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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-10-14-CAC-minutesTown of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Minutes of In-person Meeting in Town Hall, and Via Videoconferencing Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025 Council Members Present: Margaret Corbit, Joel Gagnon, Anne Klingensmith, Don Schauffler, Brittany Stein, Jonathan Zisk Council Members Absent/Excused: None Others Present: Katharine Hunter (Zoom), Greg Hutnik (Zoom), Tyler Stein (Zoom) Meeting called to order: 7:03pm Agenda Review: Additions or Deletions: A status update on South Hill Cider was added. Privilege of the Floor: Jonathan Zisk addressed recent public comments about the CAC's work, stating that in his five years with the CAC and 23 years with the town, Danby's decision-making has been thorough and research-based. He emphasized that the CAC is an advisory board with no legislative power and conducts extensive, neutral research. Katharine Hunter read a statement supporting conservation easement donors and expressing confidence that Danby carefully respects easement donations and the intentions of current and future owners. Members discussed concerns about recent public communications and affirmed their commitment to careful, research-based work within their advisory capacity. Approval of Minutes: The August minutes were amended to change language regarding the Curtiss property to reference a "potential boundary issue" rather than specifying which boundary might be affected. Joel Gagnon moved to approve the August minutes as amended. Margaret Corbit seconded, and the motion carried. Joel Gagnon then moved to approve the September minutes, Margaret Corbit seconded, and that motion also carried. Status of Current Easements: Margaret reported locating prior monitoring reports, completing her 2025 report, and uploading it. The group confirmed the filing system: all easement documents go into individual easement folders, with the parcel assignment spreadsheet located in the main folder. Anne Klingensmith suggested creating a repository of all easement-specific exceptions and reserved rights, and Joel proposed that monitors highlight these distinctions in their reports. For potential violations, the group agreed that the CAC must first discuss findings and approach the landowner before any enforcement action, which remains the town board's responsibility. Curtiss Boundary Issue: Members briefly discussed the potential boundary issue involving the Curtiss easement. Details remain unclear about which boundary might be affected. Don Schauffler, as the parcel monitor, agreed to follow up and report back. Easement Outreach: Anne discussed potential outreach efforts, noting that the Marsh Road area could be promising since several existing easements are located nearby. Members were encouraged to review the list of properties with 20 or more contiguous acres adjacent to conserved lands and consider reaching out to landowners they know. Soil Compaction Research: Jonathan presented his research on soil compaction in agricultural land from parking, explaining that it is influenced by soil type, slope, frequency, and pressure application pattern. He contrasted vehicle compaction with livestock impact, noting that occasional, random parking over a large area may take years to cause significant deep compaction, while repeated use of the same tire tracks is much more problematic. Members agreed that soil moisture is a critical additional factor, as wet conditions increase a soil's susceptibility to compaction, and Jonathan committed to sharing his research summary and source list for the CAC library. South Hill Cider Update: Joel updated the group on the South Hill Cider property's conservation easement, focusing on clarifications from NYS Agriculture and Markets (A&M) regarding its relationship to standard agricultural protections. The core issue is defining "customary agricultural use" under the easement, with A&M using criteria like percentage- based formulas for on-farm revenue. Members discussed conversations with the owner about the scope of operations and the possibility of A&M review or mediation. The update also covered a neighborhood meeting and recent legal action from neighbors focused on agricultural zoning enforcement. Margaret reported on her monitoring visit, noting additional plantings and well-maintained drainage. Preliminary soil compaction testing showed no significant compaction, suggesting measures like rotating parking could prevent future issues. Finally, the group discussed possibly creating a planned development zone for clearer definition of permitted uses, though members recalled the town board had previously eliminated most such zones. Updates on Ongoing Easements Sherman Easement: Brittany reported that the property owners would like to exclude a large field south of their house. She noted that a separate parcel would require subdivision. Members discussed reserved development rights but respected the owners' desire for flexibility. Greg Hutnik offered to share property deeds he located, and Brittany continues finalizing use zones. Olsefski Easement: There has been no recent contact with the property owner. Altman Easement: Jonathan reported that he has not received responses from the property owner. Questions remain about whether the property should be covered by one or two separate easements. Timber Harvesting Law: Joel reported that the town board will hold a public hearing on the proposed timber harvesting law on October 20th, with a potential vote at the same meeting. No public feedback had been received as of the meeting date. Lindsay-Parsons Bird Banding Station Presentation: Greg reported that he is working to schedule a presentation by his friend who operates the bird banding station, with Dec. 9 as a tentative date. The presenter is establishing an additional banding station elsewhere in the county and will have substantial information to share. Greg indicated he should have confirmation soon, allowing sufficient time for publicity in the November town newsletter. Anne noted she would share the information with the local bird club. Volunteer Easement Monitors: Katharine confirmed her availability to volunteer as an easement monitor and indicated she is willing to assist with monitoring any properties that need coverage. No other new monitoring volunteers were identified. How to Apply for Tax Benefits of Easements: Brittany provided an overview of tax benefits available to conservation easement holders, discussing both local property tax exemptions available accessed using New York State forms and separate state tax credits. Members discussed the complexities of federal tax deductions for charitable contributions of conservation easements and how they interact with state-level benefits. Anne requested that examples be developed showing actual financial benefits for properties of different sizes to help prospective donors understand the programs, and Brittany agreed to prepare sample calculations for future reference. Items for Next Month’s Agenda: None Member Announcements: None Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 8:32pm. Submitted by Kristin McCarthy, Secretary.