Town Board hears about Community Preservation process

At the Town Board meeting on March 2, a state expert told the board why a Community Preservation Plan would be good for Chatham and explained how a Community Preservation Fund to implement it could raise necessary funds but not burden taxpayers.

Ingrid Haeckel, of the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, said the process envisioned in state law would

— provide a “new way for financing land conservation in municipalities”

— identify land suitable for preservation

— establish eligibility for funding

— enable the purchase of development rights, where appropriate

Next steps will be:

— Town Board hearing on April 6

— Public hearing on April 20

— Placement on the November ballot as a referendum

In other board news:

The board approved the bonding and purchase of six pieces of highway equipment costing a total of $630,000.

Referred to the board’s communications committee a proposal to upgrade the town’s website.

Discussed an action taken previously to task the Climate Smart Committee with studying an invasive species found widely in Chatham: the Toringo Crab Apple. Climate Smart chair Rick Werwaiss said this study should be done by a committee focused on agriculture.