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NVCOG completes phase 1 of regional plan engagement; survey finds housing and infrastructure funding top concerns
Summary
NVCOG staff reported completion of phase 1 interviews for the Regional Plan of Conservation and Development and presented a stakeholder survey showing affordable housing, municipal budgets, and transportation issues as top regional concerns; staff will use the results to draft plan sections and policy recommendations.
NVCOG staff reported that phase 1 of stakeholder engagement for the Naugatuck Valley Regional Plan of Conservation and Development is complete and that the process is moving into phase 2. Project consultants and NVCOG staff conducted 37 interviews and collected a 33% response rate on a regionwide survey, with 57 survey responses representing 15 municipalities.
Savannah Nicole and other staff summarized interview and survey findings: the most-discussed topics were regional collaboration and funding/resources, and respondents prioritized technical assistance, intermunicipal collaboration, and funding allocation as ways NVCOG can help. Respondents identified affordable housing, tax increases and cost of living as the most important issues for the region over the next 10 years. The survey also found broad support for continued brownfield remediation and multiuse trails.
"We established nine categories and 59 subcategories to code interview responses," staff said, noting staff weighted responses to ensure balanced representation among municipalities. NVCOG told the board that draft section themes will be discussed with the steering committee next week and will be introduced to the full board at the next meeting.
Survey detail included: 57 responses from 15 municipalities, participants composed of municipal staff, board/commission chairs, chief elected/administrative officials and other stakeholders. Seventy-four percent of respondents said they were satisfied with NVCOG’s engagement; 95% identified municipal budget constraints as a barrier to improving infrastructure; respondents reported bicycle facilities were commonly rated poor and traffic speed a leading local transportation problem.
Staff said survey and interview results will inform policies, strategies and the plan’s section drafts and urged municipalities that have not yet participated to engage in phase 2. No board action was required; staff asked municipalities to continue participating in the process.
