TOWN OF OLD LYME
BOARD OF SELECTMEN
SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES
UNAPPROVED
The Board of Selectman held a Special Meeting at 8:00 am on June 29, 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.
June 5, 2017 Regular Meeting Minutes
A motion was made by Selectwoman Nosal, seconded by Selectman Sibley, to approve the minutes of the June 19, 2017 meeting. Motion passed.
- Communication: None
- Appointments: None
4. Old Business:
- Boathouse Hains Park Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported they are on the brink of completion, the tile on the walkway by the electric box has been fixed and they are working on correcting the installation of the alarm wiring. The Certificate of Occupancy (CO) should be issued today, she will check after the meeting to see if it was issued.
The lease should be signed by July 10th and the transfer over to the Region 18 insurance policy will take effect on July 1, 2017.
The grass is growing and they are working on some ideas to address the swale in the back of the building to make it more effective. The BSC site engineer and Ed Adanti are working with Scope Construction to resolve the issue. Public Works has also been in contact with the neighboring property owner and they have their permission to remove the dead trees and vegetation. They also plan to clear out the vegetation in the back and remove the trees. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the water run off on Route 1 will need to be addressed with the state DOT because this is a state road.
First Selectman Reemsnyder added they will be working on the bathroom buildings next.
- Rte. 156 Bikeway/Sound View Improvements
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the project is at a standstill, as they are waiting for the signs, banner poles and securing the bike racks. They will wait until after Labor Day to re-pave Hartford Ave., and they have not scheduled the final walk through yet.
Selectwoman Nosal reported that the Sound View Improvements Committee had their last regular meeting this past Monday and will meet as needed in future. They will meet on the punch list after the final walk through with BSC, DOT, B&W Paving and members of the committee. She also added they would like to have a ribbon cutting ceremony, possibly at one of the summer concerts. She thanked everyone including the engineer and committee members for all of their hard work on the project and shared she had been presented with her very own pink hard hat for her hard work and oversight on the project. First Selectman Reemsnyder thanked Selectwoman Nosal for all of her hard work and a great job on the project.
- Academy Lane Fire Dock Update
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the project is nearly complete. The steel sheeting and cross pieces have been put in and Todd Machnick reported the project should be finished in the next week or two. Ed Adanti and Keith Neilson have been down to take a look at the Fire Dock and are pleased with the work and progress to date. First Selectman Reemsnyder also added they have received the first requisition request for $161,500 in keeping with the standards of payment.
5. New Business:
- Resolution: Application for OPM Grant for Halls Road Improvements Project
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported the Halls Road Improvement committee continues to work on different ideas to improve Halls Road. They have applied for the 2017 Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Grant Program. The grant would be used for sidewalks, crossing lights and to tie Halls Road into the Lyme Street community. The grant is for $1.5 million with a $400,000 town grant match which could come out of the general fund. First Selectman Reemsnyder read the resolution and the BOS discussed the rules of the grant, which will be similar to the Sound View grant process which would include a request for qualifications, RFQ submissions, special committee and the interview process. The grant would include the plan design and construction. The BOS also discussed getting letters of support from their
State Representative, the Chamber of Commerce, Emergency Response and the RiverCOG to include with the application. They also discussed possibly putting this in the paper to let the community know they are applying for the grant.
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to approve the resolution for the “2017 Responsible Growth and Transit-Oriented Development Grant Program” and authorize First Selectman Reemsnyder to sign the grant application. Motion passed.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she has met with Town Officials, including Zoning, Building, Health District (LLHD Sanitarian) and the Fire Marshall to draft a town ordinance. She noted that each of these offices has the authority to order a building boarded up or secured based on criteria within their codes. However, in order to be able to impose fines and specific requirements they would need to have a Town Ordinance. They discussed their concerns about blight and defined it as an attractive nuisance and/or attracting rodents or vermin.
The first draft has been reworked, giving the BOS would have a right to develop a list of properties and would have the authority to impose fines.
First Selectman Reemsnyder gave an overview of the sections included in the revised ordinance, including The Purpose, definitions of terms used, scope of provisions, certified list of blighted properties, how to add additional properties to the list, blight ordinance enforcement officers could be town officials, special considerations, enforcement (imposing fines), initiation of legal proceedings, hearing process, defining minimum standards and the effective date.
She would like the BOS to review the ordinance for additions/deletions before she submits it to the Town Attorney for review. She also offered to have the Town Officials attend a BOS meeting so they can ask questions and discuss the ordinance as a group.
The BOS discussed other issues, such as the timing matching the corrective action, would this include businesses, and including the LLHD Sanitarian and Resident Trooper as enforcers in the development of the ordinance. The BOS expressed their pleasure that the ordinance is being worked on and applaud the officials who have worked on this. First Selectman Reemsnyder will schedule a special meeting so they can meet with the officials and discuss the ordinance possibly in mid-July before she submits it for review by the Town Attorney.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reminded everyone of the discussions that took place back in November when they joined LLHD regarding Mosquito Management. Because OL is bordered on two sides by marsh lands, they require a different approach. LLHD does assist residents with mosquito management on their property. They will go out to residential properties and assess conditions when called, make recommendations, supply residents with larva dunks and show them how to use them.
The Town of OL has been working with Innovative Mosquito Management who has provided the town with services for years. IMMI has submitted a treatment recommendation, and after consulting with LLHD and DEEP, they agree with the way treatment recommendation and think their plan is fair and makes sense.
The BOS discussed financing for mosquito treatments for July, August and late spring. First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she has discussed this with the Finance Director and the BOF and there is money in the budget to cover the June costs ($7,900 - $10,000). She recommends going to a Town Meeting to approve $30,000 (cost depends on the weather) for the remainder of the mosquito treatments for FY 2018. She has requested a credit from LLHD for FY 2018 based on the fact that there is now an additional town that joined the District, and if approved, it will help cover the costs. The BOS agree the Town needs this service and this should be put in the budget each year in future.
- Town Hall Exterior revised quote
First Selectman Reemsnyder reminded the BOS of the work that needs to be done on the exterior of the Town Hall. The work includes power washing the building, removal of lead paint (that is loose and peeling) in some spots, fixing the areas experiencing rot by replacing the skirting with Azec which will not rot.
They have received quotes in the range of $30,000 - $54,000. The Facilities manager has been working on this and his recommendation is to hire Martinez Painting to complete the work on the Town Hall. Their quote of $54,000 includes all of the work in the RFP and they are a reputable company who has done work at the College (Sill House) and other residential properties on Lyme Street. First Selectman Reemsnyder recommends going to a Town Meeting to request allocating an additional $25,000 from the Town Building Fund to complete the work on the Town Hall. This will cover the additional cost of the project along with a 10% contingency. The BOS discussed the level of lead paint removal, possibly reviewing more bids and agree this is a good use of the Town Building Fund.
- Discussion on schedule for Special Town Meeting
The BOS discussed scheduling the Special Town Meeting for July 25th or 26th. This will allow the CALL to be approved at the July 17th BOS meeting as well as the July 18th BOF meeting, and meet the public notice requirements.
6. Public Comment: None
7. Other Business:
Selectman Sibley reported he attended the Sound View Commission meeting on Monday and he sat and listened to the discussion of how the summer was going so far. Some of the concerns raised were concerns about police coverage (visibility), an incident which occurred with minors urinating on lawns, a fight that broke out with someone taken to the hospital, residents concerned for their safety, illegal parking and the gates not being open/closed as they should be.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported she was unable to attend the meeting because she was attending a meeting on the state budget. She has been in almost daily contact with the new Resident Trooper and has asked for a copy of the incident report.
She has also met with the chair of the Sound View Commission who indicated he thought things were going well and was not aware of any issues.
First Selectman Reemsnyder reported they will be swearing in a new police officer today following this meeting if anyone would like to stay. She is also hoping they will be swearing in a second officer in July.
Selectwoman Nosal added it is her impression that the residents of Sound View are becoming more concerned and want to see a greater police presence (visibility). Sound View seems to be getting busier and busier as the summer is heating up.
Selectwoman Nosal asked if there was any update on the Historic grant yet. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied she has not heard anything yet.
Selectwoman Nosal asked if there was any update on the FRA decision yet. First Selectman Reemsnyder replied she has not heard anything new since the last meeting.
8. Executive Session: None
9. Adjournment:
A motion was made by Selectman Sibley, seconded by Selectwoman Nosal, to adjourn at 9:28 am. Motion passed.
Respectfully submitted,
Patti Broedlin
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