Minutes to the May 12 VCC meeting. 7:00 pm, Present: Paul Mitnik, Mary Ellen Johnston, Steve Jones, Holly Weidner, David Jenney

1. Discussion about the town website.
David has been posting information to the site since Mary Sabins became new Town Manager. This has been great for everyone, and the site is being used much more that in the past. We talked about creating a Calendar of Events page, adding useful links, and writing more explanatory information, especially regarding our conservation activities. David needs this information sent to him so he can post it. Everyone is encouraged to contribute!
2. Peter Wilkins attended our April meeting and talked about the CLRA programs. Vassalboro pays for their services but rarely asks them to do projects in our town. We could begin by using the web site to advertise this opportunity and explain to the people of Vassalboro how the CLRA will help us, and encourage folks to submit ideas for projects. Jim Hart is on their board, and also with the KWD, so Paul will call him to talk about potential projects, too.
3. Paul reported on the boat launch site on Seven Mile Stream. He has secured permission from two landowners to use their rights of way. He will call Josh Platt to set up a site visit and determine the feasibility of the site. Anyone interested can join them.
4. We need to ask the Selectmen to have David Jenney re-appointed to the VCC, since his one-year term is about to expire. We also have room for two more people, and we should put some names together quickly so the Selectmen can vote on them at their next regular meeting. Suggestions should be shared with the whole committee before submitting them.
5. Review of the Rancourt Farm project.
There is no longer a need to rush to get an application for federal grant money put together. We can step back and plan a strategy to get the word out to people in the community and begin to raise the funds we will need as a match for the other public funds that will be part of the purchase of a conservation easement on the farm. We will have the full support of the KLT and MFT, our two partners in land conservation activities. We need to begin to pull a larger group of interested citizens together to form a local team that will host information meetings, develop a mass mailing, help organize fund raisers, and assist with the negotiations for the easement. We are a very small commission and this project will require strong local support if it is to be successful.
The next regular meeting of the VCC will be on June 16th, at 7PM, in the town office.

Respectfully submitted,
Mary Ellen Johnston, Chair
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Below are some additional web sites that we should have links to from the Town's web site , on the VCC page.
http://www.tklt.org/index.htm Website for the Kennebec Land Trust
http://www.mainefarmland.org/index.html Website for the Maine Farmland Trust