Press Release: CRCOG Ad-hoc Working Committee Addresses Crumbling Concrete Foundations Issues

Hartford, Connecticut – The Capitol Region Council of Governments (CRCOG) is pleased to announce that the Ad-hoc Working Committee convened its second meeting on November 3, 2016.

In addition to mayors, first selectman and town managers from affected towns, State Representatives Tim Ackert, Sam Belsito, Jeff Currey and Christopher Davis attended.  Representatives from US Senator Blumenthal’s office and Congressman Joseph Courtney’s office were also in attendance as well as a representative from the CT Department of Housing.

The Ad-hoc Working Committee reviewed a report by the building officials sub-committee and voted to recommend guidelines for towns on implementing building waivers for crumbling foundations.

The Committee also reviewed an outline of a template for distribution of concrete foundation remediation funds if  funding were to become available.  This template will be used in discussions with legislators to potentially further legislative solutions for potential assistance for homeowners.  The committee approved the initial template, with next steps to go beyond single family homes to include planned unit developments and condominiums. Legislators in attendance committed to reaching out to the committee once the November election to further potential solutions.  In addition, the Committee will look to pursuing additional solutions with various state agencies.

A sub-committee will be meeting with the Commissioner of Housing on November 21st.  The Committee would like to also pursue specific proposals or thoughts with the Department of Banking and the Department of Insurance.

CRCOG staff reported that it had received responses for Requests for Qualifications in three areas: Structural Engineering, Remediation Services, Laboratory and Testing Services. Review committees are being formed and the hope is to have a list of qualified vendors for homeowners to be able to access by year’s end.  CRCOG will not be a contracting agency, but simply providing a list of potential vendors that have been vetted by the review committees.

The Committee also discussed avenues of potential federal funding options that should be explored further. The next meeting of the Ad Hoc Working Committee is planned for early December 2016.

For more information, please contact Pauline Yoder, Pauline Yoder
http://crcog.org/crumbling-foundations/

Posted in