2014-06-10 CONCOM-min - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

the benches near the Allen Street entrance to Dunback Meadow overlooking a meadow with opportunities for bird watching. The funders of the benches would also contribute annual mowing and maintenance. The Commission discussed whether wetland permitting would be required and what equipment would be used for maintenance. The Commission requested more information about what equipment would be used for maintenance. The Commission agreed to make a site visit to the proposed location. Land Management Principles and Policies: Draft Presentation and 7:30 pm Discussion Massachusetts Audubon Society Ecological Extension Staff Jeff Collins, Director of Ecological Management at Massachusetts Audubon Society, introduced the work that his staff has undertaken for the Commission towards drafting a Principles and Policies document for conservation land management in Lexington. He asked for feedback on the proposed outline and solicited input about common uses of each property. The Commission, Staff, and Stewards discussed the outline with Mr. Collins. Discussion topics included: whether the document will reflect current or optimal practices and level of effort; how to prioritize activities within the document; adaptive management; and emphasizing the positive. Quarterly Joint Meeting with the Lexington Conservation Stewards 8:15 pm Members of the Lexington Conservation Stewards Directors Update on projects: Bonnie Newman, Steward Director, updated the Commission on recent and upcoming stewardship projects, including trail improvements at Whipple Hill, the upcoming Dunback Meadow bridge replacement, and the cleanup of the old Idylwilde community garden site. Goal-setting and budget discussion: Ms. Schadler Ms. Schadler led the Commission and Stewards through a discussion of possible requests for the FY16 budget and their relevance to the goal of increasing the level of care of conservation land. Staff will report back with a refined list based on this discussion. Community Gardens Update 8:25 pm Jordan McCarron Mr. McCarron reported that the community gardens are filled to capacity for the year. He also commented that there has been some question about materials in the gardens and their clean-up as well as shared resources, specifically compost. He offered to draft policy amendments to address these issues and bring them back to the Commission. The Commission discussed moving the Dunback Meadow garden to a more opportune location. The Commission requested that staff evaluate alternative locations. Land Use Permitting Policies 8:35 pm Emily Schadler and Jordan McCarron