Connecticut Town & City June 2016

JUNE 2016

CCM RAMPS UP 2017 is coming quickly and CCM’s hard-working advocacy staff is preparing for comprehensive policy development on a range of key challenges

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICERS President, Mark D. Boughton, Mayor of Danbury 1st Vice President, Susan S. Bransfield, First Selectwoman of Portland

Walgreen Eastern Company, Inc. v.

Town of West Hartford, page 13

2nd Vice President, John A. Elsesser, Town Manager of Coventry DIRECTORS Luke A. Bronin, Mayor of Hartford Robert M. Congdon, First Selectman of Preston Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Toni N. Harp, Mayor of New Haven Barbara M. Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury Deb Hinchey, Mayor of Norwich Catherine Iino, First Selectwoman of Killingworth Curt Leng, Mayor of Hamden Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield W. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of Seymour

Inside this issue...

Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury Leo Paul, First Selectman of Litchfield

4 Ramping Up For 2017 Scott Shanley, General Manager of Manchester 6 FY 17 State Budget Adjustments Mark Walter, First Selectman of East Haddam 8 Anti-Blight / PSAPs Study Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland 11 CCM Turns Back Unfunded Mandates PAST PRESIDENTS Lisa Pellegrini, First Selectman of Somers

Matthew B. Galligan Town Manager of South Windsor Herbert C. Rosenthal former First Selectman of Newtown

HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Elizabeth Paterson, former Mayor of Mansfield Stephen Cassano, Selectman of Manchester

Regular Features 10 Executive Director’s Message 21 Q&A - Complete Streets 22 CIRMA News

CCM STAFF

32 Municipal Ethics

Executive Director, Joe DeLong Deputy Director, Ron Thomas Managing Editor, Kevin Maloney Layout & Design, Matthew Ford Production Assistant, Joan Bailey Writer, Christopher Cooper Editorial Assistant, Beth Scanlon

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

Connecticut Town & City © 2016 Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

Ramping Up For 2017

CCM prepares for comprehensive policy development on a range of key state-local challenges

S

pring has turned into summer and the 2016 state legislative session is receding into our rear-view mirror. But 2017 is coming quickly and CCM’s hard-working advocacy staff is already vigorously pursuing a multi-stage strategy to advance a series of state-local initiatives, working closely with municipal CEOs, which will be used to educate state legislative office seekers this fall as well as persuade the newly-seated 2017 General Assembly.

A State-Local Plan and Regional Cooperation Led by Mayor of Danbury and CCM President, Mark Boughton, CCM has begun working on developing a series of statewide policies designed to strengthen the delivery and financing of municipal services, with a lens on (a) expanding on the work of the State Tax Panel (which presented an exhaustive study in December 2015), as the study related to municipal fiscal operations and (b) maximizing inter-municipal cooperation opportunities among.

The CCM member committee heading up this overall effort includes a wide range of mayors, first selectmen and town/city managers from urban, suburban and rural towns across the state.

To ensure the most-expansive thinking possible, CCM will also draw upon experts from universities, non-partisan think tanks, government entities, and other key stakeholders.

The CCM committee, which will begin meeting in July, has two subcommittees -- (a) Property Tax and Local Revenue Diversification and (b) Regional Service Delivery. Both will present reports for the CCM Board of Directors to review and take action on this fall.

The reports should position CCM to respond more effectively to the challenges that await municipalities in 2017 and beyond.

Sustainable Communities CCM’s Task Force on Sustainability provides a strong municipal voice to focus on local government sustainability and helps create a broader framework of support for Connecticut towns. The Task Force is developing a bottom-up blueprint to help municipalities develop sound resilience policies. CCM’s Task Force is chaired

by Betsy Paterson (honorary CCM Board Member, former Mayor of Mansfield and former CCM President).

4 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

This Task Force will provide a blueprint for sustainable projects in Connecticut communities; will partner with universities, nonprofits, and others to gain expertise on reducing negative impacts on ecosystem vitality. A key goal is to provide communities with the education and other materials to develop environmentally sustainable projects that simultaneously reduce cost and the tax burden of Connecticut residents.

CCM is collaborating with the Institute for Sustainable Energy at Eastern Connecticut State University (ISE), and the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation to develop a community rating system that is similar to the highly successful “Sustainable Jersey” initiative. The Task Force is also developing a toolkit and resources that will support all towns through peer to peer learning.

COLT Working Group Reconvened The Council of Large Towns (COLT), CCM’s association of Connecticut’s 20 larger cities CONNECTICUT and towns first established last fall, will reconvene this summer to further brainCOUNCIL OF LARGE TOWNS storm on topics of common interest and concern, as well as to map out a major meeting of the group at CCM’s November 14-15 statewide convention at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.

In terms of the key issues, group will continue to focus on property tax structure, regionalism, transportation and infrastructure, workforce development and other quality of life issues. COLT members agreed that the property tax is regressive and includes too many exemptions.

Members have said they support increased incentives for revenue diversification, regionalism, anti-blight efforts, education and workforce development, including business retention, transportation infrastructure investments, and new ways to get residents in and out of cities. They also have agreed that the State should invest in building a strong competitive workforce while working to retain established companies and attract new ones to Connecticut.

An initial focus will be to develop a comprehensive anti-blight initiative.

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FY 17 State Budget Adjustments

State budget crisis means reductions in state aid to towns

T

he tumultuous budget-making process in Hartford may have concluded but in nearly all corners of the state there is little celebration. There is also still a lot of work to do as municipal leaders strive to make the most of the changes in state funds heading to their hometowns.

The $19.8 billion state spending plan represents a very small overall spending increase of less than 0.5 percent but is nearly $700 million less than what the original 2016-2017 budget called for. In some cases spending levels have been turned back to 2011 levels.

Overall, the budget calls for $3.3 billion in municipal aid, a slight increase of 2.0 percent or $65.5 million more than fiscal year 2016. This includes about $52 million for reimbursement to offset loss of revenue from a motor vehicle tax cap.

Education aid, however, was reduced by nearly $70 million or 2.5 percent. While reductions in aid to municipalities were ultimately less than initially proposed, local officials are faced with a difficult fiscal balancing act and some tough choices.

These numbers include a last-minute $20 million cut in municipal aid by Governor Malloy. The cut is supposed to be tied to Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiency (MORE) Commision-related mandates or regional effeciancies savings. However, the budget contain no mandates releif or regional efficiencies savings.

Education Cuts The budget shaves $68.5 million from education aid but there is some flexibility for cities and towns that lose funds in the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) program. Those communities would be allowed to decrease local budgets to reflect the ECS drop.

Additionally, the state Department of Education will have about $80 million less to spend on grants that

help support local schools.

For FY 2017, there will be no Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) for some towns and cities who will be allowed to reduce their budget with no restrictions.

The eligible districts are those with an “accountability index score” in the top 10 percent of all districts in the state.

For Alliance Districts, the MBR will equal the previous year’s budget appropriation. The MBR for all other districts is the prior year’s appropriation plus any ECS increase. If your district is scheduled to receive a reduction in ECS funding in FY 2017, you can reduce your MBR by that reduced amount. For Alliance Districts that see a reduction in ECS funding, the cut will come from the Alliance District portion of the grant.

Budget reductions are allowed for districts that meet the following conditions: • Any district with 20 percent or more of its student population eligible for free or reduced-price lunches and a student population as of the October 1 count two years prior that is less than the count for October 1 three years prior.

• Any district that does not maintain a high school and pays tuition to another school district and a student population attending high school as of the October 1 count two years prior that is less than the count for October 1 three years prior.

• Any district that demonstrates new savings through increased district efficiencies or through regional collaboration.

Non-Education Aid Non-education grants would total just under $600 million in FY 2017, an increase of about $134 million or 30 percent above FY 2016 levels.

In some cases spending levels have been turned back to 2011 levels.

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Municipal Revenue Sharing Account (MRSA)

MUNICIPAL LAW

Reimbursement estimates and priorities of the Municipal Revenue Sharing Account (MRSA) program created in 2012 are scheduled to be funded with sales tax revenue (0.5 percent) beginning on July 1, 2017. That money will be used to pay MRSA grants in FY 2018. The state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) must set aside and ensure availability of MRSA funds in a specific order.

FY 2018 and FY 2019 order of funding 1. Motor vehicle cap reimbursement 2. Grants payable through the Select PILOT Account 3. Sales tax revenue sharing grants 4. $7 million for regional services grants to COGs FY 2020 order of funding: 1. Motor vehicle cap reimbursement 2. Grants payable through the Select PILOT Account

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3. $7 million for regional services grants to COGs 4. Sales tax revenue sharing grants

Motor Vehicle Tax Cap Under original budget language, the motor vehicle taxes would have been capped in municipalities with tax rates over 32 mills. To offset the loss in the local revenue, the state had planned to share portions of sales tax receipts with towns and cities.

However, because the final budget reduces the amount of revenue sharing with municipalities, the new cap is now up to 37 mills in FY 2017. Furthermore, the subsequent implementer bill, which includes language as to how the budget will be actually implemented, raised the cap to 37 mills for just one year – the 2015 Grand List. For those towns and cities that have already adopted their local budgets, the state is giving them the option of re-opening the local budget and raising the mill rate to 37 to be able to take part in the capping program.

Special taxing districts may not impose a mill rate that, when combined with the municipality’s motor vehicle mill, would exceed the cap. Municipalities with more than one taxing district are allowed to set a uniform motor vehicle mill rate across the entire municipality.

For municipalities that set their motor vehicle mill rate at 32 mills before the effective date of the legislation, their rate must be the lesser of: •

The rate they set for real and personal property, other than motor vehicles, for the October, 1, 2015, assessment year;

•

The rate they set after the effective date of the legislation that is less than 37 mills; or 37 mills.

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Kari L. Olson Co-chair kolson@murthalaw.com 860.240.6085 Alfred E. Smith, Jr. Co-chair asmith@murthalaw.com 203.772.7722 Nan M. Birdwhistell Bridget M. D’Angelo Patricia Boye-Williams Proloy K. Das Michael J. Donnelly Donald Griffith Michael C. Harrington Dwight A. Johnson Paul R. Michaud Joseph B. Schwartz Michael A. Zizka GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

Jane W. Murphy* Chair jmurphy@murthalaw.com 860.240.6143 Michael J. Martone* mmartone@murthalaw.com 860.240.6109 David J. McQuade* dmcquade@murthalaw.com 860.240.6141 * Not an attorney

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JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

Blight Fight

CCM pushing for new anti-blight laws

B

light is never a welcome neighbor and increasingly towns and cities have been looking for ways to step up the fight against blight. Far from being simple eyesores, dilapidated or abandoned properties can be safety hazards and magnets for unwanted activity that hurt property values and diminish the quality of life.

In urban areas, housing density makes blight an even bigger problem, affecting so many more neighbors and neighborhoods by simple proximity. Many towns and cities have enacted new or beefedup local ordinances, some including hefty fines for scofflaws and others who are noncompliant.

CCM and its members believe there are important tools that, if enact-

ed, would help local governments improve the quality of life in their communities through anti-blight efforts. Between now and the beginning of the 2017 session of the General Assembly, CCM will be working with our partners – especially CCM’s Council of Large Towns (COLT) – to advance anti-blight measures.

CCM Studies PSAPs

Call center consolidation to be part of state-local partnership study

O

ne legislative proposal that failed to win final approval during the recently concluded session of the General Assembly proposed a mandated consolidation of municipal public safety answering points into regional or multi-town public safety answering points (PSAPs).

A public safety answering point is a call center responsible for answering and dispatching emergency calls for police, firefighting, and ambulance services.

CCM expressed concern about the proposal, “An Act Concerning the Consolidation of Public Safety Answering Points,” in testimony during the last legislative session that pointed out that while well-intentioned, the bill as it was written carries significant new costs for towns and cities.

On the one hand, the bill promoted the kind of regional approach that CCM has long supported. But it did not fully fund the initiative, placing substantial costs on towns. In addition, the funding it did plan to provide was from the already strained budget of the Regional Performance Incentive Program (RPIP).

The proposal will likely be revisited during the 2017 legislative session. Accordingly, among the charges of CCM’s State-Local Partnership Panel’s Regional Service Delivery Committee is to work during the off-session to develop the key elements that would need to be addressed in any compromise PSAPs legislation that may emerge in the 2017 legislative session.

fore, local officials should continue to be afforded the discretion to determine which PSAP structure works best for their communities – whether operated locally or regionally.

Another concern about the PSAP consolidation proposal is that, as written, it would hamper local authority by recommending sanctions on towns that do not comply with certain mandated thresholds.

In addition to funding issues, the CCM-led committee will discuss a number of issues including union contracts, collective bargaining, facility operations, and management.

Approximately 143 municipalities that have a population of fewer than 40,000 would be affected by last session’s PSAP proposal. In order for municipalities to implement the proposal properly, each would need to collaborate with an unknown number of other municipalities in order to reach the proposed population threshold of 40,000.

CCM’s contention is that public safety officials rely on a certain degree of flexibility to ensure the safety of their citizens and to address the demands and concerns that are unique to their communities. There-

All of these issues will be discussed by the committee of municipal leaders to ensure that neither local authority nor public safety will be negatively affected by any future legislation.

8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

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A M E SSAGE FRO M TH E

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

W

e’ve all heard Governor Malloy as well as others speak about Connecticut’s new economic reality.

The reductions in municipal revenue in this budget speak volumes to that reality and despite the challenges these reductions create on towns and cities across Connecticut, local leaders understand the economic reality of today and stand ready to do their part to bring back fiscal balance.

However, it cannot go unnoticed that while state lawmakers were faced with making difficult cuts to social services, the elderly and some of our state’s most vulnerable residents – in addition to laying off workers who provide necessary services all over Connecticut – CCM was busy tracking nearly 50 new pieces of legislation introduced this past session, that, if any had been implemented, would have placed costly new mandates on towns and cities. These proposed state mandates were in addition to the more than 1200 currently imposed on towns and cities according to the Connecticut Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (Ct.ACIR).

In fact, on the final day of session without having passed a budget, the State Senate debated and passed a bill that would have given special mental stress benefits to police officers while shifting a greater financial burden onto local budgets.

The new state budget should have, but did not include a necessary structural change requiring a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly anytime a new unfunded mandate is to be pushed off onto local governments. An earlier budget proposal in the session was put forth containing this provision and we feel strongly that the final budgetary product was incomplete without containing this structural change.

The common sense solution of requiring more than a simple majority when costs are being pushed off onto others does not even go as far as some states that prohibit legislating unfunded mandates onto local governments. It simply recognizes that in these economic conditions, greater attention must be paid to who will be footing the bill on every new pet project or special interest agenda.

The initiative would not unduly tie the hands of the General Assembly as a “notwithstanding” clause would continue to permit them to enact a costly mandate. The proposal simply requires state lawmakers to think deeply about the impact that costly unfunded mandates have on property taxpayers.

Our towns and cities should not be the dumping ground for proposals the state cannot afford. CCM will continue to strongly encourage lawmakers to give this responsible protection to the taxpayers.

Joe DeLong CCM Executive Director

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CCM Turns Back New Unfunded Mandates

Mandates would have imposed significant costs on to towns and cities

A

t the beginning of each session of the Connecticut General Assembly, CCM reviews hundreds of pieces of proposed legislation and undertakes a close examination to determine which bills impact towns and cities and further, which bills should move forward and which should not be enacted.

The analysis turns up many well-intentioned proposals that too often carry significant costs and/or impose burdensome requirements on towns and cities – using town staffing and record-keeping resources that also impact local budgets – and those are the bills with perennial targets on their backs.

During the 2016 session of the General Assembly, CCM was successful in turning back a number of proposals that would have placed new unfunded mandates on municipalities, including those that carried the most egregious local impacts:

EXPANDED EXEMPTIONS FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY FROM THE PROPERTY TAX Would have exempted personal property owned or leased by a business with a total value of less than $10,000 from the property tax.

ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY: SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION Would have changed current eminent domain law to provide that owners of real property taken for school construction purposes be compensated the greater of the average value of two independent appraisals, or the assessed value of such property according to the most recent grand list.

DELINQUENT PROPERTY TAXES Would have reduced the interest rate for delinquent property taxes, from 1.5 percent per month to 1 percent per month.

WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COVERAGE FOR MENTAL STRESS Would have expanded workers’ compensation to provide for medical and full wage replacement for local and state police, career and volunteer firefighters, and ambulance workers who are diagnosed with a mental or emotional impairment.

ELIMINATING THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE PAYMENT OF DELINQUENT TAXES PRIOR TO THE RENEWAL OF A MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION Would have eliminated the requirement that delinquent property taxes be paid prior to renewing a motor vehicle registration.

REGIONAL EFFICIENCIES Would have required the Municipal Opportunities and Regional Efficiencies (MORE) Commission, in consultation with the Office of Policy and Management (OPM), municipalities, labor unions, and business leaders, to study regionalization best practices and develop a regional evaluation tool, which would be used to measure and assess the performance of efficiencies achieved by each municipality and local and regional boards of education. Additionally, it would have required the MORE Commission to submit recommendations for municipal aid funding based on criteria established by the regionalization evaluation tool.

PRIVATE SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION Would have required local or regional boards of education to provide transportation for students attending a non-public school in the district if the non-public school they were initially enrolled in was closed or merged operations with another school.

PUBLIC SAFETY ANSWERING POINTS (PSAPs) Would have, among other things, required municipalities that have populations of fewer than 40,000 to regionalize their PSAP or risk losing state financial assistance.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

Legislating Done Right

CCM leads coalition to compromise on firefighter cancer benefits

I

t was a bill that’s been hotly debated for well over 10 years that hoped to provide lost-wage coverage for firefighters fighting work-related cancers, and it was a bill nobody wanted to oppose. But as originally proposed, the legislation would have placed a significant fiscal burden on local communities. Without a source of State funding and tightening of the eligibility requirements, the new coverage expansion would amount to an unfunded mandate that would take yet another bite out of town budgets.

The firefighters wanted an expansion of workers’ compensation coverage. They also wanted CCM to be willing to negotiate the costs – which is normally within the purview of collective bargaining. CCM opposed the 2015 bill because of its fiscal impact on municipalities.

But CCM also pledged to work toward a solution.

So the bill was revisited during the 2016 session of the legislature.

It was trying to solve a thorny issue. Connecticut is the only state in New England, and one of only 14 in the country, without a legal presumption that at least some cancers in firefighters are job-related. Compromise, and a different way to fund the worthy and well-intentioned expanded coverage for firefighters, was needed.

Enter CCM and Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington.

Rep. Cook, a Democratic deputy majority leader, led negotiations with several Republican lawmakers, including Rep. David Rutigliano of Trumbull and Sen. Tony Hwang of Fairfield, who are the ranking Republicans on the Labor and Public Employees Committee.

The talks initially focused on expanding disability insurance with the belief that it would be cheaper and

12 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

more predictable than workers’ compensation, but an analysis found that option to be cost-prohibitive. So lawmakers and CCM went back to the drawing board and wound up supporting a fund created by redirecting one penny of the 51-cent surcharge on land-line and mobile telephone bills from a fund for the state’s 911 system.

“This legislation has been a work in progress since last legislative session, and CCM promised if we let the bill go last year, they would come to the table and work with us to get a bill that we all could get behind,” said Rep. Cook, who led the negotiations. “We’ve done that.”

The legislation also required flexibility on the part of the firefighters. It resulted in a relief fund to cover wages lost by firefighters during their treatment for cancers that have been linked to the chemical fumes generated when the synthetics used in modern construction and furnishings catch fire.

“Every time we came to a roadblock, we worked our way around it. We addressed labor concerns, the municipalities’ concerns, the State’s concerns,” said Steve Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland. “CCM acknowledges the dangers that our municipal firefighters face. We are grateful for the commitment they have made to protect and serve Connecticut’s residents. Local officials have long supported these employees and their just compensation when injuries occur on duty and as a result of their work.”

“Nobody threw up their hands in the air and walked away,” said Joe DeLong, the executive director of CCM. “This should be a model for how legislation is done in this building,” said House Minority Leader Themis Klarides, R-Derby.

CCM Files Amicus Brief On Behalf Of West Hartford Case has big implications for towns

C

CM has agreed to a request from the Town of West Hartford to file an amicus “friend of the court” brief in support of a ruling by the Superior Court in the case of Walgreen Eastern Company, Inc. v. Town of West Hartford, which is being appealed

by Walgreens.

The case centers on the policies of Walgreens regarding the leasing of their stores and the resulting effect on the tax base in towns where the stores are located.

After reviewing the case, CCM believes the case has a significant potential to impact assessments and property taxes for similar businesses throughout Connecticut.

The Court recently ruled in favor of the Town in a property tax appeal involving a Walgreens store in West Hartford. The decision will have a significant impact upon the taxation of every Walgreens store in Connecticut – as well as the taxation of several other chains of stores that do business in Connecticut. Currently, there are close to a dozen other Walgreens tax appeals on hold in Superior Court pending the outcome of this appeal.

Background on the case: Walgreens’ corporate policy is to move real estate off its books by leasing almost all of its stores, and Walgreens has developed a standardized leasing process: • Walgreens decides on the exact location of each store; • A developer acquires the desired locations as determined by Walgreens; • The developer builds the store to Walgreens’ precise specifications; and • The developer executes a long-term NNN (Triple Net) lease with Walgreens at a fixed rent when the store is ready for occupancy. Typically, they use 25-year leases with two 25-year renewal options at Walgreens’ election.

Because a Walgreens store rent is fixed, long term and NNN, these properties are typically acquired at high prices by investors as they guarantee consistent and predictable income.

Current law requires an assessor to consider several different approaches to valuing property based upon “market sales” of comparable real estate or by analyzing the income stream that the property may generate.

Walgreens argued that the sales of its own stores around the state should not be considered as “market sales.” Walgreens pays a substantial rent for its stores, but for tax purposes they have argued that local assessors should not consider their actual rents, claiming that those rents are “above market,” and that local

assessors should ignore the actual rents in favor of “market rents” found elsewhere in the neighborhood.

The Superior Court endorsed the Town’s position on several key points: • It endorsed the idea that there is a well-established marketplace for Walgreens stores. It found that this “submarket” was sufficiently well-established to be used as an indicator of market sales, instead of using other properties that might be geographically closer, but that would never meet Walgreens’ exacting criteria for acquisition or development. In this case, the “market” is effectively worldwide because these stores are bought and sold on the internet to a worldwide investment community, which can own them without ever having any responsibilities for property management due to the terms of the lease.

• It held that under current law, an effort must be made to reconcile “actual” and “market” rents and that the approach proposed by Walgreens only pays lip service to that requirement.

• It determined that “market rent” in this case is not limited to the neighborhood around the local store.

Instead, the “market” can include Walgreens and other similar chain stores that structure their deals in roughly the same way. If “market rent” is viewed that way, then the actual contract rent being paid is actually consistent with that market and the two are easily reconciled.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 13

Honoring Excellence

CCM introduces new municipal awards program

W

hat qualities make a community a desirable place for a business or a family to call home?

Friendly neighborhoods, safe roads, good schools, access to recreation and open spaces, and a healthy dining and retail environment are things that help elevate the quality of life in any particular town or city, both individually and collectively.

But taking those qualities from wish list to reality doesn’t happen by accident. As any municipal leader knows, it takes vision, hard work, and a team effort to make our communities the hometowns of excellence.

Now is the time to stand up and take a bow for all of that hard work. CCM is introducing a new recognition program – the CCM Municipal Excellence Awards program – to make sure recognition is given to the people and projects that have positively impacted Connecticut’s towns and cities. Submissions for nominations are open now through September 1.

The CCM Municipal Excellence Awards program will recognize innovative projects and individuals who have built community support, established partnerships, and significantly improved citizens’ quality of life. The competition applauds the achievements of leaders and municipalities and encourages others to strive for excellence.

Great choices for nominations include programs or projects that are a source of local pride, and that exemplify excellence in government. This excellence can be found in programs that have: • Improved the quality of a municipal service.

• Innovatively and creatively solved a common or longstanding problem.

• Tailored a program from another town or organization to best fit your needs.

• Saved money while achieving the same results or better.

• Engaged citizens in decision making, and helped foster volunteerism.

Awards will be given in three general population categories: 20,000 and under; 20,001 to 40,000; and 40,001 or more. Programs eligible for nominations must be municipal-funded or municipal-administered programs or projects that were initiated or implemented between December of 2013 and December of 2015.

Entries can be submitted via email or regular mail.

Please make sure to complete the entry form, provide all necessary information described on the form, and include any relevant supporting material. Entries should be accompanied by a brief project description, in 600 words or fewer, detailing how it has benefited your town.

14 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

N I C I PA L U M

excellence AWARD

CCM leaders past and present will evaluate nominees based on: • Structure – How the project or program is explained, planned, organized, and administered.

• Goals and results – Did the project achieve its goals?

Be sure to clearly state your objectives and accomplishments.

• Strengths and weaknesses – How well did you use your resources? Talk about your budget, any grants received, and highlight any person-power behind the project.

• Applicability to other municipalities – Can other cities or towns learn from the program and adapt its ideas to their community?

CCM will also honor two individuals with the Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award and the Richard C. Lee Innovators Award. The Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award, named for CCM’s first executive director, will be given to someone who has made a significant and unique contribution to Connecticut, or to his or her community over an extended period of time.

The Richard C. Lee Innovators Award, established in honor of CCM’s founder and former New Haven mayor, recognizes a municipal leader who has developed unique and creative projects.

Awards will be presented at CCM’s Annual Convention, November 14-15 at Foxwoods, and winning towns will be notified in advance. Winners will also be featured throughout the year on CCM’s website and in CT&C Magazine.

This is an opportunity to showcase your community to your peers and to the state. It’s about quality of life that you and your team have helped deliver, leveraging best practices and taking that well-deserved bow.

Good luck!

To download the awards package, including entry forms, visit ccm-ct.org/municipal-excellence-awards.

For questions, contact Alison Geisler at (203) 4983029 or ageisler@ccm-ct.org

Sponsorship Opportunities Abound

At CCM’s Annual Convention and Exposition: November 14-15, 2016

T

he best just got better and the biggest just got bigger. The CCM Annual Convention will be a two-day event in 2016, jam-packed with all things municipal, with the largest audience of government leaders in Connecticut.

economic future. This meeting will be a continuation of the outcomes and ideas from the 2015 B.E.S.T. Summit.

In addition, CCM is holding the Convention at a destination location for the first time ever – Foxwoods Resort Casino. The two-day 2016 Annual Convention promises to be bigger and better in every way – and that includes sponsorship opportunities:

Municipal leaders from both the Council of Large Towns and the Connecticut Council of Small Towns will hold meetings to discuss action plans and priorities for the coming legislative session. They will come together for a networking luncheon.

Signature Sponsor - General and Keynote/Lunch Session

All Convention Sponsorships Include:

The Signature Sponsor will have the ballroom (where the general session and lunch are held) renamed after your company. Room names are included in the program book, room signage, and Foxwoods’ digital displays. Additionally, signage indicating your sole sponsorship is placed in several locations throughout the room.

COLT/COST-Small Towns Luncheon Sponsor

•

Convention Brochure The brochure is e-blasted and postal mailed to more than 20,000 municipal personnel of all levels including municipal board and commission members. The flipbook links to the sponsor’s website.

(Inclusion Deadline: July 13.)

•

Targeted Marketing E-blasts for each workshop are targeted to appropriate municipal roles for the session and include the room name. The targeted e-blasts will be sent to nearly 12,000 municipal personnel.

•

Signage Signage will be placed throughout Foxwoods.

In addition to the main hallways, signage will be placed at registration, refreshment areas, inside the general session room, and throughout the lunch hall which seats 900.

•

CCM Website Each sponsor’s logo will be included on the Convention section of CCM’s website with a link to the sponsor’s website. All municipal personnel are directed to the CCM website for updates and to register, thus providing repeat, multiple exposure.

•

CCM Social Media Platforms Complete convention information will be available on CCM’s social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram, which are updated regularly.

Keynote Sponsor Keynote Address by Matt Jones, a three-time cancer conqueror who went from re-learning to walk, to completing seven marathons on seven continents, to becoming a life-changing inspirational speaker.

Premier Sponsor The workshop rooms will be named for Premier Sponsors on a first come, first served basis. Room names are included in the program book, room signage, and Foxwoods’ digital displays.

Cocktail Reception Sponsor Join business and municipal leaders for a relaxing cocktail hour.

Project B.E.S.T. Breakfast Sponsor 75-plus CT leaders convened last November in Westbrook for a first-ever economic summit organized by CCM, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA), and the Connecticut AFL-CIO to brainstorm on the best common pathways for Connecticut’s

For further information, contact Shari Fiveash or Beth Scanlon at CCM at 203-498-3000.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

Power Moves

New CCM programs to help manage energy costs

A

s local government leaders are well aware, electricity bills take a big bite out of a municipal budget. CCM has been a proactive partner in offering ways to lighten the load of energy bills and put more savings back into communities.

CCM has launched two new programs available to help members reduce energy use and maintain energy reliability: The Owner’s Representation Service for Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC), and Municipal Microgrid projects. These programs presents effective ways to save money, reallocate funds, and help communities become more resilient in weathering damaging storms. Following a competitive bid process by CCM members, these projects are now being rolled out.

Energy Saving Performance Contracting (ESPC) The ESPC process is a partnership that will help reduce maintenance costs by replacing expensive old and inefficient equipment. Cities and towns can reallocate that spending to new energy-efficient infrastructure, and project finance costs and payments for drastically reduced maintenance.

This program has no upfront costs. An Energy Services Company (ESCo), which implements energy conservation measures, is paid during project constructions from an escrow account funded by a municipal lease, bond, etc. Upon the project’s completion, energy savings are then used to pay the lender over time. The program comes with a guarantee – the ESCo guarantees that annual savings will be equal to or greater than annual costs for every year of the program.

16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

Municipal Microgrids A municipal microgrid is a local energy grid that can help communities recover faster from a natural disaster.

A municipal microgrid can operate while connected to the main grid, or on its own in “island mode.” While in “island mode,” the microgrid provides power to essential resources in order to maintain essential services.

Microgrids can generate their own energy locally, powered by renewable sources (like solar panels, wind and hydro), fuel cells, batteries, and/or fossil fuels.

The state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) has described having a microgrid as something akin to a community garden. You can always buy your produce from the grocery store, but in times of food shortage, the community garden is there to supply your needs until the store can be restocked.

Municipal microgrids can help municipalities reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, and shrink their carbon footprint. Microgrids are smart planning, a way to keep more energy dollars in the community and engage citizen participation in the clean energy market.

In 2013, the state launched the first-in-the-nation statewide microgrid pilot program and made more than $30 million available for funding. Municipalities and other program participants that wish to make their critical facilities more resilient through a microgrid may apply for grant funding to CT DEEP, and may be eligible for financing offered through the Connecticut Green Bank.

For more information on the ESPC and/or the microgrid project, contact CCM’s Andy Merola, at (203) 4983056 or amerola@ccm-ct.org, for assistance.

CCM Welcomes Four New Member Towns Membership is at highest level ever

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ecords were made to be broken. Last year, CCM hit the high water mark in its 50-year membership history when Oxford and Wolcott joined as members 157 and 158. This year, four new towns have become new members – Chaplin, New Fairfield, New Britain, and Trumbull – bringing CCM membership to an unprecedented 162 towns and cities out of the state’s 169 municipalities.

Looks like the word is out about the value of being a CCM member town! Whether its legislative advocacy, labor relations research, best practice training or saving taxpayers’ dollars through energy efficiency programs and much more, CCM has one overarching mission – to improve everyday life for every resident of Connecticut.

CCM is proud to welcome Chaplin, New Fairfield, New Britain, and Trumbull as CCM member towns. As the voice of local government, we understand that it is vitally important that our many voices speak as one.

North Canaan

Hartland

Colebrook

Salisbury Canaan

Chaplin Stafford FirstSomers Selectman Matthew Cunningham (R) Windsor pop.

Ellington 2,311

Suffield

Norfolk

Granby

East Granby

Barkhamsted

Locks

Winchester Simsbury Goshen

Sharon Cornwall

Avon Litchfield

Warren

Kent

Burlington

Morris Plymouth

Bethlehem

Danbury

Wolcott

Waterbury Middlebury

East Hartford Hartford

Wethersfield Newington

Berlin

Shelton

Derby Orange

Wallingford

Easton

Trumbull Stratford Bridgeport

Wilton Fairfield Westport Norwalk

Andover Windham

Columbia

Plainfield

Scotland Canterbury

Marlborough

Sterling

Sprague

Lebanon

Voluntown

Franklin Lisbon East Hampton

Colchester

Bozrah

Norwich

Griswold

Preston

Haddam

Durham

Salem

North Stonington

Montville Ledyard

Chester Killingworth

North Branford

East Haven Branford

East Haddam

Guilford

Lyme

Deep New River Britain Essex Mayor Old Old Saybrook(R)Lyme Erin Stewart Clinton Westbrook Madison pop. 73,253

Waterford East Lyme

Groton New London

Stonington

Milford

Weston

New Canaan

New Haven West Haven

Brooklyn

Chaplin

Bolton

Middlefield

Trumbull Hamden Oxford First Selectman Bethany North Timothy Herbst Seymour(R) Haven pop. 36,062 Woodbridge

Redding

Coventry

Manchester

Cromwell

Newtown

Ansonia

Killingly Hampton

Hebron

Meriden

Prospect Naugatuck

Monroe

Pomfret

Mansfield

Portland

Cheshire

Putnam

Eastford Willington Ashford

Glastonbury

Middletown

Thompson

Woodstock

Vernon

Rocky Hill

Woodbury

Beacon Falls

Bethel

Ridgefield

Plainville New Britain

Southington

Watertown

Southbury Brookfield

Bristol

Thomaston

Bridgewater

New Fairfield

West Hartford

Farmington

Roxbury Sherman

Harwinton

Tolland

South Windsor

Bloomfield

Torrington

New Fairfield First Selectman Washington Susan Chapman (R) pop. 13,871New Milford

East Windsor

Windsor

Canton

New Hartford

Union

Enfield

CCM Members As of May 4, 2016

Stamford Greenwich

Darien

162 Members - 95% of Connecticut’s Population

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 17

Emergency Management For Safer, Stronger Communities CCM Symposium brings members up to speed on FirstNet

T

he topic of cutting-edge telecommunications for first responders was among the main highlights of this year’s CT Emergency Management Symposium that drew hundreds of participants from around the state.

The keynote presentation at the April 28 Symposium was an update on the First Responder Network Authority, or FirstNet – the first of its kind high-speed nationwide broadband network dedicated solely to public safety. The keynote speakers were David Cook, a lead consultant with the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Bernard O’Donnell, who directs the Communications Services unit within the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services/Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology.

Created by federal law four years ago, FirstNet has been charged with building, operating, and maintaining the nationwide wireless network through coordination and cooperation with state, local, and federal governments.

The idea is simple – one network, one voice. When fully operational, the FirstNet communications network can be used to dispatch emergency personnel, law enforcement, firefighters, medical helicopters, and other

18 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

responders from different jurisdictions all at the same time using voice, video, and data at broadband speeds.

The FirstNet Authority holds the license for Public Safety’s Broadband allocation – Band Class (BC) 14.

Established through the 2012 Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act, FirstNet is designed to provide a single interoperable platform for emergency and daily public safety data communications.

The FirstNet Authority consists of a 15-member board broken up into regions. Connecticut is a member of Region 2 along with New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Board members have telecommunications and public safety backgrounds.

Each state has created a Public Safety Advisory Committee and has a single point of contact, appointed by the governor, to advise FirstNet on public safety intergovernmental matters.

In some respects Connecticut is already ahead of the game. When FirstNet was enacted, Connecticut was completing the build-out of a fiber network to serve public safety. Giving public safety high-speed access has been a priority in the state.

The $7 billion network is to be funded through spectrum auctions through 2022.

Now in its 11th year, the CT Emergency Management Symposium also offered a full day of workshops, interactive discussions, vendors, and invaluable networking opportunities dedicated to helping improve response in mass emergencies.

Other presentations showcased best practices from municipal leaders and updates on state programs and grants.

The presentations included a best practice panel discussion on a unified command for school security.

Tom Vannini, the Region 5 Coordinator for the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), moderated the five-member panel that included emergency management and school officials from Middletown, Waterbury, Greenwich, Cheshire, and Lyme-Old Lyme.

Laura Francis, First Selectwoman of Durham, took part in a Region 2 presentation sharing the experience of a local mass casualty exercise. Mark Amatrudo, Deputy Fire Chief in Wilton who also chairs the Citizen Corps Advisory Council, updated Symposium participants on the program.

DEMHS staffers briefed participants on counter terrorism, drug trafficking, Web EOC, and the forecast for the upcoming hurricane season. The 2016 Atlantic hurricane season is predicted to be near average. A total of 12 named storms, five hurricanes, and two major hurricanes are expected this season.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 19

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Description

69547-035302

NARCAN Nasal Spray

®

Manufacture

UOM / Package

Qty / UOM

Contract Price

Adapt Pharma

4mg Nasal Spray

2

$75 per pack

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

& QA

Complete Streets

C

omplete streets is a concept that many municipalities are considering throughout the State of Connecticut. It is a way for communities to facilitate more inclusive transportation for their residents and visitors. In this Q&A, we hope to answer some frequently raised questions regarding complete streets.

easier and safer travel for all means of transportation.

Incomplete streets (those that are designed with only cars in mind) often fail to consider walkers, cyclists, and individuals who use public transportation. Implementing complete streets will create an easier and safer commute for all individuals within your municipality.

What are complete streets?

Are there examples of other municipalities that have adopted complete streets?

Complete streets are streets for everyone. They are designed with all age groups, ethnicities, and income levels in mind, and are constructed to include cars, pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals who depend on public transportation. The goal of complete streets is to allow for easier travel and to create a safer travel environment for all means of transportation.

What elements should be included in a complete streets plan?

Complete streets is not a “one size fits all” model. There are many elements that a community can choose to include when integrating complete streets into their community. These elements may include covered bus stops, sidewalks, crosswalks, pedestrian walk signals, bus lanes, and bikes lanes. When developing a complete streets plan, it is important to consider what works best for your community as well as the wants and needs of your community members.

Why would a municipality want to implement a complete streets policy?

Yes, CCM has sample policies/ordinances for complete streets programs that have been adopted in municipalities across Connecticut. Some examples of those municipalities include Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, Stamford, and West Hartford.

Where can I find more information on complete streets?

CCM’s Government Finance & Research Department has put together an InfoKit on the topic of complete streets. “Complete Streets: Model Practices and Implementation” can be found on our website at www.ccmct.org/research-bulletins-municipal-infokits. Additionally, the National Complete Streets Coalition has a vast amount of information and resources for communities looking to adopt a complete streets program. Their website, including links to further information on complete streets, can be found at www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets.

A municipality may choose to incorporate complete streets into their community in order to allow for

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

CIRMA CIRMAcare

Working for CIRMA members and their injured employees

A

lthough a sprain or strain may be a common work-related injury, the treatment that injured employees receive through CIRMAcare never is.

In 2015, when a slip and fall in a fire scene caused severe knee and back sprains that threatened to end the career of a firefighter, the CIRMAcare team considered every aspect of the claim. The team, comprised of nurse case managers and claims management staff, used CIRMA’s proprietary software tools to create a customized treatment plan that addressed his complex injuries and return-to-work requirements.

The right resources at the right time “We don’t just look at the injury, we look at the whole picture: the overall health of employees, their job function, their social support system, and their individual needs,” said David Demchak, CIRMA President and Chief Executive Officer. From the moment the First Report of Injury is received, CIRMA’s state-of-the-art automation and analytics tools help manage, verify claim information, and identify and then resolve issues that might impede recovery.

Creating solutions After the firefighter’s initial emergency care and diagnosis, medical treatment for the firefighter included knee surgery, followed by several weeks of physical therapy.

CIRMA’s claim analytics provide insight into the claim’s potential severity and flags possible complications, allowing CIRMA staff to assign specialized services at

the outset. A look into the firefighter’s medical profile indicated his recovery may be complicated.

The assigned nurse case manager escalated a review of the case for the CIRMAcare team. Working together with the treating physician, a comprehensive treatment plan was developed.

Best in class providers “Our CIRMAcare program was designed with the best preferred provider network, nurse case management, prescription services, diagnostic testing, and physical therapy available anywhere,” said Demchak. By delivering the highest quality care to its members’ employees over the entire life of the claim, recovery is enhanced, and costs better controlled.

A critical part of the firefighter’s treatment plan focused on his prescription medications aligned with a comprehensive physical therapy program. His use of medications was monitored by his nurse case manager.

CIRMAcare’s prescription program combines easeof-use for claimants with automatic enrollment while monitoring appropriateness. His physical therapy plan was tailored to help him perform the strenuous duties of a firefighter.

For CIRMA members, CIRMAcare’s services mean more than a promise to pay claims; it means their injured employees receive the highest quality care to achieve the best possible outcome. For this Connecticut firefighter, it meant a recovery back to full health and he was able to return to the career he loved.

CIRMAcare’s claims management integrates best-in-class technology providers with a network of preselected and monitored medical providers.

22 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

CIRMA “CIRMAcare delivers best-in-class medical care”

Innovative solutions for municipal and public school employers...

Our CIRMAcare® program delivers specialized injury-care management tailored to the needs of municipal employees.

Contact Steve Bixler, Vice President for Underwriting, sbixler@ccm-ct.org, for more information about our Workers’ Compensation program, the many benefits of CIRMA membership, and to request a quote. www.CIRMA.org.

Only from the market leader!

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CIRMA New CIRMA Staff

CIRMA continues to grow its professional expertise with the addition of new staff

S

tephen Pendl has joined CIRMA’s Risk Management services team as a Risk Consultant. Stephen will be working with George Tammaro, Risk Management Services Manager, and Pamela Keyes, Vice President for Risk Management and Business Analytics. Stephen, a resident of Cromwell, was most recently the Chief of the Cromwell Fire Department.

During his time as Chief, Stephen was a member of the CIRMA Risk Management Advisory Committee, and had professional relationships with the State of Connecticut EMS Advisory Board, the Middlesex County Fire Chiefs Association, and the Connecticut Fire Chiefs Association. Stephen studied business management at SUNY Sullivan College.

N

icholas Milluzo joined CIRMA’s Underwriting team working as an Underwriter Trainee with Steve Bixler, Vice President for Underwriting, and Jacqueline Lazowski, Underwriting Manager. He was most recently a Sessional Associate of Capital Strategies Group, LLC. Nicholas graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Hartford with a degree in Economics and Finance, and a minor in Accounting.

VFA Accident Insurance Enhancements

E

ffective July 1, 2016, CIRMA’s Volunteer Firefighter Accident Insurance Program has been enhanced.

CIRMA’s financial strength enables it to provide Volunteer Firefighter Accident Insurance Program coverage to all members of its Workers’ Compensation pool - for no additional cost to members or their volunteer firefighters and EMTs. For more information about the program, please contact Steve Bixler, Vice President for Underwriting, sbixler@ccm-ct.org, or visit the CIRMA website.

24 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

M

yles Golymbieski-Rey will also be working with Steve Bixler and Jacqueline Lazowski as an Underwriter Trainee. Myles, a resident of Branford, is a recent graduate of Fairfield University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. Myles worked as an Underwriting intern at CIRMA in 2015.

CIVIC AMENITIES Thirst For Learning

Fairfield Museum acquires extensive library of CT history

L

ocal libraries are community resources and gathering places for students, scholars, and anyone with a thirst for reading and learning. Connecticut is blessed with outstanding local libraries all across the state, many with unique and irreplaceable resources and records that trace the roots of their respective towns.

Now the Fairfield Museum and History Center has bragging rights to one of the best and most comprehensive libraries of Connecticut history with the acquisition of the Collier Collection, developed over the academic career of former Connecticut State Historian Christopher “Kit” Collier, who is also professor of history emeritus at the University of Connecticut, and the author of the Pulitzer-nominated Roger Sherman’s Connecticut.

Collier donated his private collection of approximately 2,000 books, including rare and out-of-print books that date back to the mid-1700s. The collection is available to researchers and students at the Fairfield Museum’s research library, thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services to catalogue the collection and allow people to search the entire collection online.

The collection encompasses all the major monographs in Connecticut history, hundreds of local histories,

biographies of Connecticut figures, files of scholarly articles, and popular works published over the past two centuries. The collection also includes more than 200 doctoral dissertations on Connecticut history, the only such collection in existence.

“The Collier Collection is the most comprehensive collection of Connecticut history in private hands,” said Mike Jehle, Executive Director of the Fairfield Museum.

“Through his gifts to the Fairfield Museum, it propels the Fairfield Museum’s library to be one of the top two or three history libraries in the entire state of Connecticut.”

“This is the work of the lifetime of Kit. This is a historian who is a great writer and a great historian in his own right,” said current State Historian Walter Woodward at a reception announcing the acquisition, which was attended by Collier and his wife Bonnie.

Christopher Collier received a B.A. from Clark University and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University.

He is the author of the Pulitzer-nominated Roger Sherman’s Connecticut, Decision at Philadelphia, and All Politics is Local. He wrote the Newbery Award-winning historical novel My Brother Sam Is Dead with his brother, James Collier, as well as seven other historical novels for young adults. Collier was the official Connecticut State Historian from 1984–2004.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 25

CIVIC AMENITIES Back On Course

Hartford public golf course gets a much-needed makeover

H

artford has put a new face on an old friend. The public golf course at Keney Park recently got a makeover and the reviews are all two thumbs up. The makeover came after years of neglect and after golfers who grew up learning to play on the course eventually started playing elsewhere, driven away by deteriorating conditions.

Problems at Keney included eroded cart paths, bridges and stairs in poor shape, damaged tee boxes, poorly maintained greens, and downed tree limbs throughout the course. In addition, a variety of trees had been cut down without permission and the stumps were never removed.

The course was shut down in late 2013 after the city of Hartford terminated its contract with then course manager MDM Golf Enterprises, LLC due to the deteriorated condition of the course.

The City took over and contracted with the Connecticut PGA to act as a consultant on the restoration of Keney, an agreement that is unique in the country according to Connecticut Section PGA Executive Director Tom Hantke.

“Both the city and the PGA, we came to an understanding and said, ‘Hey, we can help one another,’” Hantke said. “And so we’re walking along every step with the City and the Department of Public Works, helping them make the right decisions.”

One recent Sunday, Douglas Taylor came back to play Keney after a lengthy hiatus. Taylor had played

Keney for more than two decades before conditions drove him away.

“It’s amazing. It’s nice to see,” Taylor said from the 16th tee box. “I’m happy. They needed to do it. The people who had it before ran it into the ground. We stopped playing here, took our league from here.”

The turnaround started after the City hired Dusenberry Design Inc., a Milwaukee design firm, to oversee a restoration to match the original 1927 design of Devereux Emmet.

The work involved improving the greens and adding some sand traps, as well as a widening of the fairways. A new driving range and practice areas for putting and chipping were also added. A new golf professional was brought onboard at Keney, and a new crew was hired

26 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

to oversee maintenance.

Now the “new” 6,019 yard, par-70 Keney Park course is making new believers out of old regulars.

Jesse Reyes played at Keney from 2003-2010 with his golf league until poor course conditions forced them to move to a different course.

But a few weeks ago, Reyes and three other league members were back.

“We always had a saying that it never rains at Keney Park,” Reyes said. “It’s nice. We’re happy we can go golf somewhere close to home.”

“The bunkers, the greens, the fairways, all of it is improved,” Taylor said. “And just having a practice facility now, which they never had before. So it’s great.”

Wheels Up

CIVIC AMENITIES

New Britain peddling itself as bike-friendly community

L

ike many older urban communities across the country, New Britain has worked to make the city friendly to visitors and residents who prefer walking or bicycling through downtown.

More than just a vision, the city has now gotten the attention of the Connecticut cycling community and a group called Bike Walk CT is bringing its Discover CT Tour to New Britain for a one-day tour in September. Founded in 2000, the non-profit group provides education and advocacy to promote the benefits of walkable and cycling-friendly communities.

New Britain is one of seven Connecticut towns to receive the League of American Bicyclists’ designation as a bike-friendly community. The other communities include New Haven, which because of Yale University, has been home to a longtime cycling community. The other towns are mostly suburbs in the greater-Hartford area – Glastonbury, Simsbury, Farmington, South Windsor, and West Hartford.

The City of New Britain continues to transform an envi-

ronment long defined by its industrial roots into a community that embraces transit-oriented development and neighborhood amenities that encourage foot and bike traffic. Visitors are now directed by signs that take them through walking tours through historic sections.

The city has also partnered with the New Britain Museum of American Art to set up free bike sharing, and to encourage people to visit the Walnut Hill section.

The one-day Discover CT Tour through New Britain in September also will give the city a chance to spotlight some of its award-winning work. Earlier this year, New Britain garnered national honors from the American Council of Engineering Companies for improvements to the downtown area. Part of the makeover included the addition of bicycle lanes and improved pedestrian walkways and signage.

“This is a prestigious honor,” said Public Works Director Mark Moriarty. “It recognizes the forward-thinking changes we are making in our downtown area to make it safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists.”

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JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Good Bones

Southington has big ideas to grow downtown business

“G

ood bones.” That’s how one economic development expert has described the state of downtown Southington and that’s good news for town officials who have been actively working to revitalize the town center.

Like many communities in the state, Southington is aiming to reverse the trend of businesses moving away from downtown. The town already has many wonderful draws to bring people back. Town officials and business leaders are working with the non-profit Connecticut Main Street Center, which provides advocacy, technical assistance, and education to help capitalize on its assets.

“They have a great little downtown,” said Connecticut Main Street Center CEO John Simone. “It has good bones and community events seem to draw a lot of people.”

One of the early ideas that town officials put into motion was decorating the windows of vacant buildings in order to spur more activity.

“We did this with the artwork on the Gura Building as it was being converted into the headquarters for Southington Community Cultural Arts,” said town Economic Development Director Lou Perillo.

Connecticut Main Street Center officials say that another strong niche for Southington is the many popular restaurants in the downtown area. Even though shopping habits are trending to online buying, going out for a good meal and a good time is something you can’t do while sitting in front of a computer.

“Food and entertainment are major niches that help draw people in,” Simone explained. “As years go on, brick-and-mortar retail is going to play a lesser role as you really can’t change the trend of people buying online or on TV.”

The town may also be looking into the growing trend of providing so-called “maker spaces.” For businesses that want to provide food products, such as jellies, jams, and baked goods from a store, a certified commercial kitchen is required. A maker space is a building that would house a kitchen that could be leased by various small business owners in order for them to produce their goods.

Business owners welcome the ideas and advocacy the town is leveraging from its partnership with Connecticut Main Street Center.

“We are looking to grow our downtown and I’m sure they have some very good ideas to help support that,” said Southington Chamber of Commerce President Elizabeth Francis.

Like most municipalities, you want grants, you need grants, but you’re not sure how to get grants. Let us help.

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

28 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Spreading Awareness Manufacturing a work force is a goal for Quiet Corner towns

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s a regional industrial park continues to take shape in Windham County, its participating towns are exploring every opportunity to tell their story.

Several Windham County municipal and education officials recently met with state lawmakers and representatives from UConn to discuss networking and leveraging the assets in the region. Setting up “innovation districts” around the state will allow towns to spotlight their selling points for prospective businesses looking to put down roots.

If innovation districts were established, the State would give priority to certain small businesses seeking loans. The idea also includes developing night classes for skilled trades programs at technical schools and providing UConn with

resources to staff an entrepreneurship program.

The Town of Putnam is currently selling lots for a regional technology park and hopes to attract businesses that bring in clean manufacturing jobs. Regionalization is the key to getting there. Brooklyn, Pomfret, and Scotland have purchased shares in the park and will benefit when business is booming.

“The question is, ‘How do we market ourselves to companies who might be interested in coming to Putnam?’” Putnam Town Administrator Doug Cutler says. “We have to make them aware of all the programs available to them.”

Putnam Economic Development Coordinator Delpha Very says trends in manufacturing and light industry bode well for what the

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region is trying to do. Start-ups are looking for lab and office spaces of around 7,000 square feet or smaller. Towns also need to look at rehabbing small, site-ready properties such as mill buildings, of which there are plenty in the region.

“We have to be innovative and creative to make them incubator spaces,” Very says.

Establishing partnerships with colleges and universities can be a tremendous asset in not only training the next generation of manufacturers but creating opportunities at the local level for those jobs.

“We love to work with Connecticut companies,” says Mike Accorsi, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education at UConn. “If you aren’t working with us, please connect.”

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JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

EDUCATION College Days

Higher learning at hand for Derby high schoolers

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igh school students in Derby don’t have to wait until graduation for the college experience. With good grades and recommendations from school officials, higher education is right around the corner.

Schools Superintendent Matthew Conway says the town is leveraging its ongoing partnership with Post University to provide more educational opportunities for its residents. Earlier this year, the town announced that Post is offering a 15 percent discount to every municipal employee, resident, and family who wants to continue their education.

This coming August, Derby high school juniors and seniors can take one of three Post University courses – accounting, early childhood education, or English composition. The early childhood course is a complement to the high school’s preschool – Little Raiders University.

The opportunities are offered through Post’s High School Academy Program and Derby school officials are hopeful that more courses will be available in the future.

30 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

“We expect to offer more Post classes in the following years,” Conway said. “I’d like to see a music appreciation course offered, but everything’s on the table.”

The for-profit Waterbury university also will provide mentors, matching a Post student or graduate with each Derby student. The high school students will get dual credits for both their high school classes and university course work.

To be eligible for the courses, high schoolers must have a 3.0 grade point average or be recommended by the high school. Derby officials say they would like to see at least 20 students enrolled in Post classes this fall and are hopeful the mentoring program will provide a natural transition to college after graduation.

“We recognize that we need to help our students beyond getting them enrolled in college,” Conway said.

“Nationwide, 76 percent of those who go to college don’t complete their degree in four years.”

Through its partnership with CCM, Post offers a 10% tuition discount to CCM members, their spouses, and children. For more information, contact Jackie Scotto at jscotto@ccm-ct.org.

EDUCATION

Refining The Rules

Milford clarifies guidelines on out-of-district enrollment

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ewly approved policy changes regarding out-of-district enrollment still provide for flexibility for those Milford families whose children are currently enrolled in schools outside their attendance area.

The revised policy seeks to clarify and bring more consistency to a policy that has been in place since 1995. That policy stated that Milford students must attend the school in the attendance area where they lived.

But School Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Feser said the policy has been open to interpretation, “resulting in inconsistency of practice which has prompted concerns.”

Dr. Feser explained that school attendance areas are determined by the Board of Education. During a reconfiguration and redistricting of the elementary schools, the Board developed criteria with the desire to balance enrollment to ensure parity in available resources across schools.

grandfathered in. Specifically, the cases in which that is permitted are: • Students already attending an out-of-neighborhood school can remain there until they complete either elementary, middle, or high school. Once that is done they must return to the school in their own neighborhood.

• If a family moves after the start of the year, the student can also complete either elementary, middle, or high school at his or her original school.

• If a sibling is already attending an out-of-district school, a younger sibling can accompany them as long as they are in the same building.

School Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Feser

Officials said the new policy also addresses some parent concerns just by clarifying its meaning.

“The proposed revision has specific language to prevent misinterpretation of the exceptions that will and will not be considered,”.

The new policy allows those students who are already attending out-of-neighborhood schools to be

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HEALTH Proven Winner

CCM’s Prescription Drug Discount Program a hit in East Haven

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ince it was introduced in September 2012, CCM’s Prescription Drug Discount Program has saved residents of participating towns in Connecticut millions of dollars on their prescription medications.

East Haven recently reported that its residents have saved more than $129,000 in prescription costs since the town joined CCM’s Prescription Drug Discount Program in January 2013. That represents a 55 percent savings over what East Haven residents would have paid for the 705 prescriptions local residents have filled so far.

“The savings of almost $130,000 has enabled the card users to receive relief from the continued rising costs of medical care. Many of these dollars have been utilized in other ‘staple’ purchases vital to many of our families,” said Mayor Joseph Maturo. “Many people today are still without medical coverage and still more remain underinsured. Our desire to subscribe to this

program has obviously given us the kind of results initially hoped for.”

At the time East Haven enrolled, every household in town received the drug discount card which can be used by all residents regardless of age, income, or existing health coverage.

Mayor Maturo said the cards are also available in his office and that the discount cards were supplied to all participating pharmacies in East Haven.

Statewide, 125 towns have signed up for the program since CCM began offering the CCM Prescription Drug Discount Card in September 2012.

During that time, residents in participating communities have filled more than 146,000 prescriptions and saved almost $8 million, with an average savings of 52 percent per prescription.

MUNICIPAL ETHICS DILEMMA

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ou are a town employee in the Assessor’s Office and you decide to use your office computer after working hours to set up a database for your sister’s accounting business. Is this an ethics violation?

No town equipment or services should ever be used for personal business use, even after hours. The employee in this example is in clear violation of ethical behavior even though the database is for others. The State of Connecticut has fired employees for using state computers for personal business uses and local government officials should follow their example. The public trust demands that town employees are held to a high level of ethical behavior and they cannot make up their own rules just because it does not appear to cost any extra money. In fact, computers have limited hard drive space and the personal business is probably being backed up by the town with storage expense. It may also expose the equipment to viruses and raise issues of data privacy lawsuits. Even simple things become complicated in the electronic world.

John Elsesser Town Manager, Coventry

HERE’S A NEW DILEMMA!

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ryan, a town employee in Smallville, is excited about the presidential campaign and feels very strongly that his friends and coworkers need to vote. He sends 20 emails from work the day before the election urging people to get out and vote. His supervisor, Janice, gets the email and deletes it. But she doesn’t say anything to Bryan about the email. Is this a violation on her part?

32 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

ENVIRONMENT

#recyclinggoals

Enfield pitching in for statewide recycling goal

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ffective recycling means much more than just separating plastics and glass – although that helps. But it is really about marshalling a concerted effort – town by town – to embrace and implement a comprehensive state plan that encompasses households, businesses, and local and state government.

Enfield officials recently had a community-wide discussion on the state’s proposed Solid Waste Management Plan, which is intended to achieve 60 percent recycling by 2024. A road map of sorts, the strategy is replacing the state’s current solid waste plan last updated in 2006. The town held a public information session with officials from the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP). The environmental agency is soliciting comments on the draft plan and held a statewide hearing on the issue this past spring.

“The Town of Enfield is pleased to take a leadership role on this important subject to ensure the public is informed and has the opportunity to comment,” Town Public Works Director Jonathan Bilmes said.

The state is currently recycling at a 30 percent rate with 3.6 million tons of waste generated annually.

DEEP officials said achieving a 60 percent rate would

translate to savings of about $40 million a year in disposal fees. Reaching that goal requires source reduction, new technologies, and recycling with a focus on personal behavior.

Enfield officials say municipalities can play a big part in reaching that statewide goal, but have asked DEEP for some considerations. They include reinstating funds for regional recycling coordinators, enhancing the focus on commercial and industrial sectors and cost-effective options for disposal of street sweepings and storm drain cleanings. Public Works Director Bilmes also suggests that the state help coordinate a working group of municipalities with collection forces.

State officials are also looking to establish a potential program for packaging that would place responsibility for that product with the industry that created it.

Known as “extended producer responsibility” or EPR, the idea is product stewardship from beginning to end.

“Developing any kind of EPR program requires extensive dialogue with all stakeholders,” said Lee Sawyer, DEEP’s project manager for materials and compliance.

“In the draft plan, we call for that process of dialogue to continue over the next couple of years.”

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JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 33

COOPERATION Glastonbury Comes To the Rescue Will share dispatch services with East Hampton

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t was simply the neighborly thing to do. When the non-profit that provided East Hampton with public safety dispatch services announced it was shutting down operations, the town councils in Glastonbury and East Hampton got together and approved – unanimously – an agreement that allowed both towns to share dispatching responsibilities.

“We were in a very difficult position because we have a full-time police department,” East Hampton Town Manager Michael Maniscalco said about the new arrangement. “We were thankful Glastonbury came to the table to help. They offer a lot in

terms of not only police dispatching, but also fire and ambulance services.”

Glastonbury will be hiring three new dispatchers, while an upgrade of the dispatch center and its equipment will be undertaken to accommodate the additional staff.

In addition to the dispatch services, the costs will also be shared – Glastonbury will cover $710,000 of the $1.2 million upgrade, while East Hampton will chip in an additional $500,000.

Glastonbury has applied for several state grants that will cover $625,000 of its share.

“The granting agencies have been very supportive,” said Glastonbury Town Manager Richard J. Johnson.

“We still have a lot of details and a lot of steps and a long way to go before we finalize the agreement.”

“Each town is moving forward as carefully, but effectively as we can,” Johnson said. “Both communities are confident the proposed dispatch services can work well.”

The dispatch center also handles calls for Middlesex Hospital and fire departments in Bozrah, Colchester, East Haddam, Marlborough, and Salem out of the state police Troop K barracks in Colchester.

Collegiate Curb Appeal

Bridgeport, UB combining to spruce up neighborhoods

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ridgeport officials know the type of quality education that college students can expect from the University of Bridgeport. The city just wants students – current and prospective – to like what they see when they visit.

The city and university are joining forces to bring more “curb appeal” to some of the blighted neighborhoods that border the 54-acre campus. The initiative is part of the city’s “Gateway to the South End” plans that Mayor Joe Ganim included in his budget proposal.

Under the plan, the city would borrow $2 million up front and as much as $10 million over the next five years. The city and university have combined forces in the past to invest in new sidewalks, and this initiative will take it to a new level – new plantings, esplanades, and traffic islands.

At 5,400 students, the UB student population is the highest it’s been since the 1980s. The university is undergoing a major expansion, concentrating on its schools of nursing and engineering, and the expansion of recreational facilities. The long-term goal is for the expansion to coincide and complement the city’s public/private redevelopment efforts in the South End. Those upgrades include replacing old manufacturing sites and replacing an aging housing project. The “curb appeal” projects are initiatives that can be accomplished in the short term, officials said.

34 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

Mayor Ganim is touting the gateway project as a main attraction for the university. During a recent speech from one of the top floors of UB’s library, the mayor noted that the vantage point offered a stunning panoramic view of the city and waterfront. If prospective students and their parents are looking for aesthetics in a campus, they would not be disappointed.

“When they come in, if they get to see this view, they say, ‘Where do I sign?’” the mayor said. “Who wouldn’t?”

PUBLIC SAFETY Get Off The Phone!

U Drive. U Text. U Pay!

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e’ve all seen them behind the wheel – people texting, combing their hair, eating a meal, reading a newspaper, and of course talking on their cell phones – all while trying to navigate the busy by-ways and highways of Connecticut’s often congested system of roads.

Local police departments across Connecticut recently participated in a program to crack down on such driver behaviors and they put plenty of teeth into the effort with fines for using a mobile phone while driving that range from $150 for a first offense, to $300 for a second offense, to a whopping $500 if caught a third time.

The April campaign by Connecticut police departments to target distracted driving had immediate consequences for drivers: in Danbury, police issued nearly 60 citations for distracted driving in the first four days of the campaign, and Milford police issued 236 violations between April 4 and April 30 for using cell phones while operating motor vehicles.

Police departments in Stamford, Greenwich, and

Bridgeport also participated in the program to crack down on distracted driving, as well as the Stratford, Westport, Norwalk, and Bethel police departments.

Hamden, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, Milford, and East Haven are also included in the dozens of departments statewide who were trying to send a simple message: “Put down the phone. It can wait. If you fail to put down the phone, you put yourself and others in danger.”

“Aside from drunk driving, distracted driving is probably the next worst thing where people are killed or injured in crashes,” said New Haven Police Sgt. Mark O’Neill, the head of the city’s motorcycle traffic unit.

Past campaigns have seen thousands of drivers ticketed for talking, texting, or for other distracted behaviors behind the wheel. For example, last year’s “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” campaign saw more than 22,000 citations for violations issued statewide and the Connecticut Department of Transportation reported a 23 percent drop in cell phone use after last year’s crackdowns in April and August.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

PUBLIC SAFETY A Higher Calling

New Britain clergy partner with police

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or 12 weeks this past spring, clergy members in New Britain got an up close and personal look at policing in the Hardware City.

idea arose from discussions between Police Chief James Wardwell and the Rev. Thomas Mills of Grace C.M.E. Church.

Dubbed the “Faith-based Academy,” the program offered clergy a chance to learn about policing and to build stronger bonds with law enforcement.

“We’re blessed to have a positive relationship with many parts of the community,” Chief Wardwell explained. “We recognize that our faith-based community, including clergy and their congregations, are some of the most important stakeholders in our community.”

“Our initial concerns were some of the events taking place with police-involved shootings… and so we wanted to try to get out ahead of that here in New Britain,” said Rev. John Morris of Spotswood A.M.E. Zion Church, who was among the program’s two dozen participants.

Morris said he participated in a similar partnership when he pastored at a church in Texas and was delighted when he heard that New Britain police were interested in creating an alliance.

The faith-based academy is the first of its kind in New Britain and the

Police officials say the clergy program is run very similarly to the department’s Citizens Police Academy. Participants get to meet the officers in the various divisions – traffic, patrol, youth bureau, vice, and animal control. They learn about what goes into the decision to fire a service weapon and other uses of force, and get a lesson on a high-tech simulator.

Chief Wardwell said he’s hopeful that by working with the clergy, his

Police Chief James Wardwell

officers will gain insights into the community they are sworn to serve.

“We know that people who have gone through the Citizens Academy tell their friends and family about it and that’s awesome,” Wardwell said. “With the clergy academy, the reach will be more substantial and we’ll be able to get feedback.”

Fine Tuning

West Haven puts cutting edge communications to work

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hen West Haven firefighters are dispatched to a call, there will be no guess as to where the trucks are at any moment thanks to a state-of-the-art emergency communications upgrade.

The city recently installed a computer-aided dispatch system that will eliminate dead spots and bring West Haven’s 911 communications in compliance with the Federal Communication Commission’s “narrowbanding” requirements. As communication frequencies have become increasingly congested, the FCC is now requiring public safety licensees to upgrade technology from broadband to narrowband, or to have a system that will provide either an increased number of voice paths or a higher data rate per channel.

Deputy Fire Chief Scott Schwartz explained that the new system will not only be able to track which fire trucks respond to a fire, but it also can track each firefighter while they’re inside a burning building. The technology will be shared by the city’s police and 36 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

fire department, the University of New Haven Police Department, and local emergency medical staff to optimize response throughout the coverage area.

“This is going to save time and it makes people a lot safer,” Schwartz said.

The city is using grants to finance the $3.4 million NexGen Public Safety Solutions system, which officials say is expected to last for 20 years and ultimately will be a cost-saver.

“It seemed like we were out of Band-Aid options, and we had to move ahead and get it done,” Mayor Edward O’Brien said. “I am very proud that with the help of the City Council, we found a way to fund this upgrade.”

The city has also provided physical upgrades for its dispatchers, who now have ergonomic workstations.

Officials say future communications upgrades will include a point-to-point microwave radio system for public safety and public works personnel.

PUBLIC SAFETY Neighborly Advice

New Haven shares community policing model with Vermont town

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here are commonalities between policing in big cities and small towns. These commonalities are probably more routine than most people think they are.

until his retirement in 2015. He now commands the largest municipal police department in the state of Vermont, overseeing 100 sworn officers.

The City of New Haven recently provided some of those commonalities when Police Chief Dean Esserman hosted his Vermont counterpart, Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo. Both men had worked with the community policing model in New York City. During del Pozo’s three-day stay in the Elm City, Chief Esserman helped demonstrate how the community policing model could be adapted to smaller communities, like Burlington.

“Chief Esserman gets a lot of national notice for his innovation,” del Pozo says. “I was excited to see if I could bring some of those innovations home to my own agency.”

The community policing model was developed by Esserman in 1991, when he served as NYC’s assistant police chief. It is predicated on building strong relationships with the local community. Chief del Pozo was a member of the NYPD

During his three-day visit, del Pozo sat in on the department’s daily intelligence meetings, as well as a monthly meeting with local clergy and a visit to the Yale Child Study Center.

Esserman said New Haven officers have built effective working relationships across a broad spectrum of the community – court liaisons, state child welfare officials, outreach workers, the clergy community, and other state and federal partners. New Haven was pleased to share what it has learned with other law enforcement departments, as

Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo

some of what the city now uses was gleaned from Esserman’s time with the much larger NYPD. “Which of our practices in a 130,000-person community can best apply to Burlington’s 42,000?

We are sure there are many,” Esserman says. “Some of ours were learned from a city of 8.5 million.”

Search And Rescue

Scenario prepares responders in New Milford for the real thing

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hen a walk through the woods turns perilous, who are you going to call?

New Milford police, firefighters, and other regional first responders recently ran through a drill that had all the feel of the real thing – lost hikers in a heavily wooded and mountainous area. The multi-department simulation at Clatter Valley Park mobilized dozens of police officers, firefighters, paramedics, search dogs, and even a helicopter.

At least eight regional departments descended on the New Milford park to scour an area of some 100plus acres that is popular with hikers, cross-country skiers, and equestrians. The scenario was an easy one to imagine: A group of friends set out for a hike but become separated. Some make it out, but those who don’t are forced to spend the night in the wilderness.

The search begins early the next morning with the first daylight.

37 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

New Milford’s Water Witch Hose Company hosted the drill, which included responders from neighboring Bridgewater, Roxbury, Gaylordsville and Northville, the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, regional search and rescue teams, and Eagle One, a police rescue helicopter based in Stratford.

Throughout the simulation, responders were given information that required them to change their procedures to adapt to the shifting scenario. The ability to quickly adjust – whether the call is for a man-made peril or a natural disaster – is crucial when time is of the essence.

“Drills like this make a huge impact,” said Bridgewater volunteer firefighter Peter Johnson. “What you’re learning is what works in the book versus actual application. It’s like a recipe. No one knows what a dash or a pinch is. The book might not say exactly how things need to be done… You adapt, you adjust. Every situation is different.”

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 37

PUBLIC SAFETY Pool Safety Cool off, but keep your guard up in Wilton

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ooling off on a hot summer day is as close as a dip in the backyard pool – refreshing and risky all at the same time. With 1,000 privately owned pools in Wilton, local public safety officials recently held a pool safety awareness event ensuring that families, particularly those with small children, can take the proper steps to prevent tragedy.

The statistics are sobering. Home pool drowning is the leading cause of death for children younger than 5, and most of the drownings occur when children are out of their parents’ sight for just a few minutes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an average of 10 people die each day from non-boat related drowning, and 20 percent of those fatalities are young children.

For every child who drowns, another five require emergency room care.

The pool safety program is part of Wilton’s community risk reduction plan. Fire Chief Ronald Kanterman says being proactive with these types of programs ultimately will lead to a better informed citizenry and a safer town. Among the safeguards the Wilton program strongly recommends: • Check pool fences and ensure that gates close and latch securely.

• Check house door alarms and floating pool alarms for proper operation.

• Secure hot tub covers when not in use.

• Store and use pool chemicals safely.

• Consider taking a basic First Aid, CPR or other life-saving course to be able to respond to water emergencies.

• Enroll your non-swimmers in a swimming class.

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There are sad reminders of the potential dangers of letting one’s guard down. Kanterman learned that as he researched drown prevention programs that would help the Department craft Wilton’s program.

“All of the drown prevention programs we have studied and researched had a child’s name on it,” Kanterman said. “We’re naming ours ‘The Wilton Drown Prevention Program.’”

Going My Way

SENIOR CITIZENS

Hamden filling void for senior citizen rides When bus service for residents of a senior housing facility in Hamden was discontinued by the operator, Hamden officials knew the service was too important to lose. Transportation for senior citizens is more than a ride – it is a lifeline to important services, and provides a connection to the community.

Local seniors at the Davenport-Dunbar senior living facility depend on the twice weekly bus service formerly provided by the Greater New Haven Transit District (GNHTD), said Hamden Mayor Curt Balzano Leng. So when its cancellation was announced, Leng had an announcement of his own: The town would ensure uninterrupted bus service by taking over the responsibility for providing transportation to elderly residents.

“Hamden’s current program is entirely operational and will in fact provide transportation service to all locations formerly covered by the GNHTD’s shuttle loop program in Hamden, which has been discontinued,” Mayor Leng said.

Elderly Services Coordinator Suzanna Burbage said Hamden seniors can call to request rides and receive complete information on all transportation services available through the town.

Ride services are available to disabled residents of any age, and to residents aged 60 or older for almost any reason. Rides are available to residents to run errands, go to medical appointments, to go shopping, and more. The service also offers free rides to the Hamden Senior Center for those who are registered for the Center’s lunch program.

The transportation services are very accessible and also a very good deal, with a cost of $0.50 for a oneway ride and $1.00 for a round-trip ride. Rides are available Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Need a ride? Hop aboard!

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 39

TECHNOLOGY Broadband Bargain

Danbury eyes self-sustaining network

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eeking to bridge the so-called “digital divide,” the city of Danbury has an ambitious plan to bring low-cost broadband internet to every household that wants it.

The city is exploring a public-private partnership with a broadband provider with a goal of building a citywide fiber optic network that would cost $15 a month per customer to start. The plan calls for a reduction of rates every year after that until the service is free once the system is paid off.

The build-out would bring affordable and ultimately free internet service to the city’s low-income families. It would help shrink the digital disparities among income groups and go a long way in helping to narrow the educational achievement gap.

“After five years, because the infrastructure will be built out, it will go down to $5 a month, and then five years after that the rate should go down to zero,” said Danbury Mayor and CCM President Mark Boughton. “It will be self-sustaining with new enrollees.”

The plan mirrors a growing trend in the way broadband is perceived – shifting from an expensive luxury to an idea that it can be a type of discounted utility.

The idea arose from a plan to bring free wireless service to Main Street in downtown Danbury, contingent upon adding additional light poles purchased from Eversource.

The mayor first announced the initiative as part of his State-of-the-City speech in unveiling priorities for 2016 that target economic development and “community connectedness.” The city is using a phone poll to gauge public interest in the low-cost broadband. Officials say at least half of Danbury residents need to support the idea for it to be successful.

“It makes sense,” Boughton says. “Customers would save money, they would have better service, and they would have better speed.”

X Marks the Spot

Norwalk online database IDs underground tanks

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technology upgrade for the Norwalk Fire Department will ultimately save homeowners and prospective homebuyers time – and probably money.

The new database will make the search more convenient for everyone, officials say.

The Department recently took 20 years of records that identified the locations of residential underground storage tanks and merged them into an online database.

While the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) regulates any contamination resulting from the tanks, they have also noted that there is no state funding for tank maintenance, cleanup, or removal. Any costs associated with removal of the tanks falls squarely on the property owner. An underground storage tank can often be the reason a home sale unravels.

“Now if we have information, we can provide it without having people making multiple trips to our office, as in the past,” Acting Norwalk Fire Chief Christian Hansen says.

The Department generally fields a couple of dozen requests each

40 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2016

week from people asking about underground tanks. In order to get an answer, individuals had to fill out a form, pay a look-up fee, and stand by for a phone call with confirmation that a tank was or was not on the property.

Fire officials say they would still charge for the report but having it online is a major benefit for the public. The Fire Department is also considering creating more online databases, such as inspection histories, another very popular request from the public.

“I would hope that even our archived paper files would be scanned, stored, and made available electronically,” Hansen says. “It is forward thinking, and we need to implement the technology.”

VOLUNTEERS

Rock Solid

Historic Andover cemetery gets some TLC

T

he old burial grounds of colonial Connecticut have tales to tell and one Andover resident is helping to ensure that those stories continue to be part of the town’s history.

John Handfield, a Pratt & Whitney retiree who enjoys landscaping his own property, has spearheaded efforts to restore the historic rock wall around the town’s Olde Burying Ground, the final resting place of some notable New England families.

What first began last fall as a task to just straighten some rocks on a section of the wall has turned into a project of civic pride for Handfield and others. He says people often honk their appreciation as they go by or stop to chat and thank him. Many others, he says, have rolled up their sleeves and helped in many different ways. Some have helped pile rocks, others have raked leaves and one local landscaper brought an excavator to help with one particularly tough section.

Handfield appreciates the help and doesn’t mind the work at all. He has a 300 foot rock wall at his home and admits, “I like working with stones.” And he’s making headway. So far three of the four perimeter walls have been spruced up and the volunteers are busy at work on the last section.

While more than 200 years of New England weather may have worn away much of the engraving on many

of the gravestones, town officials know exactly who lies in repose. Mike Donnelly, president of the Olde Andover Burying Ground Committee, says a list of those buried there was drawn up many years ago.

“So we know who’s in there,” Donnelly says.

The cemetery was established in 1748. Aaron Phelps, who in 1750 was the first person to be buried there, is a direct ancestor of former presidents George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush. A direct descendant of Roger Williams, Samuel H. Williams was also laid to rest in the Olde Burying Ground.

Town officials and residents say they are grateful for Handfield and the volunteer effort that is helping keep their history alive.

Helping Hands

Manchester’s ‘history of helping’ marks two dozen years

F

or 24 consecutive years, Manchester volunteers have gathered one day each year to help dozens of local homeowners with renovations and improvements they might not be able to undertake on their own.

Rebuilding Together, the annual showing of community support that sees neighbors helping neighbors, helps dozens of residents each year. A few weeks ago, the day-long event saw 800 volunteers make improvements to more than 50 homes. Many of the homes are owned by elderly residents with physical or financial restrictions.

Others are owned by folks who may have physical limitations that prevent them from making the repairs themselves.

Scott Garman, co-chairman of the event and the town’s assistant recreation director, said the volunteers performed tasks that ranged from painting and landscaping to installing ramps, grab bars, doors, and windows. Some homes even received roof repairs.

Many of the volunteers were high school students from local schools and youth groups. Manchester High School sent about 75 volunteers comprised of students and staff.

Contractors who volunteered their time were charged with completing any jobs that required specific skills.

“It was a great day, a good time, and a great picnic at the end of the day,” Garman said. “It was a great event for the town of Manchester.”

The homeowners who saw work done on their homes were “ecstatic with the changes,” Garman said.

“One woman who received work from volunteers personally hugged all 50 workers who put time into improving her home.”

Garman said the volunteers did a “tremendous job rehabilitating the entire town.”

And it’s not just the volunteers who make such a difference. Each year, Rebuilding Together receives a tremendous outpouring of support from local businesses and charities.

“Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do this every year,” Garman said.

JUNE 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 41

AROUND TOWN

H

artford’s school system recently received a national district of the year award from Magnet Schools of America, a Washington, D.C.-based group that represents magnet schools in the U.S. Hartford educators were presented with the Donna Grady-Creer District Award for Magnet Sustainability, which honors excellence and “highly sustained support for magnet schools.”

Stamford is moving forward on plans to purchase body cameras for its police department. The city is looking to purchase 161 body cameras for officers. It will cost the city $138,000 this year and a little more in the next budget. With the total cost exceeding $700,000, a federal grant will cover the remaining costs.

Hebron homeowners recently had the opportunity to learn about acquiring solar energy in a program supported by the Connecticut Green Bank, when the Solarize Connecticut campaign hosted an informational workshop at a local library.

Hebron signed on to become a Solarize community in March, bringing solar energy opportunities to the community.

The workshop provided homeowners with information about the environmental benefits and savings that result from using solar panels. Its services include prescreening certified solar installers, free site assessments, and $0 down financing options.

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MUNICIPAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE PLATINUM

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MUNICIPAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE GOLD

A donation from inmates at the Brooklyn Correctional Institution in eastern Connecticut will help fund a resource used by police officers investigating cases of domestic violence. Officials from the prison presented a $2,000 donation to advocates of domestic violence victims to help pay for new “best practices” cards.

The cards are like “cheat sheets” that highlight relevant laws and list questions that help officers determine a victim’s level of danger.

The website Safewise recently released their 2016 list for the top 100 safest cities in America and Ridgefield, Wilton, and Weston not only made the cut, they all were ranked in the top 20 safest cities in the country. The website analyzed FBI crime statistics in every state, and combined those results with research on each city’s public safety, public health, and educational offerings.

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim announced that the Connecticut State Department of Public Health has declared Bridgeport a “HEARTSafe” Community, recognizing the number of citizens that have been trained in life saving measures such as CPR, and the strategic placement of Automated External Defibrillators in the community to improve the survival chances of anyone suffering sudden cardiac arrest. Bridgeport is the 118th municipality in Connecticut to earn the “HEARTSafe” Community designation.

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g n i l c y c e R Paint y s a E e d a M PAINTCARE LOCATIONS Paint Store

Transfer Station

As part of the Connecticut paint stewardship program, paint manufacturers established PaintCare, a nonprofit, to make recycling leftover paint more convenient throughout the state.

Since the start of the Connecticut program in 2013, we’ve set up 143 drop-off locations. 99% of Connecticut residents have a place within a few miles of their home to recycle paint for no charge all year-round during regular business hours.

Most of these locations are at paint retailers, but many are at town transfer stations that have partnered with PaintCare to provide more drop-off locations for their residents to recycle their paint when they bring their other recyclables or trash to the town transfer station. PaintCare provides supplies, storage boxes, and training to all participating locations and pays for the transportation and processing of all of the paint dropped off for recycling.

Interested in joining?

Transfer stations that join up with PaintCare help keep paint out of the trash and make paint recycling even more convenient for their community. To learn more, please contact PaintCare at www.paintcare.org/ct or give us a call (855) 724-6809.