Open Space, Natural Resources, and Trails Committee

AMESBURY By City Clerk at 11:21 am, Dec 14, 2023 CITY HALL 62 Friend Street Amesbury, MA 01913 Amesbury Open Space, Natural Resources, and Trails Committee MEETING MINUTES October 25, 2023, 7:00 p.m. This meeting was conducted under the "Executive Order Suspending Certain Provisions of the Open Meeting Law' G.L. c. 30A, Section 20, signed on March 12, 2020. Attending: P. Frey, J. Sherwood, R. Hucksam, P. Rettig, K. Pearl (City of Amesbury) N. Cracknell, (City of Amesbury), Mikayla Minor (Merrimack Valley Planning Commis- sion) 1. Call to Order – 7:01 pm 2. Presentation: Mikayla Minor (MVPC), Mapping application introduction. Sherwood shared link and log-in information to group. Amesbury Open Space Inventory app, geared to land management and documentation. Same platform as MIMAP but separate application. Open Space layers and designations loaded in. Maintenance requests are enabled but not widely used. Can select property and directly edit parcel data and attributes. MVPC looking for feedback based on use. Parcel shapes can be edited, as well. For use in the field, app will geo-locate you, if device is gps-enabled. ‘Explore’ tab lets you browse through property types at once, list style on right, properties highlighted on map. Lists can be customized and exported. Similarly, custom maps can be created and printed at will. Primary and secondary purpose data (e.g. active and passive recreation, conservation, etc) is loaded from Commonwealth data. Primary purpose checklist contains commonwealth standard data. Secondary purpose is an open field and is self- help, for local fine-grain specification. Minor will forward list of the Commonwealth’s data standards and definitions. Produced an example map of all logged Article 97-protected properties. Export could also include list in matrix form. Maps and reports helpful both for communicating with stakeholders but also for auditing data for accuracy. MVPC can add tool-tip, if desired. Kassy asked about log-in; currently only one available for this resource. Additional user and security levels can be added under the single current license. Photos and deeds can be attached in the edit screen for each parcel, ‘add attachment’. Questions for follow-up: confirm if data changed in app also changes in MIMAP or is it self- contained. 3. Minutes from June 28 and July 26, 2023 meetings: Moved, seconded and unanimously approved. 4. Chair’s Report – Kassy Pearl resignation, effective 10/30/23. Still no representative from Con Comm or replacement for Vanessa Johnson-Hall. 5. Referrals: none at this time 6. Land Management and Planning Update: MA Audubon contract is with the Mayor’s office to execute. Bill G is currently not concerned with the timeline (deliverable would be due by end of June, 2024). 7. November/December schedule: Sherwood proposed not meeting 4th Wednesday of either November or December, due to overlap with holidays. Sherwood will poll members regarding availability for meeting in early December. 8. Discussion on future composition for OSNRTC - J. Sherwood. To date OSNRTC has been primarily policy-oriented. Sherwood shared proposal to edit membership: reduce City Council membership to 1 representative, expand total membership to 9 (more volunteer opportunities). Sherwood had responded to recent survey from City Clerk, regarding scope and membership of OSNRTC. Rettig: increasing to 9 would require 5 for quorum, not relieving that issue. Frey suggested keeping at 7 but reducing City Council to 1 (currently allows ‘up to 2’). Frey will sponsor measure in City Council to update accordingly. 9. Motion to adjourn 8:30. Unanimously approved.