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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | LCO No. 1902 1 of 7 |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 6 | 6 | | February Session, 2020 |
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| 7 | 7 | | LCO No. 1902 |
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| 8 | 8 | | |
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| 9 | 9 | | |
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| 10 | 10 | | Referred to Committee on PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT |
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| 11 | 11 | | |
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| 12 | 12 | | |
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| 13 | 13 | | Introduced by: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (PD) |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | |
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| 19 | 19 | | AN ACT CONCERNING RE GIONAL PLANNING AND COUNCILS OF |
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| 20 | 20 | | GOVERNMENTS. |
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| 21 | 21 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General |
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| 22 | 22 | | Assembly convened: |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | Section 1. Section 4-66k of the 2020 supplement to the general statutes 1 |
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| 25 | 25 | | is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 2 |
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| 26 | 26 | | 1, 2020): 3 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (a) There is established an account to be known as the "regional 4 |
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| 28 | 28 | | planning incentive account" which shall be a separate, nonlapsing 5 |
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| 29 | 29 | | account within the General Fund. The account shall contain any moneys 6 |
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| 30 | 30 | | required by law to be deposited in the account. Except as provided in 7 |
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| 31 | 31 | | subsection (d) of this section, moneys, in the account shall be expended 8 |
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| 32 | 32 | | by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management in accordance 9 |
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| 33 | 33 | | with subsection (b) of this section for the purposes of first providing 10 |
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| 34 | 34 | | funding to regional planning organizations in accordance with the 11 |
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| 35 | 35 | | provisions of subsections (b) [and (c)] to (d), inclusive, of this section 12 |
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| 36 | 36 | | and then to providing grants under the regional performance incentive 13 |
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| 37 | 37 | | program established pursuant to section 4-124s, as amended by this act. 14 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (b) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014, funds from the regional 15 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 39 | 39 | | |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | |
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| 42 | 42 | | LCO No. 1902 2 of 7 |
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| 43 | 43 | | |
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| 44 | 44 | | planning incentive account shall be distributed to each regional 16 |
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| 45 | 45 | | planning organization, as defined in section 4-124i, revision of 1958, 17 |
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| 46 | 46 | | revised to January 1, 2013, in the amount of one hundred twenty-five 18 |
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| 47 | 47 | | thousand dollars. Any regional council of governments that is 19 |
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| 48 | 48 | | comprised of any two or more regional planning organizations that 20 |
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| 49 | 49 | | voluntarily consolidate on or before December 31, 2013, shall receive an 21 |
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| 50 | 50 | | additional payment in an amount equal to the amount the regional 22 |
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| 51 | 51 | | planning organizations would have received if such regional planning 23 |
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| 52 | 52 | | organizations had not voluntarily consolidated. 24 |
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| 53 | 53 | | (c) [Beginning in] For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015, and 25 |
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| 54 | 54 | | [annually thereafter] each fiscal year thereafter until July 1, 2021, funds 26 |
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| 55 | 55 | | from the regional planning incentive account shall be distributed to each 27 |
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| 56 | 56 | | regional council of governments formed pursuant to section 4-124j, in 28 |
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| 57 | 57 | | the amount of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars plus fifty cents 29 |
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| 58 | 58 | | per capita, using population information from the most recent federal 30 |
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| 59 | 59 | | decennial census. Any regional council of governments that is 31 |
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| 60 | 60 | | comprised of any two or more regional planning organizations, as 32 |
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| 61 | 61 | | defined in section 4-124i, revision of 1958, revised to January 1, 2013, 33 |
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| 62 | 62 | | that voluntarily consolidated on or before December 31, 2013, shall 34 |
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| 63 | 63 | | receive a payment in the amount of one hundred twenty-five thousand 35 |
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| 64 | 64 | | dollars for each such regional planning organization that voluntarily 36 |
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| 65 | 65 | | consolidated on or before said date. 37 |
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| 66 | 66 | | (d) For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, and each fiscal year 38 |
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| 67 | 67 | | thereafter, funds from the regional planning incentive account shall be 39 |
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| 68 | 68 | | distributed to each regional council of governments formed pursuant to 40 |
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| 69 | 69 | | section 4-124j, in the amount of two hundred thousand dollars plus fifty 41 |
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| 70 | 70 | | cents per capita, using population information from the most recent 42 |
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| 71 | 71 | | federal decennial census. The secretary may distribute, annually, an 43 |
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| 72 | 72 | | additional amount to each regional council of governments. 44 |
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| 73 | 73 | | [(d)] (e) There is established a regionalization subaccount within the 45 |
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| 74 | 74 | | regional planning incentive account. If the Connecticut Lottery 46 |
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| 75 | 75 | | Corporation offers online its existing lottery draw games through the 47 |
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| 76 | 76 | | corporation's Internet web site, online service or mobile application, the 48 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 77 | 77 | | |
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| 78 | 78 | | |
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| 79 | 79 | | |
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| 80 | 80 | | LCO No. 1902 3 of 7 |
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| 81 | 81 | | |
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| 82 | 82 | | revenue from such online offering that exceeds an amount equivalent to 49 |
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| 83 | 83 | | the costs of the debt-free community college program under section 10a-50 |
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| 84 | 84 | | 174 shall be deposited in the subaccount, or, if such online offering is not 51 |
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| 85 | 85 | | established, the amount provided under subsection (b) of section 364 of 52 |
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| 86 | 86 | | public act 19-117 for regionalization initiatives shall be deposited in the 53 |
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| 87 | 87 | | subaccount. Moneys in the subaccount shall be expended only for the 54 |
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| 88 | 88 | | purposes recommended by the task force established under section 4-55 |
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| 89 | 89 | | 66s. 56 |
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| 90 | 90 | | Sec. 2. Section 4-66r of the general statutes is repealed and the 57 |
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| 91 | 91 | | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2020): 58 |
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| 92 | 92 | | For the fiscal year ending June 30, [2018] 2021, and each fiscal year 59 |
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| 93 | 93 | | thereafter, each regional council of governments shall [, within available 60 |
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| 94 | 94 | | appropriations,] receive a grant-in-aid to be known as a regional 61 |
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| 95 | 95 | | services grant, the amount of which shall be based on [a formula to be 62 |
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| 96 | 96 | | determined by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management. 63 |
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| 97 | 97 | | No such council shall receive a grant for the fiscal year ending June 30, 64 |
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| 98 | 98 | | 2018, unless the secretary approves a spending plan for such grant 65 |
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| 99 | 99 | | moneys submitted by such council to the secretary on or before 66 |
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| 100 | 100 | | November 1, 2017. No such council shall receive a grant for the fiscal 67 |
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| 101 | 101 | | year ending June 30, 2019, or any fiscal year thereafter, unless the 68 |
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| 102 | 102 | | secretary approves a spending plan for such grant moneys submitted by 69 |
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| 103 | 103 | | such council to the secretary on or before July 1, 2018, and annually 70 |
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| 104 | 104 | | thereafter] the formula established pursuant to section 4-66k, as 71 |
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| 105 | 105 | | amended by this act. Each regional council of governments shall use 72 |
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| 106 | 106 | | such grant funds for planning purposes and to achieve efficiencies in 73 |
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| 107 | 107 | | the delivery of municipal services, without diminishing the quality of 74 |
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| 108 | 108 | | such services. On or before October 1, [2018] 2021, and annually 75 |
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| 109 | 109 | | thereafter, each regional council of governments shall submit a report, 76 |
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| 110 | 110 | | in accordance with section 11-4a, to the joint standing committees of the 77 |
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| 111 | 111 | | General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to planning 78 |
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| 112 | 112 | | and development and finance, revenue and bonding, and to the 79 |
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| 113 | 113 | | secretary. Such report shall (1) summarize the expenditure of such grant 80 |
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| 114 | 114 | | funds, (2) describe any regional program, project or initiative currently 81 |
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| 115 | 115 | | provided or planned by the council, (3) review the performance of any 82 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 116 | 116 | | |
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| 117 | 117 | | |
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| 118 | 118 | | |
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| 119 | 119 | | LCO No. 1902 4 of 7 |
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| 120 | 120 | | |
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| 121 | 121 | | existing regional program, project or initiative relative to its initial goals 83 |
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| 122 | 122 | | and objectives, (4) analyze the existing services provided by member 84 |
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| 123 | 123 | | municipalities or by the state that, in the opinion of the council, could 85 |
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| 124 | 124 | | be more effectively or efficiently provided on a regional basis, and (5) 86 |
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| 125 | 125 | | provide recommendations for legislative action concerning potential 87 |
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| 126 | 126 | | impediments to the regionalization of services. 88 |
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| 127 | 127 | | Sec. 3. Subsections (b) to (e), inclusive, of section 4-124s of the general 89 |
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| 128 | 128 | | statutes are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof 90 |
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| 129 | 129 | | (Effective July 1, 2020): 91 |
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| 130 | 130 | | (b) There is established a regional performance incentive program 92 |
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| 131 | 131 | | that shall be administered by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and 93 |
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| 132 | 132 | | Management. [On or before December 31, 2011, and annually thereafter, 94 |
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| 133 | 133 | | any regional council of governments, any two or more municipalities 95 |
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| 134 | 134 | | acting through a regional council of governments, any economic 96 |
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| 135 | 135 | | development district, any regional educational service center or any 97 |
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| 136 | 136 | | combination thereof may submit a proposal to the secretary for: (1) The 98 |
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| 137 | 137 | | joint provision of any service that one or more participating 99 |
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| 138 | 138 | | municipalities of such council, educational service center or agency 100 |
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| 139 | 139 | | currently provide but which is not provided on a regional basis, (2) a 101 |
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| 140 | 140 | | planning study regarding the joint provision of any service on a regional 102 |
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| 141 | 141 | | basis, or (3) shared information technology services. A copy of said 103 |
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| 142 | 142 | | proposal shall be sent to the legislators representing said participating 104 |
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| 143 | 143 | | municipalities.] The secretary may provide funding for: (1) The joint 105 |
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| 144 | 144 | | provision of any government service, or (2) a planning study regarding 106 |
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| 145 | 145 | | the joint provision of any service on a regional basis. Any local or 107 |
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| 146 | 146 | | regional board of education or regional educational service center 108 |
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| 147 | 147 | | serving a population greater than one hundred thousand may submit a 109 |
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| 148 | 148 | | proposal to the secretary for a regional special education initiative. 110 |
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| 149 | 149 | | (c) (1) A regional council of governments, an economic development 111 |
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| 150 | 150 | | district, a regional educational service center or a local or regional board 112 |
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| 151 | 151 | | of education shall submit each proposal in the form and manner the 113 |
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| 152 | 152 | | secretary prescribes and shall [, at a minimum, provide the following 114 |
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| 153 | 153 | | information for each proposal: (A) Service or initiative description; (B) 115 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 154 | 154 | | |
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| 155 | 155 | | |
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| 156 | 156 | | |
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| 157 | 157 | | LCO No. 1902 5 of 7 |
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| 158 | 158 | | |
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| 159 | 159 | | the explanation of the need for such service or initiative; (C) the method 116 |
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| 160 | 160 | | of delivering such service or initiative on a regional basis; (D) the 117 |
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| 161 | 161 | | organization that would be responsible for regional service or initiative 118 |
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| 162 | 162 | | delivery; (E) a description of the population that would be served; (F) 119 |
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| 163 | 163 | | the manner in which regional service or initiative delivery will achieve 120 |
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| 164 | 164 | | economies of scale; (G) the amount by which participating 121 |
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| 165 | 165 | | municipalities will reduce their mill rates as a result of savings realized; 122 |
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| 166 | 166 | | (H) a cost benefit analysis for the provision of the service or initiative by 123 |
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| 167 | 167 | | each participating municipality and by the entity or board of education 124 |
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| 168 | 168 | | submitting the proposal; (I) a plan of implementation for delivery of the 125 |
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| 169 | 169 | | service or initiative on a regional basis; (J) a resolution endorsing such 126 |
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| 170 | 170 | | proposal approved by the legislative body of each participating 127 |
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| 171 | 171 | | municipality; and (K) an explanation of the potential legal obstacles, if 128 |
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| 172 | 172 | | any, to the regional provision of the service or initiative] provide a 129 |
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| 173 | 173 | | resolution endorsing such proposal approved by the regional council of 130 |
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| 174 | 174 | | governments of each planning region in which the jointly provided 131 |
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| 175 | 175 | | government service or planning study thereon is to be conducted. On or 132 |
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| 176 | 176 | | before December 1, 2020, and annually thereafter, the Connecticut 133 |
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| 177 | 177 | | Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, established 134 |
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| 178 | 178 | | pursuant to section 2-79a, may recommend to the secretary any specific 135 |
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| 179 | 179 | | proposal for achieving additional cost savings through regional 136 |
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| 180 | 180 | | efficiencies. The secretary may provide funding, within available 137 |
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| 181 | 181 | | resources, to a regional council of governments, an economic 138 |
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| 182 | 182 | | development district, a regional educational service center or any 139 |
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| 183 | 183 | | combination thereof for the purpose of administering any such 140 |
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| 184 | 184 | | proposal. Said commission shall submit each proposal in the form and 141 |
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| 185 | 185 | | manner the secretary prescribes. 142 |
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| 186 | 186 | | (2) The secretary shall review each proposal and shall award grants 143 |
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| 187 | 187 | | for proposals the secretary determines best meet the requirements of 144 |
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| 188 | 188 | | this section. [In awarding such grants, the secretary shall give priority 145 |
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| 189 | 189 | | to a proposal submitted by (A) any entity specified in subsection (a) of 146 |
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| 190 | 190 | | this section that includes participation of all of the member 147 |
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| 191 | 191 | | municipalities of such entity, and which may increase the purchasing 148 |
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| 192 | 192 | | power of participating municipalities or provide a cost savings initiative 149 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 193 | 193 | | |
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| 194 | 194 | | |
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| 195 | 195 | | |
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| 196 | 196 | | LCO No. 1902 6 of 7 |
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| 197 | 197 | | |
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| 198 | 198 | | resulting in a decrease in expenses of such municipalities, allowing such 150 |
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| 199 | 199 | | municipalities to lower property taxes, (B) any economic development 151 |
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| 200 | 200 | | district, and (C) any local or regional board of education.] 152 |
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| 201 | 201 | | (d) On or before December 31, 2013, and annually thereafter until 153 |
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| 202 | 202 | | December 31, 2018, in addition to any proposal submitted pursuant to 154 |
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| 203 | 203 | | this section, any municipality or regional council of governments may 155 |
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| 204 | 204 | | apply to the secretary for a grant to fund: (1) Operating costs associated 156 |
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| 205 | 205 | | with connecting to the state-wide high speed, flexible network 157 |
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| 206 | 206 | | developed pursuant to section 4d-80, including the costs to connect at 158 |
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| 207 | 207 | | the same rate as other government entities served by such network; and 159 |
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| 208 | 208 | | (2) capital cost associated with connecting to such network, including 160 |
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| 209 | 209 | | expenses associated with building out the internal fiber network 161 |
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| 210 | 210 | | connections required to connect to such network, provided the secretary 162 |
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| 211 | 211 | | shall make any such grant available in accordance with the two-year 163 |
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| 212 | 212 | | schedule by which the Bureau of Enterprise Systems and Technology 164 |
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| 213 | 213 | | recommends connecting each municipality and regional council of 165 |
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| 214 | 214 | | governments to such network. Any municipality or regional council of 166 |
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| 215 | 215 | | governments shall submit each application in the form and manner the 167 |
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| 216 | 216 | | secretary prescribes. 168 |
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| 217 | 217 | | (e) The secretary shall submit to the Governor and the joint standing 169 |
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| 218 | 218 | | [committee] committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 170 |
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| 219 | 219 | | matters relating to planning and development and finance, revenue and 171 |
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| 220 | 220 | | bonding a report on the grants provided pursuant to this section. Each 172 |
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| 221 | 221 | | such report shall include information on the amount of each grant, and 173 |
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| 222 | 222 | | the potential of each grant for leveraging other public and private 174 |
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| 223 | 223 | | investments. The secretary shall submit a report for the fiscal year 175 |
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| 224 | 224 | | commencing July 1, 2011, not later than February 1, 2012, and shall 176 |
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| 225 | 225 | | submit a report for each subsequent fiscal year not later than the first 177 |
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| 226 | 226 | | day of March in such fiscal year. [Such reports shall include the property 178 |
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| 227 | 227 | | tax reductions achieved by means of the program established pursuant 179 |
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| 228 | 228 | | to this section.] 180 |
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| 229 | 229 | | Sec. 4. Section 4-124n of the general statutes is repealed and the 181 |
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| 230 | 230 | | following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2020): 182 Raised Bill No. 5517 |
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| 231 | 231 | | |
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| 232 | 232 | | |
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| 233 | 233 | | |
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| 234 | 234 | | LCO No. 1902 7 of 7 |
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| 235 | 235 | | |
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| 236 | 236 | | A regional council of governments shall adopt bylaws for the conduct 183 |
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| 237 | 237 | | of its business and shall annually elect from among the representatives 184 |
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| 238 | 238 | | to the council a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, [who 185 |
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| 239 | 239 | | shall be bonded,] and such other officers as may be designated or 186 |
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| 240 | 240 | | permitted in the bylaws. The bylaws may provide for alternate 187 |
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| 241 | 241 | | representatives of the council to attend and vote at any meeting in place 188 |
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| 242 | 242 | | of absent representatives and may provide for the organization of a 189 |
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| 243 | 243 | | regional planning commission. [No representative shall be eligible to 190 |
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| 244 | 244 | | serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.] The bylaws 191 |
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| 245 | 245 | | [shall] may provide for an executive committee of the council [and an 192 |
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| 246 | 246 | | executive committee of the regional planning commission and may 193 |
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| 247 | 247 | | provide] and for additional committees including nonvoting advisory 194 |
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| 248 | 248 | | committees. Meetings of the council shall be called [by the chairman or 195 |
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| 249 | 249 | | as the bylaws shall otherwise provide] pursuant to the bylaws and 196 |
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| 250 | 250 | | minutes of all meetings of the council, its committees and other official 197 |
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| 251 | 251 | | actions shall be filed in the office of the council and shall be of public 198 |
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| 252 | 252 | | record. 199 |
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| 253 | 253 | | This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following |
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| 254 | 254 | | sections: |
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| 255 | 255 | | |
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| 256 | 256 | | Section 1 July 1, 2020 4-66k |
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| 257 | 257 | | Sec. 2 July 1, 2020 4-66r |
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| 258 | 258 | | Sec. 3 July 1, 2020 4-124s(b) to (e) |
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| 259 | 259 | | Sec. 4 July 1, 2020 4-124n |
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| 260 | 260 | | |
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| 261 | 261 | | Statement of Purpose: |
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| 262 | 262 | | To (1) make certain modifications to the administration of the regional |
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| 263 | 263 | | planning incentive account and related programs, and (2) revise the |
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| 264 | 264 | | bylaws requirements for officers and conduct of regional councils of |
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| 265 | 265 | | governments. |
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| 266 | 266 | | [Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except |
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| 267 | 267 | | that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not |
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| 268 | 268 | | underlined.] |
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| 269 | 269 | | |
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