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NECCOG director reports modest transit gains, free fare through Dec. 1; 591 families aided by crumbling-foundation work
Summary
NECCOG Executive Director John Filchak reported slight monthly ridership increases and a free-fare policy through Dec. 1, 2022; regional programs also include the crumbling foundations effort that has restored 591 homes and IIJA planning grant opportunities requiring a 20% local match.
John Filchak, executive director of the Northeastern Connecticut Council of Governments, summarized regional program activity at the council’s Aug. 26 special meeting.
Filchak said transit ridership was "increased slightly on a monthly basis" and that a regional free-fare policy will run through Dec. 1, 2022. He said the Plainfield pilot peaked in June and that the Connecticut Department of Transportation will decide whether funding will continue past October 2022. Filchak also noted a Stand Down veterans event scheduled for Sept. 23, 2022, with meeting points in Killingly and at the Plainfield park-and-ride.
On public safety services, Filchak reported June figures for the Paramedic Intercept Program: 314 transports, 203 of which were paid for by local municipalities. On housing, Filchak said the regional crumbling foundations program has restored secure foundations for 591 families.
Filchak reviewed federal and state grant opportunities affecting the region: LOTCIP and the Transportation Rural Improvement Grant Program (TRIP) remain available for eligible road projects in small towns; the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) clarified that councils of governments can be eligible for certain programs, and an initial submission for a Safety Plan implementation grant is due Sept. 15, 2022, with a required 20% local match.
He also noted ongoing parcel updates for the regional GIS project, upcoming ARPA reporting requirements for towns (the March 2023 deadline for expenditure reporting), and a forthcoming EDA/DECD COVID-recovery grant survey to guide outreach and planning.
The report closed with reminders about member-town assistance (planning, POCD completion, and hiring support), broadband response templates, and pilot ideas for the Region Performance Incentive Program.
