Data collectors working their way through Newtown in groups neighborhood by neighborhood certainly will not be hard to miss.Vision Government Solutions as part of the process leading up to the next townwide revaluation will carry both identification and a letter authorizing them to collect interior and exterior information that will later be compiled to reach valuations officials will use to fix property tax assessments.The Newtown Bee that data collection is in its early stages, and only about 20 percent of the town has been completed so far - primarily homes on and along various waterfronts in the community.assessor's office versus calling the local police.

The technicians working for

They will also have a bright orange vest stamped with the Vision logo, a clipboard, and a measuring device - either a long tape measure or laser measuring tool.

The work is part of a state mandated process that all 169 Connecticut towns and cities and their residents must undergo, and once in every ten-year revaluation cycle the data collection must include a brief interior inspection.

Every Newtown homeowner has received or will receive a letter reminding them to anticipate the arrival of a Vision technician, and providing a contact number to call if they want to try and arrange for that inspection at some convenient time. However, instead of a scattershot approach, Vision technicians are clustering their efforts across town one neighborhood at a time.

Vision Project Manager Sue Robinson told

Assessor Penny Mudgett reminds residents that technicians are neither equipped nor permitted to discuss valuation issues with homeowners, as they are just collecting information.

"Valuations utilizing collected data from these visits won't even begin to get processed until at least the spring of 2017, once all the information has been gathered," Ms Mudgett said. "Even after the techs are through, there are further checks, including a field review and final reporting, which we don't anticipate finalizing until October of 2017."

If a home or property owner refuses entry, or technicians cannot complete the brief interior survey on the first visit, the assessor has authorized them to make a preliminary "judgment call" based on information available on similar homes in the neighborhood, when applicable. At the same time, a second "callback" letter is issued to every residence where interior access was refused or not obtained.

"It's a little easier to do in subdivisions where many of the interior spaces and features are expected to be similar," she said. In the event a technician cannot visually inspect an interior, the owner still has recourse by contacting the assessor's office after preliminary valuations are distributed in December 2017.

The latest valuations from current data gathering will affect assessments reflected on all local July 1, 2018, tax bills.

"Residents have many opportunities to schedule or reschedule the tech's visit," Ms Mudgett said.

Vision Crew Chief Matt Mendillo said residents often expect a visit similar to what homeowners may undergo during a comprehensive real estate appraisal, but that is not the case for the purposes of collecting data for the revaluation process. The average data collector can perform as many as 15 to 20 separate visits each day. He said technicians must see the entire house, from basement to attic, and then they will ask the owner a series of questions.

"These interior inspections are relatively quick, there will be very little, if any, interior measuring, and no interior photos will be taken," he said.

"Typical questions involve renovations or updates, installation or replacement of major systems like HVAC, or a wood or coal stove, roofing, new windows, and other features," Ms Robinson added. "In technical terms, we want to be sure we account for any post-sale improvements to set an updated baseline for the valuation."

Ms Mudgett said it should be evident to neighbors when the Vision techs are working in their areas, because there will be several or numerous individuals all properly outfitted and knocking on doors around the same time.

If a resident is suspect of someone at their door who is producing Vision identification, the authorization letter, and who is equipped with some of the various tools described, they are encouraged to contact the

Local emergency dispatchers are aware of the daily routing of Vision technicians, and may confirm to callers that Vision team members are working on their street before sending an officer.

Any questions can be directed to Ms Mudgett or a member of her staff by calling 203-270-4240.