First Selectman: Communication Between Town, Deerfield Farm Has to Improve

Communication between town officials and Deerfield Farm owner Melynda Naples has to improve, first selectman Laura Francis admitted this week.

The two sides have struggled to work through several issues at the property which is owned by the town and leased to Naples, who operates the small dairy farm at the corner of Pent and Parmelee Hill roads.

Naples recently sent a letter to the town's conservation commission expressing her frustration over damage to the farm's hayfield caused by the storage of construction equipment during road work being done along Pent Road.

At the meeting, Naples also sought resolution to damage to a fence on the property she said was caused by the town's public works department in 2011, as well as information about repairs to the farm's driveway and installation of a water storage tank on the property.

"The board of selectman, public works and conservation just kept passing it around. I can't wait forever to fix something like that," Naples said about the fence, which has since been repaired at her own cost.

Francis met with commission members last week to discuss Naples' concerns and said the town will make amends for any hay she lost as a result of the construction project.

The fence repair will be sent through the town's insurance while the other projects are behind schedule, Francis said.

"We ended our meeting last week agreeing that we certainly don't want to be adversaries," she said.

"At some point we have to stop, maybe, bad habits that were created in communication or whatever and move forward. We are committed to making this a good relationship," Francis added.

The town is awaiting Naples' approval of a new 5-year lease agreement which has already been approved by selectmen and the conservation commission, the group that oversees the town's open space property.

"I'm certainly eager to [sign the lease] but through what I've been through with the town, I'm also more cautious as to getting it reviewed properly and just making sure everything on my side is what it needs to be as well," Naples said.

Durham resident Roger Passavant, who is a member of Durham's agriculture commission, was critical of the town's handling of the property and its relationsip with Naples.

"I've got to be honest, and I've made these comments to Melynda, I wouldn't be so quick to sign the lease," Passavant said. "I really feel like she's been treated like a second class citizen."

Moving forward, Francis said communication between the two sides will be streamlined.

Finance director Marijane Malivasi, she said, is putting together "a very explicit procedure on how to address maintenance issues and reporting of things."

"She will be the gatekeeper," explained Francis. She said management of the property will remain the responsibility of the commission.

If the lease is altered or if Naples signs the document after July 1, Francis indicated that it may have to go back to the commission for approval.