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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCSCEC 2025-06-17 revised 1 Climate Smart/Clean Energy Community Task Force (CSTF) Minutes for the Meeting at 5:00 pm Tuesday June 17, 2025 Via Zoom Task Force Members Attending: Alice Green, Marie McRae, Jack Wright, Joe Wilson, Hunter Barlow, Sawyer Dickinson, Evan Kurtz, Anne Clark, Gina Cassidy Liaison to Conservation Board: Anne Clark Planning Department: Gina Cassidy Invited Guests: Chris Skawski – Cornell Cooperative Extension Dalia Bosworth – Dryden HS Sustainability Club – potential CSTF member (arrived late) 5:03 Call to Order Approval of Meeting Minutes: May 20, 2025 Approval Moved: Joe; Approval Seconded: Alice; Approved Unanimously Climate Smart Communities News from Cornell Cooperative Extension Report from Chris Skawski 1) Chris congratulated the CSTF on achieving Silver CSC certification for the Town. 2) Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) will no longer be managing the CSC Program in Tompkins County. This work will now be done by Southern Tier 8 (ST8), and Ashley Seyfried will be the Coordinator. 3) CCE’s focus will be on assisting with funding opportunities for floodwater issues and climate resilience. Clean Energy Community News from Cornell Cooperative Extension Chris Skawski reported that Jerry Sheng will be working with the Town on the CEC program, which will be reorganized at the end of 2026 to last at least one year and likely with smaller grants for at least that year. It is not known whether these will require a municipal match. Chris left and Dalia joined at about this point, and members introduced themselves. Climate Smart Communities Actions Review Jack announced that the Town of Dryden is now Silver Certified CSC, but we must wait until the official press release from DEC is issued before we can publicize this info. He thanked Alice, 2 Gina, and Jerry particularly for their work in getting this accomplished. Alice noted that there had previously been only 17 municipalities in the State that had achieved this status. Anne would like for Silver Certification municipalities to meet up to share ideas and experiences. She thinks this could be empowering. Jack thinks this would be good to do at both State and local levels. Alice reported that she has been asked by NYSERDA to estimate the amount of money and time it took in order to meet the actions achieved by the Town. Repair Café (RC) 1) When Marie went to the Groton Library to talk with their bike repair person about the RC, she saw that they had a bike repair stand bolted to the sidewalk. Costing approximately $,2000, it contains a bike work rack, an air pump and various tools. The locals use it frequently. 2) Loren Sparling (Deputy Town Clerk and webpage keeper) has told Marie that he will put together a webpage on the Town website on RC. She has other volunteers who will fix things; solicit repair equipment donations and food; and a volunteer to do the publicity. She is collecting more names of volunteers. 3) Evan will ask Diane Cohen of Finger Lakes Reuse (FLR) on Monday if that organization would like to engage with or support this event. Her assistant, Andrew Boghossian, who is their deconstruction person, may be interested in helping. If there is interest, Jack thinks that Marie and the other RC committee members should all meet with the FLR folks to plan their participation. 4) Evan reported that FLR is looking to expand into Dryden, and a grant application that the Town submitted to that end has advanced beyond the first level. 5) Jack suggested that Bike/Walk Tompkins might be a good partner at the RC. 6) Hunter mentioned that the DHS Sustainability Club would like to help out with the RC – perhaps welcoming and steering participants. Although he, himself, will not be available to participate, the Club is open to suggestion on where they might fit in. 7) Marie needs funds to purchase the Repair Café manual and licensing. 8) Jack suggested a vote on whether CSTF should spend money on Repair Café licensing and other beginning supplies up to $200 from the CSTF fund. a. Joe moved and Anne seconded – passed unanimously. 3 9) Gina referred to Anne’s previous suggestion of students receiving endorsement from teachers on qualifications to undertake repairs. Sawyer suggested contacting BOCES construction and mechanics class instructors. Jack has contacts at TST BOCES and will reach out to inquire about some type of collaboration. 10) We should have a list of items to be excluded from repair. Owasco Lake Watershed News Anne reported that as a liaison to the OLW, she attended a presentation by the DEC on comprehensive stormwater management. She will distribute an issue of their latest comprehensive Stormwater Management document. This should be something the CSTF should be aware of. It has both engineering and landscaping aspects. Anne will send this report to the group. Joe reports that Anne Rhodes is, in fact, implementing [the principles of] this plan. Jack will share the plan to prevent Anne R. from duplicating completed work. Jack encourages the TF to continue educating people and recruiting members for our group. EV Charger Jack reports that the Town is still waiting on the EV cargo van, but that the other two EVs have been delivered. The Town DPW, with support from CSTF members, has identified options for EV chargers but has not yet selected one. Alice will follow up with Rick Young about the status of the EV charger purchase. Mission Statement and Bylaws Jack would like the CSTF to come up with a mission statement and by-laws. A subcommittee made up of Anne, Evan, and Jack will work on this between meetings, and the group will complete this at an in-person meeting at Town Hall in August. Alice suggested that Climate Smart Communities may have some suggestions on formulating by-laws and a mission statement. She will research this. Evan thinks that the mission statement should be prioritized over processes. Jack will ask Christina for advice on formulating a mission statement and by- laws. Updates on other Town and Inter-municipal Efforts Dryden HS Report Hunter: 4 1) The DHS Sustainability Club (SC) had its last school year meeting on Tuesday. They discussed the Repair Café and the Finger Lakes Beekeepers’ request (via Nancy Munkenbeck) for assistance with the honey harvest (or if any students just wanted to learn about beekeeping generally). 2) The DHS SC has completed the first phase of the Pollinator Pathway – everything has been planted, and there’s a mulch walkway. 3) The DHS SC split a booth with the DHS Garden Club at Dryden Dairy Day, as they had in 2024. The plant sale attracted people to the table. Hunter spoke with several people about Community Solar and about gardening/seeds. He also tried to recruit more members for DHS SC. Sawyer: 1) The DHS SC spoke with 10 households for Community Solar before Dairy Day, and several more during Dairy Day. Jack reported that this accomplishment could earn the Club funding from a project DHC SC is pursuing with Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County. Town Board Report Christina (report sent via email and shared by Jack): 1) There are three new Town employees – two Building Code Enforcement Officers: Braden Wulf (FT) and Matthew Branneman (PT), and one Accounting Assistant for Dryden Fiber (PT), Matthew Kinsey. 2) Jack will relay updates for Christina to present back to the TB. Conservation Board Report Anne: 1) CB had no tips to offer CSTF for by-law or mission formation. 2) Bob Beck memorial planting at von Engeln preserve has begun, and the CB is taking donations for trees and a plaque. It is estimated that these will cost $2,000. Checks may be sent to the Town with a memo line specifying that it’s for the Bob Beck Memorial fund. Planning Department Gina: 5 1) Gina reminded the TF that anyone’s comments are welcome on applications that come before the TB, PB, and ZBA. 2) PD Staff has requested that the Town attorney look over a draft of an additional standard condition of approval to require that applicants/subsequent owners install sidewalks whenever the Town has installed a sidewalk adjacent to that parcel. Alice mentioned that the mobile home park Hillside Acres in Varna is for sale, and this is a danger point for affordable housing, as residents may be displaced by a new owner who might wish to redevelop. She has spoken to Chuck Geisler and Martha Robertson of the Affordable and Workforce Housing committee about attempting to form a resident-owned cooperative. Affordable and Workforce Housing Committee Gina 1) The committee, and especially Martha Robertson, are championing changes to the zoning code that reflect improvements in affordable and workforce housing through the current zoning/subdivision rewrite process. 2) The Town is applying for a County grant to contract a study of a 100-acre parcel out on Route 13 near the NYSEG building as affordable housing. The group congratulated Jack on successfully facilitating his first meeting as chair of the TF. The group also congratulated Hunter and Sawyer on their HS graduation and wished them luck in college. Next meeting will be 5:00 pm July 15, online. Meeting adjourned 6:35 pm NEXT STEPS/ACTION ITEMS: 1) Evan will ask Diane Cohen of Finger Lakes Reuse (FLR) on Monday if that organization would like to engage with or support the Repair Café. 2) Jack has contacts at TST BOCES and will reach out to inquire about some type of collaboration whereby students participate in the Repair Cafe. 3) Anne will send the Stormwater Management report to the group. 6 4) Jack will share the Town of Dryden’s Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Plan with Anne Rhodes to prevent her from having to “reinvent the wheel.” 5) A subcommittee made up Anne, Evan, and Jack will work on looking for useful and relevant organizational bylaws between meetings. 6) Alice will look in Climate Smart Communities literature to see if there are any suggestions on formulating by-laws and a mission statement. 7) Jack will ask Christina for advice on formulating a mission statement and by-laws. APPROVALS: 1) May 20, 2025 Meeting Minutes 2) Allocate up to $200 from the CSTF discretionary fund for licensing, manual, and other beginning supplies for the Repair Café.