MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING
Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at 7:00 P.m.
Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room
302 Main Street
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present
Walter Smith
Jerry Brophy
Richard Esty
Emily Grochowski
Nina Garrett
Pat Ingellis
Members Absent
Robert Fish
Land Use Department Staff Present
Christine Nelson, Town Planner
Sandy Prisloe, Environmental Planner
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
III. REGULAR BUSINESS
A. Minutes
MOTION to approve the minutes from the Conservation Commission’s Regular Meeting of April 8, 2014 as presented.; MADE by R. Esty; SECONDED by N. Garrett; VOTED IN FAVOR: W. Smith, N. Garrett, E. Grochowski, P. Ingellis, R. Esty, J. Brophy; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
- Correspondence and Announcements
There was no correspondence, and there were no announcements.
- Sea Level Rise Organizing Committee
W. Smith said the Sea Level Rise Committee met for the first time on May 8, 2014. Members introduced themselves and discussed their backgrounds. W. Smith said the meeting was very positive.
D. Sustainable Saybrook
E. Grochowski received 3 submissions from students at the Old Saybrook Senior High School for the Sustainable Saybrook essay contest.
Green Up Day was a rainy day. Next year, E. Grochowski would like to schedule a rain date or publicize that Green Up Day will be held rain or shine.
Sustainable Saybrook has scheduled its Self Guided Natural Heritage Bike Tour for Sunday, June 1, 2014. There will be ice cream after the ride at the Pavilion and information about The Preserve will be available.
E. Wetlands and Aquifer Protection Commissions
W. Smith reported that neither the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission nor the Aquifer Protection Agency met last month. Both meetings are cancelled for this month as well.
F. The Preserve
The Board of Finance has not yet posted their minutes to the Town’s web site, so W. Smith was not able to report on what happened at the meeting as it pertained to The Preserve.
W. Smith drafted a letter to the Board of Finance and the Board of Selectmen supporting the referendum for the acquisition of The Preserve giving Old Saybrook residents the opportunity to vote. He asked Commissioners if they were in support of the letter.
MOTION to confirm the Conservation Commission’s support of the acquisition of The Preserve, and to send the letter W. Smith drafted to the Board of Finance and the Board of Selectmen supporting the referendum giving Old Saybrook residents the opportunity to decide if the acquisition of The Preserve property is in their best interest.; MADE by N. Garrett; SECONDED by E. Grochowski; VOTED IN FAVOR: W. Smith, N. Garrett, E. Grochowski, P. Ingellis, R. Esty, J. Brophy; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
G. Budget
There is currently approximately $1,400.00 left in the Conservation Commission’s budget. W. Smith asked if there were as yet unidentified needs since the fiscal year ends at end of June. Commissioners decided to use the money to purchase a Survey Monkey subscription and Milk Weed Plugs for the Butterfly Garden. All outstanding expenses need to be invoiced.
IV. OLD BUSINESS
A. Review Current Projects
P. Ingellis and W. Smith went to see a 400-foot long, 30-foot high strip of bamboo in Chalker Beach. They showed Commissioners pictures of the bamboo.
N. Garrett talked about the report Judy Preston’s class at Three Rivers Community College has completed in which they studied native and invasive plants.
W. Smith would like to invite J. Preston to come and talk to the Conservation Commission at their July meeting to discuss the report more in detail.
R. Esty discussed the work he’s been doing collecting samples and taking data on the town’s vernal pools for the past 4 weekends. He has had approximately 13 Old Saybrook High School volunteers helping him, and things are progressing well.
V. NEW BUSINESS
- Proposed “Scenic Roads” section of the Plan of Conservation & Development
“Scenic Roads: A Corridor Management Plan for Local and State Scenic Roads in Old Saybrook”
C. Nelson explained that the Planning Commission spent a year studying the Town’s scenic roads and another year creating their report on scenic roads for the Town’s Plan of Conservation & Development
C. Nelson asked on behalf of the Planning Commission that Commissioners review the report and decide which next steps they would like to take the lead on.
- Proposed “Mariner’s Way” section of the Plan of Conservation & Development
“Mariner’s Way: A Vision to Improve the Route 1 East Corridor between Saybrook Junction town center and Ferry Point marina district”
The Board of Selectmen put together a Route 1 East Committee. The Committee studied the manufacturing/industrial corridor of Route 1 from Pat’s Corner to Ferry Point, book ended by the Town Center and Ferry Point.
C. Nelson said The Planning Commission has asked that Commissioners review the Plan to see which next steps they would like to take the lead on.
W. Smith asked Commissioners to review the reports C. Nelson distributed so they can be ready to discuss their comments and suggestions at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission.
VI. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION to adjourn the meeting at 8:35 p.m. until the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Conservation Commission which will be Tuesday, June 10, 2014, 7:00 P.M., Town Hall, 2nd Floor Conference Room, 302 Main Street; MADE by E. Grochowski; SECONDED by N. Garrett; VOTED IN FAVOR: R. Esty, W. Smith, E. Grochowski, P. Ingellis, J. Brophy, N. Garrett; OPPOSED: none; ABSTAINED: none.; APPROVED: 6-0-0.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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