having to tap into rainy day funds. Towns and cities should be able to rely on the State to keep them on solid ground, for the sake and safety of our people.

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Complete, Cost Effective, and Convenient!

The Drug & Alcohol Testing Consortium, a program of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, offers many benefits to your municipality.

Comprehensive Coverage This program covers all testing associated with DOT regulations, plus the services of a medical review officer, substance abuse professional, training, record keeping, and more.

Predictable Cost Just one annual fee of $100 per covered driver or worker is the only cost for compliance. With no additional costs, our program makes budgeting easier.

For more information contact Beth Scanlon, (203)946-3782 | bscanlon@ccm-ct.org.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

America Runs on Local Government Coming elections decry importance of our local officials

“T

he heart of our government” according to President George H.W. Bush, “is not in Washington,” but “in every county office, every town, every city across this land.” In November of this year, that measure will be tested once again as most towns and cities hold their municipal elections.

Rounding up all the possible ballots that Connecticut citizens will see, there will be scores of individuals — over 1500 council positions alone — who seek to serve their communities in the best way that they can: by running for local office. Unlike state or federal elections, most of these races will not be televised or nationalized. There won’t be debate stages or spots on political shows to give a stump speech.

Local officials must be of the people whose vote they hope to seek, truly envisioning a government of, by, and for the people, as President Lincoln once said.

And yet, local elections are, on average, some of the lowest polling years. Unofficial numbers from the Secretary of the State website show that only some 30% of people turn out for municipal elections. Compare that to the robust 65% that turned up at their local polling station to vote for governor.

Over three-fourths of people voted for president in 2016. The next presidential election year seems to want to overshadow this year’s vote. New London Day Editorial Page Editor Paul Choiniere bemoaned this

8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

crisis in an op-ed published in July of this year called “A big election. No, not that one.”

“More than once,” Choiniere says, “I’ve started talking to someone about this year’s election only to get a perplexed look as the individual tries to reconcile what I am saying with the only election they’ve thought about — the one in 2020.”

But the irony is, “the decisions made in local elections — the ones the fewest people participate in — can have the biggest impact on their lives, affecting the property taxes they pay, the development their town might experience, and the quality of the schools their kids go to.”

The value and importance of running for local office is that you have to make those decisions, affecting people across the spectrum, thinking of children and the elderly, businesses and non-profits, renters and home-owners, and balancing all that. Working in public office is one career that has its work cut out for it.

“Wherever the people of America are, that’s where the heart of our government is,” President Bush would say.

If you ask any individual on the street where they live, and they will instinctively tell you what town or city they live in. The people of America are in our towns and cities, and our elected officials are the life force that keeps the whole thing running.

NLC Comes to Bridgeport

Hispanic and Women’s caucuses hold annual conference in the Park City

M

ore than 75 mayors, councilmembers, and other local leaders from across the United States met this past July in Bridgeport for the national summer meeting of the Women and Hispanic Caucuses of the National League of Cities (NLC). CCM worked closely with the City of Bridgeport and National League of Cities to coordinate this important summer meeting.

The joint conference was the result of perfect timing for both because the Hispanic Elected Local Officials (HELO) and Women in Municipal Government (WIMG) Caucuses are led by Bridgeport officials. Bridgeport City Clerk Lydia Martinez, leads the HELO Caucus and Bridgeport City Council leader AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia leads the WIMG Caucus.

HELO is a network and caucus aimed at giving a voice to Hispanic and Latino officials. The group has been around since 1976, and they develop policy and discuss issues directly affecting Hispanic and Latino communities, and provide guidance to the NLC Board of Directors. WIMG is similar to HELO as a constituency group, and has roots that go back to 1974, becoming part of NLC in 1979. WIMG aims to raise awareness about issues of concern to women, in addition to giving a voice to women who already have been elected.

A schedule of intensive, hands-on workshops took place over three days on a wide range of issues, such as the role of local government in developing healthy children; preparing for the 2020 U.S. Census; paid family leave in the municipal workplace; immigration policy at the local level, bringing government attention to women’s issues; combatting violence against women and the #MeToo movement; Latino empowerment, the local housing crisis and much more.

Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz spoke on a HELO panel about her Connecticut Complete Count

Committee (CCCC), along with Maria Zambrano Viggiano, Co-Chair for Census 2020 in Bridgeport, Jeff Behler from the Census Bureau, and CCM’s Executive Director Joe DeLong. CCM Deputy Director Ron Thomas moderated a panel for WIMG on Paid Family Leave in the Municipal Space.

“This annual summer meeting brings together women in local government to share their experience, strengthen their skills and expand their network, and meet other women leaders — while exploring the great city of Bridgeport,” Vizzo-Paniccia emphasized.

“Hispanic and Latino members come from all across America,” noted Martinez. “From Bridgeport, Connecticut to Mesa, Arizona each member brings a unique experience and point of view to the caucus. When members meet, they discuss the challenges they face, the ways they overcame them and the work they’re doing to improve their communities.”

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 9

Cyber-Attack Concerns? Try IT In A Box New CCM program launched to help municipalities with tech needs

A

fter an initial testing phase, CCM is proud to announce the official launch of our IT in a Box service, providing towns and cities with stateof-the-art information technology tools, supported by experienced, highly skilled IT professionals.

ings, you are building a database of videos that require gigabytes and gigabytes of storage. With IT in a Box, you don’t need to buy additional storage because IT in a Box already has that storage space, and as the catalog grows the storage costs do not change.

Information Technology is becoming more and more essential every day — it seems as if every month there is a new report of a city or town that has been hit by ransomware — but there are other considerations like archiving and digital records management that need to be considered as well.

Included in the benefits of a package like IT in a Box is the ability to manage predictable fees, as the package is a flat monthly fee and there are no upfront project fees to onboard, for equipment, or setup. The package is flexible, meaning that you can tailor it directly to your needs.

IT in a Box does it all, offering as part of its packages:

From backing up and securing your data to modernizing your website, it’s tough for municipalities to invest in the right technology and hire the best professional expertise to guide them along. But those investments need to happen. Otherwise, your data and municipality’s operations are at risk. To address these needs cost-effectively without taking any shortcuts, there is IT in a Box.

• Cybersecurity and Computer Maintenance • 24x7 Helpdesk • Data Backup and Disaster Recovery • Records/Document Management and Email • Video Archiving • Policy and Compliance • Website • Vendor Management and Procurement.

Doing some of these things on your own can be costly or time-consuming, needing not only additional staff, but sometimes very expensive hardware. For instance, with the growing use of body camera video record-

If you are excited about the opportunity to reduce cybersecurity risks, ensure you’re backing up your data, and receive reliable 24/7 support, contact Beth Scanlon at CCM (203-946-3782 or bscanlon@ccm-ct. org) or Dave Mims at Sophicity (770.670.6940 x110 or davemims@sophicity.com) so that we may assess your needs and begin the quote process.

Because experience & integrity count…

MUNICIPAL CONSULTING SERVICE & Executive Search

Recognizing that hiring the best people requires both a significant investment of time and effort as well as a trusted partner, CCM has added executive recruiting to our Municipal Consulting Service

MCS assists CCM members, their school districts and local public agencies with a full complement of essential services, including:

Grant writing and researching • RFP drafting • Project management Operational reviews • Change implementation • Organizational studies Strategic planning • Finance and budgeting • Purchasing Facilities management • Temporary staffing Contact Andy Merola: 203 498-3056, or amerola@ccm-ct.org for additional information.

10 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

Old Town Roads Made New

StreetScan renews the way municipalities maintain their streets

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very town and city has a busy street or two that residents wish they could avoid — it might be filled with potholes or patches, or it might be an uneven or bumpy ride — the experience is nearly universal. But concentrating on just these two streets can be costly if you let quieter roads degrade. As a municipality, the trouble is how to maintain your streets in an efficient way. To help there is StreetScan, offered through CCM, which is gaining popularity in our state and across the country.

The way StreetScan works, through use of a proprietary pavement inspection van, appropriately called the ScanVan, which utilizes multiple sensors to measure what they call the equivalent pavement condition index, or ePCI. The ePCI is a data driven deterioration model that takes into account the occurrence of extreme weather events to visualize road conditions with suggested repairs from a seal job to a full repave.

quantifying like this, it’s like throwing darts at the board.” A town that hadn’t used StreetScan could have overthought the needs of their roads and actually repaired roads that did not need it.

And not only that, but based on the individual scores of each road, they are able to tailor their repairs. For instance, a road that was between fair and good could have used a simple sealant to extend its life, while a road that was on the border of terrible might need that full repave instead of a patches to try to extend the life. Nau put this mantra succinctly, “you don’t do worst first.”

“We’re saving dollars by spending dollars,”

“We’re saving dollars by spending dollars,” as Christopher Bielik, First Selectman of Beacon Falls, says. The town just finished their scan, and they walked away with an objective look at all 38 miles of town road that Beacon Falls has.

The technological utility was impressive to Finance Manager Natasha Nau, who said that the program is able to calculate figures on hundreds of roads in seconds.

The Town was impressed with their overall pavement condition, expecting the outlook to be much, much worse. Bielik said, “without this technology, without

StreetScan was able to put 10 years of forecasting in plain figures, allowing Nau and Bielik to plan accordingly. Everyone knows that there are costs associated with maintaining roads, but this program allows you the flexibility to manage those costs based on real data.

“There are smarter, more efficient ways of doing this,” and the program worked for Beacon Falls, other towns and cities around Connecticut, and municipalities across the country. Being able to thoughtfully plan out the schedule of repairs, extending the life of some roads, and not making unnecessary repairs on others, can save towns money or help them spend what limited funds they have more efficiently. Residents will always have that one road they wish they could avoid, but with a program like StreetScan, it won’t be because the town isn’t doing something about it.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

Get ready for CCM’s 2019 Convention!

W

e all know CCM stands for Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, but the Cs could also stand for Community and Collaboration.

That’s why it was a no-brainer to lead this year’s convention with the theme “We’re All In.” Join us with more than 1,000 state and local government leaders once again at Foxwoods Resort, and mark your calendars for Tuesday, December 3 and Wednesday, December 4, 2019 for the 2019 CCM Convention.

The convention opens in the Murtha Law Exhibit Hall for breakfast, filled with over 150 cutting-edge companies, representing the best and newest technology and solutions for all your municipal concerns. Also sponsoring this year’s event are CIRMA, T-Mobile for Government, Halloran & Sage, Post University, IXP, and ConnectiCare.

More than two dozen workshops will help you learn how to navigate the challenges of working in local government. You will hear from your colleagues in workshops like FOIA - Social Media and Electronic Communications: Are You Aware of the Requirements?; Inviting the Angry Mob to Dinner: Strategies for Fearless Community Engagement; Sustainable CT: Innovative Project Funding for Communities; Understanding Cyber Risks for Municipalities; The Fundamentals of Municipal Government; and Municipal Planning for Affordable Housing.

CCM will for the fourth year present our Municipal Ex12 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

cellence Awards, sponsored by Halloran & Sage, during the December 3 lunch, recognizing innovative projects and enterprising individuals that have significantly improved the quality of life for citizens, established partnerships, and built community support. And for the second year, we will present our second graduating class of Certified Connecticut Municipal Officials with their certificates and Sustainable CT municipalities with Bronze or Silver levels of achievement.

CIRMA will host our pre-dinner reception at the end of the afternoon, leading us into the evening’s ceremony. We will hold our Annual Meeting highlighted by presentations of the Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award and the Richard C. Lee Innovators Award. These are bestowed in honor of CCM’s first executive director and New Haven’s longtime director to municipal officials who have a long history of service and excellence in local government.

And finally, we will also be handing out our annual #LoCoolGov scholarships, sponsored by Post University, to students in both Middle School and High School levels.

Be sure to come back on December 4! We’re hosting a panel discussion on Marijuana Legislation in Connecticut: Learning from Other States. In this special morning session, you will hear from peers from one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana. Then you will hear from our neighbor and one of the most recent states to pass recreational marijuana. Topics will in-

clude what you need to know if and when Connecticut legalizes, what challenges you can expect in your town or city, and what policies should be considered when Connecticut debates cannabis legalization.

Whether it is catching up with your peers, checking out the latest and greatest that businesses have to offer, learning at one of the more than 20 workshops, or celebrating those who have excelled in local government, the CCM Convention is a place where community and collaboration happen. And that’s because officials from every corner of the state make it happen.

For more information or to register visit https://www. ccm-ct.org/convention

Session A Workshops • Connecticut’s Economic Outlook

• The Importance of Municipal Internal Operational Assessments - Co-sponsored by blumshapiro • Understanding Cyber Risks for Municipalities - Co-sponsored by Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA) • Sustainable CT: Innovative Project Funding for Communities • Communications: News Media Diversification Choosing the Best Media Pathway in 2020 for Your Public • Public Business Data • Employing Alternative Strategies to Address Substance Abuse for Municipal Officials • Budgeting 101

• The Ever-Changing Municipal Retirement Plan

Session C Workshops

• Lessons Learned from Notable Claims - Co-sponsored by Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Ageny (CIRMA)

• Building Collaborative Relationships to Support Shared Services - Co-sponsored by Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE)

• Managing Problem Employees - Co-sponsored by Berchem Moses PC

• Planning a New or Renovated Municipal Building: Steps for Success

• Drone Aircraft: Practical Applications for Municipal Operations

• 2020 Decennial - What You Need to Know

• Municipal Planning for Affordable Housing - Co-sponsored by Murtha Cullina LLP • Influencing State Policy • The Fundamentals of Municipal Government

Session B Workshops • Social Media for Municipal Officials - Co-sponsored the Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys (CAMA)

• Inviting the Angry Mob to Dinner: Strategies for Fearless Community Engagement • Labor Contract Negotiations Best Practices and Developing Cost-Saving Proposals - Co-sponsored by Pullman & Comley, LLC • Helping Employers Tackle Stress in the Workplace - Co-sponsored by ConnectiCare • FOIA - Social Media and Electronic Communications: Are You Aware of the Requirements?

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 13

The Municipal Voice, as seen on Facebook Live and Youtube. Senator Martin Looney spoke about the legislative session with CCM President Mayor Neil O’Leary and show host Matt Ford in a lively January episode.

A Storied First Year

The Municipal Voice celebrates its first anniversary

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ust a year ago, The Municipal Voice was in its planning stages, and didn’t even have a name yet. Venturing into a new medium like podcasts and live streaming isn’t something organizations like CCM do every day, so we couldn’t be sure just exactly how it would turn out. One year later, and we can say that The Municipal Voice has allowed us to tell exciting stories, interview guests, and promote municipalities like never before.

Working with The New Haven Independent and WNHH, we set off on October 24 with an introduction to CCM with our Executive Director Joe DeLong. Since then, we have talked with Dr. Richard Cho, the Executive Director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness and Rev. Bonita Grubbs of Christian Community Action New Haven on how our municipalities are helping to solve homelessness, and the successes our state has seen.

We’ve had CJ May and Jennifer Heaton-Jones on to help guide municipalities through the recycling crisis, and giving pointers on how to handle the China National Sword policy that is driving up the cost of recycling in so many communities. And we’ve had Brandon Robertson, Town Manager of Avon, come on with our very own George Rafael to help explain to the general public how towns across the state handle their budgeting.

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The Municipal Voice has gotten to interview experts in the field of the Opioid Crisis, the Port of New Haven, and have brought on Doug Hardy from CTNewsJunkie and Paul Bass, Editor and Publisher of the New Haven Independent. All these interviews provided listeners with detailed questions and informative answers in easy to view or listen formats.

We are streaming now on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Twitter, and on FM radio if you live in New Haven County. Afterwards, the audio files are uploaded to SoundCloud and to Apple Podcasts so that you can listen to them wherever you are!

We are reaching over 450 active viewers on average for each episode, meaning people who have actively clicked on and watched or listened to our episodes.

Add to that the 1500 people who are listening in on the FM station, and over the course of our first year, we will have reached over 50,000 listeners!

In our second year, we are looking to grow our audience, reach out to new markets, and continue to tell compelling stories. As always, if there’s a story that you want to hear, or if you have a story to tell, please let us know!

If you would like to be a guest on the Municipal Voice, or if your business would like to sponsor the show, contact Christopher Gilson, cgilson@ccm-ct.org

On this episode, Kurt Miller, first selectman of Seymour, and Dale Bruckhart of Digital BackOffice discussed a recent IT upgrade the town made that was sure to save a lot of future heartache. WNHH’s Harry Droz was on the boards.

Sarah Beard appeared to discuss the Parent Child Resource Center.

North Haven Mayor Michael Freda and CCM’s George Rafael talk budgets.

Carl Amento, Executive Director of SCRCOG

The first epsiode featured CCM’s Joe DeLong and Bru Hickey.

CJ May and Jennifer Heaton-Jones advised on best practices for recycling.

Dr. Richard Cho and Rev. Bonita Grubbs offer ideas to solve homelessness.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

Clearing Out The Weeds Of Legalization Denver discusses ways to safely legalize marijuana

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ooking at a map of the United States, one could tell that the movement to legalize medical and recreational marijuana is not just a phase. Only two states — Idaho and Nebraska — have no form of legal cannabis, while 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized at least the use of medical marijuana. At the National League of Cities State League Staff Workshop held in Denver, Colorado, representatives from the city discussed what it was like to forge the path on this issue, solving problems no one knew existed.

Really the main issue that Colorado faced was that it was the first state to legalize recreational marijuana.

That means, as opposed to medical marijuana, any adult over the age of 21 could purchase and use marijuana.

So they didn’t know what was going to happen, and frankly, they didn’t believe it would happen. To paraphrase Commander James Henning of the Denver Police Department: at first we didn’t think it would pass, but it did, and then we didn’t think the federal government would let it happen, then they did. Before they knew it, marijuana was legal, and they had to “get over it and get to work.”

One thing stressed by all who spoke, was the need to build relationships. Not just with the state, whose responsibility was to oversee the statewide requirements of enacting this law, but interdepartmentally in municipalities. There is zoning that needs to be sorted out with the public health people who need to be in constant contact with fire and police.

All in all, the Citywide Coordinated Marijuana Team, as it is known in Denver, is comprised of the Marijuana Policy Team, Community Planning & Development, Excise & Licenses, Fire Department, Police Department, Department of Environmental Health (including the subgroups of Public Health and Environmental Quality), and the City Attorney’s Office. This list does not include partners that operated outside of municipal boundaries.

But this is something that Denver actively wanted.

Municipalities are essentially allowed to opt-in to local licensing schema, adding distance requirements, public hearing processes, phase-ins, and all sorts of regulations.

One big reason why Denver opted in was because Marijuana is big business. Denver is home to 13% of the state’s population, but 36% of the state’s marijuana licenses according to Ashley Kilroy, the Executive Director of Denver’s Department of Excise and Licensing. All in all, there are 1116 licenses and 476 locations related to marijuana businesses in an area that is about the size of the Greater New Haven Metro Area.

All of these businesses add value back to the city of Denver through license fees, a special sales tax, and increased tourism. Throughout 2018, the City of Denver 16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

alone took in $548 million, a 6% decrease from the 2017 high. But it’s also an added burden to make sure that these businesses do not interrupt the quality of life in the Mile-High City.

The zoning permit process is rigorous, as Tina Axelrad, the Zoning Administrator showed. They had to come up with corresponding land use categories for a completely new industry practically overnight: cultivation facilities are plant husbandry in Zoning Land Use speak, Marijuana-Infused Products (MIP) manufacturing is General Manufacturing or Heavy Manufacturing.

Surprisingly, growing a plant that has become known by the moniker “weed,” isn’t as easy as that to grow, so heavy equipment does come into play. And that increases the need for public safety, especially when it comes to home facilities. In some cases, mold was a problem and in others it was exploding refrigerators. Inspections must be done often to ensure compliance, and there must be penalties for not being up to code. In some cases, actual cement blocks were placed in front of businesses for those who were found to be routinely uncompliant.

Outdoor gardens were quickly realized to be a problem, as in one anecdote, a Denver resident with a green thumb often wondered why her plants would vanish from her backyard garden. Others protested the smell of a large cannabis farm.

More concerning are the effects on actual crime. Commander Henning said that business burglaries against licensed facilities will be a large issue, and the black market will only get bigger and more violent. Though it should go without being said, “a drug endangered child doesn’t care if marijuana is legal or not.”

Back in 2012, Denver was worried about the image and culture changing drastically because of these laws, but it seems as if the rest of the country is emulating them instead of the other way around. There has been spin from both sides on this issue; one side seeing sunshine and rainbows, the other crime and more crime.

In Denver, marijuana became legal, so they began to treat it as a legal substance. What the city realized was that the argument was over, and the new challenge was how to come together to keep Denver a growing city with a vibrant culture, a city that is safe for all residents.

Those attending our annual convention at Foxwoods Resort will be able to attend CCM’s symposium on marijuana legislation on December 4, the second day. “Marijuana Legislation in Connecticut: Learning from Other States” will feature speakers from Denver and Massachusetts, where recreational marijuana was recently legalized. This will be a panel that you shouldn’t miss!

CIRMA

CIRMA

The Cherry On Top In addition to industry-leading products and services, CIRMA delivers nearly $30 million total to its members

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IRMA is widely known for its industry-leading products and services—however, our financial strength allows us to deliver value beyond the policy. CIRMA’s unique Members’ Equity Distribution program delivered $5 million to members across the Nutmeg State this year, bringing the total distribution to nearly $30 million over the last nine years.

Mike Tetreau, Fairfield First Selectman said, “The Town is delighted that CIRMA’s Members’ Equity Distribution program will help members like us achieve our mission of providing vital public services at a most economical cost.”

In addition to returning funds through our Members’ Equity Distribution program, CIRMA helps members fulfil that mission by helping them identify, minimize, and manage existing and emerging risks in an everevolving environment.

“Our collaborative approach, embodied in our committees and our board of directors has helped CIRMA

Workers’ Compensation and PTSD: CIRMA releases new white paper on the impact of recently passed bill CIRMA released a new white paper on Public Act No. 19-17: An Act Concerning Workers’ Compensation benefits for certain mental or emotional impairments, mental health care for police officers, parole officers and firefighters.

The white paper covers important information about the bill, which advocates regard as a national model, and features the latest changes to the Workers’ Compensation Act which will expand coverage to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder for qualifying police officers, paid firefighters, volunteer firefighters and parole officers.

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring our members have the latest information on the impact of new public policy, this comprehensive white paper provides pertinent background information, compliance guidelines, frequently asked questions, recommended best practices and guidance for claims and risk management.

Visit CIRMA.org to access the new white paper and stay tuned for details on upcoming regional training sessions on this topic.

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identify and create a wide range of risk management and claims solutions. With these resources, CIRMA members experience fewer losses and are a driving force behind CIRMA’s financial strength, rate stability and our Members’ Equity Distribution program,” said David Demchak, CIRMA President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Our members face many challenges in providing municipal services in today’s environment,” said Demchak. “During a time of continued fiscal stress for many municipalities, CIRMA’s Members’ Equity Distribution program is one of the most important outcomes of our mission-based focus,” he added.

Visit CIRMA.org for more information.

Excellence in Risk Management Awards - Calling for Applications!

CIRMA’s Excellence in Risk Management Award Program recognizes CIRMA members who have demonstrated outstanding risk management leadership and results.

The Excellence in Risk Management Award application process allows CIRMA members to nominate their own entity, their own or other departments in their entity, or another CIRMA member’s program.

There are four award categories: • Substantial Impact on Total Cost of Risk.

• Establishing Risk Management as an Organizational Priority.

• New and Innovative Risk Management Initiatives.

• Sustained Risk Management Programs.

Each of the four 2020 Award recipients will receive a $2,500 risk management grant!

Know of a risk management initiative or team that has helped reduce losses, increased awareness, or improved the safety culture within the workplace? Apply today to help them get the recognition they deserve for their achievements in risk management!

Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2019.

To learn more about the program and to download an application, visit CIRMA.org.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 17

CIRMA CIRMA Welcomes New Staff Behind our financial strength and leading products and services is the true CIRMA difference: Our People.

The CIRMA team is passionate, talented and dedicated; they are the foundation of our success and proven track record. It’s our staff who help create our innovative solutions and deliver on the promises we make our members, every day. The CIRMA team makes a difference,” said David Demchak, President and Chief Executive Officer of CIRMA. April Martin will be working with David Demchak in the position of CIRMA Director of Marketing.

April received a Bachelor of General Studies-Business Technology and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut (UCONN) and has over 10 years of marketing/communications experience in the insurance industry.

Daniel Driscoll

April Martin

Prior to joining CIRMA, April held the position of Director, Claim Marketing & Communications with Travelers Insurance located in Hartford. April is also an awarded veteran of the United States Navy.

Jake Duckworth

Jake Duckworth will be working with Fiona Porto in the position of Underwriter II. Jake graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics.

Jake also completed his CPCU certification. Prior to joining CIRMA, Jake held the position of Senior Underwriting Technical Associate, Property Treaty at Odyssey Re located in Stamford, CT.

Sean McMillan will be working with Lisa Mattei and Mike Wampold in the position of Sr. Workers’ Compensation Claims Representative. Sean received a Bachelor of Science in Communications from William Paterson University located in Wayne, New Jersey and has over 13 years of claims management experience.

Prior to joining CIRMA, Sean held the position of Workers’ Compensation Adjuster for Chubb & Son Insurance.

Sean McMillan

Daniel Driscoll will be working with Lisa Mattei and Mike Wampold in the position of Workers’ Compensation Claims Representative. Prior to joining CIRMA permanently, Dan held the position of Workers’ Compensation Claims Intern. Dan, recently received a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the University of Connecticut.

Marquise Huie will be working with Pamela Keyes in the position of Jr. Software Engineer. Marquise, received a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Hartford. Prior to joining CIRMA, Marquise held the position of Associate Programmer Analyst for DXC Technology located in Norwich.

Marquise Huie

Matthew Murphy will be working with Joey Barbera and Pamela Keyes in the position of Risk Management Jr. Consultant. Prior to joining CIRMA permanently, Matt held the position of Risk Management Intern.

Matt, recently graduated from Temple University located in Philadelphia, PA where he received Matthew Murphy a Bachelor of Business Administration degree majoring in Risk Management and Insurance with a minor in Management Information Systems.

Samantha Trezza will be working with Joey Barbera and Pamela Keyes in the position of Risk Management Consultant Trainee. Sam, recently graduated from Florida Atlantic University located in Boca Raton, FL. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing. Prior to joining CIRMA, Sam held the position of Operations and Marketing Intern with Drive Cowork, LLC located in New Haven.

Samantha Trezza

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 19

CIVIC AMENITIES The Value Of Dedicated Employees Guilford hands out inaugural Employee Recognition Award

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rom top to bottom, biggest cities to smallest towns, no municipality can survive without the people that make it happen: the dedicated employees that work tirelessly day in and day out. The Town of Guilford wanted to make sure that they were highlighting these special individuals, so they created the “Guilford Employee Recognition Award”.

This inaugural year, the award was given to Assistant Town Clerk Scott Carle.

First Selectman Matt Hoey, who originally envisioned this award, “encouraged all employees to nominate other employees who should be recognized for outstanding achievement and performance in their work.”

Through all the applications, Assistant Town Clerk Scott Carle was chosen after being nominated by Town Clerk Anna Dwyer.

From her nominating letter, she described Carle as “one of the most courteous and helpful people [she] has ever met,” going on to say “he never gets upset with difficult customers and always manages to inject a little humor in our day. He goes out of his way to help locate deeds or maps and to explain things to people who have no understanding of how the land record system works.

“Scott is one of the most reliable and dependable people I have ever worked with. When he has had to work alone and has no one to cover the lunch hour, he refuses to close the office because he is sympathetic to other title searchers and attorneys who might be inconvenienced. My decision to hire Scott as an Assistant Town Clerk was the best decision I have made since becoming Town Clerk over six years ago.”

Among his many accomplishments, one initiative would be appreciated by office workers in municipalities and beyond: he automated a number of forms, which made them easier for everyone to use.

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As part of the award, he received a framed Employee Recognition Award certificate and a gift card from First Selectman Hoey.

Though Carle is the first recipient of the Employee Recognition Award, he is not the only employee working in the town of Guilford that deserves recognition.

In regards to that, at a yet to be decided schedule, the town will be reviewing applications to recognize more employees like Carle.

CIVIC ACHIEVEMENT

A Path To Sustainability

Middletown looks to silver-level certification in Sustainable CT

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hough only in its second year, Sustainable CT has reached many impressive milestones, including signing up a full 50% of the municipalities in Connecticut. It’s proof that our towns and cities remain dedicated to a green future. But there are many paths to sustainability, making those individual achievements unique to each municipality. One such journey that has been getting a lot of attention is Middletown’s path to earning silver-level certification after making the bronze-level cut in 2018.

The face of this achievement is Ingrid Eck, the sustainability coordinator for Middletown through both the bronze and silver level certifications. Her accomplishments and goals were written up in both the Middletown Press and the Wesleyan University blog, where she is a recent graduate.

On the Wesleyan blog, she says that “much of [her] work involved research what laws, programs, events, or municipal entities had already been established that related to sustainability.” Fortunately, there were many programs and events already in place that showed Middletown’s initiative to become a more sustainable municipality, but there was room for more work to be done.

“Luckily,” she says, “I was simultaneously able to work on a handful of projects that were started during the summer from the ground up. It was exciting to see innovative projects come to life because we recognized, through the application process, that there was a need for them in Middletown. I really appreciate how thorough

Sustainable CT was in crafting their different ‘actions’ and that they interpreted sustainability in the broadest sense, so as to include themes from equity to art.”

Because of this, there are events being held to promote a more inclusive and greener future that will help Middletown in their application for silver-level certification. Some events include an anti-racism workshop that was held on August 7 at Middlesex Community college and the Solar-For-All campaign. Eck is also looking forward to an Urban Farming symposium that will take place on October 12 and 13 at Wesleyan.

Middletown is one of the initial 22 communities that received certification in the first year of Sustainable CT, which was created in partnership between CCM and the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University. Recently, the Connecticut Tree Protective Association (CTPA) donated trees to those first 22 communities along with a small plaque, planted in conjunction with Arbor Day. As the CTPA says on their website, “what better way to symbolize sustainability than a tree planted in each sustainable community?” Those trees are just one of a number of sustainable symbols, like the certification levels that each of the Sustainable CT communities recieve. Each municipality has made a commitment to sustainability in the years to come, forging their own path to a greener future.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

EN TE AV

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A MIN L R

NEW HAVEN TERMINAL, INC.

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The Economic Development section of CT&C is sponsored by New Haven Terminal, Inc. Learn more at: www.nhterminal.com

NEW H

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORPORATE

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Celebrate Good Times!

Public, Business and Government come together to celebrate Plainfield

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here’s a symbiotic relationship between a municipality’s people, businesses, and government, and one of the most encouraging things to see is when all three come together. That’s what makes Celebrate Plainfield Day such a great day for residents and the larger CT community.

Some locals might remember it as Pride in Plainfield Day, later rebranded as Celebrate Plainfield Day. It is a free day-long event at Lion’s Park, and was held on August 3 this year. According to Town Planner Mary Ann Chinatti there were vendors set up, games, Daisy Doodles the Clown, a DJ, food, and much more.

The Economic Development Commission (EDC), of which Chinatti is a member, also includes Business of the Year awards during Celebrate Plainfield Day. In the months leading up to it, the EDC distributed nomination forms asking the public to nominate a business they believed deserving, and after deliberation at the EDC’s special meeting a winner was chosen. The 2019 Plainfield Business of the Year was Westminster Tool.

The company is invested in their local community, and even say so on their website in which they tout their community focus. They boast about their “unique employee centric business model,” which has helped them grow “from a single person operation to a world class manufacturing firm with over 40 employees.” Their team is dedicated to finding new solutions in the plas-

Kylee Carbone showing off the 2019 Business of the Year Award she received on behalf of Westminster Tool

tic industry, and they pride themselves on the fact that the average age on the Westminster team is 33.

Westminster Tool was presented with a plaque at the Business of the Year presentation during the day’s celebrations.

But the celebrations and partying don’t stop there. Two more events will take place in Plainfield before summer’s end, Chinatti tells us. The 58th Annual VJ Day parade was held on August 11, which is one of only three remaining parades held in commemoration of the day in the country.

There is also Hillfest, which will be

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held on September 14, with special guests like Braiden Sunshine from TV’s “The Voice” as well as Justin Gigliello who will entertain audiences before four bands battle for the chance to get a music video produced by Platinum Gear Productions.

“Celebrate Plainfield Day does, indeed, spark hometown pride by bringing residents and businesses together at Lions Park for the free day-long event,” Chinatti said. That hometown pride means that people are happy to work there, and to live there. And when everyone comes together, there’s no reason not to celebrate!

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Importing Economics The Port of New Haven has a long history and a bright future

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ne of the common refrains about the State of Connecticut is that it is perfectly situated between New York City and Boston, two cities that need no introduction on an international scale.

Judi Scheiffele, the Executive Director of the New Haven Port Authority, appeared on CCM’s Municipal Voice podcast. She wants to convince everyone that the Port of New Haven is perfectly situated for economic development in its own right.

One of the most impressive pieces of information about the Port is that the Army Corps of Engineers places New Haven as the 53rd most busy by volume, as well as being the busiest port between the behemoths of New York and Boston.

Most of the freight, according to Scheiffele, is liquid freight, including home heating oil, gas, and even jet fuel. The rest of the freight is made up of things like salts, including 90% of the salts used on the roads and salts used by the Water Pollution Control Authorities to break down materials.

While concerns about the quality of the air and pollutants have been raised for years, Scheiffele notes that there are many mitigating factors. For one, new U.S. and International regulations have capped the sulfur that comes from boats.

Add to that Scheiffele estimates 126 trucks are taken off I-91 weekly because the jet fuel that is stored in New Haven runs to Hartford by pipeline to be used at Bradley Airport. The salts used by the WPCA take approximately 600 trucks off the roads from the Port of New York. These are very real savings on emissions from trucks, as well as plenty of cars off the road.

Additionally, “most of the contaminants found in the sediment, are legacy contaminants,” she notes, “that has little to do with current activities.”

Many New Haveners may not be aware how far the Harbor came up, but most of Long Wharf has been built up with water reaching Water Street at one point in time. Much of this soil was dredged out of the harbor to deepen it to the current depth of 35 feet.

The only way to grow the Port of New Haven is to deepen it, and the Army Corps of Engineers is in the process of conducting a feasibility study on just that.

There is a “break-even” line at 40 feet, which means dredging up five feet of sediment.

These five feet will allow the next size class of boats to port in New Haven Harbor, but who that is nobody knows: “at this point, we don’t even know who’s not coming in here.”

But these plans are not going to happen overnight, they will have to be studied, and reauthorized by the U.S. Senate.

In the more immediate future, New Haven has big plans for Long Wharf, including a complete revamping of its image. Scheiffele says that she wants to see more recreational boats out on the water, but there have also been discussions with the New Haven Boat House on how to best educate recreational communities about safety when it comes to big ships.

Planning by town and state officials in the past has kept most of the Harbor activity on the east side, but there’s plenty of room for both business and sport in New Haven Harbor.

For many people, the New Haven Harbor is just a collection of tanks on the side of 91, but that’s only part of the story. It is a microcosm of companies that have real benefits for the area, perfectly situated to boost the area economically.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 23

EDUCATION The Education section of CT&C is sponsored by Gateway Community College’s GREAT Center.

Learn more at: www.gatewayct.edu/Great-Center

Andover Elementary Gets An A New measures and new uses for a school building

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rom so humble a beginning, a public school transformed from a one room house to a building replete with library, computer room, and space for many, many classes. But with the greater size comes great responsibility to make sure that the space is being used well and that they are safe for all. The Town of Andover has over the last year made upgrades and plans to ensure just that.

Last year, in addition to submitting the mandatory school safety plan for Andover Elementary School to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, they announced many safety initiatives they had implemented over the past year.

These include security cameras, new protocols in securing the building, and drills such as fire and lockdown drills. Quoted in the Meriden Journal Inquirer, Superintendent Sally Doyen said that they’ve “had a plan in place now for several years, but this is updating a lot of specific information. Overall, it gives us more to think about in terms of total safety and security.”

One issue with school buildings is that they go unused for a few months out of every year. This year, Andover added a summer camp to find utility in the off months.

Co-sponsored by the town’s Recreation Commission, COOL (the after-school program at Andover Elementary), Andover Lake Property Owners Association, Andover Library, and Andover Senior Transportation.

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The goal was to bring together all the town’s resources to give kids a safe environment during the summer, while keeping them entertained. Activities include gardening, hiking, arts and crafts, building, sports, nature study, water play, wood working, science exploration, and more according to the town’s website. They also visited Andover Lake, and received swim lessons there.

Another way that the town is trying to make sure they are using the most of their resources is by converting some underused parts of Andover Elementary School into a space to be used by seniors. The idea was sparked in response to the loss of space for senior programs due to a mold problem.

This situation would be temporary as the town looks to create a permanent place for a community center that could house senior activities as the town’s population gets older. Right now, the school is at below capacity due to national population trends, and it might be a cost-saving measure in the short term. Board of Education Chairwoman Shannon Louden estimates the project will cost less than $100,000.

One lesson to be learned is that you should make use of the spaces you have, whether it’s for children, seniors, or anyone in between. A one-room school house often stood in for a meeting place as well as a place for education. As size of schools grew, so did the many uses to be gotten out of them, Andover Elementary School is proof of that.

EDUCATION

< Language = Learning >

Wilton’s education programming part of future

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t used to be that if a high school student told you they were learning a language, you would ask if they were learning French or Spanish, even Mandarin or Russian. But the times have changed, and while foreign languages might still be a requirement for many high schools, don’t be surprised if the student said they were learning HTML, CSS, Javascript, or one of the many computer languages that build our digital world.

Wilton for instance has courses in Digital Literacy, Computer Applications, Website Design, and Introduction to Computer Programming that were designed with the modern student in mind. Students will be able to “develop and refine computer skills based on individual interests and abilities,” while applying that knowledge to creating business portfolios and 2D games and learning site planning.

One student, Nish Wangneo, has taken lessons he’s learned from Wilton and beyond to pay it forward by teaching advanced lessons in coding. The language he is teaching is in Python, which is used to build everything from websites to applications, and some very recognizable organizations use the language: Wikipedia, Google, NASA, Facebook, and Spotify all use Python.

Wangneo offers his classes in libraries in Bridgeport, Wilton, Norwalk, and New Canaan, and has a slew of laptops he brings with him that he was able to purchase using a GoFundMe page.

This is all part of a larger push into computer science education in public schools for everyone in order to stay competitive in the long term. The Connecticut State Board of Education (CSBE) said in a document from 2018 that they believe “computer science is a key to developing and integrating 21st Century Skills,” and that “all Connecticut public schools must provide for challenging and rigorous programs of study in computer science across all grade levels.”

There are many implementation models, which include getting children familiar at a very young age by integrating computer science early in their education, hopefully ending with AP Computer Science and specialized courses by the time students reach high school.

Tech giant Apple has offered products to learn their own coding language, Swift, as a way to get people of all ages familiar with the way that computer language works. You can write commands then watch them appear as applications on an iPad, or even advanced lessons that can control robotic movements.

Learning French, Spanish, or German will still be an important part of a worldly student, but being part of the greater digital world means that students have whole new sets of languages to learn. Wilton is already adding computer literacy classes, and their students are paying it forward by teaching free lessons in libraries.

But sooner rather than later, all schools will be adding computer science to their curricula.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 25

ENERGY Putting The Green In Greenwich Energy Commission looks to reduce energy spending

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ccording to Wallethub, Connecticut has the unenviable position of being the most expensive state for energy costs in the country. Both monthly electricity and monthly heating-oil ranked CT in the top five most costly states, only gasoline was moderately cheap compared to other states. Perhaps it was with this information in mind that Greenwich has formed an Energy Commission.

The stated goal of the commission is to cut energy consumption by at least 20% with a long term goal of a reduction of 40%. Couched under the Conservation Commission, these reductions hope to make a dent in the nearly $6 million the town spends annually on energy. According to their energy conservation plan released in June, this makes up nearly 1.5% of the town’s operating budget, if they make their goals, which would be a savings of $1.2 – $2.5 million.

In their conservation plan, they outline some of the methods that they will use to reach these goals. In existing buildings, there will be moves to replace appliances and light bulbs with Energy Star and LEDs respectively.

Just a few years ago, LED light bulbs were expensively priced, but as production and adoption increase, they became much more feasible for large scale projects.

Other initiatives on existing buildings is to look heavily

into renewable energy sources such as solar.

But, on new buildings, the game is completely different. On the Eastern Greenwich Civic Center, they are starting with a “clean slate” to add green measures wherever applicable, meaning that they “could be designed and built to zero energy, if the Town had the will to do so.”

“None of these changes is likely to be implemented to a meaningful extent,” the conservation plan says, “without a dedicated Energy Commission charged with formulating goals and overseeing the path forward for both municipal buildings and the community.”

Greenwich is not exactly new at being green. They already have joined the Clean Energy Program, C-PACE, Energize CT, and Solarize CT; all of which have the goals of going green to save the planet and to find cost-effective ways to build up that green infrastructure.

The Energy Commission is acknowledgement of the concerted effort a town must make to enact change.

Joining one of the above organizations, or CCM’s own Sustainable CT can lead a municipality on a path that is both green and cost-efficient. In a state that ranks as the most expensive for energy costs, those savings can really add up!

ENERGY ELECTRICITY | SOLAR PV | NATURAL GAS | STREETLIGHTING

CCM Energy is a multi-service program that helps CCM-member municipalities, their school systems, including all regional school districts, and local public agencies save money on annual energy-related costs.

CCM Energy:

ENERGY ELECTRICITY | SOLAR PV | NATURAL GAS | STREETLIGHTING

• Reduces the cost of electricity and natural gas through strategic competitive energy purchasing • Competitively procures long-term Power Purchase Agreements for Solar PV and Virtual Net Metering • Assists municipalities with the purchase, maintenance, and upgrade of streetlights to LED technology • Provides owner’s representation service for: Energy Saving Performance Contracting Projects Municipal Microgrid Projects

Contact Andy Merola: 203 498-3056, or amerola@ccm-ct.org for additional information.

26 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

Climate Control Watch: Hartford

ENERGY

Energy efficiency puts Hartford on the map

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uly of 2019 was the hottest month on record for the city of Hartford, and thanks to climate change, six of the hottest summers on record have been in the last 10 years. That means a lot of ACs will be running, but in the city of Hartford, most of them are probably energy savers: Hartford was recently named a top 25 Clean Energy City.

The scorecard was released by the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) which “tracks policy efforts to advance renewable energy in addition to energy efficiency, because both are needed to build a clean energy future and address climate change.”

The scorecard ranks cities in five policy areas: Local government operations, community-wide intitiatives, building policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies.

Three of Connecticut’s major cities ranked on the ACEEE’s list, with Hartford coming in at 24, Bridgeport at 42, and New Haven at 51. A special ranking was given to Hartford, along with Cincinnati and Providence as 2019 Cities to Watch.

From the ACEEE website: These three cities “did not make the top 10 but stand out for adopting several major clean energy policies and programs since early 2017, improving their ranks since the last scorecard.

Hartford created an energy improvement district, began converting its streetlights to LEDs, and has taken steps to improve location efficiency through improvements to the zoning code.”

In 2017, the City of Hartford adopted the Climate Action Plan, which set out to identify “goals and strategies within six interconnected areas: Energy, Food, Landscape, Transportation, Waste, and Water,” with the stated goal of making “incremental but consistent progress” consistent with values of “Public Health, Economic Development, and Social Equity.”

Efforts like this have translated into major successes for the city, which are being recognized by the ACEEE. Overall, Connecticut is in the top ten for energy efficiency.

Governor Lamont was quick to praise the report, quoted in WSHU as saying, “You know, Hartford, we do have a lot to celebrate. We’ve got a lot of momentum here. And it’s good to see us moving up in the rankings in something, and energy efficiency is important.”

Surprisingly, the total score for Hartford out of a possible 100 was 43.50, which earned it the top-third position, even Boston at number one still only scored a 77.50. This goes to show that the amount of work being done is a great start, but is still not enough.

CCM Job Bank

Current Listings: Town Engineer TOLLAND Town Manager CLINTON

“A little bird told me about a job you might be interested in.”

Highway Superintendent GREENWICH

Jobs posted to CCM’s Job Bank can also be found on twitter @CCM_ForCT

To place or view an ad, please visit the CCM Municipal Job Bank at

http://ccm-ct.org SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ENVIRONMENT

A Day At The Park

Mohegan Park, Norwich

Shining light on some of Connecticut’s “Hidden Gems”

By Claudia Labelle, CCM Communications Intern

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hen visiting various municipal parks around the state, municipal employees often refer to their park as a “hidden gem.” Well, now they’re coming out of hiding. Municipal parks provide a wonderful space for the community to come together, both for enjoyment and the improvement of the park itself. They also provide a safe outdoor space for visitors to learn, relax, and take in the fresh air. As opposed to state parks, almost every municipality has at least one town park. These parks vary greatly, from your classic park to ones with beach or water access, incredible views, significant historical features or parks that have been restored and improved.

When you imagine a classic park, you probably picture a space for recreation that provides a safe entrance into the natural environment around you. In Connecticut some of these classic parks include Cat Hollow Park and Clark Park. Cat Hollow Park is located in Killingly and has a paved trail, making it accessible for biking, strollers and people with physical disabilities.

The trail runs along the Whetstone Brook with sites including the mill pond and waterfalls. Following the path next to the calming brook will bring a feeling of peace and serenity to any visitor.

Clark Park is located in Old Saybrook and, at first glance, the park does not seem like much — just a few baseball fields and a basketball court. But, when you walk into the park you will discover a glistening pond hopping with wildlife and wooded walking trails surrounded by bright green ferns. These lively features allow people to connect with nature.

There is nothing like a rewarding view after a walk, run, or hike. East Rock Park, Hubbard Park, and Henry Park all provide breathtaking views to their visitors. Hubbard Park in Meriden has a number of features such

28 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

East Rock Park, New Haven

as a pond, playgrounds, and a pool, in addition to the trails leading up to Castle Craig. Use of the pond ranges from fishing to feeding the many different birds.

This allows for a variety of different people to enjoy the space. If you make the drive or walk up the winding roadway to Castle Craig, you are rewarded at the top by the vast views that stretch as far as New Haven and Long Island Sound.

Henry Park in Vernon is home to the historic Fox Hill Tower which has a beautiful view of Downtown Rockville from the top. The park also has a pool, picnic area and a pavilion, and all of these amenities including the tower can be rented out for parties and events.

East Rock Park in New Haven has a number of recreational amenities, ranging from athletic fields and courts to access to the river for canoes and kayaks.

The park also provides a view of the city like no other spot in the area. You can even see all the way to the CCM office!

ENVIRONMENT Similarly, Elizabeth Park in Hartford and West Hartford provides a view from one of its gardens of the Hartford skyline. The park is well known for its beautiful rose garden, but there are also eight other gardens with a variety of eye-catching plantings.

Everybody loves spending time by the water and Connecticut municipal parks offer many different ways to do so. Seaside Park in Bridgeport provides a long stretch of beach that welcomes dogs and their owners to enjoy Long Island Sound. Culture of the community is featured in the park as well, with a number of sculptures and public art. This park as well as Elizabeth and Hubbard Parks, was designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. As seen through these parks, Olmsted brought elegant greenspace to otherwise urban areas. Falls Village in Canaan features rushing waterfalls that can be viewed by hiking the wooded trails or lounging on the rocks.

Mohegan Park in Norwich offers a very different environment, with a pleasant pond that has a fenced in beach with a lifeguard, making it a great place for families. There is also a paved walking trail around the pond, allowing those who are physically disabled to enjoy the park.

Both Riverside Park in New London and Riverfront Park in Glastonbury have beautiful river views. Riverfront Park provides access to the Connecticut River with its boat launch and dock. In addition, there is a boat house for visitors to enjoy the river passing by, and events are often held inside. Riverside Park allows people to view passing boats and wildlife along the Thames River.

Improvement and change are keys to success in any situation, but they are especially important in something as essential to a community as a park. Riverside and Riverfront parks have both undergone restoration with great results. Riverside Park has improved its reputation with efforts made by the City of New London to make a safe and inviting environment through events like the park’s Community Clean-up Day. Trees have been cleared to open up the park to the sun

Elizabeth Park, Hartford

and the river, lights have been added to the basketball court, and Emilie’s Shady Spot playground (dedicated to Emilie Parker, a victim of the Sandy Hook shooting), and a gazebo with picnic tables were added. When visiting, Mayor Michael Passero expressed “it’s still a work in progress”, but all of their accomplishments would not have been met without the many volunteers who have given their time to the park.

Riverfront Park, a former tank farm, has been transformed into a great park that has been acknowledged for the Town of Glastonbury’s efforts with two awards, the “Community Partnership Program Excellence Award” and the “Innovation in Park Design Award.” In reference to the creation of the park, Town Manager Richard Johnson said, “I can’t think of a better way to describe it than community partnership.” A tremendous amount of work and time have been put into this park to make it the hub it is today. When asked about the future of the park, Johnson said, “for decades residents of Glastonbury and others are going to be able to go to programs, play basketball, go to the playground with their children or just sit and watch the river go by.”

Parks with historical significance provide a great place to learn about and remember the past. Harrybrooke Park in New Milford, known for its peacocks who have recently made a reappearance in the park, has much to offer. The land has a long history going back to the 1940s when it was the Harden Estate. When the Hardens passed away they left all the land to the people of New Milford. Visitors are welcome to walk the grounds, enjoy the sound of the rushing waterfall, and even tour the Harden House Museum.

Cat Hollow Park has a historical background as well.

This land was once the site of three mills that used the brook for water power. Throughout the years the mills have worn many different hats: from saw, grist, cotton and woolen mills. Some ruins of the mills can be seen by the trail and the Elmville Mill is actually still standing.

Great Falls, Canaan

Now that these gems are out of hiding, get out and enjoy all that they have to offer! Or find your own hidden gem in CT’s many municipal parks!

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

ENVIRONMENT

Land Trust Awarded For Efforts

Town of Bethany recognizes benefits of volunteer efforts

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ne of the primary lessons to be taken from the Parks Project is how precious these parks are. In the grand scheme of things, the first European settlers came in the not too distant past, and development has happened at a break-neck speed.

These plots of land have had to be preserved or reclaimed to be the natural oases that they once were, and that’s only done through the hard work of people or organizations. Recently, the Bethany Land Trust was named Conservation Organization of the Year for these efforts.

In the June issue of the Bethany Bulletin, the organization was recognized for “recent open space acquisitions and over 50 years of land stewardship” in the town.

At the town meeting this past May, the award was presented by Bruce Loomis, the Chairman of the Bethany Conservation Commission to “recognize excellence in environmental protection or significant

contributions to the advancement of conservation.”

Of note was the recent acquisition of the Globe Preserve, described by the Land Trust as a 25-acre inholding in the Mendell’s Folly/ Woodward Preserve complex that was retained by the family when the Mendell’s Folly Preserve was donated to the Trust in 1971.

The Land Trust was able to purchase the property at half the appraised value due to the generosity of the Mendell/Grobe family, and had utilized a grant from the Audubon Society/Army Corps of Engineers In-Lieu Fee Wetland mitigation program to make the purchase.

The purchase came during the Land Trust’s 50th year, and had established a Stewardship Fund to protect and preserve in perpetuity the 186-acre complex, as well as to design trails. All of Mendell’s Folly is available to hike, but no motorized vehicles or hunting; both dogs

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and horses are allowed, but dogs must be leashed and horses only on marked paths.

Linda Francois, president of the Land Trust offered this quote upon accepting the award: “I am pleased to accept this award on behalf of our wonderful group of volunteer directors and officers, and other terrific volunteers, and with grateful thanks to our loyal supporters, including friends who have left a legacy in their wills. Having your financial support provides a war chest to take advantage of land preservation opportunities when they arise. Thank you for your support.”

It is with the tireless work of Linda Francois and the volunteers and staff of the Bethany Land Trust that the town has been able to conserve so much land. In each town and city in Connecticut there are people who are making all of these parks possible, making Connecticut a better, greener place for everyone.

It Takes A Municipality

GOVERNANCE

Oxford brings everyone together for a special sustainability project

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nyone who has driven through Oxford lately must have seen the tremendous amount of growth experienced over the last couple of years. None of this could be possible without the Oxford Main Street Project, a multi-phase community development project that has participation from the local government, the state, local businesses and professionals, environmental agencies, and more.

According to materials provided to CT&C from the Town of Oxford, the aim of this development project is to “provide the community and visitors to the Town of Oxford with world-class trout fishing, hands-on education highlighting the importance of wetlands habitat to our ecosystem and environment, hiking trails, walking and bicycling paths, and shopping and culinary experiences along Oxford Road.”

Recently in July, the Thule Group and the Housatonic Valley Association launched their 3rd Volunteer Day for the eradication of the invasive plant, Japanese Knotweed. This species, which has been a pest all over the state, has created a crop of ideas on how to get rid of it, from goats in parks to clean-up days like this one.

Getting rid of invasive species helps local wetland plants thrive. This balance is vital for the survival of the delicate ecosystem of wetlands habitats.

Both public organizations and private business have hands in projects like that, with much of the credit going to Courteny Morehouse of Housatonic Valley Asso-

ciation who guides the area’s work, Kevin McCormack from the Thule Group who finds and coordinates the volunteers, as well as Kathleen O’Neil, the Chairman of the Oxford Main Street Committee.

The four phases of this project will be to open up the Little River Nature Preserve, and create a walkway/bike path from Riggs Street Quarry Walk, then from the Quarry Walk to fish ladder, and then finally, a connection from Oxford Nature Preserve to Larkin Bridal Trail.

One of the most prominent uses of the area will to be fish in the stream, which has both cold and warm water fish. But it is also “being engineered to include minimal impact to the wetlands, handicap-accessible trails and bridges.”

O’Neil has been able to procure grants for much of the work, including Routing Grants, LOTCIP funding for pathways and sidewalks, a Connecticut Connectivity Grant, and others.

The area is already seeing positive uses. The 8th Annual Ride/Walk for Children to benefit the Parent Child Resource Center, a Triple Crown 2019 charity, was commenced at the Quarry Walk.

It’s often been said that it takes a village to raise a child; to expand that, sometimes it takes a town to bring all of its best resources together in creating a space for everyone to enjoy. Because of the Oxford Main Street Project, soon Oxford residents will have a place to enjoy for many years to come.

Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica)

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 31

INFRASTRUCTURE Hitting The Green

Stamford improves commute times and parking downtown

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overnor Lamont is right in citing transportation and infrastructure as major concerns of Connecticut residents. While the Governor can handle State-level efforts, Stamford has shown us that there are improvements that can be made on the municipal side that will improve the commutes of their residents.

One of the most interesting changes that have been made haven’t been made at road level, but way above with the familiar street signals. The average commuter may notice on their daily commute the timing between two traffic signals — they always hit two greens or two reds in a row, for instance — but they may not know

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32 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

how crucial that timing is to preventing congestion in high-traffic areas.

In his State of the City address, Mayor David Martin had cited a major traffic light resynchronization on Long Ridge Road, High Ridge Road, and West Main Street that improved the flow of traffic.

According to Mayor Martin, the last time Stamford took on this effort was in 1991, and since then new technologies have been made available. The city made use of fiber optics, one of the fastest connections available on the market to allow street lights to respond more quickly and accurately. Figures from the Stamford Advocate suggest that there have been reductions in commutes by over 30% on some streets.

Ironically, because these lights are optimized for the posted speed limits, the more you speed, the more red lights you will hit. That means that in addition to making traffic smoother, they are making it safer at the same time.

With the initial success, the project will be moving forward to Stamford’s downtown area. Mayor Martin says that the City’s Traffic, Transportation and Parking Department has begun work on the downtown area, and expects work to be done by the end of summer.

Once downtown, commuters will have an easier time parking due to upgrades to the parking meters, which now accept all forms of payments including cash, credit cards, and mobile app synchronization for ease of use. Not only are they more people friendly, but they are solar-powered, which means that there’s minimal carbon footprint on their operation.

One highlight of this new system goes to commuters who are unwittingly trying to pay for parking when they don’t need to: “the new meters will refuse payments if a resident attempts to pay outside of operating hours.”

A municipality’s infrastructure is the one way a resident interacts with their city on a nearly daily basis.

Stamford’s efforts to make their town more accessible, safer, and their traffic quicker is one of the reasons that the city has seen such growth.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Along The River Mill And Its Environs Thompson begins remediation of historic river complex

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ne of the greatest problems facing not only Connecticut’s municipalities, but towns and cities across the country, is actually two problems: 1) the loss of manufacturing from the 19th and 20th century is 2) leaving empty factory buildings all across the country. The Town of Thompson has begun the redevelopment process to revitalize the historic River Mill Complex and surrounding areas, but the process has been fraught with unexpected delays and setbacks that will make the end result that much sweeter.

Those familiar with municipal issues are probably familiar with these sites, also known as brownfields. On a currently maintained list by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), there are just over 500 sites that are identified, but that number could be in the thousands.

Many, if not all, are contaminated by some kind of pollutant or waste that require “investigation or remediation before or in conjunction with the restoration, redevelopment, reuse and expansion of the property,” from the definition in the Connecticut General statues.

This makes revitalization a cumbersome process.

The Cities Project, a collaboration between many of the major news outlets in CT, recently wrote about the issue saying that it’s worth “a second look” for municipalities.

Over $200 million worth of grants and loans have been dedicated to brownfield cleanup over the last decade.

It is with a Brownfield Area-wide Redevelopment (BAR) Grant, along with funds from a private developer that paid for the clean-up process around the River Mill Complex.

Described in a report to the Hartford Courant, “each

step in the process brought complications and challenges committee members hadn’t anticipated.” This included disputes over boundaries, soil remediation, water quality testing, and stormwater infrastructure.

Despite these setbacks, the revitalization is almost universally beneficial. DEEP lists some of the benefits as: reducing or eliminating public exposure to pollutants, cleaning up sites that otherwise would not be, reducing environmental impacts by returning areas to productive use, creating the potential for new tax revenue, utilizing existing infrastructure, and most importantly, reversing urban decay and creating jobs.

The River Mill is a prime location for remediation, located near all of Thompson’s public schools, the library/community center, and many other facilities, so it was logical to start this process, but remediation has not happened overnight. For half a decade, residents and officials have been working on the River Mill site to make this redevelopment possible, including preventing a complete demolition of the site, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

It will also be some time before the River Mill site is completed. First Selectman Ken Beausoleil said to the Courant that he expects the development to begin formally in 2020, with an 8-year buildout from there.

Expected are both private residents and businesses to round out the area.

Brownfields represent a loss of manufacturing and a loss of usable space. By renovating and rejuvenating these spaces, you bring jobs back and make the land viable for economic development once again. Though brownfields are really two problems, finding solutions like Thompson has is really a win-win.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 33

PUBLIC SAFETY The Public Safety section of CT&C is sponsored by Emergency Resource Management.

Learn more at: http://ermanagement.com

Big Brother: Watching For Your Safety New cameras and a camera registration program in Enfield

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nfield is updating their policing to align with the ways of the 21st century by adding cameras in trouble areas and updating their technology with a camera registration program.

Following a hit and run in Enfield back in 2006 that police struggled to solve due to a lack of surveillance in the area, police and public safety officials realized that the addition of cameras, specifically in the Thompsonville area, would be a great help.

According to the Journal Inquirer, “the Town Council approved the transfer of $139,000 from the police officers’ salaries account to technology equipment, with the explicit promise the funds would be earmarked to pay for the cameras.”

A camera has the ability to do

part of the job of a police officer stationed at a particular location, acting as a set of eyes in that area without the need to have an officer present. The cameras allow officers to look back at footage at any time and get clips that can be used as evidence, which has a stronger hold in court than eyewitness testimony.

The department emphasizes that the cameras are only being used as a way to look back to the time of an event and hopefully catch a criminal, not as a form of constant surveillance.

Like many other towns, Enfield has implemented a camera registration program on top of their new cameras. The program asks residents and business owners with external cameras to register them on the town website. This will help police have faster access to footage they

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could use in an investigation by eliminating the need for police to search for cameras after an incident has occurred.

Registering your camera will not invade your privacy. Police will not have direct access to your camera footage, but will have your information to ask for certain footage if a crime has occurred in your area.

Registering is easy. If you live in Enfield, just go the town website, select “Police” under the “Departments” tab, then click “Register Your Cameras” located in the left side bar and fill out the form.

With the use of technology and the help of local residents and businesses, Enfield is working to make the community safer. Be a helping hand to your local police and register your cameras on your town website if it is an option!

PUBLIC SAFETY Calling a CodeRED

Fairfield implements a new Reverse 911 system

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hen danger strikes, officials need to be able to communicate with their residents to keep them safe and informed. The Town of Fairfield has adopted a new Emergency Communications Network called CodeRED, which will replace Reverse 911.

Reverse 911 is a technology used by public safety and other town officials throughout the United States and Canada to inform residents of any type of emergency in a timely manner. The CodeRED system is high speed and can target specific geographic areas in which the information they are sending is most useful.

Fairfield will have the ability to inform their residents of any public safety issue that may occur and those who receive these messages are also able to respond, helping the town to gather any other necessary information about the issue at hand. Just as Reverse 911 did, CodeRED is able to target specific areas, sending the information to those who need it most. This helps the officials to get the best possible responses back as well.

This system proved useful in the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing when officials were able to reach both local residents and runners to warn them of the dangers and to keep people informed of the events that were taking place to ensure they took the best actions for their safety.

Another incident in which the system proved its value was in Flagler, Florida. A boy with bipolar disorder and developmental disabilities ran away from home. The local authorities were able to send out messages to people within a certain proximity of the boy’s home, looking for any tips or leads they may have and asking them to call the police with this information. Due to CodeRED’s ability to reach a targeted group of people, the boy was found within a very short time.

As systems like this are only as good as the contact list they are able to reach, the Town of Fairfield encourages residents and business owners in the area to register. This can be done by going to the town’s website, going to the public safety tab on the right side of the bar, and then clicking the link that says “CodeRED Sign Up” on the left and entering your information to create an account.

CodeRED is used in other municipalities across Connecticut, so if you are not a Fairfield resident be sure to visit your municipalities website to see if your town is using the system and sign up for the notifications if the system is available.

SEPTEMBER 2019 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

SOCIAL WELFARE Marching To The Beat

Bloomfield drummer boy statue gets repairs to keep drumming

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ven Drummer Boys get old, which explains the not-too-mysterious disappearance of a famous statue that has sat on the Bloomfield Green for the last 40 years. As part of the larger renovations taking place on the town green, the famous Drummer Boy is going in for a refurbishing.

In a press release sent out to inform concerned citizens about the location of their beloved Drummer Boy, the town went to great lengths to let

people know where he went and just exactly what was happening to him.

The statue, which was erected in 1975 and dedicated for America’s Bicentennial in 1976, had become “dirty, corroded, and was showing its age, so to speak.” Wooden skins were trapping water, which could lead to rot. In the town’s words, “it made sense, in conjunction with the other work going on at the Green, to refurbish the statue.”

The Revolutionary War drummer was sculpted by Wolfgang Behl, according to waymarking.com and stands over 8 feet tall.

An inscription on the statue’s base describes the importance of the drum to the town:

THE BROWN DRUM MADE IN BLOOMFIELD AND CARRIED IN THE REVOLUTION SYMBOLIZES THE SPIRIT OF FREEDOM, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY WHICH CONTINUES TO BURN BRIGHTLY IN THIS PROUD CONNECTICUT TOWN JUNE 5, 1976

The Drummer will receive new, bronze drum skin replacements, much more durable than the wood alternatives, in addition to blasting to remove all corrosion, re-patination, incralac and wax coatings, and structural assessments to ensure that the statue will be standing for years to come.

Where the statue will be standing is still left up to debate. While many thought returning the drummer to the center of the green was the most logical conclusion, it stands out of the way of many, yet in the way of events taking place on the green. They could move it to main intersections or at Town Hall if that is the route they decide to go down.

Public art, especially statues like the beloved Drummer Boy, are important parts of a town’s character.

Keeping them in good condition is extremely important if municipalities and their residents want to see their own Drummer Boys last for generations to come.

36 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | SEPTEMBER 2019

300 Years Young

SOCIAL WELFARE

Celebrations taking place to honor Litchfield’s tercentennial

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eing one of the original colonies, and one of the first five states to adopt the Constitution, Connecticut has left its indelible mark on history, and in turn, history has left its mark on Connecticut. It seems that everywhere you turn there is a farm that’s centuries, not decades old, or a house of a Revolutionary War hero or one that was part of the Underground Railroad. This year is the 300th anniversary of the founding of Litchfield, and the Litchfield Historical Society has found a few ways to celebrate that history.

Opened at the Litchfield History Museum in April of this year, Sold, Made, & Grown in Litchfield is an exhibit that aims to showcase “the history of commerce, industry, and agriculture in the Town of Litchfield.” This exhibit focuses primarily on the last hundred years or so, and includes business signs, historic photographs, and objects that were sold, made, and grown in Litchfield. It is open through November 24, 2019.

There were also options for family fun, with activities that took place at the historical Tapping Reeve meadow. Activities included making candles, painting flowers and playing croquet, and ran periodically throughout the summer.

One other special activity planned to celebrate Litch-

field’s 300 year history is a walking tour of Historic Litchfield. Situated primarily around North Street, South Street, and the green, the area is replete with examples of architecture and history from all three centuries.

Sheldon’s Tavern is an unassuming house on North Street, but the impressive abode built by Elisha Sheldon in 1760 is notable for once housing George Washington on a tour of the North. Just a little closer to the green is Dr. Smith’s Apothecary Shop which opened in 1781, and was moved to its current location in 1812. Interestingly, the oldest house in the area once stood in West Haven, where it was threatened to be torn down in the 1950s.

The party will be going into the fall: The Apple Harvest Festival will be taking place on October 5 from 1 – 4 p.m.

Another special night will be the Community Conversations: Celebrations and Commemorations, where residents are invited to “Take part in the celebration of Litchfield’s 300th Anniversary by sharing [their] own stories.” That event will take place on November 6, 2019 at the Litchfield History Museum. Both are free to attend.

Litchfield’s 300th anniversary celebration is a strong reminder that our towns and cities are filled to the brim with history.

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TECHNOLOGY The Technology section of CT&C is sponsored by Digital BackOffice.

Learn more at: www.digitalbackoffice.com

Are You Afraid Of The Dark?

Ridgefield works to better secure their technology network

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any people fear the dark and the accompanying lack of visibility it brings. Andrew Neblett, the IT Director for the town of Ridgefield, like many others, feared what that lack of visibility meant for his network. Was his network being attacked? If it was, would he even know about it? That sentiment is what pushed Neblett to learn more about how he could better secure his network. With that in mind, Neblett’s first call was to Francis Palacio, the President of Digital BackOffice, his trusted network infrastructure partner.

Network infrastructure, like building construction, requires a combination of industry knowledge, experience, capital, and human resources. Digital BackOffice’s team has decades of experience that allows them to provide personal attention to understanding customer needs. Understanding Neblett’s concerns, Palacio started by demonstrating the kind of visibility Neblett knew he needed.

As a Palo Alto Networks partner, Digital BackOffice leveraged the Security Lifecycle Review (SLR) tool.

An SLR integrates findings based on data collected by an onsite device during a specified time period that includes: applications, SaaS-based applications, URL traffic, content types, and known and unknown threats traversing the network. Palacio also ran a Palo Alto Networks Traps Advanced End Point Protection demonstration in parallel with the SLR presentation to show Neblett, in real-time, what was getting through his current network security lineup.

Having multiple products operating and analyzing data in silos led to a fragmented and incomplete view of what was happening on Neblett’s network. The Digital BackOffice and Palo Alto Networks teams were able to demonstrate how Traps provides superior endpoint threat prevention while bridging the gap between endpoint and perimeter security, which improves the efficiency and effectiveness of Next-Generation Firewalls to provide a stronger defense with fewer resources. This unified approach to security also provides unmatched visibility and adaptability.

In January of 2019, the town of Ridgefield implemented Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Firewalls and Traps Advanced End Point Protection. Neblett shared that although government funding is not necessarily

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abundant for projects like this, he had the full support of his First Selectman, Rudy Marconi. Marconi understood the importance of properly securing the town’s infrastructure. In recent months we have seen two other municipalities in Connecticut hit by cyber-attacks that infected both endpoints and servers and caused data breaches and encryptions. These unfortunate events made Neblett and Marconi all the more confident in their decision to act.

“Traps has already saved me a couple of times. I like that it’s smart and updates itself all the time. It’s proactive for me,” Neblett said. Until now, the missing piece of the security puzzle has been the inability to seamlessly integrate endpoints into a security ecosystem. Attempts to use a hodgepodge of third-party applications, hardware and custom integration to address sophisticated, endpoint-targeted attacks have failed in exploit prevention or early detection of malware.

Palo Alto Networks addresses this gap by integrating firewalls and endpoint security in a way that provides unmatched, comprehensive protection and unhindered visibility.

OK Computers

TECHNOLOGY

Sterling and Colchester understand importance of good tech

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he further we get into the 21st century, the quicker things seem to change. Each new year brings new technologies and faster computers, quickly leaving old equipment in the dust. One consequence is that older hardware and software become increasingly vulnerable to malfunction and hackers. That’s why a handful of towns have begun updating their computer systems.

The town of Sterling recently came up with a plan to replace their aging system, putting out a bid for eight desktop computers and 10 monitors. Also included in the bid was a government license for Windows operating system. The bid was awarded to Putnam-based Savage Systems, LLC. This is just the first phase of a multi-year rollout to ensure that all computers in town are up-to-date. The Computer Assessment Committee, which was created specifically to study this issue, suggested during their February 27 meeting that the purchase be eight computers in the first and second years, and two in the third year. This allows them to spread out the costs, but will also ensure that going forward they can look at their systems on a rolling basis.

The town of Colchester understands this importance better than most, after they were hit with a ransomware virus early this year. They were in the middle of upgrading their computer system when the attack happened, according to the Norwich Bulletin.

Fortunately, no ransom was ever paid as no demand was ever made.

Colchester still went ahead and had a forensic investigator look at their system, which “found no evidence that any information housed within our network was subject to unauthorized access,” according to the town’s press release.

In addition to doing their due diligence by investigating the ransomware incident, they listed all the actions that the town had taken to increase their computer security infrastructure, including: reported to insurance company, IT replaced internet firewalls throughout the town, a new server was purchased to replace the attacked server, all affected hard drives were replaced with new drives, all servers were restored using good nightly backups, new cloud and NAS backup software was purchased, and new safeguards were put in place to protect remote access to servers and workstations.

There’s no perfect guaranteed way to prevent an attack, but ensuring that both hardware and software are up-to-date are good starts. Both are great examples of towns successfully navigating the modern digital landscape. In Sterling, by creating the Computer Assessment Committee, they committed themselves to keeping a sensible schedule of upgrades. In Colchester, they had a roadmap and a course of action that helped keep their information safe, during and after an attack.

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