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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019.08.13 PAB Final Minutes1 PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD Tuesday, August 13, 2019 Beverly Livesay Conference Room, Human Services Building 320 W. State/MLK Jr. Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 FINAL MEETING MINUTES Members Attending: Guests: Ben Sandberg executive director for History Center Call to Order: Chair David Herrick convened the meeting at 4:06 pm. Agenda Review/Changes: None Approval of Draft Minutes for July 9, 2019: Kathy Schlather moved approval of the July meeting minutes, which Tim Carey seconded. Motion carried. Presentation: Comprehensive Plan Five-year Review – Joan Jurkowich Joan updated the group on progress made on the five-year review of the County Comprehensive Plan. The Planning and Sustainability Department proposes that the following action items be added to the plan: Municipal Assistance, Strategic Tourism Plan, Priority Rails, Route 13 Corridor Study, Housing Funding, HABs Strategy, Stream Corridor Protection, Watershed Rules and Regulations, County-owned Forestlands, Resiliency and Recovery Plan, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory; Energy Infrastructure, Business Energy Advisors, Employee Commutes, Net-Zero Emissions Facilities and Fleets, Water & Sewer Study, Planning and Design, and the Cayuga Lake Blueway Trail. Joan will return to PAB for more recommendations and feedback in September before taking the draft review to the Planning, Energy, and Environmental Quality Committee later that month. In October, the Legislature will adopt a resolution to schedule (and hold) a public hearing where the draft review will be presented. If all goes according to the timeline, the County Legislature will amend the Comprehensive Plan to include new action items at its November 7th meeting. John Czamanske suggested finessing the messaging and language used to explain whether public comments had been incorporated into the draft document (see table in Appendix C).  Representation Name  Representation Martha Armstrong E Economic Development Monika Roth P Agriculture Joe Bowes P Housing Leslie Schill P Education #2 Tim Carey P Education #1 Kathy Schlather P Human Services John Czamanske P At-Large Andy Zepp E Land Preservation/Public Land Mgmt. Fernando de Aragón A Transportation Deborah Dawson E Associate Member Yamila Fournier A Built Environment Dooley Kiefer E Associate Member David Herrick P Facilities/Infrastructure Others Present Rod Howe P Historical/Cultural Resources Katie Borgella P Commissioner David Kay E Local Planning (urban) Joan Jurkowich P Planning Administrator Anna Kelles A HED/PEEQ Kristin McCarthy P Administrative Assistant G. Lincoln Morse P Business Megan McDonald P Deputy Commissioner Gay Nicholson P At-Large C.J. Randall P Local Planning (non-urban) Marcus Riehl P Natural Environment 2 Marcus Riehl asked if there was any news on the County forestlands and EMC recommendations. He shared that New York State is considering updating the Forest Tax Law, which is administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Presentation: Tompkins County Energy and Sustainability Efforts – Katie Borgella With the adoption of and enthusiastic reception to the County Energy Strategy, Katie thought it important to provide context and background by giving an overview of all the energy- and sustainability-related efforts undertaken and executed by County staff over roughly the last two decades. As such she shared a PowerPoint presentation with the board that highlighted the department’s many accomplishments in these areas. Report: PAB Member Recruitment and Reminder Sexual Harassment Prevention Training – Megan McDonald Megan reminded members to submit their completed training forms at their earliest convenience (no later than September 9, 2019) and summarized the PAB seats slated for renewal at the end of the year. The department will also be recruiting to fill the vacant Energy seat on the PAB. Commissioner’s Report – Katie Borgella • County Legislature chose to adopt rather than simply endorse the Energy Strategy to emphasize its importance as County policy. • Planning and Sustainability staff are helping to prepare an application for a geothermal energy system to provide heating and cooling for the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport in response to NYSEG’s Request for Information (RFI) for non-pipe alternatives in the Lansing natural gas moratorium area. The department is also collaborating on a NYSEG RFI application with the New York Power Authority for energy efficiency and clean heating and cooling of institutional buildings in the moratorium area. • Department applied for funding with the Park Foundation to assist with expansion and continuation of the current Business Energy Advisors (BEA) program for new construction building projects. It has also partnered with NYSERDA, HeatSmart Tompkins, and TCAD to launch the BEA Lansing one-year pilot program for existing buildings in the natural gas moratorium area. • County has kicked off the 2020 NYS Route 13 Corridor Study. Barton & Loguidice will serve as lead consultant. • Department received seven responses from consultants to its Request for Proposals to develop a Resiliency and Recovery Plan for the County. The funding for this project stems from two separate grant pools (FEMA and NYS Department of State). Member Reports • Rod Howell introduced Ben Sandberg, the new executive director of The History Center. • Sustainable Tompkins received a $250,000 NYSERDA grant to incentivize low to medium-income households to invest in heat pump cooling and heating systems. • City Harbor LLC is in formal negotiations with the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility to incorporate effluent source thermal energy in the heating systems design for City Harbor and Guthrie Medical Clinic. • The Town of Danby is hiring for a full-time planner. John will be stepping down from his part-time position. • The 300-day review process is under way for Agricultural District #1. Adjournment: Chair David Herrick adjourned the meeting at 5:20 pm.