February 15, 2023 | Issue 2 | |
Senator Blumenthal, Mayor Erin Stewart, Matt Hart, CRCOG Executive Director and Stephen Nocera, Deputy Program Advisor for Infrastructure | |
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This newsletter is 1337 words, approximately a 7-minute read.
Black History Month is celebrated across our country and in our communities during February. We celebrate the achievements of Black Americans as well as recognize their central role in our nation’s history as part of this national annual observance. Throughout this month, there are numerous activities happening in our region. Here are some for your consideration:
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February 24, 7 pm - Greater Refuge Church of Christ, located at 370 Garden Street in Hartford, will hold its 2023 Black History program. The program will feature the University of Hartford Gospel Choir, pastor Apostle Arlonzo Boswell, and an artist collective. The event is free to attend.
- The East Hartford Public Library is holding two events.
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February 23, 4 pm - Living History program with Kevin Johnson portraying Private William Webb. The story is told from an emotional and exciting first-person perspective that illustrates the struggle of Black/African Americans in the Colored Infantry during the Civil War. Register here.
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February 16, 7 pm - Celebrate the traditions and rhythms of African Diasporic drumming in a percussion workshop. Register here.
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Save the Date: MTP Public Meetings | |
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CRCOG is nearing completion on an update to our Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). This Plan establishes the vision for the region’s transportation system – highways, local roads, bicycles, pedestrians, and more – for the next 25 years.
We are excited to announce that the draft MTP will be released for review on February 23! The draft will be available for a 30-day public comment period, including hybrid public meetings on March 8 and 9. The draft document, as well as details on the public meetings and how to provide your feedback, will be posted at https://crcog.org/metropolitan-transportation-plan-public-meeting/.
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Great news! CRCOG is a Safer Streets grant recipient | |
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) awarded CRCOG an action plan grant in the first round of the Safe Streets and Roads for All Discretionary Grant Program (SS4A). We will use this grant of $958,000, combined with the local match of $239,500, to update our Regional Transportation Safety Plan (RTSP) into a comprehensive safety action plan or action plan for short.
The action plan is an important document that serves as a basis for implementation projects under future rounds of the SS4A. A project or strategy must be identified in an existing action plan to be eligible for an implementation grant. A revitalized plan could also serve as a useful planning tool for other purposes, such as providing critical data to support other grant applications.
As part of this effort, CRCOG will update our crash data and develop a priority list of projects. We will include the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) latest proven safety countermeasures, including crosswalk visibility enhancements and roundabouts. The update will also allow us to conduct broader outreach and incorporate a focus on equity within the plan.
The City of New Britain and CRCOG consolidated grant applications. We’ll feature New Britain as a case study.
CRCOG is one of 473 awardees in the country to receive an action plan grant and one of only six recipients in Connecticut. The Federal government strongly encouraged planning grants during this first round and awarded only 37 implementation grants, none of which are within Connecticut.
We are grateful for the guidance and support that Commissioner Boughton and the staff at the CT Bipartisan Infrastructure Law team (CTBILT), CT Department of Transportation (CTDOT), and University of Connecticut’s Training & Technical Assistance (T2) Center and CT Crash Data Repository contributed to our application. The members of our federal delegation also played a crucial role in establishing the BIL and supporting our application.
Next, we will work to execute a grant agreement with USDOT/FHWA and begin working on the action plan. This is excellent news for all of our members and presents a tremendous opportunity to leverage future rounds of SS4A funding for critical transportation safety projects in our region.
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C2B Series: Helping Hands Food Pantry in on the frontlines of food insecurity for Hartford families | |
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Food insecurity remains a problem for many households in the Hartford region. According to Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study, approximately 10 percent of our neighbors are food insecure.
Helping to fill this need for families in Hartford has been a privilege and passion for Ms. Elsa Smith-Pleasant. For more than 20 years, she has managed the Helping Hand Food Pantry, which is affiliated with the Rehoboth Church of God located at 344 Blue Hills Avenue in Hartford and is an affiliate of Rehoboth Church of God located at 1170 Blue Hills Avenue, Bloomfield, CT 06002. The Pantry is opened twice per month.
Helping Hands came to be because individuals went to the church for food assistance. "Once we realized the need, we knew we would be a part of the solution," said Elsa. "There's a stereotype that people who come to the food pantries are lazy and don't want to work." In Elsa's experience, this is far from the truth.
Weekly, the food pantry serves between 100-116 households: currently, we're serving approximately 300 individuals monthly. In addition to Elsa, there is a staff of 15 volunteers. The pantry accepts food items, personal care items, and monetary gifts.
"I'm grateful to the individuals and organizations that support us because what we do has a positive impact on the lives of others," said Elsa.
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CRCOG partners with ClearGov for preferred budgeting software solution | |
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CRCOG is pleased to announce its recent partnership with ClearGov for Budget Management software. CRCOG chose ClearGov through a competitive RFP process. Through this partnership, both CRCOG and Capitol Region Purchasing Council (CRPC) members are eligible to contract with ClearGov and benefit from their affordable and modern cloud-based software to aid in improving the collection, creation, and communication of annual budgets.
The ClearGov Budget Cycle Management suite offers everything a local government needs to create and communicate its budget from start to finish, including:
- Capital Budgeting – Automate the collection, organization, and optimization of capital utilization
- Personnel Budgeting – Budget salaries, compensation, and benefits, conduct scenario planning and what-if analysis
- Operational Budgeting – Build a forecast and annual budget more efficiently and collaboratively
- Digital Budget Book – Produce an interactive, GFOA award-winning budget book in a fraction of the time
- Transparency – Tell a government’s financial story to drive community support and engagement
For more details on how your organization can piggyback on this contract, don't hesitate to get in touch with Kim Bona.
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Our website has a new look and feel. We would love for you to check it out
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New ad campaigns, college programs aim to bolster CT’s manufacturing workforce
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Promoting Positive Labor-Management Relations to Build a Resilient and High Performing Team - Matt Hart, Executive Director, CRCOG and Chief Vernon Riddick, Jr., Chief of Police, Town of West Hartford, CT, Friday, February 24, 2023, 9 am– 4 pm, 30 min. break, in-person
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CRCOG funding opportunities | | | | |
