The Town Board has scheduled a “Work Session” for Thursday May 24th from 7PM to 10 PM at the Town Hall, 2670 Slaterville Road, to discuss issues that were raised at the April Question and Answer session concerning the Local Law to ban gas drilling and related activities in Caroline. The Work Session is open to the public and public input into the discussion on the topics below is invited.

WORK SESSION AGENDA:

1. Discussion of the accuracy and completeness of the “findings” section of the draft ban on gas drilling. (Section 2B 1-13, pp 2-4) Specifically, the board will discuss the accuracy and completeness of findings related to:

• The impacts of gas extraction and related activities on the Caroline community.
• The historical land uses in the Town of Caroline.
• Any other finding which may not be complete or accurate.

2. Discussion of Hardship Exemption requirements and process: (Section 10B 1-14, pp 13-17)

• Within the context of the findings above, which reports/documents may be required to determine if a special use variance can be issued?
• What board should make the determination to issue a special use permit and what would be the appeals process?

3. Discussion of carving out special section(s) of town where drilling could be allowed. Based again on the findings statements and the Caroline Comprehensive Plan,

• What unique land-based features would justify the designation of a special section?
• How should this local law treat sub-surface drilling?

4. All other sections of the proposed Local Law can be discussed as needed.

RE: Carving out a special section of town where drilling is allowed

As indicated by the Town’s attorney at the Q&A session, and confirmed by inquiries with an attorney at the Association of Towns and the Planning Specialist at the NY Department of State Office of Local Government Services, designating an area for exception to local land use laws cannot be arbitrary, it must be based on particular land-based characteristics that are sufficient to merit treating the area differently. Specifically, one would need to show that the potential impacts of drilling and drilling related activities would be less if they occurred in the designated area vs. other areas. Those identified land-based characteristics also need to conform and not conflict with the current Comprehensive Plan.

As an example for illustration of land based differences, if there were a section of town where the existing roads were built to endure high volume heavy truck traffic, one might suggest that this area could accommodate drilling with less impact than other areas.

RELATED RESOURCES:

Minutes from April 25 Question and Answer Session

Video of April 25 Question and Answer Session

Draft Local Law Prohibiting Gas Extraction and Related Activities (PDF)

FAQs on the proposed Gas Drilling Ban

Caroline Comprehensive Plan (PDF)

Do you think your property is assessed unfairly relative to other similar properties in the area?

Tompkins County Department of Assessment will be conducting an assessment review session Thursday May 17^th 3PM – 6PM at Caroline Town Hall, 2670 Slaterville Rd.

Len Porgorzala and Bill Hilker have been appointed by the Town Board to serve on the Assessment Review Committee.

Salute to the Flag (7:00)

Privilege of the Floor: Opportunity for citizens to bring forward matters of concern
Please be prepared to make one statement not to exceed 3 minutes in length

Highway Superintendents Report (7:30)

Supervisors Report (7:35)

County Representatives Report (7:45)

Department, Committee, & Liaison Reports: (7:50)

Discussion and Action Topics

• Transfers (8:00)
• Approve Abstracts: Highway, General, Lighting   (8:05)
• Resolution Adopting Recreation Partnership Agreement (8:15)
• Resolution Adopting Gas Extraction Moratorium (8:20)
• Resolution Urging State passage of Bills Designating Waste Generated by Natural Gas Extraction be Classified as Hazardous (8:25)
• Discussion of Prohibition of Gas Extraction Local Law Input to date and Process for Exploring Questions Raised  (8:45)
• Resolution Creating Aquifer Protection Advisory Committee (9:15)
• Resolution Expressing Interest in Joint Time Warner Cable Consortium (9:35)

—-Adjourn—-

How is a ban different from a moratorium?

The Moratorium was adopted to provide time and space to work on six issues related to the impacts of gas extraction, including investigating language and policy for a ban. During this window of time the Town Board and Caroline community will consider the impact of these six actions on gas extraction and the community, assess the need for any of these six actions and, if desired, develop the wording of any local laws or policies.  While this work is going on, no gas extraction is allowed, except in hardship cases.  This purpose is quite different from a ban which states that certain gas extraction and related activities are prohibited within all or parts of Caroline as described in the law, with exceptions also described in the law.  So, in short, a moratorium is a temporary prohibition, and a ban is a permanent prohibition, though both are in effect land usage regulations.

Is a ban permanent or can it be undone?  How?

Read the rest of this article »

At the April 10, 2012 business meeting, the Caroline Town Board initiated the public process for discussing and eventually voting on a town-wide ban on gas drilling and related activities.

A copy of the DRAFT language for the proposed ban is available here (PDF) as well as in the “current” section of the Town Notebooks located at the Speedsville Store,  the Dandy Mini-Mart in Slaterville Springs, the Caroline Library in the Town Hall Annex, at Brookton’s Market and at the Brooktondale Community Center.  People may also obtain a printed copy from the Town Clerk for $5 (copying @25 cents per page x 20 pages) .

The Board will hold a public Question and Answer session on Wednesday April 25 beginning at 7pm at the Speedsville Town Hall.  The Town Attorney will attend and be available to answer questions.

See also the FAQs on a Gas Drilling Ban on this website.

Questions or Comments regarding the proposed Ban should be sent to

Town Clerk    clerk@townofcaroline.org
Town of Caroline
PO Box 136
Slaterville Springs, NY 14881

The Clerk will file your remarks and distribute them to all board members.

At the May 1 and May 8 Board meetings, 7 pm, Town Hall, the Board will consider what it has learned during the Question and Answer session and will determine next steps in the public process.