Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, David Kukle, Steve Walker, Bud Gladsone, Ed Snow, Glen Faulkner, Ritchie Gabriel, Will Outsen, Jeff Gearhart, Bill Federice, David Edinger, Greg Vurckio

Others:  Jeff Baker, Jason Merwin, Samantha Costa, Jessica Fiedler, Gemma Young, Nick Carbone, Bruce Dolph, Michelle Yost, Joan Lawrence Bauer. Tina Mole,  John Kosier, Thomas Hoyt, Joe Cetta, Art Merrill, and Cher Woehl.   Attending via ZOOM were Tim Cox, Chris Mathews, Alicia Terry and Alan Hinkley

1.  Call to Order:  Ric called the meeting to order at 6:16 pm. 

2.  August 18, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.   

3. & 4. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State:
Jeff opened by sharing he had hoped to see the draft of the Water Withdrawal Permit from the City in early August.  He understood that the City has submitted a draft permit to DEC for review.   The City currently has no intention of sharing the draft with CWT and other stakeholders for review prior to releasing for public review.   Jeff is hoping that we see the draft after the State provides their comments and reaction, however that is not guaranteed.  This segued to Delaware County’s draft resolution on this issue.   At this point in the meeting, Jeff suggested we move into an executive session as we would be discussing contract negotiations and receive advice of counsel.   Ric called for a motion to move to executive session.  Motion was made by Ed Snow, seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion was carried.   Ric respectively asked all reporters and non-watershed partners to exit the meeting, indicating they would be welcome back once executive session ended.  Executive session started at 6:25 pm.   At 7:15 pm Bill Federice made the motion to end the executive session, seconded by David Kukle.  Motion carried and the CWT executive meeting reconvened at 7:16 pm.

Action item from the executive session was to have Jeff prepare a draft letter and resolution as soon as possible and called for a special Executive Board meeting to review and approve.   David Kukle made the motion to hold a Special Executive Board Meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 6:15 pm at the CWC headquarters for review of the draft letter and resolution.  Ed Snow seconded the motion.  Motion carried.   Jeff shared he would provide the drafts prior to the meeting and asked Cher to notify the press who normally attend the meeting of the special meeting. 

5.  CWC Report:  Jason had nothing new to report.

6.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  Bud reported that as of August 29, 2025, 
the checking account had $6,393.78,
the savings account had $101,621.27
and the CD had $52,306.30. 
Ed Snow made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Steve Walker.  Report accepted.  
Bud presented Warrant #119 in the amount of $980.00 for payment of the August legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Steve Walker made the motion to pay Warrant #119, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

7.  Adjourn:  As there were no other items to discuss Ric asked for a motion to adjourn.  Motion to adjourn was made by Greg Vurkio,  seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:40 pm. with the reminder that they would all be back in two days for the special meeting.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, Scott Grey, David Kukle, Steve Walker, Glen Faulkner, Jeff Gearhart, Bill Federice, David Edinger, Greg Vurckio

Others:  Jeff Baker (via ZOOM), Tim Cox,  Jason Merwin, , Samantha Costa, Jessica Fiedler, Nick Carbone, Bruce Dolph, Michelle Yost, Joan Lawrence Bauer (Walden reporter)

1.  Call to Order:  Ric called the meeting to order at 6:15 pm. 

2.  June 16, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by David E. and seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

3 & 4. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State:
Jeff began this discussion by sharing that nothing has happened since his last report in June.  Negotiations and conversations with DEP have stopped.  There has been no further action or discussions on the side agreements and with the stakeholders.  DEP is waiting to see what language and conditions DEC has in the next Water Withdrawal Permit.   DEC will be releasing the draft Water Withdrawal Permit language sometime in September and maybe will provide for a 60-day public comment period. Jeff shared that in the past the permit language was negotiated before the final review, emphasizing that this is a significant change in the process. Even though there are no negotiations currently planned, Jeff does not foresee major changes to the watershed and does not see that we will be reverting to Core LAP acquisitions in Priority Areas 3 & 4 as previously permitted. 

Jeff did share his thoughts on what may be included in the new Water Withdrawal Permit language.  He stated that even if the DEC permit has a broader scope, all it would do is to give permission to the City to purchase land.  It does not mandate the City to buy land.  Jeff suggested that items be brought forward during the FAD negotiations which will be occurring next year prior to the FAD 2027 expiration date.  Ric added that the 2027 expiration of the FAD provides us with the opportunity to move forward with negotiations on areas we did not get to address in the revised Water Withdrawal Permit.   He commented that there has been a tremendous shift in the FAD and water supply protection program from 30 years ago and we need to reposition ourselves for these changes. 

Glen asked why such a significant shift in the collaboration efforts on this Water Withdrawal Permit.  Jeff responded that there may have been several factors which led to this, one being the frustration at the City level on how drawn out the negotiations were and the constant changes going “back and forth”.

Jeff next reported that there have been no movement on the Conservation Easement final agreement on the language amendments.  There is one outstanding issue awaiting input from DEC that is related to the Shandaken and Middletown land swaps.  The City is committed to the land swaps if there are no concerns identified by the State.  They are waiting for the State to give the okay to move forward.

5.  CWC Report:  Jason provided a status report on the limited cell tower information received from the Counties.  Ric thanked Jason for his efforts on this project.  He also expressed his disappointment with our Counties and their lack of support and efforts on this project.  Ric voiced the same concerns with the lack of County responses for the Community Vitality Study.  He strongly reminded the board members that our job as elected officials is to help bring these important issues and projects to light.  We need to elevate the level of interest and put in the effort to help our community residents.  Jason fully agreed sharing that they are having problems obtaining information for the Community Vitality Study.  

Ric shared that the Community Vitality Study project team tried gathering information from the municipalities on the meeting spaces they currently have.  To help identify if a municipality is invested in their community needs, they emailed the town clerks requesting an estimate on the sizes of the meetings held, the capacity of the meeting space available, and when the available meeting space was last renovated.  The lack of response was extremely disappointing.  Ric emphasized that we asked for a group to help us out with this critical information and yet our towns cannot take the time to respond. 

The Community Vitality Study project team have sent requests to the town supervisors and town clerks to get the necessary information for the study.  Ric stressed that as elected officials we need to help acquire this data.  David K asked if the elected officials see all the questions asked by the study team.  Jason responded that it all depends on who the study team sends it to dependent on the contact information they have been provided.  David K. asked to see the questions so that he could help get the information.  He suggested that the questions be distributed to our board members so that they can assist with obtaining the information.  Ric said that for Sullivan County he got copied on the request and was able to expedite getting the information.  David K. agreed that if they all knew about the requests they could help with providing guidance to obtain the information needed.  Glen asked Jason if the study team could resend the requests and include our CWT board members and the supervisors for the municipalities in the respective county.  Ric offered a suggestion that each county identifies a county point person for the study team to help ensure action is taken. 

Jason went on to report on the FEMA grant in Prattsville.  He shared that CWC released the second bid for the work to be done, breaking it up into 4 separate projects/16 RFP’s.  They received no bids.  He expressed CWC’s disappointment in this.  CWC has a $1 million approved grant that they worked 3 years to obtain, and it will disappear as they have no contractors to do the work.  He felt that the strict federal and City reporting requirements are the main deterrents for the contractors.  What is very disheartening is the impact on the property owners who will now have to absorb the cost of repairs.   Jason also reported that CWC is extremely slow on their programs, especially the septic program,  indicating this is due to applications and construction needs.

6.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  In Bud’s (CWT Treasurer) absence, Ric deputized Greg Vuckio as the assistant treasurer for the meeting.  Greg reported that as of July 31, 2025, 
the checking account had $6,392.87,
the savings account had $101,540.65 and
the CD had $52,306.30. 
David Kukle made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Report accepted.  
Greg  presented warrant #118 in the amount of $5,550.00 for payment of the June and July legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Steve Walker made the motion to pay warrant #118, seconded by Bill Federice.  Motion carried.   

7.  Other:  Ric entertained a motion regarding Jeff Baker’s request for an increase to his salary to $210 per hour from $185 per hour which was set in 2015.  This represents a %13.5 increase over 10 years.  The increase is to be effective as of August 1, 2025.  David Kukle made the motion to approve the increase, seconded by David Edinger.  Motion carried. 

8.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Steve Walker, seconded by Bill Federice.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, David Kukle, Steve Walker, Ed Snow, Bud Gladstone, Glen Faulkner, Will Outsen, Jeff Gearhart, David Edinger, Peter DiSclafani

Others:  Jeff Baker, Tim Cox,  Jason Merwin, Gemma Young, Samantha Costa, Jessica Fiedler, Nick Carbone, Elizabeth DiFalco,  Michelle Yost, Cher Woehl

1.  Call to Order:  Ric called the meeting to order at 6:20 pm. 

2.  May 19, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.   

3.  Ric opened the meeting by giving everyone a brief update on the opening of Phase II of the Lost Catskills Farm located at the Time and the Valleys Museum in Grahamsville, NY.   The event was a great success and Ric thanked everyone who attended.  He gave special thanks to CWC for participating and sharing information on the coalition and the watershed.  

4 & 5. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State:
Jeff opened with letting everyone know that the negotiations were abruptly suspended without resolution.   He provided a summary of the events occurring that led to this latest development.   Negotiations have taken place over the past year and have been positive and successful.  A primary area of discussion was the fee acquisitions and licensing agreements with the City.  Early in the year, the City and all parties reached agreement on these.  However in February of this year, Delaware County issued a resolution stating that they were against fee acquisitions but supported the licensing agreements.  Other counties in the watershed wanted to move forward supporting both fee acquisitions and licensing agreements.  Negotiations resumed in May, and progress was being made that would accommodate Delaware County and all other counties.

Jeff shared that Riverkeeper proceeded to issue a memo criticizing Delaware County’s position on fee acquisitions.  NYC called a meeting on Friday, June 13^th with the negotiating parties to discuss the disagreements between Delaware County and Riverkeeper.   At that meeting, NYC stated there were significant differences between Riverkeeper and Delaware County thereby suspending all further discussions on CSAP.   Jeff said it was apparent that this directive was a surprise to everyone attending the meeting.

Jeff proceeded to explain that there needs to be some form of CSAP to complement the flood hazard mitigation and streamside programs.  He also shared there may be situations where towns may want to move forward with land acquisitions.  While Jeff doesn’t believe the City will try and re-instate the Core LAP in Areas 3 & 4, he said we can’t be certain of this.  He did state that from a broader coalition perspective we need to determine the importance of the riparian buffer protection program beyond stream management and flood hazard mitigation projects.  Ric agreed and asked board members for their input on how critical a broader riparian buffer program really is.  Steve indicated that he didn’t see the need for these.  Peter shared that while the flood hazard mitigation element would be a good tool, he also doesn’t see the need for a riparian buffer program.  David E. also agreed that there isn’t a need for riparian buffers.   Ric and Jeff stated that we are still sorting through this decision to determine the impact and next steps, which may include a formal response from CWT.

Jeff then shared that they are finishing the elements for the side agreements, and they have completed the Conservation Easement changes.

On Conservation Easements, Peter shared the situation they are facing in Shandaken.  Peter explained that Shandaken is looking for property to relocate their Town Hall and Highway Garage.  Two years ago they found the land and proceeded to have meetings with DEP to discuss the land swap.  Discussions were going well, and it appeared that the swap would be happening as agreed to until it was discovered that the land was tied up with conservation easements.  In subsequent meetings with DEP and DEC, Peter indicated that DEC informed everyone they needed to review the proposal.  Peter emphasized that DEP and Shandaken have been working together very well for the past 2 years, and DEP has been very supportive throughout the process.  DEP has also been attempting to work with DEC to advance the process, to no avail.  Ric suggested that we send a letter to DEC to support Shandaken and DEP on this land swap effort.   Jeff agreed but will start with a call to DEC to see if he can resolve this. 

Glen stated that Middletown is in the same situation as Shandaken, reiterating everything Peter has shared.  Middletown has also been working very closely with DEP on a land swap only to be faced with the conservation easement issues and reviews by DEC.  

Ric expressed how land swaps are a critical piece of the watershed.  Jason agreed and indicated that CWC is working with Shandaken on their land swap.  Jason suggested CWT help to draft a process for the land swaps.   Ric felt this was a good idea as land swaps are the future, however he suggested we get one land swap completed first to better identify the process needed. 

6.  CWC Report:  Jason reported that CWC is 100% complete with the Shokan Project plans and they have been submitted to DEP.  He also reported that the negotiations on the operating contract have been completed and are getting finalized.  The Community Vitality Study is progressing, and the consultants will be scheduling the focus group meetings soon.  Jason shared that Cornell University is evaluating the effectiveness of the Best Management Practices (BMP) in the watershed.  This is currently measured solely by the numbers located in the watershed.  In closing Jason shared that CWT has hired three (3) interns which will be working to digitize the files, including the CWT files.  

7.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  Bud reported that as of May 31, 2025, 
the checking account had $12,721.61,
the savings account had $101,368.23 and
the CD had $52,306.30. 
Ed Snow made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by David Edinger.  Report accepted.  
Bud presented warrant #117 in the amount of $1,796.00 for payment of the May legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Steve Walker made the motion to pay warrant #117, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

8.  Other:  Ric raised the issue regarding DEP’s project to install cell towers in the watershed.  DEP is currently developing the RFP for this project.  Ric suggested that we can support their process by providing them with information on the current cell towers in the watershed counties and maps of the populated areas.   Ric felt it would be beneficial to everyone for us to provide DEP with whatever information we can to help them as they move forward identifying the best locations for future cell towers.  Jason volunteered to reach out to each of the county planning offices to see what information they may have on this. 

9.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Ed Snow, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  David Kukle, Scott Grey, Steve Walker, Ed Snow, Bud Gladstone, Ritchie Gabriel, Glen Faulkner, Jeff Gearhart, Bill Federice, Greg Vurckio, David Edinger

Others:  Jeff Baker, Tim Cox,  Jason Merwin, Gemma Young, Samantha Costa, Nick Carbone, Bruce Dolph,  Michelle Yost, Cher Woehl

1.  Call to Order:  In Chairman Ric Coombe’s absence, Vice Chairman David Kukle called the meeting to order at 6:25 pm.

2.  March 17, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.   

3 & 4. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State:
Jeff shared that there was not much new to report.  The City is agreeable, so far, with Delaware County’s decision to not support City acquisitions and Greene and Ulster’s decision to allow acquisitions in some instances.   Jeff said that active negotiations will commence in early June.  The side agreements still need to be discussed and finalized.  Jeff emphasized that all parties agree these negotiations need to wrap up as soon as possible so that work on finalizing the contracts can begin.    Jason commented on the side agreements, sharing that he had originally understood that the City was close to agreements for all septic plants but now understands that this is not the case.  Jeff said that this area needs to be discussed further, and that he is in the process of gathering more information from the townships on their plant usage and other pertinent areas.  Jeff also reported that the agreements on the Conservation Easements have been finalized. 

5. CWC Report:  Jason opened his report by thanking all the CWT members for their participation in the Community Vitality Study group discussion which occurred prior to the CWT meeting.   He also extended a thank you to everyone for helping to make the CWC annual meeting a big success.
Jason shared with members that CWC has created a “template letter” for the towns/villages to use when they haven’t received a response from DEC on their wetland project requests.  DEC has 90 days to respond to these requests, but due to the process many responses have not been received, and the allowed timeframe has expired.  Jeff asked members to let him know if delays are due to DEP approvals.  Jeff shared that if DEP has issues with the requests they must document these issues in writing.  Verbal sharing of the issues does not constitute a legitimate issue.  Tim clarified the process timeframes for requesting the wetland determinations.  DEC has 90 days to respond to the request.  If a response is not received within 90 days, the town/village needs to send a certified letter (CWC template letter) to DEC.  D EC then has 10 days to reply.  If no reply is received by DEC within the 10 days then the town/village is good to go on with their request.  
Jason followed up by sharing that the Town of Windham submitted their application to redesign their wastewater treatment plant to accept septage waste.  DEP approved the request.  Jason indicated Delaware Engineering will be managing the engineering of the new system and proceeded to brief everyone on what the project was and the benefits it will achieve when implemented. 
Jason ended his report by introducing Gemma Young, the CWC Human Resources manager who heads up the workforce development program and Samantha Costa, CWC’s Public Education and Communications manager. 

6.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  Bud reported that as of April 30, 2025, 
the checking account had $12,719.73,
the savings account had $101,284.95 and
the CD had $52,306.30. 
Steve Walker made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by David Edinger.  Report accepted.  
Bud presented warrant #116 in the amount of $4,535.00 for payment of the March and April legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Steve Walker made the motion to pay warrant #116, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

7.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Scott Grey,  seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:00 pm.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, Scott Grey, Steve Walker, Ed Snow, Bud Gladstone, Ritchie Gabriel, Glen Faulkner, Will Outsen, Jeff Gearhart, Bill Federice, Greg Vurckio

Others:  Jeff Baker, Tim Cox, Jessica Fielder, Nick Carbone, Bruce Dolph, Elizabeth DeFalco, Hope Monforte, Cher Woehl

1.  Call to Order:  Ric  called the meeting to order at 6:15 pm.

2.  February 17, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

3.   Ric introduced Hope Monforte, Executive Assistant, NYC Department of Environmental Protection.   Ms. Monforte is the new outreach coordinator for the West of the Hudson Watershed.  Ms. Monforte is native to the area, giving her an exceptional understanding of the watershed and making her an invaluable contact for us with DEP.  Ms. Monforte thanked everyone for the warm welcome and shared that she plans to attend future meetings as her schedule allows.  She also shared that she will be providing her contact information to Cher for anyone who would like to have it and welcomes any communications from the board members. 

4 & 5. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State:
Jeff opened the discussion by stating there was not a lot to report this month.   He shared the good news on the CSAP contract negotiations saying that DOH, the City, CWT are all working diligently to finalize the contract documents.  They did hit a small hitch with DEC on a section of the contract language, but Jeff feels this will be resolved quickly as all parties what to get this negotiation completed. Jeff had more good news sharing that all issues on the NYS Conservation Easement revisions have been resolved to the satisfaction of everyone involved.    Regarding the side agreement, Jeff said that there has not been much progress.  The side agreement addresses the I & I funding among other things.

Ric said that when the Conservation Easement contract is finalized CWT needs to place a priority on working with Roxbury to develop a solution for their current issue. 

Nick asked for clarification with understanding the benefits of a restricted covenant with third party oversight versus conservation easements.   Jeff explained as follows:

• If a municipality owns land purchased by the City, there will be restrictions on what the municipality can do with the land.  All purchases will have a stewardship plan incorporated into a restrictive covenant and thereby enforceable.
• If the City owns land DEC wants a conservation easement not a restricted covenant.  The municipalities want a restrictive covenant so that they can enforce the City’s stewardship obligations on that land.  DEC wants its own oversight and therefore creates a 3^rd layer in the process.   

Jeff shared that the goal is to eliminate DEC  from an oversight role thereby eliminating the extra layer of government in the process.   CWT would like to see that when the City buys land, the municipalities obtain a mechanism to ensure the City’s stewardship obligations. 

Ric explained how the process has worked with the Town of Neversink Ball Fields, where Neversink owns the land, but the City has oversight responsibility.  He shared that this has been successful, with the biggest issue dealing with the review process for any improvements or changes. 

6. CWC Report:  In Jason’s absence, Tim provided the CWC report.  He reminded everyone that the CWC Annual meeting is April 1^st, asking members to get their RSVP’s in as soon as possible.  He shared that the election results for Schoharie and Ulster County CWC members will be announced at the meeting.  Tim then gave an update on the Community Vitality Study, which is called for by the National Academies Study and the FAD.  Consultants from the Center for Government Research have been contracted to gather the data for the study.  They will be contacting elected officials in the watershed for their data gathering.  CWC will be reaching out in advance with the subject areas the consultants will be addressing.  Ric asked that everyone please take time and participate to create this baseline for our watershed.   This baseline is the foundation that we will build on for the future.  Ric emphasized to members that “if we don’t tell our story how will it ever be told?”.  

7.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  Bud reported that as of February 28, 2025, 
the checking account had $1,770.23,
the savings account had $115,355.78
and the CD had $52,306.30. 
Ed Snow made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Report accepted.  
Greg presented warrant #115 in the amount of $4,053.00 for payment of February legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Steve Walker  made the motion to pay warrant #115, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   

8.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Greg Vurckio,  seconded by Bud Gladstone.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, Scott Grey, David Kukle, Greg Cross, Ed Snow, Glen Faulkner, Will Outsen, David Edinger, Greg Vurckio

Others:  Jeff Baker, Tim Cox, Jason Merwin, Michelle Yost, Nick Carbone (via Zoom), Thomas Hoyt, Bruce Dolph, Elizabeth DeFalco, Roger Gilson (Times Union), Cher Woehl

1.  Call to Order:  Ric  called the meeting to order at 6:18 pm.

2.  January 20, 2025, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Greg Cross. Motion carried.   

3. & 4. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State: Ric welcomed everyone to the meeting before turning it over to Jeff who reported that the Core LAP and CSAP contract negotiation discussions are continuing with minor issues being raised and resolved.  Jeff stated that the one issue still open is the municipal option to propose land acquisitions to the City in Priority Areas 3 & 4 as part of Core LAP.  Jeff recapped the option proposed by CWT which would allow Towns/Villages to offer specific parcels of land in Priority Areas 3 & 4  to the City for purchase.  The provision allows Towns/Villages to decide every 5 years if they want to participate. 

Jeff proceeded to discuss the CWT Resolution provided to Board Members for discussion.  This draft resolution grants municipalities, except for those in Delaware County, Jewett and Windham, the right to offer land to the City.   Delaware County, Jewett and Windham have all passed resolutions which exclude them from the provision, thus opting out of the program for as long as the Core LAP program exists under the new Water Withdrawal Permit.  Ric stated that this is the benefit of “home rule” as it gives everyone options.  It’s not all for one/one for all but allows Towns/Villages to make the decision to participate or not.   Ric then opened the floor to discussion on the proposed resolution, reminding everyone that our intent is to finalize and approve language for Jeff to move forward with.

Thomas Hoyt spoke on behalf of Windham stating that they have also passed a resolution like Delaware County opting out for the duration of the new Water Withdrawal Permit. Greg asked for clarification on the Delaware County resolution to opt out of the program.  Ric and Jeff explained that when a County opts out, no Town/Village can choose to participate in the future.  They further explained that if a Town/Village opts out, that doesn’t impact other Towns/Villages in the County unless the County passes a resolution to not participate.  David K. proceeded to explain that if a Town/Village opts out, they are opting out for 5 years.  At the end of 5 years, they have the choice to continue as is or opt into the program.   He suggested to Board Members that they make their Towns/Villages aware of this. 

Thomas Hoyt asked if there would be community guidelines for this program.  Ric explained that the Towns/Villages set their own guidelines.  They are in control of this.  Ric re-iterated that a Town/Village may propose parcels to the City to purchase, but the City can say no, they do not want to purchase. 

Greg shared with members that Denning is passing a resolution to opt out of the program and asked that they be added to the resolution language.   Jeff also shared that Ashland has opted out of the program and will be included in the language.  

Ric asked if there was any more discussion that needed to occur on the resolution before it is adopted.  As there was none, David Kukle made the motion to approve the Resolution of the Coalition of Watershed Towns Supporting a Town Option to Propose Land Acquisitions by the City of New York with the revision to add Ashland and Denning.  Glen Faulkner seconded the motion .  Motion carried unanimously. Ric thanked everyone for a very productive discussion and for taking the time to help bring this resolution to fruition.   

Before moving on to the next agenda item, Jeff shared that in talking with David K. it was brought to his attention that everyone may not understand the purpose or intent of the negotiation for the side agreement.  He provided a brief explanation sharing that the side agreements are a way for the City, CWT, CWC and the environmental organizations to discuss and resolve issues that don’t necessarily belong at the State level.   Jeff cited examples such as Regulatory Upgrade 2 and the I&I issues that are currently being resolved through side agreements.

The discussion moved into the status of the amendments to the City CE to the State.  Thomas Hoyt asked when the easements will be turned over from the State to the City. Jeff responded that they are currently resolving an issue with the environmental groups and are approximately 90% completed with resolving all open issues. 

5. CWC Report:  Jason gave the CWC update, focusing on the Community Vitality Study.   He asked that the Towns/Villages and CWT please be responsive to the consultants, who will be reaching out to everyone for information.  David K. asked if there will be questions provided beforehand so that everyone can be better prepared.  Jason agreed this would be beneficial and will see what he can do.   Ric reminded everyone that we must be forward-thinking when we address community needs for the vitality study.  Jason concurred by sharing that the City and DEP are already in the forward-thinking mode, so we also need to be.   Jason reminded everyone about the CWC Annual Meeting which is scheduled for April 1^st.   He also shared that CWC will be involved in a mandatory meeting with FEMA regarding the flood funds, and a contract meeting with DEP sometime in March.

6.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  As Bud was absent from the meeting, Ric asked Greg Vurckio to provide the treasurer’s report.  Greg reported that as of January 31, 2025, 
the checking account had $5,176.64,
the savings account had $113,767.57 and
the CD had $52,306.30. 
Ed Snow made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Report accepted.  
Greg presented warrant #114 in the amount of $3,407.00 for payment of January legal fees and administrative support fees.  
Greg Cross made the motion to pay warrant #114, seconded by David Edinger.  Motion carried.   

7.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Ed Snow, seconded by Greg Vurckio.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:14 pm.

Location:  CWC Headquarters (Arkville, NY)

Present:  Ric Coombe, Scott Grey, David Kukle, Steve Walker, Bud Gladstone, Ed Snow, Glen Faulkner, Ritchie Gabriel, Jeff Gearhart,  David Edinger, Greg Vurckio

Others:  Jeff Baker, Tim Cox, Jason Merwin, Jessica Fiedler, Michelle Yost, Nick Carbone, Bruce Dolph, Heidi Emrich, Mary Crisafulli, Cher Woehl

1.  Call to Order:  Ric called the meeting to order at 6:20 pm.

2.  December 16, 2024, Meeting Minutes Approval:  Motion to approve the minutes made by Ed Snow and seconded by Steve Walker. Motion carried.   

3 & 4. LAP/SAP Negotiations/Status of Amended City CE to State: Ric opened this discussion by emphasizing to the members that we are here to provide guidance to Jeff regarding the proposed language for the municipal option for city acquisitions.   He asked Jeff to explain to the members the language CWT is considering.   Jeff explained that the proposed changes to Core LAP would include a provision for the Towns/Villages to propose specific parcels in Priority Areas 3 & 4 for acquisition by the City.   If a Town/Village determines that a particular parcel should be offered to the City, because it benefits the community in some way, the municipality can ask the City to consider a land purchase.  The language would also include an option that would allow the Towns/Villages to opt into this provision with the opportunity to revisit their decision every 5 years.   This proposed language gives the Towns/Villages the most flexibility on their land and on their participation.  Jeff did share that the City is open to this provision. 

Steve asked if the proposal included parameters, such as the size of the land or the inability to sell agricultural land.  Jeff said, at this point, the basic water quality criteria apply, including the 10 acres provision.  He stated that any additional parameters would be up to the Towns/Villages to set, allowing this to be controlled locally.

Glen reiterated his understanding that with this proposed language advocates the sale must be a benefit to the Town/Village as well as the owner and the City before any transaction can occur.  

Glen asked Jeff to explain further the 5-year option.   Jeff explained this allows the Towns/Villages to make the decision every 5 years as to whether they want the ability to propose property to be purchased by the City as stipulated in this provision.  The 5-year term allows the Towns/Villages to make their decision as they look forward to their future demographics and needs and to revisit it periodically as local conditions may change.  This is like the existing provisions in the Water Supply Permit for villages and hamlets which gives them the right to exclude city acquisitions and waive some of the water quality criteria.  Tim Cox and Jason Merwin explained what CWC does regarding watershed villages and hamlets for the 5-year review.  Currently CWC sends letters to the Towns/Villages reminding them its time to review their hamlets.  These letters usually go out 6 months in advance of the deadlines, with the letter outlining what the Town/Village chose to do previously.  If the Towns/Villages choose to keep it the same, they do not need to respond.  However if the Towns/Villages want to propose a change, they must pass a Town/Village resolution to make the change happen.   Ric suggested we try and line up the ability to propose lands for city purchase with the CWC timeline. 

Delaware County’s opposition to the proposed language was discussed.  David K. raised a concern regarding the language opposing the proposed provision.  He shared that the opposing language states that no sales of land in areas 3&4 can be offered to the city, however the sales of land can be offered to non-profit organizations.  The concern with this is that non-profits do not pay property taxes to the Town/Village, eliminating a revenue stream, but the City would be paying property taxes.  He cautioned the members to read the opposition language thoroughly to fully understand what it is proposing. 

Ric reiterated that with the CWT proposed language, the Towns/Villages have the flexibility to say NO to any sales.  He also said that even if the Towns/Villages decide to sell, the City may say no they do not want to purchase.  

Bruce Dolph raised the issue that Delaware County is completely opposed to the proposed language.  Jeff shared that he has not yet seen a resolution from Delaware County that states this.  Glen shared that he doesn’t believe the 5-year option has been presented to Delaware County yet.  Bud agreed and stated that Delaware County Board Members must perform their due diligence and share the proposed language in its entirety with Delaware County Board of Supervisors before any county resolution is made.  Ric agreed and asked that the CWT Delaware County Board Members meet with Delaware County prior to our February meeting.  This issue needs to be resolved in the February  meeting so that Jeff can proceed with finalizing the negotiations. 

On the State Wetland Regulations, Jeff reported that the regulations have been finalized.  He shared that the mapping system does not appear to be as cumbersome as originally thought to be.  He stated that the next steps are to work with NYC on how their regulations are going to coordinate with the new State Regulations.  

5. CWC Report:  Jason provided the statistics on the septic program, sharing that they completed 282 septic projects in 2024.   He then gave an overview of the 5 contracts they are currently in negotiations with DEP.  On the Community Vitality Study, Jason shared that the bids would be due on January 23.  The issue CWC is facing is that there is no contract with the City yet, which may hinder proceeding with the Community Vitality Study.  Jeff noted that the study is included in the FAD.   One final update Jason provided was on the CWC Annual  Meeting which is scheduled for April 1^st.

6.  Warrants and Treasurer’s Report:  Bud reported that as of December 31, 2024,
the checking account had $8,489.05,
the savings account had $103,174.81 and
the CD had $50,000. 
David Edinger made the motion to accept the Treasurer’s report, seconded by Ed Snow.  Report accepted.  
Bud presented warrant #113 in the amount of $3,363.55 for payment of December legal fees and administrative support fees. Greg raised the question regarding the supporting invoices for the warrant and the totals did not match the warrant amount.  After reviewing the info, Cher realized she had inadvertently included the wrong invoices in the Board Members packages.  She did confirm that the amount of Warrant #113 was correct as presented.   
Steve Walker made the motion to pay warrant #113, seconded by Glen Faulkner.  Motion carried.   
Cher did provide Board Members with the correct invoices via email.  

7.  Adjourn:  Motion to adjourn was made by Greg Vurckio,  seconded by Ed Snow.  Motion carried.  The meeting adjourned at 7:20 pm.