Condensed from approved minutes

Members Present: Jerry Hersey, Tina Cotton, Nancy Robart, Lee Wells, Derek Mansell, Nancy Teach, Sooze Hodgson

Also present: Donna Duclos, Buffy Thurston, who may be interested in applying to join.

Financial Update:   Our budget is $1,300. Fifty percent of funds from land coming out of Current Use go to ACC. Nancy R. will check with Shirley: re: renewing CDs.

Hebron Fair:   Nancy R. attended; Hebron has an excellent Conservation booth there. Lots of support for the Hebron Country Club, Sutton Country Club, had people at the Keyser Lake Association.

Article to Beacon: Nancy R. will work on “If you see something, say something” article; ie steps to take if seeing a possible problem/violation. People should come to our meetings and express concerns to everyone.

Bradley Lake concern: Waiting for sign-off letter from Department of Environmental Services (DES) re: bathroom connection to septic system. DES is requesting a letter from the contractor. Nancy R. has let Pat Moyer know of the situation, and Pat has helped with a follow-up letter.

ACC membership: Nancy Teach has filled out an application and has gone to Select Board. Other people may be interested.  Nancy R. let Marj know we’d like to have them come to meetings first.  Jerry (re)sworn in ’21, Sooze and Tina sworn in as alternates in ‘22. Derek may have been sworn in last year as an alternate?  Lee will look through notes to check dates.

Correspondence

From the Hillers, re: concern about Valley Road Beaver Deceiver. Many of the concerns have been addressed.

From DOT, re: concerns about the bridge and road project on Route 11.  Tina had responded to their earlier letter. Two plans are illustrated on graphics posted in the basement meeting room in Town Hall. One puts in two bridges, the other only one.  Jesse forwarded an article about a similar project in Concord.  Nancy R. and Donna will go talk to Marj about it.

Invasive plants UNH Extension conference on September 23. Sooze and Nancy R. will attend.  Sooze will do a write up for the Beacon.

ASLPT: Email from Andy re: legal cost for Mayman/Bernhard is $33. Motion made by Sooze to cover the cost, seconded by Jerry, all in favor. Covers the cost of amendment to the easement, has to go through the Select Board and on to the Attorney General’s Office.

Property abutting Bog Pond: Ausbon Sargent Land Preservation Trust (ASLPT) is still interested in working with us to secure that land. Waiting to hear from the Aquatic Resource Mitigation fund; funding possibilities available again in spring. 

Andy has gotten the green light to pursue it. Do we need to help fund an appraisal in order to move the process along? Nancy R. will email him.

Land Monitoring: Derek and Jerry have walked the Dyer’s Crossing land.  They felt there might be an area where a house, well, and septic could be built. Seventy-five feet is usually the requirement for setbacks from road, property lines, and wetlands; what are the current setback requirements? 

The property was not as cut-and-dry as Derek and Jerry were expecting.  There are some flags in place for the perk test.  There are some markings that appear to be marking a wetland edge. The situation may change with the DOT project.  

Earle Chase, wetland specialist, wants to do a walk-about on a Saturday. We have allocated no more than $500. Try for September 24, ask him to mark the riparian borders, etc. Find out what setbacks are and write a report. Get more info from Planning Board.

Beaver Deceivers: Vicky took Frank Bryson, Supervisor of the Andover Highway Department, on a tour of the BDs.  He showed Vicky a design that he had done in Franklin.  He said that anytime a BD interferes with road integrity, the BD will be removed. 

Vicky let him know that since BDs were put in place, the roads/culverts have been in better shape. Michelle Lambert feels that she is partial owner of the BDs and does a great job of maintaining the Elbow Pond BD. Frank saw her cleaning out the BD and felt that she was trespassing. 

Nancy has talked to Michelle Dudek and Marj; we will try to do a field trip with Andy Guptill and the BD monitors.  The Town position on this needs to be clarified by Marj. Try for a trip for Monday afternoon, September 26.

Andover Garden Club: Doing a great job, we will try to get Mary Lou to come to a future meeting.

Kearsarge Climate Action: E-bikes – Nancy R signed up to try out an e-bike. Lee will be helping at the Demo Day on September 25, and anyone who shows up can give them a try.

Special thanks to Derek for his monitoring and the write-ups.