Town of East Hampton
Town Council Regular Meeting
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
East Hampton High School Library
Minutes
Present: Chairperson Susan Weintraub, Vice Chairman Glenn Suprono and Council Members Ted Hintz, Jr., Derek Johnson (arrived at 6:43 p.m.), Barbara Moore and George Pfaffenbach. Also present were Town Manager Michael Maniscalco, Recording Secretary Cathy Sirois, members of the press and citizens.
Not Present: Kyle Dostaler
Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance
Chairperson Weintraub called the regular meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. in the East Hampton High School Library.
A moment of silence was held in honor of Ida Erickson who passed away.
Adoption of Agenda
A motion was made by Mr. Hintz, seconded by Mr. Pfaffenbach, to adopt the agenda as written. Voted (5-0).
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Ms. Moore, seconded by Mr. Suprono, to approve the minutes of the Town Council Regular Meeting of September 25, 2012 as written. Voted (4-0-1). Mr. Hintz abstained as he was not present at the meeting.
Public Remarks
Brian Schroth, Epoch Arts, thanked the Council for the letter of support for the STEAP grant for Epoch Arts. He provided a background on the activities and classes held at Epoch Arts.
Bids & Contracts
None
Presentations
Ethics Commission
The Ethics Commission presentation will be postponed to a future meeting.
CT Office of Tourism
Tom O’Brien, the representative from East Hampton on the Central Region CT Tourism Board, provided an overview of the Tourism Board’s activities. The goal of the Central Region’s board is to promote Connecticut’s River Valley and The Greater New Haven region as a vacation and sight-seeing destination for visitors to the New England region. They are promoted through their website www.visitctriver.com
Resolutions/Ordinances/Policies/Proclamations
Bevin Fire First Responders
Ms. Weintraub showed the proclamation shadow box that will be presented to the fire departments that responded to the Bevin Bell fire.
Continued Business
Chatham Historical Society Water
Mr. Maniscalco reviewed the agenda report regarding the consideration of a potable water supply for the Chatham Historical Society by utilizing a private water supply well from an adjacent property. The report reviews the issues of creating a “a quasi-public water system”. The Council asked for clarification on possible contaminants in a well in that location, contaminants in nearby residents wells and the confirmation of the conclusion of a “quasi-public” system. The agenda report will be included with the minutes filed in the Town Clerk’s Office.
Update on Design Review Board
Mr. Maniscalco had discussions with legal counsel regarding sunsetting a board created through an ordinance. They indicated that a motion cannot dissolve a board. The former Chairman of the Design Review Board will be contacted regarding the former members and new members will be sought.
New Business
High School Building Committee Funding Request
Michelle Barber, Vice Chairperson of the High School Building Committee, provided an overview of the financial request for the building committee. Proposals from Eagle Environmental, The SLAM Collaborative and CREC were reviewed. The Board of Finance voted to appropriate $200,080 from the fund balance for pre-referendum costs to fund architectural and consultant services as well as hire a construction manager to oversee the High School renovation project. The Council will be reviewing and recommending a resolution for a Town Meeting to approve the appropriation. The Council discussed the proposals and presented questions to Ms. Barber. The documents provided will be included in the minutes filed in the Town Clerk’s Office.
Town Manager Report
Mr. Maniscalco reported the following:
- The town attorney is reviewing documents for a new Clean Energy Task Force.
- The town has narrowed the search to one company for GPS units. If the company is not on the state contract, the project will need to be put out to bid. Public Works will test run the units this budget year. The Police GPS units would include a camera system.
- The CT River Valley Council of Governments is making great strides as a newly formed group.
- The Christopher Brook culvert is partially collapsed but is filled with asphalt, which is why it hasn’t collapsed more. This project will be partially state funded in 2014.
- The Employee Handbook is being worked on by staff. It should be ready for presentation to Council around January 1st.
Liaison Reports
Ms. Weintraub noted that the Safety/Quality of Life working group had their initial meeting.
Appointments
Ms. Weintraub reported that a committee has been formed to work with the Town Manager on the review of the RFP’s for the Town Engineer. The members are Susan Weintraub, Barbara Moore and Glenn Suprono.
The Council discussed the possibility of alternates for the Appointments Sub-Committee. This will be discussed further at a future meeting.
Tax Refunds
A motion was made by Mr. Suprono, seconded by Mr. Pfaffenbach, to approve tax refunds in the amount of $2,493.39. Voted (6-0).
Public Remarks
Ellen Nosal, 152 Main Street, discussed the need for potable water at the Chatham Historical Society museum.
Ruth Tegge, 5 Nile Street, asked if the Chatham Historical Society could utilize the water from Bevin Bell’s property.
Kevin Reich, 9 Arch Drive, discussed the dollar amounts for the High School building renovation project, the original feasibility study and the reimbursement rate from the State for the project.
Communications, Correspondence & Announcements
Ms. Weintraub noted that tickets are available for the Business Expo on October 30th.
There is an upcoming workshop on November 5th regarding Fuel Cells for Municipalities.
The regular meeting ended at 8:10 p.m.
Executive Session: Discussion of Strategy for Union Negotiations
A motion was made by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Pfaffenbach, to enter Executive Session at 8:25 p.m. Voted (6-0).
Present in Executive Session were Susan Weintraub, Glenn Suprono, Ted Hintz, Jr., Derek Johnson, Barbara Moore, George Pfaffenbach and Michael Maniscalco.
Executive Session ended at 8:40 p.m.
Adjournment
A motion was made by Mr. Suprono, seconded by Mr. Hintz, to adjourn the meeting at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Sirois
Recording Secretary
| 
