Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) Transitional Executive Committee Co-Chairs Edward Edelson, First Selectman of Southbury and W. Kurt Miller, First Selectman of the Town of Seymour are pleased to announce that the new NVCOG has selected the following Officers to administer the NVCOG beginning January 1, 2015:
· Chair: Mayor O’Leary, Waterbury
· Vice-Chair: Mayor Lauretti, Shelton
· Treasurer: Mayor Tom Dunn, Wolcott
· Secretary: Mayor Ken Cockayne, Bristol
Six at-large members will join these officers to form the NVCOG’s Executive Committee. These at-large members are:
· Kurt Miller, First Selectman Seymour
· Ed Edelson, First Selectman Southbury
· Chris Bielik, First Selectman Beacon Falls
· Len Assard, First Selectman Bethlehem
· Ed Mone, First Selectman Thomaston
· Bob Mezzo, Mayor Naugatuck
The NVCOG is a new regional planning organization, the result of a state-mandated merger of existing regional planning organizations: the Valley Council of Governments (VCOG) and the Council of Governments of the Central Naugatuck Valley (COGCNV). Additionally, the communities of Bristol and Plymouth have voted to join the new NVCOG. The NVCOG offices are located at 49 Leavenworth Street in Waterbury.
The municipalities of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Bethlehem, Bristol, Cheshire, Derby, Middlebury, Naugatuck, Oxford, Plymouth, Prospect, Seymour, Shelton, Southbury, Thomaston, Waterbury, Watertown, Wolcott, Woodbury make up the membership of the NVCOG. The population of all the 19 towns is 448,655. Waterbury is the largest community at 109,676 and Bethlehem, at 3,553, is the smallest.
Co-Chairman Edelson shared his appreciation for the initiative demonstrated by Mayors O’Leary, Lauretti, and Cockayne of the NVCOG’s three largest communities in volunteering to lead the new NVCOG.
Co-Chairman Miller indicated the new 19-town NVCOG will have the opportunity to implement more activities and provide various services on a regional basis including requesting bids for various bulk purchases, (e.g. salt and sand). Also, the 19 communities will collaborate to improve transportation on Interstate 84 and the Route 8 Corridor. The NVCOG will continue to work with ConnDOT on improving the Waterbury rail line.
The Mayors and First Selectmen of the 19 communities have voted to host monthly meetings at various member communities during the calendar year; a schedule of meetings will be voted and accepted at the December meeting.
