Change of leadership at COG

GOSHEN — Rick Lynn has retired after 33 years as executive director of the former Litchfield Hills Council of Elected Officials and then the Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG, which includes the six Northwest Corner towns).

Speaking to The Lakeville Journal after the June 10 NHCOG meeting (along with his replacement, Rob Phillips), Lynn said that regional planning agencies have evolved over the years.

The COGs are created by enabling legislation from the General Assembly, Lynn said. “They used to be regional planning agencies. Now we have nine COGs” or CEOs (Council of Elected Officials) in the state.

Planning agencies primarily are concerned with planning and zoning regulations and town growth.

Lynn said it is important for citizens to remember that the COGs are not remote state agencies, but comprised of the first selectmen, mayors and town managers of the member towns. “That’s who we take our marching orders from,” Lynn said.

Lynn said the job has gotten more complex over his career, in part because of an increase in state mandates and regulation and in part because of the information technology revolution.

“Pre-computer, the turnaround time was much longer. We used typewriters. It took a week just to initiate correspondence.

“Towns are now asked to respond much more quickly.”

Phillips, most recently town planner for Southington, lives in Farmington. Asked why he wanted the NHCOG job, he said “I love the Northwest Corner and I wanted to get out of local planning.”

During the June 10 NHCOG meeting, when the members approved hiring Phillips, several first selectmen said they were impressed by the amount of research Phillips did before the interview.

“I looked at everything I could look at,” Phillips said.

Lynn wrapped up his remarks with praise for the three other staffers at NHCOG: Jocelyn Ayer (Community and Economic Development Director), Janell Mullen ( Regional Planner) and Darlene Krukar (Office Manager), and for the NHCOG members.

“We’ve never failed to have a quorum,” he said. “That underscores the commitment of our officials. They leave politics and egos at the door.”