Old Lyme Board of Selectmen Unapproved
Regular Meeting Monday, June 15, 2009
The Board of Selectmen held a regular meeting at 7:30 P.M. on Monday, June 15, 2009 in the Meeting Hall at the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall. First Selectman Timothy Griswold, Selectman Skip Sibley and Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder were present.
1. Approval of Minutes: 1 June 2009 (Regular)
The minutes of the regular meeting on June 1 were reviewed. Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved to accept the minutes as presented and Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
2. Communications
a. Julie Kohler, Esq. – Proposed Wireless Telecom. Towers
Selectman Griswold received a letter from Attorney Julie Kohler, who represents T-Mobile, which seeks to install cell phone towers at: 387 Shore Rd (South Lyme Post office, 80’tower), 232 Shore Rd. (Ballachino self-storage units, 100’ tower), 61-1 Buttonball Rd. (Swaney’s Commercial Construction,100’ tower). The plans would have to be reviewed by certain land use commissions and approved by the State Siting Council.
Selectman Griswold was also contacted by a different company which seeks to install a tower on the Cross Lane Firehouse property.
3. Appointments: None
4. Old Business:
a. Bus Barn Project – Zoning Commission Approval
The Zoning Commission approved the Bus Barn project. The project construction budget should be ready to be discussed at the next Selectmen’s meeting, before presenting it for approval to the Board of Finance and a Special Town Meeting. A bus company will rent the facility from the Town for two five year leases, which would pay for a majority of the construction costs. Before the budget is presented to a Special Town Meeting, possibly in late July, all of the financing will be outlined in detail.
b. Church Corner Project – Update
- Award Contract to Reconstruction Low Bidder – American Industries
American Industries was the low bidder and was awarded the contract. The main part of the project will begin in July, after the While Elephant Sale. American Industries estimated that they could repave the remaining 1,200 feet of Ferry Road (to Rte. 156) for an additional $125,000.
- Award Contract to Drainage Low Bidder – A. Bond Excavating
A. Bond Excavating was the low bidder and was awarded the contract. The work is scheduled to begin on Monday and will involve replacing some drainage pipes and catch basins on Lyme Street and Ferry Road.
- Consider Overlay or Reconstruction of the Rest of Ferry Road
Selectman Griswold will speak to the Board of Finance and find out how they feel about spending an additional $125,000 to have American Industries repave the rest of Ferry Road to Rte. 156. The money could come out of the Town’s surplus account. Selectwoman Reemsnyder recommended that Ed Adanti get an estimate from another contractor, for a comparison.
c. Public Works Garage Committee – Award Contract to Low Bidder – Delta Building Corp.
Steve Joncus, the project’s architectural consultant, has confirmed that the bid from Delta Building Corp. adheres to the same specifications as the other bidder. The Garage Committee will meet again before awarding the contract to Delta.
d. State Police Contract – 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2011 – Approve Resolution
The resolution will not be presented for approval tonight. Selectman Griswold had a meeting this afternoon with Senator Stillman and the First Selectmen from East Lyme, Montville and Salem. There was a lot of discussion about the State Police contract in general. The State of CT has discussed increasing the Towns’ share of the State Police contract from 70% to 85% in FY 2010 and possibly up to 100% in FY 2011, but that seems unlikely now. However, the overtime rate Resident Trooper towns pay will likely increase by 53%, so the State can recoup some of the costs of benefits. Some towns believe they should be responsible for only 70% of overtime, in accordance with State statute. A number of towns have not signed their contracts and CCM is attempting to schedule a meeting
with trooper towns and the Dept. of Public Safety to discuss the matter. Old Lyme prefers to wait until the matter is settled before signing the contract.
e. Probate Court Consolidation – Resolution to consolidate with East Lyme, Montville and Salem
The Probate Assembly, the Judges of Connecticut’s 117 Probate Courts, has been directed to consolidate the Probate Courts down to 50, with each Court serving a population of at least 40,000 and having a case load of at least 3,000 per year. Individual towns are being asked to decide how they want to consolidate. The final decision will have to be approved by a 12 member Probate Commission and approved by the legislature. First Selectman Griswold has met with Sylvia Peterson, Old Lyme’s Probate Court Judge, and the First Selectmen from East Lyme, Salem and Montville to discuss the situation. They agreed that consolidation would work well for the four towns. The Old Lyme Board of Selectmen discussed the issue and decided to recommend that Old Lyme consolidate with East
Lyme, Montville and possibly Salem.
Selectman Sibley moved that the Old Lyme Board of Selectmen recommend to the Probate Administrator that the Town of Old Lyme form a Probate Court District with the towns of East Lyme, Montville and possibly Salem. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
5. New Business:
a. Blood Street Sculls – Town truck request
The Blood Street Sculls have asked to use the Town truck to transport their rowing shells to several regattas from June to September. They hire Don Sanders, a town employee, to drive the truck and they also pay for the gas.
Selectman Sibley made a motion to renew the agreement between the town and the Blood Street Sculls to use the Town truck, driven by a town employee, for the 2009 rowing season. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. Selectman Sibley added an amendment to the resolution that the dates of use tie in as outlined in the May 25 letter from the Blood Street Sculls. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion to amend. Selectman Sibley moved to approve the amendment and Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED
Selectman Sibley moved to approve the motion, as amended, and Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED
Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved to add the Florence Griswold Museum’s application to the CT Neighborhood Assistance Act to the agenda. Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
b. Florence Griswold Museum – Neighborhood Assistance Act Application
Each year the Florence Griswold Museum participates in the CT Neighborhood Assistance Act program, which enables businesses to have a favorable tax treatment for their contributions to the Museum. The town is required to hold a public hearing concerning the application and approval is required from the Board of Selectmen. If approved, the application and a copy of the public hearing notice must be forwarded to the Department of Revenue Services before July 1.
Selectman Sibley moved to approve the 2009 CT Neighborhood Assistance Act program proposal for the Florence Griswold Museum, and that the Board of Selectmen holds an advertised public hearing before July 1. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
6. Public Comment: None
7. Other Business:
Selectwoman Reemsnyder asked if the residents who were concerned about the bridge on Flat Rock Hill Road had been contacted with an explanation of the situation. Selectman Griswold replied that they have not been contacted yet, but will be soon.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder asked if anyone has looked into the bus that regularly parks on Lyme Street. Selectman Griswold replied that it is a First Student bus and that the company will be contacted.
Selectman Sibley reported that he checked the damage to the bridge on Flat Rock Hill Road and feels that the town should contact the DOT about it and push them to fix it. The bridge is scheduled to be widened in 6 years, but the problem needs to be taken care of before then.
Selectman Sibley asked if there has been any more news about the windmill project that was presented to the Board of Selectmen a few weeks ago. Selectman Griswold replied that no application has been received.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder asked to reschedule the next Selectmen’s meeting from July 6 to July 13 at 7:30 p.m. The regular meetings on July 6 and July 20 will be cancelled, and there will be only one Selectmen’s meeting in July.
8. Executive Session: None
9. Adjournment:
Selectman Sibley moved, Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded, to adjourn the meeting at 8:25 PM. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted,
Martha Hansen
Recording Secretary
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