Connecticut Town & City - May 2023

CCM’s Kevin Maloney

Retires after almost forty years.

OFFICERS

President Thomas Dunn, Mayor of Wolcott

1st Vice President Laura Hoydick, Mayor of Stratford

2nd Vice President Michael Passero, Mayor of New London

DIRECTORS

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

John A. Elsesser, Town Manager of Coventry

Carl P. Fortuna, Jr., First Selectman of Old Saybrook

Laura Francis, First Selectman of Durham

Joseph P. Ganim, Mayor of Bridgeport

Matthew Hoey, First Selectman of Guilford

Matthew S. Knickerbocker, Town Administrator of Wilton

Rudolph P. Marconi, First Selectman of Ridgefield

W. Kurt Miller, Chief Fiscal Officer of Ansonia

Edmond V. Mone, First Selectman of Thomaston

Maureen Nicholson, First Selectman of Pomfret

Michael Rell, Mayor of Wethersfield

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

Erin E. Stewart, Mayor of New Britain

Mark B. Walter, Town Administrator of Columbia

PAST PRESIDENTS

Luke Bronin, Mayor of Hartford

Michael Freda, First Selectman of North Haven Neil O’Leary, Mayor of Waterbury

Herbert Rosenthal, Former First Selectman of Newtown

Executive Director, Joe DeLong

Deputy Director, Ron Thomas

Managing Editor, Kevin Maloney

Layout & Design, Matthew Ford Writer, Christopher Gilson

CCM STAFF

Funding Our Future

HB 5003 support is crucial for the public school system in Connecticut

It is hard to look someone in the eye and tell them that their future isn’t important to you. Thanks to the rising costs associated with public education, the strangle-hold that the property-tax has as the major funding source, and record high inflation, Connecticut municipalities are all looking at the State Government to accelerate funding of the Education Cost Sharing (ECS) grant. CCM has created one of the largest campaigns in recent history to motivative voters, State Legislators, and Governor Lamont to tell Connecticut children that their future is important to them by supporting House Bill 5003. With two video ads and several visuals prepared for print media, CCM worked with Adams & Knight on this special campaign to accelerate the ECS funding in a time of budget surpluses.

HB 5003 is an important commitment to a student-needs based approach in funding our schools. The main takeaways are that it would:

• Modify and fully fund ECS grants, effective FY 2025

• Expand ECS weighted funding to students attending open choice schools.

• Maintain current schedule for towns receiving reduction in their ECS grants.

• Prohibit tuition billing, which helps offset the reduction in ECS for the majority of towns that would otherwise see a reduction in their ECS grants.

• Increase transparency in education funding by providing a predictable state support.

That last point is important, especially in light of the fact that it is clear that municipal and regional school districts need additional funding beyond what was proposed by the Governor and Appropriations Committee.

The COVID pandemic only highlighted the needs in our public-school systems, from the digital divide to HVAC repairs, and the need to support our teachers as they guide our state’s future through their primary education. These issues were present before the pandemic, and we cannot rely solely on relief money to patch this problem.

This is not the time nor the issue to be bound by guardrails if they prevent adequate funding to reach our children in the classroom.

As Executive Director Joe DeLong said in a statement to CT Insider defending the needs of children, “If you were driving along the highway and a family of four had gone over a cliff, you would have to rescue those people. Fiscal guardrails are no different. What we have is a group of children who have fallen behind and they are on the other side of that guardrail.”

No action is a mistake, and failing schools should not be acceptable. HB 5003 is a significant first step in providing comprehensive funding to Connecticut’s public schools, but there is more work to be done. We need big and bold solutions, the kind that would allow us to look our state’s children in the eye and let them know that their future is as important to us as any guardrails we may have put in place.

Above: Statewide campaign received nearly 400,000 views in a few weeks.

Below: Cartoon by Mike Cooper, Commissioned by CCM

A Solution That Works

Firefighter cancer bill benefits firefighters without burdening taxpayers

Each year CCM speaks to the fiscal position of municipalities - that is, every year a new unfunded mandate or budgetary restriction imposes a new cost to municipalities without giving them a resource to make up those funds. Even when in principal an idea is agreeable, it may not be feasible for municipalities to absorb. That was just the case with Senate Bill 937 when it was first introduced. As originally drafted, the bill would have created a rebuttable presumption that if a firefighter is diagnosed with cancer, it would be presumed to be work related and therefore eligible for worker’s compensation benefits.

We have argued that this would significantly alter current and existing worker’s compensation laws, shifting not only a fiscal burden onto towns and cities, but also a new burden of proof onto municipalities to provide evidence on a firefighter’s health history. This would make it nearly impossible to rebut the presumption, as it did with heart and hypertensionwhich ultimately saw a repeal due to the overwhelming costs.

It cannot be argued that CCM has not worked diligently in approaching this difficult subject. We have recognized that harming the very institutions that firefighters work for and protect is not a sustainable solution. In addition, we have strived to pursue solutions that work not just today, but in the years to come.

CCM has developed a collaborative approach on several contentious issues, beginning with the original firefighter cancer legislation enact in 2016. Over time we have worked with stakeholders to develop legitimate compromises on a range of issues. We once again utilized that approach this year.

In pursuit of a sustainable and amicable solution, CCM sat down with officials and reworked the bill that would help firefighters.

As a result, we are hopeful that the final version of SB 937 will reflect a compromise between CCM, the firefighters and other stakeholders. After decades of disagreements, this legislation will provide firefighters and their dependents with the same benefits they would receive under worker’s compensation, without having to enter the conventional worker’s compensation system.

The benefit to firefighters is they will receive the benefits they have long sought while avoiding the drawn-out worker’s compensation process.

The benefit to municipalities is the new expense will be paid out of the Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund - which will be funded through the state - instead of worker’s compensation funded through property taxes.

Our compromise language in SB 937 provides the necessary framework to help firefighters without burdening municipalities. However, to ensure the greatest success, the State must maintain their commit-

ment in supporting firefighters by increasing and securing a reliable funding stream for the Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund. Unfortunately, the State has not yet provided the necessary support and assistance to maintain that funding.

Beyond securing a sustainable funding stream to support our firefighters, CCM remains committed to working with the firefighters to support their education and health by (a) promoting routine cancer screening, (b) encouraging firefighters to clean vulnerable areas for carcinogen exposure, such as the face, neck and groin, (c) ensuring firefighters maintain proper usage of their self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), and (d) fostering healthy living standards to reduce long-term negative health outcomes.

Yet again, we are hopeful that if enacted, this can be seen by all stakeholders, on any other issue, that CCM’s brand of “collaborating for the common good” is more than just a tagline.

A New Chapter

Long-time CCM employee Kevin Maloney retires

CCM’s longest serving employee, Kevin Maloney, Director of Communications and Member Relations, is retiring, effective August 1. Kevin, well-known for his interactions with CCM members and the press, has served CCM since 1986.

CCM Executive Director, Joe Delong stated, “While this is sad news for CCM staff and members, state officials, Connecticut’s Fourth Estate and others who have come across Kevin’s path over the last 36 years, it is good news that he will be able to spend more time with his wife, Mary, his children, grandchildren, and friends. We’ll miss Kevin’s professionalism, dedication, decency and plain sense of fun.”

Kevin is CCM’s primary liaison to the press; editor of Connecticut Town & City; manager of the

Connecticut Town Liaison (CLT) program wherein a CCM staffer is assigned a particular town for heighted service and one-stop assistance; supervisor of the CCM podcast, “The Municipal Voice”; coordinator of exhibitor halls for the CCM annual convention and Emergency Management Symposium; all-around go-to person to get things done -- and the ultimate staff team-player.

“I thank Kevin for his years of invaluable service to CCM, and his tremendous service to towns and cities in the state, throughout various CCM administrations”, said CCM President Tom Dunn of Wolcott.

Former CCM President Herb Rosenthal of Newtown says “Kevin is a committed, reliable and engaging person. It’s been a true

pleasure to work with him on major issues of concern to towns and cities, and to know him as the warm and earnest person he is.”

A retirement event is being planned for Kevin. More details to follow.

In the meantime, we wish Kevin the best of luck as he enters a new and well-deserved chapter in his life!

Early Voting Adopted

Puts CT in line with most other states

After a statewide referendum last year, it was clear that Connecticut voters wanted some early voting. And it was up to the Legislature this year to work out the bones of this new law that would codify early voting in our state – including mitigating the additional costs associated.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only three other states did not have some form of early voting at the beginning of the year – Alabama, Mississippi, and New Hampshire. The shortest early voting periods start the Thursday before election day in Kentucky, while Pennsylvania opens up voting 50 days beforehand. The average is 20 days.

The new law takes effect on January 1, 2024 despite many hoping that it could have started for this year’s municipal elections. As it stands, the first elections with early voting will be the presidential primaries held in April 2024.

Surprisingly, the law was increased to a 14-day voting period after Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas had initially proposed and advocated for a 10-day voting period that she felt would strike an even balance of a long enough time period while weighing the costs associated.

In full, under the adopted language, early voting will occur for a period of 14 days prior to the general elec-

tion; seven days prior to August primary elections and requires four days of early voting for Presidential primaries and special elections.

There will be a significant cost to municipalities and the state in order to implement early voting and legislative leaders have indicated that funding to carry out the requirements of the bill would be included in the FY24 and FY25 state budget.

Some figures put forward suggest that early voting could cost as much as $9.2 million to implement, with nearly half of the burden being placed on municipalities. A concern for larger communities is that to ensure residents can actually vote early, several voting sites may have to be open. The state should provide sufficient financial aid so that residents can participate.

One consideration important to municipalities is the designated location for the conduct of early voting to be vetted by the Secretary of State’s office.

At the end of the day, the Connecticut voters wanted more time to participate in our greatest political process, voting. What’s important for municipalities is that this does not become one more significant cost without any help from the state. While the law is young, it puts Connecticut in line with the 46 other states that offer some form of early voting.

Long Needed CMERS Reform Proposed

CMERS working group recognized need for change

For years, towns and cities have been looking to find a way to reform the Connecticut Municipal Employees Retirement System or CMERS. Contribution rates have surged for many – if not all – of the 107 entities in this system, creating a ticking time bomb on the longterm viability of these pensions. Fortunately, for now, crisis was potentially averted by a working group agreement convened by State Comptroller Sean Scanlon, including representatives from CCM member towns and labor. Now the agreement has to work its way through the legislative session, which adjourns on June 7.

The final agreement, formalized in late April just a month and a half after this working group was convened, contains six main points: Adjust the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and Increase the Multiplier, institute a Deferred Retirement Option Plan or DROP Plan, Re-Amortization of the Fund from 17 to 25 years, Reform the Governance Structure to include municipal officials, Data Collection and convene a working group to

establish a New Plan/Tier to be considered during 2024 legislative session.

Currently, CMERS is the highest funded public employee pension plan thanks in large part to the statutory mandate that municipalities fully fund their pensions, one that is not shared by the state pension plans. According to figures retrieved from the CT Mirror, the state employee pension is funded at 46% and the municipal teacher pension is funded at 57%.

While much of the inner workings of the agreement consists of retirement jargon – minimum and maximum COLAs, multipliers, Deferred Retirement Option Plans – the important part is the agreements made from both sides of the issue. This is perhaps best seen in the governance structure, which, if enacted, will be made up of equal representation from labor and management for a total of seven members including actuaries from each side and a neutral chair. Management representatives will be nominated by CCM to the Governor

for consideration. And in a second phase of reform, the group will continue to research best practices for a more permanent governance structure.

Two other notable points include the research and negotiation on a new plan or tier to bring additional reform to the legislature next year with the intention of recruiting new entities. As noted, there are 107 entities in this system, and the final agreement allows the Comptroller to pursue data from the non-MERS towns on retirement plans offered there.

When forming this group, Comptroller Scanlon noted in a press conference that he told both sides that “everything should be on the table.” After so many years of standstill, there is finally movement on an issue that was heading for a cliff. A surge of retirements, increasing costs, and more have made CMERS unsustainable. This working group agreement puts us in the right direction and now the legislature must act in order for these provisions to become law.

Comptroller Sean Scanlon was joined by Governor Ned Lamont and legislative leaders on May 3rd, to announce that a working group of municipal and labor leaders had reached a deal to reform Connecticut’s municipal pension system for the first time in decades.

Action Needed On Gun Violence

Overwhelming support for CCM Task Force Recommendations

Since we first released a series of recommendations on gun violence in February, there have been dozens of mass shootings all over the nation, including one in Hartford. The need to end this senseless violence has never been more urgent – which is why CCM supported an amendment included in House Bill 6667.

Adopted from our Special Task Force on Reducing Gun Violence, CCM with CCM President and Mayor Tom Dunn, stood alongside big city mayors, local advocacy groups and Governor Ned Lamont to urge support for common sense initiatives to prevent repeat dangerous offenders from getting out on bail backed by data at a press conference in February.

Our language in HB 6667 could be boiled down to these five main points:

1. Defines a “serious firearm offense” that results in increased accountability when committed by an individual with a serious criminal history;

2. Increases accountability for individuals who commit serious firearm offenses while out on bail, probation or parole for certain prior offenses;

3. Imposes enhanced penalties for the crime of criminal possession of a firearm;

4. Enhances law enforcement ability to petition for the timely remand of individuals who pose a threat to public safety; and

5. Streamlines the adjudication process for seri-

ous firearm offenses designating dedicated gun dockets in particular judicial districts and allow for expedited hearings for particular firearm offenses. Widely reported in the press, the recommendations of the task force were shared – and supported by editorial boards.

The Hearst Connecticut Editorial Board noted:

“The mayors gave compelling examples. In Waterbury 70% of the people charged in shootings last year were awaiting trial on other charges or on probation, and 63% already had convictions for violent felonies or gun crimes. Of those charged in shootings in Hartford last year, 39% were awaiting trial on other charges, 14% were on probation, and 5% on parole. New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim concurred that a few chronic offenders commit a disproportionate number of gun crimes in their cities.”

CCM added to this with a video campaign featuring some of the local advocacy groups paired with quotes from the media showing the overwhelming support for our language. The short campaign racked up over 200,000 views in just one week on our YouTube page.

Eventually, the CCM Special Task Force recommendations were combined with Governor Lamont’s larger gun violence package, which has not seen the universal support that our specific proposals have seen. As we noted in February, that is partly because these are tough issues to tackle and no one idea is going to be the solution to gun violence. What matters here is the action.

Back To The Business Of Saving Lives

2023 EMS was a great success once again at Aria in Prospect

While the threat of COVID fades in the public eye, the lessons learned over the past three years remained a topic of conversation at the annual Connecticut Emergency Management Symposium (EMS) held once again at Aria in Prospect.

The free event is put on by CCM, 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).

The event brought together local, state, and federal officials together to discuss not just the COVID response, but any and all things under emergency management.

The day began with opening remarks from Brenda Bergeron, the Deputy Commissioner of DESPP and Joe DeLong, Executive Director and CEO of CCM, and a keynote presentation by Jonathan Greene, the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Office of the Assistance Secretary for Preparedness and Response/Operations and Resources.

A Connecticut native, Greene delivered remarks on what it means to work collaboratively in a post-COVID world. In a key takeaway, he argued that too often folks from different departments would act like competitors rather than teammates when first handling COVID. Folks from Homeland Security knew how to rapid response an emergency, but didn’t know the science behind the virus or the vaccine; Folks from Public Health knew the science and how to communicate, but couldn’t wrap their

fingers around the logistics of the temporary testing or vaccine facilities.

It doesn’t take a large leap to figure out that once everyone started working together, we began to mobilize a response that made sense. And of course, Connecticut’s response to COVID is still one of the gold standards of the pandemic.

The day continued with more workshops on topics beyond COVID – grants, drug trafficking, cyber security and more were discussed to a full hall of EMS officials. The presentations are available for CCM members to download on CCM’s website (https://www.ccm-ct.org/Education-and-Events/Workshop-and-Event-Recordings).

In the hall, Exhibitors shared their newest wares and services. Special thanks goes out to our sponsors, AshBritt, Everbridge, Tetra Tech, and Eversource, as well as the event co-sponsors.

MUNICIPAL LAW GROUP

Kari L. Olson Chair kolson@murthalaw.com 860.240.6085

Nan M. Birdwhistell nbirdwhistell@murthalaw.com

Patricia L. Boye-Williams pboyewilliams@murthalaw.com

Proloy K. Das pdas@murthalaw.com

Michael J. Donnelly mdonnelly@murthalaw.com

Jodie L. Driscoll jdriscoll@murthalaw.com

Salvatore G. Gangemi sgangemi@murthalaw.com

Julie A. Lavoie jlavoie@murthalaw.com

Alfred E. Smith, Jr. asmith@murthalaw.com

Joseph D. Szerejko jszerejko@murthalaw.com

Nicholas W. Vitti, Jr. nvitti@murthalaw.com

We’re Not In Kansas Anymore

Save the date November 28, 2023 for the CCM Annual Convention

We at CCM believe that there’s no place like Connecticut, and we’re grateful that we get to travel that yellow brick road and celebrate the municipal officials that make this such a special place. So we are happy to announce that we’re off to see the wizard… erm, actually, we’re off to the 2023 CCM Annual Convention and Expo on Tuesday, November 28 at the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo Center.

Because last year’s theme, Back To The Future of Connecticut, was so successful, we had to ask our Communications Committee for a theme for 2023. And this year’s theme is “There’s No Place Like Connecticut.” Be sure to keep an eye out on our socials for #TheresNoPlaceLikeCT for a competition we will announce over the summer! The convention will once again have the best municipally-oriented programming in the state, networking time with hundreds of your peers in local government, business leaders in the industries important to you, and so much more.

#LoCoolGov

Once again, CCM will actively try to engage Connecticut’s youth with our annual #LoCoolGov Youth Scholarship contest. Toward the end of the summer, we will start outreach to Connecticut middle and high school students. We’ll be asking them to tell us what’s cool about local government. Be sure to help us spread the word! Visit https://www.ccm-ct.org/Resources/LoCoolGov-Youth-Scholarship for more information.

Municipal Excellence Awards

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

This year, CCM offers awards in the following categories: For towns and cities

• Three General Entry Awards separated by population size

• Topical Award - “Innovation in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”

For individuals

• The Joel Cogen Lifetime Achievement Award

• The Richard C. Lee Innovators Award

How to Apply:

For complete information, including entry evaluation, eligibility for awards, and entry forms, click here.

Make sure to Save the Dates for the CCM Annual Convention and Expo on November 28 and 29 at the Mohegan Sun Earth Expo Center. And remember to bring your courage, your heart, and brains, click your heels and remember: There’s No Place Like CT!

For more information about the convention, and how you can become an exhibitor or sponsor, visit https:// www.ccm-ct.org/Education-and-Events/CCM-Convention

Be sure to check in frequently as we update our list of sponsors and exhibitors, and be on the look-out (in your mailbox and inbox) for registration information, including the workshop topics and event schedule. This will be one convention that you don’t want to miss!

2023 CCM Convention

NOVEMBER 28 • MOHEGAN SUN

Where Are We? New social media campaign looks to boost engagement

CCM has spent the past several years trying to boost its presence online – you may have noticed the Municipal Voice podcast that is hosted on Facebook Live, our new website that has made everything so much easier to find, and an increasing presence on Twitter and Instagram. You might be asking yourself – well, where isn’t CCM? That is the beauty of our new social media campaign, “Where are we in CT?”

To paraphrase the late great Johnny Cash, we’ve been everywhere in the state, and we’ve got the pictures to prove it. So we decided to make a fun game out of it for our social media followers and community members. The brain child of Beth Scanlon, Member Engagement and Programs Manager, every Friday at 2 p.m., you can check Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for a new picture and take a guess in the comments of where it is in CT – it could be the CCM offices or it could be the State Capitol, two of our earliest answers.

Scanlon said that as a Connecticut transplant, she began seeing more and more of the state during early COVID hikes. “I visited parts of the state that I never previously knew about,” she said, “When I posted some of these places, I often received comments from people who’ve lived in Connecticut their whole lives, asking, “Where is that?”

Knowing that engagement is the word of the day on social media, she “came up with the idea that CCM should be posting more from around the state and celebrating how unique Connecticut is.” On sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, reactions like likes or hearts, comments below a post, retweets and shares are all considered forms of engagement, and they help a social media page increase its reach.

“Where are we in CT?” is a fun way to get followers – our members included – to help us increase our engagement with fun posts, that will ultimately help us increase our following and reach for when we share policies that need support from the public like HB 5003. And you never know when your town or city is going to be featured.

“There is so much history, as well as landmarks and places of interest, that we should be highlighting and showcasing,” Scanlon said. So, be on the look out every Friday at 2 p.m. for the next picture in the “Where are we in CT?” social media campaign. And even if you don’t know where it is, give the picture a like or a heart so other people can chime in and see if they know where we are in Connecticut.

Solar/PV and Virtual Net Metering Program

Solar/PV and Virtual Net Metering Program

CCM Energy now offers long-term power purchase and net metering agreements for solar photovoltaic projects

CCM Energy now offers long-term power purchase and net metering agreements for solar photovoltaic projects

• We qualify solar developers, vet potential sites and negotiate the PPA or Net Metering Credit Agreement

• We qualify solar developers, vet potential sites and negotiate the PPA or Net Metering Credit Agreement

• You receive long-term, fixed price, or VNM credits, green power with no up-front cost

• You receive long-term, fixed price, or VNM credits, green power with no up-front cost

• Developer designs/finances/builds/owns/maintains the equipment

• Developer designs/finances/builds/owns/maintains the equipment

• Joining the program is as simple as signing a Participation Agreement

• Joining the program is as simple as signing a Participation Agreement

For additional information contact: Savannah Blantz, Research Analyst

sblantz@ccm-ct.org • 203-498-3055

For additional information contact: Savannah Blantz, Research Analyst sblantz@ccm-ct.org • 203-498-3055

2022 Land Use Fee Survey Update

By Savannah Blantz

In August 2022, CCM opened the Land Use Fee Survey designed to collect land use and building fees from municipalities in Connecticut. Although the original survey received only 50 responses, our goal is to continue compiling a complete database of fees, as this information is frequently requested from our Research and Information Service. We invite you to provide us your most up-to-date fee schedules if you have not done so. In this edition of Connecticut Town and City, we will highlight a few notable facts from the findings regarding subdivision fees as we continue to collect and analyze survey responses and fee schedules.

Subdivision Fees

With the exception of a mandatory $60.00 state fee from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, municipalities across Connecticut have the authority to designate fee amounts collected from subdivision applications. After collecting survey responses and fee schedules, we found that currently there are a variety of factors that towns and cities are utilizing to determine their subdivision fees. At the time of this

writing, of 163 municipalities, we found that:

• About 22% of municipalities charge one flat fee perlot. These fees range from $50.00 to $750.00. Eighteen percent (18%) implement a base fee ranging from $50.00-$1,500 in addition to a per-lot fee.

• About 19% of municipalities determine their per-lot subdivision fee based on the number of lots. For example, $250 for one to four lots or $200 in excess of four lots.

• Nine percent (9%) of municipalities impose a minimum or “whichever is greater” calculation to determine their subdivision fee. For example, $500 or $150 per lot, whichever is greater.

• In less than 5% of municipalities, the subdivision fee is determined by a new or existing road. Twenty percent (20%) of municipalities determine their subdivision fee based on other factors, including administrative fees, public hearings, engineering review, etc.

More Information

If you have questions about the survey or the results, please contact Savannah Blantz at sblantz@ccm-ct.org

For more information, please contact: Mark J.

Selecting the Right Insurance Provider: What Public Entity Leaders Need to Know

Selecting an insurance provider with the right protections and services at the best possible price point is critical to your entity’s short and long-term success. The key to selecting an insurance provider is knowing what to look for so you can ask the right

1PROVEN RISK PREVENTION. TRUSTED ADVOCATES. TAILORED SOLUTIONS.

Find an insurance provider you can count on—one with the expertise and resources needed to successfully navigate the latest and most complex public entity loss trends and exposures.

CIRMA can help you stabilize budgets, effectively manage your workforce, create safer, more efficient workplaces, and deliver quality, uninterrupted services and resources to your community. In addition to negotiating and placing coverage at the most competitive premiums possible, we offer CIRMA members additional layers of protection through our member-exclusive coverage enhancements. CIRMA’s insurance program enhancements are yet another example of how we go above and beyond to ensure you have the protection you need and the peace of mind you deserve.

3

A SOLID, SUSTAINED TRACK RECORD.

Find an insurance provider that will be your trusted advocate and stay with you long-term. Confide in your fellow Connecticut Municipal Leaders who have experienced the switch from a risk pool to a commercial carrier. Do their experiences match your expectations and long-term goals?

Over the last ten years, CIRMA’s member retention rate remained at 98%, and our overall market share is steadfast at 86%. This is because our members are our long-term partners, and we consider ourselves an extension of your operations and communities. That’s why municipal leaders like you understand the uncontested value risk pools deliver over commercial carriers. In fact, AGRIP reports that 80% of municipalities in the U.S. place their insurance coverage with risk pools over the long term.

5

MEDICAL CARE AND COST MANAGEMENT WITH AN EMPHASIS ON CARE .

Commercial insurance carriers can view their medical cost management programs simply as a primary means of cost containment. Find an insurance provider that achieves optimal claim outcomes and savings without sacrificing injured employee claim satisfaction and experience.

questions and ultimately make an informed decision. Here are five essential things to consider, from having a trusted advocate on your side for the long term to ensuring your entity has access to world-class insurance programs and services.

2THE PROTECTIONS YOU NEED. THE STRENGTH AND STABILITY YOU DESERVE.

Avoid insurance providers with a track record of reducing coverages and services while spiking rates as quickly as markets and profits shift. Returning profits is often a top priority when an insurance provider is beholden to shareholders.

CIRMA’s insurance programs are meticulously selected through our partnerships with the world’s leading A-rated or better carriers. Our solid and long-standing relationships with leading insurance and reinsurance carriers enable us to negotiate and place coverage at the most competitive price points possible, including exclusive multi-year rate agreements that provide the budget stability you need. Our carefully curated partnerships enable CIRMA to utilize these ratings and extend unrivaled financial resources to provide insurance and reinsurance solutions to our members—all of which promote stability and make CIRMA Connecticut’s provider of choice.

4EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE YOU CAN TRUST.

Will your claims be managed in another city and state? Find an insurance provider with the local presence and partnerships needed to gain a competitive advantage in fully understanding Connecticut’s latest statutes, rules, and regulations. CIRMA’s local presence brings unmatched expertise on unique local nuances that can affect you and your community in a significant way. We’re not just local--we’re hyper-local. We not only protect Connecticut-we are Connecticut. And we serve Connecticut’s public sector exclusively. Our Underwriting, Risk Management, and Claims professionals are specialists, not generalists—every CIRMA employee is dedicated to Connecticut’s Public Sector.

CIRMA offers comprehensive workers’ compensation medical cost management strategies to help you manage evolving exposures and reduce rising costs. What makes us different? While managing claim costs is essential, it should never come at the expense of an injured employee receiving the best possible medical care and claim experience. We are committed to ensuring the claim process goes as smoothly as possible so your injured employees can focus on what matters most: their recovery.

CIRMA Welcomes New Staff

CIRMA employees help our members navigate all that can go wrong by remaining committed to doing what is right. We’re thrilled to welcome

Sofia Blenman is the newest edition to CCM/CIRMA’s Human Resources department in the position of Diversity Equity and Inclusion Officer. In this new role, Sofia is working to develop and support programs designed to foster a diverse workforce, cultivate an inclusive environment and enhance employee engagement.

Sofia joins CCM/CIRMA with almost ten years of human resources experience. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Music Business from the University of Massachusetts and Master of Science Degree in Organization and Professional Communication from Regis College.

Meghan Gavin recently joined CIRMA’s Underwriting Department in the position of Underwriting Technical Assistant Trainee. In her new role, Meghan is responsible for providing technical assistance and customer service. Meghan received a Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from Johnson & Wales University. She joins CIRMA with over six years of customer service, research, and legal experience.

Leonard Martin is the newest addition to CIRMA’s Liability Claims Department in the position of Liability Claims Representative. In his new role, Leo provides municipal claims handling and investigations. Leo received his Bachelor Degree in Economics from Suffolk University and is currently a Master of Business Administration (MBA Degree) candidate at the University of Hartford with a concentration on Risk Management and Insurance. Leo joins CIRMA with over five years of customer service and claims handling experience.

our newest team members to the CIRMA Community.” David Demchak, CIRMA President and CEO

Jordan Schrader joins CIRMA’s Risk Management Department in the role of Risk Management Consultant. In her new role, Jordan is responsible for providing risk management consulting services to CIRMA members. She will help develop training and education programs and coordinate other member-related services and activities. Jordan received a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Art in Teaching from Central Connecticut State University. Jordan joins CIRMA with over ten years of education and customer service experience.

Naji Stapleton recently joined CIRMA’s Underwriting Department in the position of Underwriting Technical Assistant Trainee. In his new role, Naji is responsible for providing technical assistance and customer service. Naji received a Bachelor Degree in Economics with a minor in Political Science. Naji joins CIRMA with over five years of customer service and claims handling experience.

Michael Zhu is the newest addition to CIRMA’s Finance Department in the position of Accountant. In his new role, Michael is responsible for the collection and processing of financial data necessary to produce financial reports for CIRMA. Michael received a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University and joins CIRMA with over ten years of accounting and financial analyst experience.

Meghan Gavin

Leonard Martin

Jordan Schrader

Naji Stapleton

Michael Zhu

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

Sofia Blenman

CIRMA’s member retention rates have remained strong at 98% over the past ten years.

CIRMA + Our Members. Better, together. Now and always.

The only high rates you can expect from CIRMA... are our member retention rates.

A Work Of Art

Mansfield looks to invest in enrichment of public spaces

One of the greatest outcomes of the Works Progress Administration, or WPA as it is more widely known, is the art that sprung up throughout the States. Today, the American Rescue Plan Act is helping continue that tradition with public art being an approved expense.

The Town of Mansfield is just one such town that is taking advantage of this provision. Throughout the month of March, the Mansfield Town Council was accepting proposals for permanent or rotating art in “several key public areas,” such as the town hall and community center.

In the request for concepts, the town says that “public art contributes significantly to the vitality of the community, and that vibrancy is what many potential residents and businesses are looking for when they decide where to locate.”

And this is borne out by previous works like the Martin Luther King Jr. mural at the community center and the “Weaving Shuttle” sculpture on Betsy Paterson Square. In order to be a successful piece of art, the town created a list of suggestions that say the art should: create a focal point of excitement, appeal to a diverse audience, be sustainable to withstand New England elements, and be accessible.

Artists who feel they had a piece that fit those criteria put those into a proposal. The top three concepts

would be vetted by the town and $1,000 give to each to further develop their concepts into a “specific proposal.” Per the request for concepts, only once these proposals are reviewed will artists be chosen and contracts developed for production of the art and compensation.

The concepts and proposals will be vetted by the Town’s Arts Advisory Committee who already advice the Town Council and Manager on issues related to the arts.

One of the other suggestions for the art proposals was that it should “be able to stand the test of time i.e., it should not be synonymous with a particular era or time period.”

Interestingly, WPA projects, despite the vast array of styles and projects undertaken during this time, are almost all closely synonymous with the era. Whether it was a local artist painting a mural in the post office or Walker Evans and Dorothea Lange taking photos across the landscape, the WPA provided us with plenty of art to beautify and remark on our country.

The American Rescue Plan Act might be doing the same before our eyes without us realizing it. If the Town of Mansfield is successful in choosing pieces that are original and engaging, that stand the test of time, in 100 years, another generation might remark upon a piece in Mansfield Town Hall and say, “Look at that, it’s an ARPA artwork.”

Discount Prescription Drug Card Program

• Many CT residents face the challenge of high cost prescriptions. Through the CCM Prescription Discount Card Program, municipalities are now providing prescription savings to their residents who are without health insurance or a traditional pharmacy benefit plan, or have prescriptions not covered by insurance.

• This program is no cost to CCM-member municipalities and no cost to taxpayers. There are no limits on the use of the card – no income limits, no age requirements. Even some pet prescriptions are covered for medications that also treat a human condition.

• Average savings for CT residents has been 50%, with some participating towns and cities showing an average of 70% savings.

• Cards are mailed to residents and can also be accessed electronically through the CTRxdiscountcard.com website. These cards are automatically activated and can be used immediately at any participating pharmacy.

• The CCM Discount Card program offers real value, easy access, a large national pharmacy network and excellent customer support.

• Program start-up is easy and municipal promotion and administration is simple.

• Program marketing materials are provided at no cost to the town/city offices.

If your municipality is not part of the CCM prescription discount program service and you would like more information, please contact Alison Geisler, at 203-498-3029, or ageisler@ccm-ct.org.

Fine Dining

Some might say it was bound to happen in a city like New Haven. After COVID social distancing broke down the walls of outdoor dining, it was going to a facet of life in the Elm City. But thanks to a demand that might be unexpected – and weather that is unprecedented – outdoor dining will become a permanent fixture for some restaurants.

The announcement came during a early spring burst of warmer than normal temperatures. Mayor Elicker took to Salsa on Grand Ave. to announce that the city was extending the outdoor patio season from the old May 1 start date to April 1.

In New Haven, this makes sense to take advantage of not just the beautiful weather, but also the many events in town that take

place in April. For one, there is the yearly Wooster Square Cherry Blossom festival that brings hundreds of people down to the city. And also, one of the two yearly Restaurant Weeks takes place in April. Giving restaurants those extra four weeks of patio time will certainly give a boost to the restaurants in the downtown areas. But some businesses will be able to apply for year-round permits for their outdoor dining set-ups.

This came after an outpouring of support for a few local businesses that had left up their patios throughout winter – perhaps not realizing that their permits had lapsed in November.

options, New Haven is now allowing restaurants the chance to apply for a year-round permit – which would obviously need to meet requirements set up by the city that would help with pesky issues like snow. But when the weather is nice, like it is in Connecticut from April to November when it starts to get a little bit on the chilly side, no one wants to think about snow or freezing temperatures. They want to think about getting out onto the streets to go explore, take in a walk, and hopefully grab a bite to eat in one of New Haven’s many fine dining establishments. Thanks to the city and the many supporters of these great restaurants, they can

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Learn more at: www.newhaventerminal.com

Consider This A Sign

Guilford enhances visuals with new signage

Consider this a sign – the Economic Development Commission in Guilford has been on a multi-year project to decrease the visual clutter that exists on corners throughout the state.

Begun in 2021, Guilford began installing new “Welcome to Guilford” signs along 95 off-ramps. Originally proposed in 2015 or 2016, the signs are an effort to de-clutter signage, while boosting interest in economic development and tourism. Signs informed individuals driving into or through town of the historic districts, directions to the Town Green and more.

By the next year, signs were completed with help from the Guilford Preservation Alliance, local organizations including the Shoreline Chamber of Commerce, town officials on the Economic Development Commission, and even private individuals.

In a zip06 article celebrating the completion of the first phase of signage, First Selectman Matt Hoey said “This project couldn’t happen at a better time, with our full rebound from the pandemic underway and Guilford regaining its full vitality as a great place to live and visit. This project fills the need to welcome travelers and introduce them to Guilford and its incredible array of historic places, and it couldn’t happen at a better time.

The same articles notes that John Miller and his firm Autografix manufactured the signs, and John Cunningham designed the hardscaping to minimize maintenance. Barronlee Grasso coordinated the hardscaping and Todd Ingarra from the Connecti-

cut Department of Transportation all donated time and effort.

The project was so successful that the work continued on other areas. Many of the old cluttered directional signs that look like they were out of a Walker Evan’s photograph are now replaced with the same simple iconography. Multiple confusing placards are now replaced with a

single sign – except in places marking route numbers.

What we need is less distractions on the road. In Guilford, these efforts they hope will pay off in increased tourism and economic development as people experience the calming and attractive waymarks about town.

The Economic Development section of CT&C is sponsored by New Haven Terminal, Inc.

DEVELOPMENT

Taking A Stroll Downtown

Connecticut Main Street Center highlights Torrington Center

Did you know that Torrington, Connecticut has one of the largest collections of Art Deco buildings in the country? The Connecticut Main Street Center gave a tour of historic Main Street in town to put a “Spotlight on Main Street” in April.

Now nearly thirty years ago, Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) was founded by the Connecticut Light & Power Company, a unique proposition by a privately held company. According to the CMSC website, to this day, CL&P “remains the only private corporation in the country to solely sponsor and administer a statewide Main Street initiative.”

In the intervening three decades, CMSC became a private nonprofit and has worked closely with the State of Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to foster the kind of investment in main streets that you see in Downtown Torrington.

The “Spotlight on Mainstreet” event is aimed at downtown economic development professionals and municipal leaders from across the state to come look at what a thriving, historic, and walkable district looks like.

Starting with a networking event held in the Warner Theater, a great example of the renovated Art Deco buildings, guests proceed to get a walking tour of the

area followed by a reception at a downtown restaurant. During the event, the hosting city “shares how they addressed local obstacles and achieved success in their downtown through collaboration, economic, and community development.” Intended to highlight successes in public/private partnerships, businesses, and local officials.

The event is co-sponsored by the Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) and presented by the Charlotte Hungerford Hospital.

Our Main Streets have never been a more important asset. As CMSC argues, Main Streets are vital to a thriving Connecticut, both socially and economically. Continuing, “Not only are they the heartbeat of our communities – providing interesting dynamic spaces for friends, neighbors and colleagues to interact with each other – but they also provide a far greater return on investment than typical big-box development, with studies showing that money spent downtown stays downtown.”

Taking a tour through historic Torrington’s downtown is proof positive of this concept. With it’s theaters and hotels, restaurants and shops, it’s a thriving area that deserves the spotlight.

(Don’t) Quit Playing Games

Esports is the next big thing at Hartford Public Schools

The television show of the year is The Last of Us. Don’t be surprised if the Mario movie stays in theaters all summer. Nearly 50 years after the invention of the first video games, they are entering the mainstream in a way they’ve never done before. And they’re entering our schools as well with the launch of Scholastic Esports in Hartford Public Schools (HPS).

As part of the growing emphasis on Science Technology Engineering and Math curriculum, also known as STEM, it was only a matter of time before video games found their way in. But it’s not likely that you’ll get to play Pong, Tetris, Super Mario Bros., or GoldenEye for class credit. They give four examples of possible courses: Gaming Concepts Fundamentals: students will explore esports history, technology, and troubleshooting techniques. The curriculum will have a technology focus.

Exploring Interactive Media: a project-based course about digital graphics, print media, computer animation, audio production, web design, and more. Students will learn how to facilitate meetings, serve as team leaders, manage project timelines, and produce professional projects.

Streaming and Shoutcasting: similar to a traditional public speaking course. Students will initiative and participate in collaborative discussions, utilize digital media in presentations and more. They will learn the fundamentals of broadcast journalism and public speaking through the lens of a shoutcaster, which is a fast-growing career field. The skills learned in this course align with the arts, A/V technology and communications. Lessons include story writing and interviewing, media’s influence on society, and producing a broadcast.

Cybersecurity in Esports: students will focus on the fundamentals of cybersecurity including ethics and laws, hacking, ransomware, malware, digital citizenship, and more.

HPS has partnered with Nintendo to secure Switches, their newest gaming platform.

According to a release from Hartford Public Schools, “Scholastic Esports refers to competitive gaming that takes place within an educational context, with the goal of promoting teamwork, critical thinking, and

strategic problem-solving skills.”

Esports, they note, is a fast-growing industry. Over 200 colleges and universities have gotten into gaming by offering scholarships for esports programs.

“Scholastic Esports aligns with our district’s academic curriculum to support the whole student for success in college, career, and beyond,” said Dr. Joanna Ali, STEM Director at Hartford Public Schools. “We are not just playing games. esports is a vehicle that can move the curriculum forward. It’s a well-rounded, structured program that supports students academically and socially through teamwork and collaborative experiences. We’ve heard our students loud and clear, and they are eager for opportunities that bring their outside interests into the classroom. And we plan to deliver.”

Great Path Academy student and STEM Director Joanna Ali explore the Scholastic Esports lessons.

Education In A SNAP

Gateway’s SNAP E&T helps participant secure career opportunity

New Haven – New Haven resident Lisa Anakwa worked for 13 years in New York for two volunteer ambulance services. She joined the day after 9/11.

Originally from Bridgeport and returning to Connecticut to be closer to family after a divorce, she was majoring in sociology at a private college in 2020 when her mounting student loan debt made her reconsider her options. In her late fifties and with grown children, she was babysitting until the hours became sporadic during the pandemic and had to apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Through the Provides App, a tool available to SNAP participants, Lisa learned about free training opportunities at Gateway Community College (GCC) and decided to learn more.

Tom Gaudioso, guided pathways advisor and former SNAP Education &Training (SNAP E&T) coordinator, explained that Lisa qualified for free classes and could become certified as a medical office assistant. The 21-week program prepares students to work in medical offices, long-term care facilities, and medical insurance companies. Participants learn about insurance reimbursement, medical terminology, computers, office skills, and coded medical insurance forms. For Lisa, having a positive experience in the medical field volunteering for the ambulance service, this new career path resonated, and she attended a virtual orientation. She started the program in January 2021.

Hesitant to begin anew and feeling uneasy about being an older student, Lisa persevered and found others in the program were like-minded; many were also mothers experiencing similar life circumstances. Fellow students understood the financial challenges associated with being a displaced homemaker and all could relate while navigating classes during the pandemic. In the end, her classmates became friends who she continues to stay connected with. The instructor, Jean Carusone, also was supportive to all students, Lisa said.

“She was always there for us, and she cared,” Lisa said, noting that Carusone gave students suggestions of companies that were hiring. “I felt empowered when I finished the class and scored well on the NHA certification.”

Lisa has been employed full-time since completing the program. Her first job was with Planned Parenthood. In April, she began a remote position with Highmark Health in Pennsylvania, where she works with Medicare and serves the senior citizen market.

Lisa said that the keys to success in the program were

being willing to take a chance, setting goals for her future, making lists of what she wanted, and having a support system to get through the hurdles. She noted that Gaudioso offered just the right type of encouragement to help her make it through the program.

“Tom said, ‘you can do it, you’ll be fine,” Lisa said.

With experience working on an ambulance and raising five children, two of whom joined her family at age five and seven when a relative died of cancer, her past handling of tough times has proven to be her strength. Gaudioso said he saw how Lisa collaborated with classmates and he sensed that she would be a welcome addition to a work team when she completed her studies.

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Lisa. She was supportive and caring towards her fellow students and had the perseverance to succeed in the program,” Gaudioso said.

Lisa Anakwa gained skills that helped her to start a new career path.

Turn A New Leaf

Four things every municipality needs to know

With the opening of the Hotel Marcel on New Haven’s Long Wharf, it’s become apparent that projects big and small can be powered by 100 percent renewable energy. But what about an entire city? According to the National League of Cities, hundreds of municipalities around the country are setting those targets.

To help foster progress the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has come up with the Local Energy Action Framework (LEAF) in collaboration with several local governments around the country. Adapted from an NLC Citiespeak Blog Post by Peyton Siler Jones, here are four things City Leaders need to know about LEAF to reach their energy efficiency goals.

Prioritizing energy efficiency improvements in facilities with the highest electricity demands leads to more energy savings.

According to RMI and their partner cities, they’ve found that water and wastewater facilities can account for up to 70 percent of a municipality’s electricity usage. In some cases, focusing on the largest demands can see savings that outstrip any costs required to make the improvements in the first place.

1. Electrifying heating and vehicle fleets can significantly decrease carbon emissions but will increase building load (excluding water facilities) by 5-17 percent annually. While electric vehicles, or EVs, are clearly part of the wave of the future, they can have an impact on a buildings electric usage. So just because you install charging stations at town hall or in a

municipal parking garage, in order to truly reach decarbonization goals, the local grid itself must be decarbonized. The same goes for electric heating, especially in colder climates.

2. To move toward 24x7 clean electricity, flexible loads and batteries can help shift demand to hours of the day with lower electricity usage or when more renewable energy will be available. According to RMI, their partner cities find that between 60 and 80 percent of their electricity consumption happens between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. due to conditions like water treatment plants and overnight lights. Using batteries to shift the loads to optimize charging and deploying of electrical needs is one solution.

3. Municipalities can purchase off-site renewable energy, especially non-solar resources, to fill the remaining gap.

4. It’s extremely likely that most municipalities cannot place or retrofit enough solar to adequately supply their municipal buildings with clean electric. There are other options like wind power and geothermal that can help fill gaps. Connecticut will likely benefit from several planned windfarms in the coming years off the coast.

Lofty goals require high-minded actions. For municipalities that are looking for guidance on moving to 100 percent renewable energy or carbon-neutral municipal grids, visit the RMI website to see the LEAF guidelines: Local Energy Action Framework (LEAF)

Parking Solar Panels Over Parking Lots

West Hartford Clean Energy Commission talks benefits of canopy solar

Despite the media attention – including in the pages of CT&C – alternative forms of energy are still making headway into our electric grids. California, the leader in solar energy production, produces just 16% of their energy from solar. Connecticut is much smaller than California, though, leaving less space to put up the vast arrays needed. In West Hartford, they are getting creative about where they can put the panels.

This past March, Bernie Pelletier, Chairman of the West Hartford Clean Energy Commission and of People’s Action for Clean Energy (PACE) gave a presentation about solar canopies – like those that are placed over parking lots and carports.

Some of the benefits are obvious – producing solar energy is a no brainer in 2023. But there is a less obvious benefit to these arrays that requires outside the box thinking.

California has two things that allow it to generate the amount of solar it does. One is sunshine, but the other is open space to place the arrays. From a study cited by a Yale Environment 360 blog, over 50% of solar is placed in deserts, 33% in croplands, and 10% in grasslands or forests. And just 2.5% of U.S. solar power comes from urban areas.

According to that blog, “undeveloped land is a rapidly dwindling resource.” Parking lots on the other hand are an abundant resource of land that has been “stripped of much of its biological value.”

Of particular interest in West Hartford was “63 parking lots and other ‘degraded’ sites (land not suitable for agriculture or other productive land use) for solar canopies.”

There are costs associated with canopy-style arrays, of course including installing them in the first place. But there are even more benefits than the two mentioned at first glance. In addition to electricity generation on sites that would otherwise not be productive, but as we move to electrify our vehicles, it would be an obvious way to charge them while we shop or park. Even less obvious, it would protect cars from the elements – and on super-hot days it would prevent cars from being overheated, requiring them to use more energy to cool the car down.

Connecticut as a whole ranks 13th in the nation for carbon intensity from electricity generation according to the Washington Post. With 57% from natural gas and 38% from nuclear. Because we are so developed, there are few places left we can put in solar arrays. It’s time to start thinking outside the field.

Reduce Solid Waste In Your Town

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund “1+ Sale” Boosts Projects

Sustainable CT, a statewide program that supports municipal initiatives to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for Connecticut residents, has announced a “1+ sale” in its Community Match Fund program for the summer. For a limited time, Sustainable CT is boosting its Match Fund grants for all food waste diversion and composting projects. For every dollar raised to promote food waste diversion and composting, Sustainable CT will match it, not just dollar-for-dollar, but with a dollar-and-a-half – up to a total project budget of $15,000.

It’s meant a lot to the Tri-Town Sustainable Committees Food Scrap Composting and Education Campaign – a collaboration between volunteers and committee members of Sustainable Essex, Deep River, and Chester to bring composting to the entire Region 4 school system. “The tri-town composting project is a great example of towns working together to address Connecticut’s waste challenges,” explained Joseph Dickerson, Sustainable CT’s Community Partnership Manager. “Each dollar from municipal contributions and donations from local residents and businesses will be matched by $1.50 from Sustainable CT, enabling Essex, Deep River, and Chester to amplify the education, collection, and composting of food waste from all five Region 4 schools for the next two school years.”

“Separating food waste is something we are all becoming more aware of and how it can make such a positive impact on our environment,” said Kalyn D’Occhio with Sustainable Essex. “It is a very easy thing to teach children and it gives them instant gratification that they can make a daily choice to be good stewards of our fragile planet. We are thrilled with the success we are having at Essex Elementary, and we are so grateful for our towns support to

bring composting to the rest of the Region 4 school system next year.”

Norman Needleman, Essex First Selectman, expanded on the value that volunteers working in sustainability bring to the community: “I’m so grateful to the volunteers on the Sustainable Essex committee, and the committees in Deep River and Chester, for their tireless efforts as they continue to seek ways to make our towns more sustainable,” Needleman said. “The voluntary food scrap program, their sustained messaging to the public, siting and adding EV charging stations, and their efforts at increasing renewable energy are just a few of the areas where they commit their efforts. Volunteers are the backbone of our towns, be they members of boards or commissions, study groups, or folks actively engaged in making our communities better places to live.”

Sustainable CT has surpassed the $3 million mark in investment in local projects. Its Community Match Fund leverages institutional funding alongside community investment in the form of individual, small-dollar donations to local projects. Each project runs a public crowdfunding campaign to engage the community and secure half the funding needed to complete its work. Sustainable CT then matches every dollar raised. To date, Sustainable CT has committed $1.4 million as a match to more than $1.6 million collected from over fourteen thousand individual donations.

Since its inception in September of 2019, the Sustainable CT Community Match Fund has invested in over 250 local projects throughout the state of Connecticut.

“Connecticut’s communities are leading the way in sustainability, and the Community Match Fund is an integral part of that progress,” said Lynn Stoddard, Executive Director of Sustainable CT. According to Stoddard, the unique method of funding demonstrates important grass-

roots support for a project. “When neighbors vote with their dollars in support of these projects, they are literally buying in, which creates a sense of community ownership that wouldn’t otherwise exist.”

Across the state, Community Match Fund projects are making towns and cities more inclusive, resilient, and vibrant for all residents. Community members are working together to bring main streets to life with pocket parks, murals, and tree plantings; create green jobs for residents; recycle bikes to provide people with safe, affordable transportation; revive underused land to grow food for the community; educate neighbors on climate solutions; clean up rivers and protect habitats; and create vibrant spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Unlike most traditional grant programs, the Community Match Fund is open to anyone in a Sustainable CT-registered town, which currently includes 131 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities. Project leaders don’t need the backing of a formal organization, there is no application to submit, no deadlines, and no subjective review and scoring process. Anyone who has an idea for a public project is welcome to reach out to Sustainable CT at any time, and if their work aligns with that of Sustainable CT, they will quickly be approved and moved forward.

The Community Match Fund continues to accept and support new projects on a rolling basis. Anyone with an idea for a public, sustainability-related initiative is encouraged to contact Joseph Dickerson at Sustainable CT.

Sustainable CT is independently funded, and the Community Match Fund is generously supported by the Hampshire Foundation, the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, the Connecticut Green Bank, and Supporting Organizing Work CT.

Tree City, USA

Monroe is celebrating two decades of green growth

ometimes a tree is just a tree, but sometimes a tree is a lifeline. Back in 1872, one enterprising individual noted that his hometown of Nebraska City, NE had a lack of trees and proposed a simple idea – a holiday whereby individuals planted trees. A century and a half later, Monroe is celebrating nearly two decades as a “Tree City USA” municipality.

which must be in effect, 24/7/365 and not triggered by an event or land development process.

STree City USA®

2. There must be a community forestry program with an annual budget of at least $2 per capita.

Creating greener communities nationwide

3. And finally, there must be an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. In Connecticut that is the last Friday in April.

Back again to 1976, the year that Tree City USA began. After nearly a century of success, the Arbor Day Foundation wanted to see their vision of a “greener, healthier America” grow. Just 42 communities in 16 states were part of the initial cohort that year, and from information on their website, more than 3,600 communities from all 50 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico are involved.

Cooler temperatures. Cleaner air. Healthier residents.

4. First Selectman Ken Kellogg said in a press release, “The award is given to honor Monroe’s commitment to effective community forest management and meeting criteria that demonstrates Monroe’s commitment to responsible municipal tree care.”

The benefits trees bring to urban environments are endless — and by meeting the four Tree City USA standards, your community can experience them firsthand.

Twenty Connecticut municipalities are represented as Tree City USA municipalities; with Milford and Stratford joining for just one year and Fairfield and Stamford as the longest standing recipients at 34 years. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, Connecticut has a 100% recertification rate and planted 3,601 trees in 2021, the last year data is available.

PROGRAM SUMMARY

The Tree City USA program was founded in 1976 to celebrate towns and cities committed to growing their urban canopy. Led by the Arbor Day Foundation, with partners at USDA Forest Service and National Association of State Foresters, it provides the foundational framework necessary for communities to manage and expand their tree cover.

And trees are so much more than just a plant. They are an integral part of our ecological landscape in Connecticut. Trees do not just look pretty lined up along an avenue, but perform essential tasks. The Arbor Day Foundation estimates that urban trees alone contribute $73 billion in environmental benefits each year through carbon sequestration, air pollution filtration, and stormwater management. They keep the temperature down in urban environments and raise property values.

To qualify, there are just four standards a municipality has to meet:

Program applications are completely free. Many cities renew their Tree City USA status every year, making them eligible for a Growth Award and other urban forestry opportunities.

There must be a tree board or department. Someone must be legally responsible for the care of all trees on city- or town-owned property.

1. There must be a public tree care ordinance,

So a tree is not always just a tree. Like Shel Silverstein’s famous Giving Tree, trees don’t ask for much and they give so much in return. But unlike that poetic tree, the Arbor Day Foundation suggests you follow the lead of Monroe and the 19 other Connecticut municipalities and plant them instead of cutting them down.

THE FOUNDATION OF URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

The Tree City USA program has helped more than 3,600 communities across the country build out their urban forests. Recognition forms the base layer for five different areas of growth, including expansion of personnel, financial investment, defined policies and plans, and engagement with residents.

Rubber Meets The Road

Bethel First Selectman Dan Carter joined the Municipal Voice

It takes someone wired for public service to win an election on a Tuesday and hit the ground running on Wednesday.

That was the experience for Dan Carter, who in February won a special election to take the First Selectman position in Bethel. He joined us on the Municipal Voice, a co-production of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and WNHH 103.5FM, to talk about what it takes to dedicate yourself to public service and the budget season.

A military veteran, former State Representative, and most recently a member of Bethel’s Board of Finance, says he never understood the why of public service, but he knows that it matters to him and his community.

“So when I say public service is important, I would say that all of us should participate in our community,” he noted. The First Selectman position that he has recently taken on is evidence in his dedication to participation in local governance. First Selectman is where the

“rubber meets the road” in town government – from police, fire, schools, economic development. And nowhere is that more evident than in the budgeting season.

He argues that one of the things he loves about local governance is that it’s less political than his time at the Capitol, “the higher up you go, the more political it becomes.”

“We’re fine with paying taxes,” he says, “we’re fine with having good schools. People just want to know that their money is going to something important.”

So it becomes imperative that every dollar is spent wisely. That priorities like roads and schools are kept top of mind.

“Obviously, there’s the moral responsibility of a town, as a community, we owe it to our kids to give them a good education and a good foundation to launch them off into the world.”

But it’s also important that the state government help where they can, as Bethel and all towns in Connecticut don’t get the funding they were

promised for Special Education. This is an area where Carter takes great pride, and gave examples of success stories of special needs students who had made great strides, but noted that shorting funding for these programs can greatly affect local budgets.

“From the community’s perspective, someone has to take care of these kids,” he said, and although it is expensive, it is that moral responsibility to give kids a proper education.

And that relies on the cooperation and participation of his co-workers in all departments and, you guessed it, the community. But again, that is why Carter ran for First Selectman in the first place.

“What rewards me about this is this certain sense of accomplishment that I get because you’re going out and doing something in the community, he said, “And having a chance to impact somebody and you’ve done something to make their life better.”

Change One Way Or Another

Newtown consults on governance decision

Governance is a continual process – every year we hold elections to decide leaders at the local, state or national level, and in effect choose what direction we believe we should go in. On the local level, one of the biggest questions is how a government should take shape. The town of Newtown has been consulting with experts and other towns on deciding if a Town Manager would be appropriate for them.

Currently, less than a quarter of towns and cities are town manager towns in Connecticut, but they have increased in popularity over the last several years with towns looking into the change or going through with it.

According to information pulled form the Office of Legislative Research (OLR), a town manager is a municipality’s chief executive officer (CEO), hired by the legislative body, often with requirements that they have a Master of Public Administration degree. It is believed that the manager form of government “professionalize the CEO position” while still being able to “minimize the role of partisan politics in the administration of the local government.”

And while only so many towns in Connecticut have a town manager form of government, it is actually the preferred form of government for towns over 2,500 in the United States according to the International City/

County Management Association. In Connecticut, the town manager form of government covers towns with populations of about 10,000 to 40,000.

Notable exceptions include Manchester, Meriden, and West Hartford, which have populations of approximately 58,000, 60,000, and 63,000.

Towns are allowed to establish a town manager as CEO under two statutes according to OLR, by charter or by vote at a town meeting.

Recently, members of the Town Administrator Workgroup of Newtown met with Simsbury First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis. Simsbury is one of several towns in recent years to change to the town manager form.

Their dedication is our inspiration.

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On the flipside, towns that have town manager forms of government aren’t immune to change either. Most notably, Hartford had a city manager for many years before adopting their current form of government. Ultimately, it is up to the people of Newtown to decide what is best for them. Through elections, they chose representatives that will make decisions on budget, processes, and in this case form of government. One thing that is sure is that in a democracy, these things are always up for debate and for study.

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To make a research request contact our staff or log on to: ccm-ct.org/Resources/Research

HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE

Greenway Connects

Hartford area towns decide best route for nationwide bicycle infrastruc-

New England and Connecticut in general has a storied history when it comes to bicycles. The first patent for a bicycle was awarded to an Ansonia man over 150 years ago, and Columbia bikes, once manufactured out of Hartford, continued to be sold today. You can say it’s part of our “heritage,” as members of several Capitol area towns look to link the Bloomfield Greenway to the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail.

The Greenway, like so many other bicycle paths, is a former railway, in this case, the old Connecticut Western Railroad lines. It is less than 2 miles of trail between the towns of Bloomfield and Simsbury. In the listing for the trail on traillink, it is noted that the plan the whole time was to connect the Greenway from Hartford to the Farmington Canal Trail.

The Canal has been written about several times in the pages of CT&C –not simply because we here are fans of biking – but because it extends from New Haven all the way to the Massachusetts border and beyond. Connecting to this massive piece of infrastructure is a no-brainer, and these towns, through the Capitol Region Council of Governments, is looking into how to best accomplish this task.

There are many common issues that bicycle and trail infrastructure run into. The primary issue is where car infrastructure and trail infrastructure meet. On the Canal Trail, there are still several miles where the trail diverges onto public roads, which is unfortunately not the safest option.

But the Greenway has other site-specific issues – namely the Farmington River and it’s environs. The different elevations can often be an issue for your everyday cyclist and a deterrent for those who simply want a nice place to walk.

In a piece written about the trail for the Hartford Courant, it appears that as many options have been rejected as have been considered. Working through these issues will result in an amenity that will be cherished by people today and in future generations. A common refrain in CT&C – and even in this issue – younger generation prefer infrastructure that allows them to bike and/or walk to work. And so it goes that they’d like to bike for

fun as well, going for stints on a weekend day as much as riding on a Monday morning.

All in all, this is going to eventually add up to something so much bigger than just a few miles here and there. The Bloomfield Greenway, the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail are part of the East Coast Greenway –over 3000 miles of trail from Florida to Maine. It’s only natural that we should be doing what we can to make it link up – it’s in our heritage.

Pierre Lallement of Ansonia, andJames Carroll of New Haven filed the earliest and only American patent application for the pedal-bicycle in April 1866, and the patent was awarded on November 20, 1866.

HOUSING & INFRASTRUCTURE

Growth In Groton

How does one town handle the influx of new residents?

For many years to come, housing will be the topic of the day: Connecticut residents, new and old, need some place to live of course. And there is no greater example than Southeastern Connecticut where Electric Boat is planning on hiring 1500 individuals in the immediate future.

So where are these folks going to live?

Down in Groton, where Electric Boat is located, the need for housing is well known. In two separate articles, one published by the Day and the other by CT Insider, the town has been in contact with the business about ways to incentivize developers or even having the company itself build housing.

The challenge will be to build housing across the pricing ranges. While some folks will be looking for a place to settle down, many employees said they want affordable rentals. A study was noted in the Insider article saying, “newly constructed housing would be preferred, with four of every 10 new employees preferring to rent rather than own,” with $1500 being the cap on monthly costs.

Furthermore, they cited an oft-repeated mantra about younger generations, stating that many would like to see options to walk or bike to work. Though contentious in some circles, the idea of a 15-minute city has

been growing in popularity, where people can get to work, the grocery store, schools and downtown amenities in just a quarter of an hour by foot or wheels.

This is a point that the Day article looks at in great length. With so many new people, what are the impacts going to be on parking and traffic?

Electric Boat is helping by continuing their hybrid work arrangement, with one manager quoted saying that only employees that need to be there in person should be there in person. The town recognizes that there will likely be a crunch, and part of the issue is protecting parking for residents that don’t work at the boatyard. And of course, many of these individuals will be moving in with or starting families throughout their career at Electric Boat. So Groton, and many of the immediate surrounding areas must think about classroom size growing as many schools around the state are actually shrinking.

This is a good problem in many ways. Electric Boat might be leading the way, but offshore wind is expected to need additional employees, and a nearby museum being built. Housing, parking, schools, its all infrastructure and it’s all connected. If we want to keep growing our state, we have to make sure that we are investing in that growth, and not letting the plans sink.

Slow Down

Milford Police say tech makes roads safer

While the state studies the implementation of speed cameras, there has been another technology that has proven effective in combatting speeding on local streets that is much less punitive: the digital radar sign. According to a recent article in the CT Post, the City of Milford has seen excellent results in using the road safety infrastructure.

Over the last several years, CT&C has written about the growing concern of traffic safety. Each year, more and more pedestrians are being hit, and there has been a stark increase in vehicles driving the wrong direction and generally being distracted whether by screens in their dashboard or on their phones.

And the speed a car is driving when an accident inevitably happens can mean life or death for a pedestrian. According to Radarsign.com, the fatality rate of a pedestrian hit by a car going 40 mph is around 90%. Drop that speed to 20 mph and the fatality rate drops not just by half, but to 10%.

One major reason why there is an 80% drop in fatality rate is because it takes longer for an image to register when you are traveling faster. At 40 mph it might take upwards of 60 feet to even realize that you need to react, and an additional 80 feet to actually bring your car to a complete stop. A car going 20 mph would take 60 feet total, according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

Speeding is clearly a major factor in the safety of our streets, so do the radar signs actually work? The Milford Police Department did a traffic study reported on in the CT Post that showed they were incredibly effective in their city.

One sign located at Gulf Street indicated such an effect.

“The speed limit at the Gulf Street sign is 25 mph. According to the state DOT, the Gulf Street sign showed the 8th percentile speeds, the speed at which 85 percent of vehicles travel at or below, were about 36 mph. The addition of the radar sign, combined with a speed limit sign resulted in 8th percentile speeds dropping between 2 and 7 mph.”

While that won’t put them at the 25 mph speed limit, it did bring them down to a more moderate speed. This success was echoed by the Ra-

darsign.com information which said that “speeders WILL slow down up to 80% of the time.” Continuing, “Typical average speed reductions are 10-20%, and overall compliance with the posted speed limit will increase by 30-60%.”

We might be years from speed cameras, and they might not even be right for your municipality. But radar signs have shown at least in one city the effectiveness in getting people to slow down and think about how fast they’re really going. It could be a life-saving thought.

Face-To-Face Care, Town By Town

Westport, Weston, and Wilton offer mental health services

According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic led to a sharp increase of anxiety and depression worldwide. The response needs to be equal in measure. Westport, Weston, and Wilton have joined into a partnership to offer a Counseling Assistance Program aimed at low-income and under-insured residents.

From a CT Insider article, the three towns could be one of the first in the state to join forces for mental health resources. Quoted is Elaine Daignault, Westport’s human services director who said that “Locally, human services departments have experienced an influx of inquiries from residents seeking mental health support services with long waitlists and other barriers preventing clients from pursuing treatment.”

This is unfortunately not a Connecticut specific issue. Across the United States there is a mental health care professional shortage that is causing these long waiting times for issues that often need immediate attention. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, the country will be short between 14,000 and 30,000 mental health professionals.

These conditions are in part what led to this groundbreaking regional initiative. Funded in part by American Rescue Plan Funds, it will also allow the three communities to extend the use of their resources and expand services according to info in the Insider article.

Part of the agreement is a partnership with a local mental health organization, Positive Directions, who will facilitate referrals. Per the Insider article, people or families can often expect to get an appointment within a week of calling.

Positive Directions was founded just over 50 years ago in Westport as a volunteer organization according to their website. They began by help-

ing those in recovery from alcohol addiction, and over time broadening their reach to helping folks struggling with mental health, problem gambling and other addictions.

While conditions have improved since the worst part of the pandemic, things are still dire for people who cannot access “faceto-face care” according to the World Health Organization. And convincing more folks to focus in psychiatry is only one facet of the

issue per the Association of American Medical Colleges.

Until then, it’ll be up to communities to support their residents in any way they can. The partnership between Westport, Weston and Wilton is an important step in understanding the severity of the problem. By partnering up for a regional solution, with trusted leaders like the Positive Directors organization, they have shown they are taking the matter seriously.

Hello Dolly

New Britain is joining Imagination Library Program

Whatever Dolly Parton put in her “cup of ambition,” must have been strong stuff since she’s made it her cause to help every child in America read through her Imagination Library. With partners throughout the country - and worldwide - she just might be able to do it. With programs already located in several Connecticut municipalities, a new branch is opening in New Britain.

Parton’s program is simple. Launching in 1995, her organization gave books to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee, where the singer grew up. Each month, no matter the income of the family, from birth to age five, children get the books mailed free. By the year 2000, it became clear that the success of this program was replicable on a national scale. In 2020, the program was piloted in Hartford, and now thousands of children are enrolled there, equating to more than 80,000 books distributed per information from a Hartford Courant article. It is supported by the United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut. Thanks to funding secured by Representative Jahana Hayes, that program is now expanding to New Britain. The Imagination Library was inspired by Dolly Parton’s roots. In a letter to supporters she said that her father considered the Imagination Library the most important thing she had ever done. A heartwarming, but also tragic fact, considering that Dolly states that her father’s inability to read “kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.” While this might seem like a problem from the past, today, 25 million children still cannot read proficiently.

Only 37% of students graduate high school at or above reading proficiency for their age. This problem, like so many education-related issues, became worse over the pandemic – from a study cited in a New York Times article on the subject said that reading levels have reached 20-year lows.

Recently, a bill was introduced to make Connecticut the 16th state to fund the program statewide, according to the Courant article, just after Californian voted to do the same.

Right now, just Hartford, Kent, Stratford, Stamford, Torrington have listings on the Imagination Library website.

If her father’s words ring true, then Dolly Parton, a titan of Country music, might be more remembered for her contributions to the education of children than for her songs. She was recently awarded a Carnegie Medal for her work in Philanthropy. For the thousands of children who have benefited from this program, they can spin one of her many classic records in her father’s honor.

“You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children.”

What Is DEI In 2023?

Sustainable CT Marlborough holds wide-ranging discussion on issues

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work like Democracy itself is a continual practice. It must keep asserting itself, or else it runs the risk of disused. Sustainable CT Marlborough recently did the work of recognizing the need to discuss sensitive subjects and grow as a community.

Their DEI presentation held in late February began with a few disclaimers – including the facts that they would be discussing sensitive and uncomfortable subjects, but that they were not condemning residents as racist or lacking in compassion. The goal, for them, was to educate in order to move forward.

For years, it was easy enough to exist without having many of these difficult conversations, to not move forward. But as we entered a new century, and through movements like Black Lives Matter, it has been clear that equity is good for a community.

They state this eloquently in the presentation: “It is healthy for a community as a whole government and its residents to perform an internal self-evaluation of its delivery of services, goals, policies, practices, ordinances & regulations, to position the community to be more equitable, resilient and sustainable moving forward.”

And throughout the extensive presentation, Sustain-

able CT Marlborough tackled many definitions – what is Diversity, Equity and Inclusion after all? Who are the disadvantaged groups in our community? What is white privilege?

One interesting element is the conversation on Conscious and Unconscious Bias. Understanding that hatred exists in a world of conscious bias is one thing, but recognizing that we can form unconscious biases through social conditioning is another. Harvard has extensively studied this issue and has even developed an online tool that can show how these implicit biases creep in.

Whether its conscious or unconscious, intolerance is still a part of our every day lives. In the presentation, they list a series of recent events that showed this, and some happened just weeks before.

One DEI meeting will not stop hatred, will not stop implicit bias. It is only through continually seeking to name and educate that we can move forward as communities. They are the cornerstones that will help move us forward, in our towns, our state, and our nation. Work that is done in places like Marlborough is a sign that people are willing to do the work – no matter how uncomfortable it might be for them – to make their world a little bit better for everyone.

There’s An App For That

Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce promotes Hamden App

You have an app for everything else – then why not for where you spend most of your hometown? Hello Hamden is the latest example of a town moving into the virtual world, hoping to not just inform residents and visitors about goings-on, but to help promote local businesses at the same time.

A project of the Hamden Regional Chamber of Commerce, the app is a move to bring information to the people. While web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Safari are still the dominant forms of accessing the internet, more and more people are turning to dedicated apps on their phones for information.

Think of Facebook and Twitter where people congregate and talk to each other, Instagram and Tik Tok which have turned into video streaming apps, Uber Eats and GrubHub where people see what restaurants are open.

According to Nancy Dudchik, President of the Chamber, quoted in a New Haven Register article, only Darien and Mystic have apps like Hamden. (Although, further research showed apps for other cities that might have gone live since this interview.)

Broken down into four categories, individuals can nav-

igate between Eat, Shop, Play, or Live/Work/Stay tabs. The former breaks down food into different categories like style of dining (family-friendly or fine dining). Shop has resources for everything from antiques to farms. While the app is free for anyone to download, there are some costs associated for businesses that want to advertise or enhance their presence on the app.

Armstrong Software, the company that is credited with listing the app on the Apple store, has created apps for dozens of localities around the country – from RV Parks to Resorts to whole counties.

Under the banner of “App My Community,” the company “builds customized mobile apps dedicated to promoting the individual branding and amenities of any type of community.”

With more than a dozen customizable features, the company looks to make its app as intuitive and usable as possible no matter what the needs are of the town or city.

And in 2023, people might not be bringing up a website anymore – they might just be bringing up one of their many apps on their phone. With a different app for nearly everything you do, why not have an app for that?

Stay Safe On The World Wide Web

Naugatuck PD held information session on internet safety for families

Accessing the internet can’t be a more personal act. You are generally using a device by yourself – a computer, a tablet, a smartphone – and yet you are connected to billions of other individuals. It is incumbent on individuals then to protect themselves on the web. But what about children? The Naugatuck Police Department held an informational session for parents to help keep their kids safe on the web. Held in person in February, the event invited parents to come in and learn about safety measures for parents to consider for their children.

Never has there been a time when access to information and people been greater, but also never has it been more fraught with danger to have this great access. According to many studies teens that spend more time on social media have higher rates of isolation and depression. It’s also a place where children experience increased rates of bullying – with victims being more likely to be girls between the age of 12 – 17. The Justice Department has put together some tips to help protect children online. And the first measure is discussing internet safety and develop and online safe-

ty plan with children. Spotting red flags isn’t necessarily easy for adults, so some education is incumbent upon the parent as well.

There are several measures that can help – parental controls and privacy settings, setting boundaries for social media like age restrictions and time limits can be a healthy part of utilizing the internet. Make sure they are only interacting with sites and games that you feel comfortable with them using.

Explain to them that personal information, photos and videos, even those under handles (usernames) can stay on the internet permanently.

And most importantly, explain that no interaction online can be taken into the real world. While not everyone on the internet is a predator, it’s important to be alert to potential signs of abuse and predation. Incidents should be immediately reported to the authorities.

The Naugatuck Police Department is one such authority. By giving this informational session, they are showing they understand how important it is in 2023 to be safe online.

EASY AS 1-2-3

Take the following steps to identify improvements and implement projects that add up to real savings for your community.

1 2 3

Eliminate contracting hurdles by leveraging ESC’s status as a pre-approved provider of energy efficiency retrofits and cost savings services with the Connecticut Department of Administrative Services.

Capitalize on a variety of incentive programs offered by local utility providers working with ESC to support project implementation, including interest-free financing for up to one million dollars per municipality.