Conservation Commission Workshop Meeting November 29, 2011
Demeritt called the meeting to order at 6:45. Other Commission members in attendance were Smith, Stevens, Abrams and Mooney.
Public hearing date for Tasker & Merriam/Daggett property purchase has been moved to December 21, 2011, at 7 pm. Mooney will confirm with Traci Chauvey in the Selectmen’s Office that this date is also agreeable with Commission members.
The members discussed what documents including emails were to be included for this hearing, what maps to bring and what would be included for information in the handout for the attending public. Mooney will compose the handout. Demeritt will conduct the meeting per RSA 36-A: 5 II. Members will contact residents for their support on this project. Mooney will submit a news item to the local online email blast. The tax map collage of the connecting WRP properties, other easement properties and town owned properties was brought up to date. It was determined that colored photos and aerials of the two properties would be posted on the wall for people to see as they arrive at the hearing. Taxes to be paid by new owners, if not the Town, will try to be determined. Members agreed with conservation easements, as with current use, that the
property taxes would be negligible as revenue for the town. Demeritt will contact Dennis Vachon for copies of the easement deeds for the Commission by the December 12 meeting.
As of 9/30/11 the Town’s Conservation Fund contains $357,349.96. Most of the money is realized from a tax levied on the landowner when a property’s use is changed from current use into a non-permissible use such as subdivision or mining. This Land Use Change Tax allows the town to spend these funds for conservation without using property tax money from residents.
Stevens will email a spreadsheet of the Highland easement properties to Commission members. Highlands will be monitored on December 3. Letters have been sent to residents notifying them of the monitoring.
Abrams will provide a baseline list for the conservation easements that the Town owns for each file folder.
Signs will be posted around the area to remind people of the Forestry Roundtable scheduled for December 7. Dan Kern provided the announcement template. All members took copies to post.
It was moved by Smith and seconded by Abrams to reimburse Mooney $190 for the lamination and backing of two 3’x3’ NH F&G Wildlife Action maps done at Infinite Imaging in Portsmouth. Money will be used from the Commission’s map line in the budget. All votes were in favor.
Mooney moved that the meeting be adjourned. Stevens seconded the motion and all votes were in favor. The meeting was adjourned at 8:33.
Respectfully submitted,
Susan P. Mooney, Acting Secretary
These minutes were accepted as corrected at the meeting held on December 12, 2011. One correction has been made.
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