The Walpolean

Members Present:  Alicia Flammia, John Peska, Peter Palmiotto, Lewis Shelley, Wendy Grossman, Steven Dumont 

Members Absent:  France Menk

Alternate Present:  Kara Dexter

Visitors Present:  Peggy Pschirrer (Select Board liaison), Steve Dalessio (Select Board), Nicole Adams, Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary)

Call to Order:  Alicia called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m.

Review and Approval of Minutes:  Kara noted the misspelling of a name. Under Visitors the ​​​​name should be spelled Nicole.  John moved to accept the July, 2023 minutes.  

​​Lew seconded and all voted in favor. Minutes accepted.

Public Business:  Kara asked for the procedure needed to become either a commissioner or alternate.  Alicia explained the candidate needs to write a letter of interest to the Select Board.  With a letter of recommendation from the Conservation Commission to the Select Board, the candidate would be approved.

Report from the Chair:  Alicia announced that, as of this evening, she can no longer serve as chair of the WCC. She will serve out the remainder of her term, but not in that capacity.

Correspondences:  Alicia shared the newsletters from the Monadnock Conservancy and NH Charitable Foundation.

Treasury:   (As of June 30)    Mason Non Expendable Fund:  $19,881.04

​​​​​     Mason Expendable:  $469,723.74

New Business

Selection of New Chair:   A discussion ensued from Alicia’s announcement that she would no longer chair the Commission.  Peggy and Steve Dalessio suggested that the reluctance to assume this role might be the result of the Commission’s taking on too many projects.  Steve asked how much is mandated by statute. He suggested focusing on 1-2 projects/year.  They also discussed the possibility of shortening meetings by conducting some business via email.  Wendy offered to take the lead on property monitoring.  Kara said she would read through the statute book again and create a list of projects to prioritize.  

Peter and John agreed to serve as co-chairs. Wendy moved to elect Peter and John as co-chairs of the Commission.  Steven Dumont seconded and all voted in favor. Motion carried.  Kara led the commissioners in thanking Alicia for her leadership.

Ray Boas:  Tree Replacement on the Common – Ray attended the meeting to discuss his interest in the trees in town, not just on the common. He presented the idea of assembling a citizens group under the purview of the Conservation Commission, which will study the trees in town and do some fundraising to purchase new trees and maintain them.  The volunteers  would report to a liaison from the Commission. Peter Palmiotto stated his support for this project and offered to serve as liaison.  

Ray stated he would begin the process by writing an article for the next issue of The Clarion describing the project and soliciting volunteers for a tree committee and donations. 

Old Business

Adopting Meeting Norms:  The Commission reviewed the draft of the Meeting Norms that Peter posted in Google Docs. They postponed formally adopting these norms until the full membership is present to vote on them.

Walpole Gateway Update:  Lew reported that the road down to the river washed out but has been repaired. The group discussed where the fence should be installed so rescue vehicles can access the river. They agreed that Peter could go ahead and install the fence.  John moved to approve the purchase of 3 sections of split rail fence for the turnaround area of the Gateway from the Gateway account. Steven seconded and all voted in favor. Motion carried.  Peter will take care of this.

Kara reported that France had not created signs for the fence because she did not have the wording from the Commission for the sign. Commissioners discussed what they want to see on the signs.  Kara thought she might be able to find pre-made signs at Home Depot or online and Commissioners were fine with that.  Lew suggested buying two signs to have an extra on hand.  

Steven moved to spend money on two signs for the fenced area.  Lew seconded and all voted in favor.  The group also decided to put a handmade sign with additional directions on the kiosk.  Steven offered to draft language for the kiosk sign.

Wendy reported that Mike Hubbard would be willing to brush hog the Gateway area but he needs more information about the scope of the job. Wendy will have him contact John to discuss this.

Commission Liaison to the Hooper:  It was explained that the workload is not heavy but regular monthly attendance is important.  Meetings are held at the Hooper Institute but in the winter they are online because there is no heat in the institute building.  Members were asked once again to think about this and they would revisit the topic in September.

Other Business

Walpole Trails Subcommittee:  Steven said the maps have been printed but he does not yet have the invoice. Once he does, he will send it to Rich to be paid from the maps and charts budget.

Mountain Biking:  Lew met 2-3 weeks ago with Rob Westover and some other mountain bikers at Hooper Forest. The bikers would like to create some hand-built trails, with supervision from the Trails Committee.  There would also be a machine-built trail.  Lew said he would scope it out and do some marking. There was also discussion about parking.  Lew located a small area to start.  It may need to be expanded later if more bikers learn of these trails. Lew was asked if the Hooper Board and Monadnock Conservancy know about this.  He said he would notify them. John also suggested notifying the Fire Department so they could scope out trails to see how emergencies could be handled.

Rail Trail Update: Wendy reported that Lew will be the contractor on the RTP grant project.  He plans to get started on a trail site in early October. He’s working on getting a Special Use Permit now.

Mike Hubbard plans to do the next brush hogging August 24.   Wendy received the invoices and will forward them to Rich. The $450 will come from trail budget and $200 from the Gateway budget.

Property Monitoring:  Lauren will send an email to commissioners later this week to let them know what her status on the property monitoring is.  Wendy asked if Lauren still has any Commission files.  Alicia will email her to find out the answer.  

Peter will call a meeting of the monitoring subcommittee at the end of September.  Kara expressed interest in attending the meeting.  

Reservoir and Cranberry Meadow Dam:  On the 25th of July John met with members of the Dam Safety and Inspection Division in order to photograph deficiencies at Reservoir Dam and Cranberry Meadow Dam. At the Reservoir Dam the post that holds the gate closed is rotting and needs to be repaired.  John stated the cost of repair is $40.68.  Steven moved to approve $40.68 from the Dam Repair budget to repair the post.  Lew seconded and all voted in favor.

At Cranberry Meadow Dam they could not take photos or do their inspection because the area needs to be brush hogged.  In the past the Conservation Commission has been responsible for keeping the area clear.  It has not been brush hogged for some years, and John said he feels the Commission will need to do this.  As far as repairs to the dam, John does not know what needs to be done.  The dam is actually on private property so the Letter of Deficiency will most likely be sent to the landowner.  It is unclear at this time who will be responsible for doing whatever repairs are needed. Steve Dalessio said he would have Sarah look into this. John said Bryan Fletcher, who has done brush hogging there in the past, is planning to go down and look at it this week.

John reported that Reservoir Dam repair will start in September, 2024, with an end date of December, 2026.  Steve said they are in the engineering phase right now.  Core sample will need to be taken and in a few months the work will be put out to bid.

With no further business, Steven Dumont moved to adjourn and Lew seconded.  Alicia adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. 

The next meeting will be on Monday, September 11, 2023.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the September 11, 2023 meeting.

Agenda

Walpole Conservation Commission Meeting

Monday, August 7, 2023

Location and Time:  Walpole Town Hall, 7:00 p.m.

1. Call to Order

2. Seating of Alternates

3. Review and Approval of July Minutes

4. Public Business 

​ Report from Chair

​ Treasury Report

​ Correspondence

5.   New Business

6.   Old Business

​ Ray Boas:  Tree Replacement on the Common

​ Adapting Meeting Norms

​ Walpole Gateway Update

​ Commission Liaison to the Hooper

7.   Other Business

​ Becoming a Commissioner or Alternate

​ Trail Committee Report

​ Property Monitoring

8.   Adjournment

​

Members Absent:  Alicia Flammia, Steven Dumont, France Menk

Seating of Alternates:  Kara Dexter

Visitors Present: Peggy Pschirrer, Nichole Adams, Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary)

Call to Order:  John Peska called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. in Walpole Town Hall.

Review and Approval of Minutes:  Kara noted that on page 2 of the 6/5/23 minutes, under Cheshire Rail Trail, the name Mark should read Mike.  Wendy asked that her report on the Great Brook culvert repair included under the RTP Grant heading on page 2 be recorded under its own heading since it is unrelated to the RTP Grant. Lew moved to approve the 6/5/23 minutes as amended.  Peter seconded and all voted in favor. Motion passed.

Public Business:  There were no Treasurer’s Report or correspondences tonight.

New Business

Adopting Meeting Norms:  Peter led the group in brainstorming a simple set of norms which, when regularly followed, will lead to efficient, productive and respectful Commission meetings. He added that norms help create a secure, safe space where members feel comfortable participating in a discussion and asking questions.  He stated that new groups often take this step when they first form. 

First, Peter set up the tables and chairs in a square to improve communication and asked to do this at all future meetings. He then shared a list of norms he brainstormed and the commissioners discussed each and tweaked them as they found necessary. Peter stressed that, to be successful in their intent, norms should be proposed by the group, agreed to by the group, and revisited yearly. Peter said the draft document listing the proposed norms discussed tonight is in the Google Drive in the Meeting Agenda section.

Peter made a motion that the Walpole Conservation Commission commit to developing a set of meeting norms during the next two meetings.  Kara seconded and all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

John asked Jean to include group or individual reminders of things to prepare for the next meeting when she sends out the minutes. These are action items that summarize who said they would do what for the next meeting.

Replacement of Trees on the Common:   Peggy Pschirrer reported that people living on the common are distressed that the five trees taken down on the common (three by the town and two by Liberty Utilities) have not been replaced.  Peggy stated there is no money in the budget to replace them. At a recent select board meeting Ray Boas suggested that the board approach the Walpole Conservation Commission about forming a subcommittee to look after trees in town or help find creative ways to raise money to replace the downed trees.  

She asked the commissioners if they would be interested in forming such a subcommittee or helping raise money to purchase replacement trees.

Lew suggested possibly offering some seed money from the Forest Fund. Peter said they should start with a small urban tree planting plan, which would include a time-consuming inventory of trees. He also said that planned road work on Washington Street should be completed before any planting takes place. That would put this project a year out during which landscape architects can be consulted and an inventory completed.

Wendy asked who is responsible for maintaining the common.  Peggy said our highway department cuts the grass.  We do not have a public works department, which would have the personnel to devote to landscape maintenance.

A discussion followed about what types of trees could successfully be planted on the common, fundraising, and who should be responsible for the project.  The Commission hopes that Mr. Boas will attend the next meeting to present his ideas and commissioners who were absent for this meeting can participate in the discussion and decision-making. 

For the August meeting Lew and John offered to talk to Fran Macri about tree selection and Peggy said she would send the commission the name of the arborist with whom the select board has worked. 

Pickleball Court on Walker Road:  Mr.Hayes attended a June select board meeting to ask if the land on Walker Road would be suitable for Pickleball.  Commissioners agreed that this would not meet the intended use of the Gateway property.  

Old Business

Commission Liaison to the Hooper:  A decision will be made at the August meeting.

Walpole Gateway Update:  John reported that he walked the property with Mark Houghton and the excavator operator and said they will try to get the work done this week, weather permitting.   He said Mark requested that the Commission brush hog from the upper parking lot down to the river to create a 16’ wide space for rescue vehicles. There was a question about whether rescue vehicles could easily access the river if the fence is constructed.  Lew suggested finishing the turnaround area before making plans for the fence. John said he would talk to Mark about his spacing needs and decisions about the fencing will be made at the August meeting. Lew also asked if fabric would be put under the SurePack. John will ask Mark about that, as well.

Other Business

Walpole Trails Subcommittee:  Wendy reported:

​​• More trail maps have been printed.

​​• Lew led a trail walk at High Blue.

​​• Will and Wendy will lead a trail walk on Rail Trail after RTP work done.

​​• Sharon had small, but good turnouts for her birding walks.

​​• They talked about repairing the bridge at Fanny Mason.

​​• They will assess trail maintenance at Mill Pond.

​​• Brush hogging of Rail Trail complete. Will proceed on RTP grant.

​​• Lew, Rob Westover, Jeff Harrington, Will and Wendy Grossman met at Hooper Forest to discuss mountain bike trails and possible new hiking/biking trails.

John asked if there will be a need for another brush hogging. Wendy said it would probably be needed in August.  Kara made a motion to approve $450 to brush hog the Rail Trail and $200 for the upper field. Lew seconded and all voted to approve.  Wendy said she could ask Mike Hubbard if he could brush hog the Gateway for rescue vehicles once they have more information about what is needed.

Property Monitoring:  Wendy reported that she did some research on GRANITview to get its recently updated information on conservation properties. She pulled all the data for Walpole and annotated all of its conservation properties. She distributed a spreadsheet of conservation lands for which the town of Walpole has a protecting role. She also distributed a terminology sheet, which she briefly described. Wendy noted on the spreadsheet that, for the majority of properties, the Town of Walpole is the owner and does not hold a conservation easement on them. Therefore, she feels the term “easement monitoring” should not be used for their project. Perhaps they could call it something like “conservation land monitoring project.”

Wendy concluded her presentation by asking what the commissioners want to do next. Which properties do they want to monitor and how do they keep the momentum from Lauren Halaquist’s work going? Peter said he would put Wendy’s data sheets on Google Drive. Then he will call a meeting of the monitoring subcommittee to discuss the data and plan next steps, which they will present at the next Commission meeting.  Kara asked to be included in the meeting with Peter, Alicia, John, and Wendy.  

Wendy asked that they establish check-out and return procedures for Commission files.

General Information:  John reported that the USGS is doing subsurface water quality monitoring off Route 12.

With no further business to discuss, Lew moved to adjourn the meeting. Kara seconded and John adjourned the meeting at 9:25 p.m.

​​  

The next meeting will be on Monday, August 7, 2023.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the August 7, 2023 meeting.

“Not New – Just Improved”

For the past few months Marcus Flynn has been working on The Walpolean, updating pages and helping out. Marcus is a Walpole native and student at The George Washington University where he studies International affairs. He has previously been involved in the community through volunteering at the recycling center and a former student representative with the Fall Mountain School Board.

He reached out to me in April when he discovered that the Government page still had Donald Trump as President. Instead of simply criticizing, he volunteered to help with the site. Such a nice offer since I have not been successful in keeping those pages up-to-date. Glad to have him aboard and trust you will see even more improvements than the ones he has already made.

April 3, 2023

Members Present: Alicia Flammia, John Peska, France Menk, Peter Palmiotto, Lewis Shelley, Steven Dumont, Lauren Halaquist (Intern)   

Members Absent:  None

Seating of Alternates: Kara Dexter, Wendy Grossman

Visitors Present:  Peggy Pschirrer, Cheryl Mayberry (Selectboard liaisons), Alison  Chickering, Joe and Sonja Sawyer, Sally Chickering, Marcus Lovell-Smith, 

Jean Kobeski (Recording Secretary)

Call to Order:  Alicia called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. in Walpole Town Hall. This meeting was recorded.

New Busines

Biosolids in Walpole: Alison Chickering came to the meeting to make the Commission aware of a situation involving biosolids on her family farm in Walpole.  She wanted to discuss the hazards of biosolids and enlist the help of the Conservation Commission in halting further delivery and spreading of this material at Chickering Farm and preventing it from being used on farms elsewhere in Walpole. Also in attendance were Sally Chickering, Joe and Sonja Sawyer, and Marcus Lovell-Smith to address this issue.

From March 20 – 22 of this year, RMI out of Holderness, NH, delivered 15 – 18 loads of biosolids, with 30 tons/load, to the Chickering Farm on River Road South, to be used as fertilizer. Ms. Chickering, an heir to her mother and late father’s estate, tried to stop the delivery, stating the truckers were passing on posted roads.  She was told they had secured permission from the road agent.  

Ms. Chickering explained the dangers of the biosolids.  Though the PFAS level in it is presently within legal range, this material is composed of treated medical waste, metals, viruses and bacteria, and waste water.  Sonja Sawyer, whose property abuts the Chickering farm, said it has an obnoxious odor, like dead fish.  Joe Sawyer stated that, in his whole life, he has not smelled anything as disgusting. He also stated that biosolids are forever chemicals.  Alison Chickering said that, though the biosolids were tested before delivery, no testing has been done to see what it does once it hits the soil.  She said the farm now has 18” of rich topsoil. NH DES is planning to rule on the legality of biosolids in New Hampshire in November; that will affect farms going forward but will not help the Chickerings, who have it on their land now.

Ms. Chickering is also concerned about the effect on birds, particularly the bald eagles who nest in that area. Her family provides riding lessons for many children, and she has read warnings that these materials should not touch the skin.  She said many people enjoy walking, running, and biking on River Road South and may be deterred from doing that due to the smell and possible danger of inhaling contaminants. She and Commissioners expressed concern about contaminants  leaching into brooks and the Connecticut River.  Sally Chickering said the biosolids leach to a 6 mile radius and the farm is located less than 1/4 mile from the river. Peter pointed out that Chickering land sits over an aquifer, making it a problem for the town. It was stated that, if the town needs extra water, they look to the aquifer, which would be polluted from the biosolids. 

Mr. Lovell-Smith stated that, even though he is not an abutter to the Chickering Farm, he attended the meeting to learn more about biosolids for his own farm, Boggy Meadow, and to support the Chickerings in their effort to halt the use of biosolids in Walpole. 

Alison Chickering asked if there is anything the Conservation Commission can do to stop this process. Alicia answered they can advocate for better practices but there really isn’t much they can do. They are stewards of town-owned, rather than private properties.  It was suggested Ms. Chickering write an article for the Clarion and other local newspapers to make people aware of the problem.  Write letters to the editors. Jean suggested calling the Keene Sentinel, explaining the problem and inviting them to the farm for an interview. Sally Chickering suggested getting townspeople to sign a petition to give to the Chickerings.  Steven said the only thing that can stop the use of biosolids is tor the town to pass an ordinance banning them.  Peggy explained the process of getting an ordinance passed and stated the earliest this could be done would be Town Meeting, 2024.

At this point the visitors thanked the Commissioners for their time and exited the meeting.

Approval of Minutes: Peter made a motion to accept the March minutes as written.  Steven seconded, and all voted in favor.  Motion carried.

Appointment of New Walpole Conservation Commission Chair: After consulting with Barbara Richter of the NHACC, Alicia suggested dividing the chair’s responsibilities among the commissioners. Following a discussion of these responsibilities, the following duties were divided in this way:

​Check mail and chair meetings:  Alicia

​Create meeting agendas:  Kara

​Communicate as needed with other town boards:  Wendy

​Check Commission email and serve as public contact:  Steven

Cheryle reminded the commissioners they will need to determine who will take Laura’s place as liaison to the Hooper Board. 

Public Business

Treasury:​​Conservation:  $202,057.17

​​​         Forestry:    $23,876.50

​       Walker Road/Gateway:     $2,019.73

​​ Mason Expendable:  $461,075.16​

​    Mason Non-Expendable:     $19,501.61

Correspondences:   The Commission received the following:

​​Municipal Conservation Commission Handbook

​​NH Planning and Land Use Handbook

​​Highlights from the Monadnock Conservancy

Commission Vacancies:  Laura has not renewed her membership in the Commission, leaving one full-time position available.  Wendy, currently an alternate, expressed interest in the position.  She will write a letter to the Selectboard.  This then creates two unfilled positions as alternates.

Old Business

Cheshire Rail Trail:  Wendy stated she would like to do the first mowing in June, so she will start the application for the Special Use Permit.  She asked the Commission for the $100 fee and $1,000 (refundable) bond, though she will try to have the bond waived.  Kara moved to approve the $100 application fee and $1,000 bond (if necessary).  John seconded the motion and all voted in favor. Motion carried.  The $100 will come from Trail Expenses. Wendy will talk to Rich about taking the $1,000 from the Conservation or Forestry Fund. Alicia said these and brush-hogging expenses ($1500) were supposed to be a Trail Maintenance line item in the budget but do not appear as such.  Alicia will talk to Rich bout this. 

Recreational Trail Program Grant:  Wendy reported that they will get the $20,000 grant from the state, and they expect to receive the contract to sign in early May. Alicia will write the letter to the Trustees of the Trust Fund to get the previously approved money from the Fanny Mason Funds to meet the 20% matching requirement by the state for this project.

NH State Parks LWCF Grant Program Update:  tabled until next month’s meeting

Planning Board Workshop to Update Section on Natural Resources the Master Plan:  Wendy and Peter will attend the workshop on April 25 at 7:00 p.m.

Prioritizing Future Projects:  tabled until next month’s meeting; Kara is presently compiling the list from the town report, meeting minutes, and Alex Barrett’s assessment of town forests.

Other Business

Property Monitoring: Lauren reported that she is 85% finished with the summaries and glossary, which are in the easement monitoring folder in Google Drive. She has been working on the Aldrich property; boundaries are in question.  Wendy said she would help Lauren and would give Lauren an opportunity to monitor the property with Will and her as the landowners.  Lauren said she would email Wendy next week to set a time to do this.

Lauren also wants to start the Cabot/Boggy Meadow property.  Alicia reminded her to take pictures.

Lauren’s goal is to have all 15 property summaries finished by the end of summer.  She is also working with Peter on writing monitoring protocols for a master document.

Walpole Trails Subcommittee: Lew, Steven, and Caryn Marshall  cleaned and organized the tool storage shed. Lew emailed pictures of the shed to the Commissioners.

Upcoming events include:

1.  France Menk’s Fanny Mason Trail Walk – Sunday, April 16 (iam@france-menk.com)

2.  Walpole Clean Up Day – Saturday, April 22, 8:00 a.m. Walpole RecyclingCenter

3.  HOT  (Help Our Trails) Day – Saturday, April 29, 9-12

Other: Lew presented an invoice for $27.73 for keys. John moved; Steven seconded, and all voted to approve payment.

With no further business to discuss, Steven moved to adjourn the meeting.  France seconded, and all voted in favor.  Alicia adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

The next meeting will be Monday, May 1, 2023.

Respectfully Submitted,

Jean Kobeski, Recording Secretary

** These minutes are in draft form until approved at the May 1, 2023 meeting.

Minutes for the Regular Meeting of the

Walpole Conservation Commission

March 5, 2018

Members Present:

Alicia Flammia (Chair), Jackie Kensen, Lew Shelley, Kelli Wilson, Laura Hayes, John Peska (Vice Chair), Duncan Watson

Alternates Present:

Myra Mansouri, Peter Palmiotto

Members Absent:

Elaine Heleen, Gary Speed

Others Present:

Cheryl Mayberry (Selectboard Representative), Steven Dumont (Recording Secretary)

Call to Order: Alicia Flammia, Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:28 PM.

Seating of Alternates: As a quorum of regular members was present, no seating of Alternates was required.

Review and approve minutes – February 5, 2018. No corrections. Lew made a motion to accept the minutes as written. Kelli seconded. With all in favor, the minutes were accepted.

Public Business:

1. Treasury: The Conservation fund has $148.89, with the rest of the money in the PDIP account. No statement this month for the PDIP account. The Forestry account has $1,502.38. The Fanny Mason Forest accounts (2) have $311,795.01 and $12,350.39.

2. Correspondence:

a. The NH Charitable Foundation gave the WCC/Alicia a check for $9,020.56, which is the annual dividend payment for the Robert Hubbard Conservation Commission Conservation fund. There is a $244,827.11 balance in the account.

b. Newsletter received from the NH DES Groundwater “Supply Lines With the Source”.

New Business:

1. Donald Rounds Jr. owns property along the Cold River, 1.2 acres, Map 26, Lot 33. He is looking to donate the land to the town as it is in a floodplain and unbuildable. Duncan Watson knows the property and will stop over to check it out. As it has river frontage it may be a nice public lot to access the Cold River for recreation.

Old Business:

1. Reservoir Dam: M&W Soils has declined to do a proposal. John is in touch with three other firms. He is waiting to hear back from Nobis Engineering. Haley & Aldrich has also declined. D&K has submitted a proposal. John would like to accept a proposal by next spring.

2. Walpole Easement Database: Laura presented a spreadsheet for review of what she has come up with so far. It includes basic GIS information from the State of NH. She also added recent easements that are not yet on the state database. Laura needs to go through the WCC files for more information. Peter would like transaction dates and levels of protection included on the spreadsheet. Also town owned property that do not have easements but may have some form of protection. Alicia would like to see a comment column added. A glossary of terms would help for people unfamiliar with the nomenclature. Alicia would also like to see a column that explains the responsibilities of parties for each easement/property. Cheryl recommends having a working and a physical version of the file. Laura will make the spreadsheet available to members for comment. It is currently in Google Docs. Laura has not yet purchased the GIS software.

3. Fannie Mason Feasibility Study: Lew is on schedule to start in April.

4. Long View Forest Walk: Alicia will check with Long View for date.

5. Bill Callahan Land Survey: Eric Peabody submitted a proposal for $2,650 to do the survey and deed work. DiBernardo Associates is getting back to Alicia. Alicia will email pricing once it arrives.

6. Town Conservation Maps: No progress from last month.

7. Garland Lumber Invoice: Garland Lumber has not paid the timber tax on their last bill. Alicia called and the invoice is sitting with their project manager. It is accruing interest. Alicia will follow up.

8. WCC Appointments: members up for reappointment still need to write letters of interest addressed to the Selectboard.

9. WCC Outing Day: Lew recommends High Blue as a good property for the outing day. Members agreed to set May 5th as a tentative date. The event is family & dog friendly.

10. Trail Work Day: Scheduled for Saturday April 28th. Lew estimates it will be about 1-1.5 hours. Lew thinks Mill Pond would be a good location.

Other Business:

1. Alicia received a call about a proposed convenience store to the left of the Walpole Veterinarian Clinic on Route 12. The applicant is applying for a special exception. There is a Planning Board meeting on April 10th.

2. Lew heard about a proposed fishing pool in Hubbard Brook. Cheryl mentioned the NH DES wants to put in a fishing ladder. Details are unknown. Lew mentioned the WCC would like some involvement or information. Cheryl will look into.

Adjournment: At 8:18 PM Duncan made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Lew seconded. Meeting adjourned.

Next Meeting: Monday, April 2, 2018 at 7:30 PM.

Respectfully submitted; Steven Dumont, Recording Secretary

Note: These are unapproved minutes. Corrections, if any, will be found in the minutes of April 2, 2018.

AGENDA
WALPOLE CONSERVATION COMMISSION MEETING
MARCH 5, 2018

Location and Time : Walpole Town Hall, Downstairs Office at 7:30 PM.

1. CALL TO ORDER

2. SEATING OF ALTERNATES

3. REVIEW and APPROVE MINUTES – February 5, 2018

4. PUBLIC BUSINESS:
Report from Chair:
A. Treasury Report.
B. Correspondence.

5. NEW BUSINESS:
A. Donald Rounds Jr. – Cold River Land Donation.

6. OLD BUSINESS:
A. Reservoir Dam Engineering Proposals – Update.
B. Town Easement Report – Update.
C. Fanny Mason Feasibility Study.
D. Long View Forest Walk – Reschedule Date.
E. Bill Callahan Land – Survey Update.
F. Town Conservation Maps – Update.
G. Garland Lumber Invoice – Update.
H. Membership Re-appointments: John Peska, Kelli Wilson, Myra Mansouri (Alternate).
I. Reminders:
a. WCC Outing Day -Spring.
b. Trail Work Day – Mid April.

7. ADJOURNMENT

Minutes for the Regular Meeting of the
Walpole Conservation Commission
December 4, 2017

Members Present:
John Peska (Vice Chair), Jackie Kensen, Peggy Pschirrer (Selectboard Representative), Lew Shelley,
Kelli Wilson, Laura Hayes,
Alternates Present:
Elaine Heleen, Gary Speed, Myra Mansouri, Peter Palmiotto
Others Present:
Steven Dumont (Recording Secretary)
Call to Order: Mtr. John Peska, Vice Chair, called the meeting to order at 7:33.
Seating of Alternates: As a quorum of regular members was present, no seating of Alternates was
required.

Review and approve minutes – November 6, 2017. Corrections; It was noted that Laura Hayes’s name was spelled incorrectly on page one and Steven Dumont’s name was spelled incorrectly on page 2. Later in the meeting, it was also noted that Mrs. Pschirrer did not “find” the information regarding what costs the WCC should cover in terms of fees for conservation easements. She wrote the memo herself. Mr. Shelley moved to approve the minutes as corrected. Mrs. Mansouri seconded. With all members in favor, the minutes were approved as corrected.

Public Business:

1. Treasury/Budget Report: Mr. Peska reported that he did not receive an accounting statement for
the account the PDIP funds went into. This will be followed up with next month. The forestry account has a balance of $64,592.34. The Conservation Fund has $148.87. A copy of the bank statements were passed around for review.

2. Correspondence:
a. Letter from the Robert Hubbard Conservation Commission Conservation Fund: the
charitable distribution rate will be lowered from 4.24% to 4% for 2018. Peter will follow up to ask why rate is being lowered, considering how well the stock market is doing.
b. The Connecticut River Conservancy is asking for donations. The Walpole Conservation Commission (WCC) has not previously donated.
c. The NH DES “Supply Lines With The Source” newsletter was distributed. Included is a profile on Mark Houghton.
d. The Monadnock Conservancy Fall/Winter newsletter was passed around.
e. NH DES Wetlands Bureau: the WCC received a letter from them denying a permit for a small culvert repair project. The project will be put off until next year.

New Business:
1. Land Donation – Bill Callahan: The selectboard has completed the two hearings and two letters
required for the selectboard to vote to accept the property. The vote will take place on December
14th. If approved, the Conservation Commission would cover the cost of the legal and survey fees
with funds from the Fanny Mason Trust Fund. The property abuts the Fanny Mason Forest.
2. Recording Secretary: Steven Dumont was introduced as the new recording secretary for the
WCC.
3. Mrs. Pschirrer introduced a memo she wrote outlining the potential policies of the WCC in
regards to the distribution of conservation monies. Mrs. Pschirrer recommends that the policies of
other Conservation Commissions be looked into as well. The memo was distributed.

Old Business:
1. Reservoir Dam: Mr. Peska visited S&W Soils in Charlestown. They are not interested in putting
together a proposal for the dam engineering work. Mrs. Flemmia sent Mr. Peska a list of
engineering firms that do this type of work. Mr. Peska will contact them. The goal is to get two or
three proposals. The funds for the repair of the dam would be taken from the Forestry Fund. Mr.
Peska spoke with Mark Houghton, who has been unable to contact Brian Fletcher, to clear the
trees/brush along the dam. It would be preferable to have Mr. Fletcher do the work in lieu of Mr.
Houghton’s crew. Mr. Speed will contact Mr. Fletcher to see if he is interested. It was mentioned
that the town of Walpole’s highway department has a new piece of equipment that may be able to
do most of the work. Mrs. Kensen proposed that the WCC fund the brush cutting of the dam, by
either the Walpole Highway Department, or rMr. Fletcher. Mr. Shelley seconded the motion. With all in favor, the motion passed.
2. Antioch University Internship: Ms. Hayes & Mr. Palmiotto noted that there has not been any
interest, but a new cycle of students is coming. If Ms. Hayes does the work, as she is on the
WCC, there will not need to be office personnel with her. Ms. Hayes may be interested but needs
to check her schedule and give it further thought.
3. Monadnock Conservancy/Neerie Easement: Mr. Peska would like to move forward and resolve
the outstanding request of $9,000 from the Monadnock Conservancy (MC) to cover costs for the
easement. It was noted that Alstead donated $4,000. It was also noted that Mr. Neerie is donating
$4,000 of his own money. Mr. Peska believes that $9,000 is a high amount for this easement. Mr.
Shelley spoke with Ryan from the MC. Ryan said that $7,500 is the flat fee, and $1,500 is for
special building rights. ⅔ of the $7,500 will be invested in the stewardship fund, and ⅓ will go
into the enforcement fund. Mrs. Pschirrer mentioned that the fees are real and based upon real
needs. Mr. Shelley made a motion to pay the $9,000 the MC is requesting. Ms. Hayes seconded
the motion. Mr. Peska noted that he thinks the full amount is excessive, and he would like to see
no more than half of that. Mr. Speed said in his opinion, $7,500 is reasonable, and that he doesn’t
believe the special building rights is the responsibility of the WCC. With Mr. Shelley’s motion
still on the table, Mrs. Kensen made an amendment to the motion to pay $7,500 to the MC. Mrs.
Wilson seconded the amendment. Mr. Shelley, Ms. Hayes and Mr. Peska approve. With all in
favor, the amendment to give $7,500 to the Monadnock Conservancy passed.
4. ARM Grant: Mr. Peska noted that the ARM Grant funding is limited due to the upcoming Route
12 expansion, and it is not worth pursuing funding for the repairs of the deficient reservoir dam.
5. Garland Lumber: Mr. Peska spoke with Mr. Speed. It seems that the cutting work that Garland
Lumber did was not cleaned up properly. They left some downed rotting trees. It was noted that
although it is unsightly, it is good for wildlife. Mr. Dumont asked if the specifications in the
forestry contract covers cleanup procedures. Mr. Peska noted that Walpole has recently switched
the Town Forester.
6. Town Forests – Long View Forest: Mr. Shelley noted that Long View Forest would like to
schedule a Rapid Forest Assessment of the Hooper Forest with members of the WCC, and would
like to hear back from members by Friday Dec. 8th. Date of the walk TBD.
7. Trail Work Volunteers: Mr. Shelley is in charge of organizing volunteers for trail work. He would
like to reschedule for March. He noted he also needs to finish the mapping. Mr. Peska has not yet
contacted the High school for volunteers. The WCC will sponsor a student from Walpole for
conservation camp. Mr. Shelley will come up with a March date next meeting for the trail work.
8. Fanny Mason Feasibility Study: Mr. Shelley is holding off until January.

Adjournment: Meeting unofficially adjourned at 8:55.
Next Meeting: Monday, January 8, 2018 at 7:30.

Respectfully submitted; Steven Dumont, Recording Secretary
Note: These are unapproved minutes. Corrections, if any, will be found in the minutes of January 8, 2018

Minutes for the regular meeting of the

Walpole Conservation Commission

Monday, August 7, 2017

 

Present:  Alicia Flammia, John Peska, Gary Speed, Myra Mansouri (alt.), Peter Palmiotto (alt.), Jackie Kensen, Kelli Wilson, Lewis Shelley, Cheryl Mayberry (SelectBoard representative), Elaine Heleen, acting secretary

Not Present:  Duncan Watson

 

Ms. Flammia, chair, called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM.

 

Seating of Alternates 

Ms. Mansouri was seated to achieve quorum.

 

Treasury/Budget Report

No Treasury or Budget reports were available.

 

Minutes

Mr. Peska moved to accept the minutes for the July 10, 2017 meeting as presented. Ms. Wilson seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

New Business

1. Much discussion ensued regarding trail work needed at Mill Pond and Fanny Mason and getting other volunteers to assist. Members will contact other groups such as school kids who need volunteer hours, snowmobilers, bike club, walking group, scout troops, Hooper students, Ag Dept of High School, etc.  Late fall is best for heavy work as there are less ticks.
2. Aquatic Resource Mitigation Fund Program (ARM) re: funding for dam removal/replacement through DES. Mr. Peska will contact Warren Stevens, engineer to get an estimate on time needed to assess the Reservoir Dam and cost to hire him.
3. Prioritize Town Forests for the Town Forester to assess. The Commission members recommend Fanny Mason, Hooper Forest, Reservoir Forest, Nelson, March, Burton, Watershed, Trombley, Great Brook, and Sawyer Easement.

 

Old Business

1. Palmiotto says that nothing has been done about the Antioch University intern project as school is just getting started again.
2. Monadnock Conservancy/ Nerrie Easement request for $9,000. The sticking point is still the Easement Stewardship Fund. Commission members remember that in the past only the cost of Surveys and Legal fees were covered; it was not the intent to cover the Easement Stewardship costs.  Shelley moved to state that going forward the Conservation Commission will only cover Survey and Legal Fees related to Easements.  No one seconded as attempts to correct the language flooded in.  Mr. Peska moved to table Mr. Shelley’s motion until the Town Attorney could review the motion and recommend the best language to correctly state the intent of the situation. Ms. Mansouri seconded Mr. Peska’s motion which passed with all in favor.
3. Mayberry will confirm that the Selectboard appointed Laura Hayes to the Conservation Commission.

 

 

Other

1. Fanny Mason trails have gotten overgrown. A feasibility study needs to be done to establish what work is needed and what it would take to have the trails cleared and completed. Shelley has done feasibility studies for other groups at around $50/hr and he estimates that the FM would take 3 days including write up.  Ms. Flammia will check with the Town Attorney on how to best avoid any conflicts of interest if Mr. Shelley is to be hired to do the study.
2. Peska has looked into the best place for the Commission’s monies. Mrs. Pschirrer, Selectboard member, has recommended a state fund that would earn better interest for the Conservation fund.  Mr. Peska made a motion to move the Conservation Fund to the State fund. Ms. Mansouri seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.
3. Additional property will be added to the High Blue Easement of 40 acres to the North of the current 260 acres with a neighbor contributing over half of the funding.

 

The next meeting will be Monday, September 11, 2017.

 

Mr. Peska moved that the meeting be adjourned at 8:45pm.  Ms. Mansouri seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Elaine Heleen, Acting Recording Secretary

NOTE:  These are unapproved minutes with corrections to be found in the minutes of the next meeting.

Minutes for the regular meeting of the

Walpole Conservation Commission

Monday, July 10, 2017

 

Present:  Alicia Flammia, John Peska, Myra Mansouri (alt.), Peter Palmiotto (alt.), Jackie Kensen, Kelli Wilson, Peggy Pschirrer (SelectBoard representative), Elaine Heleen, acting secretary

Not Present:  Lewis Shelley, Gary Speed, Duncan Watson

Ms. Flammia, chair, called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM.

Non-Public session: 

Mr. Palmiotto was seated to achieve quorum.

 

Treasury/Budget Report

As of 5/31/17, the Conservation Commission Fund had a balance of $97,709.77.  This includes a withdrawal of $22,880.70 which was supposed to be in the Forestry account.  The Forestry fund (with that deposit) is $64,570.75.  The Mason Expendable Trust Fund had $307,897.82 as of 4/30/17. The Non Expendable Mason Trust Fund had $12,234.23 at the end of April 2017.

Correspondence

1. NH Timberland Owners Association; still choose not to be members
2. Drinking Water & Groundwater Bureau DES newsletter
3. Reservoir Dam response letter by Mark Houghton; approved by DES
4. BSA (Tax Map/Lot: 11/47; 48) cutting approved
5. A deed was recorded in 1998 shows that the Town owns the Conservation Easement of the Hubbard property off of North Road. However, there are questions of who owns which Easements. Peska moved to allocate up to $2,000 for an internship for a grad student to create a template for an annual report of the list of the Town Conservation Easements for the Selectboard. Ms. Wilson seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

Minutes

Corrections to the minutes:

1. 1^st paragraph: “hills to the river; create a corridor” add Conservation before corridor
2. 2^nd paragraph: Antioch is a University, not a College
3. 2^nd paragraph, 2^nd page: “capability to expand the town’s boundaries” should be “capability to expand the Conservation maps to go beyond the town’s boundaries”
4. New Bike Trail: change “illegal bike patch” to “unauthorized bike path” as it may not have been illegal

Mr. Peska moved to accept the minutes for the June 5, 2017 meeting as corrected. Ms. Kensen seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

New Business

1. Anne McBride from the Monadnock Conservancy is present to report on the efforts to create a Conservation Easement on the lands owned by Michael & Kathy Nerrie (owners of Distant Hill Gardens). Approximately 48 acres are in both Walpole and Alstead.  The home, outbuildings, gardens and pond will be excluded from the easement area.  The easement would include a reserved right to build a pavilion for potential school groups.  Monadnock Conservancy estimates the costs to be $18,510 and is asking for $9,000 from the WCC.      After Ms. McBride left, it was decided to table the decision until next month so that some research can be done on whether a payment to the Conservancy’s Easement Stewardship Fund is within the purview of the Walpole Conservation Commission as several members remember that it was not done in the past.
2. There have been inquiries about the vacant position on the WCC. Laura Hayes has submitted a letter of interest, Cliff Peters has not yet sent in a letter, and Steve Dumont (formerly on the Charlestown Conservation Commission) will be moving to Walpole and expressed interest.  After discussion, Peska moved to recommend to the Selectboard to appoint Laura Hayes to fill the WCC vacancy.  Mr. Palmiotto seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor. Alternate slots are available should the other two finish the requirements for consideration.
3. Repairs to the Bellows Falls Dam near Aumand Furniture have started.
4. Kensen has volunteered to monitor the Lazaro Easement as it has not yet been done.

 

 

Old Business

1. Reservoir Dam; as noted earlier, Mr. Houghton submitted the form to DES with expected improvements and maintenance.
2. Public Meeting on Route 12 expansion; expected to happen Spring/Summer 2018
3. Fanny Mason trail loop. Palmiotto moved to request proposals for finishing the trail loop pending information from Mr. Shelley.  Ms. Kensen seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

 

Other

Sharlene Beaudry passed on June 7, 2017.  Mr. Peska moved to allocate up to $50 for Ms. Flammia to purchase a card and gift to be delivered to the Beaudrys.  Ms. Kensen seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

The next meeting will be Monday, August 7, 2017.

 

Mr. Palmiotto moved that the meeting be adjourned at 9:05pm.  Mr. Peska seconded, and the motion passed with all in favor.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Elaine Heleen, Acting Recording Secretary

NOTE:  These are unapproved minutes with corrections to be found in the minutes of the next meeting.