Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 184b - Department of Economic and Community Development: Culture and Tourism
Section 10-409. (Formerly Sec. 10-320b). - Historic Preservation Council. Appointment of members, duties and powers. Disclosure to public of location of archaeological sites. Development of model ballot for local historic districts.

(a) With respect to historical preservation, there is established within the Department of Economic and Community Development a Historic Preservation Council. The Historic Preservation Council shall consist of twelve members to be appointed by the Governor. On or before January fifth in the even-numbered years, the Governor shall appoint six members for terms of four years each to replace those whose terms expire. One of such members shall be the State Historian and one shall be the State Archaeologist. Members shall be appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 4-9a. No member shall serve for more than two consecutive full terms. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office. The Governor shall biennially designate one member of the council to be chairperson. The Governor shall fill any vacancy for any unexpired portion of the term and may remove any member as provided by section 4-12. No compensation shall be received by the members of the council but they shall be reimbursed for their necessary expenses. The Department of Economic and Community Development may, with the advice of the Historic Preservation Council, (1) study and investigate historic structures and landmarks in this state and encourage and recommend the development, preservation and marking of such historic structures and landmarks found to have educational, recreational and historical significance; (2) prepare, adopt and maintain standards for a state register of historic places; (3) update and keep current the state historic preservation plan; (4) administer the State Register of Historic Places Program; (5) assist owners of historic structures in seeking federal or other aid for historic preservation and related purposes; (6) recommend to the General Assembly the placing and maintaining of suitable markers, memorials or monuments or other edifices to designate historic structures and landmarks found to have historical significance; (7) make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the development and preservation of historic structures and landmarks owned by the state; (8) maintain a program of historical, architectural, and archaeological research and development including surveys, excavation, scientific recording, interpretation and publication of the historical, architectural, archaeological and cultural resources of the state; (9) cooperate with promotional, patriotic, educational and research groups and associations, with local, state and national historical societies, associations and commissions, with agencies of the state and its political subdivisions and with the federal government, in promoting and publicizing the historical heritage of Connecticut; (10) formulate standards and criteria to guide the several municipalities in the evaluation, delineation and establishment of historic districts; (11) cooperate with the State Building Inspector, the Codes and Standards Committee and other building officials and render advisory opinions and prepare documentation regarding the application of the State Building Code to historic structures and landmarks if requested by owners of historic structures and landmarks, the State Building Inspector, the Codes and Standards Committee or other building officials; (12) review planned state and federal actions to determine their impact on historic structures and landmarks; (13) operate the Henry Whitfield House of Guilford, otherwise known as the Old Stone House, the Prudence Crandall Museum, Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine and the Eric Sloane Museum and Kent Iron Furnace as state historical museums and, in its discretion, charge a fee for admission to said museums and account for and deposit the same as provided in section 4-32; (14) provide technical and financial assistance to carry out the purposes of this section and sections 10-410 to 10-416, inclusive; (15) adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 for the preservation of sacred sites and archaeological sites; and (16) inventory state lands to identify sacred sites and archaeological sites. The department shall study the feasibility of establishing a state museum of Connecticut history at an appropriate existing facility. The Historic Preservation Council shall (A) review and approve or disapprove requests by owners of historic properties on which the department holds preservation easements to perform rehabilitation work on sacred sites and archaeological sites; (B) request the assistance of the Attorney General to prevent the unreasonable destruction of historic properties pursuant to the provisions of section 22a-19a; and (C) place and maintain suitable markers, memorials or monuments to designate sites or places found to have historic significance. The council shall meet monthly. The Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation may provide technical assistance to the council.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or section 1-210, the Department of Economic and Community Development may withhold from disclosure to the public information relating to the location of archaeological sites under consideration for listing by the department or those listed on the National Register of Historic Places or the state register of historic places whenever the department determines that disclosure of specific information would create a risk of destruction or harm to such sites.
(c) The Historic Preservation Council of the Department of Economic and Community Development shall develop a model ballot form to be mailed by clerks of municipalities on the question of creation of historic districts or districts as provided for in section 7-147a to 7-147k, inclusive.
(1955, S. 1892d; November, 1955, S. N177; February, 1965, P.A. 221, S. 1; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 202; 1972, P.A. 129, S. 1; P.A. 73-599, S. 34; P.A. 75-316, S. 19; 75-371, S. 1, 10; P.A. 77-614, S. 284, 305, 610; P.A. 79-607, S. 12; P.A. 81-286, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-432, S. 16, 19; P.A. 84-256, S. 3, 17; P.A. 89-368, S. 3; P.A. 91-135, S. 2; P.A. 95-250, S. 1; P.A. 96-211, S. 1, 5, 6; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7, S. 12; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 226; P.A. 04-205, S. 5; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, S. 30; P.A. 11-48, S. 113; P.A. 17-162, S. 1; P.A. 21-93, S. 19).
History: 1965 act included in commission's powers, the power to formulate standards and criteria for evaluation, delineation and establishment of historic districts; 1971 act revised appointment date to be generally applicable rather to apply to first appointments and substituted department of environmental protection for state park and forest commission; 1972 act gave commission power to operate Henry Whitfield House as state historical museum; P.A. 73-599 substituted commissioner of commerce for Connecticut development commission; P.A. 75-316 substituted state library board for state library committee; P.A. 75-371 substituted “historic structures and landmarks” for “historical sites and places” throughout section and included powers re standards for Register of Historic Places, state historic preservation plan, National Register of Historic Places Program, assisting owners of historic structures to obtain preservation aid, program of historical, architectural and archaeological research and development, application of state building code, review of planned actions' impact on historic structures and landmarks and technical and financial assistance to carry out purposes of chapter; P.A. 77-614 substituted department of economic development for department of commerce and placed commission within education department for administrative purposes, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-607 included cooperation specifically with state building inspector and state building code standards committee in Subdiv. (12); P.A. 81-286 added Subsec. (d) empowering Historical Commission to withhold from public disclosure information re archaeological sites; P.A. 82-432 charged references from state building code standards committee to codes and standards committee; P.A. 84-256 amended section to provide for appointments in accordance with Sec. 4-9a, limitations on member's terms and attendance requirements and feasibility study re museum of Connecticut history; P.A. 89-368 eliminated obsolete provision in Subsec. (a) re termination of membership on July 1, 1987, and added Subsec. (b)(16) and (17) authorizing regulations for the preservation of sacred sites and archaeological sites and authorizing an inventory of sacred sites and archaeological sites on state lands; P.A. 91-135 added Subsec. (e) regarding development of model ballot form for vote on creation of a local historic district; P.A. 95-250 and P.A. 96-211 replaced Commissioner and Department of Economic Development with Commissioner and Department of Economic and Community Development; Sec. 10-321 transferred to Sec. 10-320b in 2001; May 9 Sp. Sess. P.A. 02-7 amended Subsec. (c) by placing the Connecticut Historical Commission within the State Library, rather than the Department of Education, for administrative purposes only, effective August 15, 2002; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced former Subsec. (a) re membership of Connecticut Historical Commission with new provisions re Historic Preservation Council, redesignated existing Subsec. (b) as new Subsec. (a) and, within said Subsec., established membership requirements and duties of Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with advice of council, eliminated requirement that commission cooperate with Department of Economic and Community Development by providing data, facts and findings, established requirement that council review requests to perform rehabilitation work on properties on which commission holds preservation easements, permitted Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to provide technical assistance to council and made technical and conforming changes, deleted former Subsec. (c) re commission within State Library for administrative purposes only, and redesignated existing Subsecs. (d) and (e) as new Subsecs. (b) and (c) and made conforming and technical changes therein, effective August 20, 2003; P.A. 04-205, effective June 3, 2004, and May Sp. Sess. P.A. 04-2, effective May 12, 2004, both replaced Connecticut Commission on Arts, Tourism, Culture, History and Film with Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism; Sec. 10-320b transferred to Sec. 10-409 in 2005; P.A. 11-48 replaced “Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism” with “Department of Economic and Community Development” and replaced “commission” with “department”, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 17-162 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing “National” with “State” in Subdiv. (4) and adding “the Prudence Crandall Museum, Old New-Gate Prison and Copper Mine and the Eric Sloane Museum and Kent Iron Furnace” and making conforming changes in Subdiv. (13), effective July 7, 2017; P.A. 21-193 amended Subsec. (b) by deleting provisions re requirement that person who reported or discovered archaeological site submit written statement to department requesting that no disclosure be made, effective July 13, 2021.)

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