East Hampton Conservation Commission
Regular Meeting
October 9, 2008
Town Hall Meeting Room
Unapproved Minutes
1. Call to Order: Chairman Zawisza called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm.
Present: Chairman Peter Zawisza, Members Peter Bergan, Duncan McNeill,
Patience Anderson, and Allen Petell.
Not Present: Member Michael Brogan
2. Communications and Committee Reports/Public Comments (Citizen
Commentary): Chairman Zawisza distributed the recent issue of THE
HABITAT, the Connecticut Association of Conservation and Inland
Wetlands Commissions, Inc. (CACIWC) newsletter to the Commissioners
present.
Public Comments: None
3. Acceptance of Minutes of September 11, 2008:
Chairman Zawisza added the minutes of the May 8, 2008 meeting to the
Agenda. He further explained that the Commission By-Laws indicate that
the voting majority at a meeting would be all that is necessary to pass a
motion.
A. May 8, 2008 Regular Meeting: Mr. Bergan moved to accept the
minutes of May 8, 2008 meeting as written. Mr. McNeill seconded
the motion. The motion carried (3/0/2). (Yes votes: Bergan, McNeill,
and Zawisza. No votes: None. Abstentions: Anderson and Petell).
B. September 11, 2008: Ms. Anderson moved to accept the minutes of the
September 11, 2008 meeting as written. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion.
The motion carried unanimously.
The Chairman opened the meeting to public comments at this time.
John Jordon, Liaison from the Lake Pocotopaug Commission (LPC) was present and
reported to the Commission that the LPC is very happy that the Conservation
Commission has been able to regroup and are functioning again. The LPC believes
there is a large capacity for corroboration between the two commissions and that the
Lake could only benefit by it.
Chairman Zawisza explained that the Commission had already lost one of the new members.
Mr. Jordon discussed his concerns for the Lake and his intentions for the next LPC meeting.
Sue Weintraub, Middle Haddam and Town Council Liaison, distributed information she had
promised to the Commission regarding a possible GIS workshop. Emily Wilson, a resident
of East Hampton and an employee of UCONN’s NEMO program, put together a PDF file
that will be distributed to the Commissioners in the near future. She discussed the
Community Resource Inventory (CRI) that is available on the UCONN website and explained
that Ms.~Wilson created a 17 page document that speaks to maintaining and updating a
CRI using East Hampton as the example. The document’s map series includes topography,
land cover, wetland soils, farmland soils, watersheds, regulated land, utility lands, transportation,
habitats, open space, water quality, surface water quality, and surface water. Ms. Wilson has
indicated that she would be happy to put together a workshop that would help with both
obtaining the inventory and what to do with it. She is also knowledgeable of the GIS system
and can answer questions regarding the use of the coming GIS system. The Town Manager
has been invited to include Town Staff in this workshop which would be free of charge.
UCONN’s town planner will actually plan the workshop knowing what East Hampton’s
needs and concerns are.
Mr. Jordan would like the LPC to be included in this workshop. He believes the coordination
of the two groups is imperative.
Ms. Weintraub indicated that all land-use commissions would be invited.
4. Review: None.
5. Old Business:
A. Inventory/Index of Open Spaces – Public and Private: Ms. Anderson
explained that she requested that the item be placed on the Agenda so
that she could inquire as to type of inventory completed, efforts made,
and documentation.
Chairman Zawisza reported that Frank Junga was handling the inventory
before he moved out of town. He did not provide the Commission with anything
before he left. The status of this inventory must be researched. Mr. Zawisza
further discussed the needs of the GIS system, once it is live, regarding the
open-space inventory.
Ms. Weintraub suggested that Commission address the subject with the Assessor,
who is spearheading the GIS project, to see what will be required of the Commission
to bring the open-space inventory to the GIS system.
Mr. Petell agreed to contact Mr. Junga to see if there had been conveyance of the
inventory to the Town prior to his departure.
The Commission discussed the process of adding open-space to the Town’s holdings
and the many options for tracking it and adding it to the GIS system.
Ms. Anderson discussed the Stormwater Renovation and Management Plan for the Lake
Pocotopaug Watershed prepared for the Town of East Hampton by WMC Consulting
Engineers in March of 1995. She believes it is helpful to know that the research has been
done and the ideas have already been presented. The time is now to begin the process
with the recommendations and steps that have already been laid out. The Commission
discussed the use of silt ponds and its reasonableness. Dredging Christopher Pond was
discussed. Mr. Jordan discussed the value of dredging and the ability to do so at a profit.
B. Watershed Management Plan: Chairman Zawisza discussed his finding regarding the
development of a Watershed Management Plan. He reported that Mr. Carey forwarded
the Stormwater Renovation and Management Plan for the Lake Pocotopaug Watershed
referenced above. He also contacted the Chairman of the Town Council to question
both the LPC and the Conservation Commission having been charged with responsibility
for the Watershed Management Plan. The response he received was that it was true,
both commissions are charged with this task; however, he received no suggestion as
to how to proceed. Chairman Zawisza suggested that the LPC should invite The Nature
Conservancy to speak to their group regarding the design of a lake watershed plan.
Those in attendance discussed their concern for the whole town and the watersheds
of all the bodies of water in Town. Ms. Anderson discussed the Ordinance that
created the Conservation Commission. Section No. 5 of the Ordinance states that
the Commission should give particular consideration to “... uses and avoidance
of pollution to Lake Pocotopaug”. Chairman Zawisza discussed that the Town
Ordinance which created the LPC specifically states that the LPC will do only
one thing and that is to develop a Lake Watershed Management Plan. He is
pending an answer from the Town Council as to whether the Conservation
Commission should be doing the same.
6. New Business:
A. Liaisons to Other Legislative, Advisory, and Land-Use Boards: Ms.~Anderson
distributed a handout to the members regarding her interest in the Conservation
Commission providing liaisons to several of the other town agencies, commissions,
and boards. The Commission discussed the use of liaisons as a tool to gain standing
with the other town bodies. The Commission agreed that this was worth looking into
and each would review the handout and come back next month with suggestions for
which boards would benefit by a liaison from the Conservation Commission and
responsibility for same.
Mr. Jordan discussed the importance of the LPC’s proactive liaisons to all the boards
and their success as a Commission as a result of it. He suggests that a strong alliance
between the LPC and the Conservation Commission would enable them to get a lot done.
He hopes to increase attendance at all town meetings.
7. Adjournment: Ms. Anderson moved to adjourn the meeting. Mr. McNeill seconded the motion.
The motion carried unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 8:13 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Daphne Schaub
Recording Secretary
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