You asked if there is a source of information listing how many Connecticut towns have adopted CGS § 7-131r, which permits municipalities to create a special, nonlapsing fund for acquiring land used for open space, recreation, or housing.

We were unable to find a comprehensive list of towns that have created land acquisition funds under CGS § 7-131r. Neither the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for Public Land, nor the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland Wetlands Commissions (CACIWC) have tracked the adoption of that statute since its passage in 1989 (PA 89-370).

We conducted Internet searches to find towns that had adopted ordinances citing CGS § 7-131r. Our search was limited to the number of towns that have posted searchable ordinances online. In this manner, we were able to find towns that have established funds under CGS § 7-131r, including Wethersfield (1994), Fairfield (1997), Newington (1998), Woodstock (1999), Killingly (2000), Simsbury (2000), New Hartford (2002), Groton (2004), and Plainville (2005).

Some towns have created land acquisition funds under a more general purpose statute (CGS § 7-148(c)(2)(K)). This statute permits municipalities to “[c]reate a sinking funds or funds or a trust fund or other special funds, including funds which do not lapse at the end of the

municipal fiscal year. ” According to ordinances provided by the Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), these towns include Bolton (1996) and Washington (2003).

CCM also provided ordinances from other towns that created land acquisition funds with a similar purpose as CGS § 7-131r, but without specific citation to that statute. These towns include Derby (1996), North Branford (1996), and Rocky Hill (2003).

One town, Goshen (1986), created a land acquisition fund before the passage of CGS § 7-131r.

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