September 21, 2023 | Issue 9 | |
|
Have you visited the town of Bolton lately? If not, we’re excited to reintroduce the town. Today, we’re kicking off our new feature of promoting a municipality in each issue of the newsletter. We’re looking forward to highlighting all 38 municipalities that make up our region. Individually and collectively, our member municipalities have a lot to offer, and we’re going to share fun facts about all of them.
Bolton fun facts
- Bolton’s population is approximately 5,000.
- It was incorporated in 1720 and was originally part of the town of Hartford.
- Many residents from all over the state visit for outdoor day trips and it may be why many refer to it as a “Town for all seasons.”
- The town was named after a town of the same name in England that is coincidently also close to Manchester, England.
- The town operates under the Selectman-Town Meeting form of government.
This newsletter is 1762 words and a 9-minute read. Happy reading!
| |
CRCOGWhat: The benefits of our Capitol Region Purchasing Council (CRPC) | |
|
Cooperative purchasing consortiums like the Capitol Region Purchasing Council (CRPC) are a solution that assist municipalities and public agencies improve efficiency and gain access to top quality contracts while fulfilling required public procurement processes. Founded in 1969 at the request of member towns seeking ways to benefit from centralized purchasing, the CRPC now has over 130 member municipalities and agencies across the state of Connecticut.
Cooperative purchasing consortiums such as the CRPC alleviate the burden of managing the bidding process, create transparent procurement processes to meet municipal bidding requirements, and reduce costs through higher discounts and more competitive pricing.
Another benefit associated with cooperative purchasing is the ability to “piggyback” on contracts. Piggybacking occurs when an agency or municipality utilizes another entity’s contract even though they did not issue the original solicitation or contract award. When a municipality or agency is piggybacking on a contract, they are bound by the pricing, terms, and conditions already set forth in the contract.
Finally, cooperative purchasing increases municipal efficiency. Instead of each participating member conducting their own bidding process, the consortium conducts one process and lifts the administrative burden from the municipality or public agency.
Annually, the CRPC issues between 12 and 17 bids. Bids include Treated Road Salt, Gasoline and Fuel, Traffic Guidelines, Fire Ladder and Hose Testing, Asphalt Pavement Crack Sealing, and more. In FY 2022-2023, the total cost savings incurred through bid participation for our members was approximately $1.92 million.
If your municipality or entity is interested in becoming a member of the CRPC, contact Kim Bona or 860-724-4292.
| |
Bee Kind: How New Britain Roots is helping to drive sustainable and equitable change in our food systems | |
|
Do you know where your food comes from? Most people would say supermarket, but Joey Listro, founder and Executive Director of New Britain Roots wants us to think deeper.
He started with an idea in 2013 to build community connections, eliminating food barriers and creating equitable access to food. Focusing on food access, urban agriculture, and education, New Britain Roots empowers people in the community to grow, prepare, and eat fresh, healthy, locally grown foods.
This non-profit organization in New Britain is making a difference in the community by promoting gardening, urban agriculture, food access, and education to create a more just and equitable future for city residents through food.
With community gardens throughout New Britain, including one located at Smalley Elementary School and another at New Britain High School, as well as other programs and services including a Mobile Farmers Market, a community kitchen, a community seed bank, pollinator gardens, a hydroponics garden, garden waste composters, a classroom beehive pollinator (see picture), and educational and outreach programming, New Britain Roots has:
- Served almost 2,000 customers through its Mobile Farmers Market
- Distributed 5,300 pounds of locally grown produce to New Britain food pantries
- Delivered educational programming to over 300 students grades K-12 through their afterschool and summer programs
- Provided food assistance through SNAP Bee Bucks program (see photo below) to New Britain residents
| | |
|
|
An increasing number of households are experiencing food insecurity across our state, including many members of the CRCOG community. Food loss and waste are growing sources of concern worldwide. According to industry leaders, enough food is produced to feed 8 billion people on the planet, yet millions still go to bed hungry!
Organizations like New Britain Roots are leading the way to drive sustainable and equitable change in our food systems. While barriers still exist, Listro wants to see the creation of more food hubs, collaboration with small, local farmers, school systems, and agencies, funding opportunities to create green spaces, and block grants to support sustainable solutions.
| |
|
Through improving access to fresh, locally grown and cultivated produce, creating innovative programs and services, preserving green space, and empowering gardeners, students, and community partners to come together, we can all make a difference in eliminating barriers to food access and equity.
Want to see New Britain Roots Community Gardens in action? Join them on Saturday, September 30, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for their Fifth Annual Garden Crawl and Luncheon. For more information or to learn how you can get involved contact New Britain Roots here.
| |
We have some new faces at CRCOG, meet Heidi and Lindsay | |
Working in both the public and private sectors, Heidi has helped communities in Connecticut and Massachusetts address a range of planning issues. Heidi joins CRCOG as a Principal Planner in the Regional Planning and Development Department. She most recently served as the Planning Director for Tolland and has also worked as a regional planner at the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in Boston and the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments in Norwich. She has a Master of Community Planning from the University of Rhode Island and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Management from the University of Connecticut. | |
|
|
Q: What’s your favorite season?
A: I enjoy the first half of fall, when the temperatures start to cool down, but we still have daylight. It is perfect weather for being outdoors.
Q: What’s one nonprofit organization you support and why?
A: The Fresh Air Fund. Every summer they connect children with nature, with a focus on children who might not otherwise have that opportunity.
Q: What activity is going to keep you busy outside of work?
A: Exploring hiking trails around Connecticut.
Q: What’s your favorite quote?
A: “Boldly going where hundreds have gone before' does not make headlines." - Neil deGrasse Tyson.
| | |
|
|
Lindsay earned her B.S. in Applied and Resource Economics from UConn with a focus in Environmental Economics and Policy and minor in Analytics. She's passionate about environmental policy and sustainability and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the UConn School of Public Policy. Throughout the academic year, she will intern with the Regional Planning and Development team at CRCOG.
Q: What’s your favorite season?
| |
|
A: My favorite season is spring. I love being outside and seeing all the flowers bloom.
Q: What’s one nonprofit organization you support and why?
A: An organization I am passionate about is Kiss the Ground, which is a non-profit that works to regenerate land and reverse climate change through rebuilding healthy soil.
Q: What activity is going to keep you busy outside of work?
A: Outside of work, I am training for my first half marathon, so I will be running and exploring Hartford!
| |
Be aware, plan, and prepare: September campaigns focus on safety | |
|
During September national organizations like Ready.gov and the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) are calling attention to national safety campaigns. They include:
-
National Preparedness Month – It is held annually and recognizes the importance of being prepared for natural and man-made disasters, which can strike at any time. Check out our CRCOG and Get Ready Capitol Region Facebook and Twitter accounts for informative posts to help you be aware, plan, and prepare.
-
Baby Safety Month - It is sponsored annually by the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA). This campaign seeks to help educate parents and caregivers about the safe selection and use of products for babies and toddlers.
-
National Seat Check Saturday (9/23/23) – It is observed on the fourth Saturday in September. The observance promotes child safety and strives to increase awareness about seat check protocols for child safety seats. In passenger cars, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions are 58% and 59%, respectively.
| |
|
BIL/IIJA Funding Opportunities (See webpage)
-
U.S. DOT Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program – Application window opens at 2 pm on August 14, accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis and will remain open until September 27, 2023
-
U.S. DOT Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program – Application deadline: September 28, 2023
-
U.S. DOT Strengthening U.S. DOT Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program – Application deadline: October 10, 2023
-
U.S. DOT Thriving Communities Program – Apply to receive support/assistance, or for a Grant. Letters of Interest to receive assistance are due: November 15, 2023; Grant application deadline: November 28, 2023
-
And more!
MetroHartford Brownfields Program
Application deadline: Ongoing
| |
|
Thank you for reading our newsletter. If you made it this far, here's some additional food for thought.
"People tell you the world looks a certain way. Parents tell you how to think. Schools tell you how to think. TV. Religion. And then at a certain point, if you're lucky, you realize you can make up your own mind. Nobody sets the rules but you. You can design your own life." ~ Carrie Ann Moss
| | | | |
