HomeMy WebLinkAboutRTTF 2023-12-18
Dryden Rail Trail Friends and Task Force
Minutes of the Monday, December 18, 2023 Meeting
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
(In-Person Meeting)
Dryden Town Hall
93 East Main Street, Dryden
Barbara Caldwell Conference Room
Attendees:
Task Force Members: Susan Ashdown; Bob Beck; Todd Bittner; Rosalie Borzik; Tony
Bretscher; Alice Walsh Green; Judy Pierpont; Chris Tessaglia-Hymes, Steve Winans
Town Board Liasions: Dan Lamb; Christina Dravis Guests: Dan Antonioli; Diane Tessaglia-
Hymes, Jacob Yatsko.
Call to order at 7:12 p.m. by Bob Beck
Bob Beck motioned to approve the November meeting minutes; Tony Bretscher seconded.
Approved unanimously.
Army Corps wetland permit approved for the Hall Road trail work (Bob, Todd):
Whether work can start early next year depends on the amount of snow cover and the ground
condition. Rick Young will confer with Nick Bellisario before starting. Requests for extensions
will be submitted for the two grants involved ($5K Tompkins County Parks and Trails, and $10K
Triad Foundation) since the work won’t begin until next year. To follow the wetlands plan now
approved by the Army Corps Nationwide Linear Transportation Permit 14, the embankment toe
will need to be graded to stay within the approved under-one-tenth-acre impact area.
First payment request submitted for OPRHP EPF grant (Todd, Bob):
With the waited-for okay from OPRHP, the first payment request (dating back from the start of
the 2017 grant) was submitted last Friday by Amanda Anderson. The approved stormwater plan
prepared by Dondi Harner of T.G. Miller was accepted also as the grant’s engineering plan.
Amanda will decide how much of the recorded volunteer time will be included, with the
remainder to be banked for subsequent matching.
TAP grant and Route 13 bridge update (Bob):
Knickerbocker’s attorney and Town Attorney Nathan Van Why are working on the land-donation
deed (with the utility transfer details and moving the sewer and water lines out from under the
ramps to allow for better maintenance access to the utilities). Todd indicated that the easement
agreement for Cornell’s property is moving forward. Both agreements require signature by
Jason Leifer for the Town and, once notarized, the agreements will be forwarded to NYS DOT.
Grants and Trail finances update (Bob), Todd):
Bob presented a finance summary review from 2016 through 2023 to the Task Force. If EPF
payment requests are approved, another $40,000 could be available to spend this year. EPF is
a 50:50 grant. We have more match volunteer hours and town equipment use match than is
needed, but are awaiting State Parks review of the matching portion to be submitted.
Stone dust application was not a part of the EPF grant application, but we hope to include it and
solar crossing signs in upcoming payment requests. We had verbal approval from Kathleen
McIssac to include stone dust, but now need approval from the current State Parks grant
administrator. A Zoom meeting is scheduled during the upcoming week (for Amanda Anderson,
Bob, Todd and Amanda Marsh of Parks) to further discuss the grant administration.
What’s ahead: Looking forward to completing this trail (Bob):
A major portion of the middle of the DRT is incomplete and there are a few significant washouts
that need attention. In the incomplete section, six easements are in place, but others have
stalled and more funding is necessary. Meanwhile, work is progressing on some of these. The
missing parts run through six parcels owned by five different parties.
Tony Bretscher shared with attendees a computer file with a scrolling satellite view of the
Dryden Rail Trail from Game Farm Road to Freeville.
No Additions to Meeting Agenda.
Next scheduled meeting: Monday, January 15, 2024 at 7 p.m.; open to the public at the
Dryden Town Hall Caldwell Conference Room.
Meeting Adjourned at 8:36 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, Rosalie Borzik