HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-15-2016 CSAC minutes approvedConservation and Sustainability Advisory Committee meeting
Minutes of September 15, 2016 meeting
present: Roxanne Marino, Brice Smith, Bara Hotchkiss, Robert Oswald, Andy Hillman, Sue
Poelvoorde; Town Planner Darby Kiley, Town Councilperson Nancy Zahler
Meeting called to order at 7:00
Minutes from 7-11-16, 8-25 meetings are being finalized, will have for approval at next meeting
Update on Town Board issues or actions related to Sustainability / Conservation
Roxanne reported on actions at the 9-13-16 Town Board meeting: a resolution was passed
pledging to become a Climate Smart Community; a TCCOG working group has formed to assist
municipalities who are interested in working on the action items toward certification, and to
consider opportunities for funding to assist with related tasks. The CSAC will likely be asked to
work with Town staff on this. A resolution was passed to send letters to developers who notify
the Town of an interest in building a large scale solar facility that the Town intends to charge a
PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes). The Board will study this further to consider the potential
cost / benefit to the town and solar development; CSAC asked to give input.
Darby reported on progress with the County GIS specialist working with us on a GIS map with
overlays of agricultural soil types, steep slopes, wetlands, current tax parcels, and most
favorable interconnection lines where large scale solar facilities would be cited (from Brice’s 8-
25-16 presentation). Our committee will review at a future meeting.
Continued Review of large scale solar installations
Brice walked the group through a presentation with updates on glare evaluation for solar farm
citing, originally given to the Planning Board in May. Details of the assumptions, variables, and
omissions in the glare evaluation tool (Sandia Ntl. Lab) were outlined. There was discussion
towards a draft standard for glare evaluation, to propose for inclusion in the solar law (LL#3 of
2015), in response to request from the TB and Planning Board that our committee look at this
issue. The committee favors standards that might encourage developers to proactively
consider glare minimization with design choices.
PILOTs (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) for large scale solar
Darby reported that she had talked with County Assessor Jay Franklin, no set way of
determining assessment value yet (lots of discussion; PILOTS must be limited to no more than
assessed value would be), in Tompkins County, PILOTS are usually done by the IDA. Does this
have to be the case? RPT Law allows negotiation with individual municipalities. Further
discussion of costs and benefits to the Town (promoting or discouraging solar, revenue) was
tabled until a future meeting.
Adjourned at 9:00