TOWN OF OLD LYME
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING AGENDA WITH RECORD OF VOTES
The Board of Selectman held a Regular Meeting at 7:30 pm on February 6, 2017 in the Meeting Hall of the Old Lyme Memorial town Hall. First Selectman Bonnie Reemsnyder, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal and Selectman Skip Sibley were present.
January 17, 2017 Regular Meeting Minutes
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to approve the minutes of the January 17, 2017 Regular Meeting. Motion passed.
January 23, 2017 Meeting Minutes
Selectwoman Nosal requested two changes; the date at the top be changed to January 23rd and then change the motion to read Selectman Sibley made a motion to pass the budget on to the Board of Finance and Selectwoman Nosal seconded the motion.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal to approve the minutes of the January 23, 2017 meeting as amended. Motion passed.
- Communication:
- A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal to add the letter received today from the NLHHC to the agenda. Motion passed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder read the letter she received from Sandra Rueb requesting a $1000 donation from the Town of Old Lyme for the New London Homeless Hospitality Center (NLHHC).
Sandra Rueb was invited to address the BOS and gave an overview of the services the NLHHC provides. She is a weekly volunteer at the center and is requesting a $1000 donation due to state budget cuts. They provide services to the Homeless in New London, East Lyme and surrounding areas. Some of the services provided include; application assistance for services, completing job applications, ensuring medical assistance, assisting with recovering lost identification, setting up savings accounts to assist with security deposits, looking for apartments, setting up a postal address with the goal of getting reestablished in the community and returning to independence.
First Selectman Reemsnyder asked if they would give a tour of the facility and Sandra said she would be happy to arrange a tour. The BOS agree this is likely something they would support and will share the request with the BOF at tomorrow night’s meeting.
3. Appointments:
Louis Russo (U) Solid Waste/Recycling Review – 2 year term to expire January 2019
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to appoint Louis Russo to the Solid Waste/Recycling Review Committee. Motion passed.
Brenda Moriarty (U) Solid Waste/Recycling Review – 2 year term to expire January 2019
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint Brenda Moriarty to the Solid Waste/Recycling Review Committee. Motion passed.
Leah Russell Asst. ACO – 2 year term ending January 2019
Caleb Sapia Asst. ACO – 2 year term ending January 2019
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint Leah Russell and Caleb Sapia to Asst. ACO. Motion passed.
Dorothy McAndrew – Committee on Aging – 3 year term ending in January 2019
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to appoint Dorothy McAndrew to the Committee on Aging. Motion passed.
Joan Bonvicin (D) Committee on Aging – 3 year term (remainder of term) ending in January 2018
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint Joan Bonvicin to the Committee on Aging. Motion passed.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to move item 5 b. Review of beach grants for FY 2018, up on the agenda. Motion passed.
5 b. Review beach grants for the FY 2018
First Selectman Reemsnyder reviewed the spread sheet for the beach grant (stipend) allocations for each beach community and the formula used to determine each amount. The Town also takes into consideration the amount of public traffic, public spill over and costs of security for two of the beaches – White Sand Beach and Miami Beach. She also added that they have received a request from Oak Ridge Beach which will change the formula for everyone. This year Miami Beach has installed a fence and will be charging visitors a fee to use their beach. Some of the questions raised by the BOS included requesting background on the fence, is this a clean beach fee or a security fee, what the plans are for the gate, and what the plans are for people wandering onto the beach from the water, resident passes with minimum fee, what
type of security and projected revenue plans.
First Selectman Reemsnyder invited the Miami Beach Association members, Mark Mongillo, Mike Girardi and Scott Boulanger up to address the BOS. They gave an overview of the plan to date for the Summer 2017. This is a pilot project and they are still in the planning process. This is being done as a result of the commotion and issues that arose last summer. They are not trying to make money but would like to see the fee’s charged cover the cost of security. This is a clean beach fee to keep the beach clean, protect the Miami beach residents and property owners. They are still looking at different ways the people are coming onto the beach, they are looking into different types of security (they would like security on the beach as well as at the water front) and they are not looking at using any rangers for this year. It is
their goal to keep the beach clean and under control. They would like to see the stipend remain the same to supplement the cost of security if needed and then meet with the BOF at the end of the season to re-evaluate the costs at that time. They feel the fence will allow them to control the visitors to the beach, each visitor will be given a garbage bag and the rules will be posted and security will enforce and address violations as they see them occur on the beach. Residents will be issued passes for the beach and nonresident fees will be $10 per adult and $5 for under 13 yrs. of age.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reiterated she does not want to see the gate on Hartford Ave. and would like to see signs directing them to the Lot B-11 for Miami Beach access, she thinks this will add to the traffic going onto the beach, getting backed up and adds additional work for the rangers searching coolers going onto the beach. The BOS would like to see more communication and meetings prior to Memorial Day weekend. They will also need to coordinate and communicate with the Resident Trooper and Old Lyme Police.
Mark Mongillo promised he will follow-up with the BOS in mid-March once the Miami Beach Association has finalized their plans.
4. Old Business:
- Boathouse Hains Park Improvements
Selectman Sibley reported he received an update from Paul Gianquinto and the boat racks are targeted for installation next week. Eversource will be there next week to hook up the power and they should then be able to get the CO. There is still some work to be completed in the spring, including landscaping and the installation of the basketball posts and backboards.
Selectman Sibley asked if there was any update on the lease. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied she has been in contact with Superintendent Ian Neviaser and he is still waiting for his attorney to get back to him. He also added the agreement with the OL Rowing Association may be a little more difficult.
Selectwoman Nosal as if there was an update on the change order for the emergency lighting. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied this is still being discussed back and forth and they are working on this. She suspects there will be a change order but it shouldn’t be as much.
Selectman Sibley reported there continues to be donations trickling in and they are approaching the $80,000 mark. The fundraising committee will hopefully be meeting next week to discuss when to end fundraising and planning a ribbon cutting ceremony in May.
- Rte. 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported there was a meeting between WMC and BSC and they are still working on a resolution for the drainage. She received an invoice today for the month of January.
Selectwoman Nosal commented on how well WMC is representing the Town and they are working very well with BSC to find a solution for the drainage issue. The next meeting will be on February 7th. At the end of January, they submitted a letter of interest to People with Bikes, as they may be able to get a grant for bike racks and a repair kiosk.
- Administrative Order/WPCA Update
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she was unable to attend the last WPCA meeting, but she did receive from the Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection the approval for the scope of work for phase I of the Ground Water Monitoring for Hawks Nest, which confirmed it is eligible for reimbursement of clean water funds at 55%. This scope of work will allow the engineers to determine how the existing wells are working and add an additional well closer to Rte. 156. Once they determine the flow of water this will determine the number of wells that will need to be added. They will then add those wells and begin testing for contaminants in the water. W&C can begin working now. They are still waiting for any comments from the DEEP on the plan that was submitted in December.
Selectman Sibley asked if there was any update on any of the old invoices submitted. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied that all of the invoices have been submitted to DEEP for review and are currently pending review.
- Discussion on Troop F Recommendation for two Troopers
First Selectman Reemsnyder updated the BOS, she has still not heard back from Troop F on the interview schedule for the new Resident Trooper or two depending on what they decide. She has reviewed the applications for P/T police officers and is working with Gary on setting up the process which needs to be completed before they can interview.
She also reported she has received the Demand letter from the union to begin negotiations. She has spoken to the Town Attorney and he would like to meet with the BOS to discuss plan for the upcoming year with the priority being on scheduling. She would like to schedule this as soon as possible so they can decide whether to go with four or six officers. When they meet to discuss union negotiations the meeting does not need to be posted.
Selectman Sibley noted the current contract expires on June 30, 2017. First Selectman Reemsnyder noted there are two contracts to be discussed, Public Works & Police.
- Annual Town Meeting update/Citizen of the Year
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an update on the Annual Town Meeting. The Citizen of the year was awarded to a group this year instead of a single person. The award went to the: Life Skills Program at the High School. This included the Teachers, Coaches and Students who come to the Town Hall and work. They do a great deal of work for the Town Hall, including scanning documents and one student completed an ADA self-assessment. This program has been in place since 2009 and over 3,000 hours of work have been completed by these students. First Selectman Reemsnyder also acknowledged Cathy Frank for her efforts with finding the right jobs for each of the students.
First Selectman Reemsnyder also reported the following items on the CALL were unanimously approved; The Annual Town Report, $130,000 for the LED Light project, $110,000 for the Academy Lane Fire Dock and $33,000 for the Ford Explorer for the Public Works Dept.
Selectwoman Nosal added the registrar of voters were at the meeting and prepared paper ballots if they were needed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder began the discussion by reminding the BOS that the Safety Committee has brought this to the BOS for approval and she believes they have the support of the Parks & Rec Department. The BOS discussed whether they would like to adopt a no-smoking policy for Parks & Beaches as well as all Town Buildings/Property and vehicles and having designated smoking areas at each location. Selectwoman Nosal added that during their last discussion they had reviewed some other Towns policies and agreed they wanted a policy that would be short and direct. She is willing to bring some samples to the next meeting for the BOS to review.
First Selectman Reemsnyder will add this to the next meeting agenda for further discussion.
5. New Business:
- Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) Procedure Policy
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported that Michele Hayes had brought this to their attention at their last budget meeting. She read the letter outlining the procedures for the storage and dissemination of personal information acquired for employment and background checks. She also noted that it is a requirement for all Towns to adopt such a policy and these are the procedures submitted by the auditing agency as well as some policies to be adopted in the future.
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to accept the Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) Proper Access, Use and Dissemination Procedures as presented. Motion passed.
- Review beach grants for FY 2018
First Selectman Reemsnyder asked if there was anything else the BOS wanted to discuss on the Beach Grants. Selectwoman Nosal commented that she appreciated they came to the meeting tonight to discuss their progress to date. She asked if they had submitted their budget for tomorrow night’s BOF meeting. First Selectman Reemsnyder clarified the budget they submit are their actual numbers from the previous summer so they don’t go over 50% of the cost of security and the formula allows for an adjustment for their second payment. Her suggestion is that they keep things the way they are, she is sure they will get questions from others on this. But they can make a recommendation for an adjustment after the March meeting if they feel it is necessary. They also discussed evaluating the costs for the swim lines and beach
cleaning.
6. Public Comment:
Troy Clark the Assistant EMS Director attended the meeting to ask if First Selectman Reemsnyder had any feedback from the hearings that took place in Hartford today on the Bypass.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she spent the day in Hartford and was able to testify later in the day on House Resolution #54 regarding opposition to the proposed bypass from Old Saybrook, CT to Kenyon, RI. Her testimony reiterated the opposition to the bypass and the issues and concerns it poses for Old Lyme, including decreased housing sales and prices and the irreparable damage it has caused already. She also shared the resolution developed by the Lower CT River Valley COG (which includes 17towns) and also noted the support they have received from government officials, DOT and State Senators.
7. Other Business:
Selectwoman Nosal thanked Troy for his testimony he sent in and added she has sent in a letter as well.
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an update on the strategy team. They have completed the document and Cathy Frank is working on merging the portions together and the cover letter is meant to be signed by all of the members of the BOS. She hopes to send them a digital copy for their review in the next week or so. She also added this is a very thorough document and is very impressed with the work the team has completed.
Selectwoman Nosal reported there is a new company in town. Prospect Transportation is planning to build their headquarters in Old Lyme. They are a family owned business and provide fuel deliveries, sales and service to large fuel suppliers including airports.
Selectwoman Nosal added David Kelsey sent out a letter today regarding a Rally that is taking place at the Old Mystic Village on Saturday from 10AM – 12PM in opposition to the Bypass. First Selectman Reemsnyder added the organizer of the rally was at the hearings today and invited her to attend and possibly speak.
Selectwoman Nosal wanted to discuss Governor Malloy’s budget proposals that are coming out this week to mitigate his proposal to put 1/3 of the teachers pensions on towns. First Selectman Reemsnyder stated she didn’t have anything more to add to that at this time and finds this very disconcerting considering the fact they have gone from $605,000 in ECS funding down to $235,000 (hopefully) and this could really impact the budget.
Selectman Sibley asked for an update on the LED lights pilot program. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the last she heard from the company was they were still waiting for the fixtures to come in but thinks this will happen in the very near future. The company will also be working with them on the survey for resident’s feedback as well. The actual install of all the LED lights will begin in the summer of 2017.
He also noted that the cross walk by the College would benefit from additional lighting.
Selectman Sibley asked for an update on the Historical Survey work for the town and the public information session to educate the residents. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied that the application for the grant has been submitted and she has not heard back on it yet. She also reported that the Chair of the Historic Commission has been in communication with somebody doing a survey on the impact of Storm Sandy and this may help reduce the area they will need to survey through the grant.
Selectwoman Nosal reported she and Selectman Sibley attended the Focus Group today through a grant Dave Roberge received. There were about20 -25 stakeholders present from the community to discuss how to prepare for storms, how to get information out and focus on special needs populations, including seniors. At the end of the discussion Dave Roberge spoke to the group about going back to their constituents, neighbors and coworkers to find out how he and his team can reach people. He hopes to have a follow-up meeting in March. First Selectman Reemsnyder thanked both Selectwoman Nosal and Selectman Sibley for attending and was glad to hear it went well. She is very impressed with the way everyone comes together in an emergency and that the emergency services in Old Lyme are always looking at ways to better themselves and the services
they provide. She thanks them for their time and dedication to the people in this community.
8. Executive Session: None
9. Adjournment:
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to adjourn at 10:02 pm. Motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Patti Broedlin
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