Old Lyme Board of Selectmen
Special Meeting: Friday, 16 December 2011
The Board of Selectmen held a Special Meeting at 4:00 PM on Friday, 16 December 2011 in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall. First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal and Selectman Skip Sibley were present.
1. Approval of Minutes – 5 December 2011
Selectwoman Nosal asked that a sentence under New Business (a.) that presently reads: "Selectwoman Nosal agreed with Selectman Sibley and asked if the College had anticipated any problems at the time of day when the High School lets out." be changed to read, "Selectwoman Nosal agreed with Selectman Sibley and asked if the College had anticipated any problems at the time of day when the High School begins and lets out."
Selectman Sibley moved to accept the minutes of 5 December 2011 with one change as stated. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
2. Communications
Letter from George James
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder read a letter from George James of the Old Lyme Conservation Commission to the Connecticut DOT Bike Way Division regarding suitability of Route 1 in Old Lyme for a dedicated Bike Way. The letter brought attention to dangerous areas on Route 1 and Route 156 for riders and requested that the State stencil on the side of the roads dedicated Bike Way or words to that effect at several key places so that the driving public expects to see bicyclists on this stretch of the road.
3. Appointments – NONE
4. Old Business
a. Signatory Authorizing Resolution
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder stated that this is a continuation from the last Selectmen's meeting. This is an authorization to allow First Selectwoman Reemsnyder to sign checks and routine administrative contracts. The resolution has been changed to read: "Resolved that Bonnie A. Reemsnyder, First Selectwoman, is authorized to make, execute and approve on behalf of the Town of Old Lyme any and all routine administrative contracts and amendments and to execute and approve on behalf on this municipality other instruments a part of or incident to such contracts and amendments. Effective until otherwise ordered by the Board of Selectmen." Selectman Sibley moved to authorize the Signatory Authorizing Resolution, Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO
VOTED.
b. Old Lyme Fire Department – Special Town Meeting Update
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that on 5 December there was a Special Town Meeting held to approve the appropriation of $150,000 for the purchase of two new fire engines for the Fire Department. This was approved and the Town will be ordering two new fire engines which should arrive in about 10 months. The Selectmen commended Ellis Jewett for a fine presentation at the meeting.
c. Snow Plowing Committee Update
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that this committee has been assembled and she has sent out a memo to each member with notice of an inaugural meeting to be held on Thursday, 5 January 2012 at 7:30 PM in the Town Hall.
d. Regional District 18 Utility Easement
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder corrected this agenda item. It is actually a Town of Old Lyme easement and not a Regional District 18 easement. John Rhodes, Director of Facilities and Technology for Regional District 18 and Russ Gomes, School Board Member and Chairman of the Building Committee addressed the Selectmen. John Rhodes stated that he was here tonight to ask the Town to move forward on approving a CL&P easement. As part of the School Building Project new electrical service has to be brought into the High School. Currently the service comes in by the road that is adjacent to the Fire House. The purpose of the easement gives CL&P the authority to come on said Town property to work on the service whenever needed. The Fire Department is on board with this. First
Selectwoman Reemsnyder requested that Mr. Rhodes speak to the Fire Department about the possibility of replacing the chain link fence with a split rail or some other more natural looking type of fence when this work is completed. Selectman Sibley moved to recommend the approval of this easement to the agenda for the Town Meeting of 23 January. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. Discussion: The Selectmen asked that John Rhodes be present at the Town Meeting to answer any questions. Information about this matter will be posted on the Town's website. SO VOTED.
e. Heart Safe Community Update
Emergency Medical Technicians Doug Lo Presti and Colleen Atkinson addressed the Selectmen. In August the Town was awarded the Heart Safe Community Designation by the State. This is a three-year designation. Going forward they will solicit more interest in CPR training throughout Town. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that the signage applications have been sent in and another training session is being planned in January at the Town Hall.
f. Update on the Pesticide Awareness Committee
A Pesticide Awareness Committee was formed earlier in the year and this Committee was asked to look at the use of pesticides on Town sports fields because the State has a law that states that pesticides are not to be applied to any school fields that are being used by students in Middle School and under. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder had spoken to several members of the Committee and to Ron Tyler the lawn care contractor for the fields. In her conversation with Mr. Tyler, they agreed that pesticides should not be applied to the fields while there are students from the district playing on those fields. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder had spoken to George James, Don Bugbee, and John Rhodes, and they all agreed that the lawn care contract should be changed to reflect that no pesticides would be applied to the
fields at this time and through 2012, when they would re-evaluate the plan. A plan would need to be developed as to how the fields will be maintained without the use of pesticides. Mr. Tyler had suggested that he and John Rhodes get together and plan on how to move forward in treating the fields. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder stated that there were still a couple of people from the Committee that she could not reach before tonight but she will have this discussion with them as well. Selectman Sibley asked that when First Selectwoman Reemsnyder speaks to Mr. Bugbee about strict scheduling of play time on the fields that she encourage him not to be reluctant in prohibiting play on wet fields. Selectwoman Nosal was pleased that the Committee was getting back together to work on this very important matter.
5. New Business
a. Discussion re: Financing of High School Building Project Bond
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported on the recent district meeting where they discussed the bonding for the High School Building Project. The original plan was to go to bond for $14.5 million in January 2011 which was done, then bonding another $14.5 million in January 2013, and the final bond anticipated to be $8.715 million (which is a moving target) in January 2015. Because of the very favorable interest rates at this time, the First Selectman of Lyme and First Selectwoman Reemsnyder and the Chairmen of the Boards of Finance anticipate that when we go to bond in January 2013 that we would get a rate of somewhere around 4.25%. If we go to bond in January 2012, the rate is 3.25%. Over the long term this equates to a savings of nearly $1.5 million over the length of the bond. The
final bond number of $8.715 million (because of the fact that the project is moving along ahead of schedule and under budget), could be reduced. The annual impact that was anticipated in the next budget season 2013 would have been a debt service of $2.5 million, a reduction from the current $3.1 million. Part of this is because of savings that the Town received several years ago and applied to that year's debt service. By going to bond in January, the Town goes from $3.1 million in FY 2012 up to $3.8 million in FY 2013, and then instead of jumping to $4.4 million we would go to $4.1 million in FY 2014. This makes the increases not as extreme. There will be a meeting scheduled on Monday in order to fine tune this with the district and on Thursday there will be a conference call with rating agencies to tie this in.
b. BOS Meeting Schedule for 2012 - Approval
The Selectmen's meeting scheduled on 3 January will be posted as a Special Meeting as it does not fall in the 30-day window of being posted. Selectwoman Nosal moved to approve the 2012 meeting schedule as provided. Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
c. Town Employees' Holiday Schedule – Approval
The Selectmen reviewed the Town Employees' Holiday Schedule. Selectman Sibley moved to approve the Holiday Schedule as presented. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
d. Appointments – January 2012
There will be appointments made during the 2nd meeting in January. There are openings on Boards and Committees and volunteers are needed to fill the openings.
6. Public Comment
George James from the Conservation Commission asked a question about "Special Meetings". His understanding was that a Special Meeting could only address a single issue. The Town Clerk has asked for a schedule of Committee and Board meetings to be filed by 3 January. Would this mean that any meeting held in the interim and not outside of the 30-day window, would be a Special Meeting? First Selectwoman Reemsnyder will find out whether a Special Meeting would be only for an agenda with a single item. Mr. James reported that the Courant featured an article on Champlain South (Old Lyme Open Space property) by a gentleman who had a very satisfactory walk and reported in very positive terms. Mr. James referred to his own letter regarding the bike route in Old Lyme discussed under Communications. He is requesting that the Selectmen endorse his letter so that he can send it out. Because his proposed changes / requests are very simple, he is sure it will happen. On 19 January there
will be a meeting at CRERPA and the young woman who is in charge of this project at the DOT will be present and the request will be discussed further. The Selectmen will review the letter and the materials that Mr. James distributed hoping to endorse the letter at the meeting on 3 or 17 January, depending on what information is received from FOI on "special meetings."
7. Other Business
On behalf of the Board of Selectmen, First Selectwoman Reemsnyder wished everyone a safe, happy, and very healthy Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year.
The next Board of Selectmen's meeting will be held on Tuesday, 3 January at 7:30 PM in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Town Hall.
8. Executive Session – NONE
9. Adjournment
Selectman Sibley moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:10 PM. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted,
~
Mary Ellen Garbarino
Recording Secretary
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