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Home My WebLink AboutCAC Minutes - 02_19_19Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 7 Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes of monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 (meeting delayed a week because of bad weather) Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Danby, New York Council Members present: Matt Ulinski (chair), Joel Gagnon, Ruth Sherman, Don Schaufler Council Members absent: Bill Evans, Clare Fewtrell Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident), C.J. Randall (town planner), Jill Rosentel (prospective CAC member), George Adams (prospective CAC member) Meeting opened at 7:06 pm Agenda Review (Additions or Deletions) • Ulinski added introduction of potential members in audience and discussion of increasing CAC Members to 9 • Ulinski added motion on Annual report • Gagnon added resolution to the Town Board to support carbon fee and dividend bills currently in Congress • Ulinski added town planning update from Randall . Public Comments/Privilege of the Floor (later referred to as PoF) • Schaufler commented on failure to include invitation to Lance Ebel to this meeting as a potential member. Ulinski apologized and said he would be sure to include him in the next meeting. Schaufler said he couldn’t have made it tonight but he was interested. • Roaring asked to see Gagnon’s resolution, which he shared with her. Introduction of Prospective Candidates for CAC membership Jill Rosentel Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 7 • Lives currently in Brooktondale, will be moving to 613 Nelson Rd. near Ulinski • Has worked as a real estate agent for 12 years (possible conflict of interest was mentioned and rejected) • Randall said that Board of Realtors could clarify any conflicts • Group agreed that might be more likely that CAC could capitalize on her experience • Ulinski mentioned that there is a code of ethics within CAC that Executive session is confidential, and if there is conflict on a specific property that she could recuse herself George Adams • Lives with Camille Doucet at 30Marsh Rd and owns land off of Nelson Rd where he is finishing a house that he will use as an office • Worked as a software engineer for 40 years, now retired. • Does statistical and background research; mentioned checking on 16 loggers closest to Danby (in connection with Deputron Hollow related logging legislation ) because he couldn’t get freedom of information on similar data Not present but interested • Lance Ebel • Jed Jorden Ulinski informed them that Town Clerk has applications and Town Board makes appointment, and he can send them link via email if needed. Addition to Agenda 1 - increasing CAC Members to 9 Following a general discussion of awkwardness of current term of 2 years (which ends before sufficient experience and knowledge can be put to use) MOTION proposed lengthening term of CAC member to 3 years with staggered term endings, and total number of CAC Members be increased from the current 5 -7 to 5 -9. – Recommendation to the Town Board. Gagnon moved to approve Schaufler seconded Unanimous approval Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 7 PoF: Roaring noted that members were originally supposed to include a farmer and a youth member. Ulinski acknowledged this but said they had never found someone of those categories to join CAC members introduced themselves as well • Gagnon has served 9 years - on other boards, Planning and Town. • Ulinski has served 4 years – Senior lecturer Mechanical Engineering, Cornell; also on Town Board • Sherman has served 2 years – retired from Natural Resources, Cornell • Schaufler has served 2 year plus – grew up in area but new Danby resident (6 years), forester by training. Retired from Cornell • Keokosky has been secretary for a year plus – Biomass advocate, systems analyst. Retired. • Fewtrell (not present) – Vet School retired • Evans (not present) – Ornithologist – wind turbine specialist with birds; light guy. Approve Minutes MOTION for Draft November and December 2018 minutes Gagnon moved to approve, Ulinski Seconded Unanimous approval January minutes deferred – Schaufler asked to insert an after- comment that tree planting was not a good idea in management plans because does not address the deer damage problem, and Gagnon asked that minutes be sent as a Word.doc and not a .pdf so that he could make changes. Addition to Agenda 2 – approval of annual report –discussed last month MOTION proposed that CAC Annual Report – discussed last month – be approved Sherman moved to approve Schaufler seconded Unanimous approval Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 7 Addition to the Agenda 3 - resolution to the Town Board to support carbon fee and dividend bills currently in Congress in both houses Joel explained his resolution to the Town Board was modeled on the Tompkins County Resolution of the same topic. Bills in congress (H.R. 763) are based on the Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL) model of a fee and dividend on carbon by having a steadily increasing fee (proposed in these bills: $15/ton the first year with an addition of $10/ton each year after) on fossil fuels at their point of entry into the economy. This fee would be returned (minus a 3% administration fee) to each American as a monthly dividend/rebate to offset expected higher prices (note: not does not include biomass but does include a carbon equivalent for methane). Uses a market based approach, not regulatory, with bipartisan support. MOTION proposed to accept Gagnon’s Resolution and pass on to Town Board for their consideration Ulinski moved to approve Sherman seconded Unanimous approval Addition to Agenda 4 – Town Planner announcements from Randall March 14 is C.J.’s last day to general dismay as well as congratulations. She is going to a full time job in Lansing. Thursday’s Scoping Meeting canceled. Wants to get Nature Resources Inventory done before, if possible; if not, work with Sharon Heller in Tompkins County Planning Dept. Ulinski will schedule an appointment with Randall for a briefing. Her updates for Logging Working Group - feasibility for doing three things after talking to town lawyer, Guy Krogh: 1) Amending Danby Road Use Law (from 2011) • Group recommended removing “farm woodland” from “construction activity”, which would probably get push- back from NY State Ag and Markets. • Rather than change local law, Guy Krogh’s recommendation was to use local law (page 12, Sec 8 on the local law) which says town board can impose seasonal restrictions; Make a Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 7 resolution to close roads a set number of days depending on classification of road – seasonal, low volume, limited maintenance – which town board could do now. Gagnon questioned if this would allow the nimbleness to close roads as needed. Other members questioned if this would allow closure if conditions warranted outside of time frame. • Could resolution authorize Highway Superintendent to close roads as necessary; this has to be authorized by town board. Randall going to prepare this as part of resolution. Gagnon thinks it may already exist. Randall will check. 2) Threshold for logging oversight- • Krogh’s recommendation is to amend storm water ordinance but don’t amend too far - leave SWPPP compliance threshold for federal/state acreage – which is about 1 acre land disturbance. Have SWPPP amendments reviewed by consulting forester since timber harvesting is not exempt from SWPPP. Silva culture has an exemption • Threshold fine for steep slope timbering, fine for adjacent streams - DEC has management zone rules for forestlands and we can borrow those. • Don’t create a stand-alone timber ordinance. Use Elmira’s model of environmental protection for timber harvesting (see https://ecode360.com/16032696 ) as customized for us by town lawyer, Guy Krogh – substance of code not changed, just legal process and language 3) Going as a resolution to Town Board by March 4th Danby Park – money available for playground from TC Parks and Trails Program. Apply for grant – deadline is quick. Hashing out liability insurance. MOTION Ulinski proposed a motion of thank you and appreciation for all of C.J.’s service to CAC and the town in general– for what we see, and what we don’t see Schaufler moved to approve Gagnon seconded Unanimous approval Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 6 of 7 Reports and Updates 1. Update on Publicity for 2275 Danby Road, Willseyville Danby Conservation Easement • Publicity sent out by Randall in Danby Area Newsletter, and will send to other sources as well. 2. Update on Mary Wimset Property – 40 acres south of South Danby Rd intersection of Rt 96B • On going discussion between Wimset and Gagnon reflects a change of mind about her sister taking over the house. Now she would like to give the town the whole property and just be able to live out her days in her home there. Insurance and liability was an issue. General consensus was that taking on expenses of the house while she was living there was too much of a risk. • Alternative is for her to gift land and keep the house but since she wants to get rid of property tax this does not accomplish the goal • Ulinski asked if there was a model elsewhere and Gagnon said he would check with Andy … at Finger Lakes Land Trust. • Perhaps somehow Home Equity – secured loan line of credit could be used. 3. Update on Income from Rural Properties presentations • Akiva Silver of Twisted Tree farm going to speak on Wednesday, March 20 on Passion for Growing Trees • Decision made to cancel Brett Chedzoy talk on Wednesday, February 20 since storm warnings made cancelation probable and he was missing a very important athletic event for his son. Secretary emailed town clerk and Ted Crane. Jordie put a notice on Danby web page. 4. Update on background information from Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) non-chemical alternatives to spraying on pipelines going through Danby: • Ulinski not yet in touch yet with Angel Hinickle from SWCD 5. Update on Knotweed and Highway Department classes on Exotic Species Management Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 7 of 7 • Sherman has contacted Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM ) ( See: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/47433.html ) • The regional group is based in Geneva and a class was offered in Moravia last year. • Highway Dept very interested and class will be scheduled – points are given for educational credits. • Hogweed was their big emphasis and Ruth was asked to make sure they talked about knotweed as well. Action Items Ulinski proposed members look at Town Management plans next month when we can give them the attention they deserve. People were given printed copies to review at home. Next Meeting is on March 12 at 7p.m. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 8:49 pm _____________________________________________ Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)