Hey, so today is January Wednesday 27th at 7:00 p.m. We are at 454 College Highway in meeting conference room 2. This is an open space meeting. Um Connor Flurry here,
>> Bill Price, >> and we have Martha over Zoom. And then Dennis Clark and Chris Pratt. um approved meeting minutes, which I do not have a copy of that in front of me. Um >> Connor, could you could you repeat who
else we have there because I can't see. >> We have Dennis Clark and Chris Pratt from conservation. >> Okay. >> Thanks. >> Y All right. Approve meeting minutes. Actually, I have them on my phone. I don't look at my phone.
We we reviewed those already. Do we want to look through them again or >> I I think we can just say >> I could read it to you, but I just didn't. >> Yeah, if we that's fine. I approve them. >> I I make a motion to approve the meeting minutes. >> Yeah. So, a meeting was approved.
>> Um, >> do we have to do um a roll call vote on that? >> Maybe Dennis can answer that question. Do we need to do a roll call vote? >> Yeah. All right. So, um, what I Conor Flurry or I I I Connor Flurry approved
um when was that meeting? >> Jeez, that was >> December 9th. >> I Conor Flurry approved December 9th's meeting minutes. >> I as as do I, Phil Price, >> Martha Kane I. >> All right, meeting minutes approved.
Um, so that's done. I'll get you guys to sign it later when I'm actually there in person because as you know we need to have a signed signature page and once I get that then I will put it in our notebook and get the copy to the town clerk and the
digital copy sever several other places. So that's the only bad thing about me being on Zoom. I can't get your signatures yet. >> Okay, that's fine. All righty. So, new business, uh, discuss where the progress of the
current open space plan is at. Martha, you've been kind of dealing with that. Um, any progress or anything at all from >> um, well, uh, we discussed that with the select board. I can't remember what, uh,
the date was, uh, earlier this month. And um so the progress the way I see it and this is just my impression uh being at that meeting was that the progress is on hold. Uh, I know myself
and Phil were both studying. I was studying the workbook that tells us how to put it together and coming up with some steps of we could do this first, second, third, you know, drafting up a plan that way to share with you should we go ahead. And I know Phil was looking
at the very old uh the 2012 plan and comparing it with our current 2019 plan. So, we've done quite a bit of leg work. Um, and uh, but with the meeting of the select board, my impression was that
that the progress was on hold. Ever since then, I haven't done any more work on it. Um, just waiting to find out if we are going to have a separate committee or if it is going to be the three of us um, for that. So that's from
my perspective that's where the progress is on hold. >> Okay. Yeah, I did talk to uh Sabrina about um after that meeting uh pretty extensively about kind of how to move forward and basically what she um kind
of told me was that the select board more or less kind of leaving it to us how we want to do things. So, let's kind of decide what we want to do and move forward that way as far as the open space plan and and kind of how to how to put it together and what we're considered an ad hoc or a subcommittee
of uh conservation. Um, and I kind of threw that idea of her at her again of kind of teaming up with um the parks and recck committee a little more on the open space plan since it seems like we kind of rely a little heavy on them for um and what's in the open space plan.
and uh she seemed to think that was a pretty good idea. So, um I do have a contact for um the parks and parks and wreck. So, I got to start working on that at some point here, but I don't know what you guys thoughts are on that. You know, my impression from the town
meeting was that number one, they said we report to conservation and whether we are ad hoc or not seemed to be semantics to them. Um, but I get certainly had the impression that they thought this other committee should be formed to handle the
recreation plan and that we should be more on managing the properties and figuring out some of those kinds of things. Um, I don't have an objection to us also working on the open space plan or providing input. I don't know if anyone has taken any actual action on
forming another committee to take this on. So, I don't know where any of that stands. Yeah, >> I speak my recommendation. What's her name? Oh, Chris Pratt South conservation commission. I would
um recommend my hope for this committee when I brought it to the select board was that you would be in place to keep updating the plan as new things happen. That way at the end you're not all scrambling around to throw things
together to create an entirely new plan. I'd like to have one team in place that's doing that all along and it makes a lot less work at the end for everybody >> as well as you know being stewards of the land that we do
>> and and and let's say that we had a more recent plan recently approved. You know, I like your idea of keeping it up to date and working with it throughout the year. However, >> kind of seems like we don't have that luxury this time around. We have to kind of >> And I believe Sabrina said that you can
file for an extension. >> Yeah. >> So, I'm not sure how far of an extension you get. >> Well, they're going to have to have a some kind of draft in place cuz that's >> that's the way it used to work anyway. You'd have to have a draft in place. >> And you know how difficult it was just
to get this committee put together. They're not going to get a second open space committee. Doesn't make any sense whatsoever. Plus, the way they left it. Correct me if I'm wrong. The way they left it, they said it's up to conservation to direct you guys which way to go.
>> Agreed. >> And we're gonna have it on the agenda for Monday night. >> Yeah. >> And I wanted to find out from you guys before we decided to push you in any direction if you were still willing to go, you know, forward the way the original plan was with the open space
plan, you know, because it all integrates with everything else that we're doing in open space. Anyway, it's open space and recreation. So yeah, you would get the park and wreck, maybe get one of them on your committee. Um, as far as planning board, Dave Spina said
he would be interested, if I'd be interested in getting on the committee, so you know, we could get enough people. We had, I think, seven people on the last open space committee that did the open space plan, but there was only three people that really put any input
into it. So make Michelle be on it. So you're saying yourself, someone from planning and maybe from parking w would would finish the committee off and you guys would >> Yeah. would you would find out from Pineer Valley Planning? They kept saying that, you know, there'd be grant money
available, but that's yet to be seen as far as I know. I don't know if anybody's even talked to Barner Valley Planning, but saying they put this whole thing on hold after the last meeting, I can't blame you for not wanting to put any more >> right >> effort into this direction until you find out that it actually is a something
that is feasible. But like I say, Monday night at the meeting, it's on the agenda and I would recommend that if select board said go to conservation, they said we're going to have another open space committee. I don't see that happening. I barely get
one together. Never mind. >> Well, we had to beg them to get this one together in the first place. I don't know why they wanted another one. >> Yeah. >> And >> I would prefer actually to have two committees. That's just my opinion. I would prefer to have two committees. I'd
prefer to have the open space this committee which is called open space management and planning um to actually be managing and monitoring the current open space properties. That would be its main task. And that other committee um
for the open space plan would consist of as the handbook, excuse me, or the workbook specifies, you know, the more different people you have on the plan, uh the better. Somebody from planning, from recreation, etc. Um, and they're
not going to be interested in hearing the three, Connor, Phil, and I talking about, excuse me, the Sophanoski property or North Pond and that sort of thing. Um, they probably don't want to get involved in that. I think you know
this a separate committee working just on the plan would be very helpful because we are going to need to get input from a wide swath of Southwick on this plan. So having people that's why
the workbook has a whole list of somebody from planning somebody from board of health somebody from you know and so forth. But I don't think it should be a real big time commitment. I think it is going to have to just be one or two people actually pulling all that
together, but with a committee of people that can give the input that we're going to need. So, that's just my preference. And, you know, I'll go whichever way you want to go, but I I would rather separate that whole recreation plan thing from the monitoring and the
management and the other um things that I think Phil, Connor, and I were kind of hoping to do, having fun outside and planting and That is the attractive part. >> I don't blame you for not wanting to take on that huge task of
>> I mean I don't see the reason why they would have to be at every meeting for us if we're talking about other things. I mean it's one of those things they're kind of working on in the background and when we need them we put them on the agenda. Neither they can they can we can give them a subsection for a meeting and they come via Zoom. You know I don't I don't see why we would have to make it a
big deal with like parks and recck coming in every meeting. You know especially when there's other things we're doing too. I think if they're in the background teaming up with us via email and if we need them, we pull them in. If not, >> up to you guys. That's why we're here tonight to find out get your input to
find out which directors you want to go in. It a big part of the open space plan is doing a survey that we did. You know, you put out a survey to the whole community. Yeah. >> To get their input to find out
>> what uh the main interests are. And uh you know it's up to you guys with how how you if you want to if you want to get into it that deeper if you just want to like u talk about what we can do on the on the properties you know as far as
management out of them. I mean >> it's a lot easier be a lot easier. Well, another big piece of that plan is the action items, the goals, objectives, and action items. And that's where it's really vital. Um, because the stakeholders or the action partners in
there do come from a wide variety of of different committees and boards. Um, so they're going to have to look at what their current actions assigned to them were were in this current plan and tell us, you know, what we did or what we
didn't do and recommend a change, etc. and so forth. So, um, that's why having the support of some of these other committee members on this committee for the plan is really important in order to do that. Otherwise, the three of us
really um you know, we're so new that trying to figure that out on our own or or trying to struggle how whose email address do I send this to and are they going to respond to me? Uh that could get um be a barrier for us, I think.
>> No, I agree that you need to reach out to all the other committees. Everybody have to reach out to everybody, get their input, no matter who does it. That's >> whether they're on the committee or not on the committee, you need their input, >> right? >> I think there's going to be a lot of leg
work regardless how we do it, >> right? >> So, I I think it would just make it simpler if we handled it rather than a second party to handle it. >> I just don't I just don't see them >> getting another open space committee together to have this plan done by it
December is by the extension. >> It's it's cutting it close even if you started on it today. But for them to put another to advertise to put it together to get this whole thing >> we can't establish it happening. >> Yeah. >> We already >> I wasn't I wasn't seeing it happen that
way. I was seeing the select board saying to the planning board you will pick a member to be on this committee. You know not soliciting in in a broad way but actually uh assigning people or
you know telling them maybe select board can't do that. I don't know. >> But that that's kind of how I saw it happen. You know, that they would pick, >> right? I think like you were saying, Dennis, it's it's it's a volunteer position with these boards. It's hard to ask these other boards to put in more
work when they're already putting in work. I think to have to have them come join a second committee just to do a plan is >> they can ask them to do it. They can't mandate them to do it. >> Yeah. >> And they would be, you know, consultants that would, you know, work with you. Uh
what's his uh Alvin the the town planner? It'd be essential to have him involved with it. We did have a select board member on the last open space committee had somewhat input on it. So, you know, we
everybody should have input on it, but >> it's it was confusing cuz at the at the select board meeting, it appeared like Diane was saying this was going to be the the open space plan cuz when I mentioned to her, she said, "Oh, it's just no, it's
already in place. They're just updating it." You know, like it was not a big deal, but updates are a huge deal. That's what I was pointing out. >> And that's when Doug Mowglin said, "Well, this committee is not going to do that anyway." So, you know, why why do they need a secretary? They're not doing
that. And that took me by surprise because Chris and I have been discussing this for quite a while. You know, we need >> we need to get this the if they had kept the last open space committee together, it wouldn't be going through this right
now because we'd have that plan. We'd have updates on it. We would know what had been implemented. The problem with having an open space plan or a master plan is not implementing stuff that you put in there. And when it was brought up
at the Slutboard meeting that it said in the master plan that this was part of the master plan updating the open space and we were told it was they were just suggestions. I kind of >> didn't know how to take that.
>> Right there with you. Yeah. >> It's just a just a suggestion. >> Yeah. And then they were talking about like well what if we just use open space for the planet and get rid of them. It was like well that kind of >> now the open space plan that we did last time and the time before if you look most of the stuff has not been implemented in there because there was
nobody there to follow up on it >> and that's that was my big one of the reasons I didn't want to get back on the open space committee is because if they just put it together for the sole purpose >> of getting a document to get grants I don't want to do that again. You know,
that was that's all it was last time. Just get this documented. We didn't have a master plan at the time. Only had an open space plan and without that there was a lot of grants. We couldn't apply for and that's all they cared about was getting that plan approved. So if they get the grants then then just get rid of
every forget about everything we had written about. So >> yeah. Yeah. I feel the same way about that. So do we want to make a decision today or do we want to discuss it more? I mean, I don't >> you don't have to make a decision today, Monday night. If you have something by
then, >> that's something we have to vote on. >> Sounds like that's a decision for the conservation commission um that you've heard um you and Chris Dennis are here and have heard the comments and um you
can take that back to them and and make a decision. If you do decide, you know, a one committee, then we are definitely going to need more people on this committee >> and and people and so >> the secretary,
>> we did send a letter which is why we were there in the first place. >> We will need conservation commission to help us. I do not have the email addresses or anything like that for all the different committees and boards that we might need to correspond with. And um
you know when we get to the people trying to email back, they don't they're not going to want to email, you know, back to my personal email um address. They're going to need I think a town email. So that's where the secretary um >> right. You should have an email address.
Absolutely. >> She will be handling that that type of thing and helping us with survey uh tabulations, that sort of thing. >> Yep. Absolutely. But yeah, it's up to you guys. You know,
I want to push you any direction, but I'm sure the conservation commission would support you 100% if you >> want to follow through. >> I I mean, I think we're willing to give it a shot. >> Yeah, I'm in favor to take it on. I I think it's something we should do. I I I
think Denn Doug Mglin's comment when he attended our our very first meeting where something like we were deer in the headlights discussing and I I think we we still are kind of got that deer in the headlights thing in terms of tackling this project but >> it won't take you long to see the traffic coming
to be able to dodge pretty soon. >> All right. >> Yeah. I think us taking on is just going to keep it a little simpler. I think if we I think if we have another committee, it's so to speak too many chiefs on. >> Well, I mean, if we wait another month to get to >> the board and this and that and the
other, you know, right, we're going to spring before anything >> even possibly gets started. So, >> but the master plan committee, they I believe they had some surveys and they collected some of the information that you might need for your open space plan. Okay. >> So, hopefully you can Who
>> Who was that again? >> The master plan committee. the implementation committee or the >> No, the master plan committee did the surveys. The implementation committee is the one who was trying to see it forward, but the master plan committee sent out those surveys to the people in
the town to see what they wanted to have in town. So, as far as that goes, I mean, they can look back at the data that they got from the >> So, possibly we would not need to conduct new from that. It depends. You'll have to look at that. >> I think I think you have to I think it's a requirement. you have to put another
survey out with specific um questions. Well, there might be some that are specific. There was some for open space, correct? There were >> last time we did it on Survey Monkey. You know, it's easy enough to do. It's it's not >> that's what we used the first time I I was involved in the first open >> survey. Is that an actual site? Survey
Monkey. >> Survey Monkey. Yeah, you can do it online or we had the paper do paper uh available. >> Is there any way we can do it via Facebook? I mean a lot of people on social media Facebook you can throw a QR code on Facebook like an open space
Facebook >> I don't do Facebook sorry >> it would be like and Facebook I don't either >> you and I Martha it's just my wife >> but yeah we will uh if you guys want to go forward we'll talk about it Monday
night and if you do we'll dive into this just head first >> yeah okay >> this coming Monday is the next conservation meeting I'll if I can drum up some people who are would be interested and what I'd like to see people who have been involved in the
past who >> I talked to Dave Spina was the biggest help for me >> a lot of that stuff you know that I don't care about you know the demographics and all this stuff >> the data guy >> all this stuff how's all that >> how old can the info be like let's say they did a survey last year about what
we need is that still valid or does it have to be current within six months >> you probably have to do it a fresh one it's not still valid. >> Okay, >> if you look at my my cliff notes that I sent to you guys, you know, several weeks ago, I went through the workbook
and the new format or the format for the new plan is going to be different from the old one. The 2012 and the 2019 followed the same basic chapters, etc. This new one, they have changed it. So, some chapters have been pulled out, some
new things have been added, and it tells you in that workbook exactly if you have to have a new map here or not. And um so I went through that in in my notes that I sent to Connor and Phil just so they get an idea of what I've already looked
at and researched. There is a lot of things that will have to be redone according to the workbook. So, that's but that's laid out. The good news is it's laid out for us so we know exactly, you know, what to do, what's supposed to be in each chapter. But it is not just a
simple matter of revising the old one, you know, because it's it's a different some different things there, different chapters and things. >> Now, did Melissa Cryan say they're having any classes locally for that? because last time they had they were providing different seminars and classes
for your open space plan and it it's really handy to talk to other people that are going through the same thing that we are. >> No, she didn't I didn't ask her that. I just asked her about the extension and she said no, there can be no extension.
However, she said exactly what you said, Dennis, which is we can have a rough draft. We could be sending out our rough draft to the planning board and to parks and recreation and and then to them, >> you know, so it could be just a rough
draft in December and, you know, then getting all of the comments back from the different boards and committees in Southwick in addition to whatever they tell us, you know, and hopefully having the final edited version within a couple of months after that, I would guess. So
that that they will allow a rough draft in December while we're also sending a draft to those other our Southwick committees >> and that would allow us to keep getting the grants that we've been getting because we do have that. Yeah. >> Yeah.
>> All right. Well, thank you guys very much for uh >> putting up with Yeah. Should we be at the Monday meeting or good just during our discussion? We have questions we can ask. Just to clarify, >> we have put it first on the agenda so we
can get these guys in and out. >> Oh, absolutely. You don't have to hang around the whole meeting. >> Dennis will talk to Sabrina. >> All right. >> All right. >> Thank you, J. >> Thank you. >> All right. So, that kind of covers our >> Unfortunately, I unfortunately can't be there on Monday night. I just wanted to
let you know I' I've got the first Oh, no. That's right. because I've got my medical procedure >> and I'm gonna be out of it. >> Good luck with that. >> Unless it snows and I I stay home from school. >> No, >> another Nor Easter coming our way. I
hope I don't know. Keep it up to see. >> And we got >> I did send you those cliff notes so you you can look at it rather than having to go through that whole big workbook yourself, which you're welcome to do also. I just the cliff notes that I had
sent you um some weeks ago. >> Yes, I've got I've got a copy here right now. >> Yeah, that kind of shows you basic things. Gives gives you a basic idea. Um and the big the big thing is going to be the um action items too. Um, one thing
that was interesting to me in that board meeting was when I asked Diane about the master plan and the fact that the master plan, one of its main objectives in the natural resources section was to make an open space committee permanent and that
open space committee would do just like what Dennis and Chris were saying, you know, monitor the plan, you know, as the the weeks and years go by. she was not interested in that. She she's know that's all that's you know
kind of on hold. That's um something we're reviewing now. So um you know and that uh feeds into what Dennis and and the rest of the uh conservation commission were were saying about um could we have this be a permanent
committee? We think they would recommend this be a permanent committee for that purpose to be able to monitor and manage that plan um coordinate that through the years. Um but it seemed to me that what Diane said was that while that's still
under review, the master plan is so new that um they're just really not sure they're going to go in that direction. That was a recommended objective, but it wasn't a mandate. So, um, as something else to just to
think about, you know, we we may not be monitoring and managing this plan going forward. And maybe our first goal is just to make sure the plan is done so that the town can continue to get those grants, which is very important for the
for the budgetary reasons. So, I think we kind of covered uh the plan extension in our discussion there. That's our next bullet point. So, we'll we'll check that off. Um discuss springtime projects like open space properties. So, I sent you guys a um bullet list of kind of roughly things
that need to get done. Obviously, um you know, over the winter and into the spring, this will probably change, but this is kind of what's going on as of now. um with the highlighted point being filed for RDA for a conservation North
Pond project. Um so a couple months ago, I don't remember when it was, but before winter, um there was a proposed project on North Pond. Um I'm not too familiar with it. I actually have to meet with Sabrina and someone else on cons Kevin
uh so tomorrow um about this but from my understanding there's some wash out um by North Pond that's causing some erosion um and I from what uh meetings I've attended at conservation um their proposed um fix is to top soil that area
and do some plantings to kind of lock that bank in and make it so that there's some um plantings holding that that area back and stopping it from eroding. Um the problem becomes and this was going to be executed in the spring but
conservation ran into issues um is within a 100 foot buffer zone of North Pond um which does require a filing to the state um but conservation can't be the person filing it and doing the work. So uh open space will act as the third
party for uh this project. they will be filing the um the uh proposed work underneath us. So, we have to kind of look a little bit more into this um especially after tomorrow's meeting, but um they want us to file an RDA forum.
So, that is number one because spring's coming up quick here. Um >> Hunter, >> Con Hunter, could you tell us what RDA stands for? I'm I'm ignorant. I I don't know what that means or what what they want us to file an RDA. What what does
that stand for? RDA and >> I'm not I think it's request for determination of some sort. I'm not sure what the A stands for, but it's basically like a um like a um basically proposing the work and requesting a more for lack of better
terms of variance a um since we're within the 100 foot buffer zone, you can do the work, but it's um just basically filing paperwork. Um, >> I think Phil's looking up. >> I I I knew what it meant and have since >> Yeah. Yeah. Me, too.
>> request for determination of applicability. >> There you go. Okay. >> Of applicability. >> And uh are they going to get that paper conservation commission going to get that paperwork to you and then you would sign that for us or how does do you know
how that works? Maybe we don't know right now. I think I think we have to create and write the RDA committed to conservation committed to conservation. >> I'll be talking with more about that tomorrow or whenever um with Sabrina and Kevin who's kind of spearheading this thing uh tomorrow. So we'll we'll know
more tomorrow and that'll probably be uh something we discuss next meeting. Um but a few other bullet points. I mean we got quite a few things here. Um remun poison ivy at Woodland Ridge conservation land. Um, Woodland Ridge is one of our um, pieces of land that we
are managing. Um, it's I think if it's Woodland Ridge Drive, but basically it's off of I think it's North Longard, the one off the bike path there kind of by the schools. Take that right to Connecticut. It's up there. Uh, it's a
subdivision, but there's a big space in the center of it and then behind the homes that's all um, open space land. Um, and in the center of the subdivision, the property owners have kind of mowed a trail through the woods
so that they can hike on and stuff like that. And off those trails is actually a a very large area of poison ivy that um definitely poses a a pretty serious threat to anyone who would mistakenly walk by it or I mean it's right off the trail. So, uh definitely have to do
something about that in the spring. Um I talked to spring about it. >> Honor, can I ask a question about that property? Is that a private property only for the subdivision or is that one of our public open space properties that um Woodland Ridge?
>> I don't believe it's it's private for just the the um subdivision. I believe anyone can use it, but I will have to verify that. Um the only reason why I say that is because I know there's a fence. It's not really a fence. It's more of just like a a post kind of fence
in one of the neighbors um side yards, I guess you would call it, that kind of blocked you from getting into the back woods. Um so I would assume if that's an issue, it's probably for everyone to use in town, but I can I can verify that. I mean, it's
>> I think that's important that we understand that. And I'm guessing it's you know, it's going to be a pesticide application of some some sort. Um, that was my that was my next thing. I talked to Sabrina about that and basically her recommendation was to get a big tarp,
you know, probably like 100 by, you know, 30. I don't know how big they make them and essentially just put it over the poison ivy and stake it down and just leave it there, let it die so it can't grow. Cuz we talk about pesticide and it's it's really tough with, you know, the uh species of plants in there
and animals and stuff like that. So poison at least putting a tarp over it seems to I guess choke it out or something to where it can't grow is the best natural approach to it. Um and if that doesn't work I guess we'll have to kind of come up with something from
there. But um yeah, >> and when you say we, I'm assuming that you mean the three of us versus somebody from DOT or, you know, Department of Public Works or something who I don't know if they do that kind of work or not, but I'm assuming that's what you
mean. It would be volunteers who >> Yeah, someone from conservation. >> I personally am very allergic to poison ivy, so I will not be helping with that particular project. But um I'm assuming that that's what you mean that it would be volunteers who would go into a work day of some sort, you know, people in
the neighborhood or really anyone who would want to partake in it. Conservation, I mean, whatever would would just lend a hand and, you know, put probably put on some spaceman suits, the painter suits, and tape up and go with some gloves on and, you know, stake it down. Um, and get that done. Um
and then um remove picnic tables at Sonowski property. See Martha's documents. Martha, you took a a visit down there in the fall. Um I know you made it aware that there's some some picnic tables in there in the vines and stuff. So I'd
like to kind of pull those out. Probably get a either the landscaper that manages that property or someone maybe one of us to get rid of the brush there and pull them out and see if they're in any good condition. And if they are, we can either restore them or put them out for people to use. But I definitely feel
like that's um something that should be dealt with and um and done to kind of clean up the property and allow people to have a place to go. Um, and >> what I learned what I learned about the that property
was that um, apparently the folks next door with the horses do mow the fields, but that they have and conservation uh, commission has in its budget money for another party and you may know who
it is Connor, I don't >> that does the um, invasive species control. Um, so that that that might be a budget thing. He Dennis was just talking about the budget. We we'd want to make sure
that conservation commission continues that that budget for whoever it is that's doing that. Um, and and maybe they can help with the picnic tables, too. I don't know. >> Yeah. Yeah. We'll have to kind of cross
that bridge when we get there. Um, I do know someone is mowing basically around kind of there's like a woods boundary there like up to the gate there's the public um garden all the grassy area someone does mow that and take care of that I I don't know as far as the invasive species goes but I don't
know if he's doing that too um he's a good friend of mine I can ask him but I don't believe he is I think he's just doing the mowing um and I can talk to him about maybe doing the invasive species if um if someone's already handling that and that needs to get done um
so then we have uh check overall all condition of the birdhouses. Uh Sophonowski, I know Martha, you had some concerns about those and um you had actually quite a bit of knowledge as far as those birdhouses go on and how to build them and what are required um for them and you said that those were not
compliant birdhouses at all um from what I remember. >> Right. Yeah, they're not. And and they're a danger to birds right now. Um, so I think we would need to find out uh if we could recycle the boxes, the wood
maybe at the town um I don't want to call it the town dump or transfer station. That's the word I want to use. Um if we maybe could have some help. I don't know. Maybe you guys have trucks, little pickup trucks, and we could, you know, do something like that. Um,
we probably should >> Is there any way we could like for lack of a better terms retrofit the uh ones that are there now and make them so they're complaining or is it they just completely scrap and >> No, they're they're falling apart. They're just, you know, in really bad shape and they're jam-packed. I, you
know, and I didn't measure them to see exact are they the correct dimensions for bluebirds. Um, so I my recommendation would be to just rem >> Is that what those houses are for is for bluebirds? >> Yes. Yeah, I'm I'm sure that they were
designed for bluebirds. Um, they weren't uh properly um cited either. And of course, they weren't monitored or maintained in any way, so that's why they got into the shape. There was also two large barred owl boxes, nest boxes
on trees out there near the main field and they are totally falling apart as well. So, uh, and you don't want to sight barred owl boxes that close. They should be at least a half a mile apart if you've got two boxes. >> But we might want to find out. You know
what I don't want to do is upset the scouts who maybe it was 10 years ago. I don't know how long ago it was, but there was, I think, a scout project that that put that together to let them know what we're doing and why. Um, would be
before we started tearing anything up, I think, out there. Uh, so as not to step on toes or hurt anyone's feelings. And if you wanted me to meet with them, I I would be happy to do that as a member of the North American Bluebird Society. Um,
so that's one thing. And the other thing is do we replace them? And that's where we need to have a conversation with um the the horse family. I don't know who they are. That sounds silly, horse family, but you know, the the family
that is doing the mowing of that field, haying, they're hanging the fields. Um because we would not want to put the bluebird boxes in the way of the mowers. Um, unless we could communicate with them and I could, if I was monitoring
those boxes, I could tell the farmer that was doing the haying, you know, please don't hay this week because, you know, the birds are getting close to fledge. If you mow now, you know, they will fledge prematurely and they will all die, you know. You know, so we we
going to have to coordinate if we do replace the boxes with whoever is hanging out there. Um, we don't want to site the boxes on the field margins for obvious reasons. You can see what happened already with that with the invasive species, but also there's a lot
of house rens out there and they uh like that thickety margin of the fields and they will u attack and u the bluebird eggs and and kill the eggs. They're very difficult to work with. They don't kill the bluebirds, they just, you know, go after the eggs. So, there are some
things like that that um you know, if we're thinking about replacing that, we we need to do some leg work to make sure that we coordinate with that farmer that's haying. And and again, I think if we know who the scout group or scout u
maybe it was an Eagle Scout that that did that, I' I'd want to talk with them and so as not to hurt feelings or, >> you know, get a bad taste the community's mouth. I know Andy Rearen on conservation is is very big into the I think it's the Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts.
It's one of the scouts. So maybe he could have had something to do with it and maybe he can help uh put together some new ones or something. >> And maybe right we could get some scout resources some new ones or something like that all the >> same picnic tables too. You know if we throw them or fix them we can let them
do it and you know we'll help rally the troops right >> um so to speak. So um and then what else do we have here? So we have uh odds and ends at Sonowski property. So you know trimming from the winter from fallen branches or whatever. Um there's a
freestanding fence on Wen Ridge and open on open space property. We discussed that already. Um possibly remove it depending on if it's on town property or not. Um what next bullet point is walk uh 59 rear Miller Road owned by the town of South Open Space Committee. So, we
actually own a piece of land in town that is under the open space uh committee on the GIS site and the address is 59 rear Miller Road. Uh I think at some point we should definitely walk it, get a feel for what kind of condition it is in, where it is located and just kind of, you know, familiarize
oursel with it and see kind of what needs to get done uh there. Make sure there's no barrels or anything. >> And that's a public property. That's not another private one, right? That's a public um >> uh yeah it's underneath open space commission or open space committee uh on
the GIS site. So I would assume that that is that is public property. Yes. Um and walk north pond property. Um um Norm has a bunch of uh like orange snow vents and stuff up there to kind of divert
people from going uh off the the trail uh too much cuz there's parts of it that are uh public and parts of it that are uh not people aren't allowed on. So we have to we we would have to um kind of take a um reference of kind of
what's there and fix anything that people may have broke or things that happen over winter. um clean the beaches and stuff, prep it for the 26 summer beach and boating season. Um and then the last bullet point um is to um
discuss uh kind of a game plan for the ongoing North Pond issue before the season starts. I'm not sure if that would be something that we would handle. I would have to verify that. Um, I do know North Pond is considered open space. I would imagine we would probably
deal with that. But, uh, as you guys know, there is a a pretty big issue there with fights and stuff and and what um, you know, people are allowed to do and not do. You know, I think I think it would be very wise for us to find out um, if that is on us and um, if it is
kind of what we can do to enforce things or write rules or whatever, kind of get ahead of it before people start kind of meandering that way. uh as the weather gets nicer. So, I think that'll be something we handle over winter here, maybe even early spring before people start.
>> Isn't there also a whole North Pond committee or association or something as well? >> Yeah, they they we probably talk to them too, see what they think um and kind of who manages it. Um you know, probably one of those things where all of us would probably do it and we'd probably have to have a few meetings with them.
But, um that's a little bit low on the list. not too much a priority, but will be probably pretty shortly here as as the season gets closer, >> right? >> Um so that's that's all done with that. Well, one thing to think about um when
we're looking at property management is priorities and you know if this open space plan um has to be done by December and if it's just us um hopefully we get
some members of other committees that's going to take a lot of our time and um you know I know you guys are are you're working full-time. I'm retired, but I do have a lot of weekends. I am leading bird walks at Stanley Park and other
places. So, a lot of my Saturdays in the spring are already tied up. Um, so I'm I'm just pointing out that we might want to think, you know, before we start jumping in, think and plan, you know, what are our priorities? Are there some properties or some things that we can
knock out quickly, you know, and um that won't take a lot of time or maybe there's um one property that's um we really want to focus on. Maybe it's North Pond, you know, we really want to put most of our energy into that this year while we're also creating this
plan. But I I think it's important to to think about um what the priorities will be because otherwise we're going to be spinning all these plates and and it's it could be overwhelming >> for all of us. We all might want to quit.
>> I think it' probably be seasonal where like we would probably deal with the bird boxes and the um picnic tables, you know, right after winter into early spring when everything's kind of still dead. we can pull things out before the vegetation grows up. And then probably midspring to late spring, right before
boating season, we would start to probably put that to the side and deal with uh the north pond stuff. Just for example, you know, kind of maybe do it per season kind of thing and just try to always stay one step ahead of whatever the the new the new up andcoming thing would be. It just seems to be and
probably over the winter kind of discuss what our game plan would be as far as that goes. you know, probably dates and stuff like that. I, you know, like I say, try to stay ahead of things. >> Just thinking in terms of time, amount of volunteer hours per week that that
you, you know, personally can put in. That's another way to look at it as well. Um, right? >> You know, do I put my 10 hours into walking a property and, you know, taking pictures and looking and coming up with some management ideas? you know, maybe
that's 10 hours for this week. Or do I put that into I'm working on the survey. I'm writing emails to different board members to to get their assistance and helping. Um, I think we're going to have
to think about that. Maybe have some of us take the lead in certain things. Yeah, because otherwise I I think we are going to get overwhelmed. I don't know how much time you you guys have uh or were planning to spend volunteer hours
each week, but um yeah, it's something to think about. >> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Okay. And then uh discuss filing for RDA for conservation north pond project. We already touched on that earlier, so that's that's done. Unless you guys have
any questions about that. No, >> I think we kind of will know more about that tomorrow. That'll be kind of a next agenda thing. And then um discuss and review 2025 rising corner monitoring letter provided by Kestrel Land Trust. Uh this was provided to me by Sabrina
Per. Um it was dated December 10th. Obviously it's been a while since we've had a meeting. So this came out after our last meeting. Um basically this is just them. Um for some reason this is I believe this is an open space. Um is it open space land or is it conservation
land? Um it's conservation restricted land. Um for some reason they they pay these this company to um manage it and I guess every year they just walk it, see if there's any changes. If not, they just kind of come up with a standard
letter um which is this. And um yeah, just want to make you guys aware of it. Nothing really new going on there, but it's just something to keep on our radar as the as time goes on here. Um, you know, probably >> do we have an address for that? I'm so
if you know if we wanted to go out and look at the property, do you know where that is? >> I don't think it's an exact address. It's just comes up as rising corner conservation restriction held by Kestre Land Trust. Um, I can maybe get
>> Where is that in Southwick? >> Yeah. Where where is that in Southwick is what I mean. >> Is that off a Vining Hill? It >> I thought it was by Soonowski. >> No. Um,
it goes into I think South Longard. >> Oh, it's Yeah, it's right by the Connecticut line, right? >> Yep. >> Yeah, it's on the Connecticut line. >> Is there a like a map or some Maybe it's in in our current 2019 open space and recreation plan. Maybe there's a map
there that would show. Yeah, it's off it's off of South Long Yard. Um and then it dips down to Connecticut and then it's off of Berry Berry Corner Street. Southwest street is off of that. So it's like the it's like the bottom bottom
part of the town almost in into Connecticut. >> So if I Google it, I I'll find it just right rising corner conservation way. >> I I don't I don't know. I mean, I just know where just a rising corner is. Um,
>> yeah. So, I'm assuming that that that this Kestrel land trust has the conservation restriction on it so that if we did decide we wanted to put in a trail or, you know, whatever. >> There is a Rising Corner Road feeds into South Longyard Road. Yeah.
>> Um, just across the line from Connecticut >> and uh Yeah. And there is a uh you can find it if you are on Rising Corner Road. If you are on South Longard and turn on Rising Corner Road, there is a parking space there. There is a uh you know a a brown kind of park sign where
you have posted notices and a map and things like that on it. There's like two parking spots. I >> It's under underneath Google Maps. It's New England National Scenic Trail parking that you're looking at too. Yeah. >> And and right if you go by there, there's it is marked. You mean you have
to kind of be looking if you'll shoot right past it, but uh it it's marked parking area and like I said, there's a a bulletin board kind of a thing underneath a little bit of an awning that has notices on it. >> Yep. So, I can verify that, Sabrina, but that's it.
>> The C the Kestrel Land Trust uh maintains that that kiosk or bulletin board then >> uh they manage the um conservation restriction on it is what I was told. Um, >> I don't know why.
>> I I don't know. >> Yeah, I I Yeah, I'm I'm not sure. I'm not sure why it's under restriction and the other one's not. I think Sabrina had mentioned that it was donated to town by by someone and that um part of that donation was that it had to be underneath a restriction either by the
state or the owner. I'm not too sure about that. Um I'll have to go back on my emails and and look at that. I'm pretty sure she said it. So, um I can let you guys know. >> Okay. >> I was just curious, you know, wondering if I've not seen that that um land come
up like in the on the master plan or some of the other things on as an action item. Goose Pond did, but not not this one. So, that's why I was just just curious. >> Yeah. >> Another another thing to do. >> And then uh under old business, further
discuss and review questions for conservation mission. Um, I know they're having their meeting Monday, which gives us >> I I think my list of questions have kind of gone obsolete with all of these discussions we've had about whether we are or aren't doing the recation plan and so on. So, Oh, yeah. I I
>> maybe that's become a dead item now. >> Yeah. Um, I don't think I >> I sent you I sent you guys what what my my thoughts were u on that already. I'm trying to find it in all my piles of paper here.
Um, I've got it here. >> Yeah, I found it. Um, discussed the role of of us in the town's open space plan, which I think we did today. And, um, >> Right. >> And then, um, or when Dennis and and
Chris were here. And then my other thing was discuss other major tasks of our committee, the open space management and planning committee. and um you know looking at what is our main purpose and
I thought it was to assist conservation commission in managing and maintaining the town's open space properties and sort of um being the action arm doing some of the things like you were just listing for us Connor um tasks on
the ground of of cleaning picnic tables removing old bird boxes you know >> taking care of poison ivy that sort of thing. Um, so >> I think my I think my biggest question kind of piggybacking off of what you just stated would be like kind of what
authority we have especially like when it comes to North Pond. Like are we are we the you know the one authority for what what you know we say what goes and doesn't go over there. Are we checking with conservation on that? Do we have no authority? You know, I I think and and not just North Pond, but it kind of be
any really open space property. If you know, if we can make up, you know, we're not going to allow mountain bikers or or whatnot or horses on this property, but on that property, I think, you know, knowing kind of what kind of authority we have would be important to in in enforcement.
>> Yeah. One thing that I listed here, uh what I I would like to ask the conservation commission if they would like us to do this is to create management goals or plans for each property. uh and have these available in one place, preferably online, so that all of
us know what is going on with each property. Right now, there's files here and files there, and some are in Sabrina's office, some are in the, you know, the land use room, whatever that's called. Um, some some stuff is just in people's heads.
Hope Dennis Clark stays healthy and good because he's got a lot of good stuff in his head. Um, so, you know, I think it would be great. I don't think conservation commission has the time to do that but that's another another task where asking them to prioritize for us
you know what I'm kind of guessing and this is just a guess and this is when you guys go to that meeting on Monday that I can't go to you know to ask what is our top priority I would say I would insinuate that it is that plan that recreation plan that we should be
devoting most of our energies and time to make sure that we have a rough draft by December. Uh and then from there, you know, what would the next ones be? And I would say to them that the master plan items I would put as very low priority
because Diane Gail was saying these are these are not mandates in the master plan. These are things to think about. These are things we're still working on. So, I would put that, you know, and I would put the action items and stuff that are in the current open space and
recreation plan as a higher priority and whatever else the conservation commission thinks is important, like perhaps writing these management plans for each property so that we all know what's going on and and the public can comment on that and say, "No, we need
horse trails over here," or, "No, we need a mountain bike trail." If we were doing that for each property, I think we would get a lot of public interest. They would want to come to our meetings and they would want to weigh in on this management plan that would then guide us and and whoever. We're an ad hoc
committee so they could dissolve us tomorrow, but it would guide whoever comes after us in terms of, you know, how to manage the properties. It would be a good starting point, one that we don't have right now that we're just, you know, trying to put together the
best we can. >> Right. I'm not sure if we're an ad hoc committee. We we Sabrina and I had discussed that. Um I think that's probably going to get covered in Monday's meeting is if we're subsidary to conservation or an ad hoc committee. Um I think that's still up in the air,
but we'll get an answer soon on that. But um yeah, other than that, I think I think that's a good idea. Obviously, this list that we have will change. Um, I invite you guys to add on to it or take off from it what you guys want as time goes on, but I think uh I think we got a pretty good piece as far as things
to do. We just got to start prioritizing and and stuff like that. So, um, yeah, and, um, as like as we said with the questions kind of >> asking them, you they keep throwing it back at us, but I think we need to ask them, we're we're the working arm for
you to help you out in the ground out there while, you know, they're doing so many of these public hearings and all that, you know, what do you see as the top priority? Um, they kind of said everything was a priority before. Remember when we first asked them these
questions? But I think um you know having them weigh in on you know uh what properties are the most important for us to help them with this year you know and and how much time they expect us to put
into this open space and recreation plan. And if we get into trouble um because we're not getting good cooperation you know I'm going to be hopeful and say everybody's going to want to help us. you know, when they say so and so from the planning board come over and help that somebody will, you
know, but basically it's it's in our laps and we're newbies. So, if we get into trouble, I'm hoping that they will help us. And I I would ask them that, you know, are you going to help us if we, you know, we feel like we're drowning halfway through the year and
we're not getting cooperation, >> right? Yep. Fair enough. >> Aren't you glad I'm not going to be there? a big mouth. >> Um so then we're going to um other matters just a placeholder for any items
u not reasonably expected by the chair or prior to the meeting. Um any does anybody have anything like to talk about or discuss? Anyone online? >> I don't. No. Okay. I think that's pretty much it. So uh 8:00 or end the button
we're going to end the meeting. Um I I Conor Flurry. Um, what's the word I'm looking for? >> Make a motion. >> Make a motion. There you go. Make a motion to close the meeting. >> I second the motion. Second motion. >> Meeting closed.
>> Okay. I think we're supposed to do a roll call vote. I'm just going off of >> uh if particularly when it's a Zoom meeting, they they want to hear, you know, everybody say I. >> Okay. >> Bill Price. I >> Conor Flurry. I >> Martha Kane. I
>> All righty. Meeting closed. >> Hi. All right, guys. Have a good night. See you guys next week. Good night. >> Bye.