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Home My WebLink AboutCB Packet 2025-12-04 DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING 215 N. Tioga Street, Ithaca NY 14850 607-273-1747 www.townithacany.gov TO: CONSERVATION BOARD MEMBERS FROM: MICHAEL SMITH, SENIOR PLANNER DATE: NOVEMBER 25, 2025 SUBJECT: UPCOMING CONSERVATION BOARD MEETING – DECEMBER 4, 2025 This is to confirm that the next meeting of the Conservation Board (CB) is Thursday, December 4th at 5:30 p.m. The agenda for this meeting is enclosed (see the back of this memo). The draft minutes from the July 3rd meeting is attached. Please email me any spelling, grammatical, or other minor edits you have prior to the meeting. The draft minutes from the November 6th meeting were not available to include in the packet. At this meeting, we will have Joe Talbut, the Town’s Parks Superintendent, join us to talk about various park, trail, and preserve related topics. Under Other Business, the usual end of the year items are included as we prepare for 2026. The CB will need to discuss nominations for the 2026 chair and vice-chair positions, along with the approval of the 2026 meeting schedule. As we briefly discussed at the last meeting, we will need to find an alternate date for the January 2026 meeting, since the first Thursday of the month is a holiday. January 15th (third Thursday) is tentatively shown on the draft 2026 meeting schedule. The CB will also need to discuss a potential new Conservation Board member and a recommendation to the Town Board for the appointment. James is signed up to take minutes at the December meeting. If you have any questions prior to the meeting or are not able to attend, please contact me at msmith@townithacany.gov or 607-273-1747. Conservation Board Members and Associates (*) Lori Brewer (Chair), Frank Cantone (Vice-Chair), Lindsay Dombroskie*, James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ TOWN OF ITHACA CONSERVATION BOARD 5:30 p.m., Thursday, December 4, 2025 ░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░ Aurora Conference Room 215 N. Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 (The rear entrance is handicapped accessible) (607) 273-1747 Members of the public are welcome to attend in-person at Town Hall or virtually via Zoom (https://zoom.us/j/6750593272). AGENDA 1. Discussion with Joe Talbut, Town of Ithaca Parks Superintendent 2. Persons to be heard 3. Members comments / concerns 4. Environmental Review Committee Update (Lori) 5. Chair and Coordinator reports 6. Approval of minutes from July 3, 2025 and November 6, 2025 7. Regular reports and updates (6:30 pm) a. Scenic Resources Committee (Eva) b. Communications Committee c. Tompkins County EMC d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program (James) e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program (James) 8. Other Business (6:50 p.m.) - Approval of the 2026 Meeting Schedule - Recommendation of a Chair for 2026 - Nomination and Election of a Vice-Chair for 2026 - Discussion of potential new CB member 9. Review 2025 Work Goals (Frank) / Discuss January Agenda 10. Adjourn (7:00 p.m.) 1 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board July 3, 2025, 5:30 p.m. (In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference) Draft Minutes Members Present: Lori Brewer, James Hamilton, Eva Hoffmann, Ingrid Zabel, Frank Cantone. Staff Present: Michael Smith (Senior Planner) Guests: Pete Loucks 1. Persons to be heard: None 2. Members comments/concerns a. Frank asked the difference between a Conservation Advisory Council and Conservation Board? Having and using an Open Space Plan for project review for a board and not for a council was the main difference. Actions/recommendations of both titles are advisory. Mike passed around a paper copy of the Town’s Open Space Plan (also available on the website and in the town hall library). b. Ingrid confirmed that it was agreeable to the board to invite the Lansing Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) to the September meeting. c. All agreed to review the Town of Ithaca Open Space plan as well as the Town of Lansing plan between now and the September meeting. 3. Environmental Review Committee: a. No current projects for environmental review 4. Chair report: a. Lori reported on a short potential letter of support for a grant application to the NYS E PF for the Town Hall Weatherization project. The draft language was agreed to, with the addition of the reasons to support the grant including energy conservation in historic building that is being re-used. Lori will draft the letter and e-mail it to the board before sending it to the Town Supervisor. b. A summary from an environmental group newsletter on a recent NYS DEC Plastic Carpet Law webinar was mentioned. Submitting comments to NYS was discussed, a link to DEC details, deadline and other information will be sent around. None were opposed to sending a general letter to note the issue matters and is important to the Conservation Board. Coordinator report: c. Babcock Ridge trail-working on design plan. d. South Hill Preserve moving forward, not aware of any additional grant funding available. 5. Approval of Minutes: a. June 5, 2025 minutes. The minutes were approved with Frank so moving and Ingrid seconding, all in favor. 6. Recap of the scenic resources sign project (Eva) was moved to October. 2 7. Plan for a Tutelo Park plant walk event (Ingrid). a. Discussion with Mike Roberts and Stephen Henhawk is anticipated for more detailed planning. Town Supervisor is aware of the discussion beginning and is in support of a ribbon cutting , some type of ceremony or guided walk. A sign for the plant walk/trail is being finalized, which will be installed by the DPW staff. 8. Regular reports and updates: a. Scenic Views Committee: No news b. Communications Committee i. Ingrid shared the Facebook statistics data for the month. Use was higher compared to previous month. ii. A photo of potential flyer/poster to post around the town to promote the parks and other open space areas was passed around. The flyer would potentially have a QR code to link the town website with more information. Ingrid will draft a town specific flyer to share with Joe Talbut (Parks Maintenance Manager) for initial comments or concerns. c. Tompkins County EMC i. Moving forward with the Strategic plan will be discussed at the upcoming meeting. A Cornell student class helped design the strategic plan document that identified work goals over the next 5 years. Ingrid will share the document and information with the CB. ii. Ingrid asked if she could share any additional letter from the CB on the PFAS and or Plastic Carpet Law to the EMC; none were opposed to sharing of another letter, if one is done. d. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitors: i. BMI sampling anticipated at the end of August for Six Mile Creek flow rates. ii. On 8/27 volunteers will take scheduled synoptic sample of Six Mile’s 16 usual sites from Yellow Barn to Plain St downtown for bacterial, physical and chemical indicators of stream health. It is hopeful there is a high eater event at that time for the samples. iii. Journey of Water program called 4H20 to educate families on field science. e. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Volunteers: i. Blazing and trail maintenance in the Ringwood trail area ii. Pruning, checking boundaries Bald Hill in Caroline iii. Garlic Mustard pruning / seed harvesting in the Varna Park area rather than digging and disturbing the soil. iv. Trail clearing at Fischer Preserve in Newfield 9. Review 2025 Work Goals (Frank). a. Tree Planting went well b. Invite Joe Talbut, Parks Manager, to a future CB meeting 10. Other business: 3 a. Frank suggested posting information on Facebook and the website about the common invasive weed species like garlic mustard and removal methods b. No August meeting-cancel c. September Agenda: Lansing CAC guest, keep Tutelo Park walk on for update. 11. Adjourn: 6:30 pm Minutes drafted by Abby Homer, Planning Admin. PROPOSED RESOLUTION: Town of Ithaca Conservation Board Schedule of Meetings for the Year 2026 Conservation Board Meeting, December 4, 2025 Motion by: ____ ____ Seconded by: ____________________ BE IT RESOLVED, that the Conservation Board of the Town of Ithaca adopts the following schedule of meetings for the Conservation Board for the year 2026. The Town of Ithaca Conservation Board will meet at 5:30 p.m., on the first Thursday of the month in the Aurora Conference Room in Town of Ithaca Town Hall, unless otherwise noted. THE 2026 SCHEDULE IS AS FOLLOWS: January 15 (3rd Thursday) February 5 March 5 April 2 May 7 June 4 July 2 August 6 September 3 October 1 November 5 December 3 A vote on the motion was as follows: Ayes: Nays: Abstentions: PROPOSED RESOLUTION: Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 2026 Conservation Board Chairperson Recommendation to Town Board December 4, 2025 Motion by: __________________ Seconded by: ___________________ BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board recommends to the Town Board that _______________________ be appointed as Chairperson of the Conservation Board for the year 2026. A vote on the motion was as follows: Ayes: Nays: Abstentions: PROPOSED RESOLUTION: Town of Ithaca Conservation Board 2026 Conservation Board Vice Chairperson Nomination and Election December 4, 2025 Motion by: __________________ Seconded by: ___________________ BE IT RESOLVED, that the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board does hereby nominate and elect ________________________ as Vice Chairperson of the Conservation Board for the year 2026. A vote on the motion was as follows: Ayes: Nays: Abstentions: