6. Address Community Issues
6.0 Address Community Issues
While the City is doing a good job in most policy areas related to the physical conservation and development of the community, there are some areas where it intendeds to devote more time and attention in the future:
- Prepare For Climate Change And Sea Level Rise
- Address Community Facility Issues
- Promote Sustainability / Resiliency
6.1 Prepare for Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
A key issue for the City to address going forward is how to prepare for sea level rise and how to address local impacts. As indicated in the sidebar, it is recommended that Connecticut municipalities plan for sea level rise of 20 inches (0.5 meters) between 2017 and 2050.
Sea Level Rise
In October 2017, the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) released a recommendation that Connecticut municipalities plan for sea level rise of 20 inches (0.5 meters) between 2017 and 2050. This is not a prediction but it is a scenario that Groton should prepare for.
In 2017, Moody’s Investor Service advised communities that they will begin incorporating climate risk and potential exposure into their community evaluation and bond rating system.
In 2010, a series of workshops were conducted in the Town of Groton to talk about how to prepare for climate change and sea level rise. These workshops were coordinated by ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Since the workshops used the Town of Groton as a case study, the results of the workshops are available for reference and use.
Some of the potential actions identified to help address climate change included:
Types of Actions | |
Protection –
Protect the land from the sea so that existing land uses can continue. |
1. Install flood/tide gates
2. Relocate/elevate roads and infrastructure 3. Flood-proof existing buildings 4. Beach nourishment 5. Purchase land to act as a buffer |
Accommodation –
Continue to use the land at risk but do not attempt to prevent the land from being flooded. |
6. Prevent new building in vulnerable locations
7. Strengthen building / engineering standards 8. Make cost-effective road / infrastructure improvements 9. Bolster emergency response capability |
Retreat –
Abandon the coastal zone over time |
10. Allow land to convert to wetlands
11. Create incentives to retreat |
Other – | 12. Educate residents about vulnerability
13. Identify funding sources 14. Integrate climate preparedness into local plans, regulations, and processes |
The key recommendations from the report included:
1. Conduct a thorough vulnerability assessment, using stakeholder input and engagement techniques.
2. Establish a working climate preparedness committee, including municipal department heads and other key technical personnel, to evaluate community vulnerabilities, establish preparedness targets, and prioritize actions.
3. Create a community-wide action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change impacts with strategies that are robust, adjustable, align with existing community priorities, and provide co-benefits.
Other Recommendations
1. Identify a person and/or agency to lead adaptation coordination.
2. Continue to develop the capacity to analyze sea level rise and storm surge impacts.
3. Pursue funding sources to increase municipal capacity.
4. Work with others to alter criteria for funding of infrastructure grants to incorporate adaptation criteria.
5. Integrate climate change considerations into all Town-wide planning.
6. Prepare and refine an outreach strategy regarding climate preparedness.
7. Continue researching what others are doing and share information regionally.
Strategies To Prepare For Climate Change And Sea Level Rise
Priority | Leader | Partners | |
1. Address issues associated with climate change and sea level rise. | 6.11 | Council | CWC Staff |
2. Establish a working committee to evaluate community vulnerabilities associated with climate change and sea level rise. | 1.67 | Council | CWC Staff |
3. Conduct a thorough assessment of vulnerability to climate change and sea level rise including:
a. a database of “’repetitive loss” properties |
2.22 | CVWG | Staff |
4. Create an action plan to prioritize actions relative to climate change and sea level rise including a conceptual capital improvement program to balance fiscal capacity with coastal issues / needs | 2.78 | CVWG | Council Staff |
5. Continue to work with regional, state, and federal agencies and other organizations to address issues related to coastal vulnerability. | 4.44 | CVWG | TOG DEEP SECCOG Staff |
6. Consider increasing regulatory standards relative to construction in vulnerable areas:
a. Limiting construction of habitable structures |
3.89 | PZC | Staff |
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Relevant Resources
Resources related to climate change and sea level rise that are relevant to the City of Groton include:
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- Preparing for Climate Change in Groton, Connecticut (Town)
- Critical Facilities Assessment (SECCOG)
- SECCOG Regional Resilience Guidebook
- SECCOG Regional Resilience Vision & Summary of Findings
- Municipal Issues & Needs for Addressing Climate Adaptation in Connecticut (UConn –CLEAR)
- Adapt CT (UConn –CLEAR)
- Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (UConn – Avery Point)
- Coastal Resilience for Long Island Sound (The Nature Conservancy)
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6.2 Address Community Facility Issues
Community facilities and services contribute significantly to Groton’s quality of life and character. Groton is different from many communities because City residents receive public services from:
- the City (fire, police, public works, building, zoning, planning, solid waste),
- the Town (education, social services, assessment, vital records, tax collection), or
- both (parks and recreation).
The Plan reviews these facilities to ensure they are appropriately located and sized to meet community needs during the planning period and beyond.
Facility | Findings |
Municipal Complex
Space needs study recommended |
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Recreation
Improvements desired |
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Fire Stations
Space needs study recommended |
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School Facilities
School facilities are operated by the Town of Groton. Over the past 10 years or so, enrollments have been declining and the Town has closed some school facilities (including two elementary schools within the City limits) and converted another school to a magnet school. A number of school buildings have deferred maintenance.
While the City had been looking at leasing Colonel Ledyard School for some City functions, budget constraints forced and timing caused the City to halt plans for renovations and return the property to the Town.
Bill Library
The Bill Memorial Library is an independent library located in the City. The library is part of the overall library system in the Town of Groton (the other libraries are the Groton Public Library on Route 117 and the Mystic and Noank Library in Mystic).
While privately funded, the City does assist the library in a number of ways. The City should continue to support this library to help meet community needs.
Waste Disposal
The City collects municipal solid waste, recyclable materials, and bulky waste within the City. Additional space for these activities is desired.
The City has a long term disposal agreement with a resource recovery facility which should meet City needs for the foreseeable future.
Strategies To Address Community Facility Issues
Priority | Leader | Partner | |
Municipal Complex | |||
1. Undertake a comprehensive space needs study to determine the best way to address the space needs at the Municipal Complex. | 4.44 | Council | PW Police Staff |
Recreation | |||
2. Over the longer term, seek to address identified park and recreation desires:
a. A community center. |
6.11 | BPC | Council Staff |
Fire Stations | |||
3. Look at ways to address the space needs (storage) of the fire department. | 1.11 | Fire | Council Staff |
Other Facilities And Services | |||
4. Continue to support the Bill Memorial Library. | 5.00 | Council | TOG Staff |
5. Continue to provide adequate collection and disposition of solid waste, recyclable materials, and bulky waste. | 5.56 | PW | Council Staff |
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6.3 Promote Sustainability / Resiliency
Promote Sustainability
For the purposes of the POCD, “sustainability” refers to the philosophy of encouraging activities that allow present generations to meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Sustainability relates to being efficient and economical in use of resources using approaches that are economically viable, of social benefit, and environmentally responsible.
Rather than an adversarial situation between economic and environmental interests, sustainability is meant to be a more cooperative approach.
Sustainability is about finding a balance between what we as a society want and demand from natural resources, our need to use natural resources to provide jobs and income for our families and communities, and the natural resources that are available to provide what we need.
Some of the items to be considered as part of a municipality’s overall approach to sustainability could include:
Energy-Related |
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Water-Related |
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Waste-Related |
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Promote Resiliency
The term “resiliency” refers to the community’s ability to withstand, respond to, and readily recover from sudden changes or adversity. For the POCD, resiliency relates to being able to absorb and/or recover from impactful events (such as hurricanes, flooding and winter storms) in an efficient and timely way. The elements of being a resilient community can include:
Avoidance-Related |
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Mitigation-Related |
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Response-Related |
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The 2012 SECCOG Regional Hazard Mitigation Plan is a key resource for the City to consider as it evaluates approaches to identify / reduce / eliminate risk to human life and property (resilience). Recent hurricanes and major storm events have highlighted the value of such approaches.
Strategies To Promote Sustainability / Resiliency
Priorities | Leader | Partner | |
Promote Sustainability | |||
1. Continue to educate residents about sustainability concepts. | 5.00 | CWC | UC PW LLHD DEEP Staff |
2. Consider participating in the “SustainableCT” program and similar programs. | 0.56 | Council | Staff |
Promote Resiliency | |||
3. Continue efforts to identify, avoid, reduce, mitigate, and recover from impactful events. | 5.56 | Council | PW Police Fire Staff |
4. Continue to participate in updating the regional Hazard Mitigation Plan in order to address risks and obtain funding. | 0.56 | Staff | PW Police Fire |
5. Implement the Hazard Mitigation Plan, as amended. | 1.67 | Staff | PW Police Fire |
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