Sedgwick-Brooksville Town Landing Committee minutes, October 2021

Sedgwick-Brooksville Town Landing Committee minutes for October 13, 2021

Meeting opened at 9:05 a.m. Adjourned at 10:04 a.m.

Members present: Michael Sheahan, Ben Astbury, Bob Publicover, John Gray, Hal Snow, Richard Bakeman, Guests: John Kimball, Ciona Ulbrich, Don Hill.

Actions taken: Motion to accept minutes of the September 9, 2021, meeting. All in favor.

Motion to adjourn at 10:04 a.m. All in favor.

Discussion: Ciona Ulbrich presented the committee with a binder of information about the Mill Pond complex including engineering specifications and baseline documents for the public access improvements to Mill Pond. Ciona noted that Mike Thalhauser of Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries will attend the next meeting to begin discussions about the development of a management plan. Patriot Survey conducted the original survey of the property but refused to work with the land trust. MCHT hired Linda Campbell of Due North for survey work should there be any boundary issues to address in the future. Members of the committee signed the closing statement, and Ciona will bring the deed to the registry to be recorded at which time the transfer of the property to Sedgwick and Brooksville will be complete. Emergency Management will conduct a safety inspection of the dam every few years.

John Kimball: In terms of water level, we need to take other considerations besides alewives such as erosion control and bird nesting. (An issue to be addressed when Mike Thalhauser attends the November meeting.)

Ben Astbury: After reviewing the binder of documents submitted by Ciona, Ben noted that the information is detailed and comprehensive and represents an incredible amount of work. All members of the committee thanked Ciona for all her hard work.   The Bagaduce River is the first watershed in Maine fully restored for fish passage.

Ciona: Who’s going to do the beaver trapping and dam notching into the future? At the moment the 3-Town Alewife committee is visiting all beaver sites in the watershed to maintain fish passage.

Keith Tenney mowed at the Mill Pond site this summer. We will continue to use Keith going forward.

Ciona: You could expand parking if needed. The trust was constrained as an owner, but municipalities have greater flexibility.

John Kimball: We should look at the joint powers agreement to see if we can add the Mill Pond property.

When Mike Thalhauser presents the management plan in November the Alewife Committee should attend.

Swim floats are ready to be removed. Billy will try to get to it this week.

Jeff Bunt is getting ready to do tree work.