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Home My WebLink About2022-08August 2022 Town of Danby, New York Danby Town News Dotson Park Annual Meeting Join the Danby Community Park Association for our annual meeting on Wednesday, August 3 at 7:00 pm in the pavilion at Dotson Park. You can learn about the latest happenings in the park, find out how to get involved, and meet the DCPA board. We are always looking for people who want to learn more about the park, as well as volunteers for future projects. Bring your friends and family, or come alone and make a new friend at the meeting! There will be food and drinks (feel free to bring something for the potluck) and kiddos can play on the playground by the pavilion. Please reach out with any questions: dotsonpark@gmail.com and we hope to see you on August 3! Summer market 4-6 pm Friday August 19 and Friday September 16. Danby Fire Department The Danby Volunteer Fire Company is always looking for new members to join. All roles are open: Firefighting, EMS, Fire Police, and Support Staff. Almost everyone joins with no prior experience, and all training and equipment are provided at no cost to the volunteer. All you have to do is show up. Find us at the fire station at 1780 Danby Rd on Monday nights at 7 pm. Or, reach out to us on facebook.com/DanbyVolunteerFireCompany, via our website danbyfiredept.org, or via our email danbyfirestation@gmail.com. 1 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York From the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon What a contrast between last summer and this one! Soggy last year; droughty this one. If you have enough water to use for the things you are growing, all this sunshine is producing some excellent quality fruits and vegetables. The West Danby Water District came into being in the wake of the drought years of the mid 1960s because of the difficulty many properties had with their water supply and was and is a great benefit to those supplied by it. What about Danby hamlet? A survey soon will be conducted on the water and wastewater status of properties in both hamlets. Water and Wastewater Survey Some sort of shared systems will probably be needed to enable the small lots and mix of commercial and residential uses that typified the original settlement pattern in Danby but are not possible with current health department regulations for well and septic systems. With the help of HUNT Engineers, we were successful in getting a grant from the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation to explore our options – primarily for wastewater. We need to look at all our options, including the potential for municipal sewerage systems. An important step is to survey the residents to identify where there might be existing problems with water and wastewater systems in the hamlet zones. Please see the Planner’s Notes below for more on this. The Big Picture on Noise Public feedback to the Town Board has identified several issues that need clarification before the Board can confidently decide how to handle the noise issue. One is whether existing law provides an adequate recourse for those beset by unreasonable noise when reasonable efforts to resolve a situation have failed. Another is whether a noise law is the only or best way to respond to a noise problem. Suggestions include using an ombudsperson or noise committee to investigate and potentially negotiate. Should the town have different zones with different rules for what is regarded as unreasonable noise? The Board was set to revisit the issue at the July 20 meeting (after this went to print) and decide what more needs to be known before crafting a solution to propose. Stretch Energy Code Passed The Town Board passed the so-called Stretch Energy Code in June, effective immediately. We would have preferred a later effective date, but in order to qualify for a $5000 incentive payment as part of the Clean Energy Communities program it had to be effective by the end of June. Like any change to the building code, our Code Officer Steve Cortright will have to exercise judgment in interpreting what “immediately” means. It does not mean that projects already approved and under way will have to be revised to comply. We expect Steve to handle this implementation much as he would any other code change. Notes From The Planning Office David West Surveys, Surveys, Surveys Many of you will have received multiple surveys from the Town in the past several weeks. The Planning office is working on two projects that require a substantial amount of information from community 2 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York members. Both surveys are being mailed to people in key areas. Responses that are returned to the consultants will be anonymized before the results get back to the Town. Town staff won’t get your personal information or information about problems at a specific parcel, so you can feel secure in providing the requested info. without any potential for repercussions if you’re reporting problems with your home, septic, or well, etc. The first project is with Thoma Development. Thoma is helping the Town to draft an application for state funding that can help low- and moderate-income homeowners with repairs. In order to be competitive and win funding for such a program we need to hear back from around 30 qualifying households and will need to thoroughly estimate costs for at least a few of those home repairs. If you received this survey and have not yet responded, please fill it out ASAP and return it in the included envelope. If you did not receive one but would like to please email the Planner.. The second project with a survey, as Joel noted above, is being done by HUNT Engineers. HUNT is working with the Planning office to help the Town understand ways that we can support the commercial and residential development in the Hamlet that the community has prioritized in the Comprehensive Plan. There was a time that the Central Danby Hamlet had several churches, a tavern, an inn, a few dry goods stores, several cobblers, several carriage makers, etc. Many people have said they’d like to have a small store again, maybe a café, or restaurant, and other places for residents to work and get services. Reaching that goal will be extremely difficult in a Hamlet context on small lots without some kind of shared infrastructure. HUNT’s resident survey will help the engineers understand where there are currently problems, and areas where conditions are positive. This information can help the Town qualify for funding and help inform our decisions. There are a variety of scenarios that could be recommended from tapping into a nearby system and serving many customers, building a new system of substantial scale, to systems that could serve just a 3 Danby Hamlet Map, circa 1866 with a Hotel on the corner of 96B and Bald Hill Rd, with the Howell & Bros and the Haus & Son stores just north of it. The 2022 Zoning Map focused on the Danby Hamlet Center (bright orange along 96B) and the Hamlet Neighborhood (light orange radiating out from the center). August 2022 Town of Danby, New York few key parcels. The Town needs to have the most information possible to evaluate these options and the survey is a part of that process. Hamlet Neighborhood Extension As you may have read in previous Town News, the Town Board is considering adding 104 Bald Hill Rd and the parcel behind it to the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone in Central Danby. This change would help offset developable land lost to the solar farm to the North of these parcels and rationalizes the zone boundary. Currently that Zone ends at the eastern boundary of 104 Bald Hill so this extends the zone by one parcel along the street allowing the same things that would be allowed along the rest of Bald Hill Rd. Based on feedback received through several Town meetings the Town Supervisor has requested that the proposed line be redrawn to remove a swath 200ft wide along a substantial portion of the Bald Hill frontage. The removed portion includes wetland and stream buffer areas where development wouldn’t have been allowed anyway as well as areas that were not being considered for infill development as the parcel owner is more interested in development that is hidden in the trees. That said, the change should reassure anyone who may have been concerned about views from or impacts on Jennings Pond. Its a belt and suspenders level of protection. The revised zoning map is online. Highway Superintendent Keith Shipman The Danby Highway Department has been bringing in thousands of tons of recycled materials including millings and stone for upcoming road repairs. This is making our site much fuller than normal. Also, we are taking advantage of the dry weather in our efforts to replace culverts and remove ditching spoils. If you would like any ditching spoils/fill, please call (607) 272-9169 or email highway@danby.ny.gov so we can make arrangements with you and look at your site. We are primarily looking for spoil/ fill sites on the East side of 96B Danby Road. Please keep in mind each load is approximately 10-cubic yards that consists of about 18,000 lbs. of material. Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein Should local governments stick to paving roads and operating libraries, or should they use their voice to try to influence the world beyond their normal jurisdictions? Here are a few examples of how this question regularly comes up with the Tompkins County Legislature. On June 7, the County Legislature passed a resolution with 55 detailed suggestions to NY State to improve the Climate Action Council Plan. Tompkins County has been a leader on climate issues, and we felt that gave us the authority to comment on the State’s plan. The resolution was passed by a vote of 11 to 3, with the 3 Republicans voting against it. On June 21, we were presented with a resolution “calling on Starbucks to reopen the Collegetown store and to stop union busting.” This was an unusual resolution because it called on us to intervene with a specific private business. The resolution was defeated 4 to 10. Many reasons were given for the no votes beyond the jurisdiction issue, including inability to verify the facts as well as the inflammatory language 4 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York in the resolution. I voted no for a combination of all those reasons. Another resolution that I believe will be in our future is to take up a resolution like the one passed by the Dryden Town Board in March. It urges the removal of Clint Halftown as representative of the Cayuga Nation to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, citing allegations of abuse of power. When the County Legislature is presented with such a resolution, we will be sure to have the same debate about what is and isn’t in our jurisdiction. Dog Law Update The town board recently amended the Dog Law (what was Local Law 1 of 2011) in reference to Section 7, Part 2. As a result of a court case, the SPCA (the town’s animal control agency) suggested that the term "voice command" in reference to restraining a dog is not a great way to judge control over an animal. As a result, restraint “by Based on several comments from voice command” was deleted. the public, there may still be problems with the effectiveness of the law. The town board will research and evaluate additional revisions to the law. A public hearing would be scheduled in the future for public input on any additional proposed revisions. Conservation Advisory Committee (CAC)Margaret Corbit The Danby Conservation Advisory Council met virtually on Tuesday, July 12 at 7 pm. We received several updates. Joel Gagnon told us that plans for the Norbut Solar Farm are moving forward. The Planning Board approved the application and installation should begin within the year. The Ravencache conservation easement is in its final stages and the Council is beginning to talk with new potential donors. With this in mind, the CAC members have begun talking about better ways to reach out to the community. We are working with the Planner to develop a map based on the work the community did to develop the new zoning. The CAC map will use GIS to show current and potential areas for conservation, for example, zoning High Priority Preservation zones, wildlife corridors and waterways, as well as the properties currently under easement. During the meeting, we began to revision the Danby conservation easement image, starting with our tagline. Join us at our . next meeting on August 9 5 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York West Danby Water District Tod Sukontarak On July 10, Mark Manzari from Beyond Boundaries Land Services, returned to help find a persistent unmetered leak that had grown to almost twice our normal pump quantities since he last came in the fall. Mark and I spent the day using his sounding equipment on the district's main and trunk lines, fire and flushing hydrants and located and marked all the main valves in the system. The district water advisory committee gave us permission to call Mark as Scott Wendt and I thought we located the general source of the leak on Sunday July 9. There is an excessive amount of water in the drain along the north side of Station Road from Brown Road running East towards the creek. Since we could not precisely locate where it is coming from we wanted Mark to help find it before calling for an excavator. It was a good thing we did not call the excavator first as that water is not coming from a leaking district pipe. Having no luck finding the leak our on main and trunk lines we planned to locate and mark every service connection in the district and listen to each. Fortunately, a day later, a customer found Scott’s phone number on the town website and called to report leaking water on his property. The leak has to be hand dug and the homeowner plans to do it. It is under a deck in his yard where even a mini-excavator could not reach. The homeowner agreed to keep his water turned off at his curb box unless he is actively using it until the repair is finished. This should minimize the amount of unmetered leak while still providing water to the residence. Hopefully this repair will return our pump rates to normal. In the meantime, Scott and I will be locating and marking service connections throughout the district. The sounding equipment works really well on the long AC mains and larger plastic trunk lines but loses effectiveness on the plastic service lines especially when they are long like this leak. West Danby Community Association Peter Fraissinet West Danby Picnic Everyone's favorite event in the West Danby hamlet will happen on Saturday, August 27, at 4:30 PM, to help round out the summer. At the pavilion at the intersection of Brown Rd. and Short Rd. Rain or shine (hopefully shine!). All welcome, and bring your friends, family and/or guests as well. This is a dish-to-share event, and we already have it on good authority that Tod S. will be bringing his (now famous) smoked pork, cooked to perfection in his homemade smoker. Drinks will be provided, so bring a main course, side dish, salad, or dessert if you can. Also bring a chair and your own place setting if possible. There may well be some Appalachian music happening on-site too, we'll just have to see... 6 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York Danby Seniors Upcoming Trip The Travel Committee has planned a trip to Skaneateles on Thursday, July 28 for Lunch at The Sherwood Inn followed by a cruise on Skaneateles Lake with an ice cream stop (at your own expense) on the way home. The bus will leave the Danby Community Church at 9:30 am and return around 5 pm. Cost is $50 for members and $55 for non-members. You can join the Danby Seniors for $5 dues. Luncheon choices are: Chicken Francaise or Yankee Pot Roast. Both choices include fresh patisserie breads, garden salad with balsamic dressing, chef's choice dessert and coffee, tea or ice tea. Please call Nancy Gould at 607-273-8705 to sign up. Checks made payable to Danby Seniors and sent to Nancy at 102 Happy Lane, Ithaca, NY 14850. Youth Programs Heidi Doggett (hd289@cornell.edu) There has been so much interest in the August programs that 4 of them are full and have a waiting list. But there’s still room to register for the last few spots at these fun events: Color-Changing Garden Party Ithaca Children's GardenWednesday, August 3, 9:00am-2:00pm Come make color-changing beverages, team up on a treasure hunt, and explore the garden. The Great S'more-tacular Spectacle Dotson Park 4-5 graders: Monday, August 1, 9:00am-2:00pm 6-8 graders: Tuesday, August 2, 9:00pm- 2:00pm Bring a bagged lunch to eat in the woods while experimenting with different ingredients to create the tastiest s'more, the fanciest s'more, the most unusual s'more, and the most structurally impossible s'more. We'll try s'mores in a solar cooker, and other fun s'more-based activities. We'll take photos of our favorite creations, resulting in a cookbook of it all. 7 Fishing at Jennings Pond with the Danby Youth Programs. July 2022 Visiting the Cayuga Nature Center’s 6’ Tree House. July 2022 Boating in their own Cardboard-Build Boat! July 2022 August 2022 Town of Danby, New York Danby Youth Commission The Danby Youth Commission is happy to report that Heidi Doggett’s (Youth Program Educator), programs continue to attract and enroll Danby youth. Not only are they attracting many youth, but some programs have waiting lists! If you missed the programs that are still open for August, go back to the preceding page and read all about them! And check out the photos showing some of the Danby youth who participated in programs during July! Thank you, Heidi! The Youth Commission is kept updated about the youth activities and receives reports and photos at meetings. Youth Development is a tenet of the plans and the resulting success is shared by youth and families. If you are interested in learning more, please email us at youth@danby.ny.gov. Alternatively, you can email me at hkhunter@danby.ny.gov. The Danby Youth Grant Program is ongoing and scholarships are still available. Application forms are ready for you to submit online! Please contact the Town Clerk’s Office (607-277-4788, Option 2; or clerkoffice@danby.ny.gov) if you need a paper application. Jennings Pond Lifeguard on Duty for Swimming 9 am to 7 pm except Wednesdays 8 August 2022 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 Community Parks Association (DCPA) Website: dotsonpark.org dotsonpark@gmail.com Danby Seniors Contact: Judy Cuyle gnatcat87@yahoo.com Luncheons: 1st Thur at noon Danby Community Council President: Pamela Goddard Website: danbycc.org Meetings: 1st Thur West Danby Community Association (WDCA) Contact: Pat Curran pc21@cornell.edu Food Scraps Pickup: Sat 9am - noon, behind Town Hall Danby Library News It's nice to see the children coming in for books this summer. We’d love to see you at the library, too. Cynthia Rylant’s series, Henry and Mudge and the Happy Cat and the Wild West and the Long Weekend and the Bedtime Thumps Take the Big Test James Proimos’ The Best Bike Ride Ever Salina Yoon’s Found and Stormy Night Jane Belk Moncure’s Away Went the Farmer's Hat Local Author G.N.Price has donated his new book, A Loosely Wrapped Bundle. New DVD's: Encanto, The Batman, Fallout, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Belfast, Top Gun: Maverick 9 John Grisham’s Sparring Partners James Patterson’s The Noise Elizabeth George’s A Banquet of Consequences Charles Todd’s A Cruel Deception A Divided Loyalty A Fatal Lie The Black Ascot The Confession The Red Door August 2022 Town of Danby, New York Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance Meeting Link Day Date Time Call-in by Phone Meeting ID Passcode Town Board Tue /2 8 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 980 8515 9868 754633 WDWD Wed /3 8 5:00pm 1-929-205-6099 971 0783 2596 002368 CAC Tue /9 8 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 972 1566 0090 423584 FD Tue 8/9 7:00pm In person at the Danby Fire Station PB* Tue /16 8 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 958 0817 5336 245871 Town Board* Wed /17 8 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 971 0723 2988 535713 BZA* Tue /23 8 7:00pm TBD FD Tue 8/23 7:00pm In person at the Danby Fire Station See the Danby calendar at danby.ny.gov/events for the final , most up-to-date details. *These meetings may be 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 Committee (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 5p 10 August 2022 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 Sarah Schnabel 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 11 From: 1830 Danby Road Ithaca, NY 14850 PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No.428 Ithaca, NY 14850 Danby, New York Phone: +1-607-277-4788 https://danby.ny.gov Welcome to the Danby Town News! 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