HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2014-02-06 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Meeting
5:30 p.m.,Thursday February 6,2014
Final Minutes
Members in attendance: Ellie Stewart,James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Andrew Goodell
Staff in attendance: Michael Smith
Guests in attendance: Mara Alper, Michael Roberts
1. Persons to be Heard (Mara Alper)
a. Park AdVenue (Ithaca College American Advertising Federation) has elected to take on
the Town of Ithaca Water Conservation Campaign as a client this semester.
i. Park AdVenue discussed the proposed 3-tiered water rate system
ii. A student is working with Dr. Stephen Younger(Economics Scholar in Residence
at IC)to optimize the breaks in price points between each of the tiers.
iii. A set of questions needs to be addressed before those breaks can be
determined.
b. Average water use in the U.S. is 1,000 gal/person/week
c. Q.Where should advertising for the water conservation program take place?
i. Print—The old water conservation report is no longer printed unless requested
by town residents. Electronic copies are distributed biannually
ii. The sides of town vehicles might carry advertisements
d. There is a behavioral psychologist working with Mara on this project
e. Q.What was our initial purpose of the water conservation program?
i. Greenhouse gas footprint reduction? Reducing water consumption?
1. (Eva) Our initial concern was to reduce the town's carbon footprint.
Cost was going to be the means by which the reduction was
accomplished.
2. Lower water consumption and reducing water treatment
expenses/impacts were also identified (by Ellie and Eva respectively) as
driving forces behind the program.
f. How much money is spent just on pumping water uphill?
g. (Ellie) Bolton Point claims the volume of water pumped does not change the energy
consumed
i. There is general agreement on the board that this may not actually be the case,
and warrants further investigation.
h. (Mara)Joan Foote (Bolton Point Production Manager)was contacted with the following
questions
i. How does water consumption change in the months before and after a change
in the rate?
ii. How does use change by types of households?
iii. How does water use change across seasons or low-and high-consuming
households?
i. Q.Why are the rates set as they are amongst the different municipalities? Does the
rate change by elevation, market acceptance,or consumption [per municipality]?
i. (Mike Smith) Part of what determines the rate is the infrastructure involved in
supplying the municipality.
j. A water conservation student group as formed at Ithaca College
i. There may be tasks in the campaign which can be coordinated with them
ii. The group will work with Park AdVenue
iii. Mara was asked to advise the group
k. Mara will report on the findings of her inquiries shortly
2. Members Concerns
a. Eva brought fliers for a talk to be given by Irus Braverman on "The Nature of In Situ and
Ex Situ Conservation".
b. James raised the concern of not having an acting quorum large enough to vote new
members onto the board
i. (Mike)The Conservation Board provides recommendations for candidates, but
the town board is the body that votes new members into membership.
3. Chair and Coordinator Reports
a. Newsletter(Mike)
i. Spring issue articles are due by the end of March
ii. No restriction on length
b. Indian Creek Farm Conservation Easement
i. Town will hold the easement;the costs were 75%state grant and 25% local
funds
ii. There are three types of areas designated within the easement on the property
(Farming, Farmstead, and Agricultural Enterprise)
c. Comprehensive Plan
i. Town staff is finishing the DGEIS, and will make it available to the CB soon
ii. SEQR is the environemntal law governing this process
d. The town is investigating a green procurement policy
i. This board will have a chance to review the policy and offer comments
e. Planning Board
i. A solar array, to be erected at Ecovillage, will now stand independently from all
other structures
ii. Northeast water studies system
1. There are two tanks for two zones that are in need of replacement
a. A study is underway to determine options
iii. Agava wants permission to erect catering tents
iv. Dunkin' Donuts is siting a new location at the abandoned HSBC on East Hill
1. (Eva)The site plan calls for excessive signage and lighting
a. Details of the plan can and should be negotiated
4. Approval of minutes from 01/16/2014
a. A quorum is not present- postponed until next month
5. Deer Management Planning
a. Vladimir contacted Brian Eden about recent deer management meeting hosted by Dr.
Bernd Blossey(Cornell)
b. (Ellie) In an effort to better inform the drafting of a deer management policy for the
town, could we get Bernd to come and speak to us? Could there be a joint presentation
to the Town Board and the Conservation Board?
i. (Mike Smith) Several members of the Town Board have already heard Dr.
Blossey speak on this matter.
c. (Mike Roberts) Should we instead investigate other township's deer management
policies, compile them, and present them to the Town Board?
d. (James) Princeton, NJ had a policy/plan that may be worth investigating
i. There was general agreement that an aggressive policy would not be politically
possible
e. Long term implications for the deer population need to be considered
f. Q. Can we get data on the number of deer killed through the DEC's focus area
program?
g. Mike Roberts is going to see if Todd Bittner of Cornell Plantations will release similar
data from their program to this board.
6. Regular Reports
a. Environmental Review Committee
i. No report
b. Scenic Resources
i. Have not yet met
ii. They are in the process of revising a Scenic Resources Map and Guide and soon
will start on the language for the sign to be posted at the Rt 96B site
c. Communications Committee
i. Have not yet met
ii. Fischer Award nominations must be made by the next meeting
1. ACTION—Members should investigate FA nominees, particularly the
Finger Lakes Native Plant Society(flnps.org)
d. Tompkins County EMC
i. No report
e. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program
i. They will meet with the Community Science Institute soon
f. Cornell Plantations Natural Areas Academy
i. Volunteers took part in managing invasive plant species in Cornell's Natural
areas
g. Community Energy Action Plan Advisory Committee
i. No report
7. Other Business
a. The Town Board will be voting on Mike Roberts' appointment as a CB member at their
next meeting
b. Carrie will soon submit her application to the town shortly
c. One Michael Bennett has also applied, an interview will be scheduled soon
8. Review Work Goals
a. At a previous Planning Board meeting there were public mapping websites reviewed to
demonstrate their function
i. Mike Smith offered to show this board some of the same mapping sites;
possibly at the March meeting.
ii. Decide on a Fischer Awardee
iii. Deer and Pest Management Policy