Minutes 

June 4, 2007

 

 

Business

  1. The minutes of May 21 were reviewed and approved.

 

  1. Bills:

·        National Trust for Historic Preservation Manual--$37.50

·        AASLH Technical Bulletin—22.50

·        Barbara reimburse for mileage, tolls, parking to MHC workshop--$96.00

·        AASLH membership dues--$100.00

·        National Trust for Historic Preservation membership dues--$115.00

 

  1. Report of Survey and Planning Grant Workshop at MHC offices on May 23: Barbara and Karen attended the workshop, which covered the administration of the Survey and Planning Grant. The Commission was given a manual to follow and will throughout the process keep in touch with MHC via e-mail. A timeline to follow has been developed by MHC with completion of the project projected to be June of 2008 with reimbursement processed by September 2008. The Commission asked MHC about including area forms in the scope of work and was told by MHC that it certainly would be appropriate for certain areas of town.

 

  1. Hampshire/Hampden Canal Update:    Barbara and Karen met with MHC staff members, Michael Steinitz, Leonard Loparto, and Chris Skelly, about the PAL Report. Mentioned was the misrepresentation given to Carl Walter in the report. Carl is now a member of the Canal Committee and is willing to steer consultants to repositories of information. Barbara stated that if Carl’s information is to be used in the application process he should be compensated for it not some other consultant. The Commission stressed the fact that MHC needs to move the National Register process along more quickly as sections of the canal are being lost at a rapid rate. MHC stated that phase 2 of the pilot program (dealing with mapping) should be going out to bid within the month. Barbara asked if a consultant could not be hired to do the historical narrative so that that portion of the application process would be completed when the mapping was accomplished thus hastening the timeframe. MHC asked that the Canal Committee wait for the results of phase 2 of the pilot program – assurance was given that the pace of the application process would be picked up.
  2. Survey and Planning Grant—Advertisement and Scope of Work: The Commission prepared a draft of the advertisement for the request for qualifications from consultants. This draft will be submitted to MA Historical Commission for review before being submitted to the newspapers. The Commission also decided to add three areas to the scope of work to be performed. The areas are the Feeding Hills Rd WWII Houses, Congamond Ponds Cottages, and the Hampshire/ Hampden Canal. This also will be submitted to MHC for review.

 

  1. Request for information on Powder Mills: Ms. Pam Gumalt asked if there were any visuals that could be used for a poster board display. The Chair directed her to the Powder Mill area of Great Brook where some of the mills were located. Also suggested was a photo of the Laflin/Phelps House on Depot St. as Mr. Laflin was a powder mill owner. Old maps located in the Town Bicentennial Book as well as information in Maude’s Memoirs were also suggested.

 

 

  1. It was decided to table to a future meeting the review of the Historic Resources List developed with Chris Skelly. This list is to be the reference point in order to develop a list of historic resources for a consultant to research.

 

  1. Posting of meeting dates and minutes on the Town Website.  Article 6 passed at Town Meeting held May 15, 2007. It requires that all scheduled board and committee meetings be posted on the Town’s website no later than 2 days in advance of said meeting and requires that the minutes of all meetings be posted on the Town Website no later than 14 days after the meeting for which they were approved. The Town Clerk requested that all meeting dates and minutes be e-mailed to Jim Middleton via a word document to be posted on the website.

 

 

  1. Work Session Update. Rebecca and Robin did work on entering more of the Saunders postcard collection of Congamond Ponds into the Past Perfect Program. At the 4 hours a month rate that they are able to devote to the project it will be some months before the task is completed. They are going to see if additional time can be devoted to the project, however they are also doing research on historical sites/people and the Commission would not like to see time taken away from that task.

 

  1. AASLH Collections Management Bulletins added to the Commission resource library.
    • Collecting and Preserving Architectural Records
    • Maps: Care and Cataloging
    • Post Card Collections
    • Evaluating Historical Photographs
    • Nitrate Films in the Public Institution

 

Mail

  1.   From the Town Clerk a notice of Article 6 which passed at town Meeting requiring all minutes and meeting dates be posted on the Town Website.

  2.   Lake Management Committee       Min 5/10

  3.   From the Association for State and Local History the Collections Management Bulletins

  4.   E-mail From MHC Preservation Planner, Peter Stott, regarding the Survey and Planning Grant

  5.   Planning Board    Min 4/17, 4/24, 5/1       Agenda  5/29, 6/5

  6.   From the Accounting Office a notice of end of Fiscal Year 2007 Procedures

  7.   Conservation Commission      Agenda 6/4

  8.    From Light Impressions a notice informing the Commission that the order will be delayed as two items are temporarily out of stock.

  9.   From National Trust for Historic Preservation the second Membership Renewal Notice.

10.   From the National Trust for Historic Preservation the “Feasibility Assessment Manual for Reusing Historic Buildings” which was ordered.

 

Barbara MacEwan

Chair, Southwick Historical Commission

 

Karen Brzezinski

 

Todd Shiveley