HomeMy WebLinkAboutFinal April 2026 NewsletterApril 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Danby Town News
Public Hearing
A public hearing regarding the Zoning
Amendments local law will be held at the
Town Board meeting on April 7th at 6pm.
Some of the details in the latest draft can
be found in the “Notes from the Town
Supervisor” on the next page. A copy of
the local law is available in the Clerk’s
office, as well as on our website. Please
contact the Town Planner, Greg Hutnik, for
more information.
Town Mowing Contract
The Town is seeking proposals for 2026
lawn mowing for the following properties:
The West Danby Water District, Danby
Town Hall, Jennings Pond, and the
following cemeteries: Bald Hill Road
Cemetery, Peter Road Cemetery, Nelson
Rod Cemetery, and the West Danby
Methodist Cemetery. If interested, please
contact Joel Gagnon
(supervisor@danby.ny.gov or 607 227-
4440) for more complete information.
Proposals must be received by April 17,
2026.
Danby Potluck and
Fundraiser for the Danby
Food Pantry
a
Saturday, April 18th 6-8pm
Danby Community Church
1859 Danby Rd Ithaca, NY 14850
Bring a dish to share, meet your neighbors! If
possible, bring your own place settings and
take-away containers. An optional cash or
check donation to the Danby Food Pantry is
very appreciated! Hosted by the Danby
Resilience Community.
May 2nd Spring Resilience Fair!!!
The Fall Resilience Fair was so much fun that
the Danby Resilience Community is planning a
Spring Resilience Fair Saturday May 2nd 10am
- 5pm at the Danby Volunteer Fire Company.
So far there will be information on have bee
keeping, wells/hydrology, water catchment,
seed starting and sharing, plant propagation,
and more. If you are interested in presenting a
skill/topic or volunteering, or for more info,
email Eric at brew_bird@yahoo.com.
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Notes from the Town Supervisor Joel Gagno n
Spring seems to be arriving in fits and starts
this year, with above-normal temps alternating
with below normal ones. It will probably all
average out, but what the plants and critters
are experiencing is stressful. The days are
getting longer and the sun stronger, though, so
whatever the lead up spring will be here by
mid-month. Enjoy!
Cryptocurrency Mining and Data Centers
Many residents have urged the Town Board
to take action to keep these two activities out of
Danby. We are not at great risk for a variety of
reasons both legal and practical. There is not
enough power in Danby to support these uses
without constructing power generation and
neither is there water in quantities usually
necessary for cooling. Zoning is structured in
such a way that uses not specifically allowed
are prohibited. Neither data centers nor
cryptocurrency mining are allowed uses. Of
course, they were not specifically allowed in
Lansing either and a proposal for a data center
nonetheless is advancing because it was
judged to be similar enough to an allowed use
to be permissible based on language allowing
“uses similar to”. Danby’s zoning law does not
have that “uses similar to” language. Still, in
sort of a belt and suspenders approach, we are
moving to amend our zoning law by defining
these uses to make it even clearer that they
are not permitted. Danby is following Dryden’s
lead in this. They recently banned these uses
by explicitly defining them so it is clear that
they do not resemble anything that is allowed.
Zoning Changes Postponed Once Again
You may recall that action on a package of
zoning law changes was postponed to allow for
adjustment of the required setbacks in the
hamlet neighborhood zones. Well, we did it
again. In order to include the language to ban
cryptocurrency mining and data centers along
with the rest of the proposed changes, the
public hearing was cancelled and rescheduled
for the April 7 meeting. You can see the
revised package linked to the website both on
the front page and with the meeting agenda.
This time for sure?
Third Single-family CDBG Housing Rehab
Project to Launch Soon
We got the grant ($700,000). We needed an
organization to administer it for us. That was
accomplished via a request for proposal
process that ended with the selection of Thoma
Associates on March 17. Since they were the
sole submitter (despite the RFP being widely
advertised), the selection is subject to review
and approval by the Office of Community
Renewal. We anticipate approval shortly. Once
we have it the processing of applications will
begin. We have been there before, but it is still
exciting to be able to offer this kind of help to
those who truly need it.
Special Events Law
The draft floated for comment last year
garnered a lot of comments. Those comments
prompted significant reworking. A new draft
was shared with the Town Board and found
strong support. One part that still needs
tweaking is the “trigger level” for what we mean
by a special event. On the table are both the
number of people and the number of vehicles.
200 people and 75 cars are being considered,
with the size of the property also factoring in.
There are several exceptions, as before.
An implication of defining and regulating
special events is that events that don’t fit the
definition are by default considered customary
residential activities. Customary residential
activities are allowed uses already. We are
trying to enable the special events, and the
permitting process is aimed at planning for
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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safety, public health, and sound. You will soon
have an opportunity to weigh in on whether we
have struck an appropriate balance among all
these considerations.
From the Town Clerk Blake Savoy
A few quick reminders and updates!
Dog Licenses
We got a news bulletin from the Tompkins
County Whole Health Department about a dog
bite that happened in downtown Ithaca.
Reminds me of a few calls we've gotten, too. I
hate to bring out the scary "rabies" word, but
rabies is scary! No one wants to get a dog bite,
let alone rabies. Part of mitigating that risk is
making sure that all dogs in Danby are
vaccinated against rabies. Not only does it
keep the community safe, it's the law.
Property Taxes
Property taxes are DONE in the Town Clerk's
Office! Payments postmarked after March 31st
will be returned. Unpaid taxes and second
installments are due to the Tompkins County
Treasury Department. Check out their website
or give them a call at (607) 274-5545.
Staying Informed and Getting Involved
One of the best things about my job is being
able to help connect residents to their local
government. If you’re looking to stay informed
on local issues or get involved, look no
further. It looks different for everyone.
Meetings are typically on the 1st and 3rd
Tuesdays of the month at 6pm, but if
you can't make it, don't worry about being
left out. If you're reading this, you're
already making an effort to stay
informed. Here's where some other options
come in!
Minutes- Ever wanted a notetaker of what
happened at a Town Board Meeting?
Congrats, you've got me! A part of my job is to
attend meetings and record actions
taken. Usually that also involves
discussion leading up to an action, but when it
gets too wordy, there's also...
Recordings- Most meetings are "hybrid",
meaning at Town Hall and on Zoom. We
record and upload the audio of meetings,
usually a day or two after the meeting was
held. We don't upload the video but can
provide the link to view and download upon
request. If in doubt...
Contact us- Give us a call, email, or stop
by! We're here 11am-4pm weekdays (unless
noted otherwise on the website or door) at
Town Hall. If you can't make it during those
hours, give us a call to schedule an
appointment or send us an email. And yes,
snail mail works too. We're here to help! That
said, some things we
just can't do. That's where we turn to...
Contact the Town Board- The Town Board is
the legislative (law-making) body of the
town. Often, if we can't help you, they're the
next step. Getting in contact with them can be
as simple as emailing
townboard@danby.ny.gov . After emailing the
Town Board, you may or may not get a
response from any or all of the members. Have
no fear, that doesn't mean they don't read and
consider it!
Individual Board Members can't speak on
behalf of the Town Board as a whole, but you
may hear back regarding their individual
thoughts or questions. You'll also hear from me
saying that I've received your correspondence
and that it'll be added
to the correspondence on the next meeting's
agenda.
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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If you have a comment that you want the
Town Board to hear, you can also come to a
meeting and speak during the "Privilege of the
Floor". This is a period for public comment
directed to the Town Board with a 3-
minute time limit per speaker. Can't make it?
Send your comment (400 words maximum) in
writing to me with the subject line "For Privilege
of the Floor" and your topic. Important note: If
you submit a written Privilege of the Floor
comment, you cannot speak during Privilege of
the Floor on the same topic.
Clear as crystal? Well, maybe a smokey
quartz. At the end of the day, my job is
to provide information so that you can make
your own choices. As Mariah put it, here if you
need us!
County Legislator Irene Weiser -Iweiser@tompkins-co.org
Hello Caroline and Danby Neighbors,
There’s lots to catch up on since my last
newsletter.
At our February 17 Legislature meeting,
NYSEG representatives discussed proposed
rate increases. Legislators raised concerns
about affordability, reliability, poor service, lack
of transparency, and the cumulative impact of
repeated hikes. If you’re struggling to pay your
utility bills, call 211 to learn about local
resources. If you received a shut-off notice,
contact NYSEG to arrange a payment plan.
You may also reach the Public Utility Law
Project at 877-669-2572. The Legislature also
approved a 5% property tax reduction for low-
income seniors.
The biggest County news in March has been
the crisis at the 180-unit Asteri affordable and
supportive housing building in downtown
Ithaca. After a notice to vacate due to
hazardous conditions, County staff mobilized
quickly to assist residents. Emergency
Response coordinated efforts. Social Services
secured temporary housing and placed
residents in hotels. TCAT helped transport
people and belongings. Whole Health provided
counseling support. Community nonprofits
stepped up with food, supplies, and moving
boxes. Meanwhile, County leadership has
been coordinating with New York State, the
City of Ithaca, and the facility’s management,
while exploring legal remedies. It has been
impressive and reassuring to see how
effectively our County responds in a crisis.
Looking ahead, the Public Safety Committee
has launched working groups on Flock
surveillance cameras in advance of contract
renewal and on expanding emergency medical
services to underserved areas. The Budget,
Capital and Personnel Committee is exploring
paid family leave for County employees to
support recruitment, retention, and long-term
cost savings.
A reminder for SNAP recipients to check with
their caseworker about new work
requirements. Visit https://tompkins-
opportunity.org/ for qualifying work or volunteer
options, and the County Workforce
Development website for job training
opportunities https://www.tompkinscountyny.go
v/All-Departments/Workforce-Development .
The Summer Youth Employment Program is
accepting applications through May 23; details
are available on the Workforce Development
website.
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Danby Fire District Sharon Gaden, Secretary
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the fiscal
affairs of the Danby Fire District for the period
beginning on January 1, 2025, and ending on
December 31, 2025, have been examined by
an independent public accountant, Stokes,
Visca, Hucko & Barone, LLC, that the report of
external audit by the independent public
accountant has been filed in my office where it
is available as a public record for inspection by
all interested persons. Pursuant to Section
181-b of the Town Law, the governing board of
the Danby Fire District shall, if necessary,
prepare a written response and corrective
action plan to the report of external audit of the
independent public account and file any such
response and corrective action plan in my
office as a public record for inspection by all
interested persons not later than 90 days from
the date hereof.
West Danby Water District Tod Sukontarak
The Town of Danby, after a bid proposal
process that included six engineering firms and
recommendations from the West Danby Water
District Advisory Committee, has contracted
the services of Hunt Engineers, Architects and
Surveyors to conduct an engineering study for
improving and repairing the West Danby Water
District’s distribution infrastructure. Among the
specific issues Hunt will look at are distribution
line condition and life expectancy, fire
suppression capability, areas of chronic line
breaks, and district boundary extension.
Once a project plan has been determined,
RCAP Solutions, the Northeast Regional
Representative of the Rural Community
Assistance Partnership, will help us in finding
grants and low interest loans to fund the
project. Some funding sources require a
household characteristics survey. A letter
describing in more detail the need for the
survey and how it will be handled as well as
the survey form will be mailed to each
residence in the water district. The mailing will
also include a self-addressed, stamped
envelope to be returned to RCAP Solutions
after completing the survey. All information in
the survey is confidential and will only be seen
by RCAP personnel. The survey should be
completed only for residences within the
boundary of the West Danby Water District.
Danby Seniors
The Danby Seniors will meet on Thursday, April 2nd at 12 noon at the Danby Community Church.
Contact Pat Phelps for more information!
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Conservation Advisory Council Margaret Corbit
The Danby Conservation Advisory Council
(CAC) met on Tuesday, March 10 at 7 pm.
After approving the minutes and the annual
report, we covered several topics in depth.
First, we talked about the enabling document
that the Town used to create the CAC. It is
based on a statewide format; it was helpful to
talk about that and about what additions were
made by the Town to enable Danby’s
Conservations Easement Program.
Next, we reviewed a draft document that will
serve as a template to use in creating an
overview for each Conservation Easement. We
looked at a draft based on the file and talked
about how to apply it. We want each one to be
as short and sweet as possible—one that a
new monitor will be able to rely on without
having to delve into the actual legal document
on which it is based. Since the overview is
intended to be a living document that changes
over time, it is important for it to have a strong
base and flexible format so that monitors can
update it as time goes on.
There was some discussion about how to
use the monitoring template itself. And we
confirmed that the Parents of each Easement
should feel free to customize it for the
particular property.
We then talked about how to present
information on the potential tax benefits of
donating an easement. Jonathan Zisk
continues to work on a spreadsheet that will
help property owners estimate for themselves.
Finally, we got updates on two Easements
under development.
Our next meeting is on April 14 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 Youth Programs Jorin Clougherty
4-H Duck Race
Saturday, April 25th 11am-4pm
Join us to watch up to 3,000 bright yellow
rubber ducks tumble over the Cascadilla Creek
Falls…. then bob down the creek in a frantic
and fabulous race to the 4-H Education Center
on Willow Avenue. Take a chance on a duck
and win GREAT PRIZES if your duck is among
the first to cross the finish line! Enjoy
refreshments, entertainment, and activities for
kids all afternoon long. All proceeds support 4-
H youth programs in Tompkins County!
More information at ccetompkins.org
Participants in the Danby Youth Program
“Builder’s Brigade” will be working through April
to create an entry in the First Annual 4-H
Cardboard Boat Race (as part of the Duck
Race). We’ll be competing against other
municipal youth programs in Tompkins County,
so come show your support at the Duck Race!
Other Programs
Programs are running until April 24th and
there are still slots in several programs. You
can sign up at bit.ly/danbyrys
Questions? Contact Program Instructor Jorin
Clougherty at jc3842@cornell.edu
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Honoring Community Service Blake Savoy
Recently, Danby’s own Jody Scriber recently received a Tompkins Weekly “Hometown Hero” award
for 50 years of working with Racker, an organization dedicated to supporting people with disabilities.
In my short interview with her, I really got to appreciate the importance of community support and how
it shapes the world we’re in.
After World War 2, Jody’s parents moved to her grandmother’s summer home, where she got to
know two families that had members with disabilities. In addition to her experience with them and
volunteering as a candy striper, in her sophomore or junior year of high school, she read a book
called “Run Away, Little Girl”, a story about a girl with cerebral palsy and her family’s journey. These
moments cemented her desire to become a physical therapist, specifically for children with
disabilities. In 1972, she graduated and began working at cerebral palsy centers in the area. She
began working at Racker, then called the Special Children’s Center, in January of 1976. As she
describes it, she was in the right place at the right time. She noted the incredible support from her
family and her bosses as she continued there. Since then, she has worked to make sure that the staff
at Racker have opportunities, just as she did.
While discussing the award, Jody mentioned that Racker had nominated her because they hadn’t
had someone working there for so long before. She said that she wanted the award to be something
that would spread awareness in the community, “not something to dust”. At the end of the interview, I
asked if she had a message for the folks in Danby. She said that most of all, she wants these articles
to lead to conversations in communities about how to support each other and to know that “people
can come together”. She also encouraged people who are interested in community support projects
to reach out to her and continue the conversation.
Playing in the snow to
beat the boredom!
Printmaking program!
Building birdhouses as
part of the Birdhouses and
Board Games special
program!
April 2026 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
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 Tosspots
(Open Alcoholics
Anonymous Meeting)
Wed 7pm – virtual
Please note that there is a
new Zoom link for this
meeting!
Danby Library News Cindy Parlett
Meet the author-Patricia Cornwell is an American crime writer
and is best known for her novels about forensic pathologist, Dr. Kay
Scarpetta. This author was first mentioned in the December 2021
Danby newsletter when it was reported that Jamie Lee Curtis'
Comet Pictures was planning to produce a series featuring Dr.
Scarpetta. You can now watch the Prime Video TV series
adaptation of the novels starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee
Curtis. For those of you interested in how it all started, we have the
first book in the series, Postmortem, published in 1997. We have a
total of 20 books by Patricia Cornwell and many of them involve Dr.
Kay Scarpetta.
Interested in getting the Danby Town News in your inbox?
You’re not alone! This newsletter is a critical part of keeping
Danby informed and involved. There are a few more hurdles to
jump through before we can get it started. Keep an eye on the
website for when the email newsletter goes live! Please email
townnews@danby.ny.gov if you have questions.
The newsletter is also available online at
danby.ny.gov/current-town-newsletter. If you’d like to opt-out
from physical mailings, please email townnews@danby.ny.gov
along with your address.
April 2026 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* Tues 4/7 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 864 5365 2513 920558
WDWD Wed 4/1 5:00pm In person West Danby Fire station
CAC* Tue 4/14 7:00pm 1-929-205-6099 835 4940 5296 879507
FD Tue 4/14 6:30pm In person Danby Fire Station
DYC Thur 4/9 7:30pm Online- kshanks@tompkins-co.org
Town Board* Tues 4/21 6:00pm 1-929-205-6099 833 9755 8154 114604
PB* Wed 4/15 7:00pm 1-646-876-9923 822 5277 6582
BZA* Tue TBD 7:00pm TBD 817 1432 4705 398041
FD Tue 4/28 6:30pm 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 Wednesday at 7pm
Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA)
Chair: Earl Hicks
bza@danby.ny.gov
Meets: 4th Tuesday, as needed
Conservation Advisory Council (CAC)
Co-Chairs: Anne Klingensmith
Jonathan Zisk
cac@danby.ny.gov
Meets: 2nd Tuesday at 7pm
Danby Youth Commission (DYC)
Contact: Patty Van de Bogart
pvandebogartftc@gmail.com
Meets: 2nd Thursday at 7:30pm
Fire District (FD)
Secretary: Sharon Gaden,
secretary@danbyfiredistrict.org
danby.ny.gov/depts/danby-fire-district
Meets: 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 6:30pm
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
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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Town Officials
Town Supervisor Joel Gagnon
supervisor@danby.ny.gov
Town Board
Meets 1st Tues
and 3rd Tues
Leslie Connors
Mariah Dillon
Zachary Larkins
Mark Pruce
townboard@danby.ny.gov
Town Clerk
Deputy Town Clerk
Hours: Mon–Fri
11am–4pm
Blake Savoy
Cindy Katz
clerkoffice@danby.ny.gov
607-277-4788 opt. 2
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
April 2026 Town of Danby, New York
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