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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017.10.05 OSTB Reg min_S MINUTES OPEN SPACE AND TRAILS BOARD REGULAR SESSION October 5, 2017 Red Brick Conference Room 110 E. Hallam St.,Aspen OSTB Present: Graeme Means Howie Mallory Hawk Greenway Tim McFlynn Wayne Ives Dist. 1 Dist. 2 Dist. 3 Dist. 4 Dist. 5 Absent Chair OST Staff Present: Gary Tennenbaum, Dale Will, Janet Urquhart, Fran Soroka, Paul Holsinger BOCC Present: Greg Poschman Media Present: Elizabeth Stewart-Severy, Aspen Public Radio Wayne Ives called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. PUBLIC COMMENT None APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES Hawk Greenway moved to approve the OSTB minutes of Sept. 21, 2017 as amended. Wayne Ives seconded. Motion passed(4-0). 2018 OST Budget Gary Tennenbaum reviewed changes made to the budget after the board's Sept. 21 review. Projects with a biodiversity component have been grouped together, he noted. Such projects are driven by management plans, not the OST Biodiversity Policy itself, he said. OST wants to be able to show the public what it does to enhance biodiversity. The policy reiterated what the program does all the time, he said. Tennenbaum noted maintenance projects account for 22 percent of the budget, still leaving a healthy level of funding for acquisitions and projects. Howie Mallory asked if wildlife connectivity is a policy or a criterion. It's a project, said Tim McFlynn. It plays out in OST projects, Hawk Greenway said. OST will focus on the bigger picture of wildlife connectivity, working with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other agencies, rather than looking at it only at a project level, Tennenbaum said. Mallory asked if there should be a line item for connectivity; it is a planning project line item in 2018, Wayne Ives noted. Tim McFlynn asked if the $15,000 in the 2018 line item is enough. Until a connectivity project is specifically identified,putting a cost estimate to it is difficult, Tennenbaum said. The $15,000 will go to identifying a project, Greenway said. Mallory also asked if teleconferencing is in the budget. Yes, Tennenbaum said. Teleconferencing will be easier once the county offices return to the county building, he said. 10/05/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 1 of 3 Richard Neiley entered the meeting at 9:29 a.m. Hawk Greenway asked if the vacant OST land officer position remains in the budget or must be reapproved by the BOCC. He asked why OST doesn't fill the position, noting current staff doesn't necessarily have time to analyze properties that may come on the market for sale. The position is budgeted and can be filled, Tennenbaum said. He urged more discussion in January. The county attorney's office is now assisting OST in closing property purchases, which had been a role of the land officer, Tennenbaum added. Board members suggested the job description may need to change to make the position focus on acquisition opportunities. Howie Mallory asked about budgeting for agricultural land improvements. There is a place in the budget within agricultural easements for such expenditures, Paul Holsinger said. Ag lands are currently leased, however, and lessees are tasked with the improvements, Gary Tennenbaum added. Big projects, like ditch improvements at Emma Open Space, are in the budget, he said. Dale Will entered the meeting at 9:41 a.m. Wayne Ives asked about the schedule for revisiting OST policies and how they are integrated into the work plan. Policies on historic structures, water rights and e-bikes are on tap for 2018, Tennenbaum said. Others are yet to be scheduled, but Tennenbaum asked the board if it has other policy priorities in mind. Ongoing discussions regarding Cold Mountain Ranch will help shape the Water Rights and Management Policy—a topic that had been on hold, said Dale Will. Howie Mallory asked if a policy on bike and pedestrian improvements in roadways should move up. Discussions about the Castle Creek Trail and Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail will help set up that policy discussion in the future, Tennenbaum said. Tim McFlynn asked that the page of policies slated for future OSTB consideration be given a title and that a timeline for the policies be assigned, making it a policy work plan. The policies that will be reviewed in 2018 could, at least,be assigned a year, Wayne Ives agreed. Regarding the proposed tool library, Hawk Greenway said he is uncomfortable granting funds to a third party and questioned whether the expenditure is in OST's mission. He suggested growers in Delta County would be open to selling used equipment or donated equipment to local growers. Wayne Ives said he thinks the proposed grant, with an initial expenditure of$50,000, is reasonable as seed money for the tool library. The grant is a way for OST to help make local agriculture thrive; the library would help local growers access equipment they can't afford, Gary Tennenbaum said. OST's role is providing highly subsidized land, Greenway countered. Howie Mallory agreed OST is subsidizing land, water and infrastructure, and asked what would be the appropriate next step. He asked who would house and maintain the equipment in a tool library. He also asked if growers could rent the equipment they need without a tool library. Some equipment is difficult to find available to rent, Wayne Ives said. Local growers would pay fees to use and maintain the equipment, Paul Holsinger said. Tim McFlynn said he wants to support new ideas in the ag program in modest ways. A majority of board members present said they could support the grant but they would like their questions about the tool library answered before the grant is actually made. Board members also said they'd like a follow-up report on the tool library's effectiveness with regard to agriculture on OST properties. 10/05/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 2 of 3 Paul Holsinger departed the meeting at 10:34 a.m. Fran Soroka departed at 10:38 a.m. BOARD AND STAFF COMMENTS Wayne Ives noted the Sierra Club email regarding the Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail. Dale Will said he was disappointed that the sender of the email didn't acknowledge her personal interest in the trail alignment discussion. Howie Mallory asked if the Crystal Valley Caucus has submitted comments on the trail. Not as yet, Gary Tennenbaum responded. Mallory also said he recently walked parts of the potential off-highway trail alignment and said he wants to walk the Bear Creek portion next. Hawk Greenway complimented Lindsey Utter (who was not present at the meeting) on her knowledge of the Carbondale to Crested Butte Trail planning. Dale Will updated the board on BOCC support of the OSTB Bylaw revisions. Greg Poschman asked if OST ever solicits project suggestions from the public. Public input into management plans results in project suggestions, Tennenbaum said. The public also suggests acquisitions, Will said. BOARD ACTIONS 2018 OST Budget Howie Mallory moved to approve the 2018 OST budget with the modifications requested by the board, and recommend its approval by the Board of County Commissioners. Tim McFlynn seconded. Motion passed (4-0). EXECUTIVE SESSION The OSTB moved to enter executive session in accordance with CRS 24-6-402(4) (a), (b) and (e) for the purpose of discussing acquisitions, negotiations and discussions with legal counsel at 10:49 a.m. The OSTB adjourned the executive session at 1:35 p.m. ADJOURN The OSTB regular and executive sessions of Oct. 5, 2017 were adjourned at approximately 1:35 p.m. Approved: Attest: vv Wayne yes, Chair J t Urquhart Pitkin County Open Space &Trails Board OST Stewardship and Outreach Coordinator 10/05/2017 OSTB Regular Session Minutes Page 3 of 3