WE EXIST TO SUPPORT THE GOALS OF OUR MEMBERS:

• To listen to our members needs.
• To work with each beach association and its members.
• To cooperate with the Town of Westbrook.
• To cooperate with other organizations with the same goals.
• To implement change on our behalf.
  

TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WE WATCH LOCAL ISSUES VERY CLOSELY:

• Private Property/Town Relationships - Fair Services in relation to higher taxes paid:
  • Results of Special Board of Selectmen Meeting on 8-27-08.
    • Cover memo from First Selectman Noel Bishop.
    • Power Point presentation of issues as seen by Town before meeting.
    • Summary of issues as presented by meeting attendees.
    • Comparison of taxes paid in surrounding towns by beach area property owners.
    • Town 2008 five year road paving plan.

• Valuation Freeze - to ensure fairness and legality.
• The COB played a key role in organizing the Connecticut Communities Coalition (C3) which worked from 2004 to 2009 to stabilize property valuations in Connecticut.  Although C3 was able to get bills introduced in the Legislature they never made it out of committee.  A number of the individuals actively involved in C3 believe that there will never be any kind of property tax reform in Connecticut until the State mandates that property revaluations be done annually instead of every five years or so.  Under the present system only about 20% of the property owners in the state are upset about property taxes at the same time so the Legislature can pretend that there is no groundswell of public opinion in favor of changing the system. Annual revaluations were researched in Westbrook and the initial result was that they probably would not be more expensive but might even be less expensive than the existing five year system.

 

• Revaluation Phase In - The COB is worked hard in 2007 to have the October, 2006, Westbrook revaluation phased in over five years instead of all at once. We expected this to go to a Town Meeting and Referendum before the 2007 tax bills were mailed out because of what we believe was illegal action by the then Board of Selectmen
  • Click here to go to a spreadsheet that you can use to calculate what your tax bill will look like from 2007-2011 under the phase in . To print this spreadsheet click on "Preview" in the upper right corner then click "Print" in the preview window.  Close the preview window to return to the spreadsheet. Use the "Back" button in the spreadsheet window to return to this page.
• Click here to see an analysis of the overall effect of phasing in the Westbrook 2006 revaluation Grand List that would be applied to the 2007 tax bills. 
• Click here to see the revised valuation statute that was changed by the Legislature in 2006. 
• Click here to see or download a copy of our phase in petition .
• Click here to see the Harbor News Revaluation Article that mentions our petition effort.

 

• Waste Water Management - Take an active roll in all changes relating to waste water management and sewer avoidance. New Westbrook regulations that are considered to be a model for the whole State by the DEP were enacted in December of 2006.

• Click here to see the new regulations.  NOTE: Normally this link would take you to an appropriate page on the Town of Westbrook Web site, which was one of the best in the State.  Shortly after the 2005 election the new Town administration terminated the contract of the then web master and since that time the site has effectively not been kept up to date.  You can check it out for yourself and if you find that the site is being maintained again and the new ordinance has been posted there please let us know so we can restore this and the other links to it that are on the COB site.

 

• Harbor - A significant number of our members have boats and we monitor the status of navigational channel dredging projects and the Town budgets that help make them possible. 

 

• Zoning, to maintain the small town character of Westbrook in the commercial zone that abuts all of our areas South of the Boston Post Road.

• Monitor Long Island Sound programs at the State and local level.

• Traffic - Optimize signage, no parking areas and speed limit enforcement. Help keep the public aware of the dangers from blocking streets to watch illegal fireworks South of US-1.  This is so bad each Fourth of July that emergency vehicles would be blocked from getting in to some areas to save people or buildings.

• Health - Monitor beach water testing, beach access issues and dog leash laws.

• Interact  with Town Officials as needed.
  

ACHIEVEMENTS IN RECENT YEARS INCLUDE:

• Helped ensure that all Town budgets and non budgeted capital expenditures go to referendums not just a Town Meeting.
• Establishment of zoning regulations regarding Adult bookstores.
• Helped block a major truck stop at Exit 64 on I-95.
• Providing detailed documentation about voting by absentee ballot on the web.
• Worked with elected officials at the State & local level to simplify and clarify the process of absentee balloting.
• Supported the revitalization of the old Cumberland Farms property and associated traffic patterns in the Town Center.

We also fund a High School student scholarship.

If you belong to one of our member Associations and would like to be on our email notification list contact our Corresponding Secretary with your name, Association name and email address.