HomeMy WebLinkAboutOpen Space Comm. 05/19/20Town of Mansfield RE EIVED
Open Space and Recreation Committee Minut�5 � Or FICE
May 19, 2020
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Present: Diane Simms, Chair; Allen Bryer; Perry DiMascio; Sharon ffieJman,_R becca Foster;
Katelyn Gonyer, Conservation Agent; Mark Cook, DPW Highway/ Div�sioniQ qs Manager
Note: The was a Virtual Meeting, open to the public via the GoToWebinar platform and
broadcast live on Mansfield Local Cable Access
1. Meeting Called to Order
The meeting of the Town of Mansfield Open Space and Recreation Committee was called to
order at 6:02 pm.
2, Chair read mandatory open meeting statement.
3. Roll call of attendees.
4. Trail status
Reviewed May 2020 Trail Review pdf that had been sent to attendees in advance of the
meeting. This provides pictures with brief descriptions at the town's five trail properties, Of the
39 pictures, one showed encroaching pines starting to block a trail; one was of potholes at the
entrance to Great Woods; one was of a an old hunting blind; one was of a decaying bridge with
holes; one was decaying round logs covering wet area after bridge. The other 34 pictures are
potential trail hazards such as fallen and leaning trees. In addition, Ms. Simms commented that
she has walked all of the trails and that there are new signs to encourage trail users to maintain
the 6' physical distancing. There are also a number of trails that need to be remarked. Mr. Cook
of the DPW joined the meeting and said that he would have Jay, the DPW Grounds and
Maintenance Coordinator, take a look at the trails with downed and leaning trees. They will
then decide with Ms. Gonyer which trees they can cut and those that will need to be done by a
certified arborist. Ms. Gonyer reported that she has purchased a Sawzall to take care of some of
the smaller items that are blocking the trails. She requested safety training from Mr. Cook. Ms.
Gonyer also stated that all of the fallen and leaning trees should be taken care of now, as they
are safety issues. She and Mr. Cook will put a plan into place.
5. 2020 Goal Reset
Deferred to the June meeting.
6. Master Plan Action Items
The committee reviewed two topics that have not been included in the current draft of the
master plan and that had been previously discussed at committee meetings: Trail Accessibility
and Water Access. Regarding general accessibility as opposed to having a couple of trails that
would be ADA compliant, it was noted that to be ADA compliant, the trail would need to
conform to specific rules and regulations that would potentially add costs to the trail
maintenance. The topic of having assessable trails has been included in prior planning
documents and to date nothing has been implemented. The committee agreed to progress on
assessable trails instead of ADA compliant trails. Regarding Water Access, there have been in
the past, recommendations for access to the Canoe River Aquifer. That has also been In
previous plans. And lastly, in the area of action items, it appears that there are seven items
that are assigned to one person, the Conservation Agent. Perhaps these duties need to be
assigned within the department such that the duties can be the further distributed among
other staff, Following the discussions the following votes were taken:
A. Motion by Sharon Friedman to submit comment regarding the addition of including
assessable trails in Goal 2A1 of the Master Plan. Second: Perry DiMascio Vote: 4 in favor;1
opposed.
B. Motion by Perry DiMascio to add a water access point for the Canoe River Aquifer. Second:
Sharon Friedman. Vote: 4 in favor; 1 opposed.
C. Motion by Perry DiMascio to review the 7 added items in the Action Items section of the
Master Plan regarding the Conservation Agent with the suggestion of assignment of duties
within the department. Second: Rebecca Foster. Vote: 4 in favor; 1 opposed.
With these votes, Ms. Simms will submit the comments by May 31 to the Master Plan
consultants.
7. Trail Management Plan Brainstorm
Reviewed draft Mansfield Trail Management Plan pdf that had been sent to attendees in
advance of the meeting. This document lists the trail properties, the trails, and the detailed
management plan. The management plan is a table with Tasks, Frequency, Timeframe,
Responsible, Properties, and Comment. Mr. DiMascio noted that semi-annual activity 4a
needed an additional timeframe. The Chair requested that members submit additional
comment via email. She will meet with Mr. Cook and Ms. Gonyer to discuss revisions. The
updated plan will be reviewed in the next meeting.
8. Adjourn
Motion by Mr. Bryer to adjourn at 7:04pm. Second: Ms. Foster. Vote: Unanimously in favor.
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Chair Date