TOWN OF OLD LYME
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MEETING AGENDA WITH RECORD OF VOTES
The Board of Selectman held a Regular Meeting at 4:00 pm on February 22, 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.
February 22, 2017 Regular Meeting Minutes
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2017 Regular Meeting. Motion passed.
2. Communication: None
3. Appointments:
Kathleen Green (D) Regional Mental Health Board – 2 year term to expire January 2019
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to appoint Kathleen Green to the Regional Mental Health Board. Motion passed.
Todd Machnik (R) Shellfish Commission – 3 year term to expire January 2020
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to appoint Todd Machnik to the Shellfish Commission. Motion passed.
4. Old Business:
- Boathouse Hains Park Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the boat racks have been installed and the OL Rowing Association put the boats on the racks this past week-end. She will be giving a tour to Region District 18 Superintendent, the Maintenance Coordinator and the Athletic Director. The electrical service is scheduled to be hooked up by Eversource on February 28th and the remainder of the landscaping will be completed weather dependent. She anticipates receiving a request soon to have the docks put back in the water.
In regards to the lease First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she received an email from Ian Neviaser that the lease is ready and she received a copy from him. She has requested a copy with the tracked changes and she will be reviewing that and sharing as previously discussed.
Selectman Sibley added that maybe they can coordinate with the building official and fire marshal to get a temporary CO in place after the electric hook up is complete.
- Rte. 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported they are still waiting for information on the final outcome of the drainage resolution. It is her understanding that WMC is meeting with BSC to finalize a resolution on the drainage issues. Any changes made will need to be approved by the DOT and they are hoping to have this resolved soon so it doesn’t hold up work beginning in the spring.
Selectwoman Nosal added they held a special meeting on February 13th with the inspector and are hoping they have more feedback for their meeting on February 27th. They may consider postponing and rescheduling a special meeting if they do not have the resolution in time for the meeting.
- Administrative Order/WPCA Update
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported they are still awaiting feedback from DEEP on the plan that was submitted in December. They have approval on the well monitoring scope of work and this has been signed and sent in and anticipates work on this beginning soon. She believes if there are any major changes the Administrative order would be extended. She reviewed the process that has been completed to date and stated she does not believe the EIS has been submitted yet but is 90% complete. They still need the comments from DEEP before they can finish the EIS. The DEEP has made it clear that they do not want the Towns EIS to be redundant of the other beaches.
The other beaches (Miami, Old Colony and OL Shores) known as the “3 Beaches” have already submitted their EIS which was penned by the DEEP. She is not sure at what stage in the process they are in. She reminded the BOS there were talks regarding the Town and the beaches doing one pump station in the Town parking lot and they have reviewed the documents submitted which include a memorandum of understanding and a lease agreement. The Town Attorney has made changes to those and they were sent back to the beach associations for review.
They also discussed how the EDU’s would be evaluated and the formula used to determine usage and the Town and the Beaches will need to get together to develop an agreed upon formula. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported it is her understanding that there is an agreement with the New London WPCA and the 3 Beaches.
- Discussion on beach grants for FY 2018
First Selectman Reemsnyder reminded the BOS of their last meeting with the Miami Beach Association and is looking forward to their update in March on their plans for the 2017 Summer. The BOS will wait until the March meeting before making any decisions on their grant.
She has provided the Selectman with a copy of the formula for the Beach Grants for review specifically the amounts for security and beach clean-up.
At the BOF meeting on February 7th they did approve the full amount of $71,700, but the individual allocation amounts can be adjusted if needed after the March meeting.
The BOS also discussed the Miami Beach gate location, the fee for residents to use Miami Beach, capacity and overcrowding issues due to a smaller public beach, involving the businesses in the review meetings, and the possibility of increased security.
5. New Business:
- State Budget Impacts – Governor’s proposed budget
First Selectman Reemsnyder reviewed the packet she has provided to the Selectmen on the Governors proposed budget for FY 18 and added this has been shared with and has been discussed at Finance meetings, Regional meetings, State wide meetings and Town CEO’s have gone to testify about this because the budget is a slam to many of the Towns.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reviewed the analysis received from CCM (Connecticut Conference of Municipalities) with the breakdown on how this will impact Old Lyme.
She reminded everyone this is a proposed budget, but thinks they need to be prepared for the changes. She specifically pointed out the ECS grant which will decrease from $247,462 down to $104,700; LoCIP was increased to $90,489 which is misleading, the Pequot-Mohegan grant remains the same; Pilot for Colleges & Hospitals went up from $2,006 to $27,539; Grants for Municipal projects went from $1,888 to $0; MRSF Revenue Sharing (from sales tax) went from $79,946 to $115,080 but is impacted by the municipal cap; Special Education from $0 to $266,180 but this will replace the excess cost; The Teachers Retirement Contribution which would be 1/3 of the employers share of the cost which is 10% of the total teachers retirement cost, would need to be paid by Dec. 31st each fiscal year. The cost for Old Lyme would be
$1,062,000 and Lyme would have their own cost. This would mean a $-195,688 for the Town of Old Lyme.
She has asked the Finance Director to look into what this will do to the mill rate.
First Selectman Reemsnyder added this is troubling to most of the Towns and suspects this is an attempt to smooth out some of the issues in the big cities. CCM is advocating for the Towns and The RiverCOG will be sending a letter expressing their concerns about the budget and its impact with suggestions of how to handle this in other ways.
The BOS went on to discuss their concerns/issues with the proposed budget; including pensions not being properly cared for, Towns already bear these costs through property taxes; it is the state’s responsibility to provide education; and being hit with a bill like this in one year versus over a period of years.
- Comments to FRA from the Town of Old Lyme
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the comments to the FRA were hand delivered to Rebecca Reyes-Alicea, Project Manager of NEC Future on February 13th.
The strategy team put together an excellent document through the hard work of many experts in their fields. She pointed out one example of the ecological impact on the Atlantic Sturgeon which would face becoming endangered should their environment be disrupted.
The FRA will not release their record of decision until March 1st and will accept comments up until then. First Selectman Reemsnyder also shared that she has also sent a copy of the comments to the new DOT Secretary, Elaine Caio and requested an audience with her to discuss the importance of this to Old Lyme.
First Selectman Reemsnyder wants to publicly thank the members of the Strategy Team who worked so hard on behalf of the Town of Old Lyme. The members included: John Forbis, BJ Bernblum, Claudia Weicker, David and Susan Duncan, Michael Brown and Jack Collins.
First Selectman Reemsnyder added she attended the Open House meeting in Springfield, Mass. on January 25th and had an opportunity to speak with Rebecca Reyes-Alicea in person and she assured her that it was a 100% commitment not to do an aerial structure in Old Lyme even if the tunnel doesn’t work out. She also stated that they were 100% committed to addressing/resolving the concerns expressed by the Town of Old Lyme. First Selectman Reemsnyder followed up on their conversation in an email reiterating the comments she made and has not heard back from her as of yet. She also added that the decision will be owned by the FRA and NEC Future.
6. Public Comment: None
7. Other Business:
First Selectman Reemsnyder mentioned she will be adding the 2017 Osprey Festival to the agenda for the next meeting to discuss some changes.
She will also be adding the No Smoking Policy to next meeting agenda as well so they can discuss that further.
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an update today from Tanko Lighting on the LED Pilot project. The lights will be installed on Friday and she is working with Tanko Lighting Manager on a survey for resident’s feedback.
Selectwoman Nosal asked if they wanted to entertain a motion to approve the beach grants with the addition of Oak Ridge Beach. First Selectman Reemsnyder recommended they wait to approve the beach grants until after their meeting with the Miami Beach Association in March.
Selectwoman Nosal added she thinks they should consider reviewing the general policy the Safety Committee put together as it seems to envelop all of the important points. Some of the things she thinks they should look at include; 25 feet minimum; appropriate signage; no smoking in Town vehicles (possibly when accompanied by a non-smoker); the use of ALL tobacco products (ex. hukka pipes) and referencing the state statute. She will email her suggestions to First Selectman Reemsnyder and she will review the general policy recommended at their last meeting so they can discuss this further at the next meeting.
Selectwoman Nosal noted she saw in the paper that the Town of Old Lyme had received the State Historic Grant for $30,000. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she has not received official notification yet, but will share the report with the Selectmen when she receives it.
Selectman Sibley suggested they schedule a meeting for all the stakeholders in March/April to begin planning for staffing for Summer 2017 at Sound View. First Selectman Reemsnyder pointed out they are just starting Union Negotiations for the Police and staffing will depend on what they decide to do and thinks they should wait until they have made a decision. She also added that she has two quotes on putting in some cameras down at Sound View based on previous discussions. She has also had conversations with the Chairman of the SV Commission and has updated them on the fence installed by Miami Beach.
Selectman Sibley asked for an update on the proposed playground for Cross Lane in regards to the ground stability and soil. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the soil is being analyzed next week so they should have more answers soon.
8. Executive Session: None
9. Adjournment:
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to adjourn at 5:26 pm. Motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Patti Broedlin
| 
