The Oneida Lake and Watershed Management Plan

Back to Previous Page

Oneida Lake Watershed Local Government Strategy

January 2005

Intermunicipal partnerships are important as our community faces challenges associated with economic development and the protection of environmental resources. As part of the Oneida Lake Watershed Management Plan, goals and recommendations to address eight priority issues of concern were recently compiled in a publication titled, A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and Its Watershed. This report presents management recommendations that will maintain a strong economy and the long-term protection of local water resources. While compiling this document, municipalities, businesses, colleges, and stakeholders worked together and assumed a widespread responsibility for local water resources.

Continued partnerships and well-developed land use planning efforts are critical ingredients for future success as we face the implementation phase of this grassroots initiative. A four-year strategy, based on municipal involvement and local level participation, is presented below.

PHASE I (completed in 2003 and 2004)

Oneida Lake State of the Lake and Watershed Report

  • Research the current state of Oneida Lake and its watershed, including the environmental setting and human influences that affect water quality in the six-county watershed.
  • Summarize the findings in the "Oneida Lake State of the Lake and Watershed" report.
  • Include a chapter summarizing the organization of local, state, regional and federal levels of government in the watershed and assesses the existence (or lack of) specific local laws in each community.
  • Present the information via several public meetings throughout the watershed.
  • Make the report available on the Internet and distribute it to watershed municipalities and stakeholders.

A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and Its Watershed

  • Form "Working Groups" made up of agencies, organizations, non-profit groups and municipal representatives to compile background information on lake and watershed issues of concern, identify short and long-term goals, and develop recommendations on ways to reach those goals.
  • Include recommendations for the potential role for local governments.
  • Present findings in the report titled, "A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and Its Watershed (Management Strategy)."
  • Present the information at six public meetings held throughout the watershed.
  • Make the report available on the Internet and distribute it to watershed municipalities and stakeholders.

PHASE II (completed in 2004)

Local Laws Project

  • Meet with watershed municipalities to discuss the need for regulatory land-use controls to reduce non-point source pollution, and to offer assistance in updating comprehensive plans, where appropriate.
  • Prioritize municipalities according to proximity to the lake and perceived need.
  • Travel to watershed municipalities (Towns of Cicero, Constantia, Dewitt, Manlius, Sullivan and West Monroe and the Villages of Central Square, East Syracuse, Fayetteville and Minoa) to meet with the Supervisor or Mayor, Highway Superintendent, Code Enforcement Officer(s) and other staff.
  • Discuss local laws and enforcement in relation to the recommendations that are summarized in the "Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and Its Watershed" (septics, flooding and water level management, soil erosion and sedimentation).
  • Identify problems associated with the code enforcement officer's responsibilities and the impacts of the working group recommendations.
  • Review stormwater regulations with the Oneida Lake watershed MS4 communities.
  • Identify additional regulations or amendments to current local laws to help code enforcement officers.
  • Provide GIS maps for these municipalities, if needed.
  • Prepare a final report summarizing this effort and add it to the Oneida Lake watershed web site.
  • Provide follow-up assistance and guidance as requested.

PHASE III: Municipal Outreach and Local Laws: Proposed projects with DOS funding - start date January 2005.

Intermunicipal partnerships are important as the Oneida Lake community faces challenges associated with economic development and the protection of environmental resources. As part of the Oneida Lake Watershed Management Plan, goals and recommendations to address eight priority issues of concern were recently compiled in a publication titled, A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and Its Watershed. The management recommendations in this report were designed to maintain a strong economy and the long-term protection of local water resources. While compiling this document, municipalities, businesses, colleges, and stakeholders worked together and assumed a widespread responsibility for local water resources.

Continued partnerships and well-developed land use planning efforts are critical ingredients for future success as we face the implementation phase of this grassroots initiative. Listed below are three projects that are proposed using NYS Department of State funding. These projects represent Phase III of a comprehensive four-year strategy, based on municipal involvement and local level participation (refer to Appendix A).

Municipal and stakeholder outreach (Anticipated date of completion: December 2005)

  • Develop a funding strategy based on financial contributions from counties, municipalities, and local businesses to support Oneida Lake watershed implementation projects. Present a PowerPoint summary of the Management Strategy recommendations, goals for 2005, and long-term financial requirements. Encourage their financial support of watershed improvement initiatives. Work on this as a cooperative with DOS, CNY RPDB, and the Watershed Advisory Council and consult with other lake communities throughout New York State for advice and guidance.
  • Schedule meetings with the Watershed Advisory Council Board of Directors once a month in order to maintain local government and stakeholder involvement.
  • Maintain the Oneida Lake watershed website in order to facilitate communications with municipalities.

Local Law Guidance Manual - (Anticipated date of completion: December 2005)

  • Compile information on model ordinances and current local laws that pertain to Management Strategy and Phase II Stormwater issues;
  • Distribute this summary to watershed municipalities.

Local Government Conference - Anticipated date of conference: October 2005

A one-day local government conference is being planned for municipalities in the Oneida Lake watershed and throughout the upstate New York region. DOS funding will be used to support this event that will be organized with the following objectives:

  • Discuss local laws relating to recommendations listed in A Management Strategy for Oneida Lake and its Watershed (Oneida watershed portion only);
  • Focus on local laws in relation to the Phase II Stormwater Program;
  • Organize discussion groups to encourage cooperation among watershed municipalities;
  • Provide opportunities to network and improve communications;
  • Present case studies from other lake communities throughout New York State.
  • Encourage the attendance of supervisors, mayors, county legislators, town and village board members, clerks, planning boards, zoning boards, public works officials, code enforcement officers, and others involved in local government issues.
  • Develop a mailing and e-mail contact lists for all watershed municipalities.
  • Consult with the NYS DOS, the NYS DEC, and the Watershed Advisory Council when defining agenda items relating to the Oneida Lake watershed.
  • Consult with the Tug Hill Commission to discuss a local government partnership.
  • Provide continuing education credits for engineers, lawyers, and zoning officials, as needed
  • Explore options for watershed site visits
  • Invite agency and private company vendors to display information.
  • Pursue conference sponsors to help keep registration fees low.
  • Survey attendees and vendors for their ideas before and after the conference.
  • Potential agenda topics:
    • Planning Board authority and responsibility
    • Zoning enforcement
    • Site plan review and special use permits
    • Waterfront revitalization
    • Effective meetings and hearings
    • Subdivision review
    • SEQRA
    • Smart Growth
    • Low impact development
    • Grant writing
    • Water resource concepts
    • Planning for agriculture
    • Stormwater management and Phase II (construction and MS4)
    • Renewable energy sources (e.g. wind, landfill gas case studies)
    • FOIL and the open meeting law
    • Sharing highway services (using examples from across the state)
    • Risk management
    • Tourism promotion
    • Open space preservation

PHASE IV (long-term goal, funding to be determined)

2006 Local Government Conference

  • Expand the conference to a two-day event.
  • Present topics in concurrent sessions, addressing environmental topics in addition to communities, canals and recreation trails, transportation, tourism, and economic development.

Back to Previous Page

For more information on the Oneida Lake Watershed Management Plan activities e-mail the Central New York Regional Planning Board.

Back to top