Open Space Panel Funds Invasive Booklet Reprint

Other Committee · Meeting of October 7, 2026

Simsbury's Open Space Committee voted to split the cost of reprinting an invasive plant guide with the Land Trust. The panel approved up to $2,500, half of an estimated $5,000 total, to reprint a booklet previously mailed to every household in town, with the Simsbury Land Trust covering the rest. Conservation Chair Marjorie Winters said the group is "continuing to do invasives with Simsbury Land Trust" but is nearly out of copies.

Zoning Chair Tony Braz told members the town's Plan of Conservation and Development rewrite, expected to run 100 to 120 pages, is about halfway done, with a final draft due in February and public hearings set for March. Member Helen Peterson said she is still searching for model language to protect Simsbury's aquifers, calling it an open item. The committee also approved its July 8 minutes after catching a date error referencing a May 6 vote.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 769 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of October 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

The Full Article

SIMSBURY — October 7, 2026 — The Simsbury Open Space Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to spend up to $2,500 reprinting a town invasive-plant identification booklet, splitting the cost with the Simsbury Land Trust, as members pressed ahead on a long-running project to compile the town's scattered open space policies into a single document.

The committee also approved its July 8 meeting minutes, corrected to reflect that the vote referenced took place at the panel's May 6 meeting, and spent most of the session walking through drafts covering farmland leases, field mowing, zoning updates and an application to register Simsbury as an accredited arboretum.

The Full Story

Conservation Chair Marjorie Winters and committee member Susan Messino, who led the meeting, spent much of the discussion reconciling two versions of the town's agricultural land use policy, which governs roughly five farm leases on town-owned fields. Winters said the document originated because the town's leases used to run only one year, discouraging farmers from investing in soil health. "No farmer is going to improve the soil for a one-year lease agreement," she said, explaining the shift to a five-year rolling lease. The group also agreed to delete references to a nonexistent "Agricultural Committee" in the draft policy and replace them with Conservation, since no such committee exists.

Members separately discussed a still-unfinished mowing policy, saying the town needs a map identifying the purpose of each mowed field, whether for grassland-bird habitat, pollinator meadows or simply controlling tree growth, before staff can be given clear direction on when to mow. Members floated assembling a working group that could include representatives of Audubon and pollinator advocacy groups to help identify priorities field by field.

Zoning Chair Tony Braz updated the committee on the town's broader Plan of Conservation and Development rewrite, now roughly halfway finished and expected to run 100 to 120 pages. "They're about halfway through making their revisions, and that document is available to zoning commissioners," Braz said. He told the committee a final draft is expected by February, with public hearings to follow in March, and offered to share draft language on topics members care about, including native-plant and landscaping standards, before the document becomes public.

Member Helen Peterson, who joined by phone, said she has been unable to find model regulatory language to help protect Simsbury's aquifers and asked to continue coordinating with town staff on the issue. "The best language to put in, and I haven't gotten any good answers yet, but I'm just letting you know I'm looking for those," she said.

On invasive species, Winters reported ongoing work with the Simsbury Land Trust and said the town's existing invasive-plant booklet, mailed to every household in town, is nearly out of stock. "Just continuing to do invasives with Simsbury Land Trust. I haven't got any plants at the moment," she said, before raising the reprint. The committee had previously agreed in concept to help fund a reprint but had not approved a dollar figure; members voted this time to commit up to $2,500, half of an estimated $5,000 total cost, with the Land Trust covering the remainder.

The committee also discussed its application for Level 1 arboretum accreditation through the Morton Arboretum, which oversees roughly a dozen to 18 registered arboretums in Connecticut. Members said the paperwork is largely complete, with a volunteer identified only as Glenn expected to run a required annual event, and discussed asking Simsbury Community Media to help publicize the designation once it is granted. A town staffer referred to only as Tom was asked to help identify miscoded parcels in the town's open space inventory.

Why It Matters

The reprint vote keeps a town-funded reference booklet in circulation for residents trying to identify invasive plants on their own property, a tool the committee said was mailed to every household when it was first produced. The farmland lease and mowing policy work will shape how roughly five tenant farmers and town crews manage town-owned fields going forward. The broader Plan of Conservation and Development rewrite, which will include new native-plant and landscaping standards, is on track for a final draft in February 2027 with public hearings expected in March 2027, giving residents a window to weigh in before regulations are locked in.

Key Motions & Votes

- Action: Approved July 8 meeting minutes, corrected to reference the committee's May 6 meeting — Approved unanimously - Vote: Fund up to $2,500 toward reprinting the invasive plant identification booklet, split with the Simsbury Land Trust Tally: Approved unanimously

Source

Simsbury Community Media: Open Space Committee meeting, October 7, 2026