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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-05-10 CPSC Final Minutes Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 4 May 10, 2023 Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Zoom Hybrid Meeting Meeting Minutes May 10, 2023 Approved: June 14, 2023 Committee Members Present: Chair Ann DiPetta, Roxanne Marino, Elizabeth Weatherby, Rebecca Schneider, Diane Cohen, Katelin Olson, Mo Klein Other Town Staff Present: Niels Tygesen, Mollie Duell Members of the Public: Tim Fallon, Carrie Foster, Tai Basilius Proceedings Chair Ann DiPetta called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. Approval of Agenda Motion: Klein made a motion to approve the agenda. Weatherby seconded. Vote: Marino, aye; Weatherby, aye; Klein, aye; Cohen, aye; Olson, aye; Schneider, aye; and Chair DiPetta, aye. Motion Carried. Approval of Past Minutes Motion: Schneider made a motion to approve the April 17 meeting minutes after minor corrections and clarifying details were added. Chair DiPetta seconded the motion. Vote: Klein aye; Marino aye; Cohen aye; Olson aye; Weatherby aye; Schneider, aye; and Chair DiPetta, aye. Motion Carried. Privilege of the Floor Tim Fallon asked about accessing past minute meetings. Tygesen stated that draft and finalized minutes will be available on the Town’s website. Old Business Items Work Plan i. DEC Climate Smart Communities Grant Update Tygesen explained the DEC Program Manager is still reviewing materials sent by the Town. Details within the RFQ are being finalized, regarding Women and Minorities in business. The DEC needs to give a buy-in before moving forward, and the Town’s attorney will need to review the draft. With the lag in DEC’s review response, review of a draft RFQ will not occur this meeting. It’s anticipated that the draft will be sent in mid-June for DEC approval, with a consultant hopefully being determined in July. The Town Board will ultimately choose from a list of applicants. Weatherby asked what needs to be documented when keeping track of outreach efforts. The specifications will be clarified by Town Staff. Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 4 May 10, 2023 ii. Continued Committee Membership Outreach Tygesen introduced Tai Basilius, a community member interested in joining the Ag Committee and the Comp Plan Steering Committee. Committee members were asked to consider possible candidates for committee members that would be affiliated with the shoreline, specifically a resident with a home on the lakefront. Schneider identified two potential members to be contacted and expressed interest in contacting a community member who has a long history of working with the state parks, as well as a different individual who may be interested in representing the shoreline. Schneider noted that Taughannock Park is a significant part of the Town’s identity and should be involved. Klein mentioned a local CSA, and the committee discussed continuing to reach out to more community members affiliated with farms. Marino suggested the committee could be expanded, specifying that although there are already nine members, geographic balance could be improved. Weatherby reviewed key points from the discussion during the Town Board meeting from the prior evening that related to The CPSC. In the meeting, Alison Weaver and Rosemarie Hansen were approved as committee members. Weaver represents local business as the owner and operator of Ness-Sibley funeral home, and Hansen is a liaison to the Village. Weatherby expressed a need for an Agricultural voice, and echoed earlier statements that a representative associated with lakefront is missing, and having a resident from of the southern part of Ulysses would be beneficial. The Committee continued to discuss what an ideal body of members would look like: Nine members were originally approved by the Town Board, but eleven or twelve could be better. However, expanding to up to fifteen or twenty members would become excessive. Klein noted that interested potential members should be ready to commit their time to the committee through 2024; an extra member or two would allow insurance in the case someone cannot continue to participate. Tygesen noted that there are three slots for community members, and one is vacant. A roster that further defines each member’s role and affiliations will be established and available on the website. iii. Committee Member Training Tygesen asked if any additional materials would be helpful for Committee members to access. Discussion ensued on accessing and reviewing materials and what could continue to improve with digital communications. DiPetta noted the Town is working on a resolution to bring in additional training for publicly elected officials, which includes all members of each Board and Committee. Providing standardized training in Ethics, Civil Rights, and Sexual Harassment prevention will assist in making expectations universally clearer. Additionally, in-house training is taking place on May 18th. Olson spoke about the training discussion from the Town Board meeting and explained that an email would be sent describing proposed training requirements. No requirements have been finalized, but Olson invited anyone interested in attending the training scheduled for the following week. Schneider noted a remote option to complete training online would be needed for board members with other full time work commitments. Weatherby responded this is in development and will allow completion within a deadline, to be determined. iv. Tracking of Hours Tygesen clarified how hours should be tracked and answered questions from committee members about technical specifics, including what needs to be documented in submitting information and what format to use when completing time sheets. Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 4 May 10, 2023 New Business Items Public Involvement Plan Draft Review Tygesen distributed copies of the draft Public Involvement Plan to Committee members. The Committee continued to review the draft and discuss adjustments. Schneider expressed concern over “people” being the subject of focus in the introduction, noting the lack of language referencing the environment. Schneider offered to draft a passage including future plans specific to environmental goals. Klein noted that although the Public Involvement Plan does lack specific details regarding the environment, the 2009 Comprehensive Plan has in-depth environmental goals outlined in Policy #1 and suggested using this text as a reference. Committee members offered to send in any proposed draft edits. The Committee then reviewed the list of “Members of the Public & Stakeholders”, and considered possible additions. Schneider suggested that the Finger Lakes Land Trust be added to Environmental Stakeholders. Schneider referenced the” Emerald Necklace”, an area of forest lands that stretch through Tompkins and surrounding counties. Continuing to develop a corridor of movement would be a valuable future investment in the area, and extending the Black Diamond Trail to Trumansburg and further protecting Taughannock Creek should be considered. Klein briefly spoke about the need to include Emergency Services, and noted the lack of visible house numbers that could complicate emergency situations. The Committee discussed reaching out to any advisory groups or neighborhood associations that have not yet been considered. Cohen suggested Historic Ithaca. Weatherby suggested West Shore Homeowners, the Jacksonville Community Association, and the Ithaca Yacht Club, which is in the town of Ulysses. Discussion ensued on involving and specifying different agricultural entities. Schneider noted Bergen farms has bought about 10% of farmland within the town; they are based in the town of Enfield but should still be considered. Tygesen suggested creating an Agricultural subcategory for the list. Weatherby noted the Trumansburg Fairgrounds are missing, and Olson clarified the Fairgrounds are in the town, not the village. Cohen suggested contacting Tompkins Learning Partners and the Racker Center. Specific recreation groups were discussed by the Committee. Weatherby suggested 4-H, and Olson suggested Trumansburg Community Nursery School and INHS: Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services. Considering possible Federal Government stakeholders, Weatherby asked about involvement from organizations such as FEMA. Tygesen specified the Town is attempting to identify if there are any federal landowners that could be included. Marino spoke about developing a climate vulnerability study and referenced Terry Carroll, the Chief Sustainability Officer of Tompkins County. The Committee mentioned the updated FEMA flood maps and recent discussions within the Town of Ithaca regarding these changes. Marino asked what will be done exactly with this list and how outreach would be managed. How often will these groups be asked to participate and give feedback? DiPetta asked how businesses will be targeted. Tygesen stated that outreach will be broad. The Public was asked for any feedback. Carrie Foster introduced herself and stated she was interested in joining the Committee. Members continued to discuss community engagement and awareness. Schneider suggested a poster or something else that could be displayed in a public space, such as the Farmers Market or library. DiPetta mentioned developing a QR code, but acknowledged it is too early. An interactive map is also being considered. Discussion ensued on locations to make information accessible to the public. Marino stated