HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2015-08-06 Town of Ithaca
Conservation Board
Final Minutes
5:36 p.m.,Thursday August 6,2015
Members in attendance: Ellie Stewart (Chair),James Hamilton, Elizabeth Sanders,Jon Meigs, Vladimir
Micic and Michael Roberts
Town Staff: Mike Smith
1. Persons to be heard: None
2. Member Concerns
a. Mike R. asked where we were advertising for new members
i. Mike Smith puts an ad in the Ithaca Journal on occasion, and it's in the Fall Town
newsletter. Additionally,there are numerous listserves that are used to solicit
new members
ii. Mike R asked if we could make a more concerted effort to recruit new
members. An additional medium that was mentioned which could be used
were radio spots.
1. Elizabeth mentioned that she was going to be a guest on the local radio
station (WRFI) and the Board petitioned her to plug the Conservation
Board, and advertize the vacant seats. She was receptive to the idea.
iii. The question was raised whether or not there was an age restriction for board
members. Mike Smith was reasonably confident there was none, but the board
agreed that unless there was an extraordinary individual 18 would be a practical
age limit.
b. Elizabeth says she will write an article for the newsletter on the use of pesticides on
ornamental plantings.
i. There is another issue she was interested in possibly writing about; the
smothering of riparian vegetation by landowners dumping yard waste along
waterway banks.
c. The question was raised about the East Hill Recreation Way; specifically,whether or not
the repairs to its surface and drainage would be addressed this year.
i. Mike Smith believed that it would be fixed this year.
ii. Elizabeth raised the question of whether or not a material other than blacktop
could be used, citing negative effects it can have on the environment.
1. The board was unsure what options there were, and Elizabeth agreed to
present on them next meeting, provided she could find her researched
material.
3. Chair and Coordinator Reports
a. Chair: Ellie had no report to present.
b. Coordinator(Mike S.)
i. The Planning Board asked for additional information regarding the College
Crossing project as there were some unanswered questions on the assessment
form (i.e.the height of the building).
ii. Elizabeth pointed out that there are studies supporting the assertion that
exposure to nature improves health, and to this end the Town ought adopt a
law requiring developers to replant their landscaping using native vegetation.
4. Approval of Minutes from May 71h and June 41h of 2015 (as quorums were not present for
neither June nor July)
a. May: Minor corrections were made to the minutes and then James made a MOTION to
approve, and Ellie seconded his motion.
b. June: James again moved to approve the meeting minutes, and Mike Roberts seconded
the motion.
5. The invasive species awareness and action event held the previous month was discussed.
a. Fifteen people were in attendance, including three Board members, and Jules Ginenthal
from Cornell Plantations.
b. The event had been advertized via Tompkins Weekly, 15-plus different media outlets
around town,the CB Facebook page, Town website and listserves.
c. The description of the event's location was problematic. A few people called for
directions.
i. Mike R suggested one Board member might serve as the point of contact for
future events.
ii. A sign could also be used on site to help draw people in a week or so ahead of
time, or indicate the event's location.
d. Vladimir and Elizabeth were surprised there was not greater effectiveness after so
many years of eradication efforts with pesticides. Both suggested that volunteers be
used to pull the weeds (Swallowwort); possibly even connecting with local high school
students to help provide the people power.
i. This would add the benefit of serving to educate those involved with the event
about the issue of biological pollution.
ii. ACTION—Elizabeth will contact biology teachers at IHS to feel out any interest
the teachers might have in incorporating such an activity into their curricula.
iii. Locations need to be identified for future events, and the time of year will have
to coincide with the emergence of the weed of interest (not necessarily
Swallowwort).
6. Deer Management
a. Bernd Blossey, who was going to speak at the September meeting, had to postpone for
the October meeting.
i. There is particular interest to hear what it is that the Town could do to improve
its policies towards the issue.
b. Mike Smith suggested that the Town Agriculture Committee would be a good body to
invite to that meeting. ACTION - Mike will contact the Ag Committee about this
opportunity.
i. Of particular interest is how farmers who allow hunting on their property could
improve awareness to non-hunter users of their lands that hunting is taking
place.
7. Regular Reports and Updates
a. Environmental Review Committee—Nothing to report
b. Scenic Resources Committee
i. Iron Design will have something to report soon
c. Communications Committee
i. Elizabeth has been made the Committee Chair and will begin working on articles
for the newsletter
d. Tompkins County EMC
i. The annual report was approved
ii. There will be a conference of all NYS EMCs in Ithaca on October 161"at the
Holiday Inn (here)
1. Tony Ingraffea will be the keynote speaker
e. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program
i. The group conducts 5 water tests per year, one of which is a Benthic
Macroinvertebrate census. Their next sampling will be towards the end of
August.
f. City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission
i. Jon attended a meeting where a plan for the development of a park at Ithaca
Falls was proposed. The plan was rejected as it was seen by many as over-built.
g. Cornell Plantations Natural Areas Program
i. Volunteers collected seed, propagated them and planted them out into Cornell
Natural Areas.
ii. This group also completed a trail reroute in the Monkey Run Natural Area.
8. Move to adjourn at 7:17pm by Mike Roberts, and seconded by Elizabeth.
Submitted by Mike Roberts