The Western Connecticut Council of Governments is holding a public comment period from March 21, 2022, to April 20, 2022, on the draft Western Connecticut Affordable Housing Plan and associated municipal annexes.  The draft Plan is available for inspection at westcog.org. Comments on the draft Plans can be made by mail to the WestCOG office (1 Riverside Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482), via email: plan@westcog.org or at the public information meetings listed below.

All interested parties may attend the three public information meetings being held on– Wednesday, March 30^th from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 31^st from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and Friday, April 1^st from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  Please go to westcog.org to register for the public information meetings.  Comments will be addressed on a first-come, first-serve basis and the meetings will conclude at the times listed above.  

1. Wednesday, March 30^th from 6:30PM to 7:30PM
   (Registration Link)
2. Thursday, March 31^st from 6:30PM to 7:30PM
   (Registration Link)
3. Friday, April 1^st from 11:00AM to 12:00PM
   (Registration Link)

Advanced registration is required. All three meetings will cover the same topics and provide an overview of the Regional Plan and Municipal Annexes. Comments will be addressed on a first-come, first-serve basis and the meetings will conclude at the times listed above.    

---

For language assistance or other accommodations, contact WestCOG at help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Para asistencia con el idioma y otras adaptaciones, por favor póngase en contacto con WestCOG al help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Para obter assistência língua ou outras acomodações, entre em contato com WestCOG em help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Pour obtenir de l’aide linguistique ou d’autres mesures d’adaptation, contactez WestCOG à help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Aby uzyskać pomoc językową lub inne zakwaterowanie, skontaktuj się z firmą WestCOG pod adresem help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Every four years, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) must certify that South Western Region Metropolitan Planning Organization (SWRMPO) is carrying out the metropolitan planning process in adherence with federal statutes and regulations under 23 U.S.C. 134 and 49 U.S.C. 5303.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) will conduct a joint review of SWRMPO’s metropolitan planning process. As part of this review, there will be an opportunity for public comment on April 12, 2022 during the Technical Advisory Group meeting which begins at 11:00 am.

To register for virtual attendance, please visit: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-K0-BBPoQCGnCHOiLfeXmw

For TAG meeting agenda and information, please visit: https://westcog.org/meetings/tag/

Written comments may also be submitted until April 22, 2022 to:

FHWA, Jennifer Carrier, Transportation Planner
Email. jennifer.carrier@dot.gov
Mail. c/o FHWA Connecticut Division, 450 Main Street, Suite 612; Hartford, CT 06103

FTA, Leah Sirmin, Community Planner
Email. leah.sirmin@dot.gov
Mail. c/o Federal Transit Administration, Region 1, 55 Broadway, Suite 920; Cambridge, MA 02142

Please see the Certification Review Flyer for more details on the review process and how to provide feedback on SWRMPO’s transportation planning program.

---

For language assistance or other accommodations, contact WestCOG at help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Para asistencia con el idioma y otras adaptaciones, por favor póngase en contacto con WestCOG al help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Para obter assistência língua ou outras acomodações, entre em contato com WestCOG em help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Pour obtenir de l’aide linguistique ou d’autres mesures d’adaptation, contactez WestCOG à help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

Aby uzyskać pomoc językową lub inne zakwaterowanie, skontaktuj się z firmą WestCOG pod adresem help@westcog.org / 475-323-2060.

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (“WestCOG”) has initiated a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to identify and procure a qualified vendor to evaluate the economics of and strategies for financing the creation of affordable housing.

Deadline. Proposals are due by the end of the application period, December 19, 2021 at 11:59 PM ET. Submissions should be directed to: Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at ccarpenter@westcog.org.

Pre-bid meeting. A pre-bid meeting will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM ET. The meeting will be held by videoconference. Parties interested in attending should e-mail ccarpenter@westcog.org for an invitation link. Attendance, by phone or in person, is optional and is not required in order to respond to this RFQ.

Inquiries. Proposers may submit questions on this RFQ by Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 11:45 PM ET. Questions should be directed to Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at ccarpenter@westcog.org. No questions will be accepted by other forms of communication.

Thursday March 24, 2022, at 10:00 am

The Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Forum announces the next meeting of its Multi-State Freight Working Group on March 24, 2022, at 10:00 am. This virtual meeting will be available as a webinar:

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/287337765
United States: +1 (312) 757-3121
Access Code: 287-337-765
Approval is pending for 2.0 American Institute of Certified Planners – Certification Maintenance (AICP-CM) credits.

The MAP Forum is a consortium of metropolitan planning organizations and councils of government in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania that have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the coordination of planning activities in the multi-state metropolitan region.

Hit the link to see what is happening this March, from our Strategic Plan to the latest in WestCOG’s legislative testimony. All this and more in the March Newsletter!

The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (“WestCOG”) has initiated a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to obtain planning and engineering services for a Noise Pollution Abatement Feasibility Study to be undertaken for certain railroad crossings along the Metro-North Railroad’s New Canaan Branch in the Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) region.

WestCOG will use funding from the Connecticut Department of Transportation for a study to determine a cost-effective approach to implementing noise reduction measures, quiet zone(s) or other methods, along the New Canaan Branch Line of the Metro-North Railroad. The goal of the study is to reduce the environmental impacts for the residents and businesses around the crossings while also improving the safety of all users at the railway-highway grade crossings.

WestCOG will accept complete Statements of Qualifications, by email only, until 4:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 8, 2022. Statements of Qualifications must be submitted to: Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director, through Cricket Carpenter, Office Manager at WestCOG.

ccarpenter@westcog.org

See the official RFQ for more details. Proponents must also submit a completed Organizational Conflict of Interest Statement.

WestCOG’s January 2022 Newsletter is out! Fresh year, fresh start, see the latest WestCOG projects!