HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-10-Town Newsletter October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Danby Town News
Danby Volunteer
Fire Company
Halloween Event
Saturday, October 26th from 2 to 6pm.
Danby Fire Station
There will be magic shows, "table or
treat" candy, crafts, and a demo of the
new Extrication tools. Costumes are
encouraged!
We are looking for Danby community
members who wish to participate/help!
please email: info@danbyfiredept.org
Public hearing
Monday, October 7, 2024 at 6pm
Override the tax cap for 2025 budget
More budget information on next page.
Danby Volunteer
Fire Company
Doug's Fish Fry
Tuesday, October 29th, 11am-6pm
Danby Fire Station
Part of their sales will go to the
Danby Volunteer Fire Company
Scan the QR code below for the menu
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon
2024 has been a very fruitful year for us
growers, with exceptional crops of just about
everything. While awfully dry in the home
stretch, the sunny dry conditions made for the
best quality in years. This will be a vintage year
for grape producers, a nice contrast to the
disastrous freeze we endured in 2023. Even in
the frost pocket I occupy there were peaches
and plums, the first since 2021. Every year is
different; this is one for the record books!
Budget
Budget Season for 2025 is under way. I am
responsible for proposing a tentative budget by
the end of September, informed with input from
the various departments and groups
coordinated by Laura Shawley. The Town
Board would like to minimize the tax increase
to fund the budget, but staying under the tax
cap will be difficult. For example, insurance
costs are projected to increase around 14%,
and income from the mortgage tax is much
diminished due to fewer sales and refinancing.
We have a healthy fund balance (this is
basically money saved and held for future
projects and as a cushion against disaster) and
we will likely use some of it to limit the tax
increase. We propose to pass a tax cap
override local law to enable ourselves to
exceed the cap. This has been our practice for
many years to give us flexibility in budgeting.
Special Event Law
The Town Board reviewed a revised draft of
a special event law in September and agreed
that we are ready to move ahead with the
formal process of approval. The next step
lawyer review. Barring major changes from the
lawyer’s review, the law will likely be subject to
public hearing and then possible passage in
November. The draft is linked on the front page
of the town’s website (Danby.ny.gov).
Planning Initiatives
Neither our Zoning Law nor our Subdivision
Regulations are static documents. Despite a
major re-do of the zoning law in 2022, there
are features that the Board and Planner have
identified as worth amending. The same thing
applies to the Subdivision Regulations.
Creating a committee to tackle this task was
talked about at the first September Town Board
meeting; and how to structure it is on the
agenda for the September 23 meeting. I expect
to be able to report next month how this will
work.
A related issue is the revision of the town’s
Comprehensive Plan. This is a guiding
document for the regulations we adopt. It sets
forth a vision of where we are, and where we
would like to be, with goals and objectives
identified. The last major rewrite was in 2003,
so we are overdue for revisiting it. We hope to
get to this in 2025. Our Planner, Greg Hutnik,
proposed to have the Planning Board begin the
process by looking at the goals and objectives:
what has been accomplished, what remains
undone, and what is missing that merits
consideration in revising it are likely topics.
This approach, endorsed by the Town Board,
with the hope that the Planning Board can
accomplish their review in the next few months,
is the beginning. The framework for the actual
work of revising the plan has yet to be worked
out but will certainly be a topic of discussion
and decision by the end of the year.
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Town Clerk Mariah Dillon
Greetings Danby Residents
Attention dog owners! Our new town clerk's
software does not allow for dog license
renewals or invoices to be sent by email. The
clerk’s office will be sending out notices via the
postal service, of local dogs’ non-compliance
with current New York State law regarding dog
licensing. If you get such a notification, please
ensure your dog is up to date with their rabies
vaccine and renew your dog license. If your
dog is no longer with us, please accept our
deepest sympathies – and let us know!
Everyone in the clerk’s office LOVES dogs.
(We have treats for dogs that visit us!) 607-
277-4788
We have a new process in place for renewing
dog licenses online:
1. The clerk’s office requires confirmation
of a dogs' rabies vaccination prior to
licensing, this can be done by sending
us a copy of the dogs' current rabies
vaccine.
2. Once we have confirmation of current
rabies vaccination we will send you a
link to the pay portal. The cost is $12
per year for a fixed dog, or $24 per year
for intact dogs.
As always, if you are able, feel free to stop
by Town Hall with current rabies vaccination
information and we’ll renew your dogs’ license
on the spot!
With our migration to Microsoft Office nearly
behind us, Blake is now focused on entering
building permit data into our permitting and
licensing software. This will enable our
community to access this information efficiently
and effectively. Unfortunately, I have recently
been made aware that historically, getting a
building permit for construction projects in the
Town of Danby has not been a priority.
Information about some building construction
within the Town simply does not exist. I’m
hopeful that the new licensing software will
make it easy to apply for and receive a building
permit, and we can build a reliable database of
information as we grow together as a
community.
I’m continuing to learn about local
governance in my role as your Town Clerk,
especially in regard to democracy. In a
democracy, government data is transparent, so
that citizens can evaluate and make decisions
and participate in the process of making rules
(and correcting bad rules). As opposed to a
dictatorship, where data is controlled and
hidden from the public, and ordinary citizens
have no say. With that I want to remind
everyone 18 or older to vote in the coming
election! As U.S. Rep. John Lewis said, “The
vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the
most powerful nonviolent tool we have in a
democracy.”
The Town Clerks office has voter registration
forms for those not yet registered. Please stop
by and pick some up. The deadline for
registering to vote in the next election is
October 26, 2024.
Stay Safe Out There!
Some Hunting Seasons
Early bow hunting season (deer, bear): 10/1-11/15
Youth Firearms: 10/12-10/14
Turkey: 10/19-11/1
For details including more categories, go to dec.ny.gov
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Planner's Desk Greg Hutnik
There have been questions recently about
“cluster subdivisions” – what they are, when
they can be used, etc. – and some incorrect
information being shared in the community
about how they can be used. The questions
and answers below are intended to clear up
any misinformation.
What is a cluster subdivision?
Per Town Law §278: “‘cluster development’
shall mean a subdivision plat or plats,
approved pursuant to this article, in which the
applicable zoning ordinance or local law is
modified to provide an alternative permitted
method for the layout, configuration and design
of lots, buildings and structures, roads, utility
lines and other infrastructure, parks, and
landscaping in order to preserve the natural
and scenic qualities of open lands. A cluster
development shall result in a permitted number
of building lots or dwelling units which shall in
no case exceed the number which could be
permitted, in the planning board's judgment, if
the land were subdivided into lots conforming
to the minimum lot size and density
requirements of the zoning ordinance or local
law applicable to the district or districts in which
such land is situated and conforming to all
other applicable requirements.”
Danby’s Subdivision Regulations require
that a cluster subdivision can only be
applied to a property that is 5 acres or
more. So if I have a 7-acre lot in a zone
district that requires a minimum of 10 acres
per new lot, can I use the cluster
subdivision provision to subdivide my lot
into two lots?
No. The minimum lot area requirements in
the zoning district always dictates how many
lots can be created, regardless of using the
cluster subdivision provision. Even if a
property is 19 acres in a zone district that
requires 10 acres per new lot, a subdivision
would not be allowed (unless an area variance
was approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals
to reduce the required lot area). The lot area
minimum requirements of the underlying zone
district dictate the maximum number of lots that
may be created. In other words, cluster
subdivision is NOT a tool to create more lots
than what the zoning would allow.
Can a 2-lot subdivision be considered a
cluster subdivision?
Yes. The purpose of a cluster subdivision is
two-fold: (1) to preserve open space and (2) to
reduce the amount of infrastructure and utilities
needed for new lots. There is no legal
mechanism for the Town to mandate that more
lots be created for it to be deemed a cluster
subdivision. A cluster subdivision simply caps
the number of lots to be no more than what
would be allowed when applying the minimum
lot area requirements in the underlying zone
district.
Can the cluster subdivision provision be
used again on the same property?
Yes, as long as the zoning requirements are
met for new lots and not expanding the number
of permissible lots by using clustering.
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.
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein
There will be a public hearing for the Tompkins County budget on Wednesday, October 30th at
7:00pm. The public can comment in person at the Daniel D Tompkins Building, or by Zoom with one
day’s advance notice. Details about the budget can be found at TompkinsCountyny.gov.
Conservation Advisory Council Margaret Corbit
The Danby Conservation Advisory Council
(CAC) met on Tuesday, September 10 at 7 pm.
Here are the highlights of the meeting.
Leslie Connors of the Town Board attended
and announced that Kristin McCarthy was
appointed by the Town Board and has
accepted the position as Secretary for the
CAC. Kristin will be joining us for the October
meeting. Connors graciously agreed to serve
as Secretary for the September 10th meeting
.
Ben Altman contributed to the Privilege of
the Floor, asking that the CAC make progress
on his easement.
Don Schaufler reported that he received
excellent input on the draft Timber Harvest Law
from the Highway Department and will be
revising the draft with the hope of sending it to
the Town Board by year’s end.
We spent most of the meeting talking about
the new and nearly complete Kartman
easement. The Council reviewed the
documents and found the maps developed by
Greg Hutnik, Town Planner, to be especially
valuable. We hope this easement will be
approved by the Town Board at the October
7th meeting.
We had two virtual visitors at the meeting
including one who is new to our community.
Community members are welcome to attend
via hybrid or in person. Logging in via Zoom
(link in calendar) is a fun way to get a sense of
who we are and how we work.
Our next meeting is on October 8 at 7 pm in
the Town Hall.
Tompkins County Transportation Committee (News Release)
The Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation
Council (ITCTC) is updating its Long-Range
Transportation Plan for Tompkins County. The
plan covers the 20-year period through 2045.
The purpose and primary objective of the
transportation plan is to develop a common
vision for the future of transportation in
Tompkins County. A complete draft of the plan
is available for review before it moves to the
formal committee approval process. The
deadline for comments is November 1, 2024.
The ITCTC will review the plan at their
November 5 meeting, with final approval
expected at the December 17 meeting
You can view both the current transportation
plan and draft proposed update at the ITCTC
web site: www.tompkinscountyny.gov/itctc/.
Topics covered by the Long-Range
Transportation Plan include: pedestrian and
bicycle transportation, traffic circulation,
maintenance of infrastructure, safety, transit,
trail development and more. For additional
information or to provide your input you may
contact the ITCTC at 274-5570, email
itctc@tompkins-co.org, go to the agency web
site www.tompkinscountyny.gov/itctc/lrtpupdae,
or visit the ‘Ithaca-Tompkins County
Transportation Council’ on Facebook
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Danby Seniors Theresa Klinger
Come join us for our next dish-to-share
lunch on Thursday, October 3rd at 12 Noon at
the Danby Community Church. We meet the
first Thursday of the month, so mark your
calendar for Thursday, November 7th as
well. Bring your own table service and a dish
to share with a serving utensil.
UPCOMING TRIPS:
Fall Foliage Train Excursion: There are
still a few seats available for this train ride
scheduled for October 16th. For more
information or if you have already signed up
and have not paid yet, please contact Theresa
at tklinger617@gmail.com.
Rockettes Christmas Spectacular: There
are a few seats still available for this day trip to
NYC on December 4th. Contact Tammy at
tml24@yahoo.com for more information.
The Annual Christmas Party will be held at
the Eagles Club this year located at 161 Cecil
Malone Drive, Ithaca, (behind Wegmans) on
Monday, December 16th. The event will be held
in the Banquet room and cost is $27/for
members. If you would like to join us, please
get in touch with Tammy at tml24@yahoo.com.
Danby Youth Commission Jamie Sorrentino
Last call for Danby Youth Grants for 2024
There is a small handful of $100 grants left
for this calendar year. The Danby Youth
Commission offers $100 grants for youth to
participate in recreational activities of their
choosing. A link to the application and eligibility
criteria can be found on the Town of Danby
website. Applications will be reviewed on a first
come, first serve basis
Getting a treat at
Danby Food and Drink
Fish caught at
Jennings Pond!!
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Youth Programs Heidi Doggett hd289@cornell.edu
Danby’s Fall programs are open for
registration! For the month of October we have
after school Halloween Costume and Crafts
programs for every age, including one at
LACS. We’ve also got a special 9 am-4 pm
Halloween program at Brooktondale
Community Center on Friday October 25. It’s
open to grades 4-8 (homeschoolers in that age
range who don’t have ‘grades’ are welcome
too).
Even if you don’t want to make a Halloween
costume or you’re purchasing one, you can
come do crafts or learn special effects makeup
like old age, character face painting, and (for
the middle schoolers) small wounds and
bruises.
For youth costumers, we ask that this year
they work on a few challenging accessories at
the program while planning to complete pieces
like homemade pants and shirts at home. We
can help them embellish clothing, but we’re not
set up to help them sew it. We’ll also be
making fake eyeballs and using them in
various props and accessories, experimenting
with LEDs, and having some spooky snacks.
You can register at bit.ly/41jUwDO or contact
Heidi at hd289@cornell.edu or (925)240-3572
with questions.
Important: these programs are open to 4-8
graders. Sticking to this age range is especially
important for Halloween programs. We want
everyone to have age-appropriate fun!
LACS Halloween Costumes and Crafts (grades
6-8)
Tuesdays 3:30-6:00, 10/1-10/29
Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the
Gathering, and Games (grades 6-8)
Wednesdays 3:30-6:00, 9/25-12/18, *NO
PROGRAM 11/27*
South Hill Elementary Halloween Costumes
and Crafts (grades 4-5)
Thursdays 2:00-5:30, 9/26-10/24, *NO
PROGRAM 10/3*
Halloween Costume and Craft Extravaganza
(grades 4-8)
Friday 10/25, 9:00am-4:00pm, Brooktondale
Community Center
.
.
Ultimate Frisbee at
Stewart Park
Playing tag at
Dotson Park
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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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
Cornell Companions will be at the library Saturday October 5 from
10:30-11:30am. The dogs love to see the children and hear them read
or have books read to them. They also love to share hugs! Plenty of
books to go around. Hope to see you there!
Mystery book selections from TCPL have arrived just in time for
Halloween for those of you who LOVE this spooky holiday; be sure to
stop in and see them.
The Friends of the Library Sale will take place this month and we'll be
on the lookout for favorite authors. If you have any suggestions for
items you would like us to look for please let us know as we are always
updating our list of patron requests.
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.
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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Monthly Meeting Schedule At-A-Glance
Group Day Date Time Call-in by Phone Meeting ID
Town Board* Mon 10/7 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 882 2697 6101 905098
WDWD Wed 10/2 5:00pm In person West Danby fire station
CAC* Tue 10/8 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507
FD Tue 10/8 7:00pm In person Danby Fire Station
DYC Thur 10/10 7:00pm Online- contact jsorrentino@danby.ny.gov
Town Board* Mon 10/21 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 847 9505 5187 308958
PB* Tue 10/15 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 893 3897 1114 956288
BZA* Tue 10/22 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041
FD Tue 10/22 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
October 2024 Town of Danby, New York
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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