Southeastern CT Youth Summit, Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Study Town Hall

March 8, 2024

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Dear Neighbor,

I hope you are all doing well. Following clouds and wet weather for most of the week, it was good to see the sun again today - although briefly. Today began with a press conference on HB5004, An Act Concerning the Implementation of Certain Climate Change Measures. There is a public hearing currently going on regarding the bill, and as a member of the Environment Committee, I am participating. This comes on the heels of the Southeastern CT Youth Climate Summit I attended and thoroughly enjoyed on Thursday, in New London. It was a busy week.

I attended several committee meetings and public hearings all in the interest of serving you and making our community even better. A thank you to those who came out to my Coffee Hour at the Ditty Bag on Saturday. I am already looking forward to next month's event. As a reminder, I hold the Coffee Hours at the Ditty Bag on the first Saturday of the month. I hope to see you on April 6th!

On to the newsletter, which touches includes:

What's Our Rep Been Up To?
Public Hearings Schedule March 11-15
Southeastern CT Climate Youth Summit
DEEP: Upcoming Public Comment Opportunities
Coastal Erosion Hazard Areas Study Town Hall
Celebrating Women's History Month
Groton Hiring for Summer Employment
Declaring Freedom Conference March 15-16
Tasty Tuesday Begins March 19th
CT Sun Free Basketball Clinic March 30th
Community Events and Notices

Have a great weekend,

Aundré

WHAT'S OUR REP BEEN UP TO?

Thanks to everyone who attended my Coffee Hour at the Ditty Bag in Mystic on Saturday. I enjoyed sharing what's happening in Hartford and what I'm doing for the constituents of the 41st district, and of course, hearing from you on how I could be doing better. Thank you!

On Wednesday, I was proud to stand with colleague Kate Farrar (D-West Hartford), fellow legislators, families, and advocates to stress the need to establish a permanent refundable child tax credit in Connecticut. Both Senate Bill 36 and House Bill 5113 introduce a child tax credit that could benefit households with income of $200,000 or less to receive a tax credit of $600/per child for up to three children.

Nearly 40% of working families in Connecticut struggle to make ends meet. This tax credit would go a long way in helping to pay for food, housing, and childcare.

PUBLIC HEARINGS MARCH 11-15

I will always encourage you to get involved.

SOUTHEASTERN CT CLIMATE YOUTH SUMMIT

The Youth Climate Summit was a rousing success! Marine Science Magnet High School, Fitch Senior High School, Norwich Free Academy, and Norwich Tech participated! I was able to secure funding in last year's state budget to help support today’s conference. It was so inspiring to see so many Southeastern CT students committed to climate action! Thank you to the MSMHS students for their planning efforts! You can read more about the event in today's New London Day.

DEEP: UPCOMING PUBLIC COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is proposing to revise the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and related Section 108 loan guarantee program regulations to make it easier for recipients to promote economic development and recovery in low- and moderate-income communities and support investments in underserved areas.

This proposed rule also would revise provisions related to Consolidated Plan and citizen participation requirements for the CDBG program and institute quarterly reporting. HUD is also proposing to make certain corresponding changes to the Indian Community Development Block Grant (ICDBG) program regulations. Comments are due by March 11, 2024. Please click on the image below for more details.

DEEP is looking to build upon successful partnerships in Connecticut State Parks by inviting businesses, non-profits, and other private sector stakeholders to submit concepts to an RFI. Submissions for all partnership concepts for implementation in 2025 and beyond are due Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Submissions can be submitted at deep.partnershipsinparks@ct.gov. To learn more please click HERE.

COASTAL EROSION HAZARD AREAS STUDY TOWN HALL

Since coastal erosion is a hazard that threatens lives, property, and resources in New London County, FEMA Region has initiated a coastal erosion hazard area study for New London County. To help identify the risk to communities, FEMA has created coastal erosion hazard areas displaying projected hazards for 2030, 2050, and 2100, incorporating projected sea level rise.

A virtual meeting that provides an overview of the study’s methodology and presents the nonregulatory coastal erosion data viewer will be held on Thursday, March 21st, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be time at the end for community members to ask questions regarding the coastal erosion non-regulatory study.

Details for the meeting time and registration link can be found by clicking on the image below.

CELEBRATING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

GROTON HIRING FOR SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

The City of Groton Parks & Recreation Department is hiring for seasonal positions for the Summer of 2024. Click on the image below for more details, including available positions, pay, and a seasonal employment application.

City of Groton

DECLARING FREEDOM CONFERENCE MARCH 15-16

I hope you can attend the Declaring Freedom Conference at Central Connecticut State on March 15-16.

The conference will launch a robust consideration of what freedom means and how we can commemorate 250 years since the Declaration of Independence while considering the many troubling realities that have accompanied the United States' development as a nation.

Friday, March 15 will be the introduction of the mission and vision of

Connecticut's 250th Commission to a broader audience and engaging attendees in meaningful conversation about the four America 250 | CT themes. Organized by CT Humanities and the America 250 | CT Commission.
The agenda includes Governor Ned Lamont's Keynote and Commission Introduction, by the Honorable Denise Merrill, Dr. Matt Warshauer, and Cyndi Tolosa.

Panels will be moderated by Kolton Harris, CT Office of the Arts, Frank Mitchell, Ph.D, Merle MCGee, and CT State Historian Andy Horowitz. To register for the event, please click

HERE.

On Saturday, March 16th, historians, museums, and other history organizations will gather to learn from one another, share ideas, and make plans for the semi-quincentennial. This day will include presentations, panels, and ample opportunities for share-outs and networking around the 250th planning. Organized by the Association for the Study of Connecticut History with the Connecticut League of Museums. To register, please click

HERE.

TASTY TUESDAY BEGINS MARCH 19TH

The City of Groton is beginning a Tasty Tuesday series beginning March 19th. Food trucks will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Municipal Building at 295 Meridian Street. More vendors will be added soon but here's a look at what's on tap so far:

City of Groton

If you happen to own a food truck or know someone who does, and would be interested in participating in Tasty Tuesdays, please contact Jackie Nardone at nardonej@cityofgroton-ct.gov for more information.

CT SUN FREE BASKETBALL CLINIC MARCH 30TH

Young basketball enthusiasts will have an opportunity to learn from professional basketball players and their coaches as the Connecticut Sun will host a "Basketball for Free" event at Wilbur Cross High School, 181 Mitchell Drive in New Haven, on Saturday, March 30th from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Please respond to Chris Smith at Chris@consult-ct.com if you can attend. The Mohegan Tribe became the first Native American Tribe to own a professional sports team when they welcomed the Sun in 2003.