Imbalanced grant distribution ruffles feathers at COG

LITCHFIELD — Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management has allocated a round of funding meant to bring municipalities’ property data up to date, but members of the Northwest Hills Council of Governments were dissatisfied with the way the money will be distributed.

At a regular meeting of the COG April 10, Executive Director Robert Phillips said $254,100 would be available to the region’s towns, however it would not be dispersed equally.

There are $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds available for this grant cycle, which runs through December 2026. The funds are collected by the COG and then dispersed based on how much updating a municipality’s dataset needs, with more funding going to towns with worse mapping data infrastructure, ostensibly in order to bring them up to speed.

“Not great news for some towns, but for other towns, may be more welcome news,” he said.

COG Chair and New Hartford First Selectman Daniel Jerram expressed annoyance that a funding pool of that size could entirely miss certain municipalities: “There needs to be discussion with the state for some sort of baseline.”

The grant in question was announced at the end of January as a means of “addressing parcel and CAMA data issues” and “ensuring municipalities have reliable and well-integrated property records,” according to a release issued by the state.

CAMA, which stands for computer-assisted mass appraisal, is a means by which properties are assessed for taxation. In Connecticut, this data is collected from municipalities annually on May 1.

Towns often use Geographic Information Systems software, known commonly as GIS, as a mapping tool to compile this type of data, which can be an expensive process.

Jerram voiced frustration that towns — like his own — that have been proactive with their GIS data collection are essentially being punished for being responsible.

Phillips filed a work plan with the Office of Policy and Management before the due date of March 31, outlining a draft funding allocation amongst the COG towns.

Jerram said that funding for better GIS data in the state is conceptually a good idea — “My frustration comes from the way it’s going to be distributed.”

Safe Routes to School

Bridget Moriarty, coordinator of the Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School campaign, presented the COG with several programs that help encourage safe, non-vehicle transportation for students to and from school.

She announced that the organization is conducting “walk audits,” or assessments of an area’s pedestrian-friendly infrastructure — essentially, its walkability. These studies can help school officials and municipal leaders develop strategies to promote a safe walking environment for students.

Moriarty said that while many students in Region One may not live within easy walking or biking distance to their school, the rural nature of the landscape makes walking or biking especially difficult for students who do have a choice to get to school without a vehicle.

The organization also aids school’s in recognizing national Walk, Bike, and Roll to School days which occur each spring and fall as efforts to promote safe, non-motorized transport to school. It ended up being one of three full-attendance days at the Housatonic Valley Regional High School in the fall, which has signed up to participate again on the 2025 spring date of May 7.

DOT also offers a “micro-grant” of up to $5,000 for projects and resources that promote “safe, accessible, sustainable and equitable walking, biking and rolling in Connecticut.”

Warren First Selectman Gregory LaCava said that his town benefited greatly from the programs: “Every kid in Warren got a bike,” he said, also reporting that the students loved the bike training on Walk, Bike, and Roll to School day.

Moriarty emphasized that the grant is easy to apply for, and better yet, “it’s not competitive.”