The Walpolean

Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair, and Carolyn Vose

Staff Present: Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary, and Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration

Guests Present:  Pat Kiniry from the North Walpole Village Commissioners and Meghan Hansson, Town Clerk

Call to Order: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall.

North Walpole Speeding and Church/Killeen Street Condition Issues:   Ms. Mayberry moved this item to the beginning of the meeting because a guest wished to speak to it.  Pat Kiniry from the North Walpole Village Commissioners described safety concerns in North Walpole:  especially at the corners of Oak and Church (can only see about 150 feet), Maple and Church (trees on private property obstruct the view), and Pine and Church (can’t fix this intersection) where visibility is limited.  This problem is exacerbated by speeding cars and big trucks in the Village.  Speeding vehicles have caused a lot of accidents at Mr. G’s.  Route 12 has not been resurfaced in twenty years. There are storm drains with holes and two washouts.  Letters will be written and signed by the Selectboard and the North Walpole Village Commissioners to try to resolve the issues. The Commissioners are also in contact with the Police Department about the speeding.  

Pat Kiniry left the meeting.

Non-Public Business RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (b)

Ms. Vose moved to enter into Non-Public Session pursuant to RSA 91-A:3 II (a) (b) at 6:59 PM. Ms. Mayberry seconded. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 7:51 PM.

Ms. Vose moved that the Non-Public Session Minutes be sealed. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Note:  Meghan Hansson left the meeting during the Non-Public session after she spoke about her topic.

Accounts Payable

Ms. Vose moved to approve Accounts Payable totaling $894,384.86 dated 4/19/2024.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.  This included a $462,732.58 payment to Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) and $238,182.92 payment to the North Walpole Village District for their portion of 2023 taxes. Ms. Mayberry is to contact FMRSD to ask why the payment amount has dropped significantly.

Payroll

Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $49,653.43 dated 4/19/2024 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $11,687.02.  This payroll includes retroactive pay to 1/1/2024 to employees for wage increases.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. 

Selectboard Meeting Minutes

Selectboard Meeting – April 11, 2024:   Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of April 11, 2024. Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Selectboard Non-Public Meeting – April 11, 2024:   Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard Non-Public meeting of April 11, 2024 and the minutes remain sealed.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Committee Reports

Ms. Vose brought to the chair’s attention the following committee reports:

• North Walpole Village District Commissioners Meeting – March 12, 2024

• North Walpole Village District Commissioners Meeting – March 19, 2024

• North Walpole Village District Commissioners Meeting – March 26, 2024

• Conservation Commissioners Meeting – April 1, 2024

• Planning Board Meeting – April 9, 2024

Ms. Mayberry acknowledged these minutes.

Timber Yield Taxes Assessed and Warrant

Op # 23-461-01, Map and Lot # 002-013-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Timber Yield Taxes Assessed and Warrant for $868.51.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Op # 23-461-02, Maps and Lots # 002-009-000 and 005-036-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Timber Yield Taxes Assessed and Warrant for $3,897.25.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Gravel Tax Warrant

Op # 23-461-03, Map and Lot 014-013-000: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Gravel Tax Warrant for $89.08.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Op # 23-461-04, Map and Lot 015-011-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Gravel Tax Warrant for $2,085.32.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Elderly Exemption

Map and Lot 022-013-000: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Elderly Property Tax Exemption on Map and Lot # 022-013-000.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Timber Intents

Map and Lot # 011-039-004:  This property had an intent for 2023 that did not occur.  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Intent to Harvest Timber for Map and Lot # 011-039-004.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Excavation Intent                      

Map and Lot # 014-013-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Intent to Excavate for Cold River Materials at Map and Lot # 014-013-000.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Map and Lot # 015-011-000:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the Intent to Excavate for Cold River Materials at Map and Lot # 015-011-000.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Building Permit

2014-10, Map and Lot# 012-013-004:  Ms. Vose moved to approve Building Permit # 2014-10 for Map and Lot # 012-013-004 to construct the third building at Abenaki Springs.  This permit is a renewal.Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.  

2023–6, Map and Lot# 005-031-002:  Ms. Vose moved to approve Building Permit # 2023-06 for Map and Lot # 005-031-002 to construct a 32’ x 30’ storage barn. This permit is a renewal.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry. With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Old Business

Pending Further Action:  Parking Policy, Generators, Old North Main and High Street Bridges/Culverts, Houghton Brook Bridge, and Reservoir Dam

NH PUC Form to Liberty Utilities: Ms.  Vose moved that Ms. Mayberry, Chair of the Selectboard, sign the form which is related to the solar installation at the Recycling Center.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved and the form signed.

Response Letter from Fall Mountain Regional School District:   Ms. Mayberry stated that FMRSD replied to the Selectboard late and did not sign the response letter. The District wrote they would send an answer no later than May 17th.  FMRSD claims that since the Town approved the budget, Walpole cannot reclaim money that was spent elsewhere.

Walpole Schools Withdrawal Study Committee: Ms. Mayberry announced that the seven selected members of the committee have all agreed to serve.  The committee will be invited to the Wednesday, May 1^st Selectboard meeting.  The committee will be given their mission and goals. The committee will select a chair and determine their meeting schedule.

New Business

Cemetery Deed # D469:  Ms. Vose moved to approve the sale of Cemetery Deed # D469.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Appointment Notice: Ms. Mayberry moved to appoint Tom Beaudry as an alternate on the Conservation Commission.  Seconded by Ms. Vose.  With Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion carried.

2024 Summer Concerts on the Common: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Concerts on the Common sponsored by the Savings Bank of Walpole.  They will start June 16^th and the last concert will be August 11^th.  Seconded by Ms. Mayberry.  With Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion carried.  The Board thanked Savings Bank of Walpole for sponsoring the concerts.

Hooper Trustees

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 8:31 PM.  Ms. Vose seconded.  With Ms. Mayberry and Ms.  Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:35 PM.

Adjournment: Ms. Mayberry declared the meeting adjourned at 8:35 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sue Bauer, Recording Secretary

Help Our Trails (HOT) Day

Saturday, May 4, 9 am – 12 pm

Walpole’s 2nd Annual Help Our Trails (HOT) Day is less than 2 weeks away! The emerging spring flowers signal that it’s time to prepare the town’s trails for the hiking season.  You can help by signing up for HOT Day, the Walpole Trail Committee’s town-wide trail work day.  Help Our Trails Day will be held in 2024 on Saturday, May 4, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

All HOT Day volunteers should meet at the Walpole Town Hall, 34 Elm Street, by 9 am.  Participants will divide into small teams and go out to work on maintenance projects at designated trail locations around Walpole.  Volunteers are needed to trim back vegetation, clear fallen branches, pick up litter, and tackle some other interesting projects on trails at Mill Pond Sanctuary, Fanny Mason Forest, the Cheshire Rail Trail, and elsewhere in Walpole. 

Please dress for trail work and bring your own water, work gloves, and hand tools (clippers, loppers, hand saws, etc.) if you have them.  Do not bring chain saws or power tools.  Litter bags will be provided. No dogs, please.

We strongly encourage all Help Our Trail Day volunteers to sign up in advance by sending an email towalpoletrailhelpers@gmail.com.  This will enable us to contact you with additional HOT Day details.

Please join us on Help Our Trails Day, Saturday, May 4th, from 9 am to noon. Rain date is Sunday, May 5th.  

​Wendy Grossman and Kara Dexter

​Walpole Trail Committee

Yes, you probably have been expecting this message to remind you it is AGAIN TIME to send along your submissions for the next issue of the CLARION – now for MAY 2024 –  Please have your inputs to me by 5 pm Walpole time, Monday, April 22.  Submission guidelines, and contact email are on the CLARION website. Already I have received submissions and new ads and begun the May layout. Your early submissions help in the process of including all important material in a pleasing manner on each page. Please remember, it is the advertisers in each issue that make this community publication possible, so please support and thank them. If you are interested in “joining in,” do contact me.If you have any questions, or interest in placing an advertisement, reaching over 1900 Walpole, North Walpole and Drewsville addresses, I welcome your inquiries, so please do get in touch with me. Advertising information and contact information is on the CLARION website. Thank you, RAY BOAS, Publisher

Selectboard Present: Cheryl Mayberry, Chair; Steven Dalessio and Carolyn Vose

Staff Present: Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration

CALL TO ORDER: Ms. Mayberry called the Selectboard meeting to order at 6:30 PM in the Walpole Town Hall. She introduced herself, Cheryl Mayberry, Selectboard Chair, Steve Dalessio and Carolyn Vose and Sarah Downing, Manager of Administration

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE:

Ms. Vose moved to approve Accounts Payable totaling $134,067.43 dated 4/05/24. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. This included a $42,776.94 payment to HealthTrust and a $41,179.00 payment to Eastern Minerals for road salt.

Mr. Dalessio mentioned that a new monthly payment amount to Fall Mountain Regional School District (FMRSD) was being confirmed. A letter is to be sent by FMRSD to explain the large decrease of over $200,000 per month. Ms. Mayberry explained that normally adjustments are made in January, at the beginning of the calendar year. 

PAYROLL:

Ms. Vose moved to approve the Payroll Register totaling $31,310.63 dated 4/05/24 and the 941 Payroll Tax Transfer of $6,480.31.  Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberryin favor, the motion was approved. 

SELECTBOARD MEETING MINUTES:

SELECTBOARD MEETING – March 28, 2024:   Ms. Vose moved to approve the Minutes of the Selectboard meeting of March 28, 2024. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

VETERANS’ TAX CREDIT

Map and Lot# 015-023-000: Ms. Vose moved to approve the Veterans’ Property Tax Credit for Map and Lot# 015-023-000. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

OLD BUSINESS: 

High Street Bridge/Culvert: Mr. Dalessio reported the drawing would be released so that the project could go out to bid. Ms. Mayberry asked if the design plans could be shared. Mr. Dalessio responded they could be, and he will send them to Ms. Mayberry and Ms. Vose. Mr. Dalessio added that there is currently no money assigned to the School Street Drainage and the High Street Bridge Project. Mr. Dalessio believes that mitigation grant funds may be available.

Houghton Brook Bridge:  Mr. Dalessio stated that the project is closer to the design stage for a single lane wooden bridge. A temporary bridge will need to be installed, which influenced the cost of the project. The DES told Mr. Dalessio that the original grant award was still active.

Reservoir Dam: Mr. Dalessio said that the kick-off for the final design implementation plan was yesterday. There are now 12 people assigned to the project. Borings, survey work and wetland delineations will be occurring. Reimbursements from the ARPA grant for work billed to date have been received and are being tracked.

Discontinuance of Water Service Letter from the NH Dept. of Energy: Ms. Mayberry stated that this is a confirmation letter related to an earlier verbal notification. The North Walpole and Walpole Water and/or Sewer Utilities are not public utilities and do not need to follow the Public Utility Commission (PUC) rules. Mr. Dalessio commented that Walpole Water and Sewer does follow the PUC rules, although not obligated to do so.

NEW BUSINESS:

Cemetery Deed: Ms. Vose moved to accept the Cemetery Deed for lot E947. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

Purchase Order and Proposal for Town Hall Kitchen Exhaust System: Ms. Vose moved to approve Purchase Order #630697 for the Town Hall Kitchen Exhaust System in the amount of $3,800. Seconded by Mr. Dalessio. With Ms. Vose, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved. Mr. Dalessio asked what the funding source was for the added dampeners. Mrs. Downing confirmed the expense would be posted against the municipal budget.

Request to the Trustees of Trust Funds: Mr. Dalessio moved to accept the reimbursement request to the Trustees of Trust Funds in the amount of $800 for survey work of the cemetery. Seconded by Ms. Vose. With Mr. Dalessio, Ms. Vose and Ms. Mayberry in favor, the motion was approved.

NH DOT Ten Year Plan: Ms. Mayberry reviewed the status of the Vilas Bridge Project on the Ten Year Plan (TYP) list. Ms. Mayberry has been a member of the Transportation Committee of SWRPC for over 12 years and is very familiar with TYP requests. A project can reside on the TYP list for many years before the project begins. There was a consensus amongst the Board not to make any new requests.

Recycling Truck Repairs: Ms. Vose had learned from Mr. Hoy that the Recycling Center’s truck was at the repair shop due to structural issues. The cost to repair the truck with welding and potentially a new truck bed was high. The Selectboard discussed ideas that could be shared with Mr. Hoy who would decide upon the best course of action. 

Recycling Center Closure Due to Poor Weather: Ms. Vose had a request from Mr. Hoy to close the Recycling Center on Thursday, 4/4/23 because of expected bad weather. Ms. Mayberry recommended that Mr. Hoy speak with Mr. Symonds, the Road Agent, in the morning to give his thoughts on road conditions before deciding to close the facility. Suggestions on how to communicate the closure were also discussed.

Free Little Libraries: There was a request from Alice Cable of FMRSD to place Free Little Libraries at locations such as Abenaki Springs, the Drewsville Common, etc. The Selectboard was in consensus to forward the inquiry to Jane Malmberg, the Walpole Library Director.

North Walpole Village Annual Meeting: Ms. Mayberry gave a recap of the questions asked and answers given to those attending the North Walpole Village’s Annual Meeting. There were several questions related to road signage. Additionally, there were inquiries about the future of the current Police Station and comments about graffiti.

HOOPER TRUSTEES:  

Ms. Mayberry moved to enter into the Hooper Trustees meeting at 7:58 PM. Mr. Dalessio seconded. With Ms. Mayberry, Mr. Dalessio, and Ms. Vose in favor, the motion was approved.

The meeting was reconvened at 8:02 PM.

ADJOURNMENT:

Ms. Mayberry declared the meeting adjourned at 8:02 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah Downing, Recording Secretary Pro Tempore

​​​​

Members Present: John Peska, France Menk (recorder of minutes), Wendy Grossman,
Peter Palmiotto (Facilitating), Lewis Shelley, Steven Dumont
Selectboard member: Steve Dalessio
Members Absent: Alicia Flammia
Alternates Present: Nicole Adams
Visitors Present: Monadnock Climbers Association members: Jeff Archibald, Rob Koning,
Becky Barrett, JC Woodward.
Ballam Farm: Holly Gowdy;
Brookfield Farm: Tom Beaudry.

Call to Order: Peter called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall.
No Alternates were seated.

Review and Approval of Minutes: John amended the March minutes. Lew moved
to accept. Wendy seconded, and all voted in favor. Motion carried. 

PUBLIC BUSINESS
Treasury Report
Conservation: $223,411.78
Forestry: $25,176.40

Correspondence. There was no correspondence to report this month.

NEW BUSINESS
1. Monadnock Climbers Association. MCA Mission: The Monadnock Climbers’ Association
(MCA) is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer climbers’ organization that works to build cohesive relationships with landowners, conservation groups, advocacy groups, and state and local governments, to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment in southwest
New Hampshire and surrounding areas.

Jeff presented a slide show outlining their thoughts about how we might form a liaison. They want
to secure formal recreational access to Fall Mountain, which will protect its ecosystem. Eg., build trails to: directly access climbing and hiking areas; avoid encroaching on private lands; prevent erosion, and interruption of the area’s cyclical plant growth; and protect wildlife habitat,
in particular, our local Peregrine Falcon nesting areas.

Designing an appealing and protected recreational environment will attract visitors who
travel specifically for recreation. They will provide direct economic benefits to the surrounding
communities of North Walpole, Walpole, and Bellows Falls.

Steve initiated a discussion about economic benefits vis a vis the tax base. The MCA asked
for our assistance in their efforts toward obtaining broader support and grants, to present
to Liberty Utilities for either a purchase or MOA. We asked to see details of the proposal they
spoke about with all the benefits and concerns. Parking was the most significant concern. 
After some discussion, we said we would need to see more research, and that a briefing
should be presented to North Walpole Commissioners for their support.

2. Ballam Farm. Holly Gowdy spoke about their invasive species control. Ballam Farm
is a certified organic farm. She described how mulching and cyclical mowing of the invasives
would keep hedges from shading the field; provide room for pollinating plants; encourage
wildlife; support erosion control, and create good grazing land. Ballam Farm has a grant from
the American Farmland Trust, and a partnership agreement with NRCS (she’ll send us a copy
of the agreement). This work has already been started.

3. Brookfield Farm. Tom Beaudry, a certified crop advisor, who advises farms along the Connecticut River Valley and seacoast, spoke about the importance of farming in Walpole, how farms struggle
to survive, and how we are losing open spaces essential to the broad health of our ecosystem. 

Walpole’s farming community runs the gamut, from being fully organic to using commercial fertilizers and herbicides for the production of: vegetables; dairy cows and products; orchards; syrup-making; and raising cattle, poultry, and pigs. He discussed farming practices, how it is a balancing act to weigh methods’ costs and benefits. Eg., the benefits of cover crops vs tilling, which destroys the soil structure. His description of how herbicides are used, the percentage to water, how they are spread, and that they are not residual, was reassuring. Only orchards use fungicides here, and most farms have nutrient management plans. Phosphorus runoff is our major concern. Managing the land for optimum, long term health of both the ecosystem and our own, is challenging. Conversion of farmland to solar installation, another reduction of open space essential to wildlife, is one example.

We spoke about creating educational outreach for residents. Many newcomers are unfamiliar with Walpole’s foundation as a farming community – and of farming in general. Nicole, our representative to the Hooper Institute, will bring this up with program designers at their next meeting. (Peggy Pschirrer is their project manager.) Perhaps Hooper can integrate that with their elementary                school programming; perhaps arrange tours to farms.

We may have a section on our website devoted to farming, with interviews and comments from farmers. Perhaps a meeting with the town. We’ll continue this discussion at our May meeting.

4. Rail Trail. Wendy reported the estimated timeline for brush hogging to start in June. Mike Hubbard will do it – and the Gateway, if we wish – for the same fee as last year. To do the brush hogging, the Town must obtain a Special Use Permit from the Bureau of Trails. Wendy asked
the Conservation Commission to authorize $100 for the Special Use Permit fee, and $1000
for the required bond, which would cover any damage to the trail. This bond money has
always been returned. The Conservation Commission approved both the $100 fee, and the $1000 bond. She hopes to establish a deeper relationship with the  Bureau of Trails, that they might waive the bond requirement. They are planning a visit soon. 

She also mentioned that deadlines for RTP grant applications are looming and that, should anyone wish to take advantage of the opportunity, they would need to make a timely decision.

5. Alternate nomination
Peter asked Tom Beaudry if he would accept a slot on the Commission, as an alternate. Tom agreed. Everyone welcomed him as our new alternate. His farming expertise will be a valuable addition, as we often need that knowledge for much of our project management responsibility.

6. OLD BUSINESS
Master plan – conservation lands table. Wendy and Peter are updating the land map.

Property monitoring: Alicia and Peter monitored the Aldrich easement:
The Grossmans’ property.

Walpole Gateway
Peter proposed that Larry Britton be allowed to farm the lower field if he is willing. We do need a survey to declare the precise boundaries of the rail trail and the Gateway’s upper field. We have decided to unlock the gate at the end of mud season: usually Memorial Day weekend. Now that
we have a turnaround space for cars to unload, we hope to see greater usage of the access.

Dam updates.
Reservoir Dam. Fuss & O’Neal design team (about 12 people) will start the final design and implementation of the repairs required by the NH DES Letter of Deficiency. Geo-Tech’s work
for 3 required borings will start in mid April, as will survey work and wetlands delineation.                   The slope angle will be mitigated, and the core material identified. We don’t know if it’s granite
or cement. (Of historic interest: It was built in 1905 by immigrant Italian masons.)

The estimated date for completion is 2026, and they will send us quarterly reports. Jodi will manage reimbursements through our $750,000 grant from the Federal and State Infrastructure Improvement Legislation.

Knapp Cranberry Meadow Bog Dam. Mark Houghton may do the work, and will need
a wetlands permit because of where he needs to use his equipment. (Steve mentioned
a potential two year wait for permits of any kind.)

Mill Pond. Steven, Lew, Wendy, and Will walked the trail to assess problems. Right now, it’s almost a marsh. Beaver deceivers have prevented their building inside the culvert, but the state considers
it high hazard, as overflow could reach Route 12. Main Street runs alongside, and is almost
flush with the pond; hence this concern.

School Street Drainage. We’re ready for permitting and bidding. No monies have been
allocated yet.

Prospect Hill gully. The Army Corps of Engineers designated it as a seasonal stream.

7.OTHER BUSINESS
Trail committee report:
HOT day May 4th. Notices were printed in the April Clarion, and the event has been posted
on our website and the Walpolean, with flyers by Kara distributed around town. We had an
excellent turn out last year.

Forest management. Alex Barrett will be at our next meeting to discuss needed work
on Fanny Mason forest,  our next project:

8. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn was made and seconded. Peter closed the meeting at 9:30

Members Present: John Peska, France Menk (recorder of minutes), Wendy Grossman, Peter Palmiotto (Facilitating), Lewis Shelley, Steven Dumont
Selectboard member: Steve Dalessio
Members Absent: Alicia Flammia
Alternates Present: Nicole Adams
Visitors Present: Monadnock Climbers Association members: Jeff Archibald, Rob Koning, Becky Barrett, JC Woodward.
Ballam Farm: Holly Gowdy;
Brookfield Farm: Tom Beaudry.

Call to Order: Peter called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall.
No Alternates were seated.

Review and Approval of Minutes: John amended the March minutes. Lew moved to accept. Wendy seconded, and all voted in favor. Motion carried. 

PUBLIC BUSINESS
Treasury Report
Conservation: $223,411.78
Forestry: $25,176.40

Correspondence. There was no correspondence to report this month.

NEW BUSINESS
1. Monadnock Climbers Association. MCA Mission: The Monadnock Climbers’ Association (MCA) is a local 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer climbers’ organization that works to build cohesive relationships with landowners, conservation groups, advocacy groups, and state and local governments, to keep climbing areas open and conserve the climbing environment in southwest New Hampshire and surrounding areas.

Jeff presented a slide show outlining their thoughts about how we might form a liaison. They want to secure formal recreational access to Fall Mountain, which will protect its ecosystem.
Eg., build trails to: directly access climbing and hiking areas; avoid encroaching on private lands; prevent erosion, and interruption of the area’s cyclical plant growth; and protect wildlife      habitat, in particular, our local Peregrine Falcon nesting areas.

Designing an appealing and protected recreational environment will attract visitors who travel specifically for recreation. They will provide direct economic benefits to the surrounding communities of North Walpole, Walpole, and Bellows Falls.

Steve initiated a discussion about economic benefits vis a vis the tax base. The MCA asked
for our assistance in their efforts toward obtaining broader support and grants, to present
to Liberty Utilities for either a purchase or MOA. After some discussion, we said we would
need to see more research, and that a briefing should be presented to North Walpole Commissioners for their support.

2. Ballam Farm. Holly Gowdy spoke about their invasive species control. Ballam Farm
is a certified organic farm. She described how mulching and cyclical mowing of the invasives
would keep hedges from shading the field; provide room for pollinating plants; encourage
wildlife; support erosion control, and create good grazing land. Ballam Farm has a grant from
the American Farmland Trust, and a partnership agreement with NRCS (she’ll send us a copy
of the agreement). This work has already been started.

3. Brookfield Farm. Tom Beaudry, a certified crop advisor, who advises farms along the Connecticut River Valley and seacoast, spoke about the importance of farming in Walpole,
how farms struggle to survive, and how we are losing open spaces essential to the broad
health of our ecosystem. 

Walpole’s farming community runs the gamut, from being fully organic to using chemicals, for
the production of: vegetables; dairy cows and products; orchards; syrup-making; and raising cattle, poultry, and pigs. He discussed farming practices, how it is a balancing act to weigh methods’ costs and benefits. Eg., the benefits of cover crops vs tilling, which destroys the soil structure. His description of how herbicides are used, the percentage to water, how they are spread, and that they are not residual, was reassuring. Only orchards use fungicides here,
and most farms have nutrient management plans. Phosphorus runoff is our major concern. Managing the land for optimum, long term health of both the ecosystem and our own, is challenging. Conversion of farmland to solar installation, another reduction of open space essential to wildlife, is one example.

We spoke about creating educational outreach for residents. Many newcomers are unfamiliar with Walpole’s foundation as a farming community – and of farming in general. Nicole, our representative to the Hooper Institute, will bring this up with program designers at their next meeting. (Peggy Pschirrer is their project manager.) Perhaps Hooper can integrate that with their elementary school programming; perhaps arrange tours to farms.

We may have a section on our website devoted to farming, with interviews and comments from farmers. Perhaps a meeting with the town. We’ll continue this discussion at our May meeting.

4. Rail Trail. Wendy reported the estimated timeline for brush hogging to start in June. Mike Hubbard will do it – and the Gateway, if we wish – for the same fee as last year. To do the brush hogging, the Town must obtain a Special Use Permit from the Bureau of Trails. Wendy asked the Conservation Commission to authorize $100 for the Special Use Permit fee, and $1000 for the required bond, which would cover any damage to the trail. This bond money has always been returned. The Conservation Commission approved both the $100 fee, and the $1000 bond. She hopes to establish a deeper relationship with the  Bureau of Trails, that they might waive the bond requirement. They are planning a visit soon. 

She also mentioned that deadlines for RTP grant applications are looming and that, should anyone wish to take advantage of the opportunity, they would need to make a timely decision.

5. Alternate nomination
Peter asked Tom Beaudry if he would accept a slot on the Commission, as an alternate. Tom agreed. Everyone welcomed him as our new alternate. His farming expertise will be a valuable addition, as we often need that knowledge for much of our project management responsibility.

6. OLD BUSINESS
Master plan – conservation lands table. Wendy and Peter are updating the land map.

Property monitoring: Alicia and Peter monitored the Aldrich easement:
The Grossmans’ property.

Walpole Gateway
Larry Britton will mow (paid by the town), but we do need a survey to declare the precise boundaries of the rail trail and the Gateway. We have decided to unlock the gate at the end
of mud season: usually Memorial Day weekend. Now that we have a turnaround space for
cars to unload, we hope to see greater usage of the access.

Dam updates.
Reservoir Dam. Fuss & O’Neal design team (about 12 people) will start the final design and implementation of the repairs required by the NH DES Letter of Deficiency. Geo-Tech’s work
for 3 required borings will start in mid April, as will survey work and wetlands delineation.                 The slope angle will be mitigated, and the core material identified. We don’t know if it’s granite or cement. (Of historic interest: It was built in 1905 by immigrant Italian masons.)

The estimated date for completion is 2026, and they will send us quarterly reports. Jodi will  manage reimbursements through our $750,000 grant from the Federal and State Infrastructure Improvement Legislation.

Knapp Cranberry Meadow Bog Dam. Mark Houghton may do the work, and will need
a wetlands permit because of where he needs to use his equipment. (Steve mentioned
a potential two year wait for permits of any kind.)

Mill Pond. Steven, Lew, Wendy, and Will walked the trail to assess problems. Right now, it’s almost a marsh. Beaver deceivers have prevented their building inside the culvert, but the state considers it high hazard, as overflow could reach Route 12. Main Street runs alongside, and
is almost flush with the pond; hence this concern.

School Street Drainage. We’re ready for permitting and bidding. No monies have been
allocated yet.

Prospect Hill gully. The Army Corps of Engineers designated it as a seasonal stream.

7.OTHER BUSINESS
Trail committee report:
HOT day May 4th. Notices were printed in the April Clarion, and will be posted on our website and the Walpolean, with flyers by Kara distributed around town. We had an excellent turn out last year.

Forest management. Alex Barrett will be at our next meeting to discuss needed work
on Fanny Mason forest,  our next project:

8. Adjournment
Motion to adjourn was made and seconded. Peter closed the meeting at 9:30