The Town of Lakeville Herring Fisheries Commission voted unanimously at its April 9 meeting to resend a previously drafted letter to the Select Board urging that a warrant article include removal of Phragmites, renovation of Upper Pond, and construction of a canoe launch as part of DPW-site work.

A commission member offered the motion that the commission resend the letter to keep the request “fresh in their minds.” Tom (commission member) seconded the motion; the chair called for the vote and members answered “Aye,” recording a unanimous result. The commission discussed that a grant for a planned skate park is funding a major portion of the DPW-site project and that the warrant article will be raised at an upcoming town meeting.

Why it matters: the warrant article, as described by commission members, would authorize work that could change shoreline and public-access features at the DPW site, including invasive-plant removal and a canoe launch that would affect how the community and migrating fish use the area.

Commission members asked that the letter explicitly mention renovation of the Upper Pond and the canoe launch and discussed sending the letter from the commission as an entity rather than from individual members to reduce errors in submission. One member said they would circulate a cut-and-paste version of the letter to facilitate action if the commission voted to resend it.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to accept minutes of March 12, 2025: moved by Dave (commission member), seconded by Tom (commission member). Vote: unanimous (ayes recorded). The minutes acceptance occurred at the start of the meeting and was recorded as passed.
- Motion to resend letter to the Select Board urging inclusion of Upper Pond renovation and a canoe launch in the DPW-site warrant article: moved by a commission member (name not specified), seconded by Tom (commission member). Vote: unanimous (ayes recorded).

Other business discussed
- Herring Festival: commission members confirmed plans to staff a table at the festival, noted vendor drop-off hours, and discussed tent and table logistics. The festival time mentioned in the meeting was 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the commission discussed using the kiosk if rain was light and arranging an overnight police detail for site security.
- Storage and equipment: members discussed obtaining a small storage box or shed to hold festival supplies, tools, ladders and a life ring; members cautioned that any equipment the commission installs would carry maintenance responsibilities and possible inspection obligations (for example, fire extinguisher checks) if the equipment were considered part of a facility.
- Volunteer recruitment: members described outreach to recruit wardens/observers and discussed collecting names and contact information at events and via follow-up emails. Alan Harrison, a local high school teacher, brought three students to the river for an observational demonstration; the students used counting clickers and completed paperwork but could not be listed as official observers unless they are adults. Commission members discussed following up with parents and with Alan Harrison for student contact details.
- EPC update and watershed work: an update noted the EPC (regional/partner body) meets quarterly with the next meeting in June; members reported that test holes at Clark Shores are being used to evaluate nitrogen entering local waters and that project teams are experimenting with ground barriers made of straw, sand and rocks to reduce nitrogen flow into Long Pond.

The commission closed by confirming its meeting schedule and asking members to continue recruiting volunteers and observers for river monitoring and festival staffing.