Legislators, Three Boards Meet on April 19

This evening, legislators who represent Weston in the Connecticut General Assembly join local officials in a tri-board meeting at 6:00.

On Zoom, State Senators Will Haskell and Tony Hwang and Representative Anne Hughes will discuss pending legislation with members of the Board of Selectmen, Board of Finance, and Board of Education.

It seems likely that one topic will be proposed measures that would affect local zoning regulations and requirements for affordable housing. That topic is the focus of a Planning and Zoning Commission workshop later in the evening, at 7:30. (See related story.)

You can also log in by telephone: (646) 558-8656
Webinar ID: 820 7086 9553
Passcode: 427588

On the table

Several proposed housing measures are currently working their way through committees in Hartford, but the one gaining most attention is SB-1024, “An Act Concerning Zoning Authority.”

A section of the bill most troubling to many small towns was removed from the draft approved by the legislature’s Planning and Development committee. It would have essentially forced towns, regardless of local zoning regulations, to allow higher-density housing in an area around a train station or commercial zone.

However, still in the proposed bill is a mandate for towns to allow detached accessory dwelling units up to 1,000 square feet. Weston has never allowed detached apartments, and in-house units are limited to 800 square feet.

Taxes

A proposal to add a property tax surcharge to homes with an assessed value of about $400,000 — dubbed the “mansion tax” — appears to be a dead letter.

Other tax matters are still in play. One proposes capping local property tax increases at 2.5 percent, linking state revenue sharing grants to regionalization, and allowing regional collective bargaining. Another calls for eliminating local property taxes on motor vehicles but increasing the property tax assessment basis from 70 percent to 100 percent of market value.

Police equipment

Local officials are bound to want an update on changes to the Police Accountability Bill, which includes a mandate that municipalities acquire (if they don’t already have) cameras for police officers and vehicles, along with various systems and services needed to store and process video records.

Recently, legislative committees have amended one part of the bill that could have been a burdensome and expensive certification process. The Legislature may also provide greater reimbursement to towns, increasing the maximum amount Weston could have been eligible for from 30 percent to 50 percent.