Conservation Commission

MINUTES OF THE MEETING July 8, 2015 LACONIA CONSERVATION COMMISSION CITY Hall Room 200B Approved at the August 27, 2015 meeting I. Call To Order : D. Anson, Chair, called the meeting to order with a roll call vote at 6:05 PM PRESENT- Dean Anson, Chair, Deborah Williams, Lisa Morin, and Marnie Schulz ABSENT- Mike Foote, Hillary May OTHERS PRESENT- John Jude, Professional Milfoil Diver II. New Business: 1. Laconia AQUATIC INVASIVE MANAGMENT Subcommittee discussion D. Anson entertained a motion to preliminarily vote on the formation of the Aquatic invasive Species Subcommittee. L. Morin made the motion to preliminarily form the subcommittee. The motion was seconded by D. Williams. The motion was approved. 4- 0-0. The motion was then amended by L. Morin to require a news release and public announcement to encourage others to join the subcommittee and approve the preliminary outline of the subcommittee as drafted by D. Anson and reviewed by the Conservation Commission at their previous June 3, 2015 meeting. Additionally one minor edit to the subcommittee preliminary outline document should be made to reflect a Lake Opechee representative as one of the geographical target areas. A weed watcher training meeting will be held on July 20, 2015. L. Morin will organize the event to complement the earlier June 20, 2015 Soak up the rain outreach opportunity. John Jude presented a letter that will be reviewed and voted on at the August 5, 2015 Con Com meeting. The letter will object to new OSHA regulations for surface divers. The proposed regulations will add higher costs to small diving businesses. Milfoil removal only involves diving to depths the sun can penetrate to which is 18-feet or less. The proposed OSHA regulations appear to only apply to deep water diving where the decent is 30-feet and below. The letter will reflect previous letters sent out from the Town of Moultonborough and Gilford, NH. L. Morin directed staff to craft a letter in support of the position that the Town of Moultonborough and Gilford , New Hampshire indicating milfoil harvesting never occurs below 30-feet and therefore the new Osha Regulations should not be applied to such activities due to the financial hardship of hiring extra staff to just sit on a boat. III. Adjournment: L. Morin made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:00. The motion was seconded by M. Schulz passing 4-0.