I    Committee Administration

A    Call to Order

Chair Dooley Kiefer called the meeting to order at 2:04 PM. 

B    Agenda Changes

Agenda items will be address out of order because Monika Roth is expected to arrive around 3 PM.  Additions:  Nancy will report on the recent Lake Source Cooling data sharing meeting; a resolution to accept an EPA Livable Communities grant; appointment of Kate Hackett to the Water Resources Council; and Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council budget transfer.

C    Approval of Minutes

Motion by Frank, seconded by Nancy, to approve the minutes of the December 19, 2002.  Changes submitted were:  on page 5, last sentence in SEQR Policy section, “Katie noted the old policy provided 55 15 working days . . .”  Page 7, second full paragraph, “Frank said dumping fees at the waste water treatment plant and the intermunicipal sewer project need further discussion and better understanding.”  The amended minutes were approved by unanimous vote.

D    Announcements

Dooley said she spoke recently with Alice Cole of the Health Department regarding the Neighbor Notification Law.  John Andersson has been on vacation, and Alice and John will have their first meeting on Jan. 17 about implementation of NNL.  They are aware of the efforts of Cooperative Extension to develop educational materials.  Wendy Skinner is getting information onto the County website.

Dooley received a copy of an evaluation and recommendation report by Ithaca College consultants for Soil and Water Conservation District.  The long range goal is to become more self sufficient and have their own building.  Copies are available from SWCD, and Dooley’s copy will be in the County Legislature office for review.

III    Environmental Management Council

F    Membership Concerns

Dooley announced that Cooperative Extension is planning to hire an Environmental Educator and they hope this person can once again have a seat on the EMC.  Creation of a voting seat or an ex-officio seat would require amendment of the bylaws.  Appointment as an associate member is another option; that entails working on one or more committees.  The EMC Executive Committee will discuss it.

Addition to Agenda:  Lake Source Cooling Data Sharing

Nancy attended the quarterly meeting Jan. 15th.  Benchmark data have just become available, and the report will be out in March.  The annual report is due April 3rd.  May will be Water Month, and they will publicize that and expect to have an open meeting.  They reported a spike in chlorophyll in May from an undetermined cause.  Their DEC operating permit has been renewed for five years for the same use and five required monitoring sites (they currently maintain eight).  The group discussed the DEC requirement for signage at discharge locations. 

Frank asked who requested the lower number of monitoring sites.  Nancy said Cliff Craft suggested it, and only five are required.  Ed Marx said it is common to do extra monitoring in the first year and then reduce the number of sites.  Nancy said she will provide a copy of the minutes for Frank.  No decisions were made at the meeting about actually reducing the number of monitoring sites.

Steve Nicholson said a tour will be conducted on March 21 for BOCES teachers of the Lake Source Cooling facility and the solar panels at the public library. 

IV    Planning Department

G    Commissioner’s Report

Snowmobile Trails:  Ed said there will be a cost to the County to post crossing signs where trails cross County highways.  Coincidentally, the cost estimate from the County Highway department is almost the same amount as the additional funds received in the grant.  Frank asked who would maintain the signs.  Ed said that would be Tompkins County.  Details are being worked out on the signs.  Nancy mentioned the insurance issues that have been in the press recently, and Ed said they have been resolved.  Dooley said she received a packet of information regarding impact of snowmobiles on the Danby State Forest.  The writer felt DEC monitoring is inadequate.  Dooley wondered since Tompkins County sponsors the grant program, can interaction with the towns be better or could clubs be required to notify municipalities of their plans.  Ed said clubs must certify that they have permission to use property.  The Planning Department does not check.  There are no jurisdictional problems in state forests, as rangers work with the clubs.  The issue in Danby was whether a road was abandoned, and that issue was resolved.  TCPD role is to see they go through the appropriate steps in the application process, which requires documentation.  Staff will try to examine documentation more closely next year.

Dooley suggested having the contracts require discussion of trail changes with municipal officials.  Ed said it might be required, but not in the contract.  Frank thought the development of a simple checklist with a certifying signature would be appropriate.  Ed agreed, saying DOT and DEC have similar requirements.  Joan said it would be difficult to institute this year, but could be developed for next year.  Frank said the checklist could have a box for no municipal property involved.

Mike Lane said when TCPD began handling this program they were only supposed to be a conduit.  Ed said the State has changed the program.  The snowmobile clubs wanted a grant program, and now the State is trying to shift the administrative burden to the counties.  Joan commented that it started with one club, and now there are more clubs and the process is more complex.  Frank and Dooley felt the County should lobby the State for admin fees.  Joan said this year’s application required environmental and SEQR reviews.  Mike asked if staff inspected the trails, and Joan said processing was based on maps.  Clubs could be charged, but it can’t be made part of the grant program.  Frank felt it would be appropriate to have a meeting in the summer with the clubs, and we could get early reaction about charging a fee.  Joan noted TCPD would charge any other entity for grant writing services.

The current committee members encourage the new committee to meet with staff and snowmobile club executive committees to discuss changes and the impact on the Planning Department, and discuss a fee structure for providing grant administration.

Dooley said the letter she received also mentioned use of all-terrain vehicles on the snowmobile trails.  Ed said the snowmobile clubs close the trails after their season is over.  They do not authorize use of ATVs; ATV use on the trails is considered trespassing.  Complaints should be addressed to the Sheriff.

Joint Hazard Mitigation Plan:  Ed said staff from TCPD and several municipalities will meet on Jan. 28th to discuss their timeline and the application process.  A plan must be in place by November, 2004 to be eligible to apply for federal funds.  Ed and Nancy said the consultant’s report on the Flood Hazard Mitigation Program might be the County’s contribution to this effort.  Ed said TCPD staff time would also be contributed, in the forms of coordinating hiring of a consultant and preparing the application.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Downtown Development:  A copy of TCPD comments to the City had been distributed to committee members.  Ed asked if there were any questions.  Dooley said she thought the comments would be more specific regarding mitigation on solar panels.  She sees a need to ascertain impacts of different project components.  Ed said he has had contact from City staff regarding the cost of moving the panels.  TCPD did not make any  specific suggestions, and there was no dialog on the issue before the dEIS.  Nancy suggested contacting Thys VanCort or Gary Ferguson, and she was willing to speak with a colleague on City Council.  There was mention at a recent IDA meeting that the City has contacted the manufacturer about the feasibility of moving the panels.  She agreed with Ed that the City is in a race to complete the final EIS so the project can proceed.  Frank felt there was a need to document our ongoing concerns so the project doesn’t proceed quickly without an opportunity for discussion.  Contact should express the urgency to enter into dialog now.  Nancy suggested providing copies to the entire City Council of any correspondence on the matter.  Frank suggested also providing copies to IDA, and asked if Barbara Mink is still the IDA chair.  Mike said that will be established at Tuesday’s (1/22) Legislature meeting. 

Mike asked what is going on with the Cayuga Green Client Committee.  Ed said they have not met for two months, and Frank added that body is not a decision-making committee.  Ed suggested having Tim Joseph write a letter, as the Planning Department has no authority over the library facility.  Nancy asked about the agreement established when the panels were installed.  Dooley said that agreement was silent on solar access.  Moving the panels is very complex, and consideration would need to be given to the warranty and NYSERDA grant conditions.  Nancy said she has heard the Holiday Inn is seeking abatement from IDA. 

Steve Nicholson said the EMC Energy Committee has discussed the panels.  Data is now available for a complete year, and the panels have produced 77% of the predicted output.  The County might qualify for “peak shaving” and get some income from the times the panels are operating but the library is closed.  According to their research, if any part of a string is shaded, the entire string ceases to function properly.  (The system has 65 strings, each with 22 photovoltaic modules.)

Frank urged Dooley to meet with Tim Joseph and write a letter to detail the County’s concerns, which are more than just solar panels.  Ed felt it should be done now, as any comments made on the final EIS might be viewed as obstructive.  Dooley agreed to draft such a letter and meet with Tim Joseph; she asked Steve Nicholson to help provide some wording.  Steve said another issue brought up at the EMC Energy Committee is shading inside the library. 

Addition to Agenda:  RESOLUTION:  Acceptance of Grant from Environmental Protection Agency to Create an Interactive Website for the Tompkins County Natural Resources Inventory

Joan provided some background, saying TCPD sought this EPA grant to put the Natural Resources Inventory on the web.  Frank asked if there would be ongoing costs for database updates.  Joan felt they would be minor, as the natural resources data rarely change.  Motion by Frank, seconded by Nancy, passed 3:0.

Addition to Agenda:  ITCTC Budget Transfer – Copies were distributed for information.  No action was required.

II    Neighbor Notification Law

E    Implementation Report

Monika Roth said she has been pushing to get information ready for the landscaping industry before March.  DEC will provide a mailing list or labels of all category 3 applicators.  Monika felt Tompkins County has an obligation to provide information, and suggested the Legislature be the source of the initial contact.  There is also a need to publicize telephone contacts and the website address.  The website will have links to DEC information and the local law.  Ed said he understood the Health Department would be the only contact.  Monika felt the Health Department and Weights & Measures would be contacts, as alternatives to Cooperative Extension.  A Question & Answer section might be developed for the website, and appropriate contacts for different circumstances would be there.  Dooley asked if the Pesticide Committee will continue on EMC, and Steve said it will continue and share this work. 

Monika will review all materials and draft a document for the public.  She will simplify the minimum risk list for posting on the web.  She and John Andersson are setting up a meeting for garden centers, and they will find out if the garden centers want training for their employees.  Weights & Measures would be at this training, as they will monitor retail signs.  When the meeting is held for the landscape industry, John Andersson will attend.  They are aiming for end of February or first week of March.  They will also need to provide information for use of the Assessment database and information on alternative materials.  Information is being provided for master gardeners at Cooperative Extension so they can answer questions.  Information will also be developed for homeowners.  This will include the monthly column in the newspaper and public service announcements. 

Cooperative Extension expects to incur some costs, and they will track them.  Dooley said she couldn’t provide assurance re up-front funding, but believed reimbursement should be possible.  She asked for reaction from members for the source of the County letter.  Responses ranged from the legislature, county attorney, enforcing agencies to Cooperative Extension and EMC.  There was also discussion about contacting companies, individual licensed sprayers, and professional associations.  Monika said a stakeholders & DEC meeting will also be set this month.  Nancy said she has been trying to get David Stewart as an advocate, as he does “Good Growing” on the radio, and he is willing to add this to his script.

Monika said Rich Rima of DEC will also be meeting with the Health Department regarding enforcing various issues.  Although the goal in the first year is education, Monika felt there will be a need to have the enforcement process in place.  Mike Lane said the Legislature supported this law and they need to provide implementation funds.  Monika said she got pulled into this, which is way beyond her normal job duties, but clearly related to them.  Specific information is being developed for this law.  Frank asked if they should make a request from the contingent fund.  Dooley said she still does not have enough information from the Health Department to establish a cost range.  Monika said printing will be a big cost.  There is a need to get user-friendly, concise information into the garden centers.

Nancy suggested that Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance and other not-for-profit agencies might include NNL information in their mailings.  Frank suggested contacting the affiliations of the speakers from the public meetings and finding out if they will help with outreach.  Dooley asked if it was the sense of this committee that the Legislature should cover the education costs, and members agreed.  She asked that costs be tracked so reimbursement can be discussed.  Mike suggested setting a cap.  Dooley said more information is needed from the Health Department.

Monika announced that the Cooperative Extension Environmental Educator position will be advertised through Cornell University.  This will be a half-time position.

V    Appointments

Addition to Agenda:  Water Resources Council – Frank made a motion to reappoint Kate Hackett to WRC.  Seconded by Nancy, passed 3:0.

H    Fish & Wildlife Management Board

This appointment was delayed due to lack of information.  Dooley thought this was the only seat on FWMB for Tompkins County, and wanted to be sure Dan Winch did not wish to continue serving.

VI    Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 PM.