South Windsor Agriculture, Arts & Nature Center

SOUTH WINDSOR AGRICULTURE, ARTS & NATURE CENTER COMMITTEE

 

TOWN OF SOUTH WINDSOR

 

Minutes                                                         Page 1                                         August 13, 2014

 

 

Madden Room – South Windsor Town Hall

 

1.    Call Meeting to Order

 

The meeting was called to order at 5:35 p.m.

 

2.      Roll Call

 

Members Present:       Pat Botteron, Open Space Task Force

                                       Councilor Tom Delnicki, Town Council

                                       Ray Favreau, Director of Parks & Recreation

                                       Jeff Folger, Senior Environmental Planner

                                       Katie Graham, Park & Recreation Commission

                                       Michele Lipe, Director of Planning

                                       Virginia Macro, Historic District Commission

                                       Andrew Paterna, Parks & Recreation Commission

                                       Councilor Liz Pendleton

                                       Councilor Jan Snyder, Town Council

                                       Betty Warren, IWA/CC

 

Members Absent:       Mayor Saud Anwar, Town Council

                                       Stephanie Dexter, Planning & Zoning Commission

                                       Sandy Jeski, SWALPAC

                                       Tim Shepard, South Windsor Land Trust

 

                                   

3.      Approval of Minutes

 

Ms. Lipe made a motion to approve the July 9, 2014 minutes.  Councilor Delnicki seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.

 

4.      Public Input

 

None

 

5.      Discussion Item

 

A.       Review of Northwest Park visit on 7/18/14

 

Chairman Paterna stated he would like to do this project in five year stages.

 

Committee members gave the following comments regarding Northwest Park:

 

1)    Impressed by the building and how well organized (Betty Warren).

2)    Great vision and implementation without over reaching (Mary Etter).

3)    Impressed by the wide variety of programs (Jan Snyder).

4)    Valuable to have the right person running the programs as well as having a person to live on the premises who will maintain the property (Tom Delnicki).

5)    Important to pass information down to the children of the Town (Liz Pendleton).

6)    Critical to know that 30% of the program is run by donations and 70% is committed by the Town.  Important to develop stewards of the outdoors (Ray Favreau).

 

Chairperson Paterna stated that he had forgotten to question if the building on the sight was usable or not when they first opened the farm.

 

Answering questions from the Committee, Chairman Paterna explained that the Town of Windsor will be answering all of the questions asked regarding Northwest Park.  Chairman Paterna then stated he would forward all of the answered questions to the Committee when he receives them.  The Town of Windsor deiced early on that Norwest Park would not be a demonstration farm.

 

C.       Additional Community Farms

 

Chairman Paterna explained that he is passing around a description of the farms and a sign up sheet for Committee members to review and decide which Community Farm they would like to tour; as shown in attached Exhibit A & B.  Date and times will be determined later.

 

B.       Volunteer Bank

 

Councilor Snyder stated that the Community Foundation will discuss the creation of a Volunteer Bank at their next scheduled meeting as well as draft a strategic plan for this endeavor.

 

Committee members discussed the different vegetation on the site and decided that after the Community Farm Visits a strategic plan should be drafted for this project as well a feasibility study be done.  The Committee should investigate what the original vision of the family was for this property.  Chairman Paterna suggested that members of the Down to Earth Club be asked to identify vegetation on the property that should and should not be cut.

 

6.      Next Meeting Date

 

The next meeting is scheduled for September 10, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. in the South Windsor Library Board Room.

 

7.      Other Business

 

Chairman Paterna informed the Committee that there is an Architect willing to do the conceptual plan when the Committee is ready.

 

Commission members discussed well water versus hooking up to city water.

 

Ms. Botteron told the Committed that in 1997, the Open Space Task Force noted a pond on the property.

 

8.      Adjournment

 

At 6:24 p.m. Ms. Warren made a motion to adjourn the meeting.  Ms. Botteron seconded the motion; and it was approved, unanimously.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

___________________________

Deborah W. Reid

Council Clerk