Rocky Hill Town Manager Re-Elected To CCM Board of Directors

The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities (CCM), the statewide association of towns and cities, elected its Officers and Board of Directors for 2013-14 at CCM's Annual Meeting on June 13. 

Among those on the Board of Directors is Rocky Hill Town Manager Barbara Gilbert. 

Gilbert has been employed by the Town of Rocky Hill since 1974, as the Clerk of the Council and working in various capacities in every department other than the Highway Department during her tenure. In 1992, she was appointed Town Clerk. After serving as Acting Town Manager on several occasions, she was appointed Assistant Town Manager/Town Clerk in 1998 and remained in that position until appointed as Town Manager in 2002.  

She is a past president of the Connecticut Town and City Management Association and a member of the International City/County Management Association. 

"It's important to be on the board because it gives Rocky Hill a louder voice at the table when there are things that are important that need to be paid attention to," Gilbert said. "When there is legislation being talked about that will affect Rocky Hill, it helps to have someone who can talk to the people in Hartford. Being on the board of the CCM and being treasurer of COST (Connecticut Council of Small Towns) I believe helps this town."

Gilbert said this year's budget process was a time when her being on the CCM Board helped Rocky Hill.

"We have 13.4 square miles but we have 237 acres of state-owned land," she said. "We provide some of the police, all of the fire and ambulance to the Veteran's Home and the Governor wanted to take out the funding that pays for that. We fought for that and they did not eliminate the funding, which was extremely important."

Gilbert said there are other positives to being part of the CCM.

"They help in that they have a research value to them," Gilbert said. "If I need to know what a certain town is paying their dog waren I can contact CCM and they provide that information quickly. They can also research ordinances in other towns that may pertain to us. We are also working on a discount prescription program that if we get it through will allow all Rocky Hill residents to take part and get a discount on their prescriptions."