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Event Information
2025 CCM Annual Convention
December 02, 2025
Pre-registration for this event has closed. On-site registration opens Tuesday, December 2, at the Earth Tower Expo Center at Mohegan Sun at 8 a.m.
Each fall, more than 1,100 attendees, including local government leaders from across the state and companies providing the best in products and services to towns and cities, gather together for two days of informative workshops, interactive discussions, and networking opportunities.
Note: During the registration process, selecting a session DOES NOT reserve your seat for that session. It is simply for scheduling purposes.
Registration Fees:
The municipal member rate is $299 through November 7, 2025. After that, registration must be completed onsite at a rate of $349.
The non-member (municipal, state) rate is $349 through November 7, 2025. After this date, registration must be completed onsite at a rate of $399.
Convention Registration Cancellation Policy:
All convention registration cancellations must be provided to CCM in writing no later than Friday, October 24, 2025. If you do not cancel your registration by this date, you are still responsible for the cost of your registration, even if you do not attend. CCM will not refund registration fees for registrations canceled after October 24, 2025. CCM is not responsible for travel delays caused by accidents, road closures, road construction, weather, etc. Attendees should use judgment and allow ample travel time to arrive.
Early
Standard
Late
$349.00
Agenda
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Email Contact
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Receive Text Notifications
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| Monday - December 01 | ||
| 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm | ||
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2025 Convention Welcome Reception
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| Tuesday - December 02 | ||
| 8:30 am - 10:00 am | ||
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Breakfast & CCMO Awards (Breakfast Begins at 9 am)
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| 10:15 am - 11:15 am | ||
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Workshop Session A1: Key to Writing Winning Grants
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This workshop will demystify the grant writing process for local officials and provide clear guidelines for presenting your project to funders, in the most compelling way possible, to increase your chances of success. Topics covered will include how to tell your story, matching your project with the funder’s mission, demonstrating evidence-based need, and learning how to design a logic model based on your theory of change. The skills have wide applicability outside the realm of grant writing, including developing a data orientation in your work, writing SMART goals, and presenting ideas for projects to funders, boards, and communities in a professional manner. Location: Summer Meeting Room |
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Workshop Session A2: Building Consensus: The Role of Public Input in Project Success
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Public engagement isn't just a box to check - it's a critical ingredient in delivering successful, resilient, and widely supported projects. A panel of industry leaders will explore how municipal officials and project teams can harness community input to build consensus, reduce opposition, and increase project value. Through real-world examples, practical tools, and proven techniques, attendees will gain insights into how to foster trust, navigate differing perspectives, and turn public participation into powerful project alignment. Whether you're leading infrastructure upgrades, planning new developments, or managing long-term capital improvements, this session will provide actionable strategies to elevate public input into lasting project impact. Location: Ballroom B |
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Workshop Session A3: What Did You Say? How Does the First Amendment Impact the Workplace? From Flag Poles to Social Media Posts
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What Did You Say? How Does the First Amendment Impact the Workplace? From Flag poles to social media posts. Not only do employees say the darnedest things, but communication and expression can take several forms. Social Media. Clothing. Office décor. In this session, we will review the contours of state and federal law and the limits to constitutional protection in the workplace. In addition, we will also review the other rights provided under the First Amendment and the Connecticut Constitution, including religious freedom and the right of association. Location: Ballroom A |
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Workshop Session A4: Fiber Benefits for Your Town
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Fiber Internet Service Benefits for Your Town Join us for an informative session exploring the various methods of Internet service delivery, with a special focus on the advantages of dedicated symmetrical fiber compared to alternatives such as cable, business fiber, and GPON. Attendees will gain insight into the technical and operational benefits of fiber connectivity, particularly in the context of community, municipal, and institutional use. Beyond basic connectivity, this session will also highlight the value of “above-the-net” services—enhanced offerings that extend the capabilities of a standard Internet connection. Using CEN’s bundled Internet service as a model, we’ll discuss how integrated network and security services can deliver both cost savings and performance improvements. Location: Peeping Frog |
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Workshop Session A5: What to Do Before OSHA Knocks
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Fear often surrounds an OSHA inspection. But the fear more often stems from a lack of understanding of the process and how to prepare for and manage a surprise inspection. Join CIRMA for an in-depth discussion on best practices to prepare staff and work areas for unannounced safety inspections conducted by OSHA. Location: Spring Meeting Room |
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| 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm | ||
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Municipal and LoCool Awards Luncheon
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Location: Expo Hall |
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| 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm | ||
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Workshop Session B1: Sovereign Citizens, Testers, and Understanding Connecticut’s Freedom of Information Act
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The Sovereign Citizen movement, and rise of First Amendment auditors and other “testers,” have presented officials at all levels of municipal government with unprecedented challenges. One group believes no laws apply to them while the other tries to coerce violations of the laws that apply to government itself. This presentation will explain how to identify and properly respond to these individuals to minimize their disruption of municipal operations. The Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) contains open meetings and public records requirements (along with numerous exceptions) that unfortunately are often misconstrued. This workshop should serve to provide further/updated guidance to board/commission members and municipal officials/employees seeking to navigate the FOIA, especially in a world of “remote” meetings (and increased fines for FOIA violations). The presentation will be designed both for persons 1) with little/no experience with the FOIA, and 2) those just needing a FOIA “refresher.” Location: Summer Meeting Room |
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Workshop Session B2: A Better Path to Priority-Based Budgeting: How Do We Get There & What's The Payoff?
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Seeking to modernize budgeting, governments and school districts are looking to priority-based budgeting to enable budget decisions that relate directly to district priorities and save money. This session will explore the steps toward priority budgeting, obstacles, and payoffs.? After providing an overview of priority-based budgeting and its benefits, we will explore best practices for implementing this new budgeting approach. We will discuss how AI modeling technology can significantly reduce the program budgeting lift. Attendees will learn how AI modeling can analyze huge data sets to make logical connections and discover patterns in the data to predict programs – including inventory, costs, and scores. We will share real-world insight into how priority-based budgeting can surface innovations for how programs are funded, resources can be freed up and reallocated, and spending can be optimized to support priorities. Location: Ballroom B |
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Workshop Session B3:When A State Road is Your Main Street: A Working Session to Create Safe, Walkable Downtowns
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Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) works with over 100 of the 169 municipalities in the state. Most of them have a state road running through their downtowns and village centers. Whether they are a rural, suburban, or urban community, they share a desire to create walkable/bikeable downtowns and are frustrated by the lack of safety and high speed of the traffic. CMSC will be joined by Mark Carlino, Engineering Administrator with CT DOT; Rep. Aimee Berger-Girvalo, co-chair of the CT General Assembly's Transportation Committee; and Rista Malanca, Director of Community and Economic Development with the Northwest Hills Council of Governments to facilitate a working session around this topic. While there will be short presentations made by the facilitators, the bulk of the gathering will be interactive and conversational in order to determine short-, mid-, and long-term solutions to slowing traffic and improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists with a focus on the role of each group of stakeholders. Participants will leave with clear action items and shared goals into the future. Location: Spring Meeting Room |
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Workshop Session B4: Resilience Improvement Districts: A New Tool to Support Municipal Climate Adaptation & Resilience
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As severe weather and climate impacts intensify, municipalities are seeking innovative, locally controlled financing tools to build resilience and protect vulnerable infrastructure and communities. This session will introduce the concept of Resiliency Improvement Districts—a new voluntary tool authorized through Connecticut’s Public Act 25-33, which enables municipalities to finance climate adaptation and resilience efforts. Join us to explore how towns and cities might put these new authorities to work, implementing energy resilience measures, protecting against extreme weather (e.g. flooding, sea level rise, wind, extreme heat, etc.), and supporting other critical improvements without relying solely on grants. Attendees will hear how this model can support municipal climate resilience goals, reduce risk, and leverage financial resources, with case examples and discussion to help ground potential interest in district formation. The bipartisan legislation was signed into law by Governor Lamont in June 2025, providing a timely opportunity for municipal empowerment in the face of Increasing impacts from climate shocks and chronic stressors. Location: Peeping Frog |
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Workshop Session B5: Avoiding a Crisis - Municipal Succession Planning
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Every organization, regardless of whether they are public or private, needs to plan for the future. It minimizes disruptions and creates a culture of growth and development that ensures that the right people are in the right job at the right time. A poorly managed transition plan can erode public trust. It’s also essential to maintain internal controls, stability, efficiency and continued delivery of key services to the public they serve. Even when there is no clear successor within the organization, succession planning can help determine the knowledge, skills, and training necessary for potential external candidates in the future. The risks of not creating a plan can be significant. Location: Ballroom A |
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| 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm | ||
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Workshop Session C1: Innovative Delivery: Integrating Design-Build in Public-Private Partnerships
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This workshop explores how integrating public-private partnerships with the design-build project delivery model can accelerate project timelines through a single point of contact, reducing delays and increasing efficiency. As communities face urgent infrastructure needs and growing climate and sustainability challenges, this approach offers a streamlined, collaborative framework that aligns public goals with private-sector expertise. We’ll share real-world project examples that demonstrate how public-private partnerships combined with design-build delivery can produce resilient, sustainable outcomes—faster and more effectively. Location: Summer Meeting Room |
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Workshop Session C2: AI in Local Government
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Building the right infrastructure is the foundation for effective AI. When cities modernize their phone systems, networks, and security tools, they unlock new opportunities to extend services, strengthen public safety, and ensure no resident falls through the cracks. This session explores how technology and AI can work together to create safer, more responsive, and more equitable local governments. CCi Voice, a trusted municipal systems integrator, will share how towns are upgrading communications infrastructure—connecting phones, cameras, and door access systems—to protect staff and residents while reducing IT burden. These connected systems lay the groundwork for automation and improved coordination across departments. Readyly, a Connecticut-based AI company, will demonstrate how cities are transforming their phone lines with AI voice technology—enabling 24/7 multilingual access to information and services. Readyly’s AI voice agent answers calls, routes inquiries, and provides real-time assistance in over 200 languages, helping local governments serve every resident quickly and consistently. Together, they'll show how forward-thinking cities are combining robust infrastructure with AI to build safer communities, deliver faster service, and rebuild trust through accessibility and transparency. Location: Ballroom A |
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Workshop Session C3: Business as Unusual – Fresh Approaches to Economic Development to Grow Your Grand List
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Stymied in getting that new headquarters in your town or enticing a developer to take on that crumbling mill building? If business as usual is not getting the job done in your municipality, then it’s time to embrace innovative economic development strategies. CEDAS challenges the ‘Land of Steady Habits’ to cease doing the same things repeatedly, expecting different results. In this workshop, you will hear three real-world examples of how municipalities are taking new or different approaches to move forward. Location: Ballroom B |
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Workshop Session C4: How School Infrastructure Investment Creates a Ripple Effect of Economic Growth: An EPC Success Story with Cheshire Public Schools
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Discover how a strategic partnership to improve school energy infrastructure can become a powerful engine for local economic development. This session will explore how Cheshire Public Schools utilized an Energy Performance Contract (EPC)—a budget-neutral financing tool— to fund over $10 million worth of energy efficient upgrades. Energia CEO Kendra McQuilton will detail the EPC model and a proven process for energy-savings success – which uses future energy savings to pay for the project and eliminates the need for a bond referendum or new taxpayer dollars. The Cheshire Public Schools Director of Management Services will provide a firsthand account of how this investment extended beyond the school buildings, creating a positive economic ripple effect for his community. Attendees will learn how redirecting energy waste into infrastructure renewal supports local jobs, enhances community assets, and demonstrates a commitment to sustainable, long-term fiscal health. Learning Objectives: * Define an Energy Performance Contract (EPC) as a budget-neutral tool for municipalities to fund significant infrastructure projects without upfront capital. * Analyze the direct and indirect economic benefits of an EPC project, including local job creation, leveraging of private capital, and freeing up of future operational funds for other municipal needs. * Identify actionable steps for municipal leaders to explore and implement an EPC project within their own communities as a strategy for economic and community development. Location: Peeping Frog |
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Workshop Session C5: CT Paid Leave Drives Employee Recruitment, Retention, and Job Satisfaction
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There is a wealth of research showing that paid leave policies aid employers in recruiting and retaining top talent, ultimately saving employers money and time. Changes made to CT Paid Leave in the 2024 and 2025 sessions have made CT's paid leave program even more inclusive, covering certain employees of schools and governmental entities that formerly were excluded from the program. Location: Spring Meeting Room |
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| 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm | ||
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2025 Convention Networking Reception
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Speakers
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