Old Lyme Board of Selectmen
Regular Meeting January 7, 2002
1. Approval of Minutes:
Selectman Sibley made a motion, which was seconded by Selectman Bice, to approve the minutes of December 17, 2001 and January 4, 2002 as presented. SO VOTED.
2. Communications:
a. State of Connecticut – Conveyance of State Parcels
First Selectman Griswold received a letter from the Dept of Environmental Protection concerning the two parcels that the State recently granted to the town. The letter states that the DEP can find no evidence that lot 5 on the Assessor’s map 48 is under the control of the DEP, but that it is owned by Fred Shrapps, Sr. More investigation will be needed. The other parcel is being conveyed to the town.
b. Letter from Dan Brannegan of Pfizer-Community Leaders’ Forum
First Selectman Griswold was invited to attend a Community Leader’s Forum at the Pfizer Groton site. The purpose of this meeting was to strengthen relations between community leaders and share the impact of Pfizer’s presence and growth within southeastern Connecticut. Dan O’Shea of Old Lyme also addressed the group.
Pfizer has a program which grants a town organization $1,000 contribution providing a Pfizer employee volunteers in that organization 72 hours or more and resides in the town. Pfizer also matches contributions to organizations.
c. John Rhodes – District #18 – Cross Lane Parking
A letter of thanks was received by First Selectman Griswold from John Rhodes regarding the temporary use of the Cross Lane Fire House parking area while paving was being done at Mile Creek School.
d. Thank you letter to OLFD & SEVAA
First Selectman Griswold thanked the Old Lyme Fire Department and the South End Ambulance Association for their Christmas party invitations to the Selectmen.
3. Appointments:
Motion was made by Selectman Sibley and seconded by Selectman Bice to appoint the names on the attached list to the indicated Boards and Commissions. SO VOTED.
4. Old Business:
a. Ann Brown ZEO/IWEO
Ann Brown, Zoning Enforcement Officer/Inlands-Wetlands Enforcement Officer started working full time for the town on January 2, 2002. She has been working part time in Old Lyme since the fall of 2001.
b. Anthem Demutualization Status
The Towns of Lyme, Old Lyme and Regional District #18 are involved together for health insurance using Blue Cross Anthem. On June 18, 2001, Anthem Insurance’s Board of Directors approved a plan that calls for it to convert from a mutual insurance company to a stock insurance company. The demutualization funds would be given proportionally realizing that the school has many more members than the Town of Old Lyme. Lyme has the least number of members. The choice was stock or cash. As a municipality, the Selectmen agreed that cash was desired. District #18 Business Manager Marilyn Warren informed First Selectman Griswold that the distribution was in the form of shares. Together, the two towns and the school received 9,949 shares currently valued at $48/share. It must now be
determined what procedure will be necessary to turn the stock into cash and distribute it to the communities and the school. Secondly, there will be some allocation to individual employees from the sum because the school and the Town of Old Lyme had cost sharing in the premiums. Marilyn Warren requested a list of persons for whom insurance was purchased between June 18, 2001 and November 2, 2001 and the gross amount paid for that insurance. Selectman Bice agreed to help with the calculations.
c. Greenwich Lawsuit Attorneys
The Supreme Court decided that town beaches must be opened to the general public.
White Sand Beach, the primary town beach, is approximately 250 feet in length and is within the White Sand Beach Association. There are only about 40 parking spaces in the lot and, therefore, cannot accommodate a large crowd. Haines Park at Rogers Lake might also be an area that could be affected. At what rate will out-of-town visitors be charged and how to accomplish this will be the issues. The Connecticut Conference of Municipalities recommended attorneys involved in the Greenwich case. It was agreed that a list of questions for the attorneys should be prepared.
d. Connecticut Siting Council Approval of Boggy Hole Site
First Selectman Griswold received a notification from Wireless Solutions, LLC that they will be applying for a building permit for a 175 ft. telecommunications tower and building. The document states approval was granted to Wireless by the Connecticut Siting Council on December 11, 2001. First Selectman Griswold was unaware that the siting council approval was granted. Follow up will be necessary.
e. School Crossing Guard – Robert Dow
The Town of Old Lyme has hired Robert Dow as the school crossing guard. First Selectman Griswold met with Superintendent David Klein, Trooper Olson and Rod White to discuss safety issues on Lyme Street in front of Center School. It was recommended that it would be best to eliminate cars from stopping to drop off or pick up in front of Center School. Cones will be placed in the restricted area. The school will be sending out information to the parents asking for their cooperation. Selectman Sibley suggested including the police to help enforce the new parking arrangements.
5. New Business:
a. Open Space Funding Proposal
David McCulloch described two parcels of property that have been identified by the Open Space Committee for partial purchase by the town and a third parcel that would be purchased by organizations other than the town. The Roger Tory Peterson property, a 66-acre parcel, forms a 250-ft. high ridge along the west shore of the Lieutenant River and lies within a greenway proposed by the 1996 Old Lyme Open Space Plan. The sale price is $840,000. A State grant for $420,000 was submitted to the State in November, 2001 by the Open Space Committee. The balance of $420,000 will be shared by Nature Conservancy, the Gateway Commission and the Town of Old Lyme at $140,000 each. The Old Lyme Conservation Trust may contribute which would decrease the town’s share.
The second property is a 25-acre parcel owned by John Noyes that has access from Boggy Hole Road. It is adjacent to the Ames property and within a greenway proposed by the 1996 Old Lyme Open Space Plan. The owner agreed to take a price lower than the appraised value. The owner will receive the difference between the asking price and a new appraisal. The property has been appraised at $35,000 and the sale price is $25,000. The sale price will be divided equally between the Town of Old Lyme and the Conservation Trust at $12,500 each.
The third parcel is 185 acres known as the Lay property. It is located in the northeast part of the town and forms the eastern boundary of the 500-acre conservation easement on the McCulloch Farm held by the Nature Conservancy. The property lies within a greenway proposed by the 1996 Old Lyme Open Space Plan. The asking price is $370,000. A State grant application has been submitted for half the sale price and the balance of the cost will be shared by the Old Lyme Conservation Trust and The Nature Conservancy. The total cost to the town will be $6,000 for a second appraisal ($1,000) and one third of the cost for a boundary survey ($5,000).
Selectman Sibley made a motion to recommend to the Board of Finance and to the Town Meeting the withdrawal from the Land Acquisition Fund an amount not to exceed $165,000 of which $140,000 will be used for the purchase of the Peterson property subject to certain contingencies. Selectman Bice seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Selectman Sibley made a motion to recommend to the Board of Finance and to the Town Meeting that $25,000 would be used from the Land Acquisition Fund to purchase the Noyes property with the understanding that, at that same closing, there would be a reimbursement of $12,500 to be put back in the Land Acquisition Fund. The net cost would be $12,500 to the Town of Old Lyme. Selectman Bice seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Selectman Sibley made a motion to recommend to the Board of Finance that a total of $7,000 be augmented to the Open Space operating budget of which $1,000 would be used for an appraisal of the Noyes property, $1,000 would be used for the appraisal of the Lay property and $5,000 would be used for the boundary survey of the Lay property. Selectman Bice seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
b. Town Meeting Agenda
The Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 28, 2002. On the agenda will be the acceptance of the Town Report, confirmation of Jane Marsh as the CRERPA delegate, the Board of Finance appropriation of $37,500 for the Ferry Road dinghy dock (minus the State grant of $25,000 making the town’s cost $12,500), the Land Acquisition Fund request of $165,000 to be used to purchase open space properties, the Tree Ordinance, the Tax Abatement Ordinance, and the Citizen of the Year.
c. American Cancer Society
First Selectman Griswold received a letter from the American Cancer Society requesting the town to urge legislators to repeal preemptive language in legislation concerning smoking. First Selectman Griswold stated that he will speak with State Senator Melodie Peters and Representative Gary Orefice for their views on this matter.
6. Public Comment:
Roger Zito expressed his concerns regarding the fees charged by the Old Lyme Building Department which he felt were much higher than area towns. He also questioned whether Mr. Ron Rose is a full time Building and Health Official for the Town of Old Lyme and what his hours are for office time and inspections. First Selectman Griswold recommended that Mr. Rose respond to this issue and that the Selectmen will follow up
on this matter.
7. Other Business:
The Town Forum will be held on Wednesday, February 20, 2002. This is an opportunity for town employees, Commissions and Boards to exchange information.
The Board of Selectmen meeting scheduled for Monday, February 4, 2002 may be changed. More information will follow.
8. Executive Session:
None
9. Adjournment:
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley and seconded by Selectman Bice to adjourn at
9:15 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Eileen Coffee, Clerk
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