Middlesex Conservation Commission
Meeting Minutes - June 14, 2007

Commissioners Present: Scott Gurley, Duncan Nichols, Rick Paradis and Dave Shepard
Guests: Jane Dudley, Collin O’Neal and Susan Warren

This was the annual meeting of the Middlesex Conservation Commission (MCC) and was held at the Wrightsville Reservoir picnic area. As is typical for the annual meeting there was a short business meeting at 6:00 pm followed by a potluck dinner and informal discussion.

Administrative Operations
Minutes for the May meeting were not available so approval of the minutes was postponed to the July meeting.

Dave noted that a subcommittee of the MCC has been formed to address issues related to climate change. This subcommittee will be working on a climate change action plan for Middlesex.

Treasurer’s Report
Rick reported the following balances:
• Operating budget = $523.15
• Conservation Fund = $17,451.27
• Special Projects Fund = $1287.98

Invoices submitted for payment:
• Invoice from Rumney School for $293.91 was submitted for the annual purchase of conservation education related materials.
• Invoice for $35.00 submitted from Eliot Burg for reimbursement of the cost of attending a climate change workshop. The MCC had previously agreed to pay at least half of the cost of this workshop; at this meeting it was agreed that the MCC would cover the entire cost.
• Invoice from Bill Rossmassler for reimbursement of the cost of photocopying related to the Forest Legacy application submitted in 2006 for the Ott-Steed property.

MCC Officers for 2007
The following officers were elected for the upcoming year:
• Secretary - Barry Goodman
• Treasurer - Rick Paradis
• Chair - Dave Shepard

The remainder of the meeting involved informal discussion with Collin O’Neal, the manager of the Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area of potential trail maintenance and construction projects. Scott and Jane explained a proposal for a trail system at Wrightsville that would be constructed in phases. A potential route for one phase has been flagged. Collin has laid out and constructed the existing trail system and was very supportive of the idea of an expanded trail system as this is something he has been interested in for some time. The MCC agreed to work with Collin on this concept and to work to schedule a trail maintenance day later in the summer or early in the fall to assist Collin with the existing trail system.

The meeting was adjourned at approximately 8:30 pm

Respectfully Submitted



___________________________
Dave Shepard
Chair