CT&C June 2018

June 2018

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

OFFICERS President, Neil O’Leary Mayor of Waterbury 1st Vice President, John A. Elsesser Town Manager of Coventry

THE BIMONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE OF MUNICIPALITIES

2nd Vice President, Michael Freda First Selectman of North Haven

900 CHAPEL ST., 9TH FLOOR, NEW HAVEN, CT 06510-2807

DIRECTORS Luke A. Bronin, Mayor of Hartford Tom Banisch, First Selectman of Madison Robert M. Congdon, First Selectman of Preston Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Toni N. Harp, Mayor of New Haven Barbara M. Henry, First Selectman of Roxbury Matthew Knickerbocker, First Selectman of Bethel Catherine Iino, First Selectwoman of Killingworth Marcia A. Leclerc, Mayor of East Hartford Curt Leng, Mayor of Hamden W. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of Seymour Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield Leo Paul, First Selectman of Litchfield Scott Shanley, General Manager of Manchester Jayme J. Stevenson, First Selectman of Darien Erin Stewart, Mayor of New Britain Daniel Syme, First Selectman of Scotland Michael C. Tetreau, First Selectman of Fairfield

Inside this issue...

4

Pension Shortfalls Loom Large

6

State Budget Turned Out As Expected

9

PURA Decision A Strong Case For Appeal

Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland

10

CCM Knocks Down Harmful Bills

PAST PRESIDENTS Mark D. Boughton Mayor of Danbury Matthew B. Galligan Town Manager of South Windsor Herbert C. Rosenthal former First Selectman of Newtown Susan S. Bransfield First Selectwoman of Portland

12

CCM Sponsors Final Gubernatorial Debate

13

Sustainable CT Keeps Growing

16

CIRMA News

19

News from Member Towns

Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator of Columbia

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

Connecticut Town & City © 2018 Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

Pension Shortfalls Loom Large

Two experts talked solutions with CCM at June meeting

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ean-Pierre Aubry, an expert from Boston College’s Center for Retirement Research, and W. Gordon Hamlin, Jr., president of Pro Bono Public Pensions and a 2016 Fellow in Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, gave separate presentations on what was affectionately dubbed the 800 pound gorilla in the room: Pensions.

Identifying a problem, and keying in a solution In his presentation, “The Challenges Facing Public Sector Retirement,” Aubry reported on the evolving state of public pension plans, focusing on the trends since the 2008-2009 financial crisis. He notes that just over 75% of state plans and 55% of local plans have made some kind of benefit reform since 2009, including the introduction of mandatory hybrid plans that provide lower benefits, but also have a defined contribution component.

While these reforms were often necessary, they are not free from drawbacks (i.e. potentially limiting the recruiting ability of governments). Nor do they serve as a cure-all.

As Aubry noted, “most reforms have focused on new hires due to legal protections for current employees.” Because a large portion of costs are associated with the retired, reforms that affect new hires only are not impactful. He gives Massachusetts as an example, where 82% of their pension contributions go to legacy costs. This means that most post-crisis reforms will be incremental at best.

Furthermore, despite a healthy economic environment, the overall funded status of pension plans has remained flat since the crisis.

However, the sideways movement of the overall funded status does not reflect the experience of all plans. The better-funded plans, those with a funded ratio above 80 percent in 2017, saw their funded

ratio improve slightly after the crisis from about 87 percent to 90 percent. The middle plans, those with funded ratios between 60 and 80 percent in 2017, saw their funded ratio stay relatively stable at around 70 percent in the years following the crisis. But the worst-off plans — those funded less than 60% — saw their funded ratio steadily decline after the crisis from 62% to 49%.

Part of the difference among plans, according to Aubry, is the annual required contribution (ARC). A municipality should aim to pay 100% of their ARC, but that led to many plans setting an ARC that “falls far short of what is needed to pay down liabilities.”

The better-funded plans paid more of their ARC over the years, and usually set an ARC that was adequate to limit liabilities. The most-troubling news comes for the lowest funded group, which need what Aubry calls a “grand bargain.”

That will require sacrifice on the workers, retirees, and taxpayers, but how much and where that should be placed is up for consideration. Aubry said any grand bargain should consider two items: separately financing legacy costs so current employees are not further burdened, and that any new retirement plan should have substantial risk sharing to avoid this happening again.

A modest proposal for a gordian knot Gordon Hamlin, whose work while in private practice with an Atlanta law firm included acting as outside counsel to the states of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, addressed the possibilities for municipalities to solve their pension crises “fairly and securely,” which he called “the single most important challenge in just about every state.”

“We are rapidly running out of solutions,” Hamlin said after driving home the point that it would not be fair to reduce pensions for current

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retirees, expect current employees to boost their contributions, expect current taxpayers to pay for the unfunded liabilities, moving to a 401(k) model, or, most shockingly, do nothing — creating a snowball effect that would hit education, health care, and infrastructure.

The solution was going to be wrought with hard choices, a proverbial gordian knot. In Hamlin’s vision, the strike of Alexander’s sword is a prepackaged chapter 9 bankruptcy to transition to a shared risk model.

Here a task force prepares a plan that the legislature will approve, and the three creditor classes — retirees, inactive employees, and current employees —vote on the proposal.

Once a bankruptcy judge approves the filing, all future payments will go to the shared risk plan.

This is not without precedent: New Brunswick tackled their funding problems by looking to the Netherlands target benefit system, and it has leveled out a volatile situation.

New Brunswick is not a one-off either: the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is a model plan that Hamlin states is a model to be followed, and one that ended up with a $12 billion surplus.

A bankruptcy would be a hard pill to swallow, but by pre-packaging it, the state, the citizens, and the employees in the plan would see it coming. And most importantly, it would be a plan that doesn’t attempt to pass on burdens like when Governor Malloy tried to shift the Teachers’ Retirement System over to municipalities, which CCM vehemently rejected.

Ultimately, bringing up the 800 pound gorilla in the room is often a difficult task, but he is a problem, and problems need to be solved.

Aubry and Hamlin, with solid research to back them up, chose not to scold but offer solutions.

And that left several in attendance asking how they could at least keep this conversation going.

SB 278 Stalled After Amendment CCM worked hard for compromise on unfunded mandate

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fter a hard-fought compromise, SB 278 was not acted upon as the 2018 legislative session came to a close in May.

SB 278, as originally proposed, would have prevented a municipality from discharging, discriminating, or disciplining a first responder that seeks mental health services, establishing protocols in which a police officer is allowed leave when dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), requiring each police department to develop policies on police officers dealing with mental health issues and requiring police departments to report.

As reported in April, CCM expressed its staunch opposition to an unfunded state mandate that would saddle communities with an unnecessary, costly state mandate.

Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury and CCM President, noted that mandating police officers who suffer from PTSD remain off work for up to a year could easily diminish a force, saying: “In Waterbury, for example, more than 15 officers, a minimum of 5 firefighters, and at least 2 EMS staff could report to the scene of a shooting or ‘critical incident.’ This would require municipalities, especially in our larger communities that experience higher incidents, to replenish a considerable portion of their workforce.”

SB 278 also assumed that little or no emotional support systems exist for first responders, and also that municipalities have been discriminating against first responders.

Municipalities have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) for employees suffering from mental or emotional impairments. These benefits provide employees access to counseling, therapy, and other essential services to assist them and their families during difficult periods. Some municipalities have gone a step further by providing benefits above and beyond contractual obligations in response to extreme circumstances.

Waterbury Mayor and CCM President Neil O’Leary raised objections to SB 278 in our ad placed on TV and YouTube

viders will be used for assessment and treatment.

• Allows an officer to receive their service weapon, ammunition, and electronic defense weapon back once a licensed medical professional (from the list generated by the town/union) states that they are fit for duty.

• Prohibits civil actions against a municipality for damages caused by an officer’s actions in the use of their own personal weapon while they no longer have access to their service weapon, ammunition and electronic defense weapon.

• Interested parties would meet in the interim to discuss whether compromise could be reached on the original PTSD bill

Further, the Connecticut Police Chiefs Assocation (CPCA) has promoted police officer mental health awareness through various publications and workshops. The Police Officers Training Council (POST) is very involved in working with CPCA and municipalities on mandating curriculum, not only at police training academies, but also mandating yearly in-service training concerning such issues.

Because this bill was never called to vote, that work will not be recognized this year, but there is still a chance that this issue will pop up again.

CCM worked with Sen. Kevin Witkos and union representatives to reach a compromise on SB 278.

As we stated in April, police officers and other first responders are public servants. We owe it to them and our property taxpayers to come up with a solution that is workable and reasonable. But it must be one that is free from ambiguous language and one that has been vetted. Only then can we be sure that we truly help those in need.

The compromise: • Removed the PTSD section from the original bill.

• Ensured a police officer may not be fired solely for seeking or receiving mental health services.

If that should happen, CCM is ready and willing to work with the proponents of this bill to ensure a comprehensive framework is in place to provide first responders suffering from PTSD with further assistance in a deliberate and more informed manner.

• Required the municipality and the police union to come up with a list of medical providers. These proJUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 5

State Budget Turned Out As Expected

A mixed bag of removed mandates, returned funding, but no reform

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he Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) expresses its gratitude for the bi-partisan efforts that resulted in the overwhelming approval of a revised state budget for next fiscal year, and one that restores state aid to towns and cities for FY 2018-19.

Fortunately, the new state budget does not include many onerous mandates that were close to passage in the last days of session. But that doesn’t mean the work is over.

Despite these wins, there was little room for change in this budget.

CCM will be on the forefront of discussions with state and business leaders to enact the changes called for in CCM’s “This Report is Different,” and the recent State Commission on Fiscal Stability and Economic Growth report.

CCM will launch a major public campaign this fall to further advance these fiscal issues – highlighted by the final gubernatorial debate (see page 12) among the candidates at CCM’s annual statewide convention on October 30.

Highlights From The State Budget Education: Overall the education budget increased $100 million, a 4.6% increase over last year.

The Education Cost Sharing (ECS) program will phase-in a new formula in FY19 that determines the amount of funding for towns. If a town’s fully funded ECS grant under the new formula is greater than its base grant amount, it will receive the base plus 4.1% of the difference. If the ECS grand is less, it will receive the base amount minus 25% of this difference. Alliance Districts always receive the base grant.

For FY20 the formula will change again, until FY28 when each town will receive its fully funded ECS grant, with a few exceptions again for Alliance Districts.

There will be additional ECS fund-

ing for towns that had received students during the 2017-2018 year who were displaced by Hurricane Maria, but individual amounts have not been confirmed.

is because there is no Municipal Revenue Sharing Account funding, which is where the penalty would be taken. If the funding is restored, the penalty would be in place.

The Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) remained largely unchanged, but removed a penalty for violating the FY18 MBR if a town’s FY18 ECS grant was reduced due to reductions in allotments or Renter’s Rebate, or the town reduced its FY18 budgeted appropriation for education in an amount up to the reduction in its ECS grant. The return of Renter’s Rebate to the state is a big win for Alliance Districts.

Assistance for Crumbling Foundations: Legislation was adopted that assesses an annual $12 surcharge on homeowners’ insurance policies in Connecticut that will be deposited into a new Healthy Homes Fund to help pay for repairing homes with crumbling concrete basements. 85% of this fund will go to homes in the Northeast corner that have suffered from faulty foundations, while some will be reserved for New Haven/Woodbridge homes that have a separate foundation issue that causes their homes to sink.

Non-Education: Beginning in FY19, the motor vehicle mill rate (MVMR) is capped at 45 mills. Any municipality or district may establish this mill rate apart from its mill rate for real property. The one caveat is that Special Taxing Districts cannot exceed the cap when combined with the municipality’s MVMR. This too will change beginning in FY20 when OPM will distribute motor vehicle property tax grants as reimbursement to municipalities and Special Taxing Districts for revenue lost due to the MVMR cap.

Both the Municipal Restructuring Grant and the Municipal Stabilization Grant remain largely the same.

The latter was used to ensure that no municipality receives less in municipal aid than 5% of the amount it received in FY17. The amounts are set in the adopted budget and can be considered general revenue.

The Renter’s Rebate as mentioned will return to the full responsibility of OPM and municipalities will not be responsible for bearing half of the program’s cost as in FY18. On the other hand, the Elderly Circuit Breaker Grant was not funded, so no towns are expected to received that reimbursement.

Municipal Spending Cap: Under current law, the spending cap remains as is, but there is no penalty for exceeding the cap. That

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Bond Funding: These are some of the bond authorizations for FY19: • Urban Act: $50 million • Responsible Growth Incentive Fund: $2 million • Transit-oriented development and predevelopment activities: $6 million • Grants for building improvements for Alliance Districts: $30 million • School construction: $452.1 million • Clean Water Fund: $350.3 million • Brownfield remediation and revitalization program: $10 million • Crumbling Foundations Assistance Fund: $20 million • Local Transportation Capital Program: $64 million • Local Bridge Program: $24 million • Grants-in-aid to assist targeted local and regional school districts for alterations, repairs, improvements, technology, and equipment in low-performing schools: $5 million • Grants-in-aid for public library construction: $2.5 million On June 1, the State Board Commission approved $30 million for the Town Aid Road program for FY19.

A Touch of Gray With A Silver Lining Senate Bill 421 saw greater support, but did not pass

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preserve a municipality’s bond rating. The repercussions of negative credit ratings are far reaching, leading to higher borrowing costs for the affected municipalities, or even stalling necessary infrastructure projects.

The crux of SB 421 was to protect a municipality’s credit rating.

Furthermore, SB 421 would have protected municipal fund balances so municipalities are better able to react to unanticipated expenditures such as natural disasters, spikes in energy costs, employee overtime, variations in cash flow, and capital expenditures.

ith the end of the legislative session on May 9, CCM had held out hope that Senate Bill 421 would still pass. The bill that set out to protect up to 15 percent of a town’s municipal fund balance from being used to determine a town’s ability to pay in municipal labor contract settlements, was not able to gain the traction needed for passing.

Among other factors, such as being able to balance a budget and grand list growth, a municipality fund balance — known as a Rainy Day Fund — is key to a good credit rating. When state and federal funding to municipalities dip, Rainy Day Funds are essential to withstanding unexpected expenditures.

As CCM Executive Director, Joe Delong, has noted, Moody’s was questioning the credit ratings of 26 additional cities and towns, and adding to 25 municipalities that already had negative outlooks. This has compounded with the ongoing budgeting issues facing the state, creating a perfect storm of factors that could > State negotiated discounts on office furniture, including filing & lead to poor bond ratings. storage, tables, wood suites, and more and installation at no additionalmaintain charge Of the many reasons whydelivery a municipality should > FREE standard apply) often cited is that it can a fund balance,(some therestrictions one most

It was a tricky bill to pass with direct opposition coming from unions. They felt the bill ignored the many concessions they have made since the recession a decade ago.

“Towns and cities like ours across the state understand the need for a healthy municipal fund balance,” said Susan Bransfield, First Selectwoman of Portland. “If we were to dip below certain levels, we risk higher credit ratings that will only pass costs onto the citizens.”

The Moody’s report that necessitated this bill only offered two other solution: Raise taxes and lay off employees.

Although SB 421 did not make it through session this year, it still remains an essential part of growth and recovery, and CCM will continue this work to the benefit of all.

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JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

Lessening The Negative Impacts of HB 5045 Municipalities search to provide affordable housing, in a reasonable and effective manner

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CM had our eye on House Bill 5045 throughout the Legislative session, which sought to withhold discretionary funds from a municipality if it was found not to be in compliance with the proposed zoning regulations within the bill to affirmatively.

The only problem: it is difficult, if not impossible, to be in compliance with a standard or criteria that has not been established.

Of most concern, though there are many, is the section that would require municipalities to demonstrate every five years in a form and matter prescribed by DOH that they are providing for development of multi-family dwellings, promoting housing choice and economic diversity, and including the development of housing that meets those needs identified in the state’s plan of consolidated plan for housing and community development.

What this demonstrates is that there is no prescribed methodology for the DOH to determine a municipality’s compliance with this section. Additionally, there is no check or balance within the language related to the DOH’s authority and no recourse prescribed for a municipality that is deemed to be non-compliant.

Worst of all, a municipality that is found to be in non-compliance with this ambiguous standard would risk being ineligible for discretionary state funding until such compliance is certified by the DOH.

“Not all towns are well-suited nor have the appropriate infrastructure to support multi-family housing.”

- Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson

infrastructure to support multi-family housing. In addition, no guidelines were given relating to the mandated 5-year reporting requirement that the Housing Commission would use to determine compliance.”

This methodology would have the effect of compounding a problem, and would not have provided the outcome this bill claims to seek.

“The Town of Darien has ‘inclusionary zoning’ regulations that require 12% of all housing developments of 5 or more units to be offered at levels consistent with Connecticut Affordability rules. Our proactive measures further the objectives of Fair Housing laws regarding choice and economic diversity. Requiring all municipalities to provide for the development of multi-family housing and striking the ability of a town to consider ‘character of the district’ is inconsistent with the idea of local control.”

Any municipality that already finds its resources strained will find it difficult to comply with requirements deeming them non-compliant and ineligible for discretionary funding. With that funding being withheld, it would have made it near impossible to direct resources toward becoming compliant.

Often, outside factors such as market conditions, lack of water and sewer infrastructure, sparsely populated communities, or lack of job opportunities make these types of projects unfeasible for developers. This makes it all the more important that these funds not be withheld.

Darien First Selectman Jayme Stevenson said that her “objection to provisions in HB 5045 were not focused solely on the loss of ‘discretionary funds’ as much as they are the expansion of state housing mandates.

Requiring all municipalities to advance the Housing Commission’s objectives to expand multi-family housing opportunities is a heavy-handed mandate on municipalities already struggling under the burden of the state’s fiscal crisis.”

Favorably, the bill was amended on the House floor to remove the penalty provision, and was voted out of the chamber. The bill ultimately died on the senate floor, but there is a strong likelihood that this bill will resurface again next year.

Even more than the autonomous authority that this bill would give to the DOH, we are concerned with any state funding that would be withheld from municipalities given the dire economic reality local governments are facing today and out into the future.

“Not all towns are well-suited nor have the appropriate

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CCM does not believe that leading with the stick achieves the intended outcome, but instead leaves municipalities without the funds that help them comply with the state’s goals towards fair housing in the first place.

CT aims to be at the forefront of new tech with the CT Gig Project, the PURA decision will halt that progress

PURA Decision A Strong Case For Appeal CCM sees this decision as full of many erroneous legal positions

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he Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) recently voted unanimously to approve a final decision we first reported in the April issue that bars municipalities from using the statutory right to use the municipal gain on poles and in conduits for broadband services. CCM had submitted a petition in objection to the draft decision in March, and believes this case has a strong likelihood of appeal.

At the center of the issue is General Statute 16-233 which states: “Each town, city, borough, fire district or the Department of Transportation shall have the right to occupy and use for any purpose, without payment therefor, one gain upon each public utility pole or in each underground communications duct system installed by a public service company within the limits of any such town, city, borough or district. The location or relocation of any such gain shall be prescribed by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority. Any such gain shall be reserved for use by the town, city, borough, fire district or the Department of Transportation.”

Of note is the language “use for any purpose” that was placed into the statute in 2013.

What this PURA decision presupposes is that “for any purpose” does not mean “for any purpose.”

This is a violation of the plain meaning rule, one of the guiding principles of statutory law, which dictates that law should be interpreted to a generally agreed upon language.

The petition describes the decision as “infected by major procedural errors made throughout the proceeding, exceeds bounds by the statutory and State Constitutional authority of [… PURA], substitutes the Authority’s judgment for that of duly elected municipal

and legislative officials, blatantly contorts and violates the plain meaning dictate of General Statutes 1-2z by holding that the “for any purpose” language inserted into General Statutes 16-233 […] does not really mean “for any purpose,” and ultimately upends the Rule of Law that binds the people of our State together.”

The municipal gain is important to municipalities across the state, and has been for over 100 years, which has evolved in its usage over time. This is why it is so important to appeal this decision: PURA essentially halts that progress by limiting municipality access to increasing broadband networks.

In 2016, the Connecticut State Broadband Initiative petitioned PURA to promote the use of the municipal gain to facilitate broadband development.

Connecticut has the CT Gig Project, created in 2014 that aimed to take advantage of broadband development by attempting to increase internet speeds from the average of 9MB/sec to 1GB/sec, an increase that is upwards of 100 times faster than the old average. This is imperative to ending the digital divide in education by making access to new technologies available to all, especially for children who do not currently have internet access in their homes.

Cities across the country already have access to ultra-high-speed internet. Kansas City notably became Google’s pilot city with their broadband offering Fiber.

Google offers 1 gigabit per second internet, which enticed many start-up technology companies to locate in Kansas City.

Our state should not risk falling behind in new technology because of one bad ruling.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 9

CCM Knocks Down Harmful Bills Legislation that hurt towns left on floor

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ver the legislative session, somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 bills get floated around, and somewhere between two and three-hundred become law meaning that CCM had a full workload keeping track of all of them. Some would have had deleterious effects on municipalities, and those bills we took extra effort to knock down.

HB 5180, An Act Concerning the Appraisal of Certain Rental Income-Producing Real Property

Here are some of those successes:

The income approach is a universal approach to determining a rental property’s true and actual market value, nationally and internationally. It is widely regarded as an accurate and fair method of appraisal and considered an industry standard.

SB 182, Exempting Property Under Construction SB 182 would have resulted in significant grand list reductions for many Connecticut communities by tax exempting properties under construction. It is estimated this exemption would have cost towns and cities $35 million in lost revenue annually. SB 182 would have restricted the municipality from sending a tax bill until one year after the property has been sold and create massive inequities and an unfair distribution of the local property tax.

HB 5143, An Act Lowering The Age of Eligibility For Property Tax Relief For Elderly Persons The bill would have imposed a “de facto” mandate allowing for a municipality to lessen the age requirement for property tax relief from 70 to 65, which would position many towns and cities to feel compelled to enact. Local tax dollars are already stretched too thin and municipalities cannot shoulder the burden of more property tax exemptions.

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HB 5180 would have prohibited towns from using the income approach in appraising certain rental income producing real property.

HB 5186, An Act Concerning Concussion Education For Coaches of Certain Youth Athletic Activities The language of the bill would have significantly increased the liability exposure of municipalities while making it difficult to enforce the training at the same time. The effect would be to deny leagues usage of their fields that provide space for youth athletic activities.

HB 5188, An Act Establishing a Moratorium On the Use of Recycled Tire Rubber At Municipal and Public School Playgrounds This bill would have established a moratorium on the installation of crumb rubber on municipal playgrounds and playgrounds under the jurisdiction of local or regional boards of education pending the release of the Federal Research Action Plan. This despite a study by

the Environmental Protection Agency and CT Department of Public Health/Department of Energy and Environmental Protection that found no associated elevated health risks.

HB 5198, An Act Requiring State and Local Agencies and Utilities To Adopt a Housing Affordability Impact Analysis This Housing Affordability Impact Analysis bill would have required municipalities to produce a housing affordability impact analysis of the municipality’s local land use and other regulations, ordinances, and requirements that impact the cost of housing within the municipality.

This requirement would have increased costs and required additional resources by municipalities to produce the impact analysis, which would have provided no direct benefit to advancing affordable housing.

HB 5240, An Act Concerning Certain Veterans’ Property Tax Exemptions Current law allows municipalities to offer certain disabled veterans a property tax exemption in addition to the state-mandated ones. This bill would have increased the minimum amount a municipality must provide a disabled veteran, if it chooses to offer the additional exemption, from $3,000 to $50,000 of the property’s assessed value. Given an average FY18 statewide mill rate of 30.8, the minimum benefit for certain disabled veterans would have increased from $92 to $1,540 if a municipality has adopted the additional municipal option tax credit.

HB 5288, An Act Concerning Attorney’s Fees In Wrongful Property Tax Assessment Actions As drafted, the bill would have mandated that awards paid by municipalities in property tax assessment cases must include the cost of legal fees. This would have resulted in a cost to municipalities as the bill would have increased the award payouts municipalities must make.

The proposal became more burdensome than drafted.

It would have expanded the property tax exemption status for non-profit organizations, including colleges, hospitals, and group homes, in Connecticut. This expansion would have had a crippling effect on our poorest cities which already have the highest concentration of such entities and serve as regional hubs for such services.

HB 5510, An Act Concerning the Zoning of Group Homes The bill would have prevented municipalities from taking any type of action to prevent the location of group home facilities, including for example, imposing zoning restrictions. Existing law prohibits municipalities from treating people with disabilities differently than those without disabilities and requires them to make reasonable changes in zoning and other rules to provide equal housing opportunities to people with disabilities.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

CCM Sponsors Final Gubernatorial Debate Televised event has CCM partnering with WTNH, the Hartford Courant

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n a special partnership with WTNH News Channel 8 and The Hartford Courant, CCM has announced that it will host the last gubernatorial TV debate of the 2018 election cycle. The event is to take place during CCM’s annual conference on Tuesday, October 30, 2018 at Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, and will air live on WTNH from 7 – 8 p.m.

With Malloy announcing that he will not run for re-election, and the field wide open, this election will be one of Connecticut’s most important elections in recent history.

the questions important to them,” said Andrew Julien, the Courant’s Publisher & Editor-in-Chief. “Our mission at the Courant, throughout the election season and at this debate, will be to make sure we are listening to the voters and getting them the answers that they need.”

Candidates who have received at least 10% of the vote, on average, by accredited polling outlets will be invited to participate, regardless of party affiliation. This means who will be on the stage is still up for grabs at this moment.

CCM Executive Director Joe DeLong emphasized the importance of this debate by saying: “This last debate will be critical to deciding the 2018 gubernatorial race.

This first ever statewide television debate by CCM, in front of mayors and first selectmen from across the state, will compel the candidates to take clear stands on the issues that are most important in our 169 communities.”

Both parties held nominating conventions in May, but both will have primaries in August. The Republicans nominated Danbury Mayor Mark D. Boughton, but will have upwards of four challengers for the August 14 primary.

By strategically partnering with WTNH and the Courant, the debate will reach an even greater audience.

DeLong reiterated that candidates “will need to articulate their positions on everything from local public education, public safety, and infrastructure needs to the financial burdens on property taxpayers — to name only a few of the top state-local issues in 2018.”

“News 8 and our partners are committed to being Connecticut’s Local Election Headquarters,” said Rich Graziano, Vice President and General Manager at WTNH. “We’re planning an innovative and interactive debate, streaming live on-air, online, and on several social media channels.”

“The voters of Connecticut deserve straight answers to

12 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

Ned Lamont easily picked up the Democrats nod, but Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim and businessman Guy Smith are petitioning to be on the primary ticket.

Representatives from all three organizations said they are “excited and looking forward to making this a topnotch production in the closing week of what will no doubt be a closely watched race.”

Taking Action For Future’s Sake

A growing roster of CT municipalities pledge to become sustainable

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lthough not even a year old yet, Sustainable CT has seen its member roster grow to an impressive 49 communities across the state.

Sustainable CT is a consortium of towns and cities across the state that have set a goal towards a more sustainable future.

Its mission is “to provide municipalities with a menu of coordinated, voluntary actions, to continually become more sustainable; to provide resources and tools to assist municipalities in implementing sustainability actions and advancing their programs for the benefit of all residents; and to certify and recognize municipalities for their ongoing sustainability achievements.”

These towns have put their best foot forward in recognizing that a sustainable future is a bright future for its residents, and this includes communal and economic benefits far beyond just focusing on the environment.

Towns and cities across the state are taking action on transportation initiatives, public services, land and natural resources, and efficient and diverse housing, and creating vibrant and creative cultural ecosystems while they’re at it.

Registered municipalities will have the chance to be certified as a Sustainable CT Community, with either a bronze or silver certification, which are earned by completing actions across all nine categories and successfully completing 200 points or more for bronze or 400 or more for silver.

The nine categories are: Thriving Local Economies, Well-Stewarded Land and Natural Resources, Vibrant and Creative Cultural Ecosystems, Dynamic and Resilient Planning, Clean and Diverse Transportation Systems and Choices, Efficient Physical Infrastructure and Operations, Strategic and Inclusive Public Services, Healthy, Efficient and Diverse Housing, Inclusive and Equitable Community Impacts, and Innovation Action.

Sustainable

CT

Local Actions.

Statewide Impact.

Towns and cities across the state are taking action, creating vibrant & creative cultural ecosystems while they’re at it An action like managing for drought and municipal water use can earn a participating municipality 5, 10, or 15 points, while integrating sustainability into a plan of conservation and development and zoning can earn a city or town upwards of 85 points. As of right now, there are just over 1600 possible points across 55 actions.

More now than ever, it’s important to take actions towards sustainability: to drive innovation and grow economic potential by partnering with other entities that are trying to create the healthy, resilient communities of the future.

The 49 communities are: Barkhamsted, Bethany, Bristol, Brookfield, Burlington, Canterbury, Chester, Clinton, Cornwall, Coventry, Durham, Ellington, Essex, Fairfield, Glastonbury, Greenwich, Groton, Hamden, Hartford, Hebron, Killingly, Madison, Mansfield, Middletown, Milford, New Haven, New London, New Milford, Newtown, North Haven, Old Lyme, Old Saybrook, Pomfret, Portland, Putnam, Ridgefield, Roxbury, South Windsor, Stamford, Tolland, Torrington, Trumbull, West Hartford, West Haven, Weston, Westport, Wethersfield, Windham, and Woodbridge.

For more information, please visit sustainablect.org.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 13

Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury and CCM President presents checks totaling over $40,000 to (left to right) to Vincent Santilli, and Kathy Beardsworth for Homes for the Brave; Susan Baroni-Schaeffer and Denise K. Hornbecker, from Channel 3 Kids Camp; and Donna Jolly, for The Village.

Triple Crown Charity A Success

CCM presents checks to three statewide charities totaling over $40,000 after first ever philanthropic event

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Homes for the Brave provides transitional housing, vocational training, and life skills coaching to help veterans and their families leave homelessness behind.

Leadership from each group — the Channel 3 Kids Camp, Homes for the Brave, and The Village — were presented with their checks at the May 15 meeting of CCM’s 168 member mayors, first selectmen and town managers in Wallingford which assessed the 2018 General Assembly session.

More than 250 state, municipal and business leaders attended and contributed to the event, to help make it a huge fundraising success for these valuable causes.

he Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) presented three checks totaling over $40,000 to three of the state’s most significant social-service organizations as a result of its first-ever philanthropic event – the Connecticut Charity Triple Crown.

“CCM’s mission is to collaborate for the common good in Connecticut,” said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director. “And our first-ever effort to aid these important organizations — which we now hope will be an ongoing annual event — will make a real difference in the critical human services that can be provided by each of these long-time, valuable social services organizations that benefit residents in need across Connecticut.”

Channel 3 Kids Camp provides educational, recreational and child care services in a completely inclusive environment.

14 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

The Village provides foster care and adoption, and a full range of behavioral health treatment and community support services for children, families and adults.

The CT Triple Crown was held at the Hartford Club on the evening of April 11. Each $75 ticket included Triple Crown-themed hors d’oeuvres, access to the silent and live auctions, entertainment, and networking; all while contributing to three great local charities. Again, CCM hopes this will become an annual philanthropic event focused on Connecticut’s statewide community.

For more information on the event, including sponsors and partners, visit http://www.ccm-ct.org/ct-triple-crown.

Save The Date!

The 2018 CCM Convention is fast approaching

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he 2018 Convention held by CCM will take place on October 30 and October 31 at Foxwoods Resort. This year’s convention will also be host to the final televised gubernatorial debate, which is a partnership between CCM, WTNH News 8, and The Hartford Courant. (See full announcement on page 12.)

featured on CCM’s website and in future CT&C issues.

A prize of $1000 will be awarded to winners in the first two categories.

Join more than 1,000 attendees, including local officials from across the state and business leaders from the Northeast and beyond, for a day and a half of informative workshops and meetings, interactive discussions, networking opportunities, and dozens of exhibitors.

Additionally, scholarships will be awarded for #LoCoolGov, which awards $500 scholarships to winners in middle school and high school categories.

Sponsors so far include the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA), Murtha Cullina, ConnectiCare, and GeoInsight.

Exhibitors are still signing up, but as of this writing, there are exhibitors who have been at this event for close to three decades and some, like Window Film Depot and The Difference Card, who will be there for the first time.

Municipal Excellence Awards Also on the agenda are the 2018 Municipal Excellence Awards, sponsored by Halloran & Sage, LLP, which are awarded in four categories: • Three General Entry Awards separated by pop. size • Topical Award “Creative Use of Resources, Partnerships, and Collaborations” • The Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award • The Richard C. Lee Innovators Award The first two categories are awarded to towns and cities, while the latter two are for individuals. A First Place Prize will be honored at the Convention and will

Submissions are due by Friday, August 10, 2018.

#LoCoolGov Contest

The contest is open to all students attending a Connecticut public middle (grades 6-8) or high (grades 9-12) school. Participants must create their own original work themselves, but may get help from teachers, parents, or friends in the form of ideas. They may collaborate with peers and submit group projects of no more than 3 people.

The contest asks: What’s cool about local government?

Entries can include essays, poems, photos, video, painting, multimedia project, or any other medium you find appropriate. Images of 3-dimensional objects will be accepted. Entries are due by Saturday, June 30, 2018. Judges will choose winners based on closeness to the theme, originality, and creativity.

For more information on the awards, visit www.ccm-ct. org/municipal-excellence-awards and www.ccm-ct. org/Locoolgov For more information about the convention, and how you can become an exhibitor or sponsor, visit www. ccm-ct.org/convention Be on the look-out (in your mailbox and inbox) for attendee registration information, including the workshop topics and event schedule.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

CIRMA Looking Forward; Pursuing Excellence CIRMA’s coverages, rate stability, and value-added programs are a strong foundation for its members’ success in 2018-19.

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any cities, towns, and local public agencies have already renewed their CIRMA membership for 2018-19, moving them an important step closer to a safer, more secure year ahead for their communities.

CIRMA’s low, stable rates and value-added programs mean that its members can more easily plan their budgets, and lead risk management initiatives with an array of risk management resources provided at no-cost with their membership.

David Demchak, president and CEO of CIRMA, said, “CIRMA’s pursuit of excellence never stops. In the year ahead, CIRMA will continue to develop new value-added services and resources, and to improve our business systems, so that our members have access to the expert resources they need to manage risk and reduce losses.”

What can CIRMA members expect in the coming months?

• Tailored coverage solutions for municipal and public school exposures that include an enhanced Volunteer Firefighter Accident Insurance program for Workers’ Compensation pool members, and enhanced K-9 of-

ficer coverage. As before, CIRMA Liability-Auto-Property coverages include cyber risk, drone, and builders risk coverage, plus access to its International Travel and Tenant User Liability Insurance programs.

“CIRMA has helped us every step of the way; they are a great partner to work with.”

- Mark Nickerson, First Selectman Town of East Lyme • Superior management of even the most complex claims. CIRMA’s Claims teams’ breadth and depth of expertise enables them to create claims solutions that fit the unique needs of municipalities and public schools and their employees.

• A wide range of training, education programs and seminars, with new programs on topics of importance not available anywhere else. (See the article on page 18)

• Value-added programs such as its Employment Practices Liability Helpline and Contract Review programs that provide expert consulting advice to help members avoid unnecessary liability.

• The E-Learning Center, now reaching over 10,000 participants, will be continually updated with new course topics on issues of concern to CIRMA members.

• New publications, including Lessons Learned, Hot Zone Series for Firefighters, Police Roll Call series, and School Announcement series address the risks inherent in these operations.

• CIRMA’s new analytical tools, risk management resources, and claims services provide actionable information to help municipal and school leaders understand where and how their losses occur, and provide strategies to reduce them.

CIRMA is poised to make 2018-19 a great year for its members with these and other membership benefits.

Visit CIRMA.org for more information about CIRMA’s value-added programs and services.

CIRMA’s core values drive value to its members

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t’s no coincidence: CIRMA’s core values — its mission and member focus, its collaborative and innovative approach, and dedication to service excellence — drive the development of programs and services that add value to its member municipalities and public schools.

and severity of losses significantly. Over the past five years, Workers’ Compensation claims costs have decreased 19.3% and Liability-Auto-Property claims costs have decreased 42%.

Owned and governed by its members, CIRMA is a financially strong organization that works for municipalities and public schools:

• CIRMA has provided outstanding rate stability to members; its aggregate rate need over seven years has averaged –.4% for the Workers’ Compensation pool and .3% for the Liability-Auto-Property pool.

• CIRMA risk management resources provide tools to help members understand and manage risk.

CIRMA members have reduced the frequency

• Over $19 million in Members Equity has been returned to members since the start of its distribution program in 2011. CONTINUED ...

16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

CIRMA

Helping members to build better, safer communities...

With low, stable rates and value-added programs

We provide our members the tools to better understand and manage risk at every level and in every operation. Our rates are low and stable: Our aggregate rate need for 2018-19 is –5% for the Workers’ Compensation pool and 0% for the Liability-Auto-Property pool. Contact CIRMA Underwriting to request a Workers’ Compensation and Liability-Auto-Property quote for 2018-19. www.CIRMA.org.

“

CIRMA has helped us to get a handle on our total cost of risk, and achieve our success.”

Michael Passero, Mayor, New London

CIRMA Excellence in Risk Management

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isk management works — and CIRMA is a powerful partner in its members’ risk management efforts. The City of New London’s recent risk management initiatives reduced its total cost of risk by $3.3 million; the Town of East Lyme reduced its cost of risk by 93%. Glastonbury and the Simsbury Public Works department reduced lost-work days and achieved a record low in claims severity.

These four CIRMA members earned a 2018 Excellence in Risk Management award for their efforts — and more importantly they reduced losses and lowered costs, to better serve their communities.

CIRMA encourages all of its members to get a head start on the upcoming 2019 Excellence In Risk Management Awards competition by downloading an application today.

The window to submit a completed application for the 2019 Excellence in Risk Management Award extends from August 1st to September 30th. The four award recipients will each receive a $2,500 Risk Management grant from CIRMA. To learn more about the program, and to download an application, go to CIRMA.org/Governance/Excellence in Risk Management tab.

Risk management resources for warm weather risks

Connecticut’s summer weather is often beautiful, but it can turn destructive and deadly. In the coming weeks CIRMA will provide its members a number of resources and training programs that address summertime risks, including hurricane preparedness, lightning strikes, electrical equipment safety, heat illnesses, summer maintenance, insect bites, and more. Visit CIRMA.org for more information and downloads.

CIRMA’s E-Learning Center

CIRMA’s E-Learning Center has a number of topics related to warm weather risks, including Dealing with Heat Stress, Commercial Lawn Mower Safety, and Lawn Care Equipment Safety.

CIRMA member employees have participated in almost 7,000 E-Learning Center training programs in 2017-18. Visit CIRMATraining. org/E-Learning center for more information. The E-Learning Center is free to all CIRMA members.

18 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

CIVIC AMENITIES

A new exhibit at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center highlighting historical figures during and after Stowe’s lifetime

An Anniversary, Opening, And Re-Opening Three museums across the state have something to celebrate

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hree museums in the state have something to celebrate, and each for unique reasons.

First, the Boxcar Children Museum in Putnam is celebrating its 15th season. Dedicated to the author of the famous children’s books of the same name, Gertrude Chandler Warner, the entire museum is fittingly in one boxcar.

The museum opened across the street from Warner’s childhood home. It is a collection of “original signed books, photos, and artifacts” from the author’s life in Putnam. A story placed in the Norwich Bulletin says that visitors have come from 121 of Connecticut’s 169 towns, 43 states, and 24 countries.

The author is internationally renowned for her tales of four orphaned children that was initially released in 1924. The series has grown into an expansive collection, though Warner only wrote the original 19 books.

In Woodbridge, a museum is opening dedicated entirely to Palestinian art, a first in the nation.

Palestine Museum US was founded by Faisal Saleh, a West Bank native who came to America to study, and ended up completing his education here, including an M.B.A. from UConn.

The announcement of the opening said it will feature historical documents, photography, film, oral histories, mixed and digital media, literary arts, public lectures,

and live performances. The focus will be on Palestinian artists in Palestine and in diaspora, but will also feature non-Palestinian artists that depict life in the country.

The museum is “independent, nonpolitical, nonreligious, and not-for-profit,” still in the startup phase, and he is still looking for charter supporters.

And lastly, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center reopened after a complete renovation that reimagined the role of the historical house museum.

While the focus was still on preservation of the historical aspect of Stowe’s home, there is an increased focus on the lessons that are still being discussed today.

Stowe is most famous for her work, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel that — legend has it — Lincoln credited with helping start the Civil War. So alongside the Victorian decorations, there will be discussions of the “controversial legacy” of her book, which tackled slavery head on, and the roles of women in society.

The home was first built in 1871, and is a National Historic Landmark. This means that renovations were delicate, replacing features that had been on public view since 1968, worn down by time and the many visitors that have passed through its doors throughout the years.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 19

CIVIC AMENITIES Banking On A Community

Start Community Bank aims to make a difference in New Haven

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n a shining moment of civic participation fifteen years ago, hundreds of New Haven-area citizens made their voices heard in opposition to plans for the New Haven Savings Bank to demutualize. Listening to its constituents, the City protested the move, but failed to stop the process from moving forward.

Despite this, the City fought for concessions, and what they got in return would instead help foster a mutually-owned community bank.

As part of the settlement with the city, the former New Haven Savings Bank donated $25 million to the First City Fund Corporation (FCFC). With this money, New Haven was able to found the First Community Bank in 2004, later rebranding as the Start Community Bank in 2012. With it came the promise of a mutually-owned bank that works for the community.

them to open bank accounts — many at Start Community — and overcome barriers in reporting crimes, creating a safer New Haven for all.

Additionally, the bank is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), which attracts private investment into communities like New Haven.

By being a participating CDFI, Start Community Bank fosters “the development of affordable housing, the creation of jobs and local businesses, and the expansion of community facilities,” according to literature found on the government website for CDFI organizations.

As part of the responsibility of being a CDFI, the bank has helped many in the community avoid foreclosure through the ROOF program, a partnership with Yale University. The bank won Bank Enterprise Awards for its work as a catalyst of economic growth from 2012 to 2014.

Over the course of its time in the city, it has not only served its purpose as a community bank with regular banking JUNE products like savings accounts, but also in 2018 The Bank Enterprise Award, won on the legs of the giving back to the community through financial and ROOF program and the Elm City Resident Card, is a social investment in June the city.

Wednesday, 6 Get the ‘Dirt’ on the Brownfield sign ofProcess Start Community Somers Bank’s larger mission, one

9:00 a.m.

– 12:00 p.m. recognition as part of the Town Hall This includes gaining federal that was mandated fifteen years ago when the resiElm City Resident Card program that helped the city’s dents of New Haven demanded a community bank: Thursday, June 14 gain footing Saving Municipal Tax Dollars undocumented residents in the communiservethrough the community. It isBerlin part of their vision as a bank: 9:00 a.m.

– 12:00 p.m. ty. This group of residents are oftenRecycling victims of violence “You Thrive. We Thrive.” Community Center and theft due to their vulnerability. The card allowed Tuesday, June 19 Navigating the ADA, FMLA, and Workers Guilford 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Compensation Maze Fire Department Thursday, June 28 Customer Service CCM Municipal Training CalendarStratford 9:00 a.m.

– 12:00 p.m.

Town Hall

JULY 2018 Tuesday, July 10 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Freedom of Information Act For Boards, Commissions, and Municipal Personnel

Harwinton Town Hall

Tuesday, July 17 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Practical Advice for Managing Union Employees

Guilford Fire Department

Thursday, July 19 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Customer Service

New Canaan Town Hall

Wednesday, August 1 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Grant Writing 101

Canterbury Town Hall

Tuesday, August 7 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Employee Investigations

Woodbury Town Hall

AUGUST 2018

To register for these and other workshops, visit ccm-ct.org/municipal-training-events *This workshop is still being developed, dates are tentative, and subject to change

20 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

CIVIC PRIDE Say Cheese!

Litchfield-area farm has international award winning cheese

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ove over Roquefort, Connecticut has Litchfield’s award winning Arethusa Blue Cheese that won the 2018 World Championship Cheese Contest for best Blue Cheese in Madison, Wisconsin.

The cheese comes from Arethusa Farms in Litchfield County, and scored a 97.55 to receive the honors as best blue and beat out an international galley of competitors.

The farm is owned and operated by George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis who are respectively the president and vice president of famed shoe company Manolo Blahnik. Starting in 2001, they established Arethusa as a dairy farm, breeding Holsteins and Jerseys.

And the old saying that the best cows produce the best milk proved true, as the farm has been named multiple times as Premiere Holstein Breeder and Premier Jersey Breeder at the World Dairy Expo.

One such cow, Veronica, took home the Supreme Champion titles at 2004 and 2005 expos. Veronica was a Jersey, which they describe as being “known for their high butterfat content in their milk […] with an obvious flair for personality.” This is evidenced by their nickname for this prize winning bovine: Queen Veronica.

This care for their animals is then passed on to their milk, which goes on to make their award winning products.

On their website, they emphasize that the “process doesn’t end there. […] From the equipment used to the ingredients sources, each decision made is intended to highlight and maintain the rich clean flavor of Arethusa milk.”

The award winning blue was created to “capture the rustic elegance of our favorite farmhouse blues from the British Isles.” The famous veining is created by injecting a particular kind of mold into the cheese as it ripens, which happens over the course of 4-6 months. It has notes of chocolate, and they boast about a “deep, multidimensional flavor.” According to them, it pairs well with full-bodied red, fortified wines, IPAs, barleywines, and coffee.

In addition to the blue, both the Camembert and Tapping Reeve cheeses took home the fourth and sixth place awards in their respective categories. The latter is named after an 18th century lawyer, and it was created as an homage to Colonial-style cheeses.

The farm has three different locations where you can taste a sample of world excellence: in Bantam at one of their two restaurants, Al Tavolo or A Mano, or in their retail stores in Bantam and New Haven. Their products are also available in area grocers, and also include milk, yogurt, and ice cream.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

CIVIC PRIDE New Haven Has “Woke” Leader

Mayor Harp featured in Essence Magazine Women’s List

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longside activists, writers, and other women leaders across the country, Mayor Toni Harp was featured on Essence Magazine’s “Woke 100 Women” list for their May 2018 issue.

“This is just the beginning. It indicates that something has changed in America, that women are considered leaders and are trusted to take care of the overall political apparatus of that community.”

It was alongside 18 other Black woman mayors that the magazine referred to as the “manifestation” of the “Year of The Black Woman Mayors.” New Haven was featured prominently among other large cities like Atlanta, Georgia; Gary, Indiana; and Washington D.C. because of Harp’s leadership.

Harp is New Haven’s first female Mayor. She is also the president of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA).

To be “woke” is a modern colloquialism that means you are aware of your current political environment or situation; if you were sleeping, you would not be able to see what was going on.

Harp is quoted in the piece saying:

She emphasized the role minority women mayors will play in impacting politics in America: “When I think about all of the people these mayors represent and the impact they can have on the political thinking in America, it blows my mind.”

Harp and the other mayors were featured in a photo spread taken at the Hay-Adams hotel, which overlooks the White House, under a portrait of Frederick Douglass.

Mayor Toni Harp is honored as Woke Woman

Who Is The Prettiest Of Them All?

Mystic is the prettiest town in all of CT according to The Daily Meal

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lthough the state of Connecticut is filled with idyllic scenes, only Mystic took home the label as the prettiest town in the state of Connecticut from the website, thedailymeal.com. The only problem is Mystic isn’t even a town!

That shouldn’t stop you from appreciating the seaside village, which contains both Groton and Stonington, on the west and east of Mystic River respectively.

“You’ll find plenty of beautiful cities and towns in every single one of the 50 states, and while we couldn’t make a list of every lovely town in the nation, we thought we’d bring you a list of the prettiest one from each state,” according to The Daily Meal.

From the article: “Mystic is just a village of a little over 4,000 people, but it’s a popular tourist spot in Connecticut due to its scenic marinas, shopping, and aquarium. Mystic Seaport’s The Museum of America and the Sea is the country’s largest maritime museum, perfect for maritime history geeks, and the Olde Mistick Village is an outdoor shopping experience complete with stores, food, and entertainment for the entire family.”

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With the Mystic River Bascule Bridge and its surrounding district with a distinct nautical feel, it’s a beautiful place to just watch the boats — including some famous tallships — go by. The area is home to the famous Mystic Pizza, which was the focus of a 1988 movie starring a young Julia Roberts, Mystic Disc (a prime record spot), and a popular Army Navy shop. It is a great place to just spend a day.

CIVIC PRIDE

Slices Of Heaven

In honor of Pizza: A Love Story’s premiere at NHdocs: the New Haven Documentary Film Festival, here are some facts about Connecticut Pizza 2.5

This year, the experts at The Daily Meal finalized a list of the Top 101 pizza places in the country, spanning 23 states. The top five states for total top ranked pizzerias included New York (35); Illinois (12); California (10); Connecticut (8); and New Jersey (6).

CT

2.0

NY

1.5

Making the top 5 in the country is impressive, but when you look at the per-capita pizzaria breakdown CT rises to the top. CT has 2.23 top-ranked pizzerias per million residents compared to NY in second place with 1.84!

IL

1.0

NJ

0.5

CA

0.0

Top 101 Pizzarias - Per-Capita

9 14 3

23 19

5

26

11 8 4

12

27 13

21

24

2

10

18 20 15

22

17 25 6 7

16

1

Renowned CT Pizzarias 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

Al Forno Brick Oven, Old Saybrook Bacco’s IN Waterbury, Waterbury Bar*, New Haven Bohemian Pizza, Litchfield Cambridge Brew House Pizza, Granby Coal House Pizza, Stamford Colony Pizza*, Stamford Da Capo Brick Oven Pizza, Avon Ernie’s Pizza*, New Haven First & Last Tavern, Middletown Flatbread Co., Canton Harry’s Bishops Corner, West Hartford Mike’s Apizza*, West Haven Modern*, New Haven Mystic Pizza, Mystic

16. Naples Pizza, Guilford 17. Nauti Dolphin, Fairfield 18. OTTO Pizza, Chester 19. Frank Pepe’s*, New Haven 20. Rizzuto’s Pizza, Bethel 21. Roma Restaurant Pizza, East Hartford 22. Roseland Apizza, Derby 23. Sally’s*, New Haven 24. The Upper Crust, New Milford 25. Westport Pizzeria, Westport 26. Willington Pizza, Willington 27. Zuppardi’s*, West Haven * indicates a Daily Meal Top 101 pizzaria

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 23

EN TE AV

NC

A MIN L R

NEW HAVEN TERMINAL, INC.

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

NEW H

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORPORATE

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Opportunities Abound

Gov. Malloy announces Opportunity Zone Nominations

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areas in 27 municipalities across the state of Connecticut were nominated by Gov. Dannel Malloy as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and each were approved by the U.S. Treasury Department. The law was designed to foster private investment in distressed areas through tax incentives.

This nomination does not mean that these zones are automatically guaranteed to receive funds; they are put into a pool with qualifying opportunity zones nominated by governors across the United States, including Washington D.C. and other territories, which are then approved by the federal government.

The governor was given the opportunity to designate up to 25% of census tracts that are designated as Low Income Communities. This means that the area has a poverty rate of at least 20% of a median income that does not exceed 80% of the area median income, per the state’s application guidelines.

These approved tracts then have to garner the interest of private investors to take advantage of the tax incentives in these specific areas, meaning that the investment might not be immediately seen by these municipalities, if at all.

Through a federal tax incentive, investors will be able to re-invest unrealized capital gains back into these qualifying zones through what they are calling Opportunity Funds. Projects can include “transit-oriented development, affordable housing and mixed used development, and energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on public and private assets,” which was found through the federal site.

Per U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s release: “Qualified Opportunity Zones retain this designation for 10 years. Investors can defer tax on any prior gains until no later than December 31, 2026, so long as the gain is reinvested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund, an investment vehicle organized to make investments in Qualified Opportunity Zones. In addition, if the investor holds the investment in the Opportunity Fund for at least ten years, the investor would be eligible for an increase in its basis equal to the fair market value of the investment on the date that it is sold.”

After a short application period — constrained by the federal due date — Gov. Malloy in cooperation with the Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development, Catherine Smith, announced the 27 municipalities with qualifying applications.

These zones fall mostly into the large city category.

Bridgeport and New Haven have seven a piece, while Hartford leads the pack with 10 qualifying zones.

Consideration was given to the smaller towns across the state, with areas like Putnam and Windham each getting a single zone for consideration.

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The first round of states to have opportunity zones designated by the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service did not include Connecticut.

Town

Number of Zones

Ansonia 1 Bridgeport 7 Bristol 1 Danbury 1 East Hartford 5 Groton 1 Hamden 1 Hartford 10 Manchester 2 Mansfield 1 Meriden 3 Middletown 2 Naugatuck 1 New Britain 3 New Haven 7 New London 3 Norwalk 3 Norwich 3 Putnam 1 Stamford 5 Stratford 1 Torrington 1 Waterbury 4 West Hartford 1 West Haven 2 Windham 1 Windsor 1

Total 72

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Fast Track To Economic Development New Britain hopes to bring in Restaurants, Retail, and People

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ust a few short years after the opening of the CTfastrak, municipalities are beginning to utilize those bus hubs to renew their cities’ downtowns. A purse of public and private funds are going to build Columbus Commons, a combination apartment/ retail space that aims to be the first phase of development for the city of New Britain.

The building is centered on what was the former New Britain Police Department building at 125 Columbus Boulevard that was razed in 2015. The location is centralized in the New Britain Downtown District which connects the city’s residents to Hartford, Bristol, Waterbury, and both the Amtrak and Metro-North Rails via the CTfastrak.

According to a press release from the City, it is the City’s first major Transit Oriented Development project. They expect the project to cost a total of $58 million dollars, with

the state loaning the project $6 million dollars and $1.6 million coming from the Connecticut Housing Finance Agency. Bank of America is generating $16 million in equity for the project.

Xenolith Partners and Dakota Partners were chosen as the developers. In a joint statement they said they “are pleased to be a part of the downtown New Britain renaissance by expanding rental opportunities and cultivating commerce in a sustainable, transit-oriented development.”

New Britain’s Mayor Erin Stewart sees the project as a way for the rising tide of CTfastrak to lift all boats.

With 160 mixed-income residential units, she sees a slew of new restaurants and stores emerging in Columbus Commons and the greater downtown area to serve this new crop of residents, creating a domino effect of economic

development. And there’s some evidence she might be right.

The millennial generation is reviving the idea of walkable cities in urban planning, and there’s no sign that this will change for the generation that follows them. Recently, the National Association of Realtors found in their 2017 Community Preference Survey that close to two-thirds of that age group prefer to live in locations with nearby restaurants and stores.

With Columbus Commons, people of any age will have access to a transit hub, restaurants, and retail all within a short distance of their homes.

The groundbreaking happened in 2017, and construction is set to start sometime in 2018 according to the developer’s website with the project happening in two phases.

Stewart said that the “project is the start of an exciting new era for downtown New Britain.”

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 25

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A Railway Runs Through It

“Port of Naugatuck” aims to develop unused land and revitalize region

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ne of the hardest situations an American town has to deal with after manufacturing has left is what to do with the land. Sometimes these brownfields run into contamination problems during redevelopment, but other times a municipality has a development opportunity that’s obvious. That happened recently to the Borough of Naugatuck, which has looked to move forward on a proposed inland port on the former Uniroyal Chemical Company land.

For Mayor N. Warren “Pete” Hess, the development of the nearly 90-acre parcel of land was a no-brainer, and because of the railway that runs through the land, an inland port was an equally easy choice to make.

Inland ports often take the place of congested sea ports as a means to both store and transport goods coming from abroad. This hub, dubbed the Port of Naugatuck, would allow goods coming from places like Canada, Europe, or even Asia to go through customs before being distributed to the tri-state area via truck.

The Port of Naugatuck is situated on the Pan Am line, which gives it access to a large portion of New England and Canada as well as easy access to the New York/Newark markets. This would be doubly efficient for companies, because their goods will have already been cleared through customs, eliminating costly cargo transfers.

The port will also be a useful warehousing location because of the large amount of space available to develop. Companies can build and utilize warehouses at the port in much the same way that they would at a sea port.

Benefits extend to the Borough of Naugatuck, which has visions of economic renewal to the town, its residents, and the state of Connecticut over the long term.

Bringing in additional revenue through taxes and jobs associated with the import of goods are two obvious benefits, but a dedicated railway would help alleviate traffic in the surrounding areas by getting more tractor trailers off the road as well.

Mayor Hess has gone on to hire Civil 1, Inc. to work on the project, which includes purchasing the parcel of land and environmental clean-up. The town has already applied for grants to aid in the completion of this project, which has some hurdles to jump before being complete.

One major issue is the completion of improvements to the Waterbury line of the Metro North railroad. It needs sidings so that two trains can safely pass, and upgrades to signals and cars, but those developments have stalled due to the impending insolvency of the Special Transportation Fund.

26 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

An aerial view of the 86.5-acre site that the Borough of Naugatuck is eyeing for a transportation hub.

Municipal leaders from Waterbury to Bridgeport where the line runs see these upgrades as the chance to bring in development opportunities.

None more so than Mayor Hess, who has continually lobbied on all sides to see that this project benefits the residents of Naugatuck. He envisions a stable tax-base from the companies that invest in the Port of Naugatuck, a lower mill rate, and a revitalized town. It’s just the ticket to get Naugatuck back on the fast track.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Smart Real Estate For Sale UConn selling two former campuses in West Hartford and Torrington

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wo Connecticut municipalities are now in the position of having former UConn sites for sale. In April, the University of Connecticut announced its intention to seek bids for the former Torrington campus, adding to the problematic West Hartford sale that has been a non-starter for two years.

In February of this year, UConn sent letters to Torrington leaders notifying them of their intention to sell, and giving the municipality first crack at a sale.

“UConn is willing to consider a sale to any buyer for any use.”

According to their release on the matter, there was some expressed interest in the 95-acre property by EdAdvance, a Regional Education Service Center. It had placed a bid for $250,000 on the three buildings along with septic fields that service the three buildings.

This does not include nearly 90 acres of the full property, which fully reverts to Torrington at no cost.

The City had a 45 day window in which to notify UConn that it wanted to negotiate, but letting that slip by allowed UConn to open the bidding process to other interested parties. A stipulation on the land requires that it be used for educational purposes, and the buy would need to be released from those restrictions.

The sale would have to be approved by the UConn Board of Trustees and Torrington City Council in addition to the buyer achieving court approval to use the building for something other than educational purposes.

Another deadline in West Hartford had passed on May 1st, which was already an extended deadline to purchase the former campus there.

It sits on 58 acres of land that was vacated after the school had moved operations to the new downtown Hartford location. It is situated between Lawlor Road,

Trout Brook Drive and Asylum Avenue, which is cites as being a “firstring suburban community noted for the quality of its schools, strong residential property values, thriving commercial districts, and proximity to the region’s highly educated workforce.”

The Town had formally rejected a million dollar sale in December in part due to usage of the land, and contamination stemming from the 1960s.

Although they are not purchasing the plot, the Town Council had sent out a survey to the residents and taxpayers asking them “what do you see as the best future use […] for the former UConn West Hartford Campus?”

The results were part of a Community Vision, which said that the “future development or redevelopment of the UConn West Hartford campus should strike a balance between grand list growth, the

protection of natural resources, and the preservation of areas for community use.”

Furthermore, “the campus should maintain its open look and feel and unique blend of green space, forested areas, wetlands, and developed areas,” along with trying to maintain the integrity of the surrounding neighborhood.

UConn for its part has created a webpage dedicated to marketing the 58-acre plot of land to prospective buyers. Per hartfordbusiness. com, the school has “fielded an undisclosed number of inquiries from possible buyers, but spent little on marketing the property.”

The campus is home to buildings built from 1964 through 2000, and includes an undergraduate building, computer center, school of social work, library, and facilities garage.

The website says that “UConn is willing to consider a sale to any buyer for any use.”

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Everybody’s Hometown Visions linking Main Streets, past and future

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he proverbial main street is an icon of Americana, especially for small and medium sized cities. In nearly every town, you can find a street on which there exists a grocer, a pharmacy, maybe a hardware store, banks, and bakers. It is a street where you see people you grew up with, you run into the parents of your child’s friends, the place where all your business is done, and this being Connecticut, probably a Green. It is the stuff of many American dreams.

Unfortunately, that vision in many ways has faded or does not live up to the idyllic memory provided by reminiscence. Businesses began to close and people started to leave after the economic downturn of the early naughts. This was exacerbated by the internet boom where in increasing numbers people don’t have to leave their homes to catch up with friends or go window shopping. This change has left many Main Streets blighted and deserted.

Though the sights of empty streets and stores might be disconcerting, there are those that are working on rejuvenating Main Streets across the state of Connecticut. They are doing this against great odds — with a federal government that has cut large amounts of funding and a state budget crisis that threaten the grand lists of communities large and small. They are caught in between a rock and a hard place when creating a vision of their town’s future. But with the right plans, towns across the state are finding ways to make their Main Streets attractive to prospective businesses and residents.

The concept of a “Main Street” is nearly as old as our country. In a series called “What It Means To Be American,” produced by the Smithsonian and Arizona State University, Miles Orvell traces the concept all the way back to Nathaniel Hawthorne. In the New England-set short story called “Main Street,” Hawthorne describes the birth of the town center through a mechanical “shifting panorama,” literally tracing the birth of a Main Street from a barely trodden path through the development of a full blooded town center. So central to American life was Main Street that Hawthorne suggests that towns sprung up around them rather than the other way around.

This effect can be seen in many of Connecticut’s larger cities. The Main Streets of Middletown and Norwich have roots in the 17th century and continue to be utilized today. New Haven is famous across the world for being one of the first towns with a modern grid system. Founded nearly 400 years ago, at its center was the Green, a gathering place for merchants and worshipers. And what was true for these larger towns, became true for the cities and towns that settled later.

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Coventry’s downtown was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, and they won a Municipal Excellence Award for their village in 2016

Eric Trott, the Director of Planning and Development for the town of Coventry has a robust definition of what a downtown means to one Connecticut town: “A healthy downtown serves as a centerpiece for the community – a shining example of what often times is the best of what’s in a town or city. In Coventry, it is very significant since we are predominantly rural-residential and our Coventry Village serves many important roles in our community – a place of commerce, recreation, learning, art, entrepreneurship, gathering, dining, and living. The Village has a very strong connection with its rich industrial history, where many remnants still remain intact today – renovated and adaptively used mill buildings, stone structures – walls – stone lined waterways, architecturally significant residences and commercial buildings, the honoring and highlighting of the watercourse that once powered the mills (Mill Brook) and its source, Coventry Lake.”

In Hawthorne’s recollection, as the town’s needs changed, so did the street. There are natural ebbs and flows; a dirt path gave way to a dirt road, to pavers, and finally, in a turn that Hawthorne himself might not have imagined, to car-worthy streets.

Nationally, by the end of the 20th century, Main Streets began to lose their Mom & Pop Stores, only to be replaced by larger chain stores. Gone was the local credit union and the town pharmacist; many simply couldn’t compete, others were swallowed up in a seemingly endless period of mergers and acquisitions.

With the boom of online shopping, gone too were the local goods stores.

It was the Great Recession that dealt the other blow: people began leaving small towns, something Con-

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Bristol Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said that the new must live next to the old in order to grow and evolve.

necticut has particularly struggled with. It ranks among the states with the most outward migration, affecting small and medium sized towns the hardest.

Without retailers and without people, the modern Main Street has become something of a desert. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t ways of rehabilitating and preserving a town center and local leaders working hard to make that vision happen.

Across the state of Connecticut, local municipal leaders are doing what they can to bring back these town centers by focusing on multi-faceted initiatives meant to look attractive to both retailer and resident alike. As Bristol’s Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu said about Bristol, a healthy Main Street “looks like a downtown with people in it!”

One organization, the aptly-named Connecticut Main Street Center, has used the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s guidelines since its founding in 1995.

The Four Point Approach is designed to not only preserve these locales for their historical importance, but “advances economic and community development within [that] context.”

From their website, the Four Point Approach is: • Organization: Focusing on consensus and cooperation, we help build a framework for sensible, community-driven programming – matching a community’s assets to its potential.

• Promotion: Enhancing the image of downtown through retail promotions, special events and brand-

ing. Increasing the social value of downtown will increase the economic value of the district.

• Design: Improving the physical value and appeal of downtown through both new construction and rehabilitation of historic and under-utilized buildings. We encourage design of public spaces for walking and gathering.

• Economic Restructuring: Increasing the economic value by encouraging diversity among current and new businesses suitable to the unique needs of a particular marketplace.

These guidelines do not end here, and include a further 8 Principles meant to insure the success of the program. These include focusing on incremental change, public/private partnerships, and identifying what makes a Main Street viable to begin with — things like theatres, architectural style or layout can influence the direction a program takes.

Many cities and towns are using these guidelines or prescriptions of their own to recreate that vision that so many hold on to; Bristol, Coventry, and Westport are a few that come to mind.

“Westport has been actively engaged in moving forward with planned projects which were ready for implementation,” First Selectman Jim Marpe said about Westport. “The projects focus on one or more of the objectives to enhance the Downtown experience whether it is to beautify the streetscape, integrate continues on page 30

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT continued from page 29

roadways, improve mobility and pedestrian access, ease traffic congestion and increase available parking.

“This includes street amenities like bike racks, benches, and new trash receptacles, restoration projects of historically important buildings, revamping parking in the area to help with traffic flow along with other general traffic fixes.

“They included “input from thousands of Westporters” in the process, meaning that just like the villagers in Hawthorne’s story, the people who use the downtown area had a say in its look and use.

This culminated in the adoption of a Downtown Master Plan, set to be finished in 2025, Marpe believes “will continuously enhance and improve Downtown’s physical landscape as well as the overall experience.”

Over in Coventry, they have focused on transportation projects that aimed to improved mobility through town. “The Village has just been the subject of a 2+ year intense transportation construction project that has provided incredible improvements which enhance the safety and mobility of motorists and pedestrians,” per Eric Trott, the Coventry Director of Planning and Development.

He elaborated that “a large section of Main Street was reconstructed by a State of CT Department of Transportation project which now provides sidewalks, crosswalks, street lighting, banner poles, benches, bike racks, landscaping, park enhancements, special parking and access improvements. However, the project was completed by applying ‘context sensitive solutions’ with the design of the improvements to harmonize with the existing features present in the Village.”

Many of our downtowns, like those in Coventry or Middletown or New Haven, are among the oldest continually used streets in America, sometimes with little or no reform.

Projects like those in Coventry are

A downtown gives a sense of place and history in Westport: this postcard is dated from 1901-07

essential to bring the Main Street into the 21st century.

In Bristol, that means adding new buildings, like a new medical arts building across from the historic side of Main Street, and Mayor Zoppo-Sassu noted that “this week, the state added a Bristol arts magnet school to the funding list of school construction projects which will occupy the former Memorial Boulevard School next to downtown.”

The new must always live next to the old in order to grow and evolve.

That doesn’t mean that the old get forgotten. Bristol’s Mayor Ellen Zoppo-Sassu had stated as one of her goals to keep the lights on at the Memorial Boulevard Theater. To keep the “lights on” both implies that businesses are open and welcoming: The metaphorical “lights on” is a sign of rejuvenation, revitalization, and general activity, a destination, and the renovated use of a building that generations of Bristolites have a nostalgic attachment to. The theater sits on a gateway, adjacent to downtown, and will be a catalyst for what we are trying to accomplish in putting the pieces of a puzzle together and defining what downtown is for the next generation.

Main Street may never again be what it was. Like Hawthorne envisioned over 100 years ago, Main

30 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

Streets are constrained to the ebbs and flows of time, with unknowable changes in use and traffic. No one in the Greatest Generation could have quite predicted the internet age in the same way Hawthorne couldn’t possibly have predicted motorized carriages. And so the old saying is true: the only constant is change.

But to take that very fact into account is to accept the responsibility of being caretaker of our Main Streets, through good times and bad. Over the course of nearly 400 years, the state of Connecticut has seen its fair share of both, and with it our Main Streets have become American icons.

It is up to the municipal leaders to be steward of these institutions so important to the American story, and that they preserve and adapt at the same time. As First Selectman Marpe says “downtown provides Westporters with a “sense of place” as a town, and a gathering place for neighbors and visitors.”

And what is true for Westport is true for all of Connecticut. It’s no easy task, but those in Bristol, Coventry, Westport, and in each corner of this state are making gains in preservation and growth, in economy and population. And with their care, Main Streets across the state will hopefully see a renaissance.

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

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

Doing The Robot

Schools compete to see who has the best robot skills

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he Sixth Annual High School Robotics Team Championship took place at Fitch High School in Groton on Saturday, May 12, 2018 including the 2017 World Champion Aluminum Falcons from Groton.

The event is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Student Activities Conference and New England FIRST who call the even the “ultimate Sport for the Mind.”

innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.”

The three winners were Athena’s Warriors out of West Hartford, the CyberKnights from Southington, and Aces High from Windsor Locks, who as a team took two out of three finals, beating out 22 other teams.

The runners-up were the Gaelhawks from Shelton, Bobcat Robotics from South Windsor, and the 2nd Law Enforcers from Farmington.

Teams across the state enter robots they have built over a six-week period to play field games against other competing schools.

FIRST is a non-profit that aims to “inspire young people to be science and technology leaders, by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire

They partner with companies like United Technologies, Google.org, Texas Instruments, and AT&T who have a vested interest in a new generation of STEM-minded children.

But robot design isn’t the only challenge: students must raise funds and design a team “brand” making the event a class in entrepreneurship as well as engineering.

Maybe most importantly, the students gain an appreciation of the kinds of skills that will be valuable in our increasingly science-based future.

A robot from the CyberKnights in competition

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 31

EDUCATION A New Resource

Student creates hotline for siblings of children with Down Syndrome

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n Danbury, a student has created a helpful new hotline for the brothers and sisters of people with Down syndrome.

Olivia Alessandro, a Danbury High School Senior, inspired by her own experience as the sibling of a person with Down syndrome, has created the program she is dubbing “Siblings’ First Call.” She has received the support of the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut (DS ACT), who are hosting the phone number and email.

The number to reach them is (888) 486-8573, and the email is siblingsfirstcall@mydsact.org.

You can reach out to them with any questions you might have about Down syndrome; they will offer support and can link you with other people who have siblings with Down syndrome.

Much of the impetus of this hotline is that parents often have to deal with health issues of their child, as Alessandro explained in a Patch.com article. While there are many resources for parents who have a child with Down syndrome, siblings will also need time to adjust. “[Alessandro] explained [to Patch.com] that her brother does the same things as everyone else, but he sometimes just needs more time, and, therefore, more patience and understanding from his sister.”

The program launched on March 21 of this year, and has already received requests from families who want the kind of support “Siblings’ First Call” provides including an outpouring of support on the DS ACT Facebook page.

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http://ccm-ct.org 32 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

More Pomp & Circumstance

EDUCATION

Graduation rates across Connecticut continue to climb

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or the seventh year in a row, the state of Connecticut has reached a record high of graduation rate, with 87.9 percent in 2017. This includes schools in the Alliance District program that make up some of the lower performing schools in the state, mostly made up of urban areas; they came in with a 80.5 percent graduation rate.

This kind of improvement is indicative of the priorities that Connecticut puts on education, regardless of prior performance. The Alliance District program serves the 33 lowest performing schools in the state, serving over 200,000 students according to the programs website. Educational Reform Districts, a subset of Alliance Districts, has seen its graduation rate increase by 12.1 percentage points from 2011, or an extra 121 kids with degrees per 1,000.

They’ve achieved that by increasing funding where it needs it most, which includes $551 million invested in 33 of the lowest performing school districts in the state. This means places like Bridgeport have record numbers of students graduating, going from just over 60 percent to 74.5 percent last year.

A joint announcement was made by Governor Dannell Malloy and Commissioner Dianna Wentzel at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven. That school according to the release had the third largest increase in graduation rate over the past five years going from 64.3 percent to an astounding 81.3 percent, or 170 more kids per 1,000.

At the announcement Commissioner Wentzell said: “Achieving a record-high graduation rate in 2017 is another exciting and incredible milestone toward our goal of equity and excellence for all Connecticut students. What’s even more encouraging to me is the fact that our Alliance Districts and particularly our highest need Educational Reform Districts have outpaced the statewide growth in graduation rates. The fact that more young people than ever before are earning high school diplomas is a testament to the hard work and commitment of so many teachers, principals, superintendents, community partners, elected leaders, and of course our parents and students.”

One of the main effects has been to close the education gaps between white children and minorities. The gap between black and white children closed from 18.2 to 12.7 percent. The Hispanic graduation rate saw an even greater increase, going from 25.2 percent to 15.1 percent.

The Alliance Districts program has included funding for minority teacher/administrator recruiting and enhancement of bilingual education programs, which may have contributed to the rising graduation rate.

This is “literally thousands of people who would not have received a high school diploma seven or eight years ago,” Malloy noted at the event, “that makes a world of difference.”

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 33

ENERGY Harnessing the Energy of Sea Breeze New London will soon have windmill farm off coast

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oon, on a clear day you might be able to look off the Connecticut coast and see giants, or at least a Windmill farm providing the residents of Connecticut with clean power.

Companies such as Eversource and Deepwater Wind have submitted proposals in response to a call from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to build an offshore wind fuel cell to “secure cost-effective resources consistent with the state’s energy and environmental goals,” as stated in their press release.

The two competing plans offer a 200 megawatt wind farm to service Connecticut energy needs, but differ slightly in the finer details.

Deepwater Wind, who ultimately won the bid, said in a press release that their project will be halfway between Montauk, N.Y., and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., which is close to their other projects such as the 90 MW South Fork Wind Farm to supply Long Island and the Block Island Wind Farm serving Rhode Island. The latter was the first commercial wind farm in the United States.

Eversource, unlike Deepwater, would only have served the on-land portion of the project, with much of the planning going to Danish company, Orsted, who have a long history of building wind farms in Europe, with projects going back to the early 1990s.

Eversource will also act as part of the evaluation team per the DEEP RFP. According to figures from Eversource and Orsted, the project will provide 100,000 homes with power, deliver $80 million in savings in lower winter power costs, commit over $4 million to support programs and environmental partnerships, provide $2 million to a “newly created Connecticut Economic Develop-

34 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

ment Fund,” generate $16.1 million in taxes, and add a total of $93 million in direct value to the Connecticut economy.

Plans like this have garnered criticism for disrupting views, most notably in Scotland (the country), which received international attention. But the plans for Connecticut would be built far enough off the coast that they would not disrupt the scenic beaches that are so popular in the state.

Another concern is to fishermen in the area. According to a report from WTNH, some fishermen have reported damaged equipment from the Block Island Wind Farm. Mike Gambardella, a local fisherman and owner of Gambardella Seafood Wholesalers, says that the “turbines interfere with radar and fishermen worry the fish stock could be affected.”

Connecticut plans to continue to bolster its renewable energy resources, and wind farms are just one part of the larger plan that includes other alternative sources like solar energy.

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JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

GOVERNANCE The Governance section of CT&C is sponsored by Kemp Consulting, LLC, a National Speaker Service.

Learn more at: www.rogerkemp.org

Roger L. Kemp, MPA, MBA, PhD

National Speaker

Cybersecurity and Governments

by Roger L. Kemp, PhD, ICMA-CM

C

ybersecurity deals with computer security, and the protection of both an organization’s computer hardware and software systems. This phrase is commonly called “cybersecurity,” which is an increasingly common word used to describe a dynamic and evolving effort to protect an organization’s hardware and software from things called viruses, bugs, worms, eavesdropping, spoofing, phishing, clickjacking, and social engineering, to name a few of these negative computer related terms. As this field has evolved, and computer systems and their software have become more sophisticated, these virus vehicles have been combined to create the new common title of cybersecurity. This term also deals with the protection of the information on an organization’s computer system.

Computer hackers can take sensitive and confidential information, such as names and addresses, credit card information, medical information, and related sensitive data, that is stored on an organization’s computers.

Increasingly, data breaches and cyber extortion practices are taking place on a daily basis, and protecting public computers and their data is of primary importance. Local, state, and federal government organizations need to take control and focus on such important matters as:

Computers have evolved in recent years. While every organization has a central mainframe computer, every work station now has a desk-top computer, and each employee typically has a laptop computer, as well as a hand-held computer. Computer hardware, over the years, has become smaller, more sophisticated, less expensive, and more user-friendly. Software, on the other hand, has become available in more fields, is more sophisticated, more user-friendly, and the training of employees to operate computer applications provided by newly acquired software is now a common practice in all government organizations, regardless of their size.

Whatever new hardware and software is acquired by a government organization, its managers need to be sure that they are educating all of their employees on the specifics and providing regular scheduled system updates. The majority of data breaches happen by accident or mistake, with the employees being one of the greatest causes of such breaches. Most attacks are phishing attacks and take place when employees click on links and/or attachments. It is essential to educate everyone in your organization on their computer hardware and software, and to enact appropriate protocols to add an extra layer of protection for the computer hardware and software systems that are being used in your organization.

Cyber risk is a major threat to all government organizations, including cities and counties, states, as well as our federal government. There is a high risk in many organizations that do not have the resources to have an information technology department, or whatever they decide to call it. The process of recouping losses after a computer hack is burdensome and costly, with a lot of resulting litigation, so cyber risk needs to be property addressed in all public organization, for their employees, as well as the public that they serve, to protect from such expenses.

36 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

• Understanding what you have on your computer systems that need protection; • Encrypting data and devices, which is the first line of defense on any cybersecurity plan; • Establishing and implementing the best cybersecurity practices by putting in place cybersecurity protocols and procedures for all employees in the organization to follow; and • Obtaining and periodically reviewing cyber-insurance policies to be sure that your organization is protected by having adequate insurance coverage.

The constant threat of a cyber-attack is the most important problem for our local, state, and federal governments, who generally do not know how often they are attacked, or what kinds of attacks are taking place on their organization’s computer hardware and software systems. This data suggests that, on the average, local governments in the United States are not doing the kind of job that is necessary to achieve high levels of cybersecurity on their organization’s computer hardware and software systems.

GOVERNANCE In the olden days, data processing was primarily done in the Finance Department and the Department of Public Works, which usually has an Engineering Division. Over time, more and more departments got computers and programs (i.e., hardware and software).

Eventually, some larger governments formed computer related management departments. The names of these new departments have evolved, and some government managers called the services that they provide to user departments by different names. The title of this department has evolved in recent years, and some of the more common titles of this evolving department are highlighted below for the reader’s information: • Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Department,

• Information Resources Management (IRS) Department, • Information Systems (IS) Department, • Information Technology (IT) Department, • Management Information Services (MIS) Department, and no doubt that other departmental titles will evolve in future years.

The term cybersecurity is a dynamic and evolving subject, and it impacts all levels of government organizations. Our nation’s professional membership organizations should be congratulated for their stateof-art efforts to bring forth the latest best practices in the dynamic and evolving field of cybersecurity for government public officials throughout our nation.

These best practices will benefit their organizations, its employees, as well as the public that they serve.

• Information and Telecommunications (IT) Department,

Hartford Can You Spare A Dime?

Panhandling is seen as a problem, but with no easy solution

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artford is looking for credible solutions to an increasing problem of panhandling. For medium- to large-sized cities, it is an evergreen problem of making residents feel safe and comfortable but also helping those in need.

With the growing opioid crisis in America stemming from prescription pain medications, many individuals fall victim to vicious cycles of treatment and relapse, and find themselves on the street as a result.

These men and women then resort to asking for money on the streets, a practice commonly known as panhandling.

It is no secret that this practice makes some residents uncomfortable, even if they are sympathetic to the plight of the person asking for some change or a spare dollar.

This prompted the City to enact an ordinance in 1995 that outlined and prohibited aggressive panhandling.

What that means is that no one may follow, touch, block, or generally direct abusive or profane language towards another, even and especially if that person has said no to the request.

While the Hartford Guides, a non-profit community service and

on-street security organization, acknowledges that the vast majority of homeless do not criminally violate those behaviors outlawed by this ordinance, they offer that “the overwhelming majority of those who do engage in these prohibited practices are not homeless.” Giving in to panhandling, “you are more likely to subsidize substance abuse by that individual rather than help someone who is looking to obtain basic needs.”

The city of New Haven recently enacted the “Give Change to Make Change” program that placed parking meters and posters around the city collecting money to battle homelessness and making the public aware that “it’s ok to say no.”

At a recent meeting between the Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association, panhandlers, city employees, and social workers, possible solutions were discussed. The problem is the efficacy of programs like these. Getting it to the people in a way that ends the rotating door of substance-abuse programs is no easy task.

The Hartford Courant, in a piece on this meeting, cites Tom O’Brien, a prosecutor for Hartford Community Court who handles panhandling, as

A New Haven initiative that aims to help and educate

saying: “they know their presence is unwanted, and most of them would rather not be on the street.”

For those who work in Hartford or are simply visiting, the Hartford Guides suggest saying no to panhandlers and supporting an organization like the United Way that has been most effective in handling homelessness.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 37

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

Learn more at: http://ermanagement.com

Private Eyes Are Watching You

Bristol Police seek local cameras to help keep city safe

N

eighborhood Watches may take on a new meaning if the Bristol Police get what they want. Announcing the Community Watch Team (CWT), the city of Bristol Police Department is asking residents and businesses to register their personal external video surveillance systems with them.

The department wants to utilize information that may have been caught on the growing number of homes with video surveillance. Per the announcement, they believe that “video surveillance is a valuable tool in the detection, identification, apprehension and conviction of criminals who plague our City with crime.”

Not quite Orwellian in scope, the CWT is a completely voluntary registry, and the Bristol Police Department will not be able to access your cameras at will. The procedure involves registering a camera, and if there is a crime committed within the purview of that camera, the police then contact the participant requesting to view the camera footage. They are careful to note that “in accordance with CT Law, all personal information collected will remain confidential.”

To register, you fill out a form notifying the department where the camera is located, and whether that faces the roadway, whether it covers a residence or business, and if the system is already monitored by a security company. In addition they will need to know when the camera records and how long that information is retained. You can request a sticker advertising your partnership.

Like body cameras, having a video record is tantamount to having an official record of a crime whereas testimony can be considered flawed. The hope on the part of the Police Department is that this will expedite the solving of crimes, or even preventing certain crimes.

Berlin had implemented a similar program earlier in the year, but it’s still too soon to say if the benefits of a registry of videos had the intended effects. Programs like this one are being started all across the country, in places like Fort Worth and Berkeley, in response to the growing popularity of this technology.

Speaking to the Bristol Press, Police Chief Brian Gould said that he’s “always exploring new initiatives and new ways to partner with the community.” And with a program like this, participants might have the ability to say they helped solve a crime, and keep the town safe.

Those interested in the program can sign up on the police department’s website, there is a link to the Community Watch Team underneath the Police Help Center. Simply fill out the registration form linked at the bottom of that page.

The Bristol Police Department is committed to the mission, “To Protect and Serve the Community with Integrity and Professionalism”

38 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

PUBLIC SAFETY Coming Together To Put Out Fires Fire depts. join in consortium to save money and increase diversity

A

new crop of students will be taking the firefighter’s entry level test at the end of June to see if they have what it takes to fight fires. For those brave men and women who pass the test, there will be 11 different municipalities that they can take a job with.

Announced in April, Branford, East Hartford, Fairfield, Naugatuck, New Canaan, North Haven, Mansfield, Westport, and Wilton Fire Departments, and the South Fire District in Middletown have come together for a fire testing consortium.

Combining the testing periods is a cost saving measure for the town departments. The town of Mansfield says that “historically, municipalities conduct independent tests for Firefighter applicants. This process is time consuming and expensive for department and human resource staffs.” The consortium has moved the costs of the testing to an outside firm, IO Solutions, and the applicants will have to pay a fee to take the test.

Often, the pool is small and involves more testing periods because the same individuals keep returning.

Having both urban and rural communities in the same testing pool greatly increases the pool of candidates.

Towns with small populations or with less diversity will have a greater chance to recruit candidates across the applicant pool.

Benefits work both ways as qualified candidates will not have to spend more on application fees. If they took the test with a particular town, and passed, it was not a guarantee of a job offer due to limited spaces.

With the consortium, more applicants will have job offers simply by virtue of more towns participating.

Firefighters exams consist of oral and written portions, scored out of a maximum 100 points. Per the town of Mansifeld, “the individual department and communities make the final selection per local hiring rules and this may include a separate interview by the Department, Fire Commission or Human Resources Department” in each respective hiring municipality.

For instance, the town of East Hartford has a long list of qualifications to become a firefighter. These include becoming certified as an EMT, obtaining Q driver’s license endorsement, successfully pass CPAT, and, of course, take the entry level test. The town recommends that you “prepare yourself for a career in the fire service by going to school, gaining medical and fire training, staying out of trouble, and staying healthy.”

The town of Mansfield says that “Fire Service careers are tremendously rewarding and a great opportunity for those who have a desire to provide emergency services to the public.”

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 39

SOCIAL WELFARE Who Rescued Who? A Community Invests in its Pets

A

scant 70 years after Animal Haven first opened, the North Haven institution has reopened after a slew of necessary renovations.

The shelter closed in September of 2017 to undergo major renovations in the HVAC systems and changes to the interior entirely funded by local donors and a larger $35,000 donation from the Lillian and Henry Konopacke Fund.

The HVAC system is a major and necessary improvement that will have far reaching effects. Per an update from the shelter, the renovations will “dramatically improve airflow throughout the facility” and “the separate ventilation of each room that houses animals […] will

CIRMA

reduce the spread of virus and disease.”

Part of the renovation included installing a speaker system that plays classical music throughout the day and improved examination rooms.

Although places like Animal Haven take extremely good care of their foster dogs, it can still be a stressful situation.

The music has a calming effect on the dogs, which leads to healthier lifestyles, and the hope is, more adoptions.

They have also created a space for the many cats and kittens at the shelter.

Animal Haven is a no-kill shelter, and follows a mandatory spay-neuter policy.

They take in animals from municipal shelters that are at risk of being euthanized and surrendered cats and dogs from the community for a small fee.

All of their funding is private, and all funding comes from community members and organizations, some of which is adoption fees, grants, and fundraising events.

Animal Haven has plans for future renovations that will tackle issues with the dog kennel.

Both North Haven First Selectman Michael Freda and The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven’s Grant Manager Denise Canning were present at the ribbon cutting.

$2,500 Risk Management Grant!

Excellence IN RISK MANAGEMENT AWARD

Applications will be accepted August 1st through September 30th.

Download an application and apply! www.CIRMA.org

CCM understands how meaningful professional development can be. Continuing education is not only important for your current position, but also to your career path. Under the advisement and direction from experienced staff at Trinity College, the Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO) was developed.

Contact: Jennifer Cruz, Education and Events Program Administrator 203.498.3073 • jcruz@ccm-ct.org

40 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

SOCIAL WELFARE A New Place To Call Home Columbus House opening up new apartments for veterans

T

he Columbus House broke ground on a new extension of the Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown on March 28.

Columbus House is a New Haven based housing group that goes back to a shelter at 200 Columbus Avenue. Throughout the years it has grown in reach and capabilities, adding men’s seasonal overflow shelters, outreach and engagement programs, and transitional living programs.

The program was instrumental in ending “chronic” homelessness in the state. Connecticut was recognized by the Federal government as the first state in the union to do so.

Eight years prior, Columbus House took the Middlesex Family Shelter under its wing that helps upwards of 50 families with 150 or more dependent children move towards permanent housing.

The project at the Connecticut Valley Hospital will increase its abilities throughout Middlesex County.

Construction and renovation will center on the Mary Shepherd Home, which was originally built as housing for nurses. It will now house 32 separate apartments that will be Veteran priority housing.

The 26 one-bedroom and 6 studio leased apartments were most recently used as temporary housing.

One major difference is that Columbus House supports a Housing First policy which means that no matter who shows up, they are moved directly to their own apartment. This differs from the old approach of increasing independence through homelessness programs.

Case workers will be from St. Vincent de Paul Middletown.

MB

MUNICIPAL BUSINESS ASSOCIATE GOLD

Other partners include: Brad Schide, LLC, DeMarco Management, Enterprise Builders, and Northeast Collaborative Architects.

Getting the ownership of the home to Columbus House involved the state transferring the ownership of the property to the City which was then able to give the deed to Columbus House. The first part of this transfer was done by state legislature and had a requirement that this house be used for housing.

Per the Columbus House, this project would not have been completed without the help of outside funders: CT Housing Finance Authority, CT Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, CT Department of Housing, National Equity Fund, US Park Service, CT Department of Economic Development, Historic Preservation, Middletown Housing Authority, Corporation for Supportive Housing, CT Trust for Historic Preservation, Eversource, and the Home Depot Foundation.

BL Companies • CDM Smith Inc. Celtic Energy • The ECG Group Fuss & O’Neill • GZA Associates Menefee Associates Consulting, LLC PowerSecure, Inc. • RealTerm Energy Tanko Lighting

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

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 41

TRANSPORTATION Where Am I Going to Park?

New Haven aims to solve parking problems downtown

P

arking in New Haven has always been a hot topic, but it might have hit its apex in 2018. Two programs introduced this year are aimed at giving city residents and visitors access to parking citywide at reasonable prices.

The first is a plan to adopt a dynamic pricing strategy along the lines of what companies like Uber use when calculating meter fees. Introduced by Doug Hausladen of the New Haven Parking Authority in response to the continuous struggle between the city’s residents and employees, the pricing structure will effectively act like Uber’s pricing by raising the cost of parking in high need zones and times.

According to reporting from the New Haven Independent, the Parking Authority has data on close to 20,000 parking spaces throughout the city, which “is virtually the same throughout the city no matter how much demand there is throughout the day.” This incentivizes drivers to seek out lower cost or flexible alternatives in less trafficked areas of the city and reducing the parking crunch.

It is one of the rare plans that the Parking Authority feels would benefit everybody. Many would still pay for premium parking, with the money going to city coffers; while others would seek out cheaper parking, saving themselves money, and opening up more parking.

Almost as a referendum to this idea, the city voted to approve what it calls “Democracy Parking.” Residents will be able to park free at the lot at 32 Elm St. to attend municipal meetings.

The proposal was requested by Alder Jeanette Morrison, and supported by six other Alders, with much of the plan coming from Hausladen.

Some residents had voiced the opinion that the cost of finding parking to attend the public forums effectively priced them out of the democratic process.

Although the price of parking was only $3, the vote in support of “Democracy Parking” sends an important message that there should be no barriers to participating in city politics.

Participation is the key function of this offer, and a validation system will be put in place to ensure that the program has not been taken advantage of. Hausladen had already soured on an idea to place the free parking on the street because those not participating would seize the spots without any recourse from the city.

According to Morrison, the plan would lose $35,000 in parking fees to cover the cost of about 90 meters in the area. Theoretically, with the dynamic pricing strategy, the extra income from the premium parking will help cover the lost revenue from those taking advantage of “Democracy Parking.”

For residents and the many who commute to work in the city who know the pain of circling blocks hoping for a space to open up, any strategy that moves to make parking a little easier would be welcome.

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.

42 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | JUNE 2018

Look Ma, No Hands!

TRANSPORTATION

Self-Driving cars might be coming to a road near you

I

n a sign of the times, the state of Connecticut will now accept applications for towns and cities to allow self-driving cars to be tested on their streets.

The Fully Autonomous Vehicle Testing Pilot Program (FAVTPP) by the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) recently issued the framework for agreements between municipalities and autonomous vehicle testers. The program was developed with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, and the Connecticut Insurance Department after legislation was passed in 2017.

State Senator Carlo Leone, co-chair of the Transportation Committee, is a big proponent of this law. He said in a release: “there’s a transportation revolution underway in America, and today’s announcement seeking bids for an AV testing program is both smart and practical.”

While there are many requirements in the application, safety with this new technology is of utmost importance.

Recently, a self-driving car struck a pedestrian in Arizona causing concern about the infancy stage of unmanned vehicle technology. In the application, one of the requirements is that the car always have a person in the driver’s seat able to take immediate control

if necessary while other states have allowed for no human to be in the car at all.

Despite the risks, Governor Malloy said on the rollout of this program that “these vehicles are going to be part of our lives soon and we want to take proactive steps to have our state be at the forefront of this innovative technology.”

Cities and towns must enter into a contract with an autonomous vehicle tester. Many companies like Ford, Toyota, and Tesla are actively working on the technology, while companies like Uber and Lyft believe that their taxi services have a driverless future. So the agreement could be mutually beneficial for municipalities, one of the reasons that a town like Stamford is actively seeking partnerships with companies wanting to test their vehicles/technology in the Northeast.

Mayor Ganim of Bridgeport strongly urged the General Assembly to not only pass this bill, but to also “make Bridgeport a prime testing ground for autonomous vehicles in a large urban area.” In addition to Bridgeport and Stamford, Hartford also suggested they might throw their city in the mix.

Only four municipalities will be selected for participation, and are encouraged to notify OPM that they will be applying.

JUNE 2018 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 43

NARCAN ® Nasal Spray Use: NARCAN® (naloxone hydrochloride) Nasal Spray is an opioid antagonist indicated for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose, as manifested by respiratory and/or central nervous system depression. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is intended for immediate administration as emergency therapy in settings where opioids may be present. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care. For more information on Narcan call 844-4NARCAN or visit narcannasalspray.com Contracted Products NDC #

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