HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2015-02-15 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
February 5, 2015 5:30 p.m.
Final minutes
Members present: James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Jon Meigs, Vladimir Micic, Mike
Roberts, Elizabeth Sanders, Ellie Stewart
Absent: Carrie Simon
Staff: Mike Smith
There were no guests, no persons to be heard.
Members' concerns: Mike R wondered what had happened with our efforts to get Town
water rates restructured. James noted that the Fall 2014 Town Newsletter reported a
supposed lowering in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to the purchase of carbon-
offset "Renewable Energy Credits" (RECs) from Renewable Choice Energy, adding 1%
to the cost of electricity, but doing nothing to reduce water consumption or the energy
needed to pump Cayuga lake water up to storage tanks for residents' consumption.
RECs don't solve the problems of wasting energy from excessive water consumption,
nor do they give consumers incentive to conserve energy. Our new member was
informed of the background of our CB's two resolutions to establish a 3-block water
billing structure to reduce municipal GHG. The political complication of the Southern
Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal Water Commission has so far prevented all our efforts
towards implementing new rates, despite clear evidence that a 3-block rate system
works well in other communities, giving consumers incentive to be water thrifty, and
penalizing water waste. Eva thinks Bolton Point's resistance to selling less water is a
political problem, but we're still resolved to promote restructured billing, even if only to
Town residents.
Chair and Coordinator Reports:
Chair: was glad to find such good attendance today, one more than that required for a
quorum.
Coordinator: Mike S handed out a sign-up list for members to take minutes, and an
updated compilation of CB members' information to make sure it was all correct. He
noted that Kristine Shaw had resigned, and would be receiving a Town Board
Resolution of Appreciation for her five years working with the CB. In its January
meeting, the Town Board resolved to participate in some litigation helping the We Are
Seneca Lake activists protesting liquified gas storage. The Planning Board had recently
cancelled several meetings for lack of business needing attention. Recently a new,
higher, water storage tank was submitted for approval by the Planning Board for
construction near Sapsucker Woods, to provide more water pressure from a lower-
volume tank. The old tank holding water at ground level didn't provide nearby residents
with enough water pressure and was beginning to rust out. La Tourelle would be
developing new "glamping" provisions for glamorous camping on that property. Mike
asked if the list of the CB's "Activities & Accomplishments for 2014" needed any
revision. Mike Roberts suggested changing just one word in the last item, so the revised
activity—"Continued to discuss water rates in the Town and potential energy
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conservation ideas for public outreach"—clearly identified our focus on water
conservation as primarily a way of conserving energy.
Minutes for the November 6, 2015 CB meeting contained a sentence Jon found
ambiguous. It took a while for members to determine what the discussed plans for a gas
pipeline in Dryden were about. Insertion of a comma clarified the issue. Minutes were
approved with a few other small corrections. The December 4, 2015 minutes needed
only 2 minor corrections, and were then approved. Jon asked whether the grant for a
Town tree inventory mentioned in Mike's coordinator report in these minutes had yet
been funded; Mike was pleased to report that the town's application had in fact been
found eligible.
Conservation Board 2015 Work Goals: some wording in the 12/15/14 draft was
changed, a goal added, and a goal dropped, resulting in the following 9 goals, not in any
order of priority: a) Support implementation of the Town's new Comprehensive Plan, to
make sure it promotes environmental conservation; b) Continue involvement in natural
areas and in the enactment of new conservation zones, including the East Shore Drive
Conservation Zone; c) Design the next View Sign in that project series at Longview's
Danby Road scenic pull-off. Promote awareness of importance of scenic resources; d)
Investigate proactive pest management on Town properties. Provide additional research
requested by the Town's Public Works Committee regarding the white paper on pest
control. Continue monitoring Emerald Ash Borer, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid, Japanese
Knotweed, Swallow-wort, and White Tail Deer. Educate residents and municipal staff on
need for pest management action; e) Continue outreach projects, including Facebook
page and newsletter articles to encourage and foster more public participation in
environmental preservation and protection; f) Attend to Bolton Point's electricity
consumption for water pumping; help implement action to reduce energy used for water
distribution via new water pricing structure; g) Continue ongoing activities such as
Fischer Award and Environmental Review Committee reports to Planning Board.
Respond to Town Board requests; h) Promote trails, walkways, bikeways, and non-
automobile transportation in the Town; i) Conduct a year-end review of goals and
accomplishments.
Discuss possible Tick/Lyme disease signage for Town Parks: Mike S explained that a
Town resident had contacted the Town and suggested that signage be placed at Town
parks and trails to warn of ticks and Lyme disease. Mike S passed out several
examples of available warning signs to alert visitors to our parks and preserves of the
danger of Lyme disease from the ticks there. The simplest warning was deemed too
scary: we don't want to discourage healthy park attendance. The most complicated
version contained so much information that we doubted park visitors would bother to
read it all. The medium-long version, advising park-goers to wear repellant, check for
ticks daily, shower after being outdoors, and call a doctor if they see a rash, seemed to
be the least bad, but was still a woefully inadequate way to deal with the root cause of
the tick problem, which we all clearly understand to be the lamentable overpopulation of
deer. An active management of our parks and preserves would reduce this deer
population, thus reducing Lyme disease and the many other ecological problems too
many deer are causing. Jon hopes that whatever tick warning sign is used, it will be
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used sparingly, and only at trailheads. We all think sign-readers should be alerted to the
fact that much more information is needed to assure visitors' health, and that a link to a
Town web page should be included on the sign. The additional online information would
clearly indicate that too many deer are causing the tick problem, as well as the problem
of overbrowsing native species, resulting in lost regeneration of native flora, loss of
habitat for other wildlife, and the promoted growth of invasives. Eva hopes our advice to
the Parks Department will emphasize that the current passive management of natural
areas cannot help solve the severity of the problem of too many deer living there.
Regular Reports and Updates:
Environmental Review Committee: No news.
Scenic Resources Committee: No news.
Communications Committee: Two nominations for the 2014 Fischer Award, for Sandra
Steingraber and the Six Mile Creek Water Quality Monitor Volunteers at CSI
(Community Science Institute), were discussed. Many reasons for awarding both
nominees were clearly considerable. Vlad wondered if we could award both, but the
nature of the "prize" tree-planting doesn't seem to be adequate, nor the award plaque
big enough to manage both. As Elizabeth Sanders has volunteered to join the Comm.
Committee, she and James will have ample time to propose a winner for next month's
meeting to confirm. Generally it seemed more members favored the Volunteers, but
there are still more than three weeks till the deadline for more nominations.
Tompkins County EMC: He couldn't attend their last meeting, but Vladimir will email us
minutes from EMC's meeting.
Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitors: A very cold winter sampling of the creek on January
21 st last month found most of it under ice. One sample showed water under the
freezing point!
City of Ithaca Natural Areas Commission: No report.
Cornell Plantations Natural Areas: Though the Natural Areas Academy was cancelled
for insufficient enrollment in the Fall 2014 semester, CP is planning a Spring term, to
start sometime next month. Volunteers have been weeding invasives around Beebe
Lake.
Other Business: None
March Agenda: Fischer Award will be decided.
We adjourned at 7:25
These draft minutes written by James Hamilton 2/6/2015
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