HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2021-03-04 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board (CB) Meeting
March 4,2021, 5:34 PM
Final Minutes
Because of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Meeting was held
electronically via Zoom. It was recorded.
Members present: Lori Brewer, Lindsay Dombroskie, Elizabeth Hageman,James Hamilton, Eva
Hoffmann,Joann Kowalski, Carolyn Lee, Michael Roberts
Staff: Michael Smith, Senior Planner
Guest: Brian Crandall (Ithaca Voice)
1. Persons to be heard: Brian Crandall just wanted to attend, without comment.
2. Members' Concerns: Mike R. noted that his wife, Leslie Zolnik, was real good at getting Covid vaccine
appointments for anyone who needed help doing so. Let him know if you'd like this help.
3. Chairperson and Coordinator Reports:
Chairperson: Lori reported a resident wanted to know what the Town planned for a property on Seven
Mile Drive, where a dilapidated structure near the Town's public works establishment had recently been
demolished. Reggie Ceasley would like to plant a pollinator garden there; other 4-H clubs could help
plant it. Mike S. thought other Town parks or preserves might be more appropriate places for gardening,
but would be glad to help get a pollinator garden put in somewhere if the CB wants to promote it.
Coordinator, Mike Smith: Mike S explained the Town's deer management program had taken 17 deer so
far, despite bad snowstorms putting off the installation of baiting stations. Mike R said that Cornell's
deer take had had a slow start, too, with the heavy early season snow cover.They hope March weather
will let hunters take more deer soon. Mike S has had to order replacement parts for one deer stand
vandalized last month. Mike R will attend a deer program webinar for his Cornell job and report next
month how that went.
4. Approval of minutes from February 4, 2021:James wanted to note that his "member's concern"
about the carbon footprint of Zoom meetings was a problem only for recorded meetings, like this one,
as the recording takes up much more storage space when participants record their video camera data.
Turning off your video camera and meeting by audio only saves server space and reduces the carbon
emissions that power server farms. Last month's minutes were approved (moved by James, seconded by
Eva)with minor errors around acronyms and 12 corrections of hyphens ("-") corrected as em-dashes
("—")throughout.
5. Discussion of the 2020 Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award nominees:The group
discussed the relative merits of Primitive Pursuits (PP)and Finger Lakes ReUse, both nominated by
James. No other nomination was received.The seven voting members present chose PP by 6 to 1.James
will get the award procedure going soon by sending an email with draft award letter to PP for Lori to
edit as she likes and to sign when Mike S can print it on official Town letterhead and mail to PP at their
office in Cornell's Cooperative Extension office on Willow Ave. Mike R noted that ReUse "was a fine
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nomination and definitely worthy of consideration in the future." Lindsay wants us to ask Primitive
Pursuits "if there is a species that would be Particularly meaningful (e.g., a medicine, food, or fiber that
is emphasized in their programing)that we could see if we can find to plant for the award."Joanne
"like(s) Lindsay's idea and also would like to suggest we have a group of youth participants involved in
the award presentation and planting."
6. Discussion of board membership and recruitment ideas:James wanted to have associate members
follow the same attendance rules as full voting members:those with more than two unexcused
absences per month would be asked by chair to resign. Nobody else wanted to get that strict. Lori hoped
that members should be allowed to "stay in the loop" even if they didn't attend. We shouldn't worry
about associates when we don't have a full voting membership, but might revisit the associate rules
once we reach full strength. As we need two more members to make the allowed nine, Mike R
suggested we dedicate a special period for promoting recruitment of new members. We could do this in
November or December, but should still try to find residents willing to attend meetings in the
meantime. Lori thinks a CB member job description would help folks understand what we come to
meetings for, and will draft one for consideration at next month's meeting.James volunteered to help
edit a draft of such description. We should be sure to recruit for members at any public event we
attend; the Streets Alive festival downtown, for instance, was a good place to hunt for those who might
be interested. Our new CB brochure explains that we seek new members.
7. Review and update the CB brochure:The previous February 23, 2021 update was considered for final
draft approval so Mike S can print them for distribution to prospective members and the public visiting
Town Hall. Minor typos were corrected, two items in a list re-arranged, the word "scouting" changed to
"surveying."The middle text involving "Zoom meetings"was revised so readers could call Town Hall if
they wanted to attend a Zoom video chat with us at our monthly meeting.The "Last updated" date
would be changed to March 4, 2021, as we think this draft works as updated and approved now.The
new brochure will replace the old one linked to the Town's official CB web page, too.
8. Regular Reports and Updates:
a. Environmental Review Committee:A development plan on Elm St. Extension seemed to have a
problem with a stream not recognized as needing a 75-foot setback that Lindsay noticed wasn't
recognized.This supposed stream, however, turned out to be an artifact in the map Town Planners use
for our setback requirements.The error in our map was corrected, and Lindsay thanked for noticing this
technical problem.The soils around the actual stream may still need special consideration, as they're
very wet. Mike R. wants vehicles and fill to take special care not to bring in or take out invasive species.
A Buddhist library plan on South Hill looks good so far, but is still in its early stages.
b. Scenic Resources Committee: Eva and James have been revising the text of an interpretive view sign
proposed for the corner of Pine Tree and Snyder Hill Rds on East Hill. She wants to make a presentation
next month to the full CB to show what the SRC has done so far;we agreed to put it on the agenda. She
hopes members will look at the National Parks feasibility study for a Finger Lakes National Heritage Area
(NHA). She had recently sent us an email with the URL for a survey asking for public input on the
feasibility study.James had spent a couple hours Wednesday(3/2/21) submitting his comments to this
study, and found the website very well designed and interested. Members should please go to the
National Parks Service's landing page at:
htt s: ark tannin .n s. ov ro`ectlliome.cfm? ro`ectlld=9 275. The comment period for this project
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closes on June 1, 2021; please comment by then if you can. Eva noted that public and legal recognition
of scenic beauty puts teeth in the notion that scenic resources are important.
c. Communications Committee:James noted that our recent business with the Fischer Award and CB
Brochure had been handled in today's agenda. Lori asked that James makes sure that comments offered
in the "chat" panel of this Zoom call be included in the minutes: see them above.
d. Waste Awareness Committee (WAC):Joann attended a webinar about NY State Compost Awareness
Week and sent us her notes via email. Cornell has a Master Composter program;we may find a
volunteer composter to work with us. April's Town newsletter will be getting a WAC compost promotion
article. Eva has been working with Jean Rogers at Kendal to inform residents of recycling and
composting arrangements in their Refuse Rooms. Laminated lists of materials accepted in trash,
recycling, and compost bins there have made the facility look much tidier. She hopes the disagreements
between Casella trash haulers and the County solid waste guidelines can be resolved, so everyone will
know what is and is not compostable.
e. Tompkins County Environmental Management Council (EMC): Lindsay, temporary volunteer, did not
find the EMC news about birds needed reporting. Lori said a director of ReUse gave an interesting
informative talk about their work to the waste management subcommittee. Mike S. will forward the
Zoom URL for EMC's next virtual meeting, which Carolyn will try to attend.
f. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program:James attended the annual volunteer meeting via
Zoom, where the group's 2021 creek sampling schedules were scheduled. Volunteers will follow a
slightly different procedure for water samples, some samplers using a "field blank" and a "field
duplicate"to make sure sample contamination is no problem.The first benthic macro invertebrate (BMI)
sample from below Potters Falls in the creek in late September has had its critters identified and
analyzed to show no impacts from pollution, but a strange deviance from the NY DEC Model stream
community, with very few midges and many more aquatic moths than normal.The preserved identified
BMI sample will have to be independently analyzed to assure quality control and statistical significance.
A new investigative sampling site in the headwater tributary between Yellow Barn and Hammond Hill
called Spur Creek will be sampled as a control measure to the increased chloride noticed in the years
we've been sampling. Spur Creek has no roads that could bring road salt to Cayuga Lake, and would help
explain why the lake's getting saltier.
g. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program:James had no report—volunteers still not allowed on
Cornell property due to COVID restrictions.
9. Other Business: Lindsay noted that she and Joann had made progress on the Weekly Conservation
Action Items in a calendar that should allow posting a new weekly Action on CB's Facebook page. Lori
wonders if the Action Items could use Town web page space or posted in Town newsletters.Joann could
do this.
10. Review 2021 Work Goals/ Discuss April Agenda: Eva will present SRC view sign work; Mike R. will
report on Deer Summit; Lori will have a CB member job description draft for consideration.
11. Adjournment:The meeting was adjourned at 7:22 PM.
Minutes drafted by James Hamilton, March 6, 2021.
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