Everyone, this is the Air Conservation Commission. It's a hybrid meeting agenda. Uh, I'll read this little prelude. The meeting hearing of the Air Conservation Commission will be held in person at the location provided on this
notice. Members of the public are welcome to attend this in-person meeting. Please note that while an option for remote attendance and/or participation via Zoom is being provided as a courtesy to the public, the meeting/hering will not be suspended or
terminated if technological problems interrupt the virtual broadcast unless otherwise required by law. Members of the public with a particular interest in a specific item on this agenda should make plans for inpersons versus virtual
attendance accordingly. This meeting will be live on Zoom. The public may access the proceedings by joining Zoom meeting ID number 978772 8220.
uh note new zoom number or by calling 9292056099. For additional information about remote participation, please conduct contact Heather Hamson conservation agent at coom ma.
us or 9787728220 extension 143. I really missed that. I Yeah. Uh commissioners in attendance this evening, we have Jen Maya as member. We have George Bacon as member,
Jess Cuino, member clerk, Mark Phillips as vice chair, myself, John Smallenberger as chair, and Heather Hampson as our conservation agent. Do we have a confirmation of agenda? Um, yeah, I the only change I do have and I
apologize for this. The deadline for the um request for proposals was this past week for the baseline report for Curly Circle and we received one whole bid. one day. We'll discuss that and vote on
that and we'll discuss that when um we can do that at the end of the meeting. Okay. Remind me. I'll forget. Mhm. Um motion to uh approve the agenda as amended. So
move. Second. All in favor say I. I post nay. Passes unanimously. Approval of the meeting minutes for April 24th, 2025. Everyone had an opportunity to read the minutes. Any corrections,
comments? Looking at Mark. Looks good. All right. Yes. Valor. Motion to approve the meeting minutes for April 24th, 2025 as written. I moved second. All in favor say I. I. Oppose.
Nay. Passes unanimously. This is the time of our meeting for public input. If there's anyone out there who is not on the agenda who would like to speak or make a comment, now is the time. Caroline McCreary, would you
please join us? Thank you. Good evening. Good evening. I'm Carolyn McCreary, as he said, 65us Avenue East. And um I'm here because at town meeting um the the town approved
spending, I think it was $20,000,000 um for the the pond um treatment. And just before that, Lori Nering, and I have to give all the credit to Lori, says to me, you know, we're spending
$20,000 for this recurring uh expense. And um we Pace had um pulled water chestnuts for a couple years at no cost to the town because there had been grants. Um, but she said they couldn't
do it this year because uh they needed insurance which was going to cost them $3,000 and they didn't have the $3,000. So, you know, it occurred to me that if the conservation commission is going to be cleaning up, you know, ponds
and for the to the tune of at least 20,000. And I know it's been been more other years that um they ought to be able to pay for the you know at least the insurance um for Grove Pond for the for the chestnut the water chestnut
pool. That's what we're talking about here. You know um Pace led this water chestnut pool for a couple years and and it was really quite successful. Had a lot of volunteers from town in it. But um now um I guess the the town lawyers
have said that they need insurance in in in order to continue the program. So I, you know, I'm asking the commission to take charge of this idea of of the of yearly pulling of the of the water
chestnuts that, you know, you have the resources for the um for the insurance at least and um you know, you can get volunteers. Um, I'm not sure exactly uh how Lori I mean I know that she had a
grant and um the grant probably paid for uh canoe uh kayak rentals but there would be a a way that the commission could you know sponsor sort of thing this sort of thing with you know asking citizens to provide
their their their own um boat whatever. So anyway, that that's my request that that the commission take over this this process of continuing to clean up the the water chestnuts from Grove Pond.
Is there a reason that any of you know that Grove Pond is not included in the in the cleanup in in the weed treatment program? one of you, I'm assuming. Wasn't it the arsenic the contamination
in the sediment that we didn't when I came on the the the line was that if we treated the pond, nobody can swim in it, should swim in it anyway. So he didn't want to encourage people to swim in it cuz
stirring up the sediment could be a health hazard. So but they they treat flanigans and I'll guarantee you there nobody swimming in that thing. Right. But uh Grove Pond has
the history of um contam I mean contamination serious contamination from Fort Deans as well as the old tannery. Right. So, heavy metals, arsenic, um I mean the um it has the warnings all all around it
from the state. It's it's all fishing, but it has to be thrown back. It's not And no swimming. No. Oh, yes. So, and it's so shallow. So, the boating on it is difficult too in some I guess. I don't quite understand why if
you can't fish or swim, why you can't treat it? The idea of if you can't fish in it, swim in it, why treat it? Is that maybe where we were at? I obviously was before me, too. Yeah. Right. You're right.
Before me, as well. Um, okay. So the policy right now is we're not going to treat it. We're not going to we're not going to include it in the to be the fourth pond that uh we
clean up. No, fourth. Yeah, your fourth like long pond, but then there's something in Long Pond. So yeah, fourth pond. But is this something we could have water and wetland look at in terms of managing that area of the um water chestnuts
because that's something that travels. We they they did spot it in Flanigan Pond last year. Remember they did treat it and they never found it again. Right. This is something we can look at as adding as an additional item to the RFP for next year to have it looked at for
any sort of benefit to do that treatment of growth pond for the for the 2026 year. Um, okay. And do they have a the way that the the the article is
passed is is for the pond treatment doesn't specify which pond. So, we also could as well um I'd have to talk to Robert and figure in accounting and figure that whole aspect out how much money would be in there, but we could look at some point and see if there's enough money in there and what the
commission like to do with it if we were allowed to do that for something for grow pond because the the way the article is written, it's just for pond doesn't specify which ponds or what the treatment is. Okay. So, we could explore that if that's something the commission would like. But water and wetlands could
take a look at it and see how much I'd have to I have to ask them. We don't know if we have to put it out to bid again. I'd have to ask that question as well. We can look into that as well, too. I I have a question. So, um you know what Pace and and and the citizens have
done is pull water chestnuts, right? And um so that's something that can be treated um with the sim the chemicals. I don't know how they did it last year. I don't know if they pulled them because they were so small and they only found a few of them or I think they just pulled
them. They just pulled them right with the amount that is on Grove Pond. What they would do I don't that I don't know. And I was under the the impression that it basically is gone from Grove upon it. It just it's a maintenance. Yeah. So I
mean I think we could ask them if there's money in the budget to do and amend the RFP or something to add. I would think if we were just adding on that that particular thing, it wouldn't go over it shouldn't go over 10,000. So,
we wouldn't have to put that out to bid. Yeah, maybe. Um, well, if you already have a you already have one. Yeah, if you've already awarded, it would merely just be a change order. I would assume you can do a change order to it as long as it doesn't exceed a certain amount
for the bid. And is that the 10,000 you're talking about that if something is over 10, it has to be separately bid? Yeah. Isn't some state um retention whatever retention records? that if it's over a certain if it's over $10,000 it has to go out to bid and you
have to do the RFP and you have to do it try to get but I mean even if it even it's already awarded I I think if it's already awarded I think depending on how much it comes back at that's a question I have to ask the accounting office aspect I don't know if we were to
go back out and and add that what that would do to the existing contract that we have I think it would be fine but I don't I don't know municipal accounting as far as that goes water levels were listening and they could come back with less than 10,000. We'd be all good. So,
possibly possibly. I have no idea. This would be nice because obviously they're self-insured. It's a non-issue. And we know that the insurance would possibly be at least 3,000 to have somebody uh you know volunteers residents to do
it again. So, kind of a nice bogey. You think Pace would would agree to handing it over to Oh, yeah. I mean, I I think de facto it is handed over since they can't afford the you
know, they can't afford the insurance don't have permission without that. Yeah. And the other option is is for us or some in town to come up with three grand to pay for the insurance.
Yeah. And and see if you know Pace wants to volunteer to do it again. I mean, you know, it y it it takes quite a bit of of effort and um Lori has stepped down as the as the chair and so I I can't speak for Pace, you know, I haven't been to PACE meeting in, you know, a long time.
Um, so I don't know. I'm not sure. I mean, how well equipped will we be to try to solicit volunteers? Um, well, we've tried before and not done too well. I mean, I I do know the
was I don't um Christine, she's the I think clerk for PACE. I mean, I'm sure I could reach out to her if we were trying to do volunteers and and try to get involved with PACE and reach out to their group of volunteers again. um and see if that how that would work out.
The other thing I would had the thought of is if they wanted to coordinate the volunteer thing, could we, and this is a question for George, could we fund the insurance through
our wetland fund because it's a wetland protection actish taking care of wetlands, invasives? I don't think so. I think I think technically it's for the administration of the act. It's not I think this is
outside of that. So we we have no way to get the three grand from from our our funds. Or could we ask county council on that? Sure. Yeah. I
could ask Robert on that when he comes back on Monday. that question or if there would be a blanket insurance for the town um that it could be part of or and again I think that would cover town employees. It wouldn't cover volunteers.
I think that's the issue that Pace is running into and that's the issue the town is having on our end. I see. Insurance is a fickle thing. Yeah. Well, I I mean from from this discussion, what I hear is you first uh will consult with your your
your your people to um to see water and wetland. Yeah. To see if we if something we can add into there. Also have to double check with the accounting office and the town manager's office to see if that's something we can do to amend it and then what the funds are available on what the quote comes back to. So, we'll
first go to that route of it and then if that ends up coming back as a a no, then we'll see what we can do as far as possibly the commission. I I don't know if we can on our side, but that's another question we can ask. Yeah. I think to what George said that kind of
makes sense that it's it's the administration, the enforcement of the act. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That makes Well, I I mean paying them to do the chestnut pole, not paying for insurance for volunteers to do it. Yeah.
Hence, that's why the other pond treatments are not funded with us, right? That's why we budget item. It's a budget item. Yeah. Well, I I appreciate your willingness to um go forward uh in in whatever process
needs to needs to happen to make sure that you know what what what bothers me is if we if we let it go that the that all of the work that that has been put into it in the last couple years will be for not. So, um you know, I'm pleased that you will follow up and and um work
on it. Thank you. Thanks for bringing that up. Thank you. Any other public input? No. Okay. Then seeing none, we will move on to our first item this
evening is a request for determination of applicability. Luis Perez, 135 Oakidge Drive. And Mr. Perez is with us via Zoom, I think. Yeah, there you go. Good evening.
Can you hear us? Okay. Yes. How are you? Okay. Good. Good. Yes. It comes and goes. Oh, I'm sorry. It's what now? Says it's coming and going. Oh. Oh. Um, could you tell us a
little bit about your project? This is a property that I purchased just recently and I'm doing some renovation to the property and cleaning up. Um, I um I cleaned up the uh the rear
yard and I had a sloped area at the rear of the property going down into the um bulkhead not bulkhead but the the the float ramp there. Yep. And uh but we did
we did a lot of cleanup and uh there was a lot of erosion and and a lot of debris in that sloping area. And uh what I like to do is do like
landscaping tears going up the u the uh the u the drop. It's probably a five to six foot drop sloped bank. And um what I'm planning to do or want to do is uh
run uh 2 by 2 by10 2 by 12 basically landscaping um steps going up the hill to to protect the slope. you know,
the bank from eroding and and be able to maintain it better. And how would that how would those 2 by10s be secured? It would be secured by stakes. This
either a metal rod or wooden stake that would be into the planks and just driven into the ground. Just driven into the ground. Yes. basically follow the existing slope.
Yes. Would this be the full width of your of the area going down to the pond? Pretty much. It's about 100 ft. 100 ft wide. And you'd have steps right in the middle
of it going down. Drop down about Yes. Right. Yeah. There's already existing stairs there. He would just fix those up. Yep. And there is no existing retrain retaining structures there now.
There's there's existing like No, there used to be a uh Go ahead. How do you cut out? There used to be an existing uh kind of aluminum picket fence, black black
um picket, you know, picket fence across the back. Some of it was in the water. Some of it was, you know, it was all tangled up and most of it was rusted and just not maintained for many, many years. But I pulled all that out and and
cleaned up all the debris and car parts and all kinds of debris that we found. I guess they were using that as a dumping uh area. Um commissioners have thoughts. Will you be bringing in any additional
soil or just using the soil on site? on site and I may need a little fresh uh top soil. He told me he'd be bringing in like potting soil just for the plantings itself, but not a bunch of fill to to make the slopes.
Filling anything. Okay. And would you plant what would you plant in that area? I'm really not looking I'm not looking to plant anything. Just want to see what
you how it takes off. Uh all the roots are still there from the original uh uh ground that was there. I'm sure it'll do much better now that it's all clean. So, I just like to see how uh how it, you know, comes back up and take it from
there. Do you think it might be a good idea to put something in there? I I I think it might be a good idea to put some try to get some native plants in there. Um I did suggest to Mr. Perez that I do have books in the office for native plants for that area. If if he does look for
something he wants to plant there that he can borrow those to go look at to to get some native plants on the shoreline. Um I think we wait to see what comes in though. It may well be native. We can see what comes in. We can I mean I can work with them and try to identify it to
see if it's something that needs to come out and plant something new or what might already be there. there might already be, you know, blueberries or hollies or who knows what's already there. Um, it just those just covered from years of neglect. So, we'd have to look and wait. I think it's probably it might be best just to wait and see
because it might not be a need for replanting anything. Do you have any thoughts, Jen? Jess? Um, would just be concerned if we fill in with potting soil and it's just
exposed. The heavy rain on that slope goes right into the pond. So, is there some sort of um something to stabilize or or at least to hold it in place? Came out.
Wait, what was that? Say it again, please. Yeah, I would have no problem. Uh, you know, if I need to fill in in between after giving it some time to see what
what comes up. Uh maybe the next season uh take a look at it and uh I don't know put together a landscaping plan, but you know the all the roots are still there. So what's there is there
and I' just like to give it some time to uh grow and see what it looks like. Yep. So in in that case, you wouldn't need this season to put down new potting soil or whatever in between the
I I would like to just I would like to just dress it up so you know it has a chance of of growing, you know, give it something to uh to root into. Um, but my guess, my guess is you're really not going to know until, you
know, the end of the season. And then the next season, I think then you can, you know, I think see better. We can ask that he put down like sprinkle some straw or something to keep the exposed soil from from away. We can
do that. Or what about at the very base? Um, I mean, right now it's all stable. the grasses are all coming back and you know start starting to fill in. Yeah. So before it fills in before it fills in too much. I would like to to do this
otherwise it's going to be back to what it was before. Yeah. We can condition that some sort of erosion controls either a a row of waddles straw waddles be put along the shoreline or and or um straw on top of
the the exposed soil to keep anything from washing away. the bottom the bottom is filled with leaves. So, you know, that's that's from the existing trees and the existing dumping that was going on there for many many years. So, uh that's that that's all still at the very
bottom. Um, and and that's why I'm looking to tear tear these this this land these landscaping beds uh up up the that 5ft slope just so it all holds together and
and stop the eroding. You have any thoughts, Mark? I think I want to see it. Oh, definitely want to see it. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. Um, Mr. Perez, you are not in the area currently.
No, I'm not. Okay. Would you be I haven't moved. I I've been renovating it and I have not moved in yet. Right. Would you be opposed to us looking being on your property and and
looking at the slope without your without you without you being there? When when would I like to be there? You'd like to be there? Well, we we typically do our site visits
on a Saturday morning if that works for you. That's why that's where the question came in to have you not there because we typically do them on a Saturday morning. All right.
And uh Saturday we Well, that morning. What approximately I'm nor I normally get there somewhere and they would have 8 8:30 or so. Oh, 9:00. 9:00 this morning. It's going to rain from what I understand a little bit. But
that's the name of the game these days. So, actually, actually, I just remembered I have a I had I have something I'm trying to put together for Saturday morning. Okay. Um, I can do it next Saturday. Next Saturday might be Yeah, I think that would be
better for me. Yes. What's the date on that, please? The 17th. Yeah, the 17th. So, could we make an arrangement to be at your place at 9:00 on May 17th?
Sure. Okay. All right. Good. Looking forward to it. Okay. Anything else? Anyone on this particular? No, nothing. All right. Thank you, Mr. Perez. We'll
see you on the on the 17th. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. All righty. Next item this evening is a discussion. Yes. Air wetland bylaw regulations. Yes.
So when we were out on site for um Pine Street, we had the the thought of that maybe the 50 foot buffer may not seem to be as much as we anticipated to be. Um, so I said we'll throw this discussion on
the agenda. You guys can give me an ideas of maybe read through them what you might want to see just so you can see on the screen there. This is an example of the town of Actton um and their setback requirements and how they go in stages. So they have a 50 foot um
no disturb and then a 50 to 75 um with restrictions and then a so they they they kind of stage it out on what's allowed within the 100 foot buffer. Um that's this is active. Yeah, it's the first one that I I know of that I knew that had that. Um and just for
reference, our existing regulations are 11 pages. These ones are 13. And then if you go to the the mother of all uh regulations, the town of Arlington are 79 pages. So uh and I have a couple other
examples I know in my off because I looked at these before that have more um items in there as far as more detail as far as regulations go. But um to bring us back to ours uh so I assume we'd want to go look at
you know possibly extending and looking at what we would do in our 100 foot buffer. Maybe do something more staged like something like Actton does or another T. I know ACT is not the only one. That's just the first one I think of because that's the first one I ever saw that did it. Um looking around at some of those. Um as well as like I said
the the Arlington one has a whole section on climate resiliency. I mean, that might be something we could look at as well. And then in regards to the waiver that was granted um for that project as well, maybe it's something
that we need to look at our waiver policy for something that we're looking at more or less spelling it out when it comes to work within this zero to so it's not just how it's written now because we had to go to council for that opinion to maybe clarifying it a little
bit. Um I don't know if you guys chance to look at it if you had any other thoughts that you had on there um that I could bring some ideas for the next meeting before we go looking for a public hearing. Anyone have thoughts?
Um we could tighten up the waiver. Um yeah, we're if we did a staged thing similar to actton, we're talking about um previously undisturbed areas, not for correct
somebody who's got it already. Yeah. The way we typically read our 50 foot no disturb, it's basically for new development. It's not for someone who has an existing lawn. We're not going to let them, you know, now we we so and maybe to to I don't know if that's clarified in there or not that we would change that as well. I don't know if
it's but that's usually how we've done it. But if it's not clarified in there, we would clarify that. Um okay. I was also thinking it might be this might be a good place to put something in about policy for um
trees coming down. Mhm. Um because I guess I would like it clear if we want trees to that fall naturally to stay where they are. But if make it clear that people do have an option to come before us if it's like they really want
to take it out of their pondore. Yeah. So just to to spell that out that generally we've naturally fallen trees in place. But if a homeowner really does want to remove one, they can come before us.
Okay. Can you can you take the part that's on the land and cut that and get it out? Sorry. If a trees falls into the pond and part of it on the shore or on on the property, can you just cut it at the at
the water line and leave the part in the water? Well, then then wouldn't that just wouldn't it like flow down the river? Yeah. Or like because No, I don't think so. the big tree would just because the point so when when when a tree fall and it lands in the
water, right? It it creates like a habitat underneath it for fish to lay eggs and all that whole thing. So if it was to cut and it was to shift and I guess you could, but I don't know what the what would it be doing to leave it there? Why would you need to
cut it? Well, if it's a big tree and people were walking around. I mean, I can see I can see that exposed like roots sticking out like that whole aspect of it. But like No, but like if this is the pond and the tree was over here and people through it. I mean stuff here and
now it's fallen and it's you know Yeah. You wish you cut like a path so you can cut through. Yeah, you could do that. I'm sure that's I kind of think that's what John's getting like if it becomes an encumbrance on the land. Can that be taken off? I'm sure that the habitat. Yeah, I'm assuming it's something to look at like case by case basis, right?
Because it could be 5 foot area, it could be a 10 foot area, it could be right on the shore, it could be exposed roots, it could be just Yeah, that would be you get the slippery slope if you just try to save one thing or another. Also, if we have like a big tree that's gone out into the pond that's 50 feet
into the pond and it's a pond that people boat on, then I would want some I would want if it were me, I would want to be able to take something out. I want to have the option of coming before the nasty conservation commission and saying, "Can I please take this out?"
Yeah. No. Reason. So, just so people have options. Yeah. And I think something like that too be I think in regards to habitat be a matter of how long it's been there. You know we'd probably have to have some sort of time frame in there figure out. Yeah. Sure. Because if it's been there for over a month I think at that point you'd start
having stuff there. If it was there for a matter of like a week or so then it might be a little So I think we'd have to look into that aspect of it as well. So you did just mention that Arlington was 79 pages long. I'm thinking they probably have addressed this but yeah they might. Um I know um that actually
the town of Lunenberg has a tree part. I'm sorry. So the question about so if it goes in the pond Mhm. there are people that own water or on the land under the pond. So yes, how is it any different if somebody if my neighbor's tree falls on my property?
They clean it up. No falls in the ponds under the pond. Yeah. We have jurisdiction on the land under the pond. We do. Yes. Okay. Even though somebody else owns it. Yes. So our jurisdiction in regards to ponds though, we don't especially floating non great lake great
pond. We don't have jurisdiction on the water. We have jurisdiction on the land under the water. So if someone wanted to just float on the pond or put like a floating dock there. It's not anchored anywhere. We can't per we have and it's not a great pond. We have no jurisdiction on that. If they're then anchoring it and doing any sort of soil
disturbance under the water, that's where we have jurisdiction in addition to the land owner. Yeah, we might. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Thank you. You're welcome. I was wondering like how wait a minute. Yeah, we have juris land on us. That's land under water.
Anything else, Jess? Good. I I guess with regards to you saying tightening up the wording, I guess I'm a little bit more in favor of making it ambiguous. Well, you said just tightening up the wording on on the waiver. The waivers the waiver and stuff like that just so
that you know we have some ability to negotiate and figure out what's the best course of action because if we get too prescriptive kind of can box ourselves in. That's why you end up finding so many things that have addendum after addendum after addendum because you tried this only to find out that doesn't
work. Then you tried this, oh that doesn't work either. The devil is in the details sometimes. It definitely is. Right. But you're trying to see how we can avoid having every time to go to town. Well, my my my my issue with with the waiverss is right. The way I read it is we run allowed to grant a waiver for
anything in the 50 foot. The way town council because we have a resource area is jurisdictional. than we could because the way the way it's written, how I read it is you're only allowed to grant we can only grant waiverss for a minor um
exempt activity and what we were doing was not a minor exempt activity. So whether we leave it the way it is and add that in there for temporary work and just have that added in there then it then it might not be as as um okay. So
minor minor activities of it or temporary Yeah, temporary or temporary activities whether we're adding that that wording in there um may make it easier or if we're saying you know waiverss won't be granted for anything
you know 40 ft and on and 40 to 50 will do minor activities or um temporary need or something like that because I I just I know the whole point of the regulations and the 50 foot notice is to not allow work in there whether it's with a waiver or not but once you put that waiver in there you you give people
the oort to ask for it. So, I think to limit what they can ask for just a tiny bit more and make it a little bit clearer keeps us from having that. It's just a thought. Yeah. Could we could we uh especially if we're going to add a staged um buffer around there too, we'd
have to clear up the the waiverss on that side as well. We say something like you for minor activities or temporary activities or um something at you know an activity that would be at the discretion of the
commission. Well that's the waiverss are that that's the whole point. So for just something that gives it so it doesn't have to be a town council thing. Yes. I say that's why it's like having it in there a temporary nature. It's like so the this the sewer connection is
temporary because they're just connecting it and then you know grass won't get to grow and it's not going to be bare soil that's not a structure. It's it's it's just a temporary connection. That's it. Once that one week worth of work or whatever long it takes that's it. Yeah. Um so that's a temporary but then if you're looking at
and and it goes for you don't have that in there you have another item in there then someone could go in there and say well it could be that I think just Yeah. But again, I don't I don't I had to look and see if I can find another town that has something written in there with that's different. I know I I know when I first looked at these when I first
started um there's a number of towns that had almost the similar regulations as we did because I mean it's what you do. There's hundreds of towns. I think almost all every single most I think like 90% of the conservation commissions have bylaws and or regulations. It's
majority of them do now. So you're going to get a lot of overlap on there. So I'm hoping everybody looks at everybody as well as everybody else like I do. Um, so I'm sure we could try to maybe we can find something that does ours specify that the request has to be put in writing. Yes.
So that doesn't need to be tightened. Yeah, it's it's it's right on there page. Any request waiver must be submitted commission in writing. We were brilliant when we did that. It's just at the time of filing, but that was one we didn't realize they had to be. Excuse me. Fine. I do like the
idea of maybe clearing up and you know with the state even with the waiver. Yeah. To say absolutely no disturbance will be allowed waiver or not like within 30 but maybe you know
like you said 30 to 50. Yeah. Whether that's at the discretion 40 to 50. Yeah. It just what was the distance of the sever it was it was less they I think they said like 5T. I think it was less than I
think it was like three. It's only been like three. It was But what was the distance of the line from the shore? 47. But you know, in some in some idiotic case where there might be a line that's within less than 30 do have to make a
But do we? Yeah. If because why can't we just say well you should done your due diligence. That's what that's all about. That's what the term means. You had you had say you had a leaking line or a problem. Yeah, there a lot of Yeah, it's an exempt project. You want them to get in there and fix it. Mhm. Well, it's an
exempt project. Well, that would be that would be an emergency. Okay. Yeah. And it's an exempt because it's an existing line. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That'd be okay. Okay. The Italian is not um but to to do any sort of repairs to an existing is an exempt project. They would still come before us because of our
regulations and just so we could oversee it and condition it, but it's an exempt under the act. Good point. But I don't I know in some parts there's not an existing easement for that SER line. So then it doesn't actually end up being exempt because it be an existing but it would be an exempt
project. The technicality there's no easement there. Our discretion would determine it to be exempt. Anything else anybody's thinking that we might want to look at or do you want me to send other towns for you to look at? We had a whole list of stuff. Maybe we
should all glance at Arlington to see if they have some. Is it Arlington? Um it's long, but it's a lot of definitions. It's a lot of definitions. Yeah, there's a lot of definitions. Um there's I think um Belmont I think has quite a bit. Lexington
um oddly enough Lunberg has some good sections to it as well. Um, so there's just other towns for you to to take a peek at that have some good um, Lunberg has a whole tree um, bylaw part of it, section, tree section.
Yeah. And that actually then would also be the place where this um, do we have it elsewhere where we we have a tree policy? We do. Okay. Yeah. Um, we have a policy which majority of people when I tell them that we'd like to see it replanted, they
they're okay with that. They're like, "Oh, I want to replant." I said, "Okay, good." Um, so it's hasn't been a has really hasn't been a big deal. Like rarely do I get someone that says no. But then I look at it because one I think I did. It was another one Oakidge.
They had so much stuff in their yard. I don't think they could put it fit another tree if they wanted to or shrub. There was so much. But it was nice to see that there was just so much planted there that, you know, even taking stuff down all just the shrubs would have grown up in place of the trees. So it was was
But early people don't seem to have a mind in minding. So that's right. I can see what I have saved I think maybe in a work folder from when we did this way back. Yeah. Way back when. Yes. I I have a I mean I have a file of different of their regulations of ones
that I like that I printed. Yeah. I have a spreadsheet that we went in and we all Yeah. But I don't have it in my account email anymore. Yeah. When I first started, we went through and I just added the plan requirements and stuff like that. And we added the we neatened up the short the shity and bond and we
added the no sight visits in in snow cover. So we we've done that's just what we do now. Um but those have all worked out. But um I think adding something beefier to the 50 foot.
I like the I like Arlington includes a definition of cumulative effect. So, it's not like, oh, I'm just doing this little thing, but it's it's adding on to a whole bunch of little things. Yeah, there's there's is very impressive. And um if you ever gone to
an MACC conference, one of the lawyers that they use for the is actually on the commission and he helped draft that. So, is he the one that did the thing? Arlington. Yeah. An older man. He did the
presentation at this conference this spring. I went to that one. Yeah, he was um he Yeah, he was a commissioner for um Arlington and he helped draft his regulations. He wouldn't let anybody take notes. So that's I think it's you're you're reading them as if they're written by a lawyer. Yeah.
Um, and then if you're looking at anything as far as you want to look at ones, the towns of Sterling and Clinton got a MVP grant to add some um, climate resiliency to their regulations. Um, so
those they would have um, added those to their regulations as well. We can look at that um because I think we looked at that for I I looked at that when I did the first change, but I might look at that for this one too to add something in there for climate resiliency. So, it looks like they have something on
yard sales. Oh, on what? In their weapons. Oh, no. Or article 10. Oh, e just emergency certifications. Are you in the town bylaws or I'm not sure
now. I'm in the town bylaws, which is because article eight is the wetland one. Okay. I was going to say I'm like, oh, section 10 is emergencies. Um, and then yeah, I think that's not and I
and I know the town has always had the the stance of not um charging any fees as well, but that's always something to look at to if we ever wanted to to add a visa. Okay. Fees for um review for notices of
intent a bylaw fee. So I don't I think it's I think it's written in the bio that we can so it' be added to the regulations. We can keep that we don't do anything for RDAs assuming those are mostly residents but um looking at it for um notice of intents
for every every notice of intent. How much would that be? Um they vary. So your category one is typically your single family house. So they vary anywhere I think usually around 100 to um you know I think two or 300 and then
it goes up from there um because then you get to you get to subdivisions and roadways and so they go up from there but it's it's something we can look at. Not that we've ever worried had an issue of money in the budget but it
is um something that we can do and it goes into that wetlands fund that goes into the act. Okay. And as far as the neighboring towns, they all have um bylaw fees, filing fees.
Didn't know that. Changed them when I was in Littleton because they were only $25 and I changed them a lot more than that. Yeah. The 40B project went in. Um, so again, I understand the whole aspect of not doing it for the RDAs because
they're usually typical, you know, residents chart, you know, doing it with small part. I get that aspect of it. That's fine. It's more when you're looking at the um large larger scale like developers, people looking to build single family houses, full on subdivisions, storm water systems,
roadways, and that again, we don't have to. It's just if we're looking at these, that could be one thing that we look at as well. Okay. Anything else? Can So, we'll continue this discussion. Yes, we'll continue the discussion. I can I can grab some um samples um for
these ones, different towns, what they look like and bring them to the next meeting. Just pull which parts of it that we like or what you don't like and then we can go from there. This will be a while. It's just we're just going to discuss it. We're not going to bring it to a hearing or anything for a while. We're just looking to see what we like and if we want to do any changes and
then we'll go from there. One of the things that I did find was we had it down as notes coming out of the document we put together. Um it was identified as a later tree removal in residential area not deemed hazardous by
arborist requires replanting plan. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, that's and that's so to think about. Yep. So trees, so if it's a non-hazardous tree, it requires a replanting plan. Iteration of features important to
wildlife inside no disturbance area. I don't even know what that means anymore. Habitat. your pile of rocks, your piles of sticks, your piles of Yeah, but I don't know what it means by consideration. Is that If it's a no
disturb area, then why you're not touching it anyway? Yeah, exactly. That's what I'm saying. It's like I'm confused by what that means. Well, you're all here. I wasn't. So, I don't know what you were talking about. Performance standard buffer zone requires quality and quantity of
resource areas. I'm sorry. Resource values. Slope soil makeup of vegetation prior to disturbance shall not be significantly impaired. That was tagged as a later. And in this 10, we have plenty of time if we look at anything that might need to go into the bylaw. We have
plenty of time before fall town meeting to to do those. So we start doing this process now. We have all that time. Yes. It's not time for not hairball time. I thought I turned it. But we learned from town meeting that
when that if he at 8:30, it will go off even if it's silenced. Okay. Conservation office updates. Um, well, we have, like I said, we did it agenda. Um, that's right. I told you I would forget. Um, this was a tricky. So,
we I was I knew this was going to come in at around a couple thousand dollars. So, it doesn't hit that 10,000 threshold. Um, but I was directed by Robert to just just do an RFP. Anyway, so the one that we I sent them to, this is the one we got was conservation
works. I sent it to I think Land Stewarts and Oxbow Associates. Um, I didn't uh Land Stewart said it was too small of a project. They wouldn't do it in in that sort of a that short of a turnaround. They don't have they can't do a project that quickly. Um, never
heard back from Oxbow. I did get a um proposal back from Conservation Works. They have done and I got their name from the agent in uh Worcester who had had them do work for an R um for a baseline for some of their property which they
have listed on here. Um so theirs came in at $2,000 which we have plenty of money in our budget to cover. That's why we're trying to do this now because use up some of the money in the budget for fiscal year 20 um
25. So, and I it was and they said it will be completed um on before August 15. So, they wouldn't make the the the deadline for the end of the fiscal year. Um but there is there'd be money in there for next year as well. So, we
could possibly see if I could get them to fill it in two different two different times. um so we could try to use up some of the funds. But um that we did get that one in and this is to do the baseline for curly
circle so we can have that um conservation restriction complete um and we can start the monitoring on that one. Okay. Okay. When the monitoring would that be you do I would I would start now until if until we figure out what's
going to be going on with um North County Land Trust. Um but if we contract with have them do it and they be the ones that we do that for. That was pretty straightforward though. I was out there yesterday. Yeah.
Okay. Okay. Yeah. All right. Very good. Do we have to do you have I don't know if we need to do I'm sure you have to do a vote for it, but we do or do not. I think you should. Yeah. So, how would that sound? um to allow um conservation works to
complete a baseline document report for the conservation restriction for the curly circle subdivision um for the amount of um not to exceed $2,000. Motion to the effect of what Heather just said. So second all in favor say I.
I post. Thank you. Passes unanimously. Updates. Updates. All right. So, we had and thank you John for coming. We had our first planting day for the pocket forest on Westford Road at the Sandy Pond School last Saturday morning. There
is another one this Saturday. If any of you missed out on all the fun of planting trees, you thought you couldn't plant trees anymore than planted six more. Uh it looks amazing. I drove by it today. Oh, I drove by it today, too. It looks wonderful. Yeah. Yep. And we still have
Thousands of more trees and shrubs to go. So, there's another one this Saturday from Wonder. And thank you for dropping off those logs. Um, did you get these in? Yeah, they're we're going to leave them in there and they'll they'll break down and create all the microbes and fun stuff in this order. Cool. But
yes, and they were very impressed by them. So, thank you. Is that at the high school? The one on this? Um, no. We're going to be doing at Sandy Pond again. Um, I think if we decide we need to move over, we might send people Yes. to to the high school while we're there. Um, but I think we're starting at Sandy Pond
and then if we need to, we can move people over. It's it's only a fiveminute drive. Yeah. So, 1 to 4. From 1 to 4 on Saturday and it's also the town cleanup in the morning. So, you can have a funfilled day helping the environment. If it's pouring still going to go on for
the the p planting day. It shouldn't be pouring at 1:00, but no, we'd still plant. Yeah, if it's drizzling with planting tomorrow 1:00 school. Yep. Anytime you want to come between 1 and
4, stay for planted, plant two trees, plant 10, stay for an hour, stay for three hours, whatever you want to do. Whatever anybody can do, be greatly appreciated. It's a long day. Um, fun day though. It is. Oh, I loved it. Fire. It was hot.
Yeah, I was there till I was there till 12. Well, after 12. Yeah, 30. I planned like 30 some odd things. I didn't think I made a dent. Like I But there was a lot of stuff there. I saw we did. We did. We It It looks great. Now,
if you drive by, you Wow, there's something there. Um on the Friday the 16th which we have the invasive if you want to come with me the invasive um plant training at national wires association in the morning but in the
afternoon um myself and the pocket forest team will be working with the uh Paige Hilltop fourth graders to be planting at the high school. So I get to do more planting. What day is that? Uh it's a Friday. So that the fourth graders will be planting during school
at the high school. At the high school. Yeah. Because the h page hilltop is right there. The invasive thing is what time? It is 9 to 12. You're welcome. I will send you an email to remind you. Um on the Wednesday the 21st, we have the
Sandy Pond um 71 Sandy Pond site, the public forum for the outreach on that. What people would like to see. call it is they do that was that was the um consultants. Yes. And it's like I had to look it up.
Yeah. I can't remember what time it's at though, so I apologize. Um um 6 to 6 to 6 6 to 8. Yeah. So we have So there's that if people upstairs Yep. If people want to come to that, it would be greatly appreciated.
Um I did attend the um ECAN conference last week which I found out the ECAS is for ecological climate action network. It's in the minutes I looked it up. Oh, you looked it up. Um so that was really interesting. It was all on basically climate change and nature-based
solutions which I go to these conferences and it's nice but I know this what about other departments? Mhm. But it was it was it was helpful and and nice to go to um at uh at Clark and it
was um they had which I thought was actually kind of neat and you guys can look this up and see what you think about this. I think it might be something that the sustainability community can do. Um, there was a climate therapist there and they held a climate cafe which is basically a
therapy session for people to just get out all of their frustrations and all their feelings about the climate in a safe and open space. they're all gonna die, which I mean like basically like you can like this going
on or it's like frustrating. I I thought it was interesting and neat. Um so if you want to if you Googled it, you could find out about it. Um yeah, but I thought like, oh, that might be something neat we could try to do and maybe hold at the library or something sometime if people think that it would be beneficial or they find it helpful
just to like get it out and be around people who feel the same as you do. Can you just come and watch? I mean, you could. You think I go dark? But I mean, it did seem really at first I'm like, "Okay,
this is weird." But it was it was it was um it was interesting. I I think I could see how it would be helpful in certain situations where, you know, it does sometime just seem like, you know, I I sit here and, you know, I recycle everything and I bart everything and
glass everything and then I look in the dumpster at my my complex that's full of cardboard and trash and I just go, okay, it's so it was I don't know. It was neat. Um, but if you guys want to look it up, um, there is a lot of climate cafe. Climate
cafe. Mhm. I mean, I can look up on the on the and see if I can find links to it, but I'm sure it will pop up. Become a climate cafe trainer. You can. I don't know. It's They think they do something via Zoom. I don't know. It's It's something to look into. It
looks really neat. Um, what else do we have? Oh, that's all I written down. That's it. That's it for you. Oh, I did. Oh, just I don't know if I told Last time did I tell you that I went up to Cambridge Street for trees be coming down? No. Okay. So, a gentleman's going
to be taking some trees down on Cambridge Street between Oh, yeah. You did? Yeah. So, and he is going to replant, but he was Yeah. Spraying. This was the insurance company. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um between him and Pauline Conley's house. Um he was trying to
spray the um notwe between his house. I told him to stop doing that if he wants to replant because if you keep spraying it, you're just going to poison your soil. Nothing's going to grow there. He's like, "Oh, that's good to know." So, save some dirt um from So, that so Oh,
oh, Graten Harvard Road. 91 Graten Harvard Road. We did have an instance over there where they when they installed their um o their rip wrap for their overflow for their storm water system um was installed improperly. So it was coming
down the entire slope and was just oh it's just over right on the property line for the Pine Meadow Conservation Area. That was last um beginning of last week, middle of last week. They have cleaned it up. Um they and they are allowed to start working again. Um Danny
from the town planner had gone out and observed the how they've cleaned it up and fixed it and pulled everything back. So that area has been resolved. So if you heard of anybody going over there, this is where they're putting in that new building. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. Um they had
some issues up there with their um with that slope and their and their storm water system, but we we've had that resolved since then. um national birds chucking away at their site. They haven't installed their storm um dewatering yet. I keep looking every
time I drive by, but that's still going on too. Yeah, I watch Friday or whatever. Yeah, if I figured out what they want, but yeah,
they got this pretty clean. Oh, I I drive by to keep a look at it and because there's so much vegetation out there where they clear to. There's still so much more vegetation before you get to the wetland and the stream where they're working that and it goes uphill anyway. So, I feel like we're we're in
good shape. Um they they're not going to clean up that covert until probably sometime in the middle of the summer. So, they're going to wait on that. And that's that's going to be the real test to that whole area is when they clean out that covert what happens, right? Yep.
Thank goodness that they didn't clean it out like before tomorrow. Yeah. Before like before this week. Yeah. Two inches. That's what it said by Saturday. Mhm. Another two inches. We got over four last weekend through Monday. So
good for the water table. Not yet. Not good for my herbs. Not good for my herbs. My lavender is is drowning. Any other updates from it? Go ahead. Well, we were just we talking about the invasives or whatever that we and I was
actually uh up in Brooklyn and have to be looking on their town website in New Hampshire that and they've almost completely eliminated all notweed from all of their town property. Oh my god. How' they do that? How they do it? They've been going through they they've
been doing the burying. So they like they let it grow, get it to flowering, cut it, and then they bury it and cover it with like heavy plastic. Yeah. Tarps. Yeah. And then tarp it down and keep it contained
for like a year or two. But it's, you know, takes all the energy to get the flowering going. Then they take the energy out of the roots, keep it covered. And and yeah, they've actually Wow. They were pretty proud of themselves. I was like checking that. That's really proud. like just north of you. Yeah, it goes
Yeah. Hollis, Brooklyn. Yeah. Yeah. Mhm. Yeah. The stuff that has the looks like growth as bamboo. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
That little patch that's on Central Street, right across from the pumping station, you know, where it was last year. It's back. Yeah. I I me I've mentioned it to um Dan before about you know can you try to do something about it because it's just a small little area
right over there small now get it now okay Jeff you had anything else yeah no good okay so uh I have two things one I'll switch order uh had a call from Annie me today about accessing going you
know the going to the dam, Long Pond Dam. Now that Stratton Hill has been fenced off, um the normal path or the town owned easement just to the right of that
detention bases down, but I think between there and you know the chain that goes across. Okay. And she was wondering if that could get cleaned up or hoping because as she understands and I understand this too, I think the people the private property owners who people have been
going down their driveway to get over to the chain in the town, I think they prefer people didn't go down their driveway. Okay. I I will I will look at it and see what where it is and what we can do about that. Yeah. So see if the town can still maintain some
access. Um I know in the I mean I know it's not soon. knows in the next like month or two that Dan's work, you know, the kids that he has come working for them. Yeah. But I I'll I'll take a look at it and and I'll mention it to them and see if it's at the DPW can clear.
Yeah. Um and I know eventually when they start working on that basin that our area will be under construction. That'll be a different matter. But yeah. Well, and again, but that whole I mean we we can't clear it because we can't ask them to can't ask the town or something to
clear private property or clear it for Yeah. No, it's that it's the easement thing. Yeah. Yeah. Because I think they expanded the basin a little bit into that town. Well, I'll I'll check the plans and I'll check the Yeah, because that was that was done improperly. But at the same time, uh, Annie noted that
there was poison ivy growing in from the street area, which that's been there since way before Stratton Hill, but she also noted there was a little patch of knotwheat that was starting in that area. Is that Molton's property? No, I
think it's I'm not sure exactly. I'd have to go look at it. Yeah, but my knee's been out second. So, okay. So, you'll talk to DPW. Yeah, I'll look at it on the on the plans. Maybe go out on site and then I'll talk to DPW and see if it's something that
they can clear out for us. Okay. Or if I can find a boy a boy scout troop needs some outside work. Yeah. And then the other thing was um so I sometimes get phone calls which I say you call
Heather. So, also had a call then from Susan Tordella Williams um about wanting after town meeting on all the stuff on the ponds wanting to do a flyer for people who live on about not putting in
um you all the fertilizers and stuff. So, she came up with a sort of draft that just it she said it's easy to do but Oh, I have something on how to be a responsible um
we already pond owner. Haven't we already sent that around like last year? Yeah. Yeah. I'll try. Yeah. There was a paper that moving around before my time. I did create a a thing for how to be a responsible pond owner, but I don't know if I ever sent it out, but I do have
something I can Yeah. And that reminds me then that Yeah. Um I'm blanking on Faith Salter. It was Faith Salter's daughter, right? Yep. Yep. And they were sent out into in what
text things or whatever? Yeah. Like the issue was right now we without an assistant in the assessor's office trying to get the list or labels done is going to take a backseat until they get somebody there because I'd have to pull certain areas of town to get
just the labels made, right? Um but um as soon as we have that, we can do that. And then I also we have the um I mean I can put something on Facebook too. See if that helps. Oh yeah. Yeah. The news Oh, the newsletter when that comes out in this
Yeah. the next newsletter comes out. We'll put something in there um and try to remember to do that um in the spring and fall. And would we have objection to a something that if Susan wanted to do one with editing? She talked about maybe
al could be a high school project to put them put them around in mailboxes. I don't I had that thought too. Yeah. As soon as you do that, then she's doing something on behalf of the commission. She can do it as a private citizen, but No. Do you know what I mean? Like you
don't want to tie the commission, the town, right to that to a federal. Okay. Well, I mean Well, no. So yeah, I mean, yeah, it gets into being. So if someone you can go on Yeah, because you can't go on someone else's
property. If their mailbox is on their house, you can't. It's not trespassing because a mailman has to. No, but you're not allowed to put anything that's not postage paid. Someone's mailbox. Yeah, I wouldn't think you were. Yeah. So tape it to the front of their mailbox, but not in the mailbox. So, I'll tell Susan
to talk to you further if she has injuries. No, I mean it it is a good idea. It's a great idea and and I said I have I know I have a responsible land pond owner like flyer. Um I said I can figure out what I need for addresses
for pond for the the ponds like was it's the odd side of you know willow you know uh Oakidge and this and that. So I can get that, you know what I mean? And try to get a list for when the assess or whatever comes in. So we can just mail those right out. Get something on Facebook and something in the
newsletter. Yeah, I know. Go from there. I know why we're focused on the ponds, but there's so many other wetland areas. It would be really great with other people, too. Oh, yeah. There's wetlands everywhere. Yeah. Yeah. No, I And so may or maybe we just like a
townwide mailing. Town mail. I have to wait until if we I can see that something with the treasur's office when the tax bills go out. Water bill. I have to check the DP DPW too. So, I mean, if I get something together.
Yeah. So, you know what I mean? Just something like that that if we if we could do a mailing in there, what when they would need it and if that's possible and we could always do that. So, then it goes out to everybody. That would look at you'd be looking at a flyer that we would put out.
Anything else, Jess? No. Changing my phone number. Rachel, is there anything that you would like to add or ask questions? I was just I was just thinking um with your You can join us.
I just came to come tonight. I didn't expect to say anything. Um Rachel Kosera 30 Gr Harbor Harvard Road. Um thank you so much. And I was just wondering um just with that gentleman who was uh on the Zoom. Sorry, on the Zoom. I'm
gonna sound Mr. Perez. Yes, Mr. Perez. um just in line with what his I don't know I didn't hear the beginning part but I was thinking it might be nice to put together um different plants that you can put in
your yard Oh, you do? I found the website. Yep. Um but I didn't know if it was possible to like include it in a mailing or something like that. I don't know like in line with um what you were talking about and distributing that. I mean, we I do have it on the website,
you know. Um, I have a bunch of I have the pond owner thing. I have all that stuff on the website. There's a a plant list, too. Um, I mean, don't use this stuff. Don't use this stuff. Plant these things. I mean, yeah,
we could. And then as friends, I make I may get if I do that when when the when the phone calls start coming in on the gentle do I don't know. Oh my gosh. Why don't you tell me what to do? Um, I'm sorry. Lightning. Yeah. No,
maybe not. No, it was like the third one. Okay. What else? Go ahead. You get easily distracted. I'm just I'm just here. Um, I just just like Kevin. Yeah. Yeah, I mean I
just am observing and listening and so I'm concerned about the environment and Well, I appreciate that you're here. Well, I appreciate that you all are here. So, take over pace. Yeah, they have people. I'm washing my hair. I'm
sorry. Um, but no, I think I'm just I'm just a little Can I just say that I'm just a little bit nervous because there's so much development happening. Um I this weekend I saw a news story where in Littleton I think they're taking over the IBM Yeah, they are. Yep.
thing, but it just seems like everywhere I look everything's cleared. And so I just wonder with um our ponds and with just the critters that are going to not have homes anymore and just the imbalance that might hap, you know, that
might happen because of that. um when when you get discouraged on things like that um because I understand like that does it does it disheartening look at um different conservation organizations and how much land they preserved over the course of a
year it ends up being thousands of acres so like it may be like oh well IBM that's actually wonderful because that's a giant site to see that you know redeveloped and brought instead of clearing something in a town force or something by the railroad in Littleton.
And that's what I was going to say. I mean, the nice thing about that is here's disturbed land, they're going to turn into condominiums and house people as it's a great thing. But I was just like for another strategy and and when we look at stuff like that as far as development goes into the redevelopment,
they they'll they'll do go through and and do plantings, right? There's a whole planting plan that goes along with that. So you have to look at it with we live in Massachusetts. There's and there's a housing crisis in this state. It's a housing crisis across the country. We
have to do something. Um I mean my idea is not very popular but no one wants to hear it. But um there's things we have to do. We just got to look at it as a what we can do to save it. Golf courses. Oh, I wanted to get rid of some of the golf courses and put houses there. All of the golf courses. Well, we don't just
I think there might be some objections to that. I'm too busy drinking the back. Um turn the back just a turn. No comment. Um I'm sure they do drink in moderation on golf courses. Um
where I had my wedding reception, they still did it. The town bought one of the seven golf courses that they own and they're one half is facing the other half. And there's still six more golf courses in stone. So I I think I think the tent will be fine. We're having a very
distracted meeting today. Spiral. Yeah, exactly. It's more lightning. I know. Um I also didn't know and this might sound like really um out I don't think it's out there, but has the town considered planting fruit trees moving forward as
far as like new plantings? Because I mean, oh, as far Oh, I mean that's something I think we can look at when we do like the pocket forests. There are when we do when they do when lovely Casey Lee who's the landscape architect from BSC for that project, he'll go through and he plants
ones in there like I think I plant a couple cranberry in the sandy pond. So, we're planting stuff in there for birds, not necessarily for people. Um, yeah. Cranberries. little bushes. They're bears. Well,
they're bear. I mean, for like for people. So, that's when that's something I know in in like more urban areas they're looking at that for street trees that they're planting more of that. Um, when you look in in more than I do, when you're looking at like apple orchards and stuff,
because of the pests that live in them, they do the the maintenance that they take along to actually have them preserve to actually fruit, there's a lot of pruning and and um stuff that goes along in there. So you we could plant the fruit trees and if we didn't spray them and you'd get an apple that looks, you know, has a worm in it and a
little deformed. I I may eat it because I'm like, well, I just won't eat that one spot, but the majority and then it drops on the ground and there's bees and people complain. So it's a great idea and I just wonder like what it would happen like if um I know I forgot what
park it was. I took a foraging um class once and they accidentally planted ginko trees, but they were the kind of genko trees that like fruit and have the seeds and I guess they're really important to different people.
But so a whole entire community was able to say, "Hey, these geno trees have their seeds on the ground. Come and get them." And then everybody came and just got some things. wonderful idea for you to bring up I think to the community garden. Community garden people. Okay.
All right. I just have these thoughts sometimes. So I mean but something like that as far as like a fruit like whatever that might be something the community garden might be interested in and their properties over um on Barnum Road um to to speak with them and
see if that's something that they might be interested in looking at possibly doing or you could help them with. Okay. Super. And then um Oh, that was it. Okay. Um, and I don't know if this is um this uh probably not,
but like I don't know, never mind. I'm I won't If you think of something, you can just give me a call or shoot me an email. Oh, yeah. No. Um, Native American um artifacts in town. I think Lori in
her letter at some point in time talked about them. And so I just didn't know who to talk about with that because they wouldn't be there's a tribe I believe in Devon. Yeah. Right. You know where the playground is? No. Oh, by the way, right by the gate. Oh, okay. There's a I
believe it's a tribal office or or tribe associated with Devon. So, I would reach out to them. I just meant for like development and in conservation land and stuff. Is that like But do they have they would they would they would be interested in that too because it'd be the same tribe in there as it would be
it would have just you know what I mean? So if anything was found or anything like that or if they're looking at doing anything in this town as far as cross reference as far as artifacts being found. Do you like is there someone that goes in as uh that like especially
undeveloped land like Straten Hill? I know that there's like a 10,000 it's like 10,000 years old and it's like an artifact in a Massachusetts town that you wouldn't necessarily see if you weren't looking for it. So, I just didn't know if that was I I I'm sure
they could tell you more about doing that type of work and what what those entails. Are you asking like when a developer is working? Yeah. Is there a specialist that come in and and make sure that the land is Thanks. So, unless there's reason to think something, but I
think if they find things they're supposed to. Yeah. Okay. I know utilities they work very closely with them and in fact we have at least at national grid we have employee resource groups that are tied in with those in
the company that are indigenous and so we have a real good link with them and as Jeff said there's certain areas that are identified that it's possible that things might be here and so when development is happening they have to go through and do an archaeological study
beforehand and do some test digging and we found a number of things in all kinds of different areas and yep you pause they come and the uh the Native Americans come and they will take out what they want to take out and then clear the site to be okay handled sorry
I don't know if that was in your department but you answered it really well so thank you so much just that's what I know about it okay that's about it though all right well that's all I have so thank you thank you as always. I hope that was helpful.
Did you guys plant any blueberries, too? I don't know. I I think I think I think I saw blueberries, but I can't remember. Blueberries. Did you know that that peach trees are are not indigenous to the US? No.
I didn't I just learned that recently. Well, horses aren't. Certain horses don't brea horses aren't either. Yeah. Honey bees. Yeah, honey bees are an introduced species or earthworms like cows.
They get the ones in conquered that like were descendants of the first ones that came over from the with the pilgrims. And we're an invasive species, our species. So dark again, Jess, you're going dark. Anything else?
Motion to adjurnn. So move second. All in favor say I. Oppose. Nay.