The Eightmile River
Wild & Scenic Study Committee
Meeting Minutes – July 24th,
2006, Lyme Town Hall
Present:
Bernie Gillis, Anthony Irving, John Rozum, Eric Belt, Parker Lord, Ralph Lewis, Nathan Frohling, Gloria Fogarty, Linda Bireley, Roger Dill,
Sally Snyder, Damon Hearne.
- Acceptance of June 26th 2006 Meeting Minutes –
Unanimous
- The next meeting of the Study Committee will be
August 28th, 5pm in East Haddam.
- Anthony Irving briefed the committee on the needs
for subcommittee structure within ERWSCC. It was explained that the number
of subcommittee’s could vary from 3 to 5 depending on the extent of lumping
or splitting tasks and topics. After some discussion, it was decided that
the following subcommittees seem prudent at the current time (and that the
structure could be altered to suit future needs): Project Review and
Comment, Monitoring and Research, Outreach and Education, Management Tool
Implementation.) Damon Hearne passed around a signup sheet and each committee
member selected preferences for subcommittee seating.
John Rozum then presented the by-laws that
he, Sally Snyder and Eric Belt Had been working on as an ad-hoc sub-committee.
The first order of business was discussing the formal name of the coordinating
committee. In past meetings the committee had discussed the option of changing
the name from “Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee” to
another name that may be more appropriate such as “Stewardship Council” or
“Watershed Council”. After some discussion of the complications that would
result from a name change, and with Damon Hearne’s suggestion that a ‘branding
line’ that could follow the current committee title to help fill the discussed
need (ie “Serving to Protect the Eightmile Watershed” etc) . Ralph Lewis
made a motion to adopt “Eightmile River Wild and Scenic Coordinating Committee”
as the official name. Gloria Fogerty seconded the
motion and the committee voted unanimously in favor. The committee then discussed
the bylaws section by section and made several changes. The revised bylaws
will be presented at the August meeting for further discussion.
Officer elections were discussed briefly.
Anthony Irving stated that he was interested in the chairman position and
willing to serve in that capacity for one year as the new committee establishes
itself. It was decided that the officer elections would take place after
the bylaws had been adopted by the committee and that Anthony Irving would
continue in his role of interim chair pending the official transition from
Study Committee to Coordinating Committee.
- Damon Hearne then updated the committee on the
status of the management plan and the study report. He reported that the
management plan was being sent of for printing and the study report was
under review by the national park service. The committee also heard an
update regarding the study bill and congressional action. Congressmen Simmons
office will be submitting the bill to the House as soon as National Park
Service has released the report for review which should occur within the
next several weeks. Staff will forward to the committee members congressional
contact information so that they can contact the CT delegation and request
that each representative sign on to the initial designation bill.
- Damon Hearne then briefed the committee on riparian
setback regulation status in each town. He stated that East
Haddam has set a public hearing on the setback and that Lyme has scheduled
Planning and Zoning meeting for review of the draft regulation. Salem has also prioritized the topic for their summer round of
regulation changes. After discussion of several aspects of East
Haddam’s proposal for including all streams (intermittent and perennial)
in their overlay district regulation. The committee agreed that a letter
should be submitted that supports the commission but delicately point out
that the Study Committee’s research and analysis on affected parcels and
acres is not applicable if intermittent streams are included.
- Nathan Frohling then updated the committee on the
private fund raising effort and indicated that names had been gathered and
members of the fund raising sub-committee would be contacting potential
funders over the course of the following month.
The meeting was then adjourned.
Submitted D. Hearne
August 15, 2006