Sound View Commission
Meeting Minutes — Unapproved
24 August, 2015
7.34 pm~
Shoreline Community Center
Present: Frank Pappalardo (Chair), David Kelsey, Paul Orzel (alternate), Joann Reis Lishing, Frank Maratta (Alternate), Sandra Ziemba (alternate)
Also present: First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder, Selectwoman Mary Jo Nosal, and Selectman Skip Sibley, ex officio members and Resident State Trooper Gary Inglis
Absent: Harry Plaut, Michaelle Pearson (Secretary)
7.34 pm Call to Order: Meeting called to order by Chairman Frank Pappalardo. Sandy Ziemba (alternate) seated for the absent Harry Plaut; and Frank Maratta (alternate); seated for the absent Michaelle Pearson. Joann Lishing appointed to take minutes for the absent secretary.
Approval of July Minutes: Joann Lishing motioned to approve the July Minutes. Sandy Ziemba seconded. Motion Carried.
7.36 pm Correspondence (received): A note was received from Selectwoman Nosal regarding the success of the summer concerts in Sound View and looking forward to next year’s venue. A missing bus sign on Hartford Ave was reported and it has since been replaced. A note was received complaining about the increase in number of beer bottles on the beach this year.
Business
7.40 pm Sound View Improvements Grant: Responses regarding concerns/comments were received, categorized, and entered on the Town website under current projects. The draft plan is waiting final approval. Once final approval is received, the semi-monthly meetings of the Improvements Committee will begin again.
7.45 pm Events: Comments received on the concert series this year were ‘Excellent’ and positive. No complaints were received over the summer series. In addition, most of the attendees walked in and it appears that those few who drove came in from other areas of town, i.e., north of Rt 156.
In planning for next year, Mr. Pappalardo suggested that the band, 4 Barrel Billy, participate in a cruise night that Mr. Maratta could help to coordinate. Another event was proposed by the Lyme/Old Lyme Chamber of Commerce suggesting they join forces with the SVC to plan a family festival (suggested name: Osprey Festival). In addition, SVC and the Chamber would join forces with SVBA and plan this festival in the spring around the second or third weekend in June. J. Lishing suggested that we reach out to the Federation of Beaches and coordinate calendars for this suggested event.
Budgets are due in October therefore, the Events Committee will need to prepare beforehand.
7.50pm: Bus Request – Lenny’s on the Beach: the UCONN football team event did not occur on Saturday, August 22. Chairman Pappalardo reviewed the criteria posed by First Selectwoman Reemsnyder in a letter dated June 26th 2015 to Lenny’s on the Beach regarding waiving the bus ordinance for the event.
The light at the flag pole on Hartford Ave is off. The flag will need to come down at night. If the flag pole light cannot get electricity from Frank Noe’s property source, it may be necessary to find another source of electricity. Sandy Ziemba suggested an LED solar light that she noticed a neighbor has. She will obtain more info from the neighbor regarding the solar light.
7:55pm: Life Guard Draft Letter: Frank Maratta prepared a draft letter regarding the need for lifeguards on Sound View Beach. (see attached) Dave Kelsey recommended sending a letter to the Selectmen requesting lifeguards for next year. In addition, Chairman Pappalardo should check with Don Bugbe (Parks and Rec) regarding the cost of life guards at Roger’s Lake and White Sands Beach. A suggestion was also made that Miami Beach may want to participate in the pursuit of lifeguards. Chairman Pappalardo will contact Miami Beach Assoc. president, Mike Gerard.
8.00pm: Summer 2015 Assessment: Chairman Pappalardo would like to gather info regarding the summer at SVB. What went well, what didn’t. Send comments to Chairman Pappalardo before the next meeting so the Board can discuss and independently prepare and solidify an assessment. The Board members all agreed.
8.05pm: Temporary Rest Room Facilities: Looking into renting bathroom trailers instead of port a potties in the parking lot at the end of Hartford Ave---Dave Kelsey will take the lead on looking into request for proposals and evaluate the cost in order to prepare a budget item for submission to the finance board. Sandy Ziemba offered to assist.
8.10pm: Budget: Frank Pappalardo will send the Board members last year’s budget so that the Board may review and adjust with suggested additions. It was recommended that members may want to reach out to the greater community for suggestions.
8.15pm: Beach Traffic, Parking, etc: it is noted that beach goers are becoming more creative with drinking on the beach and coolers on the beach. Rather than using a 5 qt cooler, beach goers come in with back packs, soft cooler packs and even large buckets/totes filled with ice. There is some question regarding searching backpacks, etc. Paul Orzel suggested using a different definition of a cooler, i.e., no bags…. It was noted by F. Pappalardo the beach rules signs clearly state that “ALL CONTAINERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO INSPECTION”. Trooper Inglis said that he cannot search a bag for alcohol or other reasons without a warrant or probable cause and further said that during the summer there were no occasions where he felt probable cause existed. Some of the beach rules are
Town Ordinances; some are state laws (e.g., no alcohol on the beach). Dave Kelsey responded with how bags are searched all the time when entering a concert or public event. It was noted by F. Marratta that the beach has been filled with empty “nipper” shot liquor bottles and P. Orzel reported that the beach cleaning personnel commented on the large quantity of empty beer and liquor bottles and cans. Paul Orzel will follow-up on how the searching of bags is legally done and which are ordinances and which are rules.
Illegal parking lots were fined: the Church at the end of Swan Ave and 2 others were fined $500 for illegal parking.
8:30pm: Sandy Ziemba remarked about the flowers at the end of Swan and Hartford Aves. She said that she does not have time to water them as needed. Discussion regarding who can assist with this next year will be finalized before next year.
Frank Pappalardo reported that a photo shoot on the beach for a ‘Then and Now’ Calendar sponsored by the Historical Society took place.
The LOLCC approached SVBA regarding doing a family festival in Sound View. LOLCC is suggesting it be called the “Osprey Festival”. More info to come regarding this.
8:35pm: Public Comment: Lenny Corto gave the Commission members a copy of the letter that Bonnie Reeemsnyder, First Selectwoman, sent to Lenny regarding busses coming down Hartford Ave on Aug. 22 with the UCONN football team. Lenny stated that the letter’s conditions were un-accepting, discriminatory, and unwelcoming. He stated that although the letter was sent on June 26th, he felt that he did not want to comply with all the requests in the June 26th letter because he felt that as a business the requirements were not appropriate and hindered his ability to conduct his business as he sees fit. Lenny was reminded that the appropriateness of a bus waiver and conditions is given on a case by case basis by the First Selectman.
J. Lishing asked Lenny when the event was canceled. He responded that he was informed on Thursday, August 20th.
Lenny passed out copies of an email that Frank Pappalardo sent to the Commission and ad hoc members on August 24th noting that the flag pole at the end of Hartford Ave no longer has a light shining on it. It was mentioned in the email that a member of the Corto family commented that the electrical breaker was turned off. After much discussion, it was discovered that a member of the Corto family did not comment that the breaker was turned off. However, there was no mention of who did make the comment. Chairman Pappalardo requested that the minutes reflect that the email erroneously said a member of the Corto family shut the breaker. - Regardless, the light is not on and the flag will come down until such time electricity is restored.
After several persons of the public in attendance became loud and argumentative, J. Lishing assertively demanded appropriate behavior and decorum be maintained.
J. Lishing moved to adjourn the meeting, Sandy Ziemba seconded, motion passed unanimously.
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