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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2013-04-04 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board April 4, 2013 7:00 p.m. Final Minutes Members present: James Hamilton, Eva Hoffman, Tony Ingraham, Jon Meigs, Vladimir Micic, Kristine Shaw, Ellie Stewart. Absent: Andy Goodell, Nirav Patel, Susan Perri. Staff: Mike Smith Guests: Taylor and Mary Depalma, high school student on government class assignment and her mother from Commonland Community Persons to be heard: Mary Depalma was concerned about the woods between Commonland Community and the reservoir at 30-foot dam, where many trees seem to be dying and falling down. Tony noted that beech canker disease was killing beech trees there. James explained that ash yellows and ash decline was taking a toll on ash trees. Jon volunteered to help the Depalmas look into their concerns with the health of the woods in their neighborhood. Members concerns: James wondered if Nirav still considered himself an active member, as we haven't seen him much lately. Kristine thought he might return once personal matters were resolved, and would contact him to see if he'd like to change from member to associate, so we could recruit another member for full-time participation. Andy, though absent tonight, had emailed his concern about a continued problem with a Town trail. Andy had mentioned his concern last fall with a dangerously rough patch of the East Ithaca Rec Way just north of Mitchell St, next to Tom Reimer's Fischer Award Juneberry tree. James had discussed this problem with Rich a few months ago when he found him with a Public Works crew working on the rec way just south of there. Rich then said he wanted to wait till construction in the development adjacent to the trail was finished. The Town has no milling equipment to shave down the paving now breaking up over shallow tree roots. Kristine noted that a lawyer would see this as an accident waiting to happen for a possibly expensive liability suit. James offered to look into a way of alerting trail users to the broken asphalt there, and will contact Rich Schoch to offer interim solutions until the needed resurfacing gets done. Fluorescent orange paint and some traffic safety cones might help prevent people tripping or getting launched off their bikes. Chair and Coordinator Reports: Chair: Kristine explained that a few ideas from Anna Stalter had been incorporated into a revised draft of the White Paper on Pest Management policy since our last meeting. As Mike thought they were substantive enough to merit full CB review, we looked over a final draft for possible improvement. A few small edits ensued: Norway Maples were added to the short list of invasives the Town should never plant again for any reason; a brief amplification on the importance of the Town having a plan to deal with massive ash death soon was added to the Emerald Ash Borer paragraph in the list of pests threatening our area; a typo and the 4th listed "strategy" on "outreach" were omitted. All agreed that Mike should forward the now fully approved final draft for Town Board consideration. Coordinator: Mike reported that the Planning Board hadn't much business lately, but that a modification of the College Crossings development at the north-east corner of Danby and King Rds intersection was looking for a Dunkin Donuts drive-through that hadn't been part of the original plan. Jon wants to see the plan; other expressed concern that a big Donuts sign wouldn't look good in this area. Mike noted that the Town Newsletter was not going to be printed any more, but as part of a sustainability program, would be available only online. The Spring 2013 Newsletter explained, "The town of Ithaca is committed to conserving resources and, toward that end, we have decided to transition to an electronic newsletter starting next spring. This move will allow us to reduce our ecological footprint, save taxpayer dollars on printing and mailing costs, and remove constraints on the length of our newsletter. We can also look at increasing the frequency of our newsletters for more timely delivery of important information to our residents. Sign up for electronic delivery by emailing us at townclerkgtown.ithaca.ny.us. Newsletters will also be posted to our website" (p. 3). Tony wants the print edition to continue, and thinks his taxpayer dollars merit at least two newsletters per year. Others agreed that printing and mailing costs could be reduced by going back to a less glossy, black and white version like we used to get. Eva suggested that residents ought to be given an "opt out" of print option instead of all just automatically losing their access to print media. If the newsletter were mailed without envelopes, and in a less costly version, people without computers or internet services could be assured that the Town still cares about them. Mike suggested that CB members could submit their concerns over what all felt to be an unfortunate decision to the Town Clerk, so the policy might be reconsidered. Mike also noted that the Comp Plan public hearing would be set at the April 8 h Town Board meeting, mostly likely for the April 22nd Town Board meeting. A climate change conference in Ithaca and Cortland from April 18-21 was part free and open to all public, and part open to registrants paying a fee. CB members interested in attending would be reimbursed for fees. Mike called our attention to Nick Goldsmith's Sustainability Newsletter being available via Town's website. Tony noted that our Facebook page should also link to it. James will post that link soon. Business: Minutes for the 3/7/13 meeting were approved after a few minor typos were corrected. Jon stood firm on his verb choice of"emplace" for the new View Sign at East Shore Park. Water Conservation: Vladimir brought to our attention a study showing how a "Rationing with Resale" program could keep higher water costs from hurting low-income water consumers. Water providers could meet goals for conservative consumption by allowing customers who don't use their entire water ration to sell their surplus to others. All the studies he's seen show that higher prices result in less consumption, but he worries that families that need more water would find high prices economically painful. Mike explained that most water customers in the town were single or small households. He provided 2010 Census figures that showed the average household had only 2.15 persons, the average family, 2.82. With the Town population of 19,930 in 6,988 housing units, it seems that such small households could be given convincing financial incentives to use less water if only the Town could figure out how to do it! Vladimir will email us the "Rationing with Resale" article, and we'll remind ourselves to study and discuss it at our next full meeting in June. Outreach Improvement: Tony noted our CB facebook page still has only 57 "likes." We need to have a full and more active membership. Members needed to spur themselves to write or promote the writing of articles in Ithaca publications, especially Tompkins Weekly, which publishes many good ecologically-responsible articles. Eva remembered when the CB used to participate in Earth Day, and many of us thought a table at the Ithaca Festival would be a good idea, but nobody wanted to commit to organizing it. Vladimir thought we should print more publications, such as the CB brochure, and make them available at public places. The April 21 Earth Day celebration at the Farmers Market would be a fine place to reach out, but we are not organized to do so this year. Kristine suggested we might form a "Green Government Group" with Ithaca City and Tompkins County volunteers to man a table where the work would be spread over more people, but no one volunteered to set that up, either. Regular Reports and Updates: Environmental Review Committee: no report. Scenic Resources Committee: Tony reported the meeting with Rich Schoch and two of his Public Works crew to be sure they knew how we wanted the View Sign emplaced. Rich intends to plant it in a concrete slab next to the kiosk, where it won't obstruct, but will help inform the view there. The SRC needs to get printed copies of the Best Scenic Views map and view tour instructions that the sign promises to be available at Visitors Bureau, Town Hall, and online. Just now the online versions are dated and obsolete archive versions long since revised. Rich will have the sign planted by late April or early May. Communications Committee: The draft updated version of"The Town of Ithaca Conservation Board" brochure was presented for review. So many revisions were suggested that James offered to incorporate as many of them as he could in a new draft. The section on "Water Conservation" was especially in need of editing to make it clear where the 65% of Town's greenhouse gas emissions come from. James also asked the CB to comment on the draft invitation to the May 11 morning tree-planting party for Cornell Plantations Natural Areas Program. All agreed that this draft was fine. Three small redbud trees from White Oak Nursery will be planted between the Rec Way and Cascadilla Creek,just across from the McDaniels Nut Grove. The engraver who has been updating the award plaque hanging in Town Hall lobby has gone out of business, but promised by email he could do the small job anyway. He has not yet done so. Conservation Zone Committee: Ellie noted that people were having trouble with the regulations for lot size and clustering in Conservation Zones. We noted how the draft "Information" for the Southwest Glens and Creeks CZ public informational meeting had "Density" and "Clustering" in two separate paragraphs, which could lead landowners to think that seven acre lots had to have one dwelling on them to be legal. The text here, and in Herb's draft April 1 lth letter to property owners, needed revision to make it clear that clustering more residential units on less land, thus leaving more land open and natural, was indeed a development policy preferred by the Town. The "one house per seven acres" does not mean each seven acres needs to be developed as one lot with a house on it! As our next CB meeting would be integrated with the May 2, 7 pm informational meeting on the Southwest Glens and Creeks zoning proposal, all members were reminded to make sure they attended and would be able to take notes for resident's questions and concerns. Tony has agreed to address this meeting, and we need to be there to back him up. Tompkins County EMC: no report Sixmile Creek Volunteer Monitors: Seven volunteers met on March 11 to plan the next 4 sampling days in 2013, and to hold a BMI sampling week a bit earlier, between August 25 and 31. Lab costs were up, so the usual 5 annual samples had to be reduced to 4. The first sampling date scheduled for May 18 was at a moment's notice kicked earlier, to May 13, in order to catch a high-water storm surge. One or two samples will again this year get extra NORM and strontium/barium analysis. A "What's in our Watershed" forum will be held in May to recruit another BMI sampling team at the Plain St bridge. An annual CSI Volunteer Symposium on March 21 had a big turnout at the library. Many anti-fracking volunteers in other stream watersheds were interested in "red flag" testing that could establish healthy stream parameters prior to possible hydrofracking pollution problems. These tests—for temperature, pH, hardness, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen—can be done by volunteers themselves, thus saving lab costs. A good article on this meeting was published in Tompkins Weekly, April 1-7, 2013, Vol 7, No 21,p 4. City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission: no report(though Jon will invite our guests tonight, Mary and Tyler, to attend a NAC meeting, where their concerns about the Commonland Community woods might be addressed, since this land is City watershed property). Cornell Plantations Natural Areas: James reported distressing results from Hemlock Wooly Adelgid hunts he'd made with Natural Areas stewardship crews south of Beebe Lake, and west of Stewart Ave bridge over Fall Creek, and in Lick Brook. A stand of hemlocks just west of the lowest falls in Lick Brook are dying from the worst infestation he's seen so far, and smaller infestations are spreading along Fall Creek. The Natural Areas crew will be treating certain trees that would otherwise become hazards to Stewart Ave or to trails near Cornell's campus. Some treatment at Lick Brook may manage to save certain trees there, too. There was no Other Business. For May's agenda, we will all attend the public information meeting. For June, we'll be sure to have studied the water Rationing and Resale article Vladimir sends us. We adjourned at 9:12 PM. These draft Minutes written by James Hamilton 4/5/13.