Royalston Open Space Committee
Minutes
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Meeting Date: November 13, 2008
Members Present: Aaron
Ellison, Jack Morse, Pattie Carrier, Christine Beckert Long
Chair:
Aaron Ellison
Clerk: Christine Beckert Long
The
meeting convened at 7:30 p.m. at town hall.
Community
Preservation Act (CPA):
1) The committee unanimously approved a request that Aaron be reimbursed for
the printing of an informational flyer about the CPA included in the November
town newsletter.
2) The committee noted that the CPA was accepted by voters at the fall election by a vote of 350-311. Aaron will write a brief article about the vote and the next steps for the December-January town newsletter.
3) The next step in the process is for the Select Board to appoint a Community Preservation Committee (CPC), with its eight members defined by a vote at the June 2008 continuation of the 2008 annual town meeting: the Building Inspector, one individual from each of the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, Board of Public Welfare, Historical Commission, Conservation Commission, Open Space Committee, and one at-large member. The committee noted the advisability of matching the terms of office of CPC members with their terms in their host committees. Jack prepared a form for recording the CPC appointments, which he will take to the Select Board.
4) The CPC will need to work with the Tax Collector and the Treasurer to implement the CPA, which will take effect in FY10, with the first match from the state to be received in October 2010.
5) Patti asked whether the committee should prepare an information packet to introduce the CPC to its duties. Aaron will check with the CPC Coalition to see if such a guide exists.
Open Space Plan: The committee noted that its next task will be to begin work on an update on the Open Space & Recreation Plan, due in 2010. Kim will determine what is required for this update, and the committee at its next meeting will divide up the tasks.
Open Spaces:
1) Aaron reported that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife has completed
the purchase of a 23-acre parcel on Taft Hill surrounded by other F&W
land. This is former Chapter 61 land on which the Select Board assigned its
right of first refusal to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, which bought
the land and then resold it to F&W.
2) Aaron will follow up on what is happening with the funds approved some time ago to investigate the legalities of seizing U parcels - parcels of land of unknown ownership.
Zoning Amendments: Kim reported that the Zoning Committee will likely pursue zoning amendments in the coming year.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.