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Agricultural Commission Minutes

Meeting date: 
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
  • Town of Bolton Agricultural Commission
  • Meeting Minutes
  • Date: 2 March 2010
  • AGRICULTURAL COMMISSION
  • www.boltonag.com
  • 63 Main Street
  • 978 779-2297 or 779-3308
  • Joe Kovacs 779-6979 joseph.kovacs@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2010
  • Ken Nicewicz 779-6423 nicewicz@nre.umass.edu Term Exp 6/30/2010
  • Sue Storbeck 779-6020 slstorbeck@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2011
  • Barbara Parente 779-6303 bparente@comcast.net Term Exp 6/30/2012
  • Betsy Taylor-Kennedy 779-5213 betsy@taylor-kennedy.com Term Exp 6/30/2012
  •  
  • A meeting of the Bolton Agricultural Commission was held on March 2, 2010 at Town Hall. This meeting was rescheduled
  • from February 16, due to snow. The meeting was called to order at 7:37 pm. Commission members in attendance: Joe
  • Kovacs, Ken Nicewicz, Barbara Parente, Sue Storbeck and Betsy Taylor-Kennedy. Teresa Sauer from the Bolton
  • Community Garden Committee was a guest attendee.
  • The January 19, 2010 meeting minutes were read by members and accepted.
  • Reports from liaisons to Town Boards/Commissions:
  • Board of Health: nothing to report
  • Planning Board: Ken attended the hearing for Houghton Farms. PB thanked us for setting a precedent by participating in
  • FOSPRD development review.
  • Board of Selectmen: Joe and Betsy attended the January 20 hearing on the alpaca/dog altercation. The Selectmen ruled
  • in favor of the alpaca owners. The Animal Control Officer described the type of enclosure to be built by the dog owners.
  • Town representative (ACO?) to inspect completed enclosure to ensure compliance. Also at this meeting, the Selectmen
  • approved the AgCom’s concept for “Right-to-Farm” signs installed on the major roads entering Bolton. The Selectmen
  • would like to review the design before the signs are printed.
  • Barbara attended the meeting where the Repeal of the Farm Excise Tax was discussed. The repeal was proposed
  • by the Town Assessor. There are around 20 farms that qualify for the tax with a total assessment of about $4000. It was
  • determined that the loss of this revenue would not adversely affect the Town budget. The Farm Excise Tax is levied on
  • farm machinery and livestock from farms at least 5 acres in size and who do a minimum of $500 of agricultural business
  • per year. Barbara voiced her support for the repeal on behalf of the AgCom, and the BOS voted unanimously to put it on
  • the Town Meeting Warrant. Question arose during the review: Could AgCom co-sponsor the article with the Advisory
  • Committee?
  • Conservation Commission: The Extended Open Space & Recreation Plan has been updated to include the changes and
  • additions requested by the AgCom.
  • Bolton Conservation Trust: Nothing new to report on preserving large farms or on the Community Garden proposal for a
  • manure composting project at Coolidge Farm.
  • Complaints/Requests for Site Visits
  • · None scheduled.
  • Working Session:
  • o Teresa Sauer of the Bolton Community Garden Committee (BCG) returned to the AgCom to continue discussion
  • on the manure composting operation on the Coolidge land. BCG is hesitant to approach neighbors and move
  • ahead as they feel they have no clout with townspeople. They would AgCom support to plan, promote and
  • negotiate with the Town and neighbors, and also find participants who will bring manure. If the project moves
  • 1
  • ahead, any complaints about manure will come to AgCom. A subcommittee will be formed to bring all concerned
  • parties together: BCG, AgCom, BCT, neighbors, Chris Slade (could do grading for site access, dig farm pond,
  • etc). Date/time TBD. BL, AgCom, and BCT all need to support this project to make it work.
  • Current business:
  • 1. Annual Report: Joe has submitted the Annual Report to the town. Copies were distributed to committee.
  • 2. Holiday Sale/Agriculture surveys: Barbara has tallied the responses from 13 surveys. Most who responded
  • were not vendors. Those who attended liked the event and the location; some suggested having more than just
  • one sale per year. The Committee discussed choosing a date in September to coincide with apple-picking
  • season, though not at the Winery or other orchard because it would compete with their businesses. A second
  • event to coincide with Spring planting and a group purchase of chicks for residents was also discussed. An article
  • will go in the Common to gauge interest in ordering chicks.
  • 3. Conflict of Interest Law Training: Ken must complete the training by the extended April deadline.
  • 4. Website Update: Joe to work on update this weekend.
  • 5. Town Website Update: Joe gave Barbara pdf versions of the 2009 minutes for posting.
  • 6. Open Space Plan: Joe distributed copies of the Extended Open Space & Recreation Plan with additions he had
  • added from the AgComm. Three members --Joe, Betsy and Barbara -- attended the Open Space meeting chaired
  • by the Cons. Comm and offered input.
  • 7. Right-To-Farm Signs: Barbara and Sue chose a 24 x 36 vertical format. Graphic designer, Lyn Rodger, who
  • designed the AgCom brochure, will develop some designs ($150-200 range). Using an outside designer, rather
  • than the sign printer’s designer, resulted in a better price per sign ($168/sign for 6 signs). We will be able to put up
  • 6 signs this year. Expenditures will not go over our remaining budget amount.
  • 8. Farmer’s Meeting: The group decided on April 7 or 14 (or another date amenable to the majority of farmers).
  • This will be a working meeting, a chance to introduce ourselves, and to have an open discussion about what
  • issues they are dealing with, and how AgCom might help them. Ken to contact farmers, and invite our local
  • politicians (Rep. Kate Hogan, Sen. Jen Flanagan). Location??
  • New Business
  • 1. Budget: $300 has been spent; have $1500 remaining (through June 2010).
  • 2. Joe distributed a second mailer reminding members of the Annual Statewide Massachusetts Agricultural
  • Commissions’ Conference at Worcester State College on Saturday, March 20.
  • 3. Friends of Bolton Seniors are compiling a Pet Yearbook and are soliciting photo contributions and ads. Joe
  • suggested taking out a $25 ad in the book.
  • 4. MA Ag Day is Thursday, April 8. Committee members expressed an interest in attending.
  • The meeting was adjourned at 9:15 pm.
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