Joint Dam Management Committee & Board of Selectmen
September 27, 2007 Meeting Minutes
Members present:  Chairman Robert Thompson, Gate and Dam Keeper Howard Kinder, Chairman Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director Walter Tibbetts, Lake Wyola Advisory Committee member and former Dam Management Committee Chairman William “Bill” Elliott, Richard Brazeau and Leo Riendeau. Also present:  Select Board Chairman Becky Torres and as a resident and not as a member of the Board of Selectmen because she is an abutter to the lake Debra Pichanick.  Also Present: Town Administrator David C. Dann, and Administrative Secretary Leslie Bracebridge recording.
Meeting opened at 7:10 P.M.  Unanimously voted to accept the minutes from August 18, 2007.
Agenda Topics:
Update on the acceptance process of the Lake Wyola Dam Emergency Action Plan:
Bill Elliott, Richard Brazeau and dam Engineer Morris Root have been working with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Office of Dam Safety (ODS) Chief William Soloma to perfect the Lake Wyola Dam Emergency Action Plan (EAP) originally submitted in December of 2006 and rejected on Labor Day by a DCR staffer, Joe Russell. Joe had instructed the town write a request of extension letter committing the Town to hire a consultant (at an estimated cost of $8,000) to rewrite the parts of the EAP that did not conform to the specifics of the ODS generally recommended, but not required National Weather Service (NWS) EAP model, that is contained in FEMA 64. 
Following a visit to Chief Saloma’s office, Bill and Richard are pleased to report that Chief Saloma did not feel that demands made by Mr. Russell were consistent with procedures outlined in ODS regulations.  Chief Saloma was impressed with Shutesbury’s inclusion of Emergency Management Director Tibbett’s personal involvement in development of the EAP (which would not have happened if it had been written by an engineering firm) and was very interested in Shutesbury’s EAP model. Chief Saloma agreed that it was more sensible for Shutesbury to send the EAP to ODS for feedback before sending it to MEMA; that Shutesbury did not pre-submit the EAP to MEMA had been cited as a deficiency.  Mr. Saloma will write a response letter to the Select Board letter stating that Shutesbury is making a good faith effort at completing the deficiency list and the important thing is to keep him informed on Shutesbury’s progress.  Becky thanked Richard and Bill for their follow-up work.

A discussion of actions taken in the heavy rain of October 2005 included:
* Following the inspection borings Engineer Morris Root has determined that the dam is much more stable than he originally thought and that it could withstand a 6 inch overflow.  The reconstruction with make the entire length of the dam an emergency spillway.

Permitting:
* The goal is to close the town’s permit hearing with the Conservation Commission on October 25.  Two pieces of information required by the Natural Heritage Endangered Species Act (NHESA):
1. Bill Elliott will measure the dissolved oxygen in the remaining water during repairs for its ability to support fish.  If necessitated, a turnover can be induced with a bubbler.  
2. Engineer Root needs to send a methodology for preventing fish kill during the project.
* The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers cannot sign-off on their permit until they get approval of their recommendations from the Massachusetts Historical Commission. 
* Selectmen will be asked to consider what to do about New England Environmental’s costs already being $7,000 over what they originally budgeted in their contract.  This is partially due to extra Conservation Commission hearings valued at $600 each. There has been no prior communication about this. Selectmen will discuss and provide feedback to the October Dam Management meeting.  
* Lake Wyola Association members are teaming up with permitting and pooling funds to maximize the amount of work done for the least amount of permitting.  If property owners apply at least 30 days in advance of expiration, permits can be renewed for an additional three years.

The next meeting will be combined with the Lake Wyola Advisory Committee (LWAC) on Saturday October 20 at 9 AM at the Shutesbury Town Hall.
Adjourned at 8:50 P.M.                                    Respectfully submitted, Leslie Bracebridge, Administrative Secretary

070927 Dam Management Team