Article 17

ARTICLE 17.  To see if the Town will vote to appropriate $65,000 from the Undesignated Community Preservation Fund balance to fund the preservation and rehabilitation of the Stiles Pond open space and recreation property; with additional funds to be provided by the Stiles Pond Restoration Project fund for a total project cost of $75,000, said funds to be expended under the direction of the Board of Health in consultation with the Town Administrator and the Community Preservation Committee, or take any other action thereon.

             Sponsored and supported by the Community Preservation Committee

             Select Board recommends adoption of this article

             Finance Committee recommends adoption of this article

             Board of Health recommends adoption of this article

COMMENT:  The Boxford Board of Health and Conservation Commission, as well as several residents abutting Stiles Pond, have worked together as the Stiles Pond Advisory Committee to consider ways to address the increasing number of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms in Stiles Pond that could potentially be toxic.  This request of CPA funds would be used to hire an environmental consulting firm to study the nutrient loading in the pond and make recommendations on how the town can slow or halt the spread of algae and rehabilitate the pond.  In particular, the funding would go towards piloting a new technology that filters out the potential particulates that lead to the nutrient loading and causes these algae blooms.