Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Receives Grant to Develop Regional Open Space Inventory

For Immediate Release: November 13, 2023 

Contact:     
Christine O’Neill  
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments               
203-489-0351 
coneill@nvcogct.gov 

Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments Receives Grant to Develop Regional Open Space Inventory 

The Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) was awarded $92,000 by the U.S. Forest Service to update and improve a Regional Open Space Inventory for priority parcels across the 19 municipalities within the Naugatuck Valley. A Stakeholder Kickoff will be held virtually on Monday, December 4th at 2.p.m via Zoom. 

During the Regional Open Space Inventory Stakeholder Kickoff, NVCOG staff will discuss the project and the roles envisioned for partners. Town Planners, Town Clerks, GIS/IT staff, Conservation Commissioners, land trust members, and staff from water companies within the Naugatuck Valley are strongly encouraged to attend. Attendees can register to participate in the kickoff online at bit.ly/nvcogopenspace. Any questions may be directed to coneill@nvcogct.gov or 203-489-0351.  

Open Space is defined in the Connecticut General Statutes as land whose preservation would conserve natural resources, enhance public recreation, preserve historic sites, or promote orderly development. Examples of Open Space in the region include farmland, playgrounds, wildlife preserves, village greens, hiking trails, and more. This U.S. Forest Service grant will enable NVCOG to research and catalogue important information on priority parcels as identified by municipalities and land trusts.  

Tracking Open Space on a regional scale is challenging, given the different interpretations and record-keeping methods used among municipalities. NVCOG plans to work with stakeholders including municipal land use staff, Conservation Commissions, land trusts, and water companies in each of the 19 municipalities to identify priority parcels. Staff will then follow up with municipal clerks to consult land records to obtain the latest GIS mapping information. This information will be used to update and build out the NVCOG’s Open Space GIS viewer. Additionally, NVCOG will produce a report with municipal annexes that documents findings on Open Space in the region and provides high-level recommendations. 

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. 

To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov/document/ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by: 

(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or 

(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 

(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov. 

PUBLIC NOTICE: Elm Street Reconstruction Project Hybrid Public Meeting 

The Town of Thomaston will conduct a Hybrid Public Information Meeting concerning the Elm Street Reconstruction Project. The meeting will be held on Monday, November 20, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at the Lena Morton Gallery, Thomaston Town Hall, 158 Main Street, Thomaston, CT 06787. A Zoom option is available at https://bit.ly/46IQ1FH . The meeting will be live streamed via YouTube Live on the NVCOG YouTube channel at youtube.com/@nvcogct.  

Formal Presentation will begin at 7:00 p.m. A Question and Answer (Q&A) session will immediately follow the presentation. Residents, commuters, business owners, and other interested individuals are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about and discuss the proposed project.  

The project’s scope will encompass a full-depth reconstruction of the road, upgrading the existing storm drainage system, installing pedestrian and cyclist facilities, which will include closing gaps in the existing sidewalk network. This project will revitalize Elm Street from Maple Street in the south to East Main Street in the north. Elm Street will connect to the Naugatuck River Greenway, a 44-mile multi-use trail that is being developed, which will attract tourism, economic development, and improve the quality of life for residents.  

Individuals with limited internet access can listen to the meeting by calling +1 929 205 6099 and entering the Participant Code when prompted: 836 8159 1950. A recording of the formal presentation will be posted to the NVOG YouTube following the event and closed captioning (including non-English translation options) will be available at that time.  

Language assistance is available to the public at no cost. For language assistance requests contact Desira Blanchard, Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator with Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments, at dblanchard@nvcogct.gov or at 203-757-0535. Requests should be made at least 5 business days prior to the meeting. 

PRESS RELEASE: Upcoming Webinar on Middlebury’s Trash Reduction Pilot

For Immediate Release: October 27, 2023

Thomas Dougherty
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
203-725-3096
Tdougherty@nvcogct.gov 

PRESS RELEASE: BREAKING DOWN THE TRASH WEBINAR 

Middlebury, CT – The Town of Middlebury and the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) will host an informational webinar about Middlebury’s Trash Reduction Pilot on November 9th at 6 – 7:30pm. This webinar is geared towards any Middlebury resident who wants to learn more about the program, ask questions, or share feedback. It will also be posted online for future viewing on the NVCOG Reduce The Trash Facebook page and NVCOG’s SMM website page. 

The webinar will include a slideshow with information on unit-based pricing and organics diversion, along with videos, best practices and resident testimonies. The webinar will conclude with a survey to gather participant feedback. 

Middlebury’s pilot involves the distribution of trash (orange) and food scrap (green) bags to residents. Residents dispose of green food scrap bags in a “food waste” container located at the Transfer Station and orange trash bags in the usual dumpster. The pilot challenges residents to cut their trash in half by using only two orange bags and one green bag per week. The initial year’s supply of bags has been provided to transfer station users at no cost and will be available at the Middlebury Transfer Station if you have not already received yours. A broad base of support for this effort from community organizations across the state shows promise for solving Connecticut’s waste disposal capacity issue. 

To register for the webinar, use the link https://bit.ly/46xy4tx. There will also be a registration link on the Middlebury town website calendar and the calendar at nvcogct.gov.