Town of East Hampton
Town Council Regular Meeting
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Eaton E. Smith Meeting Room – Town Hall
Minutes
Present: Thomas Cordeiro, William Devine, Melissa Engel, Christopher Goff, Barbara Moore, John Tuttle and Susan Weintraub (arrived at 6:45 p.m.). Also present were Town Manager Jeffery O’Keefe, Recording Secretary Cathy Sirois, members of the press and citizens.
Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance: Town Clerk Sandra Wieleba called the regular meeting to order at 6:36 p.m. All stood to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Administer the Oath of Office: Ms. Wieleba administered the oath of office to all members of the Town Council except Ms. Weintraub. Ms. Weintraub was administered the oath of office at the meeting on November 4, 2009.
Election of Chairperson: Ms. Wieleba opened the nominations for Chairperson.
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Devine, to nominate Melissa Engel as Chairperson. Voted (6-0).
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Devine, to close nominations. Voted (6-0).
Mr. Tuttle provided his comments on receiving the highest number of votes in the election and his reasons for not pursuing the Chairman seat. He also provided his reasons for supporting Ms. Engel, who received the second highest number of votes.
Election of Vice Chairperson: A motion was made by Ms. Engel, seconded by Mr. Goff, to nominate John Tuttle as Vice Chairman. Voted (6-0).
Adoption of Rules & Procedures (Robert’s Rules): A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Goff, to adopt Robert’s Rules of Order. Voted (6-0).
Adoption of Regular Meeting Dates: A motion was made by Mr. Goff, seconded by Mr. Devine, to adopt the 2nd and 4th Tuesday for Town Council meetings. Meetings will not be held on the fourth Tuesday in July, August and December to allow for summer recesses and a Christmas recess. Voted (6-0).
Appointment of Two (2) Town Meeting Moderators: A motion was made by Ms. Moore, seconded by Mr. Tuttle, to appoint Red McKinney and Tom Pastorello as Town Meeting moderators. Voted (6-0).
Ms. Weintraub arrived at the meeting at 6:45 p.m.
Committee/Liaison Assignments: Ms. Engel noted that there are now staff members assigned to each board and commission which would eliminate the need for liaisons from Council for each board. On a rotating basis, the staff person and chairperson of each commission will make a report to Council. There is no staff person assigned to the Board of Fire Commissioners so there will need to be a liaison for that Commission. The Council agreed by consensus.
A motion was made by Mr. Tuttle, seconded by Mr. Goff, to add an item to the agenda under New Business for the Clean Energy Support Program. (Voted 7-0).
Approval of Minutes:
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Devine, to approve the minutes of the Town Council Regular Meeting and Special Meeting of October 27, 2009. Voted (6-0-1) Ms. Moore abstained.
Student Council Report:
Brandon Goff, Student Council Representative for the Middle School reported the following:
- Congratulations to the Council and to the new Chair and Vice Chair
- Middle School Student Council officers were recently elected
- Report cards were issued on Friday, November 6th. The honor roll lists will be in the newspaper soon.
- Parent conferences will be held on November 17th and 19th.
Council member Goff reported that Brandon will be receiving the Superintendent’s Award.
Public Remarks:
Dale Maynard, 24 Quiet Woods Road, commented on his concerns on the postponement of the H1N1 flu clinic and the limited supply to the district. He is also concerned that the Emergency Management Coordinator position is a volunteer position rather than a paid position. He noted that Mr. Klotzbier is doing a great job but is concerned about the importance of the position and the immediate availability of the coordinator.
Bill Giordano, 9 Lake Drive, commented on his concerns about speeding on Lake Drive near his home.
Laurie Wasilewski, Hog Hill Road, congratulated the members of Town Council on their election. She commented on the possibility of allowing residents to speak on agenda items at the time the item is being discussed/voted on rather than only during public comments. She noted that Wallingford uses this process during their meetings.
Fran Klein, Bellevue Street, congratulated the Council and wished them a happy, healthy, successful year. She commented that she would like the Council to discuss noise control for the town.
New Business:
Revised IWWA Fees:
Keith Hayden, staff liaison to the IWWA provided an overview of the new fee schedule. The new schedule clarifies the fee calculation process providing a more equitable fee structure that is based on the actual cost to the town to process and review applications. The old fee schedule is confusing and subject to interpretation. If adopted, the new fee schedule will be included in the Wetlands Regulations.
A motion was made by Mr. Goff, seconded by Mr. Devine, to adopt the revised fee schedule as recommended by the IWWA on August 26, 2009. Voted (7-0).
New Council Priorities:
Mr. O’Keefe noted that an item will be added to an upcoming agenda to discuss Council priorities for the upcoming year. He provided a copy of the top 10 priorities of Council members that served on the prior Council. These may or may not be some of the same priorities for the new Council.
“Lets Talk East Hampton”:
Mr. O’Keefe provided an overview of a suggested new series of meetings to discuss various topics with the community. “Lets Talk East Hampton” would be an open forum with town residents about concerns and issues within the town. It was suggested that the meetings take place in the Middle School Media Center with a timeframe of 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Specific dates will be posted once confirmed. Ms. Weintraub suggested using charettes.
Community Energy Savings Project:
Mr. Tuttle reported that the Clean Energy Task Force is seeking Council support to join with Portland and other local towns to fund, via a grant, our participation in the “Community Energy Savings Project”. The program will provide assistance to the task force with skilled professionals to guide and advise communities on ways to reach the 20% by 2010 goal; leads to financial support for community outreach for clean energy education; leads to financial support for implementing clean energy systems in municipal buildings; and an online platform for residents to track progress and compare their progress with neighbors to see how they compare in regards to Clean Energy/Energy Efficiency.
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Devine, to adopt the resolution in support of the Clean Energy Project. Voted (7-0).
Old Business:
Noise Mitigation Plans Submitted by Angelico’s:
Jim Carey of the Building/Planning/Zoning Department provided an overview of the sound attenuation plan submitted by Angelico’s Lake House Restaurant. Planning & Zoning hired a consultant to review the plans. The letter received from the consultant which includes recommendations will be included with the minutes filed in the Town Clerk’s office.
A motion was made by Ms. Weintraub to form a small committee to review state statute and draft a town-wide noise ordinance before the end of January. The motion was not seconded.
Mr. O’Keefe and Mr. Carey will meet with Mr. Angelico to discuss the recommendations received. Ms. Weintraub noted that for planning purposes, the town needs an ordinance for future mixed use areas. Mr. Carey commented that as other mixed use opportunities arise, we can build limits into the zoning regulations.
Feedback from the meeting with Mr. Angelico will be discussed at the first Council meeting in December.
Report of the Town Manager:
Mr. O’Keefe addressed the following:
- The postponement of the flu clinic from November 4th to November 13th was a decision made by the Chatham Health District due to a schedule conflict a the High School. He provided an overview of Rich Klotzbier’s position and noted that Mr. Klotzbier just assists in the flu clinic process.
- The Police Chief will be notified about the speeding issue on Lake Drive.
- Regarding the public speaking on agenda items, in other towns, speaker cards are utilized when the public speaks on agenda items. A resident would sign up at the beginning of the meeting to speak on agenda items, and then when the topic is being discussed whoever signed up would be able to speak. This allows for time management. This will be discussed when Council addresses the request.
- The Route 66 property that is being used for boat storage is being reviewed. Permitting needs to be done to continue to store boats otherwise the boats will needs to be removed. The owner is being allowed to comply with zoning regulations. Fencing and buffer areas will be addressed in the permitting process.
- The property at Hog Hill and Route 16 is being worked on. The gates have been locked and buffer trees will be planted. The situation will continue to be monitored.
- The town auction property on Main Street across from Skinner Street is not in violation of zoning regulations. It was noted the property is up for sale.
- The map sign near Century 21 on Route 66 is owned by the town. It is not current and needs updating. There is a possibility that Streetscape funds could be used to refurbish the sign.
- The Village Center sign is finished. It is not able to be put back on the Century 21 corner but can be put up across the street.
- An article from Connecticut magazine entitled “Rating the Towns” was provided to Council members.
Ms. Moore asked for an update on Social Services and the Food Bank. Mr. O’Keefe spoke with Jane Leary and Wendy Regan. The number of people in need continues to rise. The Food Bank is well stocked, Cobalt Market, which recently closed, donated a great deal of food prior to closing. Schools and other organizations are doing fundraisers as well.
Resolutions/Ordinances/Policies/Proclamations:
Resolution for Building Committees:
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Goff, stating “Be it resolved that the East Hampton Town Council does hereby establish a building committee for the “Expansion of the Senior Center” under the Community Development Block Grant project. Be it further resolved that the committee shall consist of four members; Melissa Engel and John Tuttle from the Town Council, Ann McLaughlin from the Commission on Aging and one member from the Community at Large. Said project shall be under the coordination, administration and general supervision of the Facilities Manager.” Voted (7-0).
A motion was made by Mr. Cordeiro, seconded by Mr. Tuttle, stating “Be it resolved that the East Hampton Town Council does hereby establish a building committee for the “Governor Bill O’Neill” Memorial Streetscape Project. Be it further resolved that the committee shall consist of five members; Melissa Engel, Chris Goff and Sue Weintraub from the Town Council, Mrs. William O’Neill and resident Bob Drewry. Said project shall be under the coordination, administration and general supervision of the Facilities Manager, with assistance from the Public Works Director.” Voted (7-0). The motion stated above is the amended wording to include Sue Weintraub’s request to be on the building committee for the Governor Bill O’Neill Memorial Streetscape Project.
Bids and Contracts: None
Appointments: A motion was made by Ms. Moore, seconded by Mr. Tuttle, to appoint Tom O’Brien to the Board of Finance to fill the seat left vacant by Ms. Moore, as she was elected to Town Council. Voted (7-0).
Mr. Goff reported that Mr. O’Keefe has appointed Kurt Comisky to the Conservation-Lake Commission with a term through June 30, 2013. This will fill the seat of Patience Anderson who was elected to the Board of Finance.
Financial Statements and Transactions: None
Tax Refunds:
A motion was made by Mr. Goff, seconded by Mr. Cordeiro, to approve tax refunds in the amount of $1,146.00. Voted (7-0).
Communications, Correspondence & Announcements:
Mr. Tuttle announced that there will be a story on American Distilling on CNN on Saturday, November 14th at 1:00 p.m.
Mr. Tuttle reminded everyone of the Clean Energy Forum on Thursday, November 19th at the Middle School Library at 7:00 p.m.
Ms. Engel attended the Veterans Ceremony at the VFW on Sunday, November 8th. It was a very nice ceremony.
Mr. Goff reported that the DEP Commissioner replied to the letter sent by Susan Bysiewicz regarding the Fireman’s Grounds Property. He noted that the Commissioner stated that he is hopeful that the DEP and the town will be able to work cooperatively to manage the property.
Public Remarks:
Ann McLaughlin, 85 North Main Street, commented that the sign on the Century 21 property was donated to the town by the former Chamber of Commerce in town many years ago.
Laurie Wasilewski, Hog Hill Road, commented that she attended the Veteran’s Ceremony. She would like to see a local Veteran’s day parade. She also commented on the public comment question, she noted that Wallingford doesn’t have citizens sign up to speak. She would not be in agreement with that type of system.
Scott Sanicki, Quiet Woods Road, commented on the wording on the number of days listed in the IWWA fees. If Ms. Wasilewski’s idea were in force he would have been able to provide his comment before the vote.
Kyle Dostaler, 56 William Drive, asked what the end game is for the Fireman’s grounds property. What is the town’s intention to do there? Will there be any expenses or upkeep?
The questions will be answered at a future Council meeting. Ms. Engel noted they would like the town to have better use and more control of the property. There is no way to reserve the property at this time; it is not accessible on Reserve America.
Fran Klein, Bellevue Street, requested that the Council revisit a town-wide noise ordinance for the town.
Irene Curtis, 13 Wangonk Trail, asked that the property purchased on Terp Road be developed into a park and nature trails.
Sal Nucifora, 147 Colchester Avenue, commented his concerns over property rights for the property on Route 66 where the boats are being stored. If someone is injured on that property, it is the business of the property owner and the person injured.
Patience Anderson, 17 Anderson Way, congratulated the Council members on the election.
Reserved: None
Adjournment:
A motion was made by Mr. Devine, seconded by Mr. Goff, to adjourn the meeting at 8:22 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Sirois
Recording Secretary
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