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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013 Enfield-Town-Government-Newsletter-Summer-2013.pdf1 Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road http://townofenfield.org April 2013-June 2013 Newsletter Enfield Town Boards Meetings are held in the Community Building, 1st floor Town Board: 2nd Wednesday, 6:30pm Town Supervisor Ann Rider 277-3478 daylilyann10@yahoo.com Deputy Supervisor Debbie Teeter 277-4547 Town Council Members Mike Carpenter 277-4204 Chris Hern 256-5033 Vera Howe-Strait 273-1413 Debbie Teeter 277-4547 Planning Board: 1st Wednesday, 7pm Virginia Bryant, co-chair 387-9376 Ann Chaffee 272-6460 Dawn George 273-1247 Steve Givin 273-7434 Calvin Rothermich 272-5930 Marie Van De Mark 277-4383 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 Code Enforcement Office Community Building, 2nd floor Code Enforcement 277-0266 Alan Teeter, Code Enforcement Officer Code Enforcement Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 8:30-11 am Wednesday 5-7 pm - Community Bldg, dwnstrs 882-9958 Town Historian Sue Thompson 272-6412 Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Art Howser, Chief 272-8757 Roger Lauper, Deputy Chief Kirk Vandee, 1st Assistant Chief Tucker Snyder, 2nd Assistant Chief Andy Senno, Captain County Legislators Report from the Supervisor As many of you may already know, after being elected to a Town Councilman position starting January 1, 2012, I was appointed Supervisor at the Town Board meeting on December 20, 2012 to fill out Roy Barriere’s term. Roy wants to travel this year and will be away from Enfield for long stretches of time. As you are reading, he is in Louisiana pretending to be a Cajun. I am very jealous. The major work of the Board for the first part of the year has been doing the steps necessary to pass a Local Law prohibiting Gas and Petroleum Exploration and Extraction Activities in the Town. A Public Hearing, where about 40 people spoke on the issue, was held on February 26. At the Board Meeting on March 13 this Local Law was passed. The vast majority of people who spoke and wrote e-mails urged the Board to pass this Law. Hopefully, forth coming state regulations will make residents more comfortable with the regulation and oversight of this process, so less stringent local regulations will be necessary. After the sudden and untimely death of Justice Jim Varricchio, the Town Board has appointed Justice Betty Poole to handle both Courts until the end of the year. The Board is very grateful to Judge Poole for accepting this additional responsibly, making it unnecessary for the Town to send a new person to training. The Aquifer Study being done by the US Geological Service will be starting shortly. Initially, there will be a lot of work done in the office, mapping known existing home wells and finding out about wells drilled before 2000 (before well drillers were required to report their drilling to a government agency). If you have an older well and have the documentation from your driller, call Ed Bugsliosi (or Liz) at 266-0217 and he will add your information (kept confidential) to their map. In upcoming years they will do on site work, including seismographic readings, test bores and well water testing. You can volunteer your well and get a lot of information back from them. Stay tuned…. The Town will not be sponsoring “Clean-Up Days” this spring but will bring this back another year, if residents are interested. And remember, there is up-to-date information on the Town website-www.townofenfield.org. Our Town Board meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of the month, starting at 6:30. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any Town issues, please contact any of the Town Board members. Respectfully, Ann Rider, Town Supervisor Dave McKenna Enfield/Newfield 564-7243, dmckenna@tompkins-co.org Jim Dennis Enfield/Ulysses 387-4058, jpd821@yahoo.com Aquifer Study Update—$2,500 in Matching Funds for 2013! Five Enfield residents have reached deep into their pockets to set up a $2,500 matching fund for this year's Enfield Aquifer Study fund-raising campaign, because they know how important the Aquifer Study could be to the future of Enfield and they wish to support the Town's effort. Their generosity means that every dollar you give now will be matched from this fund, up to a total of $2,500. This is a great opportunity to make your donation to the Enfield Aquifer Study Fund go even farther! All donations are tax-deductible. (See the information below for more specifics on how to make your donation). For questions regarding the Aquifer Study, or the Aquifer Study Fund, or to join us in our fund raising effort, please email: enfield.aquifer@gmail.com Thank you for joining our community effort! (see pg 3) 2 News from Code Enforcement Building has been off to a slow start in Enfield this year with the late spring. However, as the weather begins to change, calls have started coming in with questions about buildings and permit requirements. Many people wonder what does or does not require a permit. Generally, regular repairs or maintenance do not require permits. Example are new siding, replacement windows, replacing heating equipment and re-roofing— in other words, repairing or replacing what you already have. A permit is generally required to add something new, such as an addition or a new porch/deck, or doing anything structural to a building, such as moving walls or adding a new window or door. Another common question is about the new laws on smoke detectors and CO detectors. These are now both required in existing homes as well as in new construction. These can be battery operated in homes that do not have permanently wired ones. If you have questions about the placement of detectors, give me a call, as placement can vary from home to home. I am also the contact person for subdivision approval and site plan review; both have been around for some time, but not many people know approval may be required from the planning board for either. Any questions about either, give a call and I can usually give you an answer— if not, I can find the answer for you. With the building season upon us I am out in the field more and in the office less, so if you need to get in touch with me it's best to call in the morning to see when I will be available; I can generally accommodate your schedule. I will also continue to be in the office Wednesday evenings from 5-7 PM for those who can't make it during the weekday. Alan Teeter Enfield Code Enforcement Office 277 0266 Town of Enfield Historian Report Sue Thompson (sdt1@cornell.edu) We are continuing with our Monday afternoon Enfield History Club at the Enfield Elementary After School Program. We are currently finishing up our “puppet” project. We made paper mache puppet heads. We painted them, added a cloth body and then conducted and filmed short history puppet plays. We still have a few puppets to finish and then on to the next project possibility outside because its almost spring! Our Tompkins County Municipal Historians group is still working on the Churches of Tompkins County. The group is now debating who to add to the list of “significant women in your community”. We have had a setback because of waiting for an update to the Tompkins County website access. This gives us more time to add other women to our list. If you have someone you would like added to the list let me know. I am excited about the 1903 signature quilt which has been loaned to the Town Clerk’s office for viewing, thank you Ed, Helen and Jean and friends. I will have more details on the people…Reverend and Mrs. Shoesmith, Helen Kirby… involved with the quilt for the “grand viewing” in May. From the Highway Department The roads have taken a beating this winter from the freezing and thawing, and freezing again. It has not been a hard winter but a steady one for sure. And I would like to take a minute to thank the guys for doing such a good job this winter. Potholes are a priority as soon as weather permits in the next few weeks. We have been in the new barns for one year now and it has been very rewarding having more space to work in. For example: We just did a repair on the excavator that would have cost $18,000 to send it out, we did it in house for $8,000. A savings of $10,000! Summer equipment has been serviced, gone over and is ready. We will be back to trimming trees, cutting shoulders, and digging ditches. And as always call to sign up for fill dirt and wood chips for the year so that when we are working in your area we will already have you on our list. There are still wood chips across from the old Highway Building for the taking. Main focus this year will be East Enfield Center Rd, Aiken Rd and whatever else comes our way that we can fit into our schedule. FYI- There is an Enfield parking law, no parking within 25 feet of the center of the road. You can find this on the website or from the Highway. This is usually not an issue for us at the Highway except for during the winter months. We look forward to phone calls that alert us to weather conditions, or problem areas this helps us have eyes everywhere, when you help. There will be new road signs installed this year to help us get up to date with NYS requirements. We are sure you will notice them as they are bigger and brighter! See you on the roads! Buddy (Barry) Rollins Sr. Enfield Highway Superintendent 607-272-6490 Planning Board—Comprehensive Plan Update The Planning Board continues to work on updating the Town’s Comprehensive Plan with the help of community volunteers. There are subcommittees working on the following sections: Agriculture, Land Use, Recreational Assets; Built Environment/Infrastucture; Economic Development, Community Facilities & Programs; Environment, Natural Resources, Land Use, Aquifer; History (preservation) & town Overview. Subcommittees are at varying stages of their work—if you are interested in getting involved on any of these topics, check the Town website, http://townofenfield.org, for subcommittee contact information, or Virginia Bryant, Planning Board Chair, marktwain1074@gmail.com. There will be opportunities for the community to review and have input on the draft document, but this is a chance to help inform the draft document. 3 From the Town Clerk As you will read elsewhere in this newsletter, the Town Hall is now the temporary home of a quilt from 1903 with many signatures of Enfield residents from that year. We are happy to have anyone stop in while we're open, Monday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. to take a look at the quilt. If you have stories of your relatives from that time period, we'd love to hear them. Please remember that you can purchase your fishing license at the Town Hall. Also, if you’re getting a new dog, be sure to obtain a dog license. All dogs in the Town of Enfield are required to be licensed. You can stop at the Town Hall, call and ask us to send you a form for licensing, or print the dog license form from our website, www.townofenfield.org. A rabies clinic will be held at the old highway facility (the same place as in past years) sometime in May. You can call our office for the date, or look for a listing in local newspapers. Remember, if our office 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. Alice Linton, Enfield Town Clerk Sue Thompson, Enfield Deputy Town Clerk Enfield Volunteer Fire Company - Chief’s 2012 Year end Report 2012 was one of the busiest years on record. We responded to 435 calls last year. They break down into the following categories: 3 Structures fires 15 Carbon monoxide and smoke alarm 6 Propane or gas leaks 2 Vehicle fires 22 Grass, brush, trash burning 35 Storm related calls 305 EMS 16 Motor vehicle accidents 6 Other calls Mutual Aid was provided to the following Fire Departments: 13 Trumansburg 8 Newfield 2 Mecklenburg 2 Lansing Members logged 8,488 hours for responding to calls, trainings, maintenance, and administrative duties. The members of the fire department also have supported the community in many other ways. Examples include: Annual EVFC Calendars, American Red Cross Blood drives; Primary and general elections; Enfield Harvest Festival; Halloween; Road side clean up’s of Enfield Main Road; Salvation Army Kettle Drive; Support Enfield ECC Basket Ball Program, EVFC Scholarship Program, Enfield School holiday baskets for families, and Chicken BBQ’s. New members are always welcome—just drop by the Station after 7:00 pm. any Thursday to meet the volunteers and learn about the Company. It’s a very rewarding way to serve the community. Please Make a Donation to the Enfield Aquifer Study Fund The Enfield Aquifer Study, to be done by the US Geological Service, will map the local aquifer to determine the quantity, quality, location of our water resources and any contamination. Having this critical information about the aquifer system will allow Enfield and Tompkins County to make well-informed decisions on how best to manage and protect our vital water resources. In addition, the information from the study will provide local government, water managers, businesses, and homeowners with help to ensure that there will be: a safe and plentiful drinking water supply water available for economic development a healthy aquifer environment In 2000 the Tompkins County Planning Dept. and the USGS entered into a 20-year agreement to study the aquifer areas on a systematic basis. The source of funding to pay for the study is: 30% USDS funds, 35% County funds, and 35% Town funds. This means the Town of Enfield will need to raise $90,000 for the study. We are starting this Fund to ensure this most important project will be done. Please join with your neighbors by contributing to the Aquifer Study Fund for a safe and a healthy water supply in Enfield. For questions regarding the Aquifer Study, or the Aquifer Study Fund, or to join us in our fund raising effort, please e-mail: enfield.aquifer@gmail.com The Enfield Aquifer Study Fundraising Group _____________________________________________________________________________________________ To support the Enfield Aquifer Study, Contribute: ___$25 ___$50 ___$75 ___$100 Other_____ · Make checks payable to: Social Ventures (Social Ventures is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.) · Enter on the memo line of the check: Enfield Aquifer Study Fund (Social Ventures will use all funds raised to help the Town of Enfield pay for the study.) · Mail to: Enfield Aquifer Study Fund, PO Box 571, Ithaca, NY 14851 Name: __________________________________ Address: __________________________________ __________________________________ We thank you for your generous support of this critical project, and we will send you a written acknowledgment of your donation. 4 Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road Ithaca NY 14850 Dates to Remember April 3 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 3 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 10 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm May 1 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 1 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 8 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm TBA Rabies Clinic (pg 3) Highway Garage, 6:30 p.m. June 5 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 5 Volunteer of the Month nominations due 12 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm Town of Enfield Web Site – www.townofenfield.org Sue Thompson, webmaster Remember, the Town web site is a great source of up-to-date information about Town Government as well as happenings in the Town Web Site. If you have current events, a new group or business you would like to see on the web site please contact Sue Thompson – sdt1@cornell.edu/272-6412. Some of the information available on the website: · Town offices, staff and board members locations and contacts information · Boards and Committees: 22 groups listed · Businesses: did you submit an update for the Town Business Guide? The form is available on-line. · Cemeteries: Polices and Procedures for Town cemeteries · Community Groups: if you know them or don’t here’s how to find them · Forms, Permits & Licenses · History: and a whole lot of it! · Laws: Enfield Dog Control; Building Permit; Mass Gathering Permit; Open Burning & Air Pollution Regulations in Tompkins Co.; Town Board Meeting Guidelines; Wind Energy Facilities Local Law;Site Plan Review Law; Moratorium and Prohibition of Natural Gas and Petroleum Exploration; Subdivision Regulations Town of Enfield · Minutes: Town Board and Planning Board meeting minutes · News: Whatever is happening around Town · Newsletters: on-line versions of the Town and Community quarterly newsletters · Volunteer of the Month: Know someone who gives a lot to the community? Nominee them! · Youth Programming: contact information The Enfield Community Center is available for community events & activities. To reserve space call Chris Hern, 256-5033.