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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-11 Town NewsletterNovember 2024 Town of Danby, New York 1 Danby Town News Applications for any of these boards or committees are due before the town board meeting on 12/4. But, if you are interested, please apply as soon as possible. An application is available on the town’s website (danby.ny.gov) or from the Town Clerk. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Town Clerk (607-277-4788). List of Boards, Committees, etc. West Danby Water District Advisory Board Planning Board Board of Zoning Appeals Conservation Advisory Council Town Historian Danby Youth Commission Threat Assessment Team Recreation Partnership Thank you for considering becoming involved.. Public Hearing 2025 Town Budget Monday, November 4, 2024 at 6pm The proposed budget is available on the town website, danby.ny.gov. (Note: the increase in the proposed budget is less than the state tax cap). Opportunities to be Involved Serving on town boards and committees is important for the town. Members of boards and committees are appointed for a term (fixed number of years). So, each year, some members’ terms expire. Members whose terms are expiring as well as other town residents can apply for these positions. In addition to expiring positions, there are currently some unfilled positions. November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 2 Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon Fall foliage is peaking as I write this, and the leaves of red maples, red oaks, Bradford pears, and burning bushes (Euonymus alatus) are all spectacularly red this year. In the past, it was commonly held that peak color in this area is around the first full weekend in October. It was a week and a half later this year, which looks increasingly like a trend. Kartman Conservation Easement Approved The Town Board accepted the donation of a conservation easement on a 68-acre property owned by Adam and Carrie Kartman. It is near the intersection of Nelson and Troy Roads. It borders on the north the Eldridge Wilderness, a protected property in the Town of Ithaca. In Danby it adjoins the Dotson and Hart conservation easement properties held by the Finger Lakes Land Trust. The adjacency enhances the value of all these protected properties for species diversity and habitat integrity. The Kartman easement is the Town of Danby’s 8th and a splendid addition to the roster of town-held conservation easements. We are indebted to the Kartmans for their generous commitment to preserving their property (the easement provides for only 3 dwelling units, one of which is an existing house) and to the Conservation Advisory Council who negotiated it on our behalf. Budget Update The Town Board has approved a preliminary budget which falls under the state tax cap and is available on the town website (danby.ny.gov). A public hearing on the preliminary budget is scheduled at 6 P.M. on November 4. The Board has until November 19 to vote on the final budget. If you want to comment but can’t make the hearing, written comments would be welcome. A noteworthy modification to the tentative budget added funding for summer jobs for Danby youth, increasing our support from 3.5 to 5 positions. This is money matched by Tompkins County. The value of this program, which is aimed at first jobs for youths including extensive job training, is evidenced by the fact that there are many more applicants than funding. The Clerk’s position is considered part-time, but both the current Clerk and her predecessor in office have found it to be closer to full-time work for part-time compensation. The Board has designated additional funding for the Town Clerk’s office. Regulatory Review Committee The Board is considering creating a committee to cosider changes to both the zoning law and the subdivision regulations. I hope to get agreement on structure and charge at the November 4 meeting. November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 3 Notes from the Town Clerk Mariah Dillon Greetings Danby Residents During the budget season, the Town Board asked me for a list of the responsibilities for the Town Clerk. I will share that list with you. Duties of the Danby Town Clerk Records management - The town clerk is the custodian of all town records, including vital records like marriage certificates. All property, payroll, and financial records are meticulously filed in the records vault. Also responsible for disposing of inactive records. Town Board meetings - The town clerk attends all Town Board meetings to maintain an official record of the proceedings. Tax collection - The town clerk prepares tax bills for mailing, ensuring they are sent on time. The Town Clerk is responsible for collecting and tracking over 4 million dollars of property tax payments on behalf of the town and county government. This includes almost daily trips to the bank in January and reconciling any discrepancies with new owners, apportionments, escrow payments and refunds. The town clerk provides tax bills and payment receipts to all entities who request them. Project management - The town clerk gathers requirements and software quotes, and negotiates with vendors on a variety of software and hardware purchases, dealing with data migration, monitoring progress, doing data entry and keeping the Board up to date. Licensing - The town clerk issues accessible parking permits and licenses, (dog, marriage, hunting, marriage officiants, and games of chance). Fiscal responsibility - The town clerk prepares and presents a monthly report to the town board of all financial transactions, disburses accurate amounts to owed parties, and processes records and reconciles all payments for licenses and permits. The town clerk processes general fund invoices and vouchers and creates bimonthly abstracts for Town Board approval. Face of the town - The town clerk is typically the first person you will interact with when you enter or call the Town Hall. We answer your questions whether you call or email, or help you get to the right person or department. The clerk’s office serves the civil needs of town residents. Attesting to town board actions - The town clerk records and certifies all official actions of the town, including town meeting legislation and appropriations. The town clerk makes a record of every resolution put forward by the Town Board. Freedom of Information Law - The town clerk administers the Freedom of Information Law, which guarantees the right to know how the government works. Oaths of office - The town clerk’s office administers the oaths of office for all town officials. Website - The town clerk’s office maintains and updates the official Town of Danby website and affiliated software, posting meeting minutes and agendas, announcements and events, and updating all the documents, departments and town services. Appointments and resignations - The town clerk’s office maintains appointments and resignations for all town officials. Community - Like any busy office there is plenty of stress relief in the form of laughter and camaraderie. We very much welcome your reports of cows in your backyard or mattress in the road. We have a solemn moment for every dog who has passed and take seriously all your questions and concerns. The Danby Town Clerk’s Office is here when you need us. November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 4 Notes from the Planner's Desk Greg Hutnik “When someone wants to sell a piece of their land, why does this have to happen?” a resident asked at the October 15 Planning Board meeting, referring to the public hearing for the proposal to carve out a 10-acre lot from a 70-acre lot at 201 Jersey Hill Road. This is a good question and one that I felt should be answered for everyone else in Danby. First, let us start with some terminology. What is a subdivision? Often when people hear the word “subdivision,” they think of a planned neighborhood with similar looking houses on small lots, possibly on a cul-de-sac. Danby has a few “traditional-looking” planned subdivisions: Beardsley Lane; Old Towne Village; and Fieldstone Circle. However, the word “subdivision” simply means the division of land. But it gets more nuanced… New York State Town Law §276 defines subdivision as “the division of any parcel of land into a number of lots, blocks or sites as specified in a local ordinance, law, rule or regulation…” [emphasis added]. This means that the definition of a subdivision entirely depends on how a municipality defines it. This is important because when a municipality classifies a division of land as a “subdivision,” other requirements, such as a public hearing, are triggered (more on this below). In Danby, dividing one lot to two lots is classified as a subdivision. In some towns in Tompkins County, it is not; a one-lot-to-two-lot division of land can be approved administratively, i.e., by the Planner, Zoning Officer, or Code Enforcement Officer. In those towns, only when three or more lots are created is it deemed a “subdivision.” Danby used to allow its Code Enforcement Officer to approve the creation of up to four new lots in a process called a Land Division by Permit (purposefully not called a subdivision), but the Town eventually modified the regulations to classify all divisions of land as subdivisions. Why is a public hearing required for a subdivision? New York State Town Law §276 requires a public hearing for all subdivisions. This means that for every division of land classified by the local municipality as a “subdivision,” a public hearing is required, including a notice of the hearing to be published in the official newspaper a least 5 days in advance. Danby’s Subdivision Regulations require even more notice, which is not uncommon. Danby requires a 7-day advanced notice in the newspaper (the Ithaca Journal) plus a notification letter mailed to all property owners within 500 feet of the proposed subdivision advertising the public hearing. What if I want to buy some land from my neighbor and combine it with my property, or vice versa – does that require a public hearing? No. This is called a Land Annexation, per Danby’s Subdivision Regulations, or more commonly referred to as a “lot line adjustment.” This process is exempt from a public hearing or Planning Board review. The Zoning Officer has the authority to approve Land Annexations administratively, if the resulting lot configurations meet the requirements of the zoning district in which they are located. If you have any zoning or planning related questions or would like to schedule a time to meet with me, please call or text 607-592-0417 or email planner@danby.ny.gov. November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 5 Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein New Leadership Lisa Holmes has been with Tompkins County for 26 years, the last 3 as the County Administrator. The County Administrator oversees the 800 County employees, is the bridge between staff and the County Legislature, is the Budget Officer, and much more. Lisa will be retiring in January. We have hired Korsah Akumfi as the new County Administrator. Korsah currently is the County Administrator in Schoharie County, NY. We have been incredibly lucky to have Lisa, and we also have confidence in Korsah’s ability to run this complex organization going forward. Airport The U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility at the Tompkins County Airport has been underperforming from the start. Rather than let it continue to run a negative budget, we will be closing it as of February 22, 2025. We intend to reuse the facility, but those plans still need a lot of work before we know for sure what will come next. Some good news about the airport is that passenger levels are up 23% so far this year from 2023. Homelessness There are several separate pieces of our response to homelessness. One is what we call the permanent shelter, which is run under state and federal guidelines, and requires certain criteria of the people who use it. There will be more to report about that in the next few months. Another piece of the puzzle is called Code Blue. This is a NY State mandated program where anybody will be given a bed for the night during the winter. The agency that had been handling this for many years notified the County that they can no longer run the program. At the same time, the building we have been using in the past is in bankruptcy, and its future is uncertain. This has caused us to rapidly put together a plan to house people overnight in the former Key Bank building, on the corner of Buffalo and Tioga Streets. We expect this to be a one-winter occurrence, and we will find a different location next year. You may have heard local elected officials complain about “unfunded mandates”. However, this Code Blue mandate from NY State is funded, and does not use any local tax money. Budget And finally, we are near the end of our 2025 budget process. It’s never over until it’s over in December, but it looks like we will be seeing a 3% increase in the tax levy next year. The levy increase was 2% in 2024, zero percent in 2023, and zero percent in 2022. This budget year was different than the ten I’ve experienced previously. After property taxes, sales tax is the next biggest revenue source to the County. Sales tax revenue in 2024 is currently less than it was in 2023. The County experiences the same inflation pressures that we all feel. Less revenue plus higher expenses is what made this year’s budget so difficult. Its hunting season. Wear your safety colors November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 6 More Notes From Supervisor Joel Gagnon Award of 2023 CDBG Funds to Rehabilitate Multifamily Income Property Approval was granted by the Town Board on October 7 to award funds from the 2023 CDBG Multifamily ("income property") Rehabilitation Program to 1849 Danby Road. These funds will be used to rehabilitate and upgrade the existing four apartment units. The grant will cover 80% of the cost of the work and the owner will provide a 20% match. More on ARPA As the end of the year approaches, we must decide how the remaining American Rescue Plan Act money will be used – otherwise we lose it. There are several projects in the running for some or all remaining funds. Since we must have either completed work or signed contracts by December 31, some of the possibilities may prove non-viable simply because there are obstacles to their inclusion that cannot be addressed in time. Redoing the main entrance to the Town Hall might end up in that category, as might funding hydrant replacement for the West Danby Water District. We need better information on the cost of maintaining the solar array at the highway facility before we can reasonably determine whether a buyout makes sense. We could consider adding other projects like replacing our phone system (we are being forced to do so despite having opted to go with our current supplier just 2 years ago) or replacing the surveillance system at the highway facility, which is suddenly failing and might make more sense to replace than repair. The only certainty is that we will decide before year’s end. Danby Seniors Theresa Klinger The Fall foliage train excursion on the Arcade and Attica Railroad with lunch at the Turkey Run Golf Club was a great time for all who joined. There is one more trip before the end of the year, and there are still seats available. Join us as we travel to NYC for the day to see the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular on December 4. This trip will also include time on your own to grab a bite to eat and go shopping. Cost is $130 per person. If you are interested, please get in touch with Tammy at tml24@yahoo.com. Our November dish-to-share will be held on Thursday, November 7th at the Danby Community Church at 12 noon. Bring your own table service and a utensil to share your dish. Don't forget the annual Christmas Party will be held at the Eagles Club's banquet room, 161 Cecil Malone Drive (behind Wegmans), on Monday, December 16. The cost is $27 for members. If you would like to attend, please get in touch with Tammy at tml24@yahoo.com or Theresa at tklinger617@gmail.com. November 2024 Town of Danby, New York 7 Youth Programs Heidi Doggett hd289@cornell.edu After an October hard at work making Halloween costumes, it’s time for Danby youth to cozy down for their next round of youth programs. Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, and Games will continue running through December. If your youth has already registered this school year, they don’t need to register again until January. All other programs will change beginning in November. That means if your youth was signed up (for example) for the Monday Halloween program at Boynton and they wish to come to the Monday Outdoor Games and Crafts program beginning November 18, you will need to sign them up again. You can register for programs online here: bit.ly/41jUwDO or contact Heidi Doggett about getting paper registration at (925)240-3572. Questions? Call or email at hd289@cornell.edu. Outdoor Games and Crafts (grades 6-8) Mondays 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16 at Danby Town Hall/Dotson Park, 4:00-5:30 pm Bus transportation from Boynton available, bus arrangements from LACS pending. This is a shorter program, but we’ll fit in a lot of fun! When the weather is right, we’ll head to the park, play games at the hill, or play in the leaves at Town Hall. If it’s raining, we’ll head indoors for games, puzzles, and crafts (including puppets). Outdoor Exploration (grades 4-5) Tuesdays 11/5, 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17 at Danby Town Hall/Dotson Park, 2:30-5:30 pm We’ll use every bit of daylight and good weather to run around outside and jump in leaf piles. Indoor weather means games or other projects in the Town Hall. Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: the Gathering, and Games (grades 6-8) Wednesdays 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, *NO PROGRAM 11/27*, 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, Boynton Middle School, 3:30-6:00 pm The adventure continues with several youth- run D&D campaigns (with adult support provided), Magic: the Gathering, outdoor Gaga Ball and Basketball, and a wide selection of unique board games. Boynton Gift Making and Crafts (grades 6-8) Thursdays 11/7, 11/14, 11/21, *NO PROGRAM 11/28*, 12/5, 12/12, 12/19 Create gifts or just craft! We’ll have jewelry making, resin, hot cocoa mix kits, puppets, and more . . Outdoor time at South Hill School playground Making Halloween costumes at Boynton Middle School November 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 The library is staffed by volunteers on Tuesdays from 1-3pm, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10- 12pm but all are welcome to come in and browse anytime the Town Hall is open. Self check out is available and comfy chairs to sit and read if you'd like a quiet space. The children's area has a small table with plenty of books for all ages as well as some toys. Thanks to the Cornell Companions, the kids had a doggone good time reading with Gus, Gayla and Toucan on October 5! Our trip to the Friends of the Library Sale was a big success! We were able to pick up several books from some favorite authors. Just to name a few: John Grisham-Camino Ghosts, Richard Osman-The Last Devil to Die Ruta Sepetys- Salt of the Sea, L.Montgomery-Anne of Avonlea Sarah J. Maas-A Court of Mist and Fury; A Court of Frost and Starlight Frieda McFadden-The Housemaid's Secret; The Perfect Son; The Teacher; Want To Know A Secret? Charles Todd-A Fine Summer's Day; A Matter of Justice; Racing the Devil; A Duty to the Dead; The Shattered Truth Elly Giffiths-(to add to our collection), The Chalk Pit; The Dark Angel; The NightHawks Ann Cleeves-(the Vera Stanhope mysteries), The Crow Trap; Telling Tales; Hidden Depths; The Glass Room; Harbour Street; The Moth Catcher November 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 11/4 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 882 2697 6101 905098 WDWD Wed 11/6 5:00pm In person West Danby fire station CAC* Tue 11/12 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507 FD Tue 11/12 7:00pm In person Danby Fire Station DYC Thur 11/14 7:00pm Online- contact jsorrentino@danby.ny.gov Town Board* Mon 11/18 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 847 9505 5187 308958 PB* Tue 11/19 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 893 3897 1114 956288 BZA* Tue 11/26 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041 FD Tue 11/26 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 November 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