HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 2021-10-07 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board(CB)Meeting
October 7,2021,5:30 p.m.
(via Zoom Video Conference)
Final Minutes
Members present: Lori Brewer(Chairperson),James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Joann Kowalski(Vice
Chairperson)and Michael Roberts.
Members absent: Lindsay Dombroskie, Vladimir Micic and William VanDyke.
Staff. Michael Smith, Senior Planner.
1. Persons to be heard: James reminded us that it's a good idea to turn off the video recordings of ourselves to
reduce the carbon footprint we leave while meeting by Zoom. He did so for himself.
2. Members' Concerns: Eva requested approval of her making her own recording of this meeting to help her with
the minutes. Members present approved.
3. Environmental Review Committee Update(Mike R.): Mike R. asked if we had reviewed the comments he wrote
on behalf of the ERC for the Planning Board about the Wilson lab additions. Members responded that they had. He
asked for any more comments about this. Eva said she liked what he had written and feels that it covered the most
important issues with this project. She has had additional concerns about the width of the suggested paved
driveway in the very narrow strip of land,which is a flood plain,between the current buildings and Cascadilla
Creek. How can fire trucks manage now with the approximately 12 feet wide driveway? Is the proposed ramp
along the south side of the existing lab building,with the resulting widening of the driveway,really necessary, since
there must be existing ADA compliant access already from the Kite Hill side of the building? Unfortunately the PB
meeting about this project already took place Tuesday. In a message Chris Balestra said the PB had talked about
bioretension areas and other things to help clean the water before it goes into the creek and they may have added
some more conditions about that.
Mike R. said some subdivision plans have come up for ERC review. Mike S. said the new Cornell baseball field
will be coming up. James is bothered by Cornell University wanting to use Astroturf there. He would like to know
what the university will do with that material after its useful life is over.
4. Chairperson and Coordinator Reports:
Chairperson: Lori reported that she has contacted Will and Vladimir about whether they plan to continue as CB
members. Will responded that he cannot continue. His term ends at the end of this year. She has not heard back
from Vladimir.
Lori said she is not able to sit in on a legislative session at the upcoming NYSACC conference, as well as one on
how to recruit young people to join the CB,but thought they would be of interest to us. Mike S. said that Lindsay
may sign up for the conference and he has for himself as well. Eva said she has also signed up to attend the
conference,but is unsure if she will be able to. Lori asked her to coordinate with Lindsay, so we cover as many
topics as possible.
Coordinator,Mike Smith: Mike reported that the Town Board is continuing their discussion about a stipend for CB
members. They don't like the idea of associate members being able to get a stipend,in part because they are often
not Town residents. They are looking at an amount of less than$50 per meeting attended,because of payroll
processing and tax guidelines, etc. and will continue their discussions about this topic.
Wednesday he attended a Webinar about Spotted Lantern Flies. There are traps being set up and monitored
throughout the Finger Lakes area. Many of them are along travel corridors and in State Parks.
5. Discussion of Conservation Board member recruitment ideas: Joann was at a Cornell University Service Fair.
She was surprised at how the students reacted to her presence there, citing statements like"What is this about?"
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"What is the Conservation Board?" The conservation topic was one that interested them. She didn't feel that any of
them were interested in becoming CB members,but that they had specific topics they would like to work on. But
how to get them involved? Joann collected email addresses,but got no response to emails she sent out. She feels
that if we were to try this again,we should try to come up with specific projects for students to work on.
Mike R. suggested maybe the focus should be on Cornell grad students and suggested we contact the Cornell
Tradition organization. It was also suggested that we reach out to the City and Regional Planning and
Environmental Engineering departments,Ithaca College, and EcoVillage. Lori will start to make some of those
contacts.
6. Regular reports and updates:
a. Scenic Resources Committee(Eva): Eva is a member of the Town's Codes and Ordinances Committee,
where there are currently discussions about trying to regulate 5G cell phone coverage. One of the benefits
of having gone through creating legal protections of scenic views here,is that courts have found that such
regulations are appropriate reasons to control where cell phone towers are placed. Many other reasons in
the"health, safety and general welfare"categories are not acceptable reasons for localities to set up their
own regulations according to FCC rules. Joann stated that she is very grateful that we have done this work.
b. Communications Committee(James): James reported that he had an email from Katelynne Brill, at
Cornell's "Office of Community Relations," wondering what our Botanic Gardens regular report on
monthly agenda was about. He explained,but has not yet heard back from her. She might be approached
with CB member recruitment ideas.
c. Waste Awareness Committee: No report.
d. Tompkins Count: There was a Zero Waste group at the county level,but it was disbanded with no
reason given. Styrofoam is being banned at the state level,but not at grocery stores. Lindsay is still
attending EMC meetings. The group will have a 50t'anniversary with a tree planting.
e. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program(James): James told us about"Biomonitoring FUN!"kids&
families program introducing BMI sampling for creek health happened 9/25/21 1:00-2:30 pm at Buttermilk
Falls State Park: a CSI partnering with Tompkins County4-H. 3 sites got BMI samples this late summer; the
one below Potters Falls has had its population identified while live, and metrics of the sample show it's
mostly in excellent health,though a very high flow storm event two weeks before sampling flushed out
enough of the bigger critters to show a"slight impact" from their relatively smaller proportion of the
sample. Samples from German Cross and 600 Road sites have been preserved for future identification and
analyses. The Plain St site downtown may not be sampled this year for lack of volunteers to do it.
f. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program(James): Volunteers blazed Ringwood Preserve trails,
hunted stiltgrass and collected tree seeds at Lick Brook, collected oak,maple,hickory, spicebush seeds at
Fischer Old Growth Forest,and weeded and maintained deer and beaver exclosures around recently
transplanted or protected trees north of Beebe Lake and west of Johnson Art museum.
7. Other Business: We will continue to meet by Zoom until January.
8. Review 2021 Work Goals/Discuss November A_eg nda: A summary of work goals will be done in January 2022.
9. Adjournment: The meeting was adjourned at 6:52 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Eva Hoffmann(October 27,2021)
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