Committee members reported they had met with local stakeholders and town staff to develop supporting documentation for a proposed increase in the conservation fund allocation (referred to in the meeting as moving from '10 to 25' in the funding range).

Members discussed a specific small parcel adjacent to Cooper Park (described in the meeting as roughly a quarter-acre near the end of Saint Paul Avenue) that a third-party owner indicated might be donated to the town. If the donation proceeds, the committee said expenses tied to acceptance — title searches, settlement of any legal encumbrances and related filings — would be eligible to come from the conservation fund.

The discussion clarified that the parcel would remain subject to a conservation restriction rather than a land trust ownership structure. The meeting referenced a third-party holder — the Wildlands Trust Company in Plymouth — and stated the town previously paid $10,000 to a third party to hold a conservation restriction on another property; committee members said that fee structure and the restriction-holder arrangement explain why the parcel would not be held in a town land trust.

Members also raised matching and implementation questions: whether the finance commission would provide its regular contribution and whether proponents must provide matching funds. The committee asked staff and stakeholders to finish the background materials and to return with clear documentation about expected uses of the additional fund dollars and any matching requirements.

Next steps: staff will refine supporting documentation, clarify matching expectations and report back so the committee can decide whether to adjust the funding range and commit those conservation fund dollars.