The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCB Minutes 2020-12-03 1 of 3 TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD 5:30 p.m., Thursday, December 3, 2020 Final Minutes Because of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Meeting was held electronically via Zoom. It was recorded. Attendance Staff: Michael Smith, Senior Planner Conservation Board Members: Elizabeth Hageman, Eva Hoffmann, Joann Kowalski, James Hamilton, Lori Brewer, Michael Roberts (chair) Conservation Board Associates: Lindsay Dombroskie Minutes 1. Persons to be heard: None 2. Members concerns: None 3. Chair and Coordinator reports: Mike R. Is any one available to attend this and provide a report? DEC Environmental Informational Virtual Update meeting scheduled for Tuesday, December 15, 2020 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm. Registration is required to attend this informational webinar and can be completed using the following Webex link: https://meetnV.webex.com/meetnV/onstage/g.php?MTI D=eeeca00768fa68f5dbbaaa4d4a4ebd5d8 Shared words of gratitude to everyone for giving him the opportunity to guide the group as chair of this board. Many offered that his leadership was great and appreciated. Mike S. For the deer program there are potentially 9 locations for next February and March; 6 confirmed locations and 3 more waiting to hear back and work out permission details. All adjacent property owners are notified, given details, and provided contact. The Town's Park and Open Space plan group has developed a resident survey and by next week all town board and committee members will receive it via an email and we are encouraged to post it on social media and forward it on to others, especially to those who use our Town's parks, walkways and other open spaces. A link to the survey will also be posted via all the town's social media outlets and highlighted in the next Town newsletter. In general, in addition to social media outlets see the Town web pages for news items. The Conservation Board's web page has our Facebook feed and while other Town entities may not have that they do appear to have news items. 2 of 3 We usually pass around a sheet for people to sign up to take minutes but instead Mike S will simply go down the list of members in alphabetical order and assign people to the months. Committee chairs and others who present on an agenda topic can help the minute taker by sending them via chat box in zoom or email their highlights including accomplishments. 4. Approval of minutes from August 2020 and November 2020: For November minutes James H. moved to approve with suggested minor edits and Mike R provided a second. Still waiting for August minutes from Will. 5. Regular reports and updates: A. Environmental Review Committee (Mike) Nothing to review. B. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva) Mike S will be drafting a license agreement with Cornell regarding the sign. C. Communications Committee (Will) Joann would consider taking on the chair role. Might Will share with her his insight and current approaches? Committee responsibilities include taking the lead on managing social media postings, keeping our board brochure updated, and taking the leadership around activities for the Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award. Mike S shared that during early voting at the Town building all brochures were snapped up. Should we consider something special during future early voting traffic? D. Waste Awareness Committee (Lori) Eva has learned that others at Kendal have concerns about the single use food container waste and a group has been formed. She will connect with the group and share back with us. Lori will be connecting with the Town Sustainability coordinator Nick soon. E. Tompkins County EMC (Vladimir) We need a replacement liaison for Vladimir. Mike S. sent in this month's meeting materials details about the duties of members in this group. In addition, participation in the EMC will provide an opportunity to learn about what other municipalities in the county are doing. F. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James) Six Mile Creek volunteers took a synoptic water sample on 11/16/20 at 13 sites on the creek. G. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James) CBG Natural Areas volunteers have not yet been allowed on campus, as a Covid-19 surveillance sampling protocol has not been arranged for them. Volunteers who can work at natural areas (NAs) off campus can do so following the same safety procedures asked of the public. James worked some hours at the east end of Park Park, a NA on south bank of Fall Creek upstream of Flat Rocks. Volunteers attended a Zoom annual Volunteer meeting today (12/3/20) at 2pm. 8. Other Business: 2021 Meeting Schedule. Lori moves to approve and Elizabeth seconded. All others in favor. Board Chair. Lori Brewer was nominated by James and accepted. Eva seconded. All others in favor. Vice Chair. We moved nominations and elections to the January meeting as Carolyn Lee was not present to accept her nomination. 3 of 3 Recommendation of a TC Environmental Management Council liaison. See 5.E above. We moved this to the January meeting to give members more time to consider volunteering for this role. For committee selections next month (or so) please do consider spending some time on the ERC! 9. Review 2020 Work Goals When we review 2020 and establish 2021 work goals let's consider how we can tighten up goals and track progress. We should keep a running list of accomplishments throughout the year. Could committee chairs specifically include a bullet point called accomplishments in the summary they share monthly with the person who takes meeting minutes? We want to revisit our internal ERC protocols, materials, and guidance. Even if we go through a similar process as other entities do and submit similar recommendations....it's still great to have the ERC to double check applications. Sometimes, we may catch something or provide a unique perspective. This checklist is very handy, and as Mike S. said, even if we go through a similar process as they do and submit similar recommendations....it's still great to have the ERC to double check applications. Sometimes, we may catch something or provide a unique perspective. Mike R emailed a draft ERC checklist document to members with instructions: "I'm open to all editing and formatting suggestions. If you have recommendations please make them in Track Changes and send the copy back to me, relabeled with "[your initials]" appended to the end of the file name." Also NYS Department of Environmental Conservation SEQR Handbook hits://www.dec.ny.c�ov/flocs/permits ei operations r�df/segrhandbooke�df See Conservation Board chapter 23 in the Town of Ithaca ecode book. A link to that is on this page: htt ://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/local-laws-codes In addition to detailing our Powers and Duties in section 23-3, section 23-3 Procedures applicable to review of applications states in D "Such report shall evaluate the proposed use or development of the open area in the context of the Open Space Index and the land use planning objectives of the Town. The report may make recommendations as to the most appropriate use or development of the open area and may include preferable alternative use proposals consistent with open areas conservation." Open Space Index is a paper document that has been mostly replaced by mapping tools readily available online. 10. Adjourn: 6:43pm Minutes drafted by Lori Brewer.