ГлавнаяMy WebLinkО нас2019-09-12 EMC Final MinutesEMC Final Minutes 1 Sept 12, 2019 4:00p.m. 2 TCAT, 737 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NY 3 Attendance 4 Member Seat Member Seat Steve Bissen P Town of Dryden Amanda Champion P Legislative Liaison Maureen Bolton P Town of Enfield Susan Allen-Gil E Associate Member Cait Darfler P Town of Ulysses Karen Edelstein A Associate Member John Dennis E Village of Lansing Bill Evans A Associate Member Brian Eden P Village of Cayuga Heights Anna Kelles A Associate Member Pegi Ficken P Town of Groton Dooley Kiefer E Associate Member Michelle Henry P Town of Newfield Dan Klein E Associate Member Anne Klingensmith E Town of Danby Jose Lozano P Associate Member Laurel Lynch E At-Large Osamu Tsuda P Associate Member Vladimir Micic P Town of Ithaca David Weinstein A Associate Member Steve Nicholson P Town of Caroline Robert Wesley A Associate Member Susan Riley E At-Large Roger Yonkin A Associate Member Tom Shelley P City of Ithaca Darby Kiley E Planning Staff Ron Szymanski E Village of Freeville Kristin McCarthy P Planning Staff Regi Teasley E At-Large Guests – Mike Merchant, Ken Jaffe, Ava Darfler 5 Call to Order – Chair Brian Eden called the meeting to order at 4:10 p.m. Brian shared that Don 6 Smith and Jonathan Zisk have resigned from the EMC. 7 Privilege of the Floor –None 8 Agenda Review/Changes – None 9 Approval of the July 2019 Draft Minutes – A motion was made by Pegi Ficken, and seconded 10 by Maureen Bolton, to approve the July 11, 2019 minutes. Motion was adopted. 11 12 Presentation: Hazards of Lead Ammunition at Shooting Ranges – Gay Nicholson, 13 Citizens for a Healthy Salmon Creek Watershed 14 Gay Nicholson spoke to the EMC regarding lead contamination from spent ammunition at 15 shooting ranges in Tompkins County. Her presentation and the subsequent discussion covered 16 a range of issues, including the history of tension between Lansing Rod and Gun Club members 17 and area residents concerned with risks to environment and public health; opportunities for 18 public and municipal outreach and education; and the role EMC might play in helping to address 19 this pressing issue. Her presentation is available on the EMC website: 20 http://tompkinscountyny.gov/emc/documents/presentations 21 Committee Reports 22 Climate Adaptation: Michelle Henry 23 Committee requested $2,000 in funding as part of the 2020 County budget (Planning and 24 Sustainability Department) for print and web-based materials on practical methods to ameliorate 25 and control flooding and to adopt carbon-sequestration practices. Request was not 26 recommended by County Administrator Jason Molino for inclusion in the draft budget. However, 27 there is support from some legislators. 28 29 Committee helped sponsor showing of the film “Dirt Rich” at Cinemapolis on September 10. 30 31 Committee is exploring recent legal ruling to allow municipalities to adopt more stringent 32 pesticide regulations at the local level and how it might be applied in Tompkins County. 33 34 Environmental Review: Brian Eden 35 Brian updated group on various topics, including the NYSEG rate case; NYSERDA 36 energy efficiency order related to heat pumps; passage of the Climate Leadership and 37 Community Protection Act; Sept. 20th Global Climate Strike; Sept. 21st Climate 38 Solutions conference in New Paltz; Cascadilla Creek dredging; City of Ithaca Green New 39 Deal and draft Green Building Code; Cayuga Power Plant closure and EMC inclusion as 40 signatory on letter to Governor Cuomo from various environmental groups urging a just 41 transition plan for the surrounding community; legal filings related to Cargill and Cayuga 42 Lake Environmental Action Now, and more. 43 44 Unique Natural Areas: Steve Nicholson 45 Next meeting is scheduled for September 17. 46 47 Committee continues its preparation of a final set of UNA boundary revisions. 48 49 David Weinstein won’t have his draft recommendations on the County Forestlands 50 Management Plan for review by the committee until December, with a draft report 51 released for public comment in 2020. 52 53 Waste Reduction: Tom Shelley 54 Tom reported on his meeting with Barb Eckstrom from the County Department of Recycling and 55 Materials Management (RMM) on the status of the local plastic bag ban regulations. County 56 Attorney Jonathan Wood is drafting the local law, which will feature a 5-cent paper bag fee, and 57 Maureen Bolton will serve as the committee’s liaison to the RMM. 58 Janet Levine from Gimme Coffee attended the September committee meeting to discuss 59 reducing single-use fiber/plastic cups and other food service items in the County. 60 Jose Lozano spoke about explorations underway at the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment 61 Facility (IAWWTF) on co-digestion of food waste, effluent energy recovery, and the possible 62 production of biochar from biosolids. 63 Committee might recruit a youth representative from Ithaca College, Cornell, or another area 64 higher education institution. Next committee meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 7. 65 66 Outreach/Community Education: Cait Darfler 67 Cait updated group on plans for the 2019 Fall EMC Community Outreach Event. Details still 68 being fine-tuned but the program will reflect a systems approach to sustainable development. 69 70 Water Resources Council Liaison: Michelle Henry 71 Joan Jurkowich presented a draft five-year update to County Comprehensive Plan. 72 73 Members had a robust conversation on support for resolution to adopt 2012 Tompkins County 74 Wetlands Map as a general planning tool. 75 76 Executive Committee wrote a letter to the County Legislature to request the addition and 77 inclusion of a dedicated Water Resources staff person in the 2020 budget. 78 79 Education Committee is working on a Clean Boating keepsake map/educational brochure. 80 81 Executive – Brian Eden 82 No report due to time constraints. 83 84 Staff Report – Kristin McCarthy 85 Members were reminded to submit their sexual harassment training prevention forms. 86 87 Municipal Reports and Member Announcements 88 89 The latest “Signs of Sustainability” article in Tompkins Weekly covers the Brighten Up Caroline 90 LED lighting project: http://tompkinsweekly.com/stories/caroline-project-distributes-leds,2902. 91 Board of the IAWWTF approved its participation in an effluent heat capture agreement with the 92 developers of City Harbor and other stakeholders. 93 94 Chair Brian Eden adjourned the meeting at 5:50 p.m. 95