Agriculture/Planning/Environmental Committee

July 5, 2005 at 7:30 am

Committee Present: Danny Ross, Chairman; Tom Hartnett, Vice Chairman; Merwin Armstrong, John Steger, Ron VanDee, Tom Williams – Paul Allen: ABSENT

Others Present: Angie Wyatt, Dan Dineen, Amanda Barber

The meeting was called to order at 7:32a.m. by Chairman, Danny Ross

MOTION BY TOM WILLIAMS – 2^ND BY JOHN STEGER TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE MAY 31, 2005 MEETING – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED May 31, 2005

1. Authorize Assignment of Grant between New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and Cortland County to the Town of Homer, Acquiring Conservation Easement for Leslie and Lorraine Chace Farm, Town of Homer, Planning Department – MOTION BY RON VANDEE – 2^ND BY TOM HARTNETT – RON VANDEE WITHDREW HIS MOTION – MOTION BY JOHN STEGER – 2^ND BY MERWIN ARMSTRONG – MERWIN ARMSTRONG & JOHN STEGER VOTING YES – TOM HARTNETT, TOM WILLIAMS, RON VANDEE & DANNY ROSS VOTING NO – MOTION FAILS

Discussion: Due to a NYS Attorney General ruling, conservation easements must be acquired by municipalities. BDC/IDA can no longer acquire the easements. The County is looking to have the Towns hold the easements. Dan Dineen is not sure why. Tom Williams asked if the A-P-E Committee could send a resolution to the floor for the County to hold the easements. Dan Dineen explained that the Towns acquiring the conservation easements would be a temporary until the Land Trust comes through and then the easements would go back to the County. John Steger does not want to have this held up. The Towns of Preble and Homer are both willing to acquire the easements. Tom Williams would still like to have the County acquire the easements for all the farms rather than involving even more entities. A new resolution is required for the County to acquire the conservation easements for all three farms.

2. Authorize Assignment of Grant between New York State Department of Agriculture and Market and Cortland County to the Town of Preble, Acquiring Conservation Easements on the Darrell and Ann Henderson Farm and the Russell and Janice Sears Farm in the Town of Preble, Planning Department – MOTION BY JOHN STEGER – 2^ND BY MERWIN ARMSTRONG – MERWIN ARMSTRONG, JOHN STEGER AND DANNY ROSS VOTING YES – RON VANDEE, TOM HARTNETT AND TOM WILLIAMS VOTING NO – MOTION FAILS

Discussion: See Resolution discussion for Resolution # 1 above.

 

NEW RESOLUTION: Title To Be Determined **

Discussion: The County would be responsible for all 3 farms by holding the easement and would assign the monitoring of the easements to BDC/IDA. Dan Dineen will draft the new resolution and send it to Angie Wyatt and Carletta Edwards. Angie Wyatt will forward the new resolution to Scott Schrader and John Bardsley for approval to go to the full Legislature. MOTION BY TOM WILLIAMS – 2^ND BY RON VANDEE – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR - PASSED

3. Authorize Participation in Joint Bid Process and Accept Bid – Purchase Bus, Chemung County and Cortland County, Planning Department – MOTION BY MERWIN ARMSTRONG – 2^ND BY JOHN STEGER – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

Discussion: Dan Dineen indicated that by going in with other counties we would get a better price and have money left over for other things such as shelters, etc. They only had 2 bids and Dan Dineen distributed the bids to the Committee. This allows us to accept or reject bids without going through the bidding process because the other counties involved take the lead in the actual bidding process. Ron VanDee asked what happens to the old buses – do they go to auction, are they traded in, who gets the money, etc. Dan Dineen will find this out and report back to the Committee at the next A-P-E Committee meeting in August.

4. Authorize Agreement to Participate in Joint Bid Process – Purchase Buses, Chenango County and Cortland County, Planning Department – MOTION BY MERWIN ARMSTRONG – 2^ND BY TOM HARTNETT – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR – PASSED

Discussion: See Resolution # 3

DISCUSSION/PRESENTATIONS:

Not on the Agenda:

Cortland County Soil & Water Conservation District (Amanda Barber): Amanda informed the Committee that there will be a meeting with the NYS DEC on August 24, 2005 at 6:30p.m. in the auditorium of the State Grange Building to discuss the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Tributary.

Amanda Barber further advised the Committee that Soil & Water is presently working on drainage problems in the Village of McGraw to alleviate flooding problems that they are experiencing.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:11a.m.

Minutes prepared by Angie Wyatt, Secretary to Scott Schrader

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