HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-12-12 CAC MinutesTown of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 6
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Minutes of In-person Meeting in Town Hall and via videoconferencing
Tuesday, December12, 2023
Council Members present: Margaret Corbit (Meeting chair), Jonathan Zisk, Joel
Gagnon, Don Schaufler, Renee Owens (Zoom), Katharine Hunter (Zoom),
Council Members absent: Brittany Stein
Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary), Anne Klingensmith (will become
a CAC member in 2024), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident via Zoom)
Meeting was officially called to order at 7:05
Deletions or Additions to Agenda: Corbit made an addition of discussing
management of digital files used for supporting easement monitoring. It was
added to item 6 on agenda.
Privilege of the Floor (PoF): none
No approval of Nov 11, 2023 minutes - did not have a quorum of CAC members
present in person
REPORTS AND UPDATES (from the agenda, and additions)
1. Easement monitoring: Status Report – Owens, Corbit, Gagnon
Discussion followed on where and how annual monitoring reports should
be organized and stored. The main thing Owens wanted was that all files –
including original easement digital files – be stored in one place. Current
files now live in several locations. Corbit transferred the most up-to-date
files that she had on her computer to Zoho workspace; she also suggested
having a working folder to hold drafts. Gagnon had drawn up a draft file
organizational structure, but nothing was decided at this point. He also
suggested looking at good website’s file organization examples.
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 6
Difficulties have resulted from new CAC members using different methods
and a new work storage drive on a new operating system, Zoho in the last
several years. Now this, in turn, is being replaced in March with another
new operating system, Microsoft.
Owens, Klingensmith, Corbit, and Gagnon will meet and try to organize and
standardize on this issue in January.
2. Status of Timber Harvesting law – Schaufler, Zisk
This is on hold because of health problems in Schaufler’s family. Still needs
to see if DEC comments require any sort of rewrite.
Schaufler added that DEC comments on what the town of German does
refocused Danby’s situation a bit more on how how timber harvesting
relates to resulting hiway problems.
3. Update on Conservation Easement Tax Abatement – Gagnon
Group acknowledged Stein’s letter of protest on unfairness of not including
older easements on new tax abatement law that would allow a 90%
reduction on local taxes of land included in easement. She was justifiably
upset since she signed her easement just months ago and now she doesn’t
qualify.
Gagnon said that Danby resident and one of original members of zoning
subcommittee on temporary easements and tax reductions, Russ
Nitchman, would like to work with Ithaca School Board. He feels it is very
important that they participate (by reducing the school tax, as well as town
tax). Zisk recommended talking to teachers in environmental sciences to
get their aid. Klingensmith said that she knew someone on school board
and would try to get their advice. Gagnon encouraged group to pursue
whatever avenue they could find (to convince School Board that the
benefits of conservation were worth the minimal tax decrease of the
rebate). Zisk said that he would work with Klingensmith. Corbit pointed
out that the county supported what the Finger Lakes Land Trust called the
Emerald Necklace – a circle of trails and conservation sites around Ithaca,
that was supposed to create an arc of green space, and over 40% of this
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 6
space was currenty within Danby. She volunteered to write up a handout
demonstrated these concepts.
4. Updates on on-going easements – from leads on each easement
Brian Caldwell – Corbit repored that he had been given files to look at to
start understanding zones
Andi Gladstone – Zisk reported that owners were looking at maps to
determine kinds of zones that they wanted. They wanted physical and
cultural accomodations written into the description. Wet lands needed the
most protection. But keeping a meadow status was less straight forward.
To preserve a meadow needed intervention and a management plan since
meadows left alone transition to forests. All the easement can do is make
recommendations, not requirements, for future owners. But we need to be
sensitive to the owners’s concerns.
Ruth Sherman – Hunter reported that she and Stein had walked some of
the property (of more than a 100 acres) gaining some understanding of
land and how to proceed. Stein had started some of the paper work.
As a side note, Sherman, a former CAC member, had said that she was glad
she had waited to put together the easement, and, like Stein, felt new
abatement tax breaks were being applied unfairly. Hunter recommended
that CAC compile a letter to Town Board about tax abatement (and
reference Stein’s letter) and also to legislators. Gagnon said that we need
support of both State Legislators, Anna Kelles, and Lea Webb, but with
support, it shouldn’t be a big change.
5. Report on status of checklist to trigger CAC involvement in town
planning/land use discussions – Zisk
Zisk had not been able to work on this. Corbit recommended that he bring
a clear and unambiguous final draft CAC to vote on in January, and Gagnon
noted we can pass it on to the Town Board to mandate.
6. Status of Newsletter/webpage interactions, management of digital files
for supporting easement monitoring – Owens, Corbit
(management of digital files discussed in item 1)
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 6
Owens recommended holding off discussion on these items until the new
technical people are onboard. Uncertain what part web person will play
with newsletter. Town board needs to put together a newsletter group to
decide how to organize contents, create framework, and determine
newsletter editor. Erin Caruth has been suggested for web design, but she
has some hesitations, so who will be hired as new web design person is still
unclear.
Mariah Dillon, incoming town clerk, will be doing basic interaction with new
file system.
It was mentioned that two other recommended town websites (Dryden and
Ulysses) use Word Press. One idea is to perhaps find out who is working
with them.
There was no Executive session
Next Meeting is on January 9, 2024 at 7p.m.
Adjournment at 8:15 pm
_____________________________________________
Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 6
Appendix A
Example DRAFT Monitoring Letter to Easement Holder in Corbit’s email
Conservation Advisory Council
Town of Danby, New York
OR To: name, etc. including easement info and address of owner
Dear [Easement Holder]:
Thank you for your commitment to conserve the natural resources and
scenic beauty of the Finger Lakes region of Central New York, specifically in
our Town of Danby. [In future years we might want to note the number of
acres in easement? As of the writing of the letter or reference an increase?]
As outlined in the contract you signed with the Town regarding the
Conservation Easement on your property {Tax Lot # and/or address or other
identifying info?], the Town Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) is required
to periodically ensure that the natural values of the land under easement
have not been compromised.
As a first step, we ask you to complete the Conservation Easement
Monitoring form online at: URL. The CAC will review each easement, based
on your report as well as aerial images and other GIS resources available to
the Town.
There are several options for this process.
1) You may confirm that there have been no changes in the physical
landscape of the property or your use of it as outlined in the
easement as the current owner of the property. This is a
convenient way to complete the process.
2) If there have been changes to the property that you would like to
have recorded, for example building enhancements in the
Residential and Active Use Zone, please describe them in the form
and attach digital images. CAC will confirm this information.
3) If there have been major changes that were allowed in the original
easement or that show up in the CAC review, a member of the CAC
will inform you of our plans to walk the property and invite you to
join us.
Words of Thanks…….
CAC
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 6 of 6
Appendix B
Suggested DRAFT digital Folder Organization in Gagnon’s email
Conservation Easement Monitoring
Location Map of Easement Properties
Contact Information for Current Owners of Easement Properties
Notification Letter Template
Easement-Specific Supporting Documentation
Property map showing zones
List of ordinary and special values
Baseline Documentation
Any Special features – retained rights (to subdivide, add dwelling
units, etc.)
Monitoring Report template
Calendar:
Choose Coordinator
Line up Crew for each site visit/monitoring
Schedule site visits and send notification letter (Secretary)
Deadline for completion of monitoring reports (electronic?)
Reports compiled and filed by coordinator
File of Completed Monitoring Reports by Year