Regular Meeting, Thursday, August 22, 2024, at 6:30 PM
Remote Participation ONLY
Zoom Location:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7814490827?pwd=VWV4NEpIQm9yakd6WmU4ZGwvT1BmQT09&omn=89235474295
Meeting ID: 781 449 0827 Passcode: 234
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MINUTES
Attendees: Stephan Chait (Chair; SC), Mary Horne (Member; MH), Lesley Pollitt (Treasurer; LP), Laurel Copeland (Secretary; LC), Linda Huebner (LH), Diana Conway (DC, guest), Nancy McCrea (NM, guest), Bonnie Brown (BB, guest), Penfield Chester (PC, guest)
Unable to attend: Dov Towler (Member; DT)
CALL TO ORDER at 6:31 pm
CHANGES AND/OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA – None
APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MEETING MINUTES – Regular Meeting Minutes of June 27, 2024, were approved.
NEW BUSINESS
Town Trails – Planning Commission discussion on Town Trails. Bob Fisher, town attorney, attended a Planning Commission meeting of which SC got a summary: there are not very strong guidelines on Town Trails. If someone is trying to do development on a trail, because it is not a town highway, they cannot expect road maintenance, and the rules are unclear. Someone asked to put down gravel on a town trail about 6 weeks ago. PC commented that there is history on this matter. Janet & Paul Taylor may have information on this. There was a court case brought by 4 town residents against the Select Board (SB) because a vote was requested on rules around development on Class 4 Roads when the vote was 2/3 of town voters against what the SB wanted to do. The court case was settled in favor of the complainants that development could not take place on a town trail when the townspeople were opposed. The case started with the Bartonhagens regarding Josh Road where someone wanted to build a house. Court case question: is land on a town trail build-able? Because the town is responsible for maintaining services on roads, this was an issue. The townspeople were opposed so they prevailed over the SB. Towns are not required to plow or maintain town trails, although some other towns are debating this and the effects of 4-wheelers on trails (high impact especially in wet seasons) vs the effects of snowmobiles (less impact). NM commented that Atty Fisher presented a lot of court cases in the meeting referenced, and noted it was a thorny issue. Edee Edwards could better report on the meeting.
Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center (BEEC) new grant and the Protection of Town Culverts
Halifax Beaver Working Group Update – LH commented that BEEC will present a Beaver Camp on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, partly at BEEC and partly at Skip Lisle’s place in Grafton VT. There will be practical advice on building flow-control devices. The Camp is funded by Broad Reach Fund. The activities will be Oct 12-14, 2024. BEEC has additional funds for beaver education. LH is interested to know whether there are adverse impacts of the beaver pond on school property
Develop Information Sheet on Emerald Ash Borer (LC) – education, treatment, which to leave alone and let the 1% survive (in the woods), which to consider cutting down. LP will ask Sue Kelly, our Tree Warden, for input on the flyer. LH would like to see the question of the value of limning sick ash trees. Some photos of signs of EAB infestation in ash trees are on this site: https://czresearch.com/eab/. DC commented that the glossy buckthorn flyer was very helpful.
Act 64 Ditches – Impact on roadside trees. PC commented that cutting in the large ditches impacts the trees above the cut by damaging their roots. E.g., on Jacksonville Stage Road, many stretches look vulnerable. PC talked with the road crew who noted they did not have time to stabilize the ditches and still address all the ditches that need cutting and rip-rapping. BB commented that Deer Park Road has the ditches and seeding, but the steepness and/or shadiness prevents the seeds from flourishing. Homeowners could initiate action to prevent impacting historic trees and stone walls. When PC and LP objected to widening their road where there are 200-year-old trees, the road crew complied.
OLD BUSINESS
Update on Open Meeting Law and Requirements for Conservation Commission meetings. The Conservation Commission is defined as an advisory commission, and therefore is not required to have a public location as long as the remote meetings are properly warned and a recording of the meeting is available for 30 days after the meeting.
OTHER BUSINESS – BB presented the topic of Kiel Moe about visiting the hemlock grove. He would be delighted to lead a group down to the stand of old growth hemlocks off Jacksonville Stage Road and Vaughan Road. BB will suggest dates.
MH asked whether folks had seen jumping worms. Not much.
HEARING OF VISITORS – All good.
ADJOURNMENT at 7:27 pm.