Town of Rochester ECC Meeting

December 10, 2015

 

Attendance: Tim Ganon, Stu Dorris, Laura Finestone, Colin McDonough, Ben Ganon, Angela Dorris

Town Supervisor Carl Chipman

Visitors: Larry DeWitt, John Messerchmidt.

 

Call to order at 6:07 PM

 

I.        Address from Carl Chipman.

Offered congratulations on our accomplishments during 2015.

1.    Interested in getting more young people involved with ECC meetings and activities.

2.    Ken Ronk will be chairman of the legislature for Ulster County for 2016.

3.    Interested in waste reduction exploration. Waste reduction, composting, and using organic materials can open the possibility for using different landfills. Will have a report complete by the end of March to address the situation.

4.    Climate Smart Community – Signed on to a letter concerning climate change and reducing carbon footprint. Town board not necessarily behind this

5.    Invitation for ECC to attend Town Board  meetings.

6.    Has been working with Citizens for Local Power. Believes energy should be locally controlled and sustainably.

7.    Filed with the PSC for a grant to form a CCA (Community Choice Aggregation of Energy). Hopes to form this with Jen Metzger.

a.    Choose how we will buy our energy.

b.    Reduce demands for energy (LED lighting, etc.).

c.    Other local control of energy

 

ECC Member Ideas, Feedback, and Comments.

1.    Suggested outreach, an email, letter, and phone call campaign among our group.

2. Larry Dewitt – Asked about the Granite Hotel

a.    It will be renovated and remain open as it is renovated.

3. Laura Finestone – Would like to see more coordination between ECC and the Town.  Would like to move more toward policy changes. Use ECC as a resource.

a.    Carl will inform ECC of anything where our knowledge, skill, advocacy can be useful.

b.    Angela – Suggest an ECC member attend Town Board Meetings (perhaps rotating members) and report to monthly ECC.

 

4.  Larry Dewitt – There is the possibility of going after significant funding for a watershed plan. Does this group feel equipped to make it work if money was secured?

 

 

 

Activities for a Watershed Plan

●     Commenting at town meeting.

●     Selling the plan to our community

●     Attending meetings to discuss action steps, discuss planning, anticipate problems.

●     Attend public hearings.
Is our group interested in participating in these activities?

 

Larry, Colin, Tim, Laura, Angela are interested in participating in the Watershed Management plan Development.

 

60% of the space in our town does not have broadband internet access.

 

 

II. Addressing members on the ECC

Stu is planning to continue.

Colin is planning to continue.

All members that wish to be reappointed must send Carl and email to request they re-up.

 

III. Carl – Requested that we post minutes to the website and keep attendance records.

If a member misses 3 consecutive meetings the chair addresses attendance with member and reports to the Board.

 

Larry – Asked about adding more members to the ECC (beyond the 9 members).

Carl – Public hearing and Town Board vote would have to happen.

Laura – Two youth members can be added without having to go through town board.

 

 

IV. Laura – Laura is considering stepping down in the next year. Suggested the group think about new leadership moving forward.

 

Rail Trail – The board did pass a resolution to put in 5k matching funds for a rail trail study to finish the connection by DeJagers (?) Farm.

 

Move to adjourn – Conclude – 7:55 PM