It is 632.

I am calling the I'll call it meeting number 17 of the Marjorie Reservoir Trail Committee Advisory Committee to Order.

This meeting has been noticed in accordance with the applicable requirements and meeting materials were made available online.

The purpose of tonight's meeting is limited and administrative.

Specifically, we're here to receive and formally accept Bartonland La Guidas's uh conceptual feasibility materials and to authorize their transmittal along with this committee's recommendation to the city of Danbury and to the town of New Fairfield.

Um I will roll call.

I have Jeff Main.

Yep, uh Peter Hearn here, David Day, and myself, Holly Robinson chair.

Um before we go to the agenda, um I just have a housekeeping thing.

Wanted to note for the record that there is no public comment on tonight's agenda.

Um we've conducted extensive public engagement throughout the process, including multiple um publicly noticed meetings, written submissions, and outreach efforts.

Um tonight's meeting is limited to the administrative receipt and transmitted of materials, and which is why public comment is not part of the agenda.

Um the next item is the approval of the minutes from our last meeting.

Do I have a motion?

I will not read the minutes because I'm assuming that they were sent well in advance and everybody has read them.

Will somebody make a motion to approve the minutes as presented?

I can make that motion.

I'll second it.

Um discussion on the minutes and accepting the minutes.

Hearing none, I will try your minds.

All those in favor signify saying aye.

Aye, aye.

Any opposed?

Ayes have it.

The minutes are accepted for the record.

Um before we go into the presentation of materials.

Um procedural matter at the last committee meeting.

Motion was adopted that suspended future meetings unless directed otherwise by the municipalities.

Um to ensure that the record is clear and procedurally consistent.

We will take a limited action to permit the properly noticed meeting to proceed for the purposes outlined herein.

So I would, if I would entertain, somebody would entertain a motion to rescind the motion adopted at meeting number 16 that suspended additional meetings solely to permit this properly noticed meeting 17 to conduct the limited business on tonight's agenda.

I'll make that motion.

Thank you.

Motion made by David Day.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you, Jeff.

Um, any discussion on that motion.

Hearing none, all those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

That motion carries.

Thank you for entertaining housekeeping stuff.

Um this is a we received the Barton and La Guidas uh feasibility study um materials.

They will be properly submitted online.

Everyone, the committee members were able to receive a copy of this in advance.

Um, there's nothing here that is any different, I think, than what we've already received from them.

I want it.

Um basically the presentation itself reflects the trail alignment developed through the feasibility process that incorporates the environmental constraints, the engineering analysis, and the public input.

Um it also includes preliminary conceptual cost estimates.

That's not necessarily true, is it?

Yeah.

Um see.

It includes a phase one segment and broader project considerations, all of which remain subject to refinement during the future design phase.

Um these are being presented tonight solely for receipt and for us to transmit to the appropriate municipalities.

Um before we accept them, are there any comments among the committee members?

Do you had an opportunity to review?

Have a look at that.

Okay.

I'm in aware of that.

I'm aware of the alignment.

I just haven't looked at this presentation.

Okay.

Um, you have a copy of it, right?

I think we'll make sure.

Yeah, we'll make sure it's posted as well and available.

Um Peter, do you have any comments that you want to incorporate it in the I asked all of my questions prior to the meeting, but uh I could summarize.

I haven't completely no, I think what we'll do is um as we get as we accept this.

I think that my thought process is that we had circulated a memo internally about what we were gonna convey and say in a memo to each municipality, and I think any outstanding questions we can include in that.

Um, and then each this town of New Fairfield and the city of Danbury will have the opportunity to ask additional questions to the uh consultant um and also do their own RFP for costs.

When will this memo be available?

It's gonna be circulated.

Well, what I would do is that the draft that we talked about about three or four months ago um will be recirculated on the committee members and and sub, you know, in part, you know, we'll have some editing freedom, but we'll make a motion tonight to finalize that memo.

It'll need to go to uh the administrative admin for the city council by I believe this third week of June.

So I mean it's 95% done.

We just have to, as a group all agree to it, and then send it for public notice.

It'll go out in the for the July 7th City Council notice packet.

Okay, yeah.

I'm I've been having trouble with the timeline.

Yeah.

So um so we'll be in communication.

You'll I guess you're abdracting the memo, is that correct?

Yes, okay.

And then you'll circulate it to us, and if we have any comments, we'll send them back to the comments, yeah.

And again, just for full transparency, it's the same memo that we talked about in January.

Um, so it's it's it basically the the intent is to uh explain to the city what our process was, what we went through, um what the discussions were with with BNL, um include their um full feasibility study, which we have.

This is the PowerPoint itself, um, and any other questions that we have outstanding that we want the city to address when they actually get into the weeds with RFP costs, sure, et cetera.

Sure.

And that would include recommendations for segmentation and potential for exactly because if we can't, if it won't go end to end for what the current grant is, what the piecemeal process could be.

And ideally, we'll have those numbers from BNL before the memo is circulated.

We absolutely will.

Okay.

Yes.

When you say those numbers, you're talking about the total construction costs and yeah, for phase one.

Yeah, the O and M cost too.

Are they giving us that?

Right.

Yes.

Okay.

And perhaps places where they could save with materials or I know that Jeff and I have some opinions.

Um Yeah, and I think so I think this, and this is one of the things that has been a little bit um hindering to us as the committee is that we're we're we're not actively engaged at the moment with say the public works and team until it gets to the city.

So we can make the public recommendation to the city council.

The city council will you know see what they have as far as finances, what they'll review this plan, they'll see if they agree with our recommendation, and then what the proposed costs are from BNL, and then obviously Antonio or whoever is designated will go to RFP and or at least bid it and see if it's feasible with what the actual costs are instead of the estimate.

Gotcha.

So I I think um again for procedural uh purposes.

If I I would be willing to entertain a motion to formally receive and accept Barton and Laguitas's conceptual feasibility materials that were presented to us for meeting 17, which is tonight, including the conceptual alignment um and preliminary conceptual cost estimates.

I can make that motion.

Is there a second?

Well, how's that?

Go ahead.

Any discussion on that motion.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

The ayes have it.

Thank you all.

Um the next order of business would basically be um in all recreation and whoever wants to make it, um, is to entertain a motion that that this committee authorize the chair to transmit the accepted feasibility materials along with our recommendation memorandum to the city of Danbury and to the town of New Fairfield.

Um the memorandum is uh to be approved substantially in the form that you've already seen with authority for me to make non-substantive edits for clarity um consistent with this action.

That memo will be submitted when.

I know that's okay.

And did and you have reason to.

So that memo would be submitted to the city of Danbury by I believe the date would be June Thursday last Thursday and June 20th.

Would that be the 27th?

It's usually the first Monday before the meeting.

So I think it's June 29th.

So whatever the um the Thursday is when I'd have to have it in to the executive admin.

So that's the 25th.

The 25th, June 25th, but we'd have it sooner.

So let me just take a step back for a second, because I think that the important thing is that we all see it and make comments on it in advance.

So I think that the motion would essentially be to authorize me as the chair to transmit the accepted feasibility materials along with our recommendation memorandum to the city of Danbury and the town of New Fairfield.

Um, and this memorandum will be approved substantially in the form that was distributed to these committee members in January, plus any emailed communications or edits or comments from the committee members between now and June 25th.

And I'll also have all the total construction costs and yes.

So does anyone want to make that motion?

I'll make that motion.

Any second.

I'll second it.

Any discussion on that motion.

Hearing none, I'll try your minds.

All those in favor signify by saying aye.

Aye.

Aye.

Any opposed.

So as far as the orders of business on the agenda itself, um I think that you know the outstanding action is is really having the final information from the memorandum between now and June 25th for our um email or written discussion as a small group, because it will be the um recommendation of these four members that are the group itself to send it to the city's appropriate city um municipal governments.

Um I believe that our work here is done, and I would retain an open forum from the committee members if there's any further discussion before we send it back.

Anticipating timeline problems, we're expecting that um we will have from BNL the cost information that was cost of the project that was promised.

Where do we go if we don't get it?

I mean, what what happens if uh if the city turns it votes it down?

No, if B and L can provide the data that we're we need to do.

Well, they should be able to provide what I think we would do is that we would then still proceed with our timeline as planned, and this would go to the July 7th Danbury City Council meeting and and whatever you know is is determined to go in front of the new Fairfield Board of Selectmen um without the full dollars, and it would have to then be determined by the municipality either through their own estimates or through their RFPs, but I could imagine we will have an estimate of some sort from BNL by then because they have to fulfill their obligations under the agreement.

Sure, and you'll be in communication with them.

I will be, yes.

Okay, because we do have a consulting agreement with them to provide the information, so we will push them for timeliness.

Um and yes, I'm disappointed that it's not already, but we didn't want to pay them twice to be here as well.

No, I appreciate that.

Yes.

Um, so I appreciate you guys kind of working on a on a timeline here that you're trying to fit into a meet on the uh poll.

So I will, if there's no further discussion, um any communications that we have going forward regarding the memo or any questions, we'll make sure that are included in our recommendation as long as we have them from the committee members by June 25th.

Okay.

And I will entertain a motion to adjourn.

I'll make that motion.

I'll second that.

All those in favor?

Aye.

Thank you all.

Appreciate it.