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Conservation commission to emphasize staffing needs and stewardship in annual report to council
Summary
Groton’s Conservation Commission reviewed its draft annual report and open-space inventory, agreed to emphasize stewardship staffing and economic benefits of open space, and recommended visuals and shorter slides for a planned Town Council presentation.
The Groton Conservation Commission reviewed a draft annual report and the town’s open‑space inventory on July 20 and agreed to highlight staffing shortfalls and stewardship priorities in the document it plans to present to the Town Council.
Chair Larry Dunn told members the commission had requested two full‑time positions in the 2027 request but the town manager’s proposed budget included only 0.5 full‑time equivalent. “We went in with a formal recommendation for plus 2 headcount. We got 0.5,” he said, and argued the issue is people, not just dollars: “It’s really the availability of people to do the work.”
Members suggested shortening slide text, adding photos (for example of the new Pequot Woods sign and recent cleanups) and limiting the presentation to 15 minutes to keep public attention during the council meeting. The commission also confirmed that updating the open‑space plan and aligning priorities with Groton 2035 (the POCD) are among their 2027 priorities.
Next step: Chair will refine the presentation to focus on staffing and economic benefits of open space and schedule the commission’s presentation to the Town Council.
