Harwich Conservation Trust Executive Director Michael Lach presented a case study to town officials on Friday, aiming to debunk long-standing concerns regarding the fiscal impact of removing land from the town's tax rolls for preservation. Using a 2.24-acre property in South Harwich assessed at $355,000 as a model, Lach demonstrated that the impact on the local tax rate was a mere 15/1000ths of a penny. Lach argued that while conservation land protects public water supplies and scenic gateways, its influence on property tax assessments is effectively negligible.

The data is intended to be included as an appendix to the town’s Local Comprehensive Plan (LCP), which remains open for public comment until September 30. While the committee acknowledged the infinitesimal math, Chair Dave Callahan expressed concern that presenting tax rates in such small fractions might confuse the public. Callahan suggested the trust focus on the actual dollar impact on an average home's tax bill to ensure residents understand the trade-off. Member Kathy Green agreed that the big picture is what residents often seek, noting, I thought that we had given everything to the local comprehensive plan... they had a list of town-owned conservation land in your plan, referring to the need for a comprehensive view of how all 800-plus acres of preserved land affect the community.

The discussion comes at a time of heightened fiscal sensitivity in Harwich, as the town grapples with a $50 million spending surge and a new requirement for 40-year debt forecasts. Select Board Liaison Mark Keller suggested a new path for funding the committee’s immediate professional needs, such as deed research and parcel planning. The finance committee has a fund for unanticipated expenses, Keller said, noting that this could provide a quicker alternative to the Community Preservation Committee (CPC) cycle. If this is what you're needing is a small amount of money, and instead of waiting to go for CPC to disperse it, which would be next fiscal year, you could consider the finance committee.

The committee also moved to address persistent errors in town property records, a priority Callahan described as essential for legal protection. An ongoing audit by the Ad Hoc Committee on Care and Custody of Town Property has revealed several parcels—including those purchased with Land Bank funds—that are incorrectly listed under the Select Board’s custody rather than the Conservation Commission. This parallel project involves reconciling conflicting lists maintained by the Assessor’s office, the CPC, and conservation specialists. The problem is I what I'm finding is there's a list over here, there's a list over here, and they're right about 80-90%, but they don't agree, Callahan said. I'm a data guy. My objective is 100%.

To finalize these custody changes and protect properties like the 5.7-acre Sand Pond site, the committee is seeking professional deed research from expert Mark Robinson and subsequent legal reviews. Green suggested that any funding application to the CPC should highlight the heavy lifting already done by the committee. I think it would be important to note the number of volunteer hours that would be included in with this whole ad hoc committee... then you can show some balance... versus just this much of professional services to reach a particular outcome, Green said. Callahan confirmed he would work with Robinson to define a scope of work and a formal cost estimate for the next meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, the committee addressed routine administrative business. Motion Made by M. Smith to approve the minutes of July 11, 2025. Motion Passed 3-0-0. Members also held a brief public session before transitioning to a non-public portion of the meeting. Motion Made by K. Green to enter executive session. Motion Passed 4-0-0, with D. Callahan, K. Green, M. Smith, and member Finn voting in the affirmative.