HomeMy WebLinkAboutCB Minutes 2024-11-07 Town of Ithaca Conservation Board
November 7,2024, 5:30pm
(In Person at Town Hall and via Zoom Video Conference)
Final Minutes
Members Present: Lori Brewer(Chair),Frank Canton,James Hamilton,Eva Hoffmann,Michael Roberts,
Ingrid Zabel
Staff Present: Michael Smith (Senior Planner)
1. Persons to be heard:none
2. Members comments/concerns:
i. James—The cell tower issue. Went to the first meeting on this project with Wiedmaier. The
lawyer put forward a misleading aerial imagery showing forested land where no forest exists.
He is concerned the woods will never be restored.He would like the ERC to issue another
memo that can be reviewed at the November 19th Planning Board meeting.
1. Lori heard that they tabled the prospect of building the tower there in favor of a new
location.
2. Mike S—The developer will be back in front of the Planning Board on the 19t1i of
November.
3. Mike R—Do we want to issue yet another memo to the Planning Board stating that our
concerns went unanswered and that we cannot support the project?
a. Yes,there's general agreement to do this. Lori will draft this and include a request
to the Planning Board to ask for more information from the applicant,to ask for a
response to the ERC, and include the point that the map provided by the applicant
shows there is forest there where no forest is.
ii. Cornell Field on Game Farm Road
1. Lori raised a concern about staging area and its proximity to the creek. It is not within the
buffer from the creek and there is no real possibility of runoff from the lot.
3. Environmental Review Committee Update(Lori)
i. See Member comments/concerns
4. Chair and Coordinator reports
i. Cayuga Medical Center is submitting plans for a generator building at the hospital.
ii. Our memo to the Town Board on artificial turf has been handed off to the Planning Committee,
which meets November 21 st
in. Deer Management Program—Mike is going to try and get back up to 9 sites and has been
contacting hunters.
iv. There is a presentation on County UNA's on Wednesday,November 13 from 6:00-7:30 PM at
the Tompkins County Public Library. Eva and Frank may be able to attend.
5. Approval of minutes from September 5,2024 and October 3,2024
i. Mike R moves to approve the minutes from both months and Ingrid seconds the approval for both
meeting minutes. All in favor.
6. Update on the Tutelo Park Ethnobotanic Trail Project(Mike)
i. Mike R described the layout of the plant labels that Steve Henhawk and he have been working
on.They have completed a total of I 1 signs and handed them off to Mike S for fabrication.
ii. Mike R read some of the content of the labels
7. Regular reports and updates(6:30 pm)
I
1. Scenic Resources Committee(Eva)
a. Ingrid contacted Susan Riley(Deputy Director for Community Relations) at Cornell
but hasn't gotten anywhere regarding the sign at Pine Tree Rd.
b. Mike S—Cornell is working with the Town (through the DPW)on this and it has
been group with several other easement type issues.
i. Eva would like to see maintenance of the adjacent horse fence and the weeds
growing through cut.
2. Communications Committee(Ingrid)
a. Our engagement metrics have been going up.
b. There was a pollinator garden the Town put in on Winner's Circle,but neighbors
complained and the Town went back to mowing the area.
3. Tompkins County EMC(Ingrid)
a. October meeting
i. Discussions are focused mainly on internal Board matters and less on
Environmental concerns.
ii. There will be a meeting on the County's Unique Natural Areas and the effort to
update the boundaries of the Areas.
1. Wednesday,November 13 from 6:00-7:30 PM,Tompkins County
Public Library,Borg Warner Room, 101 E Green St,Ithaca
4. Six Mile Creek Volunteer Monitoring Program(James)
a. The Community Science Institute (CSI)is inviting Benthic Macroinvertebrate
sample analysis volunteers to their lab in Langmuir near Ithaca's airport from 6 to 9
pm evenings,the first Wednesday of each month,then the monthly Thursdays on
subsequent weeks.BMI samples,preserved in alcohol,were taken from Six Mile
Creek riffles at various sites in late August. We're still waiting for the mathematical
analysis of the live sample taken from below Potters Falls,though it seemed pretty
healthy unofficially. CSI held its annual volunteer appreciation supper party at the
library November 2nd, inviting us to participate in sessions to discuss future plans
for water quality monitoring. The Harmful Algal Bloom monitors found HABs
breaking records for earliest and latest blooms in Cayuga Lake.
5. Cornell Botanic Gardens Natural Areas Program(James)
a. Volunteers weeded woody invasives(buckthorn,honeysuckle,privet,multiflora
rose,autumn olive,Oriental bittersweet)from the South Hill Swamp Natural Area
three Tuesdays in a row. They collected seed from rare fringed gentian around the
experimental ponds on Neimi Road northeast of the airport for sowing in the nearby
Etna Fringed Gentian Area,where some gentians can be protected by deer
exclosures. Then they went back to kill more invasives around the South Hill
Swamp again. They especially enjoyed the annual volunteer lunch party at the
Nevin Welcome Center Friday afternoon, October 25th.
8. Other Business(6:50 p.m.)
i. Mike R will be leaving the Board at the end of the year.He gave his sincere thanks to the members
and to Mike S for the many years of collaboration and fellowship.
9. Review 2024 Work Goals/Discuss December Agenda
i. The Conservation Board needs to reinvigorate the discussion about getting new members.
ii. We also need to focus on planning for next year.
10. Adjourn(6:57 p.m.)
Minutes drafted by Mike Roberts(11/08/2024)
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