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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-07-01 1 SPECIAL/WORK SESSION TOWN BOARD MEETING July 1, 2015 A Special/Work Session Meeting of the Lansing Town Board was held at the Town Hall Board Room, 29 Auburn Road, Lansing, NY on the above date at 6:00 p.m. The meeting was called to order by the Supervisor, Kathy Miller and opened with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Roll call showed the following to be PRESENT: Kathy Miller, Supervisor Robert Cree, Councilperson Doug Dake, Councilperson Ruth Hopkins, Councilperson Edward LaVigne, Councilperson ABSENT: None ALSO PRESENT: Guy Krogh, Town Counsel, Dan Veaner, Lansing Star, John O’Neil, Village of Lansing, Mr. Bennett, Connie Wilcox, Ted Laux, George and Wendy Fenner and a few other attendees. RESOLUTION SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF 2015 AGRICULTURE PLAN FOR TOWN OF LANSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THEREOF RESOLUTION 15-78 RESOLUTION SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF 2015 AGRICULTURE PLAN FOR TOWN OF LANSING AND ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW THEREOF The following Resolution was duly presented for consideration by the Town Board: WHEREAS, Town Law § 272-a includes, among its provisions, a declaration that among the most important duties and jobs of local officials is to enact, update, and implement a comprehensive plan, and § 272-a (3) (d) describes an agricultural plan as among the matters that should be duly considered; and WHEREAS, Agriculture and Markets Law Article 15-AAA provides for statewide and county-wide farmland studies and protection plans, and towns and local municipal agricultural plans are recognized as important components thereof pursuant to § 325 (b); and WHEREAS, the Town of Lansing has been pursuing an agricultural plan and preservation program since 2008, the details of which committees, meetings, public documents, and input relative to the same are more expressly delineated in such plan; and WHEREAS, this plan must be adopted in accord with Town Law § 272-a, and (i) this plan was referred to the Planning Board as required by § 272-a (5) and the same was recommended for adoption with some issues to consider, as set forth by the Planning Board by formal resolution; (ii) this plan must still be reviewed by NYSDAM pursuant to Town Law § 272-a (9) and A&M Article 25-AA; and (iii) pursuant to § 272-a (5) and GML §§ 239-l and –m this plan must be referred to the Tompkins County Planning Department; and WHEREAS, the adoption of this Plan is a Type I Action under SEQRA such that an environmental review and FEAF are required; and WHEREAS, upon consideration of the foregoing and the desire for public input and information concerning this plan before finalizing or adopting the same, the Town Board of the Town of Lansing has hereby 2 RESOLVED, that the first of two required Public Hearings will be held at the Lansing Town Hall, 29 Auburn Road, Lansing, New York, being in the Town of Lansing, on the 15th day of July, 2015, at 6:05 pm, to consider the adoption of the proposed Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, and to thereat hear all persons interested in the subject thereof, and to take such action thereon as is required or permitted by law; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk of the Town of Lansing, Tompkins County, New York, is hereby authorized and directed to cause a Notice of Public Hearing to be published in the official newspaper of the Town of Lansing, and also to post a copy thereof on the Town signboard maintained by the Town Clerk, at least 10-days before the date of such hearing as required by Town Law § 272-a (6) (c); and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk verify the delivery of this plan and the related maps and materials to the Tompkins County Planning Department for a GML § 239 review; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Board proposes to be the Lead Agency for a coordinated Type I review of this action, and in furtherance thereof, it is further resolved and determined as follows: 1. This action is classified as a Type I Action pursuant to SEQRA (6 NYCRR 617.4 (b) (1)); 2. The Town Board of the Town of Lansing proposes to be the Lead Agency for coordinated environmental review, subject to consent or any requests regarding such coordinated review by any Involved Agency, as applicable; 3. The Involved Agencies are the Town of Lansing Planning Board and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets; and 4. The Interested Agencies are determined to be The Town of Lansing Zoning Board of Appeals; the Village of Lansing; the Town of Groton; the Town of Ulysses, the Town of Locke; the Town of Genoa; the Town of Dryden; the County of Tompkins; the County of Cayuga; the NYS Regional Director of Parks in the Finger Lakes Region; NYSDEC; NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; the Tompkins County Planning Department; the Clerk of the Tompkins County Legislature; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk issue, or cause to be issued, a Notice of Intent to each and all of the Involved Agencies and Interested Agencies, including therewith a copy of the proposed plan and the FEAF therefore; and it is further RESOLVED, that after consideration of public comments, County Planning comments, and environmental issues, a final draft plan shall be developed and a public hearing thereupon duly scheduled. The question of the adoption of such proposed Resolution was duly motioned by Supervisor Kathy Miller duly seconded by Councilperson Robert Cree, and put to a roll call vote with the following results: Councilperson Robert Cree - Aye Councilperson Doug Dake - Aye Councilperson Ruth Hopkins - Aye Councilperson Edward LaVigne - Aye Supervisor Kathy Miller - Aye Accordingly, the foregoing Resolution was approved, carried, and duly adopted on July 1, 2015. 3 RESOLUTION SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AMENDED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR GRANTCHESTER SOCCER RELATIVE TO 2015 REGIONAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT RESOLUTION 15-79 RESOLUTION SCHEDULING PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING AMENDED SPECIAL USE PERMIT FOR GRANTCHESTER SOCCER RELATIVE TO 2015 REGIONAL SOCCER TOURNAMENT The following Resolution was duly presented for consideration by the Town Board: WHEREAS, Applicants, Ithaca Youth Soccer Club, Inc., TC United Soccer, and John F. Young have requested amendments of the special use permit (“SUP”) and the modification of certain conditions of the previously approved and amended SUP to allow for the continued operation of private not-for-profit soccer clubs upon an approximately 12.4 +/- acre parcel to be used as a non-commercial recreational facility in a R2 District located at 1775 East Shore Drive (part of Tax Parcel #37.1-6-2.2); and WHEREAS, in 2009 a SUP for the Grantchester Youth Soccer Club was approved relative to allowing the conditional construction and use of private non-commercial soccer fields at 1775 East Shore Drive, substantially adjacent to the The Field/The Rink, all as more particularly spelled out in Resolution # 09-201, dated November 18, 2009; and WHEREAS, such SUP was amended by Resolution # 13-86, dated May 15, 2013, wherein changes to who were the approved applicants relative to use of the soccer fields, additional site planning changes, and amending certain terms of the SUP were duly considered and approved; and WHEREAS, in 2015 the applicants, acting through the landowner (Young), again applied to the Town Board for a SUP amendment to allow limited play by non-youths and for limited summer season tournament play, and such matter was reviewed by the Planning Board on two separate occasions and a formal resolution of recommendation and approval, with conditions, has been received by the Planning Board; and WHEREAS, this action is an Unlisted Action under SEQRA and the Town Board, as the sole involved agency, proposes to undertake an uncoordinated review thereof; and WHEREAS, since the date such SUP and its amendments were issued (2009 and 2013) the Town’s zoning has changed and, in consideration thereof, and the requirements of Town Law relative to SUPs, and upon consideration of the foregoing, the Town Board of the Town of Lansing has hereby RESOLVED that a public hearing will be held at the Lansing Town Hall, 29 Auburn Road, Lansing, New York, being in the Town of Lansing, on the 15th day of July, 2015, at 6:07 pm, to consider the proposed SUP amendments and the terms and conditions of such SUP generally, including due to zoning changes in the R2 districts adopted as Local Law #5 of 2015, and to thereat hear all persons interested in the subject thereof, and to take such action thereon as is required or permitted by law; and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk of the Town of Lansing, Tompkins County, New York, is hereby authorized and directed to cause a Notice of Public Hearing to be published in the official newspaper of the Town of Lansing, and also to post a copy thereof on the Town signboard maintained by the Town Clerk, at least 10-days before the date of such hearing as required by Town Law § 272-a (6) (c); and it is further RESOLVED, that the Town Clerk verify that this SUP application, and its related maps and materials, be duly the Tompkins County Planning Department with a request for a GML § 239 review, including a request for a prompt review by County Planning to assist with due consideration of this matter on July 15, 2015. 4 The question of the adoption of such proposed Resolution was duly motioned by Supervisor Kathy Miller duly seconded by Councilperson Robert Cree, and put to a roll call vote with the following results: Councilperson Robert Cree - Aye Councilperson Doug Dake - Aye Councilperson Ruth Hopkins - Aye Councilperson Edward LaVigne - Aye Supervisor Kathy Miller - Aye Accordingly, the foregoing Resolution was approved, carried, and duly adopted on July 1, 2015. ADJOURN MEETING TO WORK SESSION MEETNG Meeting Adjourned at the Call of the Supervisor at 6:04 p.m. to enter Work Session. WORK SESSION MEETING Topics of Discussion: 1. 2016 Budget – Board discussed requests made for budget to be discussed at regular work sessions instead of special meetings, as that encourages more public participation. Idea was generally acceptable. 2. Draft Fund Balance Policy – Kathy Miller handed out a draft fund balance policy for future consideration, and the board discussed fund balance as a function of operational percentages, generally. 3. Tompkins County Group-Based Investment Policy – A 1% return due to pooled investment did not look particularly attractive as the request for participation disclosed no cost or risk issues as might be important to such a decision. Also, Board decided that until they got through the draft fund balance policy, there would not even be any way to know what might be available for investment. Another thought was to wait and see how it works, as was done with the healthcare consortium. 4. Healthcare Consortium – Need to approve changes to operating agreements in August and there was a question about whether the right to opt out of Medicare was still to be offered. Kathy Miller stated she would follow-up. 5. Lansing Station Water Issues- There was discussion about the Lansing Station water issues, mainly centering around the outside versus district extension issues. Guy gave a full summary going back to the formation of the CWDX1 and noted that outside users, to a point, do not preclude or even inhibit an extension, but the issues are still engineering and water impacts, feasibility, and whether an outside user affects future planning for the CWD generally, etc. There was also discussion about easements and one landowner not wanting his land tore up for request after request and a willingness to give but one easement, etc. Guy Krogh was asked about this issue and he iterated that such was not a town issue as it was a private easement, noting that it becomes a “public issue” only when a formal CWD extension or project is pursued per Town Law. 6. Clarity Connect Broadband – Ruth Hopkins gave a Broadband-Clarity Connect update and was told the Lansing poles and facilities should be up in 4-6 weeks. The delay was in the NYS funding, much of which has now arrived. MEETING RECONVENED The meeting reconvened at 6:46 p.m. with all Town Board members present. MOTION TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION Supervisor Kathy Miller moved to ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS 5 A PARTICULAR EMPLOYEE AT 6:47 PM. Councilperson Edward LaVigne seconded the motion. All in Favor - 5 Opposed - 0 MOTION TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION Supervisor Kathy Miller moved to EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 7:34 PM. Councilperson Doug Dake seconded the motion. All in Favor - 5 Opposed - 0 ADJOURN MEETING Meeting adjourned at the call of the Supervisor at 7:34 p.m. Minutes taken by Guy Krogh and executed by the Town Clerk. Respectfully submitted, Debbie S. Crandall, RMC Lansing Town Clerk