HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2017-02-02 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
Thursday, February 2,2017
Final Minutes
Members Present:James Hamilton, Elizabeth Hageman,Jon Meigs, Mike Roberts, Ellie Stewart, Vladimir
Micic
Staff: Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
Guests: Paulette Terwilliger(Town Clerk), Bill Goodman (Town Supervisor)
1. Persons to be heard: none
2. Member concerns: Briefly discussed the impact on the new political climate in regards to the
effect on the funding of the Environmental Protection Agency and grants. Members encouraged
giving feedback to local politicians
3. Chair and Coordinator reports:
a. Finger Lakes Land Trust received a 470+acre conservation easement on a farm located
in the Town of Ithaca.
b. Black Diamond Trail is officially open.
c. NYSACC- Mike Smith sent an email on this.There may be an environmental conference
coming up that will be sponsored by this group
d. Water Rates-The plan for an increase will not happen until 2018. Review of the 2016
numbers needs to be completed before the increase happens.The Town and Bolton
Point will review and approve the rate increases.
e. Planning Board
i. Maplewood project-sent to ERC for final review
ii. Rodeway Inn- Now on the 3rd or 4t" modification. It was decided to not salvage
the old building due to poor construction.
iii. Ithaca College Butterfield Stadium retaining wall-sent to ERC for review
4. Minutes from November and Jan were approved with some modifications
5. Work Goals/Committee Assignments-2017 work goals were approved.
a. Environmental Management Committee-Vladimir will continue as liaison to the EMC.
All members agreed.The Town will make the recommendation to the county.
b. Communications Committee will be chaired by Will.
c. Questions were raised regarding where to find environmental concerns in the Town
Comprehensive Plan. Comprehensive Plan is available on the Town's website.
6. Blue bird Box Management
a. Spreadsheet created by Lindsay was reviewed with the group.This included pictures,
locations and condition of current boxes.
b. Funding was approved to purchase—25 patches at$2.00 each.These are needed to
adhere the restrictors.
c. Goal of having—25 completed before March.
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d. Town Public Works has new bluebird boxes that have been built which need to find
homes. We will need to order additional metal restrictors before putting them out.
7. Deer Management
a. Mike R. and Lindsay have been able to update the report with new information on lyme
disease incidents and car/deer collisions.
b. The 32 page report was shown to the group to include the formatting updates.
c. Cost of the program was discussed. Comparisons of cost of Cayuga Heights and
Trumansburg were considered as benchmarks.
d. Mike R. would like to submit this report to Dr. Paul Curtis for publication on a website
(https://deeradvisor.dnr.cornell.edu/)that municipalities around the country can use as
a reference. All persons who worked on the report will be given credit.
8. Earth Day activities- Members are not sure of any planned events in Ithaca at this time.
Members will research and report findings at the next meeting. Discussed the possibility of
coordinating with the City CAC and if the Conservation Board could have a banner made for
these types of events.
9. Review of history of the conservation Board.
a. Mike S. presented a summary of how the Conservation Board was created including a
copy of Chapter 23 of the Town code.
b. A report from 1992 which documented open spaces in the town was shared.
c. Mike S feels that the Town Planning Board is receptive to the input from the
Conservation Board and the ERC
d. It was asked if the ERC has any list or criteria for reviewing projects. Mike S has a draft
list that the ERC created several years ago, which he will provide.
10. Reports/Updates
a. ERC- nothing to report
b. SRC- nothing to report
c. Communications Committee-
i. Will has agreed to chair this committee
ii. The same approval process would apply to Twitter and Instagram as the
Facebook page. Mike S can provide more information at the next meeting and a
copy of the Facebook letter if interested in pursuing.
iii. The Richard B. Fischer Environmental Conservation Award will be discussed at
next meeting. No formal nominations have been submitted yet.
1. Elizabeth recommended a consideration the Black Diamond Trail and
will complete the steps for a formal nomination.
d. EMC-
i. Cargill will begin construction of the new mine shaft.There are concerns over
the impact on scenery, salinization of the lake, and noise.
ii. There are 31 new Unique Natural Areas approved/documented in the County.
iii. EMC will be restructuring their priorities at the next EMC meeting.
e. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program
i. Volunteers are needed
ii. Cayuga Lake Modeling Project to be released in May. Floating classroom will
monitor south end of lake starting in June.
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iii. Continued analysis of BMI samples. Selection of the monitoring dates for 2017
to be announced.
f. City of Ithaca Natural Areas- nothing to report
g. Cornell Botanic Gardens
i. Woody invasives continue to be removed by volunteers.
ii. They found two hemlocks that were treated in 2009 for Hemlock Woolly Adelgid
in Cascadilla Creek that will need to be retreated.
11. Other Business-Guests
Paulette Terwilliger,Town of Ithaca Town Clerk, swore in 3 members, Ellie Stewart,James
Hamilton and Elizabeth Hageman to the Conservation Board.
Bill Goodman,Town of Ithaca Supervisor, stopped by to discuss a long term goal of continuing
the Black Diamond Trail to connect Buttermilk and Treman State Parks.
Community Forest Management Plan Grant Application
Mike S. presented an application for a grant the Town of Ithaca wishes to apply for to assist with
forestry management.The Committee agreed to support this grant application to develop a
Community Forest Management Plan. It is through the New York State Department of
Environmental Conservation under the Urban and Community Forestry Grants Program. Vote
was unanimous in support of the grant application.
Adjourned at 7:37 pm
Minutes drafted by Elizabeth Hageman
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