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Massachusetts

Leverett

Town of Leverett
9 Montague Road
Leverett, MA 01054
Town Clerk: (413) 548-9150
Tax Collector: (413) 548-9666
Assessor: (413) 548-4945
Town Hall Fax: (413) 548-1035
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Historical Commission Meeting

Monday, January 8, 2024, 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm
Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
A meeting of the Historical Commission

Meeting of Historical Commission

Members: (Quorum)

  • Absent: Edie Field, Honorary
  • Absent: Eva Gibavic
  • Present: Ann Tweedy, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Sara Robinson, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Susan Mareneck, Chair, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Carole Desanti, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Susan Lynton, at 7:00 PM
  • Present: Anne Schuyler, at 7:00 PM

Also Present:

  • Pleun Bouricius
  • Carol Heim

See original Agenda Final Minutes

Meeting opened: 7:04 PM

Meeting closed: 9:11 PM

  1. Meeting Preliminaries

  2. Preservation Planning for Historical Assets

    • CPA Application - Discuss 'Growing Preservation Partnerships' draft proposal to Community Preservation Commission.

      General Discussion...
      After meeting with the Community Preservation Commission regarding our proposal to partner with them in reforming the oversight procedures for approval and implementation of historic preservation investments made with town CPA funds, in light of their lack of enthusiasm for engaging in this pursuit, we have determined to present the Selectboard and Finance Committee with a proposal for an increase in the HC budget to allow us to implement a more effective protocol than the monitoring as it currently exists. What form that will ultimately take is yet to be determined, but input from various boards will be helpful. Therefore we will prepare and distribute to the SB and FinCom, a rationale and proposed budget increase. It is also incumbent upon us to research the benefits of the proposed upgrade of the monitoring and compliance systems.

      Important topics to address in the rationale we present would be: 1. Derelict properties impact your property values and thus tax base. 2. Positive communities protect their tax base: historic preservation increases property values. 3. Education of general public to this reality is essential. 4. HC needs to have professional appraisal mechanism as it will prevent wasting town funds. 5. Having clear guidance for CPA applicants will make sure that 'ongoing maintenance' is a required component of all preservation proposals. 6. We are looking to institute a system that will enable the HC to carry out its mandated responsibilities as well as to increase tax revenue.

    • Historic Preservation Easement monitoring - Strategies for effective monitoring of CPA investments in preserving Leverett's historic properties and cultural treasures.

      1. HC_Budget_Line_Request_FY2025_submitted1-12-24.pdf

    • Industrial History Programming - UPDATE - Scheduling CPA-funded programming: ASOWYA (''A Sense of Where You Are: Getting to Know Leverett's Industrial Past'') 1. Embodied History: Charcoal Talk presentation June 2024 (public); choose date/venue; Next ''embodied history'' topic: 'Timber Industry' - February conversation(s) - date/venue; collect contact info for potential participants, send invitations. 2. ''Signage'': Current status - Pleun report. (Sunraise printing in Hadley?) Contact owners of sites to develop text.

      General Discussion...
      Timber Industry conversation on either 2/3 or 2/10 at North Leverett Baptist Church, 1-4pm. Include folks who engaged in all aspects of the industry from forestry to logging to sawing to sawmill products like slab wood, sawdust, and wood products such as Beaman Marvel Boxshop and other businesses using wood products. How to contact some of the families such as the Carey's? Still adding to the list. SM will create a letter and send, SR will follow up with calls. Eva is able to do the audio/video recording. There will be a scanner to capture photos people bring to share. We will provide refreshments.

      Signage for historic properties: work needs to be coordinated with property owners and Leverett Highway Dept. What should be included in every text: 'Identified function'; 'Dates'; Historical significance'; 'Materials'; 'Water power aspect'?, Location? The signs will be 18x24'. We could send the owners a sample with a request for involvement if they like. Could the text for these sample properties be complete by the Feb meeting? SM contact Matt Boucher, Highway Dept. head re April 1 to mark locations and dig holes?

    • LHS Collection Inventory - LHS Collection Inventory - Update on Moore's Corner Schoolhouse and Field Family Museum collections inventory and digitization. Example of ''Jan'', researcher who used the collections during the summer.

  3. LHC Business

    • Leverett 250th in 2024 - Leverett 250th Anniversary update

    • Town website - Update on redesign of Historical Commission page on town website. Add links to signage?

  4. Access to Historical Commission meetings -

    • Monthly meeting format - LHC members agreed to meet onine through the winter months

  5. New Business

    • National 250th Anniversary - Begin discussion of LHC interest/involvement in national semiquincentennial in 2026. Leverett has several 'witness properties' (Field Tavern, Slarrow Sawmill and Hubbard Tavern?).

      General Discussion...
      Should we resubmit our CPA application for FY2025 with a proposal to do a program on the Field Tavern, potentially a 'Witness Property' for 2026 national 250th. General concensus is we need Field's permission first.

    • Update on Leverett's Historic Properties - Rattlesnake Gutter Trust (RGT), Rattlesnake Gutter Road restoration choices. Field Family Museum Ad Hoc Committee; Moore's Corner School House (LHS); Friends of the North Leverett Sawmill and ''Heritage Site & Nature Trail''(FONLS); and Field Tavern.

      General Discussion...
      At the February meeting we would like to invite FONLS reps to update on 'Historic Park & Nature Trail' progress and also present their CPA funding proposal for FY2025 if they are going to ask for the HC to write a letter of support. If the Leverett Historical Society would like the HC's support for the CPA funding request for the Moore's Corner Schoolhouse, they should also update at the February HC meeting. Could Julie Shively or David Palmer present, rather than HC members who are also LHS officers?

      Ann Tweedy read some notes Eva had given her on the closure of Rattlesnake Gutter proposal, Carol Heim offered some clarifications, but it was decided to wait to hear directly from Eva, since many of us do not understand the full context of the closure request.

  6. Meeting Wrap-up

    • Next Meetings:
      1. Mon, Feb 12, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
      2. Mon, Mar 11, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission meeting" -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
      3. Mon, Apr 8, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission meeting" -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
      4. Mon, May 13, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission meeting" -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
      5. Mon, Jun 10, at 7:00 PM "Historical Commission Meeting" -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556
      6. Mon, Jul 8, at 6:00 PM "Historical Commission Annual CPA Monitoring " -- CANCELLED -- Online only: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86125147556

The listing of matters is those reasonably anticipated by the Chair which may be discussed at the meeting. Not all items listed may in fact be discussed and other items not listed may also be brought up for discussion to the extent permitted by law.

Minutes prepared by sm

Minutes approved on Wednesday, Mar 6, 2024