A Roundup of Old Lyme News from Monday’s Board of Selectmen Meeting

Old Lyme Memorial Town Hall

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Old Lyme — The Board of Selectmen discussed a number of ongoing municipal issues Monday night. Here’s a roundup:

  • Hains Park bathroom and well: Architectural drawings are “90 percent done” and will go to the Boathouse/Hains Park Improvement Committee for comments, then design will be put out to bid. The town is waiting for state approval to drill a new well.

  • Community Connectivity Grant: In 2019, the town was awarded a $400,000 state grant for the construction of sidewalks on Hartford Ave. between Bocce Lane and Route 156 (Shore Road) and sidewalks on the north side of Route 156 between Cross Lane and the Police Station. The town is responsible for the design and engineering of the project and appropriated $30,000 in the 2019-2020 budget. Construction bids showed the original design might not use up the entire $400,000 grant. On September 17, the Board of Finance approved an extra $10,000 to cover the design of sidewalks on the north side of Route 156 between Cross Lane and the Police Station, which will guarantee the all of the grant monies will be spent.

  • Town Woods Park well: This summer’s well tests came back positive for E. coli and Coliform. Sanitizing did not solve the contamination problem. Town staff discovered discharge from a sump pump near the well head. The state approved having the sump pump reconfigured farther away from well head. The town will test the well again and if two rounds of testing come back clean, then the problem is solved. If the tests continue to show contamination, the town may need to drill a new well.

  • The Lymes’ Senior Center: The selectmen approved the formation of a committee of five Old Lyme residents and four Lyme residents that will address the need for more space at the center. The idea originated with whether to enclose the facility’s screened porch, which was more costly than expected.

  • Exploratory Committee for Affordable Housing: The town has eight applications for possibly seven seats. First Selectman Bonnie Reemsnyder said she wants more people to submit applications before the board makes decisions and shares the names of applicants.

  • Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO): The town has three applicants for the position but none have all of the qualifications for job. Reemsnyder said she is bringing back two of the applicants to meet with the chairs of the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Inland Wetlands Commission and the Planning Commission.

  • Old Lyme resident Rebecca Waldo made a presentation urging the town to reach net zero emissions in 11 years. She said the major source of emissions in Connecticut is transportation, followed by power and heating. She requested the town acquire electric school buses, install charging stations for electric cars, increase energy efficiency and change zoning regulations and building codes. Reemsynder offered to start a committee to look at the problem and asked Waldo to join.

  • Old Lyme resident Steven Ross requested that beach stickers be free to residents because taxes cover the costs of running town facilities. Reemsnyder said the town received $34,500 in beach sticker fees and removing that revenue would impact the municipal budget.