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Meeting Minutes

June 24, 2021 | 6:00 PM | Webex

Board Members in Attendance: Brett Kreher, Bryant Zilke, Mark Gaston, Dan Henry, Dan Castle, Rachel Chrostowski, Scott Bylewski 

Staff in Attendance: Sarah Gatti, Tim German

  1. Consideration of the January 21, 2021 Meeting Minutes

    Mark Gaston made a motion for APPROVAL, seconded by Dan Castle, and carried by all voting members.

  2. Town of Amherst Agricultural & Farmland Protection Plan (AFPP)

    Sarah Gatti provided a review of the process for approving new AFPPs, including the necessary regulatory approvals and review criteria. She then turned the floor over to Roberta Rappoccio and Dan Howard of the Town of Amherst and Wendy Salvati of WWS Planning to provide an overview of the Plan. A discussion on the Plan then took place between Town representatives and Board members. Bryant Zilke made a motion for APPROVAL, seconded by Mark Gaston, and carried by all voting members.

  3. 2021 Agricultural District Eight-Year Review & Consolidation

    Chair Kreher briefly explained the Agricultural District Eight-Year Review and Consolidation process. He then opened the floor to public comment. Hearing none, he turned the floor over Ms. Gatti, who provided an overview of the review and consolidation process. She stated that the Erie County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board makes a recommendation on the District to the Erie County Legislature, which then approves the report. From there, the report is finalized and transmitted to the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NYSDAM), which then certifies the District.

    Ms. Gatti then provided a brief overview of each modification request, followed by a Board vote on each application.

    1. Application #1: The Board voted to INCLUDE this parcel.
    2. Application #2: The Board voted to INCLUDE this parcel. 
    3. Application #3: Bryant Zilke raised concerns regarding the removal of active agricultural land from the District. Mr. Zilke made a motion to recommend DENIAL of the landowner’s request for removal, seconded by Mark Gaston and carried by all voting members with the exception of Chair Kreher who opposed the motion.
    4. Application #4: The Board voted to REMOVE this parcel. Rachel Chrostowski made a motion to APPROVE the eight-year review and consolidation report and to transmit the report to the Erie County Legislature, seconded by Bryant Zilke, and carried by all voting members. 
  4.  # REQUEST PARCEL(S) ACRES ADDRESS TOWN APPLICANT DISTRICT ACTION BRETT KREHER DAN HENRY BRYANT ZILKE RACHEL CHROSTOWSKI MARK GASTON DAN CASTLE SCOTT BYLEWSKI APPROVE DENY
    1 Add 177.00-1-38 32.48 4807 Reiter Road Wales Tina Bonifacio Central #5 Add to District A A S M A A A X  
    2 Add 178.00-2-73 5 12331 Strykersville Road Wales James Statler and Cody Sim Central #5 Add to District A A A S M A A X  
    3 Remove 163.00-1-1 17.5 0 Old Transit Road Aurora Connie S. Miller Elma #13 Remove from District O A M A S A A   X
    Remove 154.00-5-21.2 13.42 0 Old Transit Road Aurora Connie S. Miller Elma #13 Remove from District O A M A S A A   X
    4 Remove 138.01-4-24 0.62 90 Roycroft Parkway Elma Richard and Rose Ann Dulski Elma #13 Remove from District A S M A A A A X  
    M = MOTIONED                   S = SECONDED                   A = AYE                   O =OPPOSED

  5. Other Business

    Rachel Chrostowski announced that the NYSDAM is making available an agricultural protection funding stream with a dedicated pot of funding for Western New York. She suggested that Chair Kreher sign off on a letter of support from Erie County for an eventual application. Ms. Chrostowski and Dan Castle discussed the possibility of using such funds on an update of the Erie County Agricultural and Farmland Protection Plan.

  6. Next Meeting

    Scheduled for August 19, 2021. The meeting concluded at 7:00 PM.

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