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Town of Reading
Meeting Minutes
Board - Committee - Commission - Council:
Climate Advisory Committee
Date: 2015 -08 -26
Building: Reading Town Hall
Address: 16 Lowell Street
Purpose: Bi- monthly meeting
Attendees: Members - Present:
Time: 7:00 PM
TOWN ct. 7K
READING, MM
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Location: Conference Room
A 4p
Joan Boegel, member; Laurie Ann Sylvia, member; Gina Snyder, associate
member; Ray Porter, member
Members - Not Present:
Ron D'Addario, member and chair; Michele Benson, associate member;
Others Present:
David Zeek, David Williams
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By: Joan Boegel
Topics of Discussion:
• Ray Porter chaired this meeting in the absence of current Chair, Ron D'Addario.
• Review and Approval of recent meeting minutes. The minutes of August 12th
meeting were reviewed and approved as amended.
• Gas Leak Legislation
• David Zeek reported on his efforts to bring the gas leak issue to Selectmen.
Barry Berman, our committee liaison, referred this issue to Dan Ensminger,
current Chair of Board of Selectmen. So far, Mr. Ensminger has not
responded.
• The Green Sense article regarding gas leaks issue has gone to newspapers.
• There was an article on this topic in Reading Patch.
• Gina asked about details on the Fire Dept gas leaks calls. David Z. said that
Chief Burns gave him the log which includes detail of when the call happened
and where. The FD responds and uses sniffer. The log did not include results
of these investigations. There is a burden on the Fire Department to send a
truck. Gina would like to understand how many of these calls are real leaks
and repeat calls about the same leak.
• David Z. asked Chief Burns if they have a map of the gas lines. They don't.
• Gina recommended that we discuss the request for a resolution supporting
the gas leak legislation to Selectman at their "office hours ", held before their
Tuesday night meeting at the first meeting of the month. Next meeting is not
posted yet; most likely on September 1 or 8. Gina has written up a
resolution. A Selectman has to sponsor it. She will call and find out when the
next office hours are and which Selectman will be there.
• CSS
• No progress to report. Tom 011ila cancelled the last meeting.
• Joan will call Tom tomorrow and ask him whether there has been any
progress.
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• Senior Center initiative. No progess, as the Council on Aging will not meet until
September.
Adopt an Island
• David Williams received a phone message from Garden Club. They seem to be
concerned about our Committee's plans for the island we have adopted.
• David W noted that the two stakes at the island have turned into a pole and
hole with 4 traffic cones. Laurie Ann says they are putting in two poles. .
Ray says there is a pole now on the side closest to the RR track. Ray said
these are guide poles supporting the poles on the other side of the street -
Laurie Ann agreed. Ray didn't know why second pole didn't go in.
• Ray will try to contact Garden Club. Mary and Ray are trying to understand
what is there. It is cedar mulch on top of black fabric. Under that is rocky.
Ray reported that he and Mary planted golden rod and astors (which rabbits
love), and a serviceberry tree - medium size tree /shrub - to fill in a spot. Oat
grass seems to be rebounding after rabbit browsing. Gina said there is an
incredibly invasive week that has taken over. They had yellow flowers. Now
they look like dandelions - don't know what they are. Bittersweet is climbing
tree - they are trying to cut back. Ray talked to Dmetra (Garden Club
president) who had offered advice.
• A bench and pathways to walk through the island would be nice. Dave W.
offered landscaping stone. Ray said maybe a different color mulch would be
better.
Paper /cardboard recycle bin. David W noted that the bin has been moved and is
now taking up a whole parking spot. It must be JRM who relocated it in wrong spot.
It is being used. Dave has looked at it - lots of cardboard and little paper, no trash.
Maybe we should paint a spot on the ground where it should go.
Future activities.
o Business Food Waste. David W and Ray will do some research and then
connect with the Chamber of Commerce for outreach to local businesses.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
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