When the town passed its 2025-26 municipal budget, a $40,000 item to further restoration of City Meadow drew negative comment from residents who said they had been promised that no tax dollars would be dedicated to the project.
During its July meeting, the Friends of the Meadow Committee discussed the negative public reaction to that allocation for the restoration project, which began in 2011 to create both a stormwater management system and a natural habitat for wildlife. So far, the project been supported through state grants and private donations.
Chairman Libby Borden said the Meadow account currently has a balance of $42,000, including a $4,000 grant from the Evan Hughes Fund. In addition, the Friends of the Meadow have secured another $70,000 in grants and pledges. The $40,000 in the town budget is in a separate account.
Committee members acknowledged that under the original agreement, no municipal funds were to be used for the meadow’s development or upkeep, making the allocation of public money in the budget a contentious issue. Members agreed that achieving visible results in removing invasives and making the meadow an attractive addition to the town’s center would build public support.
To that end, they approved $5,800 for colorful plantings in the area below the pizza parlor and the yellow building on Route 44. “The ground around there has been cleared and is ready to go,” reported Member George Cronin, pointing out that a lot of what the committee is working on won’t show results for several years, asked, “Do we want to add it to the master plan for instant gratification?”
The Norfolk Fire Volunteer Department, whose property is adjacent to City Meadow, will have a member attend committee meetings. Member Steve Hutchins was there last week and encouraged the committee to keep the town informed about its plans and achievements now that public money is involved.
“We should make big effort to be open with the public,” Borden agreed, and committee members discussed ways of informing residents about the project, including an interview with the landscaper in Norfolk Now and a table at Weekend in Norfolk.
They also agreed that developing a volunteer crew to help maintain it would go far in reassuring taxpayers that the money is being wisely used.
Borden introduced members to “her obsession,” a database to inventory “every single plant in there, whether they are invasives or good pollinators.”
“What we thought we would do is to take the map and get volunteers for each of the sections, to get some of these invasives out. This is a way to direct people to the spots where work is needed,” she said.