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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011 Enfield-Town-Government-Newsletter-Spring-2011.pdf1 Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road http://townofenfield.org April 2011-July 2011 Newsletter Enfield Town Boards Meetings are held in the Community Building, 1st floor Town Board: 2nd Wednesday, 6:45pm Town Supervisor Roy Barriere 277-3843 Deputy Supervisor Debbie Teeter 277-4547 Town Council Members Ron Clark 592-5901 Chris Hern 256-5033 Jean Owens 273-5682 Debbie Teeter 277-4547 Planning Board: 1st Wednesday, 7pm Virginia Bryant, co-chair 387-9376 Mike Carpenter, co-chair 277-4204 Jim McConkey 387-9830 Ann Chaffee 272-6460 Steve Givin 273-7434 Calvin Rothermich 272-5930 Dan Walker 387-6394 Town Offices Town Clerk 273-8256 Alice Linton, Town Clerk Sue Thompson, Deputy Town Clerk Town Office/Clerk Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3 pm - 6 pm Highway Department 272-6490 Barry Rollins, Highway Superintendent Town Highway Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 6 am - 2:30 pm Town Court 273-0363 Justice Poole: Monday, 5:00 pm Justice Varricchio: Thursday, 5:00 pm Code Enforcement Office Community Building, 2nd floor Code Enforcement 277-0266 Alan Teeter, Code Enforcement Officer Carl Staley, Code Enforcement Officer Code Enforcement Office Hours: Monday, Thursday & Saturday 8:30-11 am Wednesday 8:30 am-11 am & 5-7 pm Town Historian Sue Thompson 272-6412 Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Art Howser, Chief 272-8757 Roger Lauper, Deputy Chief Tucker Snyder, Captain County Legislators Report from the Supervisor We were hit with unfortunate news early this year – Stephanie Gaynor had to resign her position as Councilperson. Her dedication and commitment to the community will definitely be missed. On behalf of the Town, I thank Stephanie for the three years she served us. We also lost one of our Planning Board members due to retirement. Keith Smith retired at the end of 2010 and moved out of Enfield. I now would like to welcome our new Town Board members. Councilperson Ron Clark started with the Board on the 1st of January. Ron brings an enormous amount of facilities experience, including code experience, which will definitely be welcomed with the planning and construction of our new highway facility, which will soon begin. And I would also like to welcome back Councilperson Jean Owens, who has agreed to serve for another year, filling our vacancy on the Board. It goes without saying, her expertise with Town government is second to none. We are very fortunate to have her serve another year. As for the new highway facility, the final design and bid specifications have been approved by the Committee and Town Board. The bids were opened early in March and will hopefully be awarded soon. If all goes as planned, we could have the ground breaking around the middle of April. The Committee has been working very hard over the last few weeks, fine-tuning the design, but more importantly, making sure the bid specifications cover our needs. Their job is not close to being done, but I can’t thank them enough for their dedication and attention to details they’ve devoted to this project. The hot topic upon us right now is taxes. There have been many inquiries pertaining to this year’s tax bill, and rightfully so. On page two there is a section dedicated towards trying to explain this year’s tax bill. We currently have 2 committee vacancies – one seat on the Recreation Partnership and the other on the County Environmental Management Council. If anyone is able and interested in serving in one of the two remaining vacancies, please let me know. Last, but not least, don’t forget to visit our new and improved website - http://townofenfield.org/content. Please take time to visit the website for meeting minutes, committee reports, agendas, etc… Our Town Board meetings are normally held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at 6:45 pm. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any Town issues, please contact any of the Town Board members. Respectfully, Roy Barriere, Town Supervisor Dave McKenna Enfield/Newfield 564-7243, dmckenna@tompkins-co.org Jim Dennis Enfield/Ulysses 387-4058, jpd821@yahoo.com Annual Spring Clean-Up coming in May! Tuesday May 10th - Saturday May 14th 10:00 am-7:00 pm Tuesday - Friday, 7:00 am-12:00 pm Saturday Across from the Town Hall & Highway Garage · No Refrigerant/Freon · Tires on Rims ONLY—no Rimless Tires · No hazardous materials or recyclables 2 **Clarifying the Tax Increase** All towns in Tompkins County have two options as to how they receive their portion of sales tax revenues collected within the county: 1. The Town can receive its share of sales tax revenues to reduce the amount of the Town property taxes needing to be raised, or 2. Allow the County to keep our share of sales taxes collected to reduce Enfield residents’ County property taxes. To help clarify, let’s go over a little history. Going back approximately 12 years, and prior to that, the Town of Enfield’s share of the sales tax revenues were kept by the County which reduced our Tompkins County property tax. At that time, sales tax revenues were increasing significantly faster than the cost of living was increasing. Therefore, more sales tax was collected than was anticipated. More sales tax revenue meant lower property taxes. Therefore, about 12 years ago, the Enfield Town Board voted to directly receive the sales tax revenue to help offset increases in Town of Enfield property taxes. The County portion of the property taxes ON OUR PROPERTY TAX BILLS increased dramatically as a result of that action. In reality, the increase was a result of sales tax revenues being applied to offset Town property taxes rather than County property taxes. Up until a few years ago, when the recession began to take its toll on sales tax revenues, the Town did very well with the rapid increase in sales tax revenue. Recently, sales tax revenues have fallen off at a significant rate. The Town of Enfield’s reliance on falling sales tax revenues placed the Town in a difficult budgeting position. Our budget is very tight, so when sales tax revenues fail to meet the anticipated totals, our necessary services such as maintenance of our roads are placed in jeopardy. Therefore, in 2010, the Enfield Town Board voted to return to allowing the County to keep our share of sales tax collected to reduce our County property taxes and the Town of Enfield will rely on property taxes. Sales tax revenues are variable due to economic pressures and property tax revenues are a known amount determined by the rate on your property value. With that being said, the increase in your Town of Enfield levy was a result of sales tax revenues being applied to offset County property taxes rather than Town property taxes. The way our tax bill was written was very misleading. Normally, tax bills compare the previous year’s tax levy with the next year’s levy. Therefore, the comparison with last year’s levy to this year’s is not comparing “apples to apples”. To create a more realistic comparison, we should add the anticipated sales tax revenue from 2010 to the 2010 levy, which would have been our tax levy in 2010 if we had converted sales tax revenue over last year. Based on that, our tax levy last year would have been $807,000. The Town’s tax levy for 2011 is $854,000. This increase equates to a 5.8% increase in our tax levy; not nearly 400% as the tax bill indicates. Due to the total assessed value for the Town of Enfield increasing for 2011, the 5.8% tax levy increase equals less than a 4% tax rate increase to cover the Town’s levy. However, with the sales tax revenue for the Town of Enfield decreasing by 9% for 2010 and an anticipated 3% decline for 2011, this had a major impact on our property tax bill. This is the main reason why the Board opted to move the sales tax revenue over to the County credit. With the unstable economy we are experiencing, it’s better for planning and budgeting to have the sales tax revenue routed as we now have it, which is now the same as most of the Tompkins County municipalities. To break it down even further, the Town’s budget has 3 main sections; the General Operating Fund, the Highway Fund, and the Special Fund (Emergency Services). If you look at the tax bill, the first two sections of the budget are covered by the Enfield Tax, and the Special Fund covers the Town’s fire protection and other emergency services. The Enfield tax portion had about a 3.9% increase from last year (figuring in the sales tax revenue). The main reason for that increase was due to the benefits portion of the budget; mainly the retirement and comprehensive insurance coverage.; those went up approximately 20% from last year. As for the fire company’s portion, that went up approximately 3.8% from last year - 2% was due to the multi-year contract and the other 1.8% is due to the comprehensive insurance coverage. Respectfully, Roy Barriere, Town Supervisor News from Code Enforcement After a long snowy winter we hope spring is here by the time you’re reading this. Due to the poor economy and cold weather it's been a slow time for building in Enfield. That being said, with spring arriving we anticipate another busy year here. We've found in the past, with money tight, people are more likely to do remodeling or add a small addition on their own home instead of building a new home or purchasing a different home. For us that means we still issue about the same number of permits every year and our work load seems to remain about the same. Last year there were a total of 16 new homes built in the town of Enfield at a total value of over 1.6 million dollars, and a total estimated cost of improvements in the town of about 2.3 million dollars. There has been a steady increase in cost of improvements over the last four years, some of which can be contributed to the cost of building materials and labor. Overall it shows that Enfield is growing and also that long time residents are investing money in their properties. If you ever have any questions about projects that you may be starting or questions in general give us a call or stop in and we will be glad to assist you. We are located upstairs in the Community Building at the rear of the courtroom and our office hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 8:30-11:00 a.m. and Wednesday evenings 5:00- 7:00 p.m. We can be reached at 277-0266 Code Enforcement Officers Alan Teeter and Carl Staley The Enfield Community Center is available for Enfield community events and activities. To reserve space, or report a problem with the facility, contact Chris Hern at 256-5033. 3 From the Town Clerk We’re hoping that spring is just around the corner and that many of you will have time to do some fishing in the months ahead. Yes, we’re ready to sell fishing licenses – when you purchase your license from the town, a small portion of the license fee stays in the town instead of going to a large store. We are pleased that everything seems to be running smoothly with the change of dog licensing. Our office will send out reminders at the beginning of the month that your dog’s license is due for renewal. If you should get a new dog, or have a dog that isn’t licensed, you can find a form for licensing on the town’s website, www.townofenfield.org, or stop by our office to pick up a form. All dogs residing in the Town of Enfield need to be licensed! Every dog will get a new tag this year with a Town of Enfield number on it. This tag should be attached to your dog’s collar and your old NYS Department of Ag and Markets tag may be thrown away. The Rabies Clinic sponsored by the Tompkins County Health Department is scheduled for Thursday, May 12 at the Enfield Highway Department, 168 Enfield Main Road. It looks like the time will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., but that is not confirmed yet. Please call 273-8256 or look for notifications in the paper as the time gets closer to the clinic. Our office hours will continue to be Monday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. If those hours aren’t convenient for you, give us a call at 273-8246 and we’ll be glad to open the office at a time that works for you. Enjoy the warmer days ahead, Alice Linton, Town Clerk Sue Thompson, Deputy Town Clerk From the Highway Superintendent Happy Spring…. ok I might be getting ahead of myself but it will be here soon, and I know that it will be a welcome sight for all of us! I feel the guys have done a great job with the different challenges of this winter weather. While I am talking about winter I just want to remind you that mailbox specifications can be found on the Enfield website, or you can pick up a copy from the Highway or the Town Clerk office, this makes a much better spring or summer project…rather than trying to get it done in winter. Projects for this year will be trimming trees and brush twenty four feet from the center of the road; shoulders and ditching. We will be prepping Fish Road and Harvey Hill Road between Black Oak and Buck Hill Road, and then oil and stoning these roads. Bridge work will begin approximately the first week of April on Enfield Center Road, off from Route 327. This will cause us to close this end of the road for about 6 weeks. There will be fill dirt and wood chips available again come spring, just call the Highway to be put on the list, and if we are working near your property we will deliver. There will be wood chips across from the Highway for those of you that would like to pick some up at your convenience. Once again I would like to thank you for your input, I appreciated your help by calling and letting us know where there were problem areas. And for those of you who took the time to tell the guys that you appreciate them. Watch for clean up week in May, and as always feel free to call or stop by with praises or concerns. Buddy Rollins, Sr. Enfield Highway Superintendent 272-6490 Enfield Volunteer Fire Company, Inc.—Cell Phones and Fire Service Cell phones have become as much a part of our life as the automobile, almost everyone has one. The convenience and portability have made them extremely popular and they continue to make advancements in the technology. Not only can you make a phone call from one but now you can text message, surf the internet, send pictures, check your email just to name a few uses. However, cell phones have become a real burden on emergency service personnel. Take a vehicle in the ditch on a snowy day: in pre-cell phone days this probably wouldn’t generate more than one call for assistance - now, on a busy highway, it generates 15 to 20 calls. The issue with these calls is everyone has a different perception of what they see. In most cases callers do not stop to check on the facts. The lack of accurate information will put in motion a series of events, including law enforcement, ambulance, and fire and rescue units. This is a normal response for any situation involving a motor vehicle accident where the status of the occupants is unknown. Although emergency personnel would rather lean on the side of safety, this type of call will put over a half million dollars’ worth of equipment and personnel on the road. Most cell phone callers are also either unfamiliar with the area or don’t pay close attention to the location of the incident. The lack of providing an accurate location could lead a 911 dispatcher to believe they are dealing with two separate incidents, which will require additional equipment and personnel. So, here are some tips on reporting an incident by cell phone. First, keep in mind it is illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving. If possible, stop and check the occupants of the vehicle—but never ever do so if it jeopardizes your own safety or the safety of others. Secondly, get an accurate location, land mark or nearest intersection. Tompkins County uses house numbers in their database so obtaining an actual house number (a number on a mailbox) is the best. If there are no houses in the area try to get a landmark and direction you are traveling. Example: I was on my way to Ithaca from Mecklenburg, I remember passing an intersection with a flashing light and the incident is on a hill just past that. Finally, give a description of what you see, but never exaggerate. Emergency personnel sometimes alter their responses based on what the callers tell them. Remember, you may be one of several callers reporting the same incident so be prepared to answer the questions mentioned above. Although all calls are important, 911 dispatchers are looking for key information and will move on to the next caller if you are unable to provide it. The Enfield Volunteer Fire Company would never refuse to respond to any call for emergency. However, there has been a steady increase in calls over the last few years that do not require the response of emergency personnel. Most of the increase can be contributed to the cell phone and the lack of accurate information. Submitted by Dennis G. Hubbell – President EVFC 4 Dates to Remember April 6 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 6 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 8 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm May 4 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 4 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 10-14 Spring Clean-up (pg 1) Across from Town Hall 11 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm 12 Rabies Clinic (pg 3) Highway Garage, 6:30 p.m. June 1 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 1 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 8 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm July 6 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 6 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 13 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road Ithaca NY 14850 Helpful Tompkins County Web Sites (all begin with http://www.): Government: co.tompkins.ny.us Legislature: tompkins-co.org/legislature Assessment: tompkins-co.org/assessment Board of Elections: tompkins-co.org/boe Volunteer Recognition Volunteerism runs strong in the Enfield Community; here’s a “Thank You” to our most recent Volunteers of the Month: December 2010: Linda & Larry Stillwell For nearly 50 years of service to the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company and Ladies auxiliary and more than 20 years with the Food Pantry. January 2011: Mary & Ken Eckert For over 20 years of service with the Enfield Food Pantry, helping with Flu Shot Clinics and willingness to help with any of the Senior Citizen’s many activities. February 2011: Helen Hetherington For her many years of service to the Enfield Community Council and Food Pantry on- going work with the Community Beautification Committee and Ladies Auxiliary. March 2011: Denny Hubbell For his work with the Enfield Volunteer Fire Company. He is a Life Member with 34 years and over 40,000 hours of service. Do you know someone who goes above and beyond for our community? Submit a letter of nomination for Volunteer of the Month to Roy Barriere at the Town Hall by the first Wednesday of each month for consideration. Clerk: tompkins-co.org/clerk Health Department: tompkins-co.org/health Highway Department: tompkins-co.org/highway Solid Waste: recycletompkins.org