Sue Stanley

Cheshire Land Trust, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting April 18, 2019 A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Cheshire Land Trust, Inc. (CLT) was held on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the offices of the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce. A quorum of directors being present, the meeting was called to order at 7:17 p.m. by CLT President Joy VanderLek. Board members in attendance: J. VanderLek; K. Schnitzer; J. Hilzinger; R. Solomon; P. Ricci-Roach; S. Stanley and W. Stanley. Ms. VanderLek thanked Mr. Hilzinger for regrading and repairing the parking area at Brooke Preserve and adding processed stone to the entrance. She stated that a donor has agreed to reimburse the CLT for the cost of the processed stone, which was approximately $220. Discussion followed concerning the need to thank and recognize in-kind donations. Mr. Solomon suggested that the CLT could provide free memberships to donors in addition to written expressions of thanks. Membership Update Ms. VanderLek reported that year-to-date the CLT has received 60 membership donations totaling $3915.00 Minutes On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the meetings held on February 21, 2019 and March 21, 2019 were approved. Ms. VanderLek stated that she would like to revisit the discussion at the March meeting about the possibility of allowing board members to cast votes by email. Discussion followed and it was agreed that Ms. Stanley will review the CLT’s bylaws and relevant state law and make a recommendation at the May meeting. Financial Report Mr. Schrumm was unable to attend the meeting and there was no formal financial report. Ms. VanderLek stated that Mr. Schrumm advised her that there has been no material change to the CLT’s financial status since the last report. Old Business Ms. VanderLek stated that the CLT’s checking account and safe deposit box signature cards at Webster Bank need to be updated. This will be approved at the May meeting. Mr. Schrumm is expected to complete the clean out and disposal of metal from the shed at Ives Farm during the last week of April. Mr. Hilzinger will provide a dumpster for this purpose. Mr. Schrumm has spoken with an adjacent property owner at Fresh Meadows concerning logs and other debris on that were dumped on Fresh Meadows by the property owner. Ives Farm Ms. VanderLek stated that the current farm tenants are scheduled to renew the farm lease for 2 years, but that it is possible that they will vacate the property at the expiration of this renewal. After discussion, it was agreed that a subcommittee should be established to explore alternative uses for the property in the event that the current tenants elect not to renew the lease in two years. It was suggested that this subcommittee should research uses for properties operated by land trusts in other local towns, such as Coventry and Roxbury. Alternative agricultural uses, such as growing hay, could also be considered. Ms. VanderLek suggested that the Farm Committee or other board members may wish to contact at the Connecticut Farmland Trust for additional information or advice. This will be added to the May board agenda. Ms. Schnitzer has suggested that the farm lease be amended to be consistent with the CLT’s hunting guidelines. These guidelines permit the CLT to authorize limited hunting on the property for the purpose of controlling wildlife that damage or destroy crops. Currently, two hunters have been authorized to hunt on the property, and they are subject to the hunting guidelines. A copy of the guidelines is attached to these minutes as Exhibit A. After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the Board approved the proposed farm lease for a two-year term, provided that language be added to clarify that limited hunting for the purpose of controlling damage to crops and plants may be conducted when authorized by the CLT and undertaken in accordance with the CLT hunting guidelines. Stewardship The Stewardship Committee met last week. Mr. Solomon reported that the Eagle Scout project to build a bridge at Fresh Meadows is largely complete. He indicated that a number of other scouts would be interested in undertaking improvements to CLT properties as an Eagle Scout project. One scout is considering creating a kiosk at Ives Farm for his project. It was also suggested that consideration be given to adding a sign at the entrance to the Ives Farm walking trails. Boy scouts have put up bird houses at Brooke Preserve and girl scouts have installed pollinator boxes at Fresh Meadows. Mr. Schrumm has made boundary markings at the Cran Memorial. Mr. Hilzinger plans to remove a fallen tree at Pelz Farms Nominating Committee No members of the Committee were in attendance at the meeting. It was observed that Mr. Abdifar will be leaving the board in June. Ms. VanderLek encouraged suggestions for possible nominees to the Board. Acquisition/Grants/Fundraising Mr. Schrumm has spoken with a potential donor and continues to explore a possible land acquisition opportunity in southern Cheshire. A grant request to the Audubon Society is due next week. The CLT has received a $2000.00 grant from the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP-CT) for plantings at Fresh Meadows. 30 new plants have been ordered. Ms. VanderLek, Ms. Roach and Ms. Schnitzer are working on a grant application to the NRCS for the Ives Farm woodlands. Ms. VanderLek stated she and an NRCS forester and several other NRCS representatives did a walk-through of the Ives Farms woodlands on March 26, as a first step in the application for the woodland management grant. The forester suggests that the CLT should obtain a woodland survey of the Ives woodlands. CLT will be participating in the “Give Local” community-wide fundraising event to be held on April 23-24. As part of this event, Ms. VanderLek will discuss the CLT on WATR radio next week. After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the Board agreed to participate in a fundraiser mailing sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $125. The mailing will be sent to 500 homes by the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Roach will research possible grant opportunities to fund printing for trail maps. Ms. VanderLek will also conduct fundraising on behalf of CLT at the Cheshire half-marathon on April 28; she noted that the CLT raised approximately $1000 at the 2018 half-marathon. Authorization to Sign Documents After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the board voted unanimously to authorize each of the following board officers, acting separately, to execute documents on behalf of the Cheshire Land Trust: Joy VanderLek, President; Karen Schnitzer, Vice President; David Schrumm, Treasurer; Susan Stanley, Secretary; provided that the transaction evidenced by such documents shall also have received any necessary board approval. Outreach/Events CLT will host a table at the Congregation Church Strawberry Festival on June 8. The price is $75.00. Mr. Stanley will make some prototype coasters/trivets/ornaments using wood from downed cedar trees for use in future fundraising efforts. The hike with Scott Ellis scheduled for this upcoming weekend has been cancelled due to expected inclement weather. CLT will host an Earth Day display at Cheshire Academy on April 25. 50th Anniversary Party There was discussion of possible sites for the CLT’s 50th anniversary party, which will be held in October. It was agreed that more details concerning this event need to be fleshed out and that this will be added to the agenda for the May meeting Other Business Please see Exhibit A for a list of Action Items for future meetings. There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Stanley, Secretary Exhibit A ACTION ITEMS - April 18, 2019 Board Meeting May Board meeting: · Sue Stanley to come back with recommendations for voting by email. · Appoint subcommittee to research and develop recommendations for Ives Farm in the event the lease is not renewed in 2 years · Set date and location for Oct. 50th Anniversary party. Appoint subcommittee to manage? · Update checking account and safe deposit box signature cards Also, did we want to formalize or follow up on · Randy’s suggestion about having a process for thanking/acknowledging in kind contributions? · Putting up hunting signs at Ives woodlands · Doing a woodland survey for Ives Farm woodlands

Cheshire Land Trust, Inc. Board of Directors Meeting April 18, 2019 A meeting of the Board of Directors of the Cheshire Land Trust, Inc. (CLT) was held on Thursday, April 18, 2019 at the offices of the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce. A quorum of directors being present, the meeting was called to order at 7:17 p.m. by CLT President Joy VanderLek. Board members in attendance: J. VanderLek; K. Schnitzer; J. Hilzinger; R. Solomon; P. Ricci-Roach; S. Stanley and W. Stanley. Ms. VanderLek thanked Mr. Hilzinger for regrading and repairing the parking area at Brooke Preserve and adding processed stone to the entrance. She stated that a donor has agreed to reimburse the CLT for the cost of the processed stone, which was approximately $220. Discussion followed concerning the need to thank and recognize in-kind donations. Mr. Solomon suggested that the CLT could provide free memberships to donors in addition to written expressions of thanks. Membership Update Ms. VanderLek reported that year-to-date the CLT has received 60 membership donations totaling $3915.00 Minutes On motion duly made and seconded, the minutes of the meetings held on February 21, 2019 and March 21, 2019 were approved. Ms. VanderLek stated that she would like to revisit the discussion at the March meeting about the possibility of allowing board members to cast votes by email. Discussion followed and it was agreed that Ms. Stanley will review the CLT’s bylaws and relevant state law and make a recommendation at the May meeting. Financial Report Mr. Schrumm was unable to attend the meeting and there was no formal financial report. Ms. VanderLek stated that Mr. Schrumm advised her that there has been no material change to the CLT’s financial status since the last report. Old Business Ms. VanderLek stated that the CLT’s checking account and safe deposit box signature cards at Webster Bank need to be updated. This will be approved at the May meeting. Mr. Schrumm is expected to complete the clean out and disposal of metal from the shed at Ives Farm during the last week of April. Mr. Hilzinger will provide a dumpster for this purpose. Mr. Schrumm has spoken with an adjacent property owner at Fresh Meadows concerning logs and other debris on that were dumped on Fresh Meadows by the property owner. Ives Farm Ms. VanderLek stated that the current farm tenants are scheduled to renew the farm lease for 2 years, but that it is possible that they will vacate the property at the expiration of this renewal. After discussion, it was agreed that a subcommittee should be established to explore alternative uses for the property in the event that the current tenants elect not to renew the lease in two years. It was suggested that this subcommittee should research uses for properties operated by land trusts in other local towns, such as Coventry and Roxbury. Alternative agricultural uses, such as growing hay, could also be considered. Ms. VanderLek suggested that the Farm Committee or other board members may wish to contact at the Connecticut Farmland Trust for additional information or advice. This will be added to the May board agenda. Ms. Schnitzer has suggested that the farm lease be amended to be consistent with the CLT’s hunting guidelines. These guidelines permit the CLT to authorize limited hunting on the property for the purpose of controlling wildlife that damage or destroy crops. Currently, two hunters have been authorized to hunt on the property, and they are subject to the hunting guidelines. A copy of the guidelines is attached to these minutes as Exhibit A. After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the Board approved the proposed farm lease for a two-year term, provided that language be added to clarify that limited hunting for the purpose of controlling damage to crops and plants may be conducted when authorized by the CLT and undertaken in accordance with the CLT hunting guidelines. Stewardship The Stewardship Committee met last week. Mr. Solomon reported that the Eagle Scout project to build a bridge at Fresh Meadows is largely complete. He indicated that a number of other scouts would be interested in undertaking improvements to CLT properties as an Eagle Scout project. One scout is considering creating a kiosk at Ives Farm for his project. It was also suggested that consideration be given to adding a sign at the entrance to the Ives Farm walking trails. Boy scouts have put up bird houses at Brooke Preserve and girl scouts have installed pollinator boxes at Fresh Meadows. Mr. Schrumm has made boundary markings at the Cran Memorial. Mr. Hilzinger plans to remove a fallen tree at Pelz Farms Nominating Committee No members of the Committee were in attendance at the meeting. It was observed that Mr. Abdifar will be leaving the board in June. Ms. VanderLek encouraged suggestions for possible nominees to the Board. Acquisition/Grants/Fundraising Mr. Schrumm has spoken with a potential donor and continues to explore a possible land acquisition opportunity in southern Cheshire. A grant request to the Audubon Society is due next week. The CLT has received a $2000.00 grant from the Society of Women Environmental Professionals (SWEP-CT) for plantings at Fresh Meadows. 30 new plants have been ordered. Ms. VanderLek, Ms. Roach and Ms. Schnitzer are working on a grant application to the NRCS for the Ives Farm woodlands. Ms. VanderLek stated she and an NRCS forester and several other NRCS representatives did a walk-through of the Ives Farms woodlands on March 26, as a first step in the application for the woodland management grant. The forester suggests that the CLT should obtain a woodland survey of the Ives woodlands. CLT will be participating in the “Give Local” community-wide fundraising event to be held on April 23-24. As part of this event, Ms. VanderLek will discuss the CLT on WATR radio next week. After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the Board agreed to participate in a fundraiser mailing sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce at a cost of $125. The mailing will be sent to 500 homes by the Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Roach will research possible grant opportunities to fund printing for trail maps. Ms. VanderLek will also conduct fundraising on behalf of CLT at the Cheshire half-marathon on April 28; she noted that the CLT raised approximately $1000 at the 2018 half-marathon. Authorization to Sign Documents After discussion, and on motion duly made and seconded, the board voted unanimously to authorize each of the following board officers, acting separately, to execute documents on behalf of the Cheshire Land Trust: Joy VanderLek, President; Karen Schnitzer, Vice President; David Schrumm, Treasurer; Susan Stanley, Secretary; provided that the transaction evidenced by such documents shall also have received any necessary board approval. Outreach/Events CLT will host a table at the Congregation Church Strawberry Festival on June 8. The price is $75.00. Mr. Stanley will make some prototype coasters/trivets/ornaments using wood from downed cedar trees for use in future fundraising efforts. The hike with Scott Ellis scheduled for this upcoming weekend has been cancelled due to expected inclement weather. CLT will host an Earth Day display at Cheshire Academy on April 25. 50th Anniversary Party There was discussion of possible sites for the CLT’s 50th anniversary party, which will be held in October. It was agreed that more details concerning this event need to be fleshed out and that this will be added to the agenda for the May meeting Other Business Please see Exhibit A for a list of Action Items for future meetings. There being no further business to come before the meeting, it was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Stanley, Secretary Exhibit A ACTION ITEMS - April 18, 2019 Board Meeting May Board meeting: · Sue Stanley to come back with recommendations for voting by email. · Appoint subcommittee to research and develop recommendations for Ives Farm in the event the lease is not renewed in 2 years · Set date and location for Oct. 50th Anniversary party. Appoint subcommittee to manage? · Update checking account and safe deposit box signature cards Also, did we want to formalize or follow up on · Randy’s suggestion about having a process for thanking/acknowledging in kind contributions? · Putting up hunting signs at Ives woodlands · Doing a woodland survey for Ives Farm woodlands