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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-02-10-CAC-minutesTown of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Draft Minutes of In-person Meeting in Town Hall and Via Videoconferencing Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 Council Members Present: Pacific Austin, Margaret Corbit, Joel Gagnon, Anne Klingensmith, Don Schaufler, Jonathan Zisk Council Members Absent/Excused: None Others Present: Greg Hutnik (Zoom), Kristin McCarthy, Ronda Roaring (Zoom) Meeting called to order: 7:12pm Agenda Review: Additions or Deletions: No changes to the agenda. Privilege of the Floor: Ronda Roaring remarked that the name "Olsefski" was misspelled in the agenda. Approval of Minutes: The January 2026 minutes were approved with minor edits (motion by Margaret Corbit, second by Don Schaufler). Anne recorded that the notes from the December presentation by Hummingbird would be approved at the March CAC meeting. Annual Report: Members briefly discussed the draft 2025 annual report . A question was raised about whether easement names should be anonymized or kept in the report, given that they are matters of public record. It was noted that landowners had previously been consulted about the public nature of the process. Members were a sked to review the draft and provide comments; final approval is planned for the March meeting. Affirming Purpose of CAC Discussion: The group discussed the importance of periodically reaffirming the CAC's purpose and scope, particularly as it relates to monitoring easements versus taking enforcement action. It was emphasized that the CAC is purely an advisory body: members observe, document, and report findings to the town board and town attorney, but do not serve in an enforcement role. The group was assigned the homework of reviewing the CAC's enabling resolution before the March meeting. Review Tax Benefits of Easements: Jonathan presented a spreadsheet illustrating the tax implications of conservation easements for potential landowners. The spreadsheet broke down county, town, and school taxes, and showed how a 90% abatement applies to the Danby portion of taxes on land-only assessments for perpetual easements. The group discussed the complexity of explaining the calculations and agreed t hat the spreadsheet could be a useful outreach tool with some clarification. It was noted that the stat e also offers a credit of approximately 25% of property taxes on the land, with a cap, and that information is available on the town website. Jonathan will refine the spreadsheet and share it with the group, along with the underlying assessment data. Easement Monitoring: Anne presented a draft one-page summary document for each easement, intended to help monitors quickly understand the exceptional conservation values and specific restrictions without needing to re-read the full legal agreement each year. Using the Kartman easement as a model, she showed how general and zone -specific restrictions could be summarized alongside the easement's notable features. The group agreed it would also be valuable to maintain a running year-by-year narrative for each easement documenting any issues observed, actions taken, or matters of interpretation — both for continuity and for future monitors. Members were encouraged to begin drafting similar one-page summaries for the easements they oversee. Responsibility for mon itoring various easements was reviewed and assignments discussed. Updates on Ongoing Easements: Sherman Easement: Work is ongoing to sort out which parcels will be included. The landowner wishes to exclude some acreage, which will likely require a formal survey to produce a legally sufficient description of the boundaries. Olsefski Easement: Margaret agreed to reach out to the landowners. It was also noted that a neighbor across the road expressed potential interest in a conservation easement and has a population of worm snakes on the property. Altman Easement: Progress has been made. Outstanding items include a tax map correction, updated metes and bounds for the approximately 40 -acre parcel, and minor editorial changes to the draft easement document. Easement Outreach: The group was reminded that Town Planner Greg Hutnick’s map highlighting conserved lands contiguous to potential easement areas is available as an outreach tool. Items for Next Month’s Agenda: Review and approval of December meeting notes; final approval of annual report; continued discussion of CAC enabling legislation. Member Announcements: Members noted the town clerk's email regarding advisory board training requirements on workplace violence and sexual harassment; an additional state-mandated cybersecurity training was also mentioned. Brief discussion touched on social media campaigns opposing solar development on sensitive lands in New York State and the CAC's prior work researching habitat-responsible solar farm practices. Members also discussed concerns about data center development and Danby's current zoning, noting a proposed three-year state-level moratorium on data centers. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 9:05pm Submitted by Kristin McCarthy, Secretary.