Conservation Commission 5/13/26

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Richmond Conservation Commission  
5/13/2026 
a. Committee business - Start recording Zoom and unmute, speakers on. - Roll call and confirm Quorum; Welcome and identify public in attendance. 
Commissioners present:  
Sam Pratt 
Trevor Brooks 
Jeanette Malone 
Kit Emery 
Susannah Zeveloff 
Public:  
Chelsye Brooks 
Brad Elliott 
Lou Borie 
Breck Knauft (VYCC) 
Appoint timekeeper and minutes taker:  
Sam as timekeeper  
Susannah as minutes taker 
Motion to approve minutes from 4/14/26 meeting 
Jeanette Malone makes motion, Kit Emery seconds, unanimously approved.  
Additions/Changes to Agenda 
Susannah Zeveloff adds Farmer’s Market to updates 
b. CRF App for VYCC conservation easement (~30 minutes) 
Discussion of VYCC CRF:  
Land between two barns, solar panel field. Part of larger effort to preserve the Farm at VYCC 
and the mission of giving young adults paid service experiences.  
Food grown at the farm provides food to families in need through partnerships with medical 
centers.  
Lou Borie discusses the uses for the fee in managing the conservation easement, including 
easement insurance.  
Trevor Brooks asks about stormwater permit.  
Jeanette Malones inquires about partnership with medical centers to provide food to families in 
need; Breck Knauft responds about Healthcare Share forming in 2012.  
Susannah Zeveloff asks about what that land might be at risk of if not conserved.  
Lou Borie responds about preserving land near highways; and that the land used to be zoned 
commercially, and that it is difficult to predict what would happen to the land in the future.  
Kit Emery makes motion to approve VYCC CRF application for selectboard, Jeanette Malone 
seconds it. Unanimously approved.  
Melissa Wolaver joins at 7:30.  
c. Application for ACFC — RCC recommendation seat  
Brad Elliott applying for reappointment.  
Sam Pratt recommends reappointment.  
Kit Emery and Jeanette Malone commend Brad’s work so far.  
Kit Emery makes a motion to have Brad remain in his current seat. Sam Pratt seconds.  
Unanimously approved.  
d. ACFC Update - MP2 draft complete and ready for RCC feedback 
Sam Pratt requests feedback from commissioners about ACFC document.  
Jeanette Malone asks how to provide feedback efficiently.  
Sam discusses that the ACFC reviews the document together and live edits it, and that 
everyone can individually send their comments; Sam can incorporate those comments into a 
document and RCC reviews it together.  
Kit Emery inquires about what will happen regarding critical feedback on the MP2 draft.  
Sam Pratt provides clarification regarding the timeline and how feedback will be addressed.  
Susannah Zeveloff inquires about how to merge comments on the draft; Sam Pratt responds.  
Chelsye Brooks comments that you can also meet up once per month with a small working 
group as long as it is not a quorum.  
Continued discussion about best options for reviewing the draft as a commission.  
e. Updates  - Save our Salamanders 
Jeanette Malone: Wrap-up provided at last meeting; need to address how to get gear returned. 
Sam Pratt believes that gear should be returned and stored in a centralized place. Jeanette will 
ask Josh Arneson about finding a small place for gear to be stored. Jeanette proposed a 
post-amphibian season meeting. Jeanette asks about recusing herself from requesting funds 
and provides history of SOS as an RCC project rather than her project. Discussion of submitting 
applications as RCC rather than individual applicants.  - Richmond Pulls Together 
Jeanette Malone: getting the ball rolling, talking to people about what they want to happen in 
their neighborhoods. Jeanette discusses invasives that are important to focus on each month of 
the growing season. Question about posting on FPF about invasives for each month.  
- Green-Up Day 
Melissa Wolaver: Another great successful Green-Up Day. 3,480 lbs of trash collected excluding 
tires; collected 31 tires; ran out of bags; had 172 people participating. Melissa tabled at Town 
Meeting Day and discussed other ways that Green-Up Day information was shared.  - Farmer’s Market  
Susannah Zeveloff provides update on Farmer’s Market approval. Susannah tabling on 6/26; 
inquiring about other dates in October. Needing to find out about Trevien’s availability.  
Hopefully October date will be for SOS recruitment. 
f. VMN Phragmites Project  
Susannah Zeveloff presents about updates to the phragmites CRF requests. Group members 
present questions and concerns about using CRF money for private lands, and are worried 
about how the Selectboard and townspeople will view the request. Sam Pratt raised the idea of 
funding spades without tying them to a specific project. Susannah elected to not continue 
seeking CRF funding for the project.  
g. Introduced Species RFP: not enough time 
h. Closure - Business for Upcoming meetings 
ACFC draft update  
Introduced Species RFP  - Motion to adjourn: Sam Pratt 
Seconded:  
Unanimously approved