Municipalities group hoping to woo town

As published in the Record Journal on Wednesday March 6, 2013

By Andrew Ragali
Record-Journal staff
aragali@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2224
Twitter:@AndyRagz

WALLINGFORD – The Town Council will consider joining the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities after hearing a presentation from the statewide association about the benefits of membership during its Tuesday meeting.

Mayor William W. Dickinson Jr. said Friday that the association, founded in 1966, “came forward indicating their interest in having Wallingford.”

The town has never been a member of the CCM, but has periodically considered joining the organization, Dickinson said. “We previously felt it wasn’t justified,” he said, adding that “cost is always an issue.”

Municipalities must pay an annual membership fee to the CCM, Dickinson said. Normally, the yearly cost is about $28,000, but Dickinson said the CCM is currently offering a discounted, $20,000 annual rate to the town. Cost is based on population, he said.

According to the CCM’s website, the organization “celebrates the commonalities between, and champions the interests of, urban, suburban and rural communities.”

The services of the CCM listed on its website include management assistance, individualized inquiry service, assistance in municipal labor relations, technical assistance and training, policy development, research and analysis, publications, information programs, and service programs such as workers’ compensation, liability- automobile-property insurance, risk management, and energy cost-containment.

Dickinson said the CCM is “a resource for information and statistical backup for anything that might be of interest.”

Other benefits include the organization’s involvement with regulatory issues, such as phosphorous discharge limits, Dickinson said.

“I question why it’s necessary at this point,” Town Councilor Craig Fishbein said of joining the CCM. Fishbein said he was surprised to see the presentation on the council agenda, and is interested to “hear the reasons why (Dickinson) feels it’s necessary at this point.”

“I don’t know if it’s of any worth to the taxpayer,” Fishbein said of joining the CCM.

Dickinson wouldn’t offer an opinion Friday on whether or not he’d like the town to join the CCM. He said he’d rather offer his opinion on Tuesday.

“I’d like to see the presentation first,” he said.

Town Council Chairman Robert F. Parisi said he was “very pleased” with the proposal the mayor spoke to him about recently.

“It’s an excellent organization and they have a little different twist to it now, plus it’s always been a good resource,” he said. “I’m hoping it makes it through.”

The organization’s headquarters are in New Haven and it has offices in Hartford.