Draft
Conservation Commission minutes for meeting of May 7, 2009
Meeting called to order at 7:10 p.m.
In attendance: Paula Page, Bill Fosher, Marshall Patmos (chair), John Lukin,
Richard Schmidt, and Selena Gallen (alternate).
Minutes of the April meeting were read, corrected, and accepted as corrected by
unanimous consent.
Marshall Patmos presented electronic maps of resources overlaid on maps of
property lines and zoning districts. These are available on CD. Copies are to
be provided to the selectmen, planning and zoning boards, the school, and the
library. Also provided on a separate CD is a powerpoint presentation from the
Monadnock Conservancy outlining natural and cultural resources in the town, as
well resources such as trails, wildlife habitats, agricultural areas.
Richard Cate of Partidge Brook Road brought disturbance of the shoreline of
Partridge Brook Road to the Commission's attention and provided photographs of
the disturbance. The Commission will seek advice from the Board of Selectmen as
to how to procede.
Richard Cate also provided an update on the future of the Cheshire County Jail
and House of Correction. The Jail Study Commission has sought input from
organizations that might be interested in using the buildings, and to date has
found no interest from the state prison system, local non-profit agencies, drug
rehabilitation services providers, and similar groups. Mr. Cate said the
building has some major structural and mechanical problems that would cost
several millions of dollars to repair, and he feels that the best course of
action would be to tear the building down once the county vacates it. The cost
of demolition would be about $500,000, and Mr. Cate fears that in the current
economic climate some may want to simply leave the building standing and
unused, which would create a liability and any eyesore.
The Commission discussed the implications of the jail's move on the County Farm
and the land base that the farm currently preserves and uses. Members were
asked to bring ideas for the disposition of the jail building and the future of
the county land to the next meeting.
Paula Page reported that the Community Conservation Partnership is still
working on updating the conservation portion of the town master plan. Marshall
Patmos will ask for a progress report on the work.
Marshall Patmos reported that 28 volunteers turned out for the Commission's
annual roadside cleanup day on April 19. The volunteers covered 21.3 miles of
road, and collected 120 bags of trash, plus several items too large to bag. A
date of April 17, 2010, was tentatively set for next year.
Marshall Patmos announced that a local energy fair would be held June 20 in
Concord in case any Commission members were interested in attending.
Marshall Patmos asked if there was any news regarding earlier efforts to
establish an Agricultural Commission in town. Bill Fosher, who had been
involved in the early group meetings, reported that interest in the project did
not appear to be sustained, and as far as he knows the idea has been abandoned.
Selena Gallen asked if there were any monitoring of water quality in the
Connecticut River through the New Hampshire Volunteer River Monitor program.
She will check and get back to the Commission.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15.