A Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) is a required document outlining transportation planning activities performed in accordance with United States Code (23 CFR Part 450.308). The work program serves as a guide to develop and advance the implementation of plans, programs, and projects that seek to address the ten planning factors identified in §450.306(b)). Such factors include, but are not limited to: preserving and improving the transportation system, enhancing mobility and connectivity, supporting economic vitality, safety and security, as well as environmental considerations.
The UPWP process provides the SWRMPO and HVMPO technical and support services which assist in selecting transportation investments and setting priorities in the region.
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) invites Statements of Qualification from consultants for a study to identify and mitigate traffic congestion at various locations through region. More details in the full RFQ above.
Deadline. Proposals are due by the end of the application period, April 27, 2022 at 1:00 PM ET. Respondents must submit one (1) original and five (5) hard copies and one (1) digital PDF copy on a flash drive or compact disc (CD) of their Statements of Qualification to:
Cricket Carpenter Office Manager Western Connecticut Council of Governments 1 Riverside Road Sandy Hook, CT 06482
Inquiries. Proposers may submit questions on this RFQ by Wednesday, April 20, 2022 at 12:00 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. Questions and answers will be posted by 4/22/2022.
RFQ – Flood Mitigation Assistance Program and Project Management
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (“WestCOG”) has initiated a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to identify and procure a qualified firm or individual primarily to coordinate and prepare grant applications to FEMA’s Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) and Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) programs and manage projects under those programs and, secondarily, to support and advance municipal participation in FEMA’s Community Rating System.
Deadline. Proposals are due by the end of the application period, April 13, 2022 at 11:45 PM ET. Submissions should be directed to: Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at ccarpenter@westcog.org.
Pre-bid meeting (Time Changed). A pre-bid meeting will be held Wednesday, March 30, 2022 at 12:00 PM ET 10:00 AM 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 30, 2022 at 12:00 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.
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, April 6th, 2022 at 11:45 PM ET. Submissions should be directed to: Mr. Francis R. Pickering, Executive Director at ccarpenter@westcog.org.
Pre-bid meeting (Time Changed). A pre-bid meeting will be held Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at 12:00 PM ET 2:30 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.
Clarification: Diversity in the supply, demand, cost, and physical characteristics, etc. of buildings and land may exist throughout the region and may affect the local applicability of various housing financing strategies. Differences in financing applicability may be accounted for through the use of a housing typology (e.g. what strategies may work for adaptive reuse of industrial buildings vs. new exurban construction without public water or sewer), through a matrix of communities/locations/opportunities, or through another means. The RFQ is intended to result in a study that covers all common housing opportunities in the region. It is not expected that a separate analysis be provided for each municipality in the region.
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) provides assistance in regional planning, transportation, environmental management, emergency preparedness, economic development, and municipal shared services to a region of 18 municipalities and 610,000 residents.
Engineering Project Manager (railroad crossings)
The Western Connecticut Council of Governments (WestCOG) seeks a qualified and highly-motivated person to serve as an Engineering Project Manager to complete a feasibility 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 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.
Chairman Rudolph Marconi, First Selectman, Town of Ridgefield Vice Chairman Jayme Stevenson First Selectman, Town of Darien Treasurer Julia Pemberton, First Selectman, Town of Redding Secretary Lynne Vanderslice, First Selectman, Town of Wilton
A Council of Governments serves as a forum to promote cooperation among its member municipalities. WestCOG can initiate and implement services and programs as authorized by its municipalities. WestCOG also advises the region on land use, economic, emergency, and environmental planning.
Council Members
WestCOG is governed by a council composed of Chief Elected Officials — mayors and first selectmen. Each WestCOG member municipality is entitled to one representative and one vote on the council.
Francis directs WestCOG’s staff and represents the region to partners, including state and federal agencies. Prior to joining WestCOG, he served as Deputy Director at the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency (CCRPA). His work has been recognized with CCAPA’s Innovative Plan of the Year in 2013, and NADO’s Innovation Award in 2014, and CACT’s Friend of Public Transportation in 2019. Francis is also active in the development of major regional transportation initiatives and serves on the Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board and the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Technical Committee. Francis holds an M.A. in Environmental Management from the Free University of Berlin (Germany) in addition to a B.A. from Princeton University and an M.A. in Geography from the University of Connecticut.
Mike Towle – Deputy Director
Mike oversees WestCOG’s regional services, environmental planning, analytics, and staff matters. He has professional interests in modernizing municipal processes to improve service and public access to data. He received a B.S. in Environmental Science from UMass Lowell and a M.S. in GIS from Clark University.
Victoria Ricks – Financial Manager
Prior to joining WestCOG, Vicky worked as a Financial Analyst for Kimberly Clark Corporation for 9 years. She received a B.S in Accounting and Management Information Systems from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Vicky’s primary responsibilities include financial reporting, grant tracking, audit preparation, record keeping, and financial analysis.
Cricket Carpenter – Office Manager
Cricket organizes office operations, correspondence, and meeting coordination. Prior to joining WestCOG, Cricket worked alongside her husband managing a construction business in Fairfield County. She attended the Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.
Planning Staff
Kristin Hadjstylianos – Principal Planner
Kristin assists with transportation planning services at WestCOG, including management of corridor studies and development of the region’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. Prior to joining WestCOG, she worked in transportation planning at AECOM and the Central Connecticut Regional Planning Agency assisting with road safety audits, transit and rail studies, and data analysis. Kristin graduated with a B.A. in Geography with a specialization in Planning from Central Connecticut State University.
Todd Fontanella – Senior Planner
Todd has over thirty years of experience in transportation grant programs, MPO activities and transit planning. Before coming to WestCOG, Todd worked with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and at the Merrimack Valley and Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commissions. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Design from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Masters’ in City Planning from Boston University.
Kristin Floberg – Planner
Kristin leads land use planning activities at WestCOG and assists the transportation staff on various projects. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a M.S. in Transportation and Urban Engineering and a B.S in Civil Engineering. Kristin is passionate about working towards more sustainable and livable communities in Connecticut.
Nicole Sullivan – Planner
Nicole supports the Planning staff on administrative, legislative, and transportation projects. Prior to joining WestCOG, Nicole worked at Joseph Merritt & Company in Danbury, Connecticut. Nicole graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut in Storrs and studied abroad in Ireland at University College Dublin.
Betsy Paynter – Project Manager
WestCOG has hired Betsy Paynter to serve as a Project Manager. Betsy will provide technical support for communities to get the most out of the ARPA funds and expand economic development activities within WestCOG’s Economic Development District.
Kevin Mahoney – Senior Project Manager
Kevin is a civil engineer with over 30 years of experience in the transportation field. He was previously employed with the Connecticut DOT, Federal Highway Administration, the Pennsylvania State University and in consulting. He is a registered Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor.
Charles Vidich – Senior Project Manager
Charles has over 40 years of experience in planning and government, including as the Principal Planner at the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley, where he developed plans, regulations, and legislation related to regional and local planning. He has also served as Manager of Environmental Programs at the United States Postal Service Northeast Region, where he supervised the permitting, environmental review processes and government relations work for a $2 billion annual facilities program; at the national level he served in various capacities including as Incident Commander at the USPS’ Unified Incident Command Center, where he was responsible for anthrax response and coordinating Hurricane Katrina response efforts; as Manager for Corporate Sustainability Initiatives at USPS Headquarters, where he oversaw initiatives at 32,000 post offices nationwide; and as a visiting scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health where he conducted research and lectured on quarantine and the challenges of controlling communicable disease outbreaks. Charles has received numerous honors and distinctions, including awards from Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush and Vice President Gore.
Nicholas Trabka – Data Scientist
Nicholas supports the planning staff with environmental management and transportation projects. Prior to joining WestCOG, he assisted the GIS staff at Joshua’s Tract Conservation and Historic Trust with their trail mapping project. He graduated with a B.S. in Geography from the University of Connecticut.
Tucker Beckett – Associate Data Scientist
Tucker provides GIS support, with initial projects focused on stormwater and COVID Long Term Recovery. Prior to joining WestCOG, he worked as a municipal planner for the town of Wellesley, MA. He recently completed an MS in GIS for Development & the Environment at Clark University and received BS and BA degrees from the University of Rhode Island, in Marine Affairs and Anthropology, respectively.