What Information is contained in the Bond Database?

The database has a number of fields that have information about projects financed by state bond funds. Each record contains the following data and more:

Meeting date - the date of the meeting that the State Bond Commission authorized and allocated funding for the project.

• Public Act or Special Act and Section - the specific statutory reference under which bond funding was authorized in legislation approved by the Connecticut General Assembly and the Governor.
  

• Primary recipient or beneficiary of the funds - identifies the type of entity that is either receiving or directly benefiting from the bond funds. Analysts in the Office of the State Comptroller made judgments from a group of choices that included state agencies, universities/community-technical colleges, municipalities, for-profit organizations, non-profit organizations and multiple recipients. A brief explanation of each recipient category follows:

• State agencies - includes state agencies except higher educational institutions.

• Universities/Community-Technical Colleges - includes state higher educational institutions, such as the University of Connecticut, the University of Connecticut Health Center, the Connecticut State University system, or one of the Regional Community-Technical Colleges.

• Municipalities - This category includes Connecticut cities and towns, school districts, local housing authorities, or regional quasi-public entities. In addition, a judgment was made to include local economic development authorities or corporations in this category when a particular municipality benefited from a project within its borders.

• For-profits - includes includes sector, for-profit firms.

• Non-profits - includes 501 (c) (3), not for profit organizations.

• Multiple recipients - this category captures multi-sector projects that are cooperative by nature. Examples include joint research and development efforts involving state universities and includes sector firms.

• Primary use of the funds - this field identifies what the bond funding is purchasing. Analysts in the Office of the State Comptroller made judgments from a group of choices that included buildings, facilities and grounds; land acquisition; equipment or information technology; infrastructure; studies/research and development; environmental remediation; and miscellaneous/other. A brief explanation of each category follows:

• Buildings, facilities and grounds - primarily includes construction of buildings as well as remodeling or renovation projects, and improvements to property and grounds.

• Land acquisition - includes the purchase of land or property development rights.

• Equipment or information technology - Includes the purchase and installation of equipment, machinery and information technology.

• Infrastructure - Primarily includes construction or improvements to roads, bridges, dams and sewers or sewage treatment plants.

• Studies or research and development - Includes various types of studies, evaluations and assessments as well as research and development activities.

• Environmental remediation - Includes various types of environmental clean-up activities.

• Miscellaneous/other - Includes activities that do not fall within any of the other categories listed. Examples include seed money for a small business loan fund or funds for job training.

• Program area - This field identifies the specific program category under which the bond project falls. Analysts in the Office of the State Comptroller made judgments from a group of choices that included education or libraries; environment; parks, recreation and open space; housing; economic development; urban or community development; health, social or human services; corrections; justice, public safety or military; transportation; cultural resources; general government/administration and other. A brief explanation of each program category follows:

• Education or libraries - includes projects related to schools - primary, secondary and higher education - as well as libraries.

• Environment - includes projects promoting clean air or clean water, various environmental improvements and flood control activities.

• Parks, recreation and open space - includes projects that develop or improve parks, create recreational opportunities and increase the amount of land preserved for open space.

• Housing - includes projects related to developing or improving various types of housing.

• Economic development - includes projects that involve various economic development activities that promote business growth and job creation.

• Urban or community development - includes development projects that promote community revitalization within a specific municipality or region.

• Health, social or human services - includes activities involving health (clinics or hospitals) and various kinds of human and social service programs, including child care centers, senior centers, youth organizations and multi-purpose human resource centers.

• Corrections - includes projects involving prisons and correctional institutions.

• Justice, public safety or military - includes activities related to the courts and the justice system (other than prisons), the state police and the National Guard.

• Transportation -includes transportation-related projects involving roads, bridges, highways, ports, railways, and airports.

• Cultural resources - primarily includes projects related to the arts or historic preservation.

• General government/administration - includes general government administrative activities and items where several agencies are involved and it is not easy to separate out allocations by program area.

• Other - Includes activities that do not fall within any of the other categories listed.

• Allocation - amount of funding authorized and allocated by the State Bond Commission for the project on the particular meeting date.

• Description - a brief description of the project.