Old Lyme Board of Selectmen
Regular Meeting Tuesday, August 19, 2008
The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting at 4:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 19, 2008 at Christ the King Church. First Selectman Timothy Griswold, Selectman Skip Sibley and Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder were present.
1. Approval of Minutes: 1 August 2008 (Regular Meeting), 6 August 2008 (Special Meeting)
The minutes of the regular meeting on August 1 were reviewed. Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved to accept the minutes as presented and Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
The minutes of the special meeting on August 6 were reviewed. Selectman Sibley moved to accept the minutes as presented and Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
2. Communications:
a. Gov. Rell – Care & Share Challenge
Governor Rell is setting aside $50,000 in state funds to help the CT Food Bank and CT Food Share. She is challenging CT residents and businesses to match the donation and raise $100,000 by September 26, 2008. The CT Food Bank and CT Food Share help state residents on low and fixed incomes with food and other necessities. Information will be posted on the town’s web site and possibly on Lymeline.com.
b. State of CT – Veterans Affairs – Stand Down Day on 12 Sept 08
CT Dept. of Veterans Affairs will sponsor Stand Down 2008 on Friday, September 12, 2008 from 7AM to 3:30 PM at the State Veterans Home in Rocky Hill. Many Federal, State and private social services agencies will be there to help needy and homeless veterans.
c. Sue Bartlett – Resignation as Land Use Admin. Asst.
Sue Bartlett has resigned as Land Use Administrative Assistant as of August 15, 2008, after 6 years of service to the town. She will be working at Millstone in East Lyme. She will continue to take minutes for the meetings for a while. The position has been advertised in the paper.
d. Dennis Melluzzo – Operation of Sound View Parking Lot
Dennis Melluzzo, president of the Sound View Beach Association sent a letter to First Selectman Griswold expressing his concern about the Town’s management of the Sound View Parking lot. Parking lot customers pay in cash and he would like a numbered receipt system put in place so there is a record of how much money is taken in each day.
e. Response to Melluzzo Letter
The Board of Selectmen stands behind the integrity of Don Bugbee, who has managed the parking lot for 10 years, and the other parking lot employees. All of the cash that is collected is recorded and compiled into a report which is audited each year. Don Bugbee stated that there used to be a receipt system but it didn’t work very well and the issue has been discussed at Park and Rec meetings. He is open to suggestions for improving the parking lot fee system.
3. Appointments:
Some mid-year appointments were made, and vacancies on various Boards, Commissions, and Panels were filled as follows:
CT River Gateway Commission: Selectman Sibley moved and Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded to appoint Ted Crosby (R) as a Delegate for a 2 year term ending July 2010. SO VOTED.
Conservation Commission: Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to appoint Francine Gumkowski (U) to finish a 3 year term ending January 2010. SO VOTED.
Inland Wetlands Hearing Panel: Selectman Sibley moved and Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded to appoint Robert DiPianta (D), Thomas Degnan (U), and Janice Krause (U) to 1 year terms ending July 2009. SO VOTED.
Lymes Senior Center Board: Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to appoint Frank Balboni (R), Mary Miles (D), and Jessie Smith (R) to 3 year terms ending July 2011. SO VOTED.
WPCA Hearing Panel: Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to appoint Robert DiPianta (D), Thomas Degnan (U), and Janice Krause (U) to 1 year terms ending July 2009. SO VOTED.
4. Old Business:
a. Town Hall Expansion – Update
The Town Hall employees have been moved into their offices and some painting and landscaping projects are being completed. All board and commission meetings will be held at Town Hall after September 1. Selectman Sibley asked Selectman Griswold to check with John Forbis to find out what happened to the service counter and storage cabinets that were planned for the Selectman’s Office. He was not aware that they had been cut out. The Selectman’s office gets a lot of use by the public and the town hall staff and it needs to be well appointed. The Meeting Hall should be ready for the next Board of Selectmen’s meeting. There was a discussion about making sure that the acoustics are good so that the recording will be easy to hear when it is broadcast on Comcast. Selectwoman
Reemsnyder has received complaints that it is hard to hear what is being said.
b. Special Town Meeting - Purchase of South Chapel Lot from Christ the King- Tuesday, August 26, 2008 – Middle School Auditorium
The purchase has been approved by the boards of Planning, Finance, and Selectmen, subject to the review of the parking lot license agreement by Attorney Jane Marsh. Attorney Marsh reviewed the agreement and made a few adjustments.
First Selectman Griswold read a resolution calling for the town to purchase the South Chapel Lot at 290 Shore Rd. for the sum of $227,000 with a minimum of 50% of the purchase price to be paid from the Sound View Parking Lot Fund and the balance paid from the town’s Undesignated Surplus Account. There is to be no use of the lot for beach parking.
Selectman Sibley moved to call a Special Town Meeting for Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Auditorium to authorize the purchase by the town of the South Chapel Parking Lot at 290 Shore Road. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved to authorize Selectman Griswold to sign the Contract for Sale and the License Agreement for the South Chapel Lot purchase. Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
5. New Business:
a. McCurdy Rd/Duck River Bridge – Bridge Evaluation
Selectman Griswold showed pictures of the pipe under the Duck River Bridge on McCurdy Rd. The pictures show that the pipe has been corroded and needs attention. Engineer Tom Metcalf looked at it and agreed that it needs to be fixed. A discussion took place about getting an engineering firm to evaluate it and estimate what needs to be done.
b. Rogers Lake Weed Harvesting – Postponed until June 2009
Fred Holth, Chairman of the Rogers Lake Authority, has decided to postpone the weed harvesting to June 2009. Last year it was done in August, but it may be more effective to harvest in June.
6. Public Comment
Frank Pappalardo asked if the South Chapel Lot purchase agreement could be posted on the town web site so people can review it before the town meeting. The Selectmen stated that it could be posted. He commented on the Sound View parking lot management, the problem of large buses and trucks driving on the narrow roads in Sound View and the way the area is perceived by the public. He would like the town to work to resolve the problems over the winter months.
7. Other Business
First Selectman Griswold read a list of Public Works surplus items that Ed Adanti prepared consisting of a 2001 Crown Victoria, a 1995 GMC Pickup truck, and three old generators. The items will be posted on the town web site.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder would like to address some of the problems in Sound View and add them to the Board of Selectman’s agenda, including the bus problems, parking lot regulations, tractor on the beach and unregistered boats.
Selectman Sibley stated that forming a town commission to address beach area problems may be a good way to help solve the problems. A commission has power, whereas the Beach Improvement Committee can only make recommendations.
Selectman Sibley mentioned that the town’s Animal Control Officer, Martha Rumskas, has resigned. He thanked her for her 19 years of service to the town. The position is being advertised.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to go into Executive Session at 5:25 P.M. SO VOTED.
8. Executive Session – Privileged Discussion with Town Counsel
Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to go out of Executive Session at 6:25 P.M. SO VOTED.
9. Adjournment
Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved and Selectman Sibley seconded to adjourn the meeting at 6:26 P.M. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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