Minutes of the 4/6/06 Meeting

In attendance:

Edythe Anderson, Town of New London; Aimee Ayers, Lake Sunapee Protective
Association; Helen Charpentier, Town of Sunapee; Andy Chapman, NH DES; Terry Dancy,
Town of New London; Peter Dzewaltowski, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning
Commission; Deane Geddes, Town of Newbury; June Fichter, Lake Sunapee Protective
Association; Carol Foss, Little Sunapee Protective Association; Kathryn Holmes, Town of
Newbury; Ken Lawson, Town of Springfield & Kolebrook Lake Protective Association; Bill
Thomas, Town of Sutton; Robert Wood, Lake Sunapee Protective Association.

June Fichter opened the meeting at 6:30 p.m. The Coalition addressed eleven areas of
business.

Flow/Management Chart

Aimee Ayers reminded everyone to let her know when a task has been completed so she can
draw that onto the chart, and send it to Ken Lawson on a monthly basis, for inclusion on the
web site.

Grant

June Fichter is compiling the data for the matching grant application, and has emailed forms
to members for completion. The match can consist of time, mileage, work, attendance at
meetings, anything done on behalf of the watershed coalition. She asked that everyone total
their time from the coalition’s inception to the present, including meeting times, and email
those forms back to her. Monthly, rather than daily or weekly, totals are fine.

Publication of Schedule

The SAWC Steering Committee will meet from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the full Coalition will
meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on the following dates: October 12, November 9, December
14, 2006. Kathryn Holmes volunteered to contact the Argus Champion and the InterTown
Record regarding publication of this schedule. Deane Geddes suggested publication in Ron
Garceau’s magazine as well. Members agreed that the terminology for the 6:30 to 8:30
meetings should read “Coalition Open Forum,” and that the published notices should spell
out the full name: “Sunapee Area Watershed Coalition” with “SAWC” bracketed. Also, the
website address should be included in the published notices. Peter Dzewaltowski suggested
that dates beyond the end of this calendar year not be published, as there has been some
discussion of the SAWC going to a quarterly meeting schedule at some point.

Recording Secretary

Sarah Denz has been appointed recording secretary for SAWC. Members agreed that
minutes will be available on the website after approval.

Updates on UVLSRPC Build Out and Town Regulation analyses, and the Geosyntec water
quality analysis

Peter Dzewaltowski said Tara would like to meet with the Land Use Subcommittee soon, in
order to have her analysis completed before October 5. In response to Andy Chapman’s
question, he confirmed that there will be opportunity for the Coalition to provide input to that
document.

Terry Dancy noted that the Coalition already has a matrix of Towns’ zoning regulations, and
that has been emailed to members (or will be to those who have not yet received them). The
analysis now being done will provide a summary of what already exists in the six towns in
the watershed. He asked if it will give an indication of things that should be done. Will it
result in recommendations being made to Towns? Kathryn Holmes reminded everyone that
the Coalition is trying to create a standard (of land use regulations within the watershed).
Bill Thomas suggested the analysis should have two parts: one that shows what exists now,
and one which recommends changes that would be beneficial and should be brought to the
towns. Robert Wood agreed that the analysis should show what is there now, what is
weak, and what the towns can do to improve regulations protecting the watershed. To
facilitate completion of the analysis, June Fichter, Terry Dancy, Kathryn Holmes and
Carolyn (Russell of DES?) will meet with Tara. This will be a daytime meeting, to be
scheduled by email.

June Fichter reported that Geosyntec is still doing its literature research. The objective: to
provide data relevant to phosphorous loading based on land use.

The Survey

In response to question from Bill Thomas, June Fichter said the cost of the survey was over
a thousand dollars, mostly for the postage. She reminded everyone that that mailing included
the newsletter as well. Of 8000 surveys mailed out, 400 or 5% were returned, and she said
that is not atypical. Members noted that it would be less costly to do this via the web site.
Question was raised about whether or not a newsletter is the best way to communicate with
the general public.

Terms of Reference

Peter Dzewaltowski pointed out that the summary sheet for the Education/Outreach
Subcommittee indicates that this is in fact, the “policy group” of the coalition; that is, the
group that will look at what is going on throughout the region. Ken Lawson suggested that
reference to responsibility for the website be added to that page as well, and members
agreed.

There was some further discussion on definitions for membership, appointments of chair
and co chairs, and terms of office. Members agreed to set no term limits for the chairs and
co-chairs of the full coalition or subcommittees. Peter Dzewaltowski confirmed that he will
add the language referring to the ad hoc committees, to the paragraph under “Membership”
on page two. He asked if that paragraph should list all the groups that will be invited to
serve on the ad hoc committee discussed above (fishing, boating, real estate, building, etc.).
Steering Committee members agreed that those are the groups that will be working with the
GSRWA on the advisory plan, so don’t necessarily need to be listed here. June Fichter asked
Peter to email out the list of SAWC contacts for each of those groups.

After some brief discussion on the definition of “member,” SAWC members agreed that the
last sentence under that paragraph: “The membership of the Coalition is reserved to those
who actively contribute to the process” is satisfactory, though Terry Dancy reiterated his
concern that members should be those prepared to make a long term commitment.

Kathryn Holmes raised a question about the line: “Establish the annual budget.” June Fichter
said that the budget would cover secretarial, media publications, and possibly at some point
the web site costs. Also, the Coalition may wish to approach towns regarding possibility of
their participation (in financing SAWC). Terry Dancy agreed. Currently SAWC has grants,
but those will run out. Now is not too early to begin to approach the towns regarding
budgetary needs. Members agreed to put a discussion of budgetary projections on the next
agenda.

Ken Lawson moved to accept the “Structural Organization and Terms of Reference”
document as amended. Robert Wood seconded. There was no further discussion on the
motion, and it passed unanimously.

Watershed Advisory Committee

June Fichter elaborated on her earlier review of the meeting with Jen Palmiotto. The
meeting scheduled for November will begin with a tour of the watershed, and water and
sewer facilities in the towns. Helen Charpentier pointed out that to cover all that, plus follow
with a meeting, will be an all day commitment. Members agreed, and suggested the
possibility that the scope of the tour can be more narrowly defined.

As discussed earlier during the meeting of the Steering Committee, it will be the Coalition’s
task to populate the ad hoc committee. Robert Wood added that though Jen Palmiotto will be
facilitating the meetings, she has indicated that she would like the Coalition to appoint a
chair, co-chair and a secretary. Coalition members agreed that though the membership of
the ad hoc committee must be limited to 11 to 15, it should represent as broad a
constituency as possible, with at least one person from each of the six towns in the
watershed, and representation from boating & fishing, real estate, construction &
contracting, agriculture, forestry, business, non-residents. Terry Dancy reminded everyone
that as the work of this ad hoc committee is projected to last for a year, people representing
those groups should be willing to come to at least twelve meetings. Those Steering
Committee members who serve on this ad hoc committee can function as liaison between
that committee and the Coalition. Contacts will be made with the representative groups
between now and the next full Coalition meeting, and the appointment of the chair, co-chair
and secretary will be put on the agenda for that meeting. (Peter Dzewaltowski clarified that
it will be the Steering Committee which will make those nominations, so it will be on the
agenda for the next Steering Committee meeting.)

Members understand that the order of procedure for this ad hoc advisory committee will be
for input to be taken over the first six months, at which point Jen Palmiotto will draft the
Watershed Management Plan. The second six months’ work will consist of review of the
draft by the full Coalition, amending, editing, etc., by the ad hoc committee. June Fichter
confirmed that Jen Palmiotto will assist in implementing the plan. It has not yet been decided
whether or not she will make the presentation of it, and when. Kathryn Holmes suggested
that this is an area where Education/Outreach Subcommittee can be active. Also, Terry
Dancy suggested that Steering Committee members make a report to their respective
Selectmen.

Terry Dancy moved that the Coalition go forward with the formation of the ad hoc advisory
subcommittee to work with the Granite State Rural Water Association on developing and
implementing a watershed protection plan. Ken Lawson seconded. There was no further
discussion on the motion, and it was unanimously approved.

Steering Committee, Water Quality, Land Use, Education/Outreach Subcommittees

Aimee Ayers reported that the Education/Outreach Subcommittee—Ken Lawson, Kathryn
Holmes, June Fichter, Suzanne Levine and herself—will be meeting in the near future.

After brief discussion, members agreed not to set term limits for co-chairs, but to rotate
those if and when the incumbents recommend.

Other (four items)

Woody has received from UNH three (free) catch basins, one of which is large
enough to take care of run-off from three acres of asphalt. June Fichter said they
sent emails out to the towns, and New London hospital responded—they are in
process of repaving their parking lot now. Note was made that the optimum time to
install a catch basin is while work is being done on the parking lot, rather than later.

Edythe Anderson is compiling a scrap book of news clippings relevant to watershed
issues. Subjects will be limited to those that fall within the framework of SAWC, and
the clippings will be arranged in chronological order. Members agreed that at some
point in the future, these may be scanned for reading on the website.

Peter Dzewaltowski provided an updated contact list. Carol Foss asked everyone to
email any corrections to her, as she is compiling that.

There will be a Watershed Conference on November 11at DES in Concord. Sign up
on their website.

New Business (two items)

Bill Thomas reminded members that in Sutton, the “Watershed Overlay” failed to
pass at last March’s Town Meeting, but is going to be presented again at Town
Meeting 2007. He asked members at this meeting, if the Coalition should be taking a
more active stance when such issues arise in the Towns, if and when it sees merit in
doing so. Should the Coalition contribute to the design and editing of something like a
Watershed Overlay? Should the Coalition argue for it? Terry Dancy said the Coalition
must be careful to not be seen as taking a political position. Any role the Coalition
takes on such issues should be informational only. He added that it is important to
bring these people (who are working on a watershed overlay in Sutton) in to the
interests of SWAC, and that the Coalition should be supportive of the Towns’ efforts
in protecting all of the watersheds. June Fichter suggested that Sutton could do a
presentation for the Coalition, providing details of the proposed Watershed Overlay,
and pointing out how it would be helpful for the Sunapee Watershed. Ken Lawson
said the idea of lobbying for effective regulations within the Sunapee watershed
should be addressed in the watershed plan. If that plan is available in time to be of
use in Sutton’s efforts to pass a watershed overlay district, fine.

Bill Thomas went on to brief members on the status of the projected Scarpa
subdivision and development near the inlet of Lyon Brook into Kezar Lake in Sutton.
He reported that there has been a great deal of work and discussion involved in
hammering out the specifics for that condition of approval which requires that the
developer do water monitoring—details of when, where, etc. He noted that although
this is not directly related to this Coalition, it underscores the need for Towns to set
into motion a system to monitor watersheds at critical locations and times. He
expressed concern that watershed protection groups are moving too slowly in
relation to the pressures of development in the region. Helen Charpentier pointed out
that Towns are always somewhat behind, and that one of the ideas behind formation
of this Watershed Coalition is to be ahead. To that end, she noted for anyone
interested in attending, that the New England Conference on Water has beech
scheduled for the 24th at the U. of MA in Amherst, MA. Peter Dzewaltowski
suggested that this is an area where the Education/Outreach Sub-Committee can best
serve in educating Towns on DES requirements (though he pointed out that “one size
does not fit all” situations), the importance of erosion control, and also the fact that
Towns can levy fees on developers for hiring engineers or consultants.

Meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah A. Denz
Recording Secretary