Town of Dryden Conservation Board
Tuesday, 12 November 2013
7:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Dryden Town Hall
93 East Main Street, Dryden, NY 13053

1.	Call to order (7:04 p.m.) - C. Smith
Present: Charlie Smith, Bob Beck, Milo Richmond, Bard Prentiss, Craig Schutt, Rick Ryan, Jeremy Sherman, Nancy Munkenbeck
Absent: Steve Bissen
liason: David Weinstein (Planning Board), Linda Lavine (Town Board)
ex officio: Anna Belcher (Planning Department) 

2.	Completion of Record of Attendance by Members and Observers
The record of attendance was passed amongst board members. 

3.	Review and approval of minutes from 29 October 2013 Meeting
Richmond commented that the last sentence, under the Citizen’s privilege paragraph, should read: It cannot be used as a tactic that will delay and disrupt a meeting and the board usually has a full agenda for business. 
Smith commented, under new business, to change Marry Anna to Marry Ann and to delete the duplicate of the word, Sumner, in the following line. He also suggested changing a sentence, under the Discussion of relative roles of the Conservation Board and Town Planning Department Staff, to: He felt that the Town Board needs to show their intent through action rather than through words. 

Richmond made a motion to accept the minutes as amended.
Beck seconded the motion.
All in favor.

4.	Citizens’ privilege (5 minutes, or less, per person, please)
No new citizens present. 

5.	Additions to agenda?
Smith added Ringwood Acquisition under New business.
Smith changed the order of the agenda by discussing Review of applicants for positions on Conservation Board before discussing Old Business.  

6.	Reports and Updates (briefly, 3-5 minutes, please)
a.	Town Board - Linda Lavine
No reports. 

b.	Town Planning Board - David Weinstein
Weinstein reported that the board discussed whether the town needs to do more in terms of expanding development in the town. It’s some people’s opinions to counter a notion that Dryden is business unfriendly. This discussion is going to continue about whether the tax base of Dryden needs to be expanded through more development and whether the job description of the Planning Department’s tasks should be altered so that they have a responsibility for economic development. It’s his understanding that a proposal was sent to the Town Board to add that notion of being responsible for thinking about the economics of the town. He thinks this is important because it points out a misconception that exists of what expanding the economic base of the town really is about. There are countless studies showing that expansion of residential development costs the town anywhere from $1.15 to $1.50 for every dollar of revenue it brings in. These studies are done all across the country and in all different types of communities. This applies to commercial development as well. It’s important to alert people that this is the data that’s out there. There are a lot of good reasons to expand development in a town, but you shouldn’t do it because you think that town is in a bad financial state. 

Weinstein also reported that a concern has been voiced that the Planning Board is going outside of its stated responsibilities by asking environmental questions. His personal opinion is that every board, who thinks of these questions, should ask them, because it is better to have these questions asked before something happens that compromises the future use of a property.
 
Weinstein completed a draft of a Clean Fill Ordinance, which has been sent to the Planning Board. Once the Planning Board has looked at it, he would like the Conservation Board to look at it. 

c.	Tompkins County EMC - Steve Bissen
No report. 

d.	Town Board Agriculture Advisory Committee - Craig Schutt
Schutt reported that Jane, himself and Joe started working on the grant for the Agricultural Protection Plan. Since then, he talked with John Brenan, with ag and markets, who suggested creating maps that would play into the Open Space Plan. 
The Agricultural Advisory Committee meets tomorrow night. 

e.	Other Town Boards and Commissions - Jane Nicholson
Sumner reported that she is working with the Town Board in terms of clarifying the policy about staff board, Town Board, and advisory board relations. 

f.	Review of applicants for positions on Conservation Board
The board members had a brief discussion about each applicant prior to voting for the four available positions, by the use of ballots.  
The following people will be recommended to the Town Board for membership on the Conservation Board; Craig Schutt, Jeremy Sherman, Nancy Munkenbeck and Joseph Osmeloski. 

7.	Old business
a.	Guidelines for accepting gifts of open space - Bob Beck and Bard Prentiss
Beck explained the “Methods and Criteria for Protecting Open Space”.

Richmond makes a motion to forward the document to the Town Board as a guideline for addressing the Open Space Plan. 
Sherman seconded the motion.
All in favor.

8.	New business

a.	Continuing discussion of the concept of open space

b.	Draft Outline for Open Space Plan - Jane Nicholson

c.	Ring Wood Acquisition 
A property, on Ringwood Road, has become on sale at a good price. The land is in Cornell’s upkeep area.  
 
Prentiss made a motion to support the accusation of this property to add to the Ringwood preserve, with the legal details to be worked out with the Town Board and Cornell, and that it is a vital part of the natural landscape of the Town. 
		Beck seconded the motion.
		All in favor.

9.	Adjourn (9:10 pm)
Smith recommends beginning the next meeting with the Concept of Open Space and the Draft Outline that Jane Nicholson has provided. 

Schutt made a motion to adjourn.
Prentiss seconded the motion. 
All in favor. 

NOTE:  Date for next meeting is and 10 December 2013.
		
		Recorded and submitted by Anna Belcher, Planning Department Intern