FOD

CABLEVISION story above (c) on the AFTER THE STORM program. The Witt Associates' report HERE.
Moderator of first Forum on Demand. Weston FORUM article here. TWO STORM PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS

Forum on Demand: An idea whose time has come.
In 1992, the League of Women Voters of Weston envisioned the day when the people would need a platform to express themselves "on demand" and not wait for "Speak Up" to fill in their political leaders...on what actions are needed NOW.

Used only once before, to discuss the Lachat Property and its future, this year's "After the Storm" program proved to be of broad interest - even Cablevision sent a cameraman and a reporter!

After the Storm: November 19, 2011, 10:30am to 12 noon. Who knew what to expect?

THE PANEL
L-r: Charlene Chaing-Hillman, Director of Social Services; Dr. Colleen Palmer and Chairman of the Board of Education Phil Schaefer; First Selectman Gayle Weinstein;
Police Chief John Troxell; Fire Department representative and P&Z Chair. Stephan Grozinger. Paula Savignol of the Weston LWV Steering Committee moderated...

THE AUDIENCE

Moderated by Paula Savignol of the LWV of Weston (above right), everyone got their turn...

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A Picture Story from Saturday morning November 19, 2011 "Forum on Demand..."
And so it began, on time, and ran over a bit because, as we expected, people had a lot to say!

ON TV TONIGHT? YES! And shown live on Town TV plus reruns...
Cablevision sent a reporter and a cameraman. Some well thought out observations, some fear for the winter to come with no solutions at hand, and clear, cold anger.

Recommendations flowed
From audience to panel and back again on how exactly the power lines related to one another and to...generators & cable towers...what did the Governor's TWO STORM PANEL come up with?

Storm panel adopts 82 recommendations
Ken Dixon, Staff Writer, CT POST
Updated 10:44 a.m., Monday, January 9, 2012

HARTFORD -- The governor's Two Storm Panel adopted a list of 82 recommendations Monday morning aimed at preparing the state for the next big storm. The top suggestion calls for "reasonable performance standards" for utility recovery and restoration. The recommendations, in eight chapters, also call for revisions to state engineering standards to anticipate higher sea levels due to climate changes.
It took the eight-member panel less than 10 minutes to adopt the recommendations prior to a news conference held by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. The report "strongly" recommends better communications between utility workers and management. Also suggested: Better standards for backup power requirements and communication infrastructure. The report was prepared after eight meetings that began in September.

"It really moved the state forward in preparing for the next storm," said Joseph McGee, co-chairman of the panel, which disbanded after the session.

"The fact is the sea is rising," said Joseph McGee, panel co-chairman. During a news conference with the panel after it's adjourment, Malloy said that with a $25 billion to $30 billion pricetag, it's unlikely that all electric lines will be buried away from trees.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS
Dr. Palmer was spectacularly clear and leaderly. No nonsense. She explained exactly WHY decisions are made the way they are about school closings. The high school will be the Town's emergency location in future storms at her suggestion. She noted that its capacity to service the 21st century Westonites' needs was up to date! There are boys and girls showers there, the auditorium can seat @600 and she said that some home businesses had to operate out of its Library (we know some folks used the Town Hall and the Town Library in addition). Stephan Grozinger pointed out that since August there have been about 70 applications for large generators. In his official capacity as Fire Department representative on this panel he pointed out the fire hazards that exist when operating small generators not "licensed" by P&Z - or maybe they are and no one comes in for a permit? First Selectman Weinstein, about to start the Town budget process, seems to be calculating the increases in next year's budget (FY'13)...

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
All in all, it was a good first step to gaining the trust of the people of Weston, who will have to endure the winter and pay for a great deal out of pocket. One Westonite who actually saw "arcing" shares that chilling experience. Another Westonite has a raft of suggestions for organizational change. This is just the beginning of finding a way forward - "deregulation" may need some adjustment, as one or more participants suggested. Vice Chair. of the Board of Education ponders the whole scope of what she heard in this League meeting which was live on Channel 79 and on a re-run schedule of 2pm every day...

Lessons learned in Weston 'After the Storm'
Weston FORUM
Written by Kimberly Donnelly
Tuesday, 22 November 2011 11:46

There could have been a lot of whining and complaining and finger-pointing at the League of Women Voters of Weston’s After the Storm forum last Saturday. But there wasn’t.

Instead, residents shared ideas and information, and tried to focus on how things might be made better in the future if — and most agreed it was more a matter of when — another weather event hits town.

The league asked a panel of town officials to address residents’ comments and questions, but the mood was informal, convivial, and information passed back and forth between the panel and those in the audience.

First Selectman Gayle Weinstein said what she took away from the forum more than anything was that “anyone with a dog in the fight” — CL&P, the phone companies, cable, the town, schools and residents — “needs to coordinate their efforts a little better.”

She suggested that some of the emergency tabletop exercises done on a regional basis should include more players, such as the utilities, phone companies (including wireless providers) and state agencies.

In addition, it’s clear that maintenance of power lines and the trees that surround them need more attention, she said.

The town is fulfilling its responsibility by planning ahead when faced with a forecasted weather event, Ms. Weinstein said, but CL&P is waiting until the problem actually occurs before calling in help and sending crews where they need to go. She recommends more state regulation and oversight of CL&P, strengthening mutual aid rules and improving communication within the corporation.

Other ideas

Residents who spoke had many ideas about ways the town could help residents get more and better information, and ways residents might be able to help themselves and each other.

Some suggestions included:

• Use the CodeRed emergency notification system to let residents know when power is restored to different areas of town.

• Post a map at town hall that shows circuits that run through town and utility poles and transformers with their numbers. Maybe also have an interactive map available online.

• Instead of the $10-million “payoff” CL&P offered to the state (and the governor rejected), require CL&P to use some of its dividends to create a reserve fund towns it can tap into or that can be used for line and equipment maintenance.

• Have town leaders meet directly with William Quinlan, just appointed to the newly created position of senior vice president for emergency preparedness.

• Move the town’s emergency shelter/comfort station to the high school rather than the middle school. “It’s bigger and has more features,” like wireless access to printers and private shower stalls, said Superintendent Colleen Palmer.

• Have town crews examine the tree canopy over roads, not just trees near wires.

• Residents should learn the number of the utility poles closest to them, as well as the number of the transformer that serves their house.

• Residents need to be responsible for making sure the single electrical wire that leads to their house is clear of branches and trees. “If that comes down, it’s a very long wait before CL&P is going to get to you,” said Dick Troxell.

• Create a system of block captains, so neighborhoods have someone who knows who might have special needs if power goes out.

• Encourage people to sign up for the “reassurance” list the town Social Services Department keeps. This list is self-referred (you must add yourself); social services checks by phone or in person (or both) on all of those on the list just to make sure all is well and to offer assistance. Social Services also has an emergency list, consisting of those who need medical attention or have other more serious needs.

• Encourage people to sign up for the Weston Community Service Coalition (wcscct.net), a database of volunteers willing to help where necessary and when possible.

• Create a “cooperative” for residents to purchase generators in bulk.

• Suggest a specific time when media outlets such as local TV and radio stations broadcast Weston news and updates.

• Have the fire department issue some publications with information about things like generator safety, carbon monoxide warnings, and electrical safety information.

• Residents need to take emergency preparation more seriously; everyone should have adequate emergency supplies and an action plan in place for various scenarios.

Some suggestions were more philosophical than concrete. Warren Joblin said there needs to be more of a culture of responsibility and less of a “not my problem” attitude.

“If my tree falls, it shouldn’t matter where it falls, it’s still my tree,” Mr. Joblin said. “I’m one of those crazy people who was out there clearing my tree from the road,” he said.

Information

Residents also took away plenty of solid information during the forum.

Superintendent Palmer and Phil Schaefer, chairman of the school board, talked about how decisions about whether to cancel or delay school are made.

The first selectman went over again the steps the town takes when it opens its emergency operations center and coordinates with various town departments to make sure everyone is on the same page.

Residents also learned:

• Land lines or “old-fashioned phones” will usually work during a power outage. Charged cell phones will only work as long as the back-up battery to the cell tower itself remains charged — and that is seldom more than 24 hours.

• CL&P does not use what it calls smart metering in Weston. This is a technology available that aids CL&P in identifying exactly when and where power is out and where it has been restored, without having to rely on reports from customers and line crews.

• Downed wires really are often energized. Do not touch them ever.

• The wires on the top of utility poles are electrical, and CL&P is responsible for everything above them. The wire below that is phone, and AT&T is responsible for the space above it to just below the CL&P wires. The bottom wires are cable, and Cablevision is responsible for those wires up to the phone lines. This is one reason why clearing branches from around utility wires can be such a complex operation.

• The Weston Police Department is pursuing CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) training in town to teach residents basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.

All agreed that the lessons learned from the past two storms should not be forgotten. Preparation is key and everything possible should be done to continue to improve communication.

“Ultimately, success starts at home,” said Officer Joe Miceli, the town’s acting emergency management coordinator.

The After the Storm forum was filmed and is running repeatedly on Cablevision Channel 79.

Forum on Demand #1
Lachat property: Public sends message to revive the building committee
Weston FORUM
by PATRICIA GAY
Jun 21, 2006

Selectman Glenn Major heard loud and clear that people want an idle building committee to be revitalized so it can come up with a new plan for the Lachat property.

On Wednesday, June 14, a public forum called Lachat: What Now? sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Weston was attended by about 50 people at the Weston Public Library to discuss the next steps to take in the development of the Lachat property off Godfrey Road.

Several members of the audience asked if the building committee for the project, which was orignally made up of representatives from the Nature Conservancy and representatives from the town, could be reactivated with additional members appointed to provide more diversity.

Mr. Major took that request to the selectmen the next day. He recommended a review of the present makeup of the Lachat building committee and proposed expanding it to include members of the public and certain interest groups.

At the forum, different sides of the Lachat issue were presented by a panel of speakers, followed by a question and answer session with the audience. It was moderated by Richard Troxell.

The panel included Mr. Major, George Guidera, former first selectman, Carolyn Mulcahey of the Lachat Preservation Alliance, a group opposed to the town’s plan of development for the property, and Steve Patton, the director of The Nature Conservancy’s Devil’s Den Preserve.

Conservation

The Lachat Conservation Center project began in 1997, when the town of Weston and The Nature Conservancy worked with Mr. Lachat to obtain permanent conservation protection of his 42-acre farm and buildings.

In 2001, the design process was led by a building committee of town and conservancy appointed officials with input from the Weston schools, environmental educators, green architects and engineers, and interested citizens from the community.

A master plan that included construction of a new nature center building and parking for buses was completed in 2003. It was presented to the selectmen as a detailed scale model with an accompanying 18-page brochure, with descriptions of the design, uses and costs of the project.

The estimated cost of the project was approximately $3 million, which was to be split between the town and the Nature Conservancy.

In June 2004, voters at a town meeting authorized a payment schedule for the project. The first scheduled payment of $450,000 was to have come in the 2006-07 budget year.

But the proposal was withdrawn from Planning and Zoning on Sept. 15, 2005, following an outpouring by the public opposed to the size and scope of the project and increase in traffic it would bring to the neighborhood.

Finally, at April’s annual town budget meeting, voters rejected a motion to approve the scheduled payment, and instead agreed to allocate no money for the project in the next budget year.

‘Old Weston’

Mr. Guidera said he was first selectman at the time the town negotiated with the late Leon Lachat to buy his property, which is situated adjacent to the Devil’s Den Nature Preserve.

The property was considered highly desirable because it had a lot of unspoiled beauty, meadows and open space, Mr. Guidera said. “It looked like old Weston.”

The town worked out a deal for Mr. Lachat to have a life estate in the property, where he could live until his death.

Mr. Guidera said the Lachat property should have a nature center on it, but he believes the town’s proposed plan is out of scale and too big.

“It could be more modest,” he said, and suggested renovating the 18th Century house and existing barn on the property, rather than building new structures, to accommodate a nature center.

He urged the town not to “throw the baby out with the bath water.”

“Lachat could be an amenity that would belong to all the people in Weston,” he said.

Disappointment

Mr. Major said he was disappointed that the Lachat plan was rejected after a lot of work went into it. “It wasn’t developed in a vacuum,” Mr. Major said.

However, Mr. Major said he was at the forum to listen to the townspeople to see where they wanted the project to go. “That’s our role,” he said.
He also expressed concern about breaching the town’s agreement with the Nature Conservancy and said he had discussed that issue with the town attorney.

His disappointment was shared by Dr. Patton, who was instrumental in the proposed nature center’s design. “I thought we had something acceptable, but times change. It’s up to the people, I’m here to learn,” he said.

Ms. Mulcahey, speaking on behalf of the Lachat Preservation Alliance, said it was her group’s mission to preserve the integrity of the Lachat property as open space.

She said the alliance is not opposed to a general plan for the property but is opposed to the size, shape and scope that was presented. The alliance conducted a survey of about 200 residents and a majority were opposed to development of the property. However, she said there was support to do something with the property, such as making it a working farm.

Q&A

During the question and answer session, Don Eldon of Godfrey West said there was a lot of “nebulousness” with the current proposal and supported the “working farm” concept. He said the property existed as a farm in the 1770s and operated as Lakeside Dairy Farm until the 1970s. A working farm would be a good resource for children to learn about nature, he said.

Christine Lomuscio of Cannondale Road said she did not want to see a commercial building, such as the proposed nature center, built on the property. She said she is also tired of hearing about what is it in for the “kids.” “What’s in it for me?” she asked.

To which Hal Matthews of Treadwell Lane responded, “Since you asked, I would like to see the town donate a couple acres of the property for a cemetery, that’s something for you,” he answered, bringing a light-hearted moment to the discussion.

Jim Maggio of High Noon Road supported the idea of a working farm and he and Heather Clayton of Treadwell Lane questioned whether a public hearing on the Lachat project occurred before the town meeting vote in 2004.

Mr. Major responded there was no public hearing but the project had been presented at numerous board and commission meetings.

An issue was raised about renovating the existing house and barn on the property. Dr. Patton said the barn had been patched together and could not be renovated for public use. David Christopher of Godfrey Road West disagreed that the barn could not be renovated, as did Mr. Guidera.

In response to a question about Mr. Lachat’s vision for the property, Mark Harper, the town’s animal control officer, and a friend of Mr. Lachat, said Mr. Lachat wanted to do something good for the town.

“He wanted the house and barn renovated to become a welcome center,” Mr. Harper said. “He anticipated there would be offices put in the house, and he wanted to see the barn restored. He did not want to see a road dissecting the property.”

Several members of the audience asked Mr. Major to reactivate the building committee to move the project forward.

Pat Heifetz, president of the League of Women Voters of Weston, said she was happy with the progress that resulted from the forum. “I am pleased there is action on this issue and that the Board of Selectmen will appoint a diverse committee representing different points of view,” she said.