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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-12-5 Ag Committee MintuesDecember 5th, 2016 Town of Ulysses Agriculture Committee Meeting Present: John Gates, John Wertis, Chaw Chang, Krys Cail, Greg Reynolds Absent: Liz Thomas Chairman CC called the meeting to order at 5:55 pm. It was explained that the Town continued to be unable to provide somebody to take notes for the group, and that one of us would have to record the minutes, as well as participate. KC offered to take the notes. The dates of upcoming Zoning Update Steering Committee (ZUSC) meetings were shared with the group by Liaison KC: 12/19, 1/5. Minutes from the October meeting were approved, with 4 in favor and 1 abstention. There was a discussion of Site Plan Review as envisioned in the draft zoning document currently being considered by ZUSC. The group concurred that the guidance from NYS Dept. of Ag and Markets needed to be highlighted for ZUSC members and the Town Board. JW offered to write up a draft, and bring back to us, based on Matt Brower’s review. There was a discussion of how to craft a communication plan for being in touch with a wider group of those with agricultural interests (farmers and owners of farmland) as well as those connected to government and government agencies with an interest in Ulysses. The purpose of this is to gain wider support to protect farming and farmers in Ulysses. These included: -Barbara Lifton -Tom O’Mara -Scott Doyle (County Planning) -Ed Marks (County Planning) -Farm Bureau -Ag and Farmland Protection Board -Groundswell -John Brennan (Dept. of Ag and Markets—on Subdivision Review) The idea here is to send the draft new Ag Zone zoning law, with the areas that are problematic flagged for review, and ask for comment. To keep our local farmers informed of the process, it was decided to send out a postcard with a succinct message. It was discussed whether or not it would be productive to ask that the Town print and pay for the postcard mailing, estimated to be 30-40 postcards at most. Some members expressed that it was futile to request that the Town send the cards. It was decided that KC would request of Michelle that she do this task, but, if she did not have time, would then contact Debbie Teeter at Cornell Cooperative Extension to send the cards. Debbie has offered to help in this way in the past. The Agriculture Committee web page was discussed. Members were frustrated by the page, believed that every resolution, meeting minutes and every communication (either with the Town Board, ZUSC, or farmers, as per the postcard just discussed) should be posted to the web page, and the most recent should show as the current page. CC agreed to have a talk with Michelle and Liz about the webpage, and the Committee’s budget, and to try to get somebody on Town staff assigned to taking minutes at Ag Committee meetings. CC also agreed to ask Darby about the new, moved date to which the NYSERDA deadline for completion of the zoning review has been moved. JW requested that we develop a script for verbal communications—one for use with local farmer/landowners, and one for elected officials (Town, but also State level). It was agreed that we are interested in sharing some of the source documents that we have been using to help us to understand the situation, as per: -Ulysses Ag and Farmland Protection Plan (as a WHOLE, and also in particular the matrix of recommended actions) -Matt Brower’s guidance document -Ulysses Comprehensive Plan -American Farmland Trust’s “Planning for Agriculture” CC will develop a script for elected officials with Debbie’s assistance. JW will develop a script for using with local farmers and landowners. JW is also currently developing a private-citizen letter to highlight the ignored “Right to Farm” request made by this committee—that letter to be sent both as a letter-to- the-editor and also to the Town Board. The group discussed the lacuna in knowledge and understanding of agriculture on the ZUSC, and agreed that, as the NYSERDA application had stated that agricultural interests would be represented on the committee, and the committee both neglected to appoint a member with agricultural knowledge, AND refused input from the Agriculture Committee, as well, that it was important to address this problem directly. An agriculture representative should be added to the ZUSC. JW offered to locate the NYSERDA contract in order to append it to a request to add a member to the ZUSC. KC offered to look through planning literature and websites to find a succinctly-stated “best practice” statement about ensuring that zoning review committees considering zoning changes to protect farmland include representation from the farming community. Future meetings: No additional meetings in December—members will work on homework and re-read source documents, as well as engage in one-on-one conversations as the occasion arises. A January meeting date will be set later in the month.