Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC)

SARATOGA SPRINGS OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 24, 2022 - 5:00 P.M. - ZOOM 1. WELCOME AND ATTENDANCE - Tom, Jenn, Ed, Anita, Steve, - Dave miller arrived about 5:10 2. PUBLIC COMMENT – none – There were no public in attendance 3. ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS  APPROVAL OF MINUTES April 27, 2022 – There being no revisions or corrections, the minutes were approved as circulated.  NEW OSAC MEMBERS NEEDED. We need a replacement for Maureen Roberts. With the coming arrival of the draft update of the Open Space Plan, the OSAC will enter an entirely new phase of activity. OSAC members are encouraged to nominate good people. 4. OPEN SPACE PLAN UPDATE  MJ will give updated schedule soon and should deliver draft in the next month  OSAC research on Volunteer use by other municipalities or organizations:  Friends of the State Park. Ed Lindner had circulated his notes (full text below). In his summary at the meeting, one takeaway was that the union workers were happy to have volunteer assistance with tasks that they had no bandwidth to accomplish.  Wilton Wildlife (WW): Jenn Dempsey presented. WW is somewhat unique in that they don’t own any land and that they must work with three very different governmental owners (State DEC; County, and Town of Wilton). Jason Kemper at County works well with volunteers, as do the Ryan ??? and Scott ??? from the town of Wilton. There is a particularly close relationship with the Town of Wilton as Ryan & Scott are both employees of Town as well as board members for the non-profit. They are more than happy to have the assistance of volunteers. The current State DEC supervisor does not particularly like the volunteers to do work. Wilton has Exec Dir plus 2 paid entry-level environmental educators & volunteer coordinators. Each parcel has a (volunteer) dedicated trail steward. WW has an overarching contract with each governmental entity but it is not specific to volunteers. Jenn said she would provide a written summary.  Saratoga PLAN - Anita Morzillo had not yet been able to have a conversation with anyone there. Several people noted that PLAN was in the midst of some personnel transitions and perhaps we could wait on this. 5. SARATOGA COUNTY TRAIL GRANT OPPORTUNITY. Tina pitched the idea of applying for a $10K matching grant. The OSAC discussed various options, including beaver issues on the Bog Meadow Trail and signage and promotion for the Corcoran preserve. The OSAC concluded that funding to improve the signage, parking, and  SARATOGA SPRINGS OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 24, 2022 - 5:00 P.M. - ZOOM other infrastructure at Blodgett Landing was probably the best project for a grant application. Tina will prepare the grant application. 6. EXECUTIVE SESSION: Ed Linder moved to go into Executive Session: WHEREAS THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION, SALE OR LEASE OF REAL PROPERTY OR THE PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF SECURITIES, OR SALE OR EXCHANGE OF SECURITIES HELD BY SUCH PUBLIC BODY, BUT ONLY WHEN PUBLICITY WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY AFFECT THE VALUE THEREOF. Dave Miller seconded. After considerable discussion, Ed moved that the committee leave the Executive Session; Steve Samuell seconded. 7. PUBLIC COMMENT – No public was present. ************************************************* (See next page for full text of memo circulated by Ed Lindner)  SARATOGA SPRINGS OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES MAY 24, 2022 - 5:00 P.M. - ZOOM TO: Open Space Advisory Committee FROM: Ed Lindner Re: Friends of the Saratoga Spa State Park Date: May 23, 2022 I spoke today with Helene Brecker, President of the Friends of the Saratoga Spa State Park. Our conversation is summarized below. Background The Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, organized in 1999. Their mission is to provide volunteer services to implement and assist in “physical improvements at the Park including such activities as flower planting and maintenance, trail construction and maintenance, and maintenance of the Park tennis facility.” Friends’ activities are funded through a combination of membership fees, donations, and grants. Anyone can become a member by completing an online application and paying a membership fee of $25/yr. Membership levels fluctuate, but Ms. Brecker estimates they have approximately 100 members, and about 30 active volunteers. They maintain a website at: https://friendsofsaratogaspastatepark.org/ Memorandum of Agreement The Friends have a formal Memorandum of Agreement with the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The agreement requires the Friends to coordinate with OPRHP, obtain OPRHP permission for activities and to maintain liability insurance for Friends’ volunteers naming OPRHP as an additional insured. Activities Friends’ volunteers perform a variety of activities in support of the Park, including trail cleanup, maintenance of the tennis courts, maintenance of the dog park and planting and maintaining multiple gardens. They have in the past provided funds and volunteers for projects such as bridge building. The Friends pay for necessary tools and materials from their own funds. Grants & Major Projects The Friends’ status as a 502(c)(3) corporation makes it eligible to receive grants for Park projects from foundations and other entities that benefit from charitable tax deductions. In 2021, the Friends received a $75,000 Partnership grant from Parks & Trails New York for restoration of the Coesa Spring House and to build a historically accurate replica of the original granite fountain. The Friends received an additional grant of $59,000 from the National Heritage Trust. Renovation is expected to begin this Spring