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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAC Minutes - 03_09_21Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 7 Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Minutes of Video Conference (Zoom) Meeting on Tuesday, March 9, 2021 Danby, New York Council Members present: Clare Fewtrell (chair), Joel Gagnon, George Adams, Jonathan Zisk, Brittany Lagaly, Don Schaufler, Mary Woodsen, Margaret Corbit Council Members absent: none Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident), David West (town planner), Katharine Hunter (former CAC member), Sarah Schnabel (town board member), Annette Feeney (Danby resident) Zoom Meeting was officially called to order at 7:04. Deletions or Additions to Agenda: Make CAC Statement on Moratorium on Subdivision 1st item on agenda. Privilege of the Floor (PoF): none Approval Minutes MOTION for February 9, 2020 Gagnon moved to approve Fewtrell seconded Unanimous approval, except for Woodsen and Schaufler who abstained. Corbit entered Zoom session after vote over. REPORTS AND UPDATES 1. CAC Support Statement of a Moratorium on Subdivision sent to Town Board Fewtrell moved to send (the following statement) to Town Board Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 7 “The Danby Conservation Advisory Council strongly supports the enactment of a moratorium on subdivision until the end of the year. This would allow the Town time to revise zoning and subdivision laws to better manage development and maintain the rural character of Danby.” Gagnon seconded the motion Unanimous approval Schaufler asked for the backstory and Gagnon explained how the complicated Wimsatt subdivision had precipitated the moratorium by making the town board realize how out of step our zoning and subdivision regulations were with our vision and comprehensive plan. Also, the planning process was at a point that required specifics and things enacted might conflict with rules that were changing. Adams asked if until the end of the year was enough time? Gagnon replied that the town board wants a time line to keep to schedule, and West (town planner) said he thinks it is doable, and was comfortable with it because the board can also extend time limit if necessary. Board agreed to open it up to public discussion on March 17. It is not a moratorium on development, only on subdivision. Zisk also added that a previous meeting had indicated some flexibility, allowing for waivers if necessary. Easement Webinar/Zoom Meeting (13th May) – Fewtrell Corbit and Woodsen volunteered to produce a short article for Danby Area Newsletter (DAN) advertising it. The plan is to have a current easement holder speak (perhaps Curtis or O’Neal), and have Gagnon explain Danby easements, followed by questions. 30 minutes for each section. Keokosky (secretary) was asked to produce a poster and send around to the group an example of her previous one. Various ways to get the word out were discussed. Besides using the DAN and Gay Huddle, the marque at the fire station was suggested, the West Danby sign, the Danby website, the South Hill-Danby Facebook site. Adams will check into this. Tompkins County Weekly also has a calendar. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 7 2. Easement Website – Woodsen & Corbit Fewtrell reminded the group that the easement webpage needs to be active by May 13th. Corbit and Woodsen are working on it. It is still just an outline. Corbit had only just sent out the text that they had drafted so everyone should look at it and provide feedback before the next meeting. Corbit and Woodsen need to talk to the Town Clerk who is redesigning the website. 3. Easement Sign – Fewtrell & Adams A compromise had been reached via email. Camille Doucet’s design will be used on the easement webpage (since shaded tones are too expensive to produce as a sign but fine for a .jpg file) and the more graphic green and white design made by Ruth Sherman will be used for property signage, if the owners of easement properties are agreeable. Some discussion on the specifics of this new sign design, such as QR code placement on it, and whether a QR code could handle a change in website address. It was clarified that it could handle a new address if the old one had a forwarding link. Corbit moved accepting Sherman’s design for a property sign with a QR code in the bottom right-hand corner of the Town of Danby outline. Zisk seconded the motion Unanimous approval Fewtrell will write to easement holders to let them know of this new option. 4. Logging Ordinance – Adams, Schaufler, and Zisk Adams began with a quote from Fewtrell, “Decide what we want to achieve and then decide the best way to do it”. He noted that what had initiated the on-going discussion of an ordinance was an attempt to stop people like Santo Oliver from destroying our woods and roads (referring to the debacle in DePutron Hollow several years ago). The ordinance would require that any large logging job be reported to Town Hall with a rough map/description of the area and what is happening on it. He presented an overview of what he wanted the Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 7 ordinance to look like in a flowchart-like array of IFs and GO TOs with a graduated set of requirements. These ranged from a routine job that would not require Town involvement to a potentially ecologically damaging scenario that would require approval by the code enforcement officer and expert oversight, coupled to a penalty for non-compliance. This prompted Corbit to suggest that Adams write an overview at the start of his draft ordinance document. Gagnon commented that the question is how far we go on the spectrum from easy to difficult – are the heavy duty requirements too heavy in the most sensitive cases or are they in line with what we want to accomplish? Fewtrell commented that George was perhaps putting the cart before the horse and trying to write a complicated legal document, which left her completely losing the big picture. She suggested writing a plain English description, let the group go over this, and then writing the ordinance to implement this. Schaufler said looking at the steps is a good idea but he thinks what the Town is worried about is off-property impacts, such as mud in streams, problems with roads, and, after that, not so much concern with what people are doing on their own property. He added, do we want to tell someone where to put their logging roads? This is a whole different approach. Zisk agreed, except he would also add monitoring the effects on very sensitive and fragile habitats, such as low-lying wetlands which couldn’t handle the silt load. Corbit added that there is state acknowledgement of such areas. Zisk said you can’t depend on the DEC to be a policing agency. Cobit noted that now we are putting a load on the code enforcements officer. Schaufler compared cutting trees with picking wildflowers protected by the state. Property owners can still pick such flowers and cut trees on their own property. Corbit said yes, but the ordinance doesn’t say you cannot log, it just says if we identify vulnerable areas we want to talk to you about it. Schaufler said that he was in support of making the landowner aware, but, after that, if they still insist on going ahead then he believes they should be able to. He added, inform but do not prevent, unless there is some kind of compensation. Zisk said that the one thing critical here is best management practices (BMP). Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 7 Corbit asked whether there would be an opportunity for a dialog, to which Gagnon added but with whom? We need to point the landowner to educational resources. Zisk said the guy who is hired to do the logging knows what BMPs are. Fewtrell asked where do we go from here? She commented that we’ve been discussing this since she has been on CAC. Adams still needs to talk to the Code Enforcement Officer and Highway Department. Fewtrell also recommended that all three people of subcommittee participate to come up with a more finished product. Secretary Keokosky asked if it might be better to initially start with something simple (e.g., just requiring a report to the Town Clerk) and then work on making it more complex after we have collected information for a while on what is happening in our town. Adams said yes, but we have to have a way of saying no. Fewtrell concluded that we also need a webpage for logging (for links to sources of information such as the NYS Forestry BMP Field Guide Booklet, which is also available on the web) similar to the one we are making for easements. 5. Easement Updates – Fewtrell Andi Gladstone is still interested. Gagnon hadn’t heard from Hoffman/Karlsen recently. Hoffman/Karlsen and Gagnon had agreed that doing a planned development zone was the best way to proceed (because it would enable the 3 dwellings they want without requiring the property to be subdivided). No other easement updates. 6. Invasive Species Talks – Lagaly Lagaly wants to present several talks on invasive species, the spotted lantern fly, which has egg masses hatching in May and April, being one – to be offered to the general community. The date was settled for April 22, Thursday, at 7pm. She has also written a short article for the DAN. She will talk to the Town Clerk about holding a Zoom session. Katharine Hunter (in the audience) suggested co- sponsorship by the Community Council to increase participation and ways to advertise. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 6 of 7 The other presentation is for the Highway Department on how not to spread Japanese knotweed. Lagaly was looking for an effective way of contacting Highway Department and Laura Shawley’s name was suggested. Lagaly was given her contact information and was advised to call the highway department to find a best day. Lagaly comes with expertise and has given the presentation to Highway Departments before. Since other people might be interested (including members of this committee) it was suggested that she might give one for the highway department and one for the general public. 7. Do we want to join NYSACC (New York State Association of Conservation Commissions (https://nysacc.org/ )? – Fewtrell Fewtrell has attended and thought it would be worthwhile and something we should support. It costs $75 for an organization to join. Gagnon moved CAC join NYSACC Corbit seconded it. Unanimous approval Fewtrell asked about printing more conservation easement rack cards. Schaufler suggested that we should get 100 more copies of the PLM-01 2 sided palm cards (rack cards) Woodsen had made a while back. Schaufler volunteered to check whether Gnomon Copy still has the template. 8. Town Board’s response to proposed Management Plans for Town Properties on Deputron Hollow Road and Sylvan Lane – Gagnon The management plans were approved without any of the last minute changes. 9. Planning Group & Conservation Working Group Report – Gagnon The Conservation Working Group reviewed Gagnon’s proposed Zoning Changes – allowing less density. The Hamlet Committee is receiving a presentation of Zoning changes there. The moratorium will be a major driver. Movement forward will lean heavily on Planner West’s expertise. Proposals from the last three planners will also be reviewed. Town Board members are committed to being actively engaged. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 7 of 7 There was no Executive session Next Meeting through Zoom is on April 13th at 7p.m. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 8:57 p.m. _____________________________________________ Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)