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Welcome Betsy Paynter

WestCOG Council Changes

The WestCOG Council changes amid elections this year. WestCOG will be losing the following council members;

• Selectman Jayme Stevenson (Darien, COG Vice Chair and SWRMPO Chair)

• Selectman Jim Marpe (Westport, SWRMPO & WCEDD Vice Chair)

• Selectman Steve Dunn (Brookfield)

• Mayor Joe Cavo (Danbury)

• Mayor David Martin (Stamford)

Thank you for all your service working with WestCOG and providing your expertise and guidance.

WestCOG is also gaining new council members;

• Mayor Dean Esposito (Danbury)

• Selectman Monica McNally (Darien)

• Mayor Caroline Simmons (Stamford)

• Selectwoman Jen Tooker (Westport)

• Selectman Tara Carr (Brookfield)

We look forward to working with you!

Lastly, a big thank you to Lynne Vanderslice (Wilton) and Kevin Moynihan (New Canaan) who will be serving as interim chairs for the SWRMPO.

Connecticut Innovation Campus Initiative and the Build Back Better Grant

An application was submitted through the Build Back Better Grant Program (BBB) to develop the Connecticut Innovation Campus Initiative. The initiative would train data scientists and tech talent at scale, with world class degrees to plug into the regions tech and data industry clusters. The initiative will all also have a huge focus on equity, targeting historically underserved populations within the region.

The proposed project would be led by WestCOG & MetroCOG along with the City of Stamford, higher education; UConn, CSCU, Quinnipiac, and University of Bridgeport and Connecticut College, as well as community colleges (Goodwin, Housatonic, and Norwalk), non-profits; Women's Business Development Council, Building 1 Community, NAACP Chapters, Stamford Next (Innovation District) and the Stamford Partnership. Along with private corporation partners Synchrony, Gartner, IBM, FactSet, Indeed, Deloitte and Brex.

Planner’s Lunch Planned for December

This quarter (December 8th 12:30) we will hear from WestCOG’s Senior Project Manager, Charles Vidich, on his findings from the recently released report titled “The Case for Riparian Corridor Protections: Zoning Strategies to Reduce Pollution of Inland Waters and Resultant Hypoxia of Long Island Sound”.  Public Act 21-29 expands the responsibility of zoning commissions in protecting the water quality of Long Island Sound from 24 coastal municipalities to all 169 in the state.  He will discuss the history of protecting riparian corridors along with model regulations for implementing Public Act 21-29. 

We will also hear from WestCOG's Deputy Director, Michael Towle and Data Scientist, Tucker Beckett on an Open Space Inventory. WestCOG received funding from The Nature Conservancy to collect open space data within Fairfield County as an incentive for increased resilience against floods through the CRS Program. Hear about how WestCOG collected the data, their plans to maintain it, and how they will share it for public consumption.

Economic Development District Meeting

The Western Economic Development District meets this month 11/10/2021 at 1:00 PM. The district provides a forum for the various economic sectors of the region to discuss regional initiatives, review proposed projects, and provide technical guidance for the COG.

WestCOG Presents in Force at GIS Day

CT GIS Day will be held on Wednesday, November 17, 2021. This event will be held virtually and in person at the Student Union UConn Storrs campus. Registration is free and open to anyone with interest in GIS (not just the users 😁).

WestCOG will highlight three projects this year at the conference:

• Regional Open Space Inventory (Presented by Mike Towle)

• Stormwater Data Collection (Presented by Tucker Beckett)

• ETL and Data Processers. (Presented by Nick Trabka)

Route 7 EV Corridor Nomination

On October 27, Live Green Connecticut hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the nomination of Route 7 as a designated Federal Highway Administration EV Corridor. In order to be eligible to apply for EV Corridor Designation, three Level 3 Fast Chargers were required within 5 miles of the route. This designation was made possible by the Level 3 Fast Chargers located in Danbury, Darien, and New Milford. Congratulations to all those involved in this nomination!

Central Business District Tolling Program

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is pursuing an Environmental Assessment for the Central Business District Tolling Program (CBDTP). If approved by the Federal Highway Administration, vehicles that enter or remain in the Central Business District would be tolled. The proposed tolling zone would cover 60th Street in Manhattan and all the roadways south of 60th Street, except for FDR Drive and West Side Highway/9A, Battery Park Underpass, and any surface roadway portions of the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel connecting to West Street. After paying the cost of running the CBDTP, 80% of the money would be used to improve and modernize New York City Transit, which runs the subway system and buses; 10% would go to Long Island Rail Road, and 10% to Metro-North Railroad.

For more details on this program, information about public engagement opportunities and how to submit a comment, please visit the program website.

Sustainable CT Certifications

WestCOG has 13/18 municipalities that are either registered, bronze certified, or silver certified within the Sustainability CT Program. During this year’s certification cycle, five of WestCOG Communities became certified including Ridgefield and Weston (Bronze level), Greenwich, New Milford and Westport (Silver level). Congratulations on your commitment to sustainability!

Urban Forestry Climate Change Grant Program

This grant program is to support projects based in urban forestry that also address the local effects of climate change and include equity and environmental justice considerations.

The grants awarded will be for a maximum of $37,000. All grant projects must be within the State of Connecticut. Municipalities and 501(c)3 non-profits are eligible. All grants much be matched by at least a 25% contribution towards the total value of the project. Match may be either by additional funding from other sources or through the contribution of in-kind services.

Diesel Emissions Reduction Act Grants

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced the availability of up to $767,000 in new funds for the reduction of diesel emissions. DEEP is seeking grant proposals from municipalities, organizations, and businesses for diesel emissions reduction projects that are environmentally and economically-beneficial, can be initiated promptly, and will be completed quickly.

This is an opportunity to leverage federal funds to replace older diesel vehicles and equipment with newer, cleaner equipment, including electric alternatives to diesel. A complete list of eligible projects is provided in the 2021 Guidance for the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) Project Proposals (2021 DERA Guidance Document).

All interested parties are encouraged to apply by submitting their proposal on the attached form, which can also be found on DEEP’s Diesel Grants & Funding page. Completed forms and inquiries should be directed to the attention of DERA Grants Administration at DEEP.MobileSources@ct.gov; proposals must be submitted no later than December 17, 2021. Projects must be completed by August 31, 2022.

Contact Todd Fontanella @ WestCOG by email at tfontanella@westcog.org or by phone at 475-323-2076 with any questions.

TAG Meeting: 11/9/2021, 11:00 AM
Call In: 929-436-2866 & Meeting ID: 815 8526 8036

WCEDD Meeting 11/10/2021, 1:00 PM
Call In: 929-436-2866 & Meeting ID: 864 354 06581

MPO Meeting: 11/18/2021, 12:00 PM
Call In: 929-436-2866 & Meeting ID: 632 336 1237

COG Meeting: 11/18/2021, 12:30 PM
Call In: 929-436-2866 & Meeting ID: 632 336 1237

Planner’s Lunch: 12/8/2021, 12:30 PM
Call In: 929-436-2866 & Meeting ID: 632 336 1237