HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-08-16 Town Board Minutes
Meeting Minutes
Roll Call:
Town Board Joel Gagnon, Super visor
Leslie Connors
Paul Hansen
Katharine Hunter
Patricia Woodworth
Code Enforcement Off icer Steve Cortright
Town Bookkeeper Laura Shawley (videoconference)
Recording Secretary Janice Adelman, Town Clerk (videoconference)
Transcript and audio recording are available online.
1.Meeting Called to Order at 18:12 by Supervisor Gagnon.
2.Additions/Deletions to Agenda
2.1.Update on Music Festival
3.Privilege of the Floor
3.1.Ted Crane, resident: was pleased to see the letter about speed reduction
requests and asked about the next batch to be submitted. He requested that the
engineering report be made available online [Note: this had not been linked to
the agenda before the meeting, but was linked during the meeting.]. Expressed
interest in hearing the progress made with the musical festival. Noted that the
Friday Danby Summer Market is happening again this week at the Sue Beeners
Pavilion next to the Danby Fire Station.
4.Correspondence
4.1.Letter from NYS OSC dated 8/9/23 re establishment of Drainage District #1
4.2.Letter from NYS DOT dated 8/7/23 re speed reduction requests
4.3.Letter from NYS DOS dated 8/2/23 re Danby Local Law 4 [Partial Tax Abatement
for Qualifying Conservation Easements] filed on July 25 2023
5.Announcements
6.Reports & Presentations
Mary Ann Barr 2021
T he Town of Danby
1830 Danby Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
danby.ny.gov
Town Board Regular Meeting
Wednesday 16 August 2023 at 6:00PM
Town of Danby, New York 16 August 2023 Town Board Meeting Minutes
6.1.County Legislature Representative Dan Klein
6.1.1.Klein started by noting that he has not been to Town Hall since before to
the pandemic and was pleased to be back.
6.1.2.Second Quarter Sales Tax Report.
6.1.2.1.Overall, the county sales taxes went up 3.5% from the previous year.
6.1.2.2.The towns portion will be up 5% from the previous year.
6.1.3.Broadband Project
6.1.3.1.The county is putting together an RFP (request for proposals) to be
released in the very near future.
6.1.3.2.The RFP will ask local ISPs (Internet Ser vice Providers) what it will
take to get high speed internet to every house in Tompkins County.
6.1.3.3.This will be broken down by Town. Each company will respond to
the RFP by approaching a single town at a time.
6.1.3.4.The County will then look for grant funding as well as providing
some funding themselves while asking the ISPs themselves to chip
in some money as they will end up profiting from the expansion in
the long run.
6.1.3.5.Tompkins County Council of Governments (TCCOG) asked the
County to consider what it would look like to have a county-wide
municipally owned and operated internet system
6.1.3.5.1.Estimates came in at $100 million
6.1.3.5.2.Estimates for the RFP costs are $7 million.
6.2.Highway Superintendent Keith Shipman
6.3.Highlights of the Preliminar y Engineering Report by Hunt-EAS of Wastewater
Treatment Options for Danby's Hamlets -- Tim Steed (Projected to Take Place at
7 P.M.)
6.3.1.The study was funded by New York State Environmental Facilities
Corporation through their Engineering Planning Grant program (EPG)
6.3.2.The study considered various options regarding sewer systems in the
Town of Danby.
6.3.3.The engineers offered several recommendations which can be found
outlined in the report
6.3.4.Steed’s entire presentation can be heard in the audio recording starting
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Town of Danby, New York 16 August 2023 Town Board Meeting Minutes
at the 1:25:49 mark and running until the end of the meeting (at 2:12:20).
6.4. Town Clerk
7.Meeting Minutes
7.1.No minutes presented, discussed, or reviewed.
8.Warrants Abstract 17 of 2023
8.1. Resolution 182 of 2023 To Approve the General Fund Vouchers 251–274 for
$27,652.19
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Abstain
Connors X
Hansen X
Hunter X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 182 of 2023 passed on 16 August 2023
8.2.Resolution 183 of 2023 To Approve the General Fund Vouchers 251–274 for
$27,191.43
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Abstain
Connors X
Hansen X
Hunter X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 183 of 2023 passed on 16 August 2023
8.3.Resolution 184 of 2023 To Approve the Water Fund Vouchers 22-27 for $
10,009.71
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Town of Danby, New York 16 August 2023 Town Board Meeting Minutes
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Woodworth
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Abstain
Connors X
Hansen X
Hunter X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 183 of 2023 passed on 16 August 2023
9.Business
9.1.Resolution 185 of 2023 To Authorize Rehabilitation of the Swift/Fox Residence
with CDBG funds for an Estimated $38,270
Moved By: Woodworth Seconded By: Connors
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay Abstain
Connors X
Hansen X
Hunter X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 184 of 2023 passed on 16 August 2023
9.2.Consider posting Hill and Travor Roads with temporar y No Parking Signs
Discussion revolved around the attempts to lessen the safety risks with parking
along 96B, along with lessening disturbance to neighbors and trespassing
concerns, nothing has been done by the organizers.
Resolution 186 of 2023 To Have Town Attorney Guy Krogh Draft a Letter of Possible Zoning
Violation.
Moved By: Connors Seconded By: Hunter
Discussion:
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Town of Danby, New York 16 August 2023 Town Board Meeting Minutes
Connors suggested wording that if the festival goes forward it is in violation of Danby’s
zoning code.
Gagnon reported that he made a lot of effort to get the organizer to comply with
restrictions.
Woodworth agreed, but as she and other board members noted, the organizer, James
Angelo Peters, had not done any of the things he told Gagnon he would do to come into
compliance with the Town.
Code Enforcement Officer Steve Cortright noted that the Highway Department should
post “no parking” signs effective Thursday to Monday around the event.
Vote:
Councilperson Aye Nay
Connors X
Hansen X
Hunter X
Woodworth X
Gagnon X
Resolution 185 of 2023 passed on 16 August 2023
9.3.Progress Updates on Noise and Short-term Rentals
9.3.1.Tabled until next meeting.
9.4.More on the Wish List and Use of ARPA Funds
9.4.1.Tabled until next meeting.
10.Discussion of Next Meeting Agenda
11.Meeting Adjourned at 20:25
Recorded by Janice R. Adelman
Town Clerk
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