Westport Island Conservation Commission

Minutes of January 22, 2009 Meeting

 

 

Members present:  Bill Hopkins, Sandy Hopkins, Dennis Dunbar, John Nelson, Marianne Williams, Dana Cromwell, Kyle DePietro

 

Secretary’s Report:  Draft Minutes of November 23, 2008 meeting were approved.

 

Treasurer’s Report:  Dennis distributed an update of the Commission’s Budget which was read and approved.  $610.18 has been expended this year.

 

Clough Point Preserve:

  • Commission unanimously decided that more trail signs were needed to define the trails and discussed whether wooden arrow signs or paint blazes on trees would be best.
  • Dennis will have a trail sign designating the southern boundary made by Fairfield. 
  • Plant signs will be installed in the spring.

 

Tax Map Project:  In progress.  Each Town Committee and Commission will have their own site on the webpage.

 

Land Conservation Issues:

  • Shoreland Zoning - The Planning Board must have a Resource Protection Area in place by June.
  • Land Trusts - Commission discussed the need for a Town Ordinance regarding tax-exempt Land Trusts.  The only Land Trust on Westport Island, at this time, is the Bonyun Preserve.  Dennis distributed a draft that he devised for the “Requirements for Non-profit Exemption for Land Trusts on Westport Island” which all Commission members will edit before our February meeting.
  • Open Space Plan is part of the Comprehensive Plan and must be updated once every 10 years.  Kyle will make a Table of Contents for the Commission to take up at the February meeting.  We are using the Bremen plan as an example.
  • Aquifer Protection Zone - The Groundwater Commission is investigating terms of specific restrictions.
  • Interest areas for conservation – the Commission discussed properties that may be coming on the market soon that may be good choices for conservation.

 

MEACC Activities:

  • Bill informed group Commission that MEACC now has an online forum.
  • Shoreland Zoning conference planned in March – date not yet set.
  • Commission discussed submitting our Clough Point Project as a “Best Practices” case study.

 

A Workshop meeting will be held on February 10, 2009 at 7 p.m.

 

Next meeting will be held on February 19, 2009 at 7 p.m.