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In attendance: Cathy Garnett, Brian Hasbrouck, Jane Howard, Elizabeth
Karpati, Ann LeRoyer, Leslie Mayer. Facilitator: Leslie Mayer.
Minutes: Elizabeth Karpati.
Next meetings: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20, Town Hall Annex, First
Floor Conference Room.
Report on Meeting with John Sanchez, November 3:
· Leslie reported that the meeting went well and was mutually helpful: we
mentioned a few things John hadn’t thought about. He is holding up the last
payment to the contractor until the last items are taken care of.
· John will try to get Cathy the information she needs by the end of
November to draw up a landscaping plan. John wants to commit some money to
landscaping but didn’t name an amount. We need a meeting on landscaping when
the plan is ready, to determine what it will cost and how to get any
additional money needed. Some plants like azaleas will be available from
Symmes in the spring.
· Rumors that there is a lot of money left over from the project are in
error: it cost less than the original estimate, but the money appropriated
for it was correspondingly less.
· Mark Mitsch is preparing a maintenance plan but it will deal with things
like the outflow gate and the water level, not with landscaping, so a plan
for the latter will be needed [the Open Space Committee is involved in this
issue]. Landscaping maintenance would involve things like tree pruning,
invasives removal, maintenance of the peastone path. Who is responsible for
what needs to be determined. We should review Mark Mitsch’s plan before it
is finalized.
Miscellaneous points:
· John is hesitant about installing trash barrels because they are liable to
be stolen or vandalized, but some are necessary.
· He plans to put a gate at the beginning of the peastone path to keep out
cars.
· Cathy will send soil samples to UMass for nutrient testing to help decide
what to plant.
· Brian suggested the need for a drainpipe to drain the swale between the
ex-stump-dump and the peastone path, else it may hold enough water to breed
mosquitoes.
· Brian also suggested that Arlington should get an explicit written waiver
from the state dam safety office confirming its approval for designing the
dam to withstand a 500-year flood rather than “1/2 PMF.”
· Mill Brook presents another maintenance issue to be discussed. Fallen tree
trunks and branches nearly block it in several places, though the water
keeps flowing.
Beach Report 2005:
· Tags sold increased from 1180 to 1240. The planned fee increase was not
implemented. There were few rainy days, and fewer geese than in the past.
· The beach opened one day early because of the heat but had to close a few
days early when the filtration system broke. Park & Rec is considering a
discount to make up for the early closing, for people who buy their tags
early next year.
· Some other repairs are also needed, and Park & Rec wants to build a
storage building at the beach, which requires permission from the Con Com
because it will be near the water.
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