HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC Minutes - 10_08_19Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 4
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council
Minutes of monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Danby Town Hall, 1830 Danby Road, Danby, New York
Council Members present: Joel Gagnon (acting chair), Don
Schaufler, George Adams, Clare Fewtrell, Mary Woodson (rejoined
group)
Council Members absent: Matt Ulinski (chair), Bill Evans, Ruth
Sherman,
Others present: Rhonda Roaring (Danby resident), Bill Keokosky
(Danby resident)
Meeting opened at 7:08 pm
Privilege of Floor
No comments
Change requested to Sept 10 minutes – an after-note requested to
September minutes to clarify a comment from PoF saying it is clearly
illegal to brush hog fields during bird breeding season. (Follow-up:
Note was added to say it was against birding ethics and contrary to
the intent of the Migratory Bird Treaty, but not illegal)
Approve Minutes MOTION for Draft August 13, 2019 and Draft
September 10, 2019 minutes
Adams moved to approve
Fewtrell Seconded
Unanimous approval
Agenda Review (Additions or Deletions)
none
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 4
Reports and Updates
1. Discussion of September Gretchen Salm talk – what was
useful?
Gagnon brought up that the tax situation discussion was
confusing – Change discussed was that IRS is no longer willing
to allow a charitable deduction for the value of conservation
easement. Part of this is because NY State has had, and still
does have, a tax credit amounting to a rebate that, over time,
could be more than the value of the donation. This is not a
“deduction” but a refundable “tax credit” to be applied to the
donator’s property tax. The only State “deduction” was the
one implicit from rolling over deductions from individual’s
Federal income tax.
PoF: Keokosk(secretary) said she found Russ Nitchmann’s
idea of no property taxes – not on properties over 100 acres, as
he mentioned – but on conservation easements interesting. He
had said local tax law over-rides everything else. Gagnon said
he wasn’t certain this was true. Keokosky asked is after note
necessary? Going to check this. Gagnon: Perinton exception
that comes to mind. (after-note: online information is unclear.)
Gagnon added that the change of IRS deduction allowances
has put a damper on new conservation easements. Fewtrell
asked how this affects people in Danby. Gagnon didn’t know,
but he thought it had affected the Finger Lakes Land Trust
(FLLT) donations. Bulk of property owners who donate
conservation easements are relatively wealthy, and the
charitable donation deduction is important to many of them.
What was useful in the talk? Gagnon said that FLLT
monitoring used to be done by volunteers; now is a staff
function. With many more properties to oversee there is virtue
in the same person doing it year after year.
Adams wondered how the change in Tompkins County
legislation to allow rifle hunting would affect fall monitoring–
Gagnon commented it was not going into effect until next year.
He responded to Adams question about why monitor? Saying
that it was enforcement - not usually a problem with donor, but
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 4
future owners might violate terms of the easement. Or someone
else encroaching on property. FLLT stewardship fund
important for this use. Danby has no specific fund, but the
town funds could be used.
Gagnon brought up option of a “Bargain sale”, for Deputron
Hollow, which means if you are willing to sell property to town
for less that what it’s worth, you can deduct the difference as a
charitable deduction. That is allowable by IRS. Then the
town, as owners, could put a conservation easement on the
property and resell it. Adams asked if the lumber taken off the
land decreased the assessment value. (after-note:
assessment value not affected by timber potential)
PoF: Keokosky thought Gretchen Salm’s offer to partner with
Danby might be useful. Gagnon thought FTTL would be most
helpful to deal with easements on special properties. Would
they help us with Deputron Hollow? Gagnon said that Roaring
had asked Andy Zepp at FTTL, who had said that they had no
money to buy it.
2. PoF:Roaring on Deputron Hollow – requested Executive
Session after CAC business finished.
3. Scheduling of monitoring of Conservation Easements with
Schaufler and Fewtrell:
Discussion of monitoring forms from Dryden and how to
download them and conservation easement information on the
Laserfiche server. Schaufler suggested rather than trying to
change yearly monitoring forms now, use them and see how
they apply to Danby easements. Need to know what
constraints were built into easement agreements for correct
follow-up.
Open Space Planning Guide – where is it? Secretary will send
Link.
4. Discussion of How to share Natural Resource Inventory –
Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 4
The technical difficulties are that Tompkins County computer
support has not been able to put it on the browser. Asked if
they couldn’t or wouldn’t do it – there was some confusion as to
whether it was lack of planner time (in the transitionary period).
Adams said he would look into it further – need better
communication. Gagnon; said that once we have new planner
on board we can readdress the issue.
Schaufler moved that Keokosky (secretary) check with town
clerk and finance officer on ability to make color bound copies
of pdf file of Natural Resource Inventory, and, if necessary, use
our funds.
Gagnon moved to approve
Fewtrell Seconded
Unanimous approval
Discussion of how to initiate Fewtrell’s property Conservation
Easement
Gagnon remarked that the process usually starts with a site visit with
the property owner, during which the notable features of the property
are ascertained, as well as the property owner’s thoughts regarding
potential environmental protection zone(s) and the uses for the rest of
the property. It was decided that a site visit would be scheduled
following the monitoring visits for our existing conservation
easements (to be coordinated by Fewtrell and Schaufler)
Went into Executive Session at 8:23
Next Meeting is on November 12 at 7p.m.
Adjournment
The meeting ended at 8:52 p.m.
_____________________________________________
Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)