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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1971-11-11-CONCOM-min.pdf TOWN OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS CONSERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES of Commission meeting of November 22, 1971. The meeting was called to order by the Chairman, Mr. Brown, at 7 58 p.m. Present at that time were other Commission members Mr. Cohen, Mrs. Frick, Dr. Kassler and Mrs. Rawls and Mr. Mazerall (ex-officio) , as well as Associate Members Dr. Fried- man and Mrs. Nichols. Mr. Smith arrived later, as also did Mrs. Hals of the League of Women Voters Environmental Quality Workshop. Also present were visitors Paula Alden of the League of Women Voters and Frank Sandy of the Citizens for Lexington Conservation, both of whom had to leave immediately, as executive session was declared so that the Commission could discuss specific parcels with Mr. Charles Gallagher, Chairman of the Recreation Committee, A Recyling Plan for the Dump. Mrs. Joyce Halls displayed a map prepared by the League of Women Voters Environmental Quality Workshop-Friends of the Dump group for a dual recycling area for the dump. The area would be arranged in two horseshoe-loped drop-off and retrieval stages, one for organic matter and the ,_ other for manufactured articles and metals. According to Mrs. Hals, a Town compost would be a minimum program. Wellesley has operated one for 20 years without the use of manure (a possible source of Board of Health objection, it was pointed out) , Mrs. Hals said. A chipper would be needed for the organic matter recycling area; cut up trees could be removed by citizens for fireplace use; the Town and possibly townspeople could obtain mulch and fertilizer once the compost was fully operating - in a year or two. Among the items to be collected in the other horseshoe would be toys and useable items, which could be salvaged at 50 cents per item, old appliances, some salvageable, glass, steel or bimetal cans,ps ,pure aluminum and tires. Of these glass is the only sure money-maker. In order to collect the various colors of glass a minimum of three containers (@ $425 minimum) would be needed. A truck can take 8 cubic yards of one color of glass at a time to Dayville, Connecticut - 70 miles distant. Cost of trip would be $86. for about $150 worth of glass. A Welles- ley trucking concern has properlicensing for this work. Pure aluminim could produce recyling profits, but assuring purity is extremely difficult. At this time tires cannot be recycled, and uses for them are slight in rel ation to the supply. Paper collection and profits could be improved, Mrs. Hals said, if the Town could get its own container (cost about $1500) and take it (properly loaded so that it contains a full 6 tons) to a firm in Watertown whick pays well for all the paper it can get. Could a freight car be brought to the dump, it was asked. Mrs. Halls said she would look into it. With cost of operating an incinerator at $13 a ton in Wellesley and cost of operating a sanitary landfill in Needham at $3 a ton DEC 17 WI Conservation Commission Minutes 11/22/71 Page 2 it is clearly to the Town' s advantage to extend the life of its landfill site as long as possible. Mrs. Hals noted that both of those towns also recycle - Wellesley' s program initiated by an environmental action group, and Needham' s program initiated and personally supervised by the Director of their sanitary landfill. Some limitations on the life of landfills may re- sult from enforcement of the newly issued state regulations on their operation. Commission members reacted favorably to Mrs. Hale' proposals and asked her for a schedule of costs for maximum-minimum plans. Also it was recommended that she consult other interested citi- zens and groups such as Mr. Whalon and Mrs. Wheaton of the Regional Refuse Disposal Study group and Mrs. Ruth Morey, former Selectman. Primary goal of the League would be acceptance of the idea by the Board of Selectmen and an appropriation for some pro- gram to be included in the Public Works Department budget. Minutes of November 8 , 1971 meeting were accepted as amended, paragraph 6, page 1, to read, "Meeting Room-Office. Dr. Kassler will talk with Town Manager about office needs, including files and place to store and display maps. " as amended Minutes of November 15, 1971, were approved, with paragraph 6 , page 1 amended to read., "Appraisals have been order on two of the above three properties. . . " etc. Under Other Communications, second entry should read, " . . .a request for information on land in need of protection as related to the Route 2 extension. " Next sentence unchanged. Paragraph headed Brook Blockage line 2 should read, "Engineering Department. " by unanimous vote Resolution (copy attached) adoption MOVED and PASSE2j as required for forthcoming application for Federal reimbursement for 1971- passed conservation purchases. Use of Conservation Fund. Also passed by unanimous vote the following motion, as written, "VOTED that the Conservation Commission authorize expenditure of funds from the Conservation Fund to complete action authorized under Article 62, as passed at Town Meeting March, 1971 (purchase of land owned by Margaret Ballou) , $484.38 from Article 64 of 1969, plus up to $5,000 from Article 60 of March, 1971. " The Secretary will have that portion of the minutes certified by Town Clerk for the benefit of State and Federal applications and also for the Comptroller. Town Report Deadline December 10, Part II - January 14, 1972. Mrs. Frick will write on the Great Meadow; Mr. Smith on history; Mrs Rawls on finances and reimbursements. Recommended Commission obtain copy of Planning Board' s list of Conservation acquisitions. Cooke. Plan of property will soon be completed and case for zoning variance can then go before Board of Appeals, Mr. Smith reported. Mr. Brown now has Mr. Zaleski' s map and will order appraisals. Conservation Commission Minutes 11/22/71 Page 3 Town Warrant Closes January 7 , 1972. Before this date each article must be worded as it should appear in the printed Town Warrant. Motions for action at Town Meeting are written by Town Counsel and handed to the person involved (or Board) on the night of Town Meeting. Communications Received From William Page, adult advisor for Boy Scout Troup 122, a list of descriptive name suggestions for various conserva- tion lands. A thank you letter will be sent. From Department of Natural Resources a one-year extension of order of conditions for Cabbot, Cabbot and Forbes Hartwell- Lexington Trust. From Project Concern - a Thank you letter from Mrs. Kramer. Mr. Smith commented that the Walk for Mankind afforded a marvelous viewing of many conservation areas. However, the need for marking signs was observed. Harvard Graduate School Survey. Mrs. Nichols said that filling out the questionnaire involved securing help from many groups and individuals in Town. Commission suggested she ask Harvard Graduate School to get in touch with some of the more important sources of information, such as the Historical Society. The meeting adjourned at 10: 57. The next meeting of the Com- mission will be Monday, November 29, 1971, at 7:4.5 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Mrs. Erna S. Greene Secretary to the Commission