Lamont Urges Local Governments and Community Partners to Establish Long-Term Recovery Committees

Governor Ned Lamont is urging community stakeholders throughout the State of Connecticut – including municipal officials, community-based organizations, nonprofit providers, and philanthropic partners – to establish local long-term recovery committees that will help meet urgent needs, accelerate recovery, and expedite coordination with the state’s emergency management structure in the ongoing response and recovery efforts from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor explained the local long-term recovery committees are needed to ensure the needs of Connecticut’s residents of every background are met, not just during the height of this crisis, but for the long term.

“Responding to a disaster is a shared responsibility that calls for the involvement of everyone – state government, local government, and a wide range of community partners,” Governor Lamont said. “By working together, we can continue to improve the way we support our residents and our communities as they meet urgent needs and bounce back from the COVID-19 crisis. A wide range of partners are ready to work with us on this, including the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities, the Council of Small Towns, and our regional Councils of government, as well as our nonprofits and partners in philanthropy. I am grateful to them all.”

Local long-term recovery committees should be comprised of nonprofit, government, and private-sector partners that have an in-depth knowledge of the communities they serve. Community stakeholders are urged to work through their regional planning emergency teams on the development of these committees. The Office of the Governor, the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (DEMHS), and the Connecticut Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (CT VOAD) are in the process of reaching out to stakeholders in support of the development of these local coordination structures. Some communities have already coordinated much of these efforts, and others are urged to strengthen their work so that the state and its communities can have one coordinated approach. Information on building these local long-term recovery committees can be found at ctrecovers.ct.gov.

Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz will take a leading role in this coordination effort and will be participating in organizational meetings the state is holding for these local communities.