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Home My WebLink About2023-01 NewsletterJanuary 2023 Town of Danby, New York Danby Town News HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Public Hearing January 3 Local Law for Building Code Administration Based on input at the December 6 hearing, the Town Board modified the proposed local law. This hearing is to get feed back on the modified law. Town Board Appointment The Town Board interviewed two qualified applicants to fill the vacancy on the Town Board. At the December 6 meeting, the Town Board voted to appoint Steve Weissburg to fill the vacancy. Welcome Steve!! Another Pancake Breakfast Yay!! Danby Volunteer Fire Company will be having a drive-thru pancake breakfast for $10 on January 15th from 8 am to 11 am. We are continuing to raise funds for the purchase of new portable extrication tools. Help us get the Jaws of Life! Please check our Facebook page (fb.com/DanbyVolunteerFireCompany) or our website (danbyfiredept.org) for more information . 1 January 2023 Town of Danby, New York From the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon “As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens”. This old saying covers the period we are in since the winter solstice on December 21. I hope the lengthening days, a certainty, are not accompanied by one of the climate extremes we seem to be seeing more and more often. Office of the State Comptroller Audit Results Released I have been meeting with OSC auditors since March of 2021 to get updated on the progress of their work and respond to requests for information. This audit was a deep dive into our management of the taxpayers’ money. Danby was not singled out. The OSC had been focused on auditing school districts for a number of years and has pivoted to taking a look at towns. It had been over 20 years since Danby was last selected for a complete audit. There were several minor audits in the intervening years. Those were aimed at checking on overall health of the town’s finances. What started out as a look at 2020 ended up looking back as far as 2016 and as far forward as July of this year as the auditors found it necessary to extend the scope to adequately account for when identified issues arose and when they were resolved (if indeed they were). I met as often as once a week for over a year with Megan Ellis and David Sochor, meetings I came to look forward to. They contributed much to improving our fiscal management by pointing out not just what we were doing in less-than-ideal ways but also educating us on best practices. The audit was in 2 parts. The first looked at the Town Clerk’s office and how collections are handled. The scope of the audit covered 3 Clerks. That audit was completed in the spring of this year and recently shared. The clerks were faulted for not making timely deposits of collected funds. The law requires daily deposits, a rather demanding standard. We had been out of compliance for years without realizing it. There were other practices that were out of compliance as well, some of them a consequence of the rapid turnover in clerks and figuring out how to operate when COVID hit in March and the town hall shutdown. The clerk’s office report can be found on the town’s website. Yesterday I received the release of the second part of the audit, which covers how money is spent. Were purchases made in conformity with the town’s procurement policy? Did the Town Board review the purchases before authorizing payment? Did the review check that the money to pay came from the right place in the budget? Did the Town Board conduct its own audit of Clerk, Court, Highway Superintendent and Town Supervisor? We came up short of what we are supposed to be doing, but the bottom line is that none of the shortcomings resulted in any misappropriation of funds. Can we do better? We can, and we have already made changes to implement what we learned to be best practices. The Town Board is very diligent in its fiscal oversight and our procurement policy was revised to improve clarity and adjust thresholds to correspond to changes in state law better. The audit report is posted on the Town’s website, along with my response. What we have done and plan to do is spelled out in my 2 response. I encourage you to take a look at the report. It s an education in itself, explaining what is expected and why. January 2023 Town of Danby, New York Highway Department News Keith Shipman Hello Folks! It is the end of a very productive year at the Highway Department. It is also the beginning of winter, and we are all set for what Mother Nature has to bring to our town this winter season. We at the Highway Department are preparing for our first big snow event of the season, today, as I am writing this. I would like to share with everyone something that I have had reported to me from time to time, and have had happen to me as a snowplow driver. One of the most major concerns of our Highway Department is the safety of our residents and our staff. From personal experience as a driver, one of the worst feelings of all is when you pass a driveway that has large snow piles built up on both sides, your plow and wing are down, and you look in the rear- view mirror and see children playing behind the snow piles. Our drivers are trained very well to run those big trucks with hours and hours of special training. However, visibility is very limited when big piles of snow build up at the end of driveways, and a driver cannot always see what is on the other side of the piles. Our drivers are seeing more and more of this. Please, please, please do not allow children to play in the snow banks next to the road!!! Let’s all work together to keep our children safe from snowplow mishaps. Please give us a call with any concerns or questions you have as we get through our winter season. You can be assured that we will be looking out for your safety and working hard to keep your roads cleared throughout the winter months. The Highway Department extends the wishes of Happy Holidays to all of our residents. Please enjoy a happy and safe holiday. Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein Do you know about the local Board of Assessment Review (BAR)? Probably not, and that’s partly why we are planning to eliminate it. If you want to challenge the assessed value of your property, there are several ways to do it. One way has been to go to this board, which meets for 3 hours, once a year. One of the reasons to eliminate this board is that the 3 members don’t have any power to actually change your assessment. They can only make recommendations to the staff people who can change your assessment. You can talk with the staff directly, so the BAR is really just a “middle man.” Also, the 3 members of the BAR are political appointees, with no qualifications necessary. Assessment is complicated, and I believe it should not be left to amateurs. Several decades ago, I appeared before the BAR to challenge my assessment. I walked in, and there at the table was someone who had run for local office and who I had campaigned against. He said to me, “Payback’s a bitch.” I think it was meant as a joke, but politics should have no place in assessment. The Tompkins County Assessment Department is proudly non-partisan. The person in this story is long- gone from Danby. 3 January 2023 Town of Danby, New York In 3 of the last 4 BAR sessions, attendance from Danby residents has been zero, zero, and one. It’s been 15 years since we have had more than 6 residents attend. The local Board of Assessment Review is a relic from the past. I am someone who appreciates relics from the past, but that does not mean it should continue in modern times. There are other, better ways to challenge your assessment. Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)Margaret Corbit The Danby Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) met on Tuesday, December 13. All current members were able to attend in person. We welcomed Renee Owens and introduced ourselves. There are currently two applications pending for the Council. Thank you. The highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Town Planner David West on a draft easement for a large property on Comfort Rd. The Council is starting to train on a new GIS app for our phones. Working with David, we used it on the hikes we took to create a baseline report for this property. Easements usually include photos of the property and its special features. David was able to link the photos to an interactive map so that anyone reviewing the file can view images that go with way points on the track. This is a huge leap forward for our documentation. West Danby Water District Tod Sukontarak To start the new year I would like to publicly recognize and thank the five West Danby Water District Committee Advisors and three staff people. The committee chair is Ben Coakley and the four other committee advisors are Marrell Cortright, George 'Skip' Fairchild, Carl Seamon and Marie Monroe. Marie's term ended December 31, 2022 but she generously offered to serve another five-year term. The current advisors have been actively involved in making a budget for the new year as well as operational decision-making throughout the year. Their work is important and they do it diligently and without compensation. Thank you all. There are three paid staff: Marge Seamon, bookkeeper; Scott Wendt, lead operator; and Tod Sukontarak, operator. In the last few years there have been mandated changes to sampling procedures, changes in computer software, as well as system maintenance procedures that have required adapting to new routines. The staff has managed the changes well. There will be more changes to Lead and Copper sampling that will be mandated in 2024 that will require more adjustment. I am confident that staff will adapt to these as well. The Health Department did their annual sanitary inspection of our system on December 14. We had no significant problems, though the recommendation is that we install some sort of gate with a no trespassing sign at the bottom of the hill leading to the storage tank and that we pressure wash the tank to remove algae, 4 January 2023 Town of Danby, New York Youth Programs Heidi Doggett (hd289@cornell.edu) Act Like You Mean It (4-5 grade) Various locations in Danby, 2:00-5:30 Monday 1/9, *NO PROGRAM 1/16*, 1/23, 1/30, 2/6, 2/13, *NO PROGRAM 2/20*, 2/27 Can you see yourself onstage? Or maybe backstage, working on set, props, costumes, or producing? During this program, youth will choose from a selection of short plays. The program educator will be directing with input from youth participants. Youth will have the opportunity to workshop acting skills, improv, and more. Dungeons & Dragons/board games (4-5 grade) Danby Town Hall 2:20-5:30 Tuesday 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, *NO PROGRAM 2/21*, 2/28 Roll for initiative! Whether you are new at the game or a seasoned expert, whether you want to be a knight, a wizard, or a tiny gnome barbarian with a tragic backstory, we have a place for you at our table. The Program Educator will help everyone get started with prerolled character sheets and some short adventures to help you learn the ropes. Dungeons and Dragons combines strategy and creative play. We’ll also have an assortment of other games on hand to choose from. Dungeons and Dragons/Magic: the Gathering (6-8 grade) Boynton Middle School 3:30-5:30 Wednesday 1/11, 1/18, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, *NO PROGRAM 2/22*, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29, 4/5 This is a continuation of our incredibly popular Fall D&D/Magic program. Both new and old participants are welcome. If your youth was registered in the Fall, they will need to register again in order to continue. We have a group of Magic players and several D&D campaigns, with opportunities for youth to run their own campaigns or one-shots once they have the knowledge to lead and the skill to help their party work as a team. Art & Soul (6-8 grade) Boynton Middle School 3:30-5:30 Thursday 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16 Join us for a variety of arts and crafts projects. We’ve got shrink art, Sculpey/polymer clay, resin, beads, and more. Possible projects include embedding LEDs in resin to make light- up gems, bookbinding, and clay charms made to look like tiny food. Bring your own ideas! Register for winter 2023 winter programs at: hps://reg.cce.cornell.edu/Danby_winter23_250 5 Hunting for tadpoles in the frog pond at the Ithaca Children's Garden Real snow cones!! Clean snow, of course January 2023 Town of Danby, New York Danby Community Groups Danby Community Library Contact: Cindy Parlett library@danby.ny.gov Open Tue 1-3pm, Thur & Sat 10am-12pm Danby Food Pantry Danby Federated Church Contact: Joan Barber Open: 3rd Thur 4-6 pm Danby Food Scraps Pickup every Sat 9am – noon behind Town Hall Danby Community Parks Association (DCPA) Website: dotsonpark.org dotsonpark@gmail.com Danby Rural Cemetery Contact: Sharon Boda Danby Seniors Contact: Judy Cuyle gnatcat87@ yahoo,com Luncheons: 1st Thur at noon Danby Community Council President: Pamela Goddard Website: danbycc.org Meeting: 1st Thur 7pm Danby Tosspots (Open Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting) Wed 7pm virtual West Danby Community Association (WDCA) Contact: Pat Curran pc21@cornell.edu Danby Library News Our book selections are ever expanding and we needed more space to display everything. We’d like to thank George Parks for our new “made to order” bookshelves! New books: Mother Daughter Traitor Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal, The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave, The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis, Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris (author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, and, Three Sisters) New DVD: Top Gun Maverick Danby Seniors There will be no January Senior Luncheon. The next luncheon will be on Thursday, February 2nd at noon the Danby Church. Please come and visit with new and old friends. And please bring a dish to share. 6 January 2023 Town of Danby, New York Monthly Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance Group Day Date Time Call-in by Phone Meeting ID Passcode Town Board* 1/3 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 980 8515 9868 754633 WDWD Wed 1/4 CAC* Tue 1/10 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 972 1566 0090 423584 FD Tue 1/10 7:00pm YC Thurs 1/12 7:00pm PB* Tue 1/17 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 958 0817 5336 245871 Town Board* Wed 1/18 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 535713 BZA* Thurs 1/26 7:00pm TBD FD Tue 1/24 7:00pm In person at the Danby Fire Station See the Danby calendar for the final, most up-to-date details. (Acronyms in the above schedule are identified below.) *These meetings are hybrid (i.e. both online and in-person at the Town Hall) Boards & Committees Planning Board (PB) Chair: Jody Scriber planningboard@danby.ny.gov Meets: 3rd Tuesday at 7pm Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Chair: Earl Hicks bza@danby.ny.gov Meets: 4th Thursday, as needed Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Chair: Clare Fewtrell cac@danby.ny.gov Meets: 2nd Tuesday at 7pm Youth Commission (YC) Contact: Katharine Hunter, hkhunter@danby.ny.gov Meets: 2nd Thursday at 7pm Fire District (FD) Secretary: Sharon Gaden, secretary@danbyfiredistrict.org danby.ny.gov/depts/danby-fire-district Danby Volunteer Fire Company (DVFC) Chief: John Gaden, jgaden@danbyfiredistrict.org danbyfiredept.org West Danby Fire Department (WDFD) Chief: Scott Wendt, swendt@danbyfiredistrict.org westdanbyfire.com West Danby Water DIstrict (WDWD) Contact: Scott Wendt, swendt@danby.ny.gov Meets: 1st Wednesday at 5pm 7 !"# !"#$"% & '(")*') +,(--%")$"(./*"012"123(4 !"#$%&'("#)*#*+%#,)"-.#/0&%#1*)*0(" !"##$% &' $()*+',-.,./( 0(*.,1-'23,45)(,6.-.5+' !!" #$!% !&"' January 2023 Town of Danby, New York Town Officials Main Phone: +1-607-277-4788 Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon, x1010 supervisor@danby.ny.gov Town Board Meets 1st Tue and 3rd Wed Leslie Connors H Katharine Hunter Steve Weissburg Pat Woodworth townboard@danby.ny.gov Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–6pm Janice Adelman Cindy Katz clerkoffice@danby.ny.gov x8001 Highway Superintendent Deputy Highway Superintendent Hours: Mon–Thu 6am–4:30pm Keith Shipman, x8009 highway@danby.ny.gov Jack Shawley, x1012 jshawley@danby.ny.gov Town Justices Court Clerk Hours: Mon-Tue 8am-11am Garry Huddle Theresa Klinger Diane Gair dgair@nycourts.gov Town Planner Hours: Mon–Fri by appointment David West, x1007 planner@danby.ny.gov Code Enforcement Hours: Mon-Fri by appointment Steve Cortright, x1006 code@danby.ny.gov Documents / Historian Mary Ann Barr, x1008 mbarr@danby.ny.gov Bookkeeper Laura Shawley, x1011 lshawley@danby.ny.gov 8 Danby, New York From: 1830 Danby Road Ithaca, NY 14850 PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No.428 Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: +1-607-277-4788 https://danby.ny.gov Welcome to the Danby Town News! Questions? Email us at townnews@danby.ny.gov Or share your preferences at https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/WMCz9T