ARLINGTON CONSERVATION COMMISSION
MINUTES
NOVEMBER 18, 2004
Mr. Stevens called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the second floor conference room of the Town Hall Annex. Present were Catherine Garnett, Judith Hodges, Nathaniel Stevens, Ellen Reed, William O’Rourke and David White of the Commission. Timothy Sullivan of the Commission was absent.
7:30 p.m. - COMMISSION BUSINESS
Mr. White and Mr. Stevens attended the Tri-Community Flood meeting on November 16 and reported that Steven Kaiser distributed a new booklet with photos in it. The Commission asked if they couldMs. Beckwith will look into getting more copies of this booklet.
The Commission reviewed and edited the meeting schedule for 2005.
White/Reed motioned to approve the 8/26, 9/2, 10/7, 10/21 and 11/4 minutes with minor edits; motion passed unanimously.
Ms. Beckwith will forward the FY06 annual budget request drafted figures to the Commission and Kevin O’Brien.
Ms. Beckwith reported on the progress of the Spy Pond park project. The Portadam was taken down 11/17, since the boat ramp is complete, poured concrete (8 inches thick). The contractor reported that the divers found (and did not remove) a lot of large debris in the water (tires, hubcaps, shopping carts, trash barrels) to the west of the new ramp. They removed one navigation hazard from the waterway (an old water pipe for filling fire trucks). They swiftly completed a smoothly organized dewatering operation.
The Commission reviewed the wetland replication plans from Mark Mitsch for the Arlington Reservoir Dam Rehabilitation project. The Commission agreed that the plan looked good but would ask for the organic soil specification and that the inspection requirement be reworded to conform to DEP’s requirement of %70 % plant coverage after 2 years of growth. Ms. Garnett mentioned that she had a tree protection specification that should also be included in this project.
Ms. Garnett graciously agreed to draw up a tree replacement plan for the Arlington Reservoir by next Spring and will conduct a site walk for this. Ms. Beckwith asked if some kind of landscape design could include objects placed in the old stump dump area, to preclude that use in the future. Boulders were suggested. It was suggested that she relay her observations to Director of Planning Kevin O’Brien.
Ms. Garnett reported that she went for a walk at the new McClennan Park (Reed’s Brook) and noted that the new walkways are messy and there is soil movement toward the wetlands, the path aggregate is too mushy.
The Commission discussed the volunteer work application and deliberated the issue of supervision and liability waivers from parents for work by juveniles.
Ms. Hodges suggested a project of building bird/bat houses, even conducting a contest and then having the volunteers also install them in carefully thought-out locations.
Enforcements
Ms. Beckwith will draft a snow policy letter for the newspaper.
The Commission voted to convene at approximately 10 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Corinna Beckwith
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