With CCM’s assistance, Connecticut towns and cities will receive at least $300 million in funding from national settlement on opioid costs

The opioid epidemic has impacted every community across Connecticut and has taken a substantial toll on human life and families and at a very significant cost to municipalities.  While we cannot undo the harm opioids have had on communities, we are grateful that towns and cities will receive the maximum payments – at least $300 million over the next 18 years -- because of the efforts of Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong, Mayor Neil O’Leary of Waterbury and the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) as part of the National Opioids Settlement.

The Fiber Moment Has Arrived; Will Local Governments Seize It?

The internet has transformed before our eyes and many probably didn’t even notice.

Curt Fox of Crown Castle and Dale Bruckhart of Digital Backoffice have had front row seats to this transformation. They joined us on ​“The Municipal Voice,” a co-production of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and WNHH FM, to talk about the future of fiber and municipal networks. 

CT Must Reform Property Tax System That Undermines Economic Growth, Is Regressive and Unfair; New Study Proposes Steps to Reduce Tax Burden, Inequities

In a comprehensive report and analysis provided this week to the General Assembly and Lamont administration, a plan to overhaul Connecticut’s inefficient and inequitable property tax system was offered by a coalition of current and former elected and fiscal officials, who urged action during the 2022 legislative session. 

51,291 Turkeys Didn’t “Just Fall From The Sky”

On average, more than 480,000 people in the state of Connecticut rely on food banks each year.

Despite our reputation as one of the richest states in the richest countries in the world, there are still pockets of poverty, and many families don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Jason Jakubowski, President and CEO of Connecticut Foodshare, joined “The Municipal Voice,” a co-production of the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities and WNHH FM, to discuss hunger in our state, its effects, and what his organization is doing about it. 

Restaurant Owners Look Past Pandemic

It’s a common refrain – Connecticut is overshadowed by the Boston and New York metro areas. But is our restaurant scene overlooked?

For Scott Dolch, executive director of the Connecticut Restaurant Association, the obvious answer is yes. He joined the WNHH FM’s “Municipal Voice” program, hosted and produced by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, to talk about the state of our restaurants and rebuilding after the Covid-19 pandemic..

CEDAS Announces 2022 Best Practices in Economic Development & Land Use Planning

Connecticut Economic Development Association (CEDAS) has announced the 2022 Best Practices in Economic Development & Land Use Planning Certification Program. The Best Practices Certification Program requires an application to be completed by the municipality documenting various economic development and land use practices, policies, and programs taking place at the local level. The application contains four components: Communications & Marketing; Coordination & Collaboration; Organizational Capacity & Strategy; and Policies & Programs.

State and Local Legal Center Listserv: Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument in Gun Case

In New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen the U.S. Supreme Court will decide whether states and local governments may prevent persons from obtaining a concealed-carry license for self-defense if they lack "proper cause." 

Latina Returns To Changed Newsiverse

The news moves fast – too fast - in the age of the 24 hour news cycle.

That’s one of the biggest takeaways that Jodi Latina has experienced since her return to WTNH after a ten-year stint in politics.

CCM Pitches a Regional Approach to Federal Funding Opportunities

It was going to take an awful lot of work to convert the former second-hand store in a Norwich strip mall into the barbershop that Carlos Ventura had long dreamed of owning. 

But after weeks of gutting the storefront and surviving the setback of a burst water pipe, Carlos and his wife Brenda opened Ventura Barbershop earlier this month and couldn’t be happier with the unexpectedly strong business they are doing so far. 

CCM’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) Advisory Service Committee calls for greater regional and state collaboration on recovery projects

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM) today (Monday, October 18) said that CCM’s ARP Advisory Service Committee is advocating towns and cities to use a portion of nearly $700 million in available funding towards regional recovery efforts and encouraging the State to collaborate more with local officials on state ARP projects.

In total, under the ARP, there is $1.56 billion being sent to Connecticut municipal governments and another $995 million for Connecticut school districts.