03/23/2023 CC Minutes
TOWN OF BETHLEHEM
2155 Main Street
Bethlehem, NH 03574
Bethlehem Conservation Commission (BCC) meeting
March 23rd, 2023
Meeting Minutes
Location: Library and Zoom (for first 17 minutes)
Committee members present: Lindsay Webb, Rachelle Lyons, Ivan Ash, Cheryl Jensen, Betsey Phillips, Margaret Gale, Vivian Winterhoff
In attendance: Jon Swan
Lindsay called the meeting to order at 06:02 pm.
Public comment
Update from Dalton, NH
Jon Swan introduced himself as the new Chair of the Dalton Conservation Commission. They recently hired three experts (hydrologist, wetlands scientist, and a bat expert) who can review permit applications in relation to the proposed Dalton landfill. Jon is keen to work together with the BCC during the process of the wetlands permit application for the proposed landfill. There was a meeting and a quick site visit with NHDES in November 2022 and the Army Corps. There will likely be a more news in June and July 2023.
The scope of work for the three experts has been published on the town of Dalton Town’s website, under the Dalton Conservation Commission page, in the February 2nd, 2023 and February 21st, 2023 meeting minutes.
The BCC provided comment on the permit application when it was first submitted.
Cheryl proposed to have a vote at the next meeting to designate one person who will be able to contact DES to reserve the BCC’s right to comment on any future permit applications by Granite State Landfill that are submitted to DES.
The Dalton Conservation Commission is holding its roadside clean-up on April 29th and a bio blitz on May 20th.
Mail received
No comments on mail received.
Past meeting minutes to approve
Cheryl made a motion to accept the minutes from the February 23rd, 2023, meeting with amendments agreed at this meeting. Betsey seconded. Motion passed unanimously.
Treasurer’s report
Account balances are:
Town account: $1,120 appropriation minus $250 NHACC dues = $870 remaining.
Savings account: $17,474.05. BES Field trip funds were deducted from this account.
Roadside Clean-Up Day – review tasks
The clean-up will take place on May 6th, 2023.
A summary of who will do what follows:
- Veronica Morris had volunteered to coordinate with the Town regarding booking the Gazebo (Lindsay will check in with her regarding this.)
- Rachelle will contact BES.
- Odd Fellows: Cheryl said Michael Bruno was going to get back to her.
- Margaret said the White Mountain School is keen to participate. Becky Beno is the contact.
Regarding schools’ involvement and coordination:
There was some discussion around the schools co-ordinating / doing the clean-up together. Does BES want to team up with the White Mountain School, for example?
Betsey confirmed that the Woodland Community School is also keen to participate, but not on Brook Rd as it’s very busy.
Each BCC member to reach out to “their” school to agree on a date for them to pick up trash. They can be informed of other schools participating and coordinate among themselves on how to coordinate, if desired.
Remind each school contact to count the number of bags they collect, and to contact Casella for access to the transfer station if clean-up is going to be done on a day when the transfer station is closed, e.g. on the Friday. Bags need to be picked up and delivered to the transfer station or stored securely the same day, as in the past we have had problems with animals getting into full trash bags.
Also, please remind them that Casella sets aside a separate dumpster for the clean-up bags, so they can be weighed once all bags have been collected.
- Lindsay will notify Casella (NCES).
- Veronica had volunteered to inform town officials (Lindsay will check in with her).
- Supplies: We should have enough blue bags. Cheryl will buy more gloves. If anybody sees the small size for gloves, buy them, as they are hard to find.
- Betsey will call the volunteers who pick up bags from 12pm onwards on clean-up day. They usually count the bags, then put in the specially set aside dumpster for the road-side clean-up.
Publicity
- to 4) Cheryl will take care of these.
Additionally, Vivian will reach out to North Country Community Email list.
BCC members reviewed the press release from last year and updated it.
5) Once printed, Vivian will leave posters at Maia Papaya, the Village store, the Post Office, The Littleton Food Co-op, the Town Hall and Library, and other places posters can go, including possibly Super Secret Ice-cream (only once tokens are confirmed)
6) Cheryl will reach out the Bethlehem Rec department to post on their page.
7) Cheryl will reach out to the Littleton Food Co-op to include an announcement in their email (and perhaps on Social Media?)
8) Cheryl will reach out to Pam Sullivan’s marketing group to announce it in town events.
9) Rachelle and Cheryl will co-ordinate to ask BES to send an announcement out to parents.
Additional:
Vivian will set up a Facebook event.
Lindsay will ask Veronica to send the flyer to Staples to print. Print a few extra copies, e.g. to post in Super Secret Ice-Cream (if we work with them).
Other / Closer to the date
- Rachelle will drive around before the clean-up to check the state of trash on the side of roads.
- Cheryl has sign-up sheets and T-shirts.
- Other “Closer to the date” tasks will be talked about at the next meeting.
- Writing thank you notes to be added as an agenda item to the meeting after the roadside clean-up.
Regarding the ice-cream social:
One Super Secret Ice-Cream token = $5.42. This covers one scoop in a bowl.
20 tokens would cost $108.40. 40 tokens would cost $218.
The budget for the roadside clean-up is $150.
Betsey volunteered to ask for donations from people she knows.
Cheryl made a motion to buy 40 for approximately $220 from Super Secret Ice-Cream. Ivan seconded. Motion unanimously approved.
Rachelle will reach out to Kristina Zontini, the owner of Super Secret Ice-Cream. Perhaps they can also contribute some tokens? Kristina may also help with advertising.
Shoreland Permit #2023-00462 Discussion (Diers, Moose Trail)
The Town has not received a copy of the application and plans, so the BCC has not yet had a chance to review the application.
Lindsay reached out to NHDES by email to ask if we could provide comments, and asked about the time frame, but has not heard back yet. The application is under review.
BCC Chair role discussion
Nobody has reached out to Lindsay yet to take on the Chair role, and this is her last meeting. Lindsay facilitated distributing Chair responsibilities until the next meeting:
Vivian will keep an eye on the BCC gmail Chair email address (BethlehemNHConservation@gmail.com)
- The email account has 2 email contact lists:
Contacts on the “Town people to get BCC agendas” email list are sent the meeting agenda one week ahead of a meeting (blind copy the recipients) - Contacts on the “Bethlehem Conservation Commission” email list (that is, all BCC members) are sent the agenda two weeks ahead of time
Vivian will draft and send out the agendas for the meetings for the time being.
The agenda needs to be posted by the Town at least 2 days ahead of time. Nicole McGrath helps post at the Town Hall, the Post Office, and on the Town’s website.
Rachelle is happy to set up Zoom meetings and bring her laptop if necessary. Mary Jackson at the Town Hall helps coordinate the Zoom account info.
Margaret will continue to set up meeting venues (Library or Town Hall).
Lindsay handed the keys to the Town Hall and the filing cabinet over to Betsey.
Cheryl will look at municipal law regarding how long the BCC needs to keep paper files in the filing cabinet.
Cheryl will store the poster board “what is the Bethlehem Conservation Commission” at her home.
We will discuss the process of handling wetland permits at the next meeting.
Lindsay will send Vivian the draft agenda for the next meeting.
Other/New Business
BES Field Trip update
Rachelle and Margaret gave an update on the BES Field Trip to Plymouth State University, which was a success. The students were very engaged. Chuck Henderson also attended. Sue Greenlaw may send the BCC photos of the field trip. They could be shared on our Facebook page.
Cheryl or Vivian will post the photos on the BCC Facebook page.
Next BCC meetings
Margaret pointed out that the NHACC North Country Roundtable is happening the evening of April 27th, which was the next planned meeting date. She suggested moving the meeting forward to April 20th.
Cheryl suggested to skip the May 25th meeting. This was agreed.
The next meetings will take place on April 20th .
Additionally, BCC members will of course get together on May 6th for the Roadside Clean-up.
Margaret made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 8:06pm. Seconded by Betsey. Motion unanimously passed.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:06pm.
Respectfully submitted by Vivian Winterhoff, Recording Secretary.
