Connecticut Town & City - Winter 2024

WINTER 2024

How Do We Reconnect Our Youth?

CCM explores the new Dalio Education Report

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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS President Laura Hoydick, Mayor of Stratford 1st Vice President Michael Passero, Mayor of New London 2nd Vice President W. Kurt Miller, Chief Administrative Officer of Seymour DIRECTORS Arunan Arulampalam, Mayor of Hartford Jason Bowsza, First Selectman of East Windsor Jeff Caggiano, Mayor of Bristol Mary Calorio, Town Manager of Killingly Fred Camillo, First Selectman of Greenwich Elinor Carbone, Mayor of Torrington Paula Cofrancesco, First Selectman of Bethany Justin Elicker, Mayor of New Haven Carl Fortuna, Jr., First Selectman of Old Saybrook Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Matthew Hoey, First Selectman of Guilford Matthew Knickerbocker, Town Administrator of Wilton Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield Edmond V. Mone, First Selectman of Thomaston Maureen Nicholson, First Selectman of Pomfret Brandon Robertson, Town Manager of Avon John L. Salomone, City Manager of Norwich Caroline Simmons, Mayor of Stamford Gerard Smith, First Selectman of Beacon Falls Lori Spielman, First Selectman of Ellington Erin E. Stewart, Mayor of New Britain Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator of Columbia

PAST PRESIDENTS

Inside this issue...

Letter from the Executive Director & CEO

4

CCM Convention

5

Municipal Excellence Awards

6

New CCM Board of Directors

8

Emergency Management Symposium

9

2024 State Legislative Priorities

10

Representation Matters

12

Federal Issues: Infrastructure & Other Funding

13

NLC Congressional City Conference

14

Solar Projects

16

CIRMA News

18

News from Member Municipalities

20

Thomas Dunn, Mayor of Wolcott Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven

Historic Restoration of Waterbury City

CCM STAFF Executive Director, Joe DeLong Deputy Director, Ron Thomas Writer, Chris Gilson Layout & Design, Matthew Ford

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WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 3

Letter From The Executive Director & CEO It’s Time To Reconnect With Our Forgotten Populations

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n 2019 we were in tough times as a state. We were losing population pretty quickly and many of the people that were leaving were writing farewell CT letters to the editor proclaiming why they were leaving and the failures, from their perspective, of Connecticut.

In addition, we were dealing with what Ben Barnes, OPM Secretary coined “a permanent fiscal crisis.”

Despite all of those criticisms, our state was making incredible progress and getting back onto solid financial footing. Yet there were populations that have unfortunately gone unnoticed and CCM is going to do our part to make this state work for everyone.

First, we want to talk about homelessness. Back just a few years ago, homeless was tracking downwards.

At that time, CCM took steps to do its part to support efforts to help tackle the crisis. We partnered with the Coalition to End Homelessness to create a committee of municipal leaders with the goal of developing municipal tool kits to support our membership on best practices and resources available to tackle homelessness in their communities.

And then in 2020 the pandemic hit and everything changed, the CCEH priorities shifted into making sure people had safe places to live and shelters were not overrun and CCM shifted into writing Executive Orders to support the continuity of municipal government operations and to lobby and advocate the state and federal governments for funding. The pandemic left the work that we had begun with the CCEH in the rearview.

And after decades of declining numbers, our homeless population increased by 16% in 2022 and continued to rise in 2023. So while we talk about those successes, we must acknowledge this massive blind spot in our recovery.

We have learned over these last several months about another underserved and unrecognized population – Disconnected Youth. Thanks to a report by Dalio Education and the six forums that CCM held to discuss this issue, we know that over 100,000 kids are at-risk or disconnected entirely. To use one of their phrases, it’s like filling Yankee Stadium twice, then a little bit of Fenway Park. And just like the numbers of our homeless population, that figure was at just 40,000 when we looked at it just back in 2016.

These two populations dovetail and feed into each other. The Dalio report tells us that of school aged kids, 1 in 3 are in danger of not graduating and an article last month reported that New Haven had 250 students who were homeless last year and this year that number is 567. In the first time in decades our graduation rate is declining.

When we look back at 2019 today, it’s a different state: we have balanced budgets and surpluses, people moving into the state and unfunded pension liabilities that we are getting our arms around a bit and making progress on. We should celebrate those accomplishments.

While we can reflect on successes of the state, when we read articles that say we now have the wind at our backs, let’s remember how cold that wind is to these children who are homeless during these winter months.

As we enter 2024, I ask each of you to work with CCM to do our part to rededicate our efforts to making sure we have less children who are left looking for their next meal, without a home to lay their head down at night.

Through our collective efforts I hope to be able to report back to you in a couple years that we were successful in our support of Connecticut’s most vulnerable and served with integrity those who need our attention the most.When we talk about how we are winning on Wall Street, let us not forget that we have more kids than ever before that are losing on Main Street.

Fireside Chat on the Dalio Education report

Joe DeLong CCM Executive Director & CEO 4 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

There’s No Place Like Connecticut The 2023 CCM Convention Was A Great Success!

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here really is no place like Connecticut. And thanks to our sponsors, our exhibitors, the workshop leaders, and most importantly, you, our members, there’s no Convention quite like the CCM Convention and Annual Meeting. With some of our highest numbers of attendees and exhibitors – pre- or post-COVID – and our special Fireside Chat on the Dalio Education report on disconnected youth, this year was truly a special occasion.

Read on to hear about the winners of the Municipal Excellence Awards, the Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement and Richard Lee Innovators Award, as well as an update on our new board, which we elected at the Annual Meeting. The election took place on day two of the Convention.

We look forward to spending next year with you on December 3 and 4, 2024 back at Mohegan Sun for another fun and educational Convention.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 5

Your Time To Shine

Municipal Excellence Award recipients shine at Convention

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ach year at our convention, we celebrate all of our municipal members, but we’d be lying if we didn’t think that some went above and beyond their calling to do extraordinary things. That is what inspired us to create the Municipal Excellence Awards, which awards four municipalities in three population categories as well as a special topic and two individuals for the Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award and Richard C. Lee Innovators award.

Read on for brief introductions to our winners and their projects:

Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award There is perhaps no one more deserving of a lifetime achievement award from CCM than John Elsesser, who has recently retired from his position as the Town Manager of Coventry after 35 years. Prior to that he also worked in Manchester, Wethersfield and Avon.

When he was nominated, it was said that there was not enough space to describe all of his achievements in just 600 words – that he was a leader, a steward of his town, an active part of his community, a “forward thinker,” and so much more. He embodies the spirit of public service, and are proud to give him this award.

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Richard C. Lee Innovators Award A theme of this year’s convention is remembering forgotten communities, and Cathy Palazzi has worked hard to advocate for seniors in Andover. Many times, Seniors are a forgotten part of our communities, but Palazzi worked hard to connect seniors who could not commute on their own with services that were being provided. Thanks to her advocacy and hard work, Andover’s Senior Transportation Program has expanded to four drivers and vehicles. In her nomination, it concludes by saying “Without dedicated and caring volunteers like Cathy, Andover wouldn’t be able to offer these services.”

Municipal Excellence Award (20,000 or below)

Municipal Excellence Award (40,001 and above)

Composting is an old technology renewed for the 21st century, which will help towns and cities manage solid waste. In the Town of Ridgefield, they created a “self-sustaining closed loop composting system” in partnership with the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority. Just one facet of the total solid waste program, it recycles, saves the town money, and makes for a greener Ridgefield, a win-win-win for the municipality.

The American Rescue Plan funding presented towns and cities with a unique opportunity to make an impact on priorities, and perhaps no one did this better or with more public input than the City of Bridgeport.

With priorities already set in place, the public was able to rank what their biggest priorities were and the City was able to begin deploying the funding in a quick and efficient manner.

Municipal Excellence Award (20,001 to 40,000) People love their dogs, but if you ask any municipality, people do not love licensing their beloved pets. So the Town of Windsor came up with a unique campaign to remind their residents that June was the time to register their pet with the WinWag Photo Contest. Was it a success? Their goal was to increase entries by 50% and ended up increasing them by 448%, and issuing 125 more licenses than the previous year. All for the cost of a Word Press Plug-In, some Facebook marketing, and 22 staff hours.

Municipal Excellence Award (Topical Award: Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Here at CCM, we are always arguing that everyone deserves a seat at the table and an opportunity to have their voice heard. The Town of Manchester partnered with Bang The Table’s Engagement HQ platform to offer “Your Voice Matters Manchester.” The platform offers residents a two-way communication tool to make sure that the town leaders hear direct from their constituents, with some projects gaining thousands of responses.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 7

New Board Ready To Get To Work Laura Hoydick boosted to CCM President

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aura Hoydick, the two-term Mayor of Stratford, has been elected President of CCM for 2024. The election took place at the Annual Meeting on the second day of the 2023 CCM Convention. Her tenure began on January 1st.

Hoydick served as 1st Vice President in 2023, and has been a leading player for CCM in helping to push state legislative action on education, local revenue diversification, cost containment efforts through mandates relief, and greater regional service sharing among towns.

Michael Passero, Mayor of New London was elevated to 1st Vice President and W. Kurt Miller, Chief Administrative Officer of Seymour, became an officer as CCM’s 2nd Vice President. Two municipal leaders were newly-elected to the board: Arunan Arulampalam, Mayor of Hartford and Lori Spielman, First Selectwoman of Ellington. Additionally, 22 municipal leaders were re-elected to the CCM board.

“We are lucky to have had such great leadership in my tenure at CCM, and Mayor Hoydick is no exception,” said Joe DeLong, CCM Executive Director and CEO. “With a short legislative session, and a heavy plate of priorities, CCM will be working from day one on local issues that are important to our members and every resident of the State of Connecticut. I look forward to working with Mayor Hoydick, bringing all parties to the table, as we lead this organization to another year of legislative success.”

“The priorities of Stratford are not so different from the priorities in each of CCM’s 167 other member towns,” said Mayor Hoydick. “We all want what’s best for our residents – good amenities and infrastructure, good public safety, good education for our children, and of course housing with an affordable property tax. It is an honor to lead CCM and I look forward to working collaboratively with municipal leaders across the state, Governor Lamont, and the General Assembly to improve the quality of life for Connecticut residents and businesses.”

Here is CCM’s Board of Directors for 2024: President Laura Hoydick, Mayor of Stratford 1st Vice President Michael Passero, Mayor of New London 2nd Vice President W. Kurt Miller, Chief Administrative Officer of Seymour

Elinor Carbone, Mayor of Torrington Paula Cofrancesco, First Selectman of Bethany Justin Elicker, Mayor of New Haven Carl Fortuna, Jr., First Selectman of Old Saybrook Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport Matthew Hoey, First Selectman of Guilford Matthew Knickerbocker, Town Administrator of Wilton Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield Edmond V. Mone, First Selectman of Thomaston Maureen Nicholson, First Selectman of Pomfret Brandon Robertson, Town Manager of Avon John L. Salomone, City Manager of Norwich Caroline Simmons, Mayor of Stamford Gerard Smith, First Selectman of Beacon Falls Lori Spielman, First Selectman of Ellington Erin E. Stewart, Mayor of New Britain

Directors

Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator of Columbia

Arunan Arulampalam, Mayor of Hartford

Past Presidents

Jason Bowsza, First Selectman of East Windsor

Thomas Dunn, Mayor of Wolcott

Jeff Caggiano, Mayor of Bristol

Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven

Mary Calorio, Town Manager of Killingly

Herbert C. Rosenthal, Former First Selectman of Newtown

Fred Camillo, First Selectman of Greenwich

8 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

This Is Not A Drill

Big Changes Come To Emergency Management Symposium!

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ig changes are in store for the Emergency Management Symposium. After two successful years at Aria in Prospect, it became obvious that we needed a larger space to accommodate the growth we had seen – we could barely fit all of you in the parking lot!

We are proud to announce the 2024 Emergency Management Symposium, held in partnership with the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP), and the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) will held at Camp Nett in Niantic on April 24, 2024.

EMS is the premier emergency management conference in Connecticut, attracting hundreds of local public safety officials from around the state. The event offers workshops, discussions, networking opportunities, and vendors with the best and newest Emergency Management technology, products, and services.

Last year’s event included a keynote presentation from Jonathan Greene, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, updates from DPH, and panels on the State Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents,

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Intelligence Center Updates, Grants rundowns, Federal Cyber Security Grant Program updates, and much more. In addition to our esteemed panelists, there was several dozen exhibitors displaying the latest in emergency response equipment.

The space is formerly known as Camp Niantic and as the location of the National Guard Regional Training Institute, will provide the Emergency Management Symposium with the right atmosphere and space for guests and speakers to get crucial updates on emergency management.

Make sure you keep your eyes out for the registration link that will be emailed to you, as even though this space is much larger, attendance will still be limited and there is no cost to register. And remember that for our CCMO officials, EMS is six hours towards your certification.

We can’t wait for you to join us on April 24, 2024 at Camp Nett in Niantic.

For more information visit: https://www.ccm-ct.org/ Education-and-Events/Emergency-Management-Symposium

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Integrity.

Performance.

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CCM 2024 State Legislative Program 2024 Legislative Priorities

1. Police Officer, Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) Recruitment and Retention

b. Provide assistance to towns and cities to address non-budgeted mid-year expenditures related to special education costs.

RECOMMENDATION: Support efforts to increase the number of qualified applicants and volunteers for public safety and emergency service positions within municipalities.

c. Lower the threshold for reimbursement from the state for students that require special education services from 4.5 times the cost of the average expenditure per student to 2 times the cost of the average expenditure per student.

a. There has been a decrease in the number of individuals pursuing career and volunteer positions in public safety and emergency services. b. This shortfall makes towns vulnerable to not being able to respond adequately to emergency situations. c. Implore the legislature to convene the task force, established in statute, that was charged with examining the recruitment and retention of public safety and emergency service personnel and make recommendations.

2. Trash-to-Energy Expansion RECOMMENDATION: Increase capacity to accept trash at the four existing trash-to-energy facilities and/or site a fifth trash-to-energy plant. a. Currently, Connecticut is shipping approximately 860 tons of municipal solid waste to out-of-state facilities. b. Municipalities are facing increasingly higher tipping fees because it does not have the capacity to handle its own solid waste. c. With the closure of the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority (MIRA), the amount of solid waste that is being shipped out-of-state represents approximately 40% of the state’s total.

3. Maintain Focus on Reducing Property Taxes RECOMMENDATION: Continue efforts of fully funding tax exemptions and property tax reform. a. Continue work towards full statutory funding of PILOT for mandated tax-exempt property by increasing PILOT reimbursement level. b. Increase parity of reimbursement levels between stateowned property and college and hospital property. c.Allow municipalities to assess tax exempt properties a fee for services such as police, EMS, road maintenance etc.

4. Increased Funding for Special Education RECOMMENDATION: Increase the current level of state funding for special education, which is currently inadequate. a. Modify the Minimum Budget Requirement (MBR) related to special education costs so that expenditures above base student costs are not included in the calculation of the MBR if a student or students with special needs either move or age out of the local or regional school district.

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5. Increase tax abatements for affordable housing RECOMMENDATION: Seek greater reimbursements from the state for tax abatements for affordable housing units and downtown development due to an increase in construction costs and high interest rates.

6. Retaining Land Use Officials RECOMMENDATION: Create flexibility in state certification process a. Currently the certification process for building officials occurs once a year. Allow for more flexibility by creating more times throughout the year to maintain certification or to establish the credential.

Legislative Issues of Importance • Mass Transit RECOMMENDATION: Provide more funding to support mass transit such as rail, including Shoreline East, bus service and highway improvements. a. Ensure mass transit policy is consistent with the state’s goal of more transit-oriented development projects.

• Increase Infrastructure Funding for Transit-Oriented Developments (TOD) and Affordable Housing RECOMMENDATION: Dedicate a portion of funding in the Clean Water Fund towards TOD and affordable housing projects. a. The lack of water and sewer infrastructure often limits the ability of municipalities to increase its affordable housing stock or to pursue TOD projects. b. Setting aside Clean Water funds will make TOD and affordable housing projects more viable economically and environmentally and will help the state move towards its goals of facilitating building near transit hubs and increasing its affordable housing stock.

• Local Control Over Siting of Renewable Energy Projects RECOMMENDATION: Establish local control over the siting of renewable energy projects, with consideration of a threshold by megawatts, whereby towns would gain control over siting. a. Requirements that the local Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) be used/referenced in decision making on siting.

b. Requirement that if a renewable project isn’t classified as Virtual Net Metering at time of siting that it doesn’t qualify after siting.

• Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) RECOMMENDATION: Support efforts in partnership with the state to find cost effective solutions to reducing, reusing and recycling materials. a. Continue to explore innovative ideas in reducing the waste stream by focusing on EPR for packaging and containers and household hazardous waste.

• Street takeovers, illegal use of ATV’s/motorbikes, and vehicle break-ins.

RECOMMENDATION: Enact measure to address street takeovers, illegal use of ATV’s/motorbikes, and vehicle break-ins. a. Enhance penalties for those involved in street takeovers and illegal ATV usage, such as additional monetary fines, ability to seize vehicles, inhibit license or registration of motor vehicles. ✓ Amend 51-164p to authorize the Central Infractions Bureau to administer payable violations up to $2,000 for violations or pleas of any ordinance, regulation or bylaw involving street takeovers or the illegal use of ATVs/motorbikes. b. Create a state grant for municipalities to (1) cover additional overtime costs associated with assigning police officers to enforce street takeovers and vehicle break-ins, and (2) assist to purchase equipment to enhance motor vehicle enforcement, such as drones, roadside cameras, and license plate readers.

• Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund RECOMMENDATION: Create a sustainable funding stream for the Fighter Cancer Relief Fund.

• Increase the percentage of Mohegan-Pequot Funds distributed to towns and cities.

RECOMMENDATION Increase the percentage of Mohegan-Pequot funds that are distributed to towns and cities. a. Include language that requires a two-thirds vote of general assembly before funding to towns and cities can be reduced. (See PA 23-179/SB 1213) which passed both chambers unanimously, but was vetoed by the Governor.

• Continue efforts to reform the Connecticut Municipal Employees Retirement System (CMERS) RECOMMENDATION: Enable municipalities in CMERS the ability to negotiate a new tier with their employees.

• License Waste Management Companies RECOMMENDATION: Establish licensure and enforcement of waste management companies.

nicipalities, who can issue cease and desist orders.

Local governments need more tools to establish effective and meaningful enforcement. b. Create statewide uniform application process for licensure.

• Crisis Stabilization Units RECOMMENDATION: Support, expand and properly fund, and staff, crisis stabilization units. a. These units are designed to align with the existing public health service systems to provide 24-hour short-term intensive placement for individuals who need immediateintervention during an emotional or behavioral crisis. These are effectiveunits, staffed with a range of healthcare professionals who are trained at providing suicide prevention services, addressing behavioral health treatment, divertingindividuals from entering a higher level of care and addressing the distressexperienced by individuals in a behavioral health crisis.

• Expand Treatment for Incapacitated Person RECOMMENDATION: Modify current law to allow a police officer to take an incapacitated person due to drug overdose, or other medical emergency, into protective custody. a. Under current law, police are able to take a person incapacitated by alcohol to a treatment facility that provides medical triage or hospital care. Enact a similar provision for a drug overdose.

• Shared Services RECOMMENDATION: Promote and eliminate barriers to shared services. Allow for towns and cities to more efficiently allocate resources by: a) Exempting the establishment of such service sharing agreements from the definition of “change in working conditions” for purposes of collective bargaining. b) When service sharing arrangements affect two or more collective bargaining units whether inter or intra town, the interests of all employees affected by the new arrangements will be represented by either a coalition of bargaining units or a new bargaining unit will be created to represent all affected employees. c)Prospectively prohibit any municipal collective bargaining agreement provision that limits the ability of a municipality to permit individuals or groups to provide volunteer services. d) Notwithstanding any municipal charter provision that prohibits or limits a municipality from sharing services with other towns or cities, allowing municipalities to share services.

a. Currently haulers are required to register with muWINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 11

Encouraging Civic Participation Representation Matters enters 4th year

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t the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, we understand the power and value of local governance better than nearly anyone. And we want to work to make sure that local leadership is as diverse as our great state because we believe everyone deserves a chance to govern.

We are proud to announce our FOURTH annual Representation Matters: Two-Day Training in partnership with The Campaign School at Yale University to take place virtually on February 24 and March 2, 2024, free of charge. Designed and aimed to empower racially diverse candidates, with speakers who will teach the ins and outs of getting elected or joining a board/commission and tell their stories from experience.

We are excited how the days are shaping up and we’ve already confirmed the Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas and Connecticut State Treasurer Erick Russell. This year our partners or co-sponsors are: The Campaign School at Yale, Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity and Opportunity, Parent Leadership Training Institute, CT Association of Boards of Education, CT Public, CT Intermunicipal Risk Management Agency, and the YWCA Hartford Region.

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Representation Matters will once again be focusing on state level elections. Day one will be hosted by the Campaign School at Yale University, and last year, topics included making the decision to run, fundraising, finding your voice, and effective networking techniques, as well as the hit of the day, a panel of Campaign School alumnae on the topic of how the decision to run changed their lives. Day two will be hosted by CCM, and last year, topics included Why you and Why now, Becoming a leader, getting involved, Municipal Government and Finance 101, as well as our very own panel of seasoned experts.

With over 500 people having signed up for the first three years and dozens of speakers who bring their deeply felt and personal stories to Representation Matters, it is no question the importance of this event. It is thanks to them that we continue to see the success of this program, inspiring folks to lift up their voice and make sure they have a seat at the table.

Registration via Zoom will be made available at CCMCares.Com, and more information will be added there as it is made available.

Please contact Richard Porth at rporth@ccm-ct.org for more information.

Federal Funding Allows CT To Make Much Needed Investments by: Michael Muszynski

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t has been over two years since the passage of the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and more than a year since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As part of those packages, Connecticut is anticipated to receive billions of additional dollars with the goal of improving a variety of infrastructure programs, including roads, bridges, rail, supporting EV charging, making enhancements to water and sewer, along with building out broadband networks.

These are lofty goals, however present unique challenges. A lot of this funding is not guaranteed. Many of the programs are competitive, requiring states and municipalities across the country to vie for fixed funding. In order for Connecticut to be successful, it has become apparent that a coordinated state-local partnership is necessary to ensure that we have the resources and ability to compete for this funding.

To ensure Connecticut towns and cities are best prepared to seek out this funding, CCM conducted a member-wide survey fielding a series of questions regarding municipal interest and capacity to apply for, and implement grants associated with the new federal funding.

Among other hopeful outcomes was to determine what additional coordination and financial support from state and federal partners is needed to assist towns and cities with infrastructure projects.

74%) are not shovel ready. Meaning most are only at the “concept” phase - an idea scribbled on the back of a napkin or buried on a shelf. Many towns and cities identified that they needed additional funding or technical assistance to advance these projects to a shovel phase. Essentially, they need money for planning.

In addition, those towns that responded to the survey identified that at least 40% of them require multitown or regional collaboration. This will require the assistance of COGs and other regional partners to best plan and execute these projects.

The survey only scratched the surface on these issues. From what CCM has been able to initially conclude is that: (1) a majority of projects require additional financial and technical support to consider them “shovel ready;” (2) there is a need for greater coordination to ensure regional and multitown projects are

However, among the projects that respondents were interested in pursuing, most (approximately

For too long, fiscal problems at the state level have been used as an excuse for overlooking rapidly aging infrastructure, and deferring longer maintenance or replacement of necessary resources. As a result, this presents an increased risk to public safety, and driving higher replacement costs with each deferment. These new and reinvested federal programs can allow Connecticut to make these necessary investments. However, it is clear that a comprehensive and collaborative investment strategy is necessary to ensure Connecticut is able to provide economical and lifestyle advances for the state.

"Shovel Ready" Infrastrucutre Projects 80 60 40 20 0

CCM learned a few things. Primarily, more needs to be done.

From a fundamental perspective, a majority of towns and cities appear to be interested in pursuing general transportation projects – those associated with road and bridge upgrades. Other projects, included water and sewer projects, resilience followed by broadband [refer to graph].

properly executed; (3) additional federal or state financial support is necessary to meet the local match requirement to complete a majority of local infrastructure projects; and (4) town and cities would benefit from additional education and awareness regarding grants and technical support opportunities.

General transporta>on

Broadband

Clean water and sewer

Relience

Infrastructure Projects Towns & Ci>es Are Interested in Pursuing 60 45 30 15 0

General Transporta>on

Resilience projects

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 13

NLC Congressional Conference by: Michael Muszynski

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CM has a valued partnership with the National League of Cities (NLC) on a variety of efforts in providing resources, support and advocacy efforts for local officials. A hallmark of NLC’s work has been its conferences and meetings that have allowed members to learn, network and contribute in developing policy initiatives at the national level.

Most recently, NLC hosted their annual “City Summit” event in Atlanta, GA. The event is a consortium of local elected officials, municipal leaders, experts and industry leaders gathering to share expertise and exchange knowledge.

Local leaders from Connecticut embarked upon Atlanta prior to Thanksgiving to network with 4,000 other local officials from around the country to learn about emerging topics that impact local communities and developing resources for communities. The event included a variety of informative workshops, policy committee and constituency group meetings to help formulate and advance a variety of initiatives at the federal level.

In the spirit of tradition, CCM hosted a dinner for the Connecticut delegation to further chance collaboration and share resources.

In March, NLC will host their larger Congressional City Conference (CCC) in Washington D.C. This annual event is the largest gathering of local elected officials and staff in the country. The event is an opportunity to learn and network, as well as finalize and promote NLC’s national public policy initiatives with congressional members. As with the City Summit, CCM hosts a dinner to enhance collaboration amongst the Connecticut delegation. This dinner often includes a Connecticut specific policy briefing from either NLC policy staff or Connecticut’s longtime lobbyist, Dan DiSimone.

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As part of the conference, CCM sponsors a Capitol Hill meeting with Connecticut US Senators Richard Blumenthal and Christopher Murphy. These important meetings ensure that local issues remain on the minds of our delegation members. We encourage all CCM members to consider this event as an impactful opportunity to address local issues at the federal level.

The 2024 CCC will take place March 11-13. CCM will provide information and registration opportunities for this D.C. event in the upcoming weeks, or refer to the conference’s website at cc.nlc.org.

Offering a dedicated and experienced team to meet the needs of our municipal clients

Murtha Cullina LLP is proud to serve as General Counsel to CCM MUNICIPAL LAW GROUP

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CONNECTICUT + MASSACHUSETTS + NEW YORK

M U R T H A L AW. CO M

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Over 60 competitively bid contracts to meet your town’s purchasing needs!

For more information, visit www.crec.org/marketplace WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 15

Sustainable Power, Financial Growth East Hartford is embracing solar power and new revenue

Challenge Similar to all municipalities in Connecticut, the Town of East Hartford faced the dual challenges of rising energy prices and limited opportunity to reduce energy consumption. Renewable energy emerged as a solution to address both concerns. However, the path to designing a project and issuing an RFP was unclear, and complex incentive programs made the task too difficult to manage with internal resources alone.

Approach and Solution The East Hartford Town Council, finance and purchasing departments enlisted the help of CCM’s Renewable Energy Procurement Program. The CCM program is managed by Titan Energy, a Hartford-based full-service energy management consultant. Titan Energy created a strategy for the Town to participate in the various Eversource and federal incentive programs that fit the Town’s building and real estate portfolio.

Following an extensive assessment of rooftops, parking lots and open spaces, Titan Energy and Town administrators formulated a phased strategy. The first phase enabled the Town to receive revenue from a large, remotely located solar array, built under the Eversource Non-Residential Renewable Energy Solutions (NRES) program. The second phase utilized the Town’s capped landfill and suitable rooftops under virtual net metering and on-site arrangements.

16 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

The NRES program contains a distinct provision to support municipal access to solar’s financial benefits without upfront cost or equipment to install. This provision allows developers to build large-scale solar farms and sell power directly to the utility over twenty years, provided the project has a municipal revenue beneficiary. The municipal beneficiary is entitled to a negotiated share of the top-line revenue from the project. This public policy initiative is specifically designed to ensure the equitable distribution of financial benefits across Connecticut’s towns and cities, with additional incentives designated for “distressed communities” as defined by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

During the first phase of the procurement process, Titan and the Town purchasing department collaborated to locate the most advantageous solar projects with a generous revenue streams and high probability of successful development. Projects in Scotland and Woodbury were ultimately selected based on the high probability of successful permitting and development, the quality of the development group associated with the projects, and the total cash value for East Hartford, equal to approximately $3,200,000 over the twenty-year contract period.

The second phase of the procurement process remains ongoing.

Copyright © 2023. Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency. All rights reserved. CIRMA.org

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 17

CIRMA

MEETING THE M

MENT

CIRMA Annual Meeting of Members Friday, January 26, 2024 | Hartford Marriott Downtown ANNUAL MEETING EVENT AND LUNCHEON

SEMINARS

Registration begins at 9:00 A.M.

Municipal Law Update

9:30 A.M.

Presented by Attorneys Thomas R. Gerarde, Managing Partner, Howd & Ludorf, LLC; and Michael J. Rose, Managing Partner, Rose Kallor, LLP Staying ahead of the latest legal mandates and court decisions can save municipalities thousands, perhaps even millions of dollars in unnecessary lawsuits and penalties. In this session, our expert facilitators will examine the latest legal requirements as they apply to elected and appointed town leaders. This year’s presenters will explore a number of recent claims, relevant laws and court decisions, and proven best practices that can help prevent similar losses in the future.

Thomas R. Gerarde

Michael J. Rose

Managing Partner, Howd & Ludorf, LLC

Managing Partner, Rose Kallor, LLP

Reducing Risk Through Proper Planning and Preparedness Presented by members of the CIRMA Risk Management Team Risk management is all about planning: planning for what might go wrong, planning as a response for when something does go wrong, and planning to sustain and maintain successful programs. Taking a risk-based approach to your public entity’s unique exposures means thinking about the implications of these risks and how they could affect different areas within your municipality.

The best place to start is by creating a risk management plan. This session will utilize examples from large scale events to illustrate how you can successfully identify exposures and create and implement an effective risk management plan.

Joey Barbera, ARM

Ian Havens, ARM

Jeff Joseph, ARM

Kimberlly Salinas, ARM

Jordan Schrader

Manager

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Consultant

Analyst

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11:10 A.M.

AWARDS PRESENTATION CIRMA Excellence in Risk Management Awards Presented by Matthew Knickerbocker, Chairman, CIRMA Board of Directors, and Wilton Town Administrator Each year, CIRMA celebrates its Excellence in Risk Management Awards program by honoring members who have demonstrated notable distinction as trailblazers in the risk management profession. Award recipients set themselves apart by establishing extraordinary programs that are augmented by dynamic teams

of risk-management champions.

Four deserving recipients will be announced during this year’s Annual Meeting of Members. Each awardee will receive a handsome crystal award and a $2,500 Risk Management Grant from CIRMA.

Award categories: • Establishing Risk Management as an Organizational Priority • Substantial Impact on Total Cost of Risk • Sustained Risk Management Program • New and Innovative Risk Management Initiative

18 CONNECTICUT TOWN TOWN && CITY CITY || WINTER 2024 2 || CONNECTICUT DECEMBER 2023

Matthew Knickerbocker Chairman, CIRMA Board of Directors, and Wilton Town Administrator

CIRMA PRESIDENT’S REPORT #MEETINGTHEMOMENT

Presented by members of the CIRMA Executive Team CIRMA’s financial and operational achievements fortify its ability to invest in new technologies and provide its members with the absolute best products and services that the industry has to offer.

This year’s presentation will highlight noteworthy 2022-2023 outcomes.

Additional details will feature five-year cumulative results, demonstrating CIRMA’s undeniable long-term financial and operational accomplishments.

11:30 A.M.

Meeting the Moment for our Members

CIRMA Executive Team

David Demchak, ARM

Pamela Keyes, ARM

Ashley Reda

Michael Wampold

Sherri Adams, SCLA

President and Chief Executive Officer

Senior Vice President, Business Intelligence and Risk Management

Vice President, Underwriting

Vice President, Workers’ Compensation Claims

Vice President, Liability Claims

KEYNOTE SPEAKER How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World Presented by Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW Internationally recognized, award-winning behavioral science clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and comedian

Dr. Kristen Lee, Ed.D., LICSW, known as “Dr. Kris”, is an internationally recognized, awardwinning behavioral science clinician, researcher, educator, speaker, and comedian from Boston, Massachusetts. As Behavioral Science Faculty at Northeastern University, Dr. Kris’s research and teaching interests include individual and organizational well-being and resilience, particularly for marginalized and underserved populations. Dr. Kris works with organizations and leaders around the world on how to use the science of behavioral change and human potential to build healthy mental health cultures that help prevent burnout and promote organizational and human sustainability.

12:00 P.M.

Worth the Risk

NETWORKING EVENT Get Together 1:00 P.M.

A CIRMA Community Networking Event Guests are invited to join us for a casual hour of community, conversation, and camaraderie as we close out our Annual Meeting of Members event and embrace another year of success.

Refreshments (and engaging conversation) will be provided.

For more information, visit CIRMAEventHQ.org

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 19

CIVIC AMENTITIES Watch The Skies Above Connecticut

Danbury Library offers UFO programming for those who want to believe

I

f the truth is out there as fictional FBI agent Fox Mulder suggests, then it would be sure to be found in a library. So, it should come as no surprise that the Danbury Library took the month of October – the spookiest month – to convene the Western Connecticut UFO Conference, a series of events with out of this world possibilities.

Though not many people may connect our state with the greater UFO phenomena, believing that to be more of a Roswell thing, there have been many sightings and occurrences in New England in general and Connecticut in particular. This is especially along the western part of the state, which was studied by J. Allen Hynek, an expert in UFO studies and one of the main inspirations behind Steven Spielberg’s movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind. By some reports, over 25,000 people from New Jersey,

through New York, Connecticut and into Massachusetts saw a V-shaped object between 1982 and 1989 in what is called the Hudson Valley UFO sightings.

From October 22 through October 29, the library hosted virtual and in-person sessions with titles like “Behind the Paranormal,” “Alien Abduction Phenomena,” “Advanced Man-Made Technology,” and “USOs (Underwater Submersible Objects).” In addition to these talks, they hosted a Q&A with Rev. Michael Carter, who is a regular guest on the popular History Channel show, Ancient Aliens, a mask crafting event inspired by John Carpenter’s cult classic They Live, and a movie screening of – you guessed it - Close Encounters.

In a preview for the event, Technology Program Coordinator for the library Aurelio Muraca told the New

Haven Register his inspiration for creating the conference: “When I started working here at the Danbury Library, we had people come in asking about information on the sightings – newspaper clippings, books, and everything like that. So I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a conference here with some authors and some people who have knowledge of this event?’”

While the question of Unidentified Flying Objects – or Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, as they are now sometimes called – might not be solved, it remains one of the most interesting questions facing us in the twenty-first century: Are we alone in the universe? At the Danbury Library, the Western Connecticut UFO Conference might not have gotten us closer to the answer, but for folks who want to believe as Agent Mulder does, the truth is still out there.

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WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 21

CIVIC AMENITIES

The People’s House

Scotland gets to work preserving Town Hall

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ne of the most enduring nicknames for the White House is “The People’s House,” in large part because it is representative of the will of the American people, where they say they “hope all Americans feel a sense of inclusion and belonging.”

And while this is sentiment is writ large when talking about a nation, it is still true of every state capitol and town and city hall in this country. In Scotland, they are looking for volunteers to oversee the restoration of their people’s house.

Built in 1896, the building was originally the town’s school, and became the first consolidated school in the state, and eventually being designated as the Town Hall in the 1960s. Unfortunately, time takes its toll on everyone, and in the over 125 years since the building was first erected, many areas have finally failed and need repairing.

The project will upgrade the electrical, mechanical, septic, heating, venting, air conditioning and plumbing systems of the building, while improving accessibility to all areas of the structure, according to the Willimantic Chronicle. Three million in funding will come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Project Fund, the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office and the Connecticut

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Department of Housing’s Community Development Block Grant, and will be chaired by Gary Greenberg, the immediate former First Selectman under his new title of Director of Special Projects.

On the town’s website calling for the committee, it notes the committee will interview architects and award the bid, as well as review the ongoing construction once it hits that phase, which will likely be in summer of 2024. The committee will be five members plus Greenberg, and he says that “this is going to be a very interesting project, one that will turn the Town Hall into a building of which we can all be proud, and which will serve the community for many years to come.”

Considering that the building has stood for over a century of steadfast service to the community, it’s hard to imagine how much more value you can get out of the building in a world where so much seems temporary.

Preserving and restoring our town halls (not to mention the State Capitol, which is going through renovations of its own) is an important project. Fortunately for Scotland, if they wanted to get their hands dirty and use period accurate tools, they can access the D’Elia Antique Tool Museum located in the Scotland Public Library.

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

The Heart of Main Street

CT Main Street Center announces inaugural accelerator program

W

e’ve said it before and it bears repeating that Main Streets are the heart of our towns and cities – so healthy hearts make healthy municipalities.

To continue that metaphor, sometimes you need a doctor to give you guidance on a healthy lifestyle, and fortunately for Connecticut, we have the Connecticut Main Street Center. And they have just implemented a new Main Street Accelerator program and the inaugural class that will help towns and cities get their main streets pumping.

In an overview of the program, they cite their new 6-month accelerator program as “a perfect fit for a community that has a challenge or opportunity that has been identified and has public support, but needs organization, guidance, and extra attention.” This action-oriented program will give participants access to group calls, some grant funding, project templates and more. By the end of the program, the participating groups will have a completed project plan, putting them in position to execute the project.

Whether a town is looking to tackle a single initiative or rehaul the direction of their downtowns, Connecticut Main Street Center says that the Four Point Main Street Approach is nationally proven, and will help these towns reach their goals. It’s also been said before that our Main Streets are hurting, that any number of factors – COVID included – has hit municipalities hard.

Now is the time to get out there and exercise those main streets to make sure they are healthy for the

future – and Dr. CMSC is there to help.

The inaugural group of towns are: Georgetown Village Restoration, Inc. (GVR) – GVR team members will examine how to increase exposure and foot traffic in Georgetown to help support businesses and the community.

Town of Thomaston – Municipal officials and downtown volunteers will work collaboratively to create a strong network of downtown businesses and begin revitalizing Downtown Thomaston’s historic and visual assets.

East Side NRZ, Bridgeport – Representatives from the NRZ and the City will create an accessible document that provides actionable solutions for businesses to revital-

24 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

ize their storefronts.

Downtown Windsor – A local business owner and Windsor’s First Town Downtown director will reimagine the ground floor VFW ballroom into a beer hall-type facility.

Town of Haddam – Municipal economic development commissioners, the town’s selectwoman, and local business owners will work together to improve signage, mapping, and the overall visual appeal between the town’s two village centers.

Norwich Community Development Corporation – Planners and local development organizations will collaborate on how to change the perception of downtown Norwich by enticing tourists through cooperative marketing and events with local groups.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Paranormal Encounters with a chance of Meatballs Ghost Tour of Edmond Hall includes dinner and a show

W

hat is it that goes bump in the night? Is it ghosts and ghouls, sprits from another realm? Or just a figment of our imagination? Connecticut’s paranormal streak continues with a Ghost Tour of Edmond Town Hall in Newtown, to be led by ghost hunter, Nick Grossman.

The tour and dinner will be held on January 27, 2024, from 7:30 to 11 p.m., to be led by Nick and Bill Bachlechner.

A profile written for the Danbury News-Times, said that some of the staff are “true believers” in the paranormal and have had experiences with specters – which they believe to be the spirits of Mary Elizabeth Hawley and Judge William Edmond. Some staff members even said they have experienced phantom music from a radio that turns on by itself.

Grossman, who has already visited the building and believes that it is full of ghosts, is no stranger to the hunt. As a seasoned paranormal investigator, he has been to public places and private homes around the Connecticut and Massachusetts area searching for evidence of a world beyond our own. He also hosts a Connecticut Cryptid and UFO Awareness Convention that takes place in Trumbull, with dates for June in 2024.

Back in 2019, the New Haven Register reported a hunt at the Twisted Vine restaurant in downtown Derby, which they also believe to be haunted, perhaps by the ghost of a child.

While some may snuff at the idea of a paranormal investigation, believers abound. Twisted Vine has a special page on their website offering a paranormal dinner and tour as well as private events and psychic readings. The popularity of ghost hunts has only increased in the past few decades and the restaurant was featured on the Travel Channel

Spooky adventures await in Newtown!

show Kindred Spirits, according to their website.

There’s no guarantee that Edmond Town Hall will itself make it to the small screen for their haunts, but a video posted on the event page shows several examples of possible paranormal phenomenon are presented.

Whether you choose to believe in ghosts or not is really up to you. The point remains that many

people do, who have propelled this industry from something people do as a hobby to a world wide industry with specialized tools, textbooks and guides. It’s about as hard to ignore the appeal that ghost hunts have in Connecticut as it is to ignore things that go bump in the night. Here’s wishing to the attendees at the Edmond Town Hall are not scared too bad should anything go bump.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 25

EDUCATION This Is A Sign

American Sign Language grows in popularity

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intertime is just about when aspiring high school students are learning which colleges they got into, whether the studying for the SATs, acing the AP classes, and all the extracurriculars helped them land their dream school. Perhaps they did hours and hours of extra curriculars, or perhaps they learned another language. But what if it wasn’t a foreign language – what if it was American Sign Language, which has skyrocketed in popularity at Fairfield Schools.

The numbers don’t lie, a CT Insider article said that while 155 students took the class in 2022, while 266 individuals took the class in 2023, nearly a 70% increase. The school district is even planning on adding additional levels of ASL to the curriculum to keep up with demand.

But this is not an isolated phenomenon. ASL is increasingly popular around the country, and in places that might interest students looking to further their education at institutes of higher learning. Just down the highway from Fairfield, Yale was seeing an increase in popularity of ASL, going from 20 students in 2018 to over 250 this year according to the Yale Daily News, making it the third most popular language course at the prestigious university.

Cited in the Yale Daily News article is a study that showed that “ASL has the third highest enrollment of any non-English language throughout colleges and universities in the U.S.,” which means that not just at the Ivy League institution is this becoming increasingly popular for students around the country.

And while some nearly 11 million consider themselves deaf or have serious difficult hearing, 48 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss according to the National Deaf Center. This means that there are several million folks who might prefer to communicate with ASL, especially in the job market with one student in the Daily News article noting that they would like to use the language to communicate with patients.

As the popularity continues to grow, Fairfield is doing their best to catch up to demand. Just in their second year of offering these courses, 206 students signed up for the introductory course with 166 spots from the Insider. This is a good problem for a school system to have, and many schools throughout the state will have to consider their language courses in the wake of this.

And while it may be good to have a second language on the college applications come your junior year, we cannot forget the real world benefits this will have for those in the deaf community.

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EDUCATION

Going Live In 3, 2, 1...

Middletown High gets kids on the air

I

Even outlets like the New York Times, which still issues an ink and paper product, has branched out to fully immersive video and podcast platforms.

Thanks to a leading-edge program, students at the school run a daily news program called Blue-Tube that leans more on the professional side of broadcasts than your typical monotone intercom announcements.

Students here learn how to use cameras, build graphics, and work with audio interfaces just like they would at any professional studio – perhaps just on a smaller scale.

And that is clear in the many stages it takes to put on even a single broadcast, let alone run one five days a week. From scripting to lighting, audio to visual, there’s no step that can be missed when getting a video out to an audience, making that video live only adds another level of complexity to the production.

n many ways, schooling has to prepare you for many things – from kindergarten, teachers are ushering you to become a full-fledged participant in society, able to read and write and do enough math to figure out tips at a restaurant. But also, it should prepare you for the job market, giving you skills to adapt to new technologies, new industries, and new ideas. Middletown High School was recently the feature of NBC Connecticut’s daily newscast for news of their own.

While the phrase “pivot-to-video” doesn’t hold the same water as it did when major media companies were touting the phrase as a way to show the increasing amount of people consuming video, the trend is clearly here to say. YouTube, TikTok, Instagram are full fledged outlets that compare to or even outrank traditional media outlets.

Of course, legacy outlets still exist, and are unlikely to go away any time soon, but the world is expanding.

Lorensbergs, which offers universities software services says that student video production can offer students a multitude of transferable skills, that is skills that allow a student to succeed in any situation. They cite communication, presentation, digital literacy, organization, and teamwork as key areas students learn when they take part in video production.

While Middletown offers many cutting-edge classes – NBC also covered a robotics class held at the high school – the Blue Tube is indicative of the kinds of education kids need in 2023. Video is all around them, every where they look, and finding a passion for it in high school could mean finding a job in it after college or professional level training. With the report citing students going on to award-winning work, this isn’t the boob tube of the past.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 27

ENERGY Supercharged!

Bridgeport energizing their fire station with innovative battery storage

B

atteries are a ubiquitous item in the 21st century. Many of the items we use in our day-to-day lives would not function without them – from the lithium ion batteries in your phone to the lead acid battery that helps start your car, and even the AA and AAA batteries that power toys and remotes, many items need to store the energy to power up and get moving. The question is why don’t more things have energy storage? Danbury-based Cadenza Innovation is asking that question and powering the Bridgeport Fire Department in a new installation.

The battery energy storage system, or BESS, is a pilot project that is believed to be one of the country’s first BESS deployments inside a fire station, according to the city’s press release on the project, saying that the system will “showcase Bridgeport’s ability to lower energy costs while addressing and managing energy challenges of its underserved communities.”

While the specifics of the platform might sound a bit like Greek to the layperson – prismatic rolls, li-ion racks, non-expanding cells – the idea is similar to every other battery you know and rely on. During times when energy is not being used and energy rates are at their lowest, the BESS system stores power in these cells for use later. Simple as that. Where it gets interesting is the ability to analyze the energy use and optimize storage in order to find savings.

28 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

Because there is a “built-in modularity” within their systems, Bridgeport hopes to potentially install BESS’s across multiple municipal buildings, with a focus on serving low to moderate income communities.

“As the Fire Chief of Bridgeport, I’m committed to the safety and well-being of our community,” Bridgeport Fire Chief Lance Edwards stated. “We’re partnering with Cadenza, a clean energy company, to install a modular lithium storage battery to showcase its safety and potential to reduce electricity consumption. We believe in innovation that benefits our citizens and the environment, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of sustainable energy solutions.”

With the possibility of real savings, Bridgeport can be a leader and innovator in terms of the way that energy is bought and utilized for municipalities across the state. The systems designed by Cadenza Innovation, now listed on the Connecticut Energy Storage Solutions website, will be part of the next wave of renewable energy. The next time you pick up your phone, start your car, or turn on your TV, just know that batteries made that possible, and think of what can be possible as we expand their use for a green future.

ENERGY

Savings on Savings on Savings New London competes for tourists with EVs

D

espite the uncertainty surrounding a law that would have outlawed the sale of gas powered cars by 2035 (it was withdrawn for now, with a possibility that it might come back in another form), electric vehicles are doing just fine on their own. Every year, even every month, it seems like sales are skyrocketing, and new models being introduced at price points that are more accessible for a wider swath of household incomes. With it, we’ve often said, comes the need for infrastructure, and New London is in the process of installing the largest amount of chargers they have ever put in.

According to reporting in the New London Day, the city will not be adding the charging stations to just one location, but to several municipal buildings around town including City Hall and school district buildings giving them what the day calls the “biggest pocket of such devices in the region.”

But in the conversation of charging stations, which is mostly agreed upon that we need many, many more of, there’s also the conversation of how much of the cost to pass on. Thanks to the reporting in the Day, there is a great conversation about why the city has chosen the cost it has.

As it currently stands, the city is going to charge users 25 cents per kilowatt hour, which according to data from the article, is less than the state charges

at 43 cents per kilowatt hour. Quoting Carey Redd II, the city’s director of transportation and parking, it said that is “a price that will help subsidize our costs but in a favorable way to residents and tourists.” He continued saying that “by charging less, we show we want people to come here, to spend money at restaurants and stores without paying a 50% higher cost for charging.”

How much it costs people to charge their EVs is a technical challenge, and how much to charge them is another question (some argue that you should never “fill your tank” so to speak to 100%). Car and Driver laid out the issue by saying that charging at home will always be cheaper than charging on the road. “Because of these factors, the price of a full charge can vary considerably. For a Tesla Model Y, currently the bestselling EV, it could cost as little as $9 or as much as $40, depending whether you’re charging at home or at a far more expensive Level 3 fast-charger.”

So these things matter. It’s a piece of the equation that matters to people who adopt these vehicles, and whether or not the state decides to mandate electric vehicles, they are going to keep growing in popularity. Making it easier for them to come into town is one thing, but making it cheaper to charge is another, perhaps more enticing concept that New London is ready to take advantage of.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 29

ENVIRONMENT

Bees?

Buzz is New Milford is Bee City USA

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esides maybe sharks, insects are among the most reviled creatures in the animal kingdom – they’re creepy, crawly, some carry disease and some sting. Unfortunately for everyone who would like to enjoy a nice summer afternoon without being needlessly pestered, insects are crucial to food chain. Some simply serve as part of the food chain, but some are essential pollinators for the plants in the human food chain. Yes, Bees, despite their reputation are crucial to our ecosystem. And Bee City USA wants to make sure everyone knows that, along with New Milford, who has become the first municipality in our state to be certified as a Bee City.

resources to towns and cities to help conserve native pollinators. The commitments include establishing a standing Bee City USA committee to advocate for pollinators, create and enhance pollinator habitat on public and private land by increasing the abundance of native plants and providing nest sites, reduce the use of pesticides, incorporate pollinator-conscious practices into city policies and plans, host pollinator awareness events, publicly acknowledge Bee City USA affiliation with signs and an online presence, pay an initial application fee and annual renewal fee, annually apply for renewal and report on the previous year’s activities.

Before you protest – Bee City USA knows exactly what you’re thinking: “When people hear the word ‘bee’ they often think of a single bee species, the European honey bee (Apis mellifera). However, the United States is also home to just over 3,600 native (wild) bee species […] Native pollinators are particularly important because they evolved alongside native plants and in many cases are the most effective pollinators – and in a few cases, the only pollinators.” They are, in short, responsible for “approximately one third of the food and drink we consume.”

Being ahead of the pack, New Milford had completed these commitments before any other town in the state, and joined Quinnipiac University and the University of Connecticut as Bee Campus USA affiliates.

Because they are so crucial, the organization provides 30 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

Beginning this work to protect bees will beget benefits befitting of a town like New Milford with abundant resources. But be careful, not all flying insects that look like bees are bees, and the yellow and black color scheme can belie a bee when that which flies before you is a wasp. If it has a tiny waist and a shiny body – you’re liable to be stung. So be careful and protect bees.

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GOVERNANCE Best Laid Plans

Weston and New Fairfield get around to new projects

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hen considering your best laid plans, you often wonder why you never got around to certain projects – fixing that leaky faucet or writing that novel. And the best advice that you can give yourself is probably, “the best time to do it was yesterday, the second-best time is now.” It is in that spirit that we talk about two towns who are diving into projects that might inspire you to get started on the next big project in your municipality.

New Fairfield looks to create a town green It’s something of a New England tradition to gather on the town green for cheer or merriment during the holidays, to come together for civic engagement, or as a regular place for things like Farmers Markets or concerts. According to the Wikipedia page, not only is the New Haven green the most famous example – citation needed – but Lebanon has the largest green in the United States.

But believe it or not, some towns and cities don’t have one yet, New Fairfield being among them. But a recent state grant will allow them to move forward in converting a downtown parcel into the public space of their dreams. According to figures drawn from the Danbury News Times, the nearly $500,000 in grant money will cover half of the estimated cost of this project, which is made up of two parcels behind Town Hall.

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Town of Weston sidewalk first Sidewalks are also something of a commonplace piece of infrastructure throughout the country, so when News 12 reported a ribbon-cutting this past September for the town of Weston’s first ever sidewalks, it seemed a tad out of place. But First Selectwoman Samantha Nestor is noted as saying “this is a historic moment for the town.”

This project too was funded through grants from the state, and contained 5,500 feet of sidewalk near town center and school road. Quoted in the report, First Selectwoman Nestor said, “Our first sidewalks bring so much to the community. They are recreational spaces as we said, they provide safe access to our municipal and school campuses, and they also increase traffic to our local businesses.”

It doesn’t quite matter that so many towns and cities had both town green’s and sidewalks before New Fairfield and Weston took the plunge respectively. What mattered is that they had projects in mind that they thought would improve their town and they got the job done. It’s a reminder that towns and cities across the state can think about things they don’t currently have, and ask how to get it done – and there’s no better time to start than right now.

GOVERNANCE New Haven has seized a few dozen vehicles so far

Street Takeovers Need To Stop Towns and Cities partner to make our streets safe

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f you saw them walking down the street, no one would confuse them for the Avengers They don’t have super powers or bionic suits, but they want to keep you safe. They don’t know Robert Downey, Jr. No, much simpler than that, a group of First Selectman and Mayors from the Greater New Haven have come together to make their streets safer from illegal street takeovers, something that has been plaguing municipalities for the past several years.

The task force, which includes Guilford, Hamden, New Haven, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven and Woodbridge, is set to tackle illegal street takeovers through a concerted and regional effort. Though they seemed to have originally been confined to larger cities, they have been happening more and more throughout – in towns large and small.

What is a street takeover? The National Police Association says that “Street takeovers are self-explanatory, consisting of throngs of exposed pedestrian spectators who meet at intersections and watch reckless drivers act out in the public domain, clog city streets, rev engines, burn rubber, create clouds of smoke from spinning tires in place (everyone contaminating their lungs with each inhalation), all to put on an unauthorized, highly perilous car show of sorts.”

The one difference between that definition and what

has been happening in Connecticut is the predominant use of ATVs and dirt bikes to cause this havoc. Now familiar to many folks who have witnessed one first hand or seen the news reports of them are the scenes of individuals doing wheelies through traffic, lingering in or blasting through red lights and generally making other drivers fear for their lives.

New Haven has seized a few dozen vehicles so far, according to the New Haven Independent, saying that the collected group believed that number would go “up and up” as they worked together to combat this growing threat. Recently, the City of New Haven upped the fines for offenses – to $2000 for a third-time offense, and other towns seem to want to follow suit.

New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson said at a press conference, quoted in the Independent that “the people riding these [vehicles] do not see city limits.” This is an important reminder that what happens in New Haven affects what happens in North Haven or East Haven or West Haven and beyond. The only thing that can keep people safe is when towns and cities work together to discourage this behavior and make sure that when caught, people don’t do it a second or third time. Again, this might not make them superheroes, but it makes them public servants, and really, what’s the difference?

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 33

INFRASTRUCTURE Slow Down In Town

Darien wants you to help make streets safe

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o much thought and effort are being put into roads – design, use, maintenance – centered around the vehicles that use them, but not much about the people and places that surround them. But the roads have gotten more and more unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists, and a lot of that has to do with unsafe driving practices. That’s why Darien started Slow Down in Town, which is now in it’s third year.

They describe on their website, SlowDownInDarien.

Com, that Slow Down In Town is “a community awareness campaign that seeks to promote pedestrian and bicycle safety by raising awareness of and promoting respect for all users of [Darien’s] roadways. Through education and publicity about safe road sharing, we hope to eliminate pedestrian and cycling accidents in our town.”

While car accidents are not anything new – the first car-related death took place in the 1860s – concerns about unsafe practices getting worse are warranted.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, speeding-related fatalities increased 8% from 2020 to 2021. They also suggest that drivers who speed and their passengers are more likely to engage in other risky behaviors such as drunk driving and not wearing seat belts.

This is true at the state level as well. Back in 2022, the

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Connecticut Department of Transportation officially urged drivers to slow down.

At the town level, Darien is doing something about it with the Slow Down in Town campaign. They urge that only through working together can we make roads safer: “We can make our roads safer by being more patient while we’re driving, using our horns less, and looking out for each other so we can reduce pedestrian and cycling accidents.”

For good or bad, they also let pedestrians know on their website that they need to walk with their guard up and know they have responsibilities too. “[Pedestrians] need to use sidewalks if they are available; walk in single file into oncoming traffic if no sidewalk exists; use crosswalks when available and follow intersection signals; try to make eye contact with motorists and cyclists if attempting to cross a roadway; and take advantage of intersections where crossing guards are stationed during school hours.”

It’s clear that safety is all of our responsibility – especially on the roads where folks may not realize it, but they are operating heavy machinery. You wouldn’t speed in a dump truck or back hoe, and you shouldn’t speed in your sedan or SUV. The message in Darien is clear, slow down when you’re in town, and make it safer for everyone.

INFRASTRUCTURE How to Use Safe Streets Grants by: Brittney D. Kohler and Kyle Funk

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mericans should have a safe street to drive, walk or roll on – and the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grants are making that vision possible in more than 700 communities in just two years. When Congress passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), officially known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), two years ago, they included several direct grants that local governments could apply for, and they certainly have with more than 1,100 local governments bringing home infrastructure grants. However, SS4A has proven to be one of the most practical and effective transportation grants for local governments to use from the infrastructure law’s hundreds of programs. In just the first round of SS4A grants, cities saw $471 million in projects impacting 50.1 million residents, and 54% of the first round of SS4A grant winners were small cities. Now, with the most recent release of SS4A 2023 grants totaling $82 million, the national view of the projects are showing how a federal program can reach across America and into communities.

Applications for the next round of SS4A are anticipated to open in February 2024. The SS4A program funds regional, local, and Tribal initiatives through grants to prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. The program supports the planning and development of a comprehensive safety action plan that identifies the most significant roadway safety concerns in a community and the implementation of projects and strategies

to address roadway safety issues. The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants: • Planning and Demonstration Grants provide Federal funds to develop, complete, or supplement a comprehensive safety action plan. The goal of an Action Plan is to develop a holistic, well-defined strategy to prevent roadway fatalities and serious injuries in a locality, Tribe, or region. Planning and Demonstration Grants also fund supplemental planning and/ or demonstration activities that inform the development of a new or existing Action Plan. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.

• Implementation Grants provide Federal funds to implement projects and strategies identified in an Action Plan to address a roadway safety problem. Projects and strategies can be infrastructure, behavioral, and/or operational activities. Implementation Grants may also include demonstration activities, supplemental planning, and project-level planning, design, and development. Applicants must have an eligible Action Plan to apply for Implementation Grants. The Department encourages including demonstration activities in an application.

This article is adapted from the National League of Cities Citiespeak Blog; “How Local Leaders are Using Infrastructure Investments to Improve Safety.” For more information and other articles, visit them at https:// www.nlc.org/citiesspeak/

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 35

PUBLIC SAFETY Inviting The Public In

Greenwich Police meets with Citizens

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ublic safety has two crucial components: The Public and Safety. Both are self-explanatory, but rarely do the public have much input when it comes to how public safety is applied in daily life.

The Greenwich Board of Selectmen’s Citizens Police Advisory Committee is designed to make sure that everyone has a say in the well-being of the town.

Consisting of ten Greenwich residents, the purpose of the board is to “assist in enhancing the transparency and public accountability of the Greenwich Police Department.” Created in the wake of the George Floyd murder and Black Lives Matter movement, this type of police-community relationship became a focal point in moving this nation forward, as so many felt that they were left out of the conversation when it came to policing and feeling safe.

The Department of Justice released a toolkit years before even

this tragic incident on the “Imporexternal to the police force. tance of Police-Community RelaRecently, they expanded their tionships.” In this resource, they search for public input with a argue that “Strong relationships roundtable that involved leadership of mutual trust between police on topics like auto thefts, domesagencies and the communities they tic violence, body cameras, traffic serve are critical to maintaining enforcement, recruitment efforts, public safety and effective policing. racial statistics and more, according Police officials rely on the cooperto reporting from the Greenwich ation of community members to Time. provide information about crime in It’s important for police forces their neighborhoods, and to work around the state to not wait to take with the police to devise solutions these initiatives, and for the public to crime and disorder problems.

Similarly community members’ will- to get a look at what goes on in their public safety officers. Building ingness to trust the police depends that relationship is one of the most on whether they believe that police important steps to making sure that actions reflect community values At MissionSquare Retirement, committed all parties we’re are on the same page, and incorporate the principles of to helping public employees achieve financial that they understand one another procedural justice and legitimacy.” wellness by providing with retirement on them topics as the simple as priorities and plans, investment options, financial education, In Greenwich, they committee is what public safety means to each they deserve. charged with fosteringand thispersonalized relation- service other. In Greenwich, they have take ship. They not only review perforthese and gone even the exFor more information, visitsteps missionsq.org. mance reports, the Annual Report, tra mile to ensure that this relationbut provide recommendations ship is solidified and that the public 55991-0222 directly to the First Selectman and in public safety is emphasized. monitor complaints internal and

Their dedication is our inspiration.

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PUBLIC SAFETY Keeping An Eye On Things West Haven program a success before it starts

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t is impressive the pace with which our technology has advanced. Elsewhere in the pages of Connecticut Town & City, in this very issue, we have discussed the advent of artificial intelligence, new forms of energy storage, and even video creation capabilities in our schools. Video is perhaps the greatest advancement we have all seen – and we’ve discussed the cameras people have on their phones and on their doorbells, and even cities using them in speed enforcement.

West Haven is looking to use them in one of their high traffic areas – not one used by cars – the boardwalk on their beach.

The concern is a real one for the city, as the beach is their most famous and biggest asset. But it has been seen its fair share of incidents: over the summer, the city began to brainstorm suggestions to deal with youth crime including a curfew. In a report on News 8, city police staff said that they were going to increase their beach presence, while others on the town government side said they didn’t have the staff to enforce a curfew order.

That is where cameras succeed. Thanks to advances in technology, camera systems are cheaper and more effective than they have ever been, especially consid-

ering the closed-circuit systems of the past. Like a virtual panopticon, the most high-tech of systems can be monitored and controlled from anywhere in the world, and video stored relatively cheaply and without the mess of having dozens and dozens of video cassettes to maintain.

In fact, West Haven already allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds to install cameras and call stations, according to the New Haven Register, but as reporter Brian Zahn reports, that the idea is so popular among residents that they are already discussing ways to expand it to other areas of the city, including schools, parks and the Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary that is at the far end of the beach area.

The advantages to modern video systems is evident when it comes to public safety. It’s no secret that towns and cities across the country are struggling with hiring enough police force. With just one individual, you can keep a visual on many different places at once and dispatching field officers only as needed. The idea is popular enough with West Haven residents that they want to expand it before it’s gotten fully off the ground, and hopefully it will turn in the public safety results they are expecting.

WINTER 2024 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | 37

SOCIAL WELFARE Connecticut’s Best Friends New Canaan invites dogs to school

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or thousands of years, dogs have been our beloved companions. They have helped us in the field and in the house – German Shepherds and Rat Terriers, for example – and it’s funny to think of it this way, but many dogs have jobs. One area that all dogs, regardless of breed history, help, is in our hearts. And it’s this ability that has led to the popularity of using certified therapy dogs in all manner of situations. New Canaan Public Schools recently voted to allow dogs to visit local schools.

The policy, which simply states that “The New Canaan Public Schools permits the structured use of therapy dogs as a way to support the social-emotional health of students.”

It states that only with appropriate certifications and with the permission of the principal and superintendent can dogs visit schools.

Dogs and their therapeutic value have been studied for years, and

according to an anecdote accessed from the National Library of Medicine, it has roots in child psychology: “In addition to these working roles, dogs have also been instrumental in supporting humans in other therapeutic ways. In the early 1960s, animal-assisted interventions (AAI) began to evolve with the pioneering work of Boris Levinson, Elizabeth O’Leary Corson, and Samuel Corson. Levinson, a child psychologist practicing since the 1950s, noticed a child who was nonverbal and withdrawn during therapy began interacting with his dog, Jingles, in an unplanned interaction. This experience caused Levinson to begin his pioneering work in creating the foundations for AAI as an adjunct to treatment.”

In quotes from a New Canaanite article on the program, it was this kind of scientific background that convinced many of the Board of Education members to vote in

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favor, ultimately winning unanimous approval.

Quoted in that article is Superintendent of Schools Dr. Bryan Luizzi who said that a trial run was overwhelmingly popular with both students and teachers, but they were “only doing it about once a month to begin, just to give it a try.” Eventually, if it continues to be successful, they can think of ways to expand the program, which the policy allows.

They call dogs “Man’s Best Friend,” but dogs can be everyone’s best friend. Thanks to individuals who have studied these relationships, we know how therapeutic being around a dog can be for a child who is experiencing any number of issues. And thanks to New Canaan Public Schools, there’s now a policy in place for students to relax with rex or spot or fido.

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SOCIAL WELFARE A House Is Not A Motel

New Haven continues its leadership on homelessness issues

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onnecticut has been a leader in homelessness issues for years – being one of the first states to end chronic veteran homelessness, we set our sights on more ambitious goals, and it looked like they were working. But from the pandemic on, especially once evictions resumed, the conditions that create homelessness seemed to reverse a lot of good work. Under a booming economy, it seems as though we are at a mismatch and new solutions are needed.

New Haven, for its part, took some inspiration from the pandemic and is finding a novel use of old hotels to help end homelessness.

Early on in the pandemic, it became abundantly clear that communal housing was not going to work in the fight against a contagious disease. Many towns and cities across the country essentially deputized hotels, motels, and the like to maintain their ability to house individuals, while also keeping them safely socially distanced. The idea, while not exactly novel, seemed logical, and as the pandemic waned, towns and cities thought, why not just continue to do this?

The City of New Haven used funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to purchase a hotel that had ceased to operate. According to the New Haven Independent, who reported on this and other purchases made by the city, said that “the building itself contains 57 rooms, and is expected to house up to 112 individuals for periods of 65 to 100 days at a time.” This is a stark contrast to the congregate settings of many shelters, allowing for privacy, and some would argue, dignity, that will assist individuals in getting back on their feet.

The local non-profit, Continuum of Care, they said will help to run the shelter which will include case management, job training, primary healthcare and mental health

The idea, while not exactly novel, seemed logical, and as the pandemic waned, towns and cities thought, why not just continue to do this? services as well as meals, clothing and other basic needs, according to their reporting. Mayor Elicker noted that this transformation is a bargain, “effectively turn-key” compared to having to build a location, and after some minor repairs could be open before the end of the year.

Columbus House, the leading homelessness services organization in the city, is doing just that on Ella T. Grasso Boulevard. While not the “turn-key” solution the city itself has found, they are effectively adding hotel style rooms to their existing space – but not before knocking down their old building.

Once again, the New Haven In-

40 | CONNECTICUT TOWN & CITY | WINTER 2024

dependent reported out that the planned three-story building would have 80 one- and two-person bedrooms, each paired with private bathroom.

It’s hard not to find an area that COVID didn’t fundamentally change – homelessness is one area that many people in local government hope that we never have to go back to the old ways of doing things. New Haven is making that investment to try. Through innovative use of existing infrastructure, for adapting to novel ideas, issues like homelessness can be tackled, if not solved. We were on the right path once, we can get there again.

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TECHNOLOGY AI Is Coming, AI Is Here

Towns and Cities look to get into Artificial Intelligence

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t is incredible the speed at which Artificial Intelligence went from the purview of Science Fiction stories to a reality. In 2020, engagement with artificial intelligence, or AI for short, was purely an academic concern, but today, just about anyone with a few bucks to spare can harness the awesome power of computational giants. It’s no surprise that towns and cities want to get into the mix, and this past fall, Bloomberg Philanthropies and CityLab launched City AI Connect as a way to help make that happen.

First, it bears repeating that AI is both and old technology and a futuristic one. The idea of artificial intelligence goes back several decades, and many might remember the run that IBM’s Watson had on Jeopardy. But it’s also a futuristic tool in that there is not only uncertainty around the technology, but it is famously unreliable in many of its capacities. If you are looking at a computer-generated image of party-goers, for instance, it might look real until you take a look at the hands and realize that it can’t quite get things just right.

The City AI Connect platform was designed to help municipalities work out those quirks, to help count the fingers if you will, while utilizing the most advanced technologies ever created by humankind. In their release on the tool, they say that “Generative artificial intelligence, powered by advanced machine learning algorithms, can analyze vast amounts of data to predict trends, helping cities improve emergency responses, mitigate severe weather events, and target resources for infrastructure enhancements. The technologies can also be harnessed to design creative solutions that can transform government delivery by reducing processing delays, eliminat-

ing cumbersome paperwork, and expanding multi-language access to reach many more residents with vital, public services.”

It is available to any local government official to use, and towns and cities can register at cityaiconnect. jhu.edu.

Towns and cities are eager to get their feet wet according to Bloomberg, they cite three-quarters of a global survey of mayors who want to get started with AI, but only two-percent are actually implementing the technology. (Stamford was one of cities in the survey pool.) Through Bloomberg, municipalities can talk to other leaders, attend events, and learn how to utilize this data; and while it might not be outright said, likely build up a pool of common uses and needs to make these tools more effective in the future.

What the future holds, no one knows, but it looks increasingly like artificial intelligence is going to be a part of it. While we grapple with examples from the realm of science fiction – and let’s hope it’s not anything like 2001: A Space Odyssey or The Terminator – we must understand how to use this technology wisely. It can be as transformative as the internet (connect people instantly, an endless source of information), or it can be as transformative as the internet (increase real-life disconnect, a source of disinformation). That is up to us.

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