Agriculture Commission Agenda and Minutes March 9_2016Northampton Agricultural Commission
Agenda and Minutes
7:00 PM Wednesday March 9, 2016
210 Main Street, Room 10 (2nd floor, City Hall)
Northampton, MA
Members present:
Chair John Omasta
Chip Parsons
Stan Zawalick
Vice Chair Rich Jaescke
Tim Smith
John Bobala
Robert Vollinger
Wayne Feiden (staff)
Public comment—there was no public comment.
Approval of Agriculture Commission minutes of February 10, 2015—upon motion byJohnOmasta and second by Robert Vollinger, the Commission unanimously approved the minutes.
Updates (if any action in any of these areas)
Farmland preservation—Clark APR closes within the next couple of weeks.
Policy and regulatory review issues—Chip Parsons expressed concern that the new water rates do not provide any discount for farm use, especially from the Meadows stand-pipes.
Attracting incubator farmers—Feiden said that MCCC will work directly with the garlic farmer interested in farming on the Montview property.
Upcoming Conservation Commission meeting on farmland licenses—the Conservation Commission will have a discussion about renewing the Parsons license at Mineral Hills Conservation Area
in the next month or so.
Stormwater fee discussion
Set date for April Grow Food Northampton Tour—6:00 PM Wednesday April 13th at Crimson and Clover Farm. IF there are agenda items that come up, there will be an Agriculture Commission
immediately to follow (an agenda will go out ahead of time) but otherwise there will be no April meeting.
Upon motion by Chip Parsons and second by Robert Vollinger, the Commission adjourned at 7:25 PM.