Open Space, Recreation & Historic Preservation Advisory Committee

Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Advisory Committee MINUTES Wednesday, January 16, 2019 NEXT MEETING: March 13, 2019, 7:30 pm in the Committee Room at Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. Please notify Melissa if unable to attend. PRESENT: A. Baillie, P. Hiscano, C. Kellogg, M. Honohan, T. Piskula, J. Rhodes, L. Ellis, G. Limbach, J. Maccari. I. Call to Order at 7:30 pm by Council Liaison Astri Baillie II. Introductions and update contact information-It was recommended that all members of the committee use their Rosenet.org account III. Election of Chair- Astri Baillie called for nominations. Lisa Ellis nominated Melissa Honohan and Peter Hiscano seconded. Melissa was unanimously supported by voice vote. a. Appointment of Secretary was not made. IV. Approval of the Dec. 2018 minutes- A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes with a few edits which Melissa Honohan will make and send to the Committee. It was noted that all minutes once approved must be sent to Michael Pellessier, Communications Director for the Borough to be placed on Rosenet. V. Review of Trust Fund- Astri Baillie shared with the committee the Open Space Trust Fund Account prepared by CFO Jim Burnet on January 11, 2019. The balance in the trust fund at year end 2018 was $761,071.56. The account also showed approximately $900,000 for reserved funds including reserve for skinning the fields, a gift for remediation, land acquisition and aquifer recharge and Green Acres funding dedicated to paying down the purchase price of the MRC. VI. Astri Baillie requested that committee members review the Open Space Guidelines on policies and procedures. VII. Open Space Element of Master Plan - The Land Conservancy of NJ is completing the draft of the Open Space element to the Master Plan. Members of the committee will receive it for review. The committee reviewed the Greenways map prepared by the Land Conservancy. Melissa Honohan sent the committee’s suggested changes to Barbara. Jill Rhodes reported that the HPC is working on the historic properties inventory.  VIII. Astri Baillie reported that the Green Acres program continued to support the Borough with a $500,000 grant to pay down the debt of the MRC purchase. IX. Executive Session - A motion was made and seconded to go into Executive Session to discuss possible land acquisition. X. Discussion of Potential Projects - A motion was made and seconded to go into public session and discuss potential projects for the upcoming year. Potential projects discussed included $1 m for a new turf field in a partnership with the Board of Education; $975,000 HDM East Wing renovation; $40,000 for the continued improvement of the Little League baseball fields; $100,000 METC; $20,000 dog park; and money for the MRC handicap accessible trail match. XI. The next meeting of the Open Space Committee is tentatively scheduled for Wed., March 13, 2019 at 7:30 pm. The meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm. Respectfully submitted, Astri Baillie