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WPCA Meeting Minutes- 11/20/2014
Members present: Chairman Kurt Zemba, Vice Chair Tom Risom, Secretary Doug Wilkinson, Dimitri Tolchinski, Ernest Lorda, Rich Prendergast, Frank Chan
Members absent: Rob McCarthy (excused), Donna Bednar, Alternate Andrea Lombard
Also present: Town Sanitarian Sonia Marino, First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder (arrived at 8:10pm), Selectwoman May Jo Nosal (arrived at 8:10pm), Selectman Skip Sibley (arrived at 9:13pm)
- Meeting was called to order at 7:34pm
- Approval of Meeting Minutes from 10/30/14
- Motion to approve made by Tom Risom, seconded by Ernest Lorda
- Correction was made to 10/30/14 minutes to change Hawks Nest Beach abbreviation in minutes from HND to HNB
- Motion passed unanimously
- Correspondence from Chairman
- Latest FAQ is available on WPCA website
- Chariman Zemba stated that tonight’s meeting would focus on other WPCA matters besides the wastewater project and questions being received from the public have been answered and forwarded to Woodard & Curran (W&C) consultants, WPCA Attorney Andrew Lord and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)
- January 13th will be the next WPCA meeting, which will be a full meeting and include discussion of the wastewater project facilities plan and the opportunity for the public to ask questions to W&C and DEEP. DEEP will also discuss the questions regarding pollution at the beach communities that have been raised by members of the public. Depending on what is discussed and decided at the Jan 13th meeting, there will be info sessions on the project in February and March.
- Chairman Zemba stated that as of tonight, no final decision has been made by the WPCA regarding the wastewater management project
- Chairman Zemba discussed that the WPCA is operating under bylaws from 2011 not 2010 to clarify some misinformation and he has asked Attorney Lord to review the bylaws and give his input into any recommendations the WPCA can take. Chairman Zemba asked to have the bylaws be put on the WPCA website for the public to view for their own references.
- Information on the wastewater management project from Chairman Zemba
- The project will only sewer portions of the shoreline (Hawks Nest Beach, Miami Beach, Soundview Beach, Old Lyme Shores, Old Colony Beach)
- The WPCA has not voted to implement any project
There is no intention to charge Old Lyme residents not in the wastewater project area
There is no intention to expedite the project
- No interest in taking any unilateral action
- There will be no revisiting the 10/30/14 decision of removing White Sands Beach from the project area
- Chairman Zemba read an email from a resident in Hawks Nest Beach who supports the wastewater management project. He said that there has been an equal amount of letters and emails in support and against the wastewater project. He stressed that the decisions made the by the WPCA will depend on the feedback and recommendations from W&C and DEEP
- Chairman Zemba stated that as a result refining EDU’s by W&C and DEEP, the cost for individuals in the project area has come down $5,000 and will now cost $22,000, which is at the low end of the scale for what normally costs for a sewer hookup.
- Town Sanitarian Sonia Marino announced that she has accepted the position of Director of Health for the Town of Westbrook and will be starting that new position on January 5th, 2015.
- It has been a busy few months at the health department. A lot of septic systems being installed/repaired before winter comes
- A large amount of data collection has been done by the health department
- Clarification of data in wastewater project area for DEEP & W&C
- Well & septic data for Conservation Commission & Rogers Lake Authority in regards to Rogers Lake
- Sonia spoke specifically about data collection requests from W&C
- Health department has been asked to gather data on Hawks Nest, Soundview and all other areas in the wastewater project map area and asked WPCA if it was necessary to gather data for areas no longer included in the project area as well as for the three private beaches (Miami, Old Colony & Old Lyme Shores) which have had data gathered by Fuss & O’Neil.
- Chairman Zemba said he has talked with W&C and has asked Attorney Lord to meet with DEEP to discuss these issues. He said that DEEP has the info of the three private beaches from Fuss & O’Neil and does not think it is necessary for the health department to gather data that is already available. Zemba said that White Sands Beach is no longer included in the project area and data for it should not have to be collected.
- Other WPCA members stated they also believe it is unnecessary to gather data for areas no longer considered and Old Lyme has information on its GIS map and Visional Appraisal should W&C wish to gather data on these areas.
- The WPCA stated that the health department should focus on gathering data requested by W&C and DEEP for Hawks Nest and Soundview beaches only
- Sonia brought up the septic pump out slips that the town uses to enforce compliance with its septic ordinance. She requested that the WPCA look into restarting the appeals process for homes with septic issues and/or wishing to have an extension on pumping.
- Chairman Zemba said that he has asked WPCA members Frank Chan & Dimitri Tolchinski to form a taskforce to look into the septic pump out program the town has and addressing how the WPCA can better handle septic pump out compliance. Zemba also said he has asked Attorney Lord to review the WPCA’s ordinances and give recommendation and advice on how to improve them.
- The members of the WPCA discussed pump out compliance including past initiatives to enforce compliance, how to deal with older systems and cesspools, how to address non-compliant systems, the importance collecting data on property pump outs, and how to maintain Old Lyme’s high compliance rate with pump outs.
- Chairman Zemba discussed that there are more expenditures than revenue coming in for the current budget. He said that in past budgets, the WPCA’s expenditures have been offset by revenue from the pump out program.
- Discussion of septic disposal and compliance
- Working with haulers in town, issues on Rogers Lake, using new technologies for sewage disposal, how to manage compliance amongst properties, finding ways to reduce costs
- Reiteration of the earlier points
- Health department should only gather additional data requested by DEEP & W&C for Hawks Nest and Soundview beaches
- Wastewater Management Project
- W&C working on information for beaches
- Finalized report will have been reviewed by DEEP with its comments and recommendations for January 13th meeting
- Refinement of EDU’s- finding more EDU’s in project area which has brought down cost of individual sewer hookup by $5,000
- February and March meetings will be info sessions for public and content will depend on actions taken at January meeting
- Meetings for 2015 will continue to be on the second Tuesday of the month unless otherwise specified
- Discussion on EDU’s, final draft report, project logistics
- There was discussion amongst members regarding what happens once the final facilities plan is brought before them, how each EDU will be assessed (examples brought up by members included commercial properties, 2-family homes, undeveloped land) and how W&C is calculating the net cost for each EDU.
- Chairman Zemba said that since there has been no action yet on the wastewater project and no funds have been allocated for it, there is no budget available at this time
- Important considerations for next budget
- Regular WPCA operations
- How to incorporate funds for wastewater project- should it proceed
- Business relationship with registered septic haulers and septic transfer station
- Storm water compliance
- WPCA discussed on whether or not the storm water permit should be under public works or WPCA
- First Selectwoman Reemsnyder discussed a recent Connecticut Conference of Municipalities conference for storm water compliance she attended and said most of the attendees were from public works departments
- Process for approving and discussing budget
- Tom Risom discussed that the wastewater project rationale is based on need and not on geography
- Chairman Zemba discussed the need to fill two alternate vacancies on the WPCA
- Chairman Zemba is working on the WPCA portion of the Old Lyme Annual Report and has submitted to the Old Lyme Newsletter about what the WPCA has been working on
- Continuation of Sanitarian’s Report
- Discussed CT Water pipes down at the beaches and discussed burying of water lines below frost level
- Attended Connecticut Conference of WPCA’s annual meeting and listened in on a presentation regarding climate change and rise in sea levels
- Motion was made by Rich Prendergast to adjourn, seconded by Tom Risom
- Motion passed unanimously
- Meeting adjourned at 9:19pm.
Submitted by:
Chris Seery, WPCA Clerk
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