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TOMPKINS COUNTY ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COUNCIL 121 East Court St, Ithaca, New York 14850 Telephone (607) 274-5560 http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/emc 1 EMC Minutes 2 October 12th, 4:00 p.m. 3 Tompkins County Old Jail Conference Room, 125 E. Court St, Ithaca, NY 4 5 Attendance 6 Member Seat Member Seat Steve Bissen P Town of Dryden Dooley Kiefer E Legislative Liaison John Dennis A Village of Lansing Susan Allen-Gil A Associate Member Brian Eden P Village of Cayuga Heights Cait Darfler E Associate Member Bill Evans P Town of Danby Karen Edelstein A Associate Member Pegi Ficken E Town of Groton Anna Kelles P Associate Member Michelle Henry P Town of Newfield Dan Klein A Associate Member John Hertzler E Town of Ulysses Jose Lozano A Associate Member James Knighton P At-Large Osamu Tsuda A Associate Member Vladimir Micic P Town of Ithaca David Weinstein A Associate Member Steve Nicholson E Town of Caroline Robert Wesley A Associate Member Susan Riley P At-Large Roger Yonkin A Associate Member Tom Shelley A Ithaca CAC Scott Doyle P EMC Coordinator Linda Spielman P Village of Dryden Kristin McCarthy P Administrative Assistant Ron Syzmanski A Village of Freeville 7 There was no quorum at the start of the meeting so Agenda Review/Changes and Approval of the Draft 8 September Minutes were delayed until after a presentation by guest speaker Andy Zepp. 9 10 Guests – Andy Zepp, Finger Lakes Land Trust 11 Call to Order – Chair Brian Eden called the meeting to order at 4:02 pm. 12 Privilege of the Floor – No one 13 Agenda Review/Changes – None 14 15 Updates on Regional Land Conservation Efforts and Proposed Agenda for Addressing Toxic 16 Algae in the Finger Lakes – Andy Zepp, Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) 17 18 • Andy Zepp provided the group with an updated summary of key land acquisitions and initiatives 19 by the Land Trust. For more details, please see the list of current and pending FLLT projects 20 included with these minutes. 21 • FLLT has acquired 160 acres in Newfield and another 50 acres in the Danby State Forest. These 22 acquisitions help expand the Emerald Necklace network of conserved lands. 23 • They are focusing on conservation easements to secure buffer zones along local water sources, 24 like creeks, streams, etc. 25 • FLLT is actively joining the conversation about toxic algae outbreaks across the region. One 26 theory is that the increasing intensity of storm events is causing more sediments and nutrients 27 from farms and septic systems to wash into the Finger Lakes, which makes the Land Trust’s 28 efforts to buffer waterways and create new wetlands even more important. 29 30 Minutes Approval (September 14, 2017) – Action: Vladimir Micic moved to approve the September 31 14th minutes. Steve Bissen seconded. The September minutes were approved with minor editorial 32 changes by the members present. 33 34 Committee Reports 35 36 A. Climate Adaptation – James Knighton 37 • James Knighton and Michelle Henry continue their GPS mapping of flood damage to creeks in 38 Newfield. They have a working copy of the flooding events survey and will distribute it to the 39 group for review. 40 • James had previously volunteered with a federal climate change outreach program and asked 41 Scott if he could forward him an application for Ithaca to participate. 42 B. Environmental Review – Brian Eden 43 • The 2016 Annual Report on Cornell University Radiation and Chemical Disposal Sites has gone to 44 the County Legislature’s Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee for 45 review. 46 • An Article 78 lawsuit was brought against the Dryden Road solar farm project by a neighbor and 47 the Cemetery Association. Arguments will be heard at Tompkins County Supreme Court on 48 October 27th. 49 • The Ellis Tract solar project developer submitted a request for a variance from the required 50 boundary set-backs. When it was evident that the variance would be rejected, the developer 51 withdrew the request. 52 • The comment period has ended for the NYSEG Proceeding (17-G-0432) on adding four 53 compressor stations along an existing distribution line as an alternative to the construction of 54 the proposed W. Dryden Rd. pipeline. The hope is that it will be approved on the Public Service 55 Commission’s October 19th agenda. 56 • Monday night (Oct.16) is the Cargill Shaft #4 site plan review for surface facilities at the Town of 57 Lansing Planning Board. 58 • A number of municipalities in the County have become petitioners on the CLEAN (Cayuga Lake 59 Environmental Action Now) Article 78 lawsuit. 60 • The proposed Cayuga Orchards Apartments are also up for site plan review at the Oct. 16th 61 Lansing Planning Board meeting. Brian will be there to speak about the adoption of heat pumps. 62 63 C. UNA – Steve Nicholson 64 • Steve Nicholson wasn’t at the meeting, so there was no report. Linda Spielman said the 65 committee didn’t meet at its regularly scheduled time this month. 66 • Brian notified the EMC that the Legislature’s Expanded Budget Committee had passed the UNA 67 budget request. It is now forwarded to the full Legislature for adoption. 68 • A one-acre unmapped area between two UNAs along Route 13, in Cayuga Heights, was clear-cut 69 for development. The Village doesn’t require a site plan review for single family home 70 construction. 71 • The Council needs to “put something in the hopper” to spend the remaining funds in the 2017 72 UNA budget before the end of the year. Members should pass along any ideas they have for 73 events, etc. 74 D. Outreach – Susan Riley 75 • Susan did not hear from anyone else interested in joining the committee, but she and Tom 76 Shelley came up with a simple plan to host two outreach programs every year. One event could 77 be an annual update of EMC activities for the public, and the other could include a presentation 78 on a timely topic of interest. She would like to get moving on planning an event for March. 79 • Vladimir Micic asked if she had approached any Cornell students about joining the EMC as 80 interns. Anna Kelles suggested reaching out to the student group in the Campus Sustainability 81 Office. 82 • Vlad said he would try to make the Outreach Committee meeting next month. 83 E. Executive – Brian Eden 84 • On October 6th, Brian went on a tour of farms in Tompkins County sponsored by the County 85 Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board. The tour included stops at a dairy farm, vegetable 86 crop farm (Stick & Stone, where Brian gets his CSA), a bison farm, a goat wool farm, and a grain 87 mill. 88 • Members up for renewal in 2018 need to submit their applications as soon as possible if they 89 wish to continue serving on the Council. 90 91 F. Water Resources Council (WRC) Liaison – Michelle Henry 92 • Roxy Johnston took WRC members on a tour of the City of Ithaca Water Treatment Plant. Roxy, 93 who is an associate member of the WRC and manages the water plant, said there are still some 94 concerns with manganese in the water but otherwise she is pleased with the new facility. 95 • The Emerging Contaminants Committee is looking at three components (point sources, nonpoint 96 sources, and sediments) to investigate how they might be releasing contaminants into our 97 waterways. 98 • The Education and Outreach Committees continues work on the Clean Boating brochure. 99 Members will also be helping distribute hydrilla testing kits around the lake. 100 • HABs were a major source of discussion. 101 • The Workshop to Protect Water Resources program has been moved to the spring. 102 • There is still no word on when the TMDL might be available for local review. 103 • The Soil Health Committee is working on an educational brochure. 104 105 G. Staff Report – Scott Doyle 106 • Two conservation acquisition projects and one easement Scott is collaborating on with Andy 107 Zepp contain substantial UNA components. 108 • Kristin McCarthy is helping Scott print a copy of the updated UNA inventory for the Tompkins 109 County Public Library, as they seem to have misplaced theirs … Scott still needs to deliver UNA 110 municipal maps to the Villages of Groton and Dryden. 111 • Tomorrow, October 13th, Ed Marx will be receiving the “Planner Emeritus” award from the 112 American Planning Association New York Upstate Chapter. Most of his colleagues from the 113 Planning and Sustainability Department will join him at the ceremony in Syracuse, and Scott will 114 present the award to him. 115 • Scott is finalizing the Department of Planning and Sustainability’s application for the federal 116 Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The County wants to move beyond FEMA requirements to 117 make more meaningful change. 118 119 Member Items/Municipal Reports 120 • Brian said the Village of Cayuga Heights is having major issues with infiltration and inflow of 121 storm water into their wastewater collection system. 122 • There is a New York State Climate Solutions conference in Rochester on October 28th. There will 123 be a rally in D.C. in the spring. 124 • He reminded the group to look at the email he sent regarding three proposals on the NYS ballot, 125 two of which have environmental implications. 126 • North of us, in Seneca Falls, there is a huge uproar over the Department of Environmental 127 Conservation permit renewal for Seneca Meadows, the largest landfill in New York State. 128 • Brian has a link to a voter guide to New York State Senators and Assembly members he can 129 share if anyone is interested. 130 • Michelle reported that work continues on the site plan review document for the Town of 131 Newfield, and the new solar law has been adopted. Brian added that Delaware Valley River Solar 132 sold the local solar farm project to Nexamp, a Northeastern solar developer (Solarize My Bill). 133 134 Adjournment 135 Action: Brian adjourned the meeting at 5:30 pm. The members present passed the motion 136 unanimously. Steve motioned, Michelle seconded. Adjourned. 137 These draft minutes will be formally considered by the EMC at its next monthly meeting, and corrections 138 or notations will be incorporated at that time. 139 140 Prepared by Kristin McCarthy, Tompkins County Planning and Sustainability Department 141 Approved by EMC: November 9, 2017. 142 143