January 29, 2014 Minutes

Pittsfield Conservation Commission (PCC)
Minutes for January 29, 2014 Meeting

Call to order: 7:00 PM by Chairman Chris Hill.

Present: Members: Chairman Chris Hill (CH), Secretary Diana Westgate (DW), Members Ted Mitchell (TM), Bryan Mika (BMik), Carl Wallman (CW), Alternate Bill Miskoe (BMis), Absent: Paul Metcalf (PM)

Treasurer’s Report: No change from the previous report. There is $44.56 in the general fund, $42,076 in the land use fund and $6,319.26 in the conservation fund. The $650 PCC budget was spent on dues, training and unexpected bills (attorney fee associated with Berry Pond purchase and the cost of gravel for road repair at the Thompson Forest site.) Treasurer’s report accepted. We feel, however, that expenses such as the attorney’s fee and gravel purchase should come out of the land use fund.

Public Input: None.

Old Business

Thompson Forest. Bryan Mika will check with Cara Marston about which fund the charge for road repair can come out of. In the future we should consider negotiating a retainage amount for any work the PCC contracts.

New Business

Meeting Dates and Posting. We agreed to change the meeting dates of the PCC to every 4th Thursday. (This was felt to be easier to remember and plan around than the current last Thursday date). However, because of holiday conflicts November and December meetings will be on the 3rd Thursday of those months. The meetings will be posted as done by other Pittsfield town boards.

Sargent Town Forest. The property of about 5 acres next to it on the west side belongs to the state. It would be good to acquire it to add to the Black Gum piece. We need to check the boundaries, then write a proposal to the Select Board and ask them for a letter of support. We also need to check on Pennichuck’s involvement in that parcel.

Joint Board Meeting. There will be one on February 8th starting at 9 a.m.

Black Gum Town Forest. We plan on walking that area when the weather is good.

T L Storer/Wild Goose Pond Watershed. We need to promote the project as important from a watershed protection standpoint. CW will invite Bear Paw to join us at our March 27 meeting to discuss what we can do.

Executive Director of the NH Conservation Commission. Nick Coats will come to our February meeting.

Write up about the PCC for the Town Meeting Report. CH is working on it.

PCC P R. To encourage the backing of other local groups, we should keep them informed of our projects. One way to do this is through articles in the Sun. We would like to encourage farm programs such as the CSA program and farmer’s markets.

September Meeting Minutes. DW will write them up and post them on the town website.

Black Gum Timber Trespass. The parcel is approximately 4 acres. BMI walked the boundaries. The cutting done there well exceeded those bounds. We should get an intent to cut form in the future.

Thompson Forest Reforestration. It might be worth doing in the back part of this parcel.

Pennichuck Waterworks. Support is needed for this project. It means the 3rd Thursday of each month.

Adjournment: 9:00 PM.

The next meeting will be March 27, 2014.

Submitted by: DW, Secretary.