Okay, this is the Southwick Open Space Management and Planning Committee on Tuesday, February 10th, 20126. Connor Flurry here, >> Bill Price here, >> Martha Kane here, >> and we are here with >> Diane Gil
>> and Travis Clark. >> Um, first uh item on the agenda is uh public comments. Diane, you said you wanted some time for that. >> I am here uh Diane Gale Five Point Grove
Road. I am here as a member of Friends and South Dog Park. We are a 501c3 nonprofit and I'm just here to inform you of what our plans are. We have been able to acquire 32 acres of wetlands,
woodlands, and flatlands that will become the future home of the South Dog Park. and northern access for the rail trail. We want to put in uh one side with rail
trail parking and a pathway to the rail trail and the other side will be the dog park. Um and we have some unique features planned for that. Large dog, small dog. Um, we want to have a senior
area separate for senior dogs or senior people who might be a little intimidated by all the ruckus with other dogs. >> And then uniquely a kinder pup or first timers area where they can get acclimated. You can check your dog's
temperament, see how they're going to deal with this. Um and then maybe even have somebody come in and want to do some training sessions if we keep that section apart. So, we've got some some pretty good plans. Um this is going to be located uh off of Hudson Drive. Um
and we plan to fund this fully with um third party grants, private donors, um private contributions of labor and materials. And once we complete it, we intend to turn this entire thing over to the town
>> once it's completed. And we want to complete it first because it will be faster, but more importantly, it'll be at least a third cheaper than if it were a government project. And we don't want to use federal or state grants either
for the same reasons. we can do it >> faster with being able to take contributions and lower donated rates and materials and stuff. >> So, I just wanted to give you all a heads up. This is going to be a two two
and a half year project um easily and um just giving you a heads up that this would become if the town accepts the gift, this would fall under your land management >> duties. Uh we're going to we will be planting some things. They're
going to leave it as natural as possible. We will be introducing some plantings, but they will be native plants of course and we will be looking specifically for flee and tick repellent plants and ground materials. Um we
aren't going to have any hard surfaces. So everything permeates back into the ground. Um and that's it. This wouldn't be under park and wreck. >> Um, it'd still be un I believe it would still be under land management.
>> Yeah. Seems like park and >> um, is there any ability to use CPC funds for that? I don't want to because it will fall under the same restrictions and guidelines of federal funding those
federal funding guidelines where I'd have to do prevailing wage and all and do the bid process where I already have connections and commitments from people >> even if you do it before the project before it's turned over to the town.
Wall-E Park was done with CPC money and that was turned over the town later. >> Controversy to every single CPC project. >> There is. Yes. >> Um some people don't like dogs and won't be happy with that. >> This is one of the m one of the uh in
the survey that was taken the last open space plan that was one of the priorities was a dog park. >> Was it really? Yeah. >> It is in the master plan as well. I mean, this project fits at least 22 of the master plan goals. >> Yeah. >> In different aspects of
>> that sounds like something that >> we've been pushing for for a long time. >> We can we can talk later about the CPC, but we are trying to do it without that. We wanted to fully >> said they should go to Connecticut if they wanted a dog park. So, that was >> and we have a lot of feedback from
people in Connecticut who would love a dog park. >> I bet they would. Yeah, >> they would because they come to Southwood for the bike trail. They come for the lakes and they would love to also be able to take them to the dog park. >> Yeah. I think the only other one is in Westfield on Service Star Way.
>> Yes. And a lot of those people don't like that one and they want that we've talked to some people there too. We we went to these other dog. >> If I was a week earlier, I would have I was talking to my friends about this. I said, you know, I said I'm on this open space plan. I said I we should really talk about dog park and then you bring
this up in >> Well, we are going to be doing a member drive soon. So, um we >> I'm pretty familiar with this property. So, because that's same West is my neck of the woods. So, where on Sam West is it there's the there's the last house on
the end. I'm trying to figure out where this kind of orient this way. >> Yeah, >> this is this is where Sam West ends right now. This is where Hudson ends right now. This is all the riverfront. So this is all unbuildable area. >> Okay.
>> So I said this is 32.8 acres and about 25 of it is unbuildable. >> We can't all of this is riverfront area. You can't build here and then there's a 100 foot bumper there. So this is the dog park area >> and this is going to be the um rail trail parking. So this is where it ends
right here on >> there's a new road going on. >> That's what this shadow line is. That's roughly where the new road is supposed to go that you guys have already seen on conservation. >> So there's a there's the new solar field. So where is that located? >> That's over here. >> That's over here. >> Yep. >> So this is the end.
>> It's right over here. >> This is the end of Sam West. >> Right here. >> Right here. >> So this is that little turn around at the end. >> Yeah. >> And that's going to be down this way. So that's going to be in like that. If you go there's like a gate right here. You go through that gate. It's going to be on the left >> there. The new the new town road plan.
>> Yeah. is actually going to their plan is they're going to come this way, right? And we're going to build this kind of coinciding with the town work. If if they plan to start this in two years, we'll probably be right in sync with it. So, we can flex >> what whatever our final design is
>> to accommodate where that if that road plan changes, so can we. >> Mhm. >> Um they're going to be doing the storm water here. So, we think that that's going to qualify as our storm water as well. >> Mhm. Um, so timing is good on this. >> So they plan to swing that road not
here. They're going to leave that and they were planning to swing it here. >> Um, and then just leave it, you know, when they build this a bike lane right up to the bike trail. >> It was my understanding that they're going to turn all the rest of that land over here into like industrial park. Is that >> correct? And till kind of thinks they
have a buyer for that >> for the whole thing. >> For the rest. Yeah. >> Oh, really? >> Yep. >> So any endeavor like this, of course, is going to need maintenance in the future. So would this board be responsible? >> Well, that's why that's why I'm giving them a heads up money to
>> maintenance is going to be as minimal minimal. We aren't putting anything in there that's going to be there's no paving. There's no plowing. >> Always maintenance involved. >> There's no buildings. There may be shade structures. Um there will be trash and that's just in the regular trash.
They'll just add this stop in the regular trash pickup. >> Somebody's got to be responsible for taking care of all that stuff. >> It's trash. That's that's the main >> Yeah. Like all the places that we have now that have trash. Somebody has to be responsible every year, we have to juggle it around to a different department.
>> So, you know, that kind of stuff would be nice to have that taken care of ahead of time so we know you just don't dump it on the open space committee to >> this is how you presented this to yesterday. to totally >> as low maintenance as absolutely possible and we're putting in a solar
element that will generate more energy than we will ever use. Um and all of that extra energy is going to go towards the town electric bill. >> You're going to have to file a notice of intent for that. Yes, >> so it's going to cost money for that.
>> We're going to raise it. >> Good. I think it's a great >> He's a dog person. You can tell >> and being on the sand west. I mean, I there's if I got an extra machine sit in my yard, I could drive it down. I could put on my trailer and bring it down the road and I don't see why I couldn't, you
know, help donate to the cause. I have dogs myself. I think it'd be awesome to get involved with. Um, >> we'll be doing a member drive soon. We will be doing a a fundraiser launch um in May. >> Yeah. Is that awesome? >> What about trails? Um, are you thinking
about trails? We're going to leave all of that, all of the wooded and wetland area, all along the brook there. Um, that's slab brook, I think. Um, all along that is going to be open to the public to traverse all you want >> there. There are animal trails in there already. We want to we want to be able
to have somebody come in and identify those. And we want to put markers up. We've seen the bears go through here. We've seen the deer go through there. You know, that kind of thing. Well, you know, um, being a dog park, I'm I'm a bird person and there are a lot of neotropical song birds that nest on the
ground that are in and they are they're not endangered species, but they, you know, some of them are special concern. Um, you know, some of the >> we would love to identify those. >> You know, the liberals, the black and white warblers, um, theies and some of the other, you know, that spend their
winters in the tropics and then just come up here to breed. Um, you know, but this is just my opinion. You know, we we need a dog park somewhere. And, you know, if the dogs do disturb the um the
breeding grounds of some things, I think we're way away from all of their >> like the repair for the rivers, the breeding grounds for the birds. >> Well, yes. You know, but also there are some like oven birds and stuff that would be more upland. So, where we are,
Tilcon has already stripped all of this. They've been mining in there for, I don't know, 15, 20 years. >> I was going to say they mining. Are they done mining it? >> They're closing up. >> Yeah. >> Um, and again, timing was everything. So, we talked to the president there. She was like thrilled with this plan.
Um, thought it was a terrific use of all of that. Wow. >> Some kind of restoration plan when they close the mining up. >> I don't think if we take it over, they need to do that cuz we're going to when they close the rest of it. Yes. Um, but for this piece, I don't think they need to because we're going to we're going to
fill it. We're going to take the mountain that's there and and fill it in and then bring in some other good soil to start working on. >> Yeah, dogs need a place where they can. >> But what I was going to say was Tilcon is already pretty much strict that except for where they can't go in those
wooded areas and we're leaving all that. We're not going near there. We're leaving >> all of that. >> Yeah. Yeah. I was just thinking, you know, in terms of one thing that that people with dogs, I don't have dogs myself, but watching them when I'm on
the Graanby Land Trust properties, etc., you know, dogs need exercise. And I understand why people take dogs off leash and in a dog park, that's what you do. So, if dogs go running there, I guess I'm just saying as as a biologist, I'm
thinking, you know, people need a place for their dogs to run. And um I think we need to accept the fact that that we probably will lose some of our ground nesters there. >> Could be fenced in, right? >> Oh, definitely. Yes. >> Could be fenced in.
>> Looks like >> Well, you mean the the dog park is fenced in and then there's a natural area that isn't fenced in. >> Yes. Okay. >> Absolutely. >> Oh, absolutely. >> I didn't know that. I was >> I have been to dog parks in New Hampshire where it's like a farm and the
dogs get to everywhere. Oh, so that's not like this. >> Oh, no. Okay. >> Oh, no. >> Different. >> No, each each of the four sections we're planning, four or five sections we're planning is going to be a separate fenced large fenced area >> and then the other area for >> Yeah. And there's going to be a buff
between that and all the wooded areas. >> So, the total project is 32 acres and the it looks like usable acreage is 10 >> about 10. >> So, is that the fence in area? >> Yeah, that's this is the total 32. >> Yeah. This is this in th in set here. So this side of the road would be the dog park.
>> Yeah. >> Be the rail trail. >> The rail trail. >> So people aren't crossing the street to get to one or the other. You're coming here for the rail trail. You're going to stay on this side of the road. You're here for the dog park. They're on you're coming in on this side of the road. >> So people could also walk with their dogs down the rail trail and then stop
at the dog park. You know they >> we butt right here on the rail trail. So they can they'll be able to walk. This isn't going to be private property be public property. They can come in here >> because there's a kiosk that's like right here, right? >> Yeah. And I talked to the friends of the rail trail. They kind of abandoned that
one, but they'll revive it now. Yeah. With this project. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> And and you know, point to the dog park. >> Where is the rail trail? Uh could you point that out? >> Right here. >> It's that piece. >> So the end of San Road right here. >> So the other piece that's the natural
piece. Do you ever imagine that there would be trails for people, you know, to come off the real trail and >> I think they'll find the natural animal trails. >> Yeah. people just use it. >> Yeah, there's a lot of fill back there. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Um,
so how would the rest of this tie into the industrial part because it looks like this takes up a good part of this road connecting Hudson what's in the sand west. So would the industrial part >> I mean not that it really matters but would there be a road coming off of here for the rest of >> I would imagine whoever's going to buy the rest of that land is going to extend. Okay.
>> Yeah. So they would extend from here I would imagine there into a culdeac or something. >> Yeah. Yeah. So this is the >> how close would that solar field like would it be almost touching that solar field or is it is that way up here? >> Nope. The solar field is what if we extended this road? The solar field is
way over here. >> If it takes up it goes this way. >> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. >> So I just wanted to give you all a heads up and you know just let you know what was in the plans there and your thoughts on on all of the habitat that's there
and the wildlife. Definitely >> walk in at some point. I saw the presentation the select YouTube thing and I was very interested and it was very that one's for you. I'm sorry. Commissioner Lew is the chair. I
remember >> Did I spell that right? That's the last name. M G >> M I Z L U. >> Yeah. I just wanted to make sure I'm I'm having a little trouble with my eyes.
So, it was secretary's got to make sure things are spelled right. You know, >> any other public comments? No. >> Is he is >> Matt was on the uh open space committee and uh he's currently on the conservation commission. He's been what
20 years >> approximately? >> Yes. >> I think he's muted. Yeah. Okay. here on H&M. >> We can't hear you. I think we got volume your volume shut off. >> It's volume. I wonder if you can hear us.
>> I think it's Well, TV volume's on. >> Still not hearing. >> Technical difficulties here. Definitely got audio. Yeah, I think he's uh >> his questions or comments if we can we can we tell if he's muted from here? I
mean, is there a >> Yeah, there be I think there's a mute shows up on there when they're muted. >> It should, but I don't >> Yeah, it is mute up there. So, can you can you unmute him or not? >> Probably not. Ask to unmute. >> Ask unmute. Okay, he's got to unmute
himself. According to this, >> you click that act to unmute. That'll ask him, right? >> 67 Hudson Drive. >> Look, I ask to unmute. See if that >> Oh, it's He can hear us obviously.
>> Yeah, he'll have to use the chat. >> Just don't work. >> Yeah, >> crazy Zoom. >> Sorry about that. Are you all set? >> I didn't I didn't think so. >> Technical difficulty. >> He's all set.
>> Okay. Next item on the agenda is to approve meeting minutes from last meeting. We did it over email. So I'm all I approve those meeting or um icon or flurry. Um approve the meeting minutes from I can't remember that last meeting was >> the 27th
>> 27 January 27th. >> I mean >> you make a motion. Make a motion. >> Roll call vote. >> Roll call vote. Conor Flurry. I >> Phil Price. I >> Martha Kane. I >> All right. Meeting minutes are approved. >> Um I do need people to sign. Do you want
to wait till the end of the meeting? >> Just FYI, you don't need to sign the minutes. >> You told me that. Okay. Yeah. >> But I think we still want to. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> They like making you work. um review and discuss conccom meeting
from 2226. Phil, I know you said you were going to be there for that. Was there anything I I got caught up with Sabrina on that for the most part, but I mean is there >> Oh, I mean and simultaneously there was a select board meeting that came to a a slightly different conclusion. >> So, um
you leaving the conservation commission, the idea was that we would continue on we would start work on the OSRP or can continue to work towards it and whatnot. um thinking that probably we were going to be the only ones available and and going to go forward
with it as it was. Um however at select board at the same time they decided to what slightly rename this committee and then institute another committee with these an ad hoc committee. Number one, they decided to make this committee
permanent. Um slightly different name change which I don't recall off the top of my head. >> Yeah, we'll cover that. And then the make a new ad hoc committee to take up the OSRP exclusively >> which you would be part of. You would be
>> contribute to and right >> that was all approved voted on. >> Okay. >> And did what did concom thing that did because I know Norm was CCD on that as well. I mean what was >> did you get the uh draft that Sabrina sent to the select board? >> I did. Yes. Yeah. >> So, I know they were still working on
conservation because the select board told you guys to come to conservation to find out what you needed to do. >> Mhm. >> And that's what they did. And then they changed their mind and decided they would tell you what to do. >> We did not. We never said they were going to be working for us. We can't
>> You said they were going to be working for conservation and conservation should tell them what to do. So, that's what we did. But then you changed your mind. Changed the name of the committee. change to everything >> avoid confusion. >> Well, you made it more confusing than >> this is their meeting. We should not
discuss this like this here. This is their meeting. >> I'm here just to tell them that I'm here to help. Whatever you guys decide you want to do, whichever direction you want to go in, you let us know and we'll help you with it. I don't want to make it any more difficult than we have a good group
of people here. We're very fortunate to have volunteers like this. It's hard to come by. We certainly >> You're going to find out how hard it is to come by. >> We certainly are. So, we're very grateful and whatever we can do to help you guys out. Whatever direction you want to go in, whatever you decide, let
us know and we'll be there to help you. >> Mhm. >> You know, make it as easy as possible through this complicated, confusing mess. >> Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. >> Do we have an idea of when this new committee will get formed and have its first gather? >> Yes. All we did. Which one? The ad hoc.
>> The new ad hoc committee. Well, we asked the conservation commission and you for your recommendations on other boards or committees that should be involved. >> Um, I gave you what it was in the email.
I gave you what it was in the past. Is there anyone else you think is integral >> that we should have think about incorporating into >> um yeah I think concom hasn't had a meeting since so you guys will need to discuss it then right with Norm and
everyone else cuz this was after the is our first meeting since then >> probably not going to happen for a while. I mean, these things take forever. You know, it look how long it took to die and they get the this open space committee together. >> Right. Right.
>> You know, got to real force other people to form a committee. >> Well, it would be other boards and commissions that were involved in the past, but as strong contributors as well. >> So, how do we imagine this going
forward? um for this new committee. Um I guess you and Kong are going to um select some different people from different boards and committees that fit >> this selectively I think
>> and then contribute >> and then somebody will have to chair that committee right that will be and and it will be separate meetings from >> correct >> what we do here. Okay. So, I guess we just wait then until
we find out this new committee. I mean, you said that we're going to be part of it somehow. Are all three of us going to be on it or one? >> There are in the past committees there were also um resident members.
>> Yes. So >> technically one of you could be the OS the the open space land management right >> and then two residents. >> We have two resident members Craig Samuelson there's John Staniki who John
has passed away since then >> but um >> but I mean you can open it up to >> Craig would be I'm sure Cre would be happy to get back on. I'm sure but it doesn't make any sense. It really doesn't. We want to have two separate committees. I mean, in the meantime, maybe these guys could figure out, you
know, what steps need to be taken so that when you finally do get your um open space, whatever you want to call that, committee together, that they'll have a direction to go in cuz they've already started on it. They already they already have >> foot in the door and it would be a shame to stop at this point.
>> They can be the chair and vice chair. >> Now I'm really confused. was the open report committee. >> He's already chair of the open space committee. >> Who's the vice chair? >> Phil. >> Phil, you're the vice chair. >> There's only three of us. Give it a
>> shot. Congratulations. >> Um, >> well, like I say, we're conservation, especially me, you know, because I my heart's been in open space since I got into town. That's one of the reasons I got on the commission and worked on both of the previous open space plans pretty
much single-handedly. Um, there was a selectman on on the board which uh he might have showed up to a meeting or two. Bob Paratchek, I think he showed up for one meeting. We did have some help from planning uh from
Dave Spina. He'd be another one that he's already got himself spread pretty thin already, but he might be willing to help you guys out. You know, he got people out there that could help out >> while they're trying to put something else together. >> Ma sent you a couple chats there.
>> Not sure. Uh I just caught the last one before. >> The next day, we got the email from Norm. Here is what it said. I was voted unanimously to rename the current open space planning and management committee to open space land. Yeah, that's covered. We have I have the email
printed out here of that email. Um it's a pretty lengthy email from >> So how are they going to make it affirmative committee? How is that >> which this one? >> Yeah, >> we already did. >> How do you do that? Town meeting. >> No, we voted to do it. >> And what happens is they voted not to
make it a permanent committee like you know that doesn't that doesn't hold water. It doesn't need a town meeting vote to make it a permanent committee. It's volunteer. It's not a letter, >> right? But it still could be dissolved just like >> let's not worry about that here.
>> Let's let's let go of old animosity status. Let's let go of all >> you know what it is. You come up with all these ideas but nothing behind them any substantial you know it's not semantics. It's actually what we need to have for a groundwork and a base for people to run their lives and their
>> Absolutely. And I I think it's becoming more complicated than it should be. >> Absolutely. I we can we agree on that. >> Change the subject. Um I was I was talking to uh Sabrina about like making committee permanent and she was under
the impression it had to go to like the state for approval. It wasn't like a select board thing. Is that just >> it's not a it is not a statutory committee. We can make a subcommittee. >> Okay. I wasn't just trying to make this. >> So, I agree with that. We are here to
help them get up and running. We're only here to get you guys up and running. Whatever you decide you want to do, we have to help you out. But the other little things like, you know, the land management stuff, you know, that comes up one thing at a time. That's not something that's going to
>> keep you real busy right now. >> Right. Right. >> Too much snow on the ground for a lot of >> Yeah. >> activity. Right. >> Well, we have a lot of plans. Conor's got a nice long list for >> Does he? Yeah. >> Need some help with priorities. >> Bring those to the conservation and get those. >> I think the biggest question is this
this under committee again, you know, how much we will be involved with that. So that will help us plan our priorities for this year. So we can understand, you know, well, you know, we've got our regular new a month
>> where we're talking about North Pond and Sophanowski and some of these other properties and we've got these these these items um that we hope to get done this year, but we're going to need to leave time too to help with
the ad hoc committee. Um, so it would help to know a little bit more how you envision the three of us, you know, interfacing with this new committee. Um, you said something about, well, maybe one of us could be the chair and one could be the vice chair. Would that
happen and then others would be asked to join this and they'd be told, okay, this person is the chair and this person's the vice chair and you're just a consultant. I don't know a lot about town government, as you could tell. So I'm trying to imagine what this committee looks like.
>> So these other departments um and some of them will be departments. What we have DPW on there. >> Yeah. So there was the committee members on the previous um open space station recreation plan committee was conservation commission select board planning planning board park and restoration and two residents. Mhm.
>> Um the select board recommends adding uh open space land management committee as a member and or two of its members could be the town residents contributing support parties where town planner conservation coordinator assessor DPW director assistant DPW director STGRSD
representative and office support. >> Yeah. >> Um so it's it was quite involved. >> So all of those are support parties who would be involved in it. you you would determine we need >> data on I don't know traffic so you'd go
to DPW give me the traffic reports on that you might need you know more what they needed >> um so though >> you don't have to do all the work you're going to call on all of these other people whose areas this is >> right but there is a difference between
calling on people and you know and then having them actually come to a committee meeting and you certainly can invite them to come to the meetings to see what it is you're looking for >> okay and >> I think I had kind of put that idea out there before was that we can have like sort of remote for lack of better terms
them working on it and if we need them to come in where we discuss it maybe once a month or twice a month we can put it on the agenda maybe just the only agenda item and all of us can meet go over it and then work remotely that seems to be >> different kind of committee than one
where you gather a committee together and they work amongst themselves to figure out the workflow and um the priorities and what step one step two in in a a democratic committee process. >> So that's a different kind of core
committee and then you have all these other support groups. So that core committee that we talked about would be coming to these meetings and you know if they >> that's this top thing let me make sure that I'm understanding that's the core
>> and then these would be invited >> correct >> gotcha >> or or you know go you go have a meeting with them and ask them can they produce this kind of report for you do they have maps for this can they get the maps for this >> I saw saw something on the agenda that
really intrigued me was using AI. >> He takes all the credit for that. I came up with that. >> I mean, everybody's using it now. That could eliminate that. >> I ran that by Sabrina. I ran that by Sabrina cuz we had talked about it after last meeting and we're like, you know, is there is there legal problems with
that because it's so new. And I talked to Sabrina and she's like, as far as I know, as long as you policy developed, um, in the meantime, you just have to be careful what like if you go to the assessor and they generate a report and you're going to use AI to
do that, the first thing is privacy. You have to be careful about what personal information, private resident information you might be asking it because once you ask AI, it's out there. >> And then you have to qualify the
response you get. You have to test the response and make sure it's reliable. >> All the questions asked in the open space plan are public knowledge and is general demographics that >> in that the open space plan is a a public document there. There was nothing private in there with that as a starting
point. I >> I think that's a great idea. I mean that's that does make this so much >> easier simpler screen. >> I don't know what I only printed out three copies. >> So this was kind of an experiment. >> I was talking to Rob Le from
>> Yeah. >> And he said that he's going to be laying off a bunch of people and he's going to be going out of business himself because AI is just he does everything as AI now. Rob associates. >> They're a civil engineer >> contractor out of Westfield
so fast that I can't keep up with it right there. >> And the other thing you have to do with AI too is all of the commonly used publicly available AI chatbot things are they want to please. So if you ask them questions, they give you answers. They tell you you're doing such a fantastic
job. All these kinds of things. and to the point that they will with what's referred to technically as the hallucinate. AI will hallucinate and give you bad information because they think it's making you happy. So, you have to double check all this stuff. You have to make sure that the the data is
good, etc. So, I just passed out two copies. Um, here's >> not that I have this memorized. I picked section four out of the current OSRP um just because it was kind of a
standalone one. didn't have too much um you know didn't have a lot of the maps. It didn't have the census data and it just seemed like an easy enough one to start with. So with a little bit of back and forth, this is what it came up with. Now um those of you who are more
familiar with the current OSRP number one, I fed in the 2012 and the 2019. I said, "Go familiarize yourself with Massachusetts open space planning, etc., etc. Here are the last two of those reports. Please familiarize
yourself with those. And then I need your help. Would you please help me start with chapter section 4 of a new plan for the 926. Um, and after a couple iterations back and forth, this is what it spit out. Now, you'll notice that
that one is a substantially shorter section than the chapter 4 in the current OSRP. And so and one of the very first sections in the Kronos RP is it has a section detailing soil types and there's these many word long soil types and
descriptions and all that and so I said >> so this is what I said to it that is a copy of my chat and interaction with it. So that top question is mine and then it says it thinks that
>> as bold as your question. >> No, very up the very top. >> This one here >> all the way up to the top all the way at the top where it says me. >> That's my question. And then this is all that starts spitting out in the back and forth. >> I got to learn how to use this.
>> So now it says, you know, a modern OSRP, they no longer look for this type of detailed information. So on and so forth. I don't know if that's true. that's something we would have to go find out or research. >> And then it said, you know, its recommendation was that you make an appendix and you put this kind of
information in an appendix. So you'll see at the end of the first document that I passed out, there is an appendex A that then has the more detailed information on soil types and discussions and all those kinds of things. You know, where what it's basing that on, where that's coming from, where it's
determination that a modern OSRP no longer has that kind of detailed thing and that's not what they're looking for. That would certainly be something that we would have to verify >> quickly. >> The workbook has that, you know, it tells you exactly what it wants >> in the workbook,
>> right? And so then >> there's a new section that wasn't in the 2012 and the 2019 that they require right >> now. It's well, it's different than the one that was >> and so there is the climate change and impacts and there's a piece of that in the
>> AI generated version of it. But again, I'm going to say it's a little bit light and and right. Yeah, there is references and placeholders in that document for all the required maps and so on. >> I I think that guy needs a lot more flesh on him. You know, I think you're going have to do the back and forth
several more times to get as much data as you want. >> When you send your draft in for review, they got to have something to comment on. So, no matter what you put in there, it's going to come back. >> No matter what, you can ask them right like a home inspection. It it doesn't say that it's not needed.
It says it is not unneeded. >> Yes. Which is an interesting wording also, >> right? So yes, it is, but it doesn't all it doesn't have to be all here. It can be a discussion with data >> and well and that's when and at the end it made its recommendation to see this appendex.
>> However, the soil types are billions of years old, so they don't change much. So it can't really need that much updating. >> Right. And that's exactly what we did this because this could help get the draft done >> a lot faster, >> right? Faster >> and and when they come back us with comments, we can just plug in whatever
they want. >> And I don't know how it works, but I would imagine right like to change this, you know, and it would spit it out. >> It saves, you know, you a lot of time on the computer writing stuff, you know. >> Yes. I'm just thinking, you know, there's a lot of data that we need to access first.
>> I I didn't number one, I didn't know it. >> Chapter four, not so much. It tells you that the probably so and topography needs no revision and the others may need a little tweaking. Um but the that last section on climate change impacts
is a new one right replaces the old. >> So that would have to be done and you know so there so for that chapter I think AI is real appropriate. You know it seems >> which was kind of the one I picked it for. I mean >> for some of the others, you know,
analysis of needs and the action plan and stuff like that, that's >> you certainly still have to do the survey and all that information to get to people that were the action, you know, people that were supposed to do these different things and find out if they did any of those things.
>> I I didn't know if it was going to be able to go out. >> Much of them were done. >> The next thing I was going to try was to go see if it would go find these maps, create these maps, etc., and if it could generate that data automatically. Um, but I I don't know if this is a great
example. You did a great job showing us. >> It's really good. >> I mean, even soils types do change. If when you get APR, a farm and APR when they did soils, it was just like flyovers and a lot of them are bogus. You know, you get out there, this isn't farmland. What do you mean it's not
farmland? They've been growing crops here for years. So they have to go back and revise it and they have they add that information to the new soil. So and you wouldn't have to go dig that up if AI could find it for you. They just look in the NRCS soil. Absolutely.
>> Right. But like I said, you know, you we would have to go verify if do we trust the opinion of that one little of do we >> they no longer look at that as a modern OSRP or not and so on. And then like I said that that is substantially thinner than the current chapter 4. Could you
feed in that workbook which I specifically did? You did feed I did both 12 and 19. I gave it both of those. I said here take these two documents and >> Oh, no. I mean the workbook. >> Oh, I'm sorry. I did not feed it the workbook. >> The workbook is different than the handbook. The workbook is is have the
cliff notes on it. >> That's where they go section by section and they tell you exactly what they want. >> I started out more generic. Like I said to go familiarize yourself with Massachusetts State OSRP and OSRP and so on and so forth.
>> Right. I'm wondering if you did that if it's like 40 pages or something. It's not that big. >> Yeah. I mean I said it the other >> and I guess if you do it section by section, you just feed them that section. This is what you know >> um we're the template we're working with
>> and see what it would come up with. That's a great idea. >> Yeah. Now that it has the other two and it's familiar with them, right? Yep. >> Help me do help me fill out this report. That's a fabulous >> and at least use it as your outline as your guideline.
>> Yeah. >> And then fill in all the adverbs. >> That's a great idea. >> Well, I'm going to head out and Well, thank you for coming down, Diane. I'm glad we got to >> we'll talk >> what's going on. >> We'll talk more. >> Appreciate you. I'll
>> get to the conservation meetings because the same time ours are. >> Yeah. Yeah, it's difficult and that's what's made a lot of this difficult is is all >> and so you guys are coming up with the with the committees. You guys are are telling us okay these are the different people for the core committee
>> and and with your suggestions as well. >> We could do that and then the select board has to point them correctly. >> I just don't want it to be us having to figure this out. >> That's easy. >> You guys are going to have we'll have that for your next meeting. this is this is what we who we want on this committee,
>> you know, and if you want all three of us on it or just two of us or one of us or whatever, >> we'll figure that out. >> That would be great. You know, we're missing somebody from agricultural commission. If you think you need that input because there's a section on >> farmlands. Um if you think you need that
input, make that suggestion. >> We are an agricultural community. Yeah, I would say I think that's important because there are some things that they had assigned to us to do um uh these workshops for farmers and I'm kind of like this isn't in our field and then and then you would make a recommendation
to delegate. >> Yeah. Yeah. But it would be really fascinating to hear from somebody in the agricultural >> that would you wouldn't want them on the committee though. You'd want them as a consultant to the second part, right? >> Well, yeah. I mean, I'd rather assign them, you know, that task because they
know the farmers >> and they know what the farmers need. >> We'll do two. We'll do one for the actual how many members you expect to have actually on that >> unfortunately. You may want two more that we don't have. the old open the old
the prior ones started with like 15 members but by the time they dwindled down to the actual >> wanted more than seven because it it's hard to get a quorum any any more than seven >> from past records this committee was compromised anywhere of nine to 15 members andor contributors >> yeah we had seven and that's hard enough
to get a quorum with that so we'll bring that to the that >> we'll let you guys figure it out and tell us you know how many of us you want on this on that >> and from different boards in town. We need people actually on it. Like >> somebody from park and wreck and from
planning I think are >> should be on it. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> I don't know about a select board member. They they weren't much use last time. >> Was it that was on the last time? >> Russ Fox. Yeah. >> Oh, okay.
>> Who really wasn't a big fan of open space. But Diane is so different now. >> Yeah, >> I'm consider that. >> Thanks again. Appreciate your time. >> Talk to you later. >> Kevin, >> we're here to help.
>> All right. So, we kind of covered pretty much everything in new business with discuss about select board meeting. >> Just reading the chat just to make sure we didn't miss something. there news to invite people to the object at hand.
>> Sometimes it would sometimes that's what he was saying. That's what Connor was saying. Sometimes the boycotts >> boy scouts. >> The boy scouts. Okay. >> They call them the boycotts. That's great. >> The boy scouts. >> We're always interming.
>> See? >> Yes. >> Will that format change to have them all a rep at every meeting? No, >> no, there's a core committee that will >> that will be um conservation commission, select board, planning planning board, I
guess, parks and wreck, uh couple of town residents, maybe somebody from lake management >> potentially. Correct. >> You know, and then the others will be consultants that will just call in. I mean, do we do we need an ad hoc
committee per se or the the the open space plan? Because it just seems like a lot of this is for lack of a better terms like subcontracted out. Can we just act as like the the the home base and we just kind of gather the information and put it all together and then we do our end with it? I mean, is
it necessary to get an ad hoc committee just for this? because it seems like even from what it was last time it was just a lot of the other communities just kind of coming together. It seems like >> your committee is your subcommittee is your subcommittee and we asked conserv
it it is under conservation. We asked them to draft the charge for this open space management committee. Um again we we aren't we aren't directing your activities. they are we
ask them to draft the charge and we will adopt that charge. >> Gotcha. >> If in their >> charges for your committee here it is predominantly the open space and recreation report. So be it. Then
you are the lead on it and you would be the chairs or the lead for the rest of that ad hoc committee. You would be directing that ad hoc committee. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> So they eventually >> they understand now
>> subs >> because we're essentially waiting for conservation. >> So conservation is really the lead on it and they have delegated it to you. You would have this other base a a subset of a committee this ad hoc committee to
supplement you. Is that a better way to put it? would supplement your work if they are including the open space report in your charge which I haven't seen yet. We haven't seen. So what what
I saw in in viewing that YouTube conservation commission meeting that happened at the same time of select board, what I saw there was a draft plan where um the open space
man land management, whatever you want to call us, let me let me back up. So >> would be different um during the plan revise year. It would be expand to include some of
these members, but it would be the open space committee that did that plan. Whereas what I saw in the select board meeting was two separate committees, a land management and in this. And it it
looked to me very different. Um, and so now I'm I'm confused about >> Yeah, that's kind of that's kind of what I gathered from this email too is that um we us three would be renamed the open
space land management committee OSLMC and then um below that we also discussed continuing a separate ad hoc committee that would be mainly responsible for the update open space recreation plan report. this ad committee would retain his former name of open space and
recreation planning committee. So to me that was like what Martha said two separate >> it it is too separate. This the second one like I said would be almost a subset to supplement your open
space land management. >> But but are you >> you have permanent in perpetuity char like I said I haven't seen the charge from conservation yet but what they presented to us and what I said in there it's permanent because the land
and the maintenance are in perpetuity. Mhm. >> So you are you should be a permanent committee to manage that space. The report is a periodic thing. It is not an ongo. It isn't in perpetuity. It is
>> every time. It is a point in time. It would be reconstituted if it needs to be redone again. >> But as a subset to supplement you in my mind, you would be the lead on it. And and like I said, hopefully you know all
three of you are part of that. This committee can be three of the members. >> Okay. >> And and and I I don't understand the confusion personally. I don't understand the confusion on the conservation side.
They came to us and asked for this open space committee because they can't get to the land management aspects of this. That was their selling point to us. >> Um, and that's when when you came along and were the first person and we didn't
have anybody to work with you yet. >> Um, I >> I mean I I think a lot of the confusion came along from >> because we can't all be together to talk about this. Well, no, but the very first time we got together, there was this talk of this OSRP, which is a a
significant task, and we're like, oh, heck, you know, and then there's been multiple conversations, select board, conservation commission, etc. of is that what the intent was and conservation saying yes and essentially
you guys were saying no. Now, my takeaway from the last select board meeting was that I guess I didn't even see this second committee, the committee that's going to do the OSRP as the way I inferred it from the
discussion at that select board meeting was that you guys were going to set up this other committee and it was going to be over here and it was going to do the OSRP and I didn't even know that it reported conservation, let alone conservation down to us and and so on. I guess my takeaway from that meeting
would have been that the select board was instantiating this new committee with the intent purpose of creating a new OSRP and and then they would go away. But that is not what you had in mind. >> It is, but they would become a like I
said a subset of >> and I guess that's not what I picked up on. I guess like it looked like it they would be you know created by you. >> We were creating it. It's only because we're the appointing authority. Okay. >> You guys can't appoint a new committee, right? It
>> it has to be appointed. >> I guess I thought, you know, if you were doing a an org chart, they would be directly below you and not say conservation down, you know, a couple tiers there. >> They're not directly below us. We just have to we we are the appointing authority who has to create those and
authorize those committees. >> Okay. So, have you seen the draft that um that I saw that con that I thought conservation commission voted on on their February 2nd meeting? Now, being looking at it through >> what your charge is?
>> Yes. >> No, I have not. >> Okay. because that that had um um that our committee during the revised years. So every seven years the plan is revised would grow would expand would add some
members to it and just for that year but that that it would be one committee and the chair of that open space land management committee whatever you want to call it would be the chair you know still the same chair and the
only thing that would happen is that we'd have several people joining our committee just for that plan year, >> which would be that ad hoc committee. >> Well, maybe, you know, I I don't know. I I don't I don't have it right here. You
might have it. I've I've got it on my computer somewhere. Um, you know, I I don't know if it was the same exactly as as this here. Um, but it it that's a very
different idea than having to me having a separate committee that may have some members from the land management committee on it, but it's kind of doing the work here versus the open space
committee is responsible to get this plan done by December and they're directing it and these other members just coming on are are helpers. It it's it to me it it it's a different type of committee. I don't care which
way it goes. I you know I don't have a particular preference one way or another, but I'm just struggling to find out how this is going to work. For example, if we know tonight that well it's it's going to be us, you know, then Connor's the chair and you know and he's
going to help us, you know, and maybe he's going to get the information from you and from >> you're volunteers, so we can't make you be part of this expanded committee. We're hoping and and I've heard you say in your meetings that you all want to be
involved in that open space report. >> We we want you to as well. Mhm. >> So you are definitely you know you this didn't ex this open space this open space committee didn't exist in the last in the last reporting phase >> right
>> it was that but that committee back then wasn't responsible for land management they were only for that >> this makes you responsible if they have that in your charge the open space
report this makes you responsible for that if you are still willing to do it >> and we're going to supplement it with the rest of that ad hoc committee. >> So they're going to be joining us. One one question as you said this this committee would grow by those me by those additional
>> it would be like let's say we had you know all the seats filled. I think it's five um committee members and then two >> for for your >> just for for us guys right here it's five total seats and then two I'm looking for assistant associates. So what you're saying is if we had a full
seat of five people, it would be an even bigger >> workforce. >> Work Yeah. workforce of nine or 15 more people and then once we get that done, the original five or maybe it'll be three, we'll do the land management part. Yeah. >> Okay. Okay. So
>> or if you get your associates, then you assign them the land management while you're >> still working on the report. >> Right. Right. So it it almost just makes us have a basically what we are now just a bigger workforce. >> Okay. >> It isn't competing and it isn't taking away anything,
>> right? >> It's to give you more horsepower. >> That was that was my confusion was I didn't want another entity doing their own thing while we're trying to do this and it was going to be like this big >> absolutely >> double junk like this kind of needs to be >> your volunteers. We can't make you be part of that.
>> Okay. But we we certainly want you to you expressed that and we were trying to figure out how to bring you know these other members on um without making them feel like they're secondass citizens you know like well we've already decided
this is what we think we're going to do and you guys are just our helpers. >> Well they're all part of the committee. I mean it's it's like the whole master plan >> advisory committee came together. It was a lot of those departments that were in the open space. Um, and they all bring
their knowledge in the project >> and there, like I said, there will be chapters that somebody's going to be in asan and have all that information. It just makes it flow faster into the team. >> I don't think we necessarily have to have like 20 people here all at once with the meeting. I think it would be
like for example, >> yeah, if Dian's part of parks and rack, we're going to say, "Okay, we're going to have one person." But there's a core committee here that we're talking about which goes beyond us. There's a core committee um which you know is is going
to be select board um planning board parks and recck members from those >> in addition to two town residents um which might be one of us >> and that's only a suggestion. It doesn't have to be a select board member. If you've got if you want the adcom and you
want a manageable size committee, then it's adcom and not a select board member if they can contribute more than a select board member can. >> So this being the OS LMC supposed to be a five. They only got three of us so far. We all have to show up to have a meeting
to have a quorum. Now, if we have a meeting of the OSRPC, I I guess I just don't want us to get into a corner where >> we would have to one or two people short all the time and we can't have keep not being able to have a meeting because we can't get enough bodies to show up. That
was Sabrina's suggestion to me when I talked about the last meeting was to basically, you know, try to recruit more people for us and then kind of delegate this uh OSR OS RPC in the meantime. >> But but that RPC it still has to comply
with the open meeting laws and all these types of things etc. So, so right. I mean, are we saying that these five or six suggested lists, let's say, let's say we went with this list exactly as is. We got 1 2 3 4 5 six. Um, and that's
like that shows seven people because it shows two town residents. So, let's say we had this committee of seven people, however that makeup happened to be. We got to get four people there every time to have a meeting. If we haven't got four bodies, we we can't do it. >> Combine those meetings. When you have
your open space, when you have your meeting, your first 20 minutes is a recap on the report assignments and updates and progress and then you carry on the rest of your meeting
>> just like we did with Dennis. Dennis would like >> right does his business. You can combine it. You don't need to make a whole separate night of those meetings. That can all be the same agenda. I don't understand how that works though with quorums. >> You know, if we've got an ad hoc
committee that has seven members, >> I guess. So, our quorum would be five. >> Four. >> Um, four. Okay. Would be four. And then we just have our land ma land management committee, which is just the three of us
right now. All three of us have to be here in order to to have a quorum and to have a meeting. Okay. Um so if we if we combined those two meetings together and we did the plan and then everybody
leaves >> you know do we still have >> that's one meeting so you can all on the same night so you have an open >> same night but different agenda >> basically you're you're holding two um >> two committees two different meetings. Yep.
>> Yeah. One is at from from 7 to 7:30 and the other one is 7:30 to 8. >> Okay. So that first business, you have the forum of those members, they do their business. >> So two agendas. >> It' be two separate agendas. >> Two separate agendas. >> I think you can >> do the same agenda and make it
>> You just have and two pieces of paper. It's fine. Two pieces of paper. Yeah. >> I'm just trying to keep us out of the quorum business that we, you know, when everybody gets up and leaves and >> Right. >> There's just the three of us talking. She was saying we can like the chair can still be the chair, vice chair can still
be the vice chair and then you know they come and go and we continue on our normal meeting. I mean that seems to be >> and then you'll open your second you just open your second >> right. So that's two separate meetings two on the same night back to back to back >> two separate agendas. >> Yeah. Doesn't have to be a full hour. We
can do 20 minutes of it you know seven >> meeting twice a month. >> Yes. Yes. >> Or then one one of your meetings is that and the other one is the other. Then I guess the other question would be if the people that are joining us can meet when we meet, right? You have to we might have you know
>> and to the point of 20 minute mean you know you watch this meeting in house the clock goes by it does not take long to burn up 20 minutes of meeting time and so >> right tough to get a lot done especially if you got seven people in a room in 20 minutes. Well, I think I think if we took the approach like you did here where we, you know, we maybe print it
out in sections, review it, >> okay, looks good, or we make our things, sign off or whatever we do >> or or or take it home and it's your homework for the week and bring >> Yeah. Yeah. Or we make our fixes, give it to them, you know, they leave and then >> it does really help to have it before the meeting, right? You know, >> well, this I'm saying like that's why the AI thing would come in handy, you
know, and then we can look at the prompts he asked and make sure it meets whatever and uh send them on their way and keep keep working on the draft, you know. I don't see why that would be a problem. >> It probably makes more sense to make one
of your nights for for each um agenda at least in the beginning and then as things are rolling it might be >> but not many updates >> 20 minute updates. >> Yeah. Yeah. And this is where Concom can probably help us with priorities because, you know, we're going to have
to get cracking on this plan and getting all that whether we're doing surveys, public forums, focus groups, you know, um finding out who did what with the action plan, you know, that's a lot of
work that's got to be done. >> And we did reach out to PVP, Pioner Valley Planning Commission. >> Okay. I did see in the last one that they actually applied for CPC funds to um for administrative costs.
>> So perhaps we can find your secretarial support that way. >> That'd be great. A huge help >> and and to see if they have any gu anybody that is available for guidance >> on it as well. But we're waiting to hear back from them. >> Yeah. So,
>> could other people like up in Granville join this open space recreation plan or like surrounding towns? >> The Southwood plan. >> Yeah, >> they do have regional plans, but there was some um I don't remember my my
memory is is kind of foggy, but they do in either the handbook or the workbook, they do talk about doing a regional open space plan, but there were all these different things that you had to meet, these different criteria you had to meet. Um, >> I don't know why that would get you
Southwick specific funding if you did a regional plan. I don't know how >> or not as much as people like that live their residence. Could they come if you know they're close to the board, could they come and join this committee? >> Could you act as a seat >> public?
Depends on um that's a tricky one. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> What What would you want them to do in your meeting? like they would just help with the the recreation plan. They would do whatever it is we need them to do.
They would be one of the nine or 15 members of this ad hoc committee. >> Oh, that would be tough. We We just had somebody leave our economic development commission because he moved over the line into Westfield and he no longer
qualifies. >> Gotcha. >> That's tough. Mhm. >> It's tough to have a non-resident representing your town in that kind of a project. >> Mhm. >> And this I think is similar. >> Mhm. Okay.
>> Although if it's tough that's where we can find the help, it's too bad. But >> that would be a tough cell. >> Gotcha. >> It didn't fly on the economic development commission. I doubt it would fly >> on this as well. >> Okay. Well, if most of these members are
coming from existing boards and >> certainly if you're out in the field and they want to do some field work with you as a volunteer, that's a different thing. But as part of your >> committee, I think that's a different >> thing. >> And I apologize that this is so darn
confusing, but >> the timing of everybody getting together is a big part of it. >> Yeah. Well, the three of us are so new as well, you know, and like I I worked in state government and and city government, but never a town government. And it's very Conor and I have talked back and forth by email, you know, this
is very different. I'm, you know, not used to this. This is something brand new to me to try to figure out how it all works and how who reports to who. I'm used to chain of command. >> The reason I I just instituted liaison to all the volunteer boards and commissions and I happen to be yours.
So, if you run into those problems or questions like that, that's what I'm here for. Send them my way. I will find you the answers and get you the guidance you need. How would we contact you? What would be the best way? >> You want my phone number? You can text me.
>> Oh, well, I was just thinking I see your Okay, you do have an email here. >> I respond almost immediately. >> Okay. And you can text me 413. Hang on one second. Go ahead for me. 413 >> 454
>> 454 >> 8264 >> 8264 >> Yep. >> 413454 8264. >> That's a force. >> My lucky number. >> Okay, moving on from that. Um, old
business is, um, bring the committee up to speed on the RDA for North Pond Planting Project. Uh, that address is 49 South Long Air Road. Um, so I met with Sabrina after our last
meeting. Um, that's going to be send an email to the guy that he's playing. >> So, essentially, there's three areas here right on North Pond. um beach. I'm not sure where it is
relative to this topographic map or um ISO map here, but there's three channels that have eroded um approximate approximately 200 ft long. Um there's no exact measurements yet. Um >> I think about 6 ft wide, creating a
gully. Um the state's requiring them to um top soil and do plantings around it to help with erosion control and um silt and whatnot. Um there as of this there was three of them but when I spoke to Sabrina last she said
there's possibly a fourth one. >> Um we're not official with everything yet. We're still figuring out um but we are submitting the RDA for concom for this project which will be done in the spring. Um what the detail of each swale
will be is is this piece right here. Um there'll be some um white pine plantings, 14 total, spruce b spice bush, 20 mountain laurel. Um I think something else right here. But um >> like they replaced one with the other.
>> You're going to repeat that plan per each of those three channels. >> Yeah, I think as as >> that is times three in terms of number of kind of a thing. >> I know each of these swailes is different. So, it would be whatever the difference is between each length and width, but um I know there's we got to get the dimension for part of the RDA,
but um that's essentially what the plantings would be. And then um >> I think what they said was they couldn't get the mountain laurel, so that's why it looks like one superimposed over the other that they're using spice bush instead of the mountain laurel. >> No, I believe they're still using mountain laurel. I think last time we
talked Kevin said he was able Kevin Solup who's on is handling this project. He said, I believe that they were able to get some. Um, it's just a matter of getting it ordered. Um, >> because it's funny. Do you see how in that thing it has the little hearts over the boxes? So, I guess that means that
those are all going to be the mountain laurels, >> even though they've got S's. A box with S, if it's got the heart over it, that's the mountain. >> And the SS down the very bottom is the spice bush, >> right? And, like I said, things are going to change. Um but essentially
we're going to do the plantings um top soil in between them um at the bottom by the pond by North Pond. So down by here the on the the beach I think is what they call it. We're going to do erosion control. So straw waddle um or silk fence. They
were undecided what they wanted to do. There was toxic straw waddles because it's easier more efficient to do, cheaper. Um, so that'll help mitigate the silt and erosion during this project and when everything's growing. Um, and then in between all this would be top
soil and then um taking just some natural pines and woods material uh naturally occurring material and just putting it in between all this to help >> basically mulch the top soil so that it's not just bare and rushing into the into the uh the pond until everything
grows up. And then someone will need to monitor it and and water it every two weeks or something depending kind of what's there in the spring and if it's dry summer whatot. >> Um >> that's pretty much it. Um this is like I said none of this is official yet. I'm
still waiting on food things from Kong, but that's just kind of the update. >> And they're expecting us to take the lead on this I guess. >> Uh we're going to f RDA. >> We're just following filing the RDA. >> Yes, we're filing the RDA. Um cuz the same the same committee that is doing
the project can't file the RDA conflict. I'm not sure the legality of that but so we're going to act as the um basically the permitting authority >> or or the permit would be under us which is the RDA and they're doing the work um and then we can help if we want. I volunteered with one of my machines to
help and you know we can do that. >> So they've got the money for for these >> yes they've been handing the funding and and the legalities of it. We're just doing the paperwork for you. >> So what does that mean? We file the RDA. Is Sabrina going to write that up and then you just sign it and send it on or
>> um No. So the RDA >> and you got to present it to the conservation commission then or something like that, right? >> Yeah. So it's she gave me the form. Where is it? It's right here. Kind of example RDA. Um but it's just a mass state of Massachusetts
kind of packet. They have packets like this for everything. You know, in my line of work, I mostly see this for septic work for perk tests and title five inspections. but it's the the platform that the state of Massachusetts wants you to use for filing this and you just kind of fill out the prompts
accordingly and um she kind of leaving sending me the sure she sent me already the verbiage to kind of put in here and the information we need so we got to put it together um but I think the measurements and the >> lant
and how many are what they're just waiting on cuz I know they they said they had the measure ments and they didn't. And now they're waiting for the snow. We just got right as we did this to put a snow game. So that kind of stamper that. Um and then they're talking about doing um one of these
channels a year um because the RDA is good for three years. So we're going to do one this year in the spring. See how that goes. Make any changes accordingly uh to the plantings or whatnot and then do the rest second year and then the last one the final year of the RDA. Um,
and I don't know about the fourth one. Um, and then spacing on this too will change, but that's pretty much what's going on. >> Sabrina is giving you the the stuff to put in the >> Yeah, the information. Yeah, the information. Yeah, the write up because there has to be a scope of work and then
a letter head or something they call it um to put in there. She sent me that all out already. I mean, I've kind of commented on it, but um >> So, you don't need any help from me or Phil? I think >> No, no. I just kind of just were involved with it. So, I just wanted to get you guys up to speed on it.
Yeah. And Okay. Actually, there's a thing in the chat we skipped over for amendment. Sorry about that. >> Um, so I think he he was he wrote this when we were talking about um the open
space um land management committee and open space recreation plan committee. Um maybe if we use an example of a typical project for to exemplify the steps of what we are talking about might help a
pretend project will do. What does it say? How does it go in the steps of how it's done? So I'm going to do simply a an example project for the two the two
committees. Is that right? Amen. Yeah, >> I think that I think that's probably a good idea. Like a like a rough kind of practice thing for open space um where is it? Open space land
management commission and open space recreation plan committee. >> All right, other matters. Anybody else have anything to add? Sorry. Sorry. >> Oh, I was going to just say, so we're
not going any further with working on the open space plan until we get the extra members on. Is that am I understanding that right? >> I I don't see why we couldn't start at least get maybe a little bit of
foundation laid so that when we do get people, we can kind of give them a direction to go. >> I agree. >> I don't think that's a bad idea. or if somebody has a better, you know, if we've got something and someone says, "I have a better idea or a better whatever," great, you know. >> Yeah. I don't think we want to get so far ahead we can't change things. But I think we also want to get enough
progress to where it's the ball's already rolling and we can kind of pick it up. >> If I may, >> y I think you've done a phenomenal job on what you've done in your cliff notes so far and trying to organize that. I didn't really see any reason for you
to put the brakes on anything you were doing. Like I said, this this other committee is only going to help you move that along. I think >> you're on your way to planning how you all are going to proceed with that and I would I would encourage you to keep
doing that >> and then when we get this back filled, >> you just assign those pieces >> to to the larger group. I don't know if now larger group would be appropriate time to talk about that. Um you know I had written up this um discuss with
conservation commission our role in the town's open space plan and I had put in some suggestions. One would be for us to contact all of the parties that are the responsible parties in that action plan
for each objective and just ask them politely and kindly um how did I word it here? um well to ask them if they had made any progress on this particular objective
that was assigned to your committee or your board or whatever it was. Um let us know if you did make any progress. Um should we change that action item to something more appropriate? Should we add one? Um, so getting that feedback
and giving them a deadline, I don't know, April 30, whatever we think, giving them some time, you know, so they can meet with their their committee or commission or whatever, whichever they are, um, and have the answers for us and
send it back to us by a certain time. So getting something like that rolling right away because they're going to need some time to think about it, you know, and to say, well, you know, that really was we wrote that seven years ago and that doesn't make sense, you know, no, we didn't do this, but we are doing this
and we think this bits better, you know, giving them a chance to talk with their committees or whatever and get that information back to us. It seems like we could do something like that. >> Yeah. Kind of like D was saying like the mapping and stuff and whatnot. we can reach out to people who who has that
>> as well. But I was thinking >> for an example like whatever you know >> getting the feedback right away because the the action plan and you know and writing out those objectives is a big part of the plan and so >> so you're looking to see what action items from the last OSRP actually got
implemented or at what point etc. >> Right. We need we need feedback on that and also from them feedback is should we throw this action item out, >> right? >> You know, maybe it doesn't >> update it based on current conditions. >> Update it. You know, maybe there's a new one that's better for the same
objective. There's a different action that maybe that that committee is already working on. That would be good if we could double do, you know, it's something that fits with open space. but finding that out, you know, getting something out to them now and and then so we can get it back by May 1st or
April 30 or whatever. And then the other thing was the questionnaire, having someone working on that, you know, looking at the sample questionnaire that is in the workbook, which is a little different than the one that was used
back in 2019. um or do we want to just repeat the 2019 or whatever? Um you know, there's some leg work that way. >> And and I believe it was Dennis mentioned something about or maybe it was Chris that they contacted somebody
at Westfield State when they did it last time and did Survey Monkey or something. I I don't know. I thought that they had some contact that helped them >> with that survey previously. >> Westfield >> I don't know if I don't know if Survey Monkey is something that we can tackle ourselves and just make our own survey
up there. You know, Westfield has an open space committee, too, and they're working on their open space plan. >> I think he was talking about Westfield College, didn't he? >> Yeah, he was. But what I'm what I'm saying is West the town of Westfield has an open space committee that just had a
big questionnaire, big survey on the website >> and uh they had a little article about it in the Westfield Daily News back in the fall. And my sister, of course, is in West said, "You got to do this. You got to do this." Okay. So, she she was doing the search. She It's taking a long
time. They were asking a lot of questions, you know, but they might be another, you know, right >> way to look, another place to look. >> Yeah. As a point of reference, >> you know, is this >> how did they do it? How did it work? >> Yes. How did they do it? How did it work? Maybe they didn't. >> Now they're looking like that's too many
questions. >> What would they do differently now? Yeah. >> But they're our sister town. So, >> I remember thinking that the 2019 survey was rather lengthy also. I don't know. Yeah. There is a certain criteria. >> Was it a paper survey that >> there is a stack of paper ones up in one
of the fil >> and you know but I think having it online is is the >> or Facebook and we can do a mailing too. >> Yeah. And Yeah. Well, you could or have it available here at town hall so that people could pick up whenever their copy. >> I think it says something like you have to have all those things. You have to
have it available in paper in several locations in town. Of course, there must be state rules. >> Well, you know, I mean, everybody's online, everybody's computer, so on and so forth. >> But those were two things that I thought that we needed to get going on ASAP because it's going to take a while to
develop or whatever so that then we can get that questionnaire or survey out, collect the information. >> I need to give and then it's going to come back something, >> you know, then maybe AI can help us. But we've got to give AI the information. I mean I think that's bridge in out
right >> very manual task of collecting that data if it's if it's in paper form you know if it's survey monkey I'm imagine that that'll all come back to you with a report coated and >> what if it's both places then >> it still has to all get combined right that's right >> yeah I don't think there's any way automating that
>> yeah can I give you an inhouse reference >> yes >> John Goddard was very instrumental in the master plan survey and how that was formulated and collected so we may be able to some guidance on that. And
>> is he still in town? Is he still the engineer? >> Or John's over at on at DPW now. >> Oh, he is. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Did he take Ry's spot? >> No, he's assistant. >> Gotcha.W director. Gotcha. >> Um but he he was um he did a lot of the
administrative work for the master plan advisory committee >> and was heavily involved in that survey. >> So survey information. Good. you may be able to tell you what platform it was on and how it collected
data and how easy it was to um turn it and and receive it. I think we had it on the website as well. So, collecting from different um methods. I've already taken a lot of the the action items and stuff out of the the
2019 plan and put them into a different document where you can actually read it. I don't know if you guys have tried to look at it, but it's a little tiny print. I got my magnifying glass. So, I' I've got it all in another document. And I think that would be easier too to be able to send that out if we do send out
to the different committees, the chairs of the different committees that are identified as responsible parties for this particular action item. So I I kind of had that sort of ready to go. I don't have emails for all of the chairs of the different committees that are involved.
>> I can get those >> and that would be very helpful, but I'm guessing I could just email >> let me know who they who you need. I'll definitely >> Hemet says he posted signs all over the town. >> I assume he's referring to John Gddard. >> The survey, right?
>> Yeah. Yeah. About the survey. Gotcha. Okay. >> Um, so you have you have the action items already pretty much done >> in a document. Yeah. In a word, which I can just convert to a PDF, >> maybe we can print that out and then we can discuss about who we're going to delegate like who we feel
>> each action item. >> No, they're already assigned. >> Oh, they're already assigned in. What what it would be is I could draft some kind of letter for you guys to look at and you know and show you the document and this is what I propose I would send out to you know these are the the ones
that are identified. Okay. >> And then you guys could look at that and go >> yeah that looks good or oh change this you know and then I would get this out. >> Yeah. Ask AI. Um, and >> how do you make them want to do that?
>> And then I mean hopefully they will respond back. Now the the thing is I'm wondering if if I send it out via my own personal email, which I don't mind doing, but if they saw that email come in from it says Martha Nature because Moon
Nature I'm I'm a a chat moderator on some of these owl barred owl nest boxes across the country and that's my that's my chat. Yeah, I mean my business email and it's just it's tough because it's like >> somebody might see that and go who the heck is Moon.
>> You just have to make your your um your subject line pertinent. >> Yeah, I can do that. And that would be okay to do. That would be legal to >> Yeah, go ahead and send that out. I tell them who I who I am. But
>> I'm I'm thinking maybe if we um maybe we can funnel your maybe through Margaret in the select board office. So, it's coming from a doc a southworth.gov address to those people. So,
>> let me check on that for you. >> While you're working on that, let me check on >> Yeah. And so I'm taking but I'd want you guys to look at everything first and see and then you know what you think giving them a deadline for till would be um the
best way to do that. So, you could forward each one to Margaret >> perhaps. And I'll check this um to Margaret >> with with whatever your content is and then who it's going to and then she could forward it from hers just to introduce you and that email address for
establishing the contact so it doesn't go to spam or anything. >> Right. Yeah, that's the other thing. Gmail is bad for spam. putting things in the spam folder. So if I'm working on that, then maybe somebody else can be looking at the
survey business or the questionnaire and >> I can actually I get my hands full of the RDA stuff. >> I I'll look at the survey. Yeah, I do the RDA for Kong con >> cuz I'm thinking those are the two things that are going to take up a lot of time, you know.
>> What about with Facebook postings, Diane? Would that be our personal Facebooks or is there a town Facebook we can use? >> No, you would. I'm sorry, but you would have to ask for permission for a Facebook page um and bring it to the select board and just ask us tell us what it is you would want to communicate on it and you would
definitely want to put your po your your survey on it and that kind of thing or progress reports on it or you know soliciting input or publicizing your meetings if you're going to have community meetings looking for input. So, you just propose that to us. We're
going to say, "Sure, go ahead." But it um >> But there'll be like an open space. >> Yeah. Facebook South Mass open space committee. Um and then and then you use it for whatever. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think it' be good. >> You just have to propose that and you
don't have to come. You can just email it and I can read it. >> Okay. >> Do you per chance know an email for John Goddard? >> Uh yeah. >> Is it the same format as >> Yeah. It's J. It's J >> J Goddard. >> G O D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D A R D at Southmass.
>> I could probably see him, too, if I had to because I'm working in Celtic now and I know John pretty well. Or if we need to see him, I could swing in there. >> If you see him, just put in a good word and tell him that. I'll I'll shoot him an email if you question. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'll kind of pick his brain about it if I Okay.
>> have an extra lunch break or something. working around on College Highway, so it's not a huge deal for me to swing by there during the week and maybe spend 20 minutes with him and see what he has and see what he thinks about. >> I mean, he's at the Department Public Works building just south of Tractor's
Pl. >> You just walk in there. >> Yep. >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I go there and get sand and salt, but I know John. >> Say John. >> I know John because he worked on our plans for our shop. I mean, we worked hand in hand with him and human. So, I kind of
wor Okay. Um, >> other matters. Anybody else got anything? >> Is there anyone else that Oh, South 2040.com was the posted survey link. >> That was for the master plan.
>> Um, I'm just reading the chat. Um, Southwick 2040.com was po was the posted sur. So that was for the survey for the master plan >> and you could do the same kind of thing. You just have the open space >> and John would know John got her.
>> Yeah, John helped with all of that. >> This is survey linking for the master plan. >> Yeah, we used it right on there. >> Okay. There was also a place on the town website >> for the Oaks and Space report which you
could ask for space what I I'm not sure what the needs are for public communication or >> or whatever but you could also revive a page on the town website and put your updates put your survey there and put um reports that you're gathering
anything you want that you want the public to to be involved >> pictures of projects that we're doing that or or looking for volunteers. You've got your you've got your planting project looking for volunteers approximately this time frame. Let us know if you're interested. We'll get in touch with you.
>> Who do we contact for recruiting? >> Who do we contact to get that those kinds of items up on the web page? Who is the IT person? >> Um Jim, >> Jim Middleton, >> I guess you would use your liaison first. let me know what you want and I
will take it to the CEO, get it cleared and then have John uh Jim reach out to them. >> Maybe map of existing open space, parks and such, projects in the works, etc. Yeah. >> Yeah, it's a good idea. I have a drone
so we can do drone stuff like, you know, it's a drone world, so we could do like a thing of the open space at the dog park. You know, that's a cool thing. That's before and after, you know, just >> So, who would know for the list of all of the open space properties in the
current plan? Um, some of them are private and some of them are public. There's separate charts for the different things. uh who would we go to to find out um if there's been things added to that or if there's chang
for for all open space I just asked I'm on another committee um for zoning and bylaw updates I just asked for a new map of the
all of the open and protected space in town updated ated >> with the business districts um with the zoning districts as an as an underlay to that. Um >> and I should be getting that next month. So maybe you can take a look at that and
see if that's going to satisfy. >> Yeah, we may not need to revise that that section at all if there's no new stuff that's come up in the past. >> There will be because other properties have gone into 61A and so forth or maybe APR, I don't know. Um, but I did just
ask for that. So, I know they're working on that right now and that EVPC bucket on that. >> Oh. Oh, I'm getting that. So, I'll let you have a peek at that and see if that satisfies that. >> Yeah, that should we, you know, we need to update that. That's another >> Now, are those things we have to vote on? Like if we bring something to us and
we feel it's the same or if it's something should be added, do we just kind of say let's do it or do we have to vote on like changes made to certain things or like what where where's the cut off for voting and not voting or >> to actually go into the plan? >> Yeah. And the plan or like if we if we
say like uh you know this survey is the same let's Yeah. I guess to go into the plan. Yeah. That's kind of what I'm getting at. I guess your full >> open space reporting committee, right? You and your supplemental group
>> would come to an agreement that this fits the criteria. >> And yeah, I mean, you could vote on it, you know, as everything we just talked about today. Everybody agree or disagree, you know, not item by item, I guess, what we discussed today. Yeah. Yeah. Right.
>> As a as that piece of Thank you. I mean, here's a chair, so you can determine how you're gonna >> how you're going to take your votes and stuff. If you want to do an omnibus, everything we discussed today, the objections, >> legal stuff we were had having to do as far as like voting.
>> And you can ask Dennis, ask Dennis. He did the last one. Is that how they did it in each chapter? How did how did they approve those things? Was it line by line? Was it part by part, chapter by chapter or can we just >> I don't know. Do you just compile it and then vote on the finished product? I don't know.
>> Okay. >> Ask him how it went. >> Okay. >> Yeah. And the the draft goes out to all the different committees that are involved. >> They the board of health and they actually tell us who we have to send this to, we can send a draft to the
state, you know, at the same time that we're sending the draft once the committee feels comfortable with the draft and wants to start sending it out. But all of those different committees that are involved and and some beyond um will all be looking at that that plan
and editing and giving us their suggestions for changes and all of that. So, it's going to have a a pretty it's going to be vetted pretty well, I think, by the time we finally get to when the state says, "We want you to make these
changes or we didn't like the way AI do it differently or whatever they say, you know, and then others would and then those other committees, I think they actually have to write a support letter saying, you know, we support and agree, you know, with this plan." Um, so it
there's a lot of approvals. >> Okay. >> After it's after we think we've got a decent draft. >> Yep. >> Does it go by sections? How how does the I don't recall how the book runs. Like can you can you complete
a section and say you completed it in August and send that out to the related parties? >> I suppose it is it a finished product? But they they want a support letter, I think, after, you know, the the committee sees the full the whole thing. Okay. >> Um, but I think it would be a good idea
if there was a I'm trying to think of a good example of um, you know, obviously Con would look at section 4, which is all the natural resources stuff. We might want their full committee to look at it. And um because there may be
somebody on the committee who's not on the OSRP committee who has more knowledge than we do. >> Sure. >> Um and them skimming through it quickly, you know, might point out something that we weren't
anticipating. >> Um so would be no harm to doing that, but my understanding is they have to read the whole thing and put a support letter. I'll go back and read that again. Um yeah, I mean it's supposed to be uh um
everybody a lot of buy in. That's why they wanted in the in the workbook it talks about all these people on the committee which can get very unwieldly. >> Uh but they the idea was the buyin and it's something that Dennis had expressed to us a couple of times and every time
he says it my little ears and antenna just pick up about how you know we worked so hard on this plan and then these action items never got done or whatever. He was very disappointed. Um the idea is if you have good buy in
then people are excited about it and and you know I got to say that the master plan advisory committee had a big task like this. It took them two years more than two years to do that >> and that was I don't know 17 members
>> never lacking a quorum. It was a full and I was at every single meeting. It was a full house, full participation from every one of those people. It was >> an incredible thing to watch. >> Yeah. >> Everybody is important. Everybody engaged. >> It's an important thing for the town.
>> Yeah. >> And whether they agreed with it or not, everybody was engaged. It was it was great. >> Yeah. That's that's wonderful to hear. >> And I I see that happening with this Yeah. with this committee, too. >> Yeah. people in South committee and the little support group that we'll have behind you. Yeah, that's how I'm going
to refer to it. There you go. >> Cheerleaders. >> They're open space people south of Absolutely. You know, >> it's a farming community. We got I love Southwest people are hunters, fishers, you know, farmersational vehicles, walkers, biologists, crazy bird people.
>> The motocross tractor by people, you know, it's fishing. Yeah, it's it's awesome. >> Definitely unique. >> Yep. >> And then there's lake people, too. I mean that one of our open space. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Open water. It's not the land management, but it's the water management. >> That's what Southwick's known for, the lakes.
>> Sure. >> I didn't know they used to actually pull ice out of these lakes. I was like >> way back when >> someone told me that. I was like, >> um, >> that's when they had ice boxes and you you you got your chunk of ice and you put it in your ice box. My dad said he
lived in Holio. He grew up in Holio. He that was his job to go up in the tenementss, you know, up and down the ice box. >> Yeah, he was the ice man. He had to come with, you know, with the ice meeting minutes from last meeting or sign before we close the meeting off.
>> Well, I think we can probably close the meeting and then sign or >> doesn't because we've probably been open. >> I'll make a motion to close this meeting. >> Yep. I second the motion. >> Vote. >> Yeah. >> Bill Price. I >> Conor Flurry. I >> Marshia Kane I.
>> All right. Meeting is closed. 8:38