The purpose of the Conservation Board is to promote the development
and conservation of natural resources, including water resources,
within the Town.
The Conservation Board shall consist of seven members to be
appointed by the Town Board for terms of two years beginning January
1, four members to be appointed in the odd years and three appointed
in the even years.
The Conservation Board will recommend one of its members to
be Chair, subject to the approval of the Town Board.
The Town Board may remove, for cause, any member of the Conservation
Board by notice in writing.
The Town Board may fill any vacancy on the Conservation Board.
The Conservation Board shall hold a minimum of 10 meetings per
year and at least monthly whenever any application for permit, request
from any agency of the Town or other subject is pending before the
Board. Meetings of the Board shall be held at such times at the call
of the Chair or direction of the Town Board. Three members of the
Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The
Board shall keep minutes of its proceedings showing the vote upon
any question and shall also keep records of its official actions.
The Town Engineer or consulting engineer shall furnish to the
Conservation Board such recommendations and engineering data as the
Board shall request and require, and the Town Engineer or consulting
engineer shall advise the Board on all other matters within the jurisdiction
of the Board and, upon request, shall be present at the meetings and
deliberations of the Board.
The Conservation Board shall:
A. Conduct
research into the utilization or possible utilization of land areas
of the Town.
B. Investigate
proposed new development and changes in land utilization and report
findings and recommendations, including the State Environmental Quality
Review (SEQR) recommendations, to the appropriate board or Town agency.
C. Coordinate
the activities of unofficial bodies organized for similar purposes.
D. Advertise,
prepare and distribute books, charts, plans and pamphlets, as necessary,
for its purposes.
E. Obtain
and maintain in orderly fashion maps, reports, books and other publications
to support the necessary researches of the Board into local environmental
conditions.
F. Advise
the Town Board on matters affecting the preservation, development
and use of the natural and man-made features and conditions of the
Town insofar as beauty, quality, biologic integrity and other environmental
factors are concerned.
G. Request
the Town Board to acquire land in the name of the Town for any of
the Conservation Board's purposes as set out in the chapter.
H. Maintain
liaison and communications with public and private agencies and organizations
of local, state and national scope whose programs and activities have
an impact on the quality of the environment or who can be of assistance
to the Board.
I. Make
annual reports to the Town Board.
The Town Board may appropriate funds for the Conservation Board.
Approval of the Town Board is required before the Conservation Board
may expend or contract to expend any funds to carry out its duties.