HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 02 February Newsletter February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Danby Town News
Danby Volunteer Fire Company
The cold weather is upon us and Danby
Volunteer Fire Company will be selling warm
pancake breakfasts! Drive-thru or stop in for a
plate of pancakes, french toast, sausage,
scrambled eggs, and homefries, all for $12.
Breakfasts will be the third Sunday of the
month through March 2025, 8-11 AM at the
Danby Fire Station, 1780 Danby Road.
Please join us for our next breakfast Sunday,
February 16! Cash, Card, Check, Venmo, and
Apple Pay are accepted. Proceeds will be
used to upgrade our EMS equipment.
Town Board Opening
The town board will appoint a new
member to the town board to replace
Paul Hansen for the remainder of 2025.
Application forms for this position are
available on the town website
(danby.ny.gov) or from the town clerk at
the Town Hall.
Please submit completed applications
by February 18, 2025.
The next election will include a 2 year
town board position to fill the remaining
2 years of Paul’s term (2026 & 2027).
Notice for West Danby
Residents
Please see page 3 for information
about a meeting to be scheduled
regarding the West Danby Polling
Place.
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon
Sewers for Danby?
As you may have heard, Danby was awarded
$4.6 million to build sewer systems for the
Central Danby and West Danby hamlets. While
an enormous amount of money for a town our
size, it is not enough to actually build the
systems recommended by the engineers from
Hunt in their preliminary engineering report. It
is an “up to” amount that requires a 25%
match. That would be another $1.5 million that
we would need to raise from other sources.
Can we do that with grants? Would we have to
borrow to do it, and if so, at what cost? Would
that cost be distributed town-wide? What would
the cost be for those in the created sewer
districts? There are a lot of questions that
require answers before we can reasonably
embrace doing this for the town. The town
board will certainly want greater clarity before
making any big decisions. We do not have to
accept the award. Turning down such a large
support would also be a big decision. How did
we get into this situation?
The Comprehensive Plan says that as a town
we want to minimize development in the rural
parts of the town and focus development in the
hamlets. Without shared wastewater treatment
of some sort, we are limited to 1-acre or larger
lots, which is more suburban than hamlet in
nature and eats up a lot of land. Individual
septic systems are a 20–30,000-dollar expense
that contributes significantly to the cost of
building houses. Shared systems enable
smaller lots and reduced costs for
infrastructure and services. Neighborhoods can
be more walkable and there are more apt to be
things to walk to with more people to support
and use them. One obvious way to enable
hamlet-style housing and business
development is to put in sewer systems. It isn’t
the only way, but it is a proven and effective
way. The town got grant money to fund a study
of our options in creating shared wastewater
treatment. That study, conducted by Hunt
Engineers, looked at all the options and their
associated costs. Their recommendation was
to add sewers for the core areas of both
hamlets. With their help, we applied for a
Water Quality Improvement Program grant. We
got it! Now what? Is this the best solution for
Danby? Can we mix and match components to
best address our current and projected needs?
Even with the subsidy, is the cost reasonable?
One big question unaddressed by the
engineers is what we would be enabling if we
put the sewers in. What’s in it for the town’s
goal of hamlet growth? Where and what might
we get for the investment? Are the alternative
solutions that were looked at but not chosen
perhaps a better way to unlock potential at a
lower cost? I expect the Town Board will want
to explore additional funding options and
engage the community in critically examining
how best to enable the growth of the hamlets
we say we want. Sewering might be the best
option, but maybe not. Look for opportunities to
participate, sure to be coming soon.
From the Board of Fire Commissioners Danby Fire District
Please be advised your 2025 Town and County Tax reflected an incorrect %Change
for the Danby Fire. This error does not change the tax due.
The 3.8% change from the prior year in the Danby Fire budget as presented on your
tax bill is incorrect. The percentage change from the prior year is 1.9%.
Thank you, Sharon Gaden, Secretary
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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From the Highway Superintendent Keith Shipman
To All Danby Residents,
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. January is almost to a close, so that means we
have about three more months to go of winter weather. We will get through it together by keeping
Danby roads safe for all your travels.
I have been getting some questions about the material
that is being put on the roads for ice control. One big
question is about what makes up the dirty residue that
remains after a road has been treated. We use a mixture of
salt and sand. We purchase our sand through quarries that
are available to us. Sometimes the sand contains a higher
percentage than usual of clay and silt, and this is what
causes the dirt to be left behind on the roads. I would like to
emphasize to our residents that, if you are seeing more
brownish color on the road, this does not imply that we are
using more sand than normal.
This method will greatly reduce the amount of dirt that
you see. However, we have been using up a lot of the
product that has been stockpiled throughout the years paid
for by your tax dollars. I am aware of the problem and am
working to eliminate some of this dirt that is left behind at the
end of the winter. I have also been researching some other
solutions for ice control that would be much more
environmentally friendly. We don’t want our streams to be leveled out and erosion to occur more
rapidly because of sand and dirt washing off from our roads. I am looking into solutions such as sugar
brine that comes primarily from corn. It is a juggling act trying to find the right solutions. We don’t want
to use more salt than we do right now because we want to keep our drinking water protected and
keep the flow that goes to other destinations as clean as possible. I will keep you posted on what I
find out.
Please feel free to contact me any time with your thoughts and concerns. I hope that you and your
families have an enjoyable rest of the winter.
West Danby Polling Place
The Tompkins County Board of Elections has
proposed eliminating the current West Danby
polling place. Proposed alternatives include
having residents vote at the Danby Fire Station
or the Newfield Fire Hall. The Town is in the
process of scheduling a meeting with West
Danby residents and the Tompkins County
Board of Elections in February. Please see the
Town website for more information
(danby.ny.gov).
A Monumental Ask
We are searching for documents
relating to the monument outside of the
Town Hall. The monument honors
veterans of the Civil War and was
erected sometime in the late 1800’s.
Any photos, writings, or other items
related to the monument’s history can
be sent to Katharine Hunter at
hkhunter@danby.ny.gov.
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Town Clerk Mariah Dillon
Tax Season in the Town Clerk's office has
been running very efficiently and effectively
since adding a third person, Blake Savoy.
While one of us can stay focused on accepting
payments from residents (not just taxes, but
dog licenses, parking tags and whatever else),
another can focus on tax bill inquiries (both
phone and email) and respond to
correspondence, while a third person can
begin to process the tax payments. Here's
what that look likes:
• Copy any check number, check amount,
and whatever bill it pertains to onto on
each bill
• Date Stamp both sections of the bill
(absolutely my favorite task!)
• Keep the top part of the bill with the
check, and return the bottom part to the
property owner as their receipt
• Enter the check amount and bill info into
the property tax software
• Run a report of the entered amount
• Deposit checks in the bank
• Run a report of deposited amount
• Ensure entered amount = deposited
amount
• Troubleshoot any issues (honestly, my
second favorite task)
• Document and file every. Single.
Transaction!
Then there's the whole process of keeping
track of funds going to the Town and to
Tompkins County. I'm ultimately responsible for
the disbursement of tax payments, so I handle
that! It's a lot of work, made so much easier
with extra hands in the office.
The Town Clerk's office will continue to
collect late property tax payments until March
31st. After that, you'd have to pay at the
Tompkins County Finance Department:
125 East Court Street,
Old Jail Building, 2nd Floor
Ithaca, NY 14850
Email the Town Clerks Office at:
ClerkOffice@Danby.ny.gov.
We’re here if you need us!
Reminder:
Do you have a reflective green with white
sign with your house number located near
your driveway?
This is what first responders look for when
locating a residence.
If you do not have one, there is an order
form online at Danby.ny.gov
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Planner's Desk Greg Hutnik
Monthly Planner Chats
In an effort to provide more information on all
things planning-related to the residents of
Danby, I will be available on the first
Wednesday of every month from 4:30-6:00pm
at the Danby Food and Drink to discuss new
developments and updates on planning-related
projects in Danby. It may just start out as an
open Q&A session with those who show up
and eventually, depending on interest, I may
prepare presentations on specific projects in
the works. The first chat session will be
Wednesday, February 5 from 4:30-6:00pm.
Come on down to learn more about what the
planning department is working on!
Planning Board
The Planning Board on January 21 approved
a minor (2-lot) subdivision of the 62.77-acre
property at 100 Van de Bogart Road. The
subdivision creates a 10-acre parcel with the
existing farmhouse on it, while retaining the
remainder of the property to continue to be
farmed as a beef operation.
The Planning Board also reviewed a revised
subdivision proposal of the 82-acre property at
20 Nelson Road, owned by the Ithaca Waldorf
School. The initial proposal, first reviewed last
November, was to carve out two 12-acre
parcels from the property to sell off to help
finance future school expansion efforts. It was
found during that review that one of the
proposed lots is encumbered by a
“conservation area” emplaced on it during a
2006 subdivision approval. While this portion of
the property could still be subdivided, the
owner felt that it would add complexity to the
approval process and potential sale of the
property. Consequently, the revised application
proposes to only carve out a 10-acre parcel on
the north side of Nelson Road, a part of the
property that is not encumbered by the
conservation area. A public hearing at the
Town Hall is scheduled for February 18 at
7:00pm to consider approval of the subdivision.
Lastly, the Planning Board continued a
sketch plat review of a proposed subdivision on
the property located at 60 Jersey Hill Road.
The owner is seeking to subdivide the 60-acre
property into two lots, one being a 5-acre
parcel to transfer to a family member (to build a
new home) while retaining the balance of the
property with the existing residence to continue
to be primarily used for agricultural production.
However, the zoning of the property, Rural 1,
requires new lots to be a minimum of 10 acres.
The owner is requesting use of the cluster
subdivision provision of the subdivision
regulations, which could allow a lot (or lots)
that are smaller in area than what the zoning
allows, if in the judgement of the Planning
Board that such application will benefit the
Town. The purpose of a “cluster subdivision” is
two-fold – to preserve open space and reduce
infrastructure costs for developing new lots.
The difficulty with this particular application is
that a 2-lot subdivision does not appear like a
“cluster” as the provision intends, even if it
could meet the letter of the law. After much
discussion, the proposed path forward that
seems like it could be a balanced approach is
to designate an area of the property that will
remain open space in perpetuity and designate
a smaller area that is allowed to be developed,
whether that is for additional lots or for
additional houses (per the density
requirements of the zoning). Further review of
this proposal will take place at the Planning
Board meeting on February 18 at 7:00pm.
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.
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Tompkins County Legislature News Dan Klein
I have been re-elected by my colleagues to
be Chair of the Tompkins County Legislature
again in 2025. I am honored to serve in this
role.
I also want to announce that I will not be
seeking re-election for my legislature seat in
2026. This is my 12th year on the County
Legislature, which followed 6 years on the
Danby Town Board. I am not thinking much
about the past right now though as I am very
focused on making this year a good year for
Tompkins County. If anyone is interested in
running for the County Legislature seat that
covers Danby and Caroline, I would be happy
to talk with you.
Here are some very brief summaries of
some of the outward-facing initiatives I expect
to see the County Legislature work on in 2025.
There are also a number of inward-facing
initiatives that are important, but a lot less
interesting to read about. And then, there are
the things coming our way that we don’t know
about yet. These unknowns often end up
taking up a lot of our time and resources.
• Living Wage – Last year, the County
Legislature passed a resolution to
allocate $50,000 to study the potential
for a countywide living wage, including
its potential benefits and negative
impacts and legal issues. That study
would likely be starting in 2025.
• In 2025, we will begin a process to look
at re-organization of the Office of
Human Rights.
• Center of Government Building – We
should expect significant progress on
the Center of Government Building
development process in 2025.
• Public Safety Building – We should
expect some progress on the Public
Safety Building development process in
2025.
• Shelters – We will likely be starting the
Code Blue shelter (shelter during cold
weather only) process from scratch
once again in 2025. Hopefully, we will
have a not-for-profit agency to run it,
and that will take a lot of the burden off
the County. We should also expect
significant progress on the “permanent”
shelter development process, ideally in
collaboration with a not-for-profit agency
also.
• Cannabis enforcement – this issue will
be coming to us soon as NYS is putting
the enforcement requirement on
counties.
• Broadband – We were supposed to hear
about our NYS broadband grant
application in early summer of 2024.
Then again in the early Fall we were told
we would hear something soon.
Assuming we do get the grant, the
rollout of the program to reach every
unserved address in Tompkins County
will begin in 2025.
• Countywide Ambulance Tax – Some
towns pay a lot for municipal ambulance
service, and those ambulances provide
benefit even to the towns that don’t pay.
The way to fix this inequity might be a
countywide ambulance tax. We may
explore this possibility in 2025.
• Industrial Development Agency (IDA) –
There are proposals afloat to expand
the number of members of the IDA and
also to designate a seat for a school
board member.
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Conservation Advisory Council Margaret Corbit
The Danby Conservation Advisory Council
(CAC) met on Tuesday, January 14 at 7 pm.
Here are the highlights of the meeting.
The January meeting was productive under the
leadership of Anne Klingensmith and Jonathan
Zisk. After approving the agenda, we moved on
to new and ongoing tasks.
We discussed strategies for communicating
with the owners of properties under easement.
As the ownerships turn over due to sale or
inheritance, we need to update our records.
The annual monitoring task provides an
opportunity for verifying land ownership. Each
easement has a “parent,” a member of the
CAC responsible for monitoring. Easement
parents reach out to owners each year to alert
them to the upcoming monitoring walk. This
interaction might uncover a change in
ownership. Another way to confirm the property
owner is to check the County records.
We are pleased to report that two easements
on Comfort Road are nearing completion,
including the Altman easement, which includes
a cultural dimension recognizing the
importance of that land to the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ.
The Timber Harvest Law is now being
reviewed by Town staff to determine the
permitting process.
The CAC voted to pass on a new document,
Reasons to Involve the CAC in a Proposed
Development, to the Town Board for review.
Finally, Danby has several creeks and streams
that feed Cayuga Lake and the Susquehanna
River. Many community members already
participate in the Community Science
Institute’s water monitoring program, and they
have recently advertised for more
volunteers. Opportunities are listed
here: https://mailchi.mp/eafd1f223b07/2025_vo
lunteer_opportunities? The CAC will be inviting
CSI to give a presentation about their public
database and their monitoring programs at a
future meeting. Stay tuned!
Our next meeting is on February 11 at 7 pm in
the Town Hall. Community members are
welcome to attend in hybrid fashion or in
person and a link for Zoom will be posted on
the calendar.
Danby Seniors Pat Phelps
The next meeting of the Danby Seniors will
be Thursday, February 6 at noon at the Danby
Community Church. Please bring a dish-to-
share, a utensil for serving and your own place
settings. The entertainment for February will
be BINGO with prizes and the dynamic Ted
Merritt will be doing the calling.
We welcome new members and invite you to
share your ideas regarding trips and
entertainment for the upcoming year. The
group is also looking for a Secretary for 2025
and anyone interested in joining the Travel
Committee. We appreciate anyone who can
come early to help with setting up.
Meetings are held the FIRST THURSDAY of
every month. If Ithaca Schools are closed due
to weather conditions, there will not be a
meeting.
February 2025 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,
Thu & 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 And
Park (DCAP)
Website: dotsonpark.org
dotsonpark@gmail.com
Thu 12/7 at 7pm
Danby Rural Cemetery
Contact: Sharon Boda
Sharonboda@gmail.com
West Danby Community
Association (WDCA)
Contact: Pat Curran
pc21@cornell.edu
Danby Seniors
Contact: Pat Phelps
patriciaphelps2.0@
gmail.com
Luncheons: 1st Thur at noon
Danby Tosspot
(Open Alcoholics
Anonymous Meeting)
Wed 7pm - virtual
Danby Library News Cindy Parlett
It is time again to update our patron registration cards. Cards are
updated every 3 years so that contact information can be verified. You
may be contacted by email, phone, or snail mail.
Take advantage of our new evening hours each Wednesday from 6-
8pm.
Danby Library will accept gently used items that are current. We
cannot use outdated encyclopedias, instruction manuals, old
magazines, Readers Digest Condensed books, self help books and
anything with mold/dust/yellowed/torn pages, or moisture damage.
Please keep this in mind when considering donations.
.
NOTICE OF REGULAR MEETINGS- DANBY FIRE DISTRICT
Please take notice that the Danby Fire District of the Town of Danby, Tompkins County,
New York, will hold its regular meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 6:30
P.M. Meetings will be held at the Danby Fire Station, 1780 Danby Road, Town of Danby. All
meetings of the Danby Fire District are open to the public.
This notice is being given in accordance with the provisions of Section 104 of the Public
Officers Law of the State of New York.
By order of the Danby Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners, January 13, 2025.
February 2025 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 2/3 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 882 2697 6101 905098
WDWD Wed 2/5 5:00pm In person West Danby Fire station
CAC* Tue 2/11 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507
FD Tue 2/11 7:00pm In person Danby Fire Station
DYC Thur 2/13 7:00pm Online- contact youth@danby.ny.gov
Town Board* Thurs 2/20 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 847 9505 5187 308958
PB* Tue 2/18 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 893 3897 1114 956288
BZA* Tue 2/25 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041
FD Tue 2/25 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) CoChair: Maddie Ulinski 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
February 2025 Town of Danby, New York
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Town Officials
Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon
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
Highway
Superintendent
Deputy Highway
Superintendent
Hours: Mon–Thu
6am–4:30pm
Keith Shipman
highway@danby.ny.gov
Jack Shawley
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
planner@danby.ny.gov
Code Enforcement
Hours: Mon-Fri
by appointment
Steve Cortright
code@danby.ny.gov
Documents/
Historian
Mary Ann Barr
mbarr@danby.ny.gov
Bookkeeper Laura Shawley
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
