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Home My WebLink AboutCAC Minutes - 10_9_18Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 5 Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes of monthly meeting on Monday, October 9, 2018 Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Danby, New York. Note: this is the first meeting at the new meeting time of the second Tuesday of the month. Council Members present: Matt Ulinski (chair), Don Schaufler , Clare Fewtrell, Ruth Sherman, Council Members absent: Joel Gagnon, Mary Woodsen, Bill Evans Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (secretary), C.J. Randall (Danby Town Planner), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident), Bill Keokosky (Danby Resident), Bruce Richards (Danby resident) Meeting opened at 7:10 pm Agenda Review (Additions or Deletions) - none Public Comments/Privilege of the Floor (later referred to as PoF) No comments at this time Reading and Discussion of previous Minutes Approve Minutes MOTION • Moved that CAC approve the minutes of August 27, 2018 and the minutes of September 24, 2018 with the correction of changing the reference to 440A Forest Law to 480A Forest Law • Moved by Schaufler, Seconded by Fewtrell. The motion passed. • In Favor: Matt Ulinski (chair), Don Schaufler , Clare Fewtrell, Ruth Sherman Reports and Updates Status report from Town Board on non-chemical alternatives to spraying on 3 pipelines going through Danby: Matt was going to draft a Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 5 letter to board - Item to be dropped from agenda until Ulinski and Town Board have more time to pursue this. Action Items 1. Finalizing 2275 Danby Road, Willseyville easement Randall presented requested edited “Conservation Easement – Schedule C” map for CAC approval. Only change requested from this edited version (by Sherman) was to write “RA” for Residential and Active Use Zone within the squared shape that indicated enclosure for that area and in legend. Remaining Questions: Ulinski said that owner, Katherine O’Neal, just wanted two things clarified. (see previous extended discussion of these questions in CAC September 24, 2018 minutes • Properties in Ag area. She doesn’t want to restrict anyone who wants to farm on property o Ulinski: understanding that easement does allow farm buildings. Randall confirmed this. PoF: Roaring – right to farm law. • She wants more specific language on vehicle use specifications – no ATVs or recreational vehicles allowed unless needed for land care and then only minimal. o Ulinski: understanding can’t use vehicles for recreation. Randall confirmed this. Ulinski will tweak wording in easement. • She asks that existing USDA easement on property be given its own map in documentation. o Randall agreed to do this. Ulinski concluded this section with the following summarization: Make these changes, pass by Randall (Town Planner), then on Monday, Nov 12th the public hearing is scheduled at 7pm, followed by vote Town Board vote to accept easement. Randall reports that draft of easement is still with Guy (Town Lawyer). Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 5 2. Update on follow-up to logging situation on Deputron Hollow Rd. • Ulinski said that residents of Deputron Hollow Rd neighborhood are attempting to figure out remedy for damage caused by logging and reaching out to St. John, the owner. • Danby Highway Department is waiting on equipment necessary repair the road • Who is paying bill? Town budgeted this already. • Has CAC member talking to property owner as in “Next Steps” of August CAC meeting. Schaufler volunteered, since Ulinski has been busy with finishing off conservation easement. • Main objective is to find out owner’s awareness of situation and his intentions of cleaning up property and road. PoF: Roaring: Owner initially offered to sell property to town and town should have jumped on it. PoF:Keokosky encouraged finding out if this was still a good opportunity to negotiate and get land for good price. Even though it looks terrible now, 50 years from now our children will thank us for it. Also it is near other easements and in a unique natural area. • Schaufler responded that this would be a fact-finding conversation. 2. Reflection on implications and responsibilities of becoming an advisory board and not an advisory council. • Randall commented that CAC members don’t need to learn how to use ARCGIS to use the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI). • Open House: Randall will make copies of maps on big plotter and put around room. NRI needs some corrections – small changes. She wanted CAC review of final version, then would put up in November with CAC blessing. Open House decided for hour before Nov 13 CAC meeting. Refreshments: Clare bringing gallon of cider • Randall sending link for map approval. Thumbs up by Monday afternoon. • CAC, which is now an advisory council, will be able to petition Town Board for board status (CAB), which mandates inclusion on Environmental Quality Review procedures. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 5 • CAC would be “a second set of eyes” on the same packet of information received by the Planning Board using the Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) to supplement expertise in group. • Environmental Quality Review - Petition would go through Randall. Fewtrell: asked what happens now? Randall responded that CAC just does easements now. But group would benefit by “situational awareness” for better understanding of what is going on with planning in Danby. Does not anticipate new workload to normally take much meeting time, but group will gain valuable background knowledge for the big developmental project that will inevitably come sometime in the future. Right now main importance is to think of things that planning board doesn’t. • Only Dryden and Ithaca currently have CABs. PoF: Roaring suggested connecting with Bob Beck who is the chair of the Rail Trail Task Force in Dryden and who chaired a similar Conservation group there and also wrote a Nature Conservancy book, “The Malloryville Bog” and has been connected with Dryden for decades. • PoF: Keokosky asked about time conflicts between pursuing conservation easements and advice to Planning Board. Randall said she would prepare most of comments ahead and CAC would give her feedback. Small increase of workload, but increase in awareness of what is going on. • Ulinski commented that most of easement work is done outside of meeting. • Randall will follow-up with arranging a meeting with Bob Beck. Ulinski – expects to continue discussion when more of group is present. Bob’s input would be useful. 3. Knotweed Spread in Danby – is Highway Department unintentionally contributing? • PoF: Keokosky: Is there anyway to control it? Pof: Roaring: Mowing and dump-loads of soil is spreading it by truckload. State people worried about dumping ditch soil on state land. PoF: Keokosky: small bits of mowed stems also can re-root and spread it. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 5 • PoF:Keokosky: is there a way of educating highway department? PoF: Roaring: mowers do not know what plants are invasive and which are not. • Schaufler: other invasive species are just as aggressive. There are 20 or 30 species just as aggressive. • Ulinski: We need to find out what existing Highway procedures are. Schaufler: Is it part of their training? – ask if that is covered. It is kind of a losing battle (to keep invasives in check), but important. Also should it be addressed in new easements? When mowing is stopped it will take over. • Good points are that bees and gold finches love it. Schaufler has been unsuccessful in eliminating knotweed from his land, but thinks awareness should be there. • Ulinski: Start with informal discussion with Highway Dept. As town board member he is also aware of Highway department’s other road responsibilities such as ditch maintenance for good drainage. (General awareness that Highway Department has many other priorities that might conflict). • Ulinski concluded that he would bring it up (tactfully) and casually when meeting with Highway Department. Next Meeting is on November 13, 2018 at 7p.m. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 pm _____________________________________________ Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)