RPA Meeting minutes

Richmond Pond Association Draft Meeting Minutes

September 24, 2024, by Zoom

Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7: 03 pm, welcoming all in attendance.

Approval of RPA minutes for August 27, 2024– Doreen made a motion to approve the minutes of August 27th with an amendment to the minutes. The amendment was made by Tom Potter. She asked that in the second paragraph in Updates from Town Hall, the word installed be added to the second sentence. She also asked that the last sentence of the paragraph be deleted and replaced with; Permitting of the installation and renewal of the dock itself is under the authority of the M.G.L. Chapter 91 and the associated Waterways Regulations. The amended minute were approved. 

Updates from Town Hall– Danielle was not in attendance. Tom Potter reported that solar panels have been installed on Town Hall’s roof.

Financial report– Laura reported that the RPA finances are in good shape. She has continued to receive donations. The total this month was $1243.12. The total assets are approximately $75,000.

The two CD’s terms will expire soon. Laura questioned whether they should be renewed for one year or six months. The thought was to renew the dam maintenance CD for one year and the RPA CD for 6 months as extra funds may be needed for weed treatment. Laura will research the current rates. A motion was made for Laura to use her best judgment in choosing whether the CD’s should be renewed for 6 months or one year. Motion approved. 

Project updates & other developments at the pond:

Cyanobacteria test results from samplings – Ken reported that the final cyanobacteria test of the 2024 season, collected on 9/5, yielded another low concentration of cyanobacteria, well-below the pond’s surface, again well below the threshold of concern. We have not yet received the bill for the testing, but it is expected shortly. The bill should be in the range of $950 to $1,000. This will be payable to LAPA-West, and includes chemical analysis of the samples, written reports for each visit, as well as a site visit labor and mileage charges for each of the 7 visits. The provision of boats by RPA volunteers for each of the 7 sampling visits keeps the cost down. Special thanks are therefore due to Paul Neumann and James Nugent of Richmond Shores for the provision of their pontoon boats and captaining services for 6 of the visits. Ken hosted one visit this summer. Other ponds across the state did detect cyanobacteria blooms this summer that required temporary pond closings, including Pontoosuc Lake. Continuation of this service next year is recommended.

Doreen will provide Louise the addresses of Paul and James so that she can send thank you notes. Holly felt that the RPA should develop a letterhead for any communications.

Weed management planning update – Jim McGrath relayed that the weed mapping done in 2023 can be submitted with the permit and the NOI narrative. He did say there will need to be another mapping done in the spring prior to any treatment. Jonna and Bruce will meet with Jim and Rob Van de Kerr, the City of Pittsfield Conservation Agent to finish the NOI which they will then give to Danielle. The NOI will need to be submitted to the Richmond Conservation Commission., the Pittsfield Conservation Commission, the Massachusetts DEP and Natural Heritage. Jim will also help with notification of abutters. Tom reminded us that submissions to the Richmond ConCom are due the 4th Tuesday of the month and the meetings are the second Tuesday of the month.

Update on Camp Arrow Wood – Matt was not present. Louise knows that the hockey players are at the camp and the boats and docks are out of the water. 

Update on Camp Russell – Cam was not present. It is noted that the boats and docks are out of the water. There were concerns about buildings in the camp that have open windows and doors. Louise will follow up with Cam.

Recent developments around the pond 

Community association reports:

Richmond Shores - Doreen reported that the RSCA has their plowing contract. This is a big expense at $16,000. The community mailbox roof was replaced by volunteer residents.

Branch Farm - Louise reported that the baby eagle has fledged. Ken has a photo of the 2 adults roosting in a tree. He will send this to Kerry for the Richmond Record.

Whitewood - Jonna reported that they also have their plowing contract and agrees that this is a big expense. They are working with an engineering firm to address some of their road issues,

South Pond Farm – Laura relayed that the summer residents have left for the season. Barker road is currently being resurfaced which has caused some delays with commuting. South Pond is using the new garbage totes from the city of Pittsfield.

They would like to revitalize the sand at their beach which will involve the Conservation Commission of the city of Pittsfield and the Town of Richmond. Jim suggested that she reach out to their conservation agent.

Laura discussed that the smell from the pot farm on Barker Road. She noted that the smell is very strong especially on Cloverdale Street. Jonna and Bruce have noted the odor also.  Tom relayed that this has been an issue in West Stockbridge with the pot farm and its abutters. 

Website enhancements – Bruce has made edits to the site that Louise had suggested. He is planning a bigger project with new updates once the weed management plan is in order. 

Winter Projects- Louise reviewed the winter projects that have been identified so far. These include, updating the lake management plan, detention basin remediation follow up, the annual report, school education outreach and 319 grants. Ken added the need to develop a file management plan for our files at the Town Hall. Louise asked that we be prepared at October’s meeting to identify the projects we will work on. 

319 Grant Funding and Mass DEP Water Quality Grant- Alison Dixon from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission was here to update the RPA on the state of the grants. She is now working full time with the agency.  She began by saying that they are finishing up their Nonpoint Source Regional Coordinator Grant Project, which helped develop the Southwest Branch plan. They did work with Richmond Shores to include them in a Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant proposal. That grant was awarded, but private roads such as Richmond Shores and Whitewood were taken out along with all the engineering and any construction funds. They followed up with the MVP grant who indicated that the application needed to state a better case about the public access to Richmond Pond and show the considerable interest in protecting the pond for the Town, residents, and all other users of the pond. They needed to have more evidence that the pond is a key ingredient for people to access for cooling recreation in the setting of climate change.

Alison is very interested to continue working on grant proposals that would benefit the whole of Richmond Pond. Her goal would be, as a winter project , to write a solid grant proposal for either a MVP or a 319 grant. She is hoping to have support from the RPA, the Town of Richmond, Richmond’s Conservation Agent, Conservation Commission and the Boy’s Club. Mass DEP is willing to give guidance for the best direction for the proposal. 

A few issues identified were; making sure there is a significant reduction in nitrogen and sediment from road and properties run off, improving the accessibility at the Town beach, culvert repair on Beach Road, storm water runoff education and revisiting the detention basin maintenance at the Boy’s Club. A barrier right now is that the Town needs to be the lead applicant and there is reluctance to do this on their end. Alison will revisit this as the BRPC would do all the heavy lifting for the project which includes all the paperwork. This could make the Town look more favorably on this project.

Alison relayed that pictures and observations of storm water runoff would be helpful. Surveying groups that use the Pond for recreation, for example fishing derbies would also help support the grant. Her email is adixon@berkshireplanning.org. She asked that people reach out to her with questions or information and if they are willing to work on the project with her. She will attend our next meeting in October. She will also plan to attend a Conservation Commission meeting.

Odds & ends:

Boat Monitors- Ken expressed that he thought that the training of the boat monitors needed more attention. He felt that they did a good job with monitoring for zebra mussels but they need more education on the history of the Pond. He was surprised that the individual he spoke with did not know there was a book about the pond. He encouraged him to get a book at Bartlett's to become familiar with the history. He felt that this should be part of their training as a monitor.

Dedication of Richmond’s Municipal Building- The Town will have a dedication of the Town Hall and Library on September 28th from 11am-2pm. Louise, Jonna, Holly and Ken have volunteered to man the RPA table. Ken will also escort people to where our records are stored.  He has completed the huge task of organizing the files.

Trout Stocking- Ken relayed that the MA Dept. of Fish & Game plans to include Richmond Pond in its fall trout stocking program. We’re currently listed as “coming soon.”

PFD’s- State regulations require that between the dates of 9/15 to 5/15, PFD’s must be worn by all paddlers, kayakers and canoeists. This also pertains to stand-up paddleboards.

Garbage Can Update- Miles relayed that there is less garbage at the fishing spots. He moved his pink garbage can to the boat launch for recyclable collection which he then takes to his house to be picked up for recycling. 

Meeting Adjourned at 8:15 pm

ATTENDEE LIST: 

Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Ken Kelly (independent cottages,) Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large)

Ex-officio present (non-voting): Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission), Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield)

Alternates present: Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood), Holly Stover (At-Large), Bruce Wintman (Website director, Whitewood) 

Guests present: Alison Dixon (BRPC)

Directors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell)

Ex-officio absent: Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator)

Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Linda Kay (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Al Nardacci (independent cottages,) Tim Mason (independent cottages), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm),

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Meeting Minutes

August 27, 2024, by Zoom 

Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7: 02 pm, welcoming all in attendance.Approval of RPA minutes of June 25th and the annual meeting July 23rd– Doreen made a motion to approve the minutes of June 25th and the annual meeting July 23rd. Minutes approved.Financial report– Laura reported that the RPA is doing well financially. This is due in part to money not being spent on weed treatment. Checks are coming in from the donation letter. Laura will send out thank you notes to the donors. She reviewed the financial report and reported that our best biggest expense was for the picnic which stayed on budget. The annual letter’s printing and mailing costs have increased. This is due to replacing Zip N Sort mail services with a new vendor. We had $220 in book sales, $70 was from the sales of books at the picnic, and $150 was from sales at Bartlett’s.Elections of Officers- Doreen explained that the election of officers occurs at the first meeting following the annual meeting. Louise had shared the section of the by-laws that covered the election of officers. Doreen explained that she would go through each position and ask for nominees and volunteers.President- There were not any volunteers or nominations for the role of president.Vice President- Louise volunteered to remain in this position. There were no other nominees. She was voted in for another year.Treasurer-Laura volunteered to remain in this position. There were no other nominees. She was voted in for another year.Assistant Treasurer- Jonna volunteered to remain in this position. There were no other nominees. She was voted in for another year.Secretary- Doreen volunteered to remain in this position. There were no other nominees. She was voted in for another year. Updates from Town Hall – Danielle was not in attendance. Louise relayed that she received a phone call over the weekend from a friend who had visited the town beach and had fallen as a result of the handicap accessible mat that is in disrepair. It is buried in the sand with broken parts. Her friend stepped on a part of it not realizing that it was eroded underneath, and she took a good tumble. Apparently this happened again shortly after to an elderly person, Louise reached out to Danielle. Replacing the mat has been discussed with Danielle in the past. The mat’s purpose is to allow handicapped people access to the lake. It has now become a hazard. Louise sent a picture to Danielle. She did respond and she said that they will be addressing the problem. The Highway Department will get the rest of the mat removed. The Town is still looking into funding to try to get a new ramp to replace the mat. Louise also asked Danielle about the status of the sand at the beach.  What Louise has discovered is that the sand is very hard and packed down. Because it gets hard packed, the water coming down is eroding big piles of it, which could potentially be going into the lake. There are multi step problems at the Town Beach with the accessibility, the quality of the sand, and the condition of the sand with the erosion. This will need a deeper discussion with Danielle as certain sand cannot be added without permits.  She seems very willing to work with Con Com to resolve the problem. Tom Potter relayed information on dock permitting which he feels residents may not be aware of. When a dock is installed, replaced, improved, or repaired there needs to be a permit which entails going through the wetland permitting process. Tom explained the Wetlands Protection Act’s authority is over both the land underwater and the buffer zone from the resource area 100 feet out, and in Richmond Pond's case its 200 feet. . Permitting of the installation and renewal of the dock itself is under the authority of the M.G.L. Chapter 91and the associated Waterways Regulations
Project updates & other developments at the pond:Update on Camp Arrow Wood – Matt was not present.Update on Camp Russell – Cam was not present. The camp closed this past Friday for their summer session. Jonna and Bruce were concerned about a motor boat that was possibly from Camp Russell going very fast and very close to shore. There were no children in the boat. Louise will follow up with Cam.Annual Meeting and all Town Picnic Report- Louise reported that there were approximately 95 attendees at the picnic. All the leftover food was donated to Soldier On. This was much appreciated. The 4th grade projects were well received. There were a few swimmers. Louise expressed concerns about the picnic moving forward. She discussed the costs and if the picnic was reaching new people who would be more actively involved with the RPA. Availability of a site to have the picnic at is another concern. Camp Arrow Wood will not be available and the availability of Camp Russell is centered on the timing of the camp year. She would like to have more discussion on this at a later date.Cricket suggested having a winter outing at Camp Arrow Wood after the holidays if they were able to host an event. This could include potluck and ice skating. Louise knows that the hockey team lives there through the winter which may be a barrier..Weed management planning update –Danielle has emailed Jonna copies of the permit and order of conditions that Stockbridge used to obtain their permit for weed harvesting. Danielle and Jonna are working on the permitting for the herbicide treatment and the harvesting and do not see a need for a consultant’s help. A consultant hired to do the permitting can cost over $10,000. They have the information on the herbicides that are allowed per Natural Heritage. Jonna is hopeful that by the end of September there will be a plan in place for Jim McGrath to review. Doreen asked if another weed mapping needed to be done this year for the permitting process. The last mapping was done in July 2023. Tom Potter will follow up on this,Invasive Plant Update- Miles and Holly continue to research state agencies that could help provide information on using the Galerucella beetle to control purple loosestrife. Holly sees the need for continued education and research. Miles has reached out to 2 biologists who were involved in a program using the beetles. He is waiting to hear back from them regarding which State or Federal agency holds the authority that keeps the program going. He is concerned with the number of invasive plants he sees throughout Richmond which include multiflora rose, Japanese knotweed and phragmites (common reed). Doreen suggested that Jane Wynn from BEAT could be a good resource for them. Holly has worked with her in the pastGarbage Control at Clark Brook- Miles has regularly picked up garbage from Shore Road at the Shores continuing to fishing spots past the public beach. This led him to request that the Town place a garbage can at the fishing spot on Beach Road. Recently the garbage can was blown into the Pond. Miles emailed Peter Beckwith requesting that the garbage can be replaced. When he did not get a response he went to the Highway Department to ask in person. Peter said no to his request. He also refused to empty a garbage can that is between the boat ramp and the Town beach if the garbage can is not Town property. This led Miles to place a hand written sign at the fishing spot asking people to bring their garbage to the boat ramp and addressing it from the RPA. The hand written sign led to suggestions that this should be a formal sign if it was coming from the RPA. Louise will reach out to Daniele about replacing the garbage can. Miles was thanked for his efforts.Beach, tributary and cyanobacteria testing update: Ken reported that there have been 6 samplings thus far, at 2-week intervals.  While all tests detected cyanobacteria in the pond, it was not near the surface, and was at low concentrations, well below the threshold of concern.   The final test of the season is scheduled for 9/5.  Some other ponds in Massachusetts have been temporarily closed to swimming this year because of cyanobacteria blooms. Ken appreciated the boat owners who have helped with the testing this year..Zebra Mussel update: Ken shared that Onota Lake in Pittsfield has identified Zebra mussels in its water. This may put Richmond Pond at risk. He hopes that Danielle has notified the boat monitors at the Pond.Recent developments around the pond Community association reports:Richmond Shores - Doreen reported that the Shores beach was closed for a few days due to high e.coli count; this was after a heavy rain. The beach was shut down and signs posted that no swimming allowed. Housatonic Basin, that does the testing, retested the next day which showed the levels back to being very low. The company did notify the BOH. The Shores also learned that they will not be part of the grant BRPC (Berkshire Regional Planning Committee) was working on the help mitigate run off from dirt roads into the Pond. It is because these are private roads. The Town currently contributes $3500 that is shared between the Shores and Whitewood for road maintenance. Linda Kay is circulating a petition asking the Town to increase their contribution to $10,000.  There would need to be a special Town meeting to approve.She also relayed that there was another incident of an individual going into cars and at least one garage that she knew of with the intent of burglarizing. She did not know if the person has been apprehended.Branch Farm - Louise reported that the baby eagle has been very active and vocal.Whitewood - Jonna reported that Alison Dixon of BRPC was meeting with Brent, Whitewood’s President, about the grant. Alison thought their contribution would probably be going through the town, reaching out to Danielle and Pete and figuring out how to support the town to apply for a grant to include the private roads.South Pond Farm – Laura had to leave the meeting early, so no update from South Pond.Website & Facebook enhancements – No new updates with Facebook. Doreen suggested Instagram as an alternative. Louise has reviewed the RPA website and has a list of updates that she will share with Bruce. Bruce continues to update the site with the minutes and new pictures. He made a PDF of the kayak tour around the Pond. There is a QR code at the boat ramp that can be scanned to download the tour.  
Odds & ends:Winter Projects- Louise began the conversation about possible winter projects. She has identified the need to meet with the Boy’s Club regarding the detention basin and upkeep. The annual report will be done this winter and Ken will continue to work on updating the lake management plan. Holly would like to take on a project of notifying dock owners of the permitting process. Ken suggested anotherway to get the word out would be to write a very short summary about what's involved, and the link to the State agency that does the dock permitting. Then this can be added as one of the links on the additional information part of our website. Dedication of Richmond’s Municipal Building- The Town will have a dedication of the Town Hall and Library on September 28th from 11am-2pm. Various groups such as the Land Trust, Richmond Pond Association, and the Historical Society will have display tables with information about their organizations. Louise, Jonna, Holly and Ken have volunteered to man the RPA table. Ken will also escort people to where our records are stored. He will have them in place by the 28th. Ken will show the index of what records are there and if attendees want to peruse the information, he will be there to help.Airport Noise- Ken followed up about aconcern expressed by an attendee at our annual meeting regarding airport noise. He noted at that time that he had met several years ago with the current airport manager (Daniel Shearer) and would be glad to follow up again with him if there was interest. Ken went online to Pittsfield Municipal Airport, which directed him to the homepage of the City of Pittsfield, www.cityofpittsfield.org, which now features an Airport Noise Report Form that can be completed online, reporting details about a noise concern incident. This page is accompanied by helpful information about the parameters of noise management at the airport. He would encourage folks with concerns to visit this page for background first, and then let him know if they still wish to meet with the airport manager. Ken also cited that Chapter 26 of the history of Richmond Pond book is about the airport, and that there is related information about airport activity.Meeting Adjourned at 8:26 pmATTENDEE LIST: Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Ken Kelly (independent cottages,) Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm),Ex-officio present (non-voting): Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission)Alternates present: Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood), Holly Stover (At-Large), Bruce Wintman (Website director, Whitewood) Guests present: Fran SchneitDirectors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell)Ex-officio absent: Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield), Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator)Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Linda Kay (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Al Nardacci (independent cottages,) Tim Mason (independent cottages), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm).

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Annual Meeting

July 23, 2024, Camp Russell

Welcome – 95 attendees enjoyed a family friendly event sponsored by the RPA and hosted at Camp Russell. We enjoyed a taco dinner catered by KJ NOSH and ice cream from Sweet Peas, There were games scattered throughout the dining hall and outside. A few enjoyed swimming in the Pond with a life guard in attendance. 

Louise welcomed all to our annual meeting/picnic. She thanked Cam for Camp Russell hosting the picnic. Louise then introduced the executive board members, voting members, and the alternates. She relayed that the RPA is still without a president and encouraged the attendees to think about applying for the position. She also encouraged them to attend our meetings which have been held via Zoom on the 4th Tuesday of the month. 

Summary of Year 2023-2024 at the Pond 

Town Beach & Boat Launch– Danielle was not present but Neil Pilson, a Town selectman, was in attendance. He has visited the beach weekly and reports that the beach is clean of litter. The Town was unable to hire a lifeguard again this year. The boat monitor positions are fully staffed. The kayak launch is working as it should.

The sewer commission meeting which was scheduled for Tuesday July 24th has been postponed for 2 weeks. Neil felt that there was not sufficient notice of the meeting given to the sewer users, thus the postponement to August 7th.

Weed management of pond –Jonna and Doreen reported that the Pond did not receive an herbicide treatment for the 3rd year. They explained the permitting process and the obstacles to getting the required permits in place for this year. If the treatment is not done in the late spring, then it becomes less effective when done later in the season. The treatments are costly. The new permits will include specific herbicides that do not harm the bridle shiner and also one for weed harvesting. The permit for the 2 foot draw down which is done in November was extended to May 2025. The RPA is helping to support the Town with the permitting process.

In discussion, 5-foot drawdown that was done in the past was praised as being very effective in managing the weeds. Unfortunately, this is no longer allowed in the state, 2-feet is the maximum draw down. Several residents who own homes along the canal voiced their unhappiness with the amount of weeds that have grown in the canal. Some have manually removed what they could in front of their property, but they have seen the weeds interfering with boat’s motors.

Waters (testing of beaches, tributaries, cyanobacteria) –Ken has coordinated the schedule and the volunteers for the cyanobacteria testing. Four tests have been done by LAPA so far this season. The tests have been below the state threshold. The samples are taken at the deepest part of the Pond and a sample also taken at the dock. Hot weather can cause the cyanobacteria to rise up from deeper levels. He relayed that each beach around the pond contracts for required weekly e-Coli testing. Any test result exceeding safe swimming levels is to be reported to Board of Health, but RPA has not learned of any related beach closings this season.

Invasive plant species- Miles and Holly have been gathering information to apply for a NOI with the Conservation Commission with the goal of introducing the Galerucella Beetle to the areas around the Pond where purple loosestrife grows. The beetles and their larvae eat the purple loosestrife keeping it under control. They are meeting with the Board of Selectmen to educate them on this process and to also ask them to hold the permit.  There were handouts available to those in attendance. They showed examples of the invasive plants around the Pond which included, Japanese Knotweed, Purple Loosestrife and Phragmites (common reed). They discussed the proper way to harvest purple loosestrife so the seeds do not spread.

Goose Management-Laura managed this program from 2019-2022 with Wild Goose Chase. The program stopped when there was not a volunteer to manage the program, also some communities did not think it was an effective program for their property.

Camp Arrow Wood 2024 Report – Matt was not present. Louise reported that the Camp hosted 130 campers this summer for 2-3 week sessions. They will host a hockey team this winter.

Camp Russell Summer 2024 Report – Cam was acknowledged and thanked for hosting the RPA picnic. He reported that they host 330 campers each week and they are enjoying all the outdoor activities and programs the Camp has to offer. The new recreation hall is completed.

The book – A History of Richmond Pond– There were books for sale at the Picnic for $10. There are more for sale at Bartlett’s for the discounted price of $10.

Student Displays and Pond Information- Louise shared the educational initiative she was involved in with the 4th grade students from Richmond School along with their teacher, Gill Romano. The RPA donated 27 books of “A History of Richmond Pond.” The book was an important study book for them which they used to learn about the area ahead of time. After learning about the history, they took a field trip to the Pond which was sponsored by the RPA. They helped to clean the swale below the detention basin on Branch Farm, saw the bald eagles and learned about the importance of the dam. This will be an annual event for the 4th grade class and each previous 4thgrade class will continue be included. The hope is to cultivate a stewardship of the water ways. The students created many different projects to demonstrate their learning, some of which were on display in the dining hall. 

Ken Kelly developed a brochure, a Self-guided Boat Tour of Richmond Pond. These will be available at the boat launch and it will be posted on the RPA website.

Louise encouraged those in attendance to look at the weed mapping poster and water depth poster of Richmond Pond that were on display.

RPA website & Facebook page –Bruce Wintman is managing the RPA website. He explained the website and its contents. There is a subscriber link which he encouraged those in attendance to subscribe to. He asked that pertinent pictures and news items be sent to him to post on the website.

Q&A – A question was asked if the RPA would have any involvement in helping to reduce the noise from the Pittsfield Airport. The RPA does not have a say in this but, Ken shared that he has met with the airport manager in the past regarding the noise from the jets flying over Richmond Pond. They were receptive to meeting then. He volunteered to ask to meet again to address this problem. 

ATTENDEE LIST:

Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice president, Branch Farm), Laura Rosenthal (treasurer, South Pond Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Jonna Gaberman (assistant treasurer, Whitewood), Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Ken Kelly (independent cottages), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell),

Ex-officio present (non-voting): None

Website Manager-Bruce Wintman (Whitewood alternate)

Alternates present: Holly Stover, Linda Kay, Ron Veillette

Guests present: 95 in attendance

Directors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood)

Ex-officio absent: Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield), Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator), Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission)

Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm), Tim Mason (independent cottages), Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood) Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Al Nardacci (independent cottages)

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Meeting Minutes

June 25, 2024, by Zoom

 
Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7: 02 pm, welcoming all in attendance.Approval of RPA minutes of May 28th– Doreen made a motion to approve the minutes of May 28th. Louise asked that a word in the educational initiative be changed from subsequent to previous. Bruce will change this on the website and Doreen will amend the minutes. Minutes approved.Updates from Town Hall – Danielle reported the pond monitors shifts are covered. They cover 7 days of the week and their shifts are 6am-12 noon and 12 noon-6 pm. They are responsible for opening and closing the beach area. There is no life guard. Danielle has a potential candidate for the beach monitor position. Neil Pilson has been patrolling the beach on the weekends. He reported that there are friendly families using the space and low garbage.A metal plate was placed over the hole in the culvert on the access road to the beach. This is a temporary fix. The Town is working with an engineering firm to explore their options for repairing the culvert. This will be a complicated permitting process as the sewer main is also under this section of the road.The extension for the permit for the Pond drawdown has been extended to May 2025. Danielle will continue to work on obtaining the needed permits for herbicide treatment and weed harvesting. These permits will be separate from the drawdown. She will email a copy of Stockbridge Bowl’s weed harvesting permit to Jonna to use as a template.The yearly COA picnic will be at Town Hall on August 13th from 12-2 pm. There will be entertainment.The Town is waiting for the Attorney General to approve the bylaw on short term rentals. Once this is done the information will be available to the public.Danielle addressed the issue of dead birds at Richmond Pond. A great horned owl was taken to Mass Fish and Wildlife for testing. The results are not back. Danielle spoke with an individual who relayed to her that he has seen the dead mute swan and two dead geese. When investigated the bodies of the birds were no longer there. Ken had reached out to Gene Chague to ask if he had any information and he also followed up with Andrew Madden at Mass Fish and Wildlife.Holly asked Danielle if the Town has contacted CRX about issues with the railroad tubes. There has not been any reach out from the Town to the railroad.Financial report – Laura was absent from this meeting so any amendment discussion for fiscal year with occur at our next meeting. Laura had sent her report to Louise, Jonna and Doreen. Jonna summarized that our assets amount to $73,330.46, most of that is in the CDs which aren’t liquid.  Our checking account is fine right now with about $8,000. Nominations for President – Louise asked if there were any nominations for the position of President. There were not. Ken relayed that the responsibilities of the president, has since been downsized by spinning off many of the not necessarily presidential functions that he used to perform, to other RPA officers and board members, so the role is not nearly as "overwhelming" as it used to be. Many others have taken on duties that he used to do.  Leadership is now more shared. He encourage anyone who might be interested in considering the president role, now or in the future, to consult privately with him, either by phone or in-person, to get a more updated handle on what's involved.Emergency Contact List: Louise asked that the emergency contact list be checked and to let Doreen know if there are any corrections. Ken explained that this list is NOT to be shared publicly. It is to be shared only with the 5 RPA officers, 2 camp directors, 4 community association presidents, and Richmond town administrator, to facilitate emergency communication, especially after-hours or off-season, about the pond as needed.  
Project updates & other developments at the pond:Weed management planning update –Jonna reiterated Danielle’s report that the draw down permit has been extended to May 2025. She will work with Danielle to file the necessary permits for weed management services including herbicide and weed harvesting. For the weed harvesting permit, she will use Stockbridge Bowl’s permit as a template. Danielle relayed that currently the Town has $20,000 to $25,000 for weed management. Jonna asked how the RPA would request an increase for this budget line. The request should be sent to Danielle by email in December or January. No particular form is necessary. Invasive Plant Update-Miles and Holly are planning on going to the BOS meeting on July 24th with the intent of educating them about the beetle project to control the purple loosestrife and to ask that the Town be the entity for the NOI. Holly discussed the costs associated with the NOI and is hoping that the Town will pay for the permits.Miles has not had a response from Jess Toro regarding the Japanese Knotweed. He will follow up with her.Beach, tributary and cyanobacteria testing update: Ken has been working on updating the outdated Beach & Tributary Testing Protocol, dated 2022.  An initial effort was made in 2023 to update this, by Ken, but it was never circulated or approved by key parties (Richmond Board of Health, Town administration, and RPA).  He had shared a copy of the updated draft to the Board prior to the meeting. He will share this draft with the BOH.Doreen volunteered to do the tributary testing on Thursdays. Jonna will show her how to collect the specimens. Alison Dixon would like us to meet with the tester who tests Pontoosuc and Onota. Alison will arrange a meeting later in the summer.Cyanobacteria testing update. - Ken reported the pond has been tested twice already, on June 6 and June 20. While no formal report has yet been received, from either testing, the sampler indicated to Ken by email that both tests at least did not visually indicate that there was a need for concern.Zebra Mussel update: Jim McGrath was not present so there was not an update.Update on Camp Arrow Wood – Matt was not present but Louise reported that there are 125 campers this year up from 90 the year before. They have two 3 week sessions. They will again host the hockey team this winter. Update on Camp Russell – This is the 2ndday of camp. Cam relays that there are 220 campers this week and 240 per week for the rest of the camp season. They have welcomed new counselors. The new Rec Hall is completed. Doreen asked if he would caution the motor boat operator to start to decelerate the boat further out when coming into the dock as she has experienced large wakes when canoeing in this area.The Chili and Chowder event is scheduled for July 12th at 5 pm. This is adults only and $30 per person.Recent developments around the pond Community association reports:Richmond Shores - Doreen reported that it has been uneventful on the Shores. Louise asked about the weeds in the canal, which are very thick more so from the bridge towards Nordeen Marsh.Branch Farm - Louise reported that the baby eagle has been banded by Mass Wildlife. Carl Foote was there and was able to document this with pictures. Whitewood - Jonna reported that their association is quiet with no updatesSouth Pond Farm – No update.Educational initiatives with Richmond Consolidated School students- The 4th grade class made bookmarks and calendars as a thank you gift. Louise will mail them to the Board members.Annual Picnic- Louise is finalizing the needed paper work with Camp Russell for the RPA annual picnic. The picnic will be held on July 23rd from 5-8 pm. Set up will begin at 4 pmRPA brochures- Doreen is updating the brochure. She asked for opinions whether to keep the Board members phone numbers on the brochure and to replace them with the RPA email. Ken felt that it was important to have a contact number as he does receive phone calls from individuals asking for information. He volunteered to have his number listed for 2024.Ken proposed that an additional brochure holder be added to the RPA kiosk, which would hold an abbreviated 1-page version of the counterclockwise Boat Tour of the Pond that's currently on the RPA website. It would be titled Kayak Tour of Richmond Pond. He would be glad to format its brochure and work with Doreen to request its printing, so that folks unfamiliar with the pond could learn more about us as they paddle around the pond.  Bruce can create a link for the brochure on the website.Volunteers- There were no volunteers to manage the Facebook page. Kerry has been writing the articles for the Richmond Record and would appreciate other contributors. The last article highlighted the banding on the baby eagles which Bruce posted the article on the RPA website. These are the types of stories they would like to publish. There is a subscriber campaign to help the paper remain vital and visible. The subscription is $30/year for 11 issues. A check can be mailed to PO Box 214, Richmond MA01254.Website & Facebook enhancements – No new updates with Face book. Bruce reported that the website is up to date with the minutes and new articles.
Odds & ends:Record Storage – Ken reported that the progress is ongoing. The 6 page list of RPA files will shortly be further updated.Ken made a visit to Town Hall to consult with town staff about how to configure the files and develop an instructional signage for the file cabinet(s), explaining that documents should not be removed from Town Hall, but may be perused in the room and copied as desired.He also met with Holly Stover to begin evaluating which additional files from her records should be added to what has already been collected.  Placing the files at Town Hall is targeted for August. Recording Zoom meetings-Kyle Brogan suggested that we use the recording feature of Zoom to help with writing the minutes. This is part of our subscription. The recording can be translated to text. Doreen is agreeable to learning this. Cricket has expertise in this function and is willing to tutor Doreen. They will schedule a time to meet.Meeting Adjourned at 8:30 pm
ATTENDEE LIST: Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Ken Kelly (independent cottages,) Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell)Ex-officio present (non-voting): Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator)Alternates present: Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood), Holly Stover (At-Large), Bruce Wintman (Website director, Whitewood) Guests present: Jessica Bernow (Richmond Shores), Kyle BroganDirectors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm),Ex-officio absent: Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield) Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission)Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Linda Kay (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Al Nardacci (independent cottages,) Tim Mason (independent cottages), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm).

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Meeting Minutes

May 28, 2024, by Zoom  

Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7: 17 pm. She reviewed with Ken the past practice of sending out the agenda and the Zoom link. The meeting’s start was delayed as many had trouble accessing the Zoom call. The Zoom access link was erroneous in one of the postings about the meetingApproval of RPA minutes of April 30th meeting – Doreen made a motion to approve the minutes of April 30th. Tom made a correction to the weed management section. The correction is the Town of Richmond not the Conservation Committee will need to request a 3 year extension of the current permit. The minutes were approved with this correction and Jonna will edit the minutes with the correct information.Updates from Town Hall – Danielle and Neil were not present. Doreen relayed that she has emailed Heather to schedule a time for she and Jonna to meet with Danielle to discuss permitting and hiring a consultant. They hope to meet this week. Holly noted that at the last Con Com meeting, the request to extend the permit was tabled. Tom explained that was because there was not enough information to move forward. Ken noted that the kayak dock is in and Miles has seen that the porta-potties have been delivered. Financial report – Laura shared the first draft for the fiscal year 2025 budget with the Board members prior to the meeting for their review. She offered to email it any other interested in seeing it. She reviewed the income and the expenses. A few categories from the expenses were removed as they were no longer relevant. Laura will move $2000 for dam maintenance from the money market to the CD at its maturity date. She felt that the RPA is in a good financial position. A motion was made to approve the budget. Motion passed.Nominations for President– Louise asked if there were any nominations for the position of President. There were not. She expressed the hope that someone will, as her role as vice president is requiring much more time.

Project updates & other developments at the pond:Weed management planning update – Jonna updated us with her recent communications with Jim McGrath, Joe Onorato and John Gosselin who is the Sonar representative. Jim’s conversation with Solitude was a recommendation to do an herbicide treatment with Sonar this year which was suggested may have a limited impact. The opinions from Joe and John were that it was too late to treat. The curly leaf will already be established so Sonar will not be very effective. Curly leaf is usually gone by the end of June.  They thought a better plan was to save the money for next year.The goal now is to meet with Danielle to discuss hiring a consultant to help with the permitting process. Our current permit expires August 24, 2024. Tom Potter discussed what the ComCon will need to extend the permit. The feeling is the only treatment this year will be the 2 foot drawdown. To extend the permit for the draw down, Tom relayed that this will need to be on the agenda for the July 9th ConCom meeting, submitted before June 25th,if this is not already on the June agenda. This will be discussed with Danielle when we meet. Tom suggested the Richmond Conservation Agent, Kim can help with the required paper work.Invasive Plant Update- Holly reported that she and Miles have been working on the Notice of Intent to start the process of getting permission to release Galerucella beetles which control aggressive invasive purple loosestrife around the pond.  They have identified large infestations of purple loose strife across from the boat ramp, on Boys club road, in Nordeen marsh, at the shoreline of the home at 18 Boat Lane, and at the Town Beach.They presented to the Richmond Conservation Commission at their last meeting to inform them of the biology of the beetle in controlling purple loosestrife in many sites in Massachusetts and have contacted many local, state, and federal biologists and conservation officials on how to navigate the complex forms and requirements of any action to be taken.  The application process is a long process and due to this, the spring window to release the beetle has been missed. Tom suggested that they look at the DEP Worcester’s website for information and he informed them that the Department of Agriculture requires a permit to move the beetles.A survey of the Pond’s shore and surrounding neighborhoods last week revealed infestations of aggressive Japanese Knotweed at the Richmond Shores welcoming sign, in a field at Camp Russell, at Holly Stover's cottage, at Ken Kelly's cottage, at Lake road in Whitewood at the end of the boardwalk, near the beach at South Pond farm, and where Schoolhouse brook crosses Swamp road about 800 feet south of Bartlett's. Miles is waiting for Jessica Toro of Native Habitat Restoration of Stockbridge to arrange a site visit for advice.Beach, tributary and cyanobacteria testing update- Ken reported that there will be 7 scheduled visits this summer, spaced 2 weeks apart, done by Shannon Poulin, the LAPA-West cyanobacteria tester. There are three volunteers sharing the "hosting" duties with their boats. The first visit will be Thursday, June 6 at 5:00 pm.  Paul Neumann of Richmond Shores has volunteered to host the first 3 visits. Ken will likely host the 4th and 7th visits. James Nugent, also of Richmond Shores, will host the 5th & 6th visits. As the RPA's designated "cyanobacteria sampling program coordinator" this summer, Ken will receive results reports several days after each visit, as will the Town's Board of Health. Hopefully our cyanobacteria will again stay down deep at low concentrations and not pose a problem causing lake closure, as has happened at some other MA lakes.  Jonna will not be able to volunteer to do the tributary testing this year. This led to a discussion with our guest Alison Dixon, the project specialist with BRPC. She has reached out to the State for grant money for water quality monitoring and suggested that this may be the time to revisit our monitoring goals and identify the information we need. Ken has all the data from 2001 on the water quality testing. He would like to meet with Allison to discuss and review and to evaluate a new plan.Alison has been working with the Richmond Shores Board to include their roads in a MVP grant. She is hoping to include other dirt roads around the Pond that are impacting the Pond with run off. She has a power point but time did not allow for her to present. She will email this to Jonna to share.Update on Camp Arrow Wood – Matt was not present. Update on Camp Russell – Cam was not present.Recent developments around the pond Community association reports:Richmond Shores - Doreen confirmed that the RSCA is working with Alison to get grant money to help with erosion mitigation of their dirt roads.Branch Farm - Louise reported that there is a baby eagle in the nestWhitewood - Jonna did not have anything to report but hopes that Lake Road can be added to the grant.South Pond Farm - Laura reported that the second home owners are returning for the summer. She has noted some of the invasive weeds on their property.Educational initiatives with Richmond Consolidated School students-  Louise was excited at how well the field trip went with the 4th grade students from Richmond School. She and their teacher, Gill Romano took them through Camp Russell to Branch Farm where they helped to clean the swale below the detention basin. They appreciated the gloves provided by the RPA. They were able to identify critters such as salamanders and tree frogs. They viewed the exterior of Louise’s cottage, which is the oldest cottage on the Pond. There they were able to observe the bald eagles. They then made their way to Camp Arrow Wood to see the dam and discuss its importance to the Pond and the properties around it. This will be an annual event for the 4th grade and each previous 4th grade class will continue to be included. The hope is to cultivate a stewardship of the water ways. The History of Richmond Pond book was an important study book for them which they used to learn about the area ahead of time and they created many different projects to demonstrate their learning. Annual Picnic- Louise has been working with Boys and Girls Club in the hopes of bringing the annual picnic back to Camp Russell. She will continue to follow up with them. Ken did reach out to Balderdash and they would be available on July 23rd or August 27th if Camp Russell falls through. Miles asked if South Pond Farm would be available to host but they do not have a facility on their property to do so.RPA brochures- Doreen reported that more brochures were printed and have been re-stocked at the boat ramp, Balderdash and at Bartlett’s. Volunteers- Louise expressed the need for volunteers for Facebook and the Richmond Record. Kerry has been writing the articles. The deadline for articles is shortly after the RPA meeting.Website & Facebook enhancements – No new updates.

Odds & ends:Record Storage – Ken sent an updated status report to executive board members on Monday, itemizing the RPA files being readied for placement in Town Hall for public access, hopefully by mid or late summer. It's a 6-page list of files. Holly and Ken plan to sort through her barn this summer and add to the files what she has that doesn't duplicate what we already have saved.LAPA-West lake and pond management symposium- Ken has not heard back regarding when the symposium will be held. He thinks it will be sometime in the fall.  Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 pmATTENDEE LIST: Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Ken Kelly (independent cottages,) Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large), Ex-officio present (non-voting) Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission)Alternates present: Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm), Holly Stover (At-Large), Bruce Wintman (Website director, Whitewood) Guests present: Alison Dixon BRPC, Jon Adelman (Richmond Shores), Jessica Bernow (Richmond Shores)Directors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell)Ex-officio absent: Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator), Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield)Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Linda Kay (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Al Nardacci (independent cottages,) Tim Mason (independent cottages)

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Meeting Minutes

April 30, 2024 by Zoom  

Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7:05 pm and welcomed all in attendance. 

Approval of RPA minutes of October 24th meeting – Louise made a motion to approve the minutes of October 24th. Minutes were approved.

Approval of RPA Annual Report 2023 – Louise reported that the distributed report had already been incorporated into the Town’s Annual Report, but asked if there were any amendments. No amendments were suggested, & a vote to approve the report was unanimous.

Updated RPA contacts list – Louise asked if there were any changes to the updated list, dated 4-30-24. None were mentioned, though folks present were encouraged to check with others not present & share any updates with Doreen.

Updates from Town Hall – Danielle was not present, but emailed her report which was received after the meeting. Neal Pilson reported that Richmond Town Hall/Library was open. They plan to host a welcome reception, but it is not yet scheduled. They have been busy planning for the annual town meeting scheduled for May 15th. The Annual Town Report should be available to pick up at the Town Hall soon. The kayak dock has not yet been installed and the culvert hole has not yet been repaired. Holly brought up that Alison Dixon’s BRPC report could be used to apply for a grant from the state to repair the Clark’s Brook broken culvert where people could hurt themselves. Linda brought up that a child could fall in the hole and recommended the town at minimum cover the hole with a heavy plate to prevent someone from getting injured. Someone brought up that the fencing at the beach was compromised by a fallen tree. Neal Pilson said he was taking notes on these issues and would discuss them with Danielle.

Danielle’s emailed report is pasted here but was not discussed at the meeting: 

“We have pond monitors who will start May 19th we do believe we have lifeguards for the season and are working with them to get certified. They won’t start until school is out.

A boat hit the dock and kayak launch last season and we are still trying to have that repaired. I will let you know as soon as I know more.

The detention basin at camp Russel that was completely gone was rebuilt last and is working well. The camp is handling the maintenance of that as it is private property. The one over by branch farm is working. It is not something that will be fixed in the near future as it is on private property and actually working. We have had numerous conversations regarding that with conservation as well and are all on the same page.

The culvert going to the beach is in need of repairs. We tried to fix it three years ago but was told we couldn't touch it. We are looking to possible less costly repairs however if it needs to be full replacement it will cost close to 1milion dollars and need to be a full bridge. That road may need to be closed this summer for driving we are still assessing the situation. If it needs to be closed it will be foot traffic only.

As far as I know there is no one willing to do the goose management. We had a lot of resident complaints about the town participating so they opted out a couple years ago.

I have been working with Jim and conservation to keep moving forward with permitting the chemicals and draw. And potentially harvesting.”

Financial report – Laura reported that she’s working on the proposed annual budget for FY 2024-25 (July to June) & will have that ready for approval at the May meeting. She shared that we currently have $73,862.65 in our several checking & money market accounts and CDs. No funds were spent on weed treatments in 2022 or 2023, due to lack of permit, leaving us with a higher balance. Apart from these accounts, we continue to contribute $2,000 per year to our Dam Fund to ensure we will have funds available to help with dam expenses if needed. The Richmond Pond dam is owned and maintained by Camp Arrowood on whose property it lies. We maintain the dam fund due to the critical nature of the dam and our desire to help with any problem. If the dam were to breach, we would lose 90 acres of the pond. Expenses this year have included payments to the Richmond Record for advertising, post office fees, zoom fees, Go Daddy website hosting fees, and payment to LAPA West for cyanobacteria monitoring, which came to $915.06 for six sampling and testing visits.

Awarding Committee for Anita Chapman Scholarship Fund– A motion was made & approved for RPA to again participate in this committee & designate Doreen as our representative. Doreen was not present at the meeting but had previously agreed to participate this year. 

Appointment of additional alternates – Louise proposed that volunteer Holly Stover be designated as an at-large RPA alternate; this was approved. Louse then proposed that Linda Kay be designated as a Richmond Shores alternate; this was approved. Linda then introduced Jessica Bernow, a resident of Richmond Shores, who was also present on the Zoom meeting and who Linda is hoping will join the RPA in the future. Louise welcomed both Holly and Linda as official members of the RPA board, reminding all that the efforts of our alternates & ex-officio members substantially enhance our ability to accomplish our mission.

Nominations for President – Louise asked for nominations or self-nominations to serve as RPA president. There were no nominations, so the position remains vacant.

Project updates & other development at the pond:

Goose management – Louise asked if there was anyone who wished to volunteer to coordinate this program. No one volunteered, so similar to last year, there will be no goose management effort this year.

Weed management – Status of permitting initiatives & plans for 2024 weed treatments –Weeds were not treated in 2022 and 2023. Nutrient run off continues to be a major factor but involves expensive road, culvert, and land remediation that was not addressed in detail at the meeting. Over the winter, the RPA worked with a consultant Joe Onorato of Water and Wetland to develop a treatment plan which would be acceptable in light of the Bridle Shiner and Bald Eagles. Jim McGrath submitted a response to Misty-Anne Marold of Natural Heritage’s 2022 letter with the proposed change in chemicals developed this winter and with the continued 2-ft drawdown. This proposal was accepted by Natural Heritage. Chelated copper will not be used due to toxicity and diquat will not be used as the permittable concentration is not high enough to be effective. The chemicals accepted by Natural Heritage are: Clearcast (imazamox) for Curly-leaf Pondweed, Procellacor EC (Florpyrauxifen-benzyl) for European Watermilfoil, and Sonar (fluridone) for Native Tapegrass. The Pittsfield conservation commission requested a 3-year extension on their permits for chemical treatment and drawdown based on the revised and accepted chemical plan. 

What is still needed includes an extension on the Richmond combined permit and a possible submission of an NOI for mechanical weed harvesting. Both issues were discussed. 

Someone will file an application to the Richmond Conservation Commission to request a three-year extension on Richmond’s combined chemical treatment and drawdown permit. The current combined permit is due to expire in August prior to the September drawdown. Tom Potter remarked that the conservation commission should consider separating the combined permit into two separate permits, one for chemical treatment based on the revised and accepted chemical plan and one for drawdown. A concern was raised that any effort to submit new NOIs to separate the chemicals from weed harvesting would take time and jeopardize the extension which would need to be requested soon in order to make sure we can do the 2-foot drawdown this September. This was not resolved at the time Jim McGrath had to step off the meeting. 

Mechanical weed harvesting was also discussed. Over the winter, the plan made to address weeds in Richmond Pond included possible mechanical weed harvesting with the hope that gaining a permit for weed harvesting would allow for flexibility in our approach. One of the hardest weeds to treat is Native Tapegrass and both the environmentally friendly Sonar which Natural Heritage approved and the mechanical weed harvesting for Tapegrass are very expensive. Due to expense, both Sonar and the weed harvesting would only be able to cover very few acres of the Native Tapegrass. Jim McGrath pointed out that requesting an NOI for mechanical weed harvesting involved hidden expenses and work, including a requirement to notify abutters, a need to hold a public hearing, and a fee to Natural Heritage. Whether or not to submit an NOI for mechanical weed harvesting was not decided at the meeting and was left open whether Jim McGrath would submit the NOI and assist Danielle Fillio to submit for Richmond. This will need to be decided shortly as we have already reserved time with a local mechanical weed harvesting company. 

Jim McGrath had to leave the meeting early, but he concluded by saying that in his opinion, Richmond Pond needed a multi-year contract for chemicals and that he would solicit bids for this. There was confusion about which vendor would provide these treatments – Jim recommended that he seek bids from both Joe Onorato of Water & Wetland (the vendor RPA had been exploring using and who had provided free consultative services over the winter) and Solitude Lake Management. Jim McGrath reported that he’s had & still has an excellent working relationship with Solitude which provides all the treatments for Pittsfield’s two lakes. However, Richmond’s experience with Solitude has been very problematic the last two years, characterized by a total lack of responsiveness to overtures from the Town and RPA and a lack of response to Natural Heritage’s 2022 letter, contributing to our inability to treat weeds in 2022 and 2023. Jim McGrath felt he had better communication with this company and said he would be in touch with RPA to share the outcome of the bids. Jim McGrath said he thinks that he has several thousand dollars available from City of Pittsfield to help with the weed cost in Richmond but he is waiting to learn more about what costs Pittsfield might have to incur because of the zebra mussels in Onota Lake. The town of Richmond has approximately $15,000 to contribute to weed treatment ($5000/year unused in 2022 and 2023 and another $5000 for 2024), but Danielle Fillio was not at the meeting and this needs to be confirmed. 

Hand-pulling of weeds in the canal was deemed ineffective and overly expensive. It was not done in 2023, & is not part of the 2024 plan.

This discussion ended with some confusion about where we stood & who should take what next steps. The uncertainty is further complicated by the absence at the meeting of the Town Administrator, Danielle Fillio, who would be responsible for initiating some of the action steps, since the weed treatment vendor contract(s) would be solicited by & held by the Town of Richmond.

Invasive plant update – Miles reported on his research about purple loosestrife beetles, which are known to be an effective control measure to substantially reduce, though not eliminate, invasive purple loosestrife. Related permitting requirements were shared by Con Com representative Tom Potter. Miles will consult related procedures, 310CMR10.00, Wetlands Protection Act, & contact Town Conservation Agent Kimberly Wetherell for guidance. As the next step, Miles would need to prepare & submit the required NOI to Conservation Commission(s) (both Richmond & Pittsfield?) for approval to import & release the beetles. Miles is considering this and plans to request advice from the town. 

Beach, tributary & cyanobacteria testing update – There was no report on beach or tributary testing. Ken reported that we had received our itemized bill in mid-April from LAPA-West for last year's cyanobacteria testing at Richmond Pond. For six visits, our bill was $915.06. Ken has forwarded the bill to the RPA treasurer for payment. All sample results indicated the presence of cyanobacteria at low concentrations, & at deeper depths, our results were consistently "of low concern," with continued monitoring recommended. 

Ken recommended that RPA continue to participate in the LAPA-West cyanobacteria monitoring program for the 2024 season. He proposed the following motion, which was seconded & approved: The RPA will continue to participate in and pay for the LAPA-West cyanobacteria monitoring program visits to Richmond Pond for the 2024 summer season, with visits to occur approximately every 2 weeks.

Ken also indicated that one or two additional boats, with operators, need to be identified, to take the sampler out to the pond's deep hole (53 feet deep) & anchor there for the sampling. While Ken expects to provide his boat for a few of the visits, he will not be in town for some of them. Volunteers were requested. Linda Kay will contact several of her neighbors who have pontoon boats to ask for their help. 

Educational initiatives with Richmond Consolidated School students – Louise Brogan reported that a classroom from Richmond Consolidated School will be visiting the pond on May 23 to learn about the pond & its history, wildlife, & pond management. They’ll visit the Branch Farm area including the detention basin and swale and visit the pond's dam at Camp Arrow Wood. Louise asked Cam if the school bus could park at Camp Russell, and he indicated that that was OK; the Camp’s property manager would be alerted. Louise plans to write an article afterward for the Richmond Record about students’ use of Richmond Pond in their studies, including highlights of their field trip.

Camp season plans for Camp Russell – Cam reported that camp season opens June 24, for 8 weeks, ending Friday, August 16.

Camp Season plans for Camp Arrow Wood – Matt reported that this camp season opens June 29 through August 10, with an elite student athlete program August 12-16, and then Northeastern Track for five days. Registrations are ahead of last year at this time, & they plan for a very full season. The camp plans to hire a live in security guard who will actively patrol from 9pm to 2am. They will unfortunately not be able to host the RPA annual meeting/picnic this season. Matt also reported that Jon Millburg is no longer affiliated with the camp, so should be dropped from the RPA board; he will be designating another RPA alternate from the camp. The camp continues to run quarterly inspections of the dam.

Trout stocking – Ken reported that Mass Wildlife had stocked Richmond Pond with trout on March 18 & April 5. Reports indicate that trout fishermen are doing quite well this spring.

LAPA-West spring lake & pond symposium – Ken reported that LAPA-West President, Lee Hauge, had just begun exploring efforts to plan a late spring/early summer symposium with a focus on lake management.

Richmond Shores – Linda Kay reports they are working with Alison Dixon at BRPC on applying for grants associated with municipal vulnerability preparedness to remediate the dirt roads and bridge. To start, engineers will help people design home plantings to prevent run off. The following year, a permeable overlay to reduce sediment is planned for the road.

As the meeting had now gone up until almost 9:00 pm, and we’d already lost some members who had to sign off, Louise proposed that we adjourn the meeting without hearing any of the remaining reports (listed below). The motion was seconded & unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 9:00 pm. Reports not provided were:

· Recent developments around the pond (community association reports – Richmond Shores, Branch Farm, Whitewood, & South Pond Farm) – Doreen, Louise, Jonna, Laura

· Historical records consolidation and storage – Ken

· Pond history book sales update – Kerry

· RPA website - Bruce

· Projects still needing volunteers - Facebook, Richmond Record (articles/photos) – Louise, Ken

Our next meeting will be May 28, at 7:00 pm, by Zoom.

ATTENDEE LIST: 

Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Miles Garfinkel (At-Large), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large), Ken Kelly (independent cottages), Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell)

Ex-officio present (non-voting): Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield), Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission)

Alternates present: Linda Kay (Richmond Shores, newly voted in at this meeting), Holly Stover (At-Large, newly voted in at this meeting), Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood), Bruce Wintman (Whitewood)

Guests present: Jessica Bernow (Richmond Shores), Suzanne Cassidy, Carl Foote (Branch Farm), Neal Pilson (Selectman), Chris Thomson, Laiken Rapiscrele, Chris Visher

Directors absent: Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores)

Ex-officio absent: Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator), Ron Veillette (Richmond Conservation Commission)

Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm); Brian Grebeldinger (Richmond Shores), Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Tim Mason (independent cottages), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Al Nardacci (independent cottages)

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes

Richmond Pond Association Meeting Minutes

October 24, 2023 by Zoom 

Welcome – Louise opened the meeting at 7:05 pm and welcomed all in attendance. 

Approval of RPA minutesof September 26th meeting – Doreen made a motion to approve the minutes of September 26th. Minutes approved.

Updates from Town Hall – Danielle was not present. Neal reported that he did not have any new updates. Jonna asked it the eroded pipe on Town Beach Road, by Clark’s Brook had been addressed. Carl had sent pictures of the pipe to Danielle. He asked Carl to send them to him. Neal thought that overall, the beach was maintained better than previous years. They will begin the hiring of boat monitors and life guards in the spring.

Proposed meeting date for 2024- Louise read the proposed dates for 2024. Doreen noted that the first meeting, April 23rd is the 2nd day of Passover. Discussion was held for an alternate date. The meeting dates for 2024 are, 4/30, 5/28, 6/25, 7/23, 8/27, 9/24 and 10/22.

Financial report – Laura reported that Carl has merged the funds as voted on last month.  Balances in the book account and the canal fund were added to the RPA money market /savings account. Linda Kay had questions about the dissolution of the canal fund and if there was a way to track the money that was in the fund. Carl responded that the information was in QuickBooks.
The intention is to move $2,000 from our Savings account to the Dam Fund account, but that account is in a CD so Laura will go to Berkshire Bank to see if this can be done.
The filing of form PC as required by the MA Attorney General’s office is completed.  The report was done on line which avoided a lot of paper work, mailing, etc.  The form was accepted.  Carl put the numbers together and Laura did the review.
The interest on our CDs plunged this month.  Instead of earning roughly $180 / month, we are now earning $4.00 / month.  She will meet with Berkshire Bank on this.
We have about $25K in liquid accounts (checking and money market) and about $45K in CDs.  Our overall assets grew by about $800 this month, attributable to donations and dues.

Changing the authorized signatures at the bank will be done. The changes will be to add Jonna and remove Ken and Carl.

Discussion and action on proposed amendment to RPA Bylaws, Article 4.03 – Ken read the proposed amendment that was stated at the last meeting. The hope is that this amendment will open up more candidates for the position of President by including members of the RPA board, an alternate or ex officio member of the RPA. He made a motion to adopt the amendment to the Bylaws. Motion was passed.

Nominations and Election of President– Doreen asked if there were any nominations or self-nominations for the role of President. There were none. Louise thanked Ken and Carl for their years of service to the RPA. She clarified her role as vice president and what she is able to do in that role. The Board will be supportive of helping to fill the void until a new president is elected. Ken noted that if a candidate for President comes forward before the first scheduled meeting in 2024, per the bylaws, a special meeting can be called. He will share this bylaw with Louise.

Project updates & other developments at the pond:

Detention basins and runoff mitigation at Camp Russell-Holly has spoken with Ron Veillette and Danielle about working on a contract with the Boy’s Club for the maintenance of the detention basins. She will provide the ConCom with the original engineering plans and the contract for the maintenance. Holly has identified problems with drainage and run off from the roads in the Camp. The Boy’s Club has been unresponsive to her requests to meet. The goal is to have a site visit that would include representatives from the Town, ConCom, RPA and the Boy’s Club. Holly plans on discussing this at a BOS meeting and Con Com meeting. Jonna thanked Holly for giving a few members of the RPA a tour and history of the detention basin

Weed management planning update – Jonna relayed that several of the RPA leadership team recently had a Zoom consultation with Jim McGrath, to get his advice on how to move things along with Mass Heritage with regard to dam draw-down permitting for both towns and development of a Natural Heritage-approved weed treatment plan. Jim recommended that we reach out to a pond management consultant that he's used, with excellent success, to help us frame a comprehensive pond management plan, which would include a multi-faceted Natural Heritage-approved weed treatment plan for Richmond Pond.  Jonna has reached out to this CEI consultant, Bob Hartzel, and has scheduled a Zoom meeting with him for Wednesday evening, November 1, at 7:00 pm. She has invited Danielle and Tom Potter to attend along with the RPA Board members. Jonna asked if a special meeting would be needed to approve funds for this if we were to move forward with hiring Bob. Carl responded that there is already money allocated for weed management.

Update on Camp Arrow Wood – Matt was not present. 

Update on Camp Russell – Cam was not present.

Identification of winter projects: staffing of and designation of a convener for each- Louse identified the projects that will continue over the winter months;

1. Long range      plans for weed control- Doreen with take the lead but will have help from      Jonna and Linda.
2. Detention      basins and run off mitigation at Camp Russell- Holly will take the lead
3. Education      connection at Richmond School- Louise has a meeting with Gill (grade 4) to      discuss the curriculum and drop off books. She is excited about this      project.
4. Consolidation      of RPA historical records in preparation of storage- Ken will take the      lead and will ask for assistance from Carl, Holly and Doreen.
5. Annual      report- Doreen will write the initial draft and Ken offered to review.
6. Control of      invasive plants- Miles has reached out to the Division of Ecological      Restoration. His winter project is      to find out if a survey can be done to identify the plants. Ken has identified Japanese Knotweed at      Whitewood and has also reached out to an agency in South County. Louise hopes this can be part of the      education on projects with the school

Recent developments around the pond (community association reports):

Richmond Shores- Doreen relayed that the Shores is working on contracting a provider for plowing services.

Branch Farm- Louise reported that the eagles are rebuilding a nest in a different area in Branch Farm. The cottages are closing for the year. There is more erosion on their roads which may be related to the changes in the road that happened with the rebuilding of the O’Brien’s cottage. The road has lost their swales and water is now eroding the road and driveways. Louise will follow up with this.

Whitewood- Jonna reported that Bruce is now an alternate for Whitewood along with managing the website. The roads at Whitewood have also been eroding more. They hired an engineering firm and have a plan to help with their road maintenance. 

Linda spoke about the erosion of all the dirt roads around the Pond and wondered if there could be a long range plan that included funding from the RPA to help offset the cost of road maintenance with run off and erosion. The roads are in the water shed. Applying for a grant and matching funds were mentioned.

South Pond Farm-Laure reported there are fewer residents now as we move towards winter. They are working with the Pittsfield ConCom on permitting to remove some trees that are within the buffer zone of the Pond.

Website & Facebook enhancements – No new updates.

Odds & ends:

Winter draw-down: The winter draw-down of the Pond is expected to begin on November 1st. 

Richmond Record – Ken reminded us that the changes to the Record are captured in last month's minutes.  He shared that past Editor Lauren Broussal was recently awarded this year's Charles & Mary Kusik Citizenship Award, at the Richmond Land Trust's recent Pie-nic, and that was covered in the October issue of Richmond Record.

He also asked for additional volunteer writers for the Richmond Pond Update column in Richmond Record; Kerry Hamilton and Ken are tag-teaming this but having another person would be helpful.  

Other announcements: Ken noted the beaver dam at Nordeen Marsh's outflow into the canal at Town Beach Road, that had been breached, substantially reducing the water level of the marsh, has been rebuilt by the beavers.

Book sales – Ken will be selling pond history books and distributing the handout "How to write you Pond's History Book" at Mass Wildlife headquarters in Westborough on 10/30 at the MA Watershed Association's data management workshop and the watershed-related presentations.  This event is co-sponsored by LAPA-West, and only 5 minutes from his home.

Meeting Adjourned at 8:15 pm

ATTENDEE LIST: 

Directors present (voting): Louise Brogan (vice-president, Branch Farm), Doreen Donovan (secretary, Richmond Shores), Laura Rosenthal (Treasurer, South Pond Farm), Jonna Gaberman (Assistant Treasurer, Whitewood), Ken Kelly (independent cottages,) Miles Garfinkel (At-Large),

Ex-officio present (non-voting): Alternates present: Cricket Nardacci (Whitewood). Gordon Dinsmore (South Pond Farm),

Guests present: Holly Stover, Dick Stover, Ernie Smith (Conservation Commission) Carl Foote (Branch Farm), Neal Pilson (Selectman), Linda Kay

Directors absent: Matt Linick (Camp Arrow Wood), Cam Stockton (Camp Russell), Kerry Hamilton (At-Large),

Ex-officio absent: Danielle Fillio (Richmond Town Administrator), Jim McGrath (City of Pittsfield), Tom Potter (Richmond Conservation Commission), 

Alternates Absent: Kais Abderrahim (Camp Russell), Brian Grebeldinger (Richmond Shores), Kitty Levitan (Whitewood), Joe McGovern (Camp Russell), Jon Millburg (Camp Arrow Wood,) Barry Kellogg (Richmond Shores), Al Nardacci (independent cottages) Tim Mason (independent cottages).

Archived RPA Meeting Minutes