[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Council of the Town of Tolland 8-25-1998.
Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 3-11-2008]
There shall be established, pursuant to C.G.S. § 7-131a, a
Conservation Commission to be designated as the "Tolland Conservation Commission"
(hereinafter referred to as the “Conservation Commission”).
[Amended 6-28-2005 by Ord. No. 71]
A.
The Conservation Commission shall consist of seven regular
members and two alternate members.
B.
The Town Manager shall appoint all regular and alternate
members and shall fill any vacancies which may occur.
C.
The terms of all initial members and alternates shall
commence upon appointment and shall terminate on June 30, 2000; thereafter
all members shall be appointed to two-year terms.
[Amended 6-24-2003 by Res. No. 03-40]
The Conservation Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
A.
The Conservation Commission shall conduct research with
the utilization and possible utilization of land areas of the Town of Tolland.
[Amended 3-11-2008]
B.
It shall keep, update and maintain an index of all open
areas, publicly or privately owned, including open marshlands swamps and other
wetlands areas.
C.
It shall be granted the opportunity to review proposals
and make recommendations on appropriate land use as it relates to Conservation
Commission goals and objectives. Town boards and commissions may refer issues
to the Conservation Commission for comments and the Conservation Commission
may request referrals. If the Conservation Commission deems the proposal or
referral of significance to its goals, it may choose to comment.
[Amended 3-11-2008]
D.
It shall develop conservation education programs for
the Tolland community.
E.
It shall serve as an active participant in grant writing
activities. With prior approval of Town Council it may pursue state, federal,
or, other types of grants, which are consistent with furthering Conservation
Commission goals.
[Amended 3-11-2008]
F.
It may explore cooperative relationships with area land
trusts and other conservation organizations and foster any activity in Town
where information concerning land trusts is made available to Town landowners.
G.
For parcels purchased or donated as permanently protected
conservation land, the Conservation Commission shall:
[Amended 3-11-2008]
(1)
Be considered the Council's conservation advisory
commission and assume oversight responsibility for the aforementioned.
(2)
Defer the establishment of the use classification for
newly acquired parcels until a survey/use plan can be created.
(3)
Survey each parcel added to the inventory and categorize
each by type. uniqueness, damage sensitivity, connectivity, management needs,
and use elasticity.
(4)
Define each parcel's best potential use(s) and/or
activity level and recommend a use and management plan to the Council.
(5)
Designate an organization to provide training and assistance
to property stewards in the implementation of approved management plans.
(6)
Recommend potential stewardship arrangements or other
means of implementation of each parcel's specific use and management
plan to the Council.
(7)
Appoint a head steward from the designated organization every
two years, taking into consideration the recommendation of the existing property
stewards in accordance with the open space management guidelines and process
no later than the 30th day of January of even-numbered years.
(8)
Coordinate all work done by the designated organization according
to the approved management plan and implementation schedule.
(9)
Report periodically on the overall plan of conservation
and actions taken to achieve charge goals.
H.
For all other municipal use open space land acquired
by the Town, the Conservation Commission shall be encouraged to review all
such parcels to determine if any potential areas exist which fit the greenways
or conservation plans and may merit special attention, treatment or management.
[Amended 3-11-2008]
I.
For all development and subdivision proposals, the Conservation
Commission shall be encouraged to provide input for consideration prior to
any decisions as to open space acceptance or payments in lieu of arrangements.
[Amended 3-11-2008]
J.
Other powers and duties consistent with C.G.S. § 7-131a
may be assigned to this commission by the Town Council.
The meetings of the Conservation Commission shall be open to the public,
and it shall comply with the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act.
