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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