Category: Public Notices

For Immediate Release:
Contacts: John DiCarlo, Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
203-757-0535

                 NVCOG TO PRESENT HEALTH INSURANCE SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES TO LOCAL MUNICIPAL LEADERS

On Friday, September 14, The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) will provide a presentation to area mayors and first selectmen on opportunities for potentially significant municipal health insurance savings. The presentation will focus on savings available via a ‘captive’ insurance company, which is a risk-bearing entity formed to insure or fund the risks of its owners. A captive allows members to negotiate better terms and stabilize and reduce insurance costs and is typically tailored to address specific risk issues or risk opportunities.

The presentation, as part of NVCOG’s monthly meeting, will be provided by the CT Prime Incorporated, which was instrumental in establishing a stop loss captive for 12 Connecticut towns in the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC). This group includes Cheshire, one of NVCOG’s 19 member towns. In 2016, CREC formed CT Prime, whose towns and districts previously purchased stop-loss coverage individually to cover unexpectedly high claims. However, premiums for that stop-loss coverage were fairly volatile year to year for some towns, which pushed CREC to form its own captive insurer. CT Prime purchases stop-loss policy from the reinsurance market on behalf of its members, utilizing increased bargaining power to access more competitive premiums than any single town or district could get on its own. In all, after the first year, the towns and districts saved a total of $3 million in premiums compared to what they were paying before CT Prime was created.

In April 2018, NVCOG provided a presentation for its municipalities that currently engage in some form of self-insurance, as participation in a stop-loss captive could be an effective progression in providing health insurance cost savings. Municipalities ranging from Waterbury and Bristol to Derby and Wolcott subsequently provided data to CT Prime in order to determine the cost effectiveness in joining the existing captive or creating a cell within CT Prime serving NVCOG municipalities.

“Health insurance costs have long proven one of the more challenging components in any municipal budget,” said, NVCOG Municipal Shared Services Director John DiCarlo. “Increased buying power for Stop Loss insurance has the potential to yield significant, long term benefits and we want to ensure that our region’s cities and towns can learn more about such opportunities.”

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NOTICE is hereby given that the Greater Bridgeport and Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (GBVMPO) has developed drafts of the Public Participation Plan and the Title VI Program and Limited English Proficiency Plan for the Greater Bridgeport and Valley planning regions. The Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments (”MetroCOG”) serves as the host agency of the GBVMPO.

The purpose of the Public Participation Plan is to actively involve all affected parties in an open, cooperative, and collaborative process that provides meaningful opportunities to influence transportation decisions and is consistent with 23 CFR § 450.316.

The Title VI Program and Limited English Proficiency Plan have been prepared in accordance with Section 601 of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 so as to ensure that the level and quality of MetroCOG’s and the GBVMPO’s planning services are provided in a nondiscriminatory manner and that the opportunity for full and fair participation is offered to the community. Through this program, MetroCOG has also examined the need for services and materials for persons for whom English is not their primary language and who have a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English.

A forty-five (45) day review and comment period has been established, beginning on September 7, 2018 and ending on October 22, 2018. The public is welcomed and encouraged to review and comment on the drafts of the Public Participation Plan and the Title VI Program and Limited English Proficiency Plan. Copies of both documents are available for review at the offices of Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments, 1000 Lafayette Boulevard, Suite 925 (ninth floor), Bridgeport, CT 06604 and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments 49 Leavenworth Street, 3rd Floor, Waterbury, Connecticut 06702. Drafts can also be viewed on-line at ctmetro.org and nvcogct.org.

NOTICE is also given that MetroCOG will hold a public information meeting concerning the draft documents on October 22, 2018 at 5:00 PM in the conference room of the Connecticut Metropolitan Council of Governments, 1000 Lafayette Boulevard, Suite 925 (ninth floor), Bridgeport, CT 06604. Agency staff will be available at 4:30 PM to informally discuss any aspects relating to the drafts and any other transportation issues and concerns.

The public is encouraged to attend this meeting to learn more about the Public Participation Plan and the Title VI Program and Limited English Proficiency Plan and to express their support or concerns regarding these documents. Comments may be made orally at the information meetings, via e-mail or in writing. Written comments must be clearly legible, submitted on 8½” by 11″ paper and include the person’s name and address. Any person wishing to comment may submit their comments in writing to Matt Fulda, Executive Director, MetroCOG, mfulda@ctmetro.org or Rick Dunne, Executive Director, NVCOG, rdunne@nvcogct.org. Written comments must be received before 10 AM on October 22, 2018. The MPO will consider endorsement of the draft Public Participation Plan and the Title VI Program and Limited English Proficiency Plan at its regular meeting to be held on Thursday, October 25, 2018. The public is invited to attend this MPO meeting and will be afforded an opportunity to comment before the plans and programs are considered by the MPO.

For more information, please call MetroCOG at (203) 366-5405 or NVCOG at (203) 735-8688. Language assistance may be requested within a reasonable timeframe and is provided at no cost to the public.

Public Participation Plan / Plan de Participación Pública (es)

Title VI & LEP Plan / Programa de Título VI y Plan de Dominio Limitado del Inglés (es)

See our Employment page for more information.

This effort, which began in late 2015, included collection of ridership data, an analysis of existing bus routes, a market analysis to identify new areas in need of service, a significant outreach program to stakeholders and the public, and the development of service improvement recommendations. The study area for the effort included Berlin, Bristol, New Britain, Plainville, and Southington.

 The Final Report and its Appendices are available for download under “Study Documents” on the study website at http://hartfordtransitstudy.com/new-britain-bristol/.

The anticipated opening of the Ansonia Riverwalk extension will take place on Saturday, August 4 at 10AM. The ceremony will be held at the new Pershing Drive entranceway, just south of the Bridge Street Bridge.

The public is welcome to attend the ribbon cutting and encouraged to walk or bicycle the nearly 700 feet of additional new Riverwalk that now extends from Division Street to Pershing Drive. Referred to as the Segment 8 extension, it is the first expansion since the initial half mile walkway opened in 2012.

An exciting new feature includes a 130 foot steel pedestrian bridge over the Metro-North rail line.

When additional future expansion is completed, the Riverwalk loop will cover approximately two miles continuing north on Pershing Drive, over Bridge St Bridge, up West Main St to South Main St and re-connect at the Naugatuck River eastside levee. “

This continues to be a wonderful recreational asset for our residents,” said Mayor Dave Cassetti. “We expect the daily use of Riverwalk will continue to increase as we expand its length.”

This most recent Phase 2 addition now extends the walkway to nearly 3/4 mile, and also remains pet friendly for dog walking.

The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), in cooperation with the towns of Thomaston and Watertown, will hold a public information meeting on Thursday, June 21st, 2018 to present preliminary design concept for a short section of the Naugatuck River Greenway (NRG) trail in Thomaston and design of critical features along the future NRG trail in Watertown.  The meeting will begin informally at 6 p.m. with a formal presentation beginning at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in Thomaston Town Hall, Meeting Room 1, at 158 Main Street, Thomaston, CT.  It is being held to provide residents and stakeholders an opportunity to learn project details, review concept plans and project timeline, and provide input on the design. Anyone interested in the project is encouraged to attend.

The project is being funded by a federal Recreational Trails Program grant administered through the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).  The purpose is to design and construct a trailhead and trail on town property in Thomaston adjacent to the town water pollution control and animal control facilities, and design critical features including drainage and rail separation for a trail to be constructed in the future in Watertown.  The project is part of the larger 44-mile NRG trail that is planned to follow the Naugatuck River from Torrington to Derby.

The design work in Thomaston and Watertown is being conducted by Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. (VHB) an engineering and design firm with offices in Wethersfield, CT.  

The project will include:

• Design and construction of a trailhead parking lot on Old Waterbury Road
• Design and construction of an approximately 1200 foot compacted stone dust multiuse trail extending from the trailhead around the WPCA to a future crossing of Branch Brook
• Design of critical features along the future route of the NRG in Watertown including drainage crossings, rail separation, typical cross sections, and fall protection.
• Investigation into bridge types and costs, with a cost estimate for the preferred alternative (construction of a bridge is not currently funded).                        

It is currently expected that the design will be completed in the Summer 2018, with construction following in Spring 2019.  

“The June 21st public information meeting will provide the residents of Thomaston and Watertown and the wider region extensive information about the plans for upcoming NRG development,” said Mark Nielsen, NVCOG Director of Planning. “It will also allow residents and stakeholders an opportunity to provide input and comments on the project before it enters the final design phase.”

More information about the project can be found at the project webpage HERE

REQUEST FOR CONTRACTOR

REGIONAL ELECTION MONITOR

The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG), based in Waterbury, CT, seeks a consultant to perform regional election monitoring under the supervision of the NVCOG Director of Municipal Services and at the direction of the Connecticut Secretary of the State. This is a contractual position to be funded by the Connecticut Secretary of the State through NVCOG. The contractor will also work with registrars and other town officials from the 19 NVCOG member municipalities.

Minimum requirements include current certification by the Secretary of the State or becoming certified by the Secretary of the State as soon after execution of such contract as practicable. The Secretary shall certify the regional election monitor if such individual successfully completes the training required. Such certification training shall include successful completion of Moderator Certification Training pursuant to CGS §9-229; successful completion of the Secretary of the State’s On-Line Poll Worker Training Program; and successful completion of modules four (4) and seven (7) of the Registrar of Voters Certification Program pursuant to CGS §9-192a. (Approximately 12 hours of training total)

Work is generally required on the day of or around primaries, general elections, referenda and region-wide training. 

Compensation will be per diem or hourly by negotiation. Click here for more details. 

Each applicant interested in providing these services shall submit their resume, and a cover letter outlining their relevant experience. Consulting or law firms are also invited to respond with the same information.

The proposal should be sent to the Municipal Shared Services Director, NVCOG, 49 Leavenworth Street, Waterbury, CT 06702 no later than 2:00 pm on Friday, June 8, 2018. Electronic submissions are acceptable to jobs@nvcogct.org. An interview with a committee organized by the NVCOG Municipal Shared Services Coordinator may be required. NVCOG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. EOE/M/H/F

Click here for full Job description

Click here to view MOU between the Office of the Secretary of the State and NVCOG that started the program in 2016

The Connecticut Trail Census (CTTC), a program tracking use on multi-use trails statewide, has released publicly available data for the 2017 calendar year on their website http://www.cttrailcensus.uconn.edu/. The CTTC collects data regarding trail use patterns including who is using these trails, when people are using them, how, and why at multi-use trails across Connecticut. The Census currently includes 15 trail locations on 11 multi-use trails. Trail use is tracked with infrared counters and by trail user intercept surveys deployed by volunteers. In 2017, the program recorded 1.4 million trips taken on trail segments where counts are being conducted, and analyzed 1,003 trail user surveys collected by over 63 volunteers from trail advocacy groups around the state. The trails with the highest volumes were the Naugatuck River Greenway in Derby (303,550 uses), the Still River Greenway in Brookfield (197,945 uses) and the Hop River Trail in Vernon (133,016 uses).

“We hope this data will be used by communities and trail advocacy groups, researchers, and funding organizations to show the impacts of multi-use trails on public health, transportation systems, and local communities,” said Kristina Kelly, the Statewide Coordinator of the Census.

The program is funded by a 2016 Recreational Trails Grant received from the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and is overseen by the Connecticut Greenways Council. It is being undertaken in a partnership between UConn Extension, The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, and the UConn Center for Land Use Education and Outreach (CLEAR).

The infrared counters record hourly totals of trail use year-round, and show use patterns seasonally, by time of day, and day of week. The heaviest use occurred between the months of April and October when approximately 76% of trail uses across all sites were recorded. Because all trails involved in the program are of similar typology (multi-use, two-directional, and either paved or stone dust), the trail use data can be utilized to explore variables that may affect trail use. For example, trails that offer connection between towns and cities such as the New Britain Fastrak and the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail, seem to show less difference in the number of users between weekday and weekend. The counters are installed semi-permanently, which also will allow trails to measure the effects of future trail improvements.

The 2017 intercept survey data showed trail users who completed the survey tended to be older than the general population of Connecticut with 63% of trail users being over the age of 45 versus only 44% of the general population. While the majority of users got to the trail by car or motorcycle alone (49%), an encouraging 31% traveled in a car with someone else. Demonstrating the potential economic value of trails, 61.5% of all respondents reported spending $277 annually related to their trail use. The 2018 Trail Census Program will launch the second week of May at trail sites across the state. Trails with an interest in participating should contact the Census Coordinator Kristina Kelly at cttrailcensus@gmail.com. Existing data including infrared counter and survey data reports and recording of a recent webinar with in-depth discussion of the available data are on the Connecticut Trail Census website at http://www.cttrailcensus.uconn.edu/. All data collected is free and available to explore and download.

Contact: Kristina Kelly – cttrailcensus@gmail.com