Minutes
October 1, 2007
Attendance:
Chester: Sally Murray
Clinton:
Deep River: Bruce Edgerton
Essex: Tom
Danyliw
Killingworth: Jere Adametz, Pat Smulders
Lyme: Frank Skwarek, Ning Rich
Old Lyme: Jane
Marsh
Old Saybrook: Dick
Tietjen, Karen Jo Marcolini
Westbrook: Bill
Neale, Lee Bridgewater
Staff: Linda
Krause, J. H.
Guest: Keith Chrisman representing ICLEY
I.
Chairman Bruce Edgerton called the meeting to
order at
II. Guest
Chairman
Edgerton noted the change from the usual agenda.
Director
Linda Krause introduced Keith Chrisman who represents ICLEY and the Essex
Citizens for Clean Energy and Sustainable Development.
Keith
reported that ICLEY is modeling changes in the environment for the period of
2050 to 2100. If Greenhouse Emissions
are not reduced, the tri-state area is predicted to have a climate similar to the
current climate of Maryland by 2050 and that of South Carolina by 2100.
He
is sponsoring a conference to be held at
Valley Regional High School on Thursday evening, October 4, featuring Dr. Smith
speaking on the Science of Climate and Lynn
Stoddard of DEP who will discuss “ What We Can Do” and “How to Do It”.
CRERPA members volunteered to help spread the word. Keith is looking for a group of volunteers to
create a Regional Plan to Reduce Emissions. He asked CRERPA to join ICLEY and
use their expertise.
Central
Connecticut RPA did join for one year but did not renew the membership because of
funding issues.
Linda
agreed that it fits nicely with the Regional Plan of Conservation and
Development.
She
noted that sustainability is the new term for the environmental issues of the
1970s.
fees for ICLEI are based on
population. Computing the CRE at roughly 62,000 people, the base fee would be
$1,200 per year. The fee would include the right to use the ICLEY software to
compile information that the Agency is to compile for ICLEY. He suggested that the Agency could apply for
a Clean Energy Grant to help cover the cost.
Jane Marsh inserted that the goal
is to establish a benchmark.
Linda
suggested that at the very least, members of the Agency will learn about the
subject and it will be a component of the RPCD (Regional Plan of Conservation
and Development).
III. Minutes
Jere
Adametz moved that the minutes of the September 9 meeting be approved as
Presented. The motion was seconded by
Ning Rich and unanimously approved.
IV. Correspondence
A.
Linda announced that 21st Annual Rockfall
Symposium will be held at Camp Hazen in Chester on Friday, October 19. She
urged members to attend and suggested that scholarships are available for those
who are interested.
B. DEP Calendars
2008
DEP Calendars were distributed.
C. RPO Study
Linda reported that she reviewed the initial results
of the General Assembly Study of Regional Planning Organizations. The report
was televised and available via computer. The first phase was the gathering of
information. The CRERPA budget is $500,000 per annum. Capital Region is over
$7,000, 000. CRERPA has next to the
highest per capita dues. It also has next to the smallest population. The
Directors of the RPOs met and agreed that one size does not fit all. The
Directors prefer not combine regions or change the boundaries.
V. Staff
A.
Linda announced that Tor is now the principal
staff member for the Gateway Commission. She hopes to devote more time to the
Regional Plan of Conservation and Development.
B.
The ETD has fired
Director Brad Beecher. His legal representative is David Denvir. FOI is an
issue. There is no record of the board voting to dismiss the Director. No
replacement is being sought.
C.
Linda and
Torrance will go to Westbrook Wednesday night to meet with a multi-board
committee and discuss the selection of a consultant to help with the Westbrook
Plan of Conservation and Development.
CRERPA staff is aware that the Chairman of the Westbrook Planning
Commission has stated that she does believe that CRERPA has the resources to do
the job. The staff prefers to
work
where they are wanted and respected.
Bill Neale asked that they approach the matter with an open mind. The
Commission is comprised of a number of individuals.
D.
Linda reported
that progress is being made with the Chester Plan of Conservation and
Development.
Sally Murray circulated a folder of preliminary
pages. Bill asked that a copy of the
sample be made available to the members of the Westbrook commission on
Wednesday.
E. Linda recommended that Agency members consult the
Wolfville, Nova Scotia website for a good example of Sustainable Development.
She explained that she had been planning to do extensive land use observation
in that region until she learned that the last CAT leaves earlier than she had
planned to return.
VI. Reports
A. Treasurer
The audit is in progress.
B. Referrals
Tor distributed a list of referrals with comments
attached. (see addendum)
He noted that the information from the Old
Lyme Harbor Commission was referred as a courtesy. It is an eighteen page
proposal patterned after the CRERPA categorization that evolved from the dock
study. Torrance assisted the Commission by writing the document. Jane asked who
would regulate the docks. Regulation
would be a DEP responsibility. The document would provide guidelines. The
proposal would be breaking legal ground.
Jane suggested that it would be advisable to notify and involve the team
that is responsible for reviewing the inland portion of the same installations.
It would be best for the two plans to be harmonious.
Jane moved
that for items I &2 (Haddam and Salem), the staff comments be accepted and
forwarded to the appropriate parties. The motion was seconded by Ning Rich and
unanimously approved.
The proposal to allow crematoria for large animals in
the Turnpike Industrial Zone in Deep River sparked a discussion of a number of
issues including transportation, emissions, storage and the disposal of
cremains. *Note to staff- “Cremains” is a term used by Sally whose sister is a
mortician.
Jane suggested that more research needed to be done
before the issue is considered.
Jere Adametz
moved that the commission be advised that more information is needed. The
motion was seconded by Pat Smulders and unanimously approved.
The proposed sale of lobsters in residential zones in
Clinton created concern. The sale of fish is prohibited in residential zones.
There are no limits proposed. Jane
expressed concern about traffic. Ning Rich noted that it is proposed “by right”
without the information required for a Special Permit. It was agreed that the concerns
should be forwarded to the Commission.
C. Gateway
Tor reported that there are eight properties, four
owned in fee simple and four easements that have not been transferred from
Gateway to the DEP. He will initiate a
program to investigate each parcel and initiate the transfer. He also hopes to initiate strategies to
encourage Essex and Old Lyme to update their regulations in accordance with
current Gateway standards.
Jane noted that the matter was discussed at the most
recent meeting of the Old Lyme Zoning Commission. There is an attitude of “Why should
any other agency tell us what to do”.
V.
Old Business
A. RPCD
Linda reviewed the concept of the Regional Plan of Conservation
and Development and distributed previously prepared outlines of the proposal.
She explained that all RPOs are required to submit a new plan by 2008.
Bill Neale moved that the
meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by
Frank Skwarek. The meeting was adjourned at
9:24 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Neale, Secretary