The public act creating The Face of Connecticut Steering Committee integrated brownfields. We have been working to help identify potential coalition members and open discussion between the development and preservation factions. The Face of Connecticut will have a planning meeting Friday, July 18^th in Branford.

Heidi, Bill Cibes, Bob Santy, Pat Wallace, Leo Canty and Jim Finley attended the first meeting of a group to create a vision for Connecticut. The group came to a fast consensus on the state’s leadership challenges and will meet again to shape possible recommendations and strategies on July 21^st.

Toni Gold, Dara Kovel, Bob Painter, Robert Orr and Bob Santy have been working with Heidi to create a smart growth project scorecard. 1000 Friends will use the scorecard to evaluate project plans. We will write and speak in favor of high-scoring projects and will offer suggestions to strengthen low-scoring projects. Applications for review must be accompanied by $500 to defray our costs. We will begin accepting applications on September 1^st. We hope the 1000 Friends’ seal of approval will help advance smart growth statewide.

Building the Base – we began the door-to-door canvass in May. The results were disappointing and we ended the canvass in June. We recruited five canvassers. On average they found 75 percent of the doors they knocked had no answers, and were unsuccessful in inspiring many of the remaining people to join the campaign to grow Connecticut Smart and fewer still willing to donate. We will focus our grassroots organizing budget and energies on building from our volunteer base instead of cold-calling in selected neighborhoods.

To introduce 1000 Friends to new candidates and to solidify our position as the go-to organization for incumbents, Connie Razza prepares and we send a weekly sample of news from around the state to legislative candidates. The sample is prefaced by a paragraph framing the articles through a smart growth lens. We are also sharing smart growth messaging tips.

Sochie Nnaemeka, a Yale student interning with 1000 Friends this summer, is updating the Leader’s Guide to Growing Connecticut Smart. We will distribute it to all candidates after the primaries. The updated version will include an overview of key policies, a scorecard of progress since version one, and recommendations for reform.

Connie Razza will organize a series of candidate forums in the fall featuring the guide.

The conference is coming together nicely. We have secured a site -- the Omni in New Haven. We have a date -- November 13^th. Cosponsoring organizations are Sierra Club, CHC, CT Trust for Historic Preservation, CCAPA, Bridgeport Regional Business Council, Greater New Haven Chamber, MetroHartford Alliance, Middlesex County Chamber, and the Waterbury Regional Chamber.

Sponsors are BL Companies, Jonathan Rose Companies, Robik Glantz Builders, LLC, RGR Development, Trinity College, and United Illuminating Company, and Weston Solutions.

Committee members are Sue Merrow, Joe Barber, Bob Santy, Pat Wallace, Leo Canty, Peter Rosazza, and John Pagini. The working theme is: Tying it All Together: jobs, housing & Transit.

We have received 10 workshop proposals and will be building the program in the coming weeks. Bruce Katz of the Brookings Institute will be our keynote speaker. The Save-the-Date card is at the printer.

Heidi and a delegation from Connecticut went to Washington in early June for the roll-out the Brookings Metro Policy for a Metro Nation Summit on American Prosperity. (See notes sent previously.)

The Office of Responsible Growth has begun its regional roundtables. DECD has awarded the contract for the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. Heidi has met with staff from the Office of Brownfield Remediation and Development. The newly appointed Commissioner of the DOT will join us today at our annual meeting. The projected capital deficit for transportation projects continues to grow.

We have received $14,685 in individual donations this year to date. We plan a second direct appeal before summer’s end and a third appeal for December.

The canvass brought in just over $500.

Shelly Saczynski, Susan Bryson and Louise Endel are hosting a party for 1000 Friends at Susan’s house July 23^rd.

Jonas Maciunas will be heading to the University of Pennsylvania in August and Jim Mason resigned from the Board, so we have two open slots now on our fundraising committee.

We received a $10,000 grant from a donor advised fund at the Fairfield County Community Foundation. We have a multi-year application pending with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. We also have an application pending with the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation.

We are planning a Fairfield County friend raiser in November to coincide with Bruce Katz’s visit.

We still have no word on our proposal to the Urban Land Institute.

Pat is following up on the corporate fundraising group.

Roberta Zack, a master’s in business candidate at St. Joseph’s College, is interning with us this summer. Roberta is revamping the design and marketing of our Smart Growth Yellow Pages.

Please see the attached financials for more detail.

Stephen Beck was discharged in June. We have an active posting for an Education and Outreach Coordinator and are interviewing candidates. The response to the posting for this full-time position has been enthusiastic. We have a good group of candidates to choose from.

House Party for 1000 Friends at the home of Susan Bryson and Larry Nadel, July 23^rd at 5:30 see me if you’d like to attend.

Conference Committee, July 21^st, 9 AM, 484 Farmington Ave, Hartford.

Meeting on the Property Tax and Smart Growth hosted by the Waterbury Neighborhood Council and the Waterbury Property Owner’s Association, July 30, 7PM, Brass Room, Waterbury Development Corporation.

Finance and Audit Committee, August 5, 3 PM, 484 Farmington Avenue, Hartford

Fundraising Committee, August 5, 4 PM, 484 Farmington Avenue, Hartford

Regional Efficiency Working Group, August 7, 10 AM, LOB

Executive Committee, August 21, 4 PM, CERC, Rocky Hill

Respectfully submitted,

Heidi Green, President

July 17, 2008