BOARD OF SELECTMEN
Special Meeting Minutes
22 September 2015
The Board of Selectmen held a Special Meeting at 3:30 pm on September 22, 2015 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.
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said the regular meeting had been rescheduled due to a conflict, and an additional Special Meeting is scheduled for 6pm tonight.
Approval of Minutes: 8 September 2015 Special Meeting
A motion to approve the minutes was made by Selectman Sibley and seconded by Selectwoman Nosal. Motion passed.
Communication: None
Appointments: None
Old Business:
- Boathouse Hains Park Improvements Update
Because plans for Boathouse design(s) were not ready, the BHPIC meeting scheduled for September 10 was cancelled. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder has subsequently received plans from BHPIC co-chair Paul Gianquinto. The plans have been sent out for cost estimating. Selectman Sibley said he expects the next BHPIC meeting to be one that is regularly scheduled for the 2nd Thursday of the month: October 8 at 7:30pm.
- Rte. 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements
Selectwoman Nosal reported that a meeting of the Route 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements Committee took place on September 15. A preliminary design has been submitted to the CT DOT. Final comments on the plan from seven different groups are due to the CT DOT by September 28. All comments will be reviewed by the BSC Group and incorporated into the final plan if necessary.
Comments were also received by the DOT from Hartford Avenue business owners who expressed support of the Bikeway Project while questioning if the Town’s Ordinance prohibiting buses on Hartford Avenue is contradictory to the terms of the DOT Grant. The DOT responded that, because the Ordinance permits the First Selectwoman to waive the prohibition, there is no conflict.
A timeline has been drafted, with the project expected to go to bid in January 2016. The engineer anticipates a four to six week response time.
Selectman Sibley asked when project cost concerns could be addressed so that value engineering can take place. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder suggested that the Committee may need to have bids in hand before value engineering can occur.
The next Route 156 Bikeway Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 19.
- WPCA/Administrative Order Update
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder reported that Woodard & Curran were given the green light to submit the required EIE to the State DEEP. They are waiting for comments from the NDDB (Natural Diversity Data Base) and cannot move forward until those comments are received. She will update the WPCA on the status at their September 29 meeting.
Selectman Sibley asked the First Selectwoman to comment on an email from the Finance Director indicating unpaid WPCA legal bills of $13,000.
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said the Finance Director is currently out of the office so she has not been able to meet with her and discuss the bills. However, some of the expense is due to the First Selectwoman’s consultation about the DEEP Administrative Order, and half of the expense is from the previous fiscal year. She has requested a break out of the invoices. She added that the WPCA Treasurer had requested funding for the legal expenses from the Board of Finance in July, and the Board of Finance took no action on the request. She commented that with projects of this size, it is important to obtain proper legal advice.
Selectwoman Nosal thought it likely that the private beaches, who will be submitting one EIE on behalf of all, will encounter the same delay from the NDDB.
- Special Town Meeting Sept. 8th Update
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder stated that funding was approved at the Special Town Meeting for both the dredging of Black Hall and Four Mile Rivers, and for installation of the Emme HVAC system at the Town Hall. She said attendance at the Town Meeting was very good.
The grant funds for the dredging project have already been received by the Town, and a contract has been signed with Patriot Marine. The work must be done between October 1 and March 31.
An October installation of the Emme system is anticipated.
Selectman Sibley said that Ned Farman and Steve Ross had done a good job of presenting the project at the Town Meeting, but a number of people told him that the presentation would have benefitted from a Power Point or maps. He suggested that handouts be included in the future to give people an overview of large projects.
Selectwoman Nosal stated and the Selectmen concurred that the Harbor Management Commission had exceeded expectations with their work on the dredging project.
- JLUS Public Workshop Update
A Joint Land Use Study workshop took place on September 14. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder serves on the Policy subcommittee of the JLUS, which is considering Stones Ranch Military Reservation and Camp Niantic and their relationship(s) within their communities. There are 26 identified topics to be considered, including air quality, biological resources, anti-terrorism, and communication. The Policy Committee prioritized the 26 topics, and those in attendance at the workshop were asked to do the same. Although the public workshop was not well attended, the First Selectwoman said it is important to keep people informed about what’s going on, and she hopes attendance will improve as the study progresses. She said the company conducting the study will report back.
Selectman Sibley asked if the survey used to prioritize the topics is something that could be posted online to solicit additional feedback. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder believes, because of explanatory information needed, the survey would not lend itself to an online format.
Selectwoman Nosal attended the JLUS Workshop, and learned that Yale University owns open space adjacent to Stones Ranch. She said Old Lyme was well represented. Both State Senator Formica and State Representative Carney attended. It was noted that no one representing Millstone was in attendance and that will be addressed.
New Business:
Emergency cuts to municipalities
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder presented information about the impact of recent state budget cuts on Old Lyme. She has forwarded details to the Selectmen and to the Finance Director and Chair of the Board of Finance. Old Lyme’s reduction is $59,723.
To put the data in perspective, she said total state aid to Old Lyme was reduced $65,000 from FY2015 to FY2016. In FY 2011, Old Lyme received $853,000 in state aid, and should receive $901,800 this year.
Selectman Sibley noted that budget cuts to municipalities and state agencies total $102 million,
adding that it is difficult to deal with these reductions after budgets have been set.
First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said she believes the reductions are due to lower revenues than expected. The Town will review the impact of the reductions and may need to take action on future spending.
Public Comment:
J Ranelli, Rogers Lake, asked for information and a timetable for future JLUS workshops. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder said some information is on the Town’s website and future meetings will be announced there as well.
Other Business:
The First Selectwoman received an email from Parks & Recreation Chair Bob Dunn requesting a response to an earlier communication. She told him it could not be added to the Special Meeting
Agenda but would be on the agenda of the next regular Board of Selectmen meeting.
Selectman Sibley said the communication was about the administration of parking permits for rowers at Hains Park. He had hoped that the Parks & Recreation Commission would work directly with the Old Lyme Rowing Association to make any necessary administrative changes following this initial year of implementation.
Selectman Sibley said he understands the bathhouse at White Sand Beach is leaking, causing damage to the building. He asked the First Selectwoman to check with Parks & Recreation Director Don Bugbee. First Selectwoman Reemsnyder expects this maintenance issue will be reviewed at a Facilities Committee meeting later this month.
Selectman Sibley asked that a recommendation from the Volunteer Benefits Committee to be included on the next Board of Selectmen agenda. Currently, Fire & Ambulance volunteers are eligible for a tax abatement and a pension contribution. Both the Volunteer Ambulance Association and the Volunteer Fire Department have voted unanimously to eliminate the tax abatement which is now considered taxable income to the volunteers. He would like the Board of Selectmen to consider endorsing the change and recommending it to the Board of Finance. He said the change will not impact the budget.
As a Point of Order, Selectwoman Nosal requested that details about the benefit recommendation be repeated when the topic is on the agenda.
Executive Session: None
Adjournment: A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to adjourn at 4:16 pm.
Catherine Frank
9/24/15
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