Old Lyme - The Board of Selectmen largely agreed Monday with a committee recommendation to reduce the town's aid to private beach associations by $20,000 and outlined the reasoning for the stipends.

The Private Beach Association Stipend Committee has been reviewing the town's nearly 100-year-old practice of giving stipends to private beach communities. The town currently gives about $101,000 in grants to the communities, but the committee recommends $81,000.

The committee calculated a formula to provide funds to the different communities to offset their security costs, which they said reduces the town's police costs. The committee also outlined additional allocations based on the needs of specific beach associations.

Selectmen said the recommendations provide a reasoning for why the town allocates the stipends to each community, which town boards have long grappled to understand. They are expected to make a final recommendation and then present it to the Board of Finance.

k.drelich@theday.com

Twitter: @KimberlyDrelich