MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, June 11, 2013 at 7:00 P.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
Members Present
Robert Fish
Jerry Brophy
Richard Esty, arrived at 7:15 p.m.
Emily Grochowski
Pat Ingellis
Kimberley Gallagher
Members Absent
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 May 14, 2013 as amended. On page 2, paragraph 4, the sentence should read, “W. Smith reported his presentation about water quality issues. He will begin presentations in the fall.” On page 1, remove the sentence that reads as follows: “R. Fish offered to submit the information to “Old Saybrook Events” for their next quarterly publication.” ; MADE by P. Ingellis; SECONDED by E. Grochowski; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, E. Grochowski, K. Gallagher, J. Brophy, P. Ingellis; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 5-0-0.
Vernal Pool Project
Working with R. Esty, S. Prisloe made a new map, which Commissioners reviewed, showing where the vernal pools are located in town.
R. Esty had some difficulty inputting plot names due to computer problems, but he was able to input the municipal properties. Once he has the information plotted for the private properties, he can request permission from property owners to go on the properties.
R. Esty asked Commissioners if they could volunteer some time to go and look at the vernal pools on town property within the next couple of weeks. He explained what types of specimens he’d be looking for and how the rains would have affected their productivity. Commissioners agreed to try to meet on Saturday, June 22.
R. Esty will be purchasing waders so he can collect specimens and sample data. R. Fish told him there was money in the Conservation Commission budget for him to purchase waders before June 30.
R. Esty recommended the Conservation Commission begin checking the vernal pools on an annual basis because the vernal pools indicate a lot about the health of the habitat. He would like an article to appear in the July issue of “Saybrook Events Magazine” educating residents about vernal pools and the Conservation Commission’s vernal pool project.
Sustainable Saybrook Support
E. Grochowski is putting the Sustainable Saybrook survey up on the web site so it will be up and running Monday, June 17, 2013.
E. Grochowski presented the Sustainable Saybrook scholarship to Old Saybrook High School senior Nicholas Dibble on Senior Awards Night. She read aloud a thank you letter Sustainable Saybrook received from N. Dibble.
R. Fish noted that Sustainable Saybrook now meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month at 5:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Town Hall, 302 Main Street in the 2nd Floor Conference Room.
Regional Trailway Projects
S. Prisloe and J. Brophy met to discuss trails. S. Prisloe presented 2 maps to Commissioners. The maps show the northwest corner of Old Saybrook and the northeast corner of Westbrook and a bit of Essex. Open space areas are highlighted as is the power utility right of way.
Land Use staff met with Westbrook Town Planner Meg Parulis to discuss connecting trail systems in “the preserve” with trail systems on the western side of Westbrook. There’s an extensive trail system that links up with Great Cedars West. They’d like to get the proposed trails from “the preserve” proposal on the map as well.
S. Prisloe said they explored the idea of connecting the power line right of way that goes into Westbrook along Route 153 to open space.
Commissioners discussed connecting the trail to Deep River and Cockaponset into Haddam. The northwest corner of Westbrook would be a connecting point to Deep River.
The trails would most likely be cleared, marked and unpaved. No motorized vehicles would be allowed.
The next step is to get the trail system in “the preserve” on the map. J. Brophy said he hopes to have a discussion with the power company about foot traffic and the right of way.
Updates
R. Fish said the Notable Trees Brochure needs some substantial corrections before it can be reprinted. It would not be possible to make these changes by the end of the fiscal year, June 30, 2013, so the Commission can work on this next fiscal year.
J. Brophy suggested reprinting the brochure at a later date making it more comprehensive, and Commissioners agreed with this suggestion. J. Brophy offered to talk with people at the Old Saybrook Historical Society about historical homes and other landmarks that can be weaved into the notable trees brochure.
P. Ingellis asked about the strip of land in Cornfield Point near the Castle Inn that has been used as a scenic walkway. R. Fish explained that years ago, the property owners who subdivided the Saltaire Subdivision agreed to put in a scenic walkway with money to maintain it. First Selectman Carl Fortuna has been using some of that money to maintain the walkway. The walkway has been structurally compromised over time, particularly the stability of the ledge, and there is a proposal to abandon the walkway due to liability concerns. P. Ingellis would like the Conservation Commission to pursue this. R. Fish suggested he talk to C. Fortuna. J. Brophy offered to go out to the site with P. Ingellis to take a look at it.
There have been problems with beavers building their lodges at the town fishways particularly in Crystal Lake at Town Park. The water level went up 3 feet in the whole lake due to the beavers. R. Fish contacted the DEEP and spoke to Chris Van about trapping beavers which requires a special permit.
R. Fish said he and S. Prisloe are going to present this issue to the Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission at their regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, June 20, 2013 at Town Hall, 302 Main Street in the 1st Floor Conference Room.
R. Fish said they need to discuss how to get the beavers to cohabitate with people. There is open space for the beavers to be relocated if they are trapped and released.
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission which will be Tuesday, July 9, 2013, 7:00 P.M., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street; MADE by J. Brophy; SECONDED by P. Ingellis; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Fish, R. Esty, K. Gallagher, J. Brophy, E. Grochowski, P. Ingellis; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none.; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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