03-28-23 Minutes of the ToR ECC
Opened: 6:00 pm, Town of Rochester Community Center
ECC Members: John Messerschmidt, James Easley, Todd Anderson, Judith Karpova; Town Board Liaison Erin Enouen
Members of the Public in Attendance: Kurt Sutherland, Ann Belmont, Laurence DeWitt.
Approved minutes of 02/28/23 meeting, unanimous
REPORTS
ECC Chair John Messerschmidt: Visited Rosendale ECC, they will join 3rd Thurs. program
Erin Enouen Liaison to Town Board:
• Submitted resolution to Town Board re: being a Pollinator Pathway: Resolution for the Town itself to become a Pollinator Pathway Chapter: Will be voted on April 4th, Board has no questions. Town Board is expected to vote on it and request that the ECC administer it. Will mean a grass roots connection to plant pollinator friendly areas in their own yards. We are committing to creating pollinator-friendly areas on town land and residents yards.
• Recycling Oversite Meeting: SHL April 25th, waste diversion feasibility study meeting. Report from UCCRA, looking for a compliance officer for businesses and organizations to make sure they’re recycling items that can be, then they’re going to exert oversight on waste haulers. All new customers should get materials on how to recycle properly. Has a project out for bid for alternative recyclable products,
• Town Established an Agricultural Advisory Committee:
• Erin wants to get Climate Smart Community Task Force Established: Wants to have a member of the ECC on the task force (will be 7-member?)
• Housing Committee has been meeting: ad hoc committee is not required to have public meetings
• Quorum Issues We can continue meeting as we have been. We now have three vacancies;
James Easley-EMC:
• The County with Cornell CE is sponsoring a tree planting to municipalities with substantial, burlap-wrapped root balls. They must be planted on municipal land. Applications not yet available. Procedure would be to apply to Town, pick a site, have it approved. Consensus to get applications in as soon as doable. Perhaps Veterans Park, where they can be the backbone of another pollinator garden. Red Maples and Lindens are available now. Jim thinks we should shoot for Heritage Day in October. Rick Jones will help. CCE says to just ask for whatever trees we want. Erin as another landscaper we can use. Town historian and Town Clerk have a list of all the veterans in the town, will be installed in veterans park. Will be a lot of activity around this park.
• Re-use Innovation Center consultant talk occurred in early Feb., under UCRRA auspices, to reuse instead of trucking garbage to Seneca Meadows. The Center would refurbish, repair, reclaim construction materials, under the umbrella of Sustainable Hudson Valley, James will send email and link to recording.
UPCOMING EVENTS
• Earth Day: Discussion on prep work for Karpova “Earth day is Pollinator Day.” Should be literature on pollinator plants, neonics, pollinator pathway, sign up sheets
• June Tire Pull in the Rondout Creek on June 17 – will organize soliciting kayaks and canoes in upcoming meetings. Start promoting on Facebook
• Amphibian migration: coming up – Friday the 31st is a likely night. Possible locations are Schwabe Turnpike, Boodle Hole Road and Bone Hollow Rd.
CONTINUING PROJECTS
• Third Thursday Nature Series update: John:
o 3/29/2023 filmmaker Jon Bowermaster will be at the Rosendale Theater in collaboration with Third Thursday Series. One is about a 1700s-style sailboat taking produce from our area downriver to NYC. The other given by Riverkeeper, is about dismantling dams.
o 4/21/23 Decarbonization Tom Konrad – divesting from fossil fuels
o 5/18/23 Local Farm Series 1: Fiddlehead Farm; Bob Fade
o 6/15/23 Introducing Cougars; Chris Spatz
• Wildlife Corridor/209 Underpass: Ann, Judith will report on updates.
• Pollinator garden update for TOR: Judith: Diane from Catskill Native will design and plant in May/June
• Pollinator garden under solar arrays: John, contact Nexamp.
• Recruiting new ECC members: 3 openings. Start publicizing. If interested, send a letter of interest to town board. Kurt and daughter considering joining ECC
• Neonics Campaign: We will provide information on neonics. Jim, Kurt and John will be on subcommittee to research neonics.
• Plastic Recycling: Start once a month window of pliable plastic this Saturday, noon to closing. Erin will make up a flier. Hannaford is one end-site. John will drive accumulated plastic there. Ann will find out more about logistics.
NEW BUSINESS
• Ann suggested that we start a newsletter, she’ll attempt it.

Meeting adjourned 7:40. Next meeting: 6:00 pm April 25th, 2023, Community Center, Accord NY