Good evening. This is the meeting of the Air Conservation Commission on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Here in Air Town Hall, with us this evening are vice chair. >> You don't
Mark Phillips. >> My fingers know how to type that. Vice Chair Mark Phillips, member George Bacon, Clerk Jenna Maya, Conservation Agent Heather Hampson, Member John Schmolenberger, and I am Jessica Gino,
currently chair until John wants it back. >> So, first on the agenda would be approval of the agenda. Any changes? >> I have no changes to the agenda. >> Okay. Do we have a motion? >> Motion to approve the agenda.
Seconded. >> All in favor? I >> opposed. Eyes have it. >> Next, we have approval of the meeting minutes for March 12th, 2026.
I did not find anything to raise a ruckus about. >> Therefore, they must have been >> they must have been perfect. Anybody else? >> They all look good. Beautifully written. >> Thank you. There he comes. >> Do we have a motion to approve the
minutes for March 12th as written? >> So move. >> Second. >> All in favor? I >> I >> opposed. Nay. The chair votes I. Yada yada yada. Okay. Uh, next on the agenda
is the continued public hearing for the notice of intent for Sawyer May LLC for the project at Orion Park Drive. There is no uh D number for this project. It's solely reviewed under the air wetland
bylaw and with >> Good evening board members. >> Hello. >> How you doing? >> Good. >> All right. You >> good, thanks. >> State your name for the camera. Joe Catalo, U manager of Sawyer May LLC. >> Okay. And we did a sitewalk last
Saturday, which was what was the date of that? March >> 22nd. >> 22nd. 21st. >> 21. >> 21, I think. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> 21st. >> And um reviewed the site. Uh
we don't apparently have any any issues. We really appreciate the fact that you relocated the angle of the um storm water drain easement to the basin a little bit further. So it's completely outside of the uh 0 to 25 ft buffer zone
to what Heather has claimed is not probably a vernal pool but is an isolated >> wetland. Yeah. >> Subject to flooding. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I said isolated border vegetated wetland. Okay. One of those.
>> Yeah. It's not subject to >> All right. Do we have any um special conditions we want to talk about? >> I think we're we still um I don't know if Joe wanted to update the the commission on where they are with um
natural heritage in the inspection that um their consultant Goddard had gone out and done. >> Right. >> We probably should start there. So, Madame Chairman, I um forwarded kind of the order of events, >> okay,
>> to Heather yesterday, which I believe you circulated to the board. >> I should have. If not, I'll do it first thing in the morning, >> which guarded has gone out to the site. >> Okay. >> They have contacted Tim from natural natural
heritage natural I'm sorry. >> Yeah. Natural >> mass mass fish and wildlife at all. Um and there is kind of a order of events that has to happen in which they're in the process of God consulting is writing
a report um which they should have out the end of this week or early next week. They did not see any turtle habitat, but they didn't expect that they would given the time of the year. um and there's
um a chronological set set of events. They submit that form to Mass Fish and Wildlife. They have a chance to review it, make their comments on to do, not to do, no action needed.
So, that's kind of where it's at. So, >> was the question of the barb wire, >> letting it stay in there or having it removed while everything's being done, was that raised with Goddard? >> I did not raise that. Um, but certainly
this was really focused on they they were they were there before we went there last Saturday. >> Yeah. >> So, I did not have a chance to talk to uh Mark Arnold about that, but certainly we can do that. That's not a problem at all.
>> Did you want to get an opinion from Goddard on whether that works? >> Yeah, I I think having an opinion from Goddard or maybe mentioning it in some sort of report to Natural Heritage to have that in there because I don't know if it's going to serve any sort of purpose if there is any um any turtle uh
turtle activity or others out there that having that leaving that fence there would act as a barrier to keep any creatures from furthering into the development >> I think would be beneficial. I mean, obviously, we would if it were to come out, we' we we've already stated when
the hearing first started about having some sort of um barrier on the culdeac so we're not getting anything in the road, >> right? >> Um so, we would look at doing that, but I think having that keeping that fence that's already there up would already do most of that anyway. >> Mhm. >> Um because once we talk about if we
don't if we do take it out and we start doing some plantings, that'd be a very nice nesting area for turtles if we had that. >> Sure. Um, >> I just don't know what effect the lowest strand of barb wire would have, but I I I wasn't really >> Yeah, it wasn't so much the barb wire. It was the wire fencing that was already out. There's a wire fence that's the
stock old stockade fencing that's up. >> Um, the barb wire I think was on top of that that had been fallen down. >> Certainly, we can address that. That's pretty easy. >> Yeah. I mean, my brothers would personally be, well, there's this opportunity in the area to clean up. >> Sure. So yeah, it's one of those things.
Do we clean it up and take it out or is it serving some sort of um purpose by obstructing the view of habit of wildlife from getting into what will now be a developed? >> But as you said, deer would just jump over. >> Yeah, deer would just jump over >> and it's wide enough in between. >> It's wide enough for squirrels and
anything else. But it's it's my my I I just I don't know. I I don't know enough about >> about it if it would make any sort of difference or not. >> So we can't do anything anyways until we >> hear from natural natural heritage. So, I'd love to have that question >> put to them.
>> Yeah. And I might I might dig through my emails, too, and um see if I can find somebody there and ask their question to them because I'm not a turtle expert. >> Can you can you send me an email just that the board's requesting just to have this address that way I can >> Yeah. >> forward it to them and we can get a an
answer on that. >> I mean, that's my brothers would be to remove wire, but what do the rest of you feel? I'm indifferent. I think it's been there long enough that whatever is living there knows it it's there and will go around it. It's not a big deal.
>> Yeah. >> I think we should remove it. I mean, it's probably serving no purpose. >> Yeah. It's just like it's just junk there. >> Yeah. >> Along with the two tires, Jen, >> I think if it can be done with like little disturbance, that makes sense.
>> Okay. Well, I think the other thing that the board might want to think about going forward once we do develop that roadway is where is we have to relocate that path to get access to the back. So >> the question is going to be um certainly
we don't want that path on our property, but obviously it's got to um the town needs the access to the detention basin, but also >> I think that is part of the deed restriction that people have the right
to >> walk out in that area. So clearly the wire should be >> it should be made safe. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> John, what did you think on that? I'd like to see it gone. >> Yeah. >> Okay. I I I did forget about that part about the access.
>> Okay. So, we're waiting to hear from Natural Heritage. That's the one thing I would be interested in getting an opinion on to put in as a condition. Any other special conditions that we'd consider for this? Just in terms of starting a draft order of conditions?
>> Um, I'd have to double check the plans. We would want some sort of barrier around the um bulb of the culde-sac um for the purpose of keeping any any wildlife from going into the row as best we can.
Whether it's just a maybe a vinyl fencing or something there. Um that would be one thought that I would think of for that. Um but again, we just walk around it. So what purpose would it serve? But or maybe just some sort of plantings there to try to create some
sort of buffer there. So, it's more like veget, you know, see well over the head vegetation and row. They're not going to want to go to that road. They're going to want to stay where where that's nice and and cool and and shaded. >> Um, so planting's there. Um, as far as other than that goes, obviously, we're
going to restrict the time of year um on which construction would take place. Um, more or less, even though that's not necessarily a vernal pool and there was no habitat there, we would still try to probably restrict where that time frame would happen. And Natural Heritage may very well do >> And Natural Heritage may very well do
that, too. So, we got to wait for them to see what they would say. >> They'll probably require turtle sweeps before you start doing anything. >> That's that's what that's what they went out to do. They would do to look for that. Um, >> no, but I mean, when they get out >> Mhm. >> they do a turtle sweep before they go and doze something, you know. >> Yeah.
>> Okay. >> Okay. >> If we could get a copy of a rough draft or a draft copy of your order conditions, that would be wonderful. just so we could send it to our lender. >> Just we now we now have the um decision
from planning board, but also that decision is conditioned upon us receiving your order conditions. But if we could get that, that would be helpful just so we can keep keep things moving along. >> Mhm. >> Mhm. >> And if if you could send me that about
about uh your concern about the wires, that'd be great. >> Yeah. Um I I think it's just more or less making sure that whatever if it was to be removed that that would know it wouldn't disturb anything. >> Okay. >> It's more what we're looking at now. >> Yeah. >> Okay. So I don't think we have anything
else for tonight other than continue the hearing until our next meeting. Um Heather, when do you think you can get a draft? >> Um we >> next week or >> Yeah, I should be able to get a draft on by the end of next week.
>> Okay. and I'll try to get a report from GuardD as to, you know, where where we're at just so we >> certainly keep us on the agenda for next next meeting and I'll try to get a uh an update from them where they stand cuz um
I think >> I believe we're waiting for the report to be sent to Fish and Wildlife and then they they have a certain time frame to respond to that respond to that. So, I'll certainly stay on. >> Okay. So, at this point, any any other
questions from >> Yeah, I got to look at that. >> Board members. >> Thank you. Thanks for coming out on Saturday. >> Thank you. >> Oh, yeah. Take care. >> And take a motion to continue the public hearing to our next meeting on April 9th.
>> Second. >> All in favor? I I chair votes I. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Have a good night. Good night. Okay, next on the agenda is what do I have? opening of a public hearing, notice of
intent, uh D file number yet to be issued by Mass D for New England Power Company, and we have with us tonight Allison Miller. And you are from BSC Group, right? >> Correct.
>> Yeah. Would you like to take us through the Sure. >> application? Sure. Um, so again for the record, my name is Allison Milleman. I'm with BSC Group and I'm here on behalf of the applicant New
England Power Company. Um, this is a transmission line maintenance project. Uh, so they're replacing the existing assets on three lines in the town of Air and that's the 337 line, which is a 345 KV. And then there's two 115 lines in that right of way, the K137E and the
L138E. Um, the 337 line will be replaced in its entirety. So every single structure for through the six towns it runs through will be replaced. Um the other 2115 KV lines. So I could refer to them as the K&L lines just to make it simple. Um
that's a lot of that's a more just like overhead maintenance for the most part. There are a couple one-off structure replacements required to accommodate um the upgrades, but for the most part it's overhead work um to install highspeed communications and just improve um
hardware on those. Um, >> oh, let me pause for a second. Sure. Mark, do you have to recuse yourself or what do we do with you on this? >> Um, I'm checking if it's recuse or abstain. >> Well, you recuse you'd abstain from a vote. If you weren't allowed to vote and
you recuse yourself, you actually leave the room. It ends up being a conflict. >> Yeah. I think it just be an abstain. >> Abstain. Okay. Mark Phillips will abstain from the vote because he is an employee of National Grid. >> Yeah. If he was actually working on this specific project, he would >> then he'd have to recuse.
>> Correct. Yes. >> Continue. >> Sure. >> Um also proposed along with the um transmission pole improvements are, you know, improvements to existing access roads and some um work pad development. Um that's just a requirement. I think
you've this commission's seen that before in other transmission line projects for the equipment to be able to come up and come into the rightway and safely um >> do the work. For the most part, the large majority of this uh right ofway is in is in natural heritage um endangered
species program on habitat. Uh we uh the company is we did provide a checklist um last year about u February 2025. Um we've been working with natural heritage since then. Um they we are going to be going through a conservation
management permit um with them. Um right now we're going through the drafting process with our reviewer um and just basically firming that up. I did also provide a copy of this notice of intent to natural heritage. So they typically you know we'll provide a letter to the commission within 30 days
um of that. So that should be coming momentarily I expect um for just an update from them on where we stand with our permitting. >> Okay. >> Um for that um we don't have any permanent impacts proposed in air um to bordering vegetated wetlands. Um it's
all temporary matting that will be removed post construction. Um the impacts to the bordering land subject to flooding that you see on the wetlands protection act form is also temporary in nature and associated with construction matting. Um the bulk of the grading
that's proposed um is shown right now um you know outside of the substation area. >> Um and we we have VHB on our project as the civil design consultant. Um and they've gone it they've already gone in front of the air planning board to review uh this project for the storm
water ordinance requirements. >> Okay. And you're doing total of uh 10 of the structures are within jurisdictional consideration. >> Yes. >> Out of 32 in air. >> Okay. >> Are they wood now?
>> Holes. Uh, let me see. >> Metal poles. >> So, there's a mix out there, so I don't want to misspeak. Um, >> see, I'm getting old. Let's see. >> That's a familiar look. >> Yeah. So, the c like you can see here in this picture like there's there's a old
metal pole there. >> This is wood. That appears to be wood and there's a metal pole there. But they're working on three of the three of these lines. So, one of the lines is not um getting worked on every single, >> but when they do replace poles, they are
going to steal poles. >> Yeah. You know, they don't they're um for these transmission lines, it >> they don't really replace >> wood at this point. Um so, the the 337 line, which is the 345 KV line, and that's on the um southernmost portion of
the rideway. Those are going to be like the the concrete. They'll be pouring concrete for those. So the the axle will be using the steel towers for those. >> Um you'll see that we did a lot of avoidance and minimization um through the reviews and turtle habitat. That's
why the impacts are so minimal um is because you know it's it's basically all matting just to protect the um the habitat. >> And the area you're going to grade that would improve storm water that's outside of our jurisdiction or is that
>> Yes. So we have one graded area. The graded area that we're Oh, it's not there. >> That's at the substation. >> So we looked at page one that was grading outside the substation. Yes. And then the other one is um on the in the next page, page two,
>> there's a graded work pad um basically in the island there for the entrance to the um Sandy Pond substitution. And then there's call outs here just to be aware for the you know that sometimes in order to place the mat safely they do
need to sometimes key when they say key them in. So they may have to like do a little bit of light grading just in order to place them flat like they can't be wobbly. So they need to so there is some minor disturbance associated sometimes in uplands with the placing mats. Um but those ones they'll remove
them. We'll make sure that >> they use a conservation seed mix if natural heritage approves. Sometimes they don't want us to seed um especially in the sandy soils because they don't want to lose that valuable nesting habitat. >> If they if we are going to be seeding um
it'll probably be they'll probably request like a little blue stem or something like a light seating of that. >> And then if you turn to page four there's uh we did do a fertile pole delineation. So there's one um access road improvement um adjacent to a field
delineated vernal pool. Not it's not a certified vernal pool. It's just >> BSC took you know we did a review of isolated wetlands as a due diligence. Um so we do have one um field delineated vertal pool. I'll refer
to it as um with with a proposed access improvement adjacent to it. Um but we'll you'll see that we there's no impact to the actual pool and then we'll have the proposing the sediment controls uh between the road improvement and the
field of ladiated rural pool. Okay. Questions from the board. >> John, >> no. Jen, >> no. >> George, >> no. >> Mark, you're abstained. And I don't have any. Is this one U Heather? What are
your concerns? >> So, just one question. So, I know all the other ones that National Grid has come by to the town to do, it's they're usually two lines and one year they did replace one set of poles and then like a year or two later they came back and did the other one. Is this just one set of
of poles or is it again like the two lines and they're going to do one one year and one another >> that I think that's all going to depend on the outage sequence. So they have to get the they have to shut off the electricity for certain activities to to perform them. So I I guess I I always
like to tell commissions that >> don't like expect that they that they'll be out there more than once. >> Oh yeah. >> Just the nature of the work. All the ones I know they're currently doing that we think we permitted a year or so ago, there was two set lines in one easement
and they permitted one and then they finished those ones and then came back to permit the other side. So, I'm just wondering if this is similar where it's two sets in one easement or if it's just one. >> Well, well, we're permitting for work on three lines in this notice >> and it's three lines in one easement.
>> Yes. Okay. Three line. Yeah, that's the question. Yeah. Okay. I don't dry that part of town very often. >> Specifically doing them one with the 345. So that way we only have the common.
>> Mhm. And you had a section on alternatives analysis and short of relocating all the power lines, there's really not an alternative. No. >> So, but thank you for including that. >> Yes. Yeah.
>> Um question sitewalk necessary or it's all all the work is within the >> right of way existing right of way. Um the one thing uh your um
application asked for uh a waiver on doing some work within the >> no >> no disturb zone but as I understand it this area is historically already disturbed. >> That's correct. >> So I don't think we need a written
waiver or >> I don't I don't think it hurt to have it in the decision um and have the request done. I mean obviously with and even then I think within the regulations it might even exempt if it doesn't it might be something we need to add to have an
exemption for um existing utilities um because that's exactly what this is. This is maintenance to an existing utility. >> Um so I don't see an issue with having it in there but it might be something if it's not worded that way within our regulations that we must we might need to change that. It did seem that BSC
group noted that um some of the conditions for exemption under um utility maintenance or a limited project are are clear in the wetland protection act but not replicated in our bylaw. >> Correct. Yeah.
>> So is that something we should Yeah. Well, again, I'm in in the midst of of modifying our regulations and I had another thought uh today or yesterday about an item we needed to add in there. So, slowly making our way through and adjusting. >> Would this be in our regulations or the bylaw?
>> That would be I'd have to verify that in the bylaw and then I'll I'll check and put it in the regulations. >> Okay. >> If not, we'd be going to town meeting in the fall to fix that. >> Yeah. Well, thank you for pointing that out. So, uh any questions from members
of the public? Okay. So um at this point we can't do anything really until we hear from natural heritage. So >> and D >> and D right obviously the the number >> so um >> number in their comments.
>> So continue to April 9th and see what we've heard by then. >> Mhm. >> Okay. >> Did you come to decision about sidewalk? >> Yeah. Did you come decision about sidewalk? >> My own feeling is George. What do you think? >> I mean it's a long line. I mean, you're
not going to want to walk the whole line. Is it something that you because there has been so much work? I think gosh, since I started here, you had just finished one up at the substation. I think we're still finishing that one. I think that one's still open. Um, is it something that the commission would want
to just see because that work that was done at the substation and then a little bit going down the line since there has been so much work over the last four to five years or is it something that you just would be fine having sending myself having me go out and do something or as a group?
>> I trust Heather. >> I agree with Jen. >> I didn't hear what she said. >> Just agree. I trust Heather and her check. >> Yeah, I think ordinarily we do sitewalks on things, but this is >> it's a big one. >> It's a big one. It's national. I mean,
you've got a >> you did hard hat and all that. >> Yeah, but you also have a a track record and this is all within an existing disturbed area, >> so I don't really have any concerns. You're abstained, but John,
>> I don't think we need to do a sidewalk >> for this one. Okay. So, we'll just continue the public hearing to um I have a motion to continue it until April 9th. >> Did you want to form second before you did you want to see if the public had any questions? >> She did.
>> I did. >> We did. Oh, okay. Sorry. >> I did that already. Yes. >> Rain. >> Okay. Uh all in favor? >> I was there a motion. >> We need a second. >> Who seconded? >> You're going to need to second.
>> All in favor? I >> chair votes I motion passes four to nothing with one abstension. >> Okay. >> Thank you. >> Nice to see you. >> It's nice to see you both too. >> I'm still learning the ropes of being in the chair seat.
>> Okay. My brain just look at it. All right. Next on the agenda is um consideration of the bids we received for our request for proposals for 2026 >> pond treatment.
>> Pond treatment for the treatment of invasive for nuisance vegetation on Sandy Pond, Flanagan Pond and Pine Meadow Pond. >> Okay. So, Heather, what what did we receive? >> So, we received our two bids. Um, one from our current uh vendor that we've
been using the last few years, Water and Wetlands, and one from Solitude. Um, both came in on the dead by the before the deadline on the 16th of March. Um, Solitude's bid came in at $34,465.
>> Can you say that one more time? 34 >> $34,465. Um, when you review the bid though, it it appeared to leave out um it had the nutrient sampling as an additional cost at 1360.
The bid, which is one of the things we had within the request of proposal to do a nutrient testing. Um, so we'd have a baseline for that. >> 1300 >> $1,360. Yeah. >> Per pond. It was different amounts per that was so yeah it was it was 1360 for
sandy pond and the other two ponds was 850 a pond. um water and wetlands came in at 30,766 and that one did include the um nutrient
testing for nitrates um nitrogen um pH level, phosphorus and others um included in the bid and that was for all ponds. So that gives us with the low bid to water and wetlands. Um I would recommend that that's where the commission votes
to approve. Uh it's the vendor we have been using. they uh are the lowest and they did have that additional item put into the actual I if you look through the bids and you add up the numbers they don't math right but >> I think
>> when I do all the numbers up it when you when you add up what they have in each line like each pond for a total >> they don't and I add up what comes out they don't add up for what they put as a program to cost so I don't know if I'm
missing something But I have to go with what they put as their total program cost cuz I'm assuming that's what the cost of their bid will be and that's what I have to go by. So that's what I do. And even when I add if I add all the extras up >> Mhm.
>> what water and wetlands does end up being less. Okay. >> Did >> I did all the math? >> Did they address all the items we wanted? >> They did address all the items we wanted to. They um they both have um the algae
treatment as a as if if needed. When you look at water and wetlands, they give different options whereas solitude only had a um algicide treatment whereas water and wetlands had the option of
putting um the the the sulfates or a um filter at the storm water outlets. that was included in water wetlands that wasn't in solitudes for the extra. Okay. >> If we needed to do something like that, that wasn't in solitude bid. >> My memory is that the things like
nutrient testing and pH levels, we added in >> we Yeah, we added >> to our RFP because water and wetlands started >> been suggesting it for a while. >> Well, they No, they just did it the first time they did this. They were doing it in their field reports that they would send after their treatments.
And so when we did the next RFP, it's like, "Yeah, let's let's put that in." >> I know they they do the ox the um dissolved oxygen levels and the pH level, but the nitrate and nitrogen levels are not in there. >> That might be different. Yeah. >> Um okay. I see we do have some members
of the public here. Does anybody have questions about is here are here are you here for questions about this? >> Okay, >> question. Has the town looked at other options besides treating with chemicals? >> Can you I'm sorry. Can I just get your
name for the >> Christine team? So when it comes to other um options for um invasive treatments, it it comes down to a cost item. The in order in in an
access we looked into it two years ago. Um other treatments to be done usually take mechanical equipment. We those will then where we're looking at when we go to town meeting, we'll be asking for around $20,000 for the warrant article to fund this because of previous funds
in there. In order to do a mechanical treatment of the pond, you're looking at $100,000 or so per pond, not just all three. And then it becomes a profit of access to get that mechanical equipment into the pond. We don't own any property
on Flanigan to get a piece of equipment in. We looked at draw down of the ponds to do that to try to get the water levels down which is what other towns do. One D put a stop on that for a while or allowing draw downs but even if they
were draw downs can't happen with ours because all of our ponds are connected. So, we can't draw down one because it's just going to get flowed in from another one. So, everything flows from Long Pond on the Grten side all the way through Sandy Pond to Flanigan,
Pine Meadow Pond, but does flow into Flanigan as well. And then everything goes across Central A over to a into Plow Grove pond into Plowshaw Pond and then into Nasha. That's how our water system works. So, a draw down wouldn't work either. Um when you go and look,
I've done a couple of different um workshops for these because of climate change in the in the warming climate. Water is warming faster than our air. So the invasives in nuisance vegetation in
water is happening faster than it is on the ground. And it's the whatever effects we would have from the chemical treatment is actually less than what would be to keep these um invasive species growing in our ponds because they will choke out the natives. It will
affect the wildlife that are in there. >> So that it ends up being a cost like a a a negative benefit type of analysis that you'd have to look at. And um D suggests that it's better to treat and get rid of the invasives than it is to let them go.
And it's just a matter of and keeping an eye on which ones you have because the amount of invasives we have and the kinds we have are just going to get more given the warming waters that we have. Yeah. We had also looked at uh what Littleton was doing because they were
experimenting with u mechanical harvesting but they had at the time I think they were getting money from a telecommunications tower to fund it but their annual treatment cost was in excess of $100,000 which I think we would have difficulty
passing at town meeting. Um at the same time they had tried that they had to do those treatments later in the season because you can't harvest what hasn't come to the surface. >> Yeah. >> And that would present difficulties I think for swimmers and such.
>> But they also found that the the following year they had to do go back to chemical treatments on spectacle pond at least. Yeah. >> Because it hadn't been effective enough and they were getting overgrowth. Another question that's perennial perennially raised by some people is the
question of using sterile carp and that's not a not a gamecher because it's illegal in Massachusetts and also has a whole range of mixed effects where other states have used it. So, we're sort of left with this and trying to keep up
with the situation as best we can. And our regular treatment program has been keeping good control over the invasives in all three ponds as well as uh cutting back the nuisance overgrowth which would also choke out a pond. So,
does that answer your question? >> Yeah. >> Thank you. Okay. >> Okay. So basically I think then we just have to take a vote on awarding the contract to water and wetlands. >> Correct. >> Yep. >> George, would you like to make a motion?
>> Uh motion to award the uh contract for aquatic uh nuclear wetlands >> for 2026. of 2026 in the amount of $30,766.
>> Is there a second? >> Yep. Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Chair votes I. Opposed. >> And the motion passes. That's not to say that going forward um if our treatments seem to keep working that we won't
continue to try to hopefully there'll be cheaper other alternatives that come across the the path. I just haven't come across any yet cuz when I did look at this was this past time it was too many town meetings before. >> So this year be two years and it was I think it was town of Peabody had done it
and it was overundred almost $200,000 to treat one pond. Um and it was a matter of access point at this point if we could get it into Sandy Pond from the town beach. Obviously it would be an access to Flanigan and then yeah it is a it has to grow up and it's it would be
wonderful if we could just dredge and that would be dredging the whole bottom. That's it's a whole state permitting and learning to do that as well. >> Dredging would be upwards of a million dollars or something, wouldn't it? >> So we just get rid of >> we're doing the best we can. >> We're doing the best we can. None of us want to see more chemicals put in there,
but we do do it. It is a spot treatment. It's not a full >> douse of the pond. >> Okay. >> Hello. Um Mosa Gr. Um I just had a question with regard to I mean obviously invasive species are invasive for a reason. They like the habitat that
they're in and with the warming climate and what have you. Um, is there potentially an end in sight if there's um, you know, community effort with regard to eradicating um, the different species or you know, do we have to do chemicals every year
>> if we're able to, you know, apply the chemicals and then try to prune what we have? I know it's probably like hurting cats, but >> yeah, we we have been, you know, trans going from okay, heavier treatment on Flanigan Pond one year because Sandy Pond did really well. different year.
And so we do spot treatments to control and not do whole pond treatments. But um problem with hand pulling for certain species like mil foil is you're pulling them up by hand and you're breaking it off into a lot of little fragments which
if you ever saw the sorcerer's apprentice where break up the broom and suddenly you've got two brooms then four then eight then that's what the fragmentation of hand pulling some of those species does. water chestnuts is great for hand pulling,
>> but things like um mil foil are not >> and and in the depth of the pond would be an issue with that too. Um >> but we have we we previous ones we did a heavier treatment on Sandy Pond. That pond is now in a much better health. So they do a um much less treatment on
there and they're focusing now on Flanigan pond and given a couple years from now that might be now more eradicated they could be able to scale that back. So it's a matter the more we treat and the more on top of it we go the better it becomes. But yes, as far as the the the reason the invasives flow
so well is because they don't have a as anything you have so much um Norway maple they they drop too many seeds they keep their leaves longer. they choke at everything else and that's why invasives do take over is because they have the this mechanism in their genetics to to
just take over everything. So the best we we do the best we can and we have made progress. I mean before I started and I think some of the commission members that the ponds weren't treated for a long time and they had to heavily treat and since then which was been I don't know how many years there's been
gradual improvements every year. So we're getting better. Um, our treatments have scaled back on some ponds and hopefully in another year or so we'll be able to scale back on Flanigan. I think more or less on Flanigan. They're focused on the um, water lilies that are that kind of just grow in the al coes and that's where
we'll look at the nutrient testing to see if their nutrient levels are really high um, on Flanigan pond compared to Sandy Pond and that might be a contribute to why there's so many water liies there. Um, it I think also it's due to water flow. >> It's also shallower. shallower. Yeah.
So, >> but there's ways we can look at to try to maybe help and and get information out to a botter and try to do some more public outreach once we get those nutrient levels back to figure out how we can try to help with that. >> And I believe like you said, was it I
think before I was here, right, it was you guys had tried like skipping a year to see how that went and >> things got a little out of control or something. I thought I remember >> when I first started, I think we weren't doing it every year anyways. Okay. And um it got way out of control
and uh Flanigan Pond, the community formed a Friends of Flanigan Pond with basically villagers with pitchforks that went to the select board and that took I think to get that one back in control was about $60,000 worth of treatment
just on that pond alone. So we have found doing it and now we have a supportive um town manager on in and select board on this but doing keeping up with it on a yearly basis and it's it is going to be a constant game of
catchup because of climate change. I mean last year we had beginning the season um the water in Sandy Pon at least was very and I think Flanigan as well was very cloudy green with it filamentous algae.
>> Yeah. But that was a naturally firming algae >> natural but it was that's a change from something we've seen over the last few decades. Yeah. >> So >> and we're hope we don't have a blue we hope we don't have another blue green algae bloom like we did like three or four years ago.
>> Yeah. was the perfect conditions for that with the drought and then a a heavy rain that just washed everything. >> Yeah. >> Is there a potential to like airy just with regard to the algae and what have you? Does the algae just thrive because of certain um like obviously the
temperature of the water but like is it not circulating properly? Is that how the algae functions? >> I think it's different sort of algae but function a different way and I'm not much of a biologist to know that. Um, I I think part of this issue that they have too, and I I can't speak it's just
this, but the Canadian geese cause a a havoc on it as well. Um, I don't know what that does to the nutrient levels. Um, it's not much we can really do about that. I mean, I protected an invasive animal.
I was just >> It's one of those I I should I really I should try to reach out to some of the other conservation agents to see. I know we have erosion control like groups. I wonder if there's a >> aquatic pond treatment like subgroup that we could find to try to get or
>> I don't know because they don't ever see them at conferences either. to get invasive species for the land but not much for aquatic cuz I don't know how much of it's out there cuz we are I think in every town are battling like the same four or five everyone's got water cnets the midfoil the fan wart and a couple others that those are the ones
you're trying to do luckily we have >> curly curly leaf pond >> curly leaf pond leaf we don't I mean we don't thank we don't have any I haven't seen any reports of a of cuz we don't have as much boat traffic but bringing boats in >> when the boat launch comes in that'll be a whole thing there of more invasives
being brought into town on boats because we don't have that. We're not getting the zebra muscles and other snails and other things that might be coming in. But that's how these things spread is people not in other in other communities aren't cleaning their boats properly when they're going from one. >> But from a flow perspective that's always flowing, right? Cuz it's coming
down from Long Pond. >> It is what Yeah. What happens when you get to S when you go to Flanigan, you can tell it, you know, that straightaway that's it's narrower is pretty clear. And then when you get to some of the el coast that are brought in Harvard Road or over in in the corner of Calvin when it turns up into Oakidge, you get a
ponding there because it it tucks in and that's where you get some of those issues and that's where we had some of the algae come in was along the shorelines where the water doesn't flow as fast. >> Also, didn't the um doesn't the town beach put in a air raator in the summer? >> Yeah.
>> I thought they did at one point. >> I don't think I've ever seen that. >> Okay. I'm imagining that. One thing that we tried to do was to introduce a bill that would >> oh by law >> you know bylaw to eliminate fertilizers
>> nitrogen nitrogen based fertilizers >> and it passed overwhelmingly a town meeting >> and the state shut us down >> the attorney general yeah >> because they're already not allowed >> yeah but they don't do anything about it so >> yeah the mass department of agricultural
>> resources >> resources that theoretically has control over fertilizers in the state. Only Cape Cod is allowed to develop their own bylaws, >> but the problem with, you know, state cutbacks and such, they don't do
anything that enforces it. So, we thought local bylaw might help, >> but whatever whoever lives around the pond is going to affect the pond >> to a certain degree >> no matter what. Some more than others.
We're we're lucky here. The majority of the people on the pond, if you look, have a nice vegetated buffer. Their lawn doesn't go all the way to the edge. There are quite a few that have trees and weed debris and not just lawn all the way to the edge, which is which is really nice and good to see. And a lot
of trees along it, too. We have very good very good residents here. It's just a matter of >> seeing what our we see the nutrient levels come back. They may come back surprisingly low. We'll just go, "Oh, oh, okay. That's that was that's that's nice. That would be surprising. >> Positive in that aspect.
>> Another another question. Sorry. In the reporting of the the companies that are hired to do the treatments, do they report on the oxygen level before the treatment and the oxygen level after the treatment? >> Yes. We will get a pre um treatment survey and then a post- treatment
survey. So they'll go out and do the pre-treatment survey um late May, early June um to get those levels and then they combine that. So if you look at the end ofear report, it'll have both in there. This is what it was pre and post and they'll do that. They'll do the
survey um before they treat and then after and put that in their year-end report. >> Yeah. But each time they come and do a treatment, they do that >> correcting as well. >> They don't come back the next day and test again. But you can see between the two the treatment times they come in
>> that there's it's still in good shape. >> They do water uh clarity, the oxygen level, and then I think temperature. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we have a good they have a good handle on that. >> Okay. Next on the agenda would be office
and number updates. Take it away, Heather. >> All right. Um >> and then we'll get to public input after. >> Just a few. So, um, our next meeting on the 9th, um, beyond the two public public hearings, we will have our friends at Autumn Ridge giving their, uh, conservation restriction, uh,
report. >> Mhm. >> It's been a year already. >> It's been a year already. Yeah. Um, it was a little bit delayed because the snow and ice kept them out from doing their their walk. Um, and we will have, uh, 12 Willow Road coming back for an amended order of conditions.
Um the Earth Day events coming up because April starts next week. Um I believe the tenative date and time the time I don't think it's been determined but I believe the date for the closure of McFersonson Road and that um stroll along that for Earth Day will be on
Wednesday, April 22nd. The townwide cleanup will be on April 25th at starting at 9:00 with pickup in at designated areas at the from at the town beach. Um, what else do we have? Uh, I've been
making doing some construction stuff has been started up again. Um, been out to uh Lincoln Hills a few times to investigate some storm water items. Um, while doing that, I noticed a storm water issue at 91 Ground Harbor that got
resolved. Thank goodness. And now from the heavy rain we had, >> Stratton Hill has started up again. >> Stratton Hill started up again. I missed a sidewalk. The planning board went out on Tuesday. I wanted to go out with that, but I had a I had a morning. Um, so I got to reach out to them so I can go out on site for that and take a walk
around through there. Um, uh, National Grid is for the substation on Bishop Road have been submitting their SWIP per uh, applications. Um, I'm going to reach out to their u BSC, the woman that's been doing the um SWIP for
them and I want to go out just to see how it's going cuz looks like there's a new deatering area up by the replication area. So, I just want to get a walk through on that. >> Um, I don't think we have any other um projects that have been I do need to get a hold of seeing where we're at with Third Street as well.
>> And the West Main Street Bridge is starting. >> West Main West Main Street Bridge is restarting. They should be installing the erosion controls beginning of next week. >> Thank you for that. They did call. So if they we see any work going out on there this week and early next week. It's just the um installation of the erosion
controls and once those are in, I'll go out and take a look at them and they will be putting the signs at the DPW and everything. We putting their signs up and everything. Let people know that that bridge work is starting very >> which will be good. If you >> it'll be it'll be very good. It'd be
good to have a stream crossing that is meets more of the standard than it currently does >> and to replace the existing bridge which if you look at it from underneath is >> scary. >> Scary. >> You wouldn't drive over. >> You wouldn't you wouldn't drive over.
>> Yeah. >> Just the head wall. The head wall is small. >> John, any updates from you? >> I don't have any. >> Jen, no. George, >> no. >> Mark. Me? You know, public input is our next on our agenda.
And we do have two people here. Do you have or three? Well, Rachel, you're you're off. >> We know you're free to open. >> Thanks, guys. >> Um, do you have any questions or you're just watching us because we're a wonderful group to watch. >> Just like to be concerned, that's all.
>> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> It's nice when people come. Yeah, we came because we're with Pace. >> Yes. Okay. >> Pace. >> Yes. >> We love to welcome you if you join us.
>> Sounds great. Okay. Sorry. >> That's fine. >> Okay. Anything else? >> 11. >> Okay. Then we'll have a motion to adjourn. So move.
>> Second. And we will all in favor >> I we adjourn at 7:50