Old Lyme Board of Selectmen (Page 1 of 3) 2/15/08 Unapproved; Revised 12 Mar 08
Regular Meeting Friday, February 15, 2008
The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, February 15, 2008 at Christ the King Church. First Selectman Timothy Griswold, Selectman Skip Sibley and Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder were present.
1. Approval of Minutes: 4 February 2008
The minutes of February 4 were reviewed. Selectman Sibley made a motion to accept the minutes with no changes. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
2. Communications:
a. Estuary Transit District – New Service to East Lyme
The Estuary Transit District will have a new bus route to Niantic, beginning March 3, 2008. The service will run from 7:10 A.M. to 5:10 P.M. and will pick up passengers at the A&P and the Lyme’s Senior Center. The bus may be flagged down on Rte. 1 or passengers can call the Estuary Transit District at 395-0891 for off-route pick up. The Transit District is pleased to be offering this service which will connect to the South East Area Transit service in Niantic and further to New London.
3. Appointments: None
4. Old Business:
a. Town Hall Expansion – Status
The shingling of the roof has been finished and the sheetrock is being done. All of the staff should be able to move back in early May. The selectmen’s office will be moved temporarily to the street side of the new meeting hall. At that time the main entrance to the Town Hall will be temporarily closed and the public will enter through the new door into the meeting hall lobby. The Assessor, the Finance Office and the Tax Collector will be relocated on the second level, with elevator access. The Town Clerk will temporarily move to the former Finance Office on the north side. Land Use, Building, Health, Fire Marshal, Probate, Park & Rec. and the Registrars will occupy their permanent spaces. The project is on schedule to be completed in
September.
b. Transfer Station – Status
The contractor has almost finished the earth work and the town has asked for pricing on additional earth work plus moving the stock piled material that is on the future bus parking lot. The Town is keeping pressure on AT&T and CL&P provide pricing for moving the utility pole(s) on Four Mile River Rd. The contractor will soon be working on the recycling bin walls and then will be installing railings and shaping the roadways. The work is ahead of schedule.
c. Landfill Closure – Material from Blinkers – Update
The Town has sent a certified letter to the owner asking him to remove the remaining material by the end of February.
d. Bus Barn – Attorney DiVincentis Letter
The Selectmen have received a copy of a letter from Attorney DiVincentis to District 18 concerning an environmental analysis of the bus barn site. It recommends the Town provides the District environmental testing of the site. The town needs to have some of the stockpiled material removed first and then have the area tested.
e. Black Hall Woods – Become Plaintiff in Black Hall Club Suit
First Selectman Griswold reported that there is no time limit on the approval given at the Town Meeting to acquire the property from Black Hall Woods, LLC. The Town would not bear any material financial responsibility for being a plaintiff in the suit. Mr. Griswold asked the Chairman of the Open Space Committee, Diana Atwood Johnson, to send him a letter confirming the Committee still recommends the Town should purchase the property. She agreed to bring up the issue at their next meeting for a formal recommendation.
First Selectman Griswold will keep the Board of Selectmen updated on the issue.
f. Public Works Garage Committee – Update
The Committee has obtained more information from vendors regarding the cost of redoing the roof, the floors of the bays and the siding on the Public Works Garage. So far the cost is estimated to be about $150,000 and will be requested in the FY 2009 capital budget. The Committee’s next meeting will be Tuesday, February 19, at 4:00 P.M. at the Public Works Garage.
g. Police Staffing Committee – Update
The Town will ask the State to provide a temporary duty officer from April 1 through September 30. The Town will also advertise for a certified full-time and certified part-time officer. The Board of Finance recommended offering a $1,000 finders fee to a town employee who identifies a certified officer who is hired.
The Board of Finance seems willing to provide funds to the Federation of Beaches to help them hire a part-time police or security officer. The Federation also wants to purchase an aquatic ATV, however, the police are concerned about the safety of a vehicle going into the water at night. The Town is concerned about who will service and operate the vehicle. There will be more discussion between the Town, the police and the Federation of Beaches regarding the ATV.
5. New Business:
a. Elderly Tax Relief Committee – Appointment
First Selectman Griswold reported that Jennifer Hillhouse has expressed interest in serving on the committee. One more person is still needed to serve on the committee. The first meeting of will be Tuesday, March 11, at 4:00 P.M at Christ the King Church.
b. Community Video Showcase Program
First Selectman Griswold spoke about an opportunity for the town to participate in a Community Video Showcase Program. CGI Communications of Rochester, NY will create a short video with facts about the town which is accessed by a link to the Town’s web page. It is a marketing tool and there is no cost to the town. The project is funded by local businesses whose names would be featured around the video panel and the video company would be responsible for soliciting business donations. Selectman Griswold stated that Branford participates in the program.
6. Public Comment: None
7. Other Business:
a. Public Works Position
The town has advertised to fill the open recycling position in Public Works and has received fourteen responses. A few interviews have taken place and more will be held next week. The Selectmen discussed the need for a mechanic position also. Ed Adanti will be asked to assess the need for the mechanic position so the Selectmen can decide if it should be included in the FY 2009 budget and presented to the Board of Finance for approval.
b. High School Musical
Selectman Sibley attended Lyme-Old Lyme High School’s production of Beauty and The Beast. He complimented the school for the professionalism of the production.
8. Executive Session: None
9. Adjournment
Selectman Sibley moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:14 PM, Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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