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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-12-19 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT TOWN OF DRYDEN TOWN BOARD MEETING December 19, 2019 Present: Supervisor Jason Leifer, Cl Daniel Lamb, Cl Linda Lavine, Cl Kathrin Servoss, Cl Alice Green Elected Officials: Bambi L. Avery, Town Clerk Other Town Staff: Ray Burger, Planning Director Khandi Sokoni, Town Attorney Supv Leifer called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm TOWN CLERK RESOLUTION #176 (2019) -APPROVE MINUTES Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves the meeting minutes of November 7, November 14 and November 21, 2019. 2nd Cl Lamb Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes The board last week discussed increasing the fee for a dog found to be unlicensed during an enumeration from $7.00 to $10.00. A local law has been prepared to increase the fee and to clarify language regarding prohibited acts. That proposed local law amending the town's dog control law was introduced and a public hearing set for January 16, 2020, at 6:15 p.m. The language of the proposed local law follows: SECTION 1. Local Law No. 2 of the year 2010 (the Town of Dryden Dog Control Law) filed with the Secretary of State on December 23, 2010, and amended by Local Law No. 1 of 2012 which was filed with the Secretary of State on February 9, 2012, is hereby further amended to increase the additional fee for enumeration provided in Section 7 H to now read as follows: "H. Additional Fee for Enumerated Unlicensed Dog. In addition to the license and other fees provided for herein, the owner of a dog identified as unlicensed during a dog enumeration shall be charged an additional fee of$10 at the time of licensing. All such additional fees under this subsection shall be used to pay the expenses incurred by the town during such enumeration." Furthermore, Section 4(B) of the Town of Dryden Dog Control Law is amended to add the word unreasonable to now read as follows: Page 1 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT "Prohibited Acts. It shall be unlawful for any owner of a dog in the Town of Dryden to permit or allow such dog to: B. Make sounds that create unreasonable disturbance across a residential real property line." SECTION 2. The provisions of this local law are severable. If any court of competent jurisdiction decides that any section, clause or sentence, part or provision of this local law is illegal, invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect, impair or invalidate any of the remaining sections, clauses, sentences, parts or provisions of the local law. SECTION 3. This local law shall supersede or repeal any prior inconsistent local law. SECTION 3. This local law shall take effect upon filing with the Secretary of State. ANNOUNCEMENTS Supv Leifer announced that this is the last meeting for Alice Green and Linda Lavine. He thanked L Lavine for the two terms she served on the board. She got started when the town was fighting to keep Anschutz and ban fracking. She was part of making history in the state and strengthening home rule. Since then she has been a consistent advocate against climate change and with her help, we have made a lot of progress in Dryden. Cl Lavine said it has been really wonderful representing an exciting town that did such wonderful things. Supv Leifer said Alice Green has accomplished a great deal in the two years she has been on the board. She has done substantial work in getting the town to be a climate smart community and helping get the rail trail going beyond anyone's wildest expectations. They have secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants. She helped put together the maintenance plan that the board will be voting on tonight. Without her help these projects would not have happened, and he is glad she is willing to continue to work with some of the boards and committees. Cl Green said the theme of her husband's retirement party was a song called "How Can I Miss You When You Won't Go Away." She is looking forward to continuing to work on advisory boards and task forces for the Town. Leaving as a councilperson is a bittersweet moment. She is grateful to have worked with this particular board and also town staff. She very much appreciates the staff who work for the town. They often go unrecognized. She thanked all town staff and all the folks on the boards and committees she has worked with. Cl Lamb thanked them both for their service and stepping up when needed and representing us. It is not always easy; public service is a noble thing. He appreciates them both and the work they have done. Cl Servoss said she agrees, and it's been a pleasure working with both of them. Supv Leifer announced the Town was awarded a $705,000 grant from the State for streambank stabilization along Fall Creek. The application was submitted in September by Rick Young with help from Jen Karius. Cl Green said each of the villages also received grants. She learned the town will not get the grant through the Climate Smart Community Program for 50% of the cost of the comprehensive plan work. It could be because of the awards that were just announced. They will look to resubmit next July. Page 2 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT Supv Leifer announced that he understands the power outages in Varna had nothing to do with the solar farms so that rumor is not true. CITIZENS PRIVILEGE Residents thanked Alice Green and Linda Lavine for their service on the board and presented a cake. Joe Wilson said he will always think of Cl Lavine as the person who made sure that we had the highest legal representation at the appeal level when the fracking ban was tested. Cl Green is the consummate public servant, is able to talk to people, listen hard, digest what they say and work that into her own thinking. He thanked them both for their services. Marie McRae said she agrees with what has been said and so appreciates both of them and their service. Judy Pierrepont said she also appreciates their service to such a degree. She thanked Cl Lavine and said she got the best legal defense possible in Deborah Goldberg, and once we won every town in New York knew they had home rule and they could ban fracking also. We were a leader to the state, the country and the world. She thanked Cl Green for very thoughtful, deliberative problem solving and hard work on the board. Buzz Lavine thanked them both for tremendous service that has left the town better than the way they found it. Dave Weinstein thanked Cl Lavine and Cl Green who both met his gaze when he spoke at the podium. He appreciates the whole board as well as the staff. He knows how much effort is being put out. He read the following letter to the board: I want to urge you to move forward toward adoption of the changes to the zoning law recommended by the Planning Board. Just to be clear,these are not the ones for which you have already scheduled a public meeting and for which the Planning Board was not consulted. The ones I am referring to are the recommendation formulated by the Planning Board to resolve the huge discrepancy between the goals for new housing stated in the Varna plan and what is allowed in our current zoning. The Varna Plan set as a goal the addition of approximately 450 new bedrooms to add to the 800 existing in 2012, about a 50% increase. In contrast, however,the zoning allows 2700 new bedrooms to be added, about 6x more than the Varna Plan goal. The recommendations don't get the allowable bedroom number all the way down to 450, but by allowing about 1200 new bedrooms, it still is a lot closer than the current zoning. Further,the recommendations seek to bring more of a mix of different housing options in different areas of the hamlet than what we've been getting. We want to give people a much broader menu of housing options, in affordability and ownership, instead of the almost exclusively apartment complexes we've been seeing. Please give these recommendations your serious attention so that Varna can be seen as a place back on the road to achieving the goals of its plan. Thank you for your time and attention, Page 3 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT D Weinstein will present the four slides that were presented at the Planning Board at January agenda meeting (attached). Jim Skaley said he has been getting constituent complaints. Of concern is that the Varna Auto people have had situations where they had cars on lifts and the power went out. They've had to take people home. It is beginning to cost them a fair amount of money, and likely affecting Bell's Auto also. Ray Burger said he had contacted NYSEG and they said that outages were reported, and they are in the process of diagnosing them. Their best hypothesis is it was wind and they are trying to make their lines more resilient. J Skaley asked if the board could send letter to public service commission about this since businesses are losing money. Joe Osmeloski, 2180 Dryden Road, said they are getting a cell tower and a solar farm within 50'of their property. There has been a lot of discussion about the poles over on the Ellis Hollow project and they are hoping that they are not going to get something that looks like what is at Stevenson Road or on the Carpenter farm. All these massive poles were not shown in the plans. If there are poles going in, they are not going to be very happy. They don't want to get to the point where they have to do something. He understands the board is going to talk with NYSEG about the poles, but he doesn't think there is anything to be done about the ugly things that are already in. He hopes we don't get the same thing at the cemetery or on George Road. It's bad enough, and we don't need that too. At least keep the poles away from that project. He thought most of it was going underground. BROADBAND COMMITTEE Supv Leifer said he has some letters of interest for membership. He wants to structure this in the same way as the Climate Smart Task Force. Members will be named at the organizational meeting. RESOLUTION #177 (2019) - ESTABLISH BROADBAND TASK FORCE Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: WHEREAS, the Town of Dryden commissioned a study on the feasibility of municipal broadband in the Town of Dryden, and WHEREAS, the Town Board accepted the report of Hunt Engineers at its November 21, 2019 business meeting, and WHEREAS, there was a presentation and public input on November 21, 2019, Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, that the Town of Dryden establishes a municipal broadband task force consisting initially of five (5) members including at least one town board member, to discuss the structure of the municipal broadband system, investigate funding opportunities and to establish the legal authority, with the goal of applying for the connectivity grant in May of 2020 as the first grant for the project. 2nd Cl Lamb Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes Page 4 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS EMR Funding Request - Supv Leifer said Patrick Brunner has requested funding to bring an Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) class to Dryden High School. There is a fund balance in the Ambulance District budget that could be drawn from should the board decide to do this. P Brunner and Kevin Westcott of Dryden Ambulance explained this class would train high school students to become certified NYS Emergency Medical Responders (one step below an EMT). P Brunner has been working with the school through the fire and EMS club. The plan is to run the course from 2:30 to 5:00 pm two days a week at the high school and participants could ride the 5:00 bus home. The class would run February through June. They would be able to offer the course at $5,600 for the course. Books are an additional $100 each and they are trying to get help covering the cost of the books. They are asking the town board to sponsor this first start up class. The high school will provide the class room, AV equipment and transportation home for the students. TLC Ambulance will provide NYS certified instructors and other tools needed for the class. Dryden Ambulance will offer support in several ways, including having personnel available to assist with training. When the class is offered in the future, they should be able to fund it through the school or the state. Participants will gain skills that will enable them to help the rescues and ambulance in the town of Dryden and hopefully be encouraged toward a career in emergency response services. This should in turn boost membership numbers in the fire departments and ambulance service. Cayuga County has done this successfully and it would be the first time the class is offered in our area. Supv Leifer will need details to craft a contract. Cl Lamb said the town will need a budget and a good understanding of where the money will go in writing. Cl Green said it is a great idea to catch the kids while they are at school and provide transportation home. She asked if the cost of the class would decrease if there were fewer students enrolled and was told the cost would remain the same. If the budget and details are received in time to craft a contract, it could be considered for the January 9 agenda and may be voted on at the January 16 meeting. Special Joint Commission -grit removal cost overrun- Supv Leifer explained that the bids for the grit removal project came in four million dollars higher than projected. It would mean an increase in the town share (1.98%) from $219,932 to about $297,000. The entire project would be bonded out and the town will have to account for its share of the annual payment. Atty Sokoni said she had just learned about this today, and the town will likely go through the same process as before with a public interest order and public hearing. She will research the matter and advise the board. Trail Maintenance Plan- Cl Green and Cl Lamb have discussed the efforts of the Rail Trail Task Force and making sure that we are working well with the DEC around the trestles at the Game Farm. She said one of the stipulations of the stewardship agreement for that section of the trail is that the town outline the plan that it will use to maintain those bridges and the trail in that section. It makes sense to make a single maintenance plan for all the miles of the trail, the Jim Schug section and the additional 10.5 miles being added. They referred back to the Parks 8a Maintenance guidelines (attached) that were recommended by the Conservation Board and approved in 2015 that talked about the ways the DPW staff will be ditching, mowing, and clearing brush along the trail. They incorporated that with a new look at Page 5 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT maintenance for the entire length of the trail. She reviewed the maintenance plan and the resolution with the board. RESOLUTION #178 (2019) -ADOPT TRAIL MAINTENANCE PLAN Cl Green offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: WHEREAS, the Dryden Rail Trail Task Force has made significant progress towards the completion of the trail, and WHEREAS, the Task Force and the Dryden Department of Public Works wish to establish a clear plan for the maintenance of the trail across its entire length, and WHEREAS, in 2015 the Town approved a general set of trail maintenance guidelines recommended by the Town Conservation Board, and WHEREAS, the Task Force and DPW Superintendent have crafted a plan for that maintenance that establishes regular intervals of inspection and maintenance, now THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Town of Dryden approves and adopts the following Rail Trail Maintenance Plan presented by the Task Force and DPW Superintendent. Maintenance Plan for Dryden Rail Trail (DRT), Including All Trail Bridges Town of Dryden Department of Public Works (DPW) staff will do routine inspection of the trail along its length including visual inspections of culverts and all DRT bridges at least monthly. A full inspection of all bridge undercarriages will be conducted at least every two years. Routine bridge maintenance for each trail bridge will include repair and staining of above-deck pressure treated lumber elements, clearing vegetation around bridge railings, and adding fill at the interfaces of bridges and trails, all as needed. Staff will adhere to the recommendations outlined on ditching, mowing, and brush &tree trimming in the Town's "Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines"document, as approved by the Town Board in April of 2015. Village of Dryden and Village of Freeville DPW staff will provide the same visual inspections and routine maintenance for those trail sections, culverts bridges that are located within their village limits, coordinating with Town DPW when necessary. DPW maintenance staff will report immediately any identified major repair needs to their supervisory officials, who will arrange for the Town's engineering firm to inspect the site, and plan for any more complicated structural repairs, if necessary. The Town DPW will produce and submit to the Town Board an annual report, listing results of staff inspections and the condition of each trail section, including surfaces, culverts and bridges. 2nd Cl Lamb Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Page 6 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT Supv Leifer Yes BridgeNY Update - George Road Bridge - Silverline Construction has been awarded the contract for construction. They are planning to begin mid-February or early March. George Road will be closed to through traffic during construction. It is expected to be done by the end of October. J Osmeloski asked the status of the speed limit request. Cl Servoss said they will continue to ask. Freese Road Bridge -The state has told the town to move forward with a public information meeting and that will be scheduled for early to mid-January. Cl Servoss reported that reimbursement amounts received were not what was expected and she will look into that. Approve Hourly Rates -This is for people who are not salaried. There will need to be a budget mod for the recreation department to adjust the amounts on personnel lines. RESOLUTION #179 (2019) -APPROVE 2020 PAY RATES Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby approves 2020 pay rates for non-union Highway/DPW and Town Hall employees who work less than 40 hours per week, OR do not have their own unique budget lines as follows: Name Title Hire Date 2019 Rate 2020 Rate Increase Town Hall Employees: Marty Conger PT Recreation Assistant 11/27/2017 19.62 22.11 12.6 Andrew Pierce Rec Supervisor 3/19/2018 19.62 20.21 3.0 Lee Parker Deputy Clerk 12/30/2009 13.75 14.10 2.5 Sherri Crispell Senior Account Clerk 5/17/2012 21.00 22.00 4.7 Ryan McHugh Conf.Secretary to Supervisor 11/19/2018 18.00 18.36 2.0 David Buck PT Court Attendant 6/1/2014 41.62 42.87 3.0 James Niemi PT Court Attendant 6/1/2014 41.62 42.87 3.0 John Arsenault PT Court Attendant 11/25/2019 41.62 42.87 3.0 Highway/DPW Employees: Randy Riker Seasonal MEO(PT as needed) 12/13/2012 17.50 18.00 2.8 Shawn Flynn Seasonal MEO(PT as needed 1/13/2015 18.00 18.50 2.8 Christopher Clauson Asst.Supt. Of Public Works 9/5/2017 $48,949.80 $50,418.00 3.0 2nd Cl Lamb Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Page 7 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes Postage for Tax Bills-B Avery estimates the amount of postage to mail the 2020 property tax bills to not exceed $3,080 and asked the board to approve that amount. RESOLUTION #180 (2019) -AUTHORIZE POSTAGE FOR TAX BILLS Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that this Town Board hereby authorizes postage for mailing the 2020 property tax bills in an amount not to exceed $3,080.00. 2nd Cl Green Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes PROPERTY TAX BILL INSERT The board has been provided with a proposed insert with information about the ambulance district tax rate increase and the upcoming dog enumeration to be mailed with the 2020 property tax bills. RESOLUTION #181 (2019) -APROVE PROPERTY TAX BILL INSERT Supv Leifer offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: RESOLVED, that the Town Board hereby approves the following information to be included as an insert with the 2020 real property tax bills: Explanation for Increase in Dryden Ambulance Tax Rate Due to a lack of volunteer paramedics and diminishing volunteer EMT's, Dryden Ambulance relies almost entirely on paid personnel in order to provide Advance Life Support Ambulance Service to the Town of Dryden. The fact that fewer people are pursuing the paramedic profession only exacerbates the recruiting challenges. This is primarily due to the relatively low pay and high stress work environment. These compounding factors have resulted in a growing shortage of paramedics, which forces ambulance companies to compete against each other in the recruitment and retention of emergency personnel. In order to provide this critical service in our community, we must be willing to offer salaries that attract and retain qualified professionals. This situation, in addition to the increasing price of vehicles, equipment, drugs, etc., is driving the cost of providing ambulance service to unprecedented and unexpected levels. For these reasons, the leadership of Dryden Ambulance petitioned for a desperately needed rate increase. Page 8 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT Dryden Ambulance is committed to remaining a vital community-based ambulance service providing exemplary pre-hospital emergency care. If you have any questions or concerns about our service or the costs associated with it,please feel free to contact Kevin Westcott, Director of Operations, Dryden Ambulance, 26 North St. Dryden NY 13053. 607-844-8124; or Email: kestcott@dryden.org. NOTICE OF DOG ENUMERATION The Town of Dryden will conduct a dog enumeration this year. Why? New York State requires that all dogs be licensed in the Town in which they reside. One of the licensing requirements is proof of current rabies vaccinations thereby ensuring a safer community. When?The enumeration will start on February 1, 2020. The Dog Control Officers, Richard Leonard and Thelma Hefner, will visit all residences in the Town to verify current licensing. What happens if my dog is not licensed? If your dog is not licensed, the DCOs will provide you with a license application and a copy of the Dryden Dog Law. You will be given 20 days to license your dog. What is the cost to license? A dog that is neutered/spayed is $11 per year. A non- neutered/non-spayed dog is $23 per year. If you fail to license your dog before the enumerators arrive, an additional $10 fee will be charged. What do I need to license?To license your dog, all you need is proof of a current rabies vaccination, whether the dog is spayed/neutered and your address. The license application is available on-line at Dryden.ny.us/town-clerks-office/dog and at the clerk's office. If you have more questions, please contact the Town Clerk's Office at 607-844-8888, option 3. Located at 93 East Main Street, we are open Monday through Friday, 8AM to 4:3013M. 2nd Cl Green Roll Call Vote Cl Lavine Yes Cl Green Yes Cl Servoss Yes Cl Lamb Yes Supv Leifer Yes COUNTY BRIEFING Martha Robertson thanked Cl Lavine and Cl Green for their service on the board. She said Cl Lavine stepped in to make Dryden a leader in the state on the environmental issue of fracking. Cl Green has a difference in the community in many wonderful ways and knows she will continue to do that. She is delighted in that the Town has joined the efforts of the Community Development Housing Fund. County staff are working with Cl Lamb on an announcement, likely to be made at one of the Habitat for Humanity houses on Slaterville Road. That is construction of two new homes and reconstruction of an existing home funded through the housing fund. Page 9 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT The Regional Council Development Grants were announced today. Tompkins County as a whole received more than $13,000,000. There were a lot of daycare project grants, $5,000,000 for the conference center downtown, the Children's' Garden and many other things. The airport project has been completed and had a soft opening last night using the new gates and jet bridges. There will be a public announcement of a grand opening when that is scheduled. Mike Lane echoed all the nice things that have been said about Cl Lavine and Cl Green. He thanked Cl Green for the email explaining the grants the rail trail has received. The County did some work on the Freese Road Bridge. They did some repairs, including banking where the scour had happened on the pier support and fixing some of the iron on the bridge itself. The estimate of the cost of that work was between $7,500 and $11,500 that county has had to spend on that bridge just to keep it going. The state has announced that there is grant money available to help every county try to get a full count of their population. That is important for redistricting for congressional representation and for federal grants that come into the counties and the state. The county was allocated up to $137,000 and have had to put in a budget for that. They will see whether they get approved for what has been asked for. Funds would be used to help make sure the rural areas are reached in the census process and for computers in mobile units, posters and signage on buses, and various kinds of publicity. The county has a lot of personnel retiring. Dan Cornell has been appointed to replace Patricia Buechel as Probation Director. They are also looking for a human rights director and human resources director, as well as replacements on the Workforce Development Board and in the Department of Emergency Response. M Lane attended the ITCTC meeting this week. There are two groups, the planning group and the policy group. The planning group tends to be staff in the trenches coming up with project estimates and working with engineers to get projects on to the TIP. The policy group is more elected officials that then approve recommendations from the planning group. There were re-elections of officers in both groups. Ray Burger will be vice-chair of the planning group. Melody Merrill will chair the policy group. Cl Servoss has been doing a good job as the representative for Dryden there. The Route 13 study group met with Barton & Loguidice and they will be starting a public information program in January about what is needed for the safety and development of the Route 13 area. They will talk about recommendations for zoning improvement, access management, and safety at intersections. A recent improvement is the crosswalk and signage at Kirk Road and Mineah Road intersection on Route 13. M Lane inquired about the status of a streetlight at the Route 392 & Livermore Road intersection. That is a dangerous intersection at night. Supv Leifer will talk with the Highway Superintendent about it. HIGHWAY/DPW DEPARTMENT Supv Leifer said there is another office that has lost heat and the Highway Superintendent will be getting an estimate from a local contractor to repair the geothermal system. Page 10 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT PLANNING DEPARTMENT R Burger has provided the department's monthly report. There will be public hearings for two local laws next month: a moratorium on conservation subdivisions that use restrictive covenants as a means of preserving open space and amending sections of the zoning law to apply to the Varna area. ADVISORY BOARD UPDATES Planning Board - Is moving forward doing research on short term rentals and preparing to make recommendations for some sort of policy to be prepared for this growing industry and making sure it is managed at some level to protect other property owners. M Robertson said the county has applied for funding through the shared services plan to purchase a database that will scour the online sources and identify where short-term rentals are offered in a community. They will share that with the municipalities. Progress is being made on the relationship with the consultant for the comp plan update. The Planning Board seems to be tuned in to that effort and there have been some intensive meetings. Conservation Board-Peter Davies is stepping down as chair and Gian Dodici has agreed to step in as the new chair. Recreation &Youth Commission-The comprehensive plan was discussed and DRYC would like to be involved as it pertains to recreation and parks. People are engaged in thinking about who might be good stakeholders in the comp plan effort. CL Green said it would be good to get some young parents involved in thinking about Dryden 2045 and DRYC is a good source of folks who are involved in the schools. The creator of the Lion Legacy Facebook group (2200 people in the group) was at the meeting and could be a good resource for input. There was a brief discussion of ideas on how to get all the town's boards involved in the comp plan update. EDR should be able to provide some guidance. There will be a public speaker presentation plan and the website is almost ready to go live. Ag Committee- Has made recommendations for reappointments. They will start discussing new guidelines from the state about solar energy projects on farmland. Supv Leifer will forward those recommendations to the Planning Board and Conservation Board. Rail Trail Task Force-The railings have been completed on the FH Fox Bridge and they are talking about what the logo or naming of the trail across that will look like. The RTTF has informally set $50,000 as the target for the naming opportunity for that bridge (for the lifetime of the bridge). Safety & Preparedness Committee -The Borger Station is going through a permit renewal process based on the work they agreed to do updating the compressors and other things the town asked for. Supv Leifer sent a letter of support. It is open for public comment until December 27. The committee will put in their own comment, but Borger did everything the town wanted and are doing things to reduce their methane footprint. CERT certificates were signed and sent out for graduates of the first class. Climate Smart Task Force -will meet again in January. They are working on several action items toward silver status. Only 3 or 4 other communities are working on that level of status. Last Friday they completed the application for the NYSERDA rebate for the electric vehicle charging stations and expect approval within two weeks. That is an $8,000 rebate that Page 11 of 12 TB 12-19-19 DRAFT combined with the Clean Energy Community Grant, will allow us this spring to install the EV charging stations at town hall. They gain a significant number of points for that toward silver status. We can get a double win with that project because we will be able to install energy efficient lighting in the rec storage building and that will give us additional credits for adding energy efficient lights. We will also get significant points for changing our street lights to LED lights. We are still waiting for NYSEG to let us know the cost of the poles for that project. The organizational meeting will be held January 2, 2020, at 1:30 pm. There being no further business, on motion made, seconded and unanimously carried, the meeting was adjourned at 7:47 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Bambi L. Avery Town Clerk Page 12 of 12 Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines 31 March 2015 Prepared by an Ad Hoc Committee of the Town of Dryden Conservation Board Bob Beck,Bard Prentiss (Chair), Milo Richmond, Craig Schutt, and C.R. Smith, and approved by unanimous vote of the Conservation Board. BACKGROUND: The Jim Schug Trail is a major asset to the Town of Dryden. It attracts a steady stream of visitors from the immediate area and the wider region. Uses include, but are not limited to: family strolling, fishing, courting,bird-watching,nature study,nature photography, exercise walking and running, horseback and bicycle riding,dog walking, and cross- country skiing. An informal count of users of the Schug Trail over several years has produced an average of 9 users per hour. This average has held up at all times of the day and for all sections of the trail. It is possible that more than 25,000 individuals per year, including repeat users, visit the Schug Trail. The Schug Trail illustrates the value of public trails and is a good example for the Town of Dryden to follow when it expands and extends its system of public recreational trails. In effect,public trails are linear parks and should be managed accordingly. The over- arching consideration for maintenance of parks,trails, and natural areas (e.g. Campbell Meadow)managed by the Town of Dryden should be to preserve and enhance,within safety limits,the natural diversity that makes these places the special attractions that they are. GENERAL GUIDELINES: Although some cutting and clearing of trail sides is necessary to allow for passage of emergency vehicles, in the case of anything beyond the recommended width of roughly 12 feet, less cutting is better. Clearing trail sides and ditching exposes the view and may improve drainage,but such efforts are often at the cost of wildlife cover and food,valued and protected plant populations, or shade for runners and other trail users. Serious consideration should be given to the overall, long-term implications before any major widening or ditching of trails is undertaken. Extensive pruning and scraping of trees by heavy equipment damages them, leading to disease and death, and is unattractive, especially in a park or trail setting. Heavy pruning has the additional drawback of removing branches at or near eye level that could be used by outdoor educators for Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines—31 March 2015 Page 1 of 5 teaching tree identification. It's worth noting that the trails and parks are used as outdoor classrooms by formal and informal educational groups of all ages. Native flowering and fruiting trees provide wildlife food and are attractive to trail users. There are some Conservation Board members who know plants well and who could mark these and other special plants, as well as unique habitat along the trail, such as the Spring Pools that support populations of the Wood Frog. This could be done yearly,prior to regular trail maintenance. Although beavers do dam watercourses along the trail, and at times require judicious management,they rarely, if ever, flood the trail. They provide great enjoyment to human visitors and should be allowed to remain whenever possible. Special devices, called "beaver deceivers," can be built and maintained to discourage beavers from blocking drainage pipes along the trail. Designs for beaver deceivers,e.g., provided by the U.S. Forest Service,may be found on the Web. Although fill is necessary in persistent wet areas, large stone, crusher run, or bank run gravel makes walking,running, riding horseback, and bicycle riding difficult, and can be a hazard to both horses and people. When possible, fine crushed gravel is recommended to be used instead. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE: A) Each year,prior to executing park and trail maintenance plans for that year,the DPW will inform the Conservation Board of planned park and trail maintenance. It then falls to the Conservation Board to identify, mark,map or otherwise inform the DPW of environmentally sensitive plants, habitats and other natural phenomena and special areas of concern, and to make appropriate recommendations for their protection and management. At the same time recommendations could be offered regarding the control of invasive species such as swallowwort, Japanese knotweed,phragmites, and non-native bush honeysuckles. Potentially contentious issues, such as ditching and brush removal, also should be reviewed and discussed. B) When the DPW has completed its work for the season,representatives from both the Conservation Board and the DPW should meet and review the season's efforts. This would allow for an exchange of ideas and aid in refining these guidelines in the future. C) Tree cutting and damage to trees by heavy equipment should be kept to a minimum; whenever possible likely den trees should be preserved for use by birds (e.g. Eastern Screech-Owl) and other wildlife. Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines—31 March 2015 Page 2 of 5 D) Ditching unnecessarily drains wet areas that serve as habitat for a variety plants, amphibians, insects and birds, including ducks. In the spirit of maintaining the trail as a nature trail and public park, these wet areas should instead be maintained and even increased where possible. E) Brush removal should be kept to a minimum, again in the spirit of a nature trail. Brush provides nesting habitat for birds and small mammals, shade for shade loving plants, and cover for larger mammals. It also often includes valued species of flowering and fruiting shrubs and trees. F) At Dryden Lake Park, the field on East Lake Road should be mowed every year after grassland birds have completed nesting and before goldenrod has set seed. The same applies to the fields at the Virgil Creek Flood Control Dam. In most years, the last 2 weeks in August or the first 2 weeks of September would be a suitable time. NYSDEC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have identified many different kinds of grassland birds as needing conservation attention. It also is against both state and federal laws to destroy nests, eggs,young, or adults of any migratory birds. After goldenrod has set its seed,mowing only distributes the goldenrod seed and makes cleaning of air filters and radiators on equipment difficult. Though attractive, goldenrod tends to exclude other plants once it is established, and the value of the fields to grassland birds and other wildlife is lost. G) Trails on the north side of Dryden Lake,northeast of the dam, should only be cleared to+/-4- 6 feet,because they are used only occasionally for fishing access and bird study. H) An advisory committee on management of parks, trails, and natural areas in the Town of Dryden(Parks and Trails Management Committee) shall serve to advise the Superintendent of Public Works and the Town Board. This committee will be a standing committee of the Conservation Board and will include at least the following members: Conservation Board Chair(who also will serve as Chair of the advisory committee), one member selected from the Recreation&Youth Commission, one additional member from the Conservation Board, and two at large members selected by the Conservation Board from interested citizens of the town, for a total of 5 voting members. One or more members of this committee should have substantial, demonstrable, in-depth knowledge in identification of local plants and animals in the field, in their broadest sense(i.e. natural history). SPECIFIC LONG-TERM GOALS FOR MAINTENANCE OF TOWN OF DRYDEN TRAILS: Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines—31 March 2015 Page 3 of 5 The primary purpose of this maintenance and management policy is to provide guidance for having trails that are safe and satisfying for all users. The following goals are listed in order of priority and their importance to maintaining the Schug Trail and all other Town of Dryden trails. Implementation of the recommendations should be carried out with this priority preference in mind. These goals and objectives are based, in part,upon a trail maintenance plan adopted and implemented by DuPage County, Illinois, in October 2003. It is expected that guidance can be provided by the Conservation Board in meeting the goals and objectives which follow. Goal 1: Provide safe trails for all users. The purpose of this goal is to be sure that the Schug Trail, and all other trails, are safe for all trail users. The Schug Trail, at present, is a multi-purpose pathway enjoyed by thousands of local residents and visitors annually. The mix of trail users includes walkers,joggers,bicyclists, equestrians,birdwatchers,botanists,naturalists, and photographers. Future Town of Dryden trails might be expected to be similar. Important objectives for meeting Goal 1 include at least the following: • Maintaining trails that comply with trail accessibility guidelines • Maintaining safe trail surfaces • Maintaining clearances at roadway intersections • Improving roadway crossings • Minimizing the Town's liability in providing trail facilities • Maintaining unmowed trail buffer areas, within the original railroad right-of-way, either side of the trail • Improving safety through signage and public education • Developing a volunteer safety watch program by trail users Goal 2: Protect and enhance our natural environment. The purpose of this goal is to recognize,protect, and promote the function of the Schug Trail, and all other trails, as greenways,wildlife habitat, and park-like corridors. This includes providing ways to maintain and improve wildlife habitat and the natural variety of plant species. While not the primary purpose of trails,this goal is intended to recognize the role trails have in improving the natural environment of the Village and Town of Dryden. At the same time, efforts to achieve this goal need to include a public education component that informs trail users of work activities and management projects designed to meet this end, and ensures that the Town remains a good neighbor to surrounding property owners. Important objectives for meeting Goal 2 include at least the following: Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines—31 March 2015 Page 4 of 5 • Removing dead and diseased trees and shrubs that may be hazardous or infect other plants • Maintaining a naturalistic look,that includes wetland and woodland remnants along the trail • Removing non-native invasive species, such as European Buckthorn and bush honeysuckles, in selected areas,where effects on residential areas will be minimal, and with Conservation Board guidance • Implementing recommendations in a cost-effective manner Goal 3: Provide a pleasing trail experience. The purpose of this goal is to be sure that users enjoy the Schug Trail and all other trails. This goal recognizes the attraction of trails as a way to experience our natural environment and provide connections to unique natural areas and open spaces adjacent to trails. Important objectives for meeting Goal 3 include at least the following: • Maintaining clean, well-kept, and comfortable trails (litter-free,vandalism-free, with comfortable benches for resting or observing Nature) • Maintaining a mix of viewscapes that provide color and variety • Encouraging stewardship efforts to increase clean-up,planting,and beautification projects,with guidance from the Conservation Board • Maintaining and enhancing opportunities for viewing wildlife and plant life along trails Goal 4: Accommodate multiple uses and users along the Schug Trail and all other trails. The purpose of this goal is to ensure that trails serve the multiple uses and users they have had over time. In addition to the various uses and users named above, the trails serve as wildlife habitat, greenway corridors, drainage facilities, fishing access, and utility corridors (in some places). Important objectives for meeting Goal 4 include at least the following: • Providing sufficient and uniform trail widths • Providing and maintaining signage to educate trail users about multiple uses and users • Maintaining trail rights-of-way for utility and drainage purposes Town of Dryden Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines—31 March 2015 Page 5 of 5 Town of Dryden Conservation Board 31 March 2015 Resolution to Town Board Proposed that the Town of Dryden adopt the attached document, "Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines," and facilitate the recommendations contained therein Whereas, Trails,such as Dryden's popular Jim Schug Trail,are highly valued by residents and visitors for many activities such as family outings,nature study and enjoyment,walking,jogging,bicycling,cross-country skiing and horseback riding, Whereas, Maintenance objectives of mowing,brush and tree trimming,surface repair and drainage ditching for trails and parks differ significantly from the maintenance and safety requirements for motor-vehicle roadways, Whereas, It is appropriate and useful to view our current and future trails as multi-use,off-road"linear parks," Whereas, An overarching maintenance goal for parks and trails is to preserve the natural diversity that makes them the special places that they are, Whereas, Discussion between Conservation Board members and the Superintendent of Highway&Public Works has identified issues of concern and has produced agreement on maintenance goals as well as plans for ongoing annual communication and recommendations, Now,therefore,be it resolved that, The Conservation Board recommends that the Town Board approve the attached document entitled,"Parks and Trails Maintenance Guidelines," and facilitate its implementation through the Department of Public Works, Approved: 6-0 by the Conservation Board on 31 March 2015 Town Board approval : April 16, 2015 RESOLUTION #76 (2015) - ACCEPT PARKS & TRAILS MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES Supv Sumner offered the following resolution and asked for its adoption: WHEREAS, the Conservation Board has recommended that the Town Board accept the Parks & Trails Maintenance Guidelines prepared by them, and WHEREAS, the Highway Superintendent, Department of Public Works and staff will adhere as closely as reasonably possible to these guidelines, it is hereby RESOLVED, that the Dryden Town Board hereby accepts the Parks & Trail Maintenance Guidelines dated March 31, 2015 and encourages the Highway and DPW Superintendent to follow them as closely as reasonably possible. 2nd Cl Leifer Roll Call Vote Cl Sloan Yes Supv Sumner Yes Cl Leifer Yes Cl Lavine Yes Memorandum Date: December 19, 2019 To: Town Board From: Ray Burger, Planning Director Subject: Planning Department Update Application materials and other documents for some of the items below can be found at: http://dryden.ny.us/departments/planning-department/permit-review-links/ Local Laws proposed: One proposes a moratorium on Conservation Subdivisions that use restrictive covenants to protect the open space. The other proposes amendments to the Zoning Law to extend a waiver provision to Varna districts and affect how Varna design guidelines are applied to applications. Public hearings for both of these will be held at the January 16, 2020 Town Board meeting. Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Plant(IAWWTP)capital project: The IAWWTP received bids for the grit removal project and the bids exceeded the amount of the prior approval. The Town of Dryden is one of the three facility owners and must now consider approval of the higher project cost. Rail Trail Bridge Crossing Route 13: Erdman Anthony and Associates, Inc. was selected for design and management of the Dryden Rail Trail Phase 2 project that includes building a bridge over Route 13. The next work to be done is to decide the project scope. Comprehensive Plan Update:The next meeting of the Planning Board committee to update the comprehensive plan will be held on January 8 at 6 pm in the DPW building. Discussion will include the public outreach plan and stakeholder meetings. Staffing changes in the Planning Department: Steve Cortright resigned as Code Enforcement Officer this month to accept a job elsewhere. Shelley Knickerbocker will join the Planning Department next month. Unsafe structure at 107 Morris Road: The Town filed a lawsuit against the owner of this property since the home has become an unsafe structure. The court has yet to set a date. Planning Department activity for TOWN -Nov 2019 Building permits: 13 (2 duplex, 1 SFH) Zoning permits: 2 Special Use Permit Reviews: 3 Site Plan Reviews: 1 1 (over—>) Variance reviews: 0 New businesses: 1 Fire safety inspections: 0 Building inspections: 28 Certificates of Occupancy/Compliance: 9 Subdivisions: 1 Violation notices: S Complaints: 2 Fire calls: 0 Training hours: 0 Planning Department activity for VILLAGE -Nov 2019 Building permits: 0 Zoning permits: 0 Special Use Permit reviews: 0 Site Plan Reviews: 0 Variance reviews: 0 New businesses: 0 Fire safety inspections: 0 Building inspections: 2 Certificates of Occupancy/Compliance: 2 Subdivisions: 0 Violation notices: 1 Complaints: 2 Fire calls: 0 2 Recreation Department Report November 2019 Recreation Office: • Department received the following grants this month o $1,000.00 grant from the Target Corporation for the soccer program. o $750.00 from Walmart for football uniforms. o $1,250.00 from GAP Community Arts Partnership for Summer Music Series. • Registration is open for our Shooting Stars,Youth Volleyball,Adult Basketball and Creative Writing Class. • Semi-Formal Family Valentine Dance 2/15/20 at the Dryden Fire Hall. DJ and location has been booked. • Dryden Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams will be running our Shooting Stars program. • Approximately 60 Holiday Cards were sent to Troops that were collected for the Community Holiday Celebration. Meet with personal at TO about possible Dryden Community Summer Camp location. • Accepted the offer from the Village of Freeville to take over their Summer Camp program starting in 2020. Youth Travel Basketball • Practices have started for all grade levels. • Games scheduled for the season through the John Tobin League in Cortland. • There are 6 teams for the Youth Travel Basketball o Boys 5th: 7 players o Boys 6th: 13 players o Girls 4th: 7 players o Girls 5th: 6 players o Girls 6th: 8 players Youth Wrestling • Practices started 12/3/19 • 17 children