Parks Commission

Parks Commission Minutes March 20, 2012 Commissioners Present: Aaron Brondyke, Lyn Munno, Emily Boedecker, Cara Robecheck Staff Present: Geoff Beyer 1. Acknowledgment of Leigh Seddon for Parks Commission Service: Former Commissioner, Leigh Seddon, came to the beginning of the meeting to present his minutes from February and say good-bye. The remaining parks commissioners thanked Leigh for his incredible 15 years of service on the commission. Leigh will be missed for his experience, knowledge and insight. 2. February Minutes: The minutes from the February Parks Commission meeting were passed. 3. Tower Landscaping Project: Emily and two volunteers, Mari and Josh (Emily I don't have their last names?), have been investigating some of the major issues that came up during the public meeting on the tower orchard project last year. They looked into three main issues: 1. bear conflicts with humans; 2. Lyme disease; 3. natural look of the area Josh talked with bear expert Doug Blodgett in the Agency of Natural Resources. Doug Blodgett said that there should be no concern about having edible fruit trees up at the tower. He said the incidence of negative bear/human interactions in the state are extremely low. He also said that he does not think having fruit trees/bushes will significantly impact bear numbers. The Commission and Geoff reiterated the shared feeling that one of the goals of the Parks Department is to encourage wildlife in the parks. Geoff noted that park visitors mention bear sightings every year, though he has only seen bear twice in 25 years. They are usually viewed in the mid-morning. Mari did research into Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is already present in central Vermont. Deer and mice populations are already high in the state. From Mari's research, she feels it is very unlikely that population numbers will be affected by having a small amount of edible fruit in the park. There are already numerous apple trees throughout the park. White footed mouse populations, which often have Lyme disease carrying ticks, tend to be higher in forests with invasive Japanese barberry, so this would be an area to focus attention in the future. Lyn noted that deer ticks and Lyme disease are likely to increase in the future due to climate change. Natural Looking Tower area. This is mostly being addressed by the updated  landscaping plan. Emily also noted that the original intent for this area near the tower was that it would be a managed area, and it has been intensively managed since the inception of the park. It was also noted that making sure there is no pesticide spraying should alleviate some people's concerns. Lyn also updated the commissioners that the landscaping sub-committee was continuing to revise the plan to add more native plants less focused on fruit production to make the area feel less cultivated and also to improve species diversity. The commission agreed that we need to move quickly on the landscaping plan in order to get plants in the ground this spring. A public meeting will be held during the next Parks Commission meeting on April 17th. Lyn will finalize the draft plan with her group. Emily will finalize the information from the “issues” sub- committee, and Aaron will warn the meeting in the paper. Geoff will check in with both Apple Corps and the state to make sure they are on board with the project. 4. Dog Conflicts in the Park: Geoff worked on a draft survey to present to park users and town residents. Stephanie Lahar, an organizational development expert, has offered to review the survey and give recommendations. The purpose of the survey is to see how much negative dog interactions are impacting park users. The survey will also address the issue of dog poop in the park. 5. Park Updates: Geoff is swamped with work right now. He has a record number of projects and help. He has many groups lined up to help in the parks this summer. Geoff also informed the Commission that the Parks Department received $ 13,174 in FEMA money to help repair the damages due to Hurricane Irene last year. This will be an enormous help to the parks and the town.