TOWN OF EAST HAMPTON
Redevelopment Agency
Monday, February 23, 2009
Eaton E. Smith Meeting Room
MINUTES
Present: Chairman Scott Bristol, Ron Buccilli, Mary Ann Dostaler, and Vice-Chairman William DeMore
Absent: Dan Wolfram
Also Present: Judy Pogmore, Recording Secretary
1. Call to Order:
Chairman Bristol called this meeting to order at 7:35 p.m.
a. Adoption of the Agenda/Added Agenda Items:
Chairman Bristol requested motion to adopt the agenda as presented. Mr. Buccilli moved to request a change to make a new 5a, linking Goals and Outcomes under New Business. Chairman Bristol seconded motion. Vote unanimous.
2. Approval of Minutes: 1/26/09 Regular Meeting
Ron Buccilli voted to accept the minutes, absent any changes. Chairman Bristol requested a second the motion. Mary Ann Dostaler seconded the motion. Vote unanimous.
3. Public Comments: None
4. Liaison Report:
Chairman Bristol stated he wanted to touch a little on new 5b, “Discussion and Possible Action Pertaining to By-Laws”. The functional assessment of the town committees and agencies was presented to Town Council prior to meeting last month. Discussions have continued regarding this topic and will be covered in greater detail under Items 5b and 5c .
Mary Ann Dostaler stated, on the Town Council meeting agenda slated for tomorrow evening, the Town Manager will announce the person hired as Town Planner. Chairman Bristol stated that person is already assigned to start the first week of March.
Mary Ann Dostaler stated at the last Council Meeting there was discussion, and it is an agenda item for tomorrow night, to get additional information—the town has contracted with a resource to do a grant application for the next small cities grant. The town, as part of the application preparation process, is going to be soliciting ideas of what we can apply for.. A public hearing is going to be held to actively solicit ideas from the public. Ms. Dostaler requests we think about what possible projects we, as the Redevelopment Agency, could see would be beneficial for the community.
5. New Business—
a. Goals and Outcomes: Referring back to the functional assessment and meeting that was held at the Town Council meeting regarding the consolidation of various boards and commissions, Ron Buccilli stated he had attended one of the consultant’s meetings and one of the Town Council’s meetings. He spoke on the need for some established goals and standards/outcome measures for all the committees. He stated he feels strongly that in order for our new agency to move forward it is important there be some sort of established expectations from this committee, which he calls goals, and these expectations are not our own but made in joint commission with Town Council and whoever else, Town Manager O’Keefe, etc. He further stated we know where we want to go, however getting there will be a little difficult,
and funding is needed. Mr. Buccilli further stated having a staff member is going to help pool things together as this staff member will also be a member for P&Z, ZBA and probably Conservation Commission/Lake Commission. This should result in a sharing of goals Chairman Bristol stated it is also important that what we think is our purpose is the same thing that someone else thinks our purpose is. Mr. Buccilli also stated he would like to know what the elected officials expect of us. Mary Ann will suggest the Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD) be the first place to look for benchmarks because that is the adoptive plan of conservation development and that was actually the document that precipitated forming the Redevelopment Agency. She further stated she thinks there is plenty of guidance we can draw on from things that have already been adopted by the town, and from that the group can keep moving forward.
b. Discussion and Possible Action Pertaining to By-Laws:
In reading through the Ordinance, our Town Manager pointed out that the Agency shall annually, at its first meeting on or after July 1st, select from among its members a chairman, a vice chairman and such other officers as it deems necessary. This is in conflict with the by-laws, which prescribe elections in January. In Article VIII, Nominations and Elections, Chairman Bristol requested a motion be made to change January to July to be in agreement with the Ordinance. Mary Ann Dostaler moved to amend, seconded by Ron Buccilli. Vote unanimous.
c. Proposed Changes to Agency and Ordinance: Chairman Bristol stated he and Dan Wolfram met with Town Manager O’Keefe to establish the Redevelopment Agency, and Jeff is presenting it tomorrow to the Council, and his report is, “Recommended Action by Town Manager to Town Council—Review of the proposed changes to the Redevelopment Agency Ordinance. The proposed changes are attached to schedule a public hearing for revisions. The Redevelopment Agency Ordinance, will now incorporate the functions of the Brownfields work into their charge as well. In the proposed Ordinance, the name has been changed from the East Hampton Redevelopment Agency to the East Hampton Brownfields Redevelopment Agency. The only addition to the Ordinance has been to the Powers of Duties, which is
Section 1, and this section was added as a new second paragraph under Section 1. The Brownfields Redevelopment Agency is also empowered to undertake environmental assessments and remediation activities as funded or directed by the EPA, DEP or other federal or state agency, or as otherwise directed by the Town Manager. Nothing was proposed to be deleted from the Ordinance. Membership established by the Ordinance is seven members. We have five members now. A recommendation will be made to Town Council that Kay Willson and Carla Sylvester from Brownfields be appointed to the Redevelopment Agency as well. Members entertained a discussion to increase the membership to nine. By consensus Chairman Bristol will contact Town Manager O’Keefe to discuss increasing the membership. Also Chairman Bristol states he spoke with Dan Wolfram and suggests keeping Brownfields as a standing subcommittee of our Agency that will continue to meet once a month.
d. Redevelopment Zone Next Steps Discussion: Chairman Bristol reviewed the proposed map with Town Manager Jeff O’Keefe. Map is broken into three units: A, B and C. A is residential and industrial; B is the village center; and C is industrial with a small section of residential. Chairman Bristol spoke with Town Manager O’Keefe about the incorporation of residential areas behind the Center School, as well as along the airline trail. He explained to Mr. O’Keefe the incorporation of residential areas is more for stabilization of those areas rather than to actually change them. The map will be called Proposed Pocotopaug Creek Redevelopment Area. It encompasses 110 acres with about 100 parcels. We need to create a listing of all the residential and commercial properties next. Mary Ann Dostaler
stated she researched the statutes, which show a list of the steps necessary to create the plan and the elements the plan must include, according to statute. Chairman Bristol stated it would cost $25,000 to $30,000 to do a comprehensive aerial survey researching every easement, which is probably beyond what we need to do right now. Depending on what level is needed to identify the proper boundaries, we could use the existing town map or, once we have funding, we could have a low level flight done in April. Once the films are done the mapping can get done for about $5,000. This will have to be worked out at our March meeting to hire someone. To expedite the process, Dan Wolfram and Chairman Bristol had discussed having the contractor on board and having Brownfields handle that as part of their work.
6. Old Business: None.
7. Public Comments (pertaining to current agenda items only): None.
8. Confirm Next Meeting: The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 23, 2009, at 7:30 p.m.
9. Adjournment: There being no further discussion before the Agency, Chairman Bristol moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:50 p.m., seconded by Mary Ann Dostaler.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith L. Pogmore
Recording Secretary
3/2/09
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