February 27, 2013 Meeting Minutes

WINTONBURY LAND TRUST February 27, 2013, 52 Duncaster Road, Bloomfield  

Present:  Aimee Petras, Dale Bertoldi, Paula Jones, Vic Herson, Kevin Gough, Vikki Reski, Chip Caton, Doris Johnson

1.      Guest Aimee Petras presented us with a Bloomfield map that had been generated by modifying an existing map from the Lower Farmington River and Salmon Brook Wild & Scenic (W&S) Study.  Aimee works for the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA), and also serves as the Education and Outreach Subcommittee Chair for the W&S Study.  FRWA wants to work with Land Trusts in a useful way for the Trusts and Towns that will further some of the objectives of the W&S Study Management Plan.  Aimee offered us the opportunity to serve as “guinea pigs” in a project designed to provide Land Trusts and Towns interactive maps that will highlight valuable resources within towns, and also those resources that cross town lines.  We will use the W&S map that Aimee presented as the starting point to produce a customized map suited to our needs.  We agreed that the immediate next step would be to determine exactly how the base map was generated, including which specific conservation values were included and what weights were assigned to those values.  Vikki offered to be the point person for WLT working with Aimee.  Paula asked to be included in any meetings as well, given her dual roles on the WLT Board and on the W&S Management Plan Subcommittee.

2.      The January 20, 2013 minutes were approved as submitted.

3.      Special Projects/Announcements – there were no new announcements.

4.      Organizational Assessment and Strategic Plan

a) Anti-Discrimination and anti-Harassment Policy – The policy submitted by Chip Caton, as amended by Paula Jones, was adopted.  The amendment consisted of adding “vendors/consultants/contractors” wherever the words “employees” and “volunteers” occur in the policy.  (See below)

b) Hannah Roditi has written and submitted a grant proposal to Cigna for a $10,000 education grant for trail walks. Chip Caton and Vikki Reski assisted Hannah.

c) The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (HFPG) Grant proposal for $250,000 will be finalized on February 28^th.  The HFPG Board meets quarterly, so the proposal should be considered no later than the June meeting.

5.      Committee Reports

a) Acquisitions:  The Lisa Lane appraisal should be done by February 28^th.  Chip Caton will pick up the report and deliver a copy to the NRCS office.

b) Open Space: DEEP Trails Grant 2013 - 2014 grant round (submission deadline: March 29, 2013).  A proposal has been written for the Filley Park section of the LaSalette Trail in cooperation with the Town Of Bloomfield. The Town Engineer will be adding his detail to the grant proposal during the first two weeks in March.

c) Financial- end 2012 account balances: Checking $7,719.84; general savings $18,474.08 and restricted savings of $83,301.41. We also have two new Life Members, Robert and Lucille Morrisse. The Financial Subcommittee will meet on Thursday February 28, at 2:00. 

d)     The Stout Fields parcel has been returned to 490 status.

e) Upcoming Events:

§         Wintonbury Land Trust Wine and Dine- Fall 2013, 80-90 people at 10 host homes- (chair Patrick Sullivan)

§         Celebrate LaSalette Trail on April 27 1:00 to 4:00.  Doris Johnson and the other members of the planning subcommittee have arranged for a variety of educational, fun programs.

§         LaSalette Ski Hill Trail Maintenance March 30, 10 A.M.

§         Bike Tour on Saturday, June 22.

f)  Community Outreach:  We should partner with the Duncaster Retirement Community Trails Committee on Trails events. 

g) Stewardship: Thrall Farm – Our Farmland Restoration Grant application was approved.  WLT jointly applied with Newgate Farms for this grant, which will match 50% of funds/in-kind services, to a maximum match of $20,000.  Major activities covered by the grant are land clearing, application of soil amendments, and installation of two wells.   We are actively working on the Farm Lease, with an initial draft to UCONN advisors for suggestions.

6.      Upcoming Meeting Dates: March 24, 7:00 PM, April 21, 7:00 PM.

Adjourn

 

Recorded by Paula Jones

 

Wintonbury Land Trust

Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policies

 

The Wintonbury Land Trust (WLT) is committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which employees and volunteers continually show that they respect and value the attitudes, attributes, feelings and opinions of each other and anyone with whom they come in contact on behalf of the organization.  WLT strives to provide working conditions for its employees and volunteers that are free from all forms of improper discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment.  The word “employee” as used in the policies below is defined as paid staff and any hired vendor, consultant, or contractor.

 

Anti-Discrimination Policy

WLT will not discriminate and will take affirmative measures to ensure against discrimination in employment or volunteer activities, recruitment, advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee, volunteer, or job applicant on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, past or present history of mental disorder, mental retardation, learning disability or physical disability. 

Anti-Harassment Policy

WLT is committed in all areas to providing a work and volunteer environment that is free from harassment. Harassment based upon an individual’s sex, race, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, sexual orientation or any other legally protected characteristics will not be tolerated. All employees and volunteers, including supervisors and other management personnel, are expected and required to abide by this policy. No person will be adversely affected in employment with the organization as a result of bringing complaints of unlawful harassment. 

 

Sexual Harassment: Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute harassment when (1) submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment or volunteer activity; (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for decisions about employment, promotion, transfer, election for training, performance evaluations, benefits, or other terms and conditions of employment or volunteer activity; or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment or substantially interferes with an employee’s or volunteer’s work performance.

 

Reporting Harassment

If an employee or volunteer feels that he or she has been harassed on the basis of his or her sex, race, national origin, ethnic background, age, sexual orientation or any other legally protected characteristic he or she should immediately report the matter to his or her supervisor. If the supervisor is not available, or if the employee or volunteer feels it would be unproductive to inform that person, the employee or volunteer should immediately contact that supervisor’s superior. Once the matter has been reported it will be promptly investigated and any necessary corrective action will be taken where appropriate. All complaints of unlawful harassment will be handled in as discreet and confidential a manner as is possible under the circumstances.

 

Disciplinary Measures for Harassment

Any employee engaging in improper harassing behavior will be subject to disciplinary action, including the possible termination of employment. Any volunteer engaging in improper harassing behavior will be required to terminate activities on behalf of the organization.