MINUTES
SPECIAL MEETING
Thursday, April 23, 2015 at 6:00 – 7:30 P.m.
Old Saybrook Recreation Center
308 Main Street
I. CALL TO ORDER
Ray Allen called the meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
II. ROLL CALL
Members Present
Susan Esty
Chris Cryder
Kathleen Connolly
Walter Smith
Liz Swenson
Tom ODell
Joe Nochera
Members Absent
Judy Preston
Town Hall Staff Present
Carl Fortuna, First Selectman
Ray Allen, Director, Parks & Recreation
Sandy Prisloe, Environmental Planner
Robert Fish, Town Treasurer
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
There were two members of the public present.
III. RECOGNITION OF GUESTS
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
V. OLD BUSINESS
VI. NEW BUSINESS
- Review of Management Agreement
C. Fortuna reviewed the Cooperative Management Agreement with Committee Members. The State of CT drafted the Management Agreement. It is valid for 30 years, but it can be renewed.
He received an e-mail on 4/22/2015 that the settlement agreements and insurance agreements had been released from the Attorney General’s Office. The CT Commonwealth Land Title Insurance Company will review these documents, and hopefully, next week, those documents will be recorded.
The Town of Old Saybrook bought the land for The Preserve for $3,000,000.00. There were additional costs that amounted to approximately $70,000.00. R. Fish identified funds for Capital Projects. Approval at Town Meeting is required.
A Special Town Meeting is being held on Monday, 5/4/2015 at 6:30 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Middle School for the bonding for The Preserve with the annual town budget meeting to follow at 7:00 p.m. He encouraged Committee members to attend.
According to the Cooperative Management Agreement, which is between the State and Old Saybrook, decision making has to be unanimous. C. Fortuna explained each section of the agreement as follows: terms, cooperative management committee, use, management and use plan, public safety and emergency management, boundary lines and encroachments, access, maintenance, stewardship account, fees, insurance, taxes, recordation of documents, renewal, termination and notices. Schedule B is comprised of standard terms and conditions as follows: executive orders, no waiver, sovereign immunity, governing law; effectivity, no exclusive remedies, entire agreement, severability, no derogation of police powers, forum and choice of law and corporate authority.
- Review of GEI Consultant’s Report
S. Prisloe distributed copies of a written summary of the Conservation Easement Documentation Report for the Preserve, 891.9 acres, Old Saybrook, Middlesex County, CT by GEI Consultants, condition of property as of 1/22/2015. The natural and physical environment of the property has been well documented. Photos are included. The document is over 260 pages. S. Prisloe gave Committee members a summary of the report. R. Allen will send the entire document electronically to all Committee members.
BL Company has provided the town with all of the GIS map data in an electronic format. This would include wetland boundaries, stone walls, etc.
There are different sources of funding available; from the State and from the Trust for Public Land (TPL).
R. Fish will establish a 510, off budget fund for The Preserve. This allows the fund to be audited. There is a requirement that any town funds used must go through the system in a standard way.
K. Connolly talked about the need for a 5013C so people can donate money to The Preserve, for example as a memorial donation. There most likely will be a “friends of” organization established. That money will not be governed by this Ad Hoc Committee.
The Trust for Public Land has close to $3,000.000.00 in the account. After TPL clears out their closing costs, etc., they wanted to leave a fund for stewardship for over $275,000.00.
The State is going to contract out for the natural resources assessment.
There was discussion of things that had been cleaned out from The Preserve land such as 3 old cars, PVC pipes and farm equipment. R. Fish asked if the Department of Public works could help with the cleanup and charge the 510 account for the costs. C. Fortuna said that could be done.
C. Cryder talked about the PVC pipes which were cut and put into piles. He would like to have them taken to be recycled. There is a small recycling fee with each 10-yard dumpster. R. Fish suggested the bills be submitted to the town, and paid from the 510 account.
R. Allen asked all Committee members to contribute their ideas for short term goals.
K. Connolly said marking the boundaries and erecting signage about no unauthorized vehicles were both very important goals. R. Fish said there are Town of Old Saybrook Open Space boundary markers that could be used. C. Fortuna asked K. Connolly who would be marking the boundaries, and K. Connolly said volunteers would mark the boundaries, and several groups have come forward to volunteer.
L. Swenson suggested developing a mission statement as a way to guide Committee members as to what their charge is.
C. Fortuna suggested that Essex and Old Saybrook choose signs for no unauthorized motor vehicles. K. Connolly said the volunteer group has already designed signs. C. Fortuna said the signs should be ordered and erected within the next few weeks. Committee members discussed a logo design, so all of the signage is consistent.
K. Connolly showed Committee members a variety of boundary signs. There was discussion about sign colors, symbols and design. She said she will e-mail them the link. She suggested ordering the no unauthorized vehicle signs with both symbols and words.
S. Esty suggested marking the trees with paint for boundary marking continuity between signs. She offered to go to Ciel or Computer Signs for potential sign designs.
Emergency access was discussed. R. Allen offered to contact Police Chief Michael Spera and Fire Chief Jay Rankin to talk more in detail about it.
K. Connolly will send R. Allen a list of goals that has been created by the volunteer group which he will then share with Committee members and use as a springboard for this group to work from.
W. Smith asked whether or not this group should be prepared to write a report at the end of the 12 to 18 months that it meets.
R. Allen would like to talk further with C. Fortuna about election of officers. He tabled this item until then.
VII. ADJOURNMENT
R. Allen will be getting in touch with Committee members about future meeting dates.
R. Allen adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kathleen Noyes, Recording Clerk
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