Past Workshop Presentations

Many of our recent trainings and webinars are available on the commission’s YouTube channel.

* denotes session with quiz for Planning/Zoning Board of Appeals members

February 28, 2023 || “Knowledge Transfer: How to make sure you know what you don’t know when you experience staffing changes” || by Khristopher Dodson and Averi Davis || YouTube Video|| Slide Deck Handout || Position Knowledge Inventory Tool

January 29, 2023 || “Snow Ridge: Through the Years” || by Nancy Grisham, Tom Smith, Nick Mir, Jerry Britton, and Bronny Davis || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout

November 30, 2022 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 6 || “Into the Adirondack Wilderness” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video

October 18, 2022 || “Regulating Private Speech: Sign Regulations and the First Amendment” || by Mark Cuthbertson, Cuthbertson Law || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout

September 17, 2022 || “A Century Gone By: Revisiting Swancott Mills” || by James Burke, Leigh Portner and Robert Sauer || Slide Deck Handout || Playlist of Music ||

July 28, 2022 || “The Castorland Journal” || by Dr. John Gallucci || YouTube Video ||Slide Deck Handout

March 10, 2022 || “50 Years in a Hunting Club on Tug Hill: Brandy Brook Sports Club” || by Jack Thoden || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout

December 15, 2021 || “Newly Elected Officials Workshop” || by Sarah Brancatella and Lori Mithen-Demasi || 2021 Newly Elected Overview Slides || 2021 Ethics Slides (AOTSNY) YouTube Video

December 7, 2021 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 5 || “William Constable, Spirit of the North Country” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video

November 9, 2021 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 4 || “Anna Constable: From Socialite to Suffragist” || by Andrew Reid || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video

November 3, 2021 || “PILOT Agreements, Valuation Issues, and Renewable Energy Projects” || by Dylan Harris || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video

October 28, 2021 || “Comprehensive Planning” || by Matt Johnson || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video || Take a Quiz to Receive a Certificate of Attendance

October 26, 2021 || “Agriculture and the Lewis County Experience” || by Joe Lawrence || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video

October 21, 2021 || “The Code: What Every Local Official Should Know About the Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code” || by NYS Department of State || Slide Deck Handout

October 19, 2021 || “The American Rescue Plan Act: What Your Board Needs to Know” || by Sarah Brancatella || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video

September 28 and October 5, 2021 || “Town Budget Workshop” || by Laird Petrie || Slide Deck Handout || Contingent Account Worksheets for Towns

September 21, 2021 || “Gould’s Logging on Moose River Plains in the Early 1900’s” || by Ernest Leigh Portner || YouTube Video

June 24, 2021 ||”A Well-Perfected Organization: The Underground Railroad in Oneida County, NY” || with Oneida County Freedom Trail Commission members Judith Wellman, Historian, and Jan DeAmicis, Mary Hayes Gordon, Deirdre Sinnott || YouTube Video

* June 23, 2021 || “Regulating Short-term Rentals” || by Charles Malcomb and Alicia Legland, of Hodgson Russ, LLP ||YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive a Certificate of Attendance

June 16, 2021 || “Technical Solutions and Things to Consider for Broadband Expansion” || by David Wolf, Development Authority of the North Country || Slide Deck Handout || YouTube Video

June 10, 2021|| “The Underground Railroad:  Routes Through the North Country” || by Jackie Madison, President, North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association || YouTube Video

June 1, 2021 || “The New Cannabis Law: Considerations for Towns and Villages” || by Wade Beltramo, New York State Conference of Mayors and Municipal Officials and Sarah Brancatella, Association of Towns of the State of New York || YouTube Video || Slide Deck Handout || Sample Opt-Out Local Law || Q&A from Webinar || MRTA Summary – April 15 2021

May 26, 2021 || “Ice and Snow Best Practices: Communication and Consensus” || by Tim Hunt, Lewis County Highway Superintendent || YouTube Video

May 20, 2021 || “The Rise and Fall of the Florence Settlement” || by Jessica Harney, Camden Central School, Charles Vanderi, NYSDEC and Matthew Kirk, Hartgen Archeological Associates || YouTube Video

May 19, 2021 || “How Can Broadband Be Delivered:  The Southern Tier Network” || by Joe Starks and Andy Lukasiewicz, ECC Technologies || Handout || YouTube Video

May 12, 2021 || “Broadband: Statewide Perspective” || by Scott Rasmussen, Innovation & Broadband Empire State Development || YouTube Video

* April 29, 2021 || “Open Government Issues in Planning and Zoning Decisions” || by Mark Schachner || YouTube Video || Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance

April 27, 2021 || “Five Steps to Jump Start Your Cybersecurity Program” || by Steven Gravel, NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services || YouTube Video || Five Steps to Jump Start Your Cybersecurity Program (Presentation PDF) || Informational Posters:  USB Security || Web Browser Security || Ransomware || Multi Factor Authentication || Phishing || Know Normal Activity

April 15, 2021 || “Local Regulation Enactment Procedure” || by Christopher Eastman and Patricia Burke, NYS Department of State || YouTube Video

March 25, 2021 || “A New Climate on Both Large and Small Scales” || by David Eichorn || YouTube Video

March 24, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 3” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski and Jackie Hobbs|| YouTube Video

March 18, 2021 || “Ditch to Ditch: A Primer for Highways” || by Lori Mithen Demasi, Association of Towns of the State of New York || YouTube Video || Handout

March 10, 2021 || “Forest Conservation” || by Neal Bungard, USDA Forest Service and Jason Drobnack, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation || YouTube Video || USDA Forest Service Handout || NYSDEC Handout

February 25, 2021 || “Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure” || by Ron Semp, PlugIn Stations Online || YouTube Video || Handout

February 24, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 2” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski, fiddle by Jackie Hobbs || YouTube Video

February 10, 2021 || “Farmland Conservation” || by Jeffrey Kehoe, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, Erica Goodman, American Farmland Trust and Linda Garrett, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust || YouTube Video || PowerPoint

February 9, 2021 || “Strong Cyber Security Practices in 2021” || by Lisa Atkinson, Zelvin Security || YouTube Video

January 28, 20201 || “Right-Sizing Stream Crossings for Fish, Wildlife and Resiliency” || by Corbin Gosier, NYSDEC || YouTube Video || Handout

January 27, 2021 || “An overview of the new local government retention schedule: The New LGS-1” || by Michael Martin, NYS Archives ||  YouTube Video

January 25, 2021 || “Letters from a Tug Hill Logger Part 1” || by Leona and Peter Chereshnoski || YouTube Video

January 13, 2021|| “Conservation 101: Fact vs Fiction” || by Linda Garrett, Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust || YouTube Video || Handout||

December 29, 2020 || “NYS Public Employer Mandatory Emergency Planning” || by Tim Riecker, Emergency Preparedness Solutions || YouTube Video || Plan Template PDF

December 2, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 3 || “The Evolution of Constable Hall in the 1900’s” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video

October 29, 2020 || “Planning Board Basics” || by Matt Johnson and Alaina Mallette, NYS Tug Hill Commission|| YouTube Video || Handout

* October 29, 2020 || “Floodplain Regulation for Local Review Board” || by Paula Gilbert and Patricia Burke, NYS Department of State|| YouTube Video || Handout || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance

October 28, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 2 || “Constable Hall and Every Day Life in the 1800’s” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video

* October 27, 2020 || “Renewable Energy and Land Use” || by David B. Geurtsen, Esq. and James A. Burrows, Esq. with Conboy, McKay Bachman & Kendall, LLP || YouTube Video || Renewable Energy Powerpoint Slides ||  SAMPLE Decommissioning Bond || SAMPLE Road Use Agreement || SAMPLE Wind Law  ||  Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance

October 14, 2020 || “Remote Public Meetings and Hearings” || by Paula Gilbert, NYS Department of State, Division of Local Government Services || YouTube Video || Handouts

* October 1, 2020 || “Zoning Board of Appeals: Basics” || by David B. Geurtsen, Esq. and James A. Burrows, Esq. with Conboy, McKay Bachman & Kendall, LLP || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance

* September 29, 2020 || “Evaluating and Amending Your Zoning Law” || by Matt Johnson || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Take a Quiz to Receive Certificate of Attendance

September 22, 2020 || The Constable Chronicles – Part 1 || “Construction, Renovation and Restoration of Constable Hall” || by Martha Constable Murray || YouTube Video

May 15, 2020 ||  “QGIS NY 2020: Getting Started with QGIS” || by QGIS NY 2020 Planning Committee || YouTube Video

December 4 & 5, 2019 || “Newly Elected Officials Training” || Handout || Workshop Flyer

November 2019 || Confusing Zoning Concepts Presentation || by Phil Street || Handout || YouTube Video

October 29, 2019 || “Fundamentals of Water and Wastewater for Municipalities” || Link to view and download presentations and materials

April 22, 2019 || “Subdivision, Site Plan and Special Use Permit Review Process” || YouTube Video || PowerPoint Presentation || Handouts

December 4, 2018 || “Complete Streets” || by Mark Fenton || YouTube Video || W.Carthage & Carthage Workshop PowerPoint Presentation || Lowville Workshop PowerPoint Presentation

September 24, 2018 || “Lake-effect Research at SUNY Oswego” ||  PowerPoint Presentation

June 5, 2018 || “Rise of Cemetery Abandonment” ||  WebEx Video

May 31, 2018 || “Rx for Your Zoning Law” at JCC

November 7, 2017 || “Solar Energy Seminar” at JCC

November 2017 || NYS Tug Hill Commission 2017 Annual Dinner || PowerPoint Presentation

April 2017 || “Planning and Zoning Considerations for Wind Power” at JCC:  Handouts

November 2016 || “Local Capacity Building Using the Circuit Rider Approach: Planning and Justice Court Solutions” presented at the Rockefeller Institute of Government || PowerPoint Presentation

November 2016 || NYS Tug Hill Commission 2016 Annual Dinner || PowerPoint Presentation

November 14, 2016 || “Article 10” at JCC || PowerPoint Presentation || Handouts || Video || Guide to Intervenor Funding || For More Information || Article 10 and the Siting of Major Electric Generation Facilities in New York State by Paul Agresta.pdf  Reprinted with permission from: Government, Law and Policy Journal, Summer 2013, Vol. 15, No.1, published by the New York State Bar Association, One Elk Street, Albany, New York 12207.

April 19, 2016 || “Comp Plans & Your Bottom Line” at JCC || PowerPoint Presentation  ||  Handouts

November 30, 2015 || Agricultural Districts training session at JCC ||  Handout