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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03 Newsletter Women’s History Month Alison Lurie, Professor and Author 1926-2020 In honor of the month, we are highlighting Alison Lurie. Dr. Lurie was a beloved Professor of English at Cornell University for over 40 years where, in 1989, she was named the F. J. Whiton Professor of American Literature and, upon retirement, earned professor emerita. One of Supervisor Rod Howe’s favorite Dr. Lurie books is The Language of Houses: How Buildings Speak to Us. Ithacan Alison Lurie was the author of eleven novels, two memoirs, numerous non-fiction books and a book of stories; Women and Ghosts. She was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for her Novel, Foreign Affairs and the Prix Femina Etranger (France) for her novel, The Truth About Lorin Jones and an honorary doctorate from Oxford. Her 1974 novel, The War Between the Tates, set at a fictional college much like Cornell drew many Ithacans to believe she’d written about them! At the age of 93, her final book was published; Words and Worlds. Alison Lurie lived on Hanshaw Road in the Town of Ithaca for many years. Cornell Memorial CAYUGA LAKE WATERSHED RESTORATION & PROTECTION PROJECTS PUBLIC MEETING Wednesday, March 16th, 4:30 p.m. The Cayuga Watershed Intermunicipal Organization (CWIO) will host a public meeting to discuss progress on the 2017 Cayuga Lake Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan The Plan recommended that CWIO identify and prioritize specific water quality improvement projects in the Cayuga Lake Watershed. In cooperation with the Watershed’s counties, city, towns, villages, and Soil and Water Conservation districts, impactful projects have been identified and prioritized. This public meeting is your opportunity to hear what projects have been proposed in the watershed and learn about future efforts to protect and improve Cayuga Lake’s water quality. To participate (ask questions or submit comments) use ZOOM Link To view this meeting (without asking questions or signing in) use YouTubeLiveCWIOMeeting For more information, go to: https://www.cnyrpdb.org/programs/env/CayugaLakeWatershed.asp Any Day Now ... OpenGov and Our Updated Town of Ithaca Website We have been telling you about two exciting projects for a few months, and the time is near! OpenGov is our new town management software program that will improve efficiency, access, and communication in the services we provide. All applications for permits, licenses and board appearances will now be done online via OpenGov. Once you establish your account, whether you are a resident, owner, or contractor, your information is saved thus eliminating the need to repeat certain data entry fields; you will be able to submit an application anytime and follow its progress through review(s) by each department involved; receive email notifications regarding any missing information or materials and upload those documents; receive timely information about renewals; ability to pay online. There are tools for looking up your address and municipality and pulling information from GIS maps, Assessment, and archived records, which auto fills some fields. We are excited about this versatile program and the launch date is tentatively set for March 28th and we will send out a special newsletter when that date is confirmed with links and more details. www.TownofIthaca... Updating and expanding the Town’s website has been on the town’s “to do” list for over 5 years and we are ever so close to the launch. Through multiple interviews and pouring over prototypes and examples, we contracted with a consultant/design company and have been working for months gathering all the information we want to provide; pages for every department with what they do and what they are working on – what we do, how we do it; development projects, meeting agendas and materials, FAQs, announcements, important legislation being drafted and more. Our goal at the outset was to make our website engaging, informative, user friendly and to enhance communication with our residents, visitors, and vendors. We encourage comments and suggestions as you investigate the new site. Departmental News Personnel’s Pursuits Public Works Department Recruiting Seasonal Workers The Public Works Department is recruiting for 4-6 full-time Seasonal Workers; 40 hours per week, 6:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. M-F at an hourly rate of $15.75, up to 25 weeks, April – November. Working under a Crew Leader, Seasonal Workers perform routine physical labor maintaining areas such as highways, water & sewer infrastructure, parks & trails and our facilities and other labor/tasks as requested. Physical endurance and a willingness to perform heavy and/or repetitive work in an outdoor work environment, occasionally in adverse weather is required. Also recruiting for an additional Seasonal Worker specifically for roadside and ROW mowing, May- November which can be part time with a flexible schedule – mowing experience preferred. Apply through Tompkins County Personnel, Vacancy Page Town of Ithaca - Seasonal Worker. If you do not have access to the internet, or need help in completing the application, please contact Tompkins County Personnel at 274-5526 regarding other ways to file an application. Questions: Judy Drake, HR Manager (607) 273-1721 or via email: Jdrake@town.ithaca.ny.us Board Memberships – Please Consider Membership and Share Widely Zoning Board of Appeals consists of 5 regular and 2 alternate members with a Town of Ithaca residency requirement. The Zoning Board is a quasi-judicial board that is charged with ensuring that the zoning ordinances are complied with or that variances and/or special approvals are granted when certain criteria are met. Zoning Board meetings are generally held at 6 pm on the second Tuesday of the month. Some knowledge of the application of municipal law or other rules and regulations is helpful but not required. Board members receive a small stipend. Regular membership is a 5-year terms and Alternate membership is an annual appointment, which is a great way to try it out and see if you like it. Ethics Board consists of five members with a residency requirement of living in Tompkins County. There are some limits to the number of members from each political party, but we have multiple vacancies right now and the new member could be any party. The Ethics Board meets once a year to review the Ethics Disclosure forms submitted by Town Officials and upon demand if an inquiry is brought to them by the public or staff. Meetings generally occur at lunch time and last no more than 45 minutes to an hour. Please contact the Town Clerk at 273-1721 or via email at townclerk@town.ithaca.ny.us or visit our website at www.town.ithaca.ny.us for an application. Those Crazy Clerks Our Leprachaun is ready to pose with you! Come in and take a picture in front of our “Luck of the Irish” tree and see what happens! Code’s Corner The NYS Code Department has adopted rules regarding the installation of grease traps and grease interceptors that are typcially used in commerical kitchens. This new code is effective March 22, 2022 and requires new and existing grease traps and grease interceptors to comply. For a copy of the new code use this link: NYS Code Grease Interceptors Public Work’s Patch 2022 Spring Brush and Leaf Pickup Public Works Crews will be picking up yard waste (brush, leaves, pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, and grass clippings) starting Monday, April 18th, and will continue throughout the Town until finished. All yard waste must be at the roadside by 7 a.m. on the first day of collection. The Town’s Spring roadside collection service is for town residents outside of the Village of Cayuga Heights to put a reasonable amount of brush (as is generated during a normal season) and bagged yard waste out at the roadside for pick up. Clearing of building lots and hedgerows is beyond a “reasonable” amount and crews reserve the right to not pick up excessively large or improperly piled brush. Proper Preparation for Pick Up There will be no second collection and no call backs. *Brush pick and Leaf/Yard Waste pick up may be done by separate crews on different days BRUSH What To Do • Brush you collect before the first day of the pickup needs to remain out of the rights-of-way until a couple of days before the pickup; this will assure your safety and that of your neighbors. Errant brush piles can wreak havoc on the storm water systems and can create a hazard for walkers and cyclists. • Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so the chipping trucks can feed the cut ends first. • Brush piles - no larger than a pickup truck load (2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L) and no bigger than 8” diameter • It is not necessary to cut limbs into small pieces. • Place as depicted along the road shoulder or at the end of the driveway What Not To Do • Do not tie bundles of brush • Do not place any materials in a ditch • Do not put roots, stumps, or lumber scraps out • Do not put brush out until the week before collection LEAF/YARD WASTE Leaf Vacuums are NOT used for Spring Pick Up Only bagged leaves/yard waste in biodegradable bags will be picked up. What To Do • Fill biodegradable paper bags with leaves and garden/yard waste and fold over the openings of bags to close, please DO NOT staple or tape the bags. Place them on the shoulder of the road. 30-gallon bags are available at most lawn and garden stores. What Not To Do • Do not put metal, rocks, lumber scraps, or glass in the bags • Do not put leaf bags out until the week before collection For more information, please call 273-1656 between 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Town of Ithaca and Village of Cayuga Heights residents can drop off yard waste year-round at the Public Works Facility, 114 Seven Mile Dr., Monday - Friday between 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Please sign in at the office prior to drop off. JOINT YOUTH COMMISSION NEWS YEM SEASON 5 BEGINS MARCH 19th – BE THE CEO OF YOUR LIFE Register today - www.yemithaca.com/season-five THE LEARNING WEB The Learning Web works with any Tompkins County youth (ages 11-25) free of charge, with no income requirement. Each of our departments supports youth with their particular needs and goals. A young person getting evicted, or someone currently homeless…a young person looking for a job or parenting classes…or a young person interested in getting a local internship, making a resume, or exploring post-graduation career options. We support you in your specific goals; we can help! Talk to your School Counselor, call us at 607-275-0122 or visit us at 515 West Seneca St. in Ithaca to get connected! JYC SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT The Joint Youth Commission (Town of Ithaca, Town of Caroline, Village of Lansing, Village of Cayuga Heights) wants your input regarding the needs of youth, youth employment, and youth development programs in our townships. The JYC solicits this information every few years to make sure we are concentrating our efforts and our funding in the right areas that will best serve the youth in our communities. The JYC currently contracts with 5 youth programs – The Learning Web's Youth Exploration Program, Ithaca Youth Bureau's Youth Employment Services (YES), Cornell Cooperative Extension Rural Youth Services Program, Coddington Road Community Center Counselor in Training Program, and The Youth Entrepreneurship Market (YEM). Please take a moment to share your input! You can submit your feedback via the JYC's Needs Assessment Survey any time before March 31, 2022. More information on JYC programs can also be found here: JYC Facebook Bolton Point Water eBill Error The eBills sent out via the new email billing system had the incorrect DUE date of 12/31; the AMOUNTS are correct; the due date should have read 3/30. Paper bills are correct. eBilling is free. Each account must be registered separately. Payment is made through the municipality and service fees for payment options vary by town and vendor. HEATING UTILITY ASSISTANCE NYS Press Release Governor Hochul launched an enhanced statewide effort to raise awareness of the various assistance programs available to help struggling New Yorkers pay heating and utility expenses. Other programs and resources www.energyadvisor.ny.gov or https://hcr.ny.gov/weatherization. Don’t Forget About ….. Spirit of Tompkins Seeks Participants To learn more about Spirit of Tompkins, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. New York State Cycling Census Be a part of the first New York State Bike Census! This is an exciting and unprecedented opportunity to help shape the future of cycling and document where, why, and how New Yorkers are riding bikes! With this kind of information, we can help shape public policy that will foster safer streets and more equitable transportation options across the state. Tompkins County Cell Phone Reception Survey The survey asks residents to rate their cell service on a scale of 1-5 (1 being minimal reception, 5 being excellent reception) and to list their cell phone carrier company. The survey also asks that residents share the location where they’re relaying their coverage. A map of results submitted through the survey is publicly available and also published at: Results So Far Personal information is not public and areas of results are estimated for privacy.