Conservation, Energy, & Environment Committee - Regular Meeting

have a quorum yet, but we only need one more. So, we'll just sort of I think um move ahead and maybe start in on town planner reports if that's okay, Nick. And then the only thing we really have to vote on today are minutes. So, okay. So, take it away. Sure.

I was not. Sorry. All right. Take a take a sip of water.

Okay. Um, so we have uh Jessica White here. We have Jessica White, Dave Hager, Nancy Bowden, Bob Dickinson, Paula Jones. We have five. We have a quorum. Thank you, Jess. Nice to see you. Um so we just call the meeting to order. Um everyone okay with agenda? Do we have any additions to the agenda? Okay. So we will deem the agenda is approved. Um approval of March 12th, 2026 minutes hopefully.

Okay. Dave Hager move. Can I have a second? Second. Okay. Nancy, any corrections, additions to the minutes? Okay. Yep. Go ahead. Yep.

Can people Yeah. Uh I don't have them in front of me. I think if I recall, CEK may have been spelled uh not the way it is advertised. I think uh it's just CTC. There's no Yeah. No H. I'm pretty sure now I have a computer in front of me. I can confirm that. But extremely small, but yeah. No, no H. Any other comments on the minutes? All in favor? I. Okay. Uh, it's unanimous. All right. Uh, moving on to town planner environmental planner report. Sure. Um I can't speak for John. Uh he's obviously not here right now. I actually I'm not sure if he'll be in today or not. Um so I won't speak for him in case he does come in as far as my own stuff as the environmental planner. Most of what I plan on discussing uh is here outlined already on on agenda items. I guess the only thing I can touch upon that might not be here yet is um we've had sta land use staff has had several meetings about the uh future land use map for the POC. That's something we've actively worked on with commissioners, folks from CEC, um community members and staff. Oh, and our consulting firm GMAN and York. So, we've got a lot of recent feedback. I'm actually personally the one responsible for making these edits uh or proposed edits I should say and the document is all but buttoned up the map that is um the other thing that I will be doing is kind of having a list of what are objectively the greatest changes between the 2012 future land use map and this current land use map. Um so just wanted to give an update on the PC namely future land use. That's it.

Are there any questions about that? Where do we stand with the PC? Can you elaborate a little bit? Uh well, last uh meeting I think there was going to be a a a meeting of of the TPZ and you were going to discuss various things. I assume maps were part of it. I don't know what happened at that meeting. I don't know how close we are to a public uh meeting on on a hearing uh on the what is I assume the final version. That's what I mean.

Sorry. Gotcha. Yeah. I think as far as main body of text goes, I think we're pretty much nearing pencils down so to speak. Um, the last I think big piece of the puzzle is the future land use map and the I guess related sort of section. As far as then where the TPZ comes in, I don't think anything has been confirmed yet, but I think it has been floated by one of the commissioners to have another public hearing where these changes are discussed in public because the last time that happened I think was over a year ago. Maybe maybe it was actually two. I I'm not I wasn't here. Um, it was last year.

Okay. It was at least a year ago. Our director is here now. He can maybe shed a little more light on it. But but that is what has been floated and may happen again as far as public hearing. Mr. Director. Okay. So, so a followup a question on that is that as since the the POCCD is not the new POCCD is not official yet anything coming in now that TPC is reviewing goes under the ages of the present POCD. Is that correct?

That's correct. So the point is in terms of CEC having another opportunity to comment, it would be during public hearing at this point. Okay. When we schedule one, right? Yeah. But but that will eventually happen. I mean, I think it's more a question generally about the process like what the upcoming process is. So, um, we will get the final edits to the to the commission. If they sign off in the final edits, we will prepare the book, which which is a onetime deal. Yep.

And then the the um book will be available for review and there'll be a public hearing on the book. Okay. Thank you. That help everyone? Yeah. Good. Good. Okay. Thank you. Okay. And let's see. Um, Mr. Coleman, would you like to say anything in terms Sorry for being late. Yeah.

Um, right now it's all things budget uh in terms of um really what's occupying all of the senior staff. Um, and um our presentation for for us is next Tuesday. Um, we follow the big boys, we follow public works and police. Um, we're all we're lumped in together, so we'll probably be rather late in the evening. Um, the good thing is that we are a revenue generator. Um, we generate um we have generated this year so far $1.41 million in permit fees. So, we come close to covering what our total cost is. uh we cover the building division entirely and we cover a portion a large portion of the of the land use division and um while we're not projecting quite that much for next year because this has been a particularly robust year and we I always want to be conservative with those projections um I think we'll have we will have another good year um so we're really focused on that right now Um, I think Nick is, as you all know, we have is sort of the good news and bad news for you guys. Um, Nick is, I think, staffing you exceedingly well, but we're also drawing him into other things. Um he's going to be helping out uh he's been helping out on the PC uh significantly in terms of of his GIS expertise as we um put in place the future land use map and um the commission's asked and it will be available what are the changes from the existing map to the future map. uh what zoning reg what zoning

um regulations and zoning um districts implement what ports of the of the um land use map on you know in the industrial zone what what zoning districts would be used in the industrial zone. Um we have him working on now on the uh on the uh state housing requirement act in terms of middle housing and affordable housing and um the requirements for the community that we have to do in the both in the short term and the long term. So he's turned out to be a fabulous asset. Um, in terms of, um, activities, um, as I think I told you last at the last meeting, we did not succeed in obtaining the grant for the town center under this. We will be reapplying. We've also applied for two federal grants um through through our federal legislators. Um, their discretionary earmark grants are back in business again and uh, they put out a call. So, we've applied for the maximum amount through Cong Congressional Lson's office for $4 million and we applied for about 11.4 million through Senator Blumenthal's office. Um, it's our understanding that we will not get both at the same time. Um, but we have a good shot at getting one of them. And my sense is that we have a better shot at getting the uh Larsson one since we're in his district and it's a little more local. Um 800 Cottage Grove Road. Uh they proposed um 230 redevelopment of that site from offices undergoing a tax increment uh request review now by Gman and York which should completed certainly in terms of its feasibility

and and appropriateness uh for the community. Um I'm sure you all received the uh the flyer for uh the Aldi's development on on Cottage Grove Road. Um, you should know that that that they have not made a formal presentation yet to in terms of to the zoning board or the to us or to the ZBA for any um change of zone or site plan approval. Uh, so that basically was a information session that he did and I think obviously an effort to to gain some support if and when they do come in. Um, Arbella is well underway. Um, and going along smartly. Um,

what is Arbella? It's where the old drive-in was. The one on Blue Hills Avenue at the old drive-in cinema site. It's 164 senior housing. Some affordable units. Yep. It's a good project. Actually, I'm editorializing which I should.

That's okay. you can um the small retail development on Cottage Grove Road just just uh east of um of I never remember the name but close to the railroad tracks has started construction. Um we are the EDC the economic development commission is very focused on the Grahamby Toby area in terms of revitalizing that area. Um there is um ongoing meetings and conversations with one of the major owners that's uh 31 Toby Road which is the building that has um series of smaller um units in terms of um a we're working with them to clean it up and we're working with them in terms of their their rental mix uh that could be a little more um broad and then um also starting I need to talk to um the Pierce Company, these little gems you don't even know you have in town that has a very large defense um contract and specialized um um they just um got approval for a significant expansion.

Um we're trying to work with the owner at the corner of Toby and Graham to get that site cleaned up. Uh and we're working with a number of owners on Graanby Street itself uh to get that cleaned up and and uh their popular approvals and there is ongoing um police activity in the area to um to ensure that uh the late night parties that that happened in the past do not continue to happen. Um um what am I missing, Nick? Got it.

So with where where did the $19 million figure come from that the grant for which the grant applied and was turned down to mow your lawn? At least

it came from acquisition um relocation relocation of the existing businesses which has to be part of the plan. and uh public improvements. So, street work, uh sewer work, electrical, you know, street lighting. The I would agree that the 4 million from from the Larsson uh fund would be likely. Um that's still far short of the 19 million which was corrected. Are there other sources of hope?

We are seeking there other sources of hope. Well, I think we there's still the CIF grant to go back and I think what's sort of a chicken and egg on that one. Site um possession is critical to the whole process.

Correct. And so the real first step is to try and get significant enough funds to to acquire the site through whatever means we need to do it. Um once we have and then the second necessity to make the project work is have a developer partner. We have put an RFQ RFQP out on the street and the returns are due at May one I think for interested for for interest from interested developers. So that'll give us some indication of then we need to begin working with the developers. The town just joined the Connecticut Municipal Development Authority. The Connecticut Municipal Development Authority is the is the statewide development authority that used that grew out of the um activities of the of the Greater Hartford um development authority that's known as SERA um that has done a lot of work in Hartford and East Hartford in terms of particularly housing development where they they provide funding to on the developer side. Um about 3 years ago it was expanded with a new new organization statewide but it when it was initially created the seven towns immediately surrounding Hartford could not join. They stayed in Serta. This past as of last July, all of the towns um except Hartford and East Hartford in the state can join the uh the uh Connecticut Municipal Authority and um there's a process to go through it. We have just completed that process and um they'll now be be available for both technical assistance and if we develop a project and have a developer in hand available to provide

financing assistance as appropriate to that developer which helps. Um but you know there are there are other grants um you know we can be creative. could if we um we could have used maybe a brownfield grant to assist on the uh on the gas station site and the railroad site if necessary. Uh so we're answer to your question David is that we're going to be seeking any and all funding opportunities but when all is said and done it'll be a stacking of a whole bunch of grants and the price tag for the ownership uh which is key as you about 7 and a half million 7 and a half million

that's our estimate based on the appraisals that were done and I know it's not a popular word but in terms But the plan allows it and talks to it. If em eminent domain became necessary, we have to set aside 125% of the appraise value. So if it was appraised for $100,000, we for we can go in and take it by eminent domain, but we have to put $125,000 in the bank in escrow until you know presumably at that point if the property owner does not accept it, we're going to go to court and um so we have to have 125,000 available. Fi final uh question and unrelated. The progress on the um Gistler parking lot development seems to be forever stalled and it is a mess.

We Popeyes whatever I don't know what it is but whatever it is it is a mess and and that area is

we have continuing conversations with the contractor. It's a um um it's a payment issue as we understand it. Um the last time I talked to the contractor, they were building three for the franchisee in different locations and that um they were sort of rotating from one to the other as as materials and funding became available. But yes, it's an eyesore. uh needs to be cleaned up and uh we're doing everything we can to make that happen. We don't have a heck of a lot of authority because they're still within the timelines, believe it or not, from when they got their permits to get the work done. Um and uh I don't think it's a property that we want to take over. Um so it um but yeah, the last I was when I had a conversation with him, the first one I had with him was back in October and he promised me it would be open by December 1. And uh we didn't make that, but it is um it is um it is on all of our radar.

Wait, Nancy. Nancy, you had a question. I have a comment in regard to the good news and bad news. I just wanted to say you're welcome for our advocacy for filling the position of environmental planner and I hope we don't get the short end of the stick if he's being pulled in a lot of different directions. Although I understand the stresses

we um in terms of um the building and land use budget uh there was um the recommended budget does have a uh a personnel reduction. It's it's for a part-timer, not for a full-timer. And um my sense is is is the manager is going to try like heck to have none. Uh but I don't think ours would be any more significant than that. None reduction. You mean no reduction?

No. I I think there's the possibility that there could be, you know, a part-time reduction of funding for one part-time position. We have three part-time positions. Uh but I don't think that the environmental planner positions in jeopardy. No, just stretched everybody. We've told them not to be stressed. Yeah. Everybody. So So actually Bob, did you have a question?

You're you're good. Okay. Um one thing I'll just mention real quickly because you were there um and I was there. There was a publicformational session about the greenway. Um, which was very interesting. That was at 3:30 park. What night was that? Was that Monday? Monday night. Tuesday night. Monday. Tuesday. And Bob was there. Bob was there. Yeah. So, Bob was there. Uh, John was there. I was there. Um, few other people obviously. Rob TRier, the the engineer. Um, good. You know, and this is the spur kind of the spur that would go from, I think, Tyler to Blue Hills. Blue Hills and connect connect to Rock to Rockwell Park.

Yeah.

And um it was a very um I I'm people came in kind of all fired up. Um you know, it's the typ and I'm I've seen it before, the typical not in my backyard. People are going to be robbing us. um safety bears etc etc. Um I think by the end of the conversation people were more thoughtful. Um, I thought the town engineer did a really great job in terms of saying, "Yeah, keeping kind of keeping an even keel, but also offering up a second um public information session in an attempt to come back with some answers and information. Particularly um more data around the fact that generally when you get these trails, the area becomes safer, not less safe. you know, eyes on the street kind of thing, activity and so forth. So, I just wanted to mention that.

Yeah. Just a quick comment which I should have made there. Yeah. Uh I some years ago, probably 15 20 I we did a ride from uh Hartford to Providence and and in Rhode Island, there was a new section and the police rode with us and we had a chance chance to chat with them and they said they were very pleased because there had been a lot of drug activity in the rightway and when the trail was paved and they had access they got rid of it. Yeah. Yeah. So I I think that's and yeah, Mr. Coleman,

two things I would say. First, I think um Paula needs to give herself some credit because she and her husband I think did a lot to diffuse uh some of the angst and anxiety that folks had um at the meeting. But secondly, I think that um and I've had this conversation with with Rob. Um we could have done a better job of making the presentation because we sort of jumped right in with the engineer just talking about that particular uh site and and in a very technical way. And uh I've suggested to Rob that we really should start with the broad picture. Here's what here's what multi-purpose trails are doing, at least in Connecticut, if not nationwide. and work our way down to here's the whole plan for the town of Bloomfield and here's your and how that relates and here's your segment and whatnot and then so that they don't feel like we're picking on them,

right? And that they're only getting the only trail. Yeah. Um and a number of us think when when that one's put in it may be the most used going around because of where it goes, right? Yeah. No. So So we will so we will be going back another opportunity. Yeah. Go ahead. Yeah. So, so anyway, um, anything else, Nancy? I mean, it sounds like it's diffused, but the same kinds of conversations happened in Simsbury in the neighborhood that's known as Hazel Meadow and they were raking out and now they use it as a sales point for their condos. And I think we mentioned that. Yeah. Steve Hoffman, is that his name? Who's Mitchell? Steve Mitchell. Yeah. Car car company.

Steve Mitchell. Yeah. So he'd know because he was there during that time. And also there are those of us who live on the existing spur who could very easily be there. I didn't know about the meeting. That that would be helpful and talk about the fact like y what crime bears. Yes. But they were already there.

Well and and actually I'll we'll move on in this second but I I can't resist. They were like you know the animals and you know one person one person was objecting because he didn't want the trail to disturb the animals whereas everybody else was afraid yeah I think nervous about the animals and basically you know my comment was I do see animals out there but the point is with the trail they can see you and as much as maybe you don't want anything to do with them they want even less to do with us so they typically exit quickly. So, um, but yeah, we'll make sure that this group is aware of it because I think, um, to the degree people with more direct experience, um, being able being available and to talk one-on-one with people, we had a couple of, um, nice conversations with people after that were, you know, good one-on-one with residents here. I think next time of course the bigger presentation but also part of the purpose of there was how h how can we improve or add features to this trail that to accommodate the abutaries otherwise if you want a total fence or right

or a low fence or right or whatever. Yeah, that's a good point. Thank you for bringing that up. Okay. Um, okay. And I see Corey has her hand up. And go ahead, Corey. Um, I actually I had a question uh that had more to do with one of the proposed developments. Are you okay if I ask it now? Sure. Yep. Please, please do. Yep. Um, I was just curious, Mr. Pullman about whether when there is a proposed development, are the flyers that are going out for those something that has to go through your department first to be approved or are the developers able to just send out their marketing without eyes?

We have nothing to do with those. We basically are, you know, a regulatory agency approving formal appro formal applications that come into us. uh developers are free to do uh what they want in terms of marketing. Um we were aware and informed they were having the meeting. Um I did not know about the flyers till one showed up in my home.

Yeah. Yeah. And my question just stemmed uh around sort of the ethics of how some of that stuff is being awarded. The flyers are to to our residents are saying it is coming to Bloomfield. It's a very definitive statement um and it's created a lot of confusion within the community about the like it's already happening and so folks aren't as you know apt to actually voice their opinions on the matter or attend such matters because they already think it's a done deal. Um so I was just curious if there's any sort of regulatory like funnel that any of that marketing goes through but understood I will take it up with the developers. Not. Yeah. Not that I'm aware of.

Okay. Good. Okay. Go ahead. Just a quick I think part of their purpose was getting comments from the general public. You know, if uh we saw something we'd like differently, uh the public would suggest it to them and they might incorporate that in their original application application.

Not sure what their intent is. Yeah. not not entirely sure of what their intent is, but um I think anybody has, you know, to Mr. Coleman's point, I think they can reserve a space at the 3:30 park just like everybody else can, you know, and that's what they did. And um stay tuned, but it's important for people to understand that there's no application. Nothing has really happened apart from their That's correct. going out. The impact being just what Corey said though.

Yes. Yeah. Well, and and yeah, I saw I first saw a full page ad in the Bloomfield Messenger and about dropped the paper because I was like, "What the heck is this?"

Um, so anyway, yeah, it was startling. All right. Um, we're going to move on to old business. A lot of this we can touch on, I think, fairly quickly. Um, so this is just more we are um Nick has been working um you know plugging away on the landscape zoning regulations and ordinances. That's to revise you know what language was added um and that work was initiated I think by David man with uh with Mr. Coleman. Um just the status on that do you where is it?

Yep. So the status on that is that uh similar to last month's meeting a draft zoning regulation was was crafted. As our staff then discussed the draft zoning regulation. It can be clear that the the things which we want to change about the current regulations within town as they regard vegetation removal will cannot entirely be enforced via zoning. Therefore, we are exploring having some amendments to our zoning regulations, but also proposing some ordinances, right,

that will allow us to more effectively enforce violations related to non compliance with vegetation removal uh which have penalties that are more correlated to the kind of impact which they have on the community and the environment. Um, that all said, uh, there have been other some some other projects that had been the focus of my time, admittedly, other legislation, other projects. Now that actually I'm kind of wrapping up a couple things. The landscaping regulation is now back on the top of my list. Thankfully, we've already done a lot of research. I have a draft. Um, now it's just moving the the the needle even more on that. So, that is the status update on that. So, will we get a chance to look at it before it goes to the TPC?

Absolutely. I'll let you know as soon as my staff think it's ready to be sent out. Okay, great. Thank you. Okay. Um unless anyone has a question, I'm going to move on. Um sustainable CT reertification. Very exciting update. Yeah, a few I've gotten a preview. So, this is great news. Go ahead.

Sorry to interrupt. You're right. I was very eager. Yeah. Um so, we're submitting tomorrow is the plan for for Bra. Thank you. Clap once we get it. But yeah, of course I appreciate the support in the meantime. Um, I will say though, of course, you know, I say let's wait until we get to celebrate, but I think it's worth celebrating some of the very positive feedback we've gotten from staff at Sustainable CT. Um, I'm going to just share some words from some emails that I've received from them. Uh, I I submitted a draft version of the certification so they can review every item to make sure it was on the standards. Their comment back was, "Attached is our review. However, you'll find it likely completely useless since I could find nothing missing from your application. Kudos on the most comprehensive and wellorganized application I've had the pleasure of viewing. So, thank you. Thank you very much. I will also continue saying from a points and submission perspective, you're not only in a great spot for bronze, but are making incredible progress towards silver. So, I see this as the beginning. I want to keep the momentum going. I will probably take a small break after it's submitted to work on other things like other legislation, but we're getting good feedback. We got some similar good feedback about the equity toolkit we've done with the library. She called section 4 awesome, one of the best answer we've seen. So, getting really positive feedback that the work that you've all put into these efforts is really paying off. So um and the the last uh celebration for it is that sustainable CT I think has been very impressed with how quickly we've put together an application in just a few months that uh they have invited a sustainable CT has invited a Bloomfield delegation to attend a sustainable CT reception at the capital building in Hartford to speak with le leg legislators about the work our town is doing. We're one of 14 towns that's been invited. Um, so I think not only is the,

you know, staff at, uh, Stable CT recognizing us, but I think the state is recognizing about really this kind of work we're doing as well. So if you need more reason as to why we're doing this stuff, it's to be in rooms like those. You know what I mean? So it's really great. Really nice. Really nice. Yep. Um, go ahead. Timetable between submitting is that you have to are there certain times a year when we get the answer. You can't go straight to silver. Oh, no. No. We can um anytime. We can literally we could start additional actions as soon as next week. I might ask for a brief pause on it. I'm kidding. Yeah. You think? Yeah. Are there times of the year? Uh yeah. Submit. That's what I mean.

There's two submission windows. There's like a spring submission window and a fall. The spring one is the deadline is April 14th at noon, which is next Tuesday. I like to try and get it in before then in case, you know, my my mouse stops working, whatever. You know what I mean? So, so there's that one. The other one is uh August, I'm pretty sure. Yeah, it's August. It's not even not fall, but you know, the other half August mid August. Yeah, mid August. And if we submit for the April 14th deadline, we hear back our status in June. Y So, we'll know in two months.

Yeah. And I'm just going to editorialize one more time um about why do we do this? because I know other communities have looked at it and decided not to do it. Um, you know, West Harford Sustainability Commission chair says bluntly, West Hartford likes bragging rights, so that's I think they're gold certified. They're gold and a climate leader. They have every super

Yeah. Yeah. But they Yeah. So they they kind of like doing that. But I do think um we as a town are doing a good job of starting to kind of internalize some of the tools and kind of think about things like this equity toolkit. Um there's a resident who has proposed a project um at Maplewood Park that the parks and recreation committee is looking at. Nick's involved in in taking a look at that as well. Um there's some real problems with wetness, storm water runoff there. There's a little water course that runs through it. And you know what she's envisioning is really great in terms of like really engaging the neighborhood and kind of pulling people in right up front. That's the kind of you know that's the kind of approach I think we want to try to take as a town and in looking at things. So that's the value.

And I'll get off my soap box, you know. So, Nick, having immersed yourself in this, um, do you have a feel for where grants from Sustainable Connecticut would be available, where you would um, put the effort to get them? Um, because I mean, you're it's all up in fresh for you.

Yeah, sure. So, as far as grants and sustainable CT, the main grant system that Sustainable CT organizes is the match fund, uh, which a few individuals and organizations throughout town have already taken advantage of and continue to take advantage of. The cool thing about that is there's no limit on the number or the number of organizations that can submit uh, within a year or in general. It's a rolling submission, too. There's no like deadline to submit. you can submit whenever your application's ready and they match uh is up is it up to 6,000? So you can get up to $12,000 for any any project that you can somehow justify is related to one of their sustainability actions. And their actions range from like renewable energy to uh promoting equity and everything waste reduction, everything in between. So that's the main thing that folks in our town who live here and work here can take advantage of. There are other grants that stable CT kind of like advertises as like things that they can pursue related to the actions that we have completed like oh if you did action 4.6.2 check out grant uh the the forest grant I don't know whatever but they don't actually run those grants those are just them like trying to connect us to other opportunities. Is that helpful at all?

Okay. Yeah. And I do want to make a comment about the um matching grant um the Bloomfield Farmers Market. right now is running one. Um, they have a target of raising $6,000 from 60 donors. When I last looked, they were at $1,100. They have 21 days to go. I have the patronicity link. You know, smaller amounts are good, but you know, this is what they're trying this is what Laura Palandre, who was here last month, is trying to use to part, you know, to partially fund, you know, what she's been doing with the farmers market. So, if people are interested, um, actually, I'll just send the link out so that people have it so you can take a look. Okay, great.

Yep. Okay. Kudos. Thanks. Great job. Really? Um, okay, Nancy. And actually, anyone online? Uh, Jessica, Corey, before we move on. Okay, go ahead, Nancy, please.

Okay. Um with the background of backdrop I guess of budget work in town. Um I did send out an email to a variety of contacts. Um some of whom are in this room. Um but I also gave them the out of like I know you're working on budget and I'll circle back if I don't hear from you. But I'm looking to build a not necessarily a work well I'm calling it a work group. Not everybody may participate at this point, but it's um Nick um some a representative from senior services um Captain Clamberg to remember not to call uh Captain Clamberg representing emergency services. Um Dave Melesco school system which would be either Dr. Youngberg or a person that she has named um library, health district, DPW and um social services at this point. um to just to start talking about um and I basically I'm going to start from the perspective of we don't have any policies about uh changes in activities or work or anything when it comes to an extreme heat not just that it's a hot day but an extreme heat event. This is really what we're talking about. So a heat dome it goes on for days um just because nobody's come forth with much. So if there are things hopefully they'll bring them to the group. Um it will start again with basic in the basic um education that we did with the library last year for everybody. I've sent the link out and maybe we'll encourage everybody to watch before the next meeting or the first meeting. Um and what I have said is that we would uh

focus on three main things and then a fourth also important thing guidelines for employees who work outdoors. Safety measures for youth in sports and summer activities meaning camp and the pool I guess um education about and and education about harm reduction efforts that residents can implement in their own homes. and others how to stay safe in your own home which includes again the education piece about what prolonged overheating can do to the to human health. Um then I said we would also like to learn more although we've touched on a little bit about the town's existing emergency protocols and notification systems. And I think when we talked about this a year or so ago with the public safety committee, um we did identify that that things are in flux that are being strengthened. Do does everybody know how to connect in? So it's kind of a question of like if we had to let everybody know something, what percentage of the population would we hit and how do we get closer to 100? So that's kind of a side note for this group, but I think it's something that we hopefully can discuss with the within the group. Um and yes it does there are points available under sustainable CT for the work that we could do. Um I just want to mention one other um resource that we'll use besides the people assembled you know the knowledge of the people assembled in the group and that is um something connected with Yukon is called the Corey Stringer Institute named after I think a football player some sports athlete who died of a heat stroke um during practice or during the game I don't remember the details. and his

mother started this institute to alert people to the dangers of heat and you know how to modify your behavior, activities, environment in the event of extreme heat. So apparently they do quite a bit of work mostly for a for sports but what whatever they do uh educating folks and and suggesting protocols would be also useful probably for the town to know. So I will be reaching out to them before the next meeting of this of the CEC and hope that the work group can come together by then. But you know I don't know people's schedules and that's always the hardest thing is getting a meeting together of people that are scattered. So that's the update.

Any questions for Nancy? I finally watched the webinar. It was very good. So, thank you for sending the link. Y All right. Agricultural zone. We we we talked about kind of looking at something, developing something. Nick has kind of taken it to the department and he can give us an update on kind of what the thoughts are. Sure.

Yep. Um so yeah I can't recall exactly what I did discussed at the last meeting related to it but since that time I've talked about it more uh with with staff uh and done some more research on existing agricultural zones feasibility and all that. And long story short my staff is going to be looking into how an agricultural zone would look in town and we're going to we're going to craft a draft. Um, again, my time was taken up by a few other projects in the past which are now kind of both sort of, you know, they've set sail in a positive way. So, now I can now focus more on this. Um, but it's going to be a pretty, we're going to take a pretty like, what's the word? Wide look at it. It's going to be more than just can you plant corn here or not. You know, there's going to be there's going to be other stipulations related to development, land use, etc. Um, but yeah, we'll be working on a draft pretty soon or we are working on a draft and we'll have one for review pretty soon, questions, comments. Okay, so actually it looks like Bob has a question and Mr. Coleman, would you like to make a comment?

Okay. Well, I think more or less in conjunction with this and potential agricultural zones. Uh I do not uh Bloomfield does not have an agricultural commission of uh that to to guide to guide this town uh on on the agriculture. I believe correct. Right. Yeah. We don't have an agricultural commission, but we do allow agricultural in every zone in the town. Yeah.

So, so it's a permitted use anywhere. And I think the um the challenge in developing an agricultural zone is how we how we balance that um you know with with the development of land in town or development of properties. And I think that's what we're working on. You know, for

I think the benefit of designating an agricultural zone would be for the town to buy development rights in that zone in order to keep it agricultural. You know, South Windsor has rural, but a housing development comes along and applies and the owner wants to sell. Uh you you don't maintain agriculture unless you buy development rights.

That's correct. Right. So, I think it's a I'll are there other questions or comments and then I'll I'll make a comment and then we can move on. Anything else? Okay. Um I think I'll make a comment. Um maybe a little cynical. Um I think the the problem from my perspective has been maybe a lack of balance in terms of a protecting agricultural land versus development. Um the point being it's like between last meeting and this meeting there have been literally articles in the paper I think there's an article in the Harvard Business Journal actually um recent Harvard Business Journal about the loss of farmland and agricultural land and what a problem it is in Connecticut. So there's a real recognition of it. um there's a real recognition of the problem and you know it's it's um it can it's frustrating I think to people in town who commented at the at the opportunity to comment for the POC because in 2011 um leading up to the last POCD the town and the Wittenberry Land Trust actually commissioned a study by Conway way group talking about the future of farming and agriculture in Bloomfield. Um so there was an emphasis on it and um you know it it's just okay what happened here we are you know and we're having the same conversation again. So um I'm encouraged that the department is looking at it and talking about something. I think um you know we are talking about voluntary you know

resoning um I can't speak for the land trust board um although I'm on it but I think there would be interest in terms of the a the agricultural land that the land trust owns the land conservancy owns um there could be value um in having some of that property zoned agricultural and uh you know, you have to start somewhere, I think, is is the point. So, those are my comments, but I'm glad the town's taken a look at it.

You along that line, I think um in in Nick's um investigations, how others do it, there are some there is along directly along that there is there are communities that have agricultural zones that are that are put in place by request. So instead of the community itself designating a parcel that may be agricultural which could be interpreted by some as a taking um the property owner themselves come in and ask for it to be designated as agriculture uh and the town responds hopefully positively by doing it. Um, so there are some there are some creative ways it would seem that we can begin to get a better balance uh and um and implement what I am always reminded of this is a plan of conservation and development.

The permanency of that would be what a owner designates a certain portion agricultural use we'll say what's the permanency of that answer that

yeah so briefly I'll kind of uh echo what John just said which is that the the agricultural zone will be proposed in a way in which property owners can petition a zone change for their own property. So in the same way a property owner might be like oh I want to now have industry on my property they change from an R40 to an I hypothetically that'd be the same process where somebody would have their property that's in the current R zone for example and petition to have it now in the agricultural zone in that same way once you're zoned R40 you're zoned R40 until somebody applies to not be zoned R40 anymore the property owner again that would be so let's say maybe in your situation uh Somebody has an R40 property, the petition for agricultural, they get accepted, their property is not agricultural. If they were to sell that property, the new property owner, they could petition to have it revert to R40. We wouldn't we wouldn't disallow that. It'd be the same process. Um, however, they would still have to appeal to the commission, explain why it should be R40 instead of the land use that is currently being u encouraged via the agricultural zone. And the commission will have to decide if reverting it back to our zone is appropriate based on its use as an agricultural area. I might take a slightly different approach uh in that um I might require that if if a property owner petitions to put in agriculture and we put it in agriculture that there be some other restrictions in terms of length of time that it has to remain before it could be reszoned. Um them requesting um you know development restrictions. Uh I also you know maybe they go for the the designation of the state that has a minimum of 10 years and terms of taxing. So I I would um I would probably if we as we develop this I would not leave it

simply as a zone change because I think that um um is not a really strong guarantee. Right. Although ha I think having that is maybe a bit stronger than you know agriculture being a use by right but that's all it is so that if right property changes hands and it was in PA490 then right it can come out and here you go you know so right

yeah anyway it's good we're looking at it and uh you know that's that's positive so um Simsbury Sustainability there. Um I I am coming um with hat in hand to ask for some help with tableabling. Um I as it turns out cannot be here for the fair. Um Sharon man has um Sharon Mann was going to table with me and with my husband. Um and I thought a couple of folks were willing to table for like a two-hour shift at the fair. Um we have one table. the the focus is going to be trees for Bloomfield because that was the project in Tree City that they were very interested in um not having something similar in Simsbury. Um for who's on uh online, she is going to have a table for her native seedbank because they were really interested in that in connection with Pollinator Pathway. She and a friend are also going to have a table related to their sustainability businesses. They'll be outside. Um but because I will be out of state now, I'm hoping that um we can get a couple volunteers to take 2hour shifts. Um the fair runs from 10 to 2. Um but we'll need to set up and we'll need to take down. So I was thinking from 9 to 3 and then you know what? Help me with the math. 9 to 11, 11 to 1,

1 to 3, 1 to 3 kind of thing. I think I remember Claudia volunteering too. Okay. I can call her and ask her. Yeah. And Nancy, you said you could Yes, I could do the one to three, but I, you know, can also be encouraged to do something else if it's needed. Okay. Instead. Okay. Any other volunteers? Hi, Jess. Jessica. Yeah, I could I could do the afternoon. I'm not available in the morning that day, but I could do even like 12 to 3 needed.

Okay. Thank you. I appreciate this after getting to this point. It's like not going to be here. Okay. Is there anyone available for the morning? I mean, I I will call Claudia and ask, but yeah. Okay. Okay. Well, we've got some coverage. I'll call Claudia. This is encouraging. And um Sharon Man said she would could probably recruit a couple BBC members. Um but I also told her that I wasn't going to ask her to do that unless we had some CEC coverage because I didn't feel like that was fair since we initiated or I initiated the thing at the invitation of the Simsbury Sustainability Committee. So, but it looks like it's a possibility which is good. Um, in terms of Nancy and Jessica, and I will call um I will call Claudia and see if she can do something. Um, I do want to um just give Nick a shout out because one of the things that they Yep. They were one of the things that that the Simsbury folks were really keen on was producing a map of is it residences only that they're looking for or is it everything

any any property that's currently hosting solar including municipal? Yeah, including municipal but perfect based on the data I was given and sorry to take the mic from you. Based on the data I was given, it actually doesn't include what I think are citing council properties. So yeah, I mean I think for now I'll leave it as to not include sighting council because this is kind of like what y businesses and can elect into as opposed to y state deciding what goes where. Yeah. But yeah, um I've been making that map the map of Bloomfield's almost complete. I'm also working on making the map for Simsbury and Avon, you know, kind of like because those are the three three towns at the fair.

Yeah, the the the Simsbury started the fair. Avlon um was invited in I don't know how many years ago they invited Bloomfield this year to participate. Um but they are thrilled that Nick is helping. Um and thank you Mr. Coleman for giving him you know the time given he can do his other duties. Um they are they are you know I think they are very happy about that. So it's good.

What does the map show? The map will show uh a it'll show properties that currently are hosting solar whether it's roof mounted, ground mounted, what have you except it won't be for sighting council uh projects for Bloomfield Sarian Avon. So, a map and and yeah and and and the point is for Bloomfield we can take the Bloomfield map and now there's this new s sun day su n da sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sun Sunday sunday um kind of the counterpart the fall counterpart earth day and Claudia did a little project around that last year and this is something now we could use for that yeah and I can share with the sorry to interrupt you please

I can share with the committee once it's uh complete um what I can give you initially is um I crunched a couple statistics uh based on the data I was given from the organizer. Was is he involved with CPACE? Yeah. Um yeah, yep. Based on the data Mark gave me, I'm not entirely sure where he got it. I trust it's from a source that he verified. Um 11% of properties in Bloomfield have solar. That's pretty high. It's over one out of 10. Um I thought that was pretty interesting and it'll show on the map as well. This is residential, commercial, everything. Everything. Everything. Yep. Two more going up right now. And

there you go. Make that 11.1. Yep. Hopefully they aren't cutting down too many trees. They don't I'm not sure they cut down a tree. Couple of small capes right past the gisters plasma. Good. East side.

Yep. Yep. Yeah. It breaks my heart when I see trees come down and solar go up. Big trees come down. Yeah. All right. Um, okay. Shred day and small electronics recycling is not going to be on May 9th, which I found out at about 2 o'clock 2:10 this afternoon. Um, we had it. Um, we thought we had we thought we'd gotten confirmation. We had gotten confirmation from Bloomfield High High School, but there turns out that there is going to be some threeday dance. There's going to be some huge competition on Friday, Saturday, Sunday that weekend. Yeah. Um so anyway um we are looking to see if we can reschedu right now the two vendors are available on on the 30th which is the Saturday after Memorial Day weekend after Memorial Day weekend. Um but we need you know the biggest question is whether Bloomfield High School parking lot is available or not. And you know there was kind of the initial thought was like well we'll move it back to town hall. Well we'll move it to car race. I mean that discussion lasted about 5 minutes because it works really well at Bloomfield High School in terms of traffic flow. We're getting people used to it being there and then trying to change it with four weeks in the middle of the budget. It's like no, you know, let's not do that to ourselves is kind of where we landed. So, um it may be on May 30th. Um fortunately, we have not really pushed out a lot of material yet in terms of promoting it. Um so,

that's the good news about it. But it was like and we've and the high school representative, the school district representative has kind of figured out like, okay, going forward, this is what we need to have involved in the talks and the scheduling to make sure this doesn't happen again. Um, you know, because, you know, it's obviously inconvenient. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's It's inconvenient to say the least. So So that is the update there. Um I was going to ask for volunteers, but I'm not going to until I know when we're going to do it. Okay. Um this is fun. Um new business revision of chicken regulations.

Nick Nick brought it.

I did bring it so I should deliver it. Yeah. Um, okay. So, yeah. Uh, the way this started, uh, was our zoning enforcement officer received over the course of at least this past year, meaning 2025 and 2026, um, several residents who were confused as to the current regulations regarding uh, keeping of chickens on their residential properties. Um, and many residents were surprised to learn that our regulations currently in place are arguably kind of strict. Um, I can read exactly what is written for all the Rzzones, the residential zones, uh, under accessory uses authorized by zoning signoff. They include poultry raising except not more than 20 foul that may be kept only if they are confined in suitable enclosures. And here it is. And housed at least 100 ft from any street line or lot line. So if you want to also like have a house on your property and like other stuff, you have to have a pretty big and like certain shaped parcel to have really any chickens. Um, so this is just this seems like it was written at a time when I don't know what people weren't really thinking about long-term ramifications, but unless you have like a very large operation, you really can't have many chickens at all. So and and we think that CEC would be interested well as well in this provision because of the interest with a agriculture um sustainability of course food sustainability as well. So that's why we're bringing CC into the loop. But essentially this charge is being led by our our department, our staff along with um I think a handful of res uh residences residents, sorry, who are have particular interest in this because they would like to see it changed for their own properties. Um the current

thing we're kind of the main thing that's being suggested to be changed is the buffer. Obviously 100 ft is pretty strict. Uh one number we've thrown out is 30 feet. That's just the number we threw out. Um and also we're going to clarify instead of poultry, we're going to specify hens because poultry, if you really dug into it, also includes turkeys, I think guinea fowl as well, like just random birds, peacocks, I think, too. Um so we're going to have that clarification as well. But that's what we're thinking. Hope you're interested because uh that's what we're looking into. questions or comments.

That is correct. That was that is roosters are a little more not as welcome to some people as hens. Yeah. Yeah. So, do we currently have any regulations about roo? No, currently it just says poultry. So, that would include roosters and any male foul. Yeah. basically got to have about three acres in order to Exactly. Exactly. So, it's it's broad in the ways we think are inefficient and strict in the ways we think are inefficient. So, we're going to kind of So, so there are a lot of people that have chickens that don't meet this then. Is that

illegal chickens? That that may be the case. Yeah. I mean, a lot unintentionally unintentional unintentionally illegal chickens. Yeah. And are there are there some farms for example that might have more than 20 chickens? I don't know. Oh, absolutely. I I suspect it is much. That's exactly why we think this regulation needs to have just a closer look because it seemed like it was, you know, maybe maybe. Yeah. Yeah.

But but you know, Nick's question and I think the answer is yes. But you know, this committee is in favor Yes. of kind of supporting a revision and kind of encouraging it because we you know that's one of our priorities is kind of promoting and being supportive of agriculture. So that's the question for all of us. So the the question is to liberalize the leg relations. I mean, uh, which, uh, yeah, I mean, you got to have you've got to have chickens and you've got to have, uh, roosters to have chickens and so forth. I'm not sure where this is going. So, so

you explain that. Okay. So, I'm gonna call in Jessica because it's easy to miss her. And then it looks like Brad wanted to say something. Yep. So let's Jessica so we don't overlook you on the screen here. My question was so are we thinking of just only allowing hens so there no turkeys or guinea fowl or ducks for example? That's what I was wondering. That that could be up for discussion I think. Um because I know there's a property that has turkeys. I'm not trying to rant anybody out but I'm just how that would affect like current people. Yeah. And when see when I hear the word hens, I think a hen is a turkey hen or a chicken hen or Yeah. ducks.

Ducks. Ducks. Maybe that. Yeah, ducks. Well, yeah, they're I think they're there are drakes, right? The males are drakes. This is where having definitions. Well, that's this is exactly where you can get into the weed regulations because if you look closely enough, you can pick apart words and be like, well, this this says poultry, but poultry is technically then hen. Well, hen is technically, you know. So, but good qu. So, yeah, Brad, go ahead. Yes. So, I just wanted a clarification. So, is this relaxing? This would allow more poultry in residential areas in neighborhoods. Is that right?

Uh, I don't know if it would allow more. It would it would Yeah. Yeah. It would um Yeah. So So I'm thinking so next door what I mean bird flu is there is that is a consideration that suddenly were Well I think that's part of I didn't mean to interrupt but I think that's part of why the buffer may have originally been in place. I would assume there's things to do with sound but also sanitation you know health stuff. Maybe you have the waste be further from my property line. But the line the the current buffer from what we understand and compared to other towns as well, it's it's so large it's almost the the law says it's allowed but only under extreme circumstances. So it's almost not allowed, you know.

Yeah. It seems like some of our folks who do chickens, you know, some of our friends who do chickens, it would be helpful to get their input. And I mean, I'm not saying anything. I'm sure you haven't thought of just in terms of farmers and because they may have insight in terms of what some of the potential risk are depending on how you modify the regulations. Yeah, this is the very beginning. We have there's not even really a draft yet at all. This is just more of starting the conversation, seeing if there's interest in revisiting it uh beyond just our staff. Uh and we looked specifically to CEC because of your your track record for agriculture and sustainability. So,

okay. I think it's interesting and I think it's interesting. Yeah. Good. Anything else on this topic before we move on? Okay. Um, we'll get to announcements, updates. Um, the first couple will be very quick. Could I just mention under other Sure. their new business. Go ahead. Yesterday, um, Deep put out the notice that there is now a fourth or third or fourth round for electric vehicles.

They have $15 million available and this includes um school buses,

school buses amongst other things. And um you know I don't know if vehicles such as police vehicles would would be a possibility perhaps and they will cover up to 65% of the cost of a vehicle and in the budget session that's probably not very attractive at all but it's up and running and applications are due in June. So, if there's a way to notify the school board that once again they can put their ore in the water, that's the time to do it.

Got it. Yep. Okay. Thank you. Um the spring cleanup um is not happening just in part due to resource constraints and kind of timing in terms of trying to plan something. Um that's the second thing that's canceled now. What was the first thing? Shred day. Well, it's hopefully postponed. I'm just talking about Yeah, I know. Um the the intent is to reschedu shed day. Hopefully we'll be able to do that. Um but yeah, let's see. Uh so spring Yeah.

cleanup is no longer the cleanup is no longer which is why I have it on here just so people know. Yeah.

What's behind that? Because it was an annual event. basically um Sharon Man who has done a lot of work in the past to kind of organize it just felt like she didn't have the capacity and the town wanted to wanted to try to step up and do it but given budget and everything else didn't feel ultimately at the end of the day there was sufficient time to really pull it together and plan it. So, so that's that. Um, see, uh, Arbor Day event. Obviously, you're all invited. You'll all be getting an invitation. Mr. Coleman's been invited to speak. Um, it's going to be April 24th, which is a which is actually Arbor Day, Friday. Um, from 11 to 12:30. Um if it rains, yeah, it's going to be here where there's there's actually a tree that's been planted. It's it's actually going to be dedicated to David man. Um so there's a nice white oak that's been planted and you know pre-planted, but there will be a ceremony around it. Um and we do have a representative from um the deep forestry division coming because we just got recertified as a tree city. So, it's nice they'll be sending a representative. So, hopefully um if you're available, you'll come. I think it'll be a really nice event and um you know, we're hoping for a good turnout um basically to honor uh Mr. Man who did a lot of good work for the town. All right. Um good. We have some time. Um, we've got basically 15 minutes and I'd like to turn this over to Brad to talk about this last announcement. Um,

because he brought the opportunity to the committee. Go ahead. Okay. Yeah.

Hi. Uh, my name is Brad Huskinson. I'm a Bloomfield resident. And so I'm also an ally of a nonprofit called Beyond Plastics. And through that group, I saw a documentary called The Story of Plastic. And I didn't know anything about pollution or plastic production, but I'm telling you, it's an existential threat uh to the planet and to humanity. Uh it's really bad news. Um so I think that it's important we get the word out by seeing this film and becoming involved as much as we can with the fight against the prochemical industry. Because what I learned is that there are a few a group of people who are willing to kill this planet and us to make money. And if you remember Big Tobacco in the '9s, this is bigger than that. So this is really bad news. This film is heavy. Um so it's 95 minutes. It's already scheduled to be shown at Proser on September 15th. That's a Tuesday. That's the earliest date we could get. If you want to see it, this film is from 2019 and it's available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Discovery Go. The library has a copy, a DVD you can order, right? Uh, and I would encourage you to watch it. You don't have to wait till September to see this. Um, we're going to have a panel discussion afterwards because you don't want to leave the public with these heavy thoughts because they are really heavy, these these images that you're going to see. So there'll be a panel um uh that'll speak for 30 minutes on ways that we can initiate grassroots advocacy to start to end the use of plastics. And I'm in training with Beyond Plastics to become a speaker and so I'll be one of the panelists and if we can get a second speaker there um it'll be a good Q&A.

It'll be a hybrid meeting so you can participate remotely. Um, but that's what it's about. And I don't want to be a downer, but it's just realism. Um, if you see these images and you'll learn a whole lot about what's going on across the world with plastics and plastics production all in the name of money, right?

Yep. And basically how it came to my attention was Brad approached the library Proser and Proer's response was oh C you know maybe CEC would co-sponsor because they've they proer has has approached us a number of times with interesting topics and said hey would you be interested in doing you know co-sponsoring it. So that's how it came to my attention and it seems to be in our wheelhouse. So, um, and Mr. Huskinson is doing the work, which is wonderful. Thank you very much.

You can call me Brad. And, and Sarah Ray is a great librarian at ProEer, and she recommended CEC. And it's better to to fight as a team. Yeah. Um, so I really appreciative that she was so helpful. Do Do we want to show the trailer? Oh, yeah. Yes. Yeah. If we have time. Just a short trailer um for the film just to kind of give you a sense. And it's short. Do people have questions? But Lynn, can you bring that is can you bring it up the link? I was just going to say there's a 2009 film also called Plastic Planet, which is also interesting, but not probably not as easy to get a hold of. Yeah, it's for foreign.

Here we go. But also, Brad, you can't scare us. This is the CEC. Tough. We got the volume. Yeah. Looks like it's not muted. It's always the fun part is getting the sound.

I did watch the trailer and I was depressed even though I I don't scare easily. There uh there's another film while we're waiting um on Netflix. It just came out a couple weeks ago, The Plastic Detox. that received a lot of press about couples who are infertile probably because of microplastics. Oh yeah. Yeah. And so yeah, it's everywhere. It's really awful. Yeah.

Along with AI and possibly a nuclear war, right? Uh this is this is right up there. something about how to get you have to turn your speaker off or something. Just turn it on. Maybe it's the TV itself. Is it remote? showing that that speaker's on.

No, it's okay. The problem across the board, you'd think we'd have figured it out after six years of virtual living. Seems like Well, if it's not going to work, uh, you can Google Sure. Sure. The link could be sent up, but you can Google uh the story of plastic and it is archived at a website called the story of stuff and that's the trailer. Story of Yep. And you can watch it. It's two minutes. Um but you're right. It's heavy. Yeah. It's just like Yeah. So, but the the the proer thing is the story of plastic, not the story of stuff. Right. Right.

Correct. Correct. The website is the story of stuff and the film the story of plastic is housed there. Yep. Because I think the story of stuff is kind of an entity that does all kinds of stories of bad stuff. Yeah. Bad stuff. And this time it's plastics,

right? So, uh, so it'll be from 6 to 8. Uh, the film runs for 95 minutes. Then we'll have the panel discussion afterward and it'll be Q&A and, uh, but really the goal is it's not hopeless. Um, grassroot a advocacy is is what counts. For instance, Connecticut has a single use plastic bag ban, one of only nine states, but that started because of municipalities across the state banning together and then the state finally followed suit. So, that's what we need. And there is already a House bill 5524 that is going to the appropriations committee. Uh polystyrene ban, single-use plastic items, uh only available upon request at restaurants. Uh straws, the cutlery, uh condiment packets. Um but you don't know what you don't know until you see this film. And this HB HB5524. I saw people interviewed saying what's wrong with polystyrene? I don't have a problem with it. and styrofoam, right? It's one of the worst. So people are unaware of just how bad this is. So

So you could get your group to look at the country of Rwanda. Okay. You cannot get in with any plastic. I didn't know that. Now, how is it working out? How do they function? Every month there's a day when all businesses are closed down. Everybody goes out and cleans up. And there's nothing discarded. Wow. And you can't get into the country with a plastic bag.

Great idea. Well, that's a goal for sure. Um but in this country, uh right, there's a lot of, for instance, this uh House Bill 5524, the restaurant coalition of Connecticut is totally against it. They say it's going to increase cost, drive people out of business, uh customers won't like it, yada yada yada yada yada yada. Yeah. Yeah. But but even if it does pass now, it won't go in effect till 2028. So there'll be a learning curve so people can get used to it just like the plastic bag pan. Yeah. There there was resistance to be adding single use, you know, the the plastic bags. Um but actually that people got over it fairly quickly. Yes. Right. And look, it's beautiful.

Still around. They are. But there's this Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

And um one last thing, if you do want to learn more about the plastic problem, this is the book put out by Beyond Plastics. It's called The Problem with Plastics. It's available out of PRSER. You can order it. Um libraries carry it or Amazon and it gives all the history of plastic and what you can do um to end plastic pollution. Uh it tells you that recycling is a false solution, right? Plastic recycling um is a false solution. It's a scam and and that's the prochemical industry foisting their problems onto us, right? And yeah, so what we have to do is tell them we're just not going to take it anymore. Get into this.

You know, that's a great question. I was on a conference call for another uh group I'm involved with and the woman who's the president of Beyond Plastics, the author of this book was hawking this book on as a guest speaker and I loved what she had to say and she said some pretty amazing things that I didn't know about like recycling is a scam, right? Because you always think that you're doing the right thing with the blue bins and oh, you know, you and it's just a scam, right? And so I got this book and I took an online course with her. She's a guest professor at Bennington College and she has a a 7-week course on plastics. Uh, and so we had to read this book and watch that film. And I got to tell you, it's depressing, right? Um, but it's it you need to know this stuff uh in order to react and fight uh because you think, oh, I put the blue bin out every two weeks. I'm doing my job, right? Well, that's total it's nothing. You got to stop it at the source. There's no way recycling is going to cure this problem, right? So anyway, good. Thank you for the time.

Thank you. Yeah, Nancy, I agree that recycling is a is a scam. However, I think we don't want to have people think they shouldn't separate trash because then you're burning it and we're burning it in neighborhoods that are already overburdened. So we have to be clear that we are separating and may or may not be recycling what goes in the bin because some things have value like paper and glass but plastic does not said yeah I'm talking about just plastic recycling and even still until this is solved ones and twos good five is okay uh certainly glass and metal yes you got to keep that and paper you got to keep that up because that makes sense I'm just saying is people could Yes good point y

okay thank Okay. Any other comments? And I want to give Yep. Go ahead, Corey, please.

Um, I just wanted to extend an invite. Um, and also mention the state of Connecticut just named April, uh, Connecticut Native Plants Month. Um, so we have a new month on the books. We're doing a native plants collaboration with Proer Library. I'll be teaching a course on th uh Wednesday the 15th with Pollinator Pathways. We'll be there 5:30. Um, and it's specific for beginners. So, we're really trying to reach um, folks in town who are sort of new to the idea of native plants, how to work with them, um, and how to do ecological gardening, but very specific to beginners. Everyone's invited. So, uh, I guess question maybe Lynn knows, um, in terms of this week in Bloomfield. Is there something about that?

I know, um, Paraser is doing all of their usual outreach. Um, and I want to say they're either doing it was one of those or the messenger. I have a list from, um, okay, their librarian. And then Puliner Pathways, we've also done our outreach, so it should be in there somewhere. Fingers crossed.

Yeah. And actually, I have a request for this week in Bloomfield, and that would be to have um an Arbor Day. I think Brian might have the flyer um the Arbor Day um event invitation because the public is invited where we'll be reaching out um Sharon Man and I will be reaching out to individual people in groups to make sure um folks know about it. um including CC, BBC, uh treekeepers. Um some folks fall into multiple categories. So um if you get more than one invitation, be patient because we just want to make sure we uh we make people aware. Okay, great. Thank you. Uh thank you, Corey. Um exciting exciting what's going on with the pollinator pathway and the work you're doing. So thank you.

All right. Anything else?

Yeah, actually go ahead. Um, Bob, you can have last week's here. I was studying over the solar regulations. Can you speak in? Yeah. And in paragraph 614, it says permitted in one and one two districts. That means in that's industrial. Yeah. The uh the first one is actually an I. So it's I1 and I2 which stands for the in two industrial zones.

Okay. The the reason I say that uh in some areas it might be uh designated residential and there is no intention of developing you know backland or something like that. I think it would be uh useful for solar banking in in those areas. So I I would possibly we could add the you know say primarily in in industrial areas or or or some other word words that would not exclude it.

I understand my initial reaction to that is with regulations sometimes having words like primarily add to vagueness for enforcement. You know like how do you enforce something that's primarily this or primary I guess you could say majority percentages. Maybe you can get into like that kind of stuff. But the other thing I'll then say is that um when this was initially proposed of the legislation, it did include residential zones for largecale solar developments, but the reaction from a majority of the community, members of CEC representatives, and a majority of TPZ commissioners expressed uh not wanting to have large scale solar in any residential zone. But that's why it was changed. Well, but this is not large large scale. This is one megawatt or less, right?

It is the largest scale you could have before it goes to sighting council. So therefore, the the Connecticut Sighting Council does have the jurisdiction to put solar wherever it wants, you know, pending, of course, their studies in there. So this the sighting council could still organize a solar project in an R zone that would be greater than 1 megawatt. But as far as stuff that's under the town's jurisdiction, yes. Nothing between 250 kilowatts and 1 megawatt will be is proposed to be permitted in residential zones. Okay. Uh okay.

The uh I was just thinking uh on um Terafll Road uh be before before you get to Old St. Andrews, uh, somebody has a a ground a ground solar, right, in in their essentially in their backyard, but it's in a essentially a farm area. I mean, would that be permitted under the new regula regulations? I think so. Do you know do you know how many arrays it is? Is it one, two? Is it It's one big one. Oh, that would almost certainly be permitted because what the legislation is proposing is anything uh under 250 kilowatts, which is approximately 1 acre of solar.

This Yeah, it it's 24 terafll. It's literally the old historic property that's carved out of where the battery energy storage, one of the B battery energy storage systems were proposed. And um so so but I thought, "Oh, that's interesting. Here's a ground mounted in the back of of their of the property that's that goes with the house." Yeah.

Something I would also just add to that because you brought up existing solar. I know we're out of time here, but uh one of the points when I when we first brought this draft to the commission, the commissioners said they wouldn't want any new proposed laws to like make it harder for people who currently have solar on their property. whether that's on their roof or in the ground. So, properties like that were certainly considered and I can't think of any properties that wouldn't currently be in compliance in residential zones. Yeah, that that that one on Tungstus or on Terafll Road is a relatively new array because I was surprised when I drove by it recently. If it if it's one panel, if you will, it's one big panel. I would be shocked if it was above 250 kilowatts. Yeah. Right. It's probably essentially

an alternative to putting it on the house. Yeah. And we want to part of this regulation is to have people have energy independence in some way, you know. So, uh, okay. So, finish up, Bob, because I have one thing to say, too. Go ahead. Do you have anything else? The the U array out in back is I guess it's back of the board of education. That's not an industrial zone, correct? That is correct. And it's probably above 250. I think it is, but I don't John, do you know if that's a sighting council project? I don't think it's that big game. It was a state pilot. State Exactly. A state project. So, beyond the jurisdiction at that point of the town. Yeah. My understanding.

Right. And and one comment I just want to make about the agricultural zone. Um, and I don't know how this would fit in with the the solar regulations being floated, but again, you know, potentially if you have something that gets reszoned as agricultural, you know, might a permissible use or use by special permit be solar, you know. So, I'm just going to throw that out there because we talked about that a few months ago in this meeting, this group. And maybe the answer is no. It doesn't make sense given where you're going but okay.

Yeah. So, so I am going to at this point um call for a motion to adjurnn and if people want to continue talking they can. So moved. Okay. And can I have a second? Okay. Favor. I