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Panel hears vacancy tax proposals, dog-license modernization and municipal enforcement fixes
Summary
The Planning and Development Committee also heard testimony on SB363 (commercial vacancy fees), HB5393 (modernizing dog licensing), and municipal zoning/enforcement measures; town clerks, veterinarians and Main Street advocates urged changes while flagging public-health and administrative concerns.
The committee's March 4 public hearing included several bills beyond the religious-land housing proposal.
SB363: Connecticut Main Street Center’s Michelle McCabe advocated for a narrowly tailored commercial vacancy assessment aimed at designated downtown districts and ground-floor storefronts. She proposed that fees be earmarked for downtown improvement programs — pop-ups, façade grants and Main Street managers — to catalyze occupancy. "This fee, if it's applied the way we're suggesting, it's actually going to help a property owner," McCabe said, describing programs that increase foot traffic and the attractiveness of storefronts.
Opponents and skeptical lawmakers pressed for municipal flexibility, exemptions for small-property owners and protections against penalizing owners actively seeking tenants. Several representatives suggested pilot programs or opt-in authority so small towns without the capacity to administer fees are not harmed.
HB5393: The committee also heard contrasting views on dog-license reform. Dr. Michelle Fela of the Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association opposed changing the licensing cadence from annual to three-year intervals unless vaccine alignment is ensured, arguing that annual checkpoints help keep rabies vaccinations current and protect public health. "Changing the dog license frequency to every three years means that interval would not necessarily correspond with many dogs' rabies vaccine duration," she said.
Town clerks, represented by Watertown Town Clerk Lisa Dalton and the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, opposed the proposed three-year cycle and a dual sales structure; clerks recommended a single statewide online option with local clerk deputization to preserve accessibility and maintain up-to-date records for animal control.
Municipal enforcement and assessment: Laura Brown of New Haven urged passage of HB5391 to align special-act cities with statewide authority to levy meaningful civil penalties for zoning violations; she said the 1925 cap of $250 is obsolete and insufficient to deter noncompliance. The Office of Policy and Management supported technical updates to municipal assessment statutes (SB362) to modernize processes and clarify deadlines when due dates fall on weekends or holidays.
Other bills: Connecticut Legal Services raised concerns about HB5395 (modular housing) if moratorium language alters 8-30g incentives; advocates asked for careful drafting. Several witnesses encouraged an online centralized dog-license portal that allows town clerks to issue licenses as agents while preserving public-health safeguards.
The committee heard no votes on these measures; members invited further consultation with stakeholders and agency staff to reconcile administrative, public-health and municipal concerns.
