Vassalbor Conservation Commission
Minutes from meeting, July 17, 2007

Location: Vassalboro Fire Department
Time: 7:00PM

Attending:
Members- Chad Arms, Don Robbins, Paul Mitnik, Holly Weidner, Mary Ellen Johnston, David Jenney, Charlie Hartman.
Guests: Ginny Brackett, Sally Butler
Speakers: Peter Garrett, Josh Platt

Meeting convened at 7:05 with introductions. One new member of the Commission, Charlie Hartman, shared her experience on the China Lake Committee while she was a resident of China. Now she lives in East Vassalboro .

Our first speaker was Peter Garrett, a Hydrogeologist and consultant who presented a slide show on the topic of Low Impact Development. The impact of storm water runoff from paved surfaces, particularly in housing developments, can have detrimental effects on the nearby streams, rivers and water supplies. Through proper planning and innovative techniques, these negative impacts can be reduced. You can contact this committee for more detailed information or call Peter Garrett at 872-0613.

Our second speaker was Josh Platt who is with the Kennebec Soil and Water Conservation District and is coordinating the Kennebec River Initiative in our region. The plan includes recommendations for protected areas, access sites, and trails. We are excited about working more closely with this project to insure that Vassalboro residents are informed and have input regarding our stretch of the Kennebec. Josh can be reached at 622-7847.

We thanked our two speakers for their excellent presentations, mentioning also that we might wish to invite them back for a larger audience sometime in the future.

The next meeting of the Vassalboro Conservation Commission is August 14th at 7 PM.
Location will be at the Town Office.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:30.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ellen Johnston
Chair