2025 INTERN EXPERIENCE Department of Community Development By Caitlyn Parsons and James Sardo August 21st, 2025
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WHAT HAVE WE WORKED ON? • 113 Pond Inspections • 75 Woodlot Surveys • 11 GIS Maps • 10 SWPPP Site Inspections • 9 Sewer/Storm Lateral Inspections • 8 Downspout Inspections
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POND INSPECTIONS We went to every pond the town is responsible for and inspected that they were working as designed. There are 113 ponds that were inspected. This involved: • Finding a utility map of the pond • Inspecting the pond using Survey123 • Taking pictures of the attributes of the pond • Writing a report for each pond
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Inlet
Outlet
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PONDS WITH EASEMENTS
WOODLOT SURVEYING PROCESS
• First, I mapped out potential woodlots that were 5 acres or more, using Nearmap
• Then we went to 78 wooded areas and collected data using Survey123 • We collected photos and counted the trees • This was to ensure the woodlots met the EPOD standards in the town code
• In the end 75 wooded areas met the Town criteria for a woodlot EPOD • Then Caitlyn mapped out each woodlot on ArcGIS
Nearmap Data
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EXAMPLE FROM WOODLOT 57
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EXAMPLES OF WOODLOT 57
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PROPOSED WOODLOT EPOD
Existing Map • Approximately 12.4% of Webster was a woodlot EPOD • Approximately 2665 acres of land was a woodlot EPOD
Draft Proposed • Approximately 14.1% of Webster is a woodlot EPOD • Approximately 3027 acres of land is a woodlot EPOD
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Comparing the existing map with the proposed map.
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GIS MAPPING • Interdepartmental reference maps • Created maps from requests
• Made maps for grant applications • Attended weekly GIS meetings with the consultants • Continued work on a public facing GIS program • Reference layers • Interactive maps • Pop-ups with specific information
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Watershed Map for Engineering Department MS4 Resource
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Webster Central School District Boundary
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Webster Central School District Late Bus Runs
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Town of Webster HUC 12 Watershed Map for Grant Application
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SWPPP SITE INSPECTIONS •
We received our 4-hour Erosion and Sediment Control certificate.
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At each of the 10 constructions sites we would look at their integrity to make sure they were compliant with NYS permits and the construction sites Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP). •
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Pollution can be anything from litter to water with sediments flowing into the surrounding streams.
We would look for best management practices (BMP) such as silt fences, silt socks, and water control equipment.
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SEWER/STORMWATER LATERAL INSPECTIONS • Coordinate with the builders for a time to come out • Arrive on site and use a level to determine pitch • Capture pictures • Write reports
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DOWNSPOUT INSPECTIONS • Same process as sewer/storm lateral inspections • Can be done before or after the full house is built
• Different reports
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JAMES'S HIGHLIGHTS
• I enjoyed learning about the government and construction side of environmental science • This job introduced me to new career paths such as wetland delineation and environmental roles in government • My favorite assignment to work on was the pond inspections and the woodlot surveys. • My favorite experience was holding the frog with one eye while we were doing pond inspections • This internship gave me experience and knowledge in multiple topics that I now value: • Like construction, surveying, and town board meetings
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CAITLYN'S HIGHLIGHTS • I enjoyed working on the pond spreadsheet and survey, and making sure all the formatting was the same and each pond had the same information included • I learned that I like field work for short periods of time, but would prefer a desk job • This internship gave me insight into how government works, and I could definitely see myself working in the public sector • My favorite part of the year was the GIS assignments I was given to complete. I was able to teach myself new skills on ArcGIS that I can use in my future endeavors • Second favorite part was all the wildlife we saw during our inspections