Stannard Beach Association Annual Meeting August 31, 2014

Stannard Beach Association Annual Meeting August 31, 2014 

Connell Pavilion 9 a m breakfast

The minutes of the meeting dated June 29, 2014 were read. Edits include: Move dead end sign in front of Mike Grennan’s house to telephone pole on right side of 2^nd Ave. Install stop sign at corner of 2^nd Ave and Beach Court. Motion to accept the minutes with edits made by Merle Katzman, 2^nd by George Palmer, all voted to accept with edits.

Treasurer’s Report by Laura Petchler, treasurer. Assessments went out at the beginning of July and are due by September 1, 2014. Assn assessments cover grounds maintenance and beautification, trash collection, security and capital improvements.

In checking there is $105,120 and in savings there is $6030. Motion to accept the treasurer’s report made by Barbara Berkowitz and 2^nd by George Palmer. All voted to accept.

The pizza truck has been booked for next year, on the last Friday evening before the General Meeting.

The erosion study has been submitted to DEEP and has still not been responded to.

An article in the Hartford Courant today is all about a man on the CT River who put up a breakwater to prevent his property from erosion/sliding into the river. The State of CT told him to take it down, so the property owner took his case to the supreme court and lost – he must remove the breakwater! So we must move in accordance with the law.

DEEP may take 1-2 years to respond to us.

3 families have children getting married this year!

Paul and Ali Shlien

Ed and Linda Pinn

George and Carmela Dallas

New Business: BOD elections: Steve Mason presented the proposed slate of officers and directors for fiscal year 2014-2015 as chairperson Sandy Seidman could not be here.

President: George Dallas

First Vice President: John Abella

Second Vice President: Steve Powers

Secretary: Sharon Bender

 Three Year Directors: Richard Glassman, Maureen Keegan, Jerry Skolnick

Two Year Directors: Michael Grennan, Connie Tosto, Michael Guinan

One Year Directors: David Caslin, Mark Miller, Paul Shlien

Leaving the board are: Michael Rottblatt, Marty Webber, Lincoln Tedeschi

Motion to accept the slate as presented made by George Palmer, 2^nd by Merle Katzman, all voted to accept the slate as presented.

By laws: the last document we have is from 2004, so Sharon Bender and Laura Petchler have incorporated all the voted in amendments and edits since then. The document will be circulated via email to everyone, and please send in suggestions to a list of contacts that George will provide.

Is there a need for any new rule? Any changes? The suggested changes will be presented at the next General Meeting and at the General meeting after that they will be voted upon. Should the document “legislative Act” that created the borough be included in the by laws?  SBA came into being in around 1900 and we became a borough some years later.

This is an important step and all are invited to participate.

Thank you to Mary Rottblatt, Vy Kava and Marie Garabedian for putting together the breakfast today!

Any other new business? Peter Black brought up that a bench is needed at the playground for adults to sit on. 

Adam Schwartz mentioned that the Pavilion needs maintenance: overhead screening and rebuild rotted wood portions.

Robin Schwartz: Please pick up after your dog! Poop bag dispensing stations were put in place 2 years ago. Please use them!  Also there is too much barking! Please keep dogs quiet

Merle Katzman made a motion to adjourn, George Palmer 2^nd, all voted to adjourn at 9:40 a m.

Submitted by Sharon Bender

Stannard Beach Assn BOD mtg August 30, 2014

Stannard Beach Board of Directors meeting August 30, 2014

The meeting was called to order at 9:05 am Minutes were read, edited and accepted.

Treasurer’s report: Everyone is paying their Stannard Beach Assn dues.

Steve Mason read the report of the Nominating Committee as Sandy Seidman, Chair, could not be there:

The committee was made up of : Sandy Seidman, Chair, Steve Mason, Dennis Hersh, and John Abella

Slate of Officers and Directors for the 2014-2015 fiscal year:

President: George Dallas

First Vice President: John Abella

Second Vice President: Steve Powers

Secretary: Sharon Bender

Three Year Directors: Richard Glassman, Maureen Keegan, Jerry Skolnick

Two Year Directors: Michael Grennan, Connie Tosto, Michael Guinan

One Year Directors: David Caslin, Mark Miller, Paul Shlien

Leaving the board are: Michael Rottblatt, Marty Webber, Lincoln Tedeschi

Update on beach nourishment: The paperwork has been submitted to DEEP. They will not get back to us until next March or so, and they may not approve extending the groins or jetties.

George asked a few people for their suggestions on what we might do since the sand does not stay. The recommendation is to add a grainier, larger sand “MacChoi large stone”.

Do we fill the ditch with larger stones (approximately 1” size), 3 feet wide, and 6-8” deep, filling a strip from groin #1 to Richard Rosenblatt’s house? The cost of the stone is about $40,000. Placing the stone would be a challenge. We must access the beach from the right of way between Fishman and Sanzo. This would necessitate creating a temporary “road” over the right of way, then (each truck carries 10 tons)  bring in spreaders. The total cost comes to $110,000 plus repairs to 2^nd Ave when the job is complete.

George went to DEEP to go over this requirement to have us provide nourishment on State property. They will not provide any funding.

Mike Grennan headed a committee that wants to be sure all projects are for the benefit of all Assn members. Since the state of CT says they will not provide funding since there is no benefit to the state, that’s a good standard for our Assn. to adopt. “If it is a benefit to all Assn members then any project may be a good and fair investment”.

Is there any existing proof in writing that putting the stones down works? No, George will look for it.

DEEP is mandating we provide beach nourishment. John Abella asked for clarification. Not exactly: in exchange for modification of the 1992 agreement to keep sand by groin #2 and the seawall, we provide some sort of nourishment on the beach front.

Harvey Robbins reminded the group that stairs over the groins will meet the DEEP requirement. But George showed DEEP that stairs do not hold up.

If we put in extended groins with “t’s” and “L’s” they will probably be 3’ tall above the sand bars, and folks find that unattractive.

Can we try rip rap at the base of the seawall as individual homeowners? Does the Assn pay for Adam Schwartz to have rip rap in front of his wall?  No –would not be approved.

Connie Tosto says the east end of the beach is livid asking and asking for erosion control at their end. But it is Mother Nature! We need to tell the east end Assn members that we’re not going to do something – we just need to clarify this for them.

DEEP asked us to make a plan agreed upon by the neighbors on Beach Court. Lou Florio would not agree to anything but then sent DEEP emails saying why is nothing done. So the east end of the beach just needs a clear answer.

Should the Assn pay to put rocks in front of the seawall on the east end of the beach? The beach is not seen as a communal issue as there are restrictions on its use, so if private property owners want to make a proposal, they need to spearhead it.

Mike Rottblatt asked can we use the capital expenditures fund to start at the east end and build by Rottblatt (?), leave the ramp in place and see how it works over a year at a time.

Also a second issue is enlisting the support of non waterfront owners. Can ask waterfront owners to sign an agreement allowing full use of the beach.

George will do some research on the history of using rocks (1-2” size) to see if it has worked elsewhere. There is concern about the use of heavy trucks on 2^nd Ave. Mike Rottblatt used a barge at his property. He suggested obtaining a 30 year mortgage, using the $9900/yr that the Board is allowed to use, to service the loan.

The Board subcommittee needs to meet with the Beach Court people to figure out whose responsibility it is and what those responsible can do.

Tennis Courts: repair people did not show up so we will wait until next Spring.

Fred the security guard did a good job. Marty Webber made a motion to give Fred $200 and Jeff Morris seconded the motion – we will give him an additional $200.

Bylaws: Now that we have a clean copy of the by laws, the Board must go through them and provide edits, updates and suggestions. The process is that any changes are presented to the full Assn at the General meeting. At the Annual meeting they are voted on – so nothing happens quickly.

What do we do next with the existing by laws from 2004? Are there items that are no longer legal? Do we need an attorney? No, according to Marty Webber.

Motion to adjourn by Marty Webber, 2^nd by John Abella at 9:50 a m. Meeting adjourned.

Submitted by Sharon Bender, secretary.

Notice of Stannard Beach Assn Annual Mtg August 31. 2014

THE STANNARD BEACH ASSOCIATION

WESTBROOK, CONNECTICUT 06498

August 16, 2014

NOTICE OF STANNARD BEACH ASSOCIATION ANNUAL 2014 MEETING

SUNDAY August 31, 2014

9:00 AM

at the JOAN CONNELL Pavillion

A light breakfast will be served starting at 8:30 a.m.

Stannard Beach Assn BOD mtg August 3. 2014 corrected

Stannard Beach Assn BOD mtg August 3, 2014

9 am Connell Pavilion

The meeting was called to order by Association President, George Dallas.

Motion by Harvey Robbins, 2^nd by Steve Mason, to accept the minutes of the board meeting dated June 22, 2014. All voted in favor.

Assn tax bills have been mailed out and 50% have been paid so far.

Nominating Committee (Sandy Seidman) : 3 positions are coming up on the Board:

Marty Webber, Mike Rottblatt and Lincoln Tedeschi

Need to determine if they wish to stay on the board for another term. Additionally, the Nominating Committee needs to present a proposed slate at the Annual Meeting on August 31, 2014.

Groin #2 – DEEP says we must do something now. We are removing some length but leaving the uprights in place so that if shortening the groin does no good (sand disappears) we can put the horizontal parts back. We have permission in writing to put the horizontal portions back if sand disappears. Why are we not adding vs removing length?  The Kollmeyer report recommended extending groin #1 and #3, with “Ts” or “Ls” on the ends. There is no mention of groin #2 other than to say we will make some modification off the end of groin #2. 
DEEP and our Assn have a trade off: In exchange for nullifying the 1992 agreement that said we must keep sand against and in front of groin #2, DEEP says modify groin #2 instead.The final section of groin #2, roughly 2 feet, will be removed. George Dallas will obtain a cost estimate.

Beach nourishment: George Dallas opened the discussion by noting that there are issues and questions that have been raised regarding beach nourishment that are important and require attention. The sand flat has gotten much bigger this year. This is nice at low tide but it is actually beachfront sand moving out and the ditch and berm are getting bigger.

Several residents are not in favor of extending groins and adding “T”s and “L”s to the ends of them, as they feel it may be unsightly, so how about filling in the ditch with sand, below the high tide line, so it is on State of CT property. George will ask the State of CT to add some money to pay for it and bring in the Army Corps of Engineers to help design a plan. The larger gravelly portion to be added is not expensive, and this part holds the finer sand in place. The cost is in getting the materials on to our site. Where can we get it in to our beach? George asked Mike and Tina Datillo at Water’s Edge, and the folks from the Pointina Beach Assn, if they are interested in participating, and both are considering it.  The challenge is to get the material delivered.  If we cannot bring the material in by truck then it needs to come by barge, with a machine on the barge to dump and spread the material to the right spots. Does this get done in the Fall or the Spring? Mike Rottblatt and George Dallas  will talk about pricing options. Mike had a barge here last year.

We also need a grain size analysis to proceed.

Old Saybrook nourishes annually, but it is all stone, no sand. They have a grandfathered in permit.

This will cost approximately $100,000 but we will be getting hard costs.

 There are rocks at Money Point that moved in the last storm, along with a broken breakwater belonging to the State of CT. The State will not pay to have it repaired. Will they allow us to move the stones? Will we have to pay for a study? But it is on state property. More information to follow.

Right of way: Mike Guinan set out a good history in writing. Now we need to add Lou Brown’s signing of a release.  And Ron Lyman is to sign a release before the work is started. The proposal is to put in tanks and a drainage system in the right of way, then fill it back in. We have already removed the construction material from the middle of the right of way, that was non porous, and filled it in again with more porous material, and resodded, and replaced portions of the sidewalk. But the regrading is still angled towards Lyman so needs to be fixed.

The BOD needs to vote on the net cost. The starting point will be $10,000 to $15,000, minus Lou Brown’s $9,000. The net amount to the Assn should not exceed $5,000, capped at $9,500.

Motion made by Dave Caslin, 2^nd by Jeff Morris:

The Lymans will execute a general release, releasing the Browns and the Stannard  Beach  Association, from any and all liability concerning the right of way.

The release is to be held in escrow by Michael Cronin, SBA attoney.

The Browns will execute a release  releasing the Lymans and the Stannard Beach Association, and it will also be held in escrow by Attorney Cronin.

The Browns will put $9000 in escrow to be held by Attorney Cronin

These three items will be released upon the certification by Ziaks that the work contracted for has been completed. No work will commence until all items are placed in escrow with Attorney Cronin.

All approved of the motion with one abstention by Harvey Robbins.

Unfortunately this sets a precedence that if you have water in your basement you can ask the Assn to correct it.  We need to say that if anybody does construction by any right of way they must post a large bond to cover putting the right of way back the way it was.

The tennis courts are to be repaired by M&M. Should not be expensive as it is a small fix.

By laws are being retyped and will be distributed for further discussion when they are completed and returned to us in a new word document with consistent formatting.

Jerry Skolnick, the Hendersons and Mike Guinan have all looked at the dead tree on Avenue C. It is on Assn property so Dan Medieros Jr. will give us a price to take it down.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:35 am.

Respectfully submitted,

Sharon Bender, Secretary