Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4b-23

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 4b-23 - (Formerly Sec. 4-26b). State facility plan. Responsibilities of Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, Commissioner of Administrative Services and Properties Review Board

(a) As used in this section, "facility" means buildings and real property owned or leased by the state. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall establish guidelines which further define such term. All agencies and departments of the state shall notify the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management of their facility needs including, but not limited to, the types of such facilities and the municipalities or general location for the facilities. Each agency and department shall continue long-range planning for facility needs, establish a plan for its long-range facility needs and submit such plan and related facility project requests to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, and a copy thereof to the Commissioner of Administrative Services, on or before September first of each even-numbered year. Each such request shall be accompanied by a capital development impact statement, as required by section 4-66b, and a colocation statement, as required by section 4b-31, if the secretary so requires. Each agency and department shall base its long-term planning for facility needs on a program plan. The secretary shall establish a content guide and schedule for such plans. Each agency and department shall prepare its program plan in accordance with such guide and file it with the secretary pursuant to such schedule. Facility plans shall include, but not be limited to: Identification of (1) long-term and short-term facility needs, (2) opportunities for the substitution of state-owned space for leased space, (3) facilities proposed for demolition or abandonment which have potential for other uses, (4) space modifications or relocations that could result in cost or energy savings, and (5) facilities known to be brownfields. Each agency or department program plan and facility plan and its facility project requests shall cover a period of at least five years. The secretary shall provide agencies and departments with instructions for preparing program plans, long-term facility plans and facility project requests and shall provide appropriate programmatic planning assistance. The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall assist agencies and departments with long-term facilities planning and the preparation of cost estimates for such plans and requests. The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall review such plans and prepare an integrated state facility plan which meets the aggregate facility needs of the state. The secretary shall review the cost effective retrofit measures recommended to the secretary by the Commissioner of Administrative Services and include in the plan those measures which would best attain any applicable energy performance standards.

(b) On or before December first of each even-numbered year, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall provide the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management with a review of the plans and requests submitted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section for consistency with realistic cost factors, space requirements, space standards, implementation schedules, priority needs, objectives of the Commissioner of Administrative Services in carrying out his or her responsibilities under section 4b-30 and the need for the maintenance, improvement and replacement of state facilities.

(c) The Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall present a proposed state facility plan to the Properties Review Board on or before February fifteenth of each odd-numbered year. Such plan shall be known as the recommended state facility plan and shall include all leases and capital projects and a statement of the degree to which it promotes the colocation goals addressed in subsection (e) of section 4b-31. The secretary shall establish guidelines defining "capital projects". The Properties Review Board shall submit its recommendations to the secretary on or before March first of each odd-numbered year. The Properties Review Board recommendations shall address the goals described in subsection (e) of section 4b-31. The secretary shall present the recommended state facility plan to the General Assembly on or before March fifteenth of each odd-numbered year.

(d) Upon the approval by the General Assembly of the operating and capital budget appropriations, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management shall update and modify the recommended state facility plan, which shall then be known as the state facility plan. The state facility plan shall be used as an advisory document for the leasing of property for use by state agencies and departments and for related capital projects.

(e) Implementation of the state facility plan shall be the responsibility of the Commissioner of Administrative Services who shall conduct a study of each proposed facility in the plan to determine:

(1) The method of choice for satisfying each such facility need,

(2) the geographical areas best suited to such need,

(3) the feasibility and cost of such acquisition using a life-cycle cost analysis,

(4) the degree to which the plan promotes the goals addressed in subsection (e) of section 4b-31, and

(5) any other relevant factors. Said commissioner shall review and approve each facility plan implementation action and shall submit to the Properties Review Board a list of each such action approved and the method and plan by which it shall be accomplished. Said commissioner shall endeavor to locate human services agencies in the same buildings as municipal and private agencies that provide human services. The results of said commissioner's study along with all supportive materials shall be immediately sent to the Properties Review Board. The board shall meet to review the decision of the commissioner and may request the commissioner or any member of the commissioner's department, and the head of the requesting agency or any of his or her employees to appear for the purpose of supplying pertinent information. Said board shall call a meeting not later than two weeks after the receipt of the commissioner's decision, and may meet as often as necessary, to review said decision. The board, not later than ninety days after the receipt of the decision of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, shall either accept, reject or request modification of such decision, except that when more time is required, the board may have a ninety-day extension of time, provided the board shall advise the Commissioner of Administrative Services in writing as to the reasons for such extension of time. If such decision is disapproved by the board, it shall so inform the commissioner along with its reasons therefor, and the commissioner shall inform the head of the requesting agency and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management that its request has been rejected. If such decision is approved by the board it shall inform the commissioner of such approval and the commissioner shall immediately communicate his decision to the head or acting head of such governmental unit and to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and shall set forth the procedures to be taken to accomplish the results of such decision. The decision to make public such decision shall rest solely with the Commissioner of Administrative Services both as to time and manner of disclosure, but in no event shall such period exceed one year. The commissioner shall, when he or she deems it to be in the public interest, authorize the disclosure of such information; however, in the absence of such authorization, any unauthorized disclosure shall be subject to the criminal provisions of section 4b-27. All decisions made by the commissioner under the provisions of this section shall require review by the board. Except as otherwise hereinafter provided, the approval or disapproval of the Properties Review Board shall be binding on the commissioner and the requesting agency with regard to the acquisition of any real estate by lease or otherwise, notwithstanding any other statute or special act to the contrary. A majority vote of the board shall be required to accept or reject a decision of the commissioner.

(f) Not later than forty-five days after the date of the board's decision regarding the request of a governmental unit, the head or acting head of such unit shall notify the Commissioner of Administrative Services (1) that it accepts the commissioner's decision, (2) that it rejects the commissioner's decision and withdraws its request, or (3) that it does not approve such decision and requests that all or part of such decision be modified by the commissioner. When such modification is requested, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall, not later than three weeks after receipt of such request, consider and act upon such request for modification and submit his or her decision to the Properties Review Board. If the commissioner and the board fail to agree to such modification in whole or in part, the governmental unit may, not later than ten days after the date of notification of such final decision, accept the commissioner's final decision, reject such decision and withdraw its request, or appeal to the Governor. Upon such appeal, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall submit a report to the Governor stating the board's conclusions and supporting material therefor and the governmental agency shall submit a report to the Governor stating its objections to such decision and its supporting material therefor. The Governor shall, not later than thirty days after the receipt of such reports, make a decision which shall be binding on the parties involved. In the absence of any such appeal or withdrawal of request, the decision of the commissioner and the board shall be final and binding upon the governmental unit.

(g) After final action is taken approving any request or modification thereof, condemnation procedures shall continue to be prosecuted in the same manner as they were on July 1, 1975, by the agency involved, where such procedures are applicable and authorized by statute.

(h) Approval by the Properties Review Board shall not be required prior to State Bond Commission authorization of funds (1) for planning costs and other preliminary expenses for any construction or acquisition project, or (2) for any construction or acquisition project for which an architect was selected prior to July 1, 1975.

(i) As used in this subsection, (1) "project" means any state program, except the downtown Hartford higher education center project, as defined in section 4b-55, requiring consultant services if the cost of such services is estimated to exceed one hundred thousand dollars or, in the case of a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, the cost of such services is estimated to exceed three hundred thousand dollars, or in the case of a building or premises under the supervision of the Office of the Chief Court Administrator or property where the Judicial Department is the primary occupant, the cost of such services is estimated to exceed three hundred thousand dollars; (2) "consultant" means "consultant" as defined in section 4b-55; and (3) "consultant services" means "consultant services" as defined in section 4b-55. Any contracts entered into by the Commissioner of Administrative Services with any consultants for employment (A) for any project under the provisions of this section, (B) in connection with a list established under subsection (e) of section 4b-51, or (C) by task letter issued by the Commissioner of Administrative Services to any consultant on such list pursuant to which the consultant will provide services valued in excess of one hundred thousand dollars, shall be subject to the approval of the Properties Review Board prior to the employment of such consultant or consultants by the commissioner. The Properties Review Board shall, not later than thirty days after receipt of such selection of or contract with any consultant, approve or disapprove the selection of or contract with any consultant made by the Commissioner of Administrative Services pursuant to sections 4b-1 and 4b-55 to 4b-59, inclusive. If upon the expiration of the thirty-day period a decision has not been made, the Properties Review Board shall be deemed to have approved such selection or contract.

(j) The Properties Review Board shall, not later than thirty days after receipt, approve or disapprove the proposed acquisition by lease of any residential property by the Commissioner of Developmental Services pursuant to subsection (d) of section 4b-3. If upon the expiration of such thirty-day period a decision has not been made, the Properties Review Board shall be deemed to have approved such lease.

(k) Any agency or department of state government requiring additional facilities not included in the state facility plan may submit a request to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management outlining the justification for its request. The agency or department shall also provide (1) in the case of a request not previously submitted to the secretary pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the reasons why it was not so submitted, and (2) in the case of a request so submitted, sufficient new information to warrant reconsideration. Such request shall include a statement of the degree to which the proposed state facility plan promotes the goals addressed in subsection (e) of section 4b-31, if the secretary so requires. Such request shall also be accompanied by a capital development impact statement as required under section 4-66b, if the secretary so requires. Subsections (b) to (d), inclusive, of this section shall not apply to the review of such requests. Any such request for additional facilities which are determined by the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management to be of emergency nature or the lack of which may seriously hinder the efficient operation of the state, may be approved by the Properties Review Board and the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and shall be known as an approval made during the interim between state facility plans. No action may be taken by the state to lease or construct such additional facilities unless the secretary makes such a determination.

(l) The Commissioner of Administrative Services shall monitor the amount of leased space being requested and the costs of all proposed and approved facility project actions and, in the case of space or facility projects for which bond funds were authorized, shall advise the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management and the Governor when the space to be leased or the forecast costs to complete the project exceed the square footage amount or the cost levels in the approved state facility plan by ten per cent or more. Approval of the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Properties Review Board, the State Bond Commission and the Governor shall be required to continue the project.

(m)

(1) Plans to construct, renovate or modify state-owned or occupied buildings shall provide for a portion of the total planned floor area of newly constructed state buildings or buildings constructed specifically for use by the state to be served by renewable sources of energy, including solar, wind, water and biomass sources, for use in space heating and cooling, domestic hot water and other applications. For the plan due December 1, 1979, the portion to be served by renewable energy sources shall be not less than five per cent of total planned new floor area. For each succeeding state facilities plan submitted after December 1, 1979, the portion of the total planned floor area of any additional newly constructed state buildings or buildings constructed specifically for use by the state to be served by renewable energy sources shall be increased by at least five per cent per year until a goal of fifty per cent of total planned floor area of any additional newly constructed state buildings or buildings constructed specifically for use by the state is reached. For any facility served by renewable energy sources in accordance with this subsection, not less than thirty per cent of the total energy requirements of any specific energy application, including, but not limited to, space heating or cooling and providing domestic hot water, shall be provided by renewable energy sources. The installation in newly constructed state buildings or buildings constructed specifically for use by the state of systems using renewable energy sources in accordance with this subsection, shall be subject to a life-cycle cost analysis.

(2) The state shall fulfill the obligations imposed by subdivision (1) of this subsection unless such action would cause an undue economic hardship to the state.

(n) The recommended state facility plan shall include policies for:

(1) The encouragement of the acquisition, transfer and utilization of space in suitable buildings of historic, architectural or cultural significance, unless use of such space would not prove feasible and prudent compared with available alternatives;

(2) The encouragement of the location of commercial, cultural, educational and recreational facilities and activities within public buildings;

(3) The provision and maintenance of space, facilities and activities to the extent practicable, which encourage public access to and stimulate public pedestrian traffic around, into and through public buildings, permitting cooperative improvements to and uses of the areas between the building and the street, so that such activities complement and supplement commercial, cultural, educational and recreational resources in the neighborhood of public buildings;

(4) The encouragement of the public use of public buildings for cultural, educational and recreational activities;

(5) The encouragement of the ownership or leasing of modern buildings to replace obsolete facilities, achieve cost and energy efficiencies, maximize delivery of services to the public, preserve existing infrastructure and provide a comfortable and space-efficient work environment; and

(6) The encouragement of the establishment of child care centers and child development centers, including provisions for (A) full-day and year-round programs for children of working parents, (B) opportunities for parents to choose among accredited public or private programs, (C) open enrollment for children in child care and school readiness programs, and (D) incentives for the colocation and service integration of child care programs and school readiness programs pursuant to section 4b-31.

(o) Notwithstanding any other provision of the general statutes, the Commissioner of Administrative Services shall (1) review all lease requests included in, and scheduled to begin during, the first year of each approved state-wide facility and capital plan, and (2) provide the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management with an estimate of the gross cost and total square footage need for each lease. The secretary shall approve a gross cost and a total square footage for each such lease and transmit each decision to the requesting agency, the commissioner and the State Properties Review Board. The commissioner shall submit all leases, lease renewals and hold over agreements to the secretary for approval and the secretary shall approve or disapprove any such lease request or agreement not more than ten working days after the secretary receives the request or agreement.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 4b-23

(P.A. 75-425, S. 2, 57; P.A. 76-253, S. 2, 6; P.A. 77-479, S. 1, 2, 3; 77-614, S. 82, 610; P.A. 79-239, S. 3-7; 79-450, S. 7, 8; 79-462, S. 1; 79-496, S. 3, 5; 79-558, S. 1, 2; 79-607, S. 2, 3; 79-631, S. 22, 111; P.A. 80-483, S. 173, 186; P.A. 81-376, S. 5, 11; P.A. 82-446, S. 2, 4; P.A. 84-489, S. 1, 5; P.A. 86-93, S. 1, 2; P.A. 87-496, S. 21, 110; 87-570, S. 1, 5; 87-589, S. 73, 87; P.A. 88-28, S. 6, 8; 88-343, S. 2, 32; P.A. 89-294, S. 1, 3; P.A. 91-124 , S. 2 ; 91-174 , S. 15 , 16 ; P.A. 93-30 , S. 3 , 14 ; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 93-1 , S. 5 , 6 , 45 ; P.A. 96-235 , S. 10 , 19 ; P.A. 97-247 , S. 3 , 27 ; 97-259 , S. 18 , 41 ; June 5 Sp. Sess. P.A. 97-1 , S. 5 , 6 , 20 ; P.A. 98-235 , S. 6 ; P.A. 99-75 , S. 1 ; 99-241 , S. 47, 66 ; P.A. 00-66 , S. 13 ; P.A. 05-288 , S. 21 ; P.A. 07-73 , S. 2 (b); 07-213 , S. 21 ; P.A. 08-154 , S. 1 ; Sept. Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-7, S. 134; P.A. 11-51 , S. 55 ; 11-61 , S. 88 ; Oct. Sp. Sess. P.A. 11-1 , S. 27; June 12 Sp. Sess. P.A. 12-2 , S. 122 ; P.A. 13-247 , S. 206 ; P.A. 14-182 , S. 7 ; 14-202 , S. 2 ; P.A. 15-227 , S. 25 ; P.A. 16-81 , S. 5 ; 16-163 , S. 14 ; 16-173 , S. 7 -9.)

Amended by P.A. 23-0205,S. 109 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2023 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2023.

Amended by P.A. 16-0173, S. 9 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 16-0173, S. 8 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 16-0173, S. 7 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 16-0081, S. 5 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 7/1/2016.

Amended by P.A. 16-0163, S. 14 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 6/9/2016.

Amended by P.A. 14-0202, S. 2 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 6/12/2014.

Amended by P.A. 14-0182, S. 7 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2014 Regular Session, eff. 6/12/2014.

See Sec. 16a-38 re energy performance standards, life-cycle cost analyses and design proposals.