11/20/2008 CONSERVATION COMMISSION Minutes

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.4 5) Pre-bid Bog 'Tour The tour will be held on December 16 at 10 am. January 2 is the deadline for the RFPs and two have been received so far. 6) Santuit Pond Dam Update The Agent reported that the Santuit Pond Dam has failed compliance with the Office of Dam Safety and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Weston and Sampson, an engineering firm, has conducted a Phase 1 assessment and provided an engineering report. Seepage is occurring and causing undercutting under the earthen part of the dam and has created a sinkhole. In speaking with Harbormaster Ferry Ellis, boards have been removed to lover the lake level and reduce the pressure against the darn. The Department of Public works will address the seepage issue as well as repair the sinkhole. The Agent is planning a meeting with former members of the Santuit Fond Preserve Committee and town officials to further discuss the issue and determine how to pay for the $40-$60,000 Phase I Assessment. The office off am Safety has issued a deadline of December 2 to initiate Phase 2. The Agent has requested two 60 day extensions from the Office of Darn Safety, extending the deadline for compliance to February 2. 7) Requirement to Provide Narrative Agent McManus reiterated the importance of providing a narrative and noted the requirement i stated in the Regulations and on the Notice of Intent application. Agent McManus wishes to have the requirement applied across the board and charging the $100 Continuance Fee should an application be incomplete. The Commission discussed the process when applications are dropped off with the Conservation Department inquiring when the application is reviewed for completeness. The Agent responded that the application is reviewed after it has been dropped off, often times after it has been added to the agenda. Commission members felt that incomplete applications should not appear on the agenda. Agent McManus stated that it is the responsibility of applicants to ensure their application is complete. Since the Conservation Department does not have the resources to walk each applicant through the process, all applicants are advised to meet with Department recommended consultants who can assist with the application process. Mr. Anderson pointed out that the smaller, more standard request from a homeowner may allow greater discretion from the Commission as compared to a larger project. Among the suggestions to ensure that applicants complete their file and submit a narrative: 1 remind applicants that they may be charged'a fee for an incomplete application, 2 include a narrative page in the application packet, 3 create a checklist for the application. Fees are also required for revised plans and Certificate of Compliance. Mr. Anderson stated that should applicants be informed about the necessity of submitting a,completed application, and an incomplete application makes it to the agenda, then the Conservation Agent can announce at the meeting that the file is incomplete and ill be charged the $100 Continuance Fee. The Commission feels that a time on the agenda should not be allotted to an incomplete application so the review needs to be completed prior to the agenda. The Commission likes the idea of providing the checklist list at the window and reminding the applicant that a fee can be charged 1f the file is complete. 8 Land Steward open House The Conservation Department will be hosting an Open House for Land Stewards on December 1 at 7pm in Room 3. The event will feature a roundtable discussion and vocTech students, Boy Scouts and Americorps will be invited. Assistant Agent Lidhold will email the information to the Commissioners. 2