The committee passed out SB 440, which would (1) provide for an increased grant percentage from Clean Water Act funds for Phosphorus removal projects, and (2) require DEEP to work with certain affected municipalities to create a statewide approach for reducing Phosphorus loading into Connecticut waterways.  The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters was disappointingly misrepresenting the bill as "restricting DEEP's ability to regulate Phosphorus."  CCM staff, and other proponents of the bill, were successful in accurately articulating the scope of the bill and helping it pass the committee.

CCM successfully defeated SB 107, concerning permit expiration extension, which would have (1) extended the expiration date for certain inland wetland permits for up to 5 years and (2) eliminated the ability of inland wetland commissions to set specific times by which regulated activity for site or subdivision plans must be conducted.

For more information on Environment issues, please contact Kachina Walsh-Weaver of CCM.  

The committee met this week to consider bills referred to it.  Among the bills passed that are of importance to towns and cities:

• HB 5035 - Governor's Mandates Relief Bill - the committee passed the bill with substitute language that removed two key provisions of the bill (1) phase-out of the health insurance premium tax, and (2) storage of evicted tenant possessions.  The bill now consists only of the provision which allows towns and cities to partially assess property. CCM is working to have the language re-instated in the bill or find another bill to amend it to. 
• HB 5378 - E-911 Surcharge - Would increase the maximum monthly fee to fund the Enhanced 9-1-1 (E-911) program, from the current cap of .50 cents to .75 cents.  Increasing the surcharge is essential towards offsetting the administrative costs of maintaining the current E-911 system and improving the delivery of public safety for our residents.   

CCM was successful in defeating SB 262 which would, among other things, add horses and ponies to the list of 77 items that are exempted from the property tax.  According to OFA, towns and cities would lose $6.6 million if this bill were enacted. 

For more information on Finance issues, please contact Bob Labanara of CCM.

For more information on GAE issues, please contact Kachina Walsh-Weaver of CCM. 

JUDICIARY

Among the bills favorably reported included:

• SB 263 - Treble Damages - Would eliminate the penalty of treble damages against zoning enforcement officers for frivolous or without probable cause citations.  
• SB 343 - Frivolous Land Use Interventions - Would reduce frivolous land use application interventions without unduly restricting the rights of interested parties. 
• SB 407 - Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) - Would require the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) to file mortgage assignments with municipal clerks to (1) enable homeowners facing foreclosure to know who owns their homes and (2) prevent MERS from avoiding recording fees that costs municipalities and the State millions of dollars each year.
• HB 5260- Mosquito Abatement - Would hamper local efforts to control mosquito populations by banning the use of methoprene in certain locations across the state.  This product is often used by local health districts to address mosquito populations, which is necessary to combat mosquito borne disease such as West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.  There is no conclusive scientific evidence that methoprene has had an impact on the lobster population.