Westport in Brief!
EverythingWestport.com
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Quick Article Index . . .
Westport
farmers question proposed regulation overload.
Local bank
pledges $100K to land conservation group.
|
State
legislator sponsoring bill creating an animal abuse registry refused to meet and
discuss with Animal Action Committee. EverythingWestport.com Tuesday,
October 24, 2017 Photos |
EverythingWestport.com
Special Correspondent to EverythingWestport.com WESTPORT – The farmers showed up at the Animal Action Committee and
weighed in on the proposed animal site registry. State Representative Stephen J. Howitt didn’t show up to discuss proposed
House Bill
No. H.852 that creates an animal abuse registry. Go figure. The meeting on Monday was a continuation of the meeting last month,
during which members discussed draft regulations for an animal site registry
– designed to help authorities know where all livestock and other animals,
save dogs and cats, are located. The committee also reviewed Bedford, MA farm animal regulations.
Farmers in attendance questioned the comparison of Westport and its Right to Farm Status to the small Boston bedroom
community which is one quarter of Westport’s size with similar populations. No action was taken at either forum, but on Monday farmers discussed
whether a site registry would offer another burden on commercial farmers, whose
livelihood revolves around farming and their animals. “How did they do things in the past?” farmer Leonard Santos asked
rhetorically. “People in your position don’t realize it. The attitude of this
government is changing and it is not changing for the better.” Santos, 71, said in the past assessors and farmers worked together
toward a record of all farm animals. Animal Action Committee Chairwoman Shana Shufelt
said in the past farm animals were taxed, which is why such an arrangement
was in place. “Our main goal, like yours, is to insure the humane treatment of
livestock from birth to point-of-slaughter. However, we also want to insure
and sustain a healthy, growing animal-raising industry throughout our region.
We believe that Westport farmers can operate successfully within these
regulations... except for those
governing livestock site permitting.” – Board of Directors, The Livestock
Institute of Southern New England, Santos wasn’t the only farmer to step up and question if a site
registry would add another dimension of bureaucracy to a profession that is
struggling to survive. “I think we feel as a body that the state regulates us and -- taking
the tenant farming issue aside—we feel it is adequate,” said Lee Tripp, a
member of the town’s Agricultural Commission.” Darrin Mendes, of Triple S Farm, has been working with AAC members, reporting to meetings, and he has reviewed
the site registry draft. Mendes has been critical of one part of the draft that says, “no
permit will be granted or renewed unless someone actually resides upon the
premises to be permitted and such person is directly responsible for the care
and upkeep of such animals.” Some AAC members agreed that some farmers
have their animals graze at multiple locations so that section might not be
realistic. Mendes and other farmers also have mentioned that the site registry
does not address commercial farming. Carole Mann, an AAC member and an
Agricultural Commissioner, said the commission wants the AAC
to define commercial farming and address how it will fall within the purview
of a potential site registry. The Westport Agricultural
Commission recently met and affirmed their stance toward the humane treatment
of animals, validated with a motion unanimously passed “as being in favor of
the humane treatment of animals.” – Ed Ferreira,
Chairman, Westport Agricultural Commission “I heard from several in the farming community. We have had a lot of
commercial farmers say they feel it is restrictive and they worry about
burdening their business,” Shufelt said. Town Administrator Timothy King recommended keeping potential
regulations as simple as possible. AAC members also
talked about making simpler requirements for commercial farmers, who are also
under scrutiny from the state Department of Agricultural Resources. The AAC also discussed the communication
breakdowns, which led to the animal abuse case in 2016 on American Legion
Highway. In a lengthy discussion, AAC Chairwoman Shufelt recommended “elements of proposed communications
policies” that centered on town departments and committees acknowledging requests
with timely follow-up were among the many suggestions debated at the meeting.
Shufelt recognized that variable meeting schedules could
impact timely responses among committees, and protected correspondence and
communications (e.g. police, animal control officer), couldn’t be shared. The AAC is looking to establish a timeframe
for responding to a communication or request for action between departments. AAC members also discussed imposing a record of these
communications, and how selectmen could enforce against a communication
breakdown. It was suggested that the keeping of logs, minutes and periodic
reports circulated throughout the appropriate town bodies could prevent
future communications breakdowns. The AAC also discussed some disappointing
news, reporting how the district attorney has rejected an opportunity to meet
with the selectmen and discuss animal advocates’ request to meet and discuss
the formation of an animal abuse unit. Bristol County District Attorney Greg Miliotte
told the Herald News this week that the district attorney will be meeting
with a few selectmen, but has no interest in an animal abuse unit. Miliotte says the office has an attorney dedicated to
animal abuse issues, and District Attorney Thomas Quinn believes that the
unit would be unnecessary. Shufelt also asked if someone could make a
presentation about a house bill that is looking to create an animal abuse
registry, so selectmen can decide if the board wants to take an official
stand. Kathy Saylor-Feininger, of Stop the Insanity Westport, said her group
has been in communication with state Rep Steven S. Howitt and will report
back on the status of the bill. Rep Howitt of Seekonk turned down an AAC request
to meet with AAC members to discuss proposed House Bill
852, a bill Rep Howitt presented to the state legislature that would
establish an animal abuse registry. Similar House and Senate bills currently before the state legislature
are: An Act
establishing an animal abuse registry. An Act changing
the legal status of "pets" from personal property to
"companion animals" An Act relative
to the penalty for killing, maiming or poisoning of animals Local bank pledges $100K to land conservation group. EverythiungWestport.com Monday, October 23, 2017 BayCoast
Bank has pledged $100,000 over a three-year period to the Westport Land
Conservation Trust (WLCT) to help acquire the former St. Vincent De Paul Camp
on Adamsville Road in Westport. In July of 2016, the WLCT secured an agreement to acquire the 82-acre
Camp from the Catholic Diocese of Fall River; the property includes a roughly
22-acre landscaped “camp core,” which supports more than a dozen structures
and recreational facilities. The property also encompasses 60 acres of upland
woodlands and wetlands in addition to over 2,000 feet of frontage along
Adamsville Road.
Above: Panoramic view of the Adamsville Road St. Vincent
De Paul Camp. Photo | EverythingWestport.com The WLCT is partnering with the Town of Westport to honor the
property’s history of connecting people to the land by protecting the
property and making it available for the community’s use and enjoyment. The
goals of the project are to protect one of Westport’s scenic landmark
properties, helping to preserve the town’s distinct rural character; prepare
the site for future use by removing aging infrastructure and establish a
first-rate community park and network of trails through the property’s
extensive forest; secure the opportunity for the Town of Westport to use the
steel-framed structure, outdoor basketball court and baseball field for
recreational purposes; preserve the rare species habitat and other natural
resources on the property for future generations; and preserve the water
quality of the West Branch of the Westport River by eliminating additional
nitrogen loading associated with the potential development of the property. “It is a privilege to help fund this important acquisition, one that
will benefit the entire region for many generations.” - Nicholas Christ,
President and CEO of BayCoast Bank Westport remains as one of the last surviving coastal farming
communities in Massachusetts; WLCT was formed in 1972 by a group of local
residents to protect that unique rural character. Its mission is to preserve
natural resources, farmland and wildlife areas for the use and enjoyment of
present and future generations. The community visited the property for a guided walk on October 5th at
5:00 p.m. and October 14th at 10:00 a.m., and was invited to provide input
through an online survey. Visit www.westportlandtrust.org for more information. - - - - - End - - - - - ©
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