Richard Fasoli

The meeting commenced with the calling to order and an opportunity for public comment on non-agenda items. The board approved the minutes from the previous meeting held on September 9th. New business involved a site plan approval for 2 Pine Street, where the applicant discussed their shared studio space, intended use including potential future retail pop-ups, and waste disposal methods. The board also discussed parking regulations, specifically regarding the property's potential qualification for a downtown business exemption versus the need for off-street parking, especially if retail activities increase. Furthermore, discussions covered the process for the board to change application fees, review of a final report on industrial zoning projects, and the necessity of calculating staff time expenditure to justify future fee structures, particularly for special permits based on project scale like square footage.

The meeting featured a presentation by Wayne Feidman, the former planning director for Northampton, who discussed land conservation, development, and the concept of conservation-limited development. Key discussion points included integrating conservation goals with development to achieve synergy, leveraging soil carbon sequestration as an argument for protecting wetlands, and aligning conservation efforts with municipal plans. The speaker detailed Northampton's success in conservation-limited development, including zoning amendments to allow density increases for projects incorporating affordable housing units, such as partnerships with Habitat for Humanity. Financial strategies, including raising an endowment and generating profit from development deals to fund further land acquisition, were also covered. Equity in access to open space and strategies for building coalitions for conservation were emphasized.

The committee meeting primarily focused on grant awards and subsequent procedural steps. Significant discussion centered on the successful award of a $100,000 park grant and a $7,980 grant for the Council on Aging. The committee emphasized the immediate need for the Parks Commission to secure the required matching funds ($86,000) from the CPC by their early October meeting to prevent delaying the process past the December deadline and potentially avoid a special town meeting before February. Discussions also covered grant applications related to sidewalks (Shared Streets and Spaces Grant), potential master plans for the park, and technical issues such as electrical line placement near the park site. Additionally, the committee reviewed progress on the Community Compact IT Grant, noting that a consultant (Novus Insight) provided a report on cybersecurity vulnerabilities, which will inform the grant application draft due soon. Progress on other potential grants, including one for the museum on Main Street and a Community Best Practices Grant, was also mentioned.

The meeting focused on the discussion and review of a draft mailer intended to inform the public about Ranked Choice Voting. Key agenda items included reviewing the two-sided draft design, layout, and content, including postage details and the inclusion of QR codes linking to important documents such as the vote by mail request form and the online voter registration website. The committee discussed making factual corrections regarding precinct information and poll hours. A significant portion of the discussion addressed phrasing related to requesting mail-in ballots, agreeing to include language specifying that requests must be made in writing. The committee also discussed providing a direct link to the official Ranked Choice Voting policy document to address potential reader confusion regarding terms like a candidate being unable to win or how votes are counted in the multi-candidate scenario.

The meeting commenced with the approval of previous minutes. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funding, involving reviewing department projections for needs and incurred expenses related to mitigating or responding to COVID-19. The board noted that schools have a separate funding stream. Discussions also covered the evolving plan for reopening town facilities and activities, such as parks, the senior center, the library, and town hall, strictly adhering to the Governor's office recommendations and CDC guidance. It was noted that town hall employees could return to work, but town hall would remain closed to the public. The board reviewed guidance documents for reopening the beach and discussed follow-up regarding parks. A complaint regarding the pool was handled. Preliminary planning for long-term recovery, including budgeting for potential vaccinations and testing support, was mentioned, though detailed planning was deferred due to uncertainty. The ongoing need for a permanent building inspector was highlighted due to increased activity like perk tests and Title V applications for new subdivisions, with alternate inspectors currently assisting. Finally, the status of contact testing coordination with South Hadley was reviewed.