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Home My WebLink AboutCAC Minutes - 07_11_23Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 1 of 5 Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Minutes of In-person Meeting in Town Hall and via videoconferencing Tuesday, July 11, 2023 Danby, New York Council Members present: Jonathan Zisk (Meeting Chair), Joel Gagnon, Katharine Hunter, Don Schaufler, Brittany Lagaly Council Members absent: Margaret Corbit, Renee Owens Others present: Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary), Ronda Roaring (Danby resident – via Zoom), Anne Klingensmith (Danby resident perhaps interested in becoming a CAC member) Meeting was officially called to order at 7:14 Deletions or Additions to Agenda: None Privilege of the Floor (PoF): Roaring and Gagnon –Roaring asked about existing copies of fliers that Mary Woodsen had made and Gagnon mentioned that he has just found a digital copy of her rack card. Roaring suggested Owens use her newness in town to introduce herself, talk about land preservation, and pass out flier, especially since there were some older owners of large parcels there (in that area where they both lived). Zisk said it was good idea and she should suggest it to Owens. Roaring will send her an email. Introduction of Anne Klingensmith: she said she had been invited by Zisk to attend CAC meeting. She had retired recently and had been on both the Danby Planning Board, in the past, and the Tompkins County Environmental Management Council (EMC) more recently, and was interested in checking out the CAC for a few months with the intention of possibly joining. Approval of June 13, 2023 minutes Schaufler moved to approve  Zisk seconded  Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 2 of 5 Approval unanimous for those present. REPORTS AND UPDATES (from the agenda and other additions) 1. Update on Town Board’s review of Tax Abatement in exchange for conservation easements - Gagnon Gagnon reported that a public hearing on the local law enabling tax abatements for land protected by conservation easements (both temporary and permanent)was scheduled for July 19 and town board could possibly pass it on the same day. PoF: Keokosky suggested that Roaring had recommended a meeting of all people holding conservation easements, which seemed to be a good idea, in order to let them know the latest developments. Discussion followed on the CAC being charged with screening requests for temporary easements, and establishing a framework for the criteria for refusal. Gagnon explained that small landholder temporary easements are sometimes not worth the hassle. Cost/benefits analysis to CAC had to be based on quality of the land and criteria have to be set ahead of time. Zisk volunteered to work on it. PoF: Keokosky suggested that meeting with current conservation easement holders might come first to give some feedback. Hunter’s concern was that some people who have lived here longer or have become more involved think that their opinion may have more weight. Others felt it was the CAC’s responsibility to set criteria. Zisk said that Planner West had warned him that not all land warranted being protected by a conservation easement. Joel offered the history of whole abatement for conservation easement initiative and reiterated categories: 15-29year temporary easements receive a 50% tax abatement 30-49 year temporary easements receive a 75% tax abatement 50-75 year temporary easements receive a 85% tax abatement Permanent easements receive a 90% tax abatement Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 3 of 5 (Note: Tax abatement reduction applies to Danby’s annual property tax (excluding buildings – i.e., the column for land in the assessment report). Zisk suggested criteria could be based on his short trigger list to alert other boards to pass applications by the CAC. Hunter noted that some people might not want to bother with abatement - should criteria then be adjusted? She reminded group that capturing development rights is an important goal no matter what the quality of the land. 2. Status of DEC approval of Timber Harvesting law – Schaufler Planner David West, who was going to schedule a meeting with DEC, will be leaving on July 28. Gagnon said there was a strong new planner candidate but meeting with DEC doesn’t have to involve planner. Schaufler noted that meeting was a courtesy on our part. He will call and arrange for a meeting, getting 3 dates so others can go if they want to. 3. Update from committee on monitoring – Hunter and Zisk (others?) Hunter thanked for the gift of a monitor volunteer. Zisk suggested he and Hunter meet with him at a meeting at Mary Woodsen’s property. Keokosky said she would forward the volunteer, Curtis Jirsa’s, contact info to group. 4. Updates on Easements – from leads on on-going easements Mary Woodsen: Mary discovered a huge pile of shards on her land that need to be looked at. Is it ancient of just a recent dump? Andi Gladstone: Zisk will get together and work out details of zones. She asked do her woods deserve the highest level of protection? She is concerned about forest management. Zisk asked about people who wanted to walk her land. Ben Altman: Wants to get busy working on it. Wants to write into easement Haudenosaunee stewardship/use of land. Keokosky will send the group the web site of the Dennis Conservation Land Trust in Massachusetts who do something similar with Wampanoag Nation. Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 4 of 5 (https://dennisconservationlandtrust.org/dclt-nlc-cultural-respect- easement/ ) Butje: Need to find where Planner West left off. Zisk will talk to him tomorrow. Sherman: Brittany scheduling a walk soon. 5. Report on status of checklist to trigger CAC involvement in Town Planning/Land use discussions - Zisk Zisk had previously made short check list of 5 items. Others need to add what they think useful. Interactions of things like water and land are also important to make clear the larger meaning of habitat loss. Discussion followed on the implications of all this. Gagnon asked if there was any property that wasn’t affected? Even a small building could compromise the habitat. How does it interact with SEQR (see https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/permits_ej_operations_pdf/seqrhandbook.p df ). West had brought up that it would add time to the approval process. PoF: Klingensmith noted that habitat loss happens in little bites at a time. She brought up pollinator pathways and useful local plants of all kinds. She thought it was an opportunity for education. Hunter agreed – she mentioned large lawns vs leaving space to grow meadow for birds. But she reminded the group that the hamlet was for consolidating development, though in Danby, there is still a lot of wildlife in the hamlet. Gagnon asked if we were talking about the exception, or the rule. Zisk noted that the Planning Board might not see the actual property – just a survey map. Klingensmith reminded people that a unique natural area is important even if on the edge of a property or just overlapping it. Zisk said that UNAs will be added as a trigger. 6. Status of NYSACC conference follow-ups – Keokosky Keokosky made it clear she is not the official representative and she has only attended the first meeting. She verified that Ben Altman and David West are speaking, and she could supply dates and information on the website (https://www.nysacc.net/2023) Town of Danby Conservation Advisory Council Minutes Page 5 of 5 Dates: Sessions only virtual on Wed, Sept 20. Sept 21/22 are field trip days. Keokosky said she would try to get the list of speakers and field trips for the next meeting. There is a Meet and Greet from 5 to 7 on Wednesday at a bar on Cayuga Lake called the Deep Dive and a conference reception at a restaurant, Coltivare, around a block from the Commons, at 5pm on Thursday. (Later: Speakers https://www.nysacc.net/2023/virtual-speakers-schedule Field trips https://www.nysacc.net/2023/field-trips-in-person ) 7. Status of Bear presentation/webpage changes - Owens This discussion was skipped since Owens was absent There was no Executive session Next Meeting is on August 8, 2023 at 7p.m. Adjournment at 8:31 pm _____________________________________________ Submitted by Elizabeth Keokosky (Secretary)