Preserved properties get volunteer oversight
Members of the Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board are studying a draft of a proposed policy that would involve the use of volunteer stewards.
Advisory Members lead efforts at each preserved property purchased with Community Preservation money, which comes from a real estate transfer tax paid by purchasers of Island properties. The growing number of properties purchased for preservation could benefit from volunteers who will step up to examine specific sites and report on their condition. They are not expected to perform the work to improve the sites, but simply observe what appears to be needed.
It will then fall to Advisory Board members to make a final determination about what maintenance is needed and who might be enlisted to perform the work. Some work would be done by the Town Public Works staff, while others require specialists.
Details of the proposed policy were not revealed at Monday morning’s meeting and the draft did not appear on the Town website. It’s expected the proposed draft will be discussed at a future Advisory Board meeting.
On Monday, Chairman Twoey Brayson identified several volunteers who have stepped forward to visit some preserved properties and report back. They are John Diffley of Silver Beach, who has chosen to assist at the West Neck Preserve and Crab Creek; Julia Weisenberg who will report on the Lima Bean field area and the east and west areas of the Mildred Flower Hird Nature Preserve; and James Eklund, who has volunteered to oversee Tuttle and Turkem’s Rest areas.
