Town of Somers

Prison Liaison/Public Safety Committee

Special Meeting

February 20, 2002

Meeting called to order at 7:37pm by George Van Tasel

Members present: George Van Tasel, Larry Myers,

Nelvin Levester, Mark Strange, Barbara Bogacz, Marie

Burnette, Georgianna Eastwood, Timothy Kradas, Anthony

Liquori, Robert Minch, and Sgt. Jose Claudio. Also

present Scott Meadors, Plant Facilities Manger.

Charles Colby arrived at 7:45.

Members absent: Mary Kane, Raymond Laflamme, Stephen

Minakowski, Mark Quatrano, Richard Wezowicz.

Audience: Two Correctional Officers.

Introductions:

Handout Discussions and voting where appropriate:

Committee List: Some corrections were made in

spelling and e-mail addresses.

Meeting Schedule for 2002: Special meeting February

20th, April 17th, July 17th, October 16th. All

meeting will be held in the lower level meeting room

of the town hall, at 7:30pm.

Copy Somers Prison Liaison Committee Objectives

(September 24, 1991)

Copy Memo from First Selectman Robert Percoski

(November 18, 1993)

Minutes from Selectmen_s Special Meeting (January 22,

2002)

Copies of State Statute 93-291 Section 12 and State

Statue 18-81h: There was some discussion on these two

statutes and how the committee could work within them

to address the concerns of the residents around the

prison and the safety of the town when our services

are used. This committee is for the public safety of

the town and its citizens when it comes to prison

(traffic directly related to prison, lighting, noise,

recent grey water spill) and inmate issues (escapes,

beepers, riots, fires, etc.)

Copy Letter sent to Judiciary & Public Safety

Committee (Dated February 5, 2002)

Copy of Somers Public Safety Committee Annual Report

for 2001 and Minutes from Public Safety Committee

Meetings (October 25, 2000 through November 14, 2001).

Amended Somers Public Safety Committee Annual Report

for 2001 (compiled from the meeting minutes):

Discussion of these items and the discrepancies in the

minutes and the report. It was motioned by M.

Burnette and seconded by C. Colby that Lead Warden

Larry Myers and George Van Tassel would write an

amended report and submit it to the Judiciary & Public

Safety Committee. Unanimous approval. Larry Myers

asked that to avoid documentation issues could we tape

future meetings. DOC would provide the equipment.

Larry and George will look into this.

DOC Report off the Internet as of January l, 2002:

This report includes the bed counts at all of the

facilities in the state, since the time this was

posted the state total has gone from 17,999 to 18,300.

Bed Counts: Northern 488; Osborn 1,779;

Willard/Cybulski; 1,048

Beepers: New beepers are needed. Callers need

batteries. Scott Meadors, Plant Facilities Manager,

will look into this. New beepers cost about $50.00 to

$75.00 each. Some discussion on other ways to notify

the people in the community. George will talk with

Selectmen and Scott will look into some other

technology.

Conditions Before Prision Liaison Committee was formed

(1991) and Accomplishments After: George was looking

for a couple of people to do a report on this from the

committee_s perspective. Larry had a report already

made up from DOC from their perspective. Georgianna

and Bob are going to work on this.

Sewer Overflow: Scott Meadors, stated that the grey

water discharge was caused by inmates putting trash

from candy wrappers, potato chip wrappers, etc down

the toilets and clogging the screen at the pump

station. The over flow was organic matter. DEP had

been notified. Maintenance crews will now be

available on weekends. Water usage in the facilities

will now be scheduled to help with peak use times.

Scott is looking into an Auger Cleaning System to

automatically clean the screens. Some talk of

reworking the system so that it is gravity fed.

George explained how this could be done.

Marie Burnette brought up the subject of the

additional prisoner and the well system for the water

supply. Marie feels with the drought situation in the

north east and the fact that we have doubled the

inmate population from the time the new wells were

applied for there is a real danger of the residents

wells going dry. Also it must be taken into

consideration the amount of water that is being pumped

from the aquifer for clean up of PCE and TCE. Just

because wells are in the bedrock does not mean there

is an unlimited amount of water. Maybe the DOC should

consider public water where the supply can be

monitored and restrictions can be applied by the water

company.

Audience Comments: None.

Election: George Van Tasel, Chairman. Motion C.

Colby, Second A. Liquori, Vote Unanimous. Robert

Minch, Vice Chairman. Motion G. Van Tasel, Second C.

Colby, Vote Unanimous. Barbara Bogacz, Secretary.

Motion G. Van Tasel, Second G. Eastwood, Vote

Unanimous.

Motion to Adjourn: C. Colby, Second R. Minch 9:15

unanimous.

Respectfully Submitted,

Marie G. Burnette

Minutes not official until approved at a subsequent

meeting.