The meeting was called to order on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2008 at 4 p.m. in the Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library. Present were Stanley Young, Michael Dell’Orto, Don Channing, Phyllis Tallarico, David Potter, and Nancy Clark.

The November minutes were read and accepted. The Treasurer reported that $444.43 had been spent from the Town Account for photo supplies and for posts and caps for the Davisville sign. A further expenditure of $325 went for IT supplies and services. Soon, there will be a Heritage Commission/Historical Society web site which Michael is designing and implementing. The library will host the web site, and the Heritage Commission will have its own email address.

Stanley and Michael met with the Main Street Board of Directors to discuss building three kiosk-style historical marker stations containing photos, texts, and other items on display (ie, old grain mill machinery). The sites of these kiosks will be by the police station, on Lot 48, and along lower Main Street. The material enclosed will relate to former activities associated with the sites of the kiosks. Main Street enthusiastically supported this project.

The Budget Committee turned down the Heritage Commission’s request for $5,000 to fund the effort to acquire National Register designation for the Town Hall. Stanley and Michael returned to the Budget Committee with further information on the benefits of such status for a public building which could save the town money in the long run. National Register status can exempt a public building from certain building code and ADA regulations. Also, the town can apply for state and federal grants for the upcoming work on the Town Hall. Christine Fonda Rankie, Registration Coordinator of NH Div. of Historical Resources, has supplied the name of a grant advisor who will seek pertinent historical renovation funds which the town may apply for. The Budget Committee had believed that National Register status could cost the town money in terms of additional renovation requirements. The Heritage Commission has scaled down its request for funds to $4,000.

Stanley reported that there is a bill being proposed in Concord which would make an end run around those towns who wish to stop gravel pit expansions. The bill, which is still in committee,would permit existing gravel pit operators to excavate on land they already own and to expand their activities to excavate on newly purchased adjacent land. This flies in the face of Wilton’s new ordinance limiting gravel pit operations. (The state D.O.T. is in favor of the proposed bill because of their hunger for cheap sources of gravel.) Commission members discussed assorted arguments to use against this proposed bill and decided that the best case to make was one on behalf of maintaining Wilton’s heritage and identity as a hill town. Gravel operations ravage the landscape and alter it forever. Such an argument falls within the Heritage Commission’s purview.

Stanley displayed notebooks containing photos and descriptions of the broken gravestones in the Vale End and South Yard Cemeteries before the meeting adjourned at 4:30.