Diane M. Farnworth

The meeting included the approval of minutes from December 21, 2020. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the financial report, noting minimal activity with expenditures including payments for mowing services and map printing, and income from a foundation grant and advances. A detailed update was provided regarding a reseeding project, where costs exceeded the initial approval, and an update on trail material purchases. The commission received a presentation from Eric Westhoff regarding a project to digitize land trust boundaries using GIS software (ArcGIS), providing free online accounts and access to mobile applications for property monitoring. Discussions covered the incorporation of conservation easements and state protected properties into the digital mapping system, and the availability of in-person training sessions in the spring. The need to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to initiate the process was noted.

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance and a note on open forum sign-ups. The committee addressed the consent agenda, with specific discussions pulled out for the minutes of July 12th and the Tiverton School Building minutes. A request was made to update the July 12th minutes to include the vote on school handbooks, and a suggestion was made to separate subcommittee reports/minutes under the consent agenda for clarity. The new business portion of the meeting was dedicated to honoring the Tiverton Majors 2022 Softball Champions, including presentations and commendations from committee members and legislative delegates regarding their outstanding season achievements, the spirit they displayed, and the committee's support for establishing middle school softball/baseball programs.

The meeting began with a roll call and the approval of the consent agenda, which included minutes from previous sessions on January 25th, 2021 (regular and executive sessions), January 23rd, 2021 (special budget meeting), and January 26th, 2021 (joint workshop). Key agenda items involved acknowledging monthly reports from the Town Administrator, Police, Fire, Planner, and Planning Board for January 2021. Correspondence included a resolution from the Town of North Providence regarding lifting COVID-19 restrictions on small businesses and approval of tax assessor abatements totaling $66.71. One item from the consent agenda concerning the COVID-19 resolution was pulled for discussion but ultimately not voted upon, with a decision made to hold a future discussion upon the presentation of a formal resolution. The public hearing section addressed a request for a sound variance extension for a wedding on June 26, 2021, on 9 Faro O'Clock at Road, intending to extend noise authorization until 11 p.m. due to a live band and fireworks; this matter was tabled until the next meeting (February 22nd) pending further information on fireworks permits. The council also voted to advertise technical amendments to the recently passed Tiverton Code of Ordinance regarding public nuisance of animals. The session concluded with a review and preliminary votes on the FY 2021-2022 budget, focusing on line items and capital expenses, particularly those from the Public Works Department.

The meeting commenced with the approval of the January meeting minutes, noting two required corrections regarding spelling and a name transposition. Correspondence reviewed included an email concerning the Fog Land Boat Ramp, which is scheduled for later discussion. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding riparian boundaries and mooring locations for Mr. Clemens at 451 Sapoed Ave was read into the minutes, confirming that moorings are permitted within the defined riparian boundaries as per CRMC guidelines, which resolved an existing appeal and a harbormaster request. It was also noted that Mr. Clemens would apply to the town to relocate one mooring. Separately, correspondence confirmed the withdrawal of a coastal resource management council application by Bradley Bolinger and Travis Lundgren, who plan to reapproach the process following CRMC's redesigned aquaculture application procedure. The commission discussed future meeting formats, showing a preference for the Zoom format over shared document editing for the Harbor Management Plan (HMP) workshop, and scheduled a subsequent HMP meeting for the first of the following month (Tuesday) at 6:30 PM.

The meeting included approving the minutes from the June 24th session, with an amendment to reflect an attendee's presence. General business covered updates on a grant process involving the DEM and town clerk logging, which is expected to proceed without issues. A fundraising update was provided, noting a forthcoming presentation to the Town Council regarding posting signs and collecting donations, focusing on addressing potential conflicts of interest and disqualifiers for contributions. Discussions also touched upon playground/outdoor fitness space coverage under the master price agreement and investigating options for redoing tennis courts as part of the pickleball project, including checking Master Price Agreements (MPAs) and contacting other municipalities. A significant portion of the meeting involved discussing vendor selection for the renovation project, reviewing proposals from J.P. LaRue (Big Toys), Marilyn Compton (Compound), and O'Brien and Sons (Landscape Structures), with strong preference noted for the proposal that best addressed survey requests and offered superior warranties. The committee agreed to use a standardized rating scale to evaluate the presentations to facilitate selection.