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Sustainable Westbrook Committee urges extra hazard-mitigation goal for POCD, advances bike-rack and recycling plans
Summary
At a Jan. 5 special meeting, the Sustainable Westbrook Committee recommended adding a fourth hazard-mitigation goal to the town's Plan of Conservation & Development to meet Sustainable CT requirements and discussed actions including a bicycle rack at the Mulvey Municipal Center and expanded recycling efforts.
Ryan Engels, chair of the Sustainable Westbrook Committee, circulated a draft letter to the Planning Commission on Jan. 5 recommending edits to the town's Plan of Conservation & Development (POCD) to better align the plan with Sustainable CT certification standards. Engels said the current POCD draft contains three hazard-mitigation goals while Sustainable CT requires four, and he recommended adding an additional hazard-mitigation objective to secure certification points.
Heidi Wallace, environmental planner for the Town of Westbrook, updated the committee on several outreach and operational items tied to certification. Wallace reported the town’s NexTrex plastic-collection bin in the Mulvey lobby is in use and that she will receive instructions on where to deliver the collected material after meeting with the Essex/Westbrook Lions Club. Wallace also said she sent Leadership Summit flyers to Chet Bialicki for distribution in Westbrook schools and is coordinating community outreach with Sara Zaientz, executive director of Westbrook Youth and Family Services.
Committee members discussed potential new Sustainable CT actions to pursue. The group expressed interest in installing a bicycle rack at the Mulvey Municipal Center to encourage residents to bike and raised options such as a food-scrap recycling program and measures to support local businesses. Committee member Jacob Allgaier highlighted action 3.4.2 — prioritizing resources to protect locally important agricultural soils, farmland and forests — which would require completing a worksheet and creating a long-term acquisition plan if pursued.
Wallace reported that a letter written by Engels had been distributed to members of the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Commission (IWWC) to promote participation in related training; Samantha Marone, chair of the IWWC, expressed support and said she would encourage commission members to take part. The committee also discussed communications strategies, including leveraging the Westbrook Events publication and establishing Facebook and Instagram accounts to announce milestones toward certification.
On administrative matters, Marcia Simon moved to approve the regular meeting minutes of Sept. 23, 2025; Jacob Allgaier seconded and the committee approved the motion. Members noted the town will review the proposed FY 2026-27 budget in the coming months, which would be the appropriate time to request funding for any initiatives that require appropriation. The meeting adjourned at 7:51 p.m. following a motion by Ryan Engels and a second by Marcia Simon.
