HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-09-13 CAC MinutesTown of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 6
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Minutes of Video Conference (Zoom) Meeting on
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Danby, New York
Council Members present: Clare Fewtrell (Chair), Margaret Corbit, Joel Gagnon,
Mary Woodsen, Jonathan Zisk, Katharine Hunter, Brittany Lagaly, Don Schaufler
Council Members absent: none
Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident),
Zoom Meeting was officially called to order at 7:04.
Privilege of the Floor (PoF): none
Deletions or Additions to Agenda: Fewtrell added two items:
1) make 1st item a discussion of possible easement made up of parcels
surrounding Andy Gladstone’s property.
2) possible easement for Ben Altman (added to what became item 3)
Approval Minutes MOTION for August 9, 2022 minutes
Fewtrell moved to approve (with a few corrections)
Zisk seconded
Gagnon and Woodsen abstained, others all in favor.
REPORTS AND UPDATES from Agenda (and additions)
1. Conservation easement for property surrounding Andy Gladstone –
Fewtrell
At address 1038 and 1040 Comfort road are several parcels owned by
Andrea Butje, which surround Andy Gladstone’s property. Andy’s piece
was carved out of the original property. David West approached Butje
about donating an easement before selling. On sale for $2.4 million.
Corbit questioned whether an easement could be accomplished in the
short amount of time before they sell. Gagnon says yes. West said that
they didn’t have a lot of incentive to take out an easement so it would be
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 6
out of the goodness of the their hearts. There are existing houses on
property made from a retreat center. It abuts Sherman’s property. West
will pursue this and try to expedite the process if the seller is receptive.
2. Updates on working on CAC web pages: Re-visioning of Danby
conservation easement message and how to strategize outreach; GIS
map, enabling legislation - Joel Gagnon, Jonathan Zisk, Margaret Corbit
Corbit reported that she and Keokosky had met 2 weeks earlier and looked
over the current page. Janice had done good work on it, and only some
changes were needed. It needs some actual pictures of Danby (instead of
generic rural) with identifiable locations, and also a link added that
Keokosky had found to DEC law that empowered town board creation of
the CAC by resolution. 3rd change is that CAC member name space needs to
be reduced.
Corbit said that she had scanned all paper easement documents at town
hall and put them on county laserfiche. The actual paper documents of
easements (and more) have been put into the town hall vault.
Discussion of a naming system for easement documents followed. Fewtrell
was trying to get a more systematic naming system, and Corbit agreed. It
was decided that they should retain their original name (usually based on
the name of the donor) The name will not change when the property
changes hands (except that the new owner may be added in parentheses).
Annual inspections need a simple: title, date, and year of inspection to
identify them.
Contents of the easement webpage map was discussed. Corbit had met
with David West (planner) and they had worked on what should go on the
map. One problem was how to distinguish between lands publically and
privately accessible, and represent their various origins.
Zisk wanted to make sure that what we show as areas to be conserved
shows credible areas, such as riparian areas and state land. He had
questions such as will there be a legend or will everything be the same
color. The group conclusion was that the layers of the map need to be
determined first. Then, details such as these can be decided.
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 6
3. Updates on Passed and Proposed Easements: Ravencache (Lagaly),
Woodsen (Zisk), Sherman/Lassoie (Lagaly and Hunter), any others?
Ravencache: There will be a formal signing ceremony at the town hall on
Thursday, Sept 15 at 3:30. Others will try to come. Champagne?
Woodsen: Woodsen and Zisk are meeting Friday afternoon at (perhaps)
2pm. Zisk needs to establish residential and active use zone boundary
coordinates on map.
Ben Altman: his property is located across the road from theButje property
in Item 1. Corbit will coordinate initial inspection. Keokosky noted that
Altman is interested in finding a way to enable indigenous use of the land.
Zisk offered to fill in for Fewtrell if her health prevented her attending.
Hoffman: Gagnon thinks the needs of this easement may suggest another
revision of template. Donors have already gone through subdivision review
and the resulting housing cluster planned has to be at least 600 from any
existing dwelling. There is a neighbor’s house closer than that, prompting
addition negotiation.
4. Status of annual easement monitoring and placing of easement signs and
discussion of a Volunteer Easement Inspector - Jonathan Zisk, Katharine
Hunter
Melchen/Schott, O’Neil, and Hanson easement annual report drafts were
sent to members to review. Zoho WorkDrive is still a problem for
Schaufler.
There was a discussion of problems of mapping co-ordinates that are not
integrating with actual GPS measurements:
Fewtrell brought up that GPS satellite has to be used to connect, not cell
phone GPS, to register correctly. (After note:
https://www.gps.gov/systems/gps/performance/accuracy/ - GPS enabled
smart phones are accurate to within 6.6 ft. vs satellite which are accurate
to with 16 ft., if there is no blockage – such as bridges or buildings)
Fewtrell recommended Onx maps for hunters
(https://www.onxmaps.com/) as a very good mapping program.
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 6
There followed a discussion of how to keep track of easement information:
Curtis Easement, which was walked briefly when easement signs were
delivered, needs a report written. Others are already written but in draft
form. Hunter sent Eric Palmer a text about coming by for annual
monitoring but is having trouble with contact information. This prompted a
discussion of putting together uniform contact information. Fewtrell
pointed out there are two Palmer easements – one on the corner of
Deputron and Marsh north of Deputron Hollow Road, the other south of it
purchased from Melchen. Some question as to whether the balance of the
Melchen easement property had been sold to Schott.. Who would
Jonathan call for this easement? Part of Wimsatt easement was sold to
Irene Weiser. Fewtrell will check all these questions of ownership with
Planner David West.
Corbit suggested making a list of easements with owners, tax numbers, etc.
Having all that information in one place; then people can sign up for
properties. Gagnon suggested using folders. Keokosky had previously set
them up on County laserfiche, but Fewtrell wanted this information on the
Danby WorkDrive. Some people are still having problems getting to Work
Drive.
End result was to go with Corbit’s idea of a master list of easements with
contact information, which she would put up on Work Drive and also
email to CAC members.
Discussion followed on the best way to steward easements, prompted by a
comment from Roaring. Should oversight monitoring be by individual or by
committee? Zisk took the position that everyone on the CAC should know
all easements. Hunter agreed and felt the problem was not the monitoring,
but the struggle coming out of Covid into a new website format. Now we
need to get all the information in one place, and digitized. Side comment:
On the Hanson easement annual monitoring form, it should be noted that
Selin is holding events on property
All the easement signs have been distributed. Palmer needs another sign in
the middle of the two end signs on his property along Deputron Hollow
Road. Also, a second one is needed at the other end of O’Neal’s property.
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 6
Lagaly initiated the walk (with Hunter) of Sherman’s property – a big and
complicated property, with multiple parcels.
5. Status of Timber Harvesting law - Don Schaufler & Jonathan Zisk
Schaufler got held up with a recent case of Covid, but he has now
1) incorporated Highway Dept. as one of stops (that a petitioner has to
make) on the way to a permit, when the scale of a harvest requires a
permit.
2) doubled the threshold to instigate the necessity of the form from 4000
board feet to 8000 board feet.
These changes are reflected in an ordinance rewrite he sent to Zisk. This
edited copy will be sent to all of CAC. Goal is to send to town board as soon
as we can agree on a final version.
6. Status of local implementation of varying easement time lines and tax
abatements subcommittee - Joel Gagnon and Clare Fewtrell
Ithaca City School District Board has not yet responded because school has
started and board still needs to bring new members up to speed.
7. Discussion of sponsoring a possible November presentation – Keokosky
Keokosky explain her idea of a presentation on a “Tompkins county food
system roadmap for our future” just passed recently by Tompkins County
legislature. It would be given by Katie Hallas, who manages this, and be
oriented to small farmers here in Danby to get their feedback. It could also
include discussion of a change in availability of grant money in the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) with the passage of the
“Inflation Reduction Act” ($20 billion for agricultural conservation, including
$450 million to help private landowners more effectively manage forests).
For the financial incentive section she is trying to have a NRCS
USDA conservationist speak.
Keokosky asked the CAC membership to approve this presentation, which
they did. It is scheduled for Thursday, November 10th at 7pm.
(Zisk sent Keokosky an email on Climate Reality – Finger Lakes chapter,
offering a zoom on climate change influencing the Farm Bill and this
subject.)
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 6 of 6
8. Discussion of CAC membership – whose terms are up? (item added
extemporaneously)
Fewtrell will check to see whose two year terms are up this year. There is
some question about who will chair CAC since Fewtrell is suffering from
health problems. If she is not up to it - Corbit and Fisk are willing to share
responsibilities of Co-chairship - Corbit will be running meetings and Fisk
overseeing the easement admin. Fewtrell will chair if she is able.
There was no Executive session
Next Meeting is on October 13, 2022 at 7p.m.
Adjournment at 9:07 pm
_____________________________________________
Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)