Town of Edgecomb Minutes for Schmid Advisory Committee Meeting
September 18, 2002, 7:00 p.m., Town Hall

1. Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Bob Leone, Chairman. Committee members present were Andy Abello, Jim Beam, Deb Sondergaard, Heidi Gagnon, Bob Leone, David Tonry and Bob Zak. There was no public input.

2. Chairman’s Report - Bob Leone

A. Review of Minutes: The sixth paragraph of the notes of August 21st was corrected to read, “Bob Zak reported that he had spoken to Amanda Russell regarding the status of several grant applications. Although there had been a meeting regarding the Land for Maine’s Future grant, …” In the ninth paragraph “mapping” was changed to “flagging.”

B. Next Meeting: October 16, 2002

3. Selectman’s Report:- Bob Zak

A check for $2,000 had been received from the John Sage Foundation. The cost of the newsletter was $140, twice as much as the postage, and Bob Zak recommended that this item be increased in next year’s budget. No date has been set for the Carfizzi court case.

Because no quorum had been present for the July and August meetings, the possibility of not holding meetings in the summer was discussed but no decision was reached.

4. Land Acquisition, Boundaries, Roads

A. Middle Road Parking Area: Bob Leone reported that the finish gravel had been put on the parking area. The cost of materials and labor will be approximately $5,000 and as soon as all the bills are in, the total bill will be submitted to the DOT. A work party will be needed to riprap the culvert, using rocks from nearby walls.

B. Haselton Grant Status: Andy Abello said he was waiting for some pledges to come in for the purchase of this property and that MBNA had turned down a request for funds. He added that the board needed volunteers to write grants and briefly described the procedure in applying for grants. Bob Leone asked the committee to consider access to the preserve from the large tract of land which Land for Maine’s Future was working on putting together.

5. Public Relations and Stewardship – Andy Abello and Deb Sondergaard

Andy Abello reported that Bob Brown will be giving a presentation on the history of the preserve together with a walk on the property to the Edgecomb Historical Society on the September 28th. He had sent an invitation to Paula Gibbs of the Wiscasset Newspaper and will call the other papers.

A. Eagle Scout Project: Randy Dowdy had written to the committee that he had found three of the six well locations and asked how he should proceed from this point. His report included photos, diameter of wells, depth, water, danger, and possible use as fire suppression. Bob Leone noted that Randy had not located the well by the Haggett Field. Randy will be referred to Bob Brown who knows where the wells are. The board will discuss what action to take at some time in the future when all the information is available.

6. Trails – Heidi Gagnon and Jim Beam

A. Bridge Construction: Bob Brown’s memo on the width of the proposed bridge over Meadow Brook was distributed and the advisability of building the bridge wide enough to accommodate ATVs (which are 42 inches wide) on the property was discussed. It was the consensus of the board that the bridge should be narrow enough to prevent usage by wheeled vehicles but wide enough to encourage usage by horses and hikers. It was noted that fire and rescue vehicles could gain access to the area from either direction and would not need access to the bridge. A width of 36 to 38 inches was suggested as well as a railing. Matt Jones is interested in leading a construction crew; Jim Beam will contribute oak planks, but will need a decision on width so the planks can be cut before moving to the site. David Tonry volunteered to survey the site for heights if needed. A work party was tentatively set for October 19th and 20th, and Bob Leone will contact Matt Jones to see if that date is possible.

B. Trail Scouting: There was discussion on possible locations for trails. Bob Leone will contact members about scouting trails when he is able to get out on the preserve for about a three hour trip.

7. Other Business

Formal dedication of the parking area was discussed and it was suggested that it take place after the bridge and trail are completed, possibly a Sunday in November.

With regard to the request for information on using the preserve for a Boy Scout Camporee, Heidi Gagnon suggested that camping by scouts could be encouraged, although on a smaller scale. She mentioned the help the scouts had given the preserve with the bat houses and the locating of wells. Bob Leone will contact Gloria Boogsch for further information on the camporee planned for the fall of 2003.

8. Public Input

Betty Twarog said she had referred Gloria Boogsch to the chairman and that at this point it was an inquiry only; other sites are also being investigated. She said that parents will be accompanying the scouts.

9. Adjournment: 8:05 p.m.