HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes - Natural Resources Committee - 04/01/2015South Burlington Natural Resources Committee
575 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 846-4106
www.sburl.com
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
6:00pm
South Burlington Municipal Offices, 575 Dorset Street
MEETING MINUTES for Regular Monthly Meeting
APPROVED 5/6/2015
Present: Betty Milizia (NRC Chair), Larry Michaels (NRC Vice Chair), Patrick Clemins (NRC Clerk),
Russell Agne (NRC Member), Jeff Dickson (NRC Member), Cathyann LaRose (NRC Staff Liaison -
SB City Planner), Sarah Dopp (SB Land Trust)
The meeting was called to order at 6:12pm.
Comments from the Public: Dopp reminded us that Green Up Day is on May 2nd from 8am –
2pm. There are T-Shirts and hats are available for order through the end of the week.
Open Space Discussion at Upcoming City Council Meeting: Following up on the Underwood
Committee report, City Council is interested in compiling a list of desired improvements for all
parks in the City to aid in creating a 10-Year Capital Improvement Plan for our park system. The
Council may also be reviewing the percentage (currently 5%) of the Open Space Fund that can
be used for the maintenance of existing parks.
During the discussion, the Committee noted that:
· There is also a need for the City to strategically plan how to use the Open Space Fund to
purchase land parcels that are appropriate for the uses that the City desires; and
· There is a continuing need for City Committees to communicate with each other on
their efforts.
3/4/15 Minutes: Milizia moved to approve the draft minutes with minor modifications and
Dickson seconded. The motion passed unanimously.
Caring for Canopy Grant: The timing of the grant period is not compatible with Craig Lambert’s
tree planting schedule, so South Burlington will not be submitting a proposal this year.
Wheeler Nature Park Management Plan: The Committee reviewed the most recent draft and
some proposed changes by Milizia. Agne put together a priorities checklist for trails
maintenance from the Management Plan as a template for how one might create a list of
prioritized tasks for a specific component of the park. The Committee then discussed how these
prioritized task lists and the sample matrices from Appendix B might be used by the City, City
Committees, or the community. For the next meeting, Milizia will put together a seasonal
maintenance calendar, like the one in the Red Rocks Management Plan (Section 4). Clemins will
then distribute the final draft for approval at the next Committee meeting.
NRC Update to City Council: Milizia will attend the April 20th City Council meeting to update the
Council on our activities. The Committee asked Milizia to mention that the Committee is short
on members.
Action Items:
· Milizia and Clemins: Put together the final draft of the Wheeler Park Management Plan
· LaRose: Contact the Recreation Department about putting up trail signs and removing
unauthorized / inappropriate trails at Wheeler Park
· Clemins and LaRose: Continue to work with Winooski Nat Res Conservation District to
plan rain barrel workshop on June 7th.
· Michaels: Reach out to the Energy Committee regarding the Georgetown University
Energy Prize and how our Committee could help.
· Milizia and LaRose: Schedule visits from the Fellowship of the Wheel and UVM Maple
Sugaring folks at a future Committee meeting.
Next Meetings: The Natural Resources Committee normally meets on the first Wednesday of
each month.
The next meeting will be:
· May 6th, 6:00pm – Finalize the Wheeler Management Plan.
Meeting adjourned at 8:07pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Patrick Clemins