HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC Minutes - September 25, 2017Page 1 of 5
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes_September 25, 2017
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council
Minutes of Meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) was held at 7:00pm
on Monday September 25, 2017 at Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Town of Danby, New York.
Council Members Present: Matt Ulinski (Chair), Joel Gagnon, Ruth Sherman, Mary Woodsen (left at 7:10pm)
Bill Evans (left at 7:15pm) and Dan Klein (arrived at 8:13pm). Absent: Don Schaufler
Non-Members Present: Jack Miller (Town Councilperson – CAC Liaison), Matt Hobart (Secretary), and Ronda
Roaring.
Call to Order – 7:04pm by Ulinski.
Agenda Review –
• Gagnon requested to add discussion of the Hatch Pavilion property in West Danby to the agenda.
Privilege of the Floor –
• Woodsen requested to speak during Privilege of the Floor as she had to leave the meeting early.
Woodsen reported that she and Klein visited with a landowner concerning a potential conservation
easement on his property. The landowner is currently viewing the easement template. There was
conversation that this landowner would likely need to see some form of financial assistance or
significant tax benefits to granting an easement due to limited resources.
Woodsen left at 7:10pm
• Evans requested to speak during Privilege of the Floor as he had to leave the meeting early. Evans
updated the CAC on the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council’s (EMC) change to the
boundaries of the Unique Natural Areas (UNA). Two of these changes occurred in the Town of Danby
and were very minor adjustments to current boundaries.
• Evans reported that the EMC had a discussion concerning Cargill’s request for an additional mine shaft
and expanded mining of salt at the mine in Lansing. It was stated that this is not an issue that would
directly affect the environment in Danby but it could have impacts on quality of life in the surrounding
area. There was a resolution proposal before the Town Board concerning the issue and it was
approved.
Evans left at 7:15pm
• Roaring told the CAC that she had spoken to Supervisor Dietrick about the lack of articles in the Danby
News from the CAC. Supervisor Dietrick suggested that she write something. Roaring requested
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Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes_September 25, 2017
permission from the CAC before she wrote anything. Ulinski stated that an article would be published
in the October newsletter. The CAC encouraged Roaring to write about any land preservation topics
that she felt were important but not on behalf of the CAC.
Approval of the Minutes – Approval of the minutes of the June 26, 2017 & August 28, 2017 CAC meetings was
postponed until the October 23, 2017 meeting due to a lack of quorum.
Reports and Updates –
Natural Resources Inventory (NRI) Sub-Committee Update
• There were no reports or updates as the sub-committee did not meet. There is currently no meeting
scheduled.
Action Items –
Natural Resources Inventory (NRI)
• Discussion took place concerning the draft outline of the NRI and the updated draft Preliminary Data
Inventory (PDI). Sherman stated that the NRI draft outline looked comprehensive and complete. It was
acknowledged that the majority of the ground work is on Town Planner Randall’s plate and that the
CAC understands that this is a lot of work and will take some time.
Privilege of the Floor –
o Roaring stated that she had spoken to Town Planner Randall about inventories for specific
species sightings and locations and that she felt it was important to have these included in
the NRI.
• Sherman felt that including specific species locations was a lot of work to be accomplished. It was
mentioned that previous discussion had taken place concerning the issue of publishing specific
locations and the risk of harm to the species if the location was made public.
• It was mentioned that inventories that have already been completed could be incorporated into the
NRI but Ulinski stated that he wanted to stay focused on developing the NRI and PDI. Once the NRI and
PDI are complete then there could be a focus on additional information. Sherman suggested a BioBlitz.
• Hobart shared a few print outs from the Tompkins County 2001 NRI with the CAC so they could see
some examples of how the PDI layers would look printed on a map.
Privilege of the Floor –
o Roaring asked if there would be another Fall Tree Walk. It was mentioned that it was well
attended. Ulinski stated that the CAC should host it again this year and that he would work
on it.
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Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes_September 25, 2017
Natural Resources Protection
• Hobart shared copies of the Priority Protection Areas (PPA) section from the 2007 Tompkins County
Conservation Plan Part 1 as a supplement to the 2012 Tompkins County Conservation Strategy which
Town Planner Randall had previously email the CAC members.
• There was discussion related to who had produced the plan and strategy. They were done by the
county planning department in consultation with the Planning Advisory Board which is not the same as
the EMC. The Priority Protection Areas do include all or portions of the UNAs identified by the EMC.
Gagnon discussed the fact that these identified areas are just suggestions and if they could become
Critical Environmental Areas to give them more importance. He asked how the town could add
additional protections.
• The discussion related to the UNAs and the PPAs segued into discussion of the Tompkins County
Natural Infrastructure Capital Project and if funds could be used to help protect these identified areas
in the town. The CAC is interested to know more about the project and how funds could be applied for
and how they could be used. Particular interest is in if the funds could be used to purchase easements
in the town or to offset costs related to acquiring easements, e.g., title searches, survey work, legal
fees, etc.
• Ulinski was interested to know how these types of plans, programs, or funding opportunities get
communicated with the towns. He stated that he hopes that there is a good flow of information so that
the towns can know about them and take advantage of them.
Vision or Mission Statement
• Hobart provided the CAC with a first draft of a mission statement or short paragraph that consolidates
the goals and tasks outlined in Resolution 82 of 2010 to more easily communicate to the public what
the CAC is and does.
Privilege of the Floor –
o Roaring stated that in her opinion the draft document was not a mission statement and
asked for the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s (FLT) mission statement to be read from the
internet.
• Hobart read the FLT mission statement and discussion took place as to how the CAC had to follow the
resolution and could not be poetic in their statement and how the council was not the same type of
organization as a non-profit.
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Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes_September 25, 2017
• Sherman stated that this was a good working document and the CAC would make edits.
Easements
• Discussion on strategies for acquiring easements was postponed.
Hatch Pavilion Property
• Gagnon spoke to the history and current issue of the Hatch Pavilion property in West Danby.
Klein arrived at 8:13pm
• Discussion took place related to how this project would be considered a cluster alternative and how
this type of development would fit in the hamlet of West Danby. This development could use a
combined water and septic system. Gagnon explained how there was a proposal to create a sewer
district in the town and how this would encourage cluster development.
• Gagnon explained how using cluster development in this project could support maintaining open space
and the Hatch Pavilion. This would create a park that would be available as a public park to the
community. The developers were receptive to this idea. There are some community members who do
not support the development moving forward and instead would like the town to purchase the entire
property as a park.
• Discussion took place to the fact that as long as the landowner develops the property according to
town zoning and subdivision regulation that they are entitled to develop their property and that some
open space and the idea of maintaining the hatch Pavilion is preferred to the alternative that the
landowner develops the entire parcel.
Privilege of the Floor –
o Roaring stated that the landowner is not entitled to develop this property as proposed and
that the town should stop them. She went on to comment that in her opinion this should
not even be an item of discussion for the CAC.
• Gagnon moved that the CAC vote on a resolution that would be submitted to the Town Board for
consideration. It was second by Klein.
• The resolution states:
WHEREAS, the Landowner is entitled, according to town zoning and sub-division regulations, to
develop the Hatch Pavilion property; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Conservation Advisory Council encourages cluster development in order to
maintain open space with the potential for maintaining a public park; and be it further
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Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes_September 25, 2017
RESOLVED, that the Conservation Advisory Council recommends to the Town Board to consider a
sewer district for this development.
• The motion passed. In favor: Gagnon, Klein, Sherman, and Ulinski. Absent: Evans, Schaufler, and
Woodsen.
Adjournment – The meeting was adjourned at 9:00pm.
Next meeting is October 23, 2017 at 7:00pm
____________________________
Submitted by Matthew Hobart, Secretary