Conservation, Energy, & Environment Committee - Regular Meeting

live. Um, let's see. We need Yeah. Roll call. Uh, we have Jessica White, David Hager, um, Claudia Guardiac, Bob Dickinson, Paula Jones in attendance. Um, and then we have N, who's missing is Nancy Bowden, Charlie Nevers, Zelene Sandler, and Brenda Watson. We have five. So, we have a quorum. So let's get started. Okay. Approval of gen uh of the agenda. Um anyone have any additions at this point? All right. Um okay. Um all in favor of approving the agenda just I

Okay. Agenda is approved. Um, in terms of the February 12th, 2026 meeting minutes, can I have a motion to approve those meeting minutes? Okay. Moved by Claudia. Can I have a second? Second.

Okay. Dave Dave Hager seconded. Um, okay. Uh, any edits, corrections, additions? Okay. the third page there's a um reference to the solar policy that we drafted several years ago. Um did you forward that to us? We forward that to us. I

uh I did not forward like the old policy. I can't remember it and I just wondered if that could be done.

Uh, we can look it up and find it and forward it. Um, I will I think what we thought was most important was to make sure everybody had the um, draft that um, Nick had put together. I had just gotten it like the day before and didn't feel like that was sufficient time for the committee to kind of look at it. So hopefully everybody has has that but then I but then I told you don't spend a lot of time on it because it's had some changes to it. I know. And the second the second question refers to Nick. What what is the equity

toolkit? What is the public library strategic plan? Um I didn't understand what those were. Please.

Sure. Uh hi. Yes. So the equity toolkit is a part of sustainable CT certification. Um for certification there's a few things you got to check off you know a certain number of points do one action in every category and every single level of certification requires that you apply this thing called the equity toolkit to at least one action item. Uh the equity toolkit to just sum up essentially is a way that encourages and guarantees that community feedback was a part of a process that resulted in a a product for lack of a better word a a result uh within town. So the ex the equity toolkit we think could be well applied to the libraryies strategic plan creation because the whole way it got created was by uh doing several meetings with the community surveys asking uh pointed questions about what the community wants to see out of their library. So

there is a strategic plan unveiled some

it has been kicked off. Yes. As at the unveiling it was very exciting. Yeah. And I guess the other comment I'll add is I know because h having talked to Nick about it, there are constraints upon there are constraints in terms of time constraints as far as what kinds of projects you can even consider. You know, we talked about trees for Bloomfield, trees for free. Part of it is you have to have it within a three-year look back and you want to be thoughtful about what you use because if you're doing something relatively current then it can be used going forward for a longer period of time. So if we want to go for silver certification at some point easier to kind of count some of the things we've already done. Okay. Anything else? Okay. Okay. So, we had clarification. It sounds like there are no edits. So, um all in favor of approving the minutes I Okay, it's unanimous. Thank you. All right. Um welcome to Laura Palandre um Slowpoke Farm. Yep. And uh Laura's been extremely active doing all sorts of things with the Bloomfield Farmers Market and working on composting. So, um, really pleased she's here to kind of give this group an overview what's going on.

Thanks for take it away. Yeah, you guys hear me? If I'm It's good. Um, speak close to it like this. That's good. Yeah,

like that. Yeah. Um, I have a PowerPoint that I if I click share, is that okay? Um, entire screen. Uh allow open. Sorry. Um sorry. Okay. Oh, may not. Okay. Well, I'll just It's really just notes for me. It's not super interesting. Um All right. Well, thank you for having me um here to Laura to me. Yeah, because she can pull it up real quick.

Um Yeah. Madam Chair, you doing it. Did Nick tell you I need to be out of here at 5 because I have to be somewhere at six out of town? No, we didn't. But thank you for joining us for as long as you can. Yeah. While there, is there anything in particular you want to share? Um,

sorry. Just a couple of things. One, um, uh, we, I think if you not heard already, the town was not successful in getting the town center CIF grant in this round, which is very unfortunate.

Um, and u, we are actively pursuing other funding alternatives uh, to move the project along, but that was a big disappointment. um the um proposed development at the corner of Cottage Grove Road and and um and Bloomfield Avenue where the conversion of the office park to a residential development is presently undergoing a proformer review of their requests for tax uh agreement. Uh and we want to do that before they start their land use process. Uh tonight at 6:00 uh at 3:30 Park Avenue, the the the uh developer for the proposed Aldi development on Cottage Grove Road is making a quote neighborhood public presentation um about the development and uh subsequently uh will I believe make a re application to the TPZ, but they have not as yet. Uh the cathedral has downsized their first phase. Originally going to do 150 units. Um they're now now going to have three phases. The first phase is in two buildings at four stories instead of five stories uh for 99 units um and half the parking lot. The second phase is the is the uh third residential building for another 45 units and the other half of the parking lot. and the daycare center and the completion of amenities for on-site amenities for the development. And then the third phase would be the um modest expansion to the to the cathedral itself and as yet undefined um improvements along the Wittenbury Avenue

of their property. Um I think that's the three major things. Um the um the POC is crawling along to completion. Um we are challenged and to find the block of time to really finish what we need to do, but we intend to have rewrites back re-rewrites in response to the comments we receive from you all and from from the TPZ hopefully u by the 26 for their meeting. we will have the proposed land use map uh for that meeting um so that they can move along. I um but we've we've lost a little time but not a lot of time but I think when all said and done we'll have a really good product. But um the office has been exceedingly busy with um a variety of other land use related activities and um Nick has been a great assistance. So, we've been using Justin and uh Linda and myself. So, there's four of us working on it, but uh to get that block so that we can really do what we need to do is um is challenging, but we're we're close. Um and we're, you know, we're as anxious as everybody.

Y So, we'll take a minute for questions. Yeah, John, se several questions. the the Aldi's um proposal. Is that the 529 Cottage Grove Road? That That's That's I believe it's I never remember the numbers. Um but it's 620. It's the ice cream 620. Well, it's not the ice cream store. It's actually two parcels to the east. Okay. So, you have you'd have that development. Then you'd have the big field and then you'd have the ice cream stores property. So that required a zone or would require a zone change? Yes. For what they want to do.

And has that been approved? No. Yeah. Um just for clarity, 529 is not does not currently host an ice cream facility. 529 is is mostly wooded area along Cottage Grove near the intersection of Cottage Grove and a former rail rail line. Five 529 is a little retail development. Then is 800 the the uh 800 is the corner of Bloomfield Avenue and um and Cottage Grove Road. That's the redevelopment. The numbers are really crazy down there. No then I don't in the report that you that that you submitted for for this meeting I I don't see

that that's last month I think the there's 529 and there's 800. You do not have the Aldi's property in there. You don't have the Aldi's property. No, that's in the latest report. That Yeah, that's that's that's part of the minutes from last month.

Okay. Then then in the other um um proposals I mean in the o other data that were submitted I guess it's last month if I calculated complete uh accurately there are 395 apartments that have been approved and 151 single family dwellings that have been approved if I calculate the numbers correctly and in the POC CD the population increase in Bloomfield over the next number of years was going to be in the range of a hundred.

I'm I'm not sure where you got those numbers because I don't think we've approved 150 single family homes. It's are you looking at the last page? Highfield Hollow 90. Telus 150. Ellis is rental. Okay. But units total units. Yes. total units is a lot. Yes, it is. And it it's not consistent with the population growth projected in the what we saw in the POC.

That's why we're rewriting it. I mean, it's great if they're being built to encourage a population in grow increase, but what's been what's been approved here doesn't fit with what's in the POC. I couldn't agree more.

Okay. We'll we'll we'll we'll schedule some time on the next next month for sure to talk about this because the state has passed some legislation regulations requiring us to come up with a growth plan for housing every town a growth plan. So this is certainly a growth plan. This I think a lot of people would say it's growth not necessarily a growth plan. Okay. Correct. This is growth. I mean, if you if you're if there's a demand to build all of this, there is

then then whatever data were in the POC proposal for population expansion must be inaccurate. That's why we're redoing it. Okay. And the Aldi the Aldi property is is not uh that that's not in any of not in that report. It's in more recent one. Yeah. And we don't have a more recent one. No, we do not. Um yeah, in the ad that appeared in the Bloomfield Messenger on page three, I think was a surprise to a lot of people. I I was away, so I don't know what that is.

It's a full page ad saying, "Come to the community meeting. See the new roll out. see the new Aldi's in Chapatle. So yeah. Yeah. What's your anticipation of that meeting? Um I have no basis to give you a judgment on that quite frankly and it would be inappropriate for me at this point. I'll say it another way. Every time I drive down um what's the street in front of Bloomfield Garage? As you drive, not Park. As you Cottage Grove, as you turn, as you turn go over to Cottage Grove, Prospect Street,

Prospect, the number of signs saying don't do something, don't do something is is pretty frequent.

Yeah. When they came in before, there was significant and substantial neighborhood opposition and um that's why I think it was withdrawn. um they have over time, I think, put together a strategy that they think is helpful for um working with and hopefully reaching an agreement with the neighborhood. I think tonight is part of that. Um and that, you know, whether they successful or not, I think time will tell. Um, I do not have any basis for because I have not had a conversation with the neighborhood, nor have I had a conversation with the developer about um what's going to happen this evening. And uh it um

we have to be very careful, you know, particularly the commission has to be very careful that they don't prejudge uh an application until it arrives before them. My comment was based on what I'd seen driving across and I think that that's a reality, right? And uh Okay, let's let's uh so my apology for So um at this point Lynn has got uh Laura's PowerPoint, so let's go to that. Sorry about the

No, no, no. I was very interested. Um, so, uh, so yeah, I manage the farmers market. Um, and we are a farmers market. We also, um, you can, uh, so you have to click for me. Thank you. Um, so we also run composting through, um, uh, the farmers market. There's a drop off at my farm and we're now in the third week of um starting composting like collect food scrap collection at the high school. Um and um and I've talked to um Lorenzo about um doing expanding it to Hoskins and uh Dan Ducing at the 45 farm. Um and they are both interested in that. Um and

so so BFM is Bloomfield Farmers Market and BPHS is Bloomfield Public High School. Yes. Okay.

Yeah. Um yeah. So, uh today I was building a uh bin to put all of the um what we do is we have buckets next to all the trash cans at the cafeteria. And um and so kids whatever food they don't eat goes in those buckets. And then there's a crew of kids that has signed up to be in the composting club. And um and so at the end of the third wave of lunch, we put this bokashi powder, which is like a pre- fermentation um and uh and then we snap lids on the buckets. So then um we keep kind of moving the buckets back and forth until they're full. And then once they're full, they go in the greenhouse for two to three weeks. And um and then even though everything looks the same, you can put it in a compost pile and it will decompose like in a month. It's super fast. Um and um so we were building the bin before I came here in the chicken run. Um and so that's that's the approach and that I use and that I'm teaching the kids in the winter and through probably um May. And then in June, um I with the grant from the Hartford Gives Foundation, um we are going to buy these, um big black soldierfly bins. I don't know if you guys are familiar with those already, but those um will like then all we have to do is just put the food scraps in these big bins and the black soldier flies will find them and um and they are just the most efficient organism at converting food scraps to their own bodies. Um, and um, and then the they're lovely for so many reasons, but they don't when they go through when they're ready to go through metamorphosis and become flies. So, it's the the laral stages that are doing the eating of the scraps. And when they're ready to go through metamorphosis, they don't want

to be in their food anymore. And so, the this these bins that I have have these ramps. They just walk off and they fall in this hole. And um and it's right in the chicken runs, so the chickens will get them. Um and um

yeah, they love them. They really love them. My chickens love them, too. Um so so yeah, that's what we're doing. Um and I do that at my farm. And I'm going to buy um uh black soldierfly bins for Dan on his farm. and he's interested in taking any like surplus from the high school. Um the way things are going now, I don't think there is going to be surplus. Like I think that we're staying well within kind of what would be um you know I I don't think there is any surplus. But um I would say that like I right now I'm going to the high school and I work on my computer and then I just kind of sit next to the trash cans and I and I just there's like a cultural shift that needs to happen. So like it's a lot of one-on-one interactions with the kids to be like, "Well, we're collecting your food." And you know, I mean it's like they're not used to it. So they need to develop the habit. So I just go do computer work and I talk to them. there. I'm thinking that I'm going to be able to start backing off of that. It's been three weeks of that and I think they're getting it. Um, and so pretty soon I've been talking to the crew about going into the other schools and then maybe there would be surplus if we, you know, the the idea of the grant was for the high school kids to go and train the younger kids so that the younger kids could be running it at their school and, you know, figuring out a way to make those logistics work. And then um and then we're just going to save a bunch of um cuz we I mean you guys might know this already. Bloomfield spends uh 2 and a.5 million. That's the budget for this coming year. I don't know when Kevin like I think I was looking for this year I think is for two is two and a half million. And so on the low end um is 20% of that is food scraps. I was seeing recently somewhere

like a statistic that it's closer to 30%. So like but on the low end half a million that we could be um not having to spend on you know hauling food scraps.

Um and so um that brings me to the next slide. I am part of this it's called the compost pile. Um and it's this like uh network of community composters um and uh that is organized through this organization called the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. And they have been collecting case studies and put together these reports. Um there's like a bunch of them. Um and uh and so all of them together are called Keep Composting Local. Um, and on their website they're all free and you could just go and um, like poke around the case studies and and but they also like these reports are super long. they're like 100 pages, but um the case studies are most of the report and then the first parts of the report are like just kind of like a recipe like as a municipality. These are this is what you can do for just moving your you know I put guidance for activists but it's really like guidance for a town that wants to move towards having like keeping composting um of the food scraps like local because the I mean Bloomfield had the curbside pilot and it was run as like um I think a separate truck which is like very expensive. of um to go and pick up food scraps in that one area. Um but there's so so on that this report really kind of looks at all these other ways that you could make this work like make the logistics work. Um and it gives um and it doesn't kind of give like oh you have to do it this way. It gives you like just this might work in this situation and it's um so it's it gives you kind of a lot of things to think about like in New Haven they're going

more towards co-colction um where you put just different colored plastic bags and um there's a lot of a lot of u municipalities that do this implement um pay as you throw um and most of that is done by volume because doing it by is just like trying to put a scale on a trash truck is they you have to recalibrate all the time. Um so that's not very doable. Um and um and then um it the report also gives policy recommendations kind of scaffolding the transition to move to um like a different way of sorting trash because here in Bloomfield we pay in our property taxes. So, if you're a renter, like you really don't see it. And if even if you own your home, you you still don't see how much we're paying for trash because it's just hidden in your tax bill. Um, and so in Massachusetts, they one thing they did was that they didn't they just kind of separated out in the tax bill so that you would see in your text how much of your personal tax because it'll vary depending on the value of your of your home and stuff like that, how much you specifically are paying for trash. Um but so the in Massachusetts they've broken it out so that it's more visible and then when people were able to see it then it was easier to move towards well you could be paying less if you throw out less of your trash. Um and and that uh is something that there's a um I think we can go to the maybe go to the um so so that's something I learned from way zero. Um they are a BC corporation that has helped I think um there are 15 towns in Connecticut that have implemented some

version of like um pay as you throw and that have some approach to composting food scraps and waste zero has worked with some of them to kind of do the analysis part but and work with the governments of those towns to um just model it out and and plan it out. Um there's also um the in just kind of the the players that I know about in this space in Connecticut. There's also the Connecticut Composting Collaborative that is run by Murray Gates um who is also a farmer um where it's it's really like an onfarmm like farm uh community composters connecting with each other and um and he was recommending the center for eco technology in Massachusetts that runs have you guys ever been there for architectural salvage? It's really amazing. but also they they can help kind of um come to your farm and say this is kind of the scale that you could possibly compost safely on your farm. Um and so um that uh like to to to do to to transition Bloomfield to a different approach for dealing with its food scraps. Um there are grants. So you could go to the next slide, Lynn. um that for this year. Last year there were two um SMM grants they're called from Deep um and it was like 1 point something million um and it was kind of this thing where like towns just have to go to Deep when they're doing it and just saying like hey we want one of your we want one of these and um and then uh Waste Zero is is an organization that could work with a town to um like make the application and then

they kind of write themselves in as project managers. Um and um there's but that's also something that we could do working with so there's waste zero but we could also do it through like the CCT people in Massachusetts. Um, and I think Murray uh Gates and the onfarmm composting people um would be would also be people that could help to like um be at the table of proposing a grant and um and asking for that money. And um and those those are grants to help towns like change their approach to um solid I forget what all the letters stand for. I think solid material management is what it is. Um, and so that I believe there's going to be another round this year because there were two last year. And then, um, sad story about Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant. I applied to that for this past year. Um, thank you Paula for all your help on that. And, um, and Nick, I but I did not read the fine print and I needed to have the farmers market finances audited to be eligible for that. Um but that is going to be around next year and that grant um is cool because it it's the it's called le lo uh local data collection for equitable communities. So it's a grant that really wants to give money to the people that are affected by decision-m and have them kind of like just to go out and be the ones to go and gather information about themselves. And so that like you're you're really including the community in a change that you know like so if we were to um like we we had a pilot for for um curbside compost collection and um and we saw that it was not it didn't we you know it didn't continue. So, this could be a way to

kind of really with this grant, my idea, which I'm going to try again next year, was to um have like an oral history project where um I would give everybody 25 bucks to have a conversation about composting that they could only send at the farmers market. And then we would have um just and and just take all those conversations and take recordings of them and uh transcribe them and have a local sociology retired professor who was Zora Neil Hursten's niece um to um just provide an analysis of that that could then pull out like the themes and the threads and give that back to the town as the town would like consider a change in its approach to um food scraps. Um and then I was at a conference this past two week two weekends ago um and DOAG, our um Department of Agriculture actually has a grant and I was telling them about my idea and they were like we'll we would fund that for you. So you should apply, but I just missed it for this year. So it'll be like next um uh next December January kind of thing. Um so yeah, so that's kind of was that for composting. Um and as far as the farmers market, we've we're going year round right now. Um and um in April, um we are just going to have a a new kind of um intergenerational sourdough bread making club kind of work our own collaborative because it's hard for me to find sourdough bread. So, I'm going I'm working with um so the kitchen at the uh 330 park is actually not a commercial kitchen. I was all excited about using that one. Um and the senior center we is a commercial kitchen, but

they don't it's not a shared kitchen. So, I'm I've been talking to um Lucy actually is the sociologist and she said the kitchen at the church Bloomfield Congregational is commercial. So, I'm going to talk to them about running the club from there. And um and so we're going to have kids and like the farmers market has all these retirees that come and shop with us. And so um I have two, Lucy and this other woman that are signed up for being like the elders in the room and we're going to have kids and their elders making bread together and selling it through the market. and pro and um the schools they had this contract with this company that they is up this year so we're going to try selling it to the schools as well um and then I think after that and so for the farmers market we've run out of the subsidy for that we had last year the past two years we've been able to give out like it kind of fluctuates um between $20 a person um to like $20 per person per vendor. Sometimes we were able to do um and um through first the town gave us 30,000 uh in 2024 and then last year the Hartford Foundation gave us 30 um Chicks AOY gave us 2,000. Thank you Lorenzo. And um and we also had uh 1,200 from Bloomfield Congregational Church. So this year, this is kind of my list of fundraising that I'm trying to do is um there's another the local food procurement act grant was uh that was yesterday the deadline. I asked for 150,000 um and I said that I would do like a and I kind of thought of this as at the last minute, but I've been talking to people

about this about doing a second location in like the Blue Hills um neighborhood um on and and doing and so that would be just a huge like lift of funding the subsidy plus funding like a second location. So, we'll see about that. And then uh yeah, those are the other grants that I'm applying to for this year. And the town um like I keep hearing that we're going to get the money. So So I think it's going to happen. Um and but yeah, we um it's that's going well and um yeah, those are all the fire

questions for Laura or comments. Dave, you want to start? Yeah, this is really very exciting. At at the high school, um is it all food scraps that you take? Is it selective? Yeah. No, because the bkashi it's uh back it's they're bacteria. So, um they you can there's no limit. And same with the black soldier flies like they are they don't love anything with like onions, but meat is fine. And what what so so um what kind of volume are you getting? Um so the first how are you getting paid for doing all this?

Um um where is the compost going?

So um I I if I forget one of your questions, please let me know. But um so the volume the first I I would say that we were probably going to be in terms we're weighing things and so this week I think we're well we're going to be close to like 150 or 200 lb. Um and that's um and in terms of volume that looks like maybe like five or six five gallon buckets that are totally like jam-packed with uh food scraps. We're also the trays that the kids eat on um and the little kind of baskets that they get sometimes are all fully compostable. So, we're also going to we grab those because when you do bokashi, you don't need to balance the carbons and the nitrogens, but then when you put them out into the like so because the the bokashi process is an anorobic process, but then you do want it to go aerobic in in the larger compost bin. Um, and so at that point, you do want to balance the carbons and the nitrogens so that you're bringing in like soil life that it's needs to be happy. So, we're going to try to have um the trays and those paper baskets be the carbon. We're going to see if we can get the ratios to be okay that way. And then otherwise um we're going to just I've been talking with the um the principal White and with uh Mary Jarvis, the head of aggra science about bringing in wood chips, which is my go-to on my farm is whole bunch of wood chips. uh and um to just and so so the buckets when they're full they go in the greenhouse of the aggra science center and they spend the two or three weeks there and then they go in the chicken run which is right there. Um so that's what we're doing today. We're building the the with pallets we built this kind

of like kind of semiopen but keeping it contained so that we can start dumping the stuff there and the chickens will be airrating it and like poking around in it. And I think you said where does it I mean so in terms of ultimate deployment of the material where is it um are the farms taking it? Who's taking it? Like I mean again if they have too much of compost at the end like I would definitely take it and they're so so so if they don't use it then there's extra to go around. I mean if they don't want it they could sell it.

Um and if they don't want to sell it they could I'll take it. But um I know that the principal is interested in having a more like like feeding the community from the land that is surrounding the aggra science and they've recently had a transition in leadership. So you know I think the new Mary Jarvis is kind of like getting the lay of the land still. Um, but if there could be like um a way for them to grow in the ground, then like they have this material resource. And how how are you getting paid?

So, it's $7,000. That was the grant for me to do this. You're dependent on grants. Claudia, are you a nonprofit organization? The farmers market is okay. So, you have a board. No, I need to. I mean, I've told we should talk. You're Can you be on the board? I would love to. Um, yeah, I I have background in this thing. Thank you. Don't other questions online. Okay. Uh, let's see. Corey has her hand up. Go ahead. Hi, Corey.

Um, hi. Hey, I just wanted to add uh to the question of where the compost might go. Laura and I had a very brief conversation, which I'm looking forward to having a longer one, but one of the projects Laura and I chatted about was when we do uh the dedicated pollinator pathway in whatever public land likely at town hall in the fall. We were talking about potentially having that compost go to the new install as well. That's right. Yes. Oh, that's I'm sorry. Go ahead. Go ahead, Lorenzo.

Same same with us. Um, we work with Laura very closely and support her 110%. So, she got our vote. Um, um, Chick Hoy Farm has multiple backyard farmers and and growers that will be able to take a lot of the compost. We we need about three cubic tons of it for our spot in Miller Street. We'll need some for not as much but some for um pollinator um beds at Hoskins. And then we've got about 20 or so um smallcale farmers who have growing operations and um they'll be grabbing some as well.

So there's definitely a use for it. All right. Anybody else before we move on? All right. Thank you very much. Very informative. Actually, Nick, did you want to say anything? You're leaning forward. So, no, that's just my demeanor. No, eager. No, I mean, Lauren and I, you know, chatted, you know, in town hall on the phone type stuff. The work sounds great. The fact that there's a need for it is also wonderful. Um, I'm sorry to hear about that RWJ thing. I'm sorry that that kind of stuff happens, but in the future if that similar kind of opportunity comes or something in that same vein, you have my email. So, yeah, definitely.

Yeah. And I guess if I could just invite myself to come back to talk more about like the policy because you had said that the town um contract is up right with the Yeah. In fact, the RF there was an RFP. It was either in this morning's paper or yesterday's Hartford Current. Um it's in the paper in terms of public notice for the trash hauling contract. Yep. So this is the year. Okay. Good. Thank you. You you are welcome to stay. You are w you can leave. You don't have to stay. Um your choice. I know you have things to do. Might stay for a little bit.

Okay. Great. All right. Okay. We will let's see. We will move on to um Nick environmental planner report.

Sure. All right. So kind John kind of hinted at this earlier. Uh it has been a busy week for our or not week a busy month for our department. U just a lot of kind of one-off things have happened. Um so a couple things that have been kind of particularly of focus to me as the environmental planner. Um, I'm going to list off just a few incidents, I suppose, that happened in town. Um, 152 School Street. It's a property in town. Uh, on February 26th, a building inspector responded to an emergency call at the property. Uh, the call was related to an oil contamination on the property. Um, since that date, uh, Connecticut Deep remediation team came in to clean up the site and dispose of the contaminated soil. Uh, as far as my department knows, Deep's initial cleanup is complete. I have not confirmed that, but as far as we know, that is the case. Um, currently I'm also under the understanding that the West Hartford Bloomfield Health District um has said the house is not suitable for suitable for habitation. Um, it may be best to reach out to the health department for more info on that matter. That's town adjacent, but the health department isn't in town hall or that kind of thing. Um, so we're continuing to monitor that situation. uh and the building department will continue to work to make sure that they are in compliance with building matters and safety matters related to that doicile. I have more to share on different subjects, but if there's any questions ever, please free to interrupt me. Uh another incident, uh 85 Graanby Road, uh the town was notified by Connecticut Deep um that there was a release of tririclorine TCE. It is a known carcinogenic

industrial solvent. It was discovered at the property on January 7th of this year, 2026. Deep was first notified February 12th. Deep then contacted the town officials on February 23rd. Um, uh, I've confirmed that they were both the property owner and deep were in compliance as far as timets go, but essentially what happened is we first heard about it in early March, like around March 1st. Um, sorry, February 23rd and then, you know, dismitted throughout March 1st. Um, one well showed a contamin concentration of TCE of 2500 parts per billion. Um, which is above from what I understand the drinking water guidelines for that. material interim actions so far include maximizing building ventilation where the substance was discovered. Um in addition there were previous remedi not remediation preventative measures in 2024 under the toxic substances control act in which a 6-in layer of concrete was poured on the building. Uh the significant environmental hazard report classified the matter as a vapor intrusion hazard from volatile organic chemicals in groundwater. Um the report I read the whole report. Um my only pause of hesitation within the report is that when reporting uh sensitive land uses in the area within a quarter mile, it said there were none. However, based on a pretty quick review of our town GIS, the the property appears to be adjacent to areas that are that likely contain wetlands, uh near a storm pipe which leads to the North Branch Park River and near a children's daycare. Um the monitoring is being continued. Additional monitoring is happening this month and we'll

understand the situation then. But I wanted to make people aware of my analysis of the report. Any questions online or in the room? Yeah. Go ahead, Laura. Anybody? And then Claudia, was your hand up? No. Okay. Go ahead, Laura. So, this is something that can travel. It's if it's in the groundwater, it can on the internet it says that it can create like long-term pollution sources, but that so it can travel.

Yeah, I can give a quick uh yeah summary of like what the hazard is, right? So the idea is that this substance because it is a a VOCC volatile organic chemical um if it's released into the ground as a liquid, right? It can go into the ground. Then due to topography or general groundwater conditions, it can travel like to an area either beyond where it was initially uh introduced. Then because it is volatile, that means that it can go from being a liquid to being released as a gas. The concern at that point is the the hazard was noted as a vapor intrusion hazard. So their concern is the vapors and less about the actual drinking water. That was not listed as a hazard. But to answer your question, the concern that could happen is these materials could travel underground and then emerge in like the basement of another building and then those vapors could pollute the air quality of a building. That is the concern.

Unfounded for now, but the concern. Yes. And then it could just a random basement or what basement would be more susceptible? Right. So that's kind of where the um sensitive land use is within a quarter mile is usually uh it's usually within a quarter mile. I read a report from Connecticut Department of Public Health. I think in Stratford in 2004 there was found to be releases within uh a third of a mile. It seems like generally under half a mile is the maximum of what has been reported in Connecticut to my knowledge. And

so this could show up in someone's basement and they would have no idea. I suppose that is that is why it is it was issued in a significant environmental hazard report and that's why they notified the town. What does it do to you? Sorry. What is the toxicity? Uh in what sense? Oh yeah, it's carcinogenic. It's carcinogenic and has been linked to birth defects in pregnant women. And can anything be done?

Right now they're they are continuing to monitor the site. They're going to uh I think they're going to see how the current contamination is changing. They have ventilated the building in which the contamination happened. The building itself does not contain daily. It was not a residential building and the business was a storage facility. So it's not like people very many people are there all the time. So in that case it was fortunate that it's not a building where there's many people in it very often. Um, from what I understand, what the next step is to continue to monitor it and Deep is fully aware of the situation.

And has Deep like reached out to everybody within the radius? I do not know. I do not know. And you do you know if that's their responsibility to do that? Off the top of my head right now, I'm not sure. I know that they were required to be infor they deep was required to inform us the town. And are we going to tell those people? I do not know. I'm making it aware to the public in this moment. I'm not sure if it is our responsibility or if it is the responsibility of the state. I'm not sure in that matter. And what was the address again? 85 Grandby.

It's more business, isn't it? Business. I mean 85 Grand I think. Is it businesses? Yeah, it's in the industrial zone. It's in the industrial zone. Pretty sure it is in industrial area. I can confirm if it's in fact in the industrial zone right now. I think it's the building just beyond the Home Depot. Yep. It's in the industrial It's in the in the I1 zone. Yes. What's the name of the uh tri what? TCE. TCE. If you look that up, that'll that should pop up. I think it's trichloroethylene. Pretty sure

David, do you have comment? Okay, let's move on. What else you have? Because you have more. I think I do.

Yeah. Uh there was a fire at the board of education solar array. Uh the fire was reported on February 26th. An analysis by the building department uh found that the likely the cause of the fire was that there were rodents living in the system which chewed through protective wrapping for wiring. In chewing through the wiring, it caused an arc of crossed wires which caused a fire. The fire was mostly localized to one photovotayic cell. However, this system is currently not operating as of I think a few days ago. I haven't actually double checked that today. It might have changed, but

I I heard it was, but checked. Yeah, I heard from the board of ed. Okay. Here, but wonderful. But worth when you have time just confirming that. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm just popping in because I just happened to hear her and I think she said something about it and said it was backup. Okay. Yeah. Um yeah, and I was informed by our building department that this kind of thing can happen in any type of solar system, not just ground mounted. Um it's a it's just something to keep in mind as the town considers solar on buildings, ground mounts, etc. Um just a it's a potential hazard just to keep in mind,

right? And I'm going to jump in here because um Nick and I had a conversation last week and he let me know about it

and in the first draft solar regulations there was language about rodent control which was a red flag for me because when I think of rodent control I think of redenocides um second generation anti-coagulant you know escars I guess um which unfortunately kind of impact anything up the food chain that feeds on dead rodents that happen to be poisoned. So, um, somebody's peering in the window. Um, so stay tuned. Okay. Um so um it was a good um opportunity to reach out to some of the environmental groups

to find out what they knew and whether other municipalities or you know whether they had any experience with this. I actually got a response back from Connecticut Humane which I just forwarded to Nick. I actually got it on Monday and I meant to forward it. um they came back with some very ex explicit questions about whether you know what kind of rodents do we know what kind of rodents. Um but the the short the short um what I took as the the kind of key takeaway from it was when you're installing these things there are certain kinds of wire you can you should be utilizing. I don't know if it's more expensive that is really kind of rodent proof and that's really what you want to be doing but um apparently some communities have been using um have actually been using birth control for you know they've been setting out traps food that kind of thing to try to keep the population very much down. Um the comment that they made was that if you're using roenicides um you can't get everything. I mean that's not gonna wipe out any kind of rodent population and um you know ultimately the the wiring in the first place and the covering of that wiring is really the best thing to you know implement and uh think about. So I will forward any other information I get. Um, I reached out to kind of multiple and everybody was very interested and willing to provide info. Um, but um, Nick, depending on what questions you come back with um, or your information you have, it's probably worth a followup. Um, Laura, and then we'll see if anybody else has anything. Go ahead.

I've seen that array. I don't know how far off the ground it is, but have um, like do you guys just mow the grass underneath? I think so. I shouldn't say anything for certain. I'm not sure exactly how that project is maintained. Yeah.

I know there's all kinds of incentives for to bring farmers to graze animals. Yeah. And then so if you did like um um like a sheep and then um the sheep their their manure or or like I don't know if you'd want to do goats but then if you ran chickens afterwards um they kind of sanitize and like any larvae that are in the sheep hoop the the chickens will eat that and then um but they're also mousers. Chickens will eat mice. They won't eat rats, but they are chickens will eat mice.

Interesting. Okay. So, it's a good opportunity because we're kind of talking about solar regulations and kind of things to be thinking about. So, um the fire was kind of, you know, unfortunate but timely in terms of information gathering and that's helpful to know, too. Um, anybody else want to say anything about that before he moves on with his report? Well, can I like I'm sure you could talk to Dan because he has sheep and chickens. Yeah, this is a municipal project, so I don't It's like Yeah.

Yeah. I believe the pro I believe it's owned by the Bloomfield Board of Education. Well, it would be owned by the town because the Bloomfield the board of education is part of the town. Yeah. Yeah. That's something I always take exception to. We're one town board of ed and town, you know, we're one town. So, okay. Thank you. Um, anything else? Anybody else online? Okay. Um, carry on. I know you've done a lot. Yeah, I know. I I was trying to reiterate it has been a very busy 30 days just in general.

Just I don't know why, but it has. The last thing is I would say um pretty a nice upswing. Uh the town was responsible for completing our hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan compliance that has been complete. We did a full report. Several actions have been completed. We've reported that there are several actions that are in progress and there are several actions that are um to be begun and we are those are now more on our radar because we had to do our inventory of what has done what's being what is being done and what's not done yet. So it's now more on our radar to work on some of these tasks in uh this year. I should have the list in front of me. I presume there are questions on it but I can forward a copy of the plan to anybody who would like it. It's also if you Google uh Bloomfield HMC AA P it should pop right up.

Y it's with Krog. Y Okay, great. And that is all I have. Okay, that's a that's a good amount. Yeah. Um okay, so at this point um we'll move into old business. Um the first act the first item is an action item and I hope it's relatively quick. Um our 2026 priorities um approval of the final draft. I'm hoping we can take a motion to do so. I'll move that we approve the final draft. Can I have a second?

Second. Thank you. Any discussion? I was very interested. Somebody sent around a uh projection for the state with regards to school buses that the state had uh made a motion that all communities have electric school buses by a certain date. It was a remarkable prediction and I have no idea where the money would come from for that. Yeah, I huge amount of money. Uh, I forwarded something and I can't remember where it came from. It might have come from Nancy and it was me maybe,

but but it was it it it was it pertained to the cap the the capacity for to support electric school buses in school bus yards. And basically it was like the percentage is like in the 90s. So, so what I took from that was the ex the excuse that we don't ha we we we don't have the re the resource in terms of capacity to support that um doesn't really fly. I don't know in terms of what else is needed, but I thought it was interesting. I'm going to have to go back and read what I sent to see if it's the same thing. Okay. Okay. Any further discussion? Okay. All in favor say I.

I. Okay. Any opposed or abstensions? No. Okay. So, that is approved. Thank you very much. Um, solar regulations update on where we are with that.

Yes. So a update is that they have been distributed to CEC the first draft as well as the TPZ commission. Um there was a what's the uh the the draft was discussed at the TPZ meeting on two meetings ago I forget the exact date almost a month ago I think. Um during that meeting uh me and my staff presented the the proposed regulations, gave a brief overview as to how they came to be uh and then received feedback from the TPZ. The feedback was tremendously helpful uh in addition to the feedback from members of CEC and the greater community in general. Um I was about to say in addition at the meeting John the our director he asked kind of point blank um do do folks on this commission are you interested in having regulations on this topic and the answer was yes seemingly unanimous. Um so even though they were there were you know there's feedback and there are edits that are wished to be made it is I think a process that we are happy to do because they're regulations that appear to be wanted by the commission um and therefore the town. So without further ado, I've heard a lot of good feedback and I have printed out I'm sorry I forgot to email it to the you folks online. Um but I can distribute these. These are the intended tentative proposed primary changes to the regulation. I did not redmark anything. I wanted to uh what's the word? I I was hesitant to officially make edits before this meeting in case

there were comments that wanted to be had during a conversation such as this. But the the feedback that we received from the TPZ, CEC and adjacent community members, it is all kind of accounted for in these proposed changes. Again, these are not for certain, but this is what my staff will be discussing and what we intend to more or less put in our revised version. I see people have their heads and you folks online. I'm so sorry you can't see this. Um, I I will read a couple highlights. The biggest edit feedback that we heard from every pretty pretty much everybody who spoke about it uh was wanting largecale solar systems to be restricted to only industrial zones, the I1 and I2 zone based on a near unanimous feedback. That is the direction that we will be proposing for our next draft. Um the other sort of large uh edit I'll say was wanting to have more specifics related to maintenance, maintenance plans and decommissioning. It was mainly actually maintenance but I suppose adjacent to decommissioning. Um to that end uh we intend to incorporate more language and ideas that were propo that were put forward in the 2024 policy regarding largecale solar sighting. So just point of clarification.

Yes. By that policy, are you referring to the policy that the CEC um came back and um suggested revisions to to incorporate battery bees at battery energy storage systems. It's the policy the council originally adopted. We were involved in it and we said is it was a protective measure against the sighting council quite frankly for you know anything over one megawatt that particular policy is that what you're referring to. Yes. Yes. Okay. So that December 6, 2024,

right? So, so that just for those online in particular, um what he's referencing are the things that we developed as um as a committee and uh and the um actually the EDC initially um is the is the commission that pushed it because they felt like we needed to have some guidance around where we would want these things if they one was like in, you one came to town. We wanted to be able to have as much direction as we could as a town. Okay. So, that's good. Okay. Sorry.

Yeah. And then I was going to say those are those are the kind of the two I would say uh big things or things that came up most frequently amongst all who provided feedback. You'll see other things on this list include measures related to fencing screening. Um circumstances in which somebody who owns solar on their property then sells their property. Do those measures then carry over to the new owner? that's addressed here. Um, and then also a point suggested by somebody within our staff about adjacent parcels and solar and ensuring that two large scale systems are not directly associated with one another, thereby kind of creating a workaround of a system that is over one megawatt. So that's just something that we apparently my somebody on my staff saw play out somewhere else and this is a measure to avoid that from happening. Okay. Um, actually, any members of the committee have any questions?

So, again, this has no reference to any encouragement that solar be part of any development. This is a totally different issue, right? Correct. Yes. Uh, that would be more appropriate, our staff believes, in the form of an or ordinance, which is still on our docket, but this material is referencing a regul a zoning regulation, right? And just um Nick brought that up at our last meeting, the idea that we needed to kind of segregate those two things. Yeah. And that ordinance, when you say that's still on your docket, what does that mean? I have drafted it. My staff has not reviewed it yet.

Okay. Bob, do you have something or no? Nope. Okay. Uh Laura, did you want to ask a question along the same vein? So is that ordinance kind kind of the extent of what your office is doing to encourage um like just what are what are the tools that you see at your disposal to then encourage because like obviously given what's going on in the world right now we need to have as much as possible

absolutely no that was um during the meeting I mentioned how these proposed regulations such an ordinance and then you know how they align with town goals and state goals and global goals Anyway, um I'm sorry, what was your question? I'm so sorry. Um no, I get it. Um is just like what do you see the tools and the levers that you're that are, you know, within reach for you to make it so that we get more solar in Bloomfields if this is this is more kind of like don't be annoying about it, but like also like what are the tools for like please do it?

Sure. I I think incentivizing incentives are important. I think also the idea that showing that um well, I don't want to speak for the commission of course or for my entire staff, but I think the idea brought up that David just referenced about new buildings of a certain type scale and within a certain zone like the industrial zone where it makes the most sense to have solar. it would be it would make sense to justify why they would not include solar on their building whether it was an economic reason or I don't know shading what have you. I think having that be a part of the application process where it's a question you have to ask no matter or answer no matter what I think that's a great idea and that was that was brought up by you uh David. Yeah. And also I think there was discussion around easing the sol to easing the solar permitting process.

Um I think third act is um kind of promoting that. Um trying to just sort of streamline things to you have less obstacles in terms of actually doing it. Yeah. So that there's been discussion around that. Actually I want to bring one thing up though um just very quickly. Um, I intend to, um, this is under old business, but it's relevant. I intend to submit a public uh a comment to the Inland Wetlands Commission next Monday um because Seek is um going to Inland Wetlands um for a permit um for the the um solar installation that they presented to us back at the end of 2025. And um I encourage you all to look at the um application. It's on the Inland Wetlands Commission web page. Um the wetland Peter Castaldi's staff report I think is a very good report and a lot of the points he makes in that staff report um addressed the concerns we had with what they are proposing for that site which is a um it's basically all wetlands. Um, and so I had a conversation with Peter before this meeting just to let him know that um, I was going to bring it up and we had talked about that. What I'm thinking of doing is actually more submitting as a comment um, the minutes from the meeting where we had the discussion to that kind of highlight our concerns. So, I just wanted to bring that to the uh, committee's attention. And I think that's an appropriate thing to do and it really kind of supports the town's

positioning on this. Um we want solar but we want it, you know, um done right. Yep. Certainly. May I please?

Yes. I I think that um that's the point of the I think the main goal of the regulations here in front of not these one. You know, this is just notes, but to your point, uh, Chair Jones, uh, the fact that solar is something that is going to hopefully be part of every kind of community, you know, a less centralized and more decentralized way of utilizing energy, but we want to have regulations in place so it's it's done right and and at the in the way that the community wants it to be done. Um, so of if there are further comments or questions, I would love to answer them right now. Um, if I don't hear anything today or in the relatively near future, me and my staff will use these notes that I've provided you with to create the next draft so it can be heard by the next TPZ meeting, which is on March 26th. This would uh when the draft is reheard, it will not be a public hearing um because it's going to be a second draft. Uh so we'll then get more feedback from the TPZ and then after that hopefully then there's either minor or no edits I guess and then we will notify CROG about proposed regulations and then it might get voted on but that is that is the sort of tentative schedule.

Yeah. And I will make one more comment because Nick and I had a chance to catch up last week more about we have a meeting coming up and there's a lot going on. Um I had submitted some feedback and Val Rosetti had to Nick um on the first draft and um basically this addresses a lot of the concerns I had what he's been talking about. I did not h I really didn't have issues with um kind of like rooftop mounted and small arrays that are more ground mounted and residential and commercial and used on premises because those things are incorporated into kind of the requirements in terms of the footprint of what you can put on the property. Um, so in terms of, you know, like a a groundmounted array used for a residents or a small business, um, we have those now. I know there's one in Tungstus. I drive by it a lot. Um, and that one's in a residential zone, but it's, you know, it's a couple of panels kind of mounted in the yard. So, you know, what he's saying about the industrial for the large array that that makes sense, but these other things happen kind of all over. Um, but they're, you know, they make sense in terms of, at least in my opinion. So, I just wanted to mention that out loud. Um, that was something I thought no one had real um, concerns about, so I just want to mention that for the record. Okay.

Thank you. Okay. Um, we've got about 15 minutes. We started a couple minutes late, but I think we can do it. Um, landscape zoning regulations and ordinances in progress. In prog. Okay. Um, sustainable CT certification.

Yeah, that's a that's really great. Um, by my most recent tabulation, uh, we have accumulated 225 worth of points. We need 200 for certification. So, that's pretty good news. Um the two items that are still needed uh for a certification, David, you pointed this out earlier, the equity toolkit, we are still working on completing that step of the application. Uh and the last thing, which is pretty easy, is for one of the actions. Uh I've been cataloging complete streets uh projects in town. Uh and the last thing I need for them is to take pictures of the improvements. I have the old pictures, but I haven't been able to do that because there's been snow on the ground for two months straight. So, now the snow has melted. I will be taking pictures. Uh, long story short, everything is really falling into place regarding this application. So, I'm feeling very good about it.

Good. Go ahead. Be done without you. Yeah. Quick. Um, and then is there a place where we can see that? I remember I'd asked you about that. I do recall that. Yes, I looked into it. I think what my hope is is that once this application is complete it that information can be publicly available. I've looked at the main reason is that these things have have kind of changed and been in flux but once there's like a final application I would like to make that publicly available. Yeah. So as far as

Yeah. Quick go ahead. Oh no, just quick I was just ask a quick question. Um I might have missed the timeline um when you were saying Nick um around the stuff around the final having that report uh for sustainable CT. Yeah. Yeah. No, you didn't miss it. I didn't mention it. That's partially there. No, no. Yes. So there's a reason I didn't mention it. So it's because there's two deadlines this year for it. One is August 16th I think or like mid August and one is April 14th. So initially I I proposed April 16th. Oh sorry August 16th. Right.

I a little this was a few months ago. I was a little newer. I wasn't sure how long this would take. This has come together much faster than I expected. mainly because Bloomfield has been just kind of quietly doing amazing sustainability initiatives and I'm just here to help catalog them because so much has been done already. You know, praise aside, the whole point being I still want to have the technical deadline be August 16th. However, if things do get together, which they on this track they very well might, I would not be opposed to submitting for an April deadline. I think my motto here is under promise overd deliver frankly.

Um regardless I feel extremely I'll say I'll feel extremely confident about a 2026 certification pending I've you know used the wrong Bloomfield. Forgive my joke but I think it's yeah I feel very good about it. My yeah my second quick comment was that like this seem to be moving pretty quickly like it seemed like the folks you're working with kind of turned their stuff around outside the snow. You'd be on you be out of the gate right now. Yeah, this Oh, thank you. Yes. Yeah, it is. Nick's done a great I mean what we've been missing is a good environmental planner

who will kind of compile work with the various departments and um the idea is to build the relationships with departments and get these practices kind of as part of the town's DNA. I mean that's really what we want to do, you know, that's the whole point. So, okay. Um, good news is is the rest of this is going to go fairly quickly. Um, extreme heat. Nancy can't be here. She told me she didn't really have an update. Do you? I have a very small one. It's very small. Uh, for a sustainable CT action, one of the items is to make an inventory of cooling centers in town. Okay.

Then also to include the amenities, Wi-Fi, water stations, hours, etc. I've made that list. I am doing my uh certification tomorrow to be able to post it on the website. So hopefully in the next few days there will be information on Bloomfield Cooling Centers on the Bloomfield Town website.

Great. That's good. Okay, new business. Um first up, CC has a remaining fiscal year balance, and this was a happy surprise to me, of $1,1242. Um, we need $800 for our shred day truck and so we have about $324. I would like a motion to spend up to that amount. we may be spending less um to support any kind of print materials or anything we need um for the sustainability fair that we're participating in with um Simsberry. So are people amendable to that?

I missed one word in there. Could you just repeat what you said with Simsberry?

Okay. Simsberry. Simsbury Sustainability Commission invited the CC and I actually I'll give you an update at the same time. Invited us to participate in their annual sustainability fair on um May 2nd. Bob went to the first meeting. I've been to the next three planning. So, we're going to have um we're going to have a table for trees for Bloomfield. So, CC will be doing that with BBC. We're going to have um actually Corey is going to have a table with a friend for a couple of her small sustainability businesses. It turns out she can do that outside the library. Things can be sold outside the library but not inside the library. And also a table um for the native seed bankank that is associated with pollinator pathways. So, I would like to be able to take some of our budget because I really didn't expect to have it. Um, we got, I think, a little help from the town for our, um, photo contest reception because I thought I had $800 left and I don't. So, um, I think Avette picked up some of that cost in December for us. So, that's what I'm looking for. I'm looking for a motion and a second. And I think Did you move?

No, I'm happy to move. Thank you. I appreciate it. Can I have a second? I'm happy to be second. Yeah. I never submitted the expenses from solar. That's where the money's gone. And I'm not going to. Okay. Thank you. That's what's going on. That's why I have some That's why we I shouldn't say I we have some money. I was surprised. Um I just forgot, but it's fine. Okay. And I tell you what, you should probably hang on to your receipts because I don't anticipate spending all $324. But

but the point is is I want to be able to um support, you know, um Corey is planning on, you know, Corey is trying to get something going in terms of community projects with native seed banks and this is not something she's making money from. Yeah. and it's something I'd like to like, you know, pay for the printed material she's going to provide for the fair. Um, anything we have for our table. So, we'll keep you updated or I'll keep you updated. I can certainly give an update next month, but thank you very much. All in favor? I

I excellent. Excellent. Okay. Thank you very much. Um, agricultural zone. Uh this is something that I I'm I'm only bringing I'm bringing up because we had talked about the idea of um adding an agricultural zone. Um, it came up in in connection with it's come up multiple times, but most recently in connection with solar regulations and the idea of um, you know, if you had an agricultural zone, potentially solar could be a permitted use in an agricultural zone. Um there's always um what promises made or representations made that that um you're land banking for agricultural down the road. I think to the degree you have land owners that um have been using property for agriculture and might be willing to zone something and then have a solar farm on it. Um, I think that's something worth exploring and I think there's value given the interest in our POCCD surveys. I think there's value in pursuing that. Is this committee interested?

I guess I have questions. That would take more than the time we have left, but it sounds interesting. So is that something I can bring and we can dedicate more time to? Not sure I understand. Yeah.

Well, the the the the actually I'll just say the basic um the basic idea is um we've had we we had a developer come in and um we got a commercial zone introduced and added that hasn't been used yet at a developer's request. Um, people have asked for an agricultural zone. It seems like that is something we could add to our zoning regulations and then we could consider what the um what permitted uses might be. I know Windsor has an agricultural zone. Um, and I know that there are um things there are there are other uses that are permitted in agricultural zones in in Windsor besides straight agriculture. So, it seems like it's something that the town should look at. I agree. and the plan of conservation and development make statements about maintaining the nature of our town as a agricultural and open space kind of place, but they're vague and they're in I already am involved in one conversation uh with Dancaster about their you proposed use of their land and I think this does need to be discussed And if that's the way to do it, that would probably be a good discussion for us to undertake.

Okay. I would like to see that. Did you want to say something? Yeah, please. Real quick, I guess two things. One, I I have a brought this matter up to my staff and discussed it. The I think the main thing is we like to know more from you all or the Bloomfield community. What in agricult what what do you envision in this agricultural zone? I think we understand your goals, but also like what what do you envision this as? Um I know we have one minute left, but that's I would I hope at the next meeting, if not sooner, there could be kind of just a a feedback, just a conversation to understand uh your vision for this zone. Are we talking about a concept or a place? I'm not sure I understand the question, David.

Do you mean like an official zone as opposed to Yeah. What are we Yeah. A zone sounds like a place to me. I But it we're talking about more of a concept. I think

I think what we're talking about is having is introducing a zone and having it on the books so that somebody could change as request a zone change and instead of you know if something's zone residential and you're farming it but you really you're really using it for farming because the problem is right now farming is a what right of use but But just because you can do it doesn't mean it's protected. So you've got properties that are in PA490 for decades and then you know um then they aren't anymore because a developer comes along and develops the land. So, it would be an option. And to the degree you have future land use maps that I assume will still have agricultural clusters because the first draft of the POC did, it seems like there are areas in town that, you know, potentially should be done that. Um, I'll have the last word here. Uh, chair's privilege, I guess. Um, I know from working my my experience with Windsor was taking um a farm over there that the land conservancy owned and it was zoned industrial or yeah, it was it was zoned industrial. It's on off of Day Hill Road and actually the planner there encouraged us to reszone it agricultural because it made it easier for the farmer to do things like have farm markets. Um so I'm familiar with the zone because in looking at the language, you know, there were other things that were permitted in terms of development um limited, but there were other things that were permitted. So that's where kind of the

notion comes from. Um, but again, you know, if we have this commercial zone on the books, nothing in town at the moment is zoned commercial. Nothing in town is zoned commercial, but it's there. Um, and somebody could request a zone change. So, I'm I'm using that as the analogy. Okay. um the legislative session. I just want to remind everybody that that is thick the action is thick and furious right now because it's a short session. I sent an email out with links and I I'm sorry we don't have more time to talk about this today. Um there are um you know three environmental groups that kind of have watch lists. So, I sent you the links for League of uh Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, Rivers Alliance, and Sierra Club. Um, there's some overlap in terms of bills of interest. Um, so please take a look at that and feel free to comment on things you think are appropriate and, you know, to the degree there's time and there's something as a committee we want to um comment on, um, we should still have a little bit of time. Well, I'm not sure we'll have time next month or not. It's a short session. So, um do take a look and oh yeah, we are going a couple minutes over. Um Sharon man brought to the parks and recck committee um last month a uh proposal to name the east coast greenway in town um after Joe Merritt. And the parks and recck committee said, "Well, have you asked Joe Merritt if

that's something he's interested in or would like?" And she did. it was talked about at the trails committee meeting. Um the non you know he's a council member um but he was pleased by it. I said at the at that meeting, I thought that was something the CC would be interested in supporting and I know Sharon is in the process of submitting a letter to the town manager um asking requesting that that happen. Um is this committee in favor of supporting that? Um, yeah, you can make a motion in the second we can discuss real quick. Go ahead. So, you're mo you're moving that we support. Okay.

I second it and I think it's a great idea. Joe Merritt and the entire Merritt family has been in Bloomfield for generations and and Joe actually Joe was the the council liaison to CC long time ago and the greenway is something he has promoted and supported and advocated forever. Yeah.

Okay. Any further discussion? All in favor? I Okay. So, I will write a lot a short thing of support. Okay. Um, we're almost done. Um, announcements, updates. Here's the list. There's there's a lot going on mostly in April. Um, good news. So, the spring cleanup, BBC has generally helped the town with that. I think we're doing it again this year on April 18th, which is a Saturday. And, you know, we could we can support that obviously. So, I just want everyone to have it on your calendar. Tree City USA, Trees for Bloomfield, Arbor Day event's going to be on April 24th. We got um notification from the Arbor Day Foundation yesterday at 4:55 p.m. that we are officially reertified as a a True City USA. So, that was good news. And Yep. So, that was a very positive thing. And I think at this point I'll stop. Does anybody have anything else they want to throw in the mix? Okay. Do I have a motion to adjourn? Do we have any public comment? Do I have a motion to adjurnn? So

move. Second. Second by Bob. Um all in favor I thank you very much.