Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Conservation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Plymouth Conservation Commission seeks authority for land-conservation working group; select board outlines open-meeting rules
Summary
Members of the Plymouth Conservation Commission asked the Select Board about forming a land-conservation subcommittee or partner organization to identify potential conservation parcels; town counsel and staff reminded the group of RSA 91-A public meeting and posting requirements for subcommittees.
Members of the Plymouth Conservation Commission asked the select board during public comment for guidance on establishing a land-conservation-focused subcommittee or working group to identify and advance conservation opportunities.
Lisa Donner and other commission volunteers said the proposed group would identify lands appropriate for conservation, coordinate with landowners and potential easement holders, and help find funding and partners for conservation transactions. The conservation participants said their intent was to supplement the commissioncapacity and to collaborate with local land trusts when appropriate.
Town counsel and staff advised that if the group operates as a formal subcommittee advising a municipal body it must comply with RSA 91-A: post meeting notices 24 hours in advance (excluding Sundays and holidays) and make minutes available within five business days. Staff also discussed options to record meetings by Zoom and upload them to the townvideo archive; committees may record meetings themselves and submit recordings to be posted.
Commission members discussed alternatives, including forming an independent nonprofit or LLC to do fundraising and stewardship work. Town counsel noted that an independent entity advising a municipal body could change the legal posture: a formally independent nonprofit or LLC could raise funds and hold donations separate from town revenues, while a subcommittee would be a municipal entity subject to open-meeting law.
Commissioners said they would finalize a mission statement and follow the townpublic-notice and minutes-upload requirements if the group meets separately from the conservation commission.
No specific action was taken by the select board at the meeting; staff offered to help with agendas, minutes and posting and recommended the commission finalize its proposal and return with a formal request if it seeks official subcommittee status.
