Connecticut Town & City - April 2016

APRIL 2016

UNDER PRESSURE CCM and municipal leaders are feeling the squeeze as they battle against state aid cuts and for mandates relief in last weeks of session

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

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

Inside this issue...

CCM hosts meeting with other municipal groups, page 12

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

4 Time Is Running Out Scott Shanley, General Manager of Manchester 6 Legislative Session’s Final Weeks R. Scott Slifka, Mayor of West Hartford 8 Sustainability Task Force Mark Walter, First Selectman of East Haddam Steven R. Werbner, Town Manager of Tolland 9 New Mandates Still Looming Lisa Pellegrini, First Selectman of Somers

PAST PRESIDENTS Matthew B. Galligan Town Manager of South Windsor Herbert C. Rosenthal former First Selectman of Newtown HONORARY BOARD MEMBERS Elizabeth Paterson, former Mayor of Mansfield Stephen Cassano, Selectman of Manchester

Regular Features 10 Executive Director’s Message 11 CCM Municipal Job Bank 17 Q&A - Drones 18 CIRMA News

CCM STAFF Executive Director, Joe DeLong

29 Municipal Ethics

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

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

Connecticut Town & City © 2016 Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

CCM Is Deeply Disappointed By Governor’s Severe Cuts In Aid

Calls on General Assembly to reject local tax hikes as part of state deficit solution

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CM said it is deeply disappointed by the Governor’s April 12th budget proposal that calls for deep cuts in state aid to towns and cities, designed to close the $933 million state budget deficit — without increased state taxes. However, the proposal will result in tax hikes and service cuts for residential and business property taxpayers.

CCM calls on the General Assembly to reject these deep cuts in state aid – proposed so late in the legislative session after many communities have approved their local budgets.

strengthens the argument that the municipal spending cap effective date should be postponed until FY 20.

Local leaders recognize the significant fiscal difficulties faced by the State, and have borne mid-year cuts to help solve the state deficit – at least $20 million this year.

As partners in governing the State, municipal officials understand the State’s budget challenges – towns and cities have had to lay off employees, cut needed services and grudgingly, raise property taxes.

Nearly 30 communities would lose their ECS grants entirely.

The Governor’s second proposed budget calls for gutting the brand-new Municipal Revenue Sharing Fund (which shares state sales tax revenues with towns for the first time), reducing municipal revenue from $109.3 million to $17.3 million; and cutting Education Cost Sharing (ECS) Grants by over $53.4 million and other miscellaneous education grants by $6.2 million. The proposal significantly

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Importantly, the proposal contains no mandates relief to counter cuts.

The deep reductions in ECS funding will especially impact municipalities’ ability to provide a high-quality public education for our children, as the ECS formula is already underfunded by over $600 million. Education funding already makes up about 70-80 percent of the local budgets in many cities and towns.

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 5

As Session Enters Final Weeks CCM continues to call on state leaders to take action on state deficit while still protecting Connecticut’s property taxpayers

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s the General Assembly entered the final weeks of the 2016 state legislative session, CCM continued to call on Governor Malloy and state leaders on both sides of the political aisle to take the actions needed to eliminate the state budget deficit while not losing sight of legislation that can still be enacted that aids and provides fiscal relief for property taxpayers and local governments.

(a) Establish an additional retirement plan within MERS, for new hires, that would: i) Maintain a defined benefit plan. Such a new tier would be modeled after the State’s tier III, which currently exists within the State Employee Retirement System. There has only been one tier within MERS since the system was established in 1947. ii) Change the plan for new employees hired after a certain time period to be part of a town plan, instead of the existing plan.

“Connecticut’s challenging times present opportunities for significant changes that will improve the quality of life of our state,” said CCM Executive Director Joe DeLong. “Municipalities and state leaders can work together to make government more efficient at all levels and ensure the continuity of local public services and restraint in property tax rates. CCM continues to stand at the ready to work with the Governor and General Assembly to address our state’s pressing issues.”

• Raise the threshold for prevailing wage rate projects.

Increase the threshold to $1.5 million and index the threshold therafter.

“In the current fiscal year, towns and cities have played an important role in reducing the state deficit,” he emphasized. “More than $20 million in municipal aid has been cut, not counting specific education aid — and secondary social service cuts that impact communities.”

• Reform the legal notices mandate: allow municipalities to publish a summary of the notice in the newspaper, with reference to the availability of the full notice on the town website and the town offices, instead of having to publish the entire notice in the newspaper.

“CCM has presented a range of iniatives for this fiscal year to mitigate state aid cuts to towns, and then longer-term approaches to strengthen our partnership and better serve the residents of our state.”

• Provide needed relief to municipalities by the State, adopting the federal standards pertaining to the “burden of proof” for special education services, as is current procedure in almost all other states.

Short Term Initiatives (Current Fiscal Year):

• Further reform the Minimum Budget Requirement to provide greater reason to education statutes, providing savings in communities without sacrificing quality public education.

• Impose no new unfunded state mandates.

• Add reason and clarity to municipal government-board of education (BOE) relations to achieve efficiencies by: • Allowing Local Legislative Bodies (LLBs) the authority to initiate and implement backoffice sharing (for noneducational expenditures) with boards of education.

• Allowing municipalities the option to negotiate wage and fringe benefit provisions of collective bargaining agreements, including those within the BOE, either individually or in a coalition (similar to how the State negotiates with its unions).

• Requiring all BOEs to develop a space use plan by no later than 2020, to address the drastic reduction in student population projected over the next five years.

• Amend the Municipal Employee Retirement System (MERS) to: 6 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

(b) Allow municipalities the option of negotiating a higher contribution to retirement from MERS participants than the current cap.

• Foster regional coooperation by allowing LLBs to override, with a super majority, organized labor objections to regional consolidation efforts.

FY 17: • Protect Municipal Aid The Governor’s recommended budget would ensure that virtually every community is being held harmless from cutbacks in state aid overall.

The new revenue that towns receive from the sales tax helps ensures this. Overall, there are cutbacks in numerous state aid programs, including state payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) and local public education grants, although there are no cutbacks for the State’s largest grant to towns — the Education Cost Sharing Grant (a scheduled $11.5 million increase in aid is rescinded).

It must be said that education aid cuts, as well as cuts in major municipal grants, like PILOT, thwart

last year’s seminal initiative to provide meaningful property tax relief to towns and cities (through sales tax revenue). The education cuts would have serious implications for the towns’ ability to make the necessary investments to provide a world-class public education.

• Permit true Home Rule and local revenue diversification by allowing towns and/or regions to implement sales, hotel, car rental, restaurant, entertainment, and other related taxes and fees, like the vast majority of local governments in other states.

• Allow sharing of the conveyance tax at a 50/50 ratio between the State and towns, rather than 75/25, to benefit smaller communitites.

• Prohibit the enactment of performance standards related to municipal efficiencies without input and agreement of towns, through CCM. • Impose no new unfunded state mandates.

• Reform the Municipal Spending Cap: • Delay implementation of the municipal spending cap enacted in PA 15-5 until FY 20. In the interim, establish a committee to develop a meaningful cap modeled off other states, such as New York.

• Amend the list of exemptions to the municipal spending cap to include (i) increased fees for state services, regulations and permits, (ii) state aid reductions from the previous year (in case the State cuts non-education aid or ECS, or a reduction in sales tax revenue, etc.), (iii) costs associated with new unfunded state mandates, and (iv) municipalities with town meeting forms of government.

• Allow municipalities the option to request a waiver from OPM for exceeding the spending cap in the event that unforeseen circumstances or accounting changes impact spending levels • Allow municipalities to override the spending cap with a 2/3 vote of local legislative bodies — without a reduction of funds.

Second Meeting Of Municipal Associations

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CM convened its second meeting of the 2016 state legislative session on April 5 with representatives of 20 key municipal associations from across the range of town-hall department directors and key groups representing boards of education. The meeting was held in the town hall of CCM-member municipality, The Town of Wethersfield.

The early April meeting assessed the status of each organization’s legislative priorities with less than a month

to go before the 2016 session adjourns on May 4.

All the groups agreed that the overarching priority through the end of the legislative session continued to be doing no further harm to towns and cities and their municipal departments regarding the current level of state aid (after mid-year state aid cuts were imposed in December) and not imposing any unfunded state mandates on towns and municipal departments, including preK – 12 public education.

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

Surrounded By Bright Ideas

CCM’s sustainability task force helps members go green

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he CCM Sustainability Task Force doesn’t have to look far to point out successful programs that have helped communities become greener and more energy efficient.

For years, municipal members have turned to CCM programs to help reduce costs through the energy purchasing program, long-term fixed green price power with solar installations, and efficient LED street light conversion.

Several municipalities – large and small – have made long-term commitments to renewable energy, sustainable land use, and green jobs. The state’s largest city, Bridgeport, is in the midst of a 10-year strategic plan to improve the environmental quality of the city’s neighborhoods and parks. Some of the initiatives in the long-term plan were made possible through state and federal grants, private-public partnerships, and volunteers.

Established in 2014, the Task Force adheres to the following four-pronged approach in helping member communities -- not only with clean energy programs but also with advocacy and outreach: • Encourage and promote significant sustainability and renewable energy programs at the local level; • Assist towns and cities to achieve efficiencies while upholding cleaner energy practices and policies; • Advise and consult CCM public policy and advocacy staff and CCM membership on proposed legislative initiatives and executive branch policies, commissions, and work groups; and • Assist in the development of CCM workshops to promote existing local practices and programs.

Since 2004, CCM members have saved millions of tax dollars by leveraging the clout of CCM membership through our energy purchasing program. Whether it’s the purchase of electricity, natural gas, or renewable energy, the program helps draw competitive bids by analyzing and negotiating contracts from each bidder to ensure that members get the most cost-effective source of energy.

CCM’s expertise has also helped pay dividends for municipalities who are finding their place in the sun – literally. The Solar Program offers projects that cost nothing up front but deliver long-term savings. The “Behind the Meter” program covers solar arrays on school and municipal sites that provide on-site power, while “Virtual Net Metering” leverages the power from solar panels that are located anywhere within the same service area as the town. With the latter approach, electricity is exported directly to the power grid in return for significant credits. Currently, CCM has three 8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

Virtual Net Metering projects for which there are both guaranteed minimum annual savings and almost $2 million in long-term savings for the two communities.

There are also “turnkey” cost-savings programs such as street light conversions. Municipalities can purchase and upgrade their systems with efficient LED fixtures from various manufacturers. Provided the fixtures have been approved by the Design Lights Consortium, Eversource will provide incentives and rebates for the improved energy efficiency. In addition, LEDs offer increased system management options and vastly reduced ongoing maintenance costs when compared to HPS and other technologies. Through the CCM program, all installed LEDs must have a minimum 10-year warranty. Because nearly one-third of a municipality’s electricity budget is spent on street lighting, this program has grown in popularity. Towns and cities have a choice of three very experienced vendors selected by CCM members through a competitive bid process.

It’s been said that energy efficiency begins at home and it’s clear that these and other cost-saving programs promoted by the Task Force are certainly hitting home in Connecticut!

Still Looming

New mandates on towns persist in session’s final weeks

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uring each legislative session, the mountain of unfunded mandates confronting municipalities always threatens to grow. Many new mandates are proposed and some of those well-intentioned ideas often wind up translating into burdensome and costly requirements on towns and cities, sapping human and financial resources that could be used to deliver local services to residents.

As the 2016 session of the General Assembly enters its final weeks, over 30 proposed new mandates are still being considered by lawmakers and many have significant cost implications for local governments. Here are some examples:

Workers’ Compensation Coverage For Paid And Volunteer Firefighters Would mandate workers’ compensation benefits for current and former uniformed members of a paid or volunteer fire department diagnosed with various types of cancer.

Delinquent Real Estate Taxes

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• Reduce the interest rate on delinquent property tax payers, from 1.5% to .6% monthly.

• Prohibit the assignment of municipal liens valued at $5,000 or less.

Compensation Coverage For Mental-Mental

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Would expand workers’ compensation to provide for medical and full wage replacement for local and state police, career and volunteer firefighters, and ambulance workers, diagnosed with a mental or emotional impairment.

Workers Compensation Coverage For PTSD A substitute bill was voted out of committee. The new language would expand workers’ compensation to provide for medical and full wage replacement for police officers and firefighters diagnosed with PTSD. The substitute language greatly broadens the scope of medical professionals that can render a diagnosis by allowing for any board certified medical professional to render a diagnosis of PTSD.

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APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 9

A M E SSAGE FRO M TH E

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Building A Brighter Future Through Connecticut Urban Center Investment

While I miss those I left behind, my family and I love Connecticut and are extremely grateful for the opportunity afforded us here. Today, I live in the small town of Bethany and work in New Haven.

In 2008 while working in the private sector I was guiding a small company through a major expansion. The company offered high end service and retail products that were under tremendous strain from the national economic recession.

New Haven affords me the opportunity to put a roof over my children’s heads, save for retirement, own a car and have a small piece of the American Dream.

When I go to New Haven I drive on the city’s streets.

I am kept secure by the city’s public safety officials. I drink from the city’s water and utilize their sewer system. I enjoy the amenities of the city including grabbing meals from a variety of my favorite urban restaurants. When interviewing for this position as an out of state applicant, I had to make multiple trips to the city, staying in various hotels. As a result of all the things I have been afforded by the city of New Haven, I’ve paid a variety of taxes including taxes on the income I earn.

Taxes on products and services I utilize. Taxes at the gas pump and even taxes on the hotel occupancy utilized throughout my recruitment process. Yet a whopping $0 of this tax revenue is dedicated directly to the city of New Haven.

A shopping center where we were set to launch our newest location had filed for bankruptcy, and several national brand retail tenants either pulled out of the center or were threatening to close their doors over the next quarter.

Our business was at a crossroads.

Connecticut’s state lawmakers in many ways are facing the same difficult decisions that once starred in the face of this small, yet ambitious, company. Questions of how do we meet our fiscal obligations, deliver necessary services, and maintain the high quality of living standards that have become synonymous with calling the Nutmeg State home. Perhaps most importantly, what difficult decisions must be made today in order to enjoy the prominence we all desire for tomorrow?

In 2008, we made a calculated decision that was right for us. We went all in. When other companies cut their advertising and marketing expenditures, we doubled up ours. As others expressed growing concern for the economic climate, our business became the voice of optimism openly speaking to all the opportunities that lie ahead. Every decision that was made during this difficult period was analyzed by weighing the economic reality of the moment with the goals and vision we had for the future. The result: a thriving business that has never closed a single door but instead continues to grow and offer excellent career opportunities almost eight years later.

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I love living in the beautiful rural community of Bethany.

I also understand that I, along with many others who are blessed by the benefits of Connecticut small town life, are able to enjoy this benefit because of the economic and other opportunities afforded in urban centers like Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury, and New Haven.

Policymakers must understand that any and all efforts to put the state’s fiscal house in order must not put a further strain on Connecticut’s economic hubs. To do so will only further erode future revenue receipts and will result in a race to the bottom mentality. Instead, now is the time to invest in our urban centers as the areas that can and will drive Connecticut to a brighter economic tomorrow. This investment must be much bigger than the traditional “Hold Harmless” approach.

Just as I enjoy the many amenities I receive daily in

CCM JOB BANK New Haven, the city should receive a direct return from me. Diversifying our revenue system, particularly in the urban center environment, will afford the economic drivers of Connecticut the ability to grow and prosper. It is this type of growth and prosperity that can drive the entire state forward.

It is abundantly clear that New Haven, along with Bridgeport, Hartford, Waterbury, and the other regional urban centers across Connecticut support their surrounding communities and the state as a whole as service centers, cultural hubs, and employment nuclei.

Despite their numerous and ongoing challenges, these cities have much to offer Connecticut residents and are crucial to the success of the state as a whole. As in a marriage, central cities and their surrounding suburbs are linked together ‘for better or worse’. The reputation and viability of the entire metropolitan area is shaped by public impressions of the central city. Allowing the central city to decay affects the entire metropolitan area.

Current Listings: Building Official WINDSOR LOCKS, CT

Director of Health STAMFORD, CT

To place or view an ad, please visit the CCM Municipal Job Bank at http://ccm-ct.org

Despite state budget woes, we cannot allow any of Connecticut’s urban centers to flounder. Strong city hubs will yield critical regional statewide benefits for years to come.

Joe Delong CCM Executive Director

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

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

@CCM_ForCT APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

Calling On Capitol Hill

NLC Conference gives town leaders federal platform for local issues

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onnecticut added strong local voices to the national discussion on flexibility for local tax collection, taking the message to Capitol Hill during the recent National League of Cities’ Congressional Cities Conference.

More than 30 municipal leaders from Connecticut attended the five-day NLC conference in March, meeting with the state’s congressional delegation and hearing from counterparts around the country on issues of common concern.

The federal legislative priorities include infrastructure funding, CDGB, sustainability, reauthorization of the EPA Brownfields Program, opposition to eliminating or limiting tax exemptions on municipal bonds, and criminal justice reforms that increase resources to support community re-entry programs.

In the case of brownfields, municipal leaders discussed the importance of the “Three Rs” – reclamation, remediation, and revenue. Breathing new life into dormant sites helps stimulate economic development while returning properties back to local tax rolls. The EPA program provides grants and technical assistance that communities rely on and its reauthorization is essential. To strengthen the EPA program, the NLC is lobbying Congress to increase funding and expand liability protections for local governments. Under the proposal, municipal governments that have acquired contaminated brownfields but had no role in the contamination would be held harmless. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, a former Connecticut DEP commissioner, was among the speakers during the conference.

Delegates were updated on NLC support for passage of two key pieces of criminal justice legislation aimed at reducing recidivism. The “Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015” and the “Second Chance Reauthorization Act” would provide support resources for community re-entry programs for non-violent drug offenders while targeting violent criminals.

More than 1,500 government officials from around the country took part in the conference. The Connecticut participants included delegations from New Haven, Bridgeport, Waterbury, Manchester, and Groton. Connecticut delegates took part in individual meetings on federal-local issues with U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy.

The conference provided delegates with an up-close and personal look at the political landscape shaped by the President’s proposed budget. A number of workshops also were featured throughout the week ranging from economic development to funding opportunities.

Delegates learned about new environmental regulations, trends in healthcare, immigration reform, and municipal bonding. The art of advocacy and leadership training were also among the workshop topics.

In addition to the EPA’s McCarthy, other cabinet members who addressed the group included Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Jay Williams, Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development.

The NLC is also keeping a close eye on any attempts to do away with or limit tax exemptions on municipal bonding as the Administration and Congress look for additional revenue to decrease the federal deficit. Interest paid on bonds issued by municipal governments which are currently not taxed, could lose that exemption.

Connecticut delegates meeting with Senator Chris Murphy.

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Blumenthal Lauds Town Leaders

Praises CT municipal officials in senate testimony on national drug crisis

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ocal leaders from Connecticut who attended the NLC’s Congressional City Conference also got ringside seats in the United States Senate Chamber as guests of U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal who spoke on the Senate floor in support of the Comprehensive Addiction And Recovery Act. The following testimony of Senator Blumenthal, delivered on March 8, 2016, is excerpted from the U.S. Congress Congressional Record: “Mr. President, I am pleased to be on the floor to speak again in support of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, which the Senate will consider and I hope approve this week.

It is a long overdue measure to address the public health hurricane, a crisis we face in this country. It is every bit as real and threatening as threats from abroad.

The bipartisan support for the measure before us is a sign of the meaningful strides that this Nation has taken, but more is necessary to be done toward ending the epidemic of heroin addiction and prescription drug abuse. It is a danger to every community across the country, big cities and towns in Connecticut, suburban and urban. Every race and religion, ethnic group, and demographic is potentially a victim.

In my home State of Connecticut, overdose deaths have steadily increased, as they have throughout the Nation, and they now surpass automobile crashes as the leading cause of injury-related death for Americans between the ages of 25 and 64. Connecticut saw more than 700 overdose deaths in 2015.

Many communities across Connecticut and our country already have taken steps and have dedicated resources to stopping the epidemic of heroin addiction and prescription drug overuse. I am very privileged to welcome a number of those communities to the Senate today. They are represented by mayors from major cities in Connecticut: Mayor Joe Ganim of Bridgeport, Mayor O’Leary of Waterbury, Mayor Moran of Manchester, along with local officials from Bridgeport, Groton, Manchester, New Haven, South Windsor, and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities.

They have shown by their actions they are willing to not only talk the talk but actually walk the walk. I participated with Mayor Ganim over the weekend in a public press conference, noting the truly extraordinary and excellent work by their drug task force to stop, apprehend, arrest, and prosecute a major drug ring in the city of Bridgeport.

I have talked to Mayor O’Leary about efforts in Waterbury and throughout his region — a very responsible and effective action he took as police chief of Waterbury — but we know we are not going to arrest our way out of this crisis. Law enforcement needs more effective support and resources. There is no way around the need for supporting and enhancing the operations of our local, State, and Federal law enforcement officials — in fact, increasing the partnership and cooperation among them, as was so dramatically shown by the successful law enforcement in the city of Bridgeport against this drug ring last week. All have a role and all of their cooperation is necessary.”

Connecticut municipal officials in attendance: City of Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim, Evette Brantley, Scott Burns, Milita Feliciano, Tom Caudett, Jeanette Herron, Michelle Lyons, Gina Malheiro, Tom McCarthy, Aides Nieves, John Olson, Anthony Paoletto, Richard Salter, Neenah Smith, AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia Town of Groton: Bonnie Nault, Harry Watson Town of Manchester: Mayor Jay Moran, Margaret Hackett, Patrick Greene City of New Haven: Delphine Clyburn, Frank Douglass, Alberta Gibbs, Rosa Ferraro Santana, Brian Wingate City of Waterbury: Mayor Neil O’Leary Connecticut Conference of Municipalities: Ron Thomas, Kevin Maloney

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 13

The Skills You Need To Succeed

CCM to offer certification program for Connecticut municipal officials

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CM, in cooperation with Trinity College, is developing a certification program for local officials which will lead to the designation of Certified Connecticut Municipal Official (CCMO).

The new CCMO program will be one of the best of its kind in the nation and is unique among municipal certification programs due to its focus on three key areas: personal development, organizational development, and community development.

perceptions, and behaviors required of municipal officials, our new CCMO program will teach you how to work collaboratively, solve problems, build partnerships, and work across political and organizational boundaries.

To achieve these training objectives, the CCMO program is focused on building skills and competencies in three key areas:

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT To help develop ethical leaders who build trust with people. Consensus building, negotiating, and collaborative problem solving.

The program recognizes that the job of a municipal official is complicated and demanding and officials require special knowledge and skill sets as well as competencies in a variety of areas.

By ensuring that the program is focused on local officials, their organizations, and their communities, the program will help participants in the CCMO program achieve a standard of excellence by blending the best from the worlds of practice and theory.

Training sessions will be led by college faculty members and recognized experts with lengthy experience and insights that will help program participants build the required skills for their demanding jobs.

CCM is committed to improving the CCMO program on a continual basis by listening and talking with officials so that we better understand your training needs, can improve what you like about the new certification program, and when appropriate, expand training offerings accordingly.

Municipal officials are called on to be consensus builders, political entrepreneurs, civic catalysts, and change agents. Very few come ready with these skills.

Because CCM understands the distinct set of values,

ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT To help enhance your municipal organization so you can provide optimal public services. Improving customer service will be a key component of this training component. Budgeting, the role of unions, and personnel laws will also be important parts of certification training.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT To bring together citizens and municipal officials to enhance civic life is key to building communities. Learning about the economic, financial, and planning realities of downtown development are central to this part of the training. Training on core municipal services, from audits to zoning, is also part of this component.

The new CCMO program is designed so that participants can complete the required training within a two-year term of office. Attendance at CCM’s annual convention will also provide credits for certification.

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.

14 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

June Is Customer Service Month For CCM And Our Partners!

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o far this year alone, CCM training has had over 15 requests for our “Customer Service for Municipal Personnel” workshop. Due to our already jam-packed and busy training schedule, we unfortunately couldn’t meet every single request. However, we teamed up with Kari Olson and Joseph Schwartz from Murtha Cullina LLP and Rosalyn Davis from Anthem, Inc. and developed a month dedicated to customer service.

CCM training has taken all the requests, laid them out on the map, and we grouped together all the requests that were in the same area geographically. Then, we selected municipal locations with large spaces to host a session in a specific area. We’ve selected 4 ‘regional locations’ across the state to better accommodate our members! All you have to do is find a Customer Service workshop in your area and register.

In January we held a customer service workshop in Monroe and had over 70 attendees from various towns and cities in the Fairfield region. We’re looking forward to the month of June and meeting attendees from other municipalities from across the state.

Pick a session and register today: South Windsor Town Hall – June 1, 2016

What can we help you with today?

Waterford Town Hall – June 2, 2016 Windham Town Hall – June 7, 2016 Torrington City Hall – June 9, 2016

requested session!

Thank you for making the customer service workshop our most

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APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

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CT EMS 2016

Workshops and trade show are top attractions at CT Emergency Management Symposium

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t just keeps getting bigger and better. Each year, the Emergency Management Symposium draws hundreds of town and state leaders to Cromwell for the latest best practices, best products, and intensive, hands-on workshops that explore and explain the issues that matter most to municipal officials. Last year, more than 400 attendees participated in the day-long learning event which is the top clearinghouse in the state for information, technology, and first-hand shared knowledge about emergency preparedness and response. The event is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS) and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH). We are pleased to welcome Eversource as a major supporter.

The last decade in Connecticut has brought natural and man-made disasters including floods, tropical storms, Hurricanes Sandy and Irene, three blizzards that crippled the state, the Sandy Hook shootings, a train derailment, and even an earthquake.

Past symposiums have explored the lessons learned from those events – as well as first-hand accounts from responders to the Boston Marathon bombings, comprehensive community planning from FEMA, briefings from State Police on critical infrastructure protection, cyber-security, natural disaster forecasting, and much more.

The 11th Annual Symposium on April 28th promises another full day packed with the leading edge information and best practices essential to officials responsible for planning for and responding to emergencies.

At the day-long trade show, nearly 50 companies and agencies will exhibit the latest in emergency management products and services for use by municipal and state government leaders. Vendors will display products that include: • Mass notification systems and IT-alerts • Rugged technology and tough book sales and repair

video, data, and telephone communications in a secure environment • Fire pump and generator engine service and repair The 2016 Symposium workshops include: • FIRST NET presentation — nationwide interoperable broadband network that will help police, firefighters, emergency medical service professionals, and other public safety officials stay safe and do their jobs • EMD/School Security Unified Command Best Practices Panel – panel includes superintendents of schools, emergency management directors, and other school officials from 5 Connecticut municipalities • DPH - Preparedness Programs and Available Resources • Region 2 Durham - Mass Casualty Exercise presentation • DEMHS Office of Counter Terrorism/CT Intelligence Center — briefing on the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Program

• Electronic security, intrusion, and access control

• Citizen Corps Program update - “Keeping your CERT Team Energized”

• Security camera systems for large complexes and multi-dwelling housing

• Web EOC Demonstration/Emergency Management App

• Hemostatic wound care products

• Local Emergency Operations Plan Template update

• Two-way radio and data systems

• Grants update

• Residential, commercial, and industrial generators • Network maintenance, IT security, and disaster recovery • Real-time interoperable sharing of voice, text, radio, 16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

For more information, including the schedule of events, current exhibitors, or to register, visit: http://www.ccm-ct.org/spring-symposium.

& QA Drones What is a drone?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defines Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), more commonly known as drones, as an aircraft, “flown by a pilot via a ground control system, or autonomously through use of an on-board computer, communication links and any additional equipment that is necessary for the unmanned aircraft to operate safely.” A UAS used for recreational purposes falls under the general classification of a model aircraft. In a publication titled, “Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Question,” the FAA defines model aircrafts in the following way: A model aircraft is an unmanned aircraft that is capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, flown within visual line of sight of the person operating the aircraft, and flown only for hobby or recreational purposes…

Model aircraft can include small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) aircraft, such as “quadcopters,” flown for recreational or hobby purposes. Model aircraft are defined by the purpose of flight rather than the particular configuration of the aircraft. Essential to the model aircraft operation is that the aircraft is operated for recreational or hobby purposes and the flight follows the requirements of Section 336 of Public Law 112-95.

Who regulates drone use?

By law, the FAA has authority over ensuring the “safe and efficient use of U.S airspace,” and a statutory duty to “encourage the development of civil aeronautics.”

As a result, the FAA is tasked with creating safety mandates without discouraging aeronautical innovation. Balancing these mandates has resulted in the FAA taking an “incremental” approach to UAS regulation with the goal of integrating drones and drone technology safely, efficiently, and timely. The first mandate to come out of the FAA’s incremental approach, effective December 21, 2015, requires that all drones over .55 pounds (250 grams) be registered with the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft System registry prior to being flown outside. Registration cost is $5.00 and the documented owner must be at least 13 years of age to register.

What can state and local governments do to regulate drones?

The FAA has asserted that federal regulation preempts state or local statue or regulation. States and local

governments do, however, have the authority to regulate the use of drones within their departments and institutions such as the use of drones by their police departments.

Have states passed legislation regulating drone use?

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), at least 35 states are considering legislation related to UAS in the 2016 legislative session.

Additionally, NCSL reported that 45 states considered 168 bills related to drones resulting in 20 states passing 26 pieces of legislation during the 2015 legislative session.

Has Connecticut passed legislation regulating drone use?

Legislation was proposed but not passed during the 2014 and 2015 Connecticut General Assembly. There are currently two pieces of legislation regarding drones being considered. The Program Review and Investigations Committee introduced “An Act Concerning the Weaponization of Drones Based on a Program Review and Investigations Committee Study,” and the Public Safety and Security Committee have introduced “An Act Concerning the Use of Drones.”

Where can I learn more?

The conversation surrounding drones has taken off into flight. Technology is advancing faster than law makers can appropriately regulate drone use. CCM is in the process of creating a Government Finance and Research Department Municipal InfoKit on Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Additional information is on the way!

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 17

CIRMA Leadership For A Rapidly Changing World Rapidly evolving technologies bring new capabilities for municipalities and public schools, as well as new risks — CIRMA responds

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igh among CIRMA’s core Mission objectives is “anticipating and responding to the risk management and risk financing needs of its members.” Providing insurance solutions for emerging risks fits squarely within that objective.

Emerging risks—those risks that are not yet understood or whose impact is hard to predict—are, by their nature, tough to manage.

Data breaches and drone use present growing challenges to municipalities and public schools today.

Nationally, there has been a significant increase in the frequency of malware, hacking events, and data leaks. The growth in the use of drones by municipal entities present new liability and privacy exposures in a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

“CIRMA is proud to provide new coverages for Cyber Risk and for drones; they provide our members important financial security against unexpected losses while these new technologies are deployed and understanding of them and their risks grows.”

David Demchak, CIRMA President and Chief Executive Officer.

CIRMA’s financial strength and member focus enable it to take a leadership role in developing new coverage solutions for new exposures. Backed by that leadership, municipal and public school members can take advantage of today’s technology to provide improved services and advanced emergency response capabilities for their communities.

“CIRMA is proud to provide insurance solutions for Cyber Risk and for drones.”

Cyber Risk Program - Comprehensive coverage in the event of a data breach It is all too easy for a data breach to occur today — whether electronically or by paper, or through actions by employees or by outsiders. The increased use of technology, its interconnectedness, and municipalities’ dependency on it makes cyber events even more disruptive when they happen.

Working with its strategic partners and governing bodies, CIRMA has crafted a comprehensive Cyber Risk program through an A.M. Best A rated carrier. The program provides coverage benefits for Business Interruption, Cyber Extortion, Data Asset Protection, as well as Network Security, Privacy and Media Liability. The program includes coverage for Notification Costs and other Breach Event Expenses, as well as access to best-in-class cyber-event responders. Coverage includes both accidental and intention breaches.

Limits are high and there is no direct cost for the program. Policy terms and conditions apply.

Drone Coverage - by endorsement Drone technology is one of the newest technologies to hit the municipal world and the legal issues surrounding its use are still up in the air. The increased capability it provides for emergency responders, especially in life-saving operations, and the learning opportunities for students, means that many municipalities are eager to adopt the technology.

CIRMA’s new Liability-Auto-Property policy language enables CIRMA members to obtain coverage for drones with Certificates of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (visit www.faa.gov for more information). The new coverages provide financial backstop for members while they take advantage of the new capabilities of these technologies. Policy terms and conditions apply.

For more information about the CIRMA’s new Cyber Risk Program and drone coverages, please contact Steve Bixler, VP for Underwriting, sbixler@ccm-ct.org.

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CIRMA Building Leadership At CIRMA

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ehind CIRMA’s leadership is the expertise and talent of its staff of over 85 insurance professionals. CIRMA continues its long-term commitment to the development of its staff by rewarding the talent and dedication of its staff and by hiring outstanding talent.

George Tammaro was recently promoted to the position of Risk Management Services Manager, working with Pamela Keyes, Vice President for Risk Management and Business Analytics.

With over eleven years of experience in the insurance and risk management fields, Tammaro has been with CIRMA over six years, most recently as CIRMA’s Risk Management Consulting Supervisor with responsibilities for developing and delivering risk management programs and consulting services.

In February, Joseph Noel, CSP, CPCU, joined CIRMA’s Risk Management team as a Senior Risk Manage-

ment Consultant, working with George Tammaro. Noel brings to CIRMA over thirty years of experience in risk management, including municipal risk management at the HAI Group.

Noel, a resident of Hartford, received his Bachelors of Electrical Engineering from New York Institute of Technology.

Tina Romansky joined CIRMA in January as an Underwriter Trainee, working with Steve Bixler, Vice President of Underwriting. Romansky, a resident of Monroe, was most recently an Adjunct Professor of Mathematics at Fairfield University and Sacred heart University. She has a Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering with a Concentration in Mathematics and a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic University.

Risk Management Achievement Awards, 2016

5 New E-Learning Center Topics for Spring, 2016

Nine CIRMA members were named Risk Management Achievement Award recipients for their outstanding risk management efforts and results for 2016. CIRMA’s award program celebrates its members’ success while providing a forum for members to share their learning, experiences, and new ways of managing risk.

CIRMA has added five new training topics to its E-Learning Center. The new topics address some of the most costly exposures facing municipal and school leaders today:

The recipients for 2016 by award category are: New & Innovative Risk Management Initiatives Cheshire Sustained Risk Management Programs Warren Establishing Risk Management As An Organizational Priority Easton, Harwinton, Somers Substantial Impact On Loss Cost Factors Bolton, East Windsor Outstanding Commitment & Results From Safety & Health Committees Waterford Exceptional Property Management North Stonington Public Schools 20 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

• Sexual Harassment Training for Management - 2 hour • Sexual Harassment Awareness – all employees - 1 hour • Violence in the Workplace - 30 minutes • Back Injury Prevention – all employees - 1 hour • Workplace Ergonomics – all employees - 30 minutes The five new courses have been automatically added to each CIRMA member’s E-Learning portal for easy access. These courses are designed for the municipal and school environment and are geared toward a variety of learning styles.

For more information on our E-Learning Program visit our training page at www.CIRMATraining.org, or contact your CIRMA Risk Management Consultant.

CIVIC AMENITIES Cash Crop

Restoration of Weston farm gets funding boost

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t will be a busy spring for supporters of Weston’s Lachat Town Farm, the historic homestead aimed at celebrating the town’s agriculture roots through myriad educational programs and hands-on production.

With a recent influx of cash from fundraising, grants, an endowment, and an enterprising Eagle Scout, significant repair and restoration work is underway.

The town Board of Selectmen recently approved the withdrawal of up to $45,000 from the Lachat Endowment Fund to complete the farmhouse restoration. The fund is comprised of no taxpayer dollars but rather is an endowment left by the Lachat family for the specific use of rehabbing the farmhouse and property.

Supporters also are using a state agriculture viability grant to help spruce up the farm and have applied for a grant from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. In addition, local generosity has helped spur more fundraising. An anonymous donor, who has described the farm as the “soul of Weston,” has pledged to match any donation of $500 or more and so far that has resulted in about $17,000.

The money will be used to fix windows, update electrical work, build a wheelchair ramp, and help complete a number of other ongoing projects throughout the property.

The installation of a greenhouse will include a children’s garden. Friends of Lachat also plan to add eight new raised beds to the popular community garden to accommodate a waiting list of individuals eager to grow their own produce.

The farm is also getting a boost from a local Boy Scout. Andrew King, a Weston High student working toward his Eagle Scout badge, has chosen the farm for his Eagle project. He has set out to help assemble about 20 Adirondack chairs that will be placed around the 42acre property. The farm, he said, is the perfect setting for folks to sit back and relax.

“Lachat is a beautiful place and I would love to see it grow and prosper,” the scout said. “I want to give people a place to reflect and be at peace.”

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

CIVIC AMENITIES Patriotic Project

North Haven making plans for new vet monument

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he town of North Haven is moving forward with plans to honor members of the military from the community who served in the post-Vietnam era.

When completed, the monument will take its place on the town green near other memorials that honor the veterans of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

The new memorial will pay tribute to the men and women who have defended the country in 13 campaigns, including in the global war on terrorism since September 11, 2001, Grenada, Panama, Somalia, and Kosovo.

The idea of the monument was proposed last year.

Town officials formed a committee earlier this year and solicited community input on the makeup of the monument. The committee later reported its findings to the selectmen.

“We listened to the feedback we got,” First Selectman Michael Freda said.

The recommendations include honoring all those who

served in the military but specifically designating those who saw combat duty and earned a medal. Committee members supported recognizing those individuals with a special insignia – a sword – which is the universal symbol for those who fought in a war.

“They added a special designation thatfor any individual with appropriate campaign medals will appear after the name on the monument,” Town Attorney Jennifer Coppola said.

Members of the monument committee included American Legion Post 76 Commander Dan Riccio, U.S. Marine and North Haven resident Raymond Fowler, state Sen. Len Fasano, and state Rep. Dave Yaccarino.

Freda says Town Land Use Director Alan Fredericksen will work with town officials and residents to help with the planning.

“We really are looking to get this done as soon as possible,” Freda says. “It is on the fast track.”

North Haven’s Civil War Memorial will soon have company.

22 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

CIVIC AMENITIES

Building Blocks

Manchester event aimed at revitalizing neighborhoods

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he act of sharing in society has long been a metaphor of neighbors: a cup of flour, a favorite recipe, a tool shed rake or a kind word in times of trouble. It’s not the homes that define a neighborhood, but the people who live in them.

The town of Manchester is focusing on that very concept of neighborhood sharing by sponsoring a one-day conference aimed to inspire initiatives that will help to create “healthy, beautiful, and generous” communities.

The one-day “NeighborhoodWorks! Conference” will be held May 27 at the former Nathan Hale School. Organizers say the building is the perfect venue because it is currently in the process of being repurposed to address vital neighborhood needs.

Open to anyone – not just Manchester residents – the conference is intended to attract professional community builders, activists, educators, and individuals of all backgrounds. Participants can choose from several workshops throughout the day and will hear from individuals in their fields who have helped make a difference in their communities.

The conference kicks off with keynote speaker Bill De-

Maio, the Superintendent of Newington Parks and Recreation. DeMaio has more than 30 years of experience as a parks and recreation director and also has been a municipal-level Americans with Disabilities coordinator.

He will discuss the efforts he has made to encourage businesses, schools, and civic groups to break down barriers and enhance the quality of life.

Among the themes threaded through the conference is the concept of sharing, especially in cash-poor communities. Organizers say that “a culture of giving” can offset negative effects of unemployment and poverty.

When neighbors share, they enjoy social, economic, and environmental benefits.

Rachel Hyman, from the Manchester Public Schools Family Resource Center, will deliver the closing remarks on leadership that can make a difference.

Real change, organizers say, comes from leaders who have the courage to listen to the stories of the communities they serve.

For those interested in a day of listening, learning, and leading, visit naf.townofmanchester.org or call (860) 647-3084.

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 23

GOVERNANCE Fueling The Tax Base

World’s largest fuel cell park coming to Beacon Falls

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he plan in Beacon Falls to transform a 24-acre gravel lot into the world’s largest fuel cell park marked another milestone after town officials voted recently to approve a tax stabilization deal with the developer of what will be the largest fuel cell park in the world when construction on the 63.3-megawatt facility is completed.

The tax stabilization arrangement provides the developer, Beacon Falls Energy Park LLC, a subsidiary of Torrington’s O&G Industries, with certainty on the amount of taxes it will pay to the town. The arrangement also means certainty for local officials crafting future town budgets and it will allow the developer to submit a more competitive bid for a multi-state renewable energy contract that includes Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

The 23-year arrangement will pro-

vide nearly $50 million in taxes to the town of Beacon Falls and make the 63.3-megawatt park the town’s largest taxpayer while generating enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. A fuel cell facility in South Korea currently generates 59 megawatts of power.

“To have a project like this one involving cutting edge green technology here in Beacon Falls is a tremendous opportunity,” said First Selectman Christopher Bielik. “It means Connecticut manufacturing jobs, a modernized and more reliable electricity grid, and points to our town and the Naugatuck Valley as a whole as an up and coming location for economic development in the state.”

Construction will begin this year and the park is expected to be completed in 2019.

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A key advantage of fuel cell parks is the comparatively small amount of land they require. Intermittent solar facilities, for example, require about 10 times as much land for the same number of megawatts. Solar facilities produce power on annual average about four hours per day in Connecticut. Power from fuel cell technology is delivered around-theclock, regardless of the weather or the time of day.

Benefits of multi-megawatt fuel cell parks include: • Environmentally friendly with near-zero pollutants • Modest land-use needs and quiet operation • Distributed power generation places power close to where it is used, enhancing the resiliency of the grid

GOVERNANCE Donation Zoning

Plainfield donation bins targeted for tighter regulation

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lainfield is planning to adopt an ordinance that would provide stricter oversight of the nearly two-dozen clothing donation bins around town which officials see as a blight issue that can be solved with tighter regulations. Local officials say the for-profit and nonprofit bins — while well-intended — have become a dumping ground for discarded appliances, electronics, furniture, and junk.

First Selectman Paul Sweet said years of misuse of the clothing bins led to the proposal for an ordinance.

“We get calls all the time about some of the bins where people have dumped junk outside the containers,” he said. “A couple weeks ago, there were 12 televisions left in front of a bin.”

He said town crews have had to remove non-clothing items from the areas, including discarded washing machines and old, broken, or unwanted furniture.

“If you get a 100-pound couch out there in the rain, suddenly it weighs 500 pounds and we have to get a loader to remove it,” Sweet said.

The ordinance requires all bins in town to be located on commercially zoned parcels where a viable business operates. Bins will not be allowed on unoccupied or vacant property and Sweet said the requirement of owners or lessees to obtain a permit will make it easier

to determine who is responsible for the containers.

Under the proposal, all bin placements must be approved by the town’s zoning officer, bins are required to be fireproof, and they must provide owner contact information and display in 2-inch letters whether the bin was placed by a non-profit or for-profit organization.

In addition, all bins would be required to be emptied regularly and any items left outside would be required to be removed by the owner within 24 hours. Violations of the ordinance would lead to a $100 fine for each offense. The zoning officer would be authorized to revoke permits for any bin that has been the subject of three fines and the Plainfield Police Department would enforce the ordinance.

Capital Idea

Redding bond strategy paying dividends

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iming to ease the burden on local taxpayers while still providing capital to pay for critical projects, the town of Redding made a short-term decision that will pay off in the long run.

Town finance officials have decided to use short-term financing in the form of bond anticipation notes (BANs) to fund some capital projects. That decision, officials say, helped save between $250,000 to $500,000, which amounted to an increase in the budget of about 1 percent.

The possibility of rising interest rates helped inform the discussion, officials say.

“We look at everything we possibly can to maximize the benefit and minimize the burden to the taxpayers,” Board of Finance Chairman Bill Alvarez said.

The short-term financing is funding some $6 million in road work along with other capital projects. The town is expected to revisit the bond option next year once it receives capital requests from the schools.

It was the first time in many years that officials opted for the shortterm financing rather than selling long-term bonds. The biggest differences are the interest rates and timelines.

BANs have lower rates that are

reset nine months to a year while bonds have fixed rates over longer periods and are generally used to raise large sums. However, a BAN can eventually be converted to a bond. Redding doesn’t have to start paying on the BAN principal for four years, while a bond would have required payment from the start.

With a population of just under 10,000, most of the revenue comes from residential property taxes so the financing option was an important one, officials say.

“We have to take care of our town, we have to take care of our schools, and we have to take care of our infrastructure,” Alvarez said.

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 25

GOVERNANCE Safety For All

South Windsor adopts panhandling ordinance

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alancing compassion with safety, South Windsor has adopted an ordinance to regulate panhandling in town by designating safe areas for panhandlers.

dling-unsafe and no one for no reason can stand on that location,” Town Attorney Keith Yagaloff says. “This is an ordinance that is based on safety rather than the activity of panhandling.”

The ordinance, which the Town Council passed unanimously in February, also defines aggressive panhandling to protect residents from harassment.

Panhandling is protected by the first amendment and courts have upheld it as a protected activity, Attorney Yagaloff said. The South Windsor Ordinance was crafted to be legally sound and defendable against constitutional challenges.

During a public hearing on the ordinance, residents expressed concern that panhandlers along some of the major roads and near shopping centers were stepping out into traffic to approach cars for money.

“Someone stops to give him a dollar bill and the car behind him doesn’t stop, there’s an accident,” resident Robert Prouty said. “Stepping out into traffic to get money is a stupid thing to do because people don’t pay attention.”

The ordinance prohibits panhandling along the entrance ramps to highways and roadway medians, deeming them unsafe for panhandlers due to their proximity to traffic. The fine for violating the ordinance is $90.

“You can point to specific medians and specific locations in town and say that specific location is panhan-

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The ordinance also makes it illegal for a panhandler to recklessly approach, follow closely, or speak to a person to the point where the person fears bodily harm.

Officials say once the person says “no,” the panhandlers must cease their behavior.

Deputy Chief Scott Custer said police are mindful that panhandlers may be dealing with mental health issues and may be homeless and have referred several of the local panhandlers to South Windsor Human Services.

“The police department really does want to help the whole individual,” Custer said. “It’s not just about getting them off the street.”

GOVERNANCE

High Hopes

Ledyard working toward drone regulations

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picture may tell a thousand words, but for folks using the increasing popular drones for aerial photos and other activities, the town of Ledyard would like to have a few words with them.

Town officials are hoping to jump ahead of the curve regarding the use of drones by creating an ordinance that spells out just when and where they can fly. But it is a relatively new concept and the town needed to find a starting place.

Step one was to host a roundtable to get feedback from the community, particularly those who use drones. Town officials say they are not trying to discourage anyone currently flying within Federal Aviation Administration regulations and in fact want to discuss language with them to find the right balance that works for everyone.

“Even if it wasn’t perfect, if we had something in place it’s better than nothing so we’re out in front of it,” Councilor Williams Saums says.

The popularity of these unmanned craft has exploded.

Just last year, some 400,000 drones were sold across the country. In response the FAA established a registration system for drones weighing between a half pound and 55 pounds. It’s an online registration that gives each owner a unique number for identifying his or her drone. Federal regulations also limit drone use to daylight operations and 400-foot maximum altitude.

Organizers for the Ledyard Fair, one of the most popular events in town, banned the use of drones above the fairgrounds last year due to safety issues. There were concerns that the craft could spook the livestock, such as horses and oxen that take part in competitions as well as become a hazard around midway rides.

“Honestly, I think most people are doing it for the fun of it, the different perspective to take photographs,” Fair President Leslie Doe-Koehler. “However, I always have to look on the other side and it could potentially be a hazard at the fair.”

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APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ENVIRONMENT Save The Oswegatchie Hills

East Lyme gains allies in goal to preserve open space

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he town of East Lyme’s commitment to saving more than 200 acres of coastal land now has a few more friends for the cause and supporters hope it will stave off yet another proposal to develop the area.

A new coalition was recently formed to protect 236 acres that abut a nature preserve that is part of the Niantic River watershed. That land is currently under private ownership and there have been recent proposals to build high density housing on a portion of it. The parcel drains into the Niantic River and features deep ravines and legally protected vernal pools. For conservationists, this latest housing proposal created a call to action.

Members of the new coalition include the Friends of The Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve, the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, and the Save the River-Save the Hills group. The tract of land encompasses forest, wetland, and Niantic River shoreline.

East Lyme officials have long identified this stretch of land as a fragile parcel worth preserving. It is one of the few remaining large waterfront tracts that is unprotected and undeveloped. In 1968 the town classified it as open space in its Plan of Conservation and Development.

When proposals for a golf course community and other housing developments began to pop up more than 15 years ago, conservation-minded citizens formed the Friends and Save The River/Hills groups. The Friends group and the town currently coordinate stewardship of the 457-acre Oswegatchie Hills Nature Preserve.

Now the groups are expanding that tent for a broader coalition – much broader.

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“We’re taking the next step in our partnership by forming the Save the Oswegatchie Hills Coalition,” the Connecticut Fund for the Environment explains. The coalition is now “open to organizations and businesses, elected officials, and individuals across Connecticut.”

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ENVIRONMENT Thinking About Recycling?

In Guilford, you can sleep on it

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here are many ways of going green, even ways you may have never dreamed of.

In addition to paper, cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass, mattresses have now joined the list of items that residents can recycle in Guilford after the town’s selectmen recently decided to participate in the Connecticut Mattress Recycling Program.

“Mattress recycling has been pushed by recycling agencies for quite a while and the program came into effect this past July 1 under state law,” said Town Engineer Jim Portley who noted that the program would benefit the town and is cost-free.

Residents can bring their mattresses to a mattress recycling container at the town’s transfer station and the container is for use by residents only, not businesses or companies. The container provided under the new state program can deliver up to 30 or 40 mattresses at a time, according to Portley.

“It is a good way for people to recycle,” he said.

While the town’s participation in the program is not mandated by the state, Portley said participating will help Guilford resolve some issues handling mattresses at the town’s facilities.

Portley said the number of mattresses being brought to the transfer station rose sharply during the first few months of 2016 and the container is a better way of disposal.

“Over the last couple of months I had a lot of push back from the folks that handle our bulky waste, which is where the mattresses would usually go, and also from the people that take the trash that goes into the hopper,” Portley said. “A few mattresses have slipped into there and they don’t break up very easily.”

MUNICIPAL ETHICS DILEMMA

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ou handle public events for your municipality and are responsible for all of the town’s audio visual equipment. On Friday night you take home a town-owned public address system to use at a friend’s wedding on Saturday, saving her $300 in rental costs. You bring it back to work on Monday morning, but have you crossed the line of ethical behavior?

The answer is “yes”, you have crossed the line of ethical behavior. The general rule of thumb is whether the use of Town equipment is available to “everyone” on an equal basis rather than because the user happens to be a “friend”. Even if you did not personally receive any compensation from the use of the equipment, it would be easy to rationalize that the line was crossed. One method of determining whether or not an ethical line has been crossed - you should ask yourself – if the use somehow found its way to your Supervisor or Town citizens – how do you think they would react? Most towns have guidelines regarding the use of town property. Unless the guidelines gave specific detail on how this equipment could be “borrowed”, while well-intentioned, you should avoid the temptation of “helping a friend”.

Robert Lee Town Manager, Plainville

HERE’S A NEW DILEMMA!

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

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

TECHNOLOGY Room With A View

New Killingly website offers more citizen connections

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n order to continue to expand its engagement with citizens, the town of Killingly had to build more room – in cyberspace.

The town’s revamped website is not only more userfriendly but it also provides more capacity for information, officials said. To get there, the town switched vendors, a move aimed at being more cost-effective in the long run by being able to add capacity as needed.

“We were allotted a certain amount of space for a lot of information, including documents, pictures, and contact information for several town departments and boards and commissions,” Finance Director Mary Calorio said. “We had exceeded our storage space and it would have cost us triple what we were paying to get what we needed from the old website company.

Either that, or we would have had to really strip the site down.”

Instead, the new site is able to offer more features, including interactive links that allow residents to pay bills online and download important forms. These new items can be found on a section of the site called “Cit-

izens Action Center.” Gone is a lengthy series of dropdown menus that was somewhat harder to navigate.

The town’s page still keeps the same web address – www.killingly.org.

Visitors can now easily link to the town’s Facebook and Twitter accounts and the social media pages of the town’s library and recreation department. Residents also can report issues online and a “Notify Me” link allows residents to subscribe to town email alerts, as well as automatic meeting agendas and minutes information.

The town contracted with Massachusetts-based Virtual Towns & Schools to create the new site. The vendor runs the web pages for several New England towns including neighboring Putnam.

So far, the revamped site is getting “likes” from residents who say they appreciate the combination of the website and the town’s social media offerings.

“In my line of work as an attorney, I need to access street cards and had no problem finding them on the page,” resident Bob Young said.

Watt An Idea

Meriden considering street light conversion program

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he city of Meriden may become one of the latest municipalities to take advantage of a CCM-supported program that promotes street light efficiency and cost-savings.

The city is considering a plan to buy more than 4,000 street lights and 850 poles from Eversource Energy and convert them to energy-efficient LED fixtures.

The conversion will be done by Tanko Lighting, a company chosen

by CCM to work with member municipalities. When completed, the conversion is expected to save Meriden about $10 million over the next 20 years.

“Together with incentives from Eversource, the cost to purchase the fixtures as well as install and maintain them is recovered after five years and after that every year going forward we have a savings of $500,000 per year, “said City Manager Lawrence J. Kendzior. “It’s a project which will save a tremendous amount of money.”

30 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

Kendzior says Meriden currently spends more than $625,000 a year on electricity for street lights. The cost of buying the lights and poles and the conversion is expected to cost Meriden about $2.5 million and that’s before a rebate from Eversource.

Street poles available for purchase are those not on a private road or supporting connections to other utilities.

Tanko, the conversion company, has contracts with at least 12 municipalities in Connecticut and would begin the Meriden project by auditing their system. Company Sales Director Joe Bollinger says the city could actually see a return on its investment in about three years and that the savings could be more than expected.

“Those numbers are very conservative,” Bollinger says. “We’ve seen 2 to 3 percent increases in utility costs year after year and we only assumed 1 percent in estimating the savings, so the savings are actually going to be better.”

Take A Book, Leave A Book

VOLUNTEERS

Little free libraries popping up all over

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ittle Free Libraries are popping up in communities all over the country and Connecticut is no exception. Ledyard, Stonington, Groton, and Montville are four of the 52 documented towns in the Nutmeg state where residents host the grassroots reading opportunities on their properties.

Sandy Davis of Stonington said she decided two years ago to combine her love of literature with her commitment to her community by installing two newspaper boxes filled with books in her front yard – one with books for young readers and the other for adults.

“It’s a really great way to build community,” she said, noting that many of the neighborhood youngsters who visit her library often come with their families.

The Montville Rotary Club installed two Little Free Libraries last summer, one at a local youth camp and the other at a community center. Rotarian President-elect Mike Doherty said the libraries were “an easy and meaningful way to provide access to books in the community.”

Seven year-old Helena “Lena” Coury started her library last summer from books she no longer wanted. Unlike many Little Free Libraries that close during the winter, “Lena Lou’s” Little Free Library in Groton is open year-round and even features battery-powered lighting for nighttime walkers who want to browse the library’s offerings.

“We went in other neighborhoods and I really liked the idea of having one, and my uncle Doug made it for me,” Lena said.

Mark Fields of Ledyard built one to help his wife Jan distribute hundreds of books she receives as a book reviewer. Jan receives in excess of 100 books a month, but can’t give them to libraries because they are advance copies. Now the Fields’ Little Free Library boasts a steady supply of new titles for local residents to review for themselves.

The first Little Free Library was built in 2009 by Todd Bol of Hudson, Wisconsin, as a tribute to his mom who was a teacher. There are now more than 36,000 registered libraries in 47 countries.

APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 31

EDUCATION Walls Can Be A Good Thing

Branford schools opting for classroom with a different view

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t has one of the largest price tags that the town has ever undertaken but for middle school students in Branford, a major school redesign will bring the facility into the 21st Century.

The $88 million project will do away with the once popular open classroom design, which was embraced in the 1970s, but four decades later school officials say it’s not a good fit for the modern student. The open-classroom concept was thought to encourage collaboration but it also had its drawbacks – it could be a bit noisy.

A former student, who is now a parent, related his open-classroom experience to school officials.

“He recalls that he was in a math

class adjacent to a Spanish class, and he felt as if by the end, he was proficient in Spanish just as much as he was in math,” Schools Superintendent Hamlet Hernandez said. “His way of saying the acoustics of the space was not conducive to maximizing the learning for students.”

The upgrade will result in more defined learning spaces for the district’s fifth through eighth grades.

Hernandez says the middle school will be built to accommodate up to 1,000 students, a number based on enrollment projections. Current enrollment is just over 900.

Classrooms will be about 800 square feet, nearly double what they are now and each classroom would hold about 20 to 25 students.

“We still want children to collaborate, but they collaborate by using technology, they collaborate face-to-face, it’s not necessarily the walls,” Hernandez explained.

Finance Director James Finch says the project won’t have a major impact on the town budget. With a reimbursable rate at 35 percent, the school cost the town about $58 million.

“The debt service makes up less than 10 percent of our town’s total budget. So in this case, 8 cents of every dollar goes to total debt service, and the school would only be a portion of that,” Finch says.

The project is expected to be completed in November 2019.

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REGIONAL COOPERATION The Eyes Have It

Northwest Hills COG keeping tabs on ‘Sleeper Bills’

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ntil the gavel comes down on the current legislative session at midnight on May 4, the 21-member Northwest Hills Council of Government will be on alert for so-called “sleeper bills.”

As a result, NHCOG has made transparency one of its legislative priorities this session. NHCOG’s Legislative Committee Co-Chairman and Litchfield First Selectman Leo Paul says that type of legislation – bills approved with little or no public input and at the 11th hour – can have significant impact on municipalities.

As examples, NHCOG officials pointed to a law that requires COGs to hire a region elections monitor and the municipal set-aside requirements for small and minority business enterprises.

Paul says NHCOG is insisting on transparency at all levels of government and strongly opposes legislation pushed through in the final moments of session.

Other legislative priorities for the COG include revising thresholds for prevailing wage and repealing the mu-

nicipal spending cap that was enacted last year. The group’s message to lawmakers is clear – it opposes unfunded mandates and supports regulatory flexibility.

Because most town budgets are approved through town referendums, imposing a spending cap would limit what residents can do, especially if more services are required and property owners want to pay for them. Towns work hard to craft their budgets each year and the constraints of a mandated cap just adds another burden.

Local capital projects have constraints of their own in the form of the prevailing wage law. Current thresholds of $400,000 for new construction and $100,000 for renovations have remained the same since 1991 while inflation has not. The COG is backing a proposal that removes the prevailing wage for new construction and rehab work that costs less than $1 million.

Making these changes, officials say, would remove some of the red tape that has kept many local contractors from bidding on projects.

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HEALTH Colchester Conversation

Heart-to-heart talks about drugs begin at home

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t’s never too early for parents to have that difficult conversation with their children about drugs. That was the message from Colchester in the latest series of “Community Conversations” that the eastern Connecticut town sponsored for its families.

With first-hand accounts from medical professionals, families, and others, the event was aimed at helping parents identify the early signs of drug use – particularly heroin and other opiates. Other lessons included how to limit access to prescription drugs, often the dangerous first step on the road to destructive drug abuse.

The event was organized by Colchester Youth Services and sponsored by the public schools and the non-profit United Community Family Services. The event came on the heels of a spate of highly publicized heroin overdoses at local hospitals. In 2015, the combined total of heroin overdoses seen by Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London and William W. Backus Hospital was more than 100. And in early 2016, Lawrence + Memorial reported nearly 20 heroin overdoses coming through the doors including one death.

“This is such an important topic for everyone to be aware of,” Youth Services Program Coordinator Jennifer Martino said. “We cannot express how important it is for families to learn about this devastating addiction and to continue having the conversation with their family and friends.”

Youth Services organizers wanted to ensure that parents were armed with information that would help deter the behavior before it begins and said it often begins at a very young age.

Among the somber stats offered by the group: On average, Connecticut children start consuming alcohol at 11, two years younger than the national average.

Children who learn about drugs from their parents are up to 50 percent less likely to use drugs.

Less than 30 percent of teens actually do get their drug information from their parents.

“Start the talk early and talk often,” Martino said.

Support System

New Canaan focuses on preventing drug abuse

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ow to combat the growing problem of opioid and other drug abuse is a serious discussion that more and more communities are having across Connecticut.

New Canaan joined the discussion earlier this year, bringing together several community groups at Town Hall. Organized by the town’s Health and Human Services staff and League of Women Voters, the forum aimed at preventing the proliferation of drug abuse, the No. 1 killer in America.

At the forum, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski said that 45 percent of the drug arrests are town residents, selling heroin, cocaine, and other illegal drugs.

“It’s all here,” the chief said. “It’s just a matter of us, as a community, paying more attention to what’s going on and getting the right information.”

Krolikowski was part of a panel that included High School Student Resource Police Officer Jason Kim, Dr. John Douglas, the director of a local drug rehab hospital, addiction counselor Vince Benevento, and two local adults in recovery.

34 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

The panel discussed the roots of addition – how people get hooked – and also the tragic cycle that can be tremendously difficult to escape. One of the recovering addicts said her descent into addition began in the eighth grade when she had her first drink. She hid her problem for years, taking part in sports, doing well in college, but there was the dark side.

“My school life revolved around drinking,” she said, continuing to binge drink in college, smoke marijuana, and take other drugs. By her junior year, “my addiction had caught up with me.”

She eventually left school and returned home, to the safety and love of her parents, which “was the greatest thing,” she said. From there she began to turn around her life, but not without struggles. She lost three friends – one in a drunken driving accident and two to overdoses.

Panel member Benevento, the addiction counselor, told the audience that it takes lifelong support to help someone through recovery.

“We’re talking about an illness,” Benevento said. “This is longstanding behavior intervention.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A Downtown Diamond Nothing “Minor” About New Hartford Stadium

A

merica’s pastime is at the core of the newest development taking shape in downtown Hartford – an infield, an outfield, peanuts, and popcorn. Baseball basics, just what you would expect.

But when completed, the $63 million Dunkin Donuts Stadium, home to the minor league Hartford Yard Goats, will have some major attractions for the community.

A few of the amenities include “dugout suites” with separate concessions and bathrooms which will be built adjacent to both benches. Both the home and away team will also have spacious clubhouses and can practice in heated and cooled batting cages.

There will be a gymnasium, offices for managers, dressing rooms for umpires and the team’s mascots – “Chompers” and “Chewie.”

City Council President T.J. Clarke, who is also a member of the Hartford Stadium Authority, was among several officials given a recent tour. Impressed with what he saw, Clarke called it the “Yankee Stadium of the minor leagues.”

The stadium is scheduled to open at the end of May and city officials get daily progress reports from their independent construction manager.

“Instead of saying, ‘On time, On budget,’ we get much more granular than that,” Hartford Director of Development Services Sean Fitzpatrick said.

The upper concourse of the 6,000-seat ballpark will feature premium suites, a sport bar and lounge, team offices, and a spacious ballroom for corporate events.

In addition to Dunkin Donuts, The Hartford Financial Services Group is a major corporate sponsor.

Fitzpatrick, who was former chief of staff for the New York City Port Authority, said he modeled the daily updates after the Port Authority’s development of the Freedom Town, also known as One World Trade Center. The stadium updates also include daily photos.

Eventually everyone eagerly anticipates the update that comes down to just two words: “Play ball!”

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APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

PUBLIC SAFETY Safe At Home

Trumbull police join Project Lifesaver to locate loved ones

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t’s an initiative that combines technology and tenderness and for nearly 20 years it has helped search-and-rescue teams reunite worried families with loved ones suffering from dementia and other disorienting conditions who have wandered off.

sonalized wristband that sends out a tracking signal. When law enforcement is notified of a missing person, a tracking team using a mobile locater device is quickly deployed. On average, the teams are able to locate that person within 30 minutes.

The Trumbull Police Department has now joined the ranks of the growing number of law enforcement groups participating in Project Lifesaver. An international organization founded in 1999, Project Lifesaver helps police rescue missing persons as quickly as possible by deploying specially trained teams equipped with reliable tracking technology.

Searchers are trained in the best way to interact with the disoriented individual who is often scared and distrustful. Gaining their trust is essential to ensuring a safe return, officials say.

Families sign up for the program and their loved ones wear a per-

“This is a little bit about community interaction, and making the uniform itself something people aren’t afraid of,” said Trumbull Police Sgt. Brian Falkenstein, the department’s local coordinator of the program.

36 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

While the cost for families to participate is relatively low, the department has conducted fundraising to make certain the program can be accessed throughout the community.

Founded in Chesapeake, Virgina, Project Lifesaver has more than 1,400 participating departments across the country with at least 10 in Connecticut. Former Chesapeake Police Capt. Gene Saunders, who was a member of his department’s search and rescue team, began the program, enlisting the technology that was already being used to track wildlife at that time.

“Whenever you have somebody with a cognitive disorder who has wandered off and gotten lost, time is against you,” Saunders said.

Divine Intervention

HOUSING

Enfield converting old Catholic school into apartments

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t was an opportunity the town of Enfield wasn’t about to pass up – add to its housing stock and to its tax rolls.

The Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously approved a plan to convert the former St. Adalbert’s Catholic School in the town’s Thompsonville section to 20 one-bedroom apartments. The 29,000-square foot building was built nearly 60 years ago and was used as a school up until 2007.

“We’ve got to get this done,” Board of Education member Walter Kruzel said. “There’s too many plusses and wins here that are going to help the town and help Thompsonville.”

Kruzel, who is also a St. Adalbert’s parishioner, said the project gives the town a chance to return the building to the tax rolls.

The building is one of four on a 3.75-acre site. The approval to convert the building into apartments followed on the heels of the P&Z Commission’s approval in October to subdivide the property.

Each 650-square-foot apartment would have a living and dining room, kitchen, full bath, a closet and a 7-by-10 foot patio. The building would also feature a common room, laundry facilities, and a management office. The parking lot would be redesigned to include 24 spaces, including two for handicapped parking.

The conversion plan has also been favorably reviewed by the Enfield Revitalization Strategy Committee and

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the Thompson Village Center administrative review board. The developer is also working with the state to remove an old storage tank on the property.

The P&Z approval did come with some conditions including removal of the storage tank, using a façade and siding approved by the commission, a legal review of the parking easement granted by the church, and a soil test report.

Resident Kenneth Edgar, who also serves on the town’s revitalization committee, offered his support saying the project would present another avenue of opportunity for the town.

“We could use development down there,” Edgar said.

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APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 37

YOUTH Exploring The Future

Greenwich program offers career path to law enforcement

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o gauge the benefits of a decade-old youth program overseen by the Greenwich Police Department, one has to look no further than the most recent class of officer recruits.

Hired by the Department last spring, Officer Erika Garcia was among the scores of young people who participated in the Department’s popular Explorers program.

The Explorers, a police education program, is open to town residents between the ages of 14 and 18.

Department officials say the youngsters are exposed to many facets of the job including forensics, boating operations, and firearms. Field trips in the past have included demonstrations of searches using dogs at Grand Central Station and a tour of the New York City Police Museum. The recruits also help police during parades and community events.

Officer Garcia, a Greenwich native and graduate of Greenwich High School, followed up her stint as an Explorer with an Associate’s Degree from Norwalk Community College. She joined the force in May 2015, calling it “a dream come true.”

“I was born and raised here, so it’s going to be an honor to serve here,” she said during her swearing in. She has continued to work with the Explorers program, helping to chaperone a trip to a national conference in Indiana.

To kick off the next decade of Explorers in Greenwich, the Department held a drive for new recruits earlier this year. Officers visited the high school, set up a booth and answered questions. Lt. Kraig Gray said the Department hopes to take between 20 and 30 students in 2016.

“We’re really hoping to have a full complement of all the different demographics in Greenwich,” Lt. Gray explained.

Shoreline Academy

Parents to benefit from Madison workshop on teen stress

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ducators in Madison have a good sense of what brings on stress for local teens. They know because they’ve been asking the question.

Since 2006, Madison Alcohol and Drug Education (M.A.D.E.) has conducted school surveys and the most recent survey asked specific questions about stress.

“A lot of things pop up, like low self-esteem, spending a lot of time on social media, substance abuse,” says M.A.D.E. Coalition Coordinator Catherine Barden. “A lot of times we were hearing from people that a lot of it came down to stress and

they were using substances and their self-esteem was down because of stress and anxiety.”

To help parents better understand what their children are dealing with, the town of Madison is among the participants in the recently formed Shoreline Parent Academy. Several towns have come together to put on a series of free workshops – everything ranging from preparing for college to preventing drug abuse.

Madison is hosting the Academy’s second workshop this spring.

Parents are encouraged to take a survey of their own to help organizers assemble relevant workshops.

38 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | APRIL 2016

The questions have ranged from “What is most important to you about the topic of anxiety and stress?” to “What kinds of stress and/or anxiety do you see showing up in your kids?”

The school surveys and input from parents are essential in proving effective guidance, said the organizers.

“All the Shoreline communities are feeling the stress and stress is leading to a lot of negative things,” says Barden.

Organizers hope to expand the program to include involvement from shoreline towns from Branford to New London and Middlesex County.

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he Wilton Historical Society and the Wilton League of Women Voters recently led a discussion about the preservation of Wilton’s historic buildings. The presentations included a description of the Society’s programs and collections, its three campuses, and adaptive use structures. The discussion also focused on ways in which Wilton’s town boards and the community can implement proactive approaches to historic preservation.

Harwinton voters have approved $190,000 from the town’s surplus fund to purchase detailed design and construction drawings for the proposed Harwinton Public Library expansion project. The drawings are expected to provide a more firm cost estimate for the project.

105 voted for the expenditure and 29 against it.

The City of Danbury and the Jericho Partnership have launched Clean Start, a program that lets Danbury’s homeless men and

AROUND TOWN women earn gift cards for food and services by helping to clean up the city. “It only takes one person, or one non-profit, or one company to raise a hand and say they want to touch lives in a meaningful way,” said Mayor Mark Boughton in announcing the program. “That creates critical mass … and Jericho is leading the way.” Jericho Partnership is a ministry that for the past decade has mobilized thousands of volunteers to serve the city’s atrisk population through inner-city initiatives.

According to ConsumerAffairs, which broke down vehicle fatalities per capita to find the safest cities for drivers in the United States, West Hartford was No. 1 in Connecticut, while Hartford, Hamden, Fairfield and Stratford rounded out the top 5 in the Nutmeg State.

The Lyme Garden Club has earned accolades for landscaping Lyme’s new Town Campus Center. The club won landscape design awards from the New England Region of the Na-

tional Garden Clubs and from the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut. The Lyme Garden Club landscaped the new library, the renovated Town Hall, and the new Town Green with plans developed by a local landscape architect. The project was a joint effort between the garden club and the town, with town and local landscaping crews planting native trees, shrubs, daffodils, and other plants as well as two new herb gardens near the entrance of the library.

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Full schedule at: http://ccm-ct.org APRIL 2016 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 39

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