MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, October 9, 2012, at 7:30 P.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
Members Present
Robert Fish
Bruce Sherwin
Richard Esty
Jerry Brophy
Kimberley Gallagher
Walter Smith
Members Absent
Pat Ingellis
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 August 14, 2012 as presented; MADE by R. Esty; SECONDED by W. Smith; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, R. Esty, B. Sherwin, W. Smith; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: K. Gallagher; APPROVED: 5-0-1.
Correspondence
Commissioners received a copy of their budget dated 10/1/2012. They also received a copy of a letter dated 9/24/12 from Mark Alexander from the CT DOT re: Route 154 Permit #201205403-MG.
MOTION to add the proposed 2013 Conservation Commission meeting schedule to the agenda.; MADE by R. Esty; SECONDED by J. Brophy; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, R. Esty, B. Sherwin, K. Gallagher, W. Smith; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Commissioners reviewed their 2013 Conservation Commission meeting schedule. They discussed moving the meetings from 7:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.
MOTION to approve the proposed 2013 Conservation Commission meeting schedule noting that Commissioners would like to move the meetings from 7:30 P.M. to 7:00 P.M.; MADE by J. Brophy; SECONDED by K. Gallagher; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, J. Brophy, R. Esty, B. Sherwin, K. Gallagher, W.
Smith; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Sustainable Saybrook Website Support
The next Sustainable Saybrook meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 5:30 P.M. in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.
B. Sherwin said a Sustainable Saybrook banner with the logo and mission statement has been made as well as SS t-shirts. Representatives from SS participated in Family Day by setting up a table, answering questions about SS, and signing 40 people up on the SS e-mail list. They gave away 40-50 SS t-shirts as well. Heather McNeil, Director of Youth and Family Services, sent a letter dated 9/27/12 thanking SS for their participation.
A. Gamble has been giving out SS bookmarks at recent Porter Plaza Saturday Farmers’ Markets.
B. Sherwin suggested the next e-mail blast should be about energy. He would like to highlight the website CT Energy Info.com which helps educate consumers about the CT energy suppliers who are offering options for 100% sustainable energy.
Lee Ruck, an attorney who is also a member of the community, is interested in SS. He suggested linking high school students interested in business and environmental issues with local businesses. Students could help businesses become more sustainable and more profitable. He is sharing this idea is with Karen Carlone, a teacher in charge of the ecology club at the OSHS, and the Chamber of Commerce.
B. Sherwin has talked with K. Carlone about the success of the beach clean up. He has put her in contact with the OS Land Trust.
R. Fish talked briefly with Mike Rafferty, the Principal of the OSMS, about SS. He is hoping to arrange a meeting with him soon.
R. Fish would like to add information about energy to the SS e-mail blast. He wants to make sure the focus stays on the “big picture.” B. Sherwin suggested R. Fish write an article about heating and cooling for the web site under the energy pillar. He invited R. Fish to contribute this content to the web site where it could be more in depth as opposed to a sustainability tip which should be shorter and less detailed.
S. Prisloe recently put together a sustainability tip on energy savings and energy audits. B. Sherwin asked S. Prisloe to send out the tip this week.
B. Sherwin said the SS survey only received 8 responses. R. Esty suggested adding a link from the sustainability tip to the survey.
B. Sherwin showed the overview of the Google analytics in 30- day increments. They show approximately the same number of people visiting the SS web site from month to month. There was a small spike around Family Day when SS gave out information about the SS website. There was another small spike around the time B. Sherwin posted an article about the high school students’ beach cleanup.
S. Prisloe suggested “guest” sustainability tips and/or content from the students.
Regional Trailway Projects
J. Brophy had nothing new to report. He plans to set up a meeting with Meg Parulis, the Town Planner in Westbrook.
Water Resources Projects
W. Smith said he and S. Prisloe have divided the watersheds into 3 areas based on impact. The watersheds in Old Saybrook are aligned for ecological integrity as well as water quality. Perhaps when W. Smith and S. Prisloe have more finalized information from the work they have been doing together studying the data from the town’s watersheds and outfalls, the Planning Commission could consider these factors when making requirements and recommendations for future development.
Other Updates
S. Prisloe explained that about a year and a half ago, the rain garden was constructed at the Acton Library. He has received the finished interpretive sign that will be posted near the rain garden. The sign explains what the rain garden does, who collaborated to construct it, and what people can do at home to install their own rain gardens. He will talk to P. Ingellis about putting up the sign. B. Sherwin will put something on the SS web site about it.
J. Brophy suggested building a drought resistant garden, and R. Esty suggested a butterfly garden.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:45 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission which will be Tuesday, November 13, 2012, 7:30 P.M., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street; MADE by K. Gallagher; SECONDED by J. Brophy; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, R. Esty, B. Sherwin, J. Brophy, K. Gallagher, W. Smith; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none.; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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