Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder's Monthly Newsletter

This article was posted by Jayne Keedle. It was written by Old Lyme First Selectwoman Bonnie Reemsnyder. 

March has been a cold but busy month!  We are happy to see the sun shining, and there is no denying – SPRING IS IN THE AIR!

Wastewater Management Task Force

March has been a very busy month for the Task Force. On Mar. 6th and 7th, they interviewed four firms to be considered for the Feasibility Study for Wastewater Management of the Shoreline Area. This involved two long evenings, and resulted in the recommendation to the Board of Selectmen to engage the firm of Woodard and Curran for our Study.

The recommended firm met with the Task Force and the Board of Selectmen at a combined meeting to review the initial Scope of Work (SOW) and timeline. At a Special Meeting of the Board of Selectmen, Woodard and Curran was approved to work with the Town of Old Lyme on this project, and they proceeded to work closely with the CT DEEP on the project. 

Two public hearings on the Study were conducted – the first on Monday, Mar. 25, in the Town Hall Meeting Room. This first presentation was taped and continues to be aired on Public Access TV , Channel 14.  The second presentation was on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 11:00 AM. Both presentations were well attended and there were some great questions.

You will find more information on our website –www.oldlyme-ct.gov under Current Projects. The handouts from the presentations – “FAQ 3-26-13”, and “Facing the Issues” – are posted for review. Please take the time to find out about this project, as we will be voting on it this month.  

The cost of the Feasibility Study is $185,000, and approximately $167,000 is eligible for a 55% reimbursement through the Clean Water Fund. A Special Town Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at the Middle School Auditorium to approve this expenditure.   

FY 2014 Budget

The Board of Finance has continued to work hard on reviewing the FY 2014 budget.  As you know, they meet weekly beginning in early February, and until the budget process is completed. A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 22, 2013 at 7:30 PM in the Town Hall Meeting Hall. Chairman Andy Russell will present a Power Point Presentation to go over the budget highlights. We hope to see you there.

Special thanks go out to the Board of Finance members who devote so much time during Budget Season to make sure that our tax dollars are spent wisely and carefully:  Andy Russell, Chair, Wayne Devoe, H. Perry Garvin, Chris Kerr, Janet Sturgess, David Woolley, and alternates Bob Jose, David Kelsey,  and new member Bennett Bernblum. I also want to thank the many members of Boards and Commissions, and other organizations who attended meetings to explain their budget requests and challenges.

Special Town Meeting – April 9, 2013: MS Auditorium

There will be a Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, April 9th at 7:30 PM to approve the cost of the Feasibility Study for Wastewater Management, and the cost of Parking Improvements and Kiosks for parking in Sound View.  

At the meeting, we will be voting on authorizing the expenditure of $185,000 for the Feasibility Study, and $27,300 for the two kiosks and parking design in Sound View.  

We urge you to take the time to join us and vote on these important projects.  

Sound View Improvements Grant

The committee overseeing the grant continues to work on putting together an RFQ for firms that are interested in working with the Town of Old Lyme on this project. As reported earlier, this project has been awarded a grant that will cover 80% of the cost of the improvements, which is a terrific opportunity for the Town.  

The project includes a bike path from I-95 to Hartford Ave., a park with restrooms, and a small parking area at the end of Hartford Ave. Eventually, there will be a Town Meeting to approve the cost for the project, even though the grant will pay for a large portion of it. We will, of course, keep you posted on our progress.  

Rogers Lake Dam Repairs

For at least ten years, the Board of Selectmen has worked on plans to repair the Rogers Lake Dam. The dam has areas of deterioration to the dam itself, as well as the slide gate and outlet pipe.  We have worked long and hard with Nathan L. Jacobsen & Associates of Chester, CT on plans and design, as well as project estimates.  

A Request for Bid went out in early March, and the bids came in on Monday, Apr. 1.  We are awaiting review of all bids before awarding the project, but we are pleased to have had many qualified companies who were interested in the work. We expect to have the repairs completed by the end of September, 2013.  We will also be installing a fish ladder that will allow the alewives to return to Rogers Lake during the spawning season.  

Special thanks go to former First Selectman Timothy Griswold for continuing with the project, and Ellie Czarnowski who has offered her expertise as well.  

Senior Center Director

I am sorry to report that our Senior Center Director, Sherry White has resigned as of Mar. 28th, 2013.  Sherry joined our team over 8 years ago, and was beloved by the patrons of the Senior Center, located at 26 Town Woods Rd.  She will be sorely missed by many, and we are sorry to see her go.  

A Search Committee has been formed, and the position has been posted. There have been many impressive resumes submitted already, so I think that we will be successful in our search for a qualified candidate for the job. Our sincere thanks go out to Sherry for her compassionate care of Seniors for the many years she worked with us.