Agriculture Commission Agenda and Minutes October 24 2012Northampton Agricultural Commission
Agenda and Minutes
7:00 PM Wednesday October 24, 2012
210 Main Street (City Hall) Room 10
Members present: Chair John Omasta, John Bobala, John Kelly, and Bob Vollinger
Staff present: Wayne Feiden
John Omasta opened the meeting at 7:05 PM.
Public comment
Adele Franks shared with the Commission that PVPC is working in collaboration with others on a regional food security plan, which sets a goal that the Pioneer Valley will grow 50% of
the food that is consumed within the valley.
Final comments on Keep Farming Northampton Residents Food Survey Report
Fran Volkman and Adele Franks presented the changes to the report since the Commission’s last meeting, made in response to discussion at the last meeting and staff comments emailed to
the Keep Farming Volunteers. The Commission accepted the final report (which is now posted on the Agriculture Commission’s web landing page)
Plan for January 19, 2013 Agriculture Forum at Smith Vocational School
The Commission discussed the upcoming forum with Pete Westover, who is serving as a consultant to the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture Resources and the Massachusetts Association
of Agriculture Commissions. Pete agreed to do the outreach to other conservation commission, the DAR, and MAAC. Commission members agreed to do outreach to vendors in the valley to
invte them to the meeting. The Chair and Pete Westover split the outreach to other agencies (NRCS, extension).
Minutes of October 3, 2012
Upon motion by John Omasta and second by John Bobala, the Commission voted to adopt the minutes, with two abstentions from members who missed the last meeting (2-0-2 vote).
Follow up on DPW maintenance of roads in the meadows
DPW reported (by email) that due to issues of private way, they could only do limited grading in the meadows. They reported that “ideally DPW would like to do these roads twice a year…
If we were only able to do it once, is there a preference?
The Commission agreed that if grading could only be done once a year, the Spring season before crops are planted is most important, although twice is obviously better.
Jerry Budgar, of the Ward 3 Association, reported that he thinks that all or almost all of the roads in the meadows are public roads or private roads that the public has the right to
use and should be treated that way, with the public not being kicked off the land, as he reported was done this summer in an incident where the police were called.
Commission members suggested that more research is needed and that they believe that more roads should be graded by the DPW. They asked for a City Solicitor and/or DPW opinion on the
status of roads and what access the public has.
The Commission adjourned at 8:10 PM.