01/17/19 Minutes

Meeting date: 
Thursday, January 17, 2019

Hollis Conservation Commission

Meeting Minutes

January 17, 2019

 

Present:  Chris Jones, Martha Turner, Joanne Toone, John Mattor, Doris Luther

1.           Minutes November 15, 2018 

2.           John met with town treasure Diane Meserve to pay our 2018 dues of $150.00 to the Maine Association of Conservation Commissions (MEACC), and it was done.

3.       John had a long meeting with the board of directors of MEACC in Brunswick on December 19. (John is now a member of this board.)

Topics discussed were:

a.            The annual open meeting will probably be in April.

b.           A major revision of the 31 year-old state Conservation Commission statute is underway.

c.           All participants talked about their present initiatives and many towns have passed ordinances banning things like Styrofoam, plastic bags, and straws.

d.           There has been a canvassing of all known Maine CC’s to query their current status and activities.  A large number proved to be difficult to contact.  John was assigned 13 of them.  4 of the numbers were disconnected; some that he reached were inactive.  He received 3 responses answering his letters.  Ann Fogg, from Monroe, called, and they chatted.  Monroe has two parks, and their CC is doing pretty much what we are doing in Hollis.

4.  The HCC mission statement has been found!  It’s on the HCC website.

5.  The town office has a list of all town-owned land. 

So, this is not a task HCC has to repeat. There might be a parcel on the list that could be developed into a Park.  Chris will create a link from the HCC website to this list.

6.  Bennet Flinner updated our HCC website with our new meeting start time of 5:30. 

7.  We are making 3/4 of a percent on our Indian Cellar money, so we are earning more than we’re spending.

8.  Discussion about reconsidering the HCC positions of Chair and Vice Chair.  We had a majority vote for keeping John as Chair.  He accepted.

9.  Update about new town office complex/facility:

Joanne reported that the town will be holding Visioning Sessions so residents can voice how they want to see the town in the future.  Flyers on dates and locations will be mailed out shortly.  This will help shape the direction of the town in its choice for a new facility.  One location being considered is the land that the Hollis Library owns.  It is about 50 acres and looks like the most viable place.  It is in a good location with accessibility from Routes 35 and 117.  Revision Energy has been contacted by the town to assess solar energy options.  Chris works for them and will gladly take over the project.  There may be TIFF money available for building trails.

10.     New Idea from John Mattor:  He would like to purchase blight-resistant American Chestnut trees in our conservation parcels each year.  People are cross-breeding them with Chinese Chestnuts.  John wants to find a source of these trees for Indian Cellar and Googins Woods.

11.    Monarch butterfly larvae feed on various milkweed species (Asclepius species).  John is in the process of sprouting four different species and should have an abundance to share from his butterfly garden in late May.

12.    Other: 

a.  Martha reported that the McGary tea house property is coming back before the planning board, and it looks like it might pass.

b.  Chris has been working on the HCC website.  He asked the committee to spend a couple of hours to look at it and finalize it before publishing it.