HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-01-11 CAC MinutesTown of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 5
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Minutes of Video Conference (Zoom) Meeting on
Tuesday, January 11, 2021
Danby, New York
Council Members present: Clare Fewtrell (chair), Joel Gagnon, Margaret Corbit,
Mary Woodsen, Jonathan Zisk, Brittany Lagaly, Don Schaufler , Katharine Hunter
Council Members absent: none, Schaufler experienced technical difficulties that
kept him from participating fully.
Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident),
Brad Rauch (a prospective new CAC member), David West (Danby town planner)
Zoom Meeting was officially called to order at 7:04.
Deletions or Additions to Agenda: Fewtrell noted she was moving item 11 on
“Zoning update and Tax Abatements” to position 4. Corbit said she didn’t need
to talk about item 6. “Easement Outline”
Privilege of the Floor (PoF): none
Approval Minutes – delayed approval of January minutes till February meeting
since one CAC member had made last moment edits.
REPORTS AND UPDATES from agenda.
1. New member Katharine Hunter – welcomed by Clare Fewtrell
Hunter has been a diligent attender and was a former member
2. Town email addresses – Clare Fewtrell
Fewtrell expressed frustration with new town email system (Zoho) and
uncertainty of who is receiving and reading email. Schaufler has problems
and is in Florida so needs to be sent email to his personal address. Corbit
agreed to send written directions to all members about how to forward
from Zoho to personal email. End result is that Lagaly and Schaufler are
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the only personal address people, and Lagaly will be changing to town
email.
3. Annual Report draft – Clare Fewtrell
After a brief discussion of the annual report as part of a previous email
attachment it was quickly given approval to be sent to Town Board.
Gagnon moved to approve that CAC Annual Report be sent to Town
Board
Corbit seconded
Unanimous Approval
4. Zoning update & local implementation of varying easement timelines and
tax abatements – Joel Gagnon
Fewtrell congratulated Gagnon and West on getting the new Zoning Update
Legislation package through all the work and drafts. Gagnon noted this was
especially West.
The CAC has been given the task of writing the enabling legislation for the
Easement and Tax Abatement that had already gone through state
approval. A subcommittee was formed of Fewtrell, Gagnon, and Zisk,
Keokosky also volunteered. Hunter offered to work on this peripherally.
Fewtrell wanted to make sure the argument for giving tax relief to land-rich
people could be carefully researched and documented. Corbit said that
Ted Crane had information on this, but Fewtrell wanted to dig further and
work with Jay Franklin (the Director of Assessment in Tompkins County).
The Impact of these decisions is not just on Danby but all of Tompkins
County, yet each municipality is different since the population and
percentage of taxed land to undeveloped land varies.
Fewtrell thought the best way to proceed was to get the process up and
running in Danby before applying it to the whole county. Another question
is will school districts opt in as well?
NY State approved the following ranges:
Easement Commitment Percentage of Exemption
Not less than 15 years but less than 30 years 50%
Not less than 30 years but less than 50 years 75%
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Not less than 50 years but less than 75 years 85%
Perpetual 90%
Danby is implementing all or less than state has approved.
First meeting was agreed on for Friday at 11am. West will send a Zoom
link. Keokosky was asked to take notes.
5. Status of annual easement monitoring and placing easement signs –
Jonathan Zisk, Don Schaufler & Margaret Corbit
Zisk reported that he had put up some signs, giving a description of types of
screws and depth into wood, and holes drilled into the signs. Final reports
on some monitoring properties still need to be written and some properties
(Palmer and Curtis) still need to be inspected. Zisk and Fewtrell will be
putting up more signs during the following week.
6. Updates on Proposed Easements: Roaring (Margaret Corbit),
Ravencache/Stein (Brittany Lagaly), Woodsen (Jonathan Zisk),
Hoffman/Karlsen (Joel Gagnon), any others?
Corbit reported work done on Roaring easement. Roaring is confused as to
why there should be delays since she felt she had written up an easement
already. She did not seem to be aware that some changes in zoning
descriptions and areas had already been discussed by the CAC and needed
to be incorporated. She felt the residential area was as large as it could be
because of the presence of the creek and topography of the land. She
wanted to minimize the Residential and Active Use area Zone and have the
rest of it as an Environmental Protection Zone. Discussion was centered on
the eventual replacement of the septic and leach field and whether there
was room to do this. Schaufler said that it was the county’s problem, not
ours, to accommodate this. Gagnon reported that Guy Krogh (town lawyer)
had said the fact that the property is owned by a trust should be no
problem.
The Ravencache (Stein/Lagaly) easement is delayed until information is
redistributed into the correct documents, and Lagaly had made new maps.
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Woodsen easement (reported by Zisk). He said that the property was
unique and interesting because It was 70 years into succession growth.
Baseline property description still needs to be written, and zones still need
to be decided.
Gagnon said that once the zoning update (mentioned above) was passed
Hoffman/Karlsen were revisiting zones since now they now could have
multiple dwelling without subdivision. The easement was waiting on them.
Fewtrell reported that templates and schedules are in the process of being
modified to avoid some of the confusions and complications of where
information goes or is repeated.
Woodsen reported on the interest of some people she encountered
walking – ( one of which was Brad Rauch)
7. Status of Agricultural Presentation Series– Elizabeth Keokosky
Keokosky reported speakers (Scott Doyle from Tompkins County Planning
Department, Monika Roth from CCE, Molly Johnston-Heck from American
Farmland Trust, and Natalie Hughes and Juliana Quaresma from
Groundswell) as well as advertising were in place, but she was concerned
about connecting with town clerk who usually was tech support but had
Covid and had not been responding to her emails or calls. Gagnon provided
her mobile phone number.
Keokosky said that she tried to inspire the speakers to think outside the
box. The situation with climate change is so much in flux with either more
energy regulation and change, or catastrophic weather, or both, increasing
the importance of preserving farm land. She encouraged members of CAC
to come to the presentation.
8. Possible presentation by Tim Woods, Dryden Town Conservation Board,
on bio-sequestration & best practices for topsoil and aquifer protection –
Clare Fewtrell & Elizabeth Keokosky
Woods approached Keokosky about giving a presentation on “Kiss the
Ground” to Danby CAC. Keokosky was asked to arrange it as a talk to the
general public. Time suggested was March 10 at 7pm. Keokosky was also
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going to learn more about him. “Kiss the Ground” should be watched
ahead of time. Links for watching it on YouTube and Netflix were given
later.
10. Status of Timber Harvesting law – Jonathan Zisk & Don Schaufler
Schaufler reported talking to Laura Shawley who, after a health problem,
has gotten re-involved with this project. Schaufler is still trying to connect
with Bruce Richards, who also has had some health problems. Various
options for getting around the technical problem of opening the file he had
sent were discussed.
Fewtrell asked someone to chair for the February meeting (she is going to
Antarctica) and Jonathan Zisk was nominated.
There was no Executive session
Next Meeting via Zoom is on February 8th 2022 at 7p.m.
Adjournment at 8:56
_____________________________________________
Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)