Lakeville open space committee seeks outreach, plans Tamarack Park upkeep; approves minutes

The Town of Lakeville Open Space Committee on an evening meeting approved minutes from prior meetings and focused its discussion on membership recruitment, outreach to other town boards, and management tasks for local open-space sites.

The committee approved minutes for meetings on May 2, May 22 (a joint meeting with the Board of Selectmen), and June 6. The panel also moved and seconded a motion to adjourn at the end of the meeting; all motions carried by voice vote without a recorded roll call.

Committee members spent the bulk of the meeting discussing programmatic goals for the coming year and how to increase visibility about open-space work in town. Patrick Marshall Cameron, recorded in the May minutes as having called that meeting to order, said the group should identify concrete goals and reach out to other town boards — the Board of Selectmen, the Planning Board and the Recreation Department — to explain the committee’s role and to rebuild communication channels after recent turnover on many town boards.

The group agreed to review the town’s open space plan ahead of the next meeting and to align any plan revisions with the pending town master plan process. Committee members noted the current open space plan remains posted online but that it may need updates; they said they would wait to see the master plan’s recommendations before making substantial revisions.

Recruitment was another focus. Members said the Board of Selectmen had called for applicants and that one prospective applicant, Liz Nash (last name provided in the meeting as Nash or Nashley), had expressed interest but was not present. The committee said it needs at least two more members to reach a full complement and encouraged residents to contact the town administrator’s office.

Volunteers reported progress at Tamarack Park. Committee members described weekly volunteer work parties (sometimes one to five volunteers, once with scouts) that have cleared woody growth from the meadow and improved trail mowing; volunteers expect to continue work into mid-October. Members said meadow grasses are now established, that families are using the space, and that they plan to add flowering plants to increase public appreciation of grassland habitat.

The committee heard a brief update from the cemetery liaison: the Cemetery Commission plans to reinstall a fence — with granite posts and rods — between Thompson Hill and Precinct cemeteries, using historic posts reported to be returned from the Lions Club.

The committee was also informed about townwide items from the town administrator’s office: a required discrimination and harassment-avoidance workshop for all boards and committees scheduled for Thursday, October 4, with three session times (1–3 p.m., 4–6 p.m., and 7–9 p.m.), and website training for board members on September 10 at 10:00 a.m., with a possible backup date on September 19 if needed. Members were asked to sign up with Tracy in the town administrator’s office.

Members raised an item for later research — a local preservation term described in the meeting as an “ancient open field” used in nearby Rochester — and asked staff to investigate whether a similar designation or program might be available to protect historic fields in Lakeville.

The committee scheduled its next meeting for October 3 at 7:00 p.m. (place to be determined) and adjourned after moving and seconding the closing motion.