HomeMy WebLinkAboutMN-NAC-2009-09-09MEETING MINUTES
City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission
(February 2, 2009)
5:30 -7:00 pm
City Hall, 108 E. Green St.
In attendance:
Members Wendy Wallitt (Chair pro tempore); Gerry Cox (note- taker); Joe McMahon; Anna
Stalter (CAC Liaison); Ron Herring; Jon Meigs (Town of Ithaca); Nancy Schuler (CC Liaison)
Not attending: Todd Miner; Robert Wesley
Visitors: Alison Fromme
Announcements /changes to agenda: Henceforth, the note -taker will be responsible for
bringing copies of the draft minutes to the next meeting and will send a copy of the approved
minutes to JulieHkcityofithaca.org.
Wendy reported that she is now sitting on the committee revising the City's comprehensive plan,
adopted in 1971
Approval of last month's minutes: with some changes to descriptions, approved.
Old business:
Gerry reported on Ithaca Gun. The Community Advisory Group met on January 26 with Gary
Holmes of DEC and Frost Travis, while Pete Grevelding of O'Brien & Gere participated via
conference call. There have been no exceedances of VOC's or SVOC's in the main building.
Less lead has been found than expected, but much more barium, which was unexpected. Its
source may have been a process of making bricks. As barium is a contaminate, materials testing
over 400 ppm will be trucked off site to an appropriate landfill.
Anna reported that all accounting procedures are now agreed -upon to pay for Robert's
forthcoming inventory of plants in the Six Mile Creek area. She also said that a Cornell
fraternity has volunteered to help in late March at Six Mile Creek, perhaps to pull garlic mustard.
They might also be able to help with building the kiosk for the upper trail.
Wendy reported on The Guidelines. When Zev Ross and Wendy met with Erik Whitney, the
Asst. Superintendant of DPW, in August, 2008, Erik said that the Guidelines would not present a
problem for DPW. They already file plans for some work with the Dept. of Health and other
agencies. He agreed that DPW could prepare a list of routine maintenance and complete a plan
of work for each type of activity as it comes up the first time. He did ask that we specify in the
Guidelines the time periods for blooming and nesting as well as the periods of greatest wetness
so that DPW can schedule routine maintenance around them.
New Business:
After a discussion with Alison Fromme about her interests and experiences, the members
unanimously agreed to forward her name to the Mayor Peterson for membership on NAC.
The primary focus of the next meeting of NAC will focus on The Guidelines. Wendy asked that
we come up with a response plan so that, once the Guidelines are passed and DPW sends a plan
of work to us, we shall be able to evaluate the plan and respond appropriately within the five
business days we have agreed to. To do this effectively, we shall need people with other specific
expertise who are readily available. At the March meeting, we need to work on this response
plan and begin developing a list of people with the required areas of expertise.
Members should give thought to the priorities for this year. Those will be the next major topic of
discussion after The Guidelines.
Wendy will set the agenda for the March meeting.