TOWN OF OLD LYME
Board of Selectman
Regular Meeting Minutes
October 17, 2016
The Board of Selectman held a Regular Meeting at 7:30pm on October 17, 2016 in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Memorial town Hall. First Selectman Reemsnyder, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal and Selectman Skip Sibley were present.
October 3, 2016
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to approve the minutes of the October 3, 2016 Meeting. Motion passed.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to add the approval of the minutes of the BOS Special Meeting on October 12, 2016 to the agenda. Motion passed.
Selectman Sibley requested the following change to the Special Meeting Minutes:
Page 1: under change order number 2 change north wall to read C-wall.
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to approve the minutes of the BOS Special Meeting on October 12, 2016 as amended. Motion passed.
- Communication: None
- Appointments: None
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to move item 5 a. Playground Committee of the Jr. Women’s League up on the Agenda. Motion passed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reminded the BOS that the Jr Women’s League had come to them several months ago regarding a plan for putting in a playground at Cross Lane. They have also raised funds to improve the playground at Town Woods Park.
Anna Reiter gave the BOS an update on the progress of the plans and fundraising the Jr Women’s League has done so far for the Cross Lane playground project. They have researched the equipment and cost ($199,000 current proposal which includes all equipment, installation and fencing) of the project and have already begun to raise funds ($30,000 has been raised so far) to replace the Cross Lane playground that was removed. Although everyone has been supportive of this project, they are having a hard time navigating the process including; obtaining a permit, locating the survey and, without a formal plan fundraising efforts are being hindered. She is here to request a town liaison that can assist them in navigating the process as well as guide them through the steps to get everything
they need.
First Selectman Reemsnyder has reached out to the Land Use Commission to see if there is a survey but has not heard back from them yet. She will look into this further. After further discussion the BOS is in support of the town providing funds in the budget for this project which would assist with fundraising efforts and possible
grants. They would need to discuss the amount and consider funding the project in phases, such as over two years. They continued to discuss the effects on costs if the project were to approached in phases. There was additional discussion on the different surface areas to allow for ADA Accessibility and wet land areas. The BOS also agrees providing a town liaison would be beneficial for future maintenance and responsibility of the playground.
- Boathouse Hains Park Improvements Project updates
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an overview of the BOS Special meeting on Oct. 12th regarding the additional change orders.
The BHPIC recommended the BOS approve the changes as follows:
PCO#2: Change the column size from 3 ½ inches to 5 inches
PCO#7: Modified SW7 framing – there is still some follow-up on the uplift from the wall
PCO#8: Site drainage modification
PCO#9 Truss added
All four of the proposed change orders were approved at the special meeting and the detailed minutes with a full description of the changes can be found on the town website.
First Selectman Reemsnyder noted they have begun framing the wall closest to the lake and Selectman Sibley added that they were there on Saturday working on the drainage, the sidewalks had been poured and they have begun working on the basketball court. The committee will be meeting this Thursday evening and will be discussing the changes to the PO’s. She hopes to have answers from the architect by then on the changes to CO#7. These changes have put a dent in the extra funds available for the project.
Selectman Sibley reviewed a fundraising flyer that will be mailed out to people affiliated with the rowing program, such as athletes, teachers, coaches and area residents and businesses. The funds raised are for enhancements outside of the scope of work including; picnic tables, benches and possibly a pavilion. He has met with Nicole and she is supportive of this effort and will start a separate fund for this money. The BOS discussed the attribution being added to the flyer or envelope for clarification on the use of the funds.
Selectman Sibley shared the names of those currently working on the effort, who include; Greg Hack, Candice Fuchs and himself.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to add item 4 f. Hains Park Fundraising committee update to the agenda. Motion passed.
Selectman Sibley asked for an update on the lease agreement. First Selectman Reemsnyder said that she has met with the superintendent of schools and they reviewed the lease as it stands. He agreed that they will bear the costs of future repairs, maintenance and improvements inside and out. She has given a copy with notes to the Town Attorney who will be meeting with the District 18 Attorney to review the lease and work out the details. Selectman Sibley requested the Parks & Rec Chair and the Town Treasurer receive a copy of the draft lease so they are aware of what is being discussed and their concerns are being addressed.
- Rte. 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder said there is no activity as of yet but she has received an email from the inspection engineering representative letting her know that he has been in contact with the contractor and he will be mobilizing tomorrow. He also assured her this will not affect the end date. First Selectman Reemsnyder spoke with DOT representative Jeff Exley who reiterated it is their burden to meet the end date, and agrees this is a straight forward project and should move quickly once they begin work.
Selectwoman Nosal reported the next meeting is on October 24th at 4:30pm at the Town Hall. She is hoping they will have some minutes of the construction meeting to review and an update on what they hope to accomplish before the cold weather sets in.
- Administrative Order/WPCA update
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported there was a meeting last Tuesday which addressed two main items;
- The Well evaluation scope of services - Woodard and Curran will go in and evaluate the wells that already exist. They heard back from DEEP who has requested one new monitoring well be put in closer to Rte. 156 during the evaluation period to get a better representation of the water flow. They are still waiting for an estimate on the cost of this additional requirement from Woodard and Curran. DEEP did confirm that the well evaluation would be eligible for the clean water funds reimbursement at 55%.
Woodard and Curran have done a great deal of work on updating the plan that was submitted in December of 2014. The WPCA has been reviewing the changes and is hoping to approve this at the next meeting so they can submit it to DEEP for their comments on the changes. They are also working on the EIE statement.
There was no Task Force meeting.
Selectwoman Nosal asked if they knew where on Rte. 156 they would be placing the additional well. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied it would be in the area of Hawks Nest Beach closer to Rte. 156 but she did not have an exact location.
- LED Lights Update/Recommendation
First Selectman Reemsnyder acknowledged that Tim Griswold, who is helping with this initiative, was present at the meeting tonight and gave an update on the phone conference she had on October 11th with Tim Griswold, Chris Kerr, Rich from Tanko Lighting and Sean from Graybar, the company that provides the lighting regarding a pilot program. Rich let them know they have done this before in different communities. He suggested doing an area using two or three different manufacturers and two different heat levels: 6 on McCurdy Road (lower heat for residential neighborhood) and 6 on Halls Road (higher heat for commercial area) so people can see the differences. They also discussed using survey monkey asking residents to notice the lights and give feedback, prior to going to a
Town Meeting to approve the cost of the full project (Approx. $115,000, exact cost will be determined after the audit is completed). It was also suggested during the conference call to bring the idea of doing the audit and the pilot project together to the BOS and BOF to discuss adding an additional $5,000 to the budget now. This would then determine an exact cost to bring to the Town meeting in January. The cost for the pilot project would be $2,500 and the cost for the audit would be $7,200 for a total of $9,700. First Selectman Reemsnyder pointed out they currently have $5,000 in the capitol expense budget to upgrade the lights.
Tim Griswold gave an overview of the LED lighting project he presented to the BOS on Sept. 19th. He pointed out that after completing the audit Tanko Lighting would complete an inventory of the current light fixtures and make a formal recommendation on the recommended placement and brightness of the lights. The fee for the audit is nonrefundable, but if they move ahead with the project the fee paid is applied to the total cost of the project. He also noted this would save the Town a substantial amount of money in energy costs and maintenance over the next five years.
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley that the BOS recommends the BOF approve an allocation of $10,000 to complete the audit and pilot project for the LED lights, which would include the funds already available in the capital expense budget for street light replacement.
During discussion the Selectman Sibley recommended that an additional $2,000 be added so that up to 10 additional lights could be installed on Lyme Street.
The motion was amended to increase the amount to $12,000 Motion passed.
- Academy Lane Fire Dock update
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an update on the Fire Dock Design. Keith Neilson of Docko, Inc. had soil borings done at the dock, which went down 31 ½ feet. The findings indicated that below 10 feet they found a layer of unstable soil, which continually washes out from the bottom. Should they put in a dock with the current design, it will continue to settle over the years as the soil washes away.
Mr. Neilson spoke with First Selectman Reemsnyder and recommends putting sheet pilings into the ground going down about 30-40 feet to get below the unstable soil on three sides to protect the dock.
An RFQ (request for qualifications) was advertised, with two companies submitting packets, Weis Construction and Machnik Bros. Inc., Both companies were interviewed and Machnick Bros. Inc. was chosen to provide an initial proposal, based on the newer design. The initial proposal was for approximately $185,000, and the capitol fund available is about $150,000. Keith is working with Machnik Bros. Inc. to try to get the construction cost down, which does not include engineering or contingency fees.
First Selectman Reemsnyder suggested this may be something that needs to be added to the January Town meeting to get approval for the additional funds needed to get this project completed.
The BOS also discussed additional changes to the project with a new design including; filling the inside with reinforced turf and/or concrete honey comb.
- HP Fundraising Committee update
The BOS discussed the committee including; being self-funded by the current members, they have no budget, they are not voting or approving anything, all of the work on the flyers has been donated. They will complete regular agendas and minutes. Selectman Sibley has been in regular communication with Nicole on tracking the incoming donations and the thank you letters being sent out on behalf of the town. The BOS approved the mailing of the fundraising flyers to be mailed out. Should any other new members come forward, the BOS will vote on appointments at that time.
A motion was made by First Selectman Reemsnyder, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint Greg Hack, Candice Fuchs and Skip Sibley to the HP Fundraising Committee. Selectman Sibley recused himself from the vote. Motion passed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder will let Cathy Frank know about the appointments and letters will be mailed out to each new member.
- Playground Committee of Jr. Women’s League – moved up on the agenda
- Appointment to LLHD Board of Directors
First Selectman Reemsnyder began by recommending the term for the first appointment to the LLHD be a two year term expiring June 2017. She also suggested the BOS begin by appointing herself to understand the business of the LLHD Board of Director’s meetings. Because this is new to the town, she feels it is important to report back and to pay close attention and keep the BOS and BOF apprised of the discussions taking place.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint First Selectman Reemsnyder as representative for the inaugural term to the LLHD Board of Directors. First Selectman Reemsnyder recused herself from the vote. Motion passed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder shared she was invited to attend the Board of Directors meeting and was impressed with the members and health officials.
Selectman Sibley asked what the steps were on moving forward with this. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied that the Minutes of the BOS meeting, The Town meeting and vote have all been sent to the Department of Public Health. She has received a draft of the Operations Agreement which reflects all of the items previously discussed and the Town Attorney reviewed it and suggested a few minor changes. The fees will be prorated for the first year. They are hoping to have this go into effect November 1, 2016 and may need to have a Special meeting of the BOS. She also shared that she and the Administrative Assistant of the OL Health Dept. attended a LLHD staff meeting and met with the Finance Director and Health director to discuss her benefits and schedule. The Administrative Asst.
was very pleased and is looking forward to working with them. A small group from LLHD will be touring the OL Town Hall to look at the layout of the Health Dept. and meet with IT to get a computer set up.
- Mile Creek Bridge over Black Hall River Inspection Report
First Selectman Reemsnyder reviewed the last update on the bridge, indicating it needs to be scraped and repainted which would also require lead paint removal. They received a proposal from Howard Pfrommer of Nathan L. Jacobson & Associates, for the engineering plans and designs. There is money in the capital funds to do the plans and designs this year. The cost of the scope of work is approximately $550,000 - $600,000.They have applied for a $500,000 STEAP grant but have not heard anything yet.
In late September she received an inspection report form the State of CT DOT and they have downgraded the condition of the bridge from fair to poor. She sent this over to Howard and he said this will change the scope of work because there is now wearing of the steel substructure.
However due to the deterioration, we now qualify for state local bridge repair funds, which funds approximately 48% of the project, including engineering fees.
Howard is working on revising the scope of work and the cost will just slightly due to replacing the steel structure. She has asked Phil Parcak,to the new Facilities Director for some help on this project. She confirmed that there are no immediate safety concerns with the bridge but would like to get this completed sooner rather than later. She is waiting for the updated scope of work from Howard. She wanted to make sure the BOS was aware of this and they may possibly be adding this to the next town meeting.
Selectwoman Nosal asked if they knew what caused the increase in deterioration and are any other bridges in jeopardy. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied all of the other bridges are satisfactory and the deterioration could be caused by the salt in the water.
Tim Griswold gave an update on the Hains Park Boathouse budget. He handed out a spread sheet he and Nicole have developed and reviewed it with the BOS. This included; estimated costs, building update, estimated cost to complete the project and a list of expenditures. He noted as the construction items increase (change orders) the bathhouse and pavilion budget decreases.
First Selectman Reemsnyder replied that all of the change orders have been items that needed to be addressed in order for the project to move forward and they are doing everything they can to keep the additional expenditures down. Paul Gianquinto continues to work closely with the contractors and engineers to keep costs down. The
boathouse is the main focus, but First Selectman Reemsnyder noted that it is their obligation to address the bathhouse and is committed to see that happen for the community.
Selectman Sibley asked for an update on the installation of the new speakers and microphones. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied the installation of the cable has been completed and they are just waiting for additional parts and information from Sennheiser to finish the installation.
Selectwoman Nosal shared that she checked with the Finance Director after the last meeting and she has the latest version of the Financial Policies on her desk to address the changes recommended by the BOS. She is aware that they have expressed their desire to begin working on these. First Selectman Reemsnyder has emailed her as well.
Going forward in planning for budget season, she would like to discuss how we want to support our playgrounds and do we want to add a budget line for this? She would also like the BOS to consider a fund for sidewalks.
She also added that there is a new fence that has gone up on Hartford Ave. by a Private Beach Association. There is signage on the fence that indicates new policies (fee for entry) will go into effect next year. There is a listing of the fees on the sign, and the fence extends down to the water front.
She would like to see this run by the Town and feels that the BOS should look into this, do we have any involvement in this, and should we be contacting the office of Long Island Sound.
First Selectman Reemsnyder added that DEEP has looked into this and she has not heard the outcome of that yet. She did hear that it appears it is lower than the coastal jurisdiction line and the office of Long Island Sound is looking at it as well. She has asked the Town attorney for an opinion on whether the Town has any jurisdiction over that the fence. They are reviewing the historical files and past court cases and he will get back to her with his recommendation.
First Selectman Reemsnyder shared she had sat down with the President of the Miami Beach Assoc. when they were planning this and let them know she was against them putting up a fence on a public beach. She also let them know she did not support them putting up a booth at the property line of Sound View Beach and Miami Beach to collect funds. This will complicate checking people coming through Sound View and could create a line of people spilling over to Miami Beach along with a lot of other issues. Should they put a booth there the Town may need to put a fence in front of it. The BOS will need to review the funds given to this Association during the budget season.
- Executive Session: None
- Adjournment:
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to adjourn at 9:58 pm. Motion passed.
Respectfully Submitted by,
Patti Broedlin
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