Lakeville open space committee affirms its charge, plans outreach and action items

The Town of Lakeville Open Space Committee met Dec. 5 and approved the minutes of its Oct. 3 meeting by voice vote before turning to a review of the committee's written charge and plans for outreach and short-term priorities. The committee scheduled its next meeting for Jan. 2, 2019, at 7 p.m.

Committee members spent the bulk of the meeting examining the committee charge that appears to have originated in 2013–14. The document on file describes the committee as "retained to oversee and periodically update the town's open space and recreation plan," notes a seven-member composition with one-year appointments by the Board of Selectmen, and directs the committee to work with the planning board, other town committees, residents, state and federal agencies, and land-conservation organizations to prioritize unprotected parcels, water resources, scenic vistas and historic sites.

The charge also instructs the committee to work with the Board of Assessors to develop a unified system for recording deed restrictions and to compile a calendar of renewal dates; to submit recommendations to the Board of Selectmen on parcels offered for donation or taken out of Chapter 61 tax programs; and to "advocate on behalf of the town for or against legislative issues deemed important to the committee's successful implementation of this charge," language that the members flagged for confirmation at Town Hall.

Members said they could not find a record in the town office confirming that the Board of Selectmen formally approved the posted charge. The committee asked a member to check with Town Hall and report back. Members also discussed whether the version posted on the town website is up to date, and several said they wanted to reaffirm or revise the committee’s priorities as they prepare work for the remainder of the fiscal year.

As part of their information-gathering, committee members described outreach to neighboring towns' open-space or conservation groups. One member reported contacting Plymouth and spoke with a support staff person named Patrick, who described a nine-member committee there with ranking criteria for property acquisition and use of Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds and the community preservation committee (CPC). A committee member described Middleborough as not having an open space committee at present but said Tricia Cassidy, Middleborough’s conservation agent, has been facilitating that town’s open space work and had offered examples of successful practices, including partnerships with state agencies and nonprofits.

Committee members noted that open-space and recreation issues often overlap and suggested coordinating with the recreation department on parks and trails, and with the master planning committee. The committee was told the master plan process will include a public workshop on open space and conservation planned for February; no date has been set.

For immediate next steps, the committee asked all members to come to the Jan. 2 meeting prepared with two modest action ideas or priorities for the second half of the fiscal year. Ideas mentioned during the meeting included revisiting the town’s list of priority parcels (previously compiled) and reaffirming that list in light of recent changes such as a new solar farm that has been added to the inventory.

The meeting concluded with administrative items including a check on mailbox correspondence (none reported) and logistics: until the police station meeting room opens, meetings will continue in the current location. The committee adjourned following a motion to adjourn voted at about 7:30 p.m.

The discussion was largely exploratory; no acquisition decisions, formal recommendations to the Board of Selectmen, or funding commitments were made at the Dec. 5 meeting.