MINUTES

1. Introductions and Review of Agenda

The Committee welcomed Ethel Labrie and Andrew Cuff. The agenda was approved.

1. Review and Approval of Minutes of Last Meeting (April 26, 2006)

The minutes of the last meeting were approved and the following updates on items provided:

(i) Eco-Action Proposal: Rick Wadman has indicated that there may be an announcement this coming weekend of projects that have been approved in this round of funding;

(ii) Portable Signs: Ralph reported that this issue had come up for discussion at the last Council meeting and that the town would be taking a look at what the policy on portable signs is in other towns;

(iii) Stewardship Signs: The new stewardship road signs are ready and the town is working with EHJV to set up an official unveiling ceremony;

(iv) Neighbourhood Clean-up: Rodney will coordinate this year’s neighbourhood clean-up on behalf of the town, which will probably take place in early June.

(v) Community Survey: 65 surveys have been returned and over twenty residents have been added to the TETC mailing list. The raffle for prizes will take place in the near future.

1. 2006 Property Beautification Awards - Planning

Plans for this year’s Property Beautification Awards are well under way. This year’s committee includes Peggy Manning, Kay Codner, Mya Maynard and Joanne Hayes. Nominations may be submitted in writing, by telephone or by email. Categories will be the same as last year. Nominations will close on July 14 and the preliminary judging will take place during the week of July 24. Ross will arrange the final judging which usually takes place in mid-August. The awards ceremony will take place on August 30.

Ralph will confirm with the town that the tax rebate will again be available for winners. The awards will be publicized through the town newsletter (Ralph to check on timing of next newsletter), the town sign, by email, etc. Madeleine will send Ralph a draft text for the town’s newsletter.

Ralph noted that, following complaints from the public, the town had notified the Post Office of the need to address the problem with litter in and around the Post Office and its superbox stations.

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1. Gully Project

With the resignation of Madeleine as Chair of the Gully Project, the sub-committee overseeing the project will need to be reconstituted. We will need to identify new volunteers who are interested in wetland preservation and would like to participate. We will wait until the fall before looking at planning for the wheelchair-accessible trail to the Gully from HTHS.

In the meantime, we are proceeding with the field trips to the Gazebo and the Gully for Ducks Unlimited. Four trips have already been successfully carried out. Bob Schmiedendorf has agreed to help guide field trips for our own students.

Between volunteers and the town staff, the Gazebo is in good shape and the litter problem is under control. Residents are encouraged to notify the town or a TETC member when clean-up is needed. The two signs are with the town and will be installed soon.

1. Other Business

5.1 SAM Meeting/Wetland Conference

There will be no Council or TETC representative attending the SAM meeting in Gander next week. Hopefully, we will be able to send representatives to the fall meeting in Carmanville. That meeting will coincide with the official opening of Carmanville’s wetland museum.

No decision was made on representation to the wetland conference in Corner Brook in July.

5.2 NL Environmental Awards Luncheon

Ethel will check to see if she can attend this event on behalf of TETC.

1. Trail Mapping Project

The trail mapping project is now headed by Rodolphe Devillers and Paul Brett. Andrew Cuff is the summer student hired to work on the project. He summarized the project’s main goals for this summer:

1. to visually check, verify and classify all the trails we currently have on the map and identify new/missing trails, etc;

2. to submit the updated data base to Council along with a demo of the data bank’s capabilities; and

3. to create a draft brochure/map.

Copies of the current map were distributed as well as a summary of the information that will need to be gathered. We will be looking for help from residents to verify and walk the trails this summer. The MUN Geography Department is prepared to loan us GPS units and Andrew will provide training on how to use them. Madeleine will send out a request for volunteers to our full email list. The training session on GPS was tentatively set for June 14 (NB. later changed to June 21) at the Kinsmen Centre. Details will follow.

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Madeleine pointed out that Don Spencer and his youth group have already done a lot of GPS work on the trails in Torbay which should be incorporated into the data base.

Once the summer’s work is completed and presented to Council and it is likely that public consultation will be needed.

During the discussion that ensued, concern was expressed with the impact of development on our traditional trails and right-of-ways. Many of our trails have disappeared and in some instances, public right-of-ways have been incorporated into developments. Council, however, has established the principle that trails that are destroyed by development must be replaced with an alternative.

At the end of the discussion, members agreed that we should give Council a preliminary briefing on our plans for the summer and what the data base can do as soon as possible. Ralph will try to set this up for the next Council meeting on June 19.

1. Other Business

7.1 Tree Planting

For the 5^th year in a row, the Junior Forest Wardens have offered to plant seedlings in the Gully. After some discussion, it was agreed that the HTHS would be the site this year and Madeleine will notify Mary Kirkland.