HomeMy WebLinkAboutFebruary 13, 2024 - Enfield Water Protection Committee MinutesEnfield Water Protection Committee Minutes February 13, 2024
Attending: Nancy Spero, Stephanie Redmond, Mary Julien (MJ) from NYSRWA, Becky
Sims, Julie Schroeder, Dan Walker, Tom Joyce, Peter Penniman, Harry Stewart
The Next Enfield Water Protection Committee Meeting is planned for
Thursday April 18 at 6:30 pm, via Zoom. Please mark your calendars.
We reviewed and discussed the issues from last meeting. These issues are outlined below.
DWSP2: MJ has not gotten any updates from NYS. NYS DEC and DOH have announced
that they are giving communities free technical assistance to help protect public drinking
water sources through the Drinking Water Source Protection Program (DWSP2). Enfield
was listed by NYS as a town currently participating in this program.
Water testing was done for the first quarter of 2024 by Tom Joyce and Becky Simms.
Grascen Shidemantle <gshidemantle@communityscience.org> of CSI is looking for more
volunteer help with water collection for our area (the other Enfield collection sites). If you
are interested in helping with water testing at other Enfield sites, contact Grascen directly.
Peter Penniman, said he may be able to help. We did not get the results for the recent
tests. Tom got the bottles for the next tests. The next tests can happen anytime after
March. We did not yet plan a specific time for the tests.
Tom Joyce picked up brochures from CSI to have in our town with information about water
testing. Tom will take them to the Town Clerk’s office and the Enfield Community Center.
Tom began to outline ideas for an Enfield specific brochure related to water protection in
Enfield. Julie will work with him on a draft. MJ will send information from a poster they have
at NYRWA to Tom and Julie. MJ is also interested in working on a generic Rural Water
brochure for NYRWA. There is no funding currently allocated for this project. If we come up
with a brochure we like, we can take it to the Town Board for approval and see if they are
interested in earmarking money for the project. This brochure is part of our community
education as outlined in the DWSP2.
The Town Board is continuing to review the Planning Board’s revisions of the Site Plan/Sub
division regulations. They will be continuing with this at the Town Board meetings.
There will be a presentation by Thomas Song of the National Flood Insurance Program at
the beginning of the Town Board meeting tomorrow. Enfield is the only town in the county
not yet participating in this program. He will hopefully be able to clarify the pro and cons of
the Town joining the program.
Becky Sims will be doing a presentation at the Town Board meeting regarding a possible
feasibility study related to municipal water.
The Town will be forming a committee to look at revisions of the Comprehensive Plan. Get
in touch with Stephanie if you are interested in this project.
Dan reported on changes in DEC Wetland regulations which will potentially protect more
small wetlands by decreasing the number of acres that can be protected from 12 acres to
7.4 acres.
Dan also shared information about the 8 year review and recertification currently taking
place by the county related to the Agriculture District #2 - our Enfield district. He sent this
committee copies of the map with the areas under review and the letter explaining the
rationale for these changes. This could indirectly affect water, if a farmer no longer has
protection under the Ag Exemption, and someone complains about their activity affecting
their resources, such as their water. They may have to stop the activity. But, there are very
few areas in Enfield where changes are being discussed.
The Next Enfield Water Protection Committee Meeting is planned for Thursday April 18 at
6:30 pm. via Zoom.