Northwest Hills Council of Governments (NHCOG)
9/10/26 10:01 am
Present on Zoom: Board Chair Gordon Ridgway. Vice Chair Denise Raap. Treasurer Patrick Roy. Casey Flanagan of Sharon, Meaghan Cook of Barkhamsted, Doug Thompson of Burlington, Brad Bremer of Colebrook, Curtis Rand of Salisbury, Dan Jerram of New Hartford, Tom Weik of Morris, David Barger of Canaan, Henry Tirell of Norfolk, Jesse Bunce, of North Canaan, Seth Breakell of Goshen, and Molly Spino of Torrington. Absent: Magi Winslow of Hartland, Michael Criss of Harwinton, Eric Epstein of Kent and Jim Brinton of Washington.
NHCOG backed a new policy for its employees at its Sept. 10 meeting and will pay 90% of the monthly healthcare premiums for workers whose start date is on or after Sept. 10, 2026.
The policy will stand in place ahead of new hires arriving at NHCOG in October, said Executive Director Rob Phillips. “We felt that this was very time sensitive to work on this portion of the policy, which has been something that's been discussed for quite some time,” Phillips said. “The balance of the rest of the draft manual changes is actually in labor attorney review right now, and I expect the response in the next 10 to 15 days. That balance of that document would be taken up at the next Executive Committee meeting in October.”
A labor attorney is reviewing and clarifying language in the current policy. As part of the additions, NHCOG is also committing to covering 100% of vision and dental insurance benefits up to a maximum of $1,000 per employee per fiscal year.
Winchester Town Manager Paul Harrington said he did not support the new policy. Harrington noted that he felt the new guidelines would separate employees into two groups based on how their benefits are provided by NHCOG.
“Any time we go down a road of bifurcating employees, it leads to issues down the road,” he said. “One of the hardest things to keep up in your organization is morale. When you start treating employees differently, you immediately start bringing your morale down. I cannot support bifurcating employees based on start dates of who pays for health insurance and who doesn't.”
Ridgway said NHCOG’s Executive Committee found itself in a difficult position when reviewing the policy. The Committee is comprised of Ridgway, who is First Selectman for Cornwall; Litchfield First Selectman and NHCOG Vice Chair Denise Raap; Warren First Selectman and Council Secretary Greg LaCava; Roxbury First Selectman and NHCOG Treasurer Patrick Roy; and at-large members Flanagan and Brinton of Sharon and Washington, respectively.
“We should start this process, but it was felt by the majority of both boards that they did not want to penalize the current hires or the people that are currently employed because those are the conditions that they were working under,” Ridgway said. “There was a need to get something in place before the new hires were put in place.”
Burlington First Selectman Doug Thompson said the NHCOG benefits packages are too generous. Thompson said NHCOG’s insurance benefits are better than those of any single town.
“I've been looking at every town with their insurance, and my neighbor Harwinton just moved their copay up 20%, so they've been asking every employee to continue to pay more each year,” Thompson said. “We do it all the time. I'm not targeting or singling out the COG employees. I'm just trying to ask them to be treated the same as the rest of us are.” Thompson noted he would be in favor of a phase-in system.
“Maybe 10% for new employees and a certain percentage reduction per year to bring the current employees on the same level, to me, would be very reasonable,” Thompson said.
Also at the meeting, the strategic adviser for the Northwest Resource Recovery Authority (NRRA) delivered a brief presentation for Council members. Rachel Oster, the owner of Diversion Strategies, has 20 years in the waste and recycling industries. She has negotiated collection contracts and overseen transfer stations like Torrington’s — where the NRRA operates.
“We got the opportunity to come and work with the NRRA, one as a strategic adviser, but also to over the next year undertake a big strategic planning process where we will be looking at the Torrington Transfer Station,” Oster said. “Seeing how we can optimize that now regional asset definitely in a time where Connecticut is undergoing changes in their solid waste infrastructure recycling policy.”
As operations by the NRRA at the station get underway, Oster will help enter an agreement with an operating partner, getting authorizations and policies in place, have the requisite insurance, and more, she said.
“It's definitely been a process. But I have just been really impressed with the passion the Board has displayed in terms of just getting this rolling and the speed at which this organization has been able to form, get this great asset, and then undertake some strategic planning, which is done through a grant by Connecticut (Department of Energy and Environmental Protection).”
The meeting adjourned at 11:30 a.m. on a unanimous vote. The Council is scheduled for its next meeting starting at 10 a.m. Oct. 8.
