COG watches legislative session with concern

LITCHFIELD — Northwest Hills Council of Governments is closely watching a number of bills in Hartford this year.

Harwinton First Selectman Michael Criss opened his legislative report at the March 13 meeting of the COG with a message for the assembled town leaders: “If you’re planning your budgets, you might want to buckle up.”

Criss, who chairs the Council of Government’s Legislative Committee, claimed that many pending bills at the legislative session, which closes June 4, don’t factor in the needs of small towns. He drew attention to several raised Senate and House Bills, which he said number in the thousands this session, that he found problematic.

He highlighted House Bill 6831, one of the more contentious bills of the session as particularly dangerous for the rural towns in the Northwest Corner. The bill seeks to incentivize affordable housing development by prioritizing grant funding to “transit-oriented communities,” which it defines as downtown commercial districts oriented in proximity to a public-transport hub.

The bill, which is also known as “Work, Live, Ride,” is strongly divided on party lines. Democratic proponents have said the bill would promote walkability and affordability in Connecticut’s municipalities, addressing a dire need for housing for working families. Republican detractors have argued that the bill could make much-needed funding for municipal improvement in small, rural towns that don’t qualify as “transit-oriented” harder to come by, and also could wrest zoning control from local leaders.

Criss said the bill was one of many that town officials should keep tabs on.

Council of Governments Executive Director Rob Phillips agreed that this legislative session has been especially hectic: “It’s like whack-a-mole. Sometimes something pops up and you have to react in a matter of days.”

“Sometimes 24 hours,” Criss replied.

New grant manager

COG recently hired a new grant financial manager to its staff, filling a longstanding gap in its financial planning strategies.

Annmarie Ryan, who previously worked as financial manager for the town of Deep River and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, will assume the role on April 7. She will add a grant management backbone to a “decentralized” financial department, in the words of Executive Director Rob Phillips.

“We’ve been kind of limping along with a bookkeeper,” said Phillips, clarifying that the Council’s bookkeeper has done a great job but that grant management as a core function of the COG requires specialized and focused oversight. “There’s just so much more we can do,” he said of the group’s pursuit for grants.

Latest News

From research to recognition: Student project honors pioneering Black landowner

Cornwall Consolidated School seventh graders Skylar Brown, Izabella Coppola, Halley Villa, Willow Berry, Claire Barbosa, Willa Lesch, Vivianne DiRocco and Franco Aburto presented a group research project on the life of Naomi Freeman Wednesday, April 23. In attendance were U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., John Mills, president of Alex Breanne Corporation, Cornwall First Selectman Gordon Ridgway, Cornwall Selectman Jennifer Markow and CCS social studies teacher Will Vincent.

Photo by Riley Klein

CORNWALL — “In Cornwall you have made the decision that everyone here matters and everyone’s story is important,” said U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-Waterbury, to the seventh grade class at Cornwall Consolidated School April 23.

Hayes was in attendance to celebrate history on Wednesday as the CCS students presented their group research project on the life of Naomi Cain Freeman, the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.

Keep ReadingShow less
Legal Notices - April 24, 2025

Town of Salisbury

Board of Finance

Keep ReadingShow less
Classifieds - April 24, 2025

Help Wanted

Experienced horse equestrian: to train three-year-old white Persian Mare for trail riding. 860-67-0499.

Help wanted: Small Angus Farm seeks reliable help for cattle and horses. Duties include feeding, fence repair, machine repair. Will train the right person. 860-671-0499.

Keep ReadingShow less