MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, August 14, 2012, at 7:30 P.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
Members Present
Robert Fish
Bruce Sherwin
Walter Smith
Pat Ingellis
Richard Esty
Members Absent
Jerry Brophy
Kimberley Gallagher
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 July 10, 2012; MADE by R. Esty; SECONDED by P. Ingellis; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, R. Esty, P. Ingellis, B. Sherwin; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Sustainable Saybrook Website Support
B. Sherwin received an article from the Old Saybrook Garden Club with the results of a flower competition they held. He will be publishing the results on the Sustainable Saybrook Website soon.
B. Sherwin also received a submission from Youth & Family Services. He put their upcoming events on the Sustainable Saybrook calendar. H. McNeil, Executive Director of Y&FS, asked B. Sherwin if Sustainable Saybrook would like to have a booth at Family Day on the Town Green, Saturday, September 22, 2012. H. McNeil plans to attend the Sustainable Saybrook meeting on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 to discuss what having a booth would entail. R. Esty and R. Fish both offered to work in the Sustainable Saybrook booth on Family Day.
W. Smith asked B. Sherwin if he had any feedback about the meeting time preferences of the Sustainable Saybrook group. Based on the feedback he received, B. Sherwin said beginning next month; he will hold one meeting at 5:00 or 5:30 p.m., and the other at 8:00 a.m.
Regional Trailway Projects
Because J. Brophy was not in attendance at tonight’s meeting, R. Fish did not have any updates about J. Brophy’s discussion with Attorney David Royston about connecting the trailway through “The Preserve” property.
Water Resources Projects
S. Prisloe brought maps with the new GIS data of the Oyster River watershed. He’s been working with W. Smith on analyzing the data and how the percentage of impervious surface in an area directly affects the water quality. They explained that at 10% impervious cover, the watershed quality is degraded. Once the percentage goes above 10%, the water quality drops further. An area with under 10% impervious cover is colored green, such as Pequot Swamp which is completely undeveloped and at 0% impervious cover. The yellow depicts areas that are stressed to some extent, and pink is the danger zone which means that more than 25% of the area is impervious.
The map offers data for a build out analysis, which can answer such questions as: Are there parcels that could be developed? What would that development add in terms of impervious cover? How will that development affect the watershed? If a proposal was offered in these areas, the Land Use Department could recommend that the developer provide higher levels of storm water management improvements to protect these areas.
S. Prisloe explained that imperviousness is not a pollutant in itself, but it is a measure of how pollutants can get into watersheds because it shows development and urbanization.
R. Esty asked if these maps could show vernal pools. S. Prisloe explained that these aerial images have 4 band imagery and 6” resolution. Objects that are 1 foot in size can be picked up on the mapping. Near infrared imagery highlights water.
R. Fish said the Conservation Commission did a comprehensive study of vernal pools 7-8 years ago, and the report was not finished. R. Esty said he is interested in studying vernal pools, and he told R. Fish he would continue the work on this report.
S. Prisloe showed Commissioners a status map of the storm water infrastructure in town which includes the catch basins, culverts and outfalls. This data was gathered in conjunction with the Department of Public Works. Information was also collected on each catch basin. This data includes the size of the pipes, the general condition of the catch basins, and where the catch basins ultimately go. The map does not show connections between catch basins. This would be stage 2 of this project. W. Smith said he would like to continue working with S. Prisloe on this project.
S. Prisloe shared a study of watershed analysis that suggests ways to characterize watersheds and sub watersheds. There are recommendations for ways to improve water quality and to work with the town’s Planning and Zoning Commissions to make sure best practices are used and the areas are not overdeveloped.
After looking at the map, R. Fish said he was concerned about areas identified as particularly sensitive such as Fishing Brook which is the big connector between everything in the northwest part of town and Oyster River. There are two fishways connected by Fishing Brook, one at Crystal Lake and one off Ingham Hill Road.
R. Esty suggested putting some of this information together for the Sustainable Saybrook Website. W. Smith suggested also submitting an article for Saybrook Events Magazine. The next due date for Saybrook Events Magazine is August 28, 2012. W. Smith said he would write up an article and share it with Commissioners before submitting it in case they had any changes or suggestions to make.
Other Updates
R. Fish is writing an update on the work of the Conservation Commission for the Old Saybrook Town Report for FY 2011-2012. He asked Commissioners if he should write about Sustainable Saybrook as part of the Conservation Commission report, and Commissioners said yes.
S. Prisloe signed off on the sign approval today for the rain garden constructed at Acton Library last year. He is hopeful that the sign will be in next week. The sign will be located next to the rain garden to give the public more information about what the rain garden does.
S. Prisloe shared with Commissioners a copy of the Rockfall Foundation Conservation Times annual newsletter. On the front page, there is an article about the Acton Library rain garden. He said the Rockfall Foundation gives out awards, and he asked Commissioners if Sustainable Saybrook might want to nominate one or two of the Old Saybrook schoolteachers for awards.
S. Prisloe informed Commissioners that The Nature Conservancy is going to be treating phragmites by spraying in the areas of Ragged Rock and Ferry Rock Creek. He shared maps showing where this work will be done. He mentioned that on Ragged Rock, there are “native phragmites” which co-exist with other vegetation and those will not be sprayed.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:27 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission which will be Tuesday, September 11, 2012, 7:30 P.M., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street; MADE by P. Ingellis; SECONDED by R. Esty; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, W. Smith, R. Esty, B. Sherwin, P. Ingellis; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none.; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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