WATER:
Public Trust Resource?
Private Resource?
Or Both?

(Program and links below)

Presented by
Rivers Alliance of Connecticut and
  Center for Public Policy and Social Research/ Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair at Central Connecticut State University

Saturday March 9, 2019

Brought to you by:

Reception and Check-in. World Water Day handout

Welcomes. Video here (00:00:00) 

Dr. David Dauwalder, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, CCSU. Video here (00:01:15)
Dr. Richard Judd, Board Member, Rivers Alliance of CT; Professor and President Emeritus, CCSU. Video here (00:06:10)

Water is a Public Trust Resource in Connecticut. What does this actually mean when managing water supply?  Does it matter? 

Video here (00:13:47)

Moderator: Frederic Lee Klein, Esq. Partner, Pullman & Comley LLC. 

Video here (00:14:40),  other links: WATERBURY V. WASHINGTON, State Water Plan Executive Summary

Panelists:

Paul Zagorsky, Esq., Partner, Zagorsky, Zagorsky & Galske.
     News article
Elizabeth Gara, Esq., Executive Director, Connecticut Water Works Association.
      Public Hearing Testimony
Elizabeth Barton, Esq., Partner, Day Pitney, LLP.
     March 16, 2018 Memorandum
Roger Reynolds, Esq., Counsel, Connecticut Fund for the Environment/ Save the Sound.
     Handout:  Primer on the Public Trust.

Break

Conservation Water Rates.  How have they been working?  Could publicly owned utilities use them?

David Radka,  Senior Environmental Specialist, Milone & MacBroom.
     CT Water Co WICA Factsheet
Margaret Miner, Executive Director, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut.
     CT Consumer Council Report
 

The Public Trust in Water at the Local Level.  Working with water law in towns and watersheds.

Panelists:

Denise Savageau, President, Connecticut Association of Conservation Districts; Retired Conservation Director, Greenwich.
     Handout: Greenwich Drought Ordinance
Alicea Charamut, River Steward for Connecticut, Connecticut River Conservancy.
Paula Jones, Founding Member, SaveOurWaterCT.
     Who We Are

Moderator: David Kalafa, Retired Undersecretary, CT Office of Policy and Management
 

Buffet Lunch

The Public’s Take on the Public Trust in Water:  Canvassing and Comments.  Do Connecticut residents know they are the beneficiaries of the public trust in water?

Louis Burch, Connecticut Program Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment. 

Video here (00:00:00),

link: CCE Memorandum

Water and the Legislature. What happens when legislators have to deal with water and the public trust? Who are the players? Why do so few bills pass?

Video here (00:00:00),

link: Session Year 2018 Raised S.B. No. 427

Moderator: Don DeFronzo,  Holder of the Governor William A. O’Neill Endowed Chair in Public Policy & Practical Politics at CCSU.  

Panelists:

Eric Brown, Vice President, Connecticut Business and Industry Association
     Public comment
Louis Burch, Connecticut Program Director, Citizens Campaign for the Environment.
     Public comment
Elizabeth Gara, Esq., Executive Director, Connecticut Water Works Association.
     Public comment
Sen. George Logan, 17th Senate District
     Introduced bills
Rep. Mary Mushinsky, 85th House District
    Introduced bills
Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, 136th House District.
     Introduced bills

New Statewide Water Supply Plan:  What’s a WUCC?   If you want to start a restaurant or a school or a residential complex in Connecticut  that needs a public water supply, where do go with your application?  Who decides what water you get from where?   

Video here (00:00:00),

link: Summary of WUCC law and the statute. 

David Radka,  Senior Environmental Specialist, Milone & MacBroom.
Margaret Miner, Executive Director, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut.
 

Can Anyone Buy Your Water Utility? What Can You Do About It? 

Video here (00:00:00),

other links: Mergers and Aquisitions Summary, Presentation to the WPC, 
PURA and DPH JOINT REPORT ON STREAMLINING THE TAKEOVER PROCESS, 
Water company acquisition headlines

Paul Zagorsky, Esq., Partner, Zagorsky, Zagorsky & Galske.
Kat Fiedler, Esq., Legal Fellow, Connecticut Fund for the Environment / Save the Sound
Margaret Miner, Executive Director, Rivers Alliance of Connecticut.

Final Comments / Next Steps Video here (00:00:00)