Conservation Commission Agenda (linked)

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DRAFT  
 
DRAFT  
 
DRAFT 
 
FY 2025/26 PROPOSED CONSERVATION COMMISSION BUDGET  
 
The Waterford Conservation Commission serves as the Inland Wetlands Agency; reviewing 
applications, issuing permits and enforcing activities affecting inland wetlands and 
watercourses in accordance with the Waterford Inland Wetlands and Watercourses regulations 
and CT General Statutes 22a-36 through 22a-45.  The Conservation Commission also carries out 
the statutory responsibilities of a municipal Conservation Commission, maintaining a survey of 
natural resources, reviewing land use proposals and making recommendations to other Boards 
and Agencies on natural resource identification and protection, and Open Space preservation.   
 
The Conservation Commission conducted 18 regularly scheduled meetings and 1 special 
meetings in FY 2023/24 and rendered decisions on 13 applications to conduct activities in and 
adjacent to inland wetlands and watercourses.  Inland Wetland permits authorized the 
permanent loss of 0.018 acres of wetland, and the temporary disturbance of 0.002 acres of 
wetlands which are required to be restored following completion of construction.  Mitigation 
for the permanent wetland disturbance was required and consists of creation of 0.039 acres of 
wetland on the project site.    
 
FEES – Application Fees Generated from Inland Wetland Permit Applications 
 
Fiscal Year 
 
 
 
 
Total Fees Collected 
 
FY  2020/2021  
 
 
 
$ 800 
 
FY 2021/2022  
 
 
 
$  700 
 
FY 2022/2023  
 
 
 
$  1,600 
 
FY 2023/2024  
 
 
 
$ 1,050 
 
FY 2024/2025 – 4 months 
 
 
$  50 
 
The Waterford Conservation Commission requires an additional fee when public hearings are 
required.  The fee off-sets the cost for publishing the two legal notices of public hearing 
required by State statute.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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BUDGET REQUEST SUMMARY  
 
Line 
 
 
Description 
 
 
FY2025/26 AMOUNT 
 
52010  
 
Advertising 
 
 
 
$  1,500 
 
52020  
 
Postage 
 
 
 
$     125 
 
52030  
 
Professional Services  
 
$  3,500 
 
52031  
 
Planning Services 
 
 
$ 12,000 
 
52050  
 
Dues, Conferences & Education 
$      600 
 
52060  
 
Printing 
 
 
 
$        25 
 
53020  
 
Other Supplies 
 
 
$      500 
 
 
 
Conservation Commission Total Request 
 
 
$ 18,250 
 
This is the same amount approved for the FY 2024/25 budget. 
 
 
 
 
ADVERTISING LINE  10114-52010 
 
 
$ 1,800  REQUESTED  
 
 
The advertising account covers the cost of all legal notice requirements required by State 
statute.  This includes publication of notices of public hearings, enforcement orders and notices 
of decision on all Commission inland wetland agency actions.  Advertisements for public 
hearings and decisions of the Commission are required to be published in a newspaper having 
general circulation in Waterford.  To off-set publication costs, the Commission requires an 
additional fee of $400.00 when a public hearing is required for the legal notices.  The costs for 
legal notices of decision placed in The Day newspaper for FY 2023/2024 were $1,069.36.  The 
requested budget amount is consistent with that approved for the FY 2024/25 budget.   
 
 
POSTAGE LINE   10114-52020 
 
 
 
$ 125  REQUESTED  
 
Postage expenditures include certified letter mailings required for notice of Commission 
decisions on applications and for enforcement proceedings, correspondence to Town residents, 
and referrals to municipal, State and Federal agencies.  The requested budget amount is 
consistent with that approved for the FY 2024/25 budget.   
 
 

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE  10114-52030 
 
$ 3,500 REQUESTED 
 
The professional services account is used to obtain professional technical reviews, retain expert 
witnesses, chemical laboratory analyses and other professional technical assistance unavailable 
at the municipal or State level that are required to conduct the duties of the inland wetlands 
agency and the Conservation Commission.  These services may include assisting the 
Commission with technical expert reviews of application documents, investigating complaints 
of wetland, soil or water quality impacts, documenting violations of the inland wetlands and 
watercourses regulations, providing expert testimony in court proceedings, or assisting the 
Commission in preparing natural resource surveys.   
 
To carry out the responsibilities of the Inland Wetland and Watercourses Act, it is critical that 
the Commission have the ability to retain expert witnesses for determination of impacts to 
wetlands and watercourses in order to reach and maintain defensible decisions.  Court case law 
has established that the finding of adverse impacts and justification for conditions of approval 
requires technical expertise and expert evidence in the application record.  The Commission 
uses the expertise of staff members, and regional and state technical offices when available, 
however specific technical expertise may be required during the application process within a 
limited time frame.  Having sufficient funding available to procure services when expert review 
is needed is essential in consideration of the strict time frames established by State Statute for 
rendering decisions on inland wetland applications.  
 
The fee schedule for Inland Wetland permit applications allows the Commission to charge the 
applicant for third party expert reviews and technical evaluations deemed necessary to assist in 
the review of complex permit applications.  However, the Commission continues to require 
funds for obtaining professional expertise on items other than those duties associated with 
complex permit applications. 
 
Expenditures under this item are difficult to predict and are related to the number and 
complexity of permit applications, public hearings, enforcement proceedings and technical 
needs of the Commission.  The requested amount will fund an estimated 25 -35 hours of 
professional service at a rate of $100 - $150/hr. 
  
The requested budget amount is consistent with that approved for the FY 2024/25 budget.  
 
 
PLANNING SERVICES LINE  10114-52031 
 
 
$  12,000 REQUESTED 
 
The Conservation Commission conducts a water quality monitoring program of freshwater 
streams and ponds in Waterford.  Samples are collected at 30 locations in the early summer 
and late fall of a calendar year to track water quality over the growing season and monitor 
changes in quality over time.  Sampling is conducted on Jordan Brook, Nevins Brook, Fenger 
Brook, Hunts Brook, Stony Brook, Oil Mill Brook and its tributaries, Millstone (Beebe) Brook, 
Green Swamp Brook and a tributary stream to Goshen Cove.  Water quality parameters 

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monitored include total coliform, e. coli and enterococci bacteria, temperature, pH, and 
nutrient loadings from nitrogen compounds and phosphorus.   
 
The surface water quality monitoring program has been conducted for the past 24 years by the 
Conservation Commission and has generated comprehensive data on the quality of the town’s 
water resources.  This data is used to evaluate potential impacts of land development on 
stream health and to track changes in water chemistry over time.  It also provides a scientific 
basis for the Conservation Commission to establish required levels of stormwater treatment for 
development proposals, and water quality mitigation goals for enforcement proceedings.   
 
Jordan Brook, Oil Mill Brook and Stony Brook support native trout and high quality waters.  
Habitat requirements for these fisheries include cool, oxygenated waters with suitable 
substrate conditions to provide food and aquatic habitat.  Alteration of adjacent lands, loss of 
vegetative cover, soil erosion, flow alterations, septic system discharges and stormwater run-
off can adversely impact the biological conditions of these watercourses.  The monitored 
temperature, nitrogen and phosphorus levels in these streams continue to indicate high quality 
surface waters.  
 
The 2022 State of Connecticut Integrated Water Quality Report, submitted by CT DEEP to the 
EPA, identifies Alewife Cove, Jordan Cove, and areas of Niantic Bay and the Niantic River as 
impaired estuaries that do not fully support designated uses of habitat for fish and other 
aquatic wildlife.  Fenger Brook is listed as not supporting designated uses for aquatic life and 
recreation.  The section of Hunts Brook downstream of the Miller Pond dam is listed as not 
supporting fish and aquatic life habitat.  The lower reach of Stony Brook south of Rte 1 is listed 
as impaired for recreational use due to bacteria.  The State is developing restoration policies to 
improve water quality and habitat of impaired waters. 
 
The Commission continues to monitor bacteria, nitrogen and phosphorus levels in stream 
reaches that discharge to Alewife Cove, Jordan Cove, and the Niantic River, including Hunts 
Brook, Fenger Brook and Stony Brook.  This long-term water quality monitoring is a critical part 
of the natural resource inventory work the Commission conducts and allows tracking of trends 
in water quality from land use changes and provides an indication of where water quality may 
be affected.  Town staff conducts the sampling to minimize costs.  Cost variations are linked to 
the number of water samples collected.  
 
The requested budget amount is consistent with that approved in the previous fiscal year. 
 
 
DUES, CONFERENCES, EDUCATION LINE  10114-52050 
 
$ 600 REQUESTED 
 
Expenditures from this line item include membership dues, commission and staff training, 
attendance at seminars and workshops.  The Connecticut Inland Wetlands and Watercourses 
Act [CGS 22a-36 - 22a-45a] recommends members of inland wetland agency complete a 
comprehensive training program developed by the CT DEEP.  Commissioners also attend 

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environmental education conferences and legal seminars regarding inland wetlands to keep 
informed of changes to State Statute or case law affecting application review practices, public 
hearing records and decision-making for Inland Wetlands and Watercourse Regulations 
application.  The Commission satisfies the minimum required training recommended by CT 
DEEP for inland wetlands agencies.  
 
The Commission is requesting the same amount for this item as approved in the previous fiscal 
year to maintain the level of training of its members and staff.   
 
 
PRINTING LINE 10114-52060  
 
 
 
$ 25 REQUESTED 
 
Expenditures under this line item include printing of oversized documents, maps and colored 
copies, which cannot be printed or are unavailable at Town facilities.  As a result of changes in 
court procedures, some printing funds may be necessary to reproduce, in paper or digital 
format, large documents and files.  The amount requested under this line item is the same as 
approved in the previous fiscal year. 
 
 
OTHER SUPLIES LINE 10114-53020  
 
 
$ 500  REQUESTED  
 
Funds in this account are used to purchase and maintain environmental testing/monitoring 
equipment, safety equipment, survey flagging, and Conservation Easement and Non-
Encroachment Boundary Line markers for field markings.  This equipment allows the 
Conservation Commission with its professional staff to perform wetland identification, water 
testing, natural resource inventory and conservation easement boundary marking that would 
otherwise require contracting for outside professional services.  
 
The amount requested under this line item is the same as approved in the previous fiscal year. 
 
 
CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEMBERS 
 
Richard Muckle , Chair 
 
Ivy Plis - Alternate 
Tali Maidelis, Secretary 
 
Matthew Shea – Alternate 
David Lersch  
 
 
1 vacancy 
Geneva Renegar 
Wade Thomas 
Matthew Keatley 
Keith Kriet 
 
 
 
 

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CONSERVATION  COMMISSION 
HISTORY OF EXPENDITURES 
 
 
 
 
 FY 20/21    FY21/22    FY22/23    FY23/24     FY24/25  
Proposed FY25/26  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
       To  date   
 
52010  Advertising 
$ 989  
 $ 1,105    $ 1,599   $ 1,069     $ 358  
 $1,500    
 
52020  Postage  
$ 106  
 $84 
  $112      $112        $ 32  
  $ 125 
 
52030 Professional  
 $ 3,500   $ 0  
   $ 0  
    $ 0  
     $ 0 
  
  $ 3,500  
 
             Fees 
 
52031 Planning  
$12,000   $6,357   $6,278   $7804        $  - 
 
 $ 12,000 
            Services 
 
52050 Dues/Education 
$ 295  
 $275  
 $315  
 $295  
     $245  
 $ 600 
 
52060  Printing 
 
$ 0 
 $ 0  
  $ 0  
 $ 0    
     $ 0   
 $ 25 
 
53020  Supplies  
 $ 366  $ 0      
$ 253       $191  
     $ 0   
 $500 
 
 
Approved by the Waterford Conservation Commission – October 24, 2024