KINGFIELD – The Kingfield selectboard met on Monday evening at 6 p.m. Prior to the selectboard meeting, they held a public hearing on the General Assistance ordinance maximums, which the board approved unanimously.
Betty-Ann Listowich of Norpine Landscaping spoke with the board about the plans to plant flowers on the roadside slope between Rolling Fatties and Riverside Cemetery on Main Street. They discussed a variety of seed options for planting, aiming to identify the most beneficial and visually pleasing choices. Listowich recommended planting perennials, to avoid having to reseed often. She initially suggested a mix of lupine, daisy, and brown-eyed Susan that would bloom at different times throughout the season.
Listowich warned that some of these plants will be unattractive in their off-seasons, but the variety of blooming times should help to distract from this. “Wildflowers aren’t neat up close,” she said. The board requested the addition of Queen Anne’s lace and salvia to the list, removing lupines, and requested that Listowich put together an estimate.
At the meeting, Selectperson Kim Jordan asked about the new locked gate on the public entrance to Shiloh Pond. She had received complaints that this has been an inconvenience to community members accessing the pond. Both the Chairperson, Kathy Houston, and Secretary, Annie Twitchell, of the Shiloh Pond Committee were present at the meeting and explained that their priority is protecting the pond and wildlife, per the grant funding stipulations and property management plan. The gate is there in an attempt to prevent vehicles from being close to the water. The property was previously gated, but the gate was recently moved. They explained that a car or other larger vehicle would not be able to get any further than the gate due to the condition of the trail, but people are able to move around the gate and walk in. Jordan brought up the issue of accessibility requirements. Twitchell and Jordan made plans to visit the pond and inspect the gate.
During the Manager’s Report, Town Manager Leanna Targett brought up a Zoom Meeting Guide that she has put together in the wake of a spamming incident that occurred in a meeting a few weeks ago. The guide will lay out the rules, explain where to access the Zoom links, and explain that participants who sign in late or are not recognized will not be admitted.
Chairperson Wade Browne shared his support for making the Zoom guidelines clear to the public. “It’s a convenience for everybody else, but we don’t need to make it an inconvenience for us,” Browne said.
