The Municipal Primer
Your Guide to Creating a "Green and Growing" Community
Note that this Primer is being updated - stay tuned for version 2.0!
The Municipal Primer – Your Guide to Creating a “Green and Growing” Community (“The Municipal Primer”) provides basic information and guidance to municipal officials on a wide variety of topics so that local decision-makers can stay informed. From land use decisions, to purchasing practices, to the operation of municipal facilities, and more, The Municipal Primer is a tool that allows you to quickly determine which DEEP programs are connected to various environmental issues of interest.
The Municipal Primer, revised 2008, is currently being updated by DEEP’s Municipal Team. Please sign up to receive email updates, including notification of updates to The Municipal Primer.
To read individual sections of The Municipal Primer, select the appropriate section heading below.
The Municipal Primer Your Guide to Creating a “Green and Growing” Community
Land Use Boards, Commissions, Agencies and Committees
- Introduction to Land Use Boards, Commissions, Agencies and Committees
- Avoiding Jurisdictional Conflicts
- Environmental and Landscape Stewardship
- Watershed Management
- Floodplain Management
- Aquifer Protection Area Program
- Nonpoint Source Pollution Management
- Coastal Management
- Streets and Roads Planning
- Brownfields Remediation: Update: PREPARED (Process for Risk Evaluation, Property Analysis, and Reuse Decisions) Municipal Workbook - tool for managing the complex process of redeveloping a brownfield site.
- Environmentally Sensitive Land Use Practices
- Low Impact Development
- Water as a Natural Resource
- Endangered Species
- Introduction to Public Works
- CT DEEP Permitting Overview for Public Works Officials
- Municipal Solid Waste Management
- Disaster Debris Management Planning
- Recycling
- Composting and Organics Recycling
- Brush, Stump and Untreated Wood Waste Management
- Hazardous and Universal Wastes
- Stormwater Management
- Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Stormwater Program
- Planning for a Flood & Other Natural Hazards (Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan)
- Dams
- Dredging
- Fleet Selection and Operation
- Mobile Air Emission Sources
- Indoor and Outdoor Lighting and Appliances
- Landscape and Lawn Care
- Renovation, Demolition and Construction
- Street and Road Management
- Underground Storage Tank Systems (Tanks and Piping)
Wastewater Planning and Management
- Introduction to Wastewater Management
- Municipal Wastewater Management Planning
- Wastewater Management Approaches
- Regulating Wastewater at the State Level
- Introduction to Public Health
- Mosquito Management and Control
- Potable Water Program
- Response to Wood Burning Complaints in Connecticut (New, as of 12/23/10)
- Introduction to Parks and Recreation
- Greenways
- Outdoor Recreation
- Protected Open Space
- State Parks and Forests
Public Safety and Building Official
- Introduction to Public Safety and Building Official (Includes Open Burning Official)
- Environmental Conservation Police
- Environmental Justice
- Open (Outdoor) Burning
- Outdoor Wood-Burning Furnaces and Wood Stoves
- Response to Wood Burning Complaints in Connecticut (New, as of 12/23/10)
- Wildlife Issues: Animal Possession, Nuisance Animals & Wildlife Rehabilitators
- Introduction to Schools and Education
- Environmental Education and Outreach
- Green Building Requirements for Schools
- Operations and Maintenance for Schools
- Introduction to Financial Assistance
- Grants and Financial Assistance
- Reducing Costs Through Source Reduction and Materials Reuse
- Purchasing Practices (Recycled Products and Environmentally Preferred Purchasing)
Guide to CT DEEP Permits, Licenses and Other Authorizations
- Introduction to the Guide to CT DEEP Permits, Licenses and Other Authorizations
- Air, Waste, Water and Land Use: Short Permit Processes
- Air, Waste, Water and Land Use: Individual Permit Process
- Air, Waste, Water and Land Use: Typical Individual Permit Process Flow Chart
- Air, Waste, Water and Land Use: Individual Permits List
- Matrix of CT DEEP Authorizations Typically Required by Municipal Function / Operation
- Professional and Occupational Licensing
- Recreational and Natural Resources Authorizations
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Appendix I - Topical Index
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Appendix II - CT DEEP Website Shortcuts
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Appendix III - Key Contacts Brochure
NOTE: The majority of the fact sheets in The Municipal Primer provide Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) citations where relevant. Because web links to sections of the CGS change frequently, the statutory citations provided in The Municipal Primer are not hyperlinked to the actual statutory text. If you are interested in viewing the referenced statutory text, we recommend you visit the Connecticut General Assembly's web page for the most up-to-date version of the General Statutes of Connecticut where you can search or browse the statutes for the sections of interest.
Content Last Updated: March 22, 2024