MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at 7:30 P.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
Members Present
Robert Fish
Kimberley Gallagher
Jerry Brophy
Pat Ingellis
Richard Esty
Members Absent
Bruce Sherwin
Walter Smith
Land Use Department Staff Present
Sandy Prisloe, Environmental Planner
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
Minutes
MOTION to approve the minutes from the Conservation Commission’s Regular Meeting of June 12, 2012; MADE by J. Brophy; SECONDED by P. Ingellis; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, R. Esty, P. Ingellis; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: K. Gallagher; APPROVED: 4-0-1.
Phragmites Update
R. Fish asked S. Prisloe for an update on the phragmites eradication project. S. Prisloe reported that the town was approved for a second year of funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service for $5,000.00 for the mechanical treatment of phragmites. The remaining money from last year has been rolled into this year, so the total amount available is $7,500.00. Last year, S. Prisloe was told that the phragmite mowing had to be completed by 9/30/12, but the DEEP said that this was not the optimal time for mechanical treatment, and that winter would be a better time for mowing after the herbicide had a chance to work.
S. Prisloe was told, after talking with the regional manager of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, that this year mowing could be done in the winter because the period for spending the grant money had been extended until March 2014.
R. Fish said he was having some computer trouble logging onto the web site he used last year to get this grant funding. S. Prisloe offered to work through the computer problem with him.
S. Prisloe reviewed the town properties treated for phragmites last year which included land behind the Old Saybrook Middle School, property off of Sheffield Street near the North Cove Yacht Club, property off of College Street and at Saybrook Point. In addition, as discussed at the 6/12/12 CC meeting, S. Prisloe would like to add the town property in the swamp area in Great Cedars East.
R. Esty said he was reading an article online recently about a new herbicide being used on phragmites that cuts down on the time between application and optimal mowing time. S. Prisloe said he would ask the US Fish and Wildlife Service about this.
Sustainable Saybrook Website Support
R. Fish talked with B. Sherwin, and B. Sherwin said he was discouraged because attendance has been very low at the past two Sustainable Saybrook Tuesday morning meetings. The only people in attendance were members of town staff and Conservation Commission members.
R. Fish proposed that B. Sherwin put a survey on the Sustainable Saybrook web site asking people for their input about the goals under the twelve pillars of sustainability. B. Sherwin said he has done this, and the only response he received was a suggestion made by a member of the public that the town try to generate its own electricity.
B. Sherwin is looking for ways to get the community more involved and more enthusiastic about Sustainable Saybrook.
R. Esty said he is currently working on connecting the restaurants in town with the Saybrook Point Inn to possibly recycle cooking oil, pre-consumer food waste, etc., which may help publicize Sustainable Saybrook. He suggested reaching out to the community via local radio and television stations while raising awareness of sustainability topics that impact the community such as trailways, composting, recycling cooking oil, etc.
S. Prisloe suggested speaking to the Board of Education instead of individual teachers to see if the BOE would be willing to work with all three public schools on setting policies and working on projects such as recycling in the schools, etc.
J. Brophy thought it would be a good idea to invite an interested person on the Board of Education to attend a Sustainable Saybrook meeting.
R. Fish offered to speak to members of the Board of Education about this.
Regional Trailway Projects
J. Brophy talked to Dave Royston about establishing a connection to Westbrook via trail access through the Lehman Brothers’ property. They discussed the “old” Ingham Hill Road area. J. Brophy said he needed to familiarize himself with that road, and R. Fish suggested he and J. Brophy work on this together.
Water Resources Projects
S. Prisloe has been assembling some data for the water resources project W. Smith has been working on. He showed Commissioners a map dated 7/3/12 which depicts the storm water structures within the town’s watersheds (storm drains, catch basins, outfalls, culverts). The current mapping project being done with the state will show building footprints throughout the town and all of the impervious surfaces which have a great impact on water quality.
S. Prisloe explained the new ortho imagery being collected by the state of CT. Aerial imagery was being captured, and there was an opportunity for individual towns to buy the product which will allow the town to have much more detailed mapping showing 6-inch imagery instead of 1 square meter imagery. The near infrared imagery will be used to identify water features, wetlands and impervious surfaces and a detailed mapping of the landscape. This information will be available on line, and it will be available to the public.
Other Updates
Commissioners had no other updates to report.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission which will be Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 7:30 P.M., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street; MADE by J. Brophy; SECONDED by K. Gallagher; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, K. Gallagher, R. Esty, P. Ingellis; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none.; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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