HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2018-10-04 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Final Minutes
Members Present: Mike Roberts (Chair), Elizabeth Hageman, Hannah George, James Hamilton, Ellie
Stewart, Vladimir Micic, Eva Hoffmann, Will VanDyke, Jon Meigs, Lindsay Dombroskie
Staff Present: Mike Smith (Senior Planner)
1. Persons to Be Heard: None
2. Member Concerns:
a) Eva, who had attended the Ithaca Town Planning Board site planning discussion regarding
the Cornell North Campus Development brought up concerns regarding the lack of an EIS for
this development. An extensive Board discussion followed. Although Eva reported that there
are no perceived significant environmental impacts, there are serious concerns about potential
increased energy costs if natural gas is used in this development. The site plan indicates
Cornell would need to increase its natural gas usage by 1.4%. An audience member
mentioned that this is the equivalent usage of 600 households [Cornell's consultants reported
at a later Planning Board meeting that it is the equivalent of 466 households in Tompkins
County]. It was also questioned whether or not energy costs in the production of the natural
gas were included. In addition, the actual efficiency of the current steam plant production was
questioned, given its age, the need to transport steam long distances and energy loss
throughout the conversion process from an initial power source of electricity to steam heat.
b) Vladimir brought up a concern considering the Tompkins County Recycling service recent
announcement that it was accepting fewer categories for its curbside pick-up. In the discussion
that followed, it was brought up that China is allowing far less imports of US recyclables and
that there are problems with contaminants in the mixed-flow recycling system. We also
discussed the need to reduce plastics in our day-to-day usage while recognizing how
incredibly difficult it is to accomplish this. It was pointed out that newly restricted items may
still be brought directly to the recycling center, even though they are no longer being picked up
at curbside.
3) Chair and Coordinator Reports
Chair: Mike R. did not report at this time during the meeting
Coordinator Report: Mike S. announced the upcoming "2018 Agriculture, Food & Environment
Systems In-Service" conference at Cornell on November 131h. There is money remaining in the
budget to pay registration fees for members if people want to attend.
Planning Board Announcements: The Silvers Subdivision project (919 Elmira Road) is a
proposed subdivision that would return to original property lines, prior to the 2010 modification.
4) Approval of Minutes: September 6, 2018: After minor corrections, Will moved to accept the
September minutes, James seconded.
5) Reports/updates
a) Environmental Review Committee (Mike): It was noted that CB concerns about the
Schickel Rd development had been heard by the Planning Board and that hopefully the
revised Site Plan will incorporate some of the suggestions.
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b) Scenic Resources Committee (Eva): Danby sign still awaiting DOT approval. Rich and
Joe at Public Works have agreed to file amended application. Committee is beginning to
consider new sign near Pine Tree Rd/Snyder Hill Road intersection.
c) Communications Committee (Will): Discussed ways of increasing visibility including
regular items on a monthly email newsletter, similar to the Sustainability newsletter published
by Nick Goldsmith. Eva cautioned that some individuals want their email address to remain
private.
d) Tompkins County EMC (Vladimir): Vladimir did not attend last EMC meeting. His two
year term representing the Town is ending, but he is interesting in continuing. James made a
motion, seconded by Will, that the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board recommended to the
Town of Ithaca Board that Vladimir be re-appointed as Town representative to the Tompkins
County EMC. It was passed unanimously.
e) Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James): Six Mile Creek monitors took
an impromptu synoptic Six Mile Creek storm sample Tuesday (9/18/18) morning soon after
remnants of Hurricane Florence brought the creek to the highest flow seen in the preceding
year. Early morning flow at the USGS German Cross Rd bridge gage maxed at above 2,000
cubic feet per second. This sampling was the fourth and final synoptic sample for 2018. The
Community Science Institute (CSI), in charge of the water quality volunteer program, invites
volunteers to help analyze summer benthic macro invertebrate samples in their lab at
Langmuir on Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 pm. CSI's creek sampling database, at
communityscience.org , has not yet entered the last two Six Mile water analysis data, as 14
sampling sites on the creek, each measured for more than a dozen chemical analytes
requiring more time for data entry than their staff can keep up with.
f) Cornell Botanic Gardens' Natural Areas Program (James): Volunteers hunted for
swallow-wort and Japanese stilt grass again on top of South Hill, north of Hospicare. No stilt
grass, and only one swallow-wort vine, in a previously tagged GPS location, were found.
Volunteers cleared ground for a trail reroute near Monkey Run where Fall Creek is
undermining the current trail edge. Volunteers also attended a "Managing and Monitoring Ash"
(MaMA) training workshop sponsored by the Fingerlakes Partnership for Regional Invasive
Species Management (PRISM) and CBG. A small new Ecological Research Institute (ERI)
run by Jonathan Rosenthal and Radka Wildova, wants volunteers to monitor specific plots for
possible emergence of EAB-resistant trees that can possibly be used to develop EAB-resistant
ash trees in the future.
g) Deer Management Committee (Lindsay): The City of Ithaca is showing increased
awareness and interest in the Town's Deer Control Program. Donna Fleming (City Council)
and Jeanne Grace (City Forester) have both expressed interest, as has Tom Shelley
(Tompkins Sustainability Chair).
6) Other Business: None
7) Review 2018 Work Goals: Vladimir mentioned that Cornell has major new construction plans. The
Conservation Board needs to push them to use more sustainable methods. A short discussion
followed, including setting new five year sustainability plan and ways to offer comments in a timely
manner.
8) The meeting was adjourned at 6:55 pm
Minutes Drafted by Ellie Stewart
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