Minutes
Planning, Development &
Environmental Quality Committee
Tompkins County Legislature
Regular Meeting
November 29, 2006 3:30 PM Old Jail Conference Room
Members
Present: Martha Robertson (Chair), Jim Dennis,
Frank Proto
Members
Excused: Kathy Luz Herrera, Tyke Randall
Staff: Kate
Hackett, TCPD
Joan
Jurkowich, TCPD
Ed
Marx, Commissioner of Planning & PW
Kathy
Wilsea, TCPD
Visitors: Michael
Stamm, Tompkins County Area Development
2) County
Attorney
a Resolution: Authorizing the County Administrator to
Grant an Easement to the City of Ithaca to Construct and Maintain a Water Main
– Postponed.
b Draft
letter to NYS Comptroller for opinion on Lansing sewer project – Jonathan Wood
was unable to attend today’s meeting. The second sentence of Paragraph 2 was changed to
read, “The assistance, as proposed by the town, may take the form of annual
payments toward the debt service on the bonds issued to support construction of
the sewer collection system in order that users of the system could pay less
than would otherwise be their share of the system cost.” The last sentence of the third
paragraph was changed to read, “Of course, by using funds for this purpose the
County would lose interest income and forgo the use of the funds….” With those changes the members present
agreed the letter was ready to mail.
Ed Marx said he received a phone call from Andy Sciarabba asking when
the letter was mailed. Frank said
the Town of Lansing sent questionnaires to property owners in the proposed
distract (did not mention extra funding being sought), and he is interested in
the feedback they receive.
Postcards were also mailed from the Town announcing an information day
next week. Ed Marx will follow up
with Jonathan Wood.
3) Industrial
Development Agency
a Resolution: Approval of Bylaws of the Tompkins
County Empire Zone Administration Board – Moved by Jim, seconded by Frank,
amended to add fourth Whereas clause:
“WHEREAS, the members of the Planning, Development, and Environmental
Quality Committee made several non-substantial revisions to the draft bylaws on
November 16, 2006, the most significant being an addition of the section on
Associate Members.” Passed by 3:0
vote.
b History,
policies and procedures, cost-benefit analysis of abatements – Michael
Stamm was present and provided a handout on the IDA’s authority, policies,
accomplishments, and future challenges and issues. He explained that IDAs are authorized by New York State
legislation and have the authority to provide tax-exempt bonds, property tax
abatement, sales tax abatement, and mortgage recording tax abatement. The Tompkins County IDA has policies
for standard projects, not-for-profit projects, and City of Ithaca projects
that fall under the Density Policy.
Michael provided information on investments, jobs projected and actually
created, and taxes paid and abated (property taxes, sales taxes and mortgage
recording taxes) of the 77 projects IDA has closed since 1973. He said that the IDA has the authority
to abate all property taxes on a project, not just the taxes on increased value
as is the current policy.
There
was discussion on the difficulty of evaluating what is necessary to an
applicant in order to proceed with a project, the fact that more than half of
Tompkins County property is off the tax rolls, Martha Robertson’s proposed
rating system for review of applications that other IDA members felt wasn’t
flexible enough for use, and the new software IDA has obtained to help with
cost-benefit analysis of applications.
Martha noted that the overall the “cost per job” locally is
approximately $3,000 in abated taxes per job created. Ed commented that that is much better than the typical range
of $15,000 – 20,000 per job.
Looking
to the future, New York State is constantly changing rules and regulations, and
some NYS Legislators do not want IDA bonds used for not-for-profit
projects. One 2006 proposal on the
State level, that did not pass, would have required taxing authorities to
approve IDA policies, and any deviating projects would need to get specific
authority. Another failed 2006
proposal would have required prevailing wage for all construction projects. Locally, the IDA is reviewing policies
and considering modifications to its standard application, and then will move
on to examination of the City’s Density Policy. The recent formation of an Empire Zone in Tompkins County
will lead to some complex joint projects.
IDA is hiring an EZ Coordinator, and NYS is providing training next week
for staff and administration board members. A workshop will be held for companies in the zone and area
banks.
4) Tompkins
County Planning Department
c 2007
Work Program – Joan Jurkowich provided a verbal report, saying TCPD would
be continuing with regular activities and completing projects that are
underway. A renter survey will be
conducted with rollover funds. The
award by NYS of two new agricultural PDRs will require large staff activity,
probably over two years. TCPD is
committed to providing some support for the Finger Lakes Trail activity, even
if we don’t get the Quality Communities grant. A Route 96 corridor plan has been proposed, and if all
parties sign on, it would be similar to the Route 13 study. Information is starting to arrive for
steps on the 2010 Census. Some
projects were specified in the budget – Ag District 2 update and Flood Hazard
Mitigation Program. The Planning
Advisory Board discussed the 2007 Work Program last month. Many ideas were presented, and PAB
specified these as preferred:
identifying potential infill sites, especially for affordable housing;
identifying protection tools that communities can use for scenic resources; and
providing local government assistance to two municipalities. Based on budget cuts, TCPD will need to
cut some staff support to advisory boards, perhaps by providing staff to record
board actions but not stay for presentations by guests, or by decreasing the
number of times per year certain advisory boards meet. Staff will work with each board on how
this will be implemented.
a Update
on Water Quality Monitoring in Cayuga Lake – Kate Hackett said initial
progress on the Comp Plan action item was made on this by Cayuga Lake Watershed
Network. Now some members of Water
Resources Council and Cornell University staff are discussing a partnership for
monitoring in the southern end of Cayuga Lake. Cornell would help fund and provide initial review of data,
but data collection would be the responsibility of volunteers, City of Ithaca
employees, and faculty, staff and students from the Finger Lakes
Institute. The DEC permit for Lake
Source Cooling expires in 2007.
The hope of the WRC members is that CU will fund concurrent testing in
2007 while WRC leads public discussion in support of changes. CU continues to contribute advisors,
present data, and participate in dialogue. Cornell hopes for a reduction in their lake source cooling
monitoring, with a reallocation of the savings to a community-based plan; they
think the current monitoring is not an efficient use of the funds. They have offered $50,000 – 100,000 per
year. Their researchers are
interested in the health and behavior of the lake. The data are showing an increase in soluble-reactive
phosphorus in the south end of the lake, but that is also happening in other
lakes. Discussions are continuing.
b Capital
Reserve Fund Proposal – Ed Marx distributed copies of a letter from Finger
Lakes Land Trust with a proposal for the Babcock property in the towns of
Ithaca and Newfield. The FLLT is
asking the county for $20,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund to help with the
purchase and stewardship of this parcel.
The property has hillside, Cayuga Inlet access, is in a UNA and part of
the Natural Features Focus Area as identified in the Comprehensive Plan. It meets all the criteria of the
interim guidelines for the Capital Reserve Fund except lake access. Cornell University has committed
$75,000 to the project and the Town of Ithaca is also considering contributing
to the project. Ed expects to
bring more information to PDEQ following the Planning Advisory Board meeting in
January. FLLT will develop a
management plan. Fishing rights
were previously awarded to DEC and would be maintained. The County contribution would be a
grant from the Capital Reserve Fund, and Ed will discuss with the County
Attorney any provisions we want to include. A resolution would be required to expend funds. Protection of one piece of the corridor
could make other sections proceed more easily. Ed pointed out an east-west section of land that is being
conveyed by Tompkins County to New York State, which will create continuous
public land along the Finger Lakes Trail.
d Appointments
to Planning Advisory Board – Appointment of Rick Couture and reappointment
of Monika Roth and Betty Falcao were moved by Frank, seconded by Jim and passed
3:0. Frank did not support
reappointment of Gay Nicholson, so a special meeting will be arranged 12/5 prior
to the Legislature meeting when one more committee member will be present.
5) Committee
Administration
Addition to Agenda – Appointment to Forest Practices
Board – reappointment of Jim Wilkins to the Landowner/Industry seat was moved
by Frank, seconded by Jim, passed 3:0.
a Approval
of Minutes from November 16, 2006 – Moved by Jim, seconded by Frank and passed
3:0 without amendment.
b Committee
Goals – 2006 Work Plan was reviewed, along with Martha’s list of additional
items that were discussed by the committee during the year. Frank suggested 2007 goals should
include a report on the Bicycle Suitability Map being drafted by ITCTC. Martha said she is interested in
alternative energy and the newly formed sustainability group in TC government
for next year.
6) Adjournment
– The
meeting was adjourned at 5:36 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Kathy Wilsea, Secretary
Tompkins County Planning Dept.