Conservation Commission 12/9/25

Printable version

RCC Minutes 12-9-25 129 KB

Web version

Draft 12/9/25 Meeting Minutes - Richmond Conservation Commission
Meeting Date: 12/9/25
Meeting Time: 7:00PM
Attendance: RCC Members -Bob Low, Sam Pratt, Judy Rosovsky, Jeanette Malone, Kit
Emery (Public: Trevor Brooks, Jack Linn and Chelsea Brooks) 
Minutes Prepared by: Kit Emery
7:00 Call to Order & Introductions Appointment of Minutes Taker & Approval of
Previous Minutes.
Outline
Roll Call and Introductions
● Sam Pratt welcomes everyone to the Richmond Conservation Commission
meeting on December 9, 2025.
● Sam request’s introductions from the members of the public: Jack Linn, Trevor
Brooks and Chelsea Brooks.
● Sam mentions the need for a timekeeper and minutes taker, with Jeanette
volunteering to keep time and Kit volunteering to take minutes.
● Kit and Jeanette discuss the recording and transcription of the meeting for
YouTube.
Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes
● Sam calls for approval of the minutes from the November 11 meeting and calls for
a motion to approve the minutes, with Judy making the motion and Sam
seconding.
● The minutes are approved unanimously by the members present.
Public Comment: Culvert Issue on William Hill Road
● Jack Lynn introduces himself and describes a significant washout issue on his
property due to culverts under the road.
● Jack explains that the washout has resulted in 10,000 square feet of land being
washed away, affecting the Winooski River.
● Jack seeks advice on who to contact to address the issue, as it is beyond his
capabilities.
● Sam and other members discuss potential resources, including the road
commissioner, state resources, and local organizations like Friends of the
Winooski River.
● Sam and other members discuss the possibility of using Conservation Reserve
Funds for private property if it benefits the public.
● Bob suggests starting with the road foreman and seeking town support.
● Jeanette mentions the Vermont 211 service as a resource for local assistance.
● Sam and other members discussed the potential for state resources and the
importance of water quality.
● Sam agreed to follow up with Jack and to send him additional resources.
Administrative and Organizational Items
● Sam reviews the new meeting time for RCC meetings: 7-9 PM on the second
Tuesday of the month.
● Discussion on the agenda timing and order, with a suggestion to move additions
and deletions to the beginning of the agenda.
● Sam and other members discuss the use of CRF funds for hiring individuals and
the procurement policy.
● Jeanette suggests using MailChimp for maintaining a mailing list, and Sam
agrees.
Reviewing RCC Application for Trevor Brooks
● Trevor Brooks introduces himself and expresses his interest in joining the
Conservation Commission.
● Trevor shares his background, including his enjoyment of outdoor activities and
his desire to be more involved in the town.
● Members discuss Trevor's potential participation in projects and his ability to take
notes.
● Trevor expresses his interest in learning more about wetland protection and
mapping.
Vote to Recommend Trevor Brooks
● Sam opens the floor for questions and comments from the committee.
● Trevor is asked about his willingness to participate in projects and his ability to
take notes.
● Trevor expresses his interest in participating in projects and learning more about
conservation issues.
● Judy made a motion to recommend Trevor Brooks’ application be approved for a
seat on the conservation commission with term ending 2029. Motion was
seconded by Bob Low and the motion is approved unanimously.
Discussion on Wetlands Protection and Housing Construction
● Bob introduces the topic of the governor's executive order promoting housing
construction and its impact on wetlands protection.
● Sam and other members discussed the potential negative effects of reducing
wetlands buffers.
● Jeanette suggests that the main point of the response should be that there is no
need to gut wetlands protection to increase housing.
● Chelsea shares her findings on the discrepancies between the wetlands inventory
and actual wetlands delineated by the state.
● Bob offers to circulate a draft letter to the committee for comments.
● Sam suggests collecting comments and finalizing the response before the
January meeting.
● Members agree to provide their comments to Bob and compile them for the
January meeting.
● The meeting continues with updates on other administrative and organizational
items.
Coordination on Invasive Species Management
● Sam discusses the need for coordination with experts on managing invasive
species, particularly insects, birds, and amphibians.
● Sam suggests forming a smaller working group to come up with
recommendations for Richmond Mountain Trails.
● Jeanette shares research on how other towns in Vermont manage invasives,
specifically through brush hogging, and proposes a checklist.
● Sam and Jeanette agree to share the checklist via email and discuss it in more
depth in January or February.
● Sam proposes designating a small group of interested individuals to come up with
ideas for a mowing schedule and materials.
● Jeanette emphasizes the importance of sending out the checklist to get the
discussion going and give people time to process it.
● Sam and Jeanette agree to sync up and send out the information to the group for
further discussion.
● Sam mentions putting the agenda item on the next meeting's agenda for more
detailed discussion.
Website Improvement Discussion
● Sam addresses the need for a better town website, noting its current lack of
information.
● Jeanette suggests looking at the websites of neighboring towns like Jericho and
Huntington for inspiration.
● Jeanette highlights the importance of having a volunteer sign-up section and a
document library on the website.
● Sam and Jeanette agree to collect thoughts and come prepared for a more
detailed discussion in January or February.
● Sam suggests having a mission statement and better explanations of the
Conservation Reserve Fund on the website.
● Sam proposes incremental improvements to the website, possibly seeking admin
access to edit the page.
● Sam suggests using a live-edited document during meetings to organize and
discuss the website layout.
● Trevor mentions the need for a clear listing of ongoing projects and a mission
statement to guide the public.
Town Plan Feedback
● Sam discusses the town plan feedback process and the importance of looking at
the future land use and natural resources sections.
● Bob urges everyone to review the town plan and provide feedback, especially on
the future land use and natural resources sections.
● Sam outlines the timeline for the town plan, including public hearings and the final
town meeting vote.
● Jeanette and Sam agree to share their comments and feedback with the group
for further discussion.
Introduction to Invasive Species Workshop
● Sam and Jeanette discuss the idea of organizing a panel discussion on
introduced species.
● Jeanette suggests focusing on developing management guidelines and piloting
professional contractors for large-scale management.
● Jeanette also mentions continuing efforts on Richmond pulls and the early
detection neighborhood approach.
● Sam and Jeanette agree to coordinate with Aaron to organize a workshop on
mapping introduced species using iNaturalist.
Next Steps and Action Items
● Jeanette volunteers to coordinate with Aaron from Birds Vermont and organize
the invasive species mapping workshop, possibly in April. Sam and Jeanette
agree to keep the group updated on the progress and finalize details for the next
meeting.
● Bob to circulate a draft letter regarding the state's new wetlands rules for the
commission to provide feedback.
● Jeanette to send out example websites from Jericho and Huntington for the
commission to review ideas on updating the RCC website.
● Sam to ask Brad if he is willing to share his comments on the town plan for the
commission to review.
● Sam closes the meeting, noting the need for a motion to adjourn and confirming
the next meeting date on January 13, 2026.
9:00 Meeting adjourned 
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Conservation Commission, wetland protection, housing construction, executive order, wetlands
inventory, mapping tools, invasive species, public comment, meeting minutes, CRF funds, project
participation, community involvement, Select Board, action items, transcript accuracy., Invasive
species, Richmond mountain trails, management guidelines, volunteer sign-up, website
improvement, mission statement, town plan feedback, future land use, natural resources, early
detection, community workshop, iNaturalist, project section, public comment