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Home My WebLink AboutTB Correspondence 2021 TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.Irly.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING January 11, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter re: 2021 Town taxes and Cayuga Heights 2. Letters re: Short Term Rentals 3. Letter re: signage for East Ithaca Rec Way Retention: Six-Year 1. Retention: One-Year 1. Paulette Rosa From: Amy Yale-Loehr <amy.yale.loehr@gmail.com> Sent: Monday,January 11, 2021 12:17 PM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Stephen Yale-Loehr;Ata Movassaghi;Jes@warrenhomes.com Subject: Add our signature to document - re Short Term Rentals for Lake Property Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Opposition Group Letter.pdf Dear Ms Rosa: We would like to add our signature to the previously submitted letter regarding proposed restrictions on lakefront Property short term rentals. We own the property at 1099 Taughannock Blvd. It is a seasonal property. We do not rent it currently but have in the past and would like to have the flexibility to rent in the future. Rental income offsets the significant expense in owning a lake property, particularly one that cannot be used throughout the year because the house is not winterized and the difficult road access. We live in Ithaca throughout the year. This lake property has been in the Yale Family since 1965. We are good stewards of the property and the lake. Sincerely, Amy and Stephen Yale-Loehr 1 Paulette Rosa From: Linda Woodard <|wondard@cayuga-heightsoy.us> Sent Thursday, December 31' 2O2O1:52PK4 To: Rod Howe Cc: Bill Goodman; Donna Shaw; Eric Levine; Debby Kelley; Paulette Rosa; VCH-Trustees Subject: RE: 2O21 Town of Ithaca Taxes and Cayuga Heights Rod, I noticed there is a much more detailed explanation on your web site, which should help sorne, Could you tell rne how many years your sales tax has been allocated incorrectly? That isa question that keeps coming up� We will include the contact information for Debby (I feel for her) and the information about addressing the Town Board. When is your next Board meeting where there [s privilege of the floor? Let's talk in the New Year. Linda Linda Woodard Mayor—Village of Cayuga Heights MarchannHall 835HanshawRoad Ithaca, NY1485O Email: Phone: (507) 257-1238ext103 From: Rod Howe <RHom/e@tovvnjthaca.ny.us> Sent:Thursday, December 31^ 2O2O9:5OAK4 To: Linda Woodard <|vvoo6ard@cayuga-heights.ny.us> Cc: Bill Goodman <BGoodrnan@town.ithaca.ny.us>; Donna Shaw<DShaw@town.ithaca,ny.Lls>; Eric Levine <eIevine@townJthaca.nYAJs>; Debby Kelley<DKeIIey@townJthaca.ny.us>; Paulette Rosa <P Rosa @tovvnjthaca.ny.us> Subject: 3O21 Town of Ithaca Taxes and Cayuga Heights Linda, Individuals can continue Ln contact Debby Kelley at 607-273-1721 ext. 114o[ email She will direct /h',n to the explanation posted to our u"^k8'teOrshe can email dhp`n the explanation. . 11'3Dy Desi �^D1 VVOWlJ |'kp 10 x/klrrSQ the 7`nwD Board they can send all eDl '| to TsO Clerk Paulette Rosa ' and she will make sure that the correspondence (Tme6Dm all the Town Board members. Best', Rod 1 R.vl H�»VVe Supervisor, Town OfIthaca 71 5 North 7G0ma Street Ithaca, New York 14850 6A7_T73-177| , ext. 175 : Town oil' Ithaca NY l-oy^Ke[: 1-nwI QF Ithaca /Cofl+kaca1`nu/D\ From: Linda Woodard Sent: Wednesday, December 3O, 2O2O4:O6PM To: Rod Howe <111-1 Cc: Richard F. Robinson -Trustees ;]eff Walker� ; Bill Goodman �- Donna Shavv < �� Eric Levine � � Joan K4. u4an�inne Subject: RE: 2O2I Town of Ithaca Taxes and Cayuga Heights HiRod, I understand your explanation, but I am stunned that you Would rectify Your mistake of years (how many?) in one year, especially with the economic effects of the pandernic still being felt. Your action has resulted in a 25% increase in our Town of Ithaca taxes. This ismade worse by your boasting ofa5.31%decrease in taxes according to the insert that came with our tax bills. We will be including a slightly edited version Of Your email in our next ENewsBIast, including a disclaimer that we had any prior knowledge of this increase and that if residents have further questions, they should contact the Town of Ithaca, not the Village Clerk. Whom should we put as contact person, with their name, email address and phone number? Best, Linda Linda Woodard Mayor—Village of Cayuga Heights K4archamHa|| 8]6HanshavvRoad Ithaca, NY1485O Email: Phone: (607) 257-1238exr103 From: Rod Howe Sent: Wednesday, December 3O, 2O202:34PK4 To: Linda Woodard < Cc: Richard F. Robinson ; V[H-Trustees< >;]eff Walker �� BiU �oodman � ; Donna Shovv 2 Paulette Rosa From: Richard Boyd <rnb1@comell.edu> Sent: Saturday, January 9, 2021 10:05 AM To: Rod Howe; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pat Leary;TeeAnn Hunter; Eric Levine; PBleiwas@townl.ithaca.ny.us; Marty Moseley; sritter@towii.ittiaca.itliaca.ny.LIS; Paulette Rosa Subject: STR regulations Attachments: Boyd Letter concerning STRs.docx Dear members of the Town Board and other concerned with Short Term Rentals I'm writing to express some concerns about the way the Short Term Rentals (STR) Committee of the Town Board of Ithaca is currently understanding issues about hosted short-term rentals. I watched the December 14 Zoom meeting and was very much impressed by the presentations from concerned owners of lake-front properties. They pointed out that for many years people had bought lake-front properties—often properties they'd dreamed about for years—on the expectation that, like other lake-front owners, they'd be able to re-coup some of their investment costs by summer rentals, a practice that has been in effect for many years. They argued, convincingly I thought, that their reasonable expectations, and the financial investments they made in the light of those expectations, should be respected in the drafting of current legislation about short term rentals unless there were compelling reasons not to do so. I think that the very same considerations should apply in legislating about short term rentals in neighborhoods—like ours in Renwick Heights and the one in Forest Home—that have been, for many years, neighborhoods mainly of one-family houses with occasional long term rentals to students or visiting professionals. When we bought our house in 1972 we chose the Renwick Heights neighborhood with the reasonable expectation that we would be living in a residential neighborhood and so did many of our neighbors. Our actual experiences with Airbnb and other short term rentals in our neighborhood has been substantially less than pleasant. Even though those of our neighbors who rented their homes through Airbnb and other sites were nominally resident in their homes (so these rentals were, as we understand the term, 'hosted') the owners (or 'hosts') were often absent, and thus provided no protection against behaviors of their renters that disrupted our neighborhood. These behaviors included problems with parking on our narrow streets (problems which included not being able to drive our car out of our driveway) and several instances of destruction of property. Our efforts to sort Out issues with our 'hosting' Airbnb renting neighbors were simply dismissed as inconsequential. Furthermore, we were told by the hosts to sort out the issues with the renters rather than with the hosts themselves. Again, this further divided our once friendly community. 1 I emphasize that the greater the number of AirBnB days that are allowed, the greater the likelihood of these sorts of negative effects. Efforts to get help from the Town to cope with some of these problems met with the response that the Town lacked the resources to help. The very frequent presence of unsupervised renters in the neighborhood, and the traffic problems they created on our narrow streets disrupted the ordinary life of our residential neighborhood. The reasonable expectations of living in a residential neighborhood that many of us had when we bought our homes were undermined despite the rentals being 'hosted.' In that regard our situation is exactly analogous to that of our fellow citizens who have lake front property whose reasonable expectations might be compromised by limitations on their ability to rent their properties. It seems to me that there's no compelling reason not to frame legislation about 'hosted' short term rentals in neighborhoods such as ours so as to protect the reasonable expectations that we, and many of our neighbors, had when we purchased our houses. The STR committee currently seems to argue that the primary reason to restrict the duration of short-term rentals for un- hosted rentals, but not for hosted rentals, is to prevent a distortion in the housing market that would result if people were permitted to buy several different houses for unlimited un-hosted rentals. It's true that the Town should legislate to prevent that distortion of the housing market, and it's true that permitting unlimited duration for short term rentals only in owner-occupied houses is one way to do that. But the legislation should, I believe, also protect the interests of citizens who bought their homes in the reasonable expectation of living in a residential family neighborhood. In that regard, my understanding is that Cayuga Heights has limited un-hosted rentals to 14 days and hosted rentals to 28 days (28 days total allowed) precisely to make sure that the residential character of the Village will be preserved in the face of a proliferation of short- term rental that in fact functions as a businesses. This issue is one that, in many places, might be treated as a zoning issue. Some areas might be zoned for one-family homes (often suitably defined so as to permit 'in-law' additions or small scale long term rental) and the reasonable expectations of people who buy homes in areas zoned that way—that they will live in residential family neighborhoods—would be protected, as the reasonable expectations of people living in Renwick Heights, Forest Home, and along the lake- front ought to be protected. Other areas might be zoned to meet the expectations and business interests of homeowners with different preferences. It is not at all clear to me why the Zoning Board has not been involved in this issue. Existing zoning rules (including residential zones) were likely set up before businesses such as Airbnb rose to prominence. Thus, it seems to me that current zoning regulations ought to merit another, updated look. However, if the Town is not contemplating solving the problem of short-term rentals via re- zoning, it should consider other ways of protecting the reasonable expectations of homeowners 2 without compromising the interests of others who purchased homes in other parts of the Town with different reasonable expectations. That could, of course, be easily done in the case of our fellow citizens who live on the lake-front, but it could—and should—also be done to protect the expectations of people who bought properties in small residential family neighborhoods. One way to do that would be—as Renwick Heights residents have frequently suggested—to restrict the duration of short term rentals (hosted or un-hosted) in neighborhoods with narrow streets, limited parking and closely spaced houses. I think that that option or something like it should be fully explored. I have one final remark concerning the category 'hosted rental.' It may be that the only reason for framing legislation in terms of that category is to allow for some property owners to enjoy unlimited short-term rentals but to mitigate the impact on the housing market by ensuring that they must actually live in the house that's also their rental property. If, however, the Town Board, in considering the possibility of unlimited 'hosted' short-term rentals, also hopes that having a host will reduce the unfavorable impact of a great many short-term rentals on neighbors, there may be serious problems with how the requirement that 'hosted rentals' actually be hosted is enforced. Suppose that someone—one of our neighbors, perhaps, or one of yours—obtains a license for their house for (unlimited!) hosted short term rentals but dishonestly chooses to rent frequently when they're not in fact present as hosts, so that any possible unfavorable impact on their neighbors of their numerous short-term would be not be mitigated by their actual presence as hosts. What safeguards would their neighbors have to prevent this sort of thing from happening? Would the Town have the resources by itself to actually enforce some sort of residency requirement? As already noted, the Town has said it would not. So, would it be up to their neighbors to try to keep track of their comings and goings, thereby undermining whatever friendly relations exist in the neighborhood and thereby making neighbors function as de facto enforcement officers? If their neighbors were to ascertain that their rentals failed to meet the requirements for being hosted, what recourse would they have? Would the Town have the resources to evaluate the results of their investigations? Probably not. I think that considerations like these provide reasons for the Town to frame short-term rental regulations in neighborhood-specific ways rather than seeking a one-size-fits-all (or one-size-fit- all-except-the-lakefront) solution. This would allow the Town to respect the reasonable expectations that homeowners in different parts of the Town had when their houses were purchased. Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I attach a copy in Word. 3 Best regards Richard Boyd 18 Renwick Heights Road Ithaca Richard N Boyd Susan Linn Sage Professor of Philosophy Cornell University 4 <DShaw@town.ithaca.ny.us>; Eric Levine<elevine@town.ithaca.ny.us> Subject: 2021 Town of Ithaca Taxes and Cayuga Heights Dear Mayor and Village of Cayuga Heights Trustees, We are fully aware of the questions being asked by Village of Cayuga Heights residents regarding their Town of Ithaca tax bills. We reviewed the decisions that were made in order to communicate accurately, and as clearly as possible, the situation. While most Town residents (based on an assessed residence value of$300,000) will see a slight decrease in their 2021 tax bill from 2020 that is not true for Town residents in the Village of Cayuga Heights,because of the way that Town Funds are separated into Townwide and Part-Town Funds. The Town has 2 Highway Funds, one for the 25% of our Highway expenses that all Town residents (including Village residents, pursuant to NYS law) share in, and a separate one for the 75% of expenses that just the Town residents outside the Village are responsible for. Because the Village receives from the County a payment of Sales Taxes that is taken from the Town's share of Sales Taxes, state law says we can only apply our Sales Tax payments from the County to our Part-Town Funds —so that would be our General Part-Town Fund (covering our Planning and Codes Departments) and our Highway Part-Town Fund. The theory must be that if Village residents are benefitting from a decrease in Village property taxes by the use of a Village's share of the Sales Tax, then the reduced benefit to the Town property taxes from the reduced share of Sales Tax the Town gets should just go to the Town residents outside the Village. Unfortunately, over the past few years, we had mistakenly applied some of our Sales Tax money to our General Townwide Fund, so all town residents, including Village residents, were getting the benefit of lower property taxes in that Fund, when that benefit should have been going just to Town residents outside the Village by having the Sales Tax applied to only the Part-Town Funds. In reviewing our financials, the State Comptroller alerted us to the fact that we had misallocated the Sales Tax, so in order to rectify that we had to make a one-time adjustment. Since all Town Residents (including Village residents) benefited from a lower tax rate in the General Townwide A Fund for the past few years, we had to increase the property taxes collected in that Fund for one year to make up for the Sales Tax that had been misapplied to that Fund for the past few years. Thus in the future we will no longer be applying Sales Tax to the Townwide Fund, and after we have made this readjustment in 2021, the property tax rate in the A Fund (which is about 80% of the Town taxes that Village residents pay) can return to the more normal amount that it had been previously. Please know that the budget was carefully and thoughtfully developed with the current situation in mind. We were determined to comply with New York State's property tax cap and we accomplished that. As we start to work on the 2022 budget, in the Spring, the Budget Committee will take a close look at the fund balances and the accounts and the implication for all Town and Village residents to the extent that we can do this and follow NYS Comptroller's Office rules. If you would find it helpful,we can keep you informed as we develop the tax rates for 2022 so they won't come as a surprise to you next year. Please accept my apologies, on behalf of the Town, that we did not communicate how the adjustment would impact village residents. 3 Best, Rod Rod Howe Supervisor, Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 607-273-172 1, ext. 125 j-howe@'4own.ithaca.i s Website: www.to\vn.ithagji.ny.us .............. town Facebook: Town of`Ithaca NY Twitter: Town of Ithaca (@1thacaTown) January 3, 2021 To:Town of Ithaca Clerk-Paulette Rosa Attn: Short-Term Rental Committee As lake property owners we oppose rental restrictions on properties in the lake front zone. We are a mixed group of owners who live on the lake full time, part time and some who rent long term, short term and or part of the year, hosted and unhosted. • Rental limits jeopardize the ability for local owners to continue to own their properties. Many local owners rely on rental income to support the property or foresee needing to do so in the future. • Lake property is much more expensive to maintain than an average home,the cost of upkeep of docks, driveways,stairways and other infrastructure is extreme. • Limiting rental ability will decrease local ownership leading to more out of town ownership. Leaving the homes to be sold only to the very wealthy and to owners that"summer" here and then leave the lake access vacant and inaccessible for the rest of the year.This is not the type of community we want to promote at the lake. • Rentals are traditional on the lake, many owners have purchased properties with this as part of the ownership strategy or have inherited family cottages and can only keep them based on the rental income. • Rentals occur throughout the year, not just in the summer months—limiting rentals decreases the flexibility of owners,who all have unique circumstances,to make ownership viable for them. • Many local people rent on the lake short term—limiting rental nights will again limit local access. Local families often rent the same cottage traditionally every year, or come for a staycation,or house relatives for a special occasion—this option creates a local "time share" for people that do not want the burden of full time ownership. • There are 67 properties in the Town of Ithaca on the lake—of these more than 60%are rentals, primarily short term with owners who also use the property. Preserving the neighborhood means continuing to allow rentals, short and long term to occur. As a mixed group of owners,we all have unique needs and circumstances regarding our properties. Limiting rentals not only harms our ability to use, enjoy and maintain our properties but decreases access to the lake for all.As there has been little if any complaints on the lake we request that no changes be made to lake rental access. We enjoy our lake community and want to make sure we maintain it for ourselves and others for years to come. Lakefront Rental Restriction Opposition Signature Page 1/8/2021 I'finestamp Name Lake Property Address email address. !021/01/04 2:09:18 PM EST Jes Seaver 829 Taughannock BLvd Ithaca NY jesseaver@gmail.com !021/01/04 2:14:65 PM EST Kenneth Broadwell 829 Taughannock Blvd jesseaver@gmail.com !021/01/04 6:52:67 PM EST Carolyn Greenwald 889 Taughannock Blvd cbgreenwald@gmail.com !021/01/04 6:53:21 PM EST Adam Schaye 907 Taughannock Blvd ars@millermayer.com !021/01/0510:51.30 AM EST Elaina McCartney 845 Taughannock Blvd. emm5@cornell.edu !021/01/0510:56:28 AM EST Randall Corey 979 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca nccorey@gmail.com !021/01/0511:09:56 AM EST Nathalie Louge 1067 Taughannock Blvd natlougeQgmail.com !021/01/0511:32:23 AM EST Joshua deLara 1067 Taughannock Blvd irdelara@gmail.com !021/01/0512:11:38 PM EST PAUL FAIRBANKS 935 Taughannock Blvd PAULIERAYBAN@GMAIL.COI !021/01/05 2:22.46 PM EST Chuck Henderson 839 Taughannock Blvd cph5@cornell.edu !021/01/05 5:34:34 PM EST Ben Weiner 847 Taughannock Blvd benerikweiner@ me mail_com !021/01/05 8:16:51 PM EST Barb Bassette 839 Taughannock Blvd. barb.bassette@gmail.com !021/01/06 7:09:26 AM EST Patrick Burns 1089 Taughannock Blvd patrick.burns@cornell.edu !021/01/06 8:25:26 AM EST Chuck Baxter 1085 taugh. blvd. asicservices@gmail.com !021/01/0610.26:59 AM EST Christine Henseler 841 TAUGHANNOCK BLVD henselec@union.edu !021/01/07 9:17:53 AM EST Paulette Baxter 1085 taughannock blvd pauleftechuck@yahoo.com !021/01/07 4:47:28 PM EST Tony Baxter 1083 Taughannock Blvd. antonyibaxter@gmail.com !021/01/07 6:16:43 PM EST sally mennen 997 Taughannock blvd mennens@gmail.com !021/01/07 7:04:34 PM EST Sheila and All Snyder 855&857 Taughannock Blvd Sheilsnyder857@yahoo.com !021/01/07 7:12:11 PM EST Kash Iraggi-Wiggins 967 TAUGHANNOCK BLVD kash.balance@gmail.com !021/01/07 7:64:38 PM EST Ata Movassaghi 831 Taughannock Blvd atamovassaghi@gmail.com !021/01/08 8:38:56 AM EST Daniel Kraak 891 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY dpk3@cornell.edu !021/01/08 9:33:47 AM EST Wendy Kenigsberg 891 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 14850 wfkl@comelf.edu !021/01/0810.42:08 AM EST Richard mennen 997 Taughannock Blvd mennenster@gmail.com !021/01/0811:19.48 AM EST John&Carolyn 1077 Taughannock Blvd. John neuman@mindspring.coi Neuman !021/01/0811:29.52 AM EST Jennifer Engel 927 and 931 Taughannock Blvd Jmen elq 22@gmail.com !021/01/0812:21:36 PM EST John Abel 1001 Taughannock Blvd jfa5@comell.edu Paulette Rosa Fmmrn: ]ESSEAVER ~]esseaver@gmaiicom> Sent: Friday,January 8' 2D21 2:22PM To: Bill Goodman,- Paulette Rosa Subject: Group Letter to5TR[ommitee - RE: Short Term Rental Lakefront Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Group Letter with signatures.pdf Hello Bill and Paulette, Please see attached group letter signed by 27 lakefront owners to be shared with the STR Committee members prior to Monday'smeedng. We still have more signatures coming in but wanted to get this into your hands prior to Monday. We have found in talking to our neighbors that there are a great many who had no idea that the Lakefront was to be included in potential restrictive legislation. Trying to get everyone in the loop! Thanks su much for your help! Beat ]es _ les Seaver Associate Real Estate Broker ceK: 607.351.8737 cxnoe: 107.330,5261 emaiL: renhornes.corn Warren Real Estate of Ithaca 830 Hanshavx Road Ithaca, NY I4850 Paulette Rosa From: Bruce Lane <purityice@aol.com> Sent: Tuesday,January 5, 2021 9:51 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Comments on short term rentals Dear Ms. Rosa, My wife, Heather, and I live at 1071 Taughannock Blvd. and I thought it would be useful to provide you with a couple of comments about the issue of short term rentals on Cayuga Lake. While we do not currently rent out our house, we have, upon occasion done so (during the winter). I know that many home owners on the lake do short term rentals, which are sort of traditional for homes on bodies of water where we all like to vacation (!). It helps pay the bills (our taxes on our Lake house are more that our Ellis Hollow house, which is bigger), and often allows people to keep an increasingly expensive-to-maintain house in the family. I would think it a good idea to not change that traditional way of sharing vacation homes, which predates AirBnB. I am sure that there are noise and nuisance ordinances on the books already which would work to deal with the occasional "loud guest". When one has occurred at a neighboring house in our area, we are usually successful in quelling the noise by a quick knock on their door. So, I think there are existing ways to deal with the infrequent "bad actor" which would be much more appropriate and scaled than such a restrictive ban as is being contemplated. Please let me know if we may provide any additional input. Thanks for the work you do to keep our Town working and working well! Best Wishes for a terrific 2021/ Bruce Bruce Lane Purity Ice Cream Co:, Inc. cell 607-227-4713 office tel. 607-272-1545 fax 607-272-1546 email: bruce@purityicecreaiii.coni www.p www.Pu—r1hQgg.ROA—.mOM Elaina McCartney 845 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca NY 14850 1/5/2021 To: STR Committee I have owned and lived in my lakefront duplex home at 845 Taughannock Blvd. for 25 years. I bought the place as a severely run-down fixer-upper in 1996, as a full- time working single parent,and have invested significantly in improving the property over the years,which in turn has raised its value on the tax rolls. Now I am retired. I live upstairs and have always rented the downstairs apartment. Since 2015,the downstairs has been operated as an Airbnb short-term rental, is certified, and meets all inspection requirements. A 3% room tax is paid directly to Tompkins County through Airbnb. Like other properties along Cayuga Lake,we provide beautiful lakefront accommodations and water access to tourists, families visiting local residents, parents visiting or dropping off Cornell and Ithaca College attendees,tourists sampling the Wine Trail,Art Trail, Farmers Market, exploring parks, and sampling well-known restaurants, local Ithacans who want the lakeside experience for a staycation, or writers wanting peace and quiet. Sometimes we're the home base for reunion or conference attendees, families dropping off their college-bound children, kayakers, paddleboarders, boaters (mooring provided),swimming enthusiasts, birdwatchers, triathletes, bikers, hikers on the Black Diamond and Waterfront Trails, and so on. For me,as a retiree on a fixed income,short term rentals provide a stable way for me to pay the high lakefront property and school taxes, continue to maintain driveway, stairs, dock, and general upkeep,and continue to live here. This is a quiet neighborhood.All guests are vetted through Airbnb,and the number of guests is strictly limited. Parties and events are not permitted, and dock use after 10pm is prohibited. We have had zero complaints from neighbors regarding our Airbnb short-term rentals, including zero complaints about parking or noise. Recycling and trash are managed as any responsible homeowner does,and the premises are kept clean and well-maintained inside and out. There are professional cleaners who work regularly in the neighborhood between guests,who depend on this income. I live on the property so I can respond immediately should guests or neighbors have any concerns. I don't believe the general concerns that some Ithaca residents have raised about short-term rentals apply to the lakeside neighborhood. Examples of concerns raised elsewhere are parking, noise, and the presence of strangers. We have a small parking lot along the road where guests are allocated a parking spot. In addition, there is plenty of parking all along the west side of Route 89. The Town of Ithaca already has a Noise Ordinance should there ever be an issue with any short-term rentals along the lake.An anonymous call may be made to Ithaca Police Dispatch and an officer will deal with it promptly. We have made this information available to our neighbors but no one has had to use it. As far as concern about"strangers", that's what tourists are! We welcome them to quietly enjoy the lake and other features Ithaca has to offer, and of course only the number of guests appropriate to the space. I believe short term rentals along the shore of Cayuga Lake contribute to the local economy in a very positive way, and allow visitors to experience what makes Ithaca so special. I don't think an arbitrary restriction of number of nights deals directly with the concerns that are raised. It is impractical to switch back and forth between short-and long-terms rentals. If one does short term rentals, for example only in the summer, then the rest of the year is limited to the student market. But more than that, such restrictions to not directly deal with the concerns raised (parking, noise, strangers), but make a cause-and-effect assumption that may not be valid. Thank you for considering these thoughts. Elaina McCartney 845 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca NY 14850 1/5/2021 To: STR Committee I have owned and lived in my lakefront duplex home at 845 Taughannock Blvd. for 25 years. I bought the place as a severely run-down fixer-upper in 1996, as a full- time working single parent, and have invested significantly in improving the property over the years,which in turn has raised its value on the tax rolls. Now I am retired. I live upstairs and have always rented the downstairs apartment. Since 2015, the downstairs has been operated as an Airbnb short-term rental, is certified, and meets all inspection requirements. A 3% room tax is paid directly to Tompkins County through Airbnb. Like other properties along Cayuga Lake,we provide beautiful lakefront accommodations and water access to tourists, families visiting local residents, parents visiting or dropping off Cornell and Ithaca College attendees, tourists sampling the Wine Trail,Art Trail, Farmers Market, exploring parks,and sampling well-known restaurants, local Ithacans who want the lakeside experience for a staycation, or writers wanting peace and quiet. Sometimes we're the home base for reunion or conference attendees, families dropping off their college-bound children, kayakers, paddleboarders, boaters (mooring provided),swimming enthusiasts, birdwatchers, triathletes, bikers, hikers on the Black Diamond and Waterfront Trails, and so on. For me,as a retiree on a fixed income, short term rentals provide a stable way for me to pay the high lakefront property and school taxes, continue to maintain driveway, stairs, dock, and general upkeep, and continue to live here. This is a quiet neighborhood.All guests are vetted through Airbnb,and the number of guests is strictly limited. Parties and events are not permitted, and dock use after 10pm is prohibited. We have had zero complaints from neighbors regarding our Airbnb short-term rentals, including zero complaints about parking or noise. Recycling and trash are managed as any responsible homeowner does,and the premises are kept clean and well-maintained inside and out. There are professional cleaners who work regularly in the neighborhood between guests,who depend on this income. I live on the property so I can respond immediately should guests or neighbors have any concerns. I don't believe the general concerns that some Ithaca residents have raised about short-term rentals apply to the lakeside neighborhood. Examples of concerns raised elsewhere are parking, noise,and the presence of strangers. We have a small parking lot along the road where guests are allocated a parking spot. In addition, there is plenty of parking all along the west side of Route 89. The Town of Ithaca already has a Noise Ordinance should there ever be an issue with any short-term rentals along the lake.An anonymous call may be made to Ithaca Police Dispatch and an officer will deal with it promptly. We have made this information available to our neighbors but no one has had to use it. As far as concern about"strangers", that's what tourists are! We welcome them to quietly enjoy the lake and other features Ithaca has to offer,and of course only the number of guests appropriate to the space. I believe short term rentals along the shore of Cayuga Lake contribute to the local economy in a very positive way, and allow visitors to experience what makes Ithaca so special. I don't think an arbitrary restriction of number of nights deals directly with the concerns that are raised. It is impractical to switch back and forth between short- and long-terms rentals. If one does short term rentals, for example only in the summer, then the rest of the year is limited to the student market. But more than that, such restrictions to not directly deal with the concerns raised (parking, noise,strangers),but make a cause-and-effect assumption that may not be valid. Thank you for considering these thoughts. Paulette Rosa From: Barb Bassette <barb.bassette@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday,January 5, 2021 11:07 AM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Regulating Cayuga Lake rentals I've lived on the west side of Cayuga lake since '83. It's been a wonderful neighborhood with only a very,very few hiccups,and they came not from short term rentals of airbnb but from long term rentals with landlords who aren't present and who don't teach their tenants to be respectful neighbors.That is never the case with short term rentals. We need no more regulations. Long and short term rentals have worked, are working and should continue to be part of the tradition of being a part of our neighborhood. It is the short term people who come in who are respectful of their neighbors and who remind us all to enjoy the lake, sitting at night down at the waterside,enjoying the quiet or having their morning coffee out on the deck basking in the day beginning on a lake theirs for a day or so. I welcome the shortermers.They remind me that what I have is special. If we really wanted to become involved, it would be to remind the (few, lax) landlords that their long term tenants have neighbors, people who will be here after they are long gone.Guests for a day or so? I welcome them with open arms. They are on their best behavior wanting to come back for another visit to the beautiful lake and to a home that is theirs only for a few nights. And, if my information is correct, it isn't lake people thinking lake life needs to be more regulated;they're outsiders who feel the need. Funny, I didn't offer my opinion to Cayuga Heights when they decided sterilizing deer was better than culling the herd and actually helping our fellow neighbors in need by offering the meat to food kitchens. No, I let Cayuga Heights do their own thing. Wouldn't it be good if that were the case here?We on the lake don't need regulations for a problem that doesn't exist. Thank you, Barb Bassette 839 Taughannock Blvd. Ps: Having read the lakefront Rental Restriction Opposition paper, I am in full agreement with it! I have never rented to anyone, but I have been a homeowner on the lake for 38 years, and I am a person who believes in sharing what is partially mine,that being the lake. I commend the owners who responsibly have and who have been able to then continue to live and share their places. i Paulette Rosa From: Joleen Multari <jonepa104@yahoo.com> Sent: Saturday,January 2, 2021 9:56 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short term rentals Dear Town of Ithaca Board Members: I am writing about the issue of regulations you are considering on short term rentals such as those through Airbnb. As a lifelong member of this community, an owner of property in the town of Ithaca, a local business person and a frequent guest at Airbnb rentals all over this U.S. and abroad, I am shocked at the proposed regulations and limits you are entertaining for short term rentals in the Town of Ithaca. Most Airbnb hosts take pride in hosting a clean, quite, well run unit. This is a system driven by reviews. Those that fall short, quickly find themselves without guests and are forced to clean up their act or have no business. It works the same for guests. Bad reviews, they aren't accepted for a reservation. do not own or manage any STR. My interest is in the success of our residents and the community. STR bring many more tourists into the immediate area. They bring $ to the community. They SPEND when they are here. They patronize local businesses, restaurants, wineries, spas, supermarkets, parks and more that are close to the place where they stay, not to mention the occupancy and sales tax that the town receives from their expenditures Cities all over the US have found ways to embrace and benefit form a thriving STR (Airbnb) community without limitations on the # of night guests can stay each year. Having STR such as Airbnb is a win, win, win situation for the area. In addition to the $ spent at businesses and the taxes the town will receive, THEY CREATE JOBS. Lots of jobs. Jobs for cleaning people, lawn and garden people, decorators, contractors and for those who work at the restaurants, wineries, stores etc. If you decrease the#of STR and/or limit the#of days they can operate in a year,tourists are simply going to stay at them in other towns and Ithacans loose. I'm sure that other towns in areas will be thrilled to have all of these people staying in their local STIR, spending lots of$and paying taxes there. STR like Airbnb are what tourists want now. A great many people these days will only stay at them, not at hotels. You should embrace this, not bow to pressure from the unfortunate few who had problems and punish the majority of people who do things the right way. There are solutions to the problems so that the community wins. By all means find a solution that allows responsible STIR owners to operate 365 days/year. For example, have a permit system that is renewed each year for a nominal fee to get the STR and their owners registered. Make them accountable. Have a system to accept and track complaints about a particular STR. Have fines for the first few violations and then pull their permit for the rest of the year.There are many possible solutions. 1 I do not think that it is appropriate to force property owners to rent only to long term tenants.These are often relationships that are wrought with their own set of problems and liabilities far worse than STRs.The staggering increase and array of new housing in the town, city, and county should certainly provide adequate long term housing solutions. There are a number of retired people, single people and people who are out of work that take pride in renting an STR which provides them with much needed revenue to live on,to pay for their property taxes and to find satisfaction in hosting visitors to the area and promoting local businesses and attractions. Please, take a closer look at what you are considering, find solutions to the problems and do not put a limit on the#of days/year that STR can operate in the town. If you do,you will be giving up a huge and profitable opportunity for this community at a time when people and businesses desperately need it. Sincerely, Joleen Multari 2 1067 `Ianghannock Blvd Ithaca, New York Town Clerk Paulette Rosa Attn:Short-Term Rental Committee 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca,New York 14850 January 4,2021 Subject:Proposed Short-Term Rental Restrictions Dear Members of the Short-Term Rental Committee: We are writing to express our concerns regarding the proposed short-term rental restrictions for homes in the lakefront zone. We are two young families in the foreign service who recently bought 1067 Taughannock Blvd from a long-time Ithaca resident who,for the last ten years,has used it as a second home and short-term rental property. We both grew up in Ithaca and throughout our adult lives have returned several times a year with our spouses to stay with family and friends and to enjoy the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes.As we move around the world,Ithaca is still very much the place we call home. We stretched ourselves financially to purchase this dream home to have a place to bring our family and friends together and to deepen our lifelong connection to Ithaca. We plan to use the home as our primary residence for ourselves at least two months each year,and as a vacation home for our family and friends for another month.However,that leaves nine months where the home would be unoccupied,but for short-or medium-term rentals.While we acknowledge that we are very fortunate to have been able to pool our resources to afford a beautiful home on the lake, few owners,including us,can afford to leave our homes empty for nine months of the year. Short-term rentals are essential for us to be able to afford to maintain and improve the home.For example,our home needs to be repainted and a shared driveway repaved.These are costs we hoped would be offset through income from short-term rentals,but these investments would likely need to Lie delayed or the workmanship compromised if our home will sit empty for most of the year.Without short-term rentals,seasonal occupants incentives will be to keep expenses low, rather than to invest in maintaining and improving our homes, Keeping the homes occupied and owners investing in them is the best way to maintain the character of the lakefront neighborhood,which has always included short-term rental use. Long-term leases are not an alternative for us because it would prevent us from furnishing and enjoying Our home ourselves.Moreover,the steep driveway and three-season construction limit the use of the house in winter for long-term renters. Finally,the purchase price we paid for our home and the assessed values of homes along the lake reflect their values as short-term rentals, not just their value as seasonal or vacation homes.Restrictions on short-term rentals will have a negative impact on the values of these homes and on real-estate and school tax revenue. For these reasons,we oppose restrictions on short-term rentals for the lakefront zone, Sincerely, Joshua Delara Nat�'Ialas Louge cc: Deputy Town Clerk,Becky Jordan DepUtyTOWII Supervisor,Bill Goodman Board Member,Rich DePaolo Board Mernbcr.Tee-Ann blunter Board Member,par Leary Becky Jordan From: joyblumkin@aol.com Sent: Wednesday, January 6, 2021 9:42 AM To: Becky Jordan Cc: mhobbie@verizon.net; cgcarey@gmail.com;seg6@cornell.edu; kmccafferty2 @gmail.com Subject: East Ithaca Recreation Way- mask signage Dear Becky: Many thanks for the Town's upkeep of the East Ithaca Recreation Way -for those of us who walk on this lovely path daily, we really appreciate it. I am a member of the Bryant Park Civic Association, and we have received some requests from neighbors and other members to request that the Town provide better signage to remind people to wear masks. Although in general in Tompkins County, people are wearing masks, at times in public areas, such as the Recreation Way, adherence to that rule is spotty. There are a few signs but they are small and not very visible. Our Civic Association would appreciate it if the Town would consider improving upon this signage with a larger more visible sign directing mask wearing. Thank you for your assistance, Joy Blumkin Paulette Rosa From: Benjamin Weiner <benerikweiner@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday,January 10, 2021 1:38 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Lakefront rental restrictions Hello Mrs. Rosa, My name is Ben Weiner and I am a property owner at 847 Taughannock Blvd in the Town of Ithaca. I was recently made aware of a Town Board push to increase some rental restrictions on the lakefront. I have owned and rented here since 1995 and I am vehemently opposed to any restrictions that will limit my ability to rent. The rents that I have gotten over the years have allowed me to afford the high taxes, insurances, upkeep, and my mortgage so that I can continue to own and enjoy this property. I currently live here full time (although that has varied over the years),and I hope to own this property for the rest of my life and pass it on to my child. It is a special place that I love. I do my best to rent to lake lovers, not loud weekend party people,and I have never had a problem with my neighbors about this. Although I understand the noise and community issues that other neighborhoods may have concerns about, the very nature of the lakefront and the fact that my neighbors are separated by space and ravines, makes it a very different rental environment. The lake has a historical attraction as a tourist destination too,which bring much needed tourist dollars to Ithaca in a hundred other ways. Without the ability to rent as I see fit, I fear the expenses may force me out, and that seems particularly unfair from a legislative perspective. I hope you can forward my perspective to the entire board and put it into the record. Many thanks, Ben Weiner 1 TOWN OF ITHACA � y 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING January 25, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letters re: Short Term Rentals 2. Letter re: request for Building Permit revocation 3. Letter re: Request for Grant 4. Letter re: Emerald Ash Borer infestation 5. Town Board and Committee Meeting Schedule 6. Letter re: TC Library Support Retention: Six-Year, 1. Dog Control Inspection Report Retention: One-Year 1. Paulette Rosa Fnprn: Julie Crowley 'yuUe@thphammemineszom> Sent Friday,January 22. 2O21 11:36AM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short Term Rental Please forward to the committee. | was on the last zoom meeting towards the end of the meeting. There was discussion of sending out survey. | wanted to add my thoughts. | ama2O year resident onTaughannockBlvd. VVe rented for many years, while living next door. VVe rented by the week during the summer, and weekends into the fall. Ou/experience—nevvnenterscnmeinfuUofenergy, excitedtobeon the lake. First night, at the lake, bbq, lots of noise, a fire, etc. People enjoying the lake. The next night, e little quieter. The next night, even quieter, etc. VVe enjoyed watching people enjoying the lake, that's what its about. K4y adjacent neighbors are renting all Summer, and they do NOT live nearby. Without restrictions,the rentals were 2-3 nights onaverage. That isa new group Coming in every couple days. That is going through this cycle, every Couple days. We experienced parties late into the night, music playing. We had fireworks at2ann. We had a boom box playing music et the dock all afternoon. These properties are close together and sound travels on the lake. They also allowed too many people (and | don't think they charged enough), soit was big groups of Young people. There was the occasional family, that did their thing and wasn'ta problem at all. We are no longer renting, and | completely appreciate that renting is necessary income for many, so they can stay on the lake. | don't think its necessary to take that away from property owners, but ) du think restrictions are necessary in order to ensure that renters are no imposing on adjacent properties, Summer is short, and vve pay o lot to enjoy lake living. I propose: Limit the#mfrenta|s/vveek. They can rent for 3 days, but not 3x/week. Maybe something like- not toexceed G»/month. These rentals are in demand, you cannot find a rental in the summer. It would be zero hardship on property owners to rent by the week instead mf the revolving door of every couple days. Frankly, that is just making more $$ for the property managers. I don't think limiting the#of days is necessary or fair to the property owners, When there are issues, hold the property owner AND the rental companies responsible. I think these restrictions would help alleviate property owners issues with renters. There isa way to allow property owners to generate income, respectfully, without imposing on their neighbors,and we can all enjoy peaceful lake living. |'m happy to discuss this further. Cheers,Julie ]"LeQmwLeN 985TaughannookBlvd 1 Paulette Rosa From: Rebecca Schwed <rebecca.schwed@gmaiLcom> Sent: Tuesday, January 18. 2O21 10:29AK4 To: Pamela B|eiwas; Rod Howe; Paulette Rosa Subject: Re: air bnb Hi Pam, Thanks so much for your reply. I am pasting in below what has been shared on a FB Ithaca air bnb page for your information. I'm sure you realize why this would beof concern Uz many Vfushosts. |tseemstVnne that this would be especially harmful during o pandemic, and the ensuing economic turmoil. | have never had any complaints from neighbors, a few of whom also have apartments attached to their homes that they rent out. Best, Rebecca 0 Here isa Copy of'the letter that was sent o`the Town that was hurwardcdmme.I'll copy my response that|sent oo the Tvwu / Town of Ithaca folks- Resident Mia Slotinck has asked a few Legislators to share the below information regarding theTown's plans regardingshort-terin rentals.If you are interested in discussing this issue with her and others,please reach out to the enlail at tile bottoni ofthis message. |om not involved io this and amsimp|y passing the meysagealong. Thanks, Amanda Dear7owuof|tbacaresident, 7beTnuvuvflthacaisiotbeprooessofdroftingbwstoregu|atesbort.-termrontu|a(S7R)ivaUresid*ndolareayoftheTown.S7Rs are rentals less than 30 days in length,and are niarketed by hosts oil a number of different online platforms(Airbrib,VRBO,Home &vvay.I��u��4I� ,Bipkey'etc).|nour7nwnof Ithaca neighborhood tbo presence o[STRs and their''Qocats''has decreased our over-all quality of|ifu due to increased traffic,noise,damage to neighbors'property,parking constraints,and a decline in our sense of community. Additionally,theTown relies on neighbor complaints as a Primary niethod of monitoring and policing STRs,which leads to conflict bnmven000iOhboo.8ccaomnSTRsconbeanprohtaNa,bomerareboingbougb/sv|elyh`r3Tkuyaga^wb|cbdecreanestbe availability and afforclability of licuries for long-terni rentals and farnily purchase. Thecuncnt8T8|cgiy|uUondraftuUowad`c29daysofuobostedontzbpecyear(e.g,dheuw/nerisootpreomntstdhcbomm)uodmn uo|imitaduumbernfbootnd(laysyeryemr.Thiamoanstbariythis|cg|o}aUooispauscd,youcou|dcodnphavingaoegoiva\eutofa hotc\or8&8ioopeotiou36Gdaysofdhoymar'rigbto*utdoor.|ucuutrast,CoyogzUeigbtshasbadsuccues[u\STR\awsinpbce0or more than two years.These laws lorit rentals to 14 days of unhosted OR 28 days of hosted peryear(for a niaxin-rion total of 28 clays per year).Cayuga fleights'rationale for capping the number of days at 28 per year was to prioritize the original zoning intention nf the area asa residential neighborhood,b9limiting tile potential for STkbvxiuesseSto infiltrate the cummunity. TheTown would like to hear frorn residents who have concerns about STRs coming to their neighborhoods.Please einail at for mnm information and details oil how your voice call beheard. DUD AA—)MA Yacadonueota|a-8mchRouxeo'Cood"s'Cabino,Apar/mouts&YacuhnnUomes|Tripyiog.com 1 Y,ta a[ areo C�ad,it?V2a 16r�Cla.@r IIora es,C,a�teCjos C;ahips"a91a,aI InI(III ts,U,v acmat:imI jl,axon,r(..._ 1','xo,rlwa, o Like 0 Reply 0 :�cl I� tw,,<t,ga�•mlc,MQnq L'11 I,(dik)c t E IIere is rrry response that I sent to I�larrlette Rosa,"Town Clerk Hello I take issue with same of the language and inferences in the letter submitted to the Town of Ithaca by Min Slotnick.I aru a seventy two year old widow,with an attached apartment that has been there for at least since the 1930"s.I bought rrry house oil Five Mile Drive in 2009.I've had a successful A irbilb business for the last five years.Not only has there never been as complaint,but hall"my neighbors never knew I was operating,rrry business until I asked thern what their feelings were about it. I call honestly say lily house and property is exemplary and could be rased as a model for how having;a STR business enhances the neighborhood and they Property of the homeowner.I continuer to invest a portion of racy proceeds into the upkeep of nay home so that it is attractive and appealing;to those when choose to stray in my apartment, I have been as designated"Super Most"for as long;as I've been doling this.I thoroughly enjoy hosting,rneeting people from other places who coone to Ithaca to hike,eat in our restaurants,bring;their kids here to look at the colleges,among other reasons.It gives me focus and just nrakeas me feet good! I Would welcrrule anyone to read the wonderful comments that people have posted and written after their stay.I've never in all five years ever had a Problem with anyone who has made this glance their home away from home while they were here:.1 love telling; thorn about our finest waterfalls and State Parks which are literally within a five minute drive.And,Ithaca Beer Company is a big drarw!The Air�bnb conipany makes it all easy,seamless way to conduct business,not only monetarily,but with an excellent review system for both hosts and guests.If 1 get bad reviews I don't;get ally business;if I see bard reviews for the guest,they don`t get to stray here.Isasy peasy. Operating;nay business affords nae Borne extra incoone I need to Pay my taxes and to continue to live.,in my own hoone as I age in place.I call understand how buying rip properties for the only reason of operaating,S"TR's is problematic but one size does not fit:all with regard to legislation ern this issue.What works for Cayuga Heights(toes not necessarily work for the Town of Ithaca.I read what the Town has proposed to(late and it seems logical and well drafted. I appreciate your consideration regarding the.points I have made.Please understand there are negatives and positives to be considered with regard to legislation.I have invested a lot of finances into creating;as legally run business,and in keeping;the apartment up to code.It would cause rare great hardship to disbarid racy business. Sincerely Laurenea Gilbert 656 five.Mike Drive Ithaca,NY 14850 ---------- Forwarded message ---_____- From: Pamela Bleiwas<par��eLal (IL3?@rwn c ct nj> Date:Tue,Jan 19, 2021 at 10:01 AM 2 Subject: Fvvd: air bnb To: Rebecca Schvved Hi Rebecca, Please see my reply to you email, below. The one I sent to the Outlook email bounced. Pam Begin forwarded message: From: Pamela B|gk*as -TDwn of Ithaca Subject: Re: air bnb Date: January 19. 2021 at 9:58:04AM EST To: Rebecca SChVV8d < Cc: Rod Howe ^ Paulette Rosa Hi Rebecca, Thank you for reaching out about your concerns. Since I am not on the committee working on this issue I am copying our Town Supervisor Rod Howe on this. Rod, please let us know if anything I wrote below is incorrect or needs further illumination. As I understand it, the committee is considering different rules depending on whether the short-term rentals are hosted (meaning the owner is on the property at the time of the rental) or Unhosted. A major concern is that investors will buy up properties and rent them out full-time.This would not only reduce the already limited housing stock in our town, but would negatively affect neighborhoods as the residents move from fellow community members to short-term transients. This type of activity needs a different sort of regulation than the hosted rentals, like yours. 1, and many if not all of the Town Board members, agree that hosted rentals can have a positive effect on the local economy. We have heard from many hosts about their overwhelmingly positive experiences as hosts, both personally and financially. While some regulation of hosted rentals may be necessary to protect the health and safety of Town residents and visitors, I will not support any regulations that unduly limit the ability of residents to continue operating hosted short-term rentals. As far as I know, the Town does not have a comprehensive list of short-term rental hosts, whether it is through Air BrIB or any other company. All meetings are posted on the Tovvn'svvebs|teat calendar. | have copied Town Clerk Paulette Rosa on this email. Paulette is dedicated to keeping Town residents informed about what is going on, She may be able to reach Out to you with more information about staying on top of Town Board activities related to this nr other issues. Please let me know if you have any more questions at this point, and please continue to reach out when you have input on any Town issues. Best regards, Pam Pame|aB|eiwaa-Town of |(haoo 3 On Jan 15, 2021, at4:14 PM, RebeccaSchvved wrote: Hi Pam, I heard on the grapevine that the town has been discussing whether to continue to allow residents to rent out space via AirBn8. As YOU probably know, I am an Air BnB host, renting out a basement apartment in our house. It's a single rental unit, so only one additional car that parka in my driveway. There is no additional traffic ornoise. | don't allow parties, and | mostly get couples and young families. | rented for 6O nights in2O2O' my best year ever. This | believe was due to the pandomic, and people in the Northeast needing to travel locally rather than farther afield. This meant that many people discovered the attractions ofthe Fingedakesregion. This also means more people spending their dollars at local attractions and restaurants. | also pay taxes on that income. For me, it meant not relying solely on Cornell parents coming to the area. Hopefully, these tourists will return now that they know about the area. Limiting the number of nights I can rent out my space to some ridiculously low number would put a huge damper on tourism in the area, and the money that brings into the town. It would probably not be worth it to me to rent out for only 25 nights ayear. I'm also upset that I had to hear about this discussion by accident, and that the town has not reached Out to air bnb owners in the town for feedback. Transparency isneeded. Thanks for reading, RebecoaSchvved Paulette Rosa From: Marian Mumford <marian.mumford54@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday,January 12, 2021 3:10 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Town proposal to limit short term rentals Hello Ms. Rosa, I do not support the recent proposal to limit short term rentals on Cayuga Lake in the Town of Ithaca. I purchased my west shore home in 1996. 1 was able to build a studio apartment on the second floor.That rental unit brought in income when I was going through a divorce, and later when my second husband died in 2009. 1 would not have been able to manage my mortgage payments otherwise. Lake residents were assured they would not be included in whatever new limits the town of Ithaca plans to impose on short term rentals. I know that as I move toward semi retirement, I would like to have the option to supplement my income with occasional short term rentals. I have neighbors who planned their retirement around the assurance they could rent their adjacent( to me )cottage as an air B and B.They launched this past summer and I have no complaints about noise or disrespectful, or disruptive behavior. My neighbor on the other side of me also offers short term rentals to families with children during the summer months.Again, I have no complaints. Contrary to what people believe, not everyone living on the lake is wealthy.Some of us are middle class with mortgages and tuitions to pay like everyone else. I think good landlords make all the difference.A contract with clearly stated private and public rules/regulations, including the town noise ordinance, plus security deposit should assure compliance from short term renters. Thank you. Marian Mumford 853 Taughannock Boulevard Ithaca Sent from my Whone 1 Paulette Rosa From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert <Img4@cornell.edu> Sent: Thursday,January 14, 2021 4:11 PM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Rod Howe Subject: Fwd: Re STR's Greetings Paulette It was suggested to me that I forward you the correspondence below regarding short term rental legislation. I've sent copies to Rod Howe and Tee Ann Hunter.Thank you. Sincerely Laurene Gilbert Begin forwarded message: From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert<Img4@cornell.edu> Date:January 14, 2021 at 3:16:36 PM EST To: Rod Howe<rhowe@town.ithaca.ny.us> Cc:Tee Ann Hunter<huntertgd@gmail.com> Subject: Fw:Re STR's Hello Rod I'm forwarding you a response I sent to Mia Slotnick who recently submitted a letter to the Town regarding short term rental legislation. I originally received it by way of Amanda Champion who sent it to those on her list serve for the Town. Please take the time to read it and forward it to the appropriate group or committee working on this issue. I appreciate it. Thank you. Sincerely Laurene Mongelli Gilbert 607-272-1903 607-279-7203(cell) From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert Sent:Tuesday,January 12, 20215:48 PM To:goodneighbors321@gmail.com<goodneighbors321@gmail.com> Cc:Tee Ann Hunter<tdh12344@hotmail.com> Subject: Re STR's Hello I take issue with some of the language and inferences in the letter submitted to the Town of Ithaca by Mia Slotnick. I am a seventy two year old widow,with an attached apartment that has been there for at least since the 1930's. I bought my house on Five Mile Drive in 2009. I've had a successful Airbnb business for the last five years. Not only has there never been a complaint, but half my neighbors never knew I was operating my business until I asked them what their feelings were about it. I I can honestly say my house and property is exemplary and could be used as a model for how having a STIR business enhances the neighborhood and the property of the homeowner. I continue to invest a portion of my proceeds into the upkeep of my home so that it is attractive and appealing to those who choose to stay in my apartment. I have been a designated "Super Host"for as long as I've been doing this. I thoroughly enjoy hosting, meeting people from other places who come to Ithaca to hike, eat in our restaurants, bring their kids here to look at the colleges, among other reasons. It gives me focus and just makes me feel good! I would welcome anyone to read the wonderful comments that people have posted and written after their stay. I've never in all five years ever had a problem with anyone who has made this place their home away from home while they were here. I love telling them about our finest waterfalls and State parks which are literally within a five minute drive.And, Ithaca Beer Company is a big draw! The Airbnb company makes it an easy, seamless way to conduct business, not only monetarily, but with an excellent review system for both hosts and guests. If I get bad reviews I don't get any business; if I see bad reviews for the guest,they don't get to stay here. Easy peasy. Operating my business affords me some extra income I need to pay my taxes and to continue to live in my own home as I age in place. 1 can understand how buying up properties for the only reason of operating STR's is problematic but one size does not fit all with regard to legislation on this issue. What works for Cayuga Heights does not necessarily work for the Town of Ithaca. I read what the Town has proposed to date and it seems logical and well drafted. I appreciate your consideration regarding the points I have made. Please understand there are negatives and positives to be considered with regard to legislation. I have invested a lot of finances into creating a legally run business, and in keeping the apartment up to code. It would cause me great hardship to disband my business. Sincerely Laurene Gilbert 656 Five Mike Drive Ithaca, NY 14850 z From: Marla Miller<mlmtoys@yahoo.com> Sent:Tuesday, December 8, 2020 4:35 AM To: Marty Moseley<MMoseley@town.ithaca.ny.us> Subject: Pole Barn does not meet the definition of a Garage Dear Marty, The Pale Barn does not meet the definition of a garage. It's usage is clearly documented in photos and video provided to Bruce Bates and the Zoning Board. Although the most egregious violations were resolved by the determination written by Mr. Bates not all have been. Please see emails and photos of activity taking place at the PB.They were sent to Bruce Bates over the last two years. Knewstub/Knewstub Marine has exceeded their allowance for accessory buildings permitted on the property @ 180 Calkins Rd. In historical documents from Code Enforcement and Knewstub himself the Pole Barn is referred to numerous times as an Accessory building not a garage . I,along with other residents of Calkins Rd . wish to preserve the beauty and current environment of our residential road from further illegal development. The Building Permit was improperly issued. I am petitioning for it to be revoked. I can be reached @ 917-528-1034 if you have any questions. Kind Regards, Marla Miller 2 Marty Moseley �$ From: Marty Moseley Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 11:40 AM To: Marla Miller, ✓ Subject: RE: Pole Barn does not meet the definition of a Garage Marla, Hopefully this email finds you well in the new year. After reading making multiple site visits and after reading through several documents we have the following determination: The Town issued a permit for an accessory structure to be constructed at 180 Calkins Road. Based on the email you sent, you requested that we rescind the permit because you believe that 180 Calkins Road exceeds three accessory buildings, which would require a variance in order for the new accessory building to be constructed, due to the garage being considered an accessory building. Unfortunately, I would respectfully disagree with your reading of the Town Zoning. The (approximate) 1,728 square foot building, located at 180 Calkins Road, would appear to be a garage. Due to this building being considered a garage, section 270- 56C, of Town Code, allows for LIP to three accessory buildings on one lot, excluding a garage or a building occupied by a detached accessory dwelling unit. The total square feet of all accessory buildings, excluding a garage or a building occupied by a detached accessory dwelling unit, is not allowed to exceed 2000 square feet. In reviewing the file documents and BZA meeting minutes, there are several times where the wording "accessory building" „garage", and "pole barn" is used.The ZBA (Zoning Board of Appeals) and Town seem to use all these terms interchangeably, throughout the history of this building. At this time, the building would appear to be a garage, which would allow the three accessory buildings to be located on the parcel as well. Currently, I believe that the Town has issued the permit, for the accessory structure, correctly. I humbly decline your request to have the permit revoked for this project. If you wish to appeal our decision at the ZBA, please feel free to use this email for that course of action. Stay safe and heathy. Thank you, Marty Moseley Director of Code Enforcement Town of Ithaca 215 N Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 P: 607-273-1783 F: 607-273-1.704 www.town.ithaca.ny.us The information contained in this e-mail message is confidential and intended only for the individual or entity to whom or which it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, alteration, or copying of this e-mail message is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by telephone (607-273-1783), or by return e-mail, and delete this e-mail message. -----Original Message----- 1 January 12, 2021 Triad Foundation 15 Ascot Place Ithaca, NY 14850 Re: Request for grant Dear Mr. Roy Park,Jr., I am writing on behalf of the Town of Ithaca to formally request a Staff Initiated Grant from Jeff True in the amount of$5,000. The Town of Ithaca is assisting in the purchase of a zero radius lawn mower that will be used at the Pleasant Grove Cemetery (184 Pleasant Grove Rd., Ithaca, NY). This purchase will allow their landscaping operations to be more efficient and thorough. We very much appreciate your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Rod Howe Town of Ithaca, Supervisor Town of Ithaca Town Hall 215 N. Tioga St. Ithaca, NY 14850 � � Facilities and Campers Services `rk I m �.-.C�11"nel UniveV"�s t Bredt Aiken,PE r Project Manager ;ern Engineering& Project Management tba7<kornelLedu January 13, 2021 Rod Howe, Town Supervisor Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Ithaca, New York 14850 As you know, our area is suffering from a significant emerald ash borer infestation that has already affected a significant number of ash trees in the area and is expected to impact virtually such trees over time. Ash trees infested by the emerald ash borer experience significant health declines and usually die quickly, which can lead to falling limbs and trees. Cornell has already treated some ash trees with insecticides to provide temporary protection, but this treatment only lasts for a few years at best, and it is not possible to apply it to all of the many thousands of ash trees on Cornell property. Cornell is in the process of implementing an Emerald Ash Borer Action Plan. Under this plan, many ash trees on Cornell lands are being identified, marked, and will be felled and/or removed in phases over the next three years to reduce the risk of falling trees or limbs. Phase 2 is planned to start in January 2021 and be complete in March 2021. The following is a link to the 12/22/2020 Cornell Chronical article "Cornell removing ash trees, as replanting effort launches" which contains more information about the emerald ash borer and Cornell's initiative to abate and remediate; Cjtt.ps_//Ii �v ,co m7ell�q_clu��tc�lswc�/ 0 (7f.1 cotNr��mlf-r ��rir� ,�m�l�trc��n�c�plar�tarJ�effa_r� lau I logs As noted above, Cornell will be felling and/or removing trees, but we wanted to remind the Town of its maintenance responsibilities under two license agreements between the Town and Cornell: 1. A License to the Town of Ithaca dated October 15,2012 to use property along Forest Home Drive for public recreational purposes (copy attached). in consideration for obtaining permission to use this property, the Town assumed maintenance responsibilities. Under Paragraph 12, "The Town agrees, at its expense, to maintain the Premises in good order and repair, comparable to the standard of care used to maintain any other Town park." And Paragraph 7b authorizes the Town to "cut or trim trees or remove other obstacles as necessary to maintain safe access along Forest Home Drive upon prior notice to Cornell," and, "where the Town must act immediately to assure public safety, the Town may cut or trim trees or remove other obstacles as necessary to maintain safe access along Forest Home Drive, or may remove a hazardous condition on the Premises,without prior notice to Cornell . .. provided that the Town provides Cornell with notice as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter." 2. An Irrevocable License to the Town of Ithaca dated October 28, 1982 for the East Ithaca Recreation Way (copy attached). Under Paragraph 4, "The Town agrees to maintain the entire trail in a reasonably good state of repair..." If the Town has general questions about the emerald ash borer or the approaches it may want to consider to address the issues in the easement areas, please contact Todd Bittner at 607-255-9638 or via e-mail to: tpdd.bittrier(x)celrnell.edLi. . ___.__ Facilities and Campus ServicesCornell 'University Bredt Aiken,PE Project Managoi Engineering ing&Project Management. tba't(h ornell.edu If you have questions about Cornell's felling or removal of ash trees on its property, please contact Bredt Aiken, Project Manager, at tba1@cornell.edu. Enclosure: 2012-10-15 License Agreement Town of Ithaca cc: Joe Slater, Public Works Director Sue Ritter, Planning Director Paulette Rosa From: Paulette Rosa Sent: Wednesday, January 20, 2021 3:28 PM To: cayUga Radio Group; Cornell Chronicle (CU news@ co mel Led U),- Cornell Sun (news@ co met Isu n.corn); Finger Lakes Community Newspapers (editor@ fIcn.org); Ithaca College WICK (news@wicb.org); Ithaca Journal (ijnews@gannett.com); Ithaca times; Ithaca Times (editor@ithacatirnes.com); Ithaca Voice; Tompkins Weekly Subject: Town of Ithaca Town Board and Committees Schedules The following is a list. of the regularly scheduled meetings of the Town Board and some of its Committees. Some Committee meetings may have a qUorurn of Town Board iriernbers present; no official ']'own Board action is ever taken at a Committee meeting. If the need arises, a Special Meeting ofthe Ithaca Town own Board is called and every attempt is made to give ample notice via a Media Distribution List, our Town wet) site and social media platforms. All standing boards and committees are on our web calendar with links to the ZOOM platform until full OML is restored. If You have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk Town of Ithaca Ph ('607) 273-1721 ext 110 www,town.ithaca.i y us Town Board (2"" and 4"' Mondays) TB Resolution 2021-001: Set Dates for 2021 Meetings of the Town Board Whereas the ]'own Board of the Town of Ithaca meets on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m., and Whereas the Town Board also sets aside the fourth Monday of`each month for an additional meeting. These second mectin'gs are commonly called Study sessions which begin at 4:30 and are held in a smaller meeting room. These study sessions focus on reports from committees and presentations to the board with action items added only when necessary, an(] Whereas the Town Board also sets aside the first Thursday in October for a meeting dedicated to the review and discussion of the Tentative Town of Ithaca Buclo-C�et, and Whereas the Town Board also schedule's an End of`Year Meeting which shall be scheduled for Wednesday, December 29, 2021 at 11:00 a.m., now therefore be it Resolved that the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca hereby approves the meeting schedule as detailed above, with adJUsti-rients when needed for holiday observances. Planning Board Meets the first and third Tuesday of every month beginning at 7:00 p.m. z' If there are no reviews or actions, the meeting is generally cancelled ,it the prior n:icetin,(:',. Zoning Board of Appeals Meets the second Tuesday of every month beginning at 6:00 p.m. If there are no reviews or actions, the meeting is generally cancelled at the prior meeting. Conservation Board Meets the first Thursday of the Month at 5:30 p.m. Committees—(Generally scheduled but cancelations and moves happen, please check the town calendar) Planning Committee—3rd Thursday @ 4pm Codes and Ordinances—2"d Wednesday @ 5:30pm Personnel and Organization—41h Monday @ 3pm Public Works—Yd Tuesday @ 9am Budget—2"d Monday @ 12 noon Short Term Rental —41h Monday @ 4pm 2 TOMPKINS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY January 7, 2021 Rod Howe,Town Supervisor Town Board 215 N. Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 1.4850 Dear Rod and Town Board: Tompkins County Public Library entered 2020 poised to bring library services into all unnerved areas of the County with a proposed mobile library, and to continue creative makerspace and teen programming, and supporting all ages through our programs and services for the youngest readers, science and technology learners, language improvement,job seekers, and those seeking community connections. On March 13, like so many others, we closed the library due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From the start, we kept the Borg Warner Community room open for high community needs such as Census support, Blood Drives, and are currently excited by the partnership with Loaves & Fishes to offer a community warming space. Very quickly, we redesigned our service model to bring successful programs online and extend our electronic collection to continue to reach our beloved library community. We had just recently adopted our five year strategic plan that envisioned a library, "where everyone can belong and find joy in learning, discovery, and personal growth. We have let that vision guide us throughout the pandemic and ever-changing service models as we have kept the community at our heart offering curbside, in-lobby, internet, and renewed browsing services. Thanks to your support the library will continue to thrive in 2021 albeit in unexpected and as yet, undetermined ways. This strong foundation will aid the new Director as full recovery begins. Thank you so much for the funding that allowed us to purchase book drops to meet the quarantine demands of the public. We are grateful for your ongoing support of library cardholders and residents in the Town of Ithaca. We look forward to discovering what's next in 2021 with our community partners. Thank you for helping us see our way through these challenges. Sincerely, Annette Birdsall, Director 101 East Green Street, Ithaca, New York 14850-5613 • Phone 607 272 4557 • Fax 607 272 8111 0 WWW.rci=L.0RG TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING February 8, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Finger Lakes Land Trust Winter 2020 Edition 2. Letters re: 5G 3. Letter re: Short Term Rentals Retention: Six-Year, 1. Retention: One-Year, 1. r, w r¢ Winter 2020 Vol. 12 Issue I Have you ever been in a gift shop or art gallery and seen beautiful jewelry boxes, clocks, or sculptures made from burl wood? Most of us have seen the unique markings (with a distinct lack of a regular wood gain pattern), and admired the odd beauty of this type of wood, whether it be from maple, cherry, walnut, or other tree species. The polished beauty of a finished craft made from a tree burl makes it easy to forget that a burl is actually a tree's response to injury, disease, or other stress on its health. In this issue of Afoot in the Field, our Conservation Easement Steward Annabel Roberts-McMichael, who recently received her Master of Forestry from SUNY FSF, helps us all learn a bit about forest health in general, and tree diseases in particular. just prior to completing her education and obtaining her degree, Annabel had the fortunate opportunity to intern with forester Mike DeMunn. Mike specializes in forest health, and his management decisions are guided by a philosophy of improving forest health for the benefit of the trees, the landowners, wildlife, and fixture generations. Mike has been an advisor to the Land Trust on forest-related issues for many years, and we are delighted to include an interview with him in this issue of our newsletter. Obviously tree health, and the diseases that can affect trees in our region, is a vastly complex topic, and so we can only provide a basic introduction in a publication such as this. But perhaps it will help you think about another dimension of the woods that you may awn, manage, and enjoy out your back. door. Chi-is Olney Director,- of Stewardship o,� " H mmr " w � s. �m nJ a We live in a region that is naturally forested. hash - conservation easement has specific provisions about forest management. Sonae easements allow timber harvesting or other management practices (according to a forest management plan) so long as it maintains or improves the - forest. Others are intended to allow a forest to become old f `G growth and prohibit cutting. Most easements allow firewood � Cutting for personal use. No matter what the terms of your easement are, you can get to know your forest, learn about `'�: � IY its health, and become a forest caretaker. How do you know if yor.,rr forest is healthy? This is not an r; easy question. Change is the nor-ran for forests, and some events that seem bad are just part of the circle of life. Natural disturbances that are normal, even necessary in some northeastern forests„ include; blowdowns, ice storms, flooding, fire, lightning„ animal browsing, activity of insects, fungi and other- micro-organisms, and humans. Disturbances help cycle nutrients, influence the regeneration and composition of forests, and lead to the development of wildlife habitat, b f „r FD N' d i i V �II m dno a o a ro * t QaQ NFL'W'IIW9IRIIIIIIWIWWIIIYIIWIWWfI�UW� manrelw.mnrre�tlwmmn mimimmwmm wtlum r � ��jr rfr vrG r i h A I - "�m When disturbances occur too severely or too rarely, forest health issues call arise. Humans can either imitate, or greatly alter„ the natural disturbance processes„ having a profound and long-lasting influence. In most forests over past centuries„ the largest, healthiest trees were hat-vested„ resulting in a decline in forest health„ diversity and quality„ and the loss of old trees„ large snags„ and fallen logs. Also, non-native insects and diseases have been introduced that have no predators or resistance in these ecosysterns. These have caused the almost total loss of American chestnut„ elan, and flowering dogwood, and are decimating ash and hemlock. Profiles of several fungi and � insects affecting forests today can be found below and on page 6. However„ with knowledge and effort, foresters/ecologists and landowners together can develop plans to improve the overall health of forests, and hopefully reduce the impacts of insects and diseases. Al . r r l w M J t ll � r ' a W "Forest health and ecology are the primary issues affecting our forests. A forest's productivity, biodiversity and long term SUstainability all,hinge on its health and ecology. Good for-est management should strive to help correct and improve forest stands from their typical long history of exploitation and abuse„ which has left them with an abnormally high percentage of diseased, defective, and undesirable trees. This can be corrected through timber stand improvement thinnings, creating the conditions for greater forest health and a diversity of desirable tree species to grow and regenerate. It is of great ecological and spiritual importance to leave certain trees to reach their maximum size and age, allow them to die and become snags, and someday become part of the forest floor ecology as fallen logs - enrichening habitat, soil, and in turn enrichening all the trees that grow there," - Mike DeMunn, forester LANDOWNER PROFILE: b MIKE DEMUNN Michael L eMunn is a professional forester and s r a expert in forest health and ecology with over 3 A , years of experience managing forests in the region. He was a founder of the Finger Lakes Land Trust and continues to advise FLLT in forestry. He awns 10 acres in the town of Enfleld, Tona pens County, that are conserved with a conservation easement granted to FLLT bwyj'irn and Gladys McConkey in 2 COOS ontheir 16 3-acre property, The McC:onkeys, and now their heirs, + have entrusted ,Mike to steward their forest. My Lan by Michael DeMunnfDa ha di nya: About 12 years ago, I acquired my land from Jim and Gladys McConkey in exchange for being a lifelong steward of their woods, and also doing; masonry work can their house. The field was completely bare, with eroding soil leaving barely a weed on it. My immediate goal was to protect the soil and give the barren land life again, by erosion control and broadcast seeding of native grasses and other plants.. I am Senecaa and also a professional forester and ecologist. fly Seneca name means "fie protects the forest." I was taught that we can either be a life giver to the earth and its living things — or a life taker. I choose to be a life giver in my forestry work, and to my land, where I have done all I can to bring back an abundance and diversity of plant and animal life, most of it done with just simple tools and bare hands. t r r rd� , rr y�a ,,, „ „ <,i l,'7l/�//,�/ „��/�J,dl,�1 l(f r ✓ � ✓ f I� �r � �,Gl�"��+ � .,,r � «,,,, � %lwl,�/%; � l �l/i,�o� ai✓✓ ,�� tr � ,i;,r i�� t ,, r,, �,,�r ✓rJn;;W/12�� ,j i/y,,: � f /s,,:,✓ ,m,.vi, „o„i..�; � l,�,i,�. i�l��y r�- /� Ily vie 1 { %i I 7f� err' lv ✓ -�w� y//'�l/i,, �,l�r,� „� °.��,4te,m�w,,, t� �:�I„��{..�w ,� ( � �J, Ui / � ,��,t�. r/�� '�'�� 7- a�'�Yi��7�,; � Y 1Y� ,idw�i ,�r i i/I ,iil i '� h' ,F?u✓ ✓ .,� e. '� pr, � /f��Nl�.�� J:9�f' N ��„��I� 1.1'� � ,i1,' �i ;w�r� i� � f HV�� i� lii �� ,�6 � , ,�� l4➢hJ.�� l�i/J�� ,fl� f�,�l� ir� ,�✓�'Y��✓ � k�,�� 'lam/,� I;;9 1 r ��i,�i�.. -i� � � i l r Xk�, "" 1 h ��P4'R��i ad� r � ' '" l m' � (�✓7� i �+ n IFJ,y � �,J'F(� �' ✓��'9 �1��1�'�i�r ,r �� Y 46� +i- 1 /�i Or i �u mu 'i�mif r ar w 1 w n w � � I d F I f II w + w ro Af I w , I Ways You Can Improve Forest Health If your easement allows timber Harvesting: m Tell your forester you want to reduce the numbers of trees with disease, especially fungal diseases like nectria and eUtypella, as well as trees whose crowns are declining. This will capture current timber value and greatly increase future value. ® Deep the best, healthiest trees for seed, and those with cavities for wildlife. • If your forest has a very large amount of ash, which are threatened by non-native insect invasions, tall, with Your forester about reducing the ash density (keeping some of the best/non-impacted trees), and managing to increase other species. If your easement allows firewood cutting: • Cut trees that have aberrations or cankers in the barb indicating disease., or whose crowns are dying back, (loot, for branch tips/twigs dying back,). • Don"t cut trees with cavities for wildlife, particularly if they have most of their bark,. For all easement owners: • To help promote tree species diversity, which mares the forest more resilient, protect tree seedlings of different native tree species from deer browsing using tree tubes or fencing, and consider increasing deer- hunting pressure. • Plant native species that are missing or rare in the forest, such as flowering dogwood, Corms florida, in sunny areas where anthracnose fungus wont bill it. Search "Conifer alternatives for eastern hemlock" to plant along strearns where hemlocl, is being affected by non-native, invasive hemlock, woolly adelgid. Learn about other solutions by looting up the N YS Hemlock Initiative. • Check with FLLT about the possibility of developing a non-commercial/non- extractive forest or ecosystem management plan for your property that focuses on improving forest health. mmm a uumummwwmmiuwmmrow�mm'munuiawmnammwmm m wwwm aumlww mom m i To promote genetic diversity, I have gone to other places and gathered seeds of various native plants and planted them in the field. Roughly half the field ! f will remain open, dominated by wildflowers and grasses, and half will „ /Q become gradually more stocked with M, shrubs and trees. I have put in two ponds, one large and one small. Both are designed to have a deep end � and a long shallow end, which exposes a large muddy flat as the water recedes in the / r r Summer foi- wading birds. I was taught to leave offerings of food for the animals to help them and show my thanks, and they in turn bring ever more life to my land. My land is surrounded by farmland on three O ro; sides. To put it in perspective, my field represents about I°,/ of the open [arid around �� '/�; me, which means only [ of the land area is% r/rrr r for nature, and 9% is lust for Duman use. I am f & / r � �e honored and proud that my land has become 1111 �o � r , �r✓m� a vital refuge to so many wild plants and r ,u7Wm PII�IVI G P l^"1, &r� animals — including countless bees who live in 3 large hollow trees in my forest, and other �l/lr✓�%%� � �e�dWry'��ni� `gip ` i � � i >J 91 � d<l�u�� s pollinators who visit my field of wildflowers. I follow the same principle of imitating nature , m in my forestry practice. I select for cutting �r t trees with diseases or defects that nature would select against. In the McConkey's and my woodlands, I have conducted two improvement th►nnings to favor a more r m diverse species mixture and control the presence of nectria and er.rtypella fungus in sugar maple. I left the best trees of all species to reach their greatest size and age as nature mu intended, and also to reach their greatest � economic value, Anyone, whether- they are Native or riot, can make a choice to be a life giver to the land. I choose to manage the forest and my land according to the ways of nature. wiou i wumiw muu mmmwuuuuu umwuuumuuuuuuuuw�mu�mumm uwuummwuwm iwuwi 4 fJ w w " • wW w w w • y a a � m �v � � ,�, w�� m�rr �11) �� ,�u� �r�rr, m� i�r� �, ,'� �I rC� m r��e t� ��y �� il,��. ��d/7x �� ♦t �u, t I I I r l 1 l � 1 l 1 t l � 1 l i ll 1 Our work over the past 31 years to annually monitor more than 150 properties totaling almost 15,000 acres protected by Finger Lakes Land Trust conservation easements or deed restrictions would riot be possible without our Volunteer- conservation easement stewards. Every year, stewards review conservation easements, travel to easement lands often long distances from our FLLT office, build good relationships with landowners, answer questions, and wally properties while carefully looking for natural or human- caused changes that may affect the conservation values of each property. They take photos, write reports, draw maps, and send them to rrrs in the FLLT office. In past years, our volunteer conservation easement stewards contributed over 200 total hours per year of their- time for the Land Trust! Several veteran stewards gave or.rr new staff member, Annabel Roberts-McMichael, her first tour of properties. The Finger Lakes Land Trust appreciates the dedication and commitment ;° u of time and energy that ' these Volunteers have /y generously given! Although we are not seeking more volunteers O l %r nf�N / Ji, m r ri to monitor conservation easements you can learn about other ways to volunteer at: w w w w w fllt.org/volunteer umPiwuauuu�mummuwumimmwm mwmi w! muou i • • • is • M i i i' i • i i ' • i • I i � i M • . The Finger- Lakes Land Trust is a member supported non-profit conser-vation organization that wor-k cooperatively with landowners and local communities to conserve forever the lands and water-s of the Finger- Lakes region, ensUring scenic vistas, local foods, clean water, and wild places for everyone. Afoot in the Field is provided fore landowners in the Finger Lakes who own conservation easement properties, or- who are otherwise committed to land conservation and wildlife habitat protection. For questions or- concerns r-egarding your conservation easement, please contact Cht-is Olney by calling the Land Trust at (607) 275-9487 or email chrisolney@fllt.orrvg P Finger Lakes Land Tru t 202 East Cour-t Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 275-9487 www.fl 1 t,o rg Cover photo by Chris Roy, Photos by Annabel Roberts-McMichoel if`not otdierwise noted, wummwumuuu iommi ummmmi wmmnmmi rmnimmuum�mumnmmwmmn muwivanmmmmuummmm'nmmmmmmou Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <nlareandrew93@gmai|zom> Sent: Monday, February EL2O21 12:23PK4 To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Parn Bleiwas; TeeAnn Hunter, Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter; Chris Ba|estra; Laura Lewis; Cynthia Brock; George McGonigal,-Joseph Murtagh; Ducson Nguyen; Donna Fleming; Rob Gearhart; Graham Keo|ick; Stephen Smi1h� Deb K4oh|enhof[ Dan Cogan; KhnF|aherty; ]oAnn Cornish;Julie Holcomb; Attorney;Aaron Lavine; SvanteMyrick Subject: What is a safe distance to live hnrm cell towers? The proliferation of wireless activity, including the introduction of smaller and closer wireless antennmo, has prompted an outcry demanding that the FCC revisit its decades-old wireless radiation exposure limits, One of the most important concerns is the effect these cumulative exposures have on human health which is directly related to the distance from a wireless an!enne. While there is a variety of scientific data on what distance from a ne|| tower is safe to live, studies point toa range from 1148 feet upwards to164OfeeL* In Germany,theydiscovered that thei f newly developed cancer cases was three times higher for those living within 1300 feet of a cellular transmitter compared to those living further away. Adistance of13OO feet(4OOmm) is of particular importance, asthe study indicated that the "innerarea") is 100 times greater than emissions beyond that distance(the "outer aree"). In similar study in Israel, the researchers calculated the relative risk of cancer to be over four times higher for or less from a cell phone transmitter. Additionally,the Tel Aviv University research found that women appear to be more susceptible to the health effects of living near a cell tower than men. Seven out of the eight cancers that arose during the first year were females. compared with controls. Given these and other studies, it is disconcerting that in Ithaca the proposed distances are significantly less. Originally, the thought was that for 5G transmitters to work effectively they had to be within 200 feet of a home. However, even the CEO ofVehzon (in 2O1Ba|/eady!). when dispelling "mytha" about 5Gstated: " ...And the 200 ft from a home....we're now designing the network for over 2000 feet from transmitter to receiver." If that's the case, why would we ever consider putting these as close as you've proposed. If telecom sales people balk at further distances, why not simply ask them about this 2000 feet that this CEO ietouting? Minute mark G14: We're suggesting two things to address this: 1) Put a revocability clause in the contract, so that am the technology changes mndvvegstnnonao|ohtyordiOenent regulation about safe distances, we are not |oohod into any long term and/or irreversible infrastructure 2) Devise codes that make cell tower distances from homes and schools to be as safe as possible while remaining effective, ideally at least l5ODfeet. Thank you. Marie and Andrew Molnar *From the Feb 2020 issue Df Environmental Research: "There isB large and growing body Of evidence that human exposure tOF<F radiation from cell phone base stations causes negative health effects including both i\ OeUrOpsVchiatriO 1 complaints such as headache, concentration difficulties, memory changes, dizziness, tremors, depressive symptoms, fatigue and sleep disturbance; and ii) increased incidence of cancer when living in proximity to a cell-phone transmitter stations. In epidemiological studies that assessed negative health effects of mobile phone base stations ...80% reported increased prevalence of adverse neurobehavioral symptoms or cancer in populations living at distances less than 500 m [1640 ft] from base stations.... A review article of the health effects near [cell] base stations concluded that deployment of base stations should be kept as efficient as possible to minimize exposure of the public to RF radiation and should not be located less than 500 m from the population." iLtt .L/l www.scieiicedir�ect.corn/scierice/artict 01_393�51 1 9�306425 1/30/21 Letter to Town of Ithaca Board regarding short term 1roperty rentals Town of Ithaca Board members: am writing as a concerned property owner in the Town Of Ithaca, regarding proposals being considered that would limit my ability and the ability of all home-owners in the town to rent our homes to short term renters. suspect that the push to limit short term rentals is in large part based on assumptions that short term tenants are loud and unruly, and limiting such rentals will help to quiet the neighbourhoods these homes are in. But this argument fails for several reasons. First, there are already ordinances on the books to limit noise. If a short term renter is too noisy or unruly they should be handled in the same way a property owner who is being loud or unruly could be. Limiting a homeowner's ability to rent their home is a poor surrogate. Second, the vast majority of short term renters these days are doing it through platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO, which allow homeowners to screen their guests and rate their guests, most of whom do not want to get terrible reviews about them that will subsequently limit their ability to rent other homes all over the world. Third, long term renters who are difficult to live next to for a variety of reasons (and who hasn't had such neighbours in their lives??)create much more problematic and difficult to address problems. We'd all rather have a bad neighbour for 2 or 3 days than one for a year or more that is nearly impossible to evict! In our specific case as an example, we own a home in the lakefront residential district and have rented our home to short term renters many times in the past 5 years. We have done this as a bridge while working on upgrading the property with the plan of moving into the home ourselves in the next couple of years. Being able to rent the home this way has afforded us the ability to do so. In the end it will end up increasing our property value and thereby increasing our tax burden which will only serve the town's best long term interests. The vast majority of our guests have been families who come to enjoy Ithaca and explore the area. We screen our guests. We contractually limit the number of people allowed on the property. We restrict people's abilities to have parties (which of course is very different from our own actions, where we have repeatedly had large groups of friends over for outdoor summer dinners, lake play and bonfires late into the night and make more noise than the vast majority of our guests. We live about 20 minutes away from the home we rent out and always show up to meet our guests, go by the home during their stay to make sure there's nothing problematic going on.And our neighbours have our phone numbers so they can contact us if there are any problems. Our home has been frequently rented out to people who have never before been to the area, and they leave with a love for Ithaca. They have repeatedly come here after seeing our ad and not because they planned to visit Ithaca specifically. While here they eat at local restaurants, spend money at state parks and do their share to help the local economy. Limits on personal liberties such as limiting the number of nights a homeowner can rent out their home should only be considered as an act of last resort to address matters of significant severity. That is not the case here. Please don't let the few bad stories remove the rights of the many good homeowners. Howard Silcoff. TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING February 22, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Reterition: Perrnanent 1. Letters re: 5G 2. Letters re: Ithaca Energy Code Supplement(IECS) 3. Letter re: Short Term Rental (STR) Reterition: Six-Year 1. Reterition: One-Year 1. Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <marieanc1revv93@grnail.corn> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2021 12:03 PM To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; TeeAnn Hunter, Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter,- Chris Balestra Subject: Major Case Against FCC regarding outdated EMF guidelines ]"his case,FLIT cat al. v. the FCV, seeks to have the court(')rder the FCC. to update its 25 year old radio frequency radiation frorn cell phones,cell towers, wi-fi, 5G,and all other wireless networks all(] corninunication devices. Over the course of`several years tile FCC received over a thousand scientific studies, as well as thousands of'submissions by individuals affected directly by radio frequency radiation,uraillO there(to Update the 1996 safety standards, In Decerribet-2019 the FCC decided that the evidence submitted was not adequate to cause it to rethink its safety standards ituplernented in 1996, at a tithe when most wireless devices were I g or 2g and certainly not rellective of the current environment.T lie basis of the case is that the FCC should have looked at.this evidence but did not. It relied on the federal Food & Drug Administrations conclusion, but the FDA also did not look at the evidence. At the hi 1 1,, 25t"._b,eo'ir o', U.S.Circuit Judge Robert L. Wilkins questioned whether the FCC properly cited two working groups (under the FDA) that are suppose(] to monitor the possibility of wireless harms, He pointed Out that tile F(V failed to explore how these bodies contribute(] to the record and to SUbstantiaie whether they exist at all. "I'm just going to be very upfront with why I'm inclined to rule against you,"Wilkins said. Judge Patricia Millets.went further, noting that the universe of wireless devices has grown tremendously over the last quarter- century. She further pointed out.that the FC(,,'s focus on"fixed devices"doesn't address the potential harins of popular "mobile"devices that consumers constantly interact with. From 5wireless41arins-lawsuil-a'-'ainst-the- -V 4cc/: tY. .4z .. - _ ____................................ _-_ __'' The Petitioners contend the FCC ignored tile extensive evidence submitted to the agency showing that non-thermal levels of pulsed and modulated RFR emitted by wireless technology are harmful to humans,wildlife and the environment,and its order failed to provide a record of a reasoned decision making.Therefore,the Petitioners claim the FCC has violated the Administrative Procedure Act(AI)A)and its decision is capricious,arbitrary and not evidence-based. In addition,the petitioners argue that the FCC violated NEPA because the agency did not consider the environmental impacts of its decision.FCC also violated the 1996 Telecommunications Act(TCA)in failing to consider the impact of its decision on public health and safety. 'File FCC' ianored 11111110-011S submissions detailing injuries and rapidly growing illnesses from rat(iiofre(lueiicyri(liaition,and ignored calls such as (hose frorn the cities of l3oston and Philadelphia to address the illjllry. Petitioners argued that the inadequate FCC guidelines are used tot deny accommodation in violation cif the Americans with Disability Act. The Petitioners riled 11,000 pages of evidence—447 exhibits in 27 Volumes-in support of their claims.Environmental Ilealth,Trust researchers riled 60 of the 447 exhibits and scientific studies published by EIIT experts are considered crucial in the case as they focus on cancer and impacts to children. "Environmental Health Trust has worked for over decade to protect the public frorn rachotrequency radiation, testified to Congress an(]published critical ra vc.arch on why children are more vulnerable,"said Devra Davis PliD, NIPIJ, president and founder of'Frivironniental Health Trust. "Over tile years, the FCC has ignored our extensive subirlission- i"s-,t at"c""e"I As the legacies of lead,asbestos and tobacco teach us,this issue deserves immediate attention from our federal government in order to protect our children's health now and throughout their lives." The NRDC filed,,i t'i''ain-i"c't'is I")"ri'e'f-in the Petitioners' case oil the need for environniental review signed onto by Mayors and Councilniernbers fi-oin Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan,California and Hawaii. Attorney Joe Sandri filed an AnliCUS 'B'd.e.f with a statement by Dr. Linda Birnbaum, former Director of the National Institute of nvironniental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health and harmer Director of the National'Toxicology Program (Nri)) who detailed the findings of the NTP and Concluded,"Overall,the N'ri)findings demonstrate the potential for JUR to cause cancer in humans." The Buddi g.J.1iology InslitUte,and Kleiber fain fly filed Briefs on injuries Sustained from exposures allowed by FCC exposure guidelines." F'or more info: 2 Paulette Rosa From: Allison DeSario <desarioallison@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 10, 2021 12:59 PM To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas;TeeAnn Hunter, Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter;Chris Balestra Subject: New study correlates EMF exposure to cancer Hello Town officials, I have information that you might want to take into consideration as you decide the codes for new 5G transmitters in Ithaca.A new study from Brazil reports that the higher the EMF exposure level,the higher the rate of cancer mortality. In cities where there were many cell transmitters close to residences the mortality rate was the highest for all types of cancers but especially for breast, cervix, lung, and esophagus cancers.The rates were highest within 500 meters of the towers. Due to the years of the study, it is safe to assume the transmitters were 2G,3G and 4G. Microcells with 4G and 5G transmitters will be within a few meters of our homes,schools and workplaces. The Effect of Continuous Low-Intensity Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields from Radio Base Stations to Cancer Mortality in Brazil "Conclusions The balance of our results indicates that the exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from an RBS increases the rate of mortality by all cancers and specifically by breast,cervix, lung, and esophageal cancers.These conclusions are based on the fact that the findings of this study indicate that,the higher the RBS radiofrequency exposure,the higher the cancer mortality rate, especially for cervix cancer... The spatial analysis showed that the highest RBS radiofrequency exposure was observed in a city located in the southern region of Brazil,which also showed the highest mortality rate for all types of cancer and specifically for lung and breast cancers. Environmental pollution caused by nonionizing electromagnetic fields increases continuously.The location of RBSs is still a controversial field with regard to their regulation.There are numerous RBSs installed in residential areas, including on their roofs.Some epidemiological studies indicate an increased risk of cancer close to RBSs." Here is the link to the article: https://www.avaate.org/spip.php?article2899 Thank you for reading and taking this research into consideration,Allison DeSario 1 Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <maheandrew93@gmaiicom> Sent: Friday, February 19, 2O21 11]1 AM To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePoo|o; Pam B|eiwas;TeeAnn Hunter; Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter; Chris 8e|estna Subject: Washington Spectator expos6 on how the Telecom Companies have conned America on cell risks The Washington Soecbatornmcent|ypub|ished an extensive expos6 about the Telecom indumdry'sdecades-long campaign to dismiss the research about the health risks of radio frequency radiation and fool the public into believing that cell phones are safe byco-opting government agencies and the mainstream news media. This in-depth study was conducted by Barbara Koeppel, an investigative reporter who covers aocio|, economic, po|iboa|, and foreign policy issues. Ms. Koeppel reviewed the work of scientists who have studied the harmful effects of radio frequency radiation for decades including John AUis, Cad 8|ackman, Michael Car|berg, Om Gandhi, Lennart HardeU, Henry Lai, DariumzLeozczynski, James Lin, Ron Ma|nink, Joel Moskowitz, A|aoUair Phillips, Jerry Phillips, and N.P. Singh. Moreover she explored the conflicts of interest among influential people including jmurna|iete, policy makena, and scientists who have dismissed the preponderance of research which has found harmful biologic or health effects from cell phone radiation exposure. Here is aaomp|e of quotes from the piece: "For the past few decades, the telecom wireless industry and its enthusiasts have heralded cellphones as the greatest achievement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. But as their use soars, scientists worldwide vvony about their hazards and have produced over 2,000 studies that tell a darker tale. They warn that the devices and antennas that power them expose humans and wildlife to nonionizing low-frequency electromagnetic fields—also called cellphone, microwave, or radio-frequency radiation.These studies indicate that when people and animals are exposed, they can develop brain, thyroid gland, prostate gland, acoustic nerve, and breast tumors, and other diseases, "Besides the industry's sway with the agencies, the telecoms influence on the press and media means that coverage ofwireless devices is almost always upbeat. First, the industry buys full-page ads that promote its services and products and now continually tout 5G. Then there are the owners' personal conflicts...... "Most press and media repeat the agencies' positions and debunk or ignore studies that describe the dangers." "Interestingly, the risk-averse insurance industry has been reluctant to offer coverage for the companies or those who use the devices...... "Unlike the United States, some countries have tightened their exposure rules...... "Alarmed about the hazards from wireless devices, 254 scientists from 44 countries have urged the United Nations tm toughen the exposure guidelines amd 'educate the public about the health rioks.'TheU.N, has not replied, With the advent of 5G, warnings are even stronger: By October 2020, 407 scientists and physicians appealed to the European Commission to halt the roll-out of5G . . . which will substantially increase exposure to rod|mfrequency electromagnetic fie|da.This has also been ignored." "Many U.S. states, cities, and counties also worry. For example, New Hampshire legislators created acommisoion of experts tostudy EK8Feffeote. |n their report, which was released this November, the experts recommended 15 actions: among the most important, they asked the FCC to study the environmental impact of the 5G antennas and towers and locate them further from schools and homes...... 1 "Warnings from industry executives such as Frank Clegg (Microsoft Canada's former CEO) are rare. So, too, are those from governments, since the industry lavishes huge sums on the lawmakers. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, from 19B9h)2O17' the industry gave $1O1 miUionbzmembemofCongressamdiheirPACo—." Paulette Rosa From: Paulette Rosa Sent: Thursday,February 11,2021 1:55 PM To: Bill Goodman-TB;Eric Levine Esq.-TB;Pamela Bleiwas;PL17@cornell.edu; rd@richdepaolo.com;Rod Howe(rhowe@town.ithaca.ny.us);Tee-Ann Hunter (thu nter@town.ithaca.ny.us) Cc: Marty Moseley;Nick Goldsmith Subject: FW:Petition from 106 people supporting IECS Correspondence Ms.Hess called this a"petition"but I don't think it falls in that record series technically,so I am treating as correspondence as we customarily do with these types of letters/lists of people for or against an action under consideration. It refers to the"City's goal"but I believe this is a joint effort and simply worded that way. There are 19 households/addresses from the Town. (9 singular and 10 dual signatures per address for 29 total) Paulette From:Sara Hess<sarahess630@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday,February 11,2021 11:34 AM To:Paulette Rosa<P Rosa @town.ithaca.ny.us> Subject:Petition from 106 people supporting IECS Please send this to Supervisor Howe and all the Town Board members. I am submitting the following petition to you,signed by 106 residents,in support of the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement and with the recommended change that the 2025 code standards be adopted now,and the 2030 standards be adopted in 2025. Not wanting to speak for those who signed this simple statement below,I will be submitting my own comments on reasons for advancing the timeline,along with other suggestions. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions,by email or phone. Sara Hess for Fossil Free Tompkins 272-6394 PETITION Supporting IECS I support the passage of the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement (IECS) ordinance for new buildings and major renovations because it will be the first tangible step towards reaching the aspirational goals of the City of Ithaca's Green New Deal. Further, I urge that the 2025 code standards be adopted now, and 2030 standards be adopted in 2025. Name/Address/Municipality 1. John Graves, 319 Pleasant Street, City of Ithaca 2. Rita Graves, 319 Pleasant St, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 3. Sara Hess, 124 Westfield Dr., Ithaca. City of Ithaca 4. Jeff Furman, 124 Westfield Dr., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 5. Leni Hochman, 772 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 6. Elan Shapiro, 211 Rachel Carson Way, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 7. Margaret Wakely, 412 N. Titus Ave, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 8. Tim Joseph, 772 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 9. Elmer Ewing, 1520 Slaterville Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 10. Marilyn Ewing, 1520 Slaterville Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 11. Margot Brinn, 600B Hector St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 12. Carole Dennis, 408 Columbia St, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 1 13. John Efroymson, 408 Columbia Street, City of Ithaca 14. Tracy McNulty, 310 Hudson St, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 15. Brad Zukovic, 310 Hudson Street, City of Ithaca 16. Nancy Pollack ,125 Giles Street, City of Ithaca 17. Anne Mazer, 303 Columbia St., City of Ithaca 18. Fred Schwartz, 303 Columbia Street, City of Ithaca 19. Munna Rubai ,133 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 20. Sally Lockwood, 641 Hudson Street, City of Ithaca 21. Elizabeth Cobb, 136 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 22. Eniko Farkas, 156 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 23. Olivia Wahl, 107 Giles St, City of Ithaca 24. David Wahl, 107 Giles Street, City of Ithaca 25. David Ritchie, 160 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 26. Yvonne Rogalski, 121 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 27. Ted Bowman, 121 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 28. Barbara C. Harrison, 143 Westview Lane, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 29. Roger Beck, 823 Elmira Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 30. Terry Mattice, 136 Pine Tree Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 31. Taryn Mattice, 136 Pine Tree Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 32. Susan Multer, 15 Penny Lane, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 33. Astrid Jirka - 313 Pleasant Street, City of Ithaca 34. Sheila Squier, 110 Columbia Street, City of Ithaca 35. Carl Schofield, 14 Hawthorne Circle, City of Ithaca 36. Elke Schofield, 14 Hawthorne Circle, City of Ithaca 37. Aaron Maclaughlin, 409 Hudson St, Cith of Ithaca 38. Jen Maclaughlin, 409 Hudson Street, City of Ithaca 39. Zach Shulman, 417 Hudson St, City of Ithaca 40. Angela Rudert, 417 Hudson Street, City of Ithaca 41. Andrew Yale, 1095 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 42. Mitchell Lavine, 719 Ringwood Rd, Ithaca, Town of Dryden 43. Carla Golden, 772 Elm Street Ext., Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 44. Carol Chock, 39 Woodcrest Avenue, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 45. Kathryn Russell, 434 Snyder Hill Rd., Ithaca, Town of Dryden 46. Ann G. Gold, 106 Brandon Place, City of Ithaca 47. Betsy Darlington, 204 Fairmount Avenue, City of Ithaca 48. Beth Prentice, 102 Irving Place, City of Ithaca 49. Thys Van Cort, 102 Irving Place, City of Ithaca 50. Rebecca Williams, 106 Valley Road, City of Ithaca 51. Ken Deshere, 202 South Hill Terrace, City of Ithaca 52. Pam Mackesey, 323 Pleasant Street, City of Ithaca 53. Rev. Kirianne E. Weaver, 401 Salem Dr., Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 54. Camille Tischler, 110 Taylor Place, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 55. Martha Levine, 505 Linn St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 56. William Kellner, 110 Taylor Place, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 57. Jan Zeserson, 25 Woodcrest Ave, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 58. Brenda Kuhn, 1095 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 59. Elisa Miller-Out, 433 W. Buffalo St, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 60. Duncan Hilchey, 295 Hook Place, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 61. Margaret McCasland, 202-7 Cypress Court, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 62. Tom Blecher, 313 Utica St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 63. Jay Smith, 306 Rachel Carson Trail 413, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 64. Lori Yelensky, 114 Crescent Place, City of Ithaca 65. Ann Morse, 166 Pearsall Place, City of Ithaca 66. Alex Livingston, 315 Pleasant St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 67. Merike Andre-Barrett, 315 Pleasant Street, City of Ithaca 68. Robert S. Love, 770 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 69. Mary Alyce Kobler, 114 Bald Hill School Road, Brooktondale, Caroline 2 70. Mara Alper, 321 Strawberry Hill Circle, Town of Ithaca 71. Patricia Ladley, 17 Penny Lane, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 72. Sheila Out, 247 Valley Rd, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 73. Joseph Wilson, 75 Hunt Hill Rd., Dryden, Town of Dryden 74. Sarah Wessels, 770 Elm St. Ext., Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 75. Jonathan Comstock, 114 Bald Hill School Road, B'tondale, Caroline 76. Wendy Wallitt, 209 Valley Rd., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 77. Carolyn Belle, 108 Westfield Dr, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 78. Regi Teasley, 201 Cliff Park Rd, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 79. Amber Alberta, 769 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 80. Judy Saul, 201 Cliff Park Road, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 81. Mitch Weiss, 137 Northview Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 82. Martha Hamilton, 137 Northview Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 83. Nora Brown, 134 Hombrook Rd, Ithaca, Danby 84. Catherine Wagner, 1665 Ellis Hollow Rd, Ithaca, Dryden 85. Susan Robinson, 772 Bostwick Rd, Ithaca, Enfield 86. Noa Shapiro-Tamir, Town of Ithaca 87. Charles Geisler, 517 Ellis Hollow Cir. Rd, Ithaca, Dryden 88. Bill Alberta, 751 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 89. Antonia Shouse, 116 Westbourne Lane, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 90. Marie McRae, 13 Ringwood Court West, Ithaca, Dryden 91. Jan Zeserson, 25 Woodcrest Ave, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 92. Brenda Kuhn,1095 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 93. Elisa Miller-Out, 433 W. Buffalo St, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 94. Duncan Hilchey, 295 Hook Place, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 95. Margaret McCasland, 202-7 Cypress Court, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 96. Tom Blecher, 313 Utica St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 97. Jay Smith, 306 Rachel Carson Trail 413, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 98. Karim Beers, Cliff St., City of Ithaca 99. Peter Bardaglio, 9748 Arden Rd, Trumansburg, Ulysses 100. Elisa Evett, 298 Bald Hill Rd, Brooktondale, Caroline 101. Sheila McEnery, 125 Pearsall PI, City of Ithaca 102. John Fleischauer, 125 Pearsall Place, City of Ithaca 103. Janet Fortess, 225 Columbia St., City of Ithaca 104. Lenny Silver, 225 Columbia Street, City of Ithaca 105. Karl Pillemer, 135 Hudson St, City of Ithaca 106. Clare McMillan, 135 Hudson Street, City of Ithaca 'All things are bound together,all things connect. -Oren Lyons,Faithkeeper,Seneca Nation Paulette Rosa From: Sheila Out <sheilaout49@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 12, 2021 11:50 AM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Comments on Draft Ithaca Energy Code Supplement Dear Sustainability Coordinator, Mayor, City Council Members and Ithaca Town Board Members, The following comments are from myself as a City of Ithaca resident and also from the environmental action group Mothers Out Front Tompkins, of which I'm an Organizing Member. I've used "we" below to refer to both myself individually and the organization. We're very pleased to finally see the Draft Ithaca Energy Code Supplement and to have the opportunity to comment on it. Much good and hard work has gone into creating it over the last few years. But because this Draft has taken so long to complete, and because of the increased urgency of the climate crisis, and also because many developers and builders are ready to comply with the updated Code, we suggest the following improvements to strengthen the Code. Firstly, all timelines can and should be drastically shortened. An example of why we believe implementation can occur much sooner is the proposed Collegetown Innovation District project. Late last year a number of us attended presentations by its developers during which they stated that their project would be in compliance with the Ithaca Green New Deal. When one of us questioned how they could say they'd be in compliance when the Draft had not yet been issued, they reiterated that they indeed would be. This example shows that a major developer is already ahead of the game, so would not have a problem with a much shortened timeline. Although it is promising that big projects like the Collegetown Innovation District appear to be incorporating Green Building Policy rules into their plans, the City and Town need to implement the proposed changes swiftly and firmly so that projects like the Collegetown Innovation District cannot go forward without abiding by a strong Code, including the additional changes proposed below. Secondly, the points system can and should be strengthened by increasing the necessary points from six to twelve and by removing the following point categories: • Walkability. While this is of course desirable, the location of amenities is often not within the developers' or builders' control and is subject to change. We believe that because walkability, is already so desirable in the current market, no points need be given for this. • Biomass. This is neither a sustainable or otherwise environmentally friendly fuel. For example, wood pellet manufacturing often involves clear-cutting forests. Then a lot of energy, often from fossil fuels, is required to make and transport them. And when they're burned they release GHG. Thirdly, all new projects should be required to comply with the version of the NY Stretch Energy Code in effect at the time of the CEQR review. Fourthly, where projects include parking, a percentage of parking spots should have charging stations. The need for these will dramatically increase over a few short years as more people acquire electric vehicles. Fifthly (last but not least), no fossil fuels should be allowed in any new projects. We thank you for taking the above comments into consideration. 1 Sheila Out and Mothers Out Front Tompkins 2 Paulette Rosa From: Elisa Evett <duccio44@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 12, 2021 3:29 PM To: Paulette Rosa; NGoldsmith@cityofithaca.org;council@cityofithaca.org Subject: IECS Dear Ithaca Town Board members, Nick Goldsmith, Mayor Myrick and City of Ithaca Council members, I have been following the slow progress of the development of the Green Building Policy over the past few years and so I am very pleased to finally see it in its close-to-final form as the Draft Ithaca Energy Code Supplement and to discover that it is available for comment.Because of the urgency of the climate crisis, and because many developers and builders are ready to comply with the updated Code,I urge you to make the following improvements to strength the Code. 1-All time lines can and should be shortened. Late last year I attended a presentation by the developers of the Collegetown Innovation Project during which they stated that their project would be in compliance with the Ithaca Green New Deal. When I questioned how they could say that when the Green Building Policy had not yet been issued, they claimed that they would be in compliance. This suggests that they were already embracing certain practices in their plans and would not be put off by a much shortened time line. Thus the grace period for implementation can be shortened to two months. Although it is promising that big projects like the Collegetown Innovation Project appear to be incorporating Green Building Policy rules in to their plans, the city and town need to make the proposed changes swiftly. Projects like the Collegetown Innovation Projects should not be allowed to go forward without abiding by the changes I have proposed.. 2-The points system can and should be strengthened by increasing the necessary points from six to 12 and by removing the following point categories: Walkability-While this is of course desirable, the location of amenities is often not with the developers' or builders' control and is subject to change. I believe that because waikability is already so desirable in the current market, no points need be given for this 'low hanging fruit.' Biomass-This has been proven to be neither a sustainable or otherwise environmentally friendly fuel. It has no place in the Code. 3-Where projects include parking, a percentage of parking spots should be charging stations. The need for these will dramatically increase over a few short years as more people acquire electric vehicles, already a significant trend in our area. 4-Independent, third party verification of all reports and documentation should be required. No project should be approved without this oversight. I would like to add that although I do not live in either the City or Town of Ithaca,I contribute to their economies, by doing all my shopping and banking and by seeking medical and legal services. I have contributed to the educational and artistic life of the area. I also am a native Ithacan and have lived 66 of my 76 years in the Ithaca area. I care enormously about the future of my beloved town Thank you very much for welcoming my views on the IECS. Sincerely, Elisa Evett 1 co-chair-Mothers Out Front-Tompkins 298 Bald FTiH-Rd Brooktondale,NY 14817 z Paulette Rosa From: Erich Marquard Schwarz <ems394@cornell.edu> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 11:31 PM To: NGoldsmith@cityofithaca.org;council@cityofithaca.org; Paulette Rosa Cc: Donna Fleming Subject: Comments on the proposed "Green" building codes for Ithaca, NY Dear City of Ithaca, My wife and I are residents of the City of Ithaca; we have been living in the Belle Sherman neighborhood since August 2013, in a 1926 Craftsman house which we made more energy-efficient by adding insulation to its walls (it had gone almost nine decades without anybody doing that). We chose our house in part because it has many large windows; my wife suffers from significant depression in the winter if she cannot get enough sunlight. There are several features of the proposed "Green" building codes for Ithaca, NY that are troublesome. Imperiousness and surveillance 1.Any"major renovation" subjects an existing house to these new regulations,and the definition of"major renovation" is quite broad; it includes replacing a furnace,something we did in our house a few years ago as part of routine maintenance. Replace a furnace,get your whole house subject to Green regulations. The same hair-trigger activates if one makes any significant change of one's home lighting. Do the residents of Ithaca realize that this sort of completely routine household upkeep will have this legal effect on their homes? 2. Enforcing these requirements would require quite remarkable surveillance (a nice word for"spying"). For one instance, the"major renovation" clause is invoked by changing the house lighting in "50%of the building floor area". How exactly does Ithaca propose to define"50%of floor area", and how will it detect homeowners who change the lighting by(say) buying a lot of standing lamps and plugging them in? For another instance,the proposed heat- pump requirements(see below)will, I predict, inspire substantial noncompliance in the form of people using space heaters extensively during the winter. What is the city of Ithaca's plan for surveillance of the insides of people's houses in order to deter such noncompliance? Freezing in the dark 3. Heating of house air and house water with natural gas or even electrical resistance will be effectively banned. In a place that has severe winters,we will instead be expected to heat our houses with heat pumps,which are slower than gas heating and do not work well in temperatures below 35 deg. F. (i.e.,do not work well in low temperatures commonly experienced in Ithaca between October and May). We will be graciously allowed to instead use electric resistance heat for no more than 10%of our houses. I assume that this 10%clause was added to avoid the politically inconvenient spectacle of Ithaca homes being *absolutely* incapable of functioning in cold weather, but I would rather just live in a house whose heating works quickly and all the time. So would most normal human beings. 4.These heat pumps will be powered by...what? As I write these words,Texas is experiencing a massive power failure during a cold wave; part of the problem is that it has tried to replace its fossil fuel energy supplies with windmills that do not work well in severe winter. Germany's energy costs have skyrocketed because of its attempts to ban fossil fuels. The one country in Europe that has had serious success in producing stable and non-carbon-based electric energy has been France,which relies heavily on nuclear power. *If* New York State were to adopt the pro-nuclear energy policies of France, I would have significantly fewer reservations about energy policies aimed at making all household 1 energy sources electric rather than fossl-fueled. However,there isno evidence that New York State will ever adopt such policies. S. Elsewhere, there are credits given to households with parking places for electric vehicles. Let us set aside the question of whether electric vehicles will ever match the ability of gasoline-powered automobiles to function at low temperatures(which are frequent in Ithaca, and during which batteries tend to stop vvorking). Instead | again ask:what will the state of New York be using to power those all-electric cars? Requiring smaller homes 6. In several places,the regulations describe the maximum amount of heated floor space that will be allowed for a given family dwelling. This would be 1,870 square feet for our 3-bedroonn house. in fact, our house would pass this requirement(its heated floor space is 1,500 square feet), but my wife and I live in a house that is generally considered quite small for our neighborhood,and we are underpopulating what could be a house for up to six people. For many normal human beings, being told by Ithaca that they*must* live in tiny houses would be quite obnoxious. Moreover, the "generous" allowance of1,87O square feet is only being given tm single-family dwellings;for other dwellings, the three-bedroom allowance isa truly miserable 986 square feet. Who came up with these rules? Banning our basement heater 7.Another planned ban would require that all components of heating systems to be "livable space". Specifically banned from use would be abaxenment. Soifnny house were ever unfortunate enough to have a "major renovation" and come under the control of these rules,we would be required to remove our existing gas heating system (which has the gas heater in our basement,where it conveniently does not take up living space, and where it also provides spillover heat to our water pipes in the basement, helpfully preventing them from freezing and breaking in those six-month Ithaca vvintep|iheperiods). I suspect that most normal human beings would prefer that large pieces of household equipment be placed in utilitarian parts of their house such as a basement, rather than taking up fully"livable space". Why, exactly, does the city ofIthaca need bz ban this? Banning our clothes dryer 8.Yet another planned ban: all clothes dryers will use ventless heat pumps. Our current clothes dryer, thank goodness, is vented and efficiently pumps its hot, humid air out of the house entirely. |fxve ever fall afoul of the ban,me will be expected to replace our currently highly satisfactory clothes dryer with a ventless dryer that is both slower and seriously less effective at doing its nominal 'ob. Banning our gas stove 9.Gas stoves under the new laws would be strenuously discouraged or banned outright. Our house currently has agas stove. It's great! much faster than electric for cooking food or boiling water,and much easier than electric to control precisely and quickly. As long asm/enever,ever have todoa "major renovation"' |guess we'll be allowed to keep it. Mandatory motion sensors for lights in restrooms of commercial areas(workspaces, restaurants, etc.) 1O.This isa really, really bad idea. If you make this rule happen,you will be creating a black market for little gizmos that people can take with them into restrooms to trigger the bathroom lights. Generally, anything that makes it harder to keep the lights on when people want them on is ill-advised, but I really can't think of any circumstances*less*good for having the lights suddenly go out without any warning than being on a toilet stall with one's pants down around one's ankles and trying to relieve oneself. Again ...who came up with these rules? 2 Requiring a low"window-to-wall" ratio 11.As I mentioned at the start of this e-mail, my wife and I live in a house with many large windows in the walls. The reason we selected this house is because Ithaca is in the northern reaches of the United States, in an area with famously prolonged bad weather and cold winters, and my wife finds going for months on end without adequate daylight to be psychologically unacceptable. According to these new regulations, our house's windows would be considered unacceptably numerous and large. Anti-nuclear bigotry and biomass 12.The proposed regulations give householders credits for using"renewable"energy,with "renewable" being defined specifically as"solar,geothermal,or hydrothermal". Why is nuclear power not on this list? If we're serious about going to 100%electric energy,we're going to need nuclear badly; and nuclear has zero carbon emissions. I thought the point of all these sumptuary laws was to diminish the emission of anthropogenic carbon dioxide,so why is nuclear excluded? 13. "Biomass" is considered a reasonable energy source and is listed as one acceptable alternative. This basically means taking large amounts of what could be farmland to feed human beings,growing plants on it, and burning them. This is not only a fabulously inefficient way to generate electricity, but a guaranteed way to make food supplies scarcer and more expensive. We are facing the prospect of 10 billion human beings on Earth by 2050, and they will need food supplies. Perhaps we could build nuclear power plants, keep farmland in use for feeding people, and have a win-win? What will all this cost ordinary people? 14.All of these additional constraints, bans, and mandates are likely to make housing in Ithaca more expensive. That's obnoxious but endurable for those of us who are fortunate enough to be affluent; but for most non-privileged human beings,skyrocketing energy costs and elevating housing costs cause pain. Isn't the United States already Dickensian enough? --Erich Schwarz Ithaca, IVY 3 Paulette Rosa From: Anne Rhodes <rhodes.freeville@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 4:55 PM To: Paulette Rosa; Nick Goldsmith;council@cityofithaca.org Subject: Comments in response to the IECS February 16, 2021 To the Ithaca City Common Council members and members of the Ithaca Town Board, All residents of the greater Tompkins County community, including those outside the City and Town of Ithaca, contribute to the life, businesses, creativity, attractiveness, and tax revenue of both the City and the Town, and in turn, we are affected by your legislation. The Ithaca Green New Deal is ambitious and aspirational, with specific goals and resolutions that have the potential to move us to carbon neutrality by 2030, However, the process of developing actual IECS legislation has dragged on while the local effects of climate change have accelerated. For that and the additional reasons below, the draft IECS legislation to enact your Green Building Policy for new construction requires improvement. Here are improvements you should make: • Increase the number of required points for a building permit from 6 to 12. Six points was suggested years ago before climate change impacts accelerated as they have. And many developers are already building in anticipation of this code. Eliminate points for walkability--the areas where development is likely to occur are already "walkable". No points for"efficient gas" installations. Don't allow fossil fuels to be used in new projects--using the CLCPA approach to calculating GHG emissions, we have been increasing the most harmful emissions rather than decreasing them. The primary culprit is the use of Methane Gas. Buildings that are permitted now to use Methane Gas will be emitting for the next 35+ years. Eliminate the grace period between passing your law and implementing it—as mentioned, developers know, and many are already complying with the underlying Green Building Policy. • Require independent third party verification of all reports and documentation--common sense dictates this; ic. "Trust but Verify". • Require all new projects to comply with the version of the NY Stretch Energy Code in effect at the time of the CEQR review—provisions in it improve your proposed Code. • Add a specific requirement for electric vehicle charging stations in a ratio based on total number of parking places in the project--most realistic way to deal with transportation emissions is to make use of electric vehicles practical. Respectfully, Anne Rhodes 91 Ed Hill Rd., Freeville NY 13068 i Paulette Rosa From: eee1 @cornell.edu Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 8:00 PM To: NGoldsmith@cityofithaca.org;council@cityofithaca.org Cc: Paulette Rosa Subject: comments on IECS [Note to Town Clerk: please forward this message to the Ithaca Town Board] To: Nick Goldsmith, Sustainability Coordinator; Mayor Svante Myrick and Members of Common Council From: Elmer and Marilyn Ewing, 1520 Slaterville Road, Ithaca NY Subject: Our comments on the IECS My wife and I are residents of the Town of Ithaca, exactly one mile up Rt. 79 from the City limit. We are retired, in our 80's, and deeply concerned about the future our children and grandchildren, along with every living person and creature, will be facing because of climate chaos. Thus we drive an all electric Chevrolet Bolt and get our home's electricity from Nexamp. For the 1845 farm house that our daughter and her family rent from us, we installed solar panels on the roof, and changed the heating system from oil to a ground-source heat pump. Through HeatSmart, the rental apartment in that same house has just had an air- source heat pump installed to replace propane burners. I am active in the Campaign for Renewable Energy and Fossil Free Tompkins, and I advocate for their policies in the social action committee of First Presbyterian. What more can we do? What we are doing now—thanking you for the long, hard work of improving Ithaca's building codes, urging its adoption, and recommending for your consideration these ways in which the proposed ICES should be strengthened: Move the deadline for no fossil fuels forward to 2022. 1 • Likewise, adopt the 2025 standards now, and the 2030 standards in 2025. • To accompany the new Ithaca code changes, adopt the NY Stretch Energy Code right away. • Add specific requirements for electric vehicle charging stations (e.g., based on a percent of total parking spots). • Make it harder to get points. For example, none for biomass power generation (bad for health and of little or no benefit to the environment), and none for walkability (desirable, but too easy). • Require independent, third party review of all documentation and reports. Thank you again for developing this important document, and for the chance to express our opinions. We are copying the Codes and Ordinances Committee of the Town of Ithaca with the request that they take similar actions. Sincerely, Elmer and Marilyn Ewing Paulette Rosa From: Sara Hess <sarahess630@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 7:27 PM To: Nick Goldsmith;Common Council; Paulette Rosa;JoAnn Cornish Subject: Petition in support of ICES- 16 additional signers PETITION—Additions to 106 signers sent previously I support the passage of the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement (IECS) ordinance for new buildings and major renovations because it will be the first tangible step towards reaching the aspirational goals of the City of Ithaca's Green New Deal. Further, I urge that the 2025 code standards be adopted now, and 2030 standards be adopted in 2025. Name/Address/Municipality 1. Susan Blumenthal, 305 Mitchell St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 2. Paul Mazarella, 39 Woodcrest Ave, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 3. Margaret Smith Einarson, 770 Elm St. Ext, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 4. Rebecca Moser, 9 Ringwood Ct. W., Ithaca, Town of Dryden 5. Sheila Stone, 221 Cornell St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 6. Joan Spielholz, 304 Eastwood Ave, Ithaca, City of Ithaca 7. Judith Pierpont, 111 Pleasant Hollow, Freeville, Dryden 8. Kathleen Wilcox, 307 First St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 9. Eileen Maxwell, 34 Turkey Hill Rd., Ithaca, Town of Dryden 10. Todd Sandler, 302 Cascadilla St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 11. Deborah Jones, 3166 Perry City Rd, Trumansburg, Ulysses 12. John T. Finn, 413 N. Geneva St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 13. Kate T. Finn, 413 N. Geneva St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 14. Karen Rodriguez, 602 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca 15. Mara Braddy, 44 D. Quarry Rd, Ithaca, Town of Ithaca 16. Wendy Skinner, 112 N. Cayuga St., Ithaca, City of Ithaca From Sara Hess for Fossil Free Tompkins February 16, 2021 'All things are bound together, all things connect. -Oren Lyons,Faithkeeper,Seneca and Onondaga Nations 1 Paulette Rosa From: Vivek lyer <iowa_graduate@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 4:09 PM To: NGoldsmith@cityofithaca.org; council@cityofithaca.org; Paulette Rosa Cc: Donna Fleming Subject: Comments on the proposed "Green" building codes Hello, I am a resident of the City of Ithaca. I built my house in 2013 in the Belle Sherman neighborhood. My house is an incredibly energy-efficient Energy Star-rated house. Going through the green building code website, and looking through additional documents I received via Alderperson Donna Fleming, I would like to voice my comments on the proposal. 1)The IECS proposal is woefully inadequate in its analysis of associated costs. From what I have seen, there is no attempt made anywhere to estimate the projected increase in building costs arising from the proposed codes.The obvious benefits of energy savings have been mentioned in a few places, but the cost side of the ledger isn't discussed. 2)The proposal does not discuss its impact on housing affordability. My house, built in 2013, was pushing the limits of affordability for my squarely middle-class family. Will the proposed requirements make housing even pricier for a young family or for those on a fixed income? Will this push lower-and lower-middle-class families farther away from Ithaca, inadvertently turning Ithaca into a wealthy and/or upper-middle-class enclave?This is an important topic that must be discussed prior to the adoption of the proposal. 3)What are the costs of compliance? The proposal fails to discuss or estimate the costs of compliance with the new code, and how those costs will be passed along to a family building a house. 4)The IECS proposal fails to clearly delineate and justify the enhancements from the baseline of the State's green building codes. There is no clear, easy-to-grasp summary of how the IECS codes extend the State's codes, and why those enhancements over-and-above what the State proposed are justified. 5)There are some disturbingly intrusive and overbearing elements in the residential code. The proposed rules on window size, lighting, appliance choices, and square footage are too intrusive. My energy-efficient house has large windows that would overshoot the proposed window-to-wall surface area by a few points, and yet those large windows are not enough for natural lighting given the frequently gloomy skies of Ithaca. As for residential lighting, I put in fewer lights than optimal, regretted it promptly after moving in, and had to pay an electrician after the fact to install more lights. (Dimmers on more lights are better than fewer lights.) On the topic of using ventless electric dryers, I urge you to look at reviews of ventless electric dryers.They're nowhere near as good as vented dryers as of this writing.As for rewarding points for the use of electric stoves and ovens, I would like to note that people may prefer gas over electric cooking for various personal reasons, and that choice should be theirs to make. Lastly, square footage "allowances" should be applicable to livestock, not people. Human beings ought to be treated as such, and controlling the intricate details of our living quarters is unconscionable, even if done in the name of environmentalism and the "greater good". Based on the aforementioned reasons, I think the proposed codes need substantial further discussion from a cost-benefit and humanist standpoint, and must not be adopted as written. 1 I also urge you to look at the big Picture before You pass any further regulations: just hl the last calendar year 2O2O. Communist Party-run Chino built 38.4GVV of coal-fired power plants, more than three times the nest of the mmdd combined. (Link: That shouldn't let uu off the hook, but please keep that inperspective; the proposed rules will affect new housing development in a community of -30,000 people, while a foreign country of 1.4 billion people is recklessly building coal-powered plants whose collective emissions will wipe out the proposed IECS' Carbon reduction gains in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. Our County has a 20% poverty rate and housing in Ithaca is expensive; please keep that in mind with your policy proposals and actions. Thank you, Vivek |yer Ithaca, NY Paulette Rosa From: Brian B. Eden <bbe2@cornell.edu> Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2021 8:59 AM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Nick Goldsmith Subject: FYI: Submission to the City's PEDC for the public hearing on the IECS Attachments: Costs of Delays in Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions.pdf,American Lung Assoc. on the Importance of IAQ.png;Sustainable Energy Expo 2021.pdf Dear Town Board Members, I apologize in advance for not preparing a separate comment for the Town. I am a resident of the Town. I have participated in discussion on energy issues with Town staff on several occasions. I was a member of the Town's Energy Action Plan Advisory Committee (2012-2014). 1 have also provided comments on various construction projects to the Planning Board most significantly the Maplewood project. I also served as the Village of Cayuga Heights representative on the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council for nearly a decade. I appreciate the attention that the Town Board members have devoted to this Code's development. Please contact me if you wish to discuss any elements of my comment. Thanks again for being engaged in this important process. Brian Dear Common Council Members, I have presented my concerns relative to the climate crisis on numerous occasions over the past decade to Common Council and several City committees. My comments did not elicit any questions or follow-ups from the members of these committees. Therefore, I will provide a more extensive introduction than the 3 minutes of the privilege of the floor would provide me to hopefully, in advance, establish some credibility for my comments. I formerly was the Chair of the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council and Chair of its Energy Committee. As growing numbers of local residents came to appreciate this existential threat and the need to accelerate mitigation and adaptation measures, I among others lobbied the County Legislature for a stand-alone committee to address these issues. Subsequently the County established, and I have served upon, the Energy Roadmap Steering Committee (2014—2016), Energy Task Force (2017-2019), and Climate and Sustainable Energy Advisory Board (2020- present). Meanwhile, some residents initiated private efforts to supplement the municipal climate action planning programs. Solar Tompkins was formed with Board members representing each Town in Tompkins County and the City. Our solarize installations in the City served to achieve a target action that supported a six-figure NYSERDA grant award to the City. In 2015, with Brice Smith a Physics Professor and Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Sustainability Energy Systems at SUNY Cortland as the lead author, several local energy policy folks developed a presentation "Building and Heating with the Climate in Mind". We conducted programs for the City staff at a brown bag lunch as well as a presentation for the PEDC, other local municipalities, and a regional presentation for developers, architects, and engineers at the Hotel Ithaca. Our organization evolved from operating a solarize program to one promoting building envelope improvements accompanied by the installation of energy efficient heat pumps. NYSERDA 1 took an interest in our program and sent staff to Ithaca to conduct focus groups with our enrollees. Now there are 20 NYSERDA funded clean heating and cooling community campaigns in NYS. Historically, we had devoted most of our attention to the residential sector. Meanwhile on a parallel track, during 2015-2016 the Tompkins County Legislature and Tompkins County Area Development engaged in a collaborative process to produce the Tompkins County Energy and Economic Development Task Force Report. The 3rd of 8 recommendations was to reduce fossil fuel use in commercial and industrial buildings. The tactics included creating a program to assist businesses with planning and financing energy improvements and developing financial tools that support the incremental costs of making energy investments. That was the birth of the County's Business Energy Advisor program that supports new construction and major renovation projects in the City as well as the other County municipalities with technical advice and assistance in applying for NYSERDA incentives. Our HeatSmart programs in NYS began to evolve in 2019 to focus increased resources on the commercial and multi-family housing sector. We wrote a grant to fund a small commercial outreach program in Lansing to address the needs of the gas constrained commercial sector there. The Business Energy Advisor Lansing program is a collaboration between HeatSmart, the County's Department of Planning and Sustainability, and Ithaca Area Economic Development. We now have a monthly statewide Commercial HeatSmart meeting to share ideas and develop new messaging and outreach programs. This January we conducted a presentation to the County's Planning, Energy, and Environmental Quality Committee that featured the Director of Westchester County's Commercial Clean Heating and Cooling program. When it comes to carbon emissions, our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, and businesses—the places where we live, work, play, grow, connect—are major polluters. They account for 74% of national electricity consumption and about a third of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions nationally, more than any other sector. And that's not factoring in their embodied carbon—that is, the CO2 emissions generated by producing and acquiring the materials we use to construct and maintain buildings—nor how they affect the health of occupants and communities. But it doesn't have to be this way. Now is the time for us to collectively transform buildings from major emissions generators to central solutions to the climate crisis while also improving public health, creating jobs, and strengthening community resilience. Zero-carbon building codes for new construction address the emissions from buildings constructed each year, while emerging building performance standards and policies can address existing buildings Governor Cuomo recently announced $17 million in funding for municipalities that commit to expanded high-impact actions under the state's Clean Energy Communities program to help drive stronger community leadership to reduce harmful carbon emissions, expand assistance for disadvantaged areas, and foster further investments in the growing clean energy economy. We hope to partner with the City to increase its opportunities to receive some of this funding. HeatSmart's strategy to transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels is as follows: stop the expansion of the gas infrastructure system, plan for the systems retirement with the least amount of stranded asset costs to ratepayers, and ensure that the transition is accomplished equitably for all residents. These policy levers are now being advanced by many allied organizations at the state level. The Energy Efficiency and Housing Advisory Panel plans to recommend to the NYS Climate Action Council a ban on fossil fuels in new construction and an eventual prohibition of gas or oil replacements of boilers and other equipment in existing homes, apartments and commercial buildings. The mandates will be implemented only after several years of programs providing technical assistance and financial incentives. Renewable Heat Now has advocated for an even more rapid transition away from the use of fossil fuels. We are currently evaluating the most effective and least costly means for adopting municipal gas bans. The Municipal Home Rule Law that provides a community the authority to protect public health and safety conflicts with the NYS Public Service Law that requires gas utilities to serve anyone within their franchise area. Hopefully this conflict will be resolved with statewide legislation rather than costly municipal litigation 2 "There are more than 4.5 million buildings in New York. On a building-by-building basis, more than 400 buildings per day would need to be decarbonized for the next 30 years to cover the entire existing building stock by 2050. The State needs scale to succeed, and action at the community-level will be critical." (NYSERDA Strategic Outlook 2021-2025). HeatSmart was a cofounder of the statewide organization Renewable Heat Now in 2016. There are now 16 NYS organizations collaborating on initiatives to achieve our state's climate goals of at least 40% greenhouse gas reductions below 1990 levels by 2030 by reducing greenhouse gas emissions that result from space and water heating in our building stock. HeatSmart has also formed a committee to promote increased funding for clean heating and cooling technologies in the pending Federal infrastructure bill to create jobs that is now before Congress. We have been meeting with NY Congressional staffers who anticipate that the infrastructure/job creation effort will be the next legislation taken up after the adoption of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for coronavirus relief. More specifically in a more direct response to the provisions of the draft IECS, I recommend that Common Council 1. Adopt as a minimum mitigation measure the 2025 version of the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement. Negative climate change impacts have been accelerating and we are far behind in implementing the necessary action steps to avoid catastrophic social, environmental, and economic outcomes. Meanwhile higher energy performing buildings have become more cost effective to construct. There is also increasing NYSERDA funding for technical assistance and utility provided rebates. NYSERDA PON 3609 provides support for applicants to identify and install energy efficiency, electrification, and carbon reduction opportunities to achieve Carbon Neutral Ready levels of performance in non-residential and mixed-use new construction, change of use, and substantial renovations to existing buildings. Applicants may select a Primary Energy Consultant from a list maintained by NYSERDA or may use the services of a provider of their choice. The PON 4337 New Construction-Housing program aims to accelerate the design, development and construction of reduced or zero carbon emitting buildings, reducing their energy consumption and per capita carbon emissions while increasing passive survivability and climate change resilience. Through the NC- Housing program, NYSERDA offers financial incentives and technical support for the new construction or gut rehabilitation of residential and mixed-use buildings, inclusive of single- family homes, multi-unit developments, multifamily buildings, residence halls, dormitories, and congregate living facilities, exclusive of nursing homes. In addition, HeatSmart is co-sponsoring a statewide Sustainable Energy Expo in April (see attachment) that will provide developers with the latest information on the opportunities to construct zero carbon buildings. 2. Common Council's decision on the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement is a test of your commitment to achieve the City's greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. If the City indeed remains committed to these goals, any delays will be costly to the City as well as negatively impact its economy. Even though the consequences of climate change persist for the very long term, the time to avoid those consequences is very short. A delay— of even a decade— in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will lock in large-scale, irreversible change. Delay also increases the risk that the whole climate system will spin out of control. A recent study utilized an "Energy Policy Simulator" to model two illustrative U.S. climate policy scenarios reaching net zero cumulative emissions abatement by 2050, one starting climate action in 2021 and the second delaying climate action until 2030. The net present value of the 2030 Scenario changes in cumulative capital, operational, and fuel expenditures are 72 percent more than the 2021 Scenario." (See attachment for the specific calculations) 3. Adopt the NYStretch Code 2020 as a baseline measure. The NY Stretch Energy Code includes requirements for more insulation, better windows, and other building improvements that are not required in the new local code. Together, they are far more effective than either one separately. 4. Remove section R502.4.2RE2 (Biomass Space Heating) that provides 5 points and with an added 1 point for walkability; a conventional underperforming building could receive the required six 3 points to receive a construction permit with no energy system or building envelope advancements. For an environmental analysis of the impacts of the use of biomass in this application see Biomass Energy: Green or Dirty? (Physics World, 1/8/2021). Although a pellet stove is more efficient than a conventional wood burning stove, it continues to emit pollutants. We advocate that no appliance within the home utilize a combustion technology; develop a zero-emission standard for HVAC and appliances. With the onset of Covid-19, indoor air quality has become even more important. There have been several recent webinars on gas stove pollution and its health consequences. Attached is a table from the American Lung Association See also the most recent science: "Global mortality from outdoor fine particle pollution generated by fossil fuel combustion" (Environmental Research 2/9/21). All new construction projects should be required to install better filtration and ventilation equipment as well as associated heat recovery units. 5. The 2025 version of the Code is an early step, and one of the easier ones to implement, in decarbonizing the City's building stock. Existing building retrofits will present a more complex and costly challenge. 6. Affordability appears as the underlying rational to adopt the Code as written. More affordable to whom? Developers or tenants? First costs or life cycle costs? Is there an assumption that there is a linear relationship between the construction of higher energy performing buildings and their overall cost. Any premium expense for increased building performance standards when amortized over the lifetime of the building will be less than the excess costs associated with the greater fuel costs for operating a lower energy performing building. Many factors influence cost. Higher energy performing buildings require a highly coordinated planning process among the architects, engineers, and contractors to develop a building-level economical project This process often results in improved efficiencies and reduced costs without a commensurate loss of building performance. I recently attended a webinar in which a developer stated, under certain conditions, he could build a net zero building more cheaply than a conventional one; one saving is the reduced sizing of the energy and distribution systems. If your decision on this Code is based on this assumption of linearity, I would ask you to request more empirical data to confirm your assumption. 7. Fracked gas from Pennsylvania has provided our region with a cheap source of energy especially when its impact on public health and the climate is not calculated. This is about to change dramatically. The NYSDEC recently approved modifications to the greenhouse emissions accounting framework. This will increase the social cost of carbon and make gas a far less attractive option when undertaking a Benefit Cost Analysis. In addition, the NYS Department of Public Service in Case 20- G-0131 - Proceeding on Motion of the Commission in Regard to Gas Planning Procedures (filed February 12, 2021), staff proposed to require utilities to model gas infrastructure investment costs based on fully depreciating them by 2050, which, if enacted, will demonstrate how expensive gas investments are when compared to alternatives. Depreciation is used to allow a utility to recover the capital expended on an asset over its anticipated useful life and that useful life will be substantially shorter when this provision is adopted. 8. The construction of higher energy performing buildings requires rigorous code enforcement. There are many areas in which code enforcement may be inadequate but a major source of concern is the deviation from the designs approved and the actual installations to ensure that energy use intensity thresholds are achieved and site level emissions are minimized. Codes will become increasingly complex requiring more highly skilled code enforcement staffs. The Department of State has reduced funding for training. I understand that the City is well served by its professional code enforcement staff. However, I will commit to lobbying NYS for increased funding for advanced training sessions and the City to maintain adequate funding for its code enforcement staff. For the most recent thinking on code development, see the New Building Institute's Building Decarbonization Code (February 2021). 9. Although not many construction projects are now being developed that will rely on fossil fuels for their energy systems, it is still possible to have such projects permitted. There should be Code 4 provision to require these projects to be developed in such a way as to easily transition to an all- electric energy system when such systems are mandated to avoid more costly retrofits later. I provided the substantial discussion of my work on these issues above not as self-promotion but to highlight the extent of the work that must be accomplished if we are to mitigate the worst impacts of the climate emergency. Please contact me if you wish further clarifications or additional documentation, I appreciate both Nick's and Ian's substantial efforts at developing and amending this code in response to public comments, Everyone in the community has a role to play as we strive to preserve a quality of life for ourselves and our descendants. As publicly elected officials you have the utmost responsibility for understanding these issues, even as I fully appreciate such detailed information is not easily accessible to your constituents, and adopting the appropriate response measures. This is one of the most consequential decisions that you will make in your tenure on Common Council. Thank you for your attention to this extended comment. Sincerely, Brian Brian Eden Chair, Board of Directors Solar Tompkins/HeatSmart Tompkins P.O. Box 954 Ithaca, N.Y. 14851-0954 '40 T 0 t4 P IK I N S 5 Paulette Rosa From: Vivek lyer <iowa_graduate@yahoo.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 17,2021 7:53 AM To: Patricia Leary Cc: Paulette Rosa Subject: Re: Green building codes Thanks, Ms. Leary. I hope you get helpful and useful comments ahead of today's meeting. I would like to mention that I completely skipped over the Commercial section of the rules, assuming that local business interests would be looking at those. I also didn't realize until after I sent my email that the rules would be applicable to existing homes when even minor home mod ificationsrmprovements are done; that makes it imperative to place careful scrutiny on the proposal, and I hope other citizens are also paying attention to what could become a ubiquitous regulatory headache in the future. Best wishes, Vivek On Tuesday, February 16, 2021, 07:18:30 PM EST, Patricia Leary<p117@cornell.edu>wrote: Thank you for your well-considered comments on the proposed green building codes.The Town of Ithaca is attempting to coordinate its codes with those of the city's.Although you are a city resident,you raise some very practical points that I believe the town should take into consideration.The fact that the U.S. contributes a very small percentage of the world's greenhouse gas emissions needs to be included in any attempt to enact restrictions on energy use, and the impact on housing costs and the quality of life of ordinary residents needs to be balanced appropriately. I agree with you that ventless dryers are an inefficient, unhygienic choice that may well lead to greater utilization of electricity (similar to low- flow washers, showers, and toilets--not an urgent need in our water-abundant Finger Lakes), and gas stoves are the frequent choice of cooks who value the ability to control the heat as they prepare a meal. Local regulations must be tailored to local conditions, as your observation notes about the need for windows to allow more natural light in overcast Ithaca. Again,thank you for your targeted perspective. Sent from my iPad i Paulette Rosa From: Randall Corey <nccorey@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 12:01 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short term rentals To the Short Term Rental committee and Town of Ithaca Board: My name is Randall Corey. I am a local business owner of over 30 years. In 2001 1 bought a house on the lake at 979 Taughannock Blvd. The house was previously a rental property and rented mostly to students. The house was in disrepair and needed a lot of work. I took on the work and put my resources into rehabbing the house as my home. After my son was born in 2004, we decided it would be best for him to have a yard to run around in, so we bought our current home in Enfield. In 2005, we moved and began renting the lake cottage. I put a tremendous amount of work into the house and have been fortunate to have many repeat customers and all 5-star reviews. My neighbors have not brought up any issues with me or my renters and we share a steep driveway and parking area with the adjacent houses without incident. I am not a rich man. I was 39 years old when I bought my first house (the lake cottage). I am now 59 years old and getting closer to retirement. My business has been severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. I had to shut down my chiropractic office for three months during the pandemic. Since reopening my office in mid-June of 2020, 1 have had to implement various COVID protocols that have resulted in me having to basically do twice as much work to be able to see half as many patients as I was prior to the crisis. Fortunately, the lake cottage rental business was strong and has kept my family financially solvent in this volatile climate. My lake cottage brings tourist dollars to our town. The people who come to stay at my house would not come and stay in a hotel. They have boats and kayaks and fishing gear. They want to experience lake living. They want to hike, and ski, and explore, and spend money in our town. They want to experience the wonderful and varied restaurants that Ithaca has to offer. I regularly give recommendations to local food and experiential businesses that help our local economy thrive. I employ cleaning people, outdoor maintenance workers, utility repairmen, and landscaping companies that add to our local economy. The maintenance on my lake property exceeds the maintenance on my regular home which adds more dollars to our economy. The way my lake cottage is situated, is such that our deck is at a different height than the neighbors on either side. We have privacy landscaping and shades set up so that the neighbors are not affected by my renters. The lakefront area is separated by a small boathouse from our neighbors to the south and by large shrubberies from our neighbors to the north. As I stated previously, we have a very good relationship with our neighbors and the renters are happy with the setup. Many of my renters have local ties and/or are affiliated with the local colleges and University. Often, we will host students and their visiting families or prospective students visiting the schools to help decide if they want to attend school here. I am happy to say, that staying on the lake for a few days typically helps sway their decision in our favor. All in all, being able to rent my house throughout the year is crucial to my financial solvency and my ability to keep my local business afloat. This is a time of crisis in our country. The economy is very unstable. Many businesses have failed or will fail due to the drastic changes in our society. I believe that restricting anyone's ability to earn a living is unconscionable at this time. I implore you to exclude lake front properties from your proposed restrictions and to reconsider putting any time constraints on short term rentals in general. People will be forced to sell their homes and close their businesses and move out of New York to survive. It is hard enough to live and work in this state without these proposed restrictions. I ask that you please reconsider your motives and realize the consequences of your proposal. Dr. Randall H. Corey 435 Franklin St Suite 206 Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 phone: 607 257-6217 fax: 607 257-6847 TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.Irly.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING March 8, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter re: Ithaca Energy Code Supplement(IECS) 2. Letters re: 5G 3. Letter re: STIR 4. Letter from Supervisor in support of preservation grant application 5. Email re: IC Administration's downsizing plan Retention: Six-Year 1. Letter from SCLIWC re: intent to establish lead agency and SEAF 2. Gadabout 2020 Service Report 3. Liquor license waiver request&30 day notice of intent to renew 4. Retention: One-Year , 1. Paulette Rosa From: Sara Hess <sarahess630@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, February 25, 2021 5:04 PM To: Common Council; Paulette Rosa; Nick Goldsmith Subject: Our grid ranks high for being low in emissions To: Common Council and Town Board members Re: IECS discussion on energy sources in our electrical grid One question raised in discussion about the City's proposed new building code last week asked, "How "green" is the grid in our region?" One speaker even claimed, "80% of it is dirty power." In fact, the opposite is true, according to the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database, or eGrid, whose data is used in many greenhouse gas inventory approaches to approximate regional grid emissions. Thanks to our proximity to Niagara Falls and four nuclear power plants,the upstate NY region is ranked amongst the best in the country when it comes to carbon-free energy supplying our electrical grid. In 2020,the New York State Independent System Operator's annual report shows 88% of energy production in the Upstate grid coming from zero-emissions sources. Of that 88%, 40% is from hydro, 41%from nuclear, and 7%from wind, with the remainder coming from solar, pumped storage and other renewables. So while the Upstate New York grid isn't fed from 100% renewables yet, and we don't claim that nuclear is altogether "clean", its carbon emissions are very low and dropping every year. Here's the importance of this fact: Given that our electricity includes a relatively small amount from burning fossil fuels,there is no doubt that switching out of natural gas for space heating and onto the upstate New York electrical grid would significantly reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, especially if heat pumps replace gas furnaces. Look at this example: A house built today with a gas furnace might use 1000 therms/year, resulting in 5 metric tons of CO2e. That same house using electric resistance heat (35,000 kWh), would create 4 metric tons of CO2e. The same house using electric heat pumps (15,000 kWh), would create less than 2 metric tons of CO2e, a drop of 60% compared to gas. I urge you to move the deadline date for when "all buildings shall be built to have net-zero GHG emissions and shall not use fossil fuels for space heating, water heating, or clothes drying" (R504.7) from 2030 to 2025. Sara Hess City of Ithaca 'All things are bound together, all things connect." -Oren Lyons,Faithkeeper,Seneca Nation i Paulette Rosa Subject: FW:An Nobel Prize winner challenges the FCC on wireless standards From: Marie/Andrew Molnar<marieandrew93@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, February 26, 202112:42 PM To: Paulette Rosa <PRosa @town.ithaca.ny.us sk fg!)L�t gdards for yvi -!�t�L�jzs idiveylices By Devra Dad,VAnhinglon't'imes, February 23, 2021 L)evra IWO h;1)i-esidenl of 1,3174-ust.oi-g itiho satwed as a (Wntort al)l ointeejhonz 1994-99 inid teas a, nientbei-oJ'the ll1C(,Atvat-de(l the 2007 Nobel Ileace]"tires. Would you let your family fly in plane or ride in bus that JuCetS 25-)Tar-old safety standards?Yet, the f,_c deral CqtumL�jsJQ11(EQ(_')assuivs us that whAss devices that meet laskeentury wridanis can safeb,be used by infants, toddlers and the rest of us. During a fascinating headng beRwe the D.C. Circuit Qua of Appeals onJWL Q6, the maintained that 1996 standards can sally apply for testing devices many(Awldch did not exist when those standards were first established. Ile EQO nsiAbnymcedes it is nett health agency. For health adviox, it relies on the (FDA). In iggg, the.F.D.A.aded the National Tmicohp,Program (NTP), the government's flagship testing program, to use standardaninial testing protocols rourtineb,timml for extrapolation to humans anew evaluate the impacts of non-thermal lifetime exposures to cell phone rachadom In 20 M, the NTP issued Hie ixytilts of that SW niUI4)n state-okho-art study, finding clear evidence of cancer and DNA damage. In a remariudde about face, the EQA smnmadb,qpcWd fino1ings,from the very,study it: ha(l invited,reviewed and approved at several junctures, nonsensicAy queskming their relmance to humans,living up to its reptitati oil as a captured agency. In reviewing our case, Environmental Ilcalthl'rust ct:al\% FQQ the court asked the agency to show what expert advice it had relied on to(INmiss be NTP shit"and thousands(4 pages of pees re0owed science." 'he had invokord the Interagency Ifadio%luency Radiation Work(;roupjmt could prudde no evidence that this loosely affiliated, unfunded hiWinal federal Work Group has either met or offered the J-','(C any advice in the past two years. The court then Wed specifically whed=the 111N had sought advisees from its own Technical EIectronie Product R,adiati011 Safety Standards Committee,Ile fQQ was forced to concede that that technical advisory amundnee has not W shice 2W6, is next scheduled to moxt in final 202qnand has never considered(Ailphone*Wqy. In he,Mat aarnKtLee AiMy focuses on ensuring that Acamnic products do not interfere with cash other. So you (;an be pretty sure that your phone will not block your tablet front working, but you have no idea whether cither of them miWU hiteilve with your heart or cause damage to your DDW Apple last week admUted that.its Hlone 12 needs to be kept off the body-- away from any implanted pacemaker that can interfere will its operation.'Fliat hot new device sports as WgWY gizmo so you can attach accessories magnetically and charge wirclessly.Of course,our heart is our natural pacinnaker. So,what's as safe distance? if 3qmi have a pacemaker, more than Six inches in normal use and more than a foot if charging whidessb% But what if 3rujust want to be sum that you "11 not need a pacemaker err avoidatrial fibrillation or DNA damage? One judge noted that during the pandemic, the too of wbelss ntdhdng devices had flourished as had hours spent with Wern on our Todiesand those of our children.Yet, they was effectively asking the court to inter the absence of any health impacts front wireless radiation, withoilt substanthd (Olence in the agency record,without having tasked spe'Cific designated competent agencies to look at this, and withonit showing it had made a systcmatkq rational elf)n to review submitted information. Ile court askeol: "You "ant us to construe, as deliberation, that silence should be construed ... that these,relevant c4nninhices actually deliberated,actually rmiewed the record and studies.So you are asking us to infer something that significanL."'Fli(,-.�judge noted that agencies get as lot of dkcretioii: "You WA a kmg hmsh. But,at some point that kmsh goes too far and becomes unmasonabb without a Hut bh of followup by the!K" --- to 111,11(c... to verify...just to pill down that the information is responsive." 'I'lic FQQ appears to be saying R need not comply with die Nlational Envinwinental INAicy Act requirbig assessment of all major federal actions,the kohninktrati4v Procedures AO dernaudirtg mcord-bawd reasoned and rational decision- making,or the Amerhans for Disability Act requiring;accommodationt-s for We with o1kaldirig clectmmaWnic iflness. Instead, in all audacious display of regulatory chutzpah, We FQC relies on be TV evidence provided by limited EPA review, and rejects a5%from Be L.S. Nsh and 5AMUG Setvice regarding potential dangers to wildlife, the ANT and thousands of studies directly linking exposure to wide range of illnesses. Just last month,the Swis government expert ad0smy group on dedmmagwdo fields and nondonizing radiathn released a swnnWg new evaluation of the experiniental literature-- much of wbill the EHtwy,A did not consid(,,r.'I'liose experts conclude that EN IF exposure,even I to low range, call cause or mynsmi a iturnbenAc%rue Hhesses,including diabetes and heart disease, and that children, Be elderly and Wose with comorbidides, need special pinections. fn 1996, Congress derided the ECK;shmdd have the primary responsiNhy An protecting the pAdic from raTWh)ll exposure even though it has no health vxputke and typically sides with phone companies rather Wit d6zenz That Nusa mistake,and sorriethitig Mat must be chattg000l- But until then we have to rely im the courts to ensure fit(! L"Q.Q fulfills its duty. 11,1tpt ZJIVWIN.'.Wa,' -ln1,gtpn!i mes c.gruY tiJ —1) Q 3/ o1it.4tntt arKIted-sqftj 2 From: Marie/Andrew Molnar<marieandrew936DfqxM±a!�dovDa > Sew: Vida, February 26, 2021 12A2 PM To: Paulette Rosa <ERojq(@townjjhjca,ny.us>; Bill Goodman <BGoodman(Ptown.itliaca.nV.LJs>; Rich DePaolo <LdepaoLo,(1tovvnithacag..nL)y,luls>; Pam Bleiwas<I)bleiwas(@towri.ithaca.ny.us>;TeeAnn Hunter\ FVC aj')qtq.jA..tj.CjLqkqttiLd ,igfety staxida rds for wh-cless device., By I)evra Davis, washington'rinics, Fcbruary23, 2021 Devrw Dtivis is I)i-esiderit qfEIII'mist.oi-y who sei-vc(l(is(t Chittoii cij)j)oiii1ee.1!-oni 1994-99 (iii(l iii(is(i iiientbet,qf the IPCC Azvai-de(l the 2(-)()7Nol)el Petice Prize. Would you let jvur hnnfly fly in as plane or ride in a'bits that nWCW 25-year-old safety standards?Yet, the (FCC)asstn-cs us that wircless devices that nice.[ last-ceritury standards can safely'be used by infanin toddlers and the rest of us. Ihir-ing a fascirurting hearing bekwe the f1C. Orctdt Court OfAPPONS on,Jan. 25, the ,QQ,maintained that 1996 standards can safely apply to testhg dm4ces rnany of which did not exist when those,standards were first established. The 1111 readily concedes it is not a health agency. For heahh advice, U relics on the fWAnd Llmg, AdrnjLjtstEqttqn(j,'PA—A). In iggg, the EPA asked the Nfadowd 00coh%y Pn)grani (`T`up), the government's flagship testing program,to use standard anfinal testing pnAmok rmaMciy used for extrapolation to humans and evaluate the hnpaos of non-thermal HRAhne expomnvs to(vUphone ravilthn. III 201C the NTP issue, Mv resuhs of that$30 million statoof-the-ad mud, finding clear evidence ofcancer and DNA damage. In a rernarkAde about flee, the EPA summadly rejected findings front the very study it had invited, reviewed and appnnvd at smvr;d junctures, nonsensically questhming their n4mvince to hurnans, king tip to its reputadon as a captured agency. In re iewing our case, EInviroinneirtal 1-1caUh Trust et al . IVC,the Court asked the agency to show what expert advice it had relied on to dismiss the NTp study and thousands of pages of peer-reviewed science Thej,. Q haul invoked the Interagency Radiofrequ en cy 16dia Lion Work G rot t p,bra could provide no evidence that this loosely aflUirted,unfunded informal 6ahwal Work Grouf) has either tact or offered the FVC'any advice in the, past two years. The court then asked specifically whether he EQA had sought advice hvin its ownTec-linical E.Ieclronic Product Ralation Safety SWRhunds CorcindUee,'I'lic EQQ Nvas forced to concede that that technical advisory committee has not nwt since 201n is next scheduled to trial in HSWI 2021, and has never considered cellphonv sally. In let, that (unninhLee chiefly Anuses on ensuring tWH e1caronic prolids do not hAerfere with each others. So you can he pretty sure that your phone will nM black your LAU hwu working,but you,have no idea whether either of them, might.interfere with your heart or catise damage to your DNA. tyqde hist week admitted that its iPhone 12 needs to be kept Who; body-- away fawn any inqAanted pacemaker that can interlbre Mr Us oper;AM 11lat hot new civic e sports MagSafe giznio so you call attach acemsmfes magmtziondt and charge Arcimsly. Of course,our heart is otrr natural pacemaker. So, what's a sat,disLuice? If you havea pacemaker, more than six inches in nornial use and more than a Vot if charging wirelessly. But what if you just:want to be sure W you will not need pacemaker or avoid atrial fibrillation or DNA damage? One judge noted that during be pandernic, the use ofwircless radiating devkes had flourished as had hmno spent whh them on our bodies and those of our children.YeL the YCIC was effectively asking the C,011l't to infer the absence of any health impacts from whMs radiation, without substantial evidence in the agency record, without having tasked specific.designated competent agencies to look at this, and without showing it bad made a systen-taHt; nitional,effort to roniew submitted information. The court asked: "You want to to construe, as dodibembon, that siknice shotOd be construed.. tat dune relevant corrinvittees actually deliberated, act Lially reviewed the record and studies. So you an,asking its to OR something tWdl signifimnL" Ile judge noted that agencies get a lot of discretion: "You get a long hulsh. But,at some point that Wash goes hm far and becomes unreasonable without a little bit offollowup by the EQQ-- to inake.., to vcrify—just to pin down that the information is responsive." The j""Q.Q�appears to be saying it lux*1 not comply MW the Nblional Emvironnicnt,al Policy Act IWILlil-ing assessillent of all major federal actions, the Administrative Procedures Act demanding record-based ralsoned and rational Wision-nmW&or to AnwAvins Am Disability Act requiring accommodations for those with disabling electromagnetic illness. Instead, in out allChICKUS display of reWdany chuMpah, the EQQ relies on the thin eNideraw provided by limited FDA review, and rejects advice from the, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service njanlirig pownthl dangers to wildlife, the NTP and thousands of studies directly linking eqw,arre to it wide range,of illnesses. Just last month, the Swiss Wwemnwnt expert adWsory group on dectronmWwde fields and non-ionizing radiathm released a stunning new evaluation of the experitriental literature---- much,of which the aA did not comsidw%11hosc experts condude tat ENIF'exposure,even W be hm,range,can cause or worsen a number of chronic illnesses, including diabetes and he disease,and that children, the Odedy and those with comorbidides, need special protections. In 1996, Congress decided be 1�' should have the primary responsibility for protecting the public front radiation exposure avert though it has trot health expertise and typicidly sides with phone comfumies rather than citizens.That was a mistake,and something that inust he changed. But until then we have to rely on the courts to cmsurc thcEQQ fulfills its duty. !/W!b/"'3/Ayby-bj- ging- From: Marie/Andrew Molnar<marieandrew93@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 3, 20211:11 PM Subject:Changes in the FCC, towards supporting local governments' choice re 5G Hello, With a Democratic President and Congress, we will get a 3-2 Democratic advantage on the FCC, and industry insiders expect this will reverse some of the recent FCC decisions concerning 5G. A direct quote from Jessica Rosenworcel, Biden's choice for FCC Chair (and one of the FCC Commissioners): "This is extraordinary federal overreach. I do not believe the law permits Washington to run roughshod over state and local authority like this and I worrV about the litigation that follows. For starters, the Tenth Amendment reserves powers to the states that are not expressly granted to the federal -government. Moreover, the ASSERTION that fees above cost, or local aesthetic requirements, are tantamount to a service prohibition stretches the statute be' and what Congress intended and legal r)recedent affords. ... every major state and municipal or_qanization has expressed concern about how Washin_qton is seeking to assert national control over local infrastructure choices and stripping local elected officials and the citizens they represent of a voice in the process." Telecom companies are well aware that a new administration will likely bring an end to their blatant overreach and nearly unrestricted rollout of 5G....and will no doubt be making a desperate push in the next couple of months. In light of this, we hope you keep two things in mind 1) These are private companies, NOT public utilities, and as such do not have the same rights or oversight, and 2) Our own codes explicitly state our duty to protect the health, safety, welfare and general well being of the citizens of Ithaca. Your citizens are entrusting you with this commitment. Thank you. Marie and Andrew Molnar From: Irina Peress<peressirina@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 3, 20218:40 AM To: Chris Balestra <CBa lestra @town.ith a ca.ny.us>; Paulette Rosa <P Rosa @town.ithaca.ny.us>; Bill Goodman Hi Elected Officials, As an Ithaca resident concerned about 5G, I wanted to share this recent news release from BJM about 5G concerns (see below). Thank you for your attention to the threat 5G poses to our community. Sincerely, Irina Peress Transmitter density means greater population exposure to high levels of radio frequency electromagnetic fields From Joel M. Moskowitz, Ph.D., Director Center for Family and Community Health School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley News release, BMJ, Jan 18, 2021 We should err on the side of caution and stop the global roll out of 5G (fifth generation) telecoms networks until we are certain this technology is completely safe, urges an expert in an opinion piece published online in the Journal of Epidemiology& Community Health. There are no health concerns about 5G and COVID-1 9, despite what conspiracy theorists have suggested. But the transmitter density required for 5G means that more people will be exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs), and at levels that emerging evidence suggests, are potentially harmful to health, argues Professor John William Frank, Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh. The advent of 5G technology has been hailed by governments and certain vested interests as transformative, promising clear economic and lifestyle benefits, through massively boosting wireless and mobile connectivity at home, work, school and in the community, he says. But it has become the subject of fierce controversy, fuelled by four key areas of scientific uncertainty and concern. •The lack of clarity about precisely what technology is included in 5G; and a growing but far from comprehensive body of laboratory research indicating the biologically disruptive potential of RF-EMFs •An almost total lack (as yet) of high quality epidemiological studies of the impact on human health from 5G EMF exposure eMounting epidemiological evidence of such effects from previous generations of RF- EMF exposure at lower levels • Persistent allegations that some national telecomms regulatory authorities haven't based their RF-EMF safety policies on the latest science, amid potential conflicts of interest • 5G uses much higher frequency (3 to 300GHz) radio waves than in the past and it makes use of very new—and relatively unevaluated, in terms of safety—supportive technology to enable this higher data transmission capacity, points out Professor Frank. Its inherent fragility means that transmission boosting 'cell' antennae are generally required every 100-300 m—which is far more spatially dense than the transmission masts required for older 2G, 3G and 4G technology, using lower frequency waves, he says. A dense transmission network is also required to achieve the 'everywhere/anytime' connectivity promised by 5G developers. Existing 4G systems can service up to 4000 radio frequency-using devices per square kilometre; 5G systems will connect up to one million devices per square kilometre—greatly increasing the speed of data transfer (by a factor of 10) and the volume of data transmitted (by a factor of 1000), he explains. While several major reviews of the existing evidence on the potential health harms of 5G have been published over the past decade, these have been of"varying scientific quality," suggests Professor Frank. And they have not stopped the clamour from "a growing number of engineers, scientists, and doctors internationally...calling on governments to raise their safety standards for RF-EMFs, commission more and better research, and hold off on further increases in public exposure, pending clearer evidence of safety," he writes. Permitted maximum safety limits for RF-EMF exposure vary considerably around the world, he points out. What's more, '5G systems' is not a consistently defined term, comprising quite different specific technologies and components "It is highly likely that each of these many forms of transmission causes somewhat different biological effects—making sound, comprehensive and up-to-date research on those effects virtually impossible," he explains. Recent reviews of lab data on RF-EMFs indicate that exposures can produce wide-ranging effects, including reproductive, fetal, ontological, neuropsychiatric, skin, eye and immunological. But there is absolutely no evidence whatsoever to suggest that it is implicated in the spread of COVID-19, as some conspiracy theorists have suggested, he emphasises. "There are knowledgeable commentators' reports on the web debunking this theory, and no respectable scientist or publication has backed it," he says, adding: "the theory that 5G and related EMFs have contributed to the pandemic is baseless." But for the current 5G roll-out, there's a sound basis for invoking 'the precautionary principle' because of significant doubts about the safety of a new and potentially widespread human exposure, which should be reason enough "to call a moratorium on that exposure, pending adequate scientific investigation of its suspected adverse health effects," he says. There is no compelling public health or safety rationale for the rapid deployment of 5G, he insists. The main gains being promised are either economic, and then possibly for some more than for others, or related to increased consumer convenience, he suggests. "Until we know more about what we are getting into, from a health and ecological point of view, those putative gains need to wait," he concludes. https:Hwwvv.bi�ni.corii/coiii an ftiewsroorn/stop-g!g!2al-roll-out-of-5 -netwo�°lcs.- qfet js- confirriiecl-ugga:,ex ert/ January 3[ 2O21 To:Town Vf Ithaca Clerk- Paulette Rosa Attn: Short-Tenn Rental Committee As lake property owners we oppose rental restrictions on properties in the lake front zone. VVe are emixed group of owners who live nn the lake full time, part time and some who rent long term, short term and or part of the year, hosted and unhosted. • Rental limits jeopardize the ability for local owners to continue to own their properties. Many local owners rely on rental income to support the property or foresee needing to do sOin the future. • Lake property is much more expensive to maintain than an average home,the cost of upkeep of docks, driveways,stairways and other infrastructure is extreme. ~ Limiting rental ability will decrease local ownership leading to more out of town ownership. Leavingthehonne5toh8so|don|ytothgvgryvvea|thyandtVmvvnermthat "sunnrne/" here and then leave the lake access vacant and inaccessible for the rest of the year.This |Snot the type of community vve want to promote at the lake. • Rentals are traditional on the lake, many owners have purchased properties with this as part of the ownership strategy or have inherited family cottages and can only keep them based mn the rental income. • Rentals occur throughout the year, not just in the summer months—limiting rentals decreases the flexibility of owners,who all have unique circumstances,to make ownership viable for them. • Many|0Ca| people rent on the lake short term—limiting rental nights will again limit |mCa| access. Local families often rent the same cottage traditionally every year, nr come for a Staycation, or house relatives for a special occasion—this option creates a |DC@| "time share" for people that do not want the burden of full time ownership. • There are 67 properties in the Town of Ithaca on the lake—of these more than 60%are rentals, primarily short term with owners who also use the property. Preserving the neighborhood means continuing to allow rentals, short and long term tooccur. As a mixed group of owners, we all have unique needs and circumstances regarding our properties. Limiting rentals not only harms our ability to use, enjoy and maintain our properties but decreases access to the lake for all. As there has been little if any complaints on the lake we request that no changes be made to lake rental access. VVe enjoy our lake community and want tm make sure vv2 maintain |t for ourselves and others for years to come. Paulette Rosa From: sally mennen <mennens@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2021 2:46 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Proposed STR regulations To the Short Term Rental Committee and Town of Ithaca Board: I am writing in opposition to regulations for short term rentals in the town of Ithaca--in particular for lakefront properties. Since my husband and I are lakefront owners who were not really aware of the town's initiative to establish regulations for STR's until recently when lakefront properties were included in the proposed restrictions, I would be interested in knowing more of the history of why STR regulations were deemed necessary--that is,what is the data upon which the need for STR restrictions is based? How many STR's are there in the town? What events have occurred, and how often,that make it necessary to have restrictions? Are there actually documented abuses or nuisances caused by STR's? How many? If so, is there a higher percentage of abuses or nuisances in STR houses than are occurring in owner occupied or long term rental properties? As for our situation,we bought a derelict property on the lake 15 years ago--it was overrun with weeds,overgrown with brush,full of crumbling retaining walls including the lake wall; the house had 10" of water in the basement and parts of the house were falling down. It was a complete mess. We have worked on the property for 15 years and are still working. Before the financial crisis we had put much of our retirement savings into restoring the old lakehouse(which may be the oldest on the west shore in the town)and adding to it. After the crisis we were very lucky that short term rentals made it possible for us to afford to keep living here. It was actually a godsend for us. As owners and residents, we aren't aware of any complaints or problems with STR's on the west shore. A lakefront neighbor--who does not do STR's-- put it well: "the proposed STR restrictions seem to be a solution in search of a problem." Just a word about the beginnings of STR'S, in particular airbnb types of STR's: to my knowledge STR's were part of the "sharing"economy where an exchange of space to stay at a reasonable price helped both the sharer and the sharee. I think it's still safe to say that many people of modest means, like people on fixed income or gig workers or small business entrepreneurs, are able to make ends meet by having the ability to share their space.This goes as well for unhosted STR's. Having the flexibility to rent their empty house while they take work elsewhere (artists,gig workers,for example), helps people afford to live, have healthcare, pay property tax etc. I know of many examples of low or lower income folks who make ends meet this way; I do not know of any corporations making a killing through these types of rentals except maybe in big tourist hubs such as NYC. If there is evidence of this happening in Ithaca, I would like to see the evidence. Additionally, restricting limits on corporate ownership and other more targeted ways to address problems that have been identified by actual data, rather than making sweeping rules that burden mostly struggling middle and lower middle class folks, is the way to address this situation. Thanks for your concern and attention! Sally Mennen 1 Paulette Rosa From: ]ESSEAVER 'lesseaver@gmaiicom> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2O21 10]5AM To: Bill Goodman; Paulette Rosa Subject: STR Lakefront Group letter and comments forhzda/s meeting Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Opposition Group Lettecpdf Hello Bill and Paulette! Happy Monday! In preparation for today's meeting with the STR Committee I am re-submitting a Group Letter from the lakefront owners. There are now 39 signatures from supporters of having no limitations on lake front rentals. I hope these views can be taken into consideration. Attached here. In addition I'd like to add these comments myself and have it passed on to the committee - Regarding rental night limits -There are many lake owners who would suggest that 18O nights would work asa limit but that is because they fear that if they recommend no limits that they will be rebuked by the committee. Imposing limits doesn't accomplish the aim of the STIR Committee as there is an unintended consequence. If the purpose of limits is to protect the peace and quiet any non-renting neighbors, limits do not accomplish that aim. For example, ifalakefront homeowner was only allowed a limited nightly rental allowance then the incentive would be to pack it full all summer at the highest rate possible to balance expenses, thus, the owners themselves would have to limit their time ed the property or come in the off season. Alternatively, if they could rent all year there certainly would be an incentive to rent during the "off season" ato lower rate but more frequently aothat they themselves could use the property more in the summers, The suggestion by the committee has been that owners are quieter and more respectful of their neighbors and that renters are less so. The summer is the time when the most potential noise could occur since activity would likely be outside. A typical off season renter is one who stays indoors to enjoy the view while also visiting the wine trail, does some hiking and then goes tn dinner. Typical summer renters would likely be there to enjoy thm |akefront, thusmakingmorenoiaeandOenensUy being outside. |f the idea is that owner occupants are less disruptive to their neighbors than incentivizing them to use their homes during summer is the best bet.There are plenty of off season renters as hosts will attest. Lake owners agree on this. In addition empty homes for any length of time pose other risks on the lake that wouldn't occur in more dense residential zones. Leaving a home empty increases the risk of vandalism, theft, or unnoticed flooding, pipe burst or other property damage. And ii certainly io not the highest and best use for these properties to sit empty through the winter months when they could ao easily be enjoyed. |iioewaoteofanossetandm[touhonndoUans. Thanks so much for your time! Jes _ JesSemver Associate Real Estate Broker coU:GO7.3851]8737 office: 6073305261 email: Warren Real Estate ofIthaca 83OHeoehawRoad Ithaca, NY1485O 1 TOWN OF ITHACA 0 215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: 607-273-1721 w Fax: 607-273-5854 www,town.ithaca.ny.us 4w, y 0 (N March 8, 2021 Jonathan DLida Cirants Coordinator Parks &—frails New York 33 I'lk Street, 1,1 floor rear Albany. Nly 12207 Dear Jonathan, I am writing to strongly support the preservation grant application that will be submitted by The Friends of"Robert F1. 1'reman State Park for putting a new roof'on the historic Old Mill in Upper Robert 1-1. Trernan State Park. 'I I lie grant is to remove and replace the failing 3,600 square:foot roof on the historic mill, including a small section that contains asbestos. A new roof will help protect the mill's exhibits which are an important part of the visitor experience. Sherene Baughcr, Professor, Department of Landscape Architecture, Cornell University will be involved. For many years,Dr. Baugher and her Students have been conducting archaeology and niuseUrn work at'rreman State Park. Further, James Brophy the Park Manager will be involved. I am pleased to say that for a variety of reasons I have a relationship with both Dr. BaLigherand Jim Brophy as well as with The Friends of Robert ff. Treman State park. Now with my role as Supervisor for the Town of Ithaca, the Park and its mill continue to be of interest and importance. Most of the park is within the Town of Ithaca although part of the Upper Park is within the Town of Enfield. Botli'Fowns are celebrating their bicentennials in 2021. As the Town of Ithaca celebrates this important anniversary, we are also taking stock of'our community's historic resources. The Old Mill is one of those treasures. A few :facts: 1) the mill Nvas listed on the National Register in Februkwheat c ary 1979; 2)the mill is unusual in that it has three types of grinding stories, one for wheat, one for bu , and one for grinding courser grains, such as corn; 3) the mill stopped operating in 1916 but it still has all its Functioning parts intact, except for the water mechanism; and 4) today the mill a museurn with diverse exhibits. It is imperative that a new roof be installed to ensure that future generations will be able to visit and learn about the importance of malls and the roles that they played in the broader community. Please do not hesitate to contact 111C if You have arly questions by c-mail or phone: ithaea.11y.us 607-273-1721, ext. 125. Thank you for considering this important request. Sincerely, Rod Howe Town Supervisor Paulette Rosa From: Patricia Leary <pll7@cornell.edu> Sent: Sunday, March 7, 2021 8:30 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Fwd: Legislature Meeting @ Noon Paulette, I don't think I forwarded you this communication from county legislator Amanda Champion,following up on the meeting with the IC (aka "Ithaca") faculty member and others about the administration's downsizing plan. Sent from my iPad Begin forwarded message: Resent-From: <plea ry@1gWn.ithaca.ny,us> From:Amanda Champion <acharnDion(@tomDkins-cgorg> Date: March 1, 2021 at 1:29:26 PM EST To: Mark Baustian<mbaustian(@frontiernet.net>, <pIeary(@town.ithaca.ny.us>, <pete@tcworkerscenterorg>, Henry Granison<hgranisonCcDtoniDl<iEls-co.org> Cc: "kellesa@nyassernbly.gov" <kellesaCc?nyassembly. ov> Subject: Re: Legislature Meeting @ Noon Hi all, Thanks Mark and Pete (and Sara and Chris) for meeting and sharing your perspective with me. I know this is a difficult situation and I'm sorry that you're all going through this. As I said I would, I contacted my Legislative colleagues about this issue. Henry Granison has also been concerned about this for some time as he represents the City of Ithaca south hill area and has many constituents involved. I met this morning with Chair of the Legislature Leslyn McKean Clairborne, Vice Chair Shawna Black, County Administrator Jason Molino, and Legislators Martha Robertson and Henry Granison to discuss this. Folks are aware of the issue, and do have concerns about the impact it will have on Ithaca and our community members. The reality is, however, that government can't dictate what a private organization can do. It is completely IC's prerogative to operate their business how they wish. I'm dismayed that the administration did not accept input or listen to the voices of those most affected, but unfortunately I'm not in a position to change that. Leslyn and Shawna also met with President Collado and some other IC admins today to understand better what is going on and ask questions. Some of what was discussed was conveyed to Henry and I and I am glad that our Chair made the time to look into this more. What I hope the County can do is help staff who will be losing their jobs in the next few years, via our Workforce Development Board and other departments. We definitely need to and should assist folks as much as we can. I realize this is not the answer you were looking for from your elected representatives, and I'm sorry there isn't more I can do. Again, I hear you and understand your frustration and concerns. Please let me know if there are further questions I can answer. Best Amanda ~~~ Amanda Champion Tompkins County Legislator District 12,Town of Ithaca /VVesd 121 East Court St. Ithaca, NY14850 /607\ 274-5434 (607) 351-2828 (ceU) From: Mark Baustian Sent: Friday, February 26, 2O21I1:23AM To:Amanda Champion ; plea ry(@townithaca.nyus < Cc: Subject: Re: Legislature Meeting @ Noon Amanda and Patricia,Thanks so much for yesterday and tolerating my technical mishaps. Sara sent me the attached links that you might find interesting. I'm copying in Anna Kelles' office as well as we have previously met with her staff. I think the first two in particular are helpful to understand why there is so much opposition to this process.There is some really good material in the town hall but we all do appreciate that you are busy and it runs a bit long. Again, we are basically shaking all of the trees looking for help in compelling the administration to have a genuine meeting and actually answer questions the |C community has. | think voices from the greater Ithaca area expressing concern and asking for answers will be helpful. If there is anything I can do to help don't hesitate to contact me. Honestly, that is the first time I've ever lost azoom connection so | expect things will goe bit smoother ifvve meet again.Thanks, Mark On 2/25/21 1O:UG PK4,S-M Svvrote: Hi Mark, A few links the legislators might be interested in, if you could pass along? 1. Consequences of the APP rrovvdsourced doc 2. |C financial (and comparative) data we've compiled: 3. Alumni-sponsored virtual town hall, March 1st at 8pm: Chris and Sara,Thanks mo Much for participating and covering my ass while | was besieged by technical difficulties. Trying to work with politicians can be, indeed is, a slog but I feel it is worth the effort to try and expand the scope of the conversation, Congrats on the demo last night. Reacting in a timely manner is so important.What we need now is for the faculty to stand up and be much more assertive.After everyone else left Pete and | discussed what ateaching-strike might look like. VVeare both old enough to remember the famous teach-ins and student strikes at Columbia and Berkeley. Do you think we should start agitating for teachers to turn their classes over to an anti-austerity teach-in fora day?Student led strikes are also athing but to be effective they do need to have a critical mass and one led by faculty would I think gather more support.The aaup thinks to be effective a strike needs 90% buy in. I'm not sure | think kb that high, and the build up1oa strike can itself bea potent tool even if at the end of the day there never is a strike.The union would have steer clear of any kind of planning or promotion but if a significant action were undertaken I think the admin would lose track of who was participating and for many discipline would be a moot point. And, defending people against unfair retribution is itself an organizing opportunity. I'm not in the union because I'm no longer an |C employee soitis safe for metV think of such things. Thanks again, Mark On2/25/211O:17 AM, Chris Griswold wrote: H| there Mark,James Miranda let me know | should reach out toyou. I'd like to join you for your conversation with Tompkins County Legislature today at12:ODpm EST. Let me know if this ispossible. All mybest, Chris - Griswold Production Stage Manager- Yhe Magic Flute (IC/A) Assistant Stage Manager-Hotel Good Luck(Cherry Arts) Proud supporter of IC Open The Books /585n500-9502 / _ Sara-Maria SVoantino Assistant Professor of Gender Q Race Studies The University ofAlabama TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING March 22, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence— Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter from Cornell University re: Bicentennial Congratulations 2. Letters re: STR 3. Letter re., Traffic Calming at Brandywine Dr& Winthrop Dr 4. Letter re: Resignation from Conservation Board Committee 5. Letter re: 1ECS 6. Letter from Greenidge Generation re: Fake Resolution and Responses 7. Letter re: 5G 8. Department of Assessment 2021 AEM Program 9. Retention: Six-Year Retention: One-Year 1 Qt d/�i (Cornell University Nla�rtha t.Pollack Maa•cla 8. 2021 Rod I lowe Supervisear, l'tawa of Ithaca 15 v. "I o aa. Street Ithaca NY 1,4850 Dear Rod, It �)ives me ftrcat pleasure to congratulMe be 'own or IT= as it marks its bicentennial oil March 16, Cornell's identity is inextricably linked to our Ithaca Imme, with its beautiful scenery, vibrant ncQhbtMmwds, and commhWd and professional municipal wrorkfc)rce, Since Conwil"s f°taundiny the "own of Ithaca has been a key partner in building a world-class campus that supports education and innovation vvlaile also enhancing the quality of Hib in the region. (:"rtae° 4 eMowaial relmionship with the boon is reflected in several key campus entities that enabler Cornell to positively impact New York Mate and wrnmuNdes around the world throtTh scientific research amd discovery, including the C Alege ofVcterinary Medicine,the Animal Health Diagnostic Urner, the Cornell I ligh Energy Synchrotron Source(C"l ESS) and the East Hill 0111ce BtaikUng, kVc are grateful for the "I"oven's partnership on projects that make it possible to provide saasUmble heat and energy to campus. namely the I.,take Source C;oohng gAng ArwanL Earth ..,, actlaty, and, �, Murce Ife:eat. The beauty and plenty orwe "l own are can display in the (0mell (kchards and in We: Botanic GaMam, the latter ofwhich attracts thousamtls ofvisittrrs every year to enjoy the verdant partlen and natural areas that surround campus. Working together, tlae Town orltlaacaa and C."tarY! have been able to eabmwe the kwal duality of life through projects like the fine Tree Road Bike and pedestrian I%Mq %Yhkh helps"Town residents and Cornell employees and students to access the campus and surrounding areas without adding more vehicle traffic to our local roads. And, of'coursc, the:Town is also home to many ofour students, fiac.ulty, aura([ staff, who benefit so ntaa h hom living in such a dynamic cmm-nt r by anal, in ttn•aa, help to enrich the academic, social. and cultural life; ofthc region. `peaking on hchalf orthe entire university, I deeply appreciate the Mra's many collabmatKs with (_'ornell oil sea many shared priorities. Again, coneratulatknts on be 'Cbwn of Ithaca s,bicentennial. Siowact. Martha F. 1411ack 300 Day tt,H 10ta cs, NY 14S53.2801 Telephone:(60)2330201 Fax.007)MO`12-t Fw.mull,pwjdentPcorne4l,cmWdu �� 8 �� MIENv ~~� n-, , o � o o � �� 01 CHAMBER .0� 11 T H ACit March 8, 2O21 Bill Goodman, Deputy Town Supervisor Town ofIthaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 1485O RE:Town of Ithaca Short Term Rental Committee-Tompkins County Tourism Economy Dear Bill, We are writing today to urge the Short-term Rental Committee to share the importance of lake rentals to the economic vitality of Tompkins County. Visit Ithaca,the destination management organization for Tompkins County, actively promotes all vacation rentals who are registered with Tompkins County. We value the lake rentals immensely,as this is the only option for visitors who wish to have a lake experience|n Tompkins County. A visitor who wishes Lo stay on the lake wants to stay on the lake. The visitor wants the experience that comes with a lake rental,which is very different from a stay|ntown. In 2020,there were not enough lake homes to fill the demand.Visitors were looking for a safer way to escape with their family pods and lake rentals were the first places they booked. VVe feel strongly that short term rentals in the lakefront zone should be treated differently from short term rentals in the other zones. We firmly believe that hosted rentals should have no limit|n any zone. We also believe that the demonstrated value to the tourism economy indicates that there should be no limits to any rentals in the lakefront zone, hosted ornon-hosted. A9O-day limit or even 18O'dey limit still limits the economic return, not just to the host/property owner, but to the entire community through visitor spending at area restaurants,at grocery stores,et gas stations,wineries, breweries, etc. We also feel strongly that all health and safety insurances Should be included in the permitting process by the Town ofIthaca. VVeurQethataUshod-termnenta|sshmu|dberegisteredwithTnmpWnsCounb\and should collect and submit all applicable sales and occupancy taxes. Thank you for your consideration of the impact on the tourism economy. Sincerely, AIT Jennifer Tavares, [ErD Peggy Coleman Pnesident&CEO VPTouhsrn/[V8Director 9O4 East Shore Drive | Ithaca,mvz4BSO www.mmpkinsnhambcr.pog 607-273'70801 www.vis|\�haca.com Paulette Rosa From: Mia Slotnick <mjslotnick123@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2021 11:49 AM To: Rod Howe; Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman;TeeAnn Hunter, Pat Leary; Susan Ritter, Marty Moseley; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; Eric Levine Subject: Lakefront Short Term Rental Survey Dear all, Thank you for sharing the results of the Lakefront STR survey that the Town conducted at the March 8th meeting. Question 11 asked: Have you had problems with guests who have rented your neighbor's Short Term rental? It seemed that the general consensus taken from the results of the survey among the STR committee was that rental properties do not cause a problem for those who do not rent. However,9 of the 53 people who responded to that question said that they have had problems.That is 17%of respondents,which is a significant number. It must also be recognized that in most MDR neighborhoods like ours,there are neighbors not just next door as they are on the lakefront, but also across the street and behind.STRs have an impact on a much larger number of neighbors in most MDR neighborhoods as compared to lakefront properties.That 17%may also be somewhat skewed since there may have been some encouragement from other lakefront property hosts to complete the survey in a way that will maximize the positives for the hosts.The only way to somewhat mitigate the negative impact STRs have on neighbors is to limit the number of days allowed for both hosted and unhosted rentals. I urge you to recognize that 17%of lakefront residents having a history of problems with their neighbors'STR is indeed a significant number,and that it is likely to be a higher percentage among non-lakefront MDR neighborhoods. I also again request that you consider surveying all Town of Ithaca residents about STRs.This would ensure that all residents were informed about STRs and the pending legislation,and would provide an opportunity for all to express their thoughts and concerns. Sincerely, Mia Slotnick 1 Paulette Rosa From: carrie simon <catch000@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 9, 2021 3:33 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Adding Stop Sign to intersection Good afternoon Paulette, I am writing to you about adding stop signs or some other traffic calming means to the intersection of Brandywine Dr and Winthrop Dr. There is currently a stop sign on Brandywine where it(T)s into Winthrop but no stop signs on Winthrop. People take the soft turn from Winthrop on to Brandywine very fast and have almost hit my kids while they are walking to school. Additionally,this is just about 50 ft of so from Northeast Elementary school and people speed through the school zone all the time. Having a three way stop or speed bumps would greatly improve the safety of people walking and also reduce speeding by the school. Please let me know if you need nay additional information. Best, -Carrie 1 Paulette Rosa From: Mike Smith Sent: Tuesday, March 9^ 2O21 1:09PKd To: Susan Ritter; Sandy Po|cs; Paulette Rosa Subject: FVV: Its been a pleasure-resignation Hi All, I wanted to let You know that Elizabeth Hageman from the Conservation Board resigned after the meeting last week. With the change of Will and Vlad to associate mernbers, we now need 3 new members. Paulette, | will talk with Our chair, but I would guess we will want to put together something for the next newsletter. Mike Michael Smith Senior Planner Town ofIthaca 2l5 North TiogaStreet Ithaca, NY148SO P: 6O7-273-1747 E: From: Elizabeth H. <eoh2OO@hotnaiicom> Sent:Thursday, March 4, 2O2l7:22PM To: Mike Smith <MSmith@town.ithaca.ny.us>; Lori Brewer<Ijb7@cornell.edu> Subject: Its been a plea aure-resignatimn Good evening, | have had a pleasure working with the committee. | decided to resign my position. i really appreciate all the time | have Spent with the committee and have learned a lot, Regards, Elizabeth Hagernan 1 Paulette Rosa From: Sara Hess <sarahess630@gmail.com> Sent: Thursday, March 11, 2021 9:00 AM To: Paulette Rosa;Common Council; Nick Goldsmith;JoAnn Cornish; Ian Shapiro Subject: Adoption of IECS urged by 24 community leaders IECS COMMENTS to ITHACA CITY COUNCIL and ITHACA TOWN BOARD March 10, 2021 To: Members of Common Council, Members of Ithaca Town Board, Nick Goldsmith, Ian Shapiro,Joanne Cornish From: Joe Wilson, Carol Chock, Paul Mazzarella, Brian Eden,John Graves, Rita Graves, Ken Deschere, Elan Shapiro, Elmer Ewing, Katherine Wagner, Kathy Russell, Bill Russell, Eliza Evett, Sara Hess,Jeff Furman, Irene Weiser, Sheila Out, Leni Hochman,Tim Joseph, Marie McRae, Regi Teasley, Anne Rhodes,Andrew Yale, Susan Blumental The urgency for climate action grows with every news story of changing weather patterns and rising CO2 in the atmosphere, now 417 ppm. Strong, bold building codes are essential for reducing long-term energy costs and cutting dangerous pollution from burning fossil fuels. We are proud to live in a community that proposes a new code designed to reduce emissions by as much as 30-40%, and urge you to pass this code, along with changes in the timeline. About the discussion on adding or changing points for compliance in the "easy path", we still feel strongly that points for walkability, "efficient" gas installations and for biomass are problematic. However, it feels more important to move this policy over the finish line. We were concerned with Ian Shapiro's claim that changing points would require significant rewriting, taking even more time. In light of this, we are dropping demands for point increases. Recommendations: In Section "R504.6 Changes in 2025", revise Jan. 1, 2025 to July 1, 2021. In Section "R504.7 Changes in 2030", revise Jan. 1, 2030,to Jan. 1, 2025. Rationale: 1. The Green New Deal's first goal, for both the City and the Town, is to achieve carbon-neutrality community-wide by 2030. Section R504.7 is a single sentence that says: "Effective January 1, 2030, all buildings shall be built to have net- zero GHG emissions and shall not use fossil fuels for space heating,water heating, or clothes drying." ISSUE: However, if fossil fuels are used in buildings in December 2029, we cannot meet the goal of community-wide carbon neutrality a month later. The two policies are in direct conflict with one another. i SOLUTION: The requirement for net-zero emissions in new or major revised buildings must begin by 2025, at the latest. 2. Some people are asking, "How "green" is the grid in our region?" and "Shouldn't we wait till the grid is clean before we electrify buildings?" MYTH: - "80% of our electricity comes from dirty power." FACT: The upstate NY region is ranked amongst the best in the country when it comes to carbon-free energy supplying our electrical grid due to our proximity to Niagara Falls and four nuclear power plants. Source:the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database, or eGrid, source of greenhouse gas inventory approaches to approximate regional grid emissions. FACT: NYS has already committed to adding new renewable energy into the grid every year. SOURCE: NYSERDA data: over 4,000 MW of new large-scale wind and solar capacity in 42 projects in central and western NY is already in progress, scheduled to be completed between 2021—2024. NYS LAW: The State is requiring 70% renewable energy generation for the grid by 2030, backed up by billions of dollars to support investment in new wind, solar and battery storage. FACT: Our electricity from NYSEG includes less than half sourced from burning fossil fuels now. FACT: Switching out of natural gas for space heating and onto the upstate New York electrical grid would significantly reduce local greenhouse gas emissions, EXAMPLE: Replace gas furnaces with heat pumps: Current house with gas furnace: 1000 therms/year, creates 5 metric tons of CO2e. Same house with electric resistance heat: (35,000 kWh), creates 4 metric tons of CO2e. Same house with electric heat pumps (15,000 kWh), creates less than 2 metric tons of CO2e, a drop in emissions of 60%compared to gas. 3. Creating a code with affordability as a key design factor makes good sense in many ways, but this code seems too heavily focused on affordability of first costs for developers. There are other important ways to consider affordability: FACT: Whether it's a carbon fee or state-imposed gas restrictions or ban (both are in discussion already), the price of gas for heating and cooling will increase in the future. A) Consider long-range utility and operating costs that result from low-performance buildings and soon to be outdated energy systems. More than 70%of the City's residents are renters, including many low- income, non-students. Hastening the code will serve their needs. B) Investors who will retain ownership of buildings will want to hedge against the increased cost of fossil fuels over time. C) Buildings built now will eventually face a code to reduce carbon in existing buildings. Owners and investors cannot afford to change a nearly new energy system five years from now. D) For multi-family buildings, energy efficiency not only reduces operating costs but also the total investment. With today's prices, more efficiency means smaller sized heating and cooling equipment that reduce any premium during construction. Installing heat pumps eliminates the need for two systems—one for heating and the other for central air conditioning. 2 Already, for residential and smaller residential complexes,we do not see a linear relationship between the construction of more energy efficient buildings and increased costs. 4. EXISTING LANSING MORATORIUM HAS PROVEN SUCCESS: Lansing has had a moratorium from NYSEG on new gas hook-ups for the past few years due to limits in pipeline pressure. During that time, hundreds of new residential units were built using heat pumps- everything from fancy McMansions and luxury town houses to the affordable housing facility for veterans being constructed across from Lansing Town Hall. ITHACA AND LANSING PIPELINES ARE LINKED: Because Ithaca's gas pipelines are linked to the existing users in Lansing, NYSEG warns that increased gas use in Ithaca could have adverse impacts on Lansing users. Elected officials in Lansing are now asking where is the fairness and mutual concern for surrounding communities if Ithaca continues to add burdens on existing infrastructure to the detriment of residents in Lansing. 5. INDOOR HEALTH CONCERNS: Well-respected studies are showing public health problems from burning fossil fuels inside buildings without sufficient ventilation. Cooking with gas releases chemicals such as nitrogen dioxide 3 and formaldehyde, which can cause inflammation in the airways. Children raised in homes with open flames, such as gas stoves, have a significantly higher rate of asthma, as much as 12%or more in some studies. In this time of grappling with a pandemic that includes possible respiratory disease, we can do more to protect indoor air quality. We hope to see more attention paid in future policies to evaluating environmental, public health, and equity impacts as well as short-term financial impacts for the developer or builder. In conclusion: Advancing the timetable is a simple way to significantly strengthen the policy without spending more time to rewrite the code details. There is no time to lose in adopting this policy. In future years, there will be more guidelines, standards, recommendations, and policies coming from federal, state and local governments as our nation creates more ways to mitigate against climate disasters by lowering emissions, especially from buildings. Taking this big step in Ithaca, city and town, shows a clear and positive direction forward. 3 Paulette Rosa From: Dale Irwin <dirwin@greenidgellc.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 10, 2021 4:09 PM To: Dale Irwin Subject: Fake Resolution Being Circulated Attachments: Greenidge - Fake Resolution and Responses.pdf It has recently come to our attention that a template Resolution is being circulated to towns and counties in our region regarding Greenidge Generation and our dedicated workforce. This document, as you can see in the attached, is filled with remarkably false and misleading claims, masquerading as official sounding WHEREAS clauses. The statements in black lettering of the attachment are taken directly from the fake resolution and background submission that is being circulated, the green items are Greenidge's responses to the fake allegations. We felt it important to share the facts directly with you. Greenidge Generation is a trusted employer and good neighbor and has been for years. We power thousands of homes and businesses in upstate New York and are a critical economic driver for our region. Last year alone, our'behind the meter' data processing center project led to nearly$300,000 in new local tax revenues paid by our facility, and we spent over$6 million supporting local businesses across the Finger Lakes. We hire local talent and have been a steadfast, longstanding supporter of our community and the nonprofits that support it. Our facility is environmentally-sound and fully complies with each of our permits and local ordinances. Any claim to the contrary is just false. We live here,too. On behalf of the dozens of good people that work at Greenidge and their families, I ask that you soundly reiect this attempt to deceive the public via the Resolution process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach me directly at 315-536-2359 ext. 3423 Thank you for your time and leadership for our region. Sincerely, Dale Irwin Background and Overview for Greenidge Resolution Greenidge is an old coal power plant(1937) with a bad environmental history. It shut down in 2011. Duringthat time, DEC simply "grandfathered" existing permit limits for discharge and emissions.There is no evidence that there was ever an Environmental Impact Statement or technical review of any of its permits and approvals. This is false. * Greenidge Generation's reactivation included NEW Title IV and Title V air permits, and the facility was subjected to extremely stringent Clean Air Act New Source Review requirements. The facility's State Pollution Discharge Elimination System ("SIDDES") water permit was subjected to a complete technical review. * NOTI-11NG was "grandfathered." NYSDEC conducted a complete environmental assessment of the impacts of restarting the facility. * These permits, and the environmental review conducted by NYSDEC, have been the SUbject Of Multiple lawsuits by the same people now claiming there was no review. * In each and every legal case, the court confirmed that NYSDEC appropriately conducted the required environmental review and properly issued the SPDES,,"ritle IV and Title V permits in accordance with all applicable laws. After its purchase in 2014 by Atlas Holdings, Greenidge was restarted and later converted to natural gas in 2017 for use as a ""pecker plant"-to be used during periods of high demand when excess energy was needed bythegrid.There was no stated plan to run continually or to do anything but to supply power to the grid. It operated at 6%of capacity in 2019. This is false. The Greenidge Generating facility is not a "peaker plant" and it was never permitted as such. The facility is fully permitted -- and NYSDEC completed a thorough environmental review for -.-,the facility to operate 241/7. DEC, instead of requiringthe plant to meet current standards as a condition for reopening, it simply reissued all the permits Usingthe old limits and imposed "study" and"planning" requirements. New plants are required to use closed cycle cooling, using 95-99%less water. As,examples, DEC allowed Greenidge to continueto operate without screens on the intakes or discharging 132 million gallons of water at temperatures of upto 108 degrees F, both with significant risks to native fish. This is false. * Greenidge has completed all requirements within the tir-rieframe required by its judicially upheld SPDES water permit. NYSDEC has repeatedly stated this,, including last October 201h and again on January 26tr". * Our SPDES water permit requires us to purchase and install the "Best'Tech nology Available" (BTA) to protect aquatic life in Seneca Lake.T.h.pjiLljrgci gly what we have done. "To suggest that only "StUdies" have been done is cornpl e tely rn islead i ng. * Greenidge is not a new plant--and it is required to implement IOTA that is equivalent to closed cycle cooling,N LS.Jgsed cycle cqQ�itjg, That is exactly what Greenidge has done with installation of the variable speed drives at a cost of$400,000 — and continues to do with installation of the wedge wire screens. * NYSDEC recently approved of a 0.5rnrn cylindrical wedge wire screen system, which will be installed by Greenidge at a cost of approximately $4 million. Further, the allegation that closed cycle cooling is required was soundly rejected by the court. In 2019, reports indicated that "Parent company, Atlas Holdings, is looking for a way to get a return on their already substantial investment of$25 million to convert the former coal plant to natural gas and building a spur pipeline to supply it. A change in New York State's energy marketing laws,allowing companies to use electricity they generate before it enters the grid market, makes the idea of an energy-thirsty enterprise like a datacenter a potentially lucrative one." ( htt r,)s:/Z www.chroni cIe-exr)ress.CQrn/ new. 201907.31 / ,cower-olant-t o-add-data-ce rater)This is referred to as "behind the meter," Greenidge is using a 67-year old steam turbine that operates at 35% efficiency and should have been retired decades ago (by comparison modern turbines operate at 65% efficiency). Meaning it is using more natural gas, emitting more greenhouse gases, and using more water for cooling than a modern turbine. This is false. o The facility operates efficiently on natural gas, resulting in reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Greenidge already has Lowest Achievable Emission Rate and Best Available Control Technology installed, including multiple modern pollution control systems and extremely low emission limits included in its Title V air permit. Reports from 2020 indicate that Greenidge can generate 5 bitcoins per day,or about$175,000. The proposed expansion will increase capacity by about 50%. It can afford to protect the air and water, but is not being required to do so. This is false. o Greenidge is n91_qropqnsi - in anyway. W e � g to expand its power generating capacity� are fully investing, at a cost of millions of dollars, to protect our air and the aquatic life of Seneca Lake. Maior Concerns with Greenidge Power Plant Expansion See above and attached answers to each false statement. There is no expansion of the Greenidge Power Plant. That is intentionally false. • It's bad for the climate.This facility is permitted to emit up to 640,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year. Because it's set up to operate "behind the meter", it won't get considered in Governor Cuomo's Climate leadership and Community Protection Act, which limits statewide greenhouse gas emissions to 40% of 1990 levels by 2030 and 85% by 2050. This is false. * Nothing in the Climate Leadership and CornnlMlity Protection Act ("Cl-CPA") exempts certain types of facilities from being considered by the State to meet its CLCPA greenhouse gas reduction requirements. * NYSDEC has already said this publically several times. Since it was converted by Greenidge to operate on natural gas, and no longer uses coal, the facility has significantly less greenhouse gases than it did in 1990 when the facility operated on coal. • it's bad for the Keuka Outlet.The project discharges hot water at up 108 degrees F. into the Keuka Outlet-almost directly into Seneca Lake. The temperature limits for trout streams, like the Keuka Outlet, is 70 degrees F. This stresses and kills trout and other cold water fish, harming the recreational activities. This is false. o Fr wn February 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020, the average temperature of the water we discharged was 65 degrees. o Our discharged water is on average only 8.4 degrees warmer than when we took it in from the Lake;this increase has a negligible impact on the Keuka Outlet and the Lake and is fully compliant with Greenidge's SPDES water permit issued by NYSDEC. o There was not one day during this period when the average temperature of the water discharged was 100 degrees or hotter. • It's bad for Seneca Lake.The hot water will increase the risk of HABS.The system is not using protective measures to prevent fish,eggs, and other aquatic life from being killed at their water intake location. This is false. o There is zero evidence that indicates that Greenidge's operations are contributing to Harmful Algal Blooms. in fact,there is clear evidence to show that Greenidge's operations do not. o Greenidge has already installed variable speed drives as a protective measure, at a cost of$400,000, and will be installing wedge wire screens at a cost of over $4,000,000, based on the design and schedule approved by NYSDEC. • It's bad for the Finger Lakes economy.What damages our fragile ecosystem will also damage our agri-tourism industry. In addition to harming Seneca Lake,a drinking water source for over 100,000 people,this facility will increase noise levels not only in the surrounding area, but also across the lake, since noise travels easily across open water. Bitcoin servers are prohibited from being used in traditional data centers because they make so much noise, use too much energy and generate too much heat. Very few jobs will be created if the facility expands, and what little employment is created will go to people outside our region. The owners are located in Connecticut and very little revenue will be realized by the Finger Lakes community. This is false. o NYSDEC already reviewed the potential impact of the Greenidge generating facility on Seneca Lake, and found that it does not harm the lake. o Greenidge sent over 60%of the power it generated in 2020 to the Grid,to provide power to up to 20,000 homes and businesses. o Moreover, there is significant— and growing-- benefit to the public. A few years ago, Greenidge employed two people and paid virtually no taxes. 'today, it employs over 30 people in good jobs and its taxes have increased over $400,000 in 2020 compared to 2019, directly due to its data processing center. That includes nearly $300,000 in new taxes to local, County and schools. rc� In 2020, during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greenidge spent over $6 million on family-owned businesses and other vendors across the Finger Lakes region. This helped our local companies survive—and keep their employer's working—during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also a trusted partner to nonprofits and local governments in Our area. • It's not necessary.The Public Service Commission and the Finger Lakes Community has been misled so Atlas could secure a Certificate for Public Convenience and Necessity and lightened Regulation. This project is no longer designed to meet the reasonable needs of the public since Greenidge was originally permitted to generate power for public use, and now it is generating power primarily for its own, private bitcoin mining operation. This is false. * Neither Greenidge nor Atlas Holdings has misted anyone; in fact, the company has been fully transparent at each stage of its effort to transform Greenidge into an economic backbone for the region. The cornpany has invested approximately $70 million in private capital into our region, already creating dozens of new jobs, * Greenidge requested the approval of both the New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) and the New York Independent Systerns Operator to operate its state-of-the-art data center project, with clear disclosure on the use of the energy consumed on site, * The public was part of that public process. The public was also part of the NYSDEC permitting and environmental impact review process, which was unsuccessfully challenged in court. RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT FOR A MORATORIUM ON EXPANSION OF THE GREENIDGE GENERATION LLC IN THE TOWN OF TORREY BECAUSE OF REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND POTENTIAL DAMAGE TO THE AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM ECONOMY. This is false. o Greenidge is not proposing to expand its power generating capacity-- in any way. o The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has already analyzed the potential impacts of the generation of electricity by the Greenidge Generating facility and found no potential for significant environmental impacts from Greenidge operations; and, issued permits to Greenidge for current operations. o These permits, and the environmental review conducted by NYSDEC, have been the subject of multiple lawsuits. In each and every case, the court rejected this claim— and confirmed that NYSDEC appropriately conducted the environmental assessment and properly issued the SPDES,Title IV and Title V permits. WHEREAS,Greenidge Generation, LLC has DEC permits that allow it to emit up to 650,000 tons of greenhouse gases per year affecting air quality in the region; and o Greenidge Generation has received approval to utilize some of the power it generates in support of its onsite data processing center. The State has confirmed Greenidge is in compliance with its air permit and thus,there is zero evidence that the facility"affects the air quality in the region." WHEREAS,Greenidge Generation was restarted and converted to natural gas in 2017 for use as a "peaker plant"- to be used during periods of high demand when excess energy was needed by the grid; and This is false. o The Greenidge Generating facility is not a"peaker plant"and it was never permitted as such. The facility is permitted -- and NYSDEC completed a thorough environmental review of the facility-- based on the facility operating 24/7. I WHE REAS, in 2019, Greenidge Generation received approval to operate a "data center" using excess electrical capacity; and This is false. o Greenidge is NOT utilizing"excess" capacity. Greenidge Generation has requested and received all approvals necessary from the State Public Service Commission to operate its 'behind the meter" data processing center operation with power it is already fully permitted to generate. WIJEREAS, Greenidge Generation is permitted to withdra'A, 139 million gallons per day Crorn Seneca Lake, to operate without screens on the intakes and to discharge 132 million gallons of'water at temperatures 01'Up to 108 degrees F. The temperature limits for trout streams, like the Keuka OUAICt, is 70 degrees F. 'This stresses and kills trout and other cold- water fish; and This is aintentional!V misleading cl�im. * Greenidge's water permits requires US to purchase and install the "Best Technology Available" (BTA)to protect aquatic life in Seneca Lake—and the BTA technologies were determined by NYSDEC and included in Greenidge's SPIDES water permit, That is precisely what we have done. * Our new variable speed drives --- at a cost to us of$400,000 -- slow water intake to help fish safely swim away LiLic1_111g have !Le aqy installed. y 1 _ _§_Q et I * NYSDECI' also recently approved of a 0.5nirn cylindrical wedge wire screen system, which will be installed by Greenidge at a cost of approximately$4 million consistent with the timefrarne required by Greenidge's SPIDES water permit. * NYSDEC recently also approved a thermal Study, which will be completed in accordance with the NYSDEC,.approved schedule. * There is absolutely no evidence that the discharges from Greenidge are harming trout or other cold-water fish. Zero. NYSDEC already made this determination in its environmental impact review, which has repeatedly been upheld by the courts. WHEREAS,the hot water discharge into the Kcuka Outlet will increase the incidences of'HABS in this portion of Seneca Lake; and This is false. o There is zero evidence that indicates that Greenidge's operations are contributing to Harn-iful Algal Blooms, In fact, there is clear evidence to show that Greenidge's operations do not cause HABs. o In 2020,. not one F'IAB was located within 4 miles of the Greenid e facility, T'I'lese charts frorn Seneca tal<e Pure Waters Association show the number of p-ABs irr 2019, when rainfall was heavier, andthen again in 2020. Greenidge is not the cause of HABs. "- Ow � d? S ,WA 4— bi .ill�, WII[+;REA4, the sy;tern is not usual; l)r•«tect:ive measures to prevent fish, eggs, and other aquatic life frorn being killed at their water intake location; and This is false. (D Our water permit requires Gree nidge to purchase and install the "Best Technology Avrailable" (BTA) to protect aquatic life in Seneca Leal<e--.which technologies were deterrnined by NYSD C, Thpt is recisel v r rl we have done. ca Our new variable speed drives -- at a cost to us of$400,000 --- slow water intake to help fish safely swim away and they have already been installed,. * NYSDEC also approved of a Maim cylindrical wedfE� wire screen systern, which will be installed by Greenidge at a cost of approximately $4 inillion consistent: with the timefrrame required by Greenidge`s SPIDE.S water per mit. * We are investing heavily in measures that protect the fish of Seneca Juke. WHEREAS, the Finger Lakes economy is based oil agri-tourism and the acceleration ot'the deterioration of"Seneca Lake as a recreational destination will adversely impact the [enter municipality riarne] economy and many other lakeside COMITHIllitics; and As we can see this is "Cut and p-is_t 1 I . .Rg�qlutiqn,in addition to h1R.enti e. se ............ __.rL_y * it says "enter municipality name" in the WHEREAS clause, demonstrating that the sole Purpose of this was to pass as many of these Take Resolutions as possible, without regard to tile facts. * In other words, to use local governments to nlislead the public-- and that government itself. * NYSDEC has already cletKmined in its environmental review that Greenidg(,.,"s operations are NOT'deteriorating Seneca Lake. Quite the contrary, NYSDEC determined that Greenidge's operations (24/7)will NOT have as significant impact on Seneca Lake and the courts have upheld NYSDECs determination on multiple occasions. * Thus, there is absolutely no indication that Greenidge's operations are deteriorating the Lake. Greenidge has been operating since 201.7. During that tirne, tourism in the Finger Lakes has gone up dramatically. Our facility thus has zero impact on the local tourism industry. WHEIREAS, there is no public benefit for this project in that it is not necessary for the electric grid, it has created few new jobs, and it pays comparatively small taxes compared to tile environmental rerriediation investment needed; This is false, c First, Greenidge sent over 60% of the power it generated in 2020 to the Grid, to provide power to up to 20,000 homes and businesses. c Second, there is significant— and growing —benefit to the public. A few years ago, Greenidge employed two people and paid virtually no taxes. Today, it employs 30 people in good jobs, and has spent over$6 million in 2020 alone at businesses across the Finger Lakes, helping Our region's companies survive—and keep their employers working—during the COVID-19 pandemic. o We are also a trusted partner to nonprofits and local governments in our area. o Greenidge's taxes have increased over$400,000 in 2020 compared to 2019, directly due to its data processing center. That includes nearly$300,000 in new taxes to the Town of Torrey,Yates County and our schools. Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <marieandrew93@gmail.corn> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2021 11:58 AM To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas;TeeAnn Hunter,, Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter; Chris Balestra; Laura Lewis; Cynthia Brock; George McGonigal;Joseph MUrtagh; Ducson Nguyen; Donna Fleming; Rob Gearhart; Graharn Kerslick; Stephen Smith; Deb Mohlenhoff, Dan Cogan; Krin Flaherty; JoAnn Cornish;Julie Holcomb; Attorney; Aaron Lavine; Svante Myrick Subject: Expert Report Concludes High Probability Radio Frequency Radiation Causes Brain Tumors Expert Report by Former U.S. Government Official Concludes High Probability Radio Frequency Radiation Causes Brain Tumors ElectromaanetiC Radiation Safety March 15, 2021 Christopher J. Portier, Ph.D., former director of the National Center for Environmental Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), and a scientific advisor for the World Health Organization (WHO), recently completed an expert report on brain tumor risk from exposure to radio frequency (RF) radiation used in cellphone technology. After completing a comprehensive review of the scientific literature, Dr. Portier concluded: "In my opinion, RF exposure probably causes gliomas and neuromas and, given the human, animal and experimental evidence I assert that, to a reasonable degree of scientific certainty, the probability that RF exposure causes gliomas and neuromas is high. " The 176-page report contains 443 references. The report was prepared for the plaintiffs in a major product liability lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia against the telecommunications industry (Murray et al. v Motorola, Inc. et al.). A summary of the report's findings and a link to download the report can be found at: httoo-//bit.lv/Por,tierSaferemr Dr. Portier's conclusion is consistent with the results of our recently published meta- analysis of the case-control research on cellular phone use and tumor risk. For a summary of our paper see: httr)s-.//www.saferemr.com Z20201 11/new- review-studv-tu mor-risk.htm 1. Yoon-Jung Choi+, Joel M. Moskowitz+, Seung-Kwon Myung-, Yi-Ryoung Lee, Yun-Chul Hong-. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020, 17(21), 8079; fittps://doi.org/lQ,3390/ e!,,�M�rh17�2180�79. Abstract We investigated whether cellular phone use Was associated with increased risk of tumors using a meta- analysis of case-control studies. PubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception to July 2018. The primary outcome was the risk of tumors by cellular phone use, which was measured by pooling each odds ratio (OR) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). In a meta-analysis of 46 case-control studies, compared with never or rarely having used a cellular phone, regular use was not associated with tumor risk in the random-effects meta-analysis. However, in the Subgroup meta-analysis by research group, there was a statistically significant positive association (harmful effect) in the Hardell et al. studies (OR, 1.15-95% Cl, 1.00 to 1.33— n = 10), a statistically significant negative association (beneficial effect) in the INTERPHONE-related studies (case-control studies from 13 countries coordinated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC); (OR, 0.81-95% Cl, 0.75 to 0.89—n = 9), and no statistically significant association in other research groups' studies. Further, cellular phone use with cumulative call time more than 1000 hours statistically significantly increased the risk of tumors. This comprehensive meta-analysis of case-control studies found evidence that linked cellular phone use to increased tumor risk. Xontributed equally to this study as the first author. -Correspondence. hftps://www.mdpi.com/1 660-4601/17/21/8079 2 or ca Department of Assessment 128 East Buffalo Street Jay Franklin Inclusion through Diversity Irene Kehoe Director Assistant Director To: Government Operations Committee From: Jay Franklin Date: February 15, 2021 Re: 2021 Annual Equity Maintenance (AEM) Program ............ As we file the 2021 Assessment Roll, this will be our 52 nd Assessment Roll. We were founded because of the 1968 charter vote with our office officially forming on January 1, 1970. This was an incredible task, and I would regret not mentioning the foresight that the County Real Property Tax Director at the time,Thomas Payne, had in spearheading this initiative. Mr. Payne was way before his time with this idea of"shared services". His push behind this consolidation was not a cost-savings measure but was to increase the professionalism in the assessment function as many of the municipal part-time assessors were retiring. It is safe to say that Mr. Payne's vision has been rewarded. And personally, it is rewarding for me to say that a Franklin has been present for each of the assessment rolls that has been filed for Tompkins County as my father(Don) started as the first Assistant Director of the office back in 1970. Don Franklin was present for 27 Assessment Rolls and with the 2021 Assessment Roll, I will have been present for 25 Assessment Rolls. While I cannot promise to continue to have a 'Franklin' in the office for the next 52 years (or even the next 8 years), while I am blessed to be in this office, I will promise to continue to try to further our founding mission—to improve the professionalism in the assessment function, I would like to acknowledge that we lost 3 highly qualified employees to retirement as of December 31, 2020. Al Fiorille (30+years), Kathy King(16 years), and Barb Just(12 years) all elected to take the early retirement incentive. There have been five Directors of Assessment in the history of this department and four of us have had the pleasure to hire Al at least once. The amount of history and knowledge that walked out of our door on December 31 is immense. It will take decades to replace a fraction of that knowledge. It will be a challenge as our succession planning was moved forward by 3 years with the early retirement incentive that the county instituted due to COVID-19. This year we have hired 3 new Assistant Real Property Appraisers (Heather Richway, Nicholas Murphy, and Tyler Lawrence). These 3 individuals have shown that they have the ability and the desire to do the job well —they just need time to build up the experience that will supplement their ability and desire, Mail Address: Tel: 607-274-5517 128 East Buffalo Street Fax: 607-274-5507 Ithaca,New York 14850 assessnient@tompkins-co.org http://www,tompkins-co.org/assessmenU The 2021 AEM Program was different for many reasons as we had to deal with the challenges presented by COVID-19. We reduced the density in our office to minimize the impact a potential positive case might have. We sent our employees home with a laptop and a limited connection to our state database. We limited the contact that we have with the public in our office and the field. We relied on the Town Code officers more this year than in the past to keep abreast of what projects are in. We lost three quality employees to retirement(and we have gained 3 quality Assistant Real Property Appraiser's whose future is bright). Our doors have been closed to the public since mid-March 2020. It has been extremely difficult trying to stay abreast of all the property developments occurring in the county and the nation. Introduction Since 1999,the Tompkins County Department of Assessment has maintained a uniform percentage of value on the assessment roll by thoroughly analyzing the roll and making adjustments as needed in order to keep uniformity. Since our failed attempt at a triennial assessment cycle,we have and will continue to maintain a 100%level of assessment. No other assessing unit in NYS has been as diligent as Tompkins County in maintaining a fair and equitable assessment roll. Tompkins County is the only assessing unit that has been awarded the Excellence in Equity Award from NYS every year it has been award (including the only assessing unit that has received this award when at a fractional level of assessment). To provide the public with more information regarding the decision-making aspect of the assessment function,the Department of Assessment started issuing an annual report in 2010. The main goal of this report is to disseminate accurate information regarding the current state of the assessed values in relation to the current sale prices of real property within Tompkins County. As one does not look to Miami for what weather will occur in Tompkins County,we do not look nationally when analyzing the current real estate market in Tompkins County. The Department of Assessment is monitoring the national trends in the real estate market and is ready to respond if/when these trends may in fact affect Tompkins County in the future. We look at what is occurring at both the state and federal level in terms of regulation and policy changes to monitor what effect any changes might have on our local real estate market. Tompkins County has-35,632 parcels of real property with a total market value of about$14.3 Billion. The Tompkins County Department of Assessment is the only true countywide assessing unit in New York State. By consolidating the assessment function at the county level, approximately$619,000 per year is saved as compared to the cost of Town/City assessing units. The real property tax is an ad valorem tax(Latin for according to value). One important benefit of the real property tax is that the amount collected always equals the amount levied, unlike the sales and income taxes whose collection rates can vary greatly from large windfalls,to large shortcomings. An assessment is not a tax but rather a way to apportion the amount of money that the taxing jurisdictions wish to generate. Each assessed value represents the proportionate share of the pie that each property owner will be responsible for by each taxing jurisdiction. Department of Assessment 2 February 1,2021 It is the duty of the Department of Assessment to estimate the market value of all real property— commercial and residential—each year. The real estate market within Tompkins County has held strong over the past year. Interest rates have been held relatively flat and a low supply of houses on the market coupled with a strong demand, has kept sale prices on the uptick. Even the apartment market has remained strong in Tompkins County with all the challenges that Covid-19 has presented this property class. 2021 Annual Equity Maintenance Program Since New York State adopted the Cyclical Reassessment Program (CRAP)to try to get municipalities that have not performed a revaluation in many years, some since the Civil War, to update their assessment rolls, Tompkins County lost approximately$150,000/year in state aid by maintaining an up-to-date assessment roll, the equivalent of 2full time appraisers. While this new program might push some municipalities to update their rolls, it adversely affected those municipalities that have maintained an accurate and equitable assessment roll. The CRAP has also increased the amount of work that is required of the NYS Office of Real Property Tax Services. By not having cyclical reassessments occurring on a regular basis, NYSORPTS is forced to perform full value measurements which require office staff to perform appraisals of property in the various towns that have not kept their values up-to-date. This has required the training and hiring of new personnel who must spend time traveling across the state to perform site visits and valuation estimates to confirm the local assessment roll. While the amount of state aid available is "up-to-$51parcel",the actual amount received will vary greatly depending on the number of parcels in this program each year. For instance,for the 2012 Assessment Roll the state aid was approximately$2.25/parcel as New York City received the maintenance aid. This uncertainty of aid can amount to upwards of$100,000 in loss of anticipated aid all depending on circumstances beyond our control. Instead of joining the CRAP, the Department of Assessment has decided to maintain the work processes that made the Annual Equity Maintenance Program in Tompkins County so successful. The CRAP was determined to be costlier to administer with no increase in accuracy or equity. The largest expense in participating in CRAP would be to re-measure at least 2 sides of every structure in the county once every 4 years or to perform updated oblique aerial imagery flights. At least in Tompkins County, we have found that buildings do not grow absent a significant construction project, which would require a building permit. This year was especially difficult to determine where the real estate market was really at as of July 1, 2020. NY Pause was lifted for real estate transactions in June 2020. This caused a backup for real estate transactions to happen and it missed the "spring" real estate market. In addition, for commercial properties, often times in times of a downturn, the effects of that downturn are not realized immediately. With long term leases in place,the effects on the value of commercial properties take more time to appear in the market. Department of Assessment 3 February 1,2021 We are monitoring the different commercial property class types to see what effect that COVID will have on them in the present and in the future. The effects on apartments, office space, retail space, and residential are all unique and we will have to see where the market will ultimately land. Sales vs Assessment Analysis As a trend, both the average selling price and median selling price are increasing although variations in the type of property being sold might show a decrease from year to year. ........................... ......................... .......................... ................ ........... ............................ flu. si(,1-11(,,,i,iV,,,Ir,,,i� In ('0LW0,',/ K0,0C,K), 284,590 'fe 001000 258,500 .wo"I",.......011101111f, 10010mm 00le 00,60 90,633 .....as... ..... 82,000 SOJYJ01 0 0 1-4 r,14 rn "I U1 ID r' J r, -q r,4 en "1 V) :j r, M, 0", C ff" r 1XI All M M C ISRI Fl� S� C� 9,1 pl Sl� S`� �,P- R 1E ENP 814 rr04d (IR,I rE E-,1 r8 rll -j Cr4 , , r,, r, C, r04"i Cld �NE r� d r,d ,S ,f rJr� Xi 6 d Sak,Pa c@ —..Pled, an Sale Pk� Because Tompkins County reassesses all properties each year to reflect a property's current market value, it is very crucial that the Department of Assessment analyze the real estate market in depth. In the financial environment of today, it is important that the tax burden be distributed equitably and is the reason why the International Association of Assessing Officers asserts that annual reassessment is the best way to ensure an equitable distribution of the tax burden. It is impossible to measure the level of assessment for Commercial properties by using any sort of sales ratio approach. Most of today's commercial sales are affected by outside influences such as 1031 exchanges, purchase of leases vs real estate, interest only loans, and owner financing. The sale prices that are often reported do not reflect what a prudent buyer would purchase that property for. For instance, the BJs wholesale club in the Village of Lansing sold for$16.8 million—this is over$187/sqft for a 'big box . The only reason this sold for $16.8 million is the fact that BA has 15 years remaining on their lease and they are a Class A tenant. The real estate did not "sell" per se—the main reason behind this purchase was the lease. Department of Assessment 4 February 1,2021 The courts in NYS have been very inconsistent on how they address the build-to-suit lease transactions and this is typical of what is occurring across the country in the so called "Dark Store Theory". In many townships/counties in Indiana, Michigan, and Texas, millions of dollars of refunds have had to issued when a large Big Box Store has successfully convinced a court that their value should be significantly less than the cost to build their store. NYS should not get into the business of valuing a piece of paper(ie a lease) but instead we should continue the practice of valuing real property. This is like the sales that we are seeing of student housing. While in the past, buyers of apartment housing would be looking to put money into their pocket at the end of each year, today they are willing to lose money to hopefully make a profit out of appreciation at the end of their holding period. And with some student housing in the heart of Collegetown, the land is worth more than the value of the current use of the building (which is how we must value the property—the current use value). If the system would allow, the land value on the parcel would exceed the overall value of the property reflecting the sales that have occurred for redevelopment purposes so the land value on improved properties are fictious numbers. Analysis of Level of Assessment and Uniformity The Department of Assessment has analyzed all the valid arms-length transactions of residential properties between July 1, 2019 and July 1, 2020. The mean and median Assessment to Sale Price Ratio (AVSP) along with the price related differential (PRD) and coefficient of dispersion (COD) was determined for the county. Mean Assessment to Sale Price Ratio 0.958 Median Assessment to Sale Price Ratio 0.975 Price Related Differential 1.003 Coefficient of Dispersion 5.994 An AVSP under 1.00 indicates that the sale prices are greater than the current assessments while conversely, an AVSP over 1.00 indicates that the sale prices are less than the current assessments. For a non-heterogeneous area such as Tompkins County, a coefficient of dispersion of under 15 is acceptable. A price related differential between 0.98 and 1.03 will show no vertical inequity in the assessment roll. Vertical equity means that lower priced properties are not valued differently than higher priced properties. There is a tendency in mass appraisal to not be able to value low-and high-priced properties accurately as it is hard to branch out from the 'middle'. Based upon a countywide analysis, it is determined that the 2020 Assessment Roll would not be considered at 100%fair market value as of July 1, 2020. Statistically speaking for the purposes of level of assessment, a AV/SP of+/-5%would be considered at 100% based upon the overall static that is within the real estate market but as we were outside of those boundaries, work was needed to be done to maintain 100%fair value assessments for all property in the county. The median sales price has increased just over$20,000 from the previous years which shows that the overall market value for residential properties within the county are strongly increasing however there are still pocket areas where this statement is not correct; either the market value has increased more within the past year OR the market value has increased enough over the past few years to make a change for the 2020 Assessment Roll OR that no market change has occurred. Department of Assessment 5 February 1,2021 Reassessment Projects for 2021 Assessment Roll While overall the Assessment to Sale Price Ratio(AVSP) indicated that the assessment roll was at 91%fair market value, most of the increase has come from areas that we have not reviewed in a few years. These areas were all done by a parcel-by-parcel review looking at each property individually to ensure equity. Residential Town of Lansing(outside of Village) Ellis Hollow in Dryden Cayuga Heights Small pocket neighborhoods Commercial(countywide) Hotels Auto Body Shops Kennel/Veterinary Funeral Homes Medical Office Space Results of the Reassessment Projects Based upon the projects undertaken above,we maintained a 100%level of assessment for the 2021 Assessment Roll. While we are still 3 months away from filing the Tentative Assessment Roll,the changes made above have changed our level of assessment statistics dramatically. Mean Assessment to Sale Price Ratio = 0.973 Median Assessment to Sale Price Ratio = 0.994 Price Related Differential = 1.002 Coefficient of Dispersion = 4.981 There are-35,632 parcels within Tompkins County and there will be properties that are either over assessed or under assessed. With each passing year,the Department of Assessment tries to smooth out these inequities. Additionally,we are constantly monitoring the 'For Sale" properties on the Multiple Listing Service to help determine the movement of the real estate market when no sales occur. The Department of Assessment does not value property based upon listings however listing prices in respect to the current assessed values does shed light on the current state of the real estate market. All property owners in the county are encouraged to review the data that is on file at the Department of Assessment. Any corrections to the inventory on file are welcomed. If a property owner wishes to have a member of the professional appraisal staff inspect their property,a request may be made with the Real Property Appraiser responsible for that town. Department of Assessment 6 February 1.2021 The Department of Assessment will mail out a Preliminary Notice of Assessment Change to all property owners whose assessment changed since the 2020 Final Assessment Roll on March 5th. Beginning that Friday,a property owner who received that notice could begin scheduling an Informal Assessment Review Meeting with one of the members of the professional appraisal staff of this office. These appointments are the property owners' opportunity to present information to the Department of Assessment to take into consideration when reviewing the assessed value. Due to concerns regarding COVID-19,all informal assessment review meetings will take place over the phone. Due to staffing constraints, if a property owner did not receive a change notice but would like to submit information to the Department of Assessment to consider when reviewing their assessment,they may either file that information by paper or by filling out the review request on our webpage. The deadline to file an informal review application is April 3rd. The formal review period when a property owner can file a grievance application with the Board of Assessment Review is from May 1 to May 25. Grievance day will be held on May 25 at the Department of Assessment through Zoom meetings. Appointments for grievance day will be able to be scheduled starting on May 1. Outlook for 2021 Annual Equity Maintenance Proeram Based upon sales from July 1, 2020 to mid-December, 2020,the real estate market appears to be slightly increasing. The Assessment to Sale Price Ratio for this period is still 0.987 which shows a slight under- assessment of all properties. After a few years,we can say that we have not seen any noticeable effect of the elimination of the SALT deductions on the local real estate market. In talking with others across the state,this had a devastating effect on sale prices of the higher end properties downstate. We did however see our largest sale of a single-family residential property($2.2 million) occur in 2018 after the SALT deductions were repealed by the Federal government. The Department of Assessment is committed to maintaining an equitable assessment roll. The Department is constantly analyzing the local real estate market and will make the necessary adjustments needed to maintain a full value equitable assessment roll. Our biggest struggle today is the evolution of how the assessment function gets done. The days of cold- calling properties and if someone is not home,the appraiser/data collector would simply run a tape measure around the building to measure the structures have come and gone. Today, where privacy is almost non-existent;with the information that can be obtained on the internet, property owners are much more protective of their personal privacy than ever before. And rightfully so. We are respectful of the issue of privacy and we try hard to balance that with trying to create an equitable assessment roll. As Director of this office, I will not put my people at risk in the field. If at any point,they do not feel safe while in the field,they are instructed to leave as quickly and as safely as possible. We were finally able to start working with local law enforcement to help protect my staff in the field. I appreciate the work that Sheriff Osborn and Kim Moore have done to help protect my staff. We have realized this change in the public, have respected this change, and we have changed how we do things because of this change. But this has affected our product by having to paint with a larger brush and Department of Assessment 7 February 1,2021 making bigger assumptions about the condition of the property, about whether a building permit was completed or not etc. We have adjusted from cold-calling properties to sending out postcards asking for information as opposed to leaving door hangers. We firmly believe that for us to continue to provide such a high standard product,that we need the input of the public in reviewing our information and our values. We are also adjusting to being inundated with information—however none of the data is integrated together and unlike the past, is spread out amongst many applications. We now have access to listing information, recorded documents at the County Clerk's office, local planning/zoning board information, aerial imagery, 3 d party websites etc. While we have access to all this information, none of it is integrated completely and much time is spent searching for information that may or may not prove to be important when valuing property. We are constantly looking to improve upon our service to the community and we welcome any suggestions. Department of Assessment 8 February 1,2021 2021 AEM Addendum Residential Decision-Making Process COVID-19 has presented new challenges that we never thought we would ever have to address. Who would have thought that NY would have been on "Pause"? The fact that the economy was shut down by the governor for many months will affect the real estate market for years to come. The changing landscape caused by the stay-at-home executive orders will cause shifts in the desirability of different property class types. It will be many years before the true effects on the market for various office, retail,warehouse, etc property class types are realized. The biggest issue that we are encountering is the changing physical condition of residential properties that are not reflected in either building permit work nor exterior conditions. Even the current Governor of New York recognizes the need for the public`s privacy when he did not discuss the status of the basement in the house that he shared with his girlfriend with his local town assessor. This now has continued to make the assessor's job exponentially more difficult when they are not always given the correct information by the property owner regarding the interior information of the property. It is imperative that a comprehensive sales review takes place to weed out these condition issues and to get down to why properties are moving so that sales that have been physically improved are not mistaken for market improved sales. We have changed our sales verification process from simply confirming the physical inventory of the property to asking questions about the motivation of the buyer and why they made the decision they did to buy where they did. This helps us to get inside the head of the typical buyer. Even when reviewing sales by talking to a property owner,sometimes their memories are 'hazy' when it comes to whether a basement is finished into living area or not. Statistics can be misleading which is why there will not be a substitute for a good appraiser to know what is going on in their municipality. What work needs to be done to maintain an equitable assessment cannot strictly be determined by looking at numbers. As a result of the 2021. AEM Program, all improved properties have at least been reviewed since the 2018 Assessment Roll. City of Ithaca All residential properties within the City of Ithaca were revalued for the 2020 Assessment Roll. A few neighborhoods within the City are very'hot' right now with the other neighborhoods experience the"spill-over"effect. This is caused by buyers being priced out of one neighborhood, so they decide to buy in an adjacent neighborhood where prices are less expensive. This market segment has been on a bi-yearly review cycle for many years. Town of Caroline We did a parcel-by-parcel revaluation in the Town of Caroline in 2017 and again for the 2019 Assessment Roll. We are starting to see some higher valued land sales in Caroline which we are monitoring. With a lack of local zoning control,these sales are somewhat curious. It might simply be a case of a lower price alternative to other more expensive areas slightly closer to the City of Ithaca (or a further expansion of the Ellis Hollow neighborhood) Town of Danby We reviewed a few small pocket areas for 2017 which would be considered"rural subdivisions" but we also reviewed the whole town for the 2019 Assessment Roll. Similarly,to the Town of Caroline,some properties will see a larger increase than others to keep them in line with their full market value. Town of Dryden This year we revalued the Ellis Hollow neighborhood again(the last time we did it was in 2018). The remaining town outside of Ellis Hollow was revalued for the 2019 Assessment Roll while the 2 villages were revalued for the 2020 Assessment Roll. Town of Enfield The Town of Enfield was reviewed for the 2017 Assessment Roll by doing a parcel-by- parcel review. We also reviewed this municipality for the 2019 Assessment Roll. There is not a single percentage increase that we could apply to this town as it consists of very diverse properties. Some properties saw a larger increase than others to keep them in line with their full market value. Town of Groton While we reviewed the ranch-style houses in the Village of Groton for the 2018 Assessment Roll and we reviewed the entire Village for the 2019 Assessment Roll—we did a full review of the Town outside the Village of Groton for the 2020 Assessment Roll. This appears to be a case of a lower cost alternative which is spilling over from more valuable market areas. The Village of Groton,despite its perceived issues, remains a strong market. Town of Ithaca For the 2021 Assessment Roll,we revalued the Village of Cayuga Heights. The market for the Cayuga Heights appears to be very cyclical—it will fall out of favor for a few years and then came back into style. The proximity to Cornell and the historic houses in the village never fall out of favor for too long before coming back into style. For 2020, we revalued the West Hill and South Hill neighbors in the Town of Ithaca. The Town of Ithaca is still a strong market area due to its adjacency to the City of Ithaca. For 2019, we valued the West Hill area along with the'usual suspects"—Commonland, Eastwood Commons, Deer Run townhomes. For 2018,we reviewed the East Hill portion of the Town of Ithaca—including the'Cigarette'Streets and Willamsburg Park. We also revalued the Village of Cayuga Heights. We also revalued a few of the smaller subdivisions in the town too. Town of Lansing As in 2018,all properties within the Town of Lansing(outside the Village)have been reviewed for the 2021 Assessment Roll on a parcel-by-parcel basis. We also reviewed some areas within the Village of Lansing for the upcoming assessment roll. We did review the lake for the JO17roll. VVe did aparce|-bw-parce| review via the lake side mf the property. |tis anticipated that the Town of Lansing will be reviewed for the 2O21 Assessment Roll. Town ofNewfield The Town mf Newfield was reviewed for the 2D19 Assessment Roll, There is not asingle percentage increase that we could apply to this town as it consists of very diverse properties. Some properties will see a larger increase than others to keep them inline with their full market value. Town mfUlysses We revalued both the Village of Trumansburg and the Town of Ulysses for the 2019 Assessment Roll. VVe have continued to see an increase|n these two areas. We have had some large vacant land sales in the south-eastern portion of the town that appear to be out of line with comparable sales however as we continue to see more of these sales,they will begin to "make the markeL". Commercial Revaluation Decision Making Process The current sales that are occurring within the commercial sector make no sense when reviewing the profitability of the investment. With interest rates so low, investors are willing to invest in the non-liquidity of real estate as compared bo other more liquid investments. They are ignoring the risks involved with real estate when they normally would put their money elsewhere aa elsewhere iaa losing proposition aswell. VVe have seen some student housing sales approach capitalization rates of3-4%. The last time that sales have shown this much deviation from what the income of the property would support is back in the late 1g8Os. Most of these sales involve some sort ofowner financing or large down payment if|t involves bank financing. |n other deals, buyers are putting liens on existing properties to have the equity tm make a deal work. Other areas across the country are starting to experience a downturn in rental rates. While we do not look to NYS for what is happening today in Tompkins County, it is indicative of macro-trend of our country. VVedV not look at sales ratios when we are seeing if the market has changed in the commercial sector. Far too often other influences other than what the true sale price would be occurs to cloud the true market value, As the assessment is based upon the current use nf the property, most commercial sales involve some sort of expansion or new planned use of the property that while reflected in the sale price, cannot bereflected in the assessment. This year we took multiple phone inquiries from large real estate investment trusts looking into purchasing student housing in the county. Ona net income of about$2 million (before taxes), this RE|T was looking to purchase the property ata$4U million valuation. This would represent a loaded tax rate mf59&(with the tax component at 3.47%which leaves the cap rate at1.5396). The potential buyer backed out of the deal when told the assessment was going bo increase by $2 million tV reflect a higher occupancy rate. The sales simply do not make any financial sense based upon the income the property can produce today but they make sense if one builds in an aggressive appreciation schedule. Apartments Based upon the strong market for student housing,we have revalued this market segment every 2 years. We are starting to hear of more vacancies along with rental concessions as the market is starting to become inundated with housing stock. Cornell University has started construction on their North Campus addition to house all sophomore students on-campus. The additional housing stock that would be built to accomplish this goal should have a negative effect on the price for the privately-owned student housing in the City of Ithaca. In addition, if the 2,000 bedrooms that Cornell is proposing for on-campus dorms would be a taxable endeavor, it would also be like adding in the taxable value for the entire Town of Enfield to the tax base. Hotels/Motels We have reviewed the hotel property class for the 2021 Assessment due to the dramatic downturn in the travel industry due to COVID. Occupancy rates in this industry in Tompkins County have dipped dramatically and it will be years before this industry returns to the new normal. The rise of Zoom and Microsoft Teams video conferencing software will have dramatic effects on this industry for years to come but at some point, this industry will rebound as people look to get away and be back around other people. Other areas Auto Body Shops/Kennels/Funeral Homes/Medical Office Space These properties run a wide gamut from the small shops next to a house to a full-service commercial facility. These properties must be looked at individually since there is such a wide range of value. These properties haven't been reviewed in a few years so it was time to review these. Alternative Energy Forms Solar Arrays-We continue to review the Solar Arrays in the county. Unfortunately, NYSDTF no longer provides valuation guidance to the local assessment community. There are a lot of thoughts out there on the valuation of solar arrays and it does take a while to realize that a project that costs in excess of$5 million to build, might only be worth$2 million based upon the income that it can generate. I have been working with the NYSAA and the Solar Industry lobby to hopefully create some certainty in this valuation. While NYSERDA stepped into the space left by NYSDTF's inability to provide valuation assistance,this spreadsheet has not be widely adopted despite being developed by both the NYSAA and the NYSACDRPTS. Battery Storage—We have had multiple instances of Tesla's battery storage being installed in Tompkins County. Again,it is unfortunate that NYSDTF does not provide guidance as to what might be taxable in these instances and additionally how to value them. in an area such as Tompkins County,where the demand pricing for electricity is not significant,the value mf these battery storage facilities appears to be non-existent if o property owner had Uz purchase one without incentives. Once these installations are present,there is value but no financially concerned individual would build one without the generous concessions offered for these types offacilities. Additional Projects Not all work that is completed in the Department of Assessment is regarding the valuation project. We continue to do many other projects that contribute to the real property tax administration function in Tompkins County, Data Warehouse Valuation Our coal-fired power plant was recently cle-commissioned and plans for a Data Center were released. There are currently no data centers|nNY5tm use ase comparison,so we have been building uP our information on this property tax type. This project site has the potential bobea very good Data Center site. This site |s pretty much immune tm natural disasters, |t has access toNYS's low-cost electricity,and there isafiber connection tm the plant. |will be looking for a national Data Warehouse conference io attend bo learn more about this property type inZO2O. Agricultural Penze| Ueu|evv For the 2021 Assessment Roll,we reviewed all the agricultural properties to confirm the inventory that is present on the property. Due to the combination of the byzantine requirements of NY Pause,the need to reduce density in the office, and the fact that NYSRPS is inaccessible from outside of our county network,vve needed a project to keep employees working while athome. UsingESR|'s web application services,we were able to have our appraisers create building footprints for all mf the agricultural buildings. VVe were also able tn associate each one ofthose buildings with the inventory included |nRPS. Mandatory|VP For the 2020 Assessment Roll,we had to juggle the overly complex process that is the K4andatory|VP. VVe got 82 separate reports for this process that had tobecompiled, analyzed, and a determination had to be made regarding the eligibility of the application. (And these 92 separate reports do not consider the random single parcel ema||s that appeared after the reports were produced. VVe never had this many corrections even |na bad year), NY5 simply lacks the resources to administer this program correctly so they still must rely on the local assessing units for input without giving the assessors any oversight of the program. The whole process was more equitable when the eligibility was determined by the local assessors. 2U22—An Assessment Odyssey Our Annual Equity Maintenance Program is a constant balancing act ensuring that all properties are ata level of assessment of100%and ensuring that vve have the time and staffing tndmall the work that is needed to maintain that level. These are projects that we are looking at|nour crystal ball to do for 2022—however these projects are subject to change as we approach the valuation date of July 1,2021. The effects of the presidential election and COVID-19 will be felt for the next few years. As companies reevaluate the need for office space and for company travel,this will affect many different properties. Without people in the central business areas,small local'support businesses'(small restaurants,convenience stores,etc)will falter. Reductions in the density that is allowed in certain properties will continue to cause some stores to question whether they should be open at all. At some point the cloud of secrecy will be removed from NY Pause and we will be able to see what is coming next. Vacant Land Based upon the sales we are seeing,there seems to be a spill-over from other areas which is causing an increase in value. Due to the untimely death of a long-time Ithaca landlord(Rocco Lucente),a 908 acre of piece of land was recently subdivided into 40 parcels. These 40 parcels were marketed to downstate(or out of state)buyers. This resulted in sale prices that were significantly higher than comparable properties. This is not the first time that we have seen this phenomenon in Tompkins County. Farms For the 2021 Assessment Roll,we did step 1 of an agricultural land reappraisal project by verifying all the inventory on each agricultural property. With the inventory verified, we will revalue the entire property class for the 2022 Assessment Roll. Lake Valuation In the fall of 2019,we had the Tompkins County Sheriff's office take us on their boat along the shoreline to videotape the lakeside of the properties on the lake. While we have not necessarily seen an increase or a decrease in the lake market in general,we need to review the equity within this market segment. Our lake properties are some of the most diverse properties we have—with cliff-fronts,a train that bisects properties in many ways,seasonal vs year-round residences,etc. Town of Covert Assessment Function The year 2021 will mark our 811 assessment roll that we file in the Town of Covert. This unique arrangement in New York State has provided a full-time assessor to a small town of only 1,600 parcels. We were able to recover after the devastating fire which destroyed all of the records(and none were digitized)and performed a town-wide revaluation in 2017. This arrangement has proven so beneficial to the property owners in Covert,that we even take a significant number of calls from other towns in Seneca County as their assessor is often difficult to reach according to the property owners. It is clear that not all part-time assessors have the time that is needed to serve their public. TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING April 12, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Town Supervisor letter to Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance's National Heritage Area Designation Committee 2. Town Supervisor letter to Park Foundation 3. Letter of petition re: speed limit— Hopkins Rd 4. Letters re: 5G 5. Retention: Sic-Year 1. NYSDOT Notice of Culvert replacements -Pine Tree Road and Ellis Hollow Road and proposed detours 2. Liquor License waiver request& 30 day notice of intent to apply Retention: One-Year, 1. TOWN OF ITHACA 215 N Tiocra St, Ithaca, NY 14850 In Ph: 607-273-1721 48tv YO Rod Howe, Town Supervisor - Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk March 24, 2021 Finger Lakes Tourism Alliance's National Heritage Area Designation Committee Attn: Coleen Fabrizi, NHA Designation Committee Chair 309 Lake Street Penn Yan, NY 14527 Dear Ms. Fabrizi, I am writing as Supervisor for the Town of Ithaca in full support of"a National fleritage Area designation for the Finger Lakes which would include Tompkins County (and therefore the Town of Ithaca). The Town of Ithaca is celebrating its bicentennial this year and we are using that milestone as an opportunity to highlight our history and heritage not,just this year but moving forward as well. The "heritage" designation would support such an ongoing initiative as we work to share narratives and highlight our historic assets. Further, the designation would benefit our region's economic growth. We are working to set the stage for economic development activity in the Town's Inlet Valley which is located between Robert H. Trernan and Buttermilk Falls State Parks. We very much have an eye on the impressive number Of tourists that visit those parks as we think about economic amenities to encourage. We are also revising our Parks, Trails, Preserves and Recreation Plan. We are proud of our network of trails and parks and intend on focusing on increasing interconnectivity not only within our Town but With sister municipalities' trails as well. We know that tourists are interested in hiking and hiking and we will continue to post interpretive markers to share our unique history. An extremely important part of that history and story includes our rich indigenous past, the pre- Euroarnerican settlement of this area, and the Gayoggh6:n(?' people past and present Please let me know if You have any questions as You add this letter of support to others that recognize the importance and value of this National Heritage Area designation. The phone number is listed above; my email address is rhowe@town.ithaca.ny.us. Sincerely, Rod Howe Supervisor, Town of Ithaca TOWN OF ITHACA > 215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Ph: 607-273-1721 w www,town.ith c AIS yob Rod Howe, Town Supervisor - Paulette Rosa, Clerk March 26, 2021 Dear Park Foundation, Tompkins County municipalities often balance numerous interests and goals as we establish policies and initiate programs. We see great potential for achieving energy and sustainability goals while providing unique and t'orward-thinking opportunities to our constituents via Community Choice Aggregation (CCA). There are CCA components that need to be further explored and studied to achieve maximum benefits. If this proposal is funded, we will work in full collaboration with the Program Manager and Sustainable Tompkins. Municipal officials will commit time (in-kind) and effort to advancing CCA for our constituents. The following Tompkins County Municipalities have signed on to this support letter for the Community Choice Application grant proposal: City of Ithaca; Towns of Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield, Ithaca, Newfield, and Ulysses; and the Village of Trumansburg. Further, this effort is supported by Tompkins County Council of, Governments. In 2020, the Tompkins County Council of Government's Energy Committee decided to focus on Community Choice Aggregation. The committee offered numerous educational webinars and discussions throughout the year working with Terry Carroll, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Irene Weiser. In addition to committee members many of the webinars were attended by community members who had previously been involved with CCA explorations. The webinars were recorded and may be found here: tit tvs:HsQ Ll thern ti erccc.ore-/webi nars-cca. Additionally, Terry has made CCA presentations to all our municipal boards. Toward the end of the year, TCCOG's energy committee reached out to municipalities to gauge interest in moving forward. The feedback received highlighted a definite interest with a focus on renewable energy and energy cost savings. The stated goal is to move forward in a way that aggregates benefits and alleviates the pressure of each municipality to work out details on their own. Further, there is a desire to outline a path that starts with CCA 2.0 and moves toward CCA 3.0 which would mean keeping revenue locally to invest in energy- related programs that advance the municipalities' equity- and environmental, goals, such as Subsidies for clean heating technology for lower-income households. There are also possibilities for development and local control of renewable energy sources, and the possibility to incorporate local priorities of job creation and workforce development into projects, Such as new community solar projects. This funding would solidify a consortium of local municipalities and provide a mechanism to investigate and take concrete steps towards adopting CCA in the Tompkins County area. The combination of supportive state legislation, experiences elsewhere in the state, and the emergence of a motivated group of local municipalities will lead us towards adopting renewable energy in a way that not only sees savings but will also have financial benefits accrue to our communities and residents. It aligns with mutual sustainability goals as well as with the City and Town of Ithaca's Green New Deal initiatives. Please contact Rod Howe, Chair, TCCOG energy committee chair, if You have any questions (rlioweC(i)towii.itli,.tciiiy-.t,ts, 607-273-1721 , ext. 125). Sincerely, Rod Howe Supervisor, Town of Ithaca City of Ithaca, Svante Myrick, Mayor Town of Caroline, Mark Witmer, Supervisor Town ofDanby, Joel Gagnon, Supervisor Town of Dryden, Jason Leifer, Supervisor Town of Enfield, Stephanie Redmond, Supervisor Town of Ithaca, Rod Howe, Supervisor Town of Newfield, Michael Allinger, Supervisor Town of Ulysses, Nancy Zahler, Supervisor Village of TrUmansbUrg, R.ordan Hart, Mayor Note: I hai,,e email con, il�niation.sfi-oin, all the above municipalities consenting to being listed. , Sarah Elizabeth Kennedy 121 Hopkins Road Ithaca, NY1485O ]/25/2O21 Paulette Rosa Town Clerk Ithaca Town Hall 215 NorthTioQa Street Ithaca, NY14O5O Dear Paulette Rosa: | am writing today to petition the Town of Ithaca to post a speed limit sign of3Omph on Hopkins Road in Ithaca. The road is short (less than one mile) and unpainted, connecting Bundy and Hayts Roads, which each have posted speed limits of45mph. Given that Hopkins is short connecting road with multiple residences, and given that it is popular walking destination for many neighbors, their children, and their pets from Hopkins, Bundy, and Hayt , many residents of the street desire a posted speed limit of 30mph to ensure the safety of tile residents of Hopkins, as well as its many pedestrian uscofnom nearby neighborhoods. Neighbors who support this petition will either email you to signal their support, or sign this petition. Sincerely, \ Sarah Elizabeth Kennedy Hoc k, it M q 5 Z� Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <marieandrew93@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 26, 2021 S:09 PIVI To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; TeeArm Hunter; Eric Levine; Pat Leary,- Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter; Chris Balestra Subject: BREAKING NEWS: NY State Lawmakers push bill to establish a commission on health environmental effects of 5G/wireless Members of the New York State (NYS) legislature have introduced a bill to establish a special commission charged with investigating the growing evidence linking exposure to radilofrequency (RF) microwave radiation ("wireless radiation") emitted by 5G and other wireless antennas, with serious human health and environmental impacts."It's critical for the people of New York State to understand the full range of risks inherent in the deployment of 5G antennas in neighborhoods across the state," says Doug Wood, Director of nonprofit Americans for Responsible Technology. "This kind of involuntary exposure to a scientifically-proven health hazard deserves the scrutiny this commission will provide. I applaud Senator Kaplan and Assemblyman Abinanti for taking this action to protect public health and the environment." New York is not the first state to establish such a commission. In 2019, New Hampshire introduced and passed HB522 to study the health and environmental effects of evolving 5G technology. In November of 2020, the commission released its watershed report containing 15 recommendations largely intended to reduce public exposure to wireless radiation, raise public awareness of potential health risks, and improve monitoring of wireless radiation emissions from existing and future wireless systems. To date, no studies have confirmed claims by the telecom industrV that exposure to wireless radiation emitted by 5G wireless devices, as well as earlier generations of wireless technologies, is safe. As a result, Lloyd's of London, and other leading insurance companies, have declined to insure the telecoms against personal injury claims and class-action lawsuits related to exposure to electromagnetic fields, including wireless radiation. Senate bill S5926 Assemblv bill A6448 Paulette Rosa From: Marie/Andrew Molnar <marieandrew93@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, April 2, 2021 5:41 PM To: Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; TeeAnn Hunter; Eric Levine; Pat Leary; Nick Goldsmith; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter; Chris Balestra Subject: Obama's FCC Chair affirms that wired broadband (e.g.fiber) is better than wireless (5G) "I know that many believe in the future of wireless gigabit throughput. I have long been an advocate for wireless connectivity, but the consequence of the finite nature of radio spectrum is that it is not a full-fledged substitute for wired broadband," Tom Wheeler, the former chairman of the FCC under President Obama, wrote in testimony to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Monday. He suggested that IGbit/s speeds should be prioritized in any government effort to supply universal broadband. "There may exist in the lab, and in limited installations, gigabit wireless delivery, but it is not widely applicable for broadband point-to-multipoint deployment," he argued. "Even the major wireless carriers that invested heavily in FCC-run auctions of millimeter wave spectrum as a high-speed delivery pathway have cut back both their expectations and promises for widespread, point-to-multipoint wireless delivery at gigabit speeds. Wireless may be a last resort option in the most isolated areas, but it should not be a first resort for most of America." Wheeler cited information from AT&T - one of the nation's three big SG providers - to back up his argument. The company recently said it expects mid-level home Internet users to consume up to 1.5 terabytes per month by 2025 - up from an estimated 500G13 today. That, according to AT&T officials, is part of the reason why the company is not follow in Verizon and T-Mobile more broadly into the fixed wireless Internet industry. Fixed wireless technologies - based on SG or other transmission standards - promise to beam Internet connections from a cell tower to nearby houses and offices. Such a setup eliminates the expensive need to route wires to those locations - but then customers' connections are also at the mercy of wireless technologies that can potentially be affected by issues ranging from spectrum scarcity to the type of trees that are in the way. Others are siding with Wheeler. "Though theoretically possible, it is highly questionable how a responsible design could deliver financially viable gigabit wireless service in rural areas, using current technologies (whether at midband or mmWave frequencies)," wrote trade association NRTC in a lengthy filing with the FCC. From https: Luijc, et"itcoirzi),i.coiii.120211031231i colic y-exi2ert.5-debate-the-i-ole-ot-wireless-ill- i,ii,iivei-sal-bt-oodbai,id-oi,i-c(i.:)itol-hiLV TOWN OF ITHACA o 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, NY. 14850 wwwtown.ithaca.nyms CORRESPONDENCE LISTING May 10, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the fight-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forwand copy to you via e-m ail or makea hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your Inidels here If you wish to receive a copy 7L7 1. NYS PSC Notice of Virtual Public Hearing re: Gas Planning Procedures 2. 77/7 "I... ............. '11--/1111111111.......... Public Service Commission Department of ,Johns B. Howard 57 7 E Tr Q ax A u�ll rr Interim Chair and Public Service `' interim Chief Executive Officer p, Diane X. Burman Three Ernplre Mate Piazza,Albany,N`r°12223,1350 www.dps,ny.gov ° r.. y"ad James S. Ales! r M Tracey A. Edwards Commissioners April 29, 2021 Dear Community Leader/Elected Official: The New York State Public Service Commission (Commission) is seeking public comment regarding two proposals filed by Department of Public Service Staff (DPS Staff) in the Gas Planning Proceeding. The documents, filed on February 12, 2021, include the Gas System Planning Process Proposal and the Moratorium Management Proposal. To ensure full public participation, the Commission will hold virtual public statement hearings on May 12, 2021 to solicit input and comments from your community regarding the proposals. Information received at the public hearings will be transcribed and will be included in the record considered by the Commission in this matter. The enclosed Notice of Public Statement Hearings provides detailed information on hove to participate at the public hearings and how to submit comments. Information about the case can be found at www.dps.ny.gov. From the homepage, click on "Search," and enter the associated case number(20-G-0131) in the "Search by Case Number" field. I would appreciate your assistance with informing your constituents about the public hearings and encouraging them to provide comments. It is the Commission's intent to facilitate and encourage active and meaningful participation throughout all of its proceedings. I hope you will consider joining us. Sincerely, Bruce Alch Acting Director Office of Consumer Services Enc. Rory Lancman, Special Counsel STATE OF' NEW YORK PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION CASE 20-G-0131 - Proceeding on Motion of the Commission in Regard to Gas Planning Procedures. NOTICE OF VIRTUAL PUBLIC STATEMENT HEARINGS (Issued April 19, 2021) Public comment is sought on two proposals filed by Department of Public Service Staff (DPS Staff) in this proceeding: the DPS Staff Gas System Planning Process Proposal and the DPS Staff Moratorium Management Proposal, both filed on February 12, 2021 . The proposals may be reviewed online at the Department of Public Service web page, www, dpsny.g-17, by searching under Case 20-G-0.131 . PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that virtual public statement hearings will be held before Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) , as follows : Before ALJs Anthony Belsito and Ashley Moreno DATE: May 12, 2021 TIME: 1: 00 p.m. Event Number: 129 324 0657 Password: May12-lpm Phone Access: 518-549-0500 Access Code: 129 324 0657 CASE 20-G-01.31. hearing must register to do so by the date indicated above by calling 1-800-342-3330, following the prompts to the appropriate hearing and then providing the following information: first and last name, address, and phone number. On the day and time of the hearing, call-in users should dial 518-549-0500 and enter the appropriate access code, listed above, to join the hearing. A11- participants will be muted upon entry into a hearing. The ALJs will call each person who has requested to provide a statement to speak. The ALJs will continue the hearing until everyone wishing to speak has been heard or other reasonable arrangements have been made to include -their comments in the record. Reasonable time limits may be set. for each speaker as necessary to afford all attendees an opportunity to be heard. It is recommended that lengthy comments be submitted in writing and summarized for oral presentation . Verbatim transcripts of the hearings will be made for inclusion in the record of this case. To listen to the hearings: Any person who would like to listen to the hearings and not make a statement may access the hearings without registering. The hearings will be livestreamed on the internet and available for, viewing on the Department of Public Service' s YouTube channel on the dates and times listed above. To access the YouTube cbannel, visit the Department' s websi.te, wwwdps .D�.a(?,H, and click on the YouTube icon at the bottom of the homepage. In addition, any person without internet access may listen to the hearings by phone by calling the phone access number, 518-549-0500, and entering the applicable access code identified for the date of the hearing. Persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations should call the Department of Public Service' s Human Resources Management, Office at 51.8-474-2520 as soon as possible. TDD users may request a sign language interpreter by -.I- CASE 20—G 013,1. 24 hot.irs a day. These calls are not transcribed verbatim, but a surnmary is provided to the Commission. (SIGNED) MICHELLE L. PHILLIPS Secretary TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING June 14, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Rezoning request for Enfield Falls Rd 2. Letter re: Noise Permit 3. Letters re: Energy Code Supplement Retention: Six-Year, 1. Retention: One-Year, 1. Town of Ithaca 215 N. Tioga St. Ithaca, NY 14850 Dear Town of Ithaca Board, We are a small, local 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization focused on the growing of environmental and human rights literacy, self-sufficiency and healthy lifestyles in young people and their families. To support this work, we are eager to develop this sustainably-run farm space, in an ecologically-sound style, as an agricultural center to preserve the healthy pursuit of life on land for socially disadvantaged youth and families. Our five year needs are as follows: • Youth and family agriculture training programming -youth after school and summer program, weekend visits for families • 10 small temporary family dwellings for summer stays • Commercial /teaching kitchen for garden produce use and nutrition education Our five-ten year plans include the following: • A welcome and learning center/farm stand The plan is for up to forty kids plus 1 teacher per 10 children (4) / 1 administrator/ 1 farm manager and 1 farm assistant to be on-site and involved with the various educational programs each season. The After School program will operate according to the ICSD school calendar- Late August- Late June M-F 2-5:30pm except during school holidays and off days. The Summer Program will operate during Summer for the last 5 weeks the ICSD school calendar designates as summer break. Late July- Late August Mon-Fri 8am-5:30pm Family farming programming will occur the first 5 weeks of Summer Late June - Late July for 5 consecutive week-long stays. The existing property is comprised of 15.5 acres of mixed-use land.Approx. 6 acres of arable agriculture land planted currently in perennial fruit trees, grapevines, berry bushes and annual and perennial vegetables, culinary herbs and fruit beds. Plans are to further develop these plots along the same lines in future. There is approx. 7 acres of forest and creek-scape land that will remain untouched and will be used for forest and riparian /watershed study, art, meditation, self-reflection and a small site for mushroom logs. There is approx. 2 acres of rocky/gravel open field on which we'd like to site a welcome and learning center/farm stand. All of the land at present and in future will be used for educational and small group /family natural world recreation purposes. Existing structures include a farm house where the administrator's family lives year round, a barn with storage areas and two finished rooms for gathering in inclement weather, a 400 sq. ft. cottage for the farm manager and a shed. Current animals on the farm include 2 Nigerian Dwarf Goats and 27 chickens. Future plans for animals include a pony and two female sheep.All animals and plants are used for environmental stewardship and sustainable agricultural teaching purposes. A diverse array of young people come to the farm for after school and summer programming. Some families pay for registration and others are free, depending on financial need and any family histories of marginalization or social disadvantage. The ten families per year participating in Summer 5 week stays are families from diverse backgrounds - mainly food insecure black, white, Indigenous, people of color who are seeking to make lifestyle changes with regard to their work and food systems interactions. They are mainly Tompkins County residents who have experienced systemic racism or other forms of economic marginalization and its impacts on their housing and food sources. They are looking to live and behave more sustainably with regard to their impacts on the natural environment and feel it is important to have power and agency in the protection of our environment and in the development of healthier food and housing interactions. They would be staying on the farm for a five-week intensive practicum in order to gain valuable knowledge and practice in sustainable agriculture and environmentally protective methods of living. They are eager to make changes and eager to engage with energy efficiency and renewables as well as community development work. Ten (10) small temporary dwellings for Summer stays will be yurt-style structures to house a single families between approximately 2-6 people. A camp/composting toilet, sink and shower would be provided in each dwelling, along with a kitchenette with a mini fridge and counter space for minimal food prep. No stove. People will learn about sustainable agriculture, ag and green business development and ecological living and develop a positive personal connection with nature and farmland. A 1,000 sq. ft. commercial kitchen will be used as a means to support nutritious cooking classes for small groups of K-12 students in two cohorts of twenty students each (40 total students on-site) as well as small-scale product development. Two families at a time will utilize the kitchen for group meal preparation. One of our family programs includes field trips to neighboring farms for children and their parents and caregivers to learn about where their food comes from and how they can be a more integral part of our local food production system. We partner with these local farms and farming and youth development organizations in order to provide this aspect of our program: The Youth Farm Project Groundswell Center for Local Food and Farming Pressbay Alley Food Hub Wellspring Forest Farm Van Noble Farm Here We Are Farm The existing barn has two classrooms which are used for shelter purposes for programming for 50 people split over the two rooms during inclement weather. I have been told by Town of Ithaca staff that the described uses are currently not allowed in our applied zoning. Because we believe this is a beneficial use as well as a neighbor and community supported use for this property, we are requesting a special zoning provision to make space for this unique work that we seek to do. Though the type of land use that we are requesting does not fit any zoning models the Town of Ithaca currently has, our goals align very closely with those of the Town's regarding the promotion of agricultural uses of land in Ithaca's surrounding farmland. We look forward to hearing from you on this matter. Please reach out with any questions or with any further information needed to inform your decision to consider ways to make a change in zoning. Sincerely, Christa Nunez Executive Director Khuba International /The Learning Farm 272 Enfield Falls Rd. Ithaca, NY 14850 (707) 570-5178 ChristaNunez mail.com Becky Jordan From: Larry& Louise <Ialou14850@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 8, 2021 8:53 PM To: Becky Jordan Subject: Fwd: IBC Noise Permit 2021 Music Series ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Larry&Louise<Ialou14850@gmail.com> Date:Tue,Jun 8, 2021 at 7:48 AM Subject: IBC Noise Permit 2021 Music Series To: <townclerk@town.ithaca.nv.us> Cc: <dan@ithacabeer.com> Good morning Paulette, As you know,we are abutting neighbors of Ithaca Beer Co. and have offered comments to the Town Board regarding past noise permit applications submitted by IBC for its summer music events. In recent years, we've been able to work directly with Dan Mitchell to address the concerns of IBC and neighborhood residents and as a result,the events have been mostly unintrusive. Consequently, we have no objections to the Town issuing a noise permit for the 2021 summer series subject. of course,to the abatement methods required by the Town. Please share our comments with the Town Board. Larry& Louise Sallinger 14 Peachtree Ln. Ithaca 1 TO:Town of Ithaca,Short Term Rental Committee C.Town Cierk FROW KeM Cartmill,Chair of Tompkins County Strategic Tourism Board RE: Proposed Short Term Rental Regulations DATIE; May 21, 2021, I am writing to provide feedback on the proposed short-tern) irental I STR) regulations under consideration by the Town of Ithaca. P support and applaud the Town's effort to address the health and safety of MI structures used as short- term rentals in thie Town These measures are important to protect guests arid our community's reputaflon- I understand that theTown is considering limiting un-hosted STRs to a total of 29 rental days per year. While this seems to be an acceptable limit on STR activity in many parts of the Town, I believe that this threshold is not appropriate most especially for properties along Cayuga Lake. Our connmurnity's tourism appeal Is Integrally linked to our location�within the Finger Lakes region.Short term vacation rentals represent the only available lodging option for visitors who wish to stay on Cayuga Lake.There are no hotels, motels, inns or campgrounds in Tompkins County that can provide a true lakefront experience, Over the last year the STPO has observed that demand for smaller lodging establishryients has rebounded more qWckly than other forms of accommodation. Data from county hotel room occupancy tax collection and soidependent sources show that growing nurribers of travelers are seeking out short term, rentals. Overall,the s-rpia supports short teirm rentals as a lodging option in our community as long as these estabfishments are registered with the County Finance Department, 1pay their hotel room,occupancy tax, and cooperate/re i'ste ir with the 111thaca/Tompkins County Convention&Visitors Bureau(CVB).These properties offer visitors unique lodging options throughout our county. The STPB has reason to believe that many STR operators are not registered wkh the County. Private firms have esflmated that between 788 and 1,31.9 short,term rental units are operating in the County. However, as of March,only 105 properties,were registered with the Finance Department, (Properties that are listed solely on Airbnb are exempt from registration clue to the 2016 Voluntary Collection Agreement, No other STR platforms,such as VIRBO, automatically collect and remit roorn tax to the county.� In other words,there is reason to believe that many STR operators are not in cornphance with the county's roorn tax law. Visitors to Tompkins County help support our local economy through spending on groceries, restaurants, retail stores,tours,attractions,and most slgnificanfly through taxes.The 2019 Tourism Econom cs report indicated that the travelers to Tompkins County spent over$229 miHlon in our comirnunfty and supported over 3,500 jobs.The County Invests hotel roorn occupancy tax generated by vIsItors Into a variety of Initiatives to improve both visitor experience and local quality of life. Examples include: lmprovements to enhance outdoor recreation facifit'ies such as Cayuga Waterfront Frail„ Dryden all TraR,and hick Brook Natural Area Grants to support local arts and culture organizations including the Meorntollo ical Research Irnstiituute°s IMuuseaurnn of the Earth,and Cayuga Nature Center Operation of CVB visitor centers downtown,on East.Shore Drive,and at the Taau harnnock Falls overlook Promotion and development of our unique agricultural and culinary experiences Grants to support Vocal performances and events These investments provide benefits to visitors regardless of their lodging choice. Maintaining and increasing the revenue generated by the hotel rcoorron occupancy tax is a primary interest of the STPB. This has never been more important during this particular tirne of tourism recovery in Tompkins County. Travel demand to our comirrs unity its highest during the summer, An important goal for our County is to build travel demand during the MIA,spring, and winter seasorns.Av more consistent pattern of travel demand can support more stable jobs across the County. As limit on the number of rental days per year would effectively compel uun ho ted lakefront short term rentals to offer lodging only during our peak travel season to get the highest rates.The proposed rental limit would effectively discourage visitation during the spring,winter,and fall seasons due to the lower demand for lodging in those seasons. Limiting the number of rental days for lal¢efront vacation rentals will cause some visitors to choose lodging outside of Tompkins County or along a different(Finger lake. l believe the proposed limit on rental days for hkefront piroperties would have an adverse impact on our couurnty s econormny and recover)/efforts. The scenic appeal of the lake extends throughout the year. We need to encourage visitation in the cuff season not deter it. Due to the adverse economic impacts, limited supply of lakefront lodging options, and long history of lakefront property being used for vacation rentals l do not see a need for the Town to impose any limit on the number of rental days in this unique area. l thank you for your cornmittee"s attention to this issurut and cottnsiderafion of this position. Respectfully, KOH Cartmill :hair trateoc Tourism Planning board DATE: June 12, 2021 TO: Ithaca Town Board CC: Nick Goldsmith, Sue Ritter, Paulette Rosa FROM: Bruce and Doug Brittain RE: Energy Code Supplement Climate change is a major concern, and we are pleased that the Town is taking action to address the problem. Unfortunately, the ECS, as written, includes provisions that would increase, rather than decrease, the production of greenhouse gases for the next several years. This is both unfortunate and entirely avoidable. However, with a few changes, the ECS should be able to better accomplish its intended purpose. We hope that you will revise it accordingly. Our major concerns relative to the legislation are detailed below. We have largely focused on the Residential section of the ECS, in particular, SUBSECTION 144-R502 PRESCRIPTIVE COMPLIANCE PATH/EASY PATH, since that is the part of the legislation that is most likely to impact the majority of residents of the Town. ASSUMES GRID IS GREEN The ECS seems based on the assumption that the grid is already 100% green, with sufficient excess capacity to absorb additional electrical loads. But let's not fool ourselves into thinking that we can use green energy that doesn't yet exist! Right now, there is woefully insufficient green capacity, even though new sources are being built and brought on line as quickly as possible, so it will be quite a while before the grid is truly green. According to NYSEG's own reporting, our grid is currently less than 17% green. (You can google "nyseg+environmental+disclosure" yourself to see this.) Even if you count nuclear power as being green (should we?), close to half our electricity still comes comes from burning things that emit CO2. There is simply not enough green energy available to meet current electrical demand, much less any additional demand created by this legislation. Thus, any electrical loads generated by this legislation will have to be met by burning dirty fuels at the power station, because there is no other source available. The unfortunate result is that this legislation, which was intended to require people to use clean energy, will instead require them to use dirty energy. And that will continue to be the case until 2040, or whenever the supply of green energy finally catches up with electrical demand, and the grid becomes completely green. At that point, electrical load can begin to be gradually added (at the same rate that green energy sources are being added) without causing GHG emissions. The ECS should recognize this fact, and postpone any requirements that buildings be fossil-fuel-free until 2040, rather than pretending that 2040's conditions exist today. COMBUSTION Burning fossil fuels at the power plant is far worse than burning them in the home, and here's why: The thermodynamics of power generation are not very encouraging. While burning things can be an efficient way to generate heat, it is a very inefficient way to generate electricity. Natural gas power plants are as good as any, and yet they only convert around 36% of their energy to electricity, the rest being waste heat. As a result, electric resistance heating is very inefficient and will wind up causing more gas to be burned at the power plant than would otherwise be burned in the building. For example, if a home were to switch from natural gas heat at 97% efficiency, to electric resistance heat at 36% efficiency (because that is what the power plant can provide), that home would now be responsible for 2.7 times as much gas being burned. Yet the ECS actually requires that inefficient electrical resistance heating be used as the backup for a heat pump, rather than a far more efficient gas furnace backup. We shouldn't be requiring people to be responsible for 2.7 times as much GHG emissions on their backup heat source before we credit them for having a heat pump! Fossil fuels should be phased out of electricity production first, and then phased out of heating tasks. Doing this in reverse order can have the opposite effect from that which you are seeking. As mentioned above, having a 2040 trigger date for any electric-only requirements would solve this problem with the ECS. ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE HEATING The proposed point system would allow brand new housing to be built with electric resistance heating, either in conjunction with a heat pump, or as the sole source of heat. As explained above, electric resistance heating is very inefficient and will wind up causing more fossil fuels to be burned at the power plant than would otherwise be burned in the building. In fact, resistance heating is the most inefficient heating system known to man, and, until the grid is green, also the one that emits the most GHGs. Do we really want to allow such an inefficient heating system on new construction? We should instead be discouraging resistance electrical heating for the next 20 years, or until the grid is truly green. In addition, electric baseboard heat is very difficult to convert to something more efficient later. Maybe points could be subtracted for electric resistance heat, unless it is accompanied by a heat pump. HEAT PUMPS The main advantage of electrification is the ability to employ heat pumps, which can be very efficient (so efficient that they can make up for the inefficiencies at the power plant). Points should therefore be awarded for heat pumps, even if there is a fossil fuel back- up. (The most efficient heating is accomplished via ground source heat pumps with back-up gas or propane heat.) A new furnace will need to be replaced in 20 +/- years, about the same time that the grid is expected to become green enough to accept new electrical loads. At that point, a heat pump with back-up gas heat could easily be converted to back-up electric. The key point is that the heat pumps need to be installed now, even if they use gas as back-up heat. This could be constrained by a Sunset Clause: back-up gas could be allowed (or even encouraged) now, but any such system would have to be converted to back-up electric beginning when the grid becomes 100% green (in 2040, or whenever). This would produce less CO2 than your current plan. It would also make sense to award some points for heat pumps, even if they don't go down to 0 degrees F, as required by Subsection 144-R502.2.1.3. You could award fewer points for less efficient heat pump units, but at least you would be encouraging people to use heat-pump technology, even if they can't afford the more expensive units. ON-SITE vs OFF-SITE GHG EMISSIONS Subsection 144-R504.7 Changes in 2026 (p. 75/84) states that "Effective January 1, 2026, all buildings shall be built to have net-zero GHG emissions and shall not use fossil fuels for space heating, water heating, or clothes drying." But NYS's goal is to have the grid 70% green by 2030, not 100% by 2026. Electricity production will still burn fossil fuels and create CO2. Therefore, new houses that are connected to the power grid will still be creating greenhouse gases. This problem seems to be wished-away by the definition of Energy Use (p. 9/84), which states that "All references to energy use in this chapter refer to site energy use, which is the heat and electricity consumed by a building as reflected at the meter and/or in the utility bills." But this just shifts the pollution to the power plant, which can be far more polluting and less energy efficient, particularly for heating. Just because pollution is not created on-site doesn't mean that it isn't being created. Again, this well-intentioned provision will backfire if implemented before 2040, or whenever the grid finally becomes green. WINDOWS Subsection 144-R502.3.4 AI5 Modest Window-to-Wall Ratio (p. 52/84) considers the costs of windows, but not their potential benefits, and concludes, incorrectly, that windows are bad. For example, there is no consideration of the insulating values of windows, which can vary widely depending on the type of glazing selected. If the purpose is to limit thermal energy loss through glass, then the transmissivity of the glazing should be taken into account. In addition, skylights, spandrel glass and opaque glass doors should all be included in the glazed-area calculation. As written, they are not. For example, Subsection 144-C402.3.5.1 (p. 20/84) and Subsection 144-R502.3.4.1 (p. 52/84) state "The vertical fenestration area, not including opaque doors and opaque spandrel panels, shall be not greater than 20 percent of the gross above- grade wall area." In addition, there is no consideration of passive solar heating (large windows facing south with a shading overhang of 40-45 degrees from vertical). We know from experience that this works very well: free heat in the winter, and shade in the summer. (As you will recall, the "greenhouse effect" is named after the type of passive solar heating that occurs in uninsulated glass greenhouses.) The free energy that passive solar can provide should be encouraged, rather than discouraged as currently written. This could be accomplished by the simple measure of not counting windows that face southward when calculating the 20% window-to-wall ratio. And just as importantly, it has been widely reported that productivity and a sense of well-being increase with natural daylight. Also, glass walls can make even a small, easy-to-heat house seem roomy (rather than claustrophobic) because of the long views provided. But the ECS legislation sets a maximum window area of 20%, the same as the minimum that "Multiple green building standards" recommend. The result will be that Ithaca's new building stock will include many houses that have inadequate fenestration, according to your own reference standard. BIOMASS SPACE HEATING Subsection 144-R502.4.2 RE2 Biomass Space Heating (p. 56/84) states that five points may be earned with the combustion of biomass for space heating. This is almost as many points as the total of six points that are needed! Burning wood releases almost twice as much CO2 as burning natural gas. So why give it twice as many points as you give a heat pump? And wood pellets are even worse than cordwood, due to all the energy that is consumed in manufacturing them. It can be argued that biomass is "renewable" and the trees are being replanted, or that the carbon released by burning wood is balanced by the carbon that the tree had previously sequestered. However, keeping the tree alive and sequestering is by far the best approach. (In fact, there would be lower CO2 emissions if you were to keep the tree alive and heat with natural gas!) You could justify awarding points for planting trees, but not for cutting them down and releasing their carbon. Thus, the number of points awarded for biomass heating should be eliminated, or at least reduced to a single point. HISTORIC BUILDINGS There does not appear to be any consideration given to historic buildings or to the adaptive reuse of historic buildings. This legislation should include a mechanism to ensure that it is more economically viable to renovate rather than raze, in order to help encourage the preservation of Ithaca's historic past. WATER HEATERS Points should be awarded for tankless on-demand hot water heaters. These are far more efficient than tank-style water heaters (even heat pump powered ones), and we shouldn't let an aversion to on-site natural gas cause us to inadvertently waste energy and create unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions. CARROT vs STICK Changing the way that we build and remodel houses will be difficult, and will likely require a Carrot and Stick approach. This legislation seems to prioritize the Stick, and to essentially exclude the Carrot. Adding some incentives could go a long way toward gaining support for this legislation, and for speeding its smooth implementation. Thank you for your efforts relative to the Energy Code Supplement. It has been in the works for a long time now, and we can understand that you might be tired of dealing with it, and just want to put it behind you. But of course, once an ordinance is passed it is not put behind you, but rather becomes your constant companion. Therefore, fixing the problems now, before it is passed, becomes rather important. We can also understand that you might want to keep this legislation similar to that which was recently passed by the City. But why be afraid of making improvements? The major problem remains that the ECS is based on the assumption that the grid is currently green, with excess capacity. And all of the specific actions included in the legislation follow from this fallacy. Until that problem is correctly understood -- and addressed --the ECS will continue to be responsible for completely unnecessary GHG emissions. However, with some relatively minor modifications, you could have an ECS that would perform significantly better than the one that is before you now. We hope you will take this opportunity to make the necessary improvements. Thank you. And, as always, we would be happy to meet with you to discuss any of these topics further, if you like. From: Sara Hess Date:June 14, 2OZ1at3:U3:27PMEDT To: Paulette Rosa Subject:Comments for hearing gnECStonight Please send these comments to the Town Board members ASAP. Comments on adoption mfEC8 bv Sara Hess I am writing in full support of the ECS and urge you to approve adoption this evening. | spoke several times at Ithaca Common Council meetings in support of the code aswell. And | helped collect signatures from over 100 people in support, among those, about 1/3 from the town of Ithaca. At the hearing before passage in the City, some people spoke with objections of timing. | believe the argument was this: because the electric grid's energy sources currently include about 40%from gas power plants,the City should not be forcing builders to use electricity from the grid.They argue that only AFTER the grid is close to 100%green, should builders have to reduce their energy emissions. This makes no logical sense tome. First, xve cannot work on solutions ina series fashion. VVe don't have time! The climate changes are coming faster than models predicted. Arizona will have temperatures up to117 degrees F.this month! VVe must work simultaneously, as quickly asvve can, on all good solutions. Reducing emissions in buildings today is critically important and should not be delayed any longer. Second,the logic doesn't work for other reasons too. |f the grid is6UY6 emissions-free now, isn't that better than burning more gas or oil in furnaces, which is 0%emissions-free? Some emission reduction has to be better than none. Third, heat pumps are more efficient than fossil fuel burning furnaces by multiples of 2 or 3, so any new code that encourages heat pumps to replace kerosene or propane or oil is a big win for lowering emissions, even with electricity from the grid that includes gas plant emissions. Fourth, NYS is committed to greening the grid as quickly asthey can, with many large wind farms, industrial scale solar, and off-shore wind. So every month, every year,the NYSEG electricity will have fewer emissions from energy suppliers. Please do not delay or change any of the ECSnow. It's been debated and improved over the past 4 years of study, research, and comments. Now it's time to put itinpractice. |f more changes are needed after a few years,we'll have real experience to show how to make it better. Sara Hess 124VVestfie|d Drive Ithaca, NY 'All things are bound together, all things connect. -Oren Lyons,Faithkeeper,Seneca Nation From:The Ladleys<patricia lad ley@gmail.com> Date:June 14, 2021 at 3:29:28 PM EDT To: Paulette Rosa <P Rosa @town.ithaca.ny.us> Subject: ECS As a resident of the Town of Ithaca, I want to register my approval of the Green Building Code. It is time, actually way past time.to put these measures in place. And it is something we can do to make our planet a healthier place. Every little bit helps, like the pieces of a puzzle. Please for the common good, say YES to the ECS now. Thank you, Patricia Ladley 17 Penny Lane Ithaca, NY 14850 JAL TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING July 12, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter re: NYSEG street light repair 2. Letter re: Support of and inquiries to the New Energy Code 3. Resignation letters from Karen Johnson Feltham and Carolyn Lee (Conservation Board) 4. Comments re: New Energy Code and Climate Change 5. TB comments re: NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation's Cayuga Lake TMDL Draft Report 6. Supervisors letter in support of site and pavilion renovations at Steamboat Landing Farmers Market 7. Letter re: recognition in appreciation for Public Works Crew 8. Clerk's announcement re: TB Meetings returned to in person with YouTubeLive and Zoom (for public comment)accessibility Retention: Six-Year, 1. Retention: One-Year 1. 301 Muriel Street Ithaca, New York 14850 June 15, 2021 NYSEG Customer Service P.O. Box 5240 Binghamton, New York 13902-5240 "'cc: Ithaca Town Clerk 215 N.Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing in reference to streetlight L5228(186—13) at the corner of Muriel Street and Rosehill Road in the Town of Ithaca. It is the only source of light in the area. Just before the end of 2020, 1 called the Town of Ithaca to report that the light was out.The Town said it would report this to NYSEG. On January 5th, 2021, 1 called NYSEG myself to provide the pole number, and was told that this is very helpful. I was also told that NYSEGs goal is to replace streetlights in about four weeks, understanding that weather and emergencies can slow the process. I called NYSEG again on April 30th, 2021, and the customer representative easily found the record of the request. When I was told that it"usually takes about four weeks"for a streetlight to be fixed, I pointed out that we had already waited four months.The specific reason I was calling was that the previous evening had been very foggy.There was literally no visibility in the dark, It was very difficult to know where to turn from Muriel to Rosehill.We live on the corner and could see that drivers were not noticing pedestrians in a timely fashion. I suggested that the absence of light on this corner almost caused an emergency worthy of NYSEG's attention.The representative I spoke with (Frank)was attentive and said he would add these notes to the record and also call the appropriate office to bring this to their attention. As you can see, another six weeks have passed.Still, no light. Is NYSEG waiting for someone to get injured—or worse—on this corner so that it can be deemed an emergency and justify action?We have lived in Ithaca a long time and understand weather and emergencies.We do not understand how"four weeks" has turned into six months with no hope in sight. Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely, Carrie E. Regenstein carrie.regenstein@gmaii.com Paulette Rosa From: Mike Smith Sent: Thursday,July 1, 20218:41 AM To, Susan Ritter;Judy Drake; Sandy Poke; Paulette Rosa Subject: CB Resignation - Karen Johnson Feltham All, I wanted to let you know that Karen Johnson Feltham has resigned from the Conservation Board (see message below). She was an associate member, so this doesn't impact the quorum. Mike Michael Smith Senior Planner Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 P: 607-273-1747 E: msm ith @town.Ithaca.ny.us From: Karen Johnson Feltham <karenjfeltham@gmail,com> Sent:Thursday,July 1, 20217:13 AM To: Mike Smith<MSm ith @town.Ithaca.ny.us> Subject: Re:Town Grant Applications-Support Letters Good morning MIke, Thank you for your patience this past year! I am very sorry that I was not able to actively participate on the Town Conservation board as I had intended. It was quite an unusual year. And now, it seems that my post-pandemic work life is just as busy! Regretfully, I must resign from my volunteer position on the Ithaca Town Conservation Board. I hope that the board will allow me to participate in the future when my work schedule eases a bit. I wish you and the board members the very best. And thank you for the work you do! With warm regards, Karen Paulefte Rosa From: Mike Smith Sent: Tuesday, July 6, 2021 9:54 AM To: Susan Ritter;Judy Drake,- Sandy Polce; Paulette Rosa Subject: CB Resignation - regretfully - Carolyn All- Unfortunately another CB resignation (see message below)- Mike Michael Smith Senior Planner Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 P: 607-273-1747 E: msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us From: Carolyn Lee<caroIyn@caroIynIeepIIc.corn> Sent: Friday,July 2, 20211:38 PM To: Mike Smith <MSm ith @town.ithaca.ny.us> Cc: Lori Brewer<Ijb7@corneII.edu> Subject: Resignation-regretfully Dear Mike, With profound regret, I tender my resignation to the Town Conservation Board. I have learned so much and met folks I respect a good deal. My work and family demands have increased much more than I expected in the past couple of months, and I do not see them abating. Therefore, I think the most responsible thing to do is to resign. I hope to stay in touch and involved on a more informal level. Thank you so much, Mike. Please convey my regrets and best wishes to CB members, I'm here if you have any questions. Wishing you a Happy Fourth! Best, Carolyn Carolyn Lee I Principal t)irec,t: +1-607-271-5969 1 Mobile: 1-1-607-592-3070 l Erna&ca d ............... P.O. Box 8, Ithaca, New York 14851, USA I From:Anne Rhodes<rhodesfreevi Ile Ogma ii,com> Sent:Wednesday, July 7, 20214:13 PM To: Rod Howe<RHow-!@townJthaca.n Lus>; Bill Goodman<BGogAM2Egn2wn.ithaca.ny.u ,>; Rich DePaolo <rdeDaolo(@town.ithaca,nv.us>; Pam Bleiwas TeeAnn Hunter <thunJ,P,,,[ tQ .,&j,qwqithacan u ear town.ithaca.ny.us>; Eric Levine p; Pat Leary<pLy@ .......... <e levi ne@ town,ithaca.ny,us> Subject:Town of Ithaca July 6, 2021 Dear Town of Ithaca Board Members, Congratulations on adopting the new energy code,which will require more energy efficient buildings and contribute to the community efforts to address the climate crisis, We are writing as supportive, local community members who have developed a degree of knowledge and expertise regarding building decarbonization. Our goal in writing this letter is twofold—to obtain answers to some of our questions about your implementation,verification and enforcement plans, and perhaps in articulating our questions,to also assist the Town in thinking through these important issues. We have several questions about the implementation and enforcement of the new Code,and we are concerned about projects that may be presented to the Planning Board during the 90-day pause after the Code has been adopted but before it goes into effect. We have concerns about the current capacity of the Town to address aspects of the new Code that are innovative and highly technical. • What plans are in place to prepare the Town to have the capacity to effectively implement and enforce the new Code as well as verify compliance? • What measures are in place to ensure that the Planning Board, Planning staff, and Code Officers have sufficient understanding of the terms of the new Code, and have the training, materials and technical expertise needed to understand the complex energy calculations required in the new Code? • Are there options to employ technical experts to assist staff in evaluating proposals and verify developers'calculations and assumptions? In those circumstances where it is appropriate the Town should seek reimbursement from the applicant for the professional services that the Town employs, • What are the compliance mechanisms? • What compliance documents will be required of developers?Will inspections occur prior to the post construction commissioning? • Is LEED certification sufficient to qualify as a "Whole Building Path"?The LEED certification requirements were first developed in the 1990's; does the LEED Gold certification automatically qualify a project to be 4010 above Code? LEED was not designed to maximize building decarbonization. As new projects are submitted to the Planning Board for review, it is important to establish a good precedent by having Town personnel, Boards, and consultants prepared to conduct rigorous environmental reviews and implement the Code effectively. We would appreciate hearing from you your thoughts about these matters. And we are prepared to support you 100% in your continued efforts to assist the community to achieve our net neutrality goals pursuant to the Ithaca Green New Deal. Sincerely, Joe Wilson Peter Bardaglio Sara Hess Brian Eden Irene Weiser Anne Rhodes Rebecca Evans From: Joseph Wilson Sent: Wednesday, July 7, 20214:33 PM To: Rod 1-1 owe <RHowg4JqAn Ithaca mg�>; Bill Goodman 'BGod mawit toy n.itha V Rich DePaolo >; Pamela Bleiwas - Ithaca Town Board -<T ggpip, - .h ai l m........... ; TeeAnn Hunter <tLun tow-4—my,,,u ; Pat Leary I q aa 9 et c fadWs>; elcvine(d townofithaca- �:��elevine,"�ci�!townofitliaca. Nick .............. Goldsmith <01,Loldsn tth1Lv$ityoftKg,9Tg> Subject: Review of Project Proposals Dear Messers. Howe and Goodman, To Board Members, and Mr. Goldsmith, The following comments and questions were emailed today to Members of your Planning Board. We wanted you to be aware of them as well. Thank you for your service to the To and Community as a whole, To: Members of the Town of Ithaca Planning Board Re: Review of Project Proposals July 7, 2021 Dear Planning Board Members, We are concerned, as we know you are, about the escalating negative impacts of the climate crisis. Locally there is only so much we can do, but we welcome your efforts to do our community's part, and we remain committed to helping however we can. The recent draft report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is sobering.LU Given that we do not have much time left to reverse course, the Town's new Energy Code Supplement is one welcome remedy. We want to help you make sure that the implementation and enforcement help us all live up to our commitments to reach net zero energy use by 2030. So, we look forward to attending to your work on this. It's a heavy responsibility and Board members will need new tools with which to undertake their reviews of new construction projects. Unfortunately, the SEAR forms do not ask applicants to provide sufficient information on projected greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, until this issue is rectified, we recommend that the Board engage a consultant to assess the impact of any proposed project on the climate. It appears that the first project to be reviewed by the Planning Board since the adoption of the new energy code is the proposed Atkinson Center. For the reasons noted above, it does not appear that the Planning Board has yet obtained sufficient information to fully explore the impact of the project on greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some questions that we believe should be addressed before the Planning Board goes forward with either its Site Plan approval or provides the project with a SEQRA Negative Declaration: 1. Both the Town and County's Comprehensive Plans and the Town's Climate Smart Community Resolution call for Greenhouse Gas Emission (GHG) reductions rather than increases.U2 flow does the project as proposed contribute to or inhibit that goal? 2. The Town's Comprehensive Plan, the County's Energy Road Map, the County's 2019 Community Greenhouse Gas Inventory, and the State's Climate Leadership Community Protection Act each call for reducing the use of methane/natural gas. The County Inventory calls specifically for the electrification of heating and cooling systems for buildings.01 How does the project as proposed contribute to those goals? 3. at changes in the proposed project would allow the project to contribute positively to these goals? 4, Part I of the DEC's SEQRA Full Environmental Assessment Form at D.2.h. of the Operations Section asks the project developer whether the operations of the project will generate or emit methane. The project will be heated by Cornell's combined heat and power plant. The plant bums natural gas, i.e. methane. Because the proposed building will receive its heating and electricity from the plant, a substantial increase in methane emissions will be generated. When this is the case, the developer Must Answer"Yes" (not"No") at D.2.h. in your Part 1. Then the developer must estimate the increased amount of methane in tons/year to be emitted and describe how the emissions are to be captured, controlled, or eliminated. This information is not provided. Is there a rationale for not requiring the information to be provided? Do you believe you can correctly judge the greenhouse gas impacts of this project without this information?t4J 5. The DEC's SEA Workbook recommends that a project using 2500 KWhrs of electricity per year and/or requiring heating and cooling for a building of 100,000 square feet in size be treated as a"Moderate/Large Negative Environmental Impact."15J Given that the developer has indicated in your FEAT Part I that the proposed Atkinson Center falls into these categories, why is the Town staff proposing to rate these impacts as "No or Small"? Is the staff recommendation consistent with taking the SEAR-required "hard look"W at energy use and emissions? Is comparing the building's Square footage to be heated and projected annual electricity to the total square footage and annual energy use of the entire 260-building, 2300-acre, 30,000-student "reasonable" as required by SEAR? Are the impacts of this project actually and sufficiently mitigated as is implied by the statement that at some unspecified point in the future it might be connected to Cornell's proposed Deep Earth Source Heat system? 6. Given that the DEC recommends rating these impacts as "Moderate to I..,arge," Linder SE QRA shouldn't an EIS be required so that ways to reduce these impacts can be analyzed and mitigations explored? If not, why not? 7. According to Cornell and your Staff, the proposal will result in buildings which use 2V,"o less energy than one built to current State building code standards. Is this the equivalent of complying with the new Town energy rules that go into effect on September 13 requiring that new construction projects produce 4001?0' fewer greenhouse gas emissions? If so, how will this be decided? If not, what are the reasons for not meeting the IECS standard given that the standard will be in place within weeks and the project will be affecting our environment for at least the next 50+ years? 8. The County has issued Recommendations for New Construction. Granted these are recommendations and not requirements but meeting them is understood to be a way for developers to align their projects more consistently with the County's goals regarding energy efficiency and GHG reduction. How will this project be consistent with the County recommendations? The Planning Board finds itself at the forefront of implementing Our community's climate mitigation efforts through its implementation of the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement, This presents the Planning Board with a daunting challenge. To establish a good precedent for subsequent project reviews, we recommend that the Planning Board consult technical experts who possess building energy efficiency construction expertise. Thank you for taking the time to consider our concerns. Sincerely, Peter Bardaglio Brian Eden Rebecca Evans Sara Hess Joe Wilson Anne Rhodes C: Ithaca Town Board and Director of Planning, Ms. Ritter Joseph M. Wilson 75 Hunt Hill Road Ithaca NY 14850 (in the Town of Dryden) Landline: 607-539-1159; Cell: 607-262-1777 The arc of history bends in the direction we push it. 0 nTOWN OF ITHACA f"I 215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 18'21 Ph: 607-273-1721 n www.town.jjh�aca.n ,us W YO Rod Howe, To Supervisor - Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk July 8, 2021 To Whom It May Concern, Please find appended below comments from the Town of Ithacas Board on NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's Cayuga Lake Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Draft Report to address water quality impairment at the southern end of Cayuga Lake and protect the drinking water quality for the entire lake. Background The Town of Ithaca is a municipality of approximately 20,000 at the southern end of Cayuga Lake. The three largest tributaries discharging into the impaired South Lake segment flow through the Town. Most Town residents derive their drinking water from Cayuga Lake, via the Southern Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission (Bolton Point), and the Town includes a Lakefront Residential Zone containing year-round residences and vacation homes. General Comments Lake-wide TMDL vs. seginent-specific TMLD based on regulatory classification Given that the greatest regulatory imperative is to attain designated best uses in waterbody segments that are classified as "impaired," the Town was expecting greater detail and focus on contributions to the impaired South Lake segment, as well as specific mitigation strategies and funding to address them. The decision to redistribute what had been concentrated south-lake- specific monitoring associated with Cornell Lake Source Cooling (LSC) throughout the entire lake was opposed by the Town in 2012. The reallocation of resources not only weakened permit compliance for LSC, it failed to provide enough in-lake monitoring to adequately model Cayuga Lake. Moreover, the "whole lake" approach seems to over-emphasize the potential impacts on the impaired South Lake segment of inputs significantly farther north, without taking localized bathymetry or trophic status into account. Broad assumptions about in-lake mixing and wind influence are given too much weight, considering the relatively high-volume inputs of the three major tributaries to the southern impaired segment- which are visually evident after any significant rainfall. TMDL for silt/sedimentation required, but not developed The 303(d) list has classified southern Cayuga Lake as "impaired" for nutrients (phosphorus) and silt/sediment since the draft list was issued in 1998. It is widely understood that sediment-bound I Detailed input provided by board rnembers Rich DePaolo and'Fee-Ann Hunter phosphorus is a major constituent of the Total Phosphorus (TP) load. In addition to the nutrient loading associated with sedimentation, turbidity caused by suspended particles has precluded swimming at the southern terminus of the lake for generations. Swimming is a designated "best use" in that segment. It is unacceptable that, after 23 years, NYSDEC has failed to present a regulatory proposal to curtail a documented source of pollution that not only contributes to eutrophication, but precludes a best use. Addressing silt/sediment would go a long way toward improving access for segments of the local population that can't afford to live or rent on the lake. Over-reliance on voluntaa mitigation and Best Management Practices The TMDL almost exclusively recommends voluntary mitigation strategies and Best Management Practices (BMP), while inexplicably also assuming that existing BMP have been implemented as designed, are sufficient, and contribute no sources of phosphorus. Stakeholders can not be anticipated to voluntarily improve existing strategies that are characterized by NYSEG as sufficient, or implement new ones, absent mandatory compliance, more stringent NYSDEC oversight, and adequate funding assistance. BMP as currently administered will continue to yield the same insufficient results. The TMDL does not articulate how implementation and oversight will be coordinated, nor how limited funding will be prioritized and accessed. How are individual projects going to be identified and initiated in an environment where stakeholders have no obligation, little motivation, and even less money, to do so? The "Implementation" section relies on existing entities and BMP to reach pollution reduction objectives. It is not rational to assume that the same entities and BMP that have thus far not resulted in the attainment and maintenance of lake-wide best uses can now be relied upon to achieve those objectives, without a stronger regulatory and financial commitment from the State and Federal governments. For example, much of the "high-value" agricultural land that could yield significant P reductions is located in rural municipalities that don't have the personnel or resources to apply for, let alone administer, grant funding. How will under-resource d entities be given the tools to participate? I-low will disparate stakeholder groups be coordinated? In summary, the TMDL as proposed is little more than a list of voluntary best-case stakeholder actions, devoid of regulatory mandates or funding. After 20+years of waiting, a TMDL that merely encourages stakeholder cooperation and compliance, is inadequate to address chronic water quality issues. Specific Comments 2.3.1 "Conditions in 2013 indicated that Cayuga Lake vias mesotrophic and were consistent u4th historical and other contemporary monitoring efforts on the lake. Characterizing all of Cayuga Lake as "mesotrophic" ignores localized conditions and their impacts on designated uses in specific waterbody segments. As noted above, there is monitoring evidence to suggest that areas of the impaired South Lake segment, for example, are eutrophic during particularly high-use periods. 2.3.2 Cornell University Lake Source Cooling and Other Water unlit onitorin Pro rams "As a condition of the Cornell University Lake Source Cooling(LSQ Stale Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES)permit (issued by N)`SDECfbr 2013-2018), Cornell University committed to funding a water quality and modeling study to monitor ambient water quality in the Southern End and main Lake Mid-South segments ofCayuga Lake and analyze trends of'trophic slate indicators. " It should be more accurately noted that Cornell did not "commit" to additional funding for water- quality monitoring. It sought and received permission to reallocate funding that had been used for permit-compliance monitoring, and to redistribute the same number of monitoring sites from the impaired segment throughout the lake. The subsequent initiative to, in part, "monitor ambient water quality in the Southern End" resulted in the reduction from 8 sites to 2 in the impaired segment. 2.12 "Summer average concentrations of TP and Chl-a at the Main Lake, Mid-South sites were generally consistent with mesolrophic trophic state classification. " "Average" concentrations that are"generally consistent" with a particular trophic status do not necessarily correlate to localized conditions, nor the contravention of the applicable narrative standard for phosphorus. Also, referencing the "Main Lake"' and "Mid-South" sites together does not account for the bathyrnetric and hydrodynamic differences between the two sampling locations. TP concentrations were higher on the Southern End compared to Main Lake, Mid-South locations each year; although, numerous studies have shown that much of the elevated TP concentrations in the Southern End are due, in part, to phosphorus associated with sediment particles, " Here, NYSDEC acknowledges the widely-accepted influence of sediment-bound phosphorus, but offers no TMDL for silt/sediment, no mitigation strategy, and no timeline for the development of a management plan to deal with this listed source of impairment. 4.0 Table 11 The heading in Table I I, Column 2 should be clarified to indicate that "Current TP Loading in Pounds Per Day..." is not the historical daily loading, but includes the permitted capacity of point-source dischargers. It must also be noted that including the permitted capacity, rather than an X-year average of the historical discharge, is more appropriate in some cases than others. For example, the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility is credited as discharging 40 pounds per day (based on its permit limit), while historically it has been averaging approximately 12.6 pounds per day over the past 7 full years of operation, The average TP discharge of 12.6 pounds per day has been achieved at approximately half design-flow, so it stands to reason that if the plant were running at full capacity, it would discharge roughly 25 pounds per day, not 40. Likewise, using a permit limit based on annualized flow capacity to summarize the contribution of Cornell Lake Source Cooling implies that the facility has excess design capacity at all times of the year, But in actuality, LC runs at near full capacity during the summer cooling/growing season, when the impacts of its SRP discharge are likely to be greatest. Including point-source discharge data from as far back as 1998 in a"current" average, is likely to skew the accuracy of more recent data, which are informed by technological improvements in the intervening years. A shorter lookback period is appropriate. For example, the EPA ECHO permit-compliance database includes 7 full years of data since 2012. Relying on more recent data(or weighting it more heavily in a longer average) will provide a more accurate picture of "current" performance. 4.1 Analysis of Total Phosphorus (TP) Contributions "As explained in section 2.3.2, cis a condition of the Cornell University Lake Source Cooling SPDES permit (issued by NYSDEC in 2013), Cornell University committed to funding a water quality and modeling study to inform the development of the Cayuga Lake TMDL. Cornell Universityfunded the development of`two models: a watershed and a lake model, " As explained above, it must be noted that Cornell reallocated its permit-compliance monitoring budget, and redistributed concentrated monitoring from the impaired South End to the rest of the lake. 4.1.1 Agricultural Sources "Under the ECL CA FOSPDES General Permit no discharge of*process water is permitted, and nutrients applied to the landscape are done so at agronomic rates. Therefore, discharges from CAF'Os is assumed to be zero (0). Just because the ECL CAFO SPITES General Permit does not allow for the discharge of process water doesn't mean that it is not occurring. The assumption that BMP are adhered to seems optimistic at best and does not account for fugitive discharges, many of which are accounted for in NYSDECs own spills database. Ignoring those spills, and concluding that BMP are so effective that CAFO's contribute zero phosphorus is like concluding that no one drives at 65 MPH because the posted speed limit is 55. In 2013, the Town of Ithaca opposed the increase in the number of head from 150 to 300 for CAFOs to be required to develop Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans. In order to usher in the Greek Yogurt boom, the New York State government made a conscious decision to deprioritize water quality, including waterbodies that were already listed as impaired and required 'I"MDL development. The State needs greater oversight of CAFO to ensure that BMP are actually effective in practice, notjust in design. Allowing a system that has failed to lead to water quality improvements to continue, will only continue to degrade water quality. Furthermore, letting CAFO off the hook for theirTP contributions, while holding smaller farms accountable, unacceptably shifts responsibility to entities that are either lesser contributors, or less able to pay for on-site mitigation. 4.1.5.2 Construction "For the purposes of the Cayuga Lake TMDL, phosphorus loading as a result of construction activity was not specifically modeled, but was considered in the loading capacity for other sources. " Please explain how a source can be mathematically "considered" without being "modeled." 4,1.5,3 Stormwater associated with industrial activities "For the purposes of the Cayuga Lake TUDL, phosphorus loading as a result of stormi,tialer associated with industrial activities was noispecyically modeled, but was considered in the loading capacilyfir developed land " Please explain how a source can be mathematically "considered" without being "modeled." IdJAIMmkip "For the purposes of the Cayuga Lake TMDL, phosphorus loading associated with MWs was not spec iflically modeled, but was considered in the loading capacity for developed land " Again, please explain how a source can be mathematically "considered" without being "modeled." For example, the Town of Ithaca reportedly has up to 200 stormwater discharges, many of which discharge into direct tributaries of the impaired segment of Cayuga Lake. Stormwater is a major source of nutrient and sediment loading. How were these discharges "considered?" 5.0 PHOSPHORUS LOADING CAPACITY ANALYSIS "The phosphorus loading capacity oJ'Cayuga Lake is the maximum phosphorus load to the lake that results in meeting the water quality,standard " As described earlier, a lake-wide phosphorus Load Allocation fails to address localized conditions and inputs. For example, it is difficult to imagine how the impaired southern shelf is impacted by inputs from Schulyer Creek, 27 miles to the north, in a lake that generally flows south to north. One would not devise a Load Allocation for the entire Atlantic Ocean in order to quantify and address impairments in Long Island Sound. Table 9. Summary of Water Quality Investigations in Cayuga Lake from 1970s-Present Table 9 characterizes the monitoring program associated with Cornell Lake Source Cooling (LSC) as "Data set used in the development of the Cayuga Lake TMDL Analysis," It should be noted that LSC monitoring was for permit-compliance purposes, to support the analysis of impacts associated with the plant. If, as alleged, the monitoring was devised to support TMD.L development in the southern end, NYSDEC must provide a justification for redistributing the sites from the listed, impaired South Lake segment to the rest of the lake in 2013. Also, Table 9 describes the trophic state of the "Southern End" as "mesotrophic." Notwithstanding that the narrative standard for phosphorus is not attained, the P value threshold correlated to "eutrophic" waterbodies in the Trophic State Index is 24ug/l, and is regularly exceeded on the southern shelf during the summer growing season, when"best uses" are in highest demand. 5.2 Cayuga Lake Model to Determine Loading Capacity "Permitted flaw and TP concentration effluent limitations were used in the development qf1he Cayuga Lake TAIML because regulated point sources can legally discharge to their permit levels and the TMDL must account for the maximum potential load to the lake, " As mentioned above, real-world assumptions regarding future discharges can be reasonably reached using average historical discharge data and an understanding of point- system design capacity. Using permitted capacity that, in actuality, Could never be used, does not provide the most accurate picture. For example, the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility could have its current P limit of 40 pounds per day cut in half and that would be credited toward a reduction in the Waste Load Allocation, In the real world, however, doing so would result in no actual phosphorus discharge reduction whatsoever, as that is determined by the treatment technology in place at the plant, and the design capacity. 5.2 Table 16. Column Two ("Justification") erroneously characterizes a hypothetical increase in the LSC permit limit from 6.4 to 7.6 pounds per day as "120%," when the percentage increase from 6.4 to 7.6 would represent a 20% increase. 5.3 CLM Scenario Results to Achieve Water Quality Targets "For the Southern End segment watershed, the maximum TP load that will ensure attainment of the Chl-a tat-get is 78,039 lbs TPyr (214 lbs TP,11d) Without a direct mathematical correlation between P and Chl-a, how can a P target be established? 6.1 Impaired Segment Overview of Load and Waste Load Allocations and Load Redqcfion.s,, Table 9. A summary of the proposed LA and WLA combined P reductions to the impaired section indicates that a 21% reduction is being considered. Lake-wide, a 30% reduction is assumed to be needed in order to attain compliance with water quality standards. If a 300/'0` reduction is needed to meet water quality standards, how can it be assumed that a 21% reduction of inputs to the impaired section will allow it to meet standards? 6.3 Wasteload Allocation for ImDaired Seament "Those WWTF`s and LSC comprise 21.8% cif the annual TP load to the Southern End segment. " It should be noted that almost all of the phosphorus contributed by point sources in the impaired segment is bio-available. This underscores the need for an analytical delineation between phosphorus types in the development of the "FMDL. 6.3 also references that a 3-year lookback period was used to restructure the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility SPDES permit. NYSDEC should verify that a 5-year lookback was not used at the time. I. is characterized as a system that operates to meeting "summer cooling demands." As discharge data show, the facility operates year-round to meet year-round cooling demands, Likewise, LSC is attributed as having no effect on Cl-a levels, but data collected to prepare a Before-After-Control-Impact analysis, published in 2008, do not unequivocally support that conclusion. NYSDEC should revisit the raw data and analysis for statistical accuracy before offering conclusions now that were not universally accepted then. 6.....3.....Table 10 .. ..... .10. Table 10 should indicate what is meant by the use of the term "current" in its header. TP discharge averages attributed to IAWWTF and LSC do not correlate to data in the EPA ECI-10 database, IAWWTF is attributed as discharging 18 pounds per day when an analysis of the ECHO database indicates a 12.6 pounds per day average over the past seven full years. Similarly, LSC is listed in the table as 2.2 Pounds per day discharge, but ECHO data indicates 2.7 pounds per day over the same seven-year period. 6.10 Reasonable Assurance How is "reasonable assurance" statistically quantified? Without an SRP analysis, how can assumptions on the correlation between TP and Chl-a be made? 7.0 IMPLEMENTATION SECTION As summarized in general comments, the implementation section offers a collection of non- enforceable, voluntary actions (some of which are already assumed to be operating successfully), without proposing a regulatory or administrative hierarchy or creating nexuses to actual funding. There is a passing reference on Page 50 to "regulatory tools," without any further elaboration on what tools are being brought to bear to compel compliance with mitigation strategies. Page 51 sweeps the entire Ag sector, by far the largest contributor of nutrient pollution, into a nebulous world of BMP and CAFO General Pe itsthat are assumed to be operating as defined, while Cayuga Lake remains impaired, stressed, or threatened. Assuming BMP and compliance have been ongoing, what more "voluntary" work can be expected? Existina, Watershed and Strategic Plans The Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan (CLWRPP) is described as being "implemented" by The Cayuga Lake Inter municipal Organization (10). "Implementation" implies that the 10 is somehow responsible for carrying out the recommendations of the plan. A more accurate description may be that the 10 works to advance the recommendations of the CLWRPP and periodically updates the document to reflect changing conditions, accomplishments, and revised recommendations." 7.1 Forms ofPlios�horus. "Understanding the relative contributions of the different farms of'phosphorus .from diff erent sources within the Cayuga Lake watershed was a critical component in the development of this Implementation Section... " Since NYSDEC seems to acknowledging the critical role of SRP and the phosphorus cycle in determining appropriate mitigation, why is it only now"suggesting" that SRP analysis be done going forward? Why was this "critical component" not a part of the TMDL and is now only being offered as an afterthought? Recommended BMPs, BMP Efficiency and Cost "Also, researchers have identified that management oj'bioavailable P is the most cost-qf,fective strategy in reducing the ef fects of eutrophication. This comment seems to target point sources in direct contradiction of the modeling associated with the TMDL, which indicates that non-point sources, particularly agricultural, are the major source of water quality problems in Cayuga Lake. Priority BMPs Mid-terrn "Increase SWCD staff ing ., through appropriations... "Appropriations" of what? From where? "Establish a program to monitor, inspect, and sample existing septic systems within the Cayuga Lake watershed to maximize the functional capacity qf'these systems and minimize nutrient contribution. " Septic systems were estimated to contribute 5% of the loading to the take. Analyzing, identifying and replacing failed systems would be cost-prohibitive compared to better enforcement of surface application of fertilizer in the Ag sector, for example. Why prioritize such a high-cost strategy for so little estimated return? "Implement a comprehensive municipal stormwaler program, including hydraulic evaluation and mapping of drainage, as well as the replacement and upgrade (f subsurface drainage and culverts to provide improved separation QfstormWater fi-omfireshwaler resources. " Please elaborate on the logic of prioritizing the "separation of stormwater from freshwater resources," when the ultimate destination of the stormwater, even if properly "separated" is the lake or its direct tributaries. 7.3.1 Recommended Phosphorus Management Strategies for Agricultural Runoff "There (ire two primary and intertwined programs in New York that address agricultural water qulaity: the A EM Program and the CAFO regulatory program. Both programs are Voluntary and/or BMP, and the TMDL assumes adequate compliance with CAFO BMP, resulting in zero TP contribution. How can existing programs that have failed to achieve applicable water quality standards be held Out as the solution to failed water quality standards? 7.4 Wastewater Sector. "Any new permitted facilities within the Cayuga Lake watershed, in both the Impaired and Unimpaired subwatersheds, should be required to address the existing load allocations and meet strict requirements, either water duality-based effluent limitations (WQBELs) or technology based e,ffluent limitations (773ELs), whichever is more restrictive and protective oJ'water quality. In addition, the ,511'1)& permits,lbr any new and upgraded facilities should include phosphorus removal treatment and other conditions to meet all NKS requirements for either groundwater or surface water discharges. Point source contributions (assuming permit limits) to Cayuga Lake were found to be small relative to nonpoint, but regulation of these sources is an important part oj'implemenling the Cayuga Lake 7'MDL. " NYSDEC should reconcile the above recommendations with 40 CFR § 122.4, which explicitly prohibits the issuance of permits to "a new source or a new discharger, if the discharge from its construction or operation will cause or contribute to the violation of water quality standards." 7.4.2 Lake Source Cooling "Based on its permit conditions, Lake Source Cooling contributes 0.5% (#'the total phosphorus load annually to Cayuga Lake. " Localized impacts of LSC were highlighted by the data collected for the aforementioned BACI analysis. Quantifying SRP contributions to the impaired area during the summer growing season is more gen-nane to devising a "best uses" TMDL than an annualized, lake-wide TP statistic. 1.7 Compliance and Enforcement The entirety of the "compliance and enforcement" section is a passing reference to oversight of the SPDES program, and makes no mention of how the BMP upon which the success of this TMDL will be administered or enforced, 7.8.1 On-site Septic Systems "The TP loading from on-site septic systems to Cayuga lake is estimated to be a small contributor to Cayuga Lake overall, but local ef, ma fects cal inputs remain poorly understood " Why is attention paid to "local effects" of on-site septic systems, but not paid to any other sources? The TMDL goes to great lengths to emphasize a lake-wide system, minimizing the impacts of local sources and systems, but chooses to target septic systems for their potential localized impacts? 7.8.2 Forest.ry Conservation Practices The TP contributions from forested lands are not quantified sufficiently to allow for informed assessment of the need for mitigation resources to be allocated there. Sincerely, Rod Howe, Supervisor Town of Ithaca CIF lr 0 TOWN OF ITHACA f"I 215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 IBJ21 Ph: 607-273-1721 @ www,town.ith�aca.n .us W, y 0 Rod Howe, Town Supervisor - Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk July 8, 2021 Dr. David Stern, President Mr. Anton Burkett, Executive Director Ithaca Farmers Market Board and Staff PO Box 6575 Ithaca,New York 14851 Thank you for sharing your plans to renovate the site and pavilion at Steamboat Landing Ithaca with the Farmer's Market Pavilion/Community Center and Public Access project. The project is timely as Ithaca and Tompkins County continue to be a place that is forward looking while embracing its history and heritage. The Ithaca Farmers Market is making considerable progress on its site renovation, public access and new pavilion project and is seeking funding for construction. Since it was established in 1973, the Ithaca Farmers market has grown into a local institution, serving both City and Town of Ithaca residents and members of the surrounding community, The Farmer's Market is a vibrant venue that attracts people of all age groups and backgrounds, but its aging infrastructure is in need of renovation and revitalization, and in particular, access improvements for those with physical impairments are acutely needed. The Ithaca Farmers Market has become, unquestionably, the"place to be"on any given Saturday or Sunday morning during market season and plans to develop all-season market space will surely be greeted with excitement by market patrons. It is not just a place to shop for local produce and wares but is a vibrant venue that affords visitors the opportunity to socialize, listen to live music, picnic, walk, or simply absorb the rich qualities oft e lakefront site. People of all ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and cultures frequent the farmers market and help make it a unique and indispensable feature of the community. For nearly fifty years, the Ithaca Farmers Market has been at the forefront of Upstate market development and innovation. With this project,the market will continue its leadership role and provide an example that other farmers' markets across the state can emulate. The assistance provided by the state will further invigorate the Ithaca Farmers Market, propelling it forward for years to come. The proposed Ithaca Farmers Market Pavilion/Community Center and Public Access project has the enthusiastic support of the Town of Ithaca Board. The Town values our local farmers and agricultural landscapes that contribute so much to our community and economic vitality. This project will be transfort'native, and I wish you success in seeking financial assistance from NY Department of State's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Please contact me if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Rod Howe,Supervisor,Town of Ithaca From: Rod Howe Sent: Friday,July 9, 20218:20 AM To:John Barry< > Cc. Bill Goodman<BGoodma n @town.ithaca,n_y.us>; Patricia Leary<gL1Z@corne11.edu>;Tenkate <Lenkate @town.ithaca.ny.us>;Joe Slater<isLIater@town.ithaca.n us>;Travis Mills <IM�Ilstoqwnjth�acan �.us> Subject: RE:Very Late Thank You- 139 Salem Drive John, it is always good to receive such feedback. Thank you. Credits all go to our great Public Works Department. Best, Rod Rod Howe Supervisor, Town of Ithaca From:John Barry<jtZja@,corralldu> Sent:Thursday,July 8, 20217:53 PM To: Bill Goodman <BGoodmanS town.ithaca,nv.u.>; Patricia Leary<gL17@cornel1.edu>; Rod Howe <BUowej2townJthaca.n us>;Tenkate Subject:Very Late Thank You - 139 Salem Drive Hi Pat, Rod, Bill and Rich, I hope all of you and your families are well during this crazy time. I'm not sure who to thank, so I'm going to thank you all, as I've interacted with each of you about my home flooding issues in the past. Between last year and this year, we received a wonderful gift—a drain and all the hard work surrounding putting in that drain. I can't thank you and the crew enough. I was incredibly impressed by the professionalism and diligence the town crew put in to the effort. Giving us updates on when specific work would be done, letting us know if the driveway would be blocked ahead of time and when, following up on next steps. Also, I wasn't expecting grass to be grown for us in the work areas of our property. What a huge bonus. Looks amazing!! Anyway, thank you, thank you, thank you. In the past, I would go on vacations and check the weather radar in Ithaca every day to see if we were going to get rain. Right now, we are having a pretty intense storm and I'm not even mildly concerned that we'll get any water in the house. Life is good! John Paulette Rosa To: Media Distribution List Subject: Town Board meetings back to in person Good Afternoon, The Ithaca Town Board and all boards and committees have returned to in person. Board Members Pat Leary and Tee-Ann Hunter will be attending virtually. As required by OML, notice is hereby given that the location of their virtual attendance is 316 Highland Rd and 117 Hillcrest Dr until further notice. This is not COVID related. All Board meetings will now be broadcast on YouTubeLive and available via ZOOM for persons wishing to address the Board. Links will be available on the"Town Website Calendar. Any questions, please feel free to contact me. Paulette Rosa Town Clerk, R-MO (607) 273-1721 xt 110 JAL TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING August 9, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter from Supervisor in Support of Cayuga Heights TAP Sidewalk Connections Project 2. News Article re: AirBnB Regulations in other Towns 3. Retention: Six-Year, 1. Ret nti6n: 0ne-Year 1. TOWN OF ITHACA > 215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Ph: 607-273-1721 m www,town.ithacamy us Rod Howe, Town Supervisor - Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk August 5, 2021 Hon. Linda Woodard, Mayor Village of Cayuga Heights 836 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 Re: Cayuga Heights Road Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Sidewalk Connections Project Dear Mayor Woodard: As Supervisor of the To of Ithaca, I am writing this letter to express my support for the Cayuga Heights Road Sidewalk Connections Project, and associated application for federal funding through the Transportation Alternatives Program. This project will enable more residents to safely walk to local destinations while allowing for the free flow of vehicular and bicycle traffic in the roadway. Cayuga Heights Road provides a critical connection between the Town of Lansing, the Town of Ithaca, Downtown Ithaca, and Cornell University. In its current condition, the portion of Cayuga Heights Road within the Village of Cayuga Heights cannot safely accommodate multi-modal users, which include pedestrians and cyclists, along with significant vehicular traffic on a regular basis. Due to the lack of shoulders or sidewalks, residents can regularly be observed walking in the roadway, creating an unsafe condition. I am pleased that the Village of Cayuga heights is building on the recent DEC funded Culvert Right Sizing Project by construing a new sidewalk along the same stretch of road. Like almost all communities in Upstate New York, the Village of Cayuga Heights is facing aging infrastructure combined with a desire to address climate change and develop better local alternatives to driving. Without some assistance from the State, it will be difficult for communities to implement projects that not only address today's problems, but also allow for increased resiliency in the future. I give the proposed culvert replacement and walkway improvements project my fullest support and believe incremental steps towards improving walkability and addressing climate change will benefit the community. Please contact me if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, Rod Howe, Supervisor, Town of Ithaca From: Maralyn Edid <mse421@gm, il.com> Sent:Thursday,August 5, 202110:07 AM To: Marty Moseley<MMoselej@town.ithacany.us>;Susan Ritter<5��itter �townj�thacan�us>; Rod Howe <RH,[iU2A,g,iOEtl2owAnnjiltnhga�ca�s>; Bill Goodman<Rcacrdman town ithaca Pam Bleiwas <2bLeiwasj2townJthaca.nY.us>; Rich ePaolo<rdep aolo @town.ithaca.ny.2s>; Eric Levine <elevine@town ithaca ny us>; Pat Leary<2!!La�townjthaca ny u,>;Tee Ann Hunter <jbLjnter@townjthaca.ny,us> Sulbject. STR legislation Hello, all, Please see attached news articles concerning AirBnb regulations in towns near Syracuse. Note that short-term rentals in these locations are deemed commercial use, NOT residential,Town of Ithaca should follow suit.STRs do not,, under any circumstance, improve quality of life in residential neighborhoods. Thank you. Maralyn Edid 22 Renwick Heights Rd, Another Central NY town bans short-term rentals like Airbnb-syracuse.com 8/4/21,9:46 PM 41 Subscribe now Fa_CtS + ConteXt = Clarit , Uont settle for a ythin i I ess than-r �l ejpgns� &j-Qurnalism. Start tadaMmUl, SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE 41— Another Clentral NY town bans short-term rentals like AI*rbnb Today 8:00 AM https:,Viwww,syracuse,cogninemos/2021/08/anotIher-centrat-ny-town-bans-short-term-rentaks-Iike.-airbnb.htryiI Page 1 of 6 Another Central NY town barns short terra rentals like ut,irbnb-syracuse.com 8/4/21,9:46 PEA r i r/ � to r' i r/ / MUT I IVY �11 � fll p��j ,/ r%��„ r Another Central New York town Is banning short-term rentals. 134 shares By Elizabeth l edoran@svracuse.com Town of Salinaofficials are ro i itin short-term rentals such s AirBnb an VRBO in residential areas of the town. The ton board voted to 1 earlier this month to enact the measure, saying short-term rentals are more like commercial usi ess s and undermine the character of neighborhoods. https,flw www.syracuase.co m/news/2021108/anotIher-cerntral-ray-towwrn-bans-short-term-rerntals-Iike-airbrnb html Page 2 of 6 Another Central NY town bans short,,term rentals like Airbnb -syracuse.com 8/4/21, 9�46 PM The board said they want to have "neighborhoods with consistent and stable residences," and short-term rentals don't advance that idea. Salina Town Councilor Nick Paro cast the dissenting vote. He said he favors short-term rentals. "I think these rentals are a successful and innovative way to make one on personal property:' he said. "It's difficult to keep people in New York state, and allowing them to rent out their home when they go away is a good thing." Short-term rentals are defined as leasing for 30 days or less. Salina Town Supervisor Colleen Gunnip did not return a phone call from syracuse.co m. The village of Skaneateles also prohibits renting for less than 30 days unless the owner has an approved, licensed Bed and Breakfast Homestay. These homestays are limited to a maximum of eight in the village, and the owners of these also must be in residence while the rooms are being rented, said Beth O'Sullivan, the village's deputy zoning inspector. At one point, the ban on these rentals went to 5tale-5-upreme Court,with the village prevailing. http.-;://www.syracuse.com/news)'2021/08/arbother-cerRrall-ny-town-bans-slriioi't-termi-rentals-like-aurbinb.himi Page 3 of 6 Another Central NY town bans short-terra rentals like Airbnb , syracuse.com 8/4/21,M6 PM The village of Cazenovia alsQ con sidjereda,_Sj.Mj[aL [phjbjjj0,rj, but it never passed. Restrictions were placed on the however. The towns of Cazenovia andLaUjffiU_S_both prohibit short-term rentals. Opponents of short-term rentals in their neighborhoods say they believe these cause their property values to go down and that the rentals are often disruptive. But others say they help property owners and bring revenue to municipalities. Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. of a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime at 315-470-3012 or email edQran@syiAgL&.sQm to to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Around the Web The New Face Mask That's Sweeping America Health News Today"I I Sponsored Roofers Tested 17 Gutter Guards... Here's What They Discovered LeafFilter Partner I Sponsored These Cars Are So Loaded It's Hard to Believe They're So Cheap Luxury Cars I Search Ads I Sponsored htt ps:11(www.syracuse.corri/newsi"/-021/081anot he rcent4-fty-town-bans-short-term-rental s-111 ke-a lr bob.hitm I Page 4 of 6 Airbnlbs Camillus considers ban while Cazenovia rnay allow the rentals with restrictions - syracuse.com 8/4121, 9:48 PM 0 Subscribe now Facts+ Context= Clarity. � I�;fc�r ar►Abln m9bWournalian$tAdAOAiay-fQL$-L Central NY NM Airbnbs-. Camillus considers ban while Cazenovia, may allow the rentals with restrictions Updated Jan 30,2019:Posted Jun 20,2018 https.flwww,syiracuise,coimilnewsl2Ol8/O6lairbnbj_criy_viltage_considers_bain_in_resideoitial_areas_another_looks_ti)_al'low_w,Mail Page I of 2 Arirbnbs;Camillus considers ban while Cazenovia may allow the rentals with restrictions syracuse.com 814/21, 9:48 PM r m aJ l` r �r r / Ok / ! r N't 00 4000 41, g NO 1 / /r i/// / rrii communities are looking to regulate Airbnbs and other short-terra rent aIs.(shutterstock) By l � � aa The village of Cazenovia recently looked at banning Alrbnbs or any short-term rentals due to complaints from some neighbors. Cazenovia village officials now are looking at a lava which would permit the short-term rentals but with restrictions. One of these restrictions would require new short-term rentals to be owner-occupied in residential zones. On the flip side,the town of Camillus is considering adding language to a local law that would prohibit short- term rentals in residential zones. tithes:/lwwrws.syracuise.corn/news/201 /obi/aPrbnb j_c(iy_villacge.consuders_ban_in res'ud nta al areasani itier_l("oks_to...._alloW_w.htmI Page 2 of Mrbnbs:Camillus considers ban while Cazenovia may Miow the rentals Mth restrictions-syracuse.com 8/4/21, 9:48 PM Residents in both municipalities will get a chance to voice their views at public hearings on the proposed laws: Cazenovia: 7 p.m.,July 2,Village Hall,80 Albany St. Camillus:7 p.m.,June 26,Town Hall,West Genesee and Male Avenue.(A continuation of a previous hearing.) Cazenovia Mayor Kurt Wheeler said the proposed law is drawn from other communities across the country that have successfully regulated short-term rentals. The idea is to prevent noise, parking complaints and other issues, he said. In short,the proposed law allows"owner-occupied short-term rentals in the village with clear regulations, especially in residential zones,to protect quality of life in neighborhoods," Wheeler said. Among the proposed restrictions in Cazenovia are: - New short-term rentals must be owner-occupied,unless they were already operating prior to July 2,2018. * All short-term rentals would require a special permit and license from the village. a A maximum of eight people allowed. a Parking space requirements, For example,one space for each owner/occupant vehicle plus one for guests(may require more based on number of guests) No rvs, motor homes or vehicles larger than 2-ton pickup in driveway. o No parties allowed. @ A property manager must be available within 15 minutes to handle complaints. Camillus Town officials said short-term rentals are already prohibited in the town's residential zones, but they want to clarify the language.They also want to make it clear these are commerciat, not residential, uses. Board members say complaints about Airbnbs in the town have prompted them to update the law and clarify the language.. https:jl/www.syractise.co ffi/fiewsl2Ol8ld)6/aIrbrobj—cny—viltlage_j,-.onsiders_,ban_n_res[dentia9__areas,,,aui�other,_IiDoks_jo--a9Uov_w,,%tv,nli Page 3 of 7 Airbnbs.Camillus considers ban while Cazenovia may allow the rentals wflth restrictions syraruse,icom 8/4/21,9;48 PM Letters have been sent to eight Airbnb operators asking them to stop renting their properties,and several have agreed,according to town of Camillus board minutes.However,those listings have not been removed yet online,officials said. Some residents say they don't want these short-term rentals in their neighborhoods because they believe they will cause their property values to go down and that the rentals are often disruptive. Supporters of short-term rentals say they are selective about who stays at their property,and say their short-term rental businesses contribute to revenue in the town. Note to readers:It you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission. Around the Web NFL Star Rob Groinkowski's Favorite Shoes All day comfort for your feet,. Unique high performance running shoe technology meets classic styling. Unlike any other shoes on the market today. Wolf&Shepherd I Sponsored I Odd Trick Restores Your Eyes To Perfect 20/20 Vision TruthAboutvision.com I Sponsored Roofers Tested 17 Gutter Guards... Here's What They Discovered LeafFlIter Partner I Sponsored The Now Face Mask That's Sweeping America The Perfect Balance of Pmtection. Durability. &Comfort htips://www,syracuse.com/news/2018/06/airbnbj—cny—village—considers—ban—in—residerrtial_areas—anotti�er,,-Iooks_to_,allow_.IN.htmi Page 4 of 2 JAL TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING September 13, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. NYS Statement of Population for Town of Ithaca 2. Request for Support from Community Science Institute 3. Retention: Six-Year, 1. Retention: One-Year 1. STATE OF NEW YORK 0 rc„ DEPARTMENT OF STATE , ONE COMMERCE PLAZA �� "�`'" AB�UC)Y�'EW M�. CUOMO 99 WAS14INGTON AVENUIL �� Ccrwm.rrueA, AWANY,NY 12231-0001 li m a+>,ANA ROSADO WWW.CC1&NY.C*0V "ate Sif'a:RUARYOm STATE August 19, 2021 The Honorable Paulette Rosa Town Clerk, Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga St Ithaca, New Fork 14850 RE: 2020 Population Total Dear Town Clerk Rosa: Pursuant to Section I I of the "town Law, the Secretary of State is required to file with your office an authenticated statement of the population of each town having a population of 5,000 persons or more as shown in the decennial Federal census. Enclosed you will find a copy Of such staternent which shows the 2020 population of your town. If you have any questions, please call Natasha Phillip, Associate Attorney, at (518) 474- 6740. Thank you, Division of Local Government Services Enclosure RK I Department N� vo iSTATE OF cs"I'l TiiN�Ty State Total Population [hon�c20|0k) 202O Community Science Institute ................... www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Cominume, id .,., Mr. Rod Howe, Supervisor August 2 ,; 20211 Town of Ithaca . 215 N. Tio a Street w Ithaca, NY 14850 Dear Supervisor Howe: I am writing to request support from the Town of Ithaca of$22,396 in 2022 to continue the Community Science Institute's (CSI's) water quality monitoring partnerships with our dedicated groups of volunteers on streams throughout Tompkins County and the larger Cayuga Lake watershed including Fall Creek, six Mile Creek and Cayuga Inlet as well as Stewart Park and Cayuga Lake itself. The requested amount represents a 2% increase over 221. Long-term data sets produced by CSI's certified water quality testing lab in partnership with community volunteers make it possible to separate water quality fact from water quality fiction and provide the information needed to develop effective strategies for managing water resources. Descriptions of CSI's programs may be found on our website at www r outuu uatily Over 60,000 results on water bodies in the Cayuga Lake watershed are available free of charge at ➢ 1tI� "'data ba&�e,coi mun,]lysciett,c;,e",,Irr u�ou��n��gr�M late�. Financial information about CSI may be found in our 2019 Annual Report at �s.,Irmnlllfl�t _ ae uy . r�.g',t . a t/nc, wv lme dt. rs an tuj,,Mq farts° (2020 Annual Report will be available in September). Local governments and stakeholdersi a s o are 's financial bedrock, accounting, for 28% of our total operating budget. Income is also derived from fee-far-service testing, grants from foundations and nonprofits, and membership donations. CSI and our certified water quality testing lab have remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as an essential business that tests drinking water for the Tompkins County Health Department, Cornell University, and businesses and private homeowners. Our volunteer stream and lake monitoring partnerships have continued uninterrupted, with appropriate social distancing, as have our in-person education programs for youth and their families, albeit with reduced attendance due to Covid restrictions, Our staff meet virtually with our volunteer groups for refresher training and to schedule sampling events. Thank you for considering this request. If you have any questions, or if you would like me to give a presentation to the Town Board, I yo will lejeh now, r � Respectfully submitted, t . Pe nil , xecut` eOiector 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown RoadIthaca NY 14850 Voice/Fax 607 257 6606 Cerlffied water"resting NAIS OH-'FL, P#11790 EPA Lab Code 1 Y01518 Stephen Feuuirrgroth F,xecutive Director <Ia @cottittiunily,scierrce.org> 0 Community Science Institute www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Communication Community Science Institute Programs and Services —2022 Mission The mission of the Community Science Institute (CSI) is to foster stewardship of water resources by partnering with communities to gain an understanding of water quality with the aim of protecting water resources and managing them sustainably. In order to carry out its mission, CSI operates a water quality testing lab that is certified by the New York State Department of Health-Environmental Laboratory Approval Program (NYSDOH- ELAP) to EPA's National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference (NELAC) standards (NYSDOH-FLAP ID# 11790, USEPA ID# 01518). The recognized quality of CSI's extensive data sets, which are available to the public free of charge at www.database,conlmi4p J.P'. ,,,g y g, empowers stakeholders, including citizens and local governments, to take action to protect their streams and lakes from risks, both short- term and long-term. Sometimes monitoring may yield evidence that concerns about specific types of pollution risks are unfounded, and that is also a valuable outcome of CSI's volunteer monitoring partnership programs. Programs and Services Volunteer monitoring partnerships for streams and lakes Chemical and microbiological monitoring in the Cayuga Lake watershed: Beginning in 2002 with the Fall Creek Watershed Committee and continuing into the present, CSI has forged partnerships with eleven groups of dedicated volunteers to monitor long-term chemical and microbiological water quality in tributary streams of Cayuga Lake that flow through Tompkins, Cayuga and Seneca Counties. Each volunteer group collects samples three to four times per year from a set of long-term monitoring sites and transports them to the CSI lab for analysis of a suite of water quality indicators that includes phosphorus and nitrogen nutrients, sediment, E. coli as a market for pathogenic bacteria, and chloride as a marker for salt. Sampling events, which consist of two to three base flow events and one to two stormwatcr events per year, are coordinated by CSI staff separately for each group. Through our 4-1120 program for youth and their families and in collaboration with Discover Cayuga Lake/Floating Classroom, we also conduct water quality monitoring of southern Cayuga Lake two to three times each summer. The CSI lab analyzes some 350 stream and lake samples and produces approximately 4,000 certified test results on waterbodies throughout the Cayuga Lake watershed each year. Data quality is assessed by CSI staff, and results for the Cayuga Lake Watershed are posted in the Streams and Lakes section of our public online database at htop ?'I'database.conimuni y 11c I t t� i onsl I together with maps and interpretive graphs. Data may be searched and downloaded free of charge at database coninn uniWpjence.or fd perics. .... .. ZA,- IIII-11-1- 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850 Voice/Fax 607 257 6606 Certified Water Testing NVSDOtf-CLAD#11790 EPA Lab Code NVO1518 Stephen Penningrolh Fxecutive Director <1ab@coinmunityscience.org> 0 Community Science Institute www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Communication Results from our long-term Cayuga Lake watershed chemical and microbiological monitoring partnerships are available to citizens and governments as well as to researchers and students at academic institutions in our region. From a water resource management perspective, CSI's results have been used to: a) Draw the conclusion and state publicly in 2011 that phosphorus entering the south end of Cayuga Lake originates predominantly from nonpoint sources and not from point sources such as Cornell University's Lake Source Cooling facility; b) Provide evidence that resulted in the removal of the South end of Cayuga Lake frorn the EPA's 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies for pathogenic bacteria in 2014; c) Validate the Cayuga Lake Modeling Project's SWAT loading model for phosphorus in Fall Creek in 2014; d) Alert the Village of Trumansburg to ongoing SPDES permit violations for fecal coliform bacteria by its wastewater treatment plant beginning in 2006 and provide evidence to support NYSDEC's decision requiring the Village to invest $6.2 million to upgrade the plant in 2016; c) Document that phosphorus concentrations in several northern Cayuga Lake tributary streams average seven times higher than Fall Creek in the south, suggesting substantially greater nutrient impacts on the northern half of the lake (O'Leary, N,; Johnston, R.; Gardner, E.L.; Penningroth, S.M.; Bouldin, D.R. Long-Term Study of Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Concentration in Fall Creek and Comparison to Northeastern Tributaries of Cayuga Lake, NY: Implications for Watershed Monitoring and Management, Water 2019, 1/, 2075. 0.3390411102075); and f) In .11 1 1.111, _ ——------------ comments on the NYSDEC's Draft Cayuga Lake TMDL for phosphorus released in April 2021, challenge the Draft TMDL's loading estimate for dissolved phosphorus as too low by a factor of three, an error that could result in the misallocation of resources to control particulate phosphorus, a form that is known to be a significantly less important factor in cultural cutrophication than dissolved phosphorus and which the Draft TMDL overestimates by a factor of two hwww,cornmunr , ien e,oig,"12021108/10/wittidraxk (trait-total-naxitnum dai - I V n ... or-nload-tmdl- e trient-rich- trib a utar ------- i Chemical and mier CS1 also partners with volunteer groups in the Seneca Lake, Keuka Lake, Canandaigua Lake and Chesapeake Bay watersheds to conduct stream monitoring similar to our volunteer monitoring partnerships in our home watershed of Cayuga Lake, Results including maps and graphs are available to view free of charge via links from the regional page in our database at hula:)l"database,,cotnrnL4n s ' Results may be searched and downloaded free of charge at htv//d atabascxorrnnuni!yh�p Di&gical stream monitoring in he Separately from our ' "'_`,_ J11-1,111111 chemical and microbiological monitoring of tributary streams, CSI also partners with volunteers who have a passion for collecting and identifying bottom-dwelling stream insects and other invertebrate organisms called benthic macroinvertebrates, or BMI. The abundance and diversity of BMI indicate the quality of a stream as a habitat for aquatic 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850 Voice/Fax 607 257 6606 Cerflfied Waier Testing NYSD041-ELAP 411790 EPA Lab Code NVOI 518 .Step lien Pei ningrolli Evecutive Director <10,4communilYS cience.org> 6 Community Science Institute www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Cominunication organisms and its general health as an aquatic ecosystem. BMI are used widely by the scientific community, including the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), as indicators of stream health. CSI's Biomonitoring Coordinator teams with volunteer groups to collect and analyze samples of BMI from over a dozen stream locations annually. Summaries of BMI results are posted on our website at commu rout cie e.or9 e"v(.)Iuri ter ibiolo&,iq�[-.!Il Mitoring/bii)i-resu ts;". Development of a - new section of CSI's online database is in progress that will house BMI data and make it possible to view and compare BMI results quickly across space and time, analogous to the capabilities of our chemical and microbiological database. Cayuga Lake volunteer HABs monitoring program: Now in its third year, the Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program is led by CSI in collaboration with the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network and Discover Cayuga Lake/Floating Classroom. CSI staff coordinate over 90 "HABs Harrier" volunteers who patrol 81 shoreline zones from late June to early October, collecting suspicious bloom samples and transporting them to the CSI lab for analysis. Suspicious blooms may also be reported by members of the general public using an online form on the CSI website. CSI posts reports of suspicious blooms within hours on our HABs reporting map and table at Lit W, jy,« lake-Nabs-rengEtjng:p,q� (Note: Trained HABs Harrier volunteers correctly identify suspicious blooms as HABs over 991,,'o of the time) followed in one to two days by microscopic identification of cyanobacteria taxa and in five to seven days by laboratory analyses of microcystin toxin and total chlorophyll a concentrations. Our 2021 HABs reporting page has received over 12,000 views to date, an indication that our Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program represents an important public service by providing timely and accurate information about risk. An overview of results for the 2018-2020 HABs seasons is presented in CSI's 2020 Water Bulletin newsletter, available at hgp,:.,flwww.comMUn1ty ' c.ork,,�,,,,,c)kitreach-ai'i(I-edLication/newsletters-antitial-reL) 1 §Z. Support for our 2021 HABs Monitoring Program has come from Tompkins County, the Park Foundation, and online appeals through Giving is Gorges and GoFundMe. Drinking water testing services CSI provides basic drinking water testing services on a fee-for-service basis for homeowners as well as local businesses, Cornell University, the Tompkins County Health Department and the US Geological Survey. We view potable water testing as part of our mission to educate the public about the quality of water resources. The fee-for- service income it provides helps support CSI's long-term stream and lake monitoring programs with our volunteer partner groups in the Cayuga Lake watershed. Outreach and youth education In addition to our monitoring programs with groups of adult volunteers, CSI collaborates with Tompkins County 4-H to offer water-therned experiential learning opportunities for 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850 Voice/Fax 607 257 6606 Certified Water Testing NYSDOH-ELAP 411790 EPA Lab Code NY01518 Stephen Penningrolls Kveculive Director <IabCconitituirityveittice.org> 0 Community Science Institute www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Communicaflon youth and their families called 4-H20. CSI's -H2O4 program includes Cayuga Lake water quality monitoring cruises aboard Discover Cayuga Lake/Floating Classroom, presentations of youth-appropriate workshops on HA Bs in Stewart Park, and collection and inspection of bottom-dwelling BMI organisms from area streams. Our 2021 4-1420 program has been made possible by a grant from the Park Foundation. All in-person learning activities follow 4-H guidance to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. We are also continuing our outreach to the larger Cayuga Lake watershed community through online presentations to diverse audiences. Examples are Trumansburg Rotary, the West Shore Neighbor Association, Love Living at Home, the New Roots Charter School, the Water Resources Council of Tompkins County, theTown of Ithaca(during a Town Board meeting), the Water Quality Management Agency of Cayuga County, the Finger Lakes Regional Watershed Alliance, and the Cayuga Lake Watershed Network for their Fall Community Conference, CSI also hosted a well-attended Spring 2021 Water and Community Event (webinar style) entitled Patterns of I-larmful Algal Blooms (HA Bs) and Associated Toxins in Cqyuga Lake: Tindingsfi-om Three Years q1'Bloom Monitoring. Laboratory support for public swimming beaches in Finger Lakes State Parks Public swimming beaches are monitored for E. coli, a marker for the presence of pathogenic bacteria, Beaches are required to close if the E. coli count exceeds 235 colonies/I 00 ml, and they may not reopen until the E. coli count drops below that threshold. During the summer, CSI makes E. coli testing services available seven days a week for a dozen New York State Parks in the Finger Lakes region. We are committed to assisting the Parks in ensuring that swimming areas are healthy and that the public can re- gain access as soon as possible following beach closures due to elevated levels of pathogenic bacteria. Laboratory support for governments combatting hydrills, an invasive plant in Cayuga Lake Hydrilla is a highly invasive plant that was discovered in the Cayuga Inlet in 2011 and has subsequently been found in Fall Creek, the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, and in Cayuga Lake near the Village of Aurora. Eradication efforts are ongoing, One of the principal strategies is to dose the plant's shallow water habitat with the herbicide fluridone. CSI provides fluridone testing services for the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure that fluridone levels in ambient water remain safely below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), Laboratory support for the fight against HABs CSI is one of only two commercial labs located in New York, i,e., labs that accept samples from the general public, that are certified for EPA Method 546, Total Microcystins and Nodularins. (The others are government labs.) Separately from our Cayuga Lake HABs Monitoring Program, which is described above, we offer microcystin 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850 Voice/Fox 607 257 6606 Certified Water Testfi,jg N Y S DO H.I,',LA IP#11790 EPA Lab("ode NVO 1518 Stephen Permingroth Executive Director <1ab(a_,)communi1yscie#o ceorg> -1 Community Science Institu1 te www.communityscience.org Volunteer Monitoring Watershed Science Risk Communication testing services to the general public at prices designed to be as affordable as possible for those who may be impacted by FIABs, for example, lake shore residents and public drinking water systems. 283 Langmuir Lab/Box 1044 95 Brown Road Ithaca NY 14850 Voice/Fax 607 257 6606 Certified 'Water Testing NYSDOI-I-ELAP#11790 EPA Lab Code NVOI518 Stephen Penningroth Executive Director -<Iab(a_)conimuitityscieitce.org> TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING September 27, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Letter re: LED Lighting 2. Notice of Defect - Stone Quarry 3. Retention: Six-Year, 1. Retention: One-Year 1. i f. � w September 5' 2021. Dear Town of Ithaca Board Members, � � �� If the Town of Ithaca is considering convertin, c lighting to LEDs, please carefully weigh the perceived benefits of lower utility bills (and possible money from the state)against the inevitable harm to residents, and harm to the town's natural environment. Public LED conversion projects are forcing unacceptably severe consequences onto a vulnerable subset of the population in cities and. villages statewide. LED lighting has properties which make LED exposure harmful to living things. Light Emitting Diode peak intensity, non-uniform luminance, brightness,color content and spectrum, directionality, and flicker both visible and subliminal make LED lighting unique. These properties make LEDs an acute health threat to people with light-reactive medical conditions such as epilepsy, autism and lupus, and expose everyone to long-term, cumulative damage including increased cancer and childhood leukemia risks. Ecologically, these same unique properties make LED exposure potentially lethal for light-sensitive wild species, particularly amphibians and beneficial insects. Within the lighting industry the photo-toxic aspects of LED light are well-known and widely documented, as are the specific biological impacts, yet the general public remains largely unaware. Utility companies' typical measures to reduce LED-caused harm do not take into account cumulative damage, children's inherent vulnerability, or anyone in the highest risk category facing catastrophic or life-threatening LED-reactive adverse effects. Municipal governments are often taken by surprise when, after converting to the heavily promoted LED street lighting, they begin getting complaints of seizures, headaches,eye pain, neurological disturbance, dizziness, disorientation, sleep disruption, lupus flares,temporary blindness, loss of coordination, disability glare, aphasia and migraines, all directly in reaction to the new LED lights New York has tens of thousands of residents at the highest-risk of immediate harm,and government has a responsibility to these constituents and also any visitors with LED-light-reactive medical conditions. Each and every one of them has the right to be safe and free from injury and illness on the public streets and sidewalks. Some of them, such as people with epilepsy, also have federally- protected disability rights. LED-light-triggered epileptic seizures carry the risk of brain damage and sudden death, and any seizure-provoking lighting is automatically non-compliant under the ADA Amendment Act. Governments are prohibited from prioritizing municipal costs over individual human and civil rights, and similarly prohibited from imposing self-chosen limits on disability accommodations. For many individuals with epilepsy, even modified LED lighting is unsafe. LEDs are clearly unsuitable for use in public spaces. Please review the enclosed materials from the non-profit organizations Lightaware and Softlights. I also recommend that your board look to the Epilepsy Foundation of America for information about their photosensitivity task force ( formed in response to a nationwide surge of reported adverse reactions to increasingly inescapable LED lights ) and for information about Sudden Death in Epilepsy ( UDEP) plus medical research related to the seizure-inducing capacity of LED lighting. The US Department of Justice, Disability Bights Division; the US Public Access Board; the US Department of Labor, EEOC division,and the US Job Accommodation Network all have materials related to public access and safety rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I hope this is helpful to your board, and hope that you will proceed cautiously with any change to the town's infrastructure which could have such profound negative impacts. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sincerely, MarieAnn McCue Cherry 9 Broad Street 101 Regency Lane Cambridge,New York 12816 Ithaca, New York 14850 EPILEPSY FO U N A.,.."ON' NORTHEASTERN NEW YRK July 7, 2021 : Photosensitivity in epilepsy and LED lighting To Whomt May Concern: I am writing to provide information on photosensitivity and seizures and LED lighting. For about 3% of people with epilepsy, exposure to flashing lights at certain intensities or visual patterns can trigger seizures. This condition is known as photosensitive epilepsy. People with photosensitive epilepsy may need to take measures to avoid lighting that may trigger seizures. Factors that contribute to trigger a photosensitive reaction can include: • Frequency of the flash (how quickly 0 Distance between the viewer and the e light is flashing) light source • BrightnessWavelength oft e light • Contrast with background lightingWhether a person's eyes are open or closed Multiple studies have raised concerns about LED lighting and risks of epileptic seizures; I have included a sample of studies with this letter, along with additional studies and articles that discuss photosensitivity in epilepsy, generally. The included articles are cited alphabetically below. l. Bullock, G. 31 Jan 2017] Photosensitive epilepsy: How light can trigger seizures. Thera5 ees. Available: https:// .th raspecs.co /blo p otosensitive-epilepsy-how- different-types-of-li t-can-trigger-sei res/. 2. Harding, G., Wilkins, A., Erba, G., Barkley, G.L., & Fisher, S, (2005)Photic-and patte -induced seizures: Expert consensus of the Epilepsy Foundation of America working group. E ilepsia, 4 ( ):1423-1425, 3. Lehman, Wilkins, A, (201 )Designing to mitigate the effects of flicker in LED lighting: Reducing risks to health and safety. IEEE Power Electronics Magazine, September 2014, 1 -26. doi: 10,1109 L.2014.2330442. 4. Ticleanu C., Littlefair, P. (2015) A summary of LED lighting impacts on health. International Journal of Sustainable bighting, 34: -11. 5. Wilkins A., Veitch J., &Lehman B. (2010) LED lighting flicker and potential heap concerns: IEEE standard PAR1789 update, 2010 IEEE, Energy Conversion Congress and position, 171-178, doi: 10.1109/ECCE.2010.5618050. VNw Ifpfl¢fast'P ouiri l tt on Ps Volur urwavering a lly on your journey rdurnulha In 3 Washington Square (518)456-7501 Fax (518) 52-1282 epflepsy and sene:n,aes."Me Found atWn us a con,imuao~auny.Ikba eat,far0y Office Albany,NY 12205 ( )8 3223 Epllepsy.com/northeastern-new-york uaau organ zaflon dedicated la �mpaaa6ng the flves of a[I pe„o p e rrupaa:ted by seinn re s. Additional information about photosensitivity in epilepsy can be found on charitable epilepsy organization websites: • Epilepsy Foundation of American� o h tt �%N` y'%y ep QQjiu' e r i/ Li-seizurfs/ aind-se' e y Id S('17L RS�' 01 [Itt VWwwe)i1 a es • Epilepsy Society (UK): 01 1 Lt t4)S e I VIP5,I F;0 C i e I otoset�sifivc-elmle--r, q U .hj 1.,Y..L�L. 1,�/DIKAOS If there are questions, you may contact me at edenicola-scher@epilepsyneny.org. Yours sincerely, 1111111111M Erica DeNicola-Scher,MS Director of Community Education and Advocacy Coordinator Epilepsy Foundation of Northeastern New York Ow,[lAep&y rouiud-Afion iis your unwaveNng afly on your journey w0l Main 3 Washington Square (518)456-7501 Fax:(518)452-1282 epHelpsy and s6zwes.The Foundabon";a ccmignunifty bascd WMV Office Albany,NY 12205 (800)894-3223 Epilepsy.com/northeastern-new-york led qnganizawn dedwated to drnprrwirq,, the Wes of A peorAe wapacted hy SINZUMS April 27,2021 To Whom it May Concern, LED lights produce non-uniform luminance which is entirely foreign to biological systems. The peak luminance is from the center of the chip and has theoretically unlimited intensity. There are no government regulations to protect human beings from this type of light. While a typical person can tolerate approximately 300 candela per square meter,LED chips now produce peak intensity far more than 1,000,000 candela per square meter. Around 20%of the human population have very precise senses that can detect this non-uniform luminance. Some of these people have what it is known as Sensory Processing Sensitivity. Many others,such as people who suffer from migraine headaches,those with autism, epilepsy, and PTSD,can also detect this non- uniform luminance. Reactions range from debilitating migraine headache to feelings of emotional terror,to flashbacks and even seizure. This graph from the paper by Dr.M. Nisa Khan shows the non-uniform luminance and exceedingly high peak luminance of an LED. A detailed mathematical description of this situation can be found at this link. 879542 146 Z 4 4 2 4 5 4 fl; 0 .............................................................................. ir, pt:''k a "'pnc" � 70 1(11,lK10 'M X N"I"100 R H"e�v d A HIG H" %u I wr"'s' V'I'SAC Sincerely, Mark Baker, B.S.E.E. Soft Lights wvvw., mbaker@softlights.org "...in the brie finoinent bd1bre nq brain reacts, the to LEMs log like a spay olfstrrNbing neculle,s�" Excerpt from Dr, M. Nisa Khan's response to an account from this epilepsy patient experiencing seizures triggered by LED lighting: "'I am shocked, outraged, and saddened. I hope you understand fiow Frustrating it is for me at first not being able to get through to the scientists and engineers involved in light, o�ptics, and LED lighting:, then to see and understand what the LED lights are doing to some light-sensitive people, 'A spray of strobing needles' means she sees the ver�v intense directive light rays (millions and billions of them simultaneously) corning directly at her. This is exactly what: LEI) lights do in reality; at any, color/wavelength,A good tm jority of the people aren't seeing this reality in its ,c.,ntirety as their eyes are saturated to some niaxiMin light intensity. But their bodies and consciousness know it and at some point, they too will go borikers." M. Nisa Than, Ph,l), - Author I.Aiderylanding LED Illumination Excerpts from other individual accounts of LED-lighting caused illness and injury: " I have epilepsy as well,and know the damage the lights can cause" " I have not found a medication that stops seizures that are triggered by the (LED) lights" " Daily I am bombarded with seizure triggers (strobes on bieycles,dog collars, police and fire engines, and LEDs in stores, restaurants, and even in doctors' offices...which I find unforgivable!)...They also make my muscles twitch and I feel nauseous." "When exposed to LED light sources I experience nausea, vertigo, anomia and sometimes migraine-like, pounding headaches combined with a feeling of reality loss...certain street lights or LED panels induce very fierce symptoms after only a short exposure.". "Currently I am not employed or doing any volunteer work because of lighting in buildings...and other road lighting. I hate going out in public because of light sensitivity." "I had no previous health conditions, optical sensitivity or problems with headaches...Bright blue-ish LEDs also make me feel agitated and nauseous. I'm perfectly well if I stay away from these lights, but that means staying away from my children's school, the health center and hospital, most churches and meeting houses, libraries...much of life as I knew it. The times the symptoms last depend on the length of exposure to the lighting, but for ages afterwards I feel incredibly drained and down and 'wrong" all over." "This situation has recently gotten a lot worse with the introduction of LED street lighting...which causes the worst pain yet." "... no longer able to cycle, walk or drive wherever LED streetlights are installed as they instantaneously trigger bad headaches...which quickly develop into disabling migraines, including dizziness, not being able to think straight, some loss of coordination, and a general inability to function... symptoms lasting more than a day." "I have seizures when I glimpse an LED light...Anyone else experiencing the same?.?? "I cannot be around any LEDs...incandescent works perfectly well, but the lighting industry is desperate to phase them out..It's getting to be where many of us are prisoners in our own homes. " "The LED streetlights I have encountered have been pure and utter hell for me. Being around them I just feel burning right on my eyes...the pain is almost unbearable." "Blue light is recognized by photo-dermatologists to be much more penetrating and therefore much more aggravating for people with light sensitive skin conditions. The high blue content of the proposed street lighting...I would become totally housebound..." " I was bathed in a very bright LED street light from a new housing estate...I felt ..,a severe headache, the pain lasted for a month and was accompanied by general light sensitivity to all bright light." " It is well-known that light can affect the brain in negative ways, Sometimes I think: how has this happened ?How is this the kind of environment we want to live in?" "...the impact is far worse from LED lights...(I wear) special tinted glasses to try and mitigate the effects, but they only help to a limited degree. I'm concerned about when the relaxing orange street light outside my bedroom window will be changed to LED, because others have been converted in our road already.. if the one outside my window gets changed to LED, that would be a disaster for me." " I have special glasses I wear when going out that seem to help with bright lights. With the LEDs it can be tricky. If I notice any place I went to has LED lights, then I make it(a point to) remember. It helps me avoid them (LEDs). 44 all new street lights including LEDs make me feel disoriented, lose my balance and be unable to sense my feet... I have to hold onto another person to stop myself failing.After being exposed, I suffer a migraine." " Most LED street lights make me feel awful and unable to function well, with migraines, dizziness, pain, extreme discomfort,being on edge, and a substantial feeling of general malaise.Non- LED street lights are totally fine for me!" " Street lights in my area were changed over four years ago from sodium... effect on me so devastating(that I have) barely left the house or even opened my front door in the evening since they were installed. I can also be affected during the day as many LEDs are actually on permanently..." " I was already unable to work due to LED lighting in the offices but losing the freedom to be outside or even look outside at dawn or after dusk is a further disability I am having inflicted upon me. The winter months are a particularly difficult time as I have to draw the blinds and curtains in the middle of the day to avoid feeling ill." "a devastating change...excluded from work and leisure outside the house...(no) classes or meetings, even just walking through the town is impossible (since LED street lighting arrived)...very upsetting, but better than living in constant pain... " Additional Quotes: A question about problems with LEDs was posed to a private Facebook group for people with epilepsy. 85 out of 172 respondents answered 'yes' in some form, an almost 50%rate of affirmatives, despite the fact that photosensitive epilepsy is only known to occur in 34% of people with epilepsy overall. This statistic of almost 50% speaks to the extreme power of LED exposure to trigger seizures and other adverse neurological effects. Question: " Do LEDs lights cause problems for you? "(LEDs)are the worst. I do traditional bulbs in my home...I always need a at and do not go out much at night anymore." " Yes they (LEDS) do and they cause migraines! They are horrible! "When I first saw(LED light) it just killed me. I felt blinded by it! "Yes if I see (LED light)for a long period of time I will have a seizure and then get a bad headache after. " "In the frozen food section at all supermarkets, those(LED) lights give (me) a pre-aura sensation with a headache, dizziness, as well as confusion. " "We only have non-LED in our home. Our daughter has a great deal of trouble with LED lights they aggravate her epilepsy, as do florescent lights. "I wish (LED lights) would be illegal." "Yes, Headlights that are LED murder me at night. My girlfriend has to to the dash lights all the way down because she has an LED touchscreen. Friggin' blue LEDs are just the absolute worst, though." "Yes, they (LEDs)do (cause problems) for my kid. (they are seizure triggers.)" " (LEDs are) horrible to look at when driving. They are the worst!!! I just don't understand (LED headlights)could be legal." "Within seconds of being exposed to LED lights, even if I cannot see the actual light source, I begin to feel the effects. My symptoms are typical auric sensations before a seizure and migraine. I feel dizzy, cranky, shaky, I get heartburn, I am drawn to the source of the light.After a few minutes, I'll usually sit down (assuming I'm alone, which doesn't happen much) and either vomit or cry, or both.As a result of ubiquitous use of LED lights, I am now confined to my home, and I struggle to find lighting I can even use at home. When the exterior LED lights are turned on, I must close myself in my bedroom on the other side of the house. I suffer from (partial complex) seizures, so I mostly 'blank out' during and after exposure. If exposed long enough, I suffer status migraines that last for ten days." " My biggest fear is not being able to drive again, but my next fear is not being believed and there being no treatment as a result of that." "...my experience with LEDs compared to other lights?...They are THE WORST Media Release LED Street Lighting is ruining lives Most councils are installing LED street lighting,which is brighter and harsher than the sodium lighting it replaces. Many people cannot tolerate this lighting and develop migraines and headaches. Conditions like lupus can be made worse and many people on the autistic spectrum find it difficult to cope with them.People throughout the UK are having their lives ruined.Many more will suffer sleep disturbance and illness without realising that street lighting is the problem. LightAware's report"A bright Idea?•Adverse health,social and environmental impacts associated with LED street lighting"gathers evidence from scientific publications, responses to a Freedom of Information request from 120 Councils and a survey of people made Ill by LED street lighting. We found that councils continue to install LED street lighting to save money despite the latest advice on LEDs' health and ecological impacts: • 70 per cent of councils introduced LED street lights without any public consultation • only 48 per cent piloted their introduction. • only 45 per cent of councils conducted research into their safety • only 30 per cent took into account industry standard advice recommending less harsh lighting. Few councils undertook the relevant impact assessments before introducing LEDs: • only 22 per cent of councils undertook an Environmental Impact Assessment • only 32 per cent conducted an Equality Impact Assessment • only 21 per cent conducted a Disability Impact Assessment. If councils don't undertake a Disability Impact Assessment before installing LED street lighting,they could fall foul of legislation by failing to anticipate the potential for discrimination and failure to make reasonable adjustments for light-sensitive people. LightAware trustee Dr John Lincoln said, "Councils have spent over a billion pounds installing this dementor lighting and now people from all over the country are contacting us to say it is making them ill and causing them to go into permanent lockdown". LightAware is calling on councils to:STOP installing LED street lighting,LOOK at the official reports and scientific evidence, LISTEN to people's complaints and concerns and THINK about whether they are putting financial savings before people's health. For further information contact John Lincoln on 0131662 1620 or 07804609614. The Executive Summary is attached,the full report is available on our website www.lightaware.org Notes to editors: LightAware(www.lightaware.org) is a charity which was founded in 2015 to respond to the needs of those whose lives and health have been profoundly affected by the ban on incandescent lighting and the development of new forms of light,including LED technology.LightAware's charitable objectives are- • To raise awareness about the effects of artificial lighting on human health and wellbeing. • To stimulate discussion and Investigation into the effects of artificial lighting on human health and wellbeing. • To promote equality and diversity through encouraging provision of access to civic life for those excluded by sensitivity to artificial lighting. 1,ightAvVare: www.h h1a'lly LightAlware Statement on IFIFIE Relport oia LFJ") LightAware Response: LightAware welcomes the publication of the long-awaited report from Public Health England: Human Responses to Lighting based on LED lighting`Solutions. The charity shares the view that LED lighting poses risks to human health, flowing from flicker problems and disruption to circadian rhythms. We also believe there may be other factors which also trigger symptoms. LightAware has been contacted by a number of people who have attempted to use various types of LED lighting and in doing so have experienced extreme discomfort, with symptoms including headache and eye strain. In our experience there is an unknown percentage of the population for who no existing form of LED lighting is tolerable, and another who react badly to some but not all LEDs. Light-sensitive people, across the United Kingdom have visited clinicians in relation to LED induced disorders. However, it appears that some clinicians are unsure how to react to this relatively new condition, so the issue may go unreported. Adverse reaction to LED lighting appears to be a growing problem which is set to worsen as LEDs replace other forms of lighting. In particular the charity is worried that several councils have introduced powerful LED street lighting. LightAware believe that it is important to collect information on the scale and severity of this problem before LED lighting becomes so common as to make any peoples lives a misery. The charity would like to work with Public Health England to develop a methodology to get a better idea of the size of the 'unknown' section of the population suffering adverse reactions to LED lighting in its different forrns. Developing a system to measure the prevalence of light triggered disorders is essential, in order for PHE to properly evaluate the scale of this problem. To this end, LightAware would like to make the following suggestions: That PHE work with LightAware to develop a methodology to establish the scale and nature of the problem of adverse reactions to LED lighting. The charity is in contact with a variety of people who would be prepared to volunteer to be tested to monitor their reactions to LED lighting to help with this process. We would work with PHE to develop and pilot a survey to collect information from Neurology, Opthalmic and related departments to collect information on the number of patients complaining of reactions to LED exposure. Depending on the results of the survey we would examine options for establishing a central point of contact for clinicians and people suffering from light sensitivity to register adverse reactions to LED lights with a view to suggesting the best way forward. 9 J.,ightAware Case Studies The following 9 Case Studies from the LightAware charity are real life accounts of people I suffering a range of ill health symptoms triggered by LED and modem fluorescent lighting. LightAware is particularly concerned about the lack of suitable research and evidence about the effect of LED lighting on human health. Although people often tell us that they feel unwell under fluorescent lights, many are reporting that LED lighting triggers symptoms much more quickly, and with greater severity and frequency.As such, the adverse effect of these lights on people's lives can be devastating. The ban on incandescent lighting has proven to be catastrophic for many people who are made ill by LED and fluorescent lights. Likewise, the replacement of well tried and tested alternatives, such as sodium and metal halide, has further exacerbated the situation. This has caused ill health, social exclusion and job loss for many people, because the forms of artificial lights that have been made obsolete are the very ones they tolerate well. The following cases represent just a fraction of the many people in contact with LightAware who are suffering and disabled by fluorescent and LED lighting. Names and personal details have been changed to protect people's privacy. 1) Elizabeth Elizabeth is extremely sensitive to indoor and outdoor LED lighting. When LED street lights were erected outside her home, she couldn't even step into her front garden without symptoms including severe eye pain, migraine,nausea, vomiting, and vertigo,these symptoms starting immediately upon exposure. She recently moved house to live in the countryside to escape the LED street lighting in her town. However, there is no escape as neighbours and farms nearby have started to install LED security lighting outside,restricting her access to only parts of the garden. The neighbours next door have LED Christmas displays so she is trapped in her home for I month after dark at Christmas time. She feels this shows little compassion. When the street lights changed to LED, her employer also switched to LED backlit computer screens. She was already working under LED lighting and very sick everyday living on painkillers and anti-sickness tablets. She eventually had no choice but to leave her job. The widespread adoption of LED lights in the workplace has left her long term unemployed on no income. Cut off socially at home, Elizabeth is excluded from using essential communication technologies such as modem phones and computer screens as they are LED backlit. CFLs can cause symptoms for her too,though nowhere as severe or immediate as those from LED lamps.Although she is only in her thirties, Elizabeth feels most of the time she is living a very isolated life, that no-one should be subjected to. "I don't know where else to go. It's distressing that nothing is being done, but at least now I know many others who feel the same. LED lights have become commonplace, so I'm glad I have school and college behind me because I wouldn't be able to go if I was a child today." 2)Tony Tony was just a'normal young guy' in his 30s: living in London, working in an office, with a computer and smartphone and enjoying travelling. Some years after having laser eye surgery, he started suffering extreme eye pain and headaches when exposed to LED lighting. He is unable to use modem televisions, computer monitors and phones as the LED backlights trigger severe pain. In the work world, Tony is increasingly cut off from normal activities that people take for granted. 2 For Lightaware: .April 27, 2021 A story about epilepsy and LED street lights: I live in a small, appealing village of about twelve hundred residents, surrounded by farms and forests. My family has been very content living here for many years. I have life-long epilepsy and migralepsy. Medications don't control my condition, so I learned to manage my epilepsy by adapting my life habits and adjusting to carefully avoid anything known to cause my seizures. Over time it became second nature and I was healthy, happy, employed, independent, and nearly seizure-free for decades. Seven or so years ago, however, I had my first encounter with an LED light. It triggered one of the worst, most violent seizures I'd ever experienced. I didn't even know what LEDs were back then. Since then I've found that almost every version of LEDs provokes that kind of instantaneous reflex seizure, and other LEDs cause migraines which lead to seizures. It's a matter of minutes or of a split second, but one or the other happens every time I can't avoid LED lights. In the brief moment I have to see before my brain reacts, the worst LEDs look like a spray of strobing needles. Suddenly LEDs were turning up everywhere, impossible to avoid, It was getting harder and harder to manage or go about my normal life. Then in late December 2019, streetlights throughout our village were converted to LEDs. I'd alerted our mayor and trustees several times by then to my disability and the danger inescapable LEDs are for me. Over eighteen months the mayor reassured me that they wouldn't vote for any public lighting that they knew would harm me. False reassurance, as it turned out. They went ahead and did exactly that, saying afterwards that yes, they knew LEDs would hurt me, but I was just one person and they'd decided that financial advantage for the village was more important. The village got lower utility bills and a cash incentive, and in exchange I was thrust into the very crisis I'd tried to prevent.. From that night on, I suffered hundreds of breakthrough seizures,constant blinding headaches and migraines, repeated physical injuries and a whole array of after and side effects. I couldn't set foot out the door or even look out the windows when the lights were on. Sometimes I had seizures inside our house if LED light got around cracks in the shades. I was increasingly incapacitated, and after four months the threat was so severe I was forced to flee our home and community. I've been in temporary quarters on a dear friend's farm ever since. I'm deeply grateful to have a safe spot to sleep on, but I'm separated from my family and heartsick from wanting to go home. Neither the Village Trustees nor the utility company will make any effective accommodations for me, despite their actions being directly responsible for this devastation of my health and home life. We've been shut out of their discussions at every turn, and they won't communicate with us. They ignore everything we, my doctors,other village residents or The Epilepsy Foundation sends them. The mayor and trustees say they are"done"with the issue and have"zero desire"to help us. Our utility company, National Grid,just keeps referring us back to the mayor and trustees. It's as if my previous happy, healthy, free, contributory life never existed. I'm exhausted, terrified and traumatized, and it seems that no-one who could help rectify this injustice cares to get involved. My family and I are desperately trying to be heard. Not even the local police chief cares, calling it a matter for the mayor to address, and the mayor in particular is stunningly indifferent to my suffering. I'm cut off from everything. I've lost thousands of dollars in wages and incurred thousands more in medical bills.Awful incidents keep happening. I broke a tooth during an epileptic seizure that first terrible month. (An angry dentist, when asked to use different lighting, threw down her tools and stormed off announcing"I can't work like this!" Her office called me later, said I was a"difficult" patient and told me to go somewhere else.)The tooth is still broken and I have an abscess now, but I can't find a dentist who will repair it without using LEDs. Then three months ago I had a nasty accident, after dusk, out where I go to stay each night. I couldn't get to emergency treatment because the urgent care center and nearest hospital are surrounded by LEDs. Badly injured and in severe pain, I couldn't even try to recover at home - because of the LED street lights. I can't go shopping, can't get to or from work, can't use thruway rest rooms, can't walk up to take-out windows,can't be home for Hannukah candles, and can't take an evening stroll. I nearly had a seizure getting a COVID vaccine because the tent in the parking lot had LEDs on - in a tent, in the daytime! LEDs make a barrier I can't cross. Encountering one - inside or out - is like being cracked on the head with a brick. This has been my life for sixteen months and counting. Ten days ago National Grid finally swapped five LED bulbs back to the previous 14PS bulbs in street lights beside our home. We're on a comer in the middle of the village and the very next ring of LED street lights reaches our house. It's useless. As a friend from the synagogue said, "Oh great! Now you can stand up and turn around in your cage!" I might be marginally safer in the house. Maybe I could peek out of a window now, but a solution it's not. The mayor and trustees make it clear that five swapped lights is all I'll ever get, and the HPS bulbs will go straight back to LED after they bum out. Two of the five trustees (the mayor and deputy mayor) actually voted against even making even that tiny change. It did, however, demonstrate that LEDs can indeed be taken out and replaced, and the streets won't descend into darkness and chaos. I think of the other people with LED-light-sensitivity around the country, living their own version of this nightmare with the same staggering stress and fear for the future. Lately it's an effort for me to think about any different topic for any length of time. I read the paper, but good news seems to have nothing to do with me; bad news just compounds the misery. Either way, I'm not the engaged, productive person I was and no help now to anyone anyway, not even my own family. I'm trapped in a state of shock and don't recognize myself anymore..And all because of a light bulb. A light bulb! LtU streettiglits are tar tram eco-Mendly I Letter about:reader7url https%3AO/o2F/02P'www,the guardian.co m�/�2Fenvir. theguardian.com LED streetiffights are far from eco- friendly I Letter 34 minutes Why are LED streetlights, labelled "eco-friendly" just because they use marginally less electricity than their predecessors (LED streetlights decimating moth numbers in EngLand,_25 Auggst)? Reading your article about their impact on insects, bats and other wildlife, I would have thought "eco-destructive" would be more appropriate, particularly as they are not recyclable and the mining and processing of rare earth metals required for their manufacture is environmentally devastating. They aren't too friendly to humans either. Many people contact our charity, LightAware, to complain about how they make health problems, such as migraine, much worse. Dr John Lincoln Trustee, LightAware I c)f 3, 9/1/2021, 12:19 PPV ED streetlights are tar tram eco-tnendly q Letter nouvreacierturi=DUPS�143 ANZr f'OZI`WWW.tneguaruian.corrl'�0/t,ell V If.. ... we have a small favour to ask. With much of the US now trapped in a vicious cycle of heat, wildfires and drought, our climate journalism has never been more essential, and we need your support to keep producing it. Perhaps you're familiar with the Guardian's reputation for hard-hitting, urgent reporting on the environment. We view the climate crisis as the defining issue of our time. It is already here, making growing parts of our planet uninhabitable. As parts of the world emerge from the pandemic, carbon emissions are again on the rise, risking a rare opportunity to transition to a more sustainable future. The Guardian has renounced fossil fuel advertising, becoming the first major global news organisation to do so. We have committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2030. And we are consistently increasing our investment in environmental reporting, recognising that an informed public is crucial to keeping the worst of the crisis at bay. More than 1 .5 million readers, in 180 countries, have recently taken the step to support us financially — keeping us open to all and fiercely independent. With no shareholders or billionaire owner, we can set our own agenda and provide trustworthy journalism that's free from commercial and political influence, offering a counterweight to the spread of misinformation. When it's never mattered more, we can investigate and challenge without fear or favour. of 3 911/2021, 12:19 PM VCu s mtngins uecimaung main numbers in r-ngiana anout:reaoerrurr=nttps°fo-JAioLr folrw w.tne uaraian.comusotrenvwr. thguarian.com decimatingLED streetlaights numbersin England Damian Caning#on 7-9 minutes "Eco-friers ly" LED streetlights produce even worse lightpollution for insects than the traditional sodium bulbs they are replacing, study has found. The abundance of math caterpillars in hedgerows by rural roads i England was 5 % lower under LED lights and 41 ! lower under sodium lights when compared with nearby unlit areas. In grass margins, moth caterpillar numbers near LEDs werethird lower than in unlit areas, whereas sodium lights had little t on abundance. The white LED lights are more energy efficient u produce more blue light, say scientists, which is the colour predominantly seen by insects. Moths are important pollinators and provide essential food for birds and animals, but the total abundance of moths in Britain dropped by a third over the past 50 years. Reports of plunging insect pgpglations have alarmed scientists, with the destruction of wild places, pesticides and the climate crisis being major causes. Light pollution is increasing globally and described by a recent review as an "im ortant but often overlooks ring r of the insect apgcalyp e" as it makes insects r visible to predators and disrupts feeding and reproduction. The study is the first to examine the impact of LEDs in a real-world setting and the first to show the direct impact of light pollution caterpillars. The caterpillars are less mobile than adult moths, and 1 ai'5, 9/1/2021, 12:24 PIV .LD streetlights decimating mom numuers in tnglana aooutseauerturi oittps-/o.)A-/ozr-/o/.rwww.tijcguittuiati-cuiil-/O/-rclivit... therefore show more precisely the local losses caused by light pollution. The researchers said flying moths were attracted by light but may then be more vulnerable to predators, meaning they lay fewer eggs. They said the wide range of moth species they studied suggested their results would apply to other nocturnal insects. "It's a really striking result," said Douglas Boyes, of the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, who led the new research. "We found numbers that you're not really used to ecology. You usually find maybe 5-10% changes here and there, but we found up to 50% drops in the number of caterpillars in the areas lit by streetlights. "LEDs are the baddies in our story, if you like, because they're worse in terms of their effect at the moment, but they also have the potential to be much better than sodium lighting." LEDs are dimmable, can be linked to motion sensors and can have cheap filters fitted to screen out blue light. LEDs are energy efficient, leading to reduced climate-warming emissions. They are often brighter than sodium lamps, although not at the locations in the study. Prof Darren Evans, of Newcastle University, who was part of the study, said: "Light pollution is one of the few causes of biodiversity loss that has easy [and immediate] solutions. We need a balance between protecting both public safety and wildlife, by ensuring that lighting is well designed, away from important habitats and switched on for limited times." ..B. a t.-::ftien'd K.Eg fitjigll�ting was installed on a road in Worcestershire in 2019. Matt Shardlow, of the insect charity Buglife, said: "This new evidence demonstrates the massive impact that light pollution is having on local populations of insects, contributing to the terrible decline in insect abundance we have all observed. "Given the harm artificial light causes, and the government corrunftent [in,,,2018j_tp LqoLiqg_L�g Lit,_pO,qjjqn, it is unacceptable ........................ that it is refusing to commit to a national light pollution reduction of 5 9/V2021, 12:24 PM LCLJ UVLlllldtlllg 1110til flulikoem ill r-rigiallu avout.reauerturi-nErps-/ojA-/ozr-/o/-r .www.ineguaraian.com-/ozV envir. target." Another study in Belgium showed that streetlights harmed the qLi Lit of female gllow worms to attract a mate. It found that beetles in dark areas usually found a mate after one night of glowing but those in lit areas took up to 15 nights. In England, glow worm numbers have plunged by1hree-quarters since 2001. Insect populations are suffering "death by--a,th o"" ki,sa"n,d_c,u"t,S", with many failing at "frightening" rates that are "tearing apart the tapestry of life", according to scientists behind a volume of studies published earlier in 2021. The latest research, published in the journal Science Advances, studied 26 pairs of roadside sites in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Berkshire, where lit and unfits ctions were on average 100 metres apart. Boyes spent more than 400 hours sampling more than 2,000 caterpillars. The scientists are using DNA analysis to see whether parasitic wasps lay their eggs more frequently in caterpillars in lit areas, is could be an additional explanation for the lower populations. Boy es said better protecting moths was essential. "We've of 2,500 species in the UK. They're really important as prey for birds, bats, hedgehogs and other predatory invertebrates. But they're also really important pollinators. They do the night shift after the daytime pollinators have on to bed." A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: "Insects are a vital part of our natural environment and protecting them is a priority. We have set a legally binding target for species abundance for 2030, is will drive the right mix of actions to address the loss of wildlife, including insects, and address the interacting pressures on biodiversity such as light pollution." ... we have a small favour to ask. With much oft US now trapped in a vicious cycle of heat, wildfires and drought, our climate journalism has never been more essential, and we need your 3 of-5, 9il/2021, 12:24 Ptv Reference is and Resources • Light Pollution Is Getting Worse Every Year. That's Bad For Your Health lqtos:p'°� nre. of ,il` alb 3t��91JIu��h .I��w II Lrrio1.l -health/ • Potential Biological and Ecological Effects of Flickering Artificial Light l l tl ,a w way nit ha.nlnr a�j lL� v:rl rp a°fi les/1"MC41038456,, LED lighting flicker and potential health concerns: IEEE standard PAR1789 update �tttl M www �e � ra° gat „n �Jl�aul LIl lion��? 1 7 L l tt lmla2ntan,,,m fuel er anal mmp l raals I lie I .°° .°,..°. M�j ��. � mmjjn III concerns If-,EE standard PAR.17819 • Daily exposure to blue light may accelerate aging, even if it doesn't reach your eyes, study suggests 11itt js:_Pa°4o,ja !,qn ,e ,"new,1d"L w„e p doesn9 a&2',` i)99t-rea�;h 'a µ y �y . LED lights damage eyes and disturb sleep, European health authority warns 1V tlp...Hwvvvv,enn.conic'Sri,�1��/05,116/hed lth/bIue.-Iuig rt-lad..hea.Ith°°el`l"nets-bg-trnd/ins ex.ht I New LED streetlights may double cancer risk, new research warns r)ew^re.searcl°i""'%(,,,tiiiIs,I • Study: Nighttime LED light increases risk of cancer jj.jq�jjea the and m.Iecll'D( lealtil,� ti.d -increases rush_� i = tne.l u i ..:. -----ee� • Light Pollution, Sleep Deprivation, and Infant Health at Birth L tl s°,a` allerw suuupn. u'nJs L paters c1rn?abstua,wa id., *ti • Consequences of Artificial Light atNight: The Linkage between Chasing Darkness Away and Epigenetic Modifications Litt;' 'w me h r . "on,,i/�� k� �n ueiits-i,) 'atifiillLi i� u a 9 v➢ a1 t ::: nl ttg� l la a t c Il�g acui I,a�rll n qjj j-a jjy—. ut lg ui 1 tic-ni • by light at night has long term risks for children- and even fetuses in the womb jqj'' � ,' '� ^�na°a � �yr a iI c� oul(Jhl altfi��arti� le 5 Ll ) by w9nLli l 1.,:Ionut, nn.. sk r hiIdre n,. , . �..ry , .. .,: ,. �. .. ., ,,._. ..„ • Health Effects From Light Exposure Can Be Passed on to Chi I dren:Researchers say the negative effects from night lights can include inhibiting our body's ability to fight disease. t)tl '"" h[e lta ilinc,,cona/litcatlih ntkwsllil t p� �sr , J rrh ;,,f"��4.se t� childr�,,p 1 • Light-emitting-diode induced retinal damage and its wavelength dependency in vivo l�ltp //www �cbi,wn I � ill.g a!� arnn:..a r �«L /ll . 7 1. A summary of LED lighting impacts on health ht s://via g� hg ne au��,io / 2 ,, 6 1,311 liealth • Low-energy light bulbs 'can trigger epilepsy' https J/www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-464080/Low-energy-light-bulbs-trigger- epilepsy.html Photosensitive Seizures https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/p/photosensitive- seizures.html LED lighting and Epilepsy https://www.coping-with-epi lepsy.com/threads/led-li ghting-and-ep i l epsy.l3 765/ Why Do Flashing Images Cause Seizures? tutl � //w � mit��sonian ap o / inart-- n 2 y Pwhjn i t lg c i „s t o ri 1809 1 Light Pollution Effects on Wildlife and Ecosystems https://www.darksky.org/light-pollution/wildlife/ Artificial light at night as a new threat to pollination https://www.nature.com/articies/nature23288 • LED lighting increases the ecological impact of light pollution irrespective of color temperature h // vs sc lug ¢ n, 4 I,pbli�A« ,i„onJ 67070067w�LED �,� �� crea � p,, ./:. ,w When Nights Are No Longer Dark: Effects of Artificial Light at Night on Agroecosystems https://www.led-professional.com/resou ees-1/articles/when-nights-are-no-longer-dark-effects- of-artificial-light-at-night-on-agroecosystems • These Energy-Saving Bulbs Are Making One Pollutant Much Worse !,jtjjLs,: /www.n pqgct :atlnt cttt�rcac / l l/i..l,lal,,.tolni � �� rcrt :lDaAq �1 • Epilepsy Rates on the Rise in the United States httpsHwww.phartnacytimes.com/news/epilepsy-rates-on-the-rise • Epigenetics Abraham Haim https//www.intechopen.com/books/epigenetics • Hit the Lights! Light Pollution's Negative Impact on Urban Trees https//www.deeproot.com/blog/blog-entries-hit-the-lights • Lethal effects of short-wavelength visible light on insects https:,��www.nature.com/articles/srep07383 ,aG 0 THE LAMA LA W FIRM LLP 2343 North Triphammer Road Ithaca, NY 14850 ` Luciano L. Lama,Esq.,Partner Phone; (607)27-LEGAL Gana A Lama,Esq., Partner ((607)275-3425) Fax: (607)257-2602 N4 SERVICE BY FAX Septcmber 8, 2024 Paulette Rosa Town Clerk. 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca,New York 14850 RE. Jeanne Mackin 306 Stone Quarry Road Ithaca,New York. Dear Ms. Rasa, Please be advised I represent Jeanne Mackin. A large pothole has developed at the entrance of her driveway on Stone Quarry Road, which we consider to be a current hazard, and potentially ve ious hazard. such, e respectfully request that this be brought to the attention of the Highway Depart 'lent diately for retnedy, f inceret Luciano L. Lamy Fsq. ccl; Jeanne Mackin JAL TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 www.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING October 18, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent 1. Retention: Six-Year, 1. Notification of Board Member upcoming absence Retention: One-Year 1. Paulette Rosa NEENNEEMENEW From: Paulette Rosa Sent: Saturday, October 16, 2021 4:52 PM To: Becky Jordan; Bill Goodman; brock@clarityconnect.com; Daniel Thaete; Donna Shaw; Eric Levine;Joe Slater;John Little;Judy Drake; Marty Moseley; Pam Bleiwas; Pat Leary; Paulette Rosa; Rich DePaolo; Rod Howe; Susan Ritter;TeeAnn Hunter Subject: Rich DePaolo out Good afternoon, As required by our Board Protocol Manual, Rich DePaolo has informed the Town Clerk that he will be out November 91h through the 3 01h. Thank you Paulette Paulette Rosa Town Clerk, RMO (607) 273.1721 xt 110 TOWN OF ITHACA NEW YORK ° of lt `� TOWN OF ITHACA 215 NORTH TIOGA STREET, ITHACA, N.Y. 14850 �014_ wwww.town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING November 8, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Perrnanent 1. Finger Lakes Land Trust Annual Property Monitoring Report 2. Letters re: STR's (see committee project file) 3. Retention: Six-Year 1. Retention: One-Year 1. S 11�� Finger re Lakes - �rust 20 a isa Court Street Ithaca, N1ew-'York 04850 g Ouap1rolecil' kh nir0asHa�l iu Pr, ruly r,� t�sa. 1 �m��u_d �r8 o. r�,sr� . October 22, 2021 Rod Howe„,"Town Supervisor Joseph Talbut, Parks Maintenance Manager Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca,NY 14850 Dear Mr. Howe and Mr. Talbut, I'm writing to let you know that on October 14, 2021 my co-worker Hailey Nase, Conservation Easement Steward for the Finger Lakes Land Trust, conducted this year's routine property monitoring visit of the"Town of Ithaca's Pine Tree Wildlife Preserve (located along,the East Hill Recreation Way, adjacent to the East Ithaca Nature Preserve), which is subject to a conservation easement granted to the Finger Lakes Land Trust, Thank you, Mr. Talbut, for coordinating ahead of time with Hailey, and letting her know that there have not been significant changes on the property since the last visit. While at the property, Hailey observed some public use and enjoyment of the park for hiking. She noted routine trail maintenance, including new crushed stone along one of the paths; and mowing of the NYSEG utility corridor right-of=way. She mentioned that the planted trees and shrubs appear to be doing well. Otherwise, she did not observe any changes in land use or property condition,,or any issues of concern. Have a wonderftil fall season? Sincerely, Chris 0 ney, Director of Stewardship Rcxydl d II'ag5tiui IL^,Y afl: itl"IV'?ll@f1h.org,, WWE?b5'ite- ",vv%v.f1h.CU➢.gx a.s TOWN OF ITHACA NE W Y 0 R K TOWN CLERK Paulette Rosa,Town Clerk&Becky Jordan, Deputy Town Clerk 215 N.Tioga St 14850 607.273.1721 townclerk@town.ithaca.ny.us CORRESPONDENCE LISTING December 13, 2021 Please review the following correspondence and indicate, by placing your initials in the right-hand column adjacent to the correspondence that you wish to receive a copy. We can forward a copy to you via e-mail or make a hard copy. Please indicate your preference next to your name at the bottom of this form. Correspondence—Item Please place your initials here if you wish to receive a copy Retention: Permanent, 1. Letter re: Marijuana Commercialization Retention: Six-Year, 1. Liquor license waiver request&30-day notice of intent to apply Retention: One-Year Paulette Rosa From: Rod Howe Sent: Monday, December 6'2O218:22AM To; Paulette Rosa Subject: FW: Medical Society Letter regarding Marijuana Commercialization in Tompkins County Attachments: Marijuana Commercialization in Tompkins[ounty.pdf From:Josephine Chu McAllister,MDFAAD*jooie.mcmUister@8maiicom> Sent: Monday,December 6,2O217:27AK4 To: Les|ynK4cQean'[|airburne<Ies|yn@twcny.rr.com> Cc:df|eming@ci!yofithaca.org;Rod Howe<R Howe @town.ithaca.ny.us>;irene_weiser@toxvnofcaro line.org; supervisnr@townofdanbyny.oqQ;d{amb@dryden.ny.us;supen/iaor@ptovvnofenfie{d.urg;supervisor@0otontmvvn.com; jvvetmore@|ansinAtownzom;jjames@nevvMeldny.or#; supemisor@u|ysses.ny.us; |vvoodard@cayu8a-heights.ny.os; K4ayor@dryden'ny.oqg;dmf1O4I1@u8mui|.cnm;conQer.betty@gmai|.com;c|erk@olonsing.cnm; moyur@trumansburg- ny.gov Subject: Medical Society Letter regarding Marijuana Commercialization in Tompkins County Dear Tompkins County Legislature; Board of the City of Ithaca; Boards of the Towns of Ithaca,Caroline, Danby, Dryden, Enfield,Groton,Lansing, Newfield,and Ulysses;and Boards of the Villages of Cayuga Heights, Dryden, Freeville,Groton, Lansing,and Trumansbuqg, As you may know,the NYS Legislature and Governor Cuomo have legalized marijuana in our state. However,each county has the opportunity and responsibility to make their own decisions about opting in or out,and whether to allow the cannabis industry to make their products available in the local environment. In partnership with our physician colleagues at the Medical Society of the State of New York,the Tompkins County Medical Society Board has compiled the attached letter to help inform this very important decision that Tompkins County will beundertaking. We sincerely hope that the decision to opt in or out will be made in the best interests of public health and safety for Tompkins County residents. Thank you for your consideration, Josephine[.McAllister, K4DFAAD President,Tompkins County Medical Society Josephine C. McAllister, N4D FAAD Den-natoloaist and Founder, DAI President,�ompkins County Medical Society President,Central New York Den-natology Society American Academy of Dermatology President's Circle 1051 Craft Road, Ithaca NY 14850 3773 Luker Road,Cortland NY 13045 The information nanommwvm�/*^-mw/�/o�nnedvmy�nnepamonp,eno�w=mxmvw � m co nfidential an d/or material,including"protected x°anommnnauon.^ If you are not the intended recipient,you are hereby notified that any review,retransmission, dissemination,distribution,p,copying*x this message im strictly prohibited. l/you have received this communication in error,please destroy and delete I Information for Those Considering the Sale of Marijuana for Recreational or Medicinal Purposes We, the Board of Directors of the Tompkins County Medical Society, are writing to provide information to those who would make decisions about the development of the recreational marijuana/cannabis industry in Tompkins County. This document has been a combined effort of several physicians associated with their respective county medical societies in Upstate New York. There are two parts to arguments against recreational marijuana/cannabis in our communities: 1) the often-overstated benefits of development of this industry; and 2) the real and very often under-estimated negative consequences arising from the use of marijuana/cannabis. The Over-Stated Benefits of the Marijuana Indust1y One of the suggested benefits is a large tax windfall from marijuana/cannabis sales. Unfortunately, this potential for tax windfall is a false hope, if not an outright lie by the cannabis industry. Historically, the other legal addictive substances— alcohol and nicotine—have been touted for providing a tax surplus, but in fact these substances have total costs that far exceed the revenues generated. - The true financial cost of alcohol use in the USA, when accounting for healthcare, lost productivity, motor vehicle accidents, etc., is $249 billion per year.I This annual cost compares to net annual sales of$212 billion.2 As such,the annual cost of alcohol use exceeds the total sales, and the tax revenue is a small percentage of this sales amount. For alcohol, total sales come nowhere close to covering the societal costs of alcohol consumption. Taxes on alcohol sales are collected at both the state and federal level. It is estimated that the US government collects $1 billion in alcohol-related excise taxes per month, or$12 billion per year . This is roughly 5% of the costs incurred. States also collect excise taxes on alcohol, but again this is a much smaller sum than the costs. So, the claim that taxes on alcohol cover the costs is not true and in fact falls short by perhaps a factor of I 0-fold. Experience with tobacco is similar. The true financial cost of tobacco has been estimated to be $300 billion per year in 2010 (much higher now)'. This compares to annual sales of$50 billion.' For tobacco, the societal costs exceed sales by a factor of 6 to 1. There is no reason to believe that marijuana/cannabis products will be different than alcohol or tobacco products. In a full accounting of the predictable medical and other costs of marijuana, as has been done for alcohol, the community costs of cannabis following legalization and retail development are almost certain to be more than the potential tax revenue. Once Albany has tax revenues from cannabis in their hands, the State will likely spend the funds on a laundry list of pet projects and not on the increased health care costs caused by cannabis. 1. Grant BF et al. Epidemiology of DSM-5 alcohol use disorder. JAMA Psychiatry. 2015;72:757 2. "Alcoholic beverage market overview in the United States."Available at www.parkstreet.com/alcoholic-beverap-e-market- overvi erview>. 3. Alcohol Tax by State 2021 (worldpopulationreview.com) 4. United States Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking—50 years of progress, a report of the surgeon general. A Report of the Surgeon General 2014. 5. Johnson,B. "Engineering Neurobiological Systems: Addiction. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 41 (2018) 331-339. The Under-Stated Harms of Cannabis Use First, have we learned nothing from the opioid crisis? With OxyContin, a business entity (Purdue Pharmaceutical)very much overstated the benefits and widely understated the risks of their product to improve sales. In doing so, Purdue made billions of dollars. Is that different from the current push by the marijuana/ cannabis industry? Businesses seeking to make a profit from cannabis are wildly overstating the benefits and downplaying the risks. • Multiple states have preceded NY with legalization, so we should use their experience to see what is in store for NY communities. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) looked at the increase in traffic deaths in Colorado and estimated that that legalization results in an annual increase in traffic accident related deaths of 75 per year . Another recent study in JAMA looked at the consequence of the increase in driving fatalities in the first 4 states to legalize marijuana. That study found that if all 50 states were to legalize marijuana, there would be an expected increase of 6800 traffic fatalities per year.' Do we want that kind of increase in traffic accidents due to cannabis use in our local communities? 1. Association of Recreational Cannabis Laws in Colorado and Washington State with Changes in Traffic Fatalities, 2005-2017. AMA Intern Med. 2020 Aug 1;180(8):1061-1068. doi: 10.1001/jamaintemmed.2020.1757. 2. Change in Traffic Fatality Rates in the First 4 States to Legalize Recreational Marijuana. AMA Intern Med. 2020 Aug 1;180(8):1119-1120. doi: 10.1001/jamaintemmed.2020.1769. The Potential Ps chiatric Harms of Marijuana/Cannabis Cannabis use boosts the incidence of psychosis and increases the incidence of schizophrenia 2 to 4-fold. Schizophrenia typically develops in late teens and young adults. Do we want to see more of our youth fall to schizophrenia? Some have proposed that CBD products can reduce psychosis, but a Yale study found no benefit of CBD in reduction of psychosis symptoms.I A 2021 study in Denmark found a causal relationship between cannabis use and the development of schizophrenia, including a 3 to 4-fold increase in the risk of developing schizophrenia among marijuana users from 1995 to the present. The authors proposed that this increased risk was due to the increasing potency of marijuana over this time period.2 1.htt s:Hmedicine, ale.edu/ s chiat /ste /resources/Cannabis%20Use%20and%2 OPs chosis 380524 284 47327 v2. df 2. Hjorthoj C, et al. Development Over Time of Population-Attributable Risk Fraction for Cannabis Use Disorder in Schizophrenia in Denmark. JAMA Psychiatry, 2021;78(9):1013-1019. Additional Harms of Smoking Marijuana Second-hand marijuana smoke increases upper respiratory infections in children by 30%.' This may result in long-term damage to their lungs, in the most serious instances impairing their lung function in adulthood. Infectious insults to the rapidly growing and still-developing lungs in the first 1-3 years of life have been associated with restrictive or obstructive lung function deficits and an increased risk of debilitating and costly diseases including adult asthma, non-smoking related COPD, and bronchiectasis.2 1. Johnson AB, et al. Association between secondhand marijuana smoke and respiratory infections in children. Pediatr Res. Published online July 29, 2021. 2. Chang AB and K Grimwood. Long-term effects of pneumonia in young children. Pneumonia 6: 101-114 (2015). The Effect of Marijuana During Pregnancy Maternal cannabis use during pregnancy leads to decreased birth weight and an increase in childhood anxiety, aggression, and hyperactivity.' Further, a 2020 study demonstrated that women in states where marijuana was legalized were 3 times more likely to report concurrent cannabis and tobacco use during pregnancy.2 Thus, the data shows that marijuana smoking has serious negative consequences on fetal and infant health, and in states where marijuana has been legalized, pregnant women are much more likely to smoke both marijuana as well as cigarettes. 1. Rompala G, Nomura Y, Hurd YL. Maternal cannabis use is associated with suppression of immune gene networks in placenta and increased anxiety phenotypes in offspring. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Nov 2021, 118 (47). 2. Skelton KR, Benjamin-Neelon SE. Charactistics Associated with Prenatal Cannabis Use Vary with Legality of Recreational Cannabis. Journal of Women's Health. 2021 Nov; 30(11): 1565-1572. Economic Considerations As we seek to position central NY in the modem national and international economy, we need to look at cannabis products and their impact on the central NY work force. The modem economy is based on knowledge, innovation, the ability to learn, and a focused motivation and drive. As we seek to compete with China, India, and other countries that are focused on knowledge, innovation, learning, and where motivation and drive are rewarded, we must took at the unfortunate effects of marijuana use on NY workers. Cannabis products are known to produce the exact opposite of what our communities need to be economically competitive. A long list of studies has demonstrated that cannabis reduces the ability to learn, the ability to pay close attention, and impairs memory and learning that persists for more than a week after the use of cannabis. Because of this, daily, or near daily marijuana users function at a reduced mental capacity most or all the time.I Negative cognitive impacts are not limited to youth, as the large CARDIA study demonstrated negative effects into middle age. Among current marijuana users, cumulative lifetime use of marijuana was associated with decline in verbal memory, processing speed, and executive function.2 We must ask ourselves if we truly want to allow businesses to sell a product that interferes with the ability to learn and function cognitively, impacting our youth and middle age adults, our future work force—which central NY needs in order to compete globally. Legalized cannabis will harm the central NY workforce, most especially our children, reducing their potential to engage in the modem knowledge-based economy. 1. National Institute of Health website: www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research- reports/marijuana/how-does-marijuana-use-affect-school-work-social-life 2. Reto A, et al. Association between Lifetime Marijuana Use and Cognitive Function in Middle Age: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2016 Mar; 176(3):352-361, Conclusion Given the list of notable negatives from the use of marijuana f cannabis products, negatives that impact both the individual as well as the broader community, where are the benefits? The data supporting the claims of benefit for cannabis products is poorly supported and not compelling to physicians who are used to evaluating the impact of new drugs on patient care. The individuals and entities promoting these supposed benefits are almost always those who stand to make a profit off the sale of cannabis products (just as in the case of Purdue Pharmaceutical). With a long list of risks, and a lack of data supporting overall benefit, why would we allow the sale of cannabis in our community? Recreational marijuana use has been legalized in our state. Each community has the opportunity and responsibility to make their own decisions about allowing the cannabis industry to make their products available in the local environment. In addition, each individual and family unit will be making decisions about when and whether to try any of these products for recreational use or for medicinal purposes. This report is intended to give all such decision makers additional information to help them to make better decisions. Josephine C. McAllister, MD FAAD President, Tompkins County Medical Society On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Tompkins County Medical Society, a member of the Sixth District Branch of the Medical Society of the State of New York