MINUTES Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley COGCNV Members: Speakers and Guests: Staff:

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1 MINUTES Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley Juniper s Restaurant 1393 Whittemore Road Middlebury, CT :00 Noon, Friday, October 11, 2013 COGCNV Members: Mark Piccirillo, Alternate, Bethlehem; Jerry Sitko, Alternate, Cheshire; Ed St. John, First Selectman, Joseph Salvini, Alternate, Middlebury; Bob Mezzo, Mayor, Naugatuck; George Temple, First Selectman, Joanne Pelton, Alternate, Oxford; Bob Chatfield, Mayor, Tom Galvin, Alternate, Prospect; Ed Edelson, First Selectman, Southbury; Neil O Leary, Mayor, Garrett Casey, Alternate, Waterbury; Ray Primini, Town Council Chairman, Watertown; Tom Dunn, Mayor, Wolcott; Jerry Stomski, First Selectman, Woodbury. Speakers and Guests: Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman; Martin Heft, Senior Advisor, Steve Jensen, Director of Communications, Office of the Lieutenant Governor; Joann Reynolds Balanda, United Way of Greater Waterbury; Wally Kostrzewa, Naugatuck Valley Community College; John DiCarlo, Waterbury Regional Chamber; Edgar Wynkoop, CTDOT; Carl Stephani, Francis Pickering, Tim Malone, Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency. Staff: Samuel Gold, Acting Executive Director; Joe Perrelli, Senior Planner; Pat Gallagher, Regional Planner; Glenda Prentiss, GIS Coordinator; Aaron Budris, Planning Assistant/GIS; Lauren Rizzo, Administrative Assistant. 1. Pledge of Allegiance, Roll Call, Public Comment Chairman Ed Edelson called the meeting to order at 12:03 p.m. Those in attendance recited the Pledge of Allegiance and the roll was called. There was no public comment. Bob Chatfield suggested a rearrangement of the order of the agenda, allowing Lt. Governor Wyman to speak first. There was no objection to this suggestion. 2. Questions & Answers with Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman provided an overview of the state s budget, transportation issues, and grants, and then opened the floor to questions. Topics raised by COGCNV members and addressed by the Lt. Governor included the government shutdown and its impact on the state level, small business and economic development in Connecticut, governmental red tape, the I 84 widening project, the effect of the Affordable Healthcare Act on municipalities, the reorganization of regional planning organizations, and oversight and checks and balances for regional school districts. 3. United Way of Greater Waterbury Job Training and Education Initiative JoAnn Reynolds Balanda of United Way of Greater Waterbury said the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness has identified a best practice prevention strategy that helps maintain housing for vulnerable families. Known as the Flexible Assistance Fund, its goal is to support families experiencing a one time financial crisis that puts their housing in jeopardy due to illness, unemployment, or other factors. Residents of the United Way 10 town region can access the Flexible Assistance Fund through identified entry points called Portal Agencies including New Opportunities, Inc., Catholic Charities, and the Salvation Army. She also discussed the call center that helps connect individuals and families

2 to health and human service resources in their community. More information may be obtained by contacting United Way. Wally Kostrzewa, Dean of Community Engagement at Naugatuck Valley Community College, spoke about the education and training programs offered by the college. He discussed the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center and said that later this year municipal CEOs will be invited to the campus for a meeting about economic development and education and their relationship to jobs, quality of life, and the future of communities. 4. OPM Draft Analysis of the Boundaries of Logical Planning Regions (At this point, Ed Mone, First Selectman of Thomaston, joined the meeting by phone.) Samuel Gold summarized the October 1, 2013 status report from OPM Status Report: Analysis of the Boundaries of Logical Planning Regions. In their report, two different scenarios were presented Scenario A which consolidates COGCNV with Valley COG, and Scenario B which consolidates COGCNV, Valley COG, and the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council. The status report presented only scenarios involving whole regions. The final report, which will be completed by January 1, 2014, may also have scenarios involving individual municipalities. Pros and cons for both Scenario A and Scenario B were presented, as outlined in Memorandum Regional Consolidation Update and Process Samuel Gold reported that the Greater Bridgeport Regional Council voted to consolidate with the Southwestern region and is currently awaiting a response. In the meantime, the Southwestern region has accepted a merger proposal from Housatonic Valley. The Valley Council of Governments is mainly interested in merging with Greater Bridgeport and has not made any stand alone overtures to COGCNV. Another potential COGCNV merger would be with Central Connecticut, although the OPM study shows them merging with Capitol Region. Central Connecticut approached Capitol Region concerning a voluntary merger, but this overture was declined. Capitol Region is interested in taking the Central Connecticut municipalities, but not the RPO. COGCNV could pursue a voluntary reorganization with Central Connecticut, if COGCNV members so choose. Central Connecticut also has other options available. New Britain has expressed interest in becoming part of the Capitol Region, and other individual towns in the Central Connecticut region may or may not share this view. Plymouth, Bristol, and Southington have strong connections to some COGCNV towns, as does Newtown to the west. Mr. Gold presented the following recommendations: First, since the state has recommended that Valley COG and COGCNV merge, a resolution to do so be passed by COGCNV; secondly, that a resolution be passed to welcome neighboring towns to join COGCNV, and thirdly that a resolution be passed to explore voluntary consolidation with Central Connecticut. If a voluntary consolidation with Valley COG is unsuccessful, OPM may suggest a merger with Greater Bridgeport and Valley, however, OPM will not force any further mergers if a voluntary merger has been made. 2

3 On a motion by Bob Chatfield, seconded by Ed St. John, it was unanimously VOTED: To support the resolution entitled Support for the Voluntary Consolidation of the Central Naugatuck Valley and Valley Regions and the Redesignation of the Planning Region by the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management. On a motion by Ed St. John, seconded by George Temple, it was VOTED: To support the resolution entitled Support for Scenario A in the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management s Status Report: Analysis of the Boundaries of Logical Planning Regions. This resolution supports OPM s Consolidation Scenario A while opposing Scenario B. Bob Mezzo requested that it be noted for the record that while he supports Scenario A, he is not opposed to Scenario B. He requested that this also be noted in any correspondence with OPM. Ed St. John said Central Connecticut should also be welcomed to join with COGCNV. Ed Edelson said some COGCNV members had expressed reservations about merging with the entire Central Connecticut region, feeling only one major city (Waterbury) should be the focal point of the organization, but that boundary towns would be welcomed. In accordance with this, Mr. St. John s suggestion was not acted upon. Bob Mezzo said he would not support a Resolution Welcoming Neighboring Municipalities to Petition the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management for Redesignation into the Central Naugatuck Valley Region if it was only open to specific, named municipalities. Ed Edelson said the named municipalities had indicated their openness to regional redesignation and/or had commonality with COGCNV, but that this did not preclude any other municipalities that were not named. Mayor Mezzo felt the resolution should be open to any municipality. Mayor Dunn agreed. Mayor Mezzo requested the fourth paragraph be stricken from the proposed motion. Discussion followed. It was noted that per state guidelines, towns must be contiguous to the region. On a motion by Bob Mezzo, seconded by Bob Chatfield, it was VOTED: To approve a modified Resolution Welcoming Neighboring Municipalities to Petition the Connecticut Office of Policy and Management for Redesignation into the Central Naugatuck Valley Region by removing/striking the fourth Whereas clause (naming municipalities) from the original resolution. Following this vote, Ed Mone ended his phone participation at the meeting. For public comment, Carl Stephani, Executive Director of the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency, said he and other staff members had attended the COGCNV meeting in 3

4 order to be aware of COGCNV s actions. CCRPA will report to their members so that they may respond appropriately. He said CCRPA staff is interested in joining with another region as a region, but they are aware their member municipalities have other choices. He noted that all available options had been covered thoroughly by COGCNV staff. 6. Consent Agenda a. Minutes of the September 13, 2013 Meeting b. Air Quality Conformity c. Correspondence On a motion by Tom Dunn, seconded by Ed St. John, it was unanimously VOTED: To approve the items on the Consent Agenda. 7. Financial Report Samuel Gold reported that as of September 30, 2013, COGCNV was 25% through the fiscal year and had expended 19.6% of its operating budget. Including pass through funds, 21% of the total budget has been expended. All fiscal year 2014 dues have been paid, with the exception of Naugatuck. The executive committee voted not to take any action on this matter. On a motion by Garrett Casey, seconded by Tom Galvin, it was unanimously VOTED: To approve the financial report. 8. Director s Report a. Staffing Update Samuel Gold recommended that Aaron Budris be promoted from Planning Assistant GIS to Regional Planner GIS Specialist, with a salary increase for increased responsibilities. On a motion by Ed St. John, seconded by George Temple, it was unanimously VOTED: To promote Aaron Budris from Planning Assistant GIS to Regional Planner GIS Specialist, with a corresponding salary increase. b. Strategic Planning Process Samuel Gold said that as the region and agency transition, it is important that the agency have a vision. This process has begun on an internal basis. He sees opportunities for the agency in regional services, GIS, and grants. He would also like to have staff come out to the municipalities on a more regular basis to talk to town councils and select boards to find out what issues are important to them. This will help COGCNV to provide the services municipalities need. c. Bus Study Tip Amendment Mr. Gold also said that a year ago COGCNV approved a TIP amendment to use transportation urban money for a study of the Waterbury regional bus system. The state rejected the study as they were engaged in a study of the study process and were determining how to approve which studies would be 4

5 funded using urban money. The state has now reopened the process and asked COGCNV to resubmit. COGCNV members had no objections to this. d. Other Samuel Gold also reported that he received a call from Representative Esty s transportation adviser in Washington, saying she shares COGCNV s concerns about longer and heavier trucks being permitted on the federally aided highway system, and will not be supporting any of these bills in the transportation committee. 9. Regional Animal Shelter Study Pat Gallagher reported that at the last committee meeting, the Middlebury Animal Shelter was selected as the most suitable location for a new regional shelter. Options to expand the shelter using the existing building will be explored. Once the number of municipalities wishing to participate has been finalized, the second round of performance incentive grant money needed can be determined. Municipal decisions are requested by 10/ Regional Business Joe Perrelli said CTDOT notified COGCNV that the new TIP process is starting and will be approved in July of The TIP is a four year schedule of transportation projects that are federally funded. CTDOT is still in discussion with the RPOs regarding the new local transportation capital improvement program. Pat Gallagher said there will be a household hazardous waste collection day on October 19 at Kennedy High School in Waterbury. 11. Adjournment At 1:28 p.m., on a motion by Ed St. John, seconded by Tom Dunn, it was unanimously VOTED: To adjourn the meeting. Respectfully submitted by Lauren Rizzo Administrative Assistant for Bob Chatfield Secretary T:\General\Meetings\FY 2014\COG Minutes.docx 5