OLS BOG 09/12/21 Meeting Minutes
Board of Governors and Association officers in attendance: Matt Merritt (MM), Bryan Even (BE), Norm Yester (NY), Joanne Gilland (JG), MaryKate Reynolds (MKR), Tom Annulli (TA), Al Roy (AR), Cliff Winkel (CW), Kathi Stickley(KS), Jay Moynihan(JM)
Also present : Dede DeRosa, Julia Nixon
Zoom Participants: approx. 10 -15 association members
Meeting called to order- at 10:06 AM
Approval of Minutes from BOG Meeting 8/15/2020 JM/TA, motion passed
MM– asked for Roll Call of meeting attendees name and title.
Main point of this BOG meeting is for the preparation for Fall 2021 Meeting- There is a change in day/date but location and time are the same (Meeting will be held on Sunday 9/19/21 at 10 AM at the Old Lyme Middle School ). Participants should send their slide additions to MKR by Thursday. Topics discussed will be
- Car, speeding, beach conditions
- The 3 part sewer project
AR– outline of his portion of fall meeting:
Shared Project update
- Schedule – key dates:
Advertised 8/20, Scheduled Bid Opening 10/05; Revised Bid Opening is 10/19 due to contractor request to extend - Contractor calls completed (30)
- Pre-bid meetings on 09/08 well attended
- IFO / PLO Funding discussions with state agencies; to ensure OCBCA does not exceed their bonding capacity referendum they are no longer the sole applicant for shared project funding; apportioned amount for the shared project funding to be combined with each association’s internal project funding;
DEEP, DEEP Treasury and OTT all highly supportive - Full court press to consummate TOL / EL IMA – this is final prerequisite for TOL full inclusion in CSA; important to establish EDU-based percentage split for Construction IFO – reducing OLSBA share from 29% to 21%
- MBA – after extended delays, will advertise their internal project in 2 – 3 weeks; until recently delays with MBA were highly concerning
- CSA – Current CSA being modified to reflect restructuring of CWF funding
- Includes complete reassessment of form, content, provisions and requirements of the current CSA
- Federal / State grants update
- Matt – Chris Murphy’s office is actively seeking grant opportunities and offered to complete the grant application on our behalf.
- Doug Whalen (OCBCA) – Joe Courtney’s office –Doug continues to coordinate with Joe’s grant administrator.
- Ability to award contracts still limited by beaches authorized bonding capacity; conundrum: timing/utilization of grant funds
OLSBA Project update
- Schedule – key dates:
Advertised Friday, 9/10; Scheduled bid opening 10/14
Cost Review
- Budgetary Level Opinion of Capital and O&M Costs (09/08/2020)
What-if scenarios
ARcontinued with his update to the BOG:
Currently, the WPCA Board has one vacancy and we anticipate a second vacancy by the Spring meeting in 2022. AR asked for the BOG’s assistance in finding volunteers.
September Monthly WPCA Meeting – This is being rescheduled to Thursday evening, September 30 due to a scheduling conflict. Appropriate notice will be given.
ARthen turned the discussion over to MM and BE, who are leading efforts to identify alternatives to sewers:
Alternatives to sewers, per previous BOG member recommendations
- Alternative compliance options (Consent Order)
- Legal review of contractual obligations, liabilities, exposure to damages
- Other considerations – if project does not move forward:
- Financial liabilities
- Funding for stormwater management plan
- Funding for road repair
MM– asked board if they have interest in retaining attorney Tim Corey from Hinckley Allen to determine at what are our legal obligations; board expressed their approval.
JM– -Problem is not just the bids but also other costs- construction contingency 15-20% share and other problems that occur during; and also assuming the revenue number may be impacted
KS– use the proforma as the way to communicate to the community. Thinks a sheet should be available to 191 members with: Where are we today? What are our vulnerabilities? What are our plans if things fall through?
Discussion onif any modification are made to the CSA there should be in writing escape and damage clauses to protect OLS members.
MM– taking the next step to obtain counsel to protect OLS exposure
JM– Good to do a legal review of CSA- put into writing what you are asking the legal counsel to do; also suggests take a look at intermunicipal agreements and the inherent obligations of OLS and the shared beaches (already has been done); suggests counsel gives a writtenopinion
JM– concern if sewer is the solution but preparing ourselves as a group to develop alternatives
Someone do a 30-40 hour review for the alternatives to sewers-look at state regs in regard to septic systems, etc ;need to hire a firm to look at CSA and intermunicipal and another to look at the alternatives to sewers (anyone in the community may have a source)
KS– will put an outline together
BE– Timing of review and who signs? (CSA)
AR– Waiting on town of Old Lyme and their attorney to review and submit proposed revisions; Upon completion of the initial revision process, the WPCA committee members will seek review and comment from their respective association presidents. An independent legal review at that stage is under consideration. Final approval will include signatures from the CSA committee members and each of the association presidents.
NY– Financials: will have available the financials with a June 30thcomparison to the actual and where we stand through September.
Housecleaning:
Guards – many new guards – minimum wage is 13 dollars per hour and next year 14 dollars per hour
BE– wanted to perhaps increase the number and visibility of guards while KSfeels that there were too many.
CW– Saw off street parking on upper Billow and people walking to the beach; wants to place Private-No Parking Will Tow signs.
MM– Agenda later this afternoon-will send out tonight; looking for volunteers for WPCA
Public Comment: Flyers for Fourth of July for 2022 and Carousel Night; Hopeful for Band for next year; OLS 75th anniversary 7/15, 7/16/2022;
JM-thinks BOG should set up regular meetings to monitor (similar to WPCA monthly meetings) to stay abreast-could be virtual.
JM-proposed to get a meeting with Fuss and O’Neill to give an overview of the bids and timetables etc- getting to a point where bids will be coming in and wants to know more about process and who reviews, signs, Feels it is not well defined;
MM– board project charging the WPCA to understanding and internalizing and reporting back to the president of the BOG who will bring it to the BOG to be voted on.
JM-Status on the zoning violation (president received a certified letter). Does not have to respond.
11:35 AM Motion to adjourn TA/ JM