Old Lyme Shores WPCA Meeting

July 15, 2017 at 14 Saltaire Road in Old Lyme, CT 06371

Present:  Joe Halloran, Chair, Pat Burns, John Cunningham, Dede DeRosa, Jack Reynolds

Joe Halloran called the meeting to order at 9:04 .

The minutes from September 3, 2016 were approved.  Motion: John Cunningham.  Second: Pat Burns.  Voted: Unanimous.

Joe Halloran updated the group on the WPCA finances. The balance in the checking account is $111,709. Outstanding checks are $5000 for attorney to prepare agreement for East Lyme and $658 for our engineering firm, Fuss and O’Neil. We owe a significant amount to F & O who will be paid after funds are received from The Clean Water Fund. Once the next phase of this project, Design, begins, we will receive a monthly report from F&O.

John Cunningham reported on progress in developing an improved web site.  It will be running by our Sept meeting. John will post minutes of the WPCA meetings on the site.  Community members must register to access all facets of the site.

Bob Palazzo arrived at 9:30.

The office of Vice Chair of the WPCA was vacated with the departure of Dino Genga.  Motion to appoint Dede DeRosa as Vice Chair:  Joe Halloran. Second: Pat Burns. Voted : unanimous.

Joe Halloran distributed a document summarizing the various agreements  and progress on our project.  This has been updated and shared at several meetings.

Tom Annulli arrived at 9:35 and added to Joe’s financial report. He is preparing to put updates on Quick Books so that F&O monthly reports can  be posted and easily accessed.

Joe reminded us that the Cost Sharing Agreement between OLS, OCB, and Miami Beach establishes that the three associations will own the pipes. Additional clients will have to buy in, and DEEP stays hands off on negotiated fees and operations.  State approval for construction includes DEEP and Office of Policy and Management. O P M requires a projection of performance through a 500 year storm and flood.

Old Lyme’s WPCA is focusing on Sound View. We are negotiating with the town to lease land in Sound View on which a pump house can be maintained.  The agreement must be approved by the town’s attorney, the Selectmen, the Board of Finance, and then by a Town vote.  We must get our community owners to come to a Town Meeting to vote support.

Joe met Tuesday with New London officials and ironed out a contract.  It now needs to be reprinted and signed at a signing ceremony, Our costs will be the same as present members of a Tri City Agreement, including New London, Waterford, and East Lyme.

We had a tentative agreement with East Lyme last Fall. We waited for a copy, but then were required to provide funding for their attorney to prepare the contract. Our waste must go through their Bridebrook Pumping Station which has the capacity but has been mal-functioning. EL has negotiated with the State to move the station and funding has been settled but a new location is still being sought. If it can be rebuilt as part of our project, EL will get a 25% discount.

Waterford is a pass-through so our EL agreement will include authorization from Waterford.

Joe is negotiating with OLS property owners for easement to install pipes through residential property to Old Colony.  He quested the WPCA’s authorization to:

“Employ an attorney to prepare contracts  for property easement to install pipes.”

“Approve by his signature the final negotiated contract for easement.”

Motion to approve: Tom Annulli. Second: Pat Burns. Voted: unanimous.

When contractual agreements are reached with East Lyme, New London, and Old Lyme, the WPCA will reconvene to vote approval of the contracts.

A discussion ensued concerning the actual funds needed as this project progresses and the many specific issues that will have to be decided as construction is designed and implemented.  Decisions will have to be made concerning the procedures and responsibilities for billing, right of way issues, the size of our roads, especially at intersections, and issues of communication with our community residents. John Cunningham is planning a email communication system to keep people informed of plans and progress.

We will hold our next meeting as soon as possible to approve the various contractual agreements. A meeting is tentatively scheduled for Saturday August 19.

Motion to Adjourn at 11:11AM: Tom Annulli.  Second: Joe Halloran. Voted: unanimous.