October 2025 Meeting

Oct 21st, 2025 at 7p, Norwich Historical Society (277 Main Street) and over Zoom

Join meeting via Zoom (meeting ID: 966 3633 0827, passcode: 721389).

Agenda

  1. Additional Agenda Items
  2. Public Comments on Other Topics
  3. Melendy Parcel Kiosk Materials
  4. ListServe Posts and Other Outreach
  5. Town Report Narrative
  6. Milt Frye Nature Area Meadow Restoration
  7. Milt Frye Nature Area Subcommittee Report
  8. Trails Subcommittee Report
  9. Emerald Ash Borer Subcommittee Report
  10. Approval of September Minutes

Minutes

Present: Craig Layne, Lynnwood Andrews, Chris Rimmer, Peg Merrens, Cody Williams, Lindsay Putnam

Meeting took place at Historical Society and by Zoom, 7:00 PM

Milt Frye Nature Area: Expenses for native plants project in the Milt Frye Nature Area meadow were discussed. Chris moved that we accept these and reimburse Lynnwood. Craig seconded the motion. Motion passed to reimburse. For this ongoing project, Lynnwood has smothered the grass in an additional 400 sq ft. of the meadow for native plantings. Chrissy Morley, LEEEP Director at MCS, would like to engage first graders in a planting project in the meadow (their habitat study and community service area). Lynnwood recommended wild geranium as a native species they could plant.

Melendy Parcel kiosk informational material and formatting was discussed at some length. Additions and edits were suggested. Lindsay will work on formatting images in context of the text. Lindsay will work on writing an additional section on Lindsay will work on writing an additional section on the importance of the parcel as nationally designated "Connecticut River Flyway" and "National Scenic Byway".

Town Report was discussed. Subcommittee members gave input on projects for the year which Craig will incorporate into the upcoming Town Report.

Trails Committee: Cody reported that on Sept 21 there was a work day to build a new bridge over a significantly eroded stream on the Upper Ballard. This was accomplished by committee members as well as other volunteers. On September 24, the SB approved a $600 gift from a donor for the Trails Committee work. On October 12, a water bar and ditch cleanout was performed at Parcel 5 to ensure proper drainage on the trails. Nick Krembs and Cody are preparing to write a Norwich Women’s Club grant for stone repair on the long staircase on the lower Ballard Trail.

Emerald Ash Borer: Peg, Chris, Doug Hardy, and Steve Long have for some time been the primary active committee members on this project. Chris reported on several tasks that need to happen soon, preferably with help from the other members.

#1. Create a draft “Request for Proposals” to take out the “priority removal” trees in the Town ROW this fall/winter.

#2. Continue to update the inventory using the new online tool which enables designation of priority vs non-priority trees.

#3. Decide on a system for removal before the request for proposals go out to the forestry companies. We agreed that priority roads to target should be those most traveled: Union Village, New Boston (and Turnpike before it intersects with New Boston), Beaver Meadow, and the Elm St/Hopson loop. Along those roads, approx 1500 trees have been identified as needing removal, 551 of those have been identified as needing priority removal. With the $110,000 currently in the tree removal fund, that would allow for approx. $200/tree, which may not be enough. Therefore, a decision has to be made as to how to approach the prioritization and removal along those roads. Should we focus on clusters of trees, (thereby reducing time/cost), or focus on removing the most at-risk trees along the entire length of each road, or try to remove all the priority trees on just one or two roads this time around?

#4. Trees that we want foresters to take down will need to be marked ahead of time.

#5. Landowners who have trees in the ROW will need to give permission. EAB committee hopes to edit the form provided by the Town Manager to a shorter version.

September minutes: Lynnwood moved to approve the September minutes; Chris seconded the motion. The minutes were approved.

Meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.

Submitted by Lindsay Putnam, NCC