The Office of Legislative Research writes nonpartisan reports for legislators on various topics. Recent reports related to the Planning and Development Committee’s subject areas include:

Municipal Regulation of Short-Term Rentals in Connecticut – 2024-R-0044

History of Motor Vehicle Property Tax – 2024-R- 0013

Motor Vehicle Tax Task Force – 2024-R-0048

Updated “Approval of the Location” Certificates for Auto Dealerships and Repair Businesses – 2024-R-0001

States that Eliminated Their Motor Vehicle Property Tax – 2023-R-0196

Applicability of Zoning Laws and Regulations to the State – 2023-R-0271

Connecticut Proposals to Repeal the Motor Vehicle Property Tax – 2023-R-0274

Land Use Application Fees – 2023-R-0252

Special Taxing Districts Created Through the Statutory Process – 2023-R-0245

Using Zoning to Require Energy Conservation Measures – 2023-R-0224

Statewide Motor Vehicle Property Taxes – 2023-R-0177

State agencies

Dept. of Economic and Community Development (DECD), including the Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development

Office of Responsible Growth – part of the Office of Policy and Management

 

State boards, commissions, and task forces

Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (ACIR)

Continuing Legislative Committee on State Planning and Development

Task Force for Humane Treatment of Animals in Municipal and Regional Shelters

 

Federal government

Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Economic Development Administration

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

 

Other organizations

American Planning Association

Connecticut Conference of Municipalities

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy

Regional Plan Association – researches planning and development issues in the New York-New Jersey-Connecticut metropolitan region

Smart Growth Online – from the Smart Growth Network, a group of government, business, and civic organizations; website is a Maryland Dept. of Planning project funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis – at the University of Connecticut School of Business

 

Other online resources

Connecticut law about elderly tax credits – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Connecticut law about municipal taxes – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Connecticut law about property tax appeals – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Connecticut ordinances and charters by town – from the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Office of Policy and Management list and map of the Regional Councils of Governments in Connecticut

New England Economic Indicators – Federal Reserve Bank of Boston; electronic subscription.

State and Local Government Review – SAGE Publications; print subscription.

Cannabis Zoning – from the Dept. of Consumer Protection; shows which municipalities have approved, prohibited, or placed a moratorium on recreational cannabis establishments.

PolicyMap – includes data on income, housing, education, health, and more.

Significant Features of the Property Tax – from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; includes data on the property tax in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list. Contact the library for these and other reports.

Apprenticeships and Training Programs for Building Code Officials Working Group reportApprenticeships and Training Programs for Building Code Officials Working Group report – published by the Dept. of Administrative Services; pursuant to SA 22-14 s.2

Capital Region Development Authority annual report – pursuant to CGS 32-605

Compendium of statutory and regulatory mandates on municipalities in Connecticut – published every four years, with annual supplements in the intervening years, by the Connecticut Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations; pursuant to CGS 2-79a

Connecticut Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board annual report – pursuant to CGS 13b-13a(h)

Digitization of Building Code Records Working Group reportDigitization of Building Code Records Working Group report – published by the Dept. of Administrative Services; pursuant to SA 22-14 s.1

Geospatial information systems (GIS) coordination – annual report by the Office of Policy and Management; pursuant to CGS 4d-90

Implementation of state conservation and development plan – annual report by the Office of Policy and Management; pursuant to CGS 16a-32(c)

Obstacles to merging or consolidating municipal fire districts and fire departmentsObstacles to merging or consolidating municipal fire districts and fire departments – by the Office of Policy and Management et al.; pursuant to SA 21-12

Regional Performance Incentive Program – annual report by the Office of Policy and Management; pursuant to CGS 4-124s(e)

Regional Services Grant annual reports – by each regional council of government; pursuant to CGS 4-66r

Solar tax statutory frameworkSolar tax statutory framework – by the Office of Policy and Management; pursuant to PA 22-14 s.5

State conservation and development policies plan – periodic report by the Office of Policy and Management; pursuant to CGS 16a-29

State mandates on municipalities – annual report by the Connecticut Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations; pursuant to CGS 2-32c

State water plan status – annual report by the CT Water Planning Council; pursuant to CGS 22a-352(i)

Statewide Senior Center Workgroup reportStatewide Senior Center Workgroup report – pursuant to PA 21-7

Task Force to Promote Municipal Shared Services reportTask Force to Promote Municipal Shared Services report – pursuant to PA 19-117 s.366

For OLR Reports and other materials related to the Planning and Development Committee’s work, index headings include:

Enterprise Zones
Government-Regional
Land
Land – Acquisition and Development Rights
Land Use
Municipal Finance
Municipalities
Planning and Zoning
Property
Regional Planning
Rural Development
Sewer Systems
Taxes-Property
Urban Development

The library assigns topical index headings to all OLR Reports and keeps hard copies of the reports organized by these index headings. Reports from 1994 to the present are in the library’s file cabinets (aka the “vertical files”) in the red-tabbed folders, as well as online in full text. Older reports are in two sets of bound volumes (one set for the 1970s, and one for 1980-1993) on the library’s shelves.

The same index headings the library uses for OLR Reports have been used to organize over 600 subject files of materials such as newspaper clippings, court decisions, press releases, pamphlets, and other resources that would be more difficult to locate if they were dispersed throughout the library’s general collection. The subject files are in the blue-tabbed folders in the file cabinets. (Many of the items in these folders have also been digitized by the library, and their electronic versions can be found in the library’s intranet catalog.)

Collection of Delinquent Property Taxes in Connecticut – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Connecticut Land Use Law for Municipal Land Use Agencies, Boards, and Commissions – by the CT Bar Association, 2021

Connecticut Land Use Regulation (2nd ed. and supplement) – by Terry J. Tondro, 1992-2000

Handbook for Connecticut Assessors: A Practical Guide to Assessment Administration for Connecticut’s Assessing Officers – periodically updated handbook by the CT Association of Assessing Officers

Independent Special Taxing Districts in ConnecticutIndependent Special Taxing Districts in Connecticut – by the CT Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, 1988

McQuillin: The Law of Municipal Corporations – access through Westlaw.

Municipal Fiscal Indicators – annual report by the Office of Policy and Management

Municipal Tax Sales (Extra-Judicial) – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Property Tax Appeals (Municipal) – research guide by the Judicial Branch Law Libraries

Tax DistrictsTax Districts – by the Office of Policy and Management, 1988

For the past several years, almost all newly published items added to the library’s collection have been in electronic format only. These items are accessible in full text through the library’s intranet catalog. Many old print materials have also been digitized and uploaded to the library’s catalog.

To get a general sense of a subject’s history, however, you may find it useful to browse the library stacks in certain locations to see print copies of older publications (and the occasional newer item that was published both electronically and in print). For publications related to planning and development, call number ranges include, but are not limited to:

333 economics of land and energy
346.044 government control and regulation of real property
346.045 regional and city planning
711.1 area planning – social aspects

Hard copies of mandated reports that were produced only once or as a limited series are shelved by the number of the act that required the report. Hard copies of mandated reports produced regularly with no set end date (for example, state agencies’ annual reports) are shelved in the stacks by subject.

Connecticut zoning and discrimination 2021Connecticut zoning and discrimination 2021 – by the CT Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities

Home rule in Connecticut: its history, status, and recommendations for changeHome rule in Connecticut: its history, status, and recommendations for change – by the CT Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, 1987

Independent special taxing districts in ConnecticutIndependent special taxing districts in Connecticut – by the CT Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, 1988

Report card for Connecticut’s infrastructureReport card for Connecticut’s infrastructure – by the American Society of Civil Engineers, 2022

Tax districtsTax districts – by the Office of Policy and Management, 1988