Analysis: Town and Schools
Open Space Committee
Posted since 2011: 123 agendas, 56 sets of minutes, 41 recordings, 20 meetings with our minutes and 122 votes on the record. All boards.
lunenburgbudgetproject.org — written by the Lunenburg Budget Project, an independent tool for residents. Not affiliated with the Town of Lunenburg, the School Committee or the school district. The data this page is computed from: /data/boards.json
The Open Space Committee is a seven-member board whose bylaws can be found at the Code of Lunenburg, Chapter 12, Article IX.
The rest of what the town says about it (124 more words)
The Committee’s primary duties are:
Produce and update Lunenburg’s Open Space Plan and Recreation Plan
Assist and advise other Town boards/committees regarding the use/acquisition of open space areas for the community
Review Chapter 61 conversions and make recommendations to the Select Board
Maintain an inventory of open space in Lunenburg
Lunenburg’s current Open Space and Recreation Plan update covers a ten-year window, July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2029, as prescribed by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. The Plan provides both a planning and action framework to address current and future needs of conservation and recreation land, agricultural land, corridors and parks, and greenways. Meeting agendas and minutes are posted and available on the Town's website to update the public.
No Facebook page of its own is linked from the board’s page.
50% minutes posted, FY26 (5 of 10) · 80% on YouTube, FY26 (8 of 10) · compared
How the Open Space Committee compares with the other boards →
Get told when the Open Space Committee posts or changes an agenda, or a meeting’s recording, transcript and our minutes are all in. This page has a feed: https://lunenburgbudgetproject.org/feeds/open-space-committee.xml. Paste it into any feed reader, or into a free feed-to-email service such as Feedrabbit or Blogtrottr to get it as email. No account here, and nothing about you is recorded.
Upcoming meetings
Recent meetings
The last 15 dates this board met, by today’s date rather than the day the site was built — so a meeting moves here on its own. For a program, every agenda and set of minutes as one text file: /minutes/open-space-committee.txt.
Votes, newest first
From the town’s minutes (55 of 56 sets read) and our minutes of the recordings (20), joined per meeting: 34 substantive, 88 procedural (accepting minutes, adjourning). Where both records have a vote the town’s wording stands; none disagree on the outcome.
| date | motion | outcome | record | check it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 9 2026 | Elect Eric as clerk for the coming year | passed 5-0 (roll call: Chris, Eric, Tim, Andrea, Hill all "I") | the recording only | video 5:13 · ours |
| Sep 9 2026 | Elect Anna as vice chair for the coming year | passed 5-0 (roll call: Chris, Eric, Tim, Andrea, Hill all "I") | the recording only | video 5:53 · ours |
| Sep 9 2026 | Elect Mike Hill as chair for another year | passed 5-0 (roll call: Chris, Eric, Tim, Andrea, Hill all "I") | the recording only | video 6:13 · ours |
| May 13 2026 | Recommend to the Select Board that the town not exercise its right of first refusal on the 35 Lemonster Road parcel — moved by Chris | passed (unanimous roll call, Colleen absent) | the recording only | video 51:09 · ours |
| Mar 11 2026 | not act on exercising the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) for 1083 Northfield Rd — moved by Tim Willsmer“tim willsmer made a motion to not act on exercising the right of first refusal (rofr). • the motion was seconded by chris st. germain. • the motion was unanimously appro” | unanimously approved | minutes + recording | the minutes · video 8:08 · ours |
| Nov 19 2025 | Accept the Mission Statement and Goals and have M. Toohill present them to the Select Board. — moved by A. Lockwood“a. lockwood moved that osc accept the mission statement and goals and that m. toohill present same to select board. c. shapiro seconded. voted unanimously in favor by roll call.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes · video · ours |
| Nov 19 2025 | Accept the draft bylaw establishing a standalone OSC and have M. Toohill circulate it to the Town Manager, Town Council, Select Board, and other committees for feedback. — moved by A. Lockwood“a. lockwood moved that the osc accept the draft bylaw and that m. toohill circulate it to the town manager, town council, select board, and other committees for feedback. c. shapiro seconded. voted unanimously by roll call.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes · video · ours |
| Nov 19 2025 | Approve the mission statement and goals as drafted and authorize the chair to present the proposal to the town manager and town council. | passed 4-0 | the recording only | video 18:43 · ours |
| Nov 19 2025 | Approve the draft bylaw as presented and modified, and direct the chair to bring it to the town manager, town council, and the bylaw review committee. | passed 4-0 | the recording only | video 32:17 · ours |
| Aug 13 2025 | Recommend to the select board that it not exercise its right of first refusal on 222 West Townsend Road. — moved by M Toohill“motioned by m toohill, seconded by c shapiro. members present voted unanimously in favor of approving minutes by roll call.” | passed, unanimous by roll call | minutes + recording | the minutes · video 17:46 · ours |
| May 14 2025 | Move to apply to the state for the extra three years' extension of the open space plan by updating the action-item table | not audible | the recording only | video 12:51 · ours |
| Feb 12 2025 | Table a recommendation vote on the right of first refusal for the Townsend Harbor Road parcel until the next meeting. | not audible | the recording only | video 55:34 · ours |
| Jul 30 2024 | Recommend that the town waive its right of first refusal on the three Chapter 61 lots. Also recommend that the planning board forward any Chapter 61 withdrawal notices to the committee in a timely way. Also recommend that the planning board confirm with the assessor that any parcel over five acres coming in for subdivision is not enrolled in Chapter 61. — moved by Brandon | passed (roll call: Brandon, Eric, Glen, Mary aye, and the chair also aye) | the recording only | video 9:17 · ours |
| Oct 25 2023 | Recommend that the Selectboard transfer care and control of 51 Parmenter Road (Assessor Parcel 136-0006) and 0 Shirley Reservoir Lake (Assessor Parcel 137-0012) to the Parks Commission, subject to Town Meeting approval. — moved by Brandon Kibbe“b. kibbe motion: recommend selectboard transfers care and control of 51 parmenter road assessor parcel 136-0006 and 0 shirley reservoir lake” | not stated | minutes + recording | the minutes · video 29:39 · ours |
| Aug 11 2022 | authorize town manager to expend $500 from BrightFarm Trust Fund to conduct title examination and certification of Stump Cove property — moved by B. Kibbe“b. kibbe moved, a. lockwood seconded, to authorize town manager to expend $500 from brightfarm trust fund to conduct title examination and certification of stump cove property. approved unanimously.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Feb 8 2022 | Recommend that the Board of Selectmen remove 356 Hollis, 250 Hollis, 56 Carr and 101 Pleasant from the tax lien sale — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion to recommend that the board of selectmen remove 356 hollis, 250 hollis, 56 carr and 101 pleasant from the tax lien sale. paula bertram seconded. passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed unanimously | the minutes | the minutes |
| Jun 15 2021 | authorize Brandon and Ana to collaborate on the communication to other Boards and Committees — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion that the committee authorize brandon and ana to collaborate on the communication to other boards and committees. motion seconded by paula bertram. passed unanimously.” | passed unanimously | the minutes | the minutes |
| May 18 2021 | reach out to the Board of Selectmen through the Town Manager, the Planning Director and the various committees represented on the open space committee to consider these 2 parcels for open space and recreation — moved by Paula Bertram“paula bertram made a motion to reach out to the board of selectmen through the town manager, the planning director and the various committees represented on the open space committee to consider these 2 parcels for open space and recreation, committee members will report back to the open space committee at the next meeting. seconded by bob pease. passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Mar 16 2021 | The Open Space Committee endorse the Agricultural Preservation Restriction article at Town Meeting for Pierce Tree Farm parcels on Chase Road and Northfield Road — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease said that this is a great program and made a motion that the open space committee endo rse this article at town meeting, paula bertram seconded. motion passed unanimously by roll call vote” | passed unanimously | the minutes | the minutes |
| Nov 24 2020 | Recommend to the Selectmen that the Town waive its right of first refusal on 360 Flat Hill Road — moved by Paula Bertram“following discussion paula bertram made a motion to recommend to the selectmen that the town waive its right of first refusal, mike toohill seconded, passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed unanimously | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 22 2020 | Recommend to Selectmen to enter into agreement with prospective buyers to acquire by gift a portion of 250 Howard Street property extending 200 feet beyond Mulpus Brook — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion to recommend to the selectmen that they enter into an agreement with the prospective buyers to acquire by gift a portion of the property extending 200 feet beyond the mulpus brook. paula bertram seconded. passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 22 2020 | Recommend to Board of Selectmen to convey 111 Mulpus Road Rear and 970 NW Townsend Road Rear to Conservation Commission — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion to recommend that the board of selectmen convey said parcels, lynne man seconded. motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 22 2020 | Recommend to Board of Selectmen to convey 100 x 150 foot portion of 671 West Street parcel to abutter and defer action on other requests — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion to recommend to the selectmen that they enter into an agreement with the prospective buyers to acquire by gift a portion of the property extending 200 feet beyond the mulpus brook. paula bertram seconded. passed ” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 22 2020 | Recommend to Board of Selectmen and Planning Board to empower Open Space Committee to examine all undesignated municipal lands and make recommendations on their use or conveyance — moved by Bob Pease“bob pease made a motion to recommend to the selectmen that they enter into an agreement with the prospective buyers to acquire by gift a portion of the property extending 200 feet beyond the mulpus brook. paula bertram seconded. passed unanimously by roll call vote. the warrant for the special town meeting closes next week, therefore, a placeholder articl” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 22 2020 | Motion that Town Boards see acquisition of northeast corner of Bright Farms land by gift to provide connectivity between Raino and Saliba conservation parcels — moved by Karin Menard“karin menard made a motion that the town boards see acquisition of the northeast corner of the land by gift to provide connectivity between the raino and saliba parcels. paula seconded. motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Aug 20 2020 | Recommend acquisition of the 250 Howard Street parcel to the Board of Selectmen — moved by Paula Bertram“paula bertram made a motion to recommend acquisition of this parcel to the board of selectmen, seconded by lynn mann. passed unanimously.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Aug 20 2020 | Recommend to permit granting authorities an acquisition or easement for connectivity between the Table Rock Saliba South parcel and the Rayno Conservation land — moved by Paula Bertram“paula bertram made a motion to recommend to the permit granting authorities that they pursue an acquisition or easement of a small portion of the property to allow connectivity between the table rock saliba south parcel and the rayno conservation land. motion seconded by sarah cammer. passed unanimously.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Oct 15 2019 | Pass over Right of First Refusal of 250 Howard Street — moved by K. Menard“k. menard motioned and p. bertram seconded to pass over right of first refusal of 250 howard street - passed 5-0” | passed 5-0 | the minutes | the minutes |
| Oct 15 2019 | Support the Saliba acquisition — moved by S. Cammer“s. cammer motioned and p. bertram seconded to support the saliba acquisition. approved 6- 0” | Approved 6-0 | the minutes | the minutes |
| Jan 8 2019 | Submit letter and for B. Kibbe to read it into the record at the joint meeting — moved by D. Prokowiew“d. prokowiew motioned and k. menard second to submit letter and for b. kibbe to read it into the record at the joint meeting. approved 7-0.” | passed 7-0 | the minutes | the minutes |
| Jan 8 2019 | Take no action and allow the right of first refusal to lapse“board of selectman motioned and agreed by unanimous vote to take no action and allow the right of first refusal to lapse.” | unanimously approved | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 26 2018 | Remove a Conservation Commission member and add an At-Large Member“a motion to change committee was made. the motion was to remove a conservation commission member and add on a n at-large member; it was seconded, and all were in favor.” | passed | the minutes | the minutes |
| Jan 11 2018 | Waive the right of first refusal“unanimously voted: to waive right of first refusal, but planning board should consider the remaining portion of this property if it comes available in the future.” | passed unanimously | the minutes | the minutes |
| Sep 10 2013 | Approve the Implementation of Open Space Initiatives report, as revised“the committee reviewed and approved the "implementation of open space initiatives" report, as revised.” | approved | the minutes | the minutes |
The town’s minutes are the record: a vote from them carries the minutes’ own words, checked verbatim. A vote from the recording only was written by a language model from machine captions — a motion as heard, and “not audible” a finding about the recording — and links to the second in the video. Both records are read as they arrive and joined here, whichever came first.
Time tracking
13.3 h of discussion across the 20 recorded meetings we have minutes for, by topic. A topic can overlap another, so the shares can sum past 100%.
Budget schedule
Measured from this board’s own posted agendas over the last 4 budget cycles (July to June): the dates each subject appeared. The “expect” column is the typical first and last date across those cycles — a scheduled subject, not a decision.
| subject | expect | FY15 | FY21 | FY23 | FY27 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Town Meeting | May 13 → May 16 | Mar 13, Apr 17, Apr 24 | May 16 | Oct 13, May 18 | May 13 |
A cycle is named for the fiscal year it builds: FY27 is the budget being built now. Read off the agenda text with a word search, so a subject named differently on an agenda is missed and one mentioned in passing is counted.
As of 2026-10-10.