Minutes
January 7, 2008
Attendance:
Chester: Sally Murray
Clinton: Alan Kravitz
Deep River: Bruce Edgerton, Rob Wylie
Essex: Tom
Danyliw
Killingworth: Pat Smulders
Lyme: Frank Skwarek, Ning Rich
Old Lyme: Jane
Marsh
Old
Saybrook: Karen Jo Marcolini
Westbrook: Bill
Neale, Lee Bridgewater
Staff: Linda
Krause, J. H.
I.
Chairman
Bruce Edgerton called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM, in the
II. Minutes
Tom
Danyliw moved that the minutes of the December 3, 2007 meeting be approved as
presented. The motion was seconded by Alan Kravitz and
unanimously approved.
III. Correspondence
Linda reported that the correspondence will be
incorporated onto other reports.
IV. Treasurers
Report
A.
Cash Flow
The
cash flow statement was distributed. Linda noted that the large account
receivable item is mostly due to no payments from DOT, a situation currently
experienced by all RPOs.
Bill
Neale moved that the cash flow report be accepted as circulated. The motion was
seconded by Ning Rich and unanimously approved.
B. Dues
Linda reminded members that they raised the dues to
$2.00 last year. She suggested that they ask for the same amount this year. OPM
increased its payment by $17,000. CRERPA may also obtain money from other
sources.
Jane Marsh moved that CRERPA set $2.00 per capita as
per the 2006 CT Health Department estimate as the dues for 2008-2009. The
motion was seconded by Tom Danyliw and unanimously
approved.
V. Transportation Matters
Linda reported that the ETD saga continues. Selectmen Eno and Smith now represent the
towns of Lyme and Deep River on the ETD board of Directors. It is understood
that the terms of Doris Sanstrom from Westbrook and Barbara Klein from
Killingworth end in January.
Linda reported that two ETD employees who previously
submitted written complaints about their Director now ask for indemnification.
Dick Smith asserted that they are already
covered for all
legal acts done in good faith.
Linda reported that after the
Selectmen cautioned the ETD not to hire an unbudgeted
management consultant, one was hired. The resultant Management
Handbook has a lot of
ambiguities.
The Beecher FOI hearing is
scheduled for January 24, 2008.
Tom Danyliw asked if CRERPA retains
any fiduciary responsibility for the ETD.
Linda stated that it does not, but that
she had been authorized by the Lower Connecticut
Valley Selectmen’s Association to ascertain certain
facts. She added that any regional activity that
does not meet the expectations of the public reflect badly on everything
regional.
VI. Committees
A. Referral
Torrance Downes announced that there is
only one referral this month. It is
relative to the active adult community on Bokum Road in Essex. The Essex Zoning
Commission previously amended their regulations regarding the number of units
per acre. The new amendment would clarify the previous one. Since it seems to be more restrictive, it should not impose any
inter-municipal concern. Jane Marsh mentioned that the proposed change could
not be applied to the pending application. Tom Danyliw noted that it could
apply to the “third parcel”. The amendment refers to the number of units “in
any one area”. Torrance has received any clarification of the term “area”. He
will mention in his reply that the term is vague.
Jane Marsh moved to support the comments
of the staff. The motion was seconded by Bill Neale and unanimously approved.
B. Gateway
Torrance
reported that Chairman Vollono suggested that this may be a good time to
approach the
Essex Zoning Commission about approving the most recent update of the
Gateway Standards.
He is scheduling a meeting with Zoning Commission Chairman Al
Wolfgram.
Jane Marsh mentioned that proposed statewide
Riverfront Area legislation makes Gateway
regulations
seem far less restrictive.
VII.
Old Business
A. Staff Report
1. Open House
Linda
thanked everyone for helping to make the Open House celebration of the 40th
anniversary of the creation of CRERPA a success. She noted that she sat in one place. She did
not feel well at the open house. A week later she was admitted to the hospital
and received transfusions. It was determined that she
had bleeding ulcers are due to Advil. She feels much better now.
2. Inter-Governmental Relations
Linda reported that she had a visit on
Friday from W. David Levasseur, Under Secretary of Inter-Governmental Affairs
for the Office of Policy and Management, formerly First Selectman of
Killingworth and Dick VanAudsall of OPM..
Linda is one of three candidates for the
Advisory Committee for Inter-Governmental Affairs Committee. It would require
one meeting a month in Hartford.
3. Natalie Williams Memorial
Linda announced that the Gateway Commission
approved the purchase of a very special camera that attaches GPS positioning
data to each photo.
4. JAGLLE
Linda announced that Justice Assistance Grants for
Local Law Enforcement are available to specified law enforcement agencies ONLY
through their RPO. Clinton and Old Saybrook Police Departments are eligible to
suggest jointly what they prefer to have CRERPA apply for to benefit the
region. The deadline is in March.
5. Linda reported that CRERPA staff is meeting every two
weeks with the Chester Planning and Zoning Commission to work on the Plan of Conservation
and Development. She noted that Chester is getting a lot more than it is paying
for. She considers it a practice run for
the Regional Plan of Conservation and Development.
Linda explained that the whole basis of planning is
changing. She was taught to look at the past and project the future. Global
warming, sea rise, energy shortages and changing technology make past trends
unreliable.
She used a chapter on Global Warming, extracted from
the Housatonic Valley Plan as an example.
6. Essex
Linda reported that she has
assigned Janice Ehle-Meyer to work on a Plan of Development for Ivoryton. Linda
Herman has developed a detailed outline for the study.
7. Westbrook
Linda reported that CRERPA replied to Westbrook that
the agency is not in a position to do the plan of Conservation and Development
for the Westbrook Planning Commission. CRERPA is very willing to supply data to
the firm that is selected.
8. Clinton
The Clinton Planning and Zoning Commission is interviewing candidates for the new position of Planner.
Linda is scheduled to meet with the Clinton Economic
Development Commission. Clinton seems to believe that the Economic Development Commission
is responsible for appointing the delegates to CRERPA. By statute, one delegate
is to be appointed by the Board of Selectmen and one is to be appointed by the
Planning Commission.
B. Connecticut Regional Planning Organizations
Linda distributed fact sheets presenting the
findings of Program Review and Investigations Committee of the General Assembly
as approved on December 20, 2007. The findings were discussed, item by item.
All three forms of Regional
Planning Organizations will continue to be recognized. There may be some
adjustments to the boundaries. Criteria were established for the 2010 State
Plan of Conservation and Development. Developments of Regional Significance
will be considered. The fact sheet is attached.
Frank Skwarek moved that the
meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by Ning Rich. The meeting
adjourned at 8:40 PM.
Respectfully
submitted,
Bill Neale,
Secretary