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Home My WebLink About2016-01-27 PAB Minutes1/27/16 1 PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD 2 Wednesday, January 27, 2016 3 SCOTT HEYMAN CONFERENCE ROOM 4 125 East Court Street 5 6 MEETING MINUTES 7 Members Attending: 8 Name Representation Gay Nicholson E At-Large Monika Roth P Agriculture Kathy Schlather P Human Services Rob Steuteville A Built Environment Design Andy Zepp P Land Pres/Public Land Mgmt Dooley Kiefer P Associate Member Others Present Ed Marx P Commissioner of Planning Katie Borgella P Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Turner P Administrative Assistant 10 11 12 Call to Order & Changes to the Agenda – Martha Armstrong called the meeting to order at approximately 13 9:03 AM. 14 15 Approval of Minutes from September 23 – Dave Herrick made the motion to approve the minutes from 16 December 2, 2015 seconded by Monika Roth. December meeting minutes were approved by unanimous 17 vote. Final minutes will be available on the Planning Department website: www.tompkins-co.org/planning/ 18 under advisory boards. 19 20 Introductions – Members of the board made introductions, and new At-Large member, Ruth Hopkins. 21 22 2016 Work Program - 23 24 Commissioner’s Report – Ed Marx reported that the Legislature has adopted the tentative budget and noted 25 the changes that include (1) $25,000 for stream corridor program that was previously one time yearly funding 26 will now be target funding, and will be included in future budgets. (2) The Capital Reserve fund for Open 27 Space Protection projects was made three-year funding at $50,000. A public hearing will be scheduled, 28 followed by a vote by the Legislature. The Energy Fund Initiative has a budget of $30,000 for 2016. The 29 $20,000 in the 2015 budget will be used this year, in part on a project to look at energy issues in critical areas 30 for economic development such as the Ithaca-Tompkins Regional Airport, South Hill, and downtown areas. 31 Working with NYSEG in order to gain a better understanding of infrastructure capacity and limitations was 32 also discussed as a critical piece related to these efforts. Options for IDA incentives for energy efficiency on 33 new projects and renovations are also being considered. The Housing Needs Assessment is very close to 34 selecting a consultant for the project that is expected to start in November. Last week there was a Public 35 Meeting on the Energy Roadmap, with attendance of around 50 people. Ed reported on the public forum he 36 took part in with the League of Women’s Voters, and Professor Bryce Smith. Discussions centered on the 37 grid infrastructure and the possible changes underway, and the airport micro-grid feasibility study. The 38 department also held an open house on the DOT relocation efforts. A request was made at the Government 39 Operations Committee to defer one month on a decision on the Biggs site sale in order to provide 40 opportunities for neighboring resident proposals. 41 Name Representation Martha Armstrong P Economic Development Todd Bittner A Natural Environment Joe Bowes P Housing Carol Chock A Planning Committee Dick Coogan A Local Planning (non-urban) Sue Cosentini E Business Fernando de Aragón P Transportation John Gutenberger P Education Dave Herrick P Facilities/Infrastructure Ruth Hopkins P At-Large Rod Howe E Historical/Cultural Resources David Kay E Local Planning (urban) 42 Approval of Minutes from September 23 – Dick Coogan made the motion to approve the minutes from 43 September 23, 2015 seconded by Andy Zepp. September meeting minutes were approved by unanimous 44 vote. Final minutes will be available on the Planning Department website: www.tompkins-co.org/planning/ 45 under advisory boards. 46 47 Pinckney Road Acquisition – Ed Marx presented a map of the property at Fall Creek and Pinckney Road, 48 noting that the former railroad bed has already been designated for a preferred trail to be used for recreational 49 purposes, and will eventually extend through Varna, Etna, Freeville, and Dryden. He went on to report on the 50 Town of Dryden’s purchase agreement that is in process for a total of $62,700, and the request that 51 Tompkins County provide funding of $15,000. Because the Capital Reserve fund has a balance of $6,500, 52 suggestions were made to redirect funds from the stream corridor project funding, or fund the available 53 $6,500, and the remaining balance after January 1st. Martha Armstrong made the motion recommending up 54 to $15,000, to include the $6,500 currently available for the Dryden Acquisition, seconded by Dick Coogan. 55 The recommendation was approved by unanimous vote. 56 57 Climate Change Discussion – Ed Marx opened the discussion on climate change, noting the interest of a 58 number of board members that prompted the discussion. 59 60 Discussions centered on flood events, and the increase in the significant rainfall events. Implementing 61 adaptation strategies that would include updates to flood-plain maps, stormwater infrastructure, and 62 emergency response systems were recommended. Members discussed the importance of educating the public 63 on stormwater management, and the need for a higher level of emergency preparedness. Setting criteria for 64 risk management that would coincide with stream corridor and flood plain protection efforts and recovery 65 planning were noted as two areas for near-term initiative. Suggestions were made to combine hazard and 66 energy retrofits in risk zones. 67 68 Members reported on their personal observations with climate change impacts, noting an increase in poison 69 ivy, bee colony collapse, early plant blooming, and unexpected weather events that affect local budgets. 70 Leadership collaboration and encouragement of public education were suggested especially regarding the 71 importance of an individual’s carbon footprint, and the positive outcomes from achievements made from 72 previous efforts. 73 74 Members discussed land use, and the need for walkable communities, and the ties to both lowered 75 greenhouse gas emissions, and road maintenance. Concerns of increased costs with building and uses of 76 energy efficient materials were expressed; focuses centered on cost analysis for building, sources for 77 financing, and researching ways to bring building costs down. Understanding what influences costs, 78 integrated whole building design, and creating local examples were approaches suggested that could help 79 bring costs down. 80 81 Announcements – Martha Armstrong announced that the Energy and Economic Development Taskforce is 82 having an open house at the Sciencenter on October 29 at 5:30. Topics will center on energy and economic 83 development concerns, and five-year implementation strategies for decreasing carbon emissions. 84 85 86 Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:30 AM. 87 88 Respectfully submitted, 89 90 Jennifer Turner, Administrative Assistant 91 Tompkins County Planning Department 92