Old Lyme Board of Selectmen
Tuesday, 6 October 2014
Special Meeting
The Board of Selectmen held a Special Meeting at 3:30 PM on 6 October 2014 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
Special Meeting 16 September 2014
Selectman Sibley moved to approve the minutes of Special Meeting 16 September 2014. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. Selectwoman Nosal requested that a change be made under New Business c, paragraph 3. The sentence should read: “She agreed that the cost of the basketball court maintenance could be part of the Park and Recreation budget.” SO VOTED.
2. Communications – NONE
3. Appointments
Jeffrey Cooley (D) – Historic Dist. Commission, alternate – 3 yr. term expiring Jan. 2016
Selectman Sibley moved to appoint Jeffrey Cooley to the Historic District Commission as an Alternate for a 3-year term expiring January 2016. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Selectman Sibley moved to move Agenda Item New Business a to this point in the Agenda. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
5. New Business
a. Presentation by Officer Lane on Youth Program / Training
The Selectmen congratulated Officer Lane for receiving a certificate of appreciation from the MADD organization in June in recognition of his commitment to eliminate drunk driving.
Officer Lane spoke about the Youth and Police Program. This year 15 youths are involved in the Town Program with this being the fourth year in existence. He discussed his involvement in the program which includes training other police departments and the travel required both in state and out of state to do said training. His travel would not interfere with his duties as a member of the Old Lyme Police Force. There was a discussion.
Selectwoman Nosal moved to approve Officer Lane’s travel in conjunction with working with First Selectwoman Reemsnyder and for the effective interaction between the youth programs. Selectman Sibley seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
4. Old Business
a. Special Town Meeting – 6 October, 7:30 PM, MS Auditorium for Allocation of $405,000 for Boathouse Project
There is a Special Town Meeting tonight at 7:30 PM. The call of the meeting is to allocate a sum not to exceed $405,000 for the Boathouse Project. A presentation will be given before the vote takes place.
b. Route 156 Bikeway / Sound View Improvements Committee
There will be an information session on 22 October to introduce the new design for Hartford Avenue and the Park. Selectwoman Nosal reported that there will be a Committee meeting on 7 October to prepare for the informational meeting on 22 October. To date, feedback has been very positive.
c. Recycling Incentive Committee – Update
Selectwoman Nosal reported that the Committee met again, and they are proposing that a standing Committee be formed and supported by the Selectmen with the charge of looking at recycling and trash programs including education. They will request funds for their budget in the amount of $15,000 from the Board of Finance. The Board of Selectmen would need to recommend this to the Board of Finance and this will be discussed at the next Board of Selectmen’s meeting. To date, the Town has not heard from the DEEP on the status of their grant application. Selectman Sibley suggested incorporating the Town’s Solid Waste Ordinance into the newly formed Committee’s charge. There was a consensus that the Selectmen support looking into the formation of a standing Committee, Board or Commission.
d. Solarize CT – Old Lyme
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder stated that Solarize CT is a program supported by the State. The Town was accepted into this program and more information will follow as the Town receives it. A Committee will be formed in the future.
5. New Business
a. Presentation by Officer Lane on Youth Program / Training
This item was moved in the Agenda.
b. Public Information Sessions on Sewers
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that there had been a couple of information sessions on the sewers over the past few weeks. There is clearly lots of interest from residents with many great questions being asked. Residents are encouraged to keep asking questions and come to the information sessions.
c. New Everbridge System for Old Lyme
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder explained the Everbridge System which is a reverse 911. Registered people will get a notification about emergencies. There is an Everbridge program available that the Town can subscribe to for a cost. This would allow for Town announcements such as urgent messages, storm information, closings, delayed openings, cancellations, etc. Residents will be encouraged to sign up for these local alerts. More information will follow.
d. Business Breakfast Scheduled – 16 October
There will be a Business Breakfast on 16 October at 7:30 AM at the Shoreline Community Center on Hartford Avenue. Candidates that are running for State Offices in our district have been invited to attend.
6. Public Comment
Todd Machnik, a resident of Old Lyme and owner of Machnik Construction, expressed his concerns of the Town getting into the business of municipal sewers. He stated why the pipe method of septic waste disposal is not a wise choice. Over the past decade the respected engineering firm of Nathan Jacobson and Associates has never recorded any ground water contamination in the beach communities. A resident of Hawk’s Nest Beach and a Town Employee both contacted Senior Engineer Greci of the CT DEEP and was told that the Hawk’s Nest and White Sands Beaches are not now, nor in the foreseeable future, going to get an order from the state. This statement was not in line with what the canned fact sheet provided by the WPCA. The WPCA engineers also stated that two pump stations would be required for this
project and would be located in the areas of the lowest topography, which are White Sand Beach parking area and the end of Hartford Avenue. Those are the only access points that the residents of the Town of Old Lyme can access the beach. We were told the cost of the project is $55 million and the cost would be borne by the users of the sewers. We were told there would be clean water funds and that there may be grants of unknown amounts and we were trying to get more. We were told by state statute that the maximum dollar amount any single EDU (homeowner) is the increase in the assessed property value. We were told this was also a state statute. White Sand Beach has already hired a firm to do individual property assessments. Their results do not come close to paying the cost of the sewer projects. They do have the right to challenge the town assessment in court. We were told they would do just that, all 150 of them. Ultimately,
the taxpayers in the town of Old Lyme are responsible for any short fall.
In summary Mr. Machnik stated that he sees no reason for this sewer project that the DEEP has stated that we do not need, residents of the proposed areas do not want and taxpayers do not want to pay for.
Harold Thompson, a resident of Old Lyme, expressed his concerns over the sewer project.
Mervin Roberts, a resident of Old Lyme, and a public servant for many years, stated that too many of the people who are involved in this sewer project are involved because someone recruited them. He spoke to the responsibilities of the Sanitarians, who all receive the same education, have to pass the same exam, and the fact that they disagree on how to apply what they learned, depending if they are employed by the CT Department of Health or by the DEEP. Mr. Roberts stated that his experience in dealing with the DEP (now the DEEP) over the past forty years was frustrating because their employees do not tell the truth. He gave examples. One example was that after a failure at the treatment plant near Middletown, sewage was traced as it moved down the CT River and east on our shore until it reached
the mouth of the Four Mile River where it polluted the area around Point O’Woods. The DEP spokesman and the Commissioner used this human waste to claim that POW was polluting Long Island Sound and required sewerizing. Every Sanitarian involved stated on record that this pollution was from the Sewage Plant and not from POW. The second example was that the DEP went on to say the absence of migratory fishes in the Four Mile River confirmed their charge. I let them know that there were never migratory fishes going up the Four Mile River due to several impoundments on the river.
Gary Yuknat, a resident of Old Lyme and former owner of Shoreline Sanitation, expressed his concerns over the proposed sewer project. This is about land use and the right of people to use their property and if they have to go to sewers that is the homeowner’s responsibility. He stated that there is no pollution and that has been proven, and if any of the private beaches need sewage they should have them built at their cost. Beaches such as White Sand and Hawks Nest do not need public sewage. Taxpayers who do not need public sewage should not have to pay for those who do.
The Selectmen requested that Mr. Machnik, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Yuknat email them their statements that they made tonight.
7. Other Business
Selectwoman Nosal reported that she had attended a session put on by CIRMA with David Roberge regarding liability coverage for volunteers who work with the Town during emergencies. This does not refer to volunteer firefighters or emergency personnel as they are covered under Town insurance.
Selectman Sibley acknowledged the 17 Girl Scouts who planted grasses along the beach area at Hammonasset State Park. The Selectmen thanked them for their service.
Selectman Sibley stated that Breast Cancer Awareness month is October.
The next Board of Selectmen's Meeting is scheduled for Monday, 20 October 2014 at 7:30 PM.
8. Executive Session – NONE
9. Adjournment
Selectman Sibley moved to adjourn the meeting at 4:51 PM. Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion. SO VOTED.
Respectfully submitted,
~
Mary Ellen Garbarino
Recording Secretary
The three letters, Mr. Machnik, Mr Thompson and Mr Roberts are below.
| 
