Old Lyme Board of Selectmen
Regular Meeting: Monday, 7 November 2011
The Board of Selectmen held a Regular Meeting at 8:00 AM on Monday, 7 November 2011 in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall. First Selectman Timothy Griswold, Selectman Skip Sibley and Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder were present.
1. Approval of Minutes – 17 October 2011
Selectwoman Reemsnyder brought attention to this sentence in the minutes under Public Comment: "Edgar Butcher, of Hartford Avenue, reported that he has received a letter from the CT Water Company stating that it will turn off his water service in November." She stated that the date was November 1. First Selectman Griswold will check the letter that Mr. Butcher was referring to for the correct date. Selectman Sibley requested that the first line of the second paragraph under Old Business (d) be changed to read, "Selectman Sibley moved that the Town award Don Bugbee an amount of $1,500 for his work this past summer managing the Sound View Parking Lot."
Selectman Sibley moved to accept the minutes of 17 October 2011 with changes as requested. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
2. Communications - NONE
3. Appointments - NONE
4. Old Business
a. Snow Plowing of Beach Association Roads – Committee Formation
First Selectman Griswold reported that an email had been received from Scott Boulanger providing the names of three people from the beach communities to serve on the Committee. At the last Board of Selectmen's meeting, the Selectmen recommended that the Committee be comprised of 3 beach representatives, 2 representatives from private sub-divisions and 1 representative from a Town road, as well as Ed Adanti from Public Works and a representative from the Board of Finance. The Selectmen will need to come up with names for the balance of the Committee members as soon as possible.
b. CT River Valley Council of Governments (COG) – Recommendation to a Special Town Meeting
First Selectman Griswold reported that a presentation was made by Linda Krause to the Land Use Board and Commission members. Accordingly, the Board of Selectmen, the Board of Finance and the Land Use area have heard presentations about the formation of a COG. It is time to consider bringing this to a Special Town Meeting to ratify the recommendation of the representatives of the CT River Council of Elected Officials (CRVCEO). The CRVCEO voted some time ago to form a single regional planning agency and that was approved by the Secretary of OPM. If 60% of the CRVCEO towns approve this through their legislative process, then the COG would be formed.
Selectman Sibley moved to bring the recommendation to form the Council of Governments to a Special Town Meeting at a time to be determined. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
c. Sound View Parking Lot – Reconfiguration Concept
First Selectman Griswold reported that there was a presentation made to the Sound View Commission regarding the reconfiguration of the Sound View Parking Lot. There were three different proposals suggested by the consultant. The Commission was unified in support of concept #3. This concept would take the northerly part of the Sound View Parking Lot and create a forty-four space parking lot with entry and exit on Hartford Avenue. A second exit would be made on to Portland Avenue, to be used on an as-needed basis. The southern portion would be landscaped to provide a picnic area, including a gazebo and a restroom facility. This concept calls for angled parking on the west or right side (heading down to the water) of Hartford Avenue with no parking allowed on the east side. Short-term
parking will be allowed for the businesses. Kiosk parking meters are planned to be used for all of the parking spaces. The consulting company will put this plan together more thoroughly and a budget will be developed. The Selectmen are very supportive of this plan for Sound View.
d. Randi Frank Consulting – Commencement of Compensation Analysis
First Selectman Griswold reported that the Compensation Analysis will begin soon. Town staff members will meet with Ms. Frank individually to review their job descriptions and their supervisors will verify their job descriptions. She and her associate will survey towns that are similar to Old Lyme, comparing their salaries and job descriptions to our own. The process will take about twelve weeks. The unionized Town Police and Public Works staff will not be included in this analysis.
5. New Business
a. Regional District 18 – Utility Easement to the Lyme Street Firehouse
First Selectman Griswold reported that Regional District 18 has requested the Town to execute a utility easement for a portion of the Lyme Street Firehouse property. Selectman Sibley stated that he would like to include representatives from the Fire Department in any discussions of this matter. He also stated that the utility pole on that corner causes a dangerous obstruction and would like to discuss the possibility of at least some underground service in that area. First Selectman Griswold will speak to Bob Pierson, Fire Department President, to be sure that the Fire Department is aware of this proposal. He will request a meeting with John Rhodes from the School, the utility company and the Fire Department to discuss the issue.
Richard Moll, a member of the ZBA, requested that the Selectmen be sure that the Memorial Garden that is located on the property to the left of the Fire House not be disturbed during the construction.
b. CT DOT – Flat Rock Hill Road Bridge – Fire Suppression Standpipe Agreement
This Agreement is between the CT DOT and the Town to maintain the proposed fire suppression standpipe. Selectman Sibley moved to authorize the Selectmen to enter into this agreement, provided that the maintenance responsibility is clarified. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. Selectwoman Reemsnyder agreed that the responsibility of maintenance is not clear in the agreement. Selectwoman Reemsnyder moved to table this until further clarification was received. Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
c. CL&P Poles at Route 156 and Mile Creek Road and Other Locations
First Selectman Griswold stated that there are three areas in Town where CL&P has installed about six telephone poles in a row. The areas are: corner of Mile Creek Road and Route 156, Cross Lane and Mile Creek Road and on Buttonball Road (south of Route 156). The Town received a letter from an individual, who is a former employee of CL&P, stating that this is a bad idea. There was a meeting with First Selectman Griswold, Dave Roberge and representatives from CL&P. CL&P reported that they are preparing to deactivate the Four Mile River sub-station. There will be switches and transformers on these poles, thus allowing them to eliminate the sub-station and give CL&P greater flexibility in isolating problems in the area from Buttonball Road east, over to
where Mile Creek Road ends. Selectwoman Reemsnyder mentioned that people had spoken to her and felt that five or six telephones poles in a row is ugly. She also mentioned the area across the street from Coffee's Market where there are three or four poles housing three transformers. Her question to CL&P is, if one transformer blows would the others that are so close be affected? First Selectman Griswold will give Selectwoman Reemsnyder the name of the person at CL&P to speak with. Selectman Sibley called the individual that had contacted the Town about the installation of the poles. This person was a former CL&P employee who now works for a consulting firm. He offered his services to the Town in dealing with CL&P about this matter and stated that CL&P has its own agenda and that is not always in the best interest of the Town. Selectman Sibley and Selectwoman Reemsnyder would like to schedule a teleconference with someone
from CL&P, Dave Roberge, the Selectmen and the individual who wrote the letter.
6. Public Comment
Mary Jo Nosal questioned whether or not the compensation study that will be prepared by Randi Frank Consulting was put out to bid. She asked about the source of information and the length of the study. She said that the community should be able to evaluate the employees. She also commented about the new clusters of CL&P poles.
Paul Rowean, Vice President of the Federation of Beaches and President of Old Lyme Shores Beach Association, asked the Selectmen for a status on the Blight Ordinance that was talked about at a previous meeting. Selectman Sibley reported that, at the last Board of Selectmen's meeting, he presented a draft application for residents to complete and it has since been posted on the Town website. There was also a notice in the paper and a notice to people who subscribe to Town website notifications. Applications will be accepted up until November 30. There are two applicants so far. Mr. Rowean stated that he was pleased that the discussion on the snow plowing at the private beach associations was moving along. He said that the Committee needs a specific scope of work defined
and would like the "quality" of plowing included in the scope. The Selectmen informed him that the scope would be decided upon once the Committee was formed. Richard Kingston of Old Colony Beach reported that Old Colony will conduct a public hearing on its septage study at the Sound View Community Center on 19 November. Both Mr. Rowean and Mr. Kingston said their association members will not vote on anything until next summer. First Selectman Griswold stated that he would like the Health Department to have a copy of both studies that Old Lyme Shores and Old Colony have done and Mr. Rowean and Mr. Kingston agreed to provide them. Further, First Selectman Griswold would like to see all interested parties, beach associations, boards and commissions and the Town Hall staff to work closely together on these matters before any votes are taken. There was a discussion about the duties of the Water Resource Committee, ground water, community
septic systems and a possible time table.
Richard Moll addressed the Selectmen about the sensitivity of protecting our aquifers in Town. Mr. Moll passed out two envelopes to each of the Selectmen. The envelopes contained documents going back to June 2005 regarding the movement of a stone wall that established the boundary between a privately owned parcel and a Town owned parcel on Four Mile River Road. The relocation of a stone wall boundary by the property owner was an effort to make the private lot conforming and the Town informed the property owner that he must put the wall back in its original location or the Town would do so, at the owner’s expense. This subject had been well-documented by the Board of Selectmen. He asked that this issue be resolved soon.
7. Other Business
First Selectman Griswold reported that the Town had received communications from the Point O'Woods Assoc. and from the School about starting school bus service into Point O'Woods, as opposed to picking up the children on Rte 156. The question to the Town is: do these roads meet the standards of similar Town roads? It was concluded that the roads do meet the standards of similar Town roads and this finding was communicated in a letter to the School by First Selectman Griswold. The School must now decide whether or not bus service will be commenced.
Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that, as she was going door to door during her campaign, she heard many comments about the poor quality of the sound on the videos of the Selectmen's meetings. She proposed that they ask a specialist to address this issue soon. Selectman Sibley has made contact with an acoustic specialist in Town who has offered to analyze the Meeting Hall acoustics on a pro-bono basis. He will contact him tomorrow. First Selectman Griswold said that the camera will likely need to be upgraded as well.
The Selectmen will address the issue of the stone wall that was moved in the very near future.
The next Board of Selectmen's meeting will be held on Monday, 21 November at
4:00 PM in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Town Hall.
8. Executive Session
9. Adjournment:
Selectman Sibley moved to adjourn the meeting at 9:59 PM. Selectwoman Reemsnyder seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted, ~
Mary Ellen Garbarino
Recording Secretary
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