The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2024-08 Town NewsletterAugust 2024 Town of Danby, New York 1 Danby Town News Danby Summer Market Elana Maragni Please join (4 -7 pm) in supporting our local farmers, crafters and the following musicians at the Danby Fire Department pavilion. August 16 - Karlee Weaver September 20 - John Petronzio If you’d like to be a vendor at the market or sign up to have a spot at the community yard sale, contact organizer Elana at elanamaragni@gmail.com. Jennings Pond News Mary Ann Kozak We have a sandy beach! Nice for kids to play in with their pails and shovels. Come check it out! Our friendly lifeguard is on duty Wednesday through Sunday from 12 pm to 6 pm. Jennings Pond will be open for swimming until Labor Day. The fishing and picnicking are great too! August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 2 Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon Town Board conversation with Tim Steed, Hunt Engineering At the July 1 Town Board meeting, Tim Steed presented options for wastewater treatment to enable development of our hamlets. Absent sewer systems or specially designed or shared absorption fields, sewer systems of some sort are the only way to enable redevelopment at a true hamlet density. The Hunt study looked at the potential for adding sewer systems to both the Danby and West Danby hamlets. The study examined systems which would serve the hamlet cores as well as more extensive systems that would include the larger Hamlet Neighborhood Zones. The engineers recommended that the core zones have sewers added. The cost is large, though, and makes no sense without substantial subsidy. Tim proposed that the town apply for a Water Quality Improvement Program grant to test the fundability of sewering. If we were successful in obtaining such a grant, it would cover 75% of the cost. The remainder is still unaffordable, but getting the one grant would position us to apply for other grants to get the cost down to the point of feasibility. Tim offered to submit the application on our behalf at no cost to the town. He assured the Board that even if we got the grant but chose not to use it, it would not impair our ability to explore and seek funding for other options. He got a green light from the Board. Deputron Hollow Road Renumbering Danby and Caroline town boards are coordinating a renumbering of Deputron Hollow Road addresses. Current numbers are non- sequential, creating a serious issue for emergency response and confusion for delivery services and visitors. A renumbering plan has been developed with the cooperation of the County’s emergency response center. Letters to residents were recently mailed to guide them through the process of making the change. The action making the change will be town board resolutions by both town boards at their August meetings. In Danby, the authorizing resolution will be on the agenda for the August 19 meeting. We recognize that this change will be disruptive, but the safety benefit is the driver. Anyone who would like to comment before the board acts is welcome to do so during privilege of the floor at the August meeting. ARPA Funding Commitments The American Rescue Plan Act is legislation by the US Congress to help communities recover from the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. Danby was given $300,000 from this program. The Town Board has investigated several projects. Some of the money has been spent or committed for software and IT upgrades; to make improvements to the drainage around the highway building; and buy a new roller for the highway department, and some has been considered to replace the three hydrants in the West Danby Water District and purchase and install a small building for office space for the district. We hope to redo the main entrance to the town hall to improve handicapped access and are looking into purchasing the solar array located on the highway department property (currently leased, but with an option to buy). Energy improvements for the town hall may be included, and some of the money could facilitate replacing and augmenting the EV charging station at the town hall. There is not enough money to do all of these so decisions still need to be made as to which to include. We are exploring costs. I will keep you posted as we make additional commitments. August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 3 South Danby Road Speed Limit Reduction Petition Ronda Roaring, a resident of South Danby Road, submitted a petition by residents asking the town board’s consideration to lower the speed limit on South Danby Road. The town does not control the speed limits on roads in the town. Changes from the state uniform speed limit of 55 mph are made by requesting them of the State Department of Transportation. The DOT has a large backlog of such requests from all over the state so the process for any road takes years. The Association of Towns has requested legislative authorization for towns to set their own speed limits for years, but to date this legislation has not been passed. The DOT asks municipalities to submit requests in batches widely spaced in time. We have a list of roads in Danby in the queue already. The board agreed to revisit the queue to consider prioritizing South Danby Road and to compose a list of roads to include in the next request, which could be soon since we recently heard back on the last batch (resulting in lowered limits for Old Town Village and Fieldstone Circle). Notes from the Town Clerk Mariah Dillon Are you harboring an illegal dog? All dogs over 4 months old that live in the New York State, and specifically Danby, must be registered each year. It’s the law. (LL #1 of 2011 Licensing, Identification, and Control of Dogs in the Town of Danby) I get the sense that there are some people in Danby that do not want to follow this law. I get it, on top of dog food and vet bill, twelve dollars a year for neutered/spayed dog registration adds up. Or maybe it’s discrimination (cats and gerbils do not need to be registered), or maybe you think nobody will know or care that you have an illegal dog. I’d argue that registering your dog is part of responsible dog ownership. Reasons to license your dog: x Dog licenses are required by state and local laws x It helps reunite lost dogs with their owners x It lets people know that your dog is not a homeless stray x A license is proof that your pet has been vaccinated against rabies x It is legal proof of ownership x If your dog is found and in need of medical attention, the license may enable contact with you to approve emergency care x License fees support our local SPCA operations, including the return of lost pets to their homes, animal care at the shelter, pet adoption, spay and neuter, and community outreach I would urge every dog owner in Danby to please adhere to this law and keep all our dogs safe. Thank you! Summer means road work (town, county, state). Please remember to slow down in areas where road crews are working. Thank you. August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 4 Notes from the Planner's Desk Greg Hutnik Thank you to the Danby residents who reached out to me to be placed on the waitlist of homeowners who need repairs and upgrades to their homes. Your input helped bolster the Community Development Block Grant application for which the Town applied to receive $750,000 to assist low-moderate income homeowners in repairing and upgrading their homes. For reference, the $500,000 that was awarded to the Town in 2022 helped 12 Danby homeowners with needed repairs and upgrades. We will learn whether the grant is successful by the end of this year. If the Town is awarded funding, applications from homeowners will be open in the spring of 2025. Stay tuned. The Board of Zoning Appeals approved an Area Variance on July 25 to allow a restaurant use at 1914 Danby Road – a lot that is not on the corner of two streets, a locational requirement for restaurants in the Hamlet Neighborhood Zone District. The owners of the property are planning to operate a small coffee trailer later this year and eventually build a full-service coffee shop and bakery in the coming years. The Planning Board approved the coffee trailer on their July 16 meeting after a required public hearing. The Planning Board also reviewed three subdivision proposals: 1. A 70-acre property at 405 Troy Road is proposed to be subdivided into two lots with one lot being a 10-acre parcel and the second will be 60 acres. The owners are also working in tandem with the Conservation Advisory Council to emplace a conservation easement on the entire 70-acre property. A public hearing is scheduled for August 20 for the Planning Board to take action on the minor subdivision proposal. 2. The owner of 164 Yaple Road proposes to subdivide the 5.5-acre lot into 2 lots. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for August 20 for the Planning Board to take action on the subdivision, contingent upon the owner submitting a full survey map of the subdivision. 3. The owners of 142-212 Hill Road propose to subdivide the 192-acre property into three parcels, the smallest being 34 acres. A public hearing has been scheduled for August 20 for the Planning Board to take action on the Preliminary Plat. A Final Plat review and action on the same will be scheduled for a later date, possibly as early as the September 17 Planning Board meeting. If you have any zoning or planning related questions or comments, or would like to schedule a time to meet with me, please call or text 607-592-0417 or email planner@danby.ny.gov. . Conservation Advisory Council Jonathan Zisk The CAC is currently refining protocols for Easement monitoring, which was the subject of much discussion at the last meeting. There is also the creation of a set of criteria to be used by several of the development evaluation entities that would recommend and activate CAC involvement in the analysis. The Draft Logging Ordinance is nearing completion, at which point it can be submitted to the Board for consideration. CAC has recently begun to look at small farm State-level granting processes for involvement in Danby, which was considered at length for feasibility. August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 5 Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein Tompkins County government has 29 buildings, 180 vehicles, and about 800 employees. We use a lot of energy, and are always looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint. In 2023, we used about 7.4 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and 261,000 therms of natural gas. In 2018, the County partnered with a company called Gravity Renewables. Gravity purchased a 100-year-old hydroelectric dam in Waterloo, NY. We agreed to buy the power from this facility for 20 years. Gravity modernized the facility and began generating electricity. The amount of electricity generated is directly proportional to the amount of rainfall. The plant generated a high of 5.5 million kilowatt hours in 2021, and a low of 3 million in 2022. In 2023, this arrangement saved the County $71,000. The County has a Green Fleet policy where we are gradually changing over our fleet of vehicles from gasoline to electric. We are one- quarter of the way there. The County has a Green Facilities policy where we will attempt to save as much energy as possible through building improvements, while taking into account the costs of doing so. There is a lot of grant money available for this. We are looking at projects involving geothermal heating and cooling, heat pumps, insulation, and more. We have completed quite a bit, with much more planned in the coming years. The Caswell Road landfill in Dryden operated from 1970 to 1985. We are working on a project to potentially cover 65 acres of it with solar panels and a battery storage system. This project will not only generate and store clean energy, but it will provide lease payments to the County, and will also generate Town and County property tax payments. The airport already has some solar panels in the parking lot. We are looking into adding more solar panels and a battery storage system. Saving energy and reducing carbon emissions is good for the taxpayer and good for the environment. Town Historian Notes Mary Ann Barr HOW RECORDED HISTORY COMES TO BE Twenty, fifty, one hundred years from now, what happens today will be a part of recorded history. Think of July 10th this year when everyone’s cell phone showed dire warnings of severe storms with possible tornados coming through central New York and advocated people take shelter immediately. Danby’s Highway department pulled up reports and radar maps on computers to track the approaching storms and prepared trucks and crews to get out and clear roads after the wind and rain subsided. Danbyites adjusted their afternoon schedules to cope with the impending threats. And then all of Danby waited. And nothing happened in Danby. In the aftermath, seven tornadoes were reported in the central New York area. Reports of the storms were reported almost in real time and in following days X (formerly Twitter) and You Tube showed on location views of tornadoes as they were happening. Years ago, this kind of immediate information was not available in the way it is today but people found ways to learn what was happening and recorded events so we are able to know much of our history today. A tornado did whip through Danby in 2011. Stay tuned for that piece of history in future newsletters. August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 6 Danby Seniors Theresa Klinger Our July BBQ at the Eagles Club was a great success. Approximately 82 people attended. Our next dish-to -share luncheon will be held on Thursday, August 1st at the Danby Community Church at 12 noon. We are planning to play a few games of Bingo with prizes! Our September lunch is scheduled for Thursday, September 5th. Don't forget to bring your own table service and a utensil to share your dish. UPCOMING TRIPS: September 16th and 17th This will be our overnight trip to Lancaster and the Sight and Sound Theater to see Daniel. The trip will include show tickets, motor coach transportation, hotel accommodations, breakfast, lunch, dinner and a guided tour through an authentic Amish farm. The cost will be $310.00 per person (double occupancy) and we are requiring a $75.00 non refundable deposit due August 10th. October 16th We will be taking a Fall foliage train excursion on the Arcade and Attica Railroad with lunch at the Turkey Run Golf Club. Price per person is $60.00. Please contact Theresa Klinger at tklinger627@gmail.com if you are interested in signing up or let her know at one of the monthly luncheons. December 4th We will travel to NYC to see The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. This trip will also include time on your own for shopping and to check out the city, the amazing Christmas decorations and light shows as well as the Holiday pop up shops at Bryant Park where we will be dropped off. Cost for this trip is $130.00 per person. If you are interested in signing up please contact Tammy Lopez at tml24@yahoo.com or let her know at one of the luncheons THANK YOU A heartfelt thank you to all the emergency crews who have spent many extra hours cleaning up after the big storms we have had lately Reminder: If you would like to receive the Danby Town News only on-line or if you know someone who is not getting the Danby Town News (particularly new residents) but would like to, please send an email with that information to: townnews@danby,ny.gov. August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 7 West Danby picnic August 24th, 4:30 PM Peter Fraissinet Round out the summer at the annual old-fashioned West Danby Picnic on Saturday, August 24, 4:30pm, in the pavilion at the intersection of Brown and Short Roads in West Danby. 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 already Tod S. has told us he'll be bringing his delectable smoked pork. If you can, bring a main course, side dish, salad, or dessert. Drinks will be provided. Also, if possible, bring a chair and your own place setting. We'll also take the opportunity to recognize the service to the community provided by our recently-retired Water District employees - Carl and Marge Seamon and Tod Sukontarak. If the weather is good, there will be badminton set up in the field. We're hoping to have an Appalachian music session happening on-site too. Especial thanks to Mike McLaughlin for use of the site! This event organized by the West Danby Community Association with assistance from the Danby Community Council. Youth Programs Heidi Doggett hd289@cornell.edu Danby summer programs have been humming along. We’ve got two more left in August before after school programs begin this fall. At this moment both August programs are full, but you can still sign up to be added to the wait list. Register at bit.ly/41jUwDO or contact me if you need paper registration. If you encounter any difficulty registering, please email me right away and I will get you assistance! If you have questions, please contact Heidi Doggett. Jennings Pond August 5-8, 9 am-2 pm A week of fishing, nature walks, crafts, and outdoor cooking. Dotson Days August 19-2, 9 am-2 pm at Dotson Park Outdoor games, exploration, cooking, crafts, and more. Cardboard boats - They float!!!! Pavilion for West Danby picnic Let’s fill this pavilion. August 24, 4:30 PM August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 8 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 Community 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 Sharonboda@gmail.com Danby Seniors Contact: Pat Phelps patriciaphelps2.0@ gmail,com Luncheons: 1st Thur at noon Danby Community Council President: Pamela Goddard Website: danbycc.org Meeting: 1st Thur 7pm Danby Tosspot (Open Alcoholics Anonymous Meeting) Wed 7pm virtual West Danby Community Association (WDCA) Contact: Pat Curran pc21@cornell.edu Danby library News Cindy Parlett A BIG Thank You to the Cornell Companions for visiting us! Gus, Avery, and Toucan patiently listened as the children read to them, and were rewarded with some well deserved treats. If you missed out on this event we may schedule a return date in the fall so look for the notices and keep your calendars open. Two popular mystery series will be ending and we have the last book for both. The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear is the 18th book and finale in her Maisie Dobbs novels. The Last Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal is a Maisie Hope mystery and is the 12th and final book for this series as well. It's not too late to take part in the Summer Reading Program we have available. Nica Dalterio has kindly put together a fun, interactive reading program along with prizes for those who complete the reading sheets. Come in and take a look! August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 9 Monthly Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance Group Day Date Time Call-in by Phone Meeting ID Town Board* Mon 8/5 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 882 2697 6101 905098 WDWD Wed 8/7 5:00pm In person West Danby fire station CAC* Tue 8/13 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507 FD Tue 8/13 7:00pm In person Danby Fire Station DYC Thur 8/8 7:00pm Online- contact jsorrentino@danby.ny.gov Town Board* Mon 8/19 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 847 9505 5187 308958 PB* Tue 8/20 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 893 3897 1114 956288 BZA* Tue 8/27 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041 FD Tue 8/27 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: Kelly Maher planningboard@danby.ny.gov Meets: 3rd Tuesday at 7pm Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) Chair: Earl Hicks bza@danby.ny.gov Meets: 4th Tuesday, as needed Conservation Advisory Council (CAC) Chair: Margaret Corbit cac@danby.ny.gov Meets: 2nd Tuesday at 7pm Danby Youth Commission (DYC) Chair: Jamie Sorrentino jsorrentino@danby.ny.gov Meets: 2nd Thursday at 7pm Fire District (FD) Secretary: Sharon Gaden, secretary@danbyfiredistrict.org danby.ny.gov/depts/danby-fire-district Meets: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 7pm Danby Volunteer Fire Company (DVFC) Chief: John Gaden, jgaden@danbyfiredistrict.org danbyfiredept.org West Danby Fire Department (WDFD) Chief: Robert McCray rmccray@danbyfiredistrict.org westdanbyfire.com West Danby Water DIstrict (WDWD) Contact: Scott Wendt, swendt@danby.ny.gov Meets: 1st Wednesday at 5pm August 2024 Town of Danby, New York 10 Town Officials Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon, x1010 supervisor@danby.ny.gov Town Board Meets 1st Mon and 3rd Mon Leslie Connors Paul Hansen H Katharine Hunter Pat Woodworth townboard@danby.ny.gov Town Clerk Deputy Town Clerk Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–4pm Mariah Dillon 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-Wed 8am-11am Garry Huddle Theresa Klinger Diane Gair dgair@nycourts.gov Town Planner Hours: Mon–Fri by appointment Greg Hutnik, 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 Danby, New York From: 1830 Danby Road Ithaca, NY 14850 PRST STD U.S. Postage Paid Permit No.428 Ithaca, NY 14850 Phone: 607-277-4788 https://danby.ny.gov Welcome to the Danby Town News! Questions? Email us at townnews@danby.ny.gov