The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2022-03March 2022 Town of Danby, New York Danby Town News From the Town Supervisor -Joel Gagnon Town Paper Newsletter Coming Soon In February the Town published its first e- newsletter. This issue is the second one. Starting in April, we will be distributing the newsletter in hard copy, paper format through the mail. We may try to do a monthly issue for the first year and then reevaluate. A lot will depend on how well it is received and actually read. Supplementing the monthly news will be email notices to those who sign up for them. In addition to the current mailing list, we will soon give you an opportunity to sign up to receive only the news you want on the website, using multiple sign-up lists. Just to be perfectly clear, those lists will be for topically-focused email communications from the town and their message frequency will not be linked to any regular schedule. You may always opt-out from any list at any time. Youth Commission Created Last year, when the Town Board put the 2022 budget together, we increased the funding for the Youth Program Manager to full time. In February, we augmented this commitment to youth services by creating a youth commission. See the separate article about this important development on page 4 of this issue . Noise Committee Report The noise committee that I created last year, chaired by Betsy Wohl, submitted a written report 1 p.2 Apply to serve on the Local Advisory Board of Assessment Review... p.3 Next in the CAC's Ag-Ed Series: A Paradigm Shift ... p.4 Apply to be on the Danby Youth Commission... p.5 Next steps from the Planning Office... March 2022 Town of Danby, New York of their work to the Town Board in February. It reviews the existing options for dealing with noise issues, makes a case for why they are inadequate, explores what more could be done, and recommends that the town adopt a noise law. The Town Board asked questions and then asked the committee to proceed to drafting a law for the Board to consider, with the assistance of the Town Attorney. Highway Loader Purchase & Sale The loader is without doubt the most important piece of equipment used by the Highway Department. Because of its mission-critical status, the town for several years has been buying a new one every year and trading in the one purchased the year before. If you did this with your car or truck, it would cost you dearly in depreciation. Not so with the loader. It holds its value very well. We get a great deal on the purchase by buying under a state contract, and when resold there are many private companies for whom the year-old loader is worth only a little less than we paid for it (on the order of $15,000, which is less than the 10-year depreciated cost of ownership). We get a machine that requires little maintenance and with a strong warranty. This year, with supply chain issues making it hard for the private sector to procure these machines, we might be able to sell the “old” machine at auction for what we paid for it – maybe more. The Highway Superintendent proposed that we attempt that and the Board authorized both the purchase of the new loader and the auction of the old one (with a minimum bid somewhat higher than the guaranteed trade-in value). Solar Panels in Wetlands? Danby has a lot of poorly drained soils. The sometimes fairly thin top soil layer is underlain in many areas by a dense and impermeable subsoil. Many fields had drainage tiles installed to make them farmable. Absent those tile lines, or where they have failed, much of the land is wet. Whether it is classified as wetland depends on the criteria used to make the determination, and regardless of criteria the quality of what is deemed wetland varies considerably. The wetland classification has emerged as a development constraint for the proposed solar farm north of Bald Hill Road. There have been three separate wetland delineations—two by the developer and one by a town-contracted engineering firm. The most extensive delineation has so much of the site as wetland as to make the project financially infeasible if all wetland is to be avoided (a requirement of current town regulations). Should it be? Because this question would apply not just to this project but to many projects that might be considered in the future, I asked the Town board to consider looking at whether solar arrays could reasonably be sited on some wetland. The Board agreed to ask the Conservation Advisory Council to research the matter and report back. The CAC created a committee to do so. Their report is complete and will be reviewed by the entire CAC before being sent on to the Town Board. Local Advisory Board of Assessment Review After a COVID-induced lapse of a couple of years, the Local Advisory Board of Assessment Review (BAR) is back. This body, consisting of a County Assessment Department representative, our county Legislator Dan Klein, and two more members appointed by the Town Board, will convene in May to review the cases of residents who want to contest the values assigned to their property by the Assessment 2 continued on next page... March 2022 Town of Danby, New York Department. It has no authority to change the assessment, but its recommendations do sometimes result in reconsideration if the group finds good cause to do so. This local BAR supplements the direct interaction between property owners and the Assessment Department. With its local composition, it can sometimes know more about local conditions than the Assessment Department, thus adding something of real value to the assessment process. The Town Board will be making the two appointments shortly – quite likely at the second TB meeting on March 16. If you would like to be considered for appointment, please submit an application using the website application form. CAC Ag-Ed Series Presents: A Paradigm Shift to Biosequestration, March 10 at 7PM -Betsy Keokosky This presentation will take another look at the soil health practices of regenerative agriculture described by an earlier presentation and will demonstrate why our current thinking and agricultural practices—using petrochemical synthetics, monoculture GMO row crops and multi-pass tillage with heavy machinery—require a paradigm shift into a more ecological way of farming. Industrialized agriculture has been, and still is, destroying the world’s top soils, aquifers, atmosphere and climate. Currently, farming has become geared, like industry, to efficiency, production, and profit. These extractive goals ignore soil health and biodiversity and are eroding the soil. But the new biology of the soil microbiome is educating agriculturalists, farmers, and gardeners to encourage and feed the bacteria and fungi that live there and work cooperatively with plant roots for the benefit of both. This presentation is given by Timothy Woods, a retired systems ecologist / field biologist / environmental engineer who also taught earth sciences at the K-12 and community college levels. He has owned and managed recycling companies, run an arborist/forest management service, and was a team leader for the USEPA Federal Region 6 Spill Prevention and Emergency Mitigation/Investigation Team. Woods—a Conservation Board member of our sister town, Dryden—is an advocate for the “Kiss the Ground” bio-sequestration/regenerative agriculture world initiatives. “Kiss the Ground” is an inspiring documentary available on Netflix showing how regenerating the world’s soils has the potential to rapidly stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies. Visit the Town’s Event Page for more details. And, if you are not aware of the content and have the time, take a look at “Kiss the Ground” beforehand for background. Hope to see you there! 3 March 2022 Town of Danby, New York Mow Grass for the Town The town handles the maintenance of four cemeteries. They become a town responsibility when the organizations that created them no longer can do so and gives them up. We also maintain the grounds at Jennings Pond, at the Water District Property, and at the Town Hall. Apart from occasional cleanup of fallen trees and brush removal, this mostly involves mowing the grass. Two of the cemeteries only get an annual cleanup, but the rest of the properties see more regular mowing. If you would like to make a proposal for some or all of this work, contact Town Supervisor, Joel Gagnon, for more information. TAPS Across America 2022 Town Board members Sarah Schnabel and Katharine Hunter are coordinating TAPS Across America in Danby this year, with the playing of taps being the focal point, augmented perhaps by a veterans salute. Contact Sarah or Katharine to participate. Musicians need not be trumpeters, but obviously one or more trumpeters would be ideal. About the Danby Youth Commission -H. Katharine Hunter On February 16, 2022 the Town Board created the Danby Youth Commission pursuant to Articles 95 and 13 of the General Municipal Law. Article 95 charges Youth Commissions with the responsibility of coordinating all youth programming within the municipality; Article 13 enables the municipality to create a joint recreation commission which may include youth service programming as well. The Danby Youth Commission will have 7 members, each serving staggered 2-year terms: ●1 member appointed annually from the Danby Town Board ●1 member who is employed by a school (not limited to Danby) ●1 parent from the Town of Danby ●1 member at-large ●1 at-large member from West Danby ●1 at-large member from Danby ●1 youth member (at least 16) We encourage representation from the younger members of our Danby Community as well. You can apply for a position on the Danby Youth Commission by filling out an application for appointment. You can read the Commission’s operating guidelines on the Danby website. The Danby Youth Commission will contract with Cornell Cooperative Extension and our Program Educator, Heidi Doggett, will offer and lead ongoing programs. Youth program descriptions will be listed on the Town website, in the Town newsletter, on Facebook pages and through the County and CCE distribution streams. Please email any questions to me. We encourage those interested to apply for membership on the commission. And, please help spread the news! 4 March 2022 Town of Danby, New York Notes From The Planning Office -David West Welcome to the Planning Office! I hope to use this space to share some of the highlights of work that is going on around the Town and to keep you informed. The Planning Office is open for appointments; if you'd like to meet with me send me an email or call 607-592-0417. 2022 Work Program The Planning Office has identified an ambitious set of priorities for 2022. The following projects are at various stages of development or ideation and will be worked on this year. Each of these projects will include opportunities for public feedback and some will have citizen advisory committees that help guide the work of staff and the Town Board's decisions. Please reach out if you are interested in volunteering, staying in the loop, or otherwise contributing to this work. ●Beardsley Lane Stormwater District Formation ●Zoning for Short Term Rental of Accessory Buildings - Yurts, treehouses, cabins, trailers, etc. ●Site Plan Review for Ag. Development that involves public traffic ●Residential Design Guidelines for Hamlets and Clusters ●Zoning for Marijuana Businesses ●Transfer of Development Rights System ●Administrative Zoning Code Edits ●Subdivision Law Update ●Planning Board Approval Application Packet ●Hamlet Septic Oriented Development Study ●Promoting Hamlet properties for Infill Development ●Editing and Adopting Tompkins County Hazard Mitigation Plan Zoning for Short Term Rental Steering Committee Some of the most common questions I hear in the Planning Office include "Are short term rentals allowed in Danby?"and "Can I rent out camping space, glamping tents, a yurt, treehouses, etc. on my property?" Past planners set a precedent that short term rental of residential property is considered the same use as longer term rentals. Basically if it's legal to rent for a year or a month, it's legal to rent out for a week or a day. This could change in the future but for now that covers questions about renting homes. However, we don't have any way to address rental of more creative accommodations that could help homeowners pay their bills and give more people access to the beauty of the Danby countryside. The Planning Department is convening a group of stakeholders to come up with recommendations to the Town Board including a set of clear and fair criteria for how and where these uses could be defined, allowed (or not), and regulated. If you would like to be considered for the steering committee working on this topic please email me with a short statement about your qualifications, why you are interested in the topic, and your availability for meetings over the next few months. If you would like to be kept in the loop about feedback events, drafts, etc. you can also send me your address to make sure you don't miss any communication on this subject. continued on next page... 5 March 2022 Town of Danby, New York (Planning Office cont'd from page 5) Engineering Studies Underway The Planning Department is currently working with engineers on two different studies: Hunt is helping the Town understand the options for wastewater treatment that could allow infill of some of the key locations in the Hamlets. For example, currently it would be almost impossible to meet the vision for walkable hamlet development that includes homes near things like shops or restaurants on the small lots that characterize the core of both the Central Danby Hamlet and West Danby. With Hunt's help, we're looking at ways that to handle wastewater as we grow for the development of a few This project was lots at a time, as well as funding sources that could make these systems possible. funded by a planning grant from the NY Environmental Facilities Corporation. B&L is working with the Tompkins County Soil and Water Conservation District and the Town of Danby to survey and model the tributary to Buttermilk Creek that runs under 96b @ West/East Miller. The Planning Department is working with landowners to grant permission for the study. Once it begins engineers will measure the creek bed and surrounding area to create a computer model to test various interventions aimed at reducing or mitigating flooding. Phase 1 of this study has been funded by TC SWCD. Calling All Students With a Love of History! Danby Town Historian and Information Aide, Mary Ann Barr, welcomes students to apply for the 32nd annual New York State Archives Student Research Award! The awards are open to all students in grades 4-12 who reside in New York State. The awards will be presented in three categories, covering students in grades 4-5; 6-8; and 9-12. Explore the history of Danby by reviewing photographs, letters, diaries, maps, posters, deeds, and more! Help create exhibits in Town Hall, a documentary, a computer-based archive, a performance, historic marker proposal, or a research paper. An official entry form must accompany each application; applicants may be individual or groups. Be sure to review the award guidelines. The deadline to apply is July 1, 2022. Check out the Student Research Award website for more details and then come check out Danby's history! 6 March 2022 Town of Danby, New York News from Danby's Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) -Margaret Corbit, CAC Member The CAC met on February 8 via Zoom. With the development of the new Town web site, it is easy to find the meeting link on the Town Calendar. February’s meeting began with a discussion about the progress of the Tax Abatement subcommittee. There was concern expressed that the activities of the committee have not been transparent. However, right now, the members are working with the Town Planner, Town Lawyer, and the County on identifying exactly what options the Town has with respect to the State law and the interests of the County. There should be more information soon and opportunities for input. The Town Board has asked for input on a planned solar farm on Bald Hill Road. So, we set up a small committee to work with David West to look at the potential ecological impact if solar panels were allowed on some of the wetlands of the installation. We will report back to the Town after review of a summary document at our next meeting. Jonathan Zisk gave an update on annual monitoring of the existing conservation easements. This is not the season for walking boundaries, but CAC members have been working on generating documents that will help monitors plan their visits and record their observations. CAC member Brittany Lagaly gave the presentation titled Gardening with Native Plants on Thursday, February 10. During the February meeting she told us about the Facebook page she plans to create that will support a community of people interested in learning more and perhaps in generating group plant orders. You can view a recording of the live talk on the Town's event page, as well as on the Town's YouTube Channel. We encourage you to join our open meetings using the link posted on the Town Calendar. The CAC meets on the second Tuesday of the month; the next one is on Tuesday, March 8, at 7pm. From the Town Tax Collector -Janice Adelman A friendly reminder that March is the last month to pay your Town & County Property Taxes with us at Town Hall. Currently, all taxes to be paid now incur a 2% + $1 penalty. Please, if you still haven't paid your taxes, we recommend doing so before March 31st. At the start of April, the Tax Collector,s office will process any remaining on-time (i.e., received or postmarked by 3/31/22) payments received, then transfer all unpaid taxes to Tompkins County Treasury Division. Once the Treasury Division has reconciled the Town's reporting, they will send reminders and accept your property tax payments (including second installment payments) through July 31, 2022. Please note that School Taxes are collected through each of the school districts that have boundaries within Danby; those bills are sent every fall from the school districts. Lastly, there are exemption credits out there! You can download the application forms and submit them to Tompkins County Assessment. 7 March 2022 Town of Danby, New York Town Officials Town Hall Phone: 1-607-277-4788 Supervisor Joel Gagnon, x1010 supervisor@danby.ny.gov Town Board Leslie Connors H Katharine Hunter Sarah Schnabel Pat Woodworth townboard@danby.ny.gov Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Janice Adelman Cindy Katz clerkoffice@danby.ny.gov x8001 Highway Superintendent Deputy Highway Superintendent Keith Shipman, x8009 highway@danby.ny.gov Jack Shawley, x1012 jshawley@danby.ny.gov Town Justices Garry Huddle Theresa Klinger Court Clerk Diane Gair, x8005 dgair@courts.ny.gov Town Planner David West, x1007 planner@danby.ny.gov Code Enforcement 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 West Danby Water District Scott Wendt, x8003 swendt@danby.ny.gov March Events TUESDAY the 1st @ 7PM Town Board Meeting Call In: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 980 8515 9868 Passcode: 754633 WEDNESDAY the 2nd @ 5PM West Danby Water District Meeting Call-in: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 971 0783 2596 Passcode: 002368 SATURDAY the 5th @ 9AM Library Volunteer Meeting In person at the Danby Library 1830 Danby Road TUESDAY the 8th @ 7PM CAC Monthly Meeting Call-in: Meeting ID Passcode Danby Fire District Meeting In person at the Danby Fire Station 1780 Danby Road THURSDAY the 10th @ 7PM CAC Presentation: A Paradigm Shift Call-in: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 962 8846 0266 Passcode: 907373 TUESDAY the 15th @ 7PM Planning Board Meeting Call-in: 1-646-876-9923 Meeting ID: 958 0817 5336 Passcode: 245871 WEDNESDAY the 16th @ 7PM Town Board Meeting + Public Hearing Call In: 1-929-205-6099 Meeting ID: 971 0723 2988 Passcode: 535713 TUESDAY the 28th @ 7PM Board of Zoning Appeals TBD as appeals are processed. 8 Danby, New York 1830 Danby Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 All event details are at danby.ny.gov/events View past events at our YouTube channel