TOWN OF ARLINGTON VISION 2020 ENVIRONMENT TASK GROUP
RESERVOIR COMMITTEE
February 27, 2006 - Meeting Minutes

In attendance: Cathy Garnett, Elizabeth Karpati, Ann LeRoyer, Leslie Mayer. 
Facilitator: Leslie Mayer. Minutes: Elizabeth Karpati.

Next meetings: 7:30 p.m. March 29 & Apr 27, Town Hall Annex, First Floor Conference Room.
 
Dam Project – Planting Plan:
· Cathy met with John Sanchez on February 9 and received enough specs and drawings to get started; she still needs up-to-date elevations or drawings for the ex-stump-dump. She also needs the Order of Conditions from the Con Com, and soil tests will have to be done after the ground thaws.

· John Sanchez has $25,000, which will be enough for the 100 trees needed if the DPW staff can plant them. If the planting work must be put out to bid, the process takes 6 weeks.

· Planting in the spring needs to be finished no later than mid-June so that the new trees won’t die in the summer drought. This means Cathy’s plans would have to go to the Con Com by mid-April to be approved by May 1. This is a very tight timetable.

· It may be best to plan on delaying planting until the fall (after mid-August). This would allow more time for the planning, and also for a public meeting to show the plans – probably in June, after Town Meeting ends and before the swimming season starts. Park & Rec and the Tree Warden would also want to see the plans in addition to the Con Com.

· In addition to the required trees, some shrubs could be planted. Elizabeth will ask Jim Marzilli if he can get some suitable leftovers from the NEWFS sale.

Other matters:
· A few construction details remain to be done, such as a straight connection from the Hurd Field bridge to the path around the Res, and the turnaround for maintenance vehicles near the outflow. John Sanchez expects to get them done in May.

· The walls of the new spillway have been defaced with graffiti. The first ones were painted over, but new ones appeared. Cathy suggested getting some kids to paint murals on the walls so that they won’t feel inclined to deface something that is “theirs.”

· The warrant article to establish a fund for maintenance of the Town’s water bodies comes before the Fin Com on March 22. It is not yet clear who would control the fund – Town Meeting, Town Manager, DPW, ConCom? If the article passes, it will be a big plus for the new Open Space Plan (the next revision of the current plan is due in 2007).