HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03 Newsletter
March is Women’s History Month
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Town of Ithaca would like to take this moment to
highlight:
Shirley A Raffensperger who was an Ithaca Town Board member from 1975-1989 and Town
Supervisor from 1989-1993. The Town Boardroom is named in her honor as well as a gazebo on
the Eastern Heights Trail. Shirley served on a number of community boards, including stints as
chairwoman of the Tompkins County Planning Board, Tompkins County Democratic Committee
and membership on the boards of the NYS Planning Federation, Southern Cayuga Lake Water
Commission (Bolton Point), Gadabout and the League of Women Voters. Her commitment to her
community was exceeded only by her devotion to her family.
Catherine Valentino who served three times as an Ithaca Town Board member, first from 1976-
1980 followed by 1990 – 1995 and then as Town Supervisor from 1996 – 2007. Cathy was a
strong advocate of intermunicipal cooperation and was instrumental in forming the Recreation
Partnership which provides sports and activities for children throughout Tompkins County. She
also held various roles in many County organizations such as the TC Municipal Officers
Association, the TC Council of Governments, the TC Water Resources Council, and the TC
Transportation Council, as well as joint municipal group efforts such as Bolton Point and the Sewer
Joint Committee.
At the Town level, Cathy was instrumental in the purchase of the “Old Post Office Building” and
its renovation as the Ithaca Town Hall; updating the Town Zoning Ordinances; and support of
projects that brought affordable housing and eldercare to the Town.
Valentino field at Tutelo Park was named in Cathy’s honor to commemorate and acknowledge
her efforts and success in creating the Park and Open Space Plan which helped to establish and
fund many of the parks, trails and recreation areas throughout the Town. The Babe Ruth League
uses Valentino Field extensively and it is always available for pick-up games for your family and
friends or while you are having a function at the Rich Schoch Pavilion.
Bicentennial Events
Dramatic Reading of March 16, 1821 NYS Legislation Creating the Town of Ithaca
March 16, 2021 at 12:00 Noon
Town Crier - Town of Ithaca Established by New York State Legislature
Old State Capitol - Seat of the 44th New York State Legislature
Watch as the Town Crier reads the (short) Law adopted by the New York State Legislature that
created the Towns of Ithaca and Enfield out of parts of the Town of Ulysses. A Narrator will
explain some of the details that might not be obvious to the modern viewer (e.g., what do the
Town’s Overseers of the Poor actually do?)
Past presentation
Honoring the Land's Indigenous Past and Present: The Ancestors and The Gayogo̱hó꞉nǫ'
Town of Ithaca Departments – Get to know us
Administration
Donna Shaw, Finance Officer Debby Kelley, Bookkeeper
Judy Drake, Human Resources Manager John Little, Network Specialist
Finance includes Donna Shaw, Finance Officer, and Debby Kelley, Bookkeeper to the Supervisor
and Receiver of Taxes. Donna and Debby are responsible for ensuring the accurate processing of
all accounts payable (paying bills) for the town. The Town has six main fund accounts as well as
many other funds for things such as lighting and fire districts, capital projects, and open space
funds. Debby is also responsible for accepting your quarterly water & sewer payments and as tax
collector, the timely delivery and collection of those payments. You might recognize her from her
January “office” in the town boardroom, making it easier for you to come in and pay your bill.
The Finance office also holds and manages grants for the Cayuga Lake Intermunicipal
Organization for their efforts in protecting the lake and our water source as well as the designated
Administration Office for the Joint Youth Commission, the Recreation Partnership and the
disbursement and support of many contracts for community-based support programs such as Life
Long, the Public Library and the Community Science Institute, to name a few.
Debby has been with the Town for 25 years and Donna joined us two years ago, having previously
worked at Tompkins County Finance for over 20 years.
Human Resources is headed by Judy Drake as Human Resources Manager. She serves a major
role in the support to all staff and board members by managing recruitment, payroll, benefits
administration, training and development and risk management and safety initiative. The Town is
also one of six municipalities which formed the Bolton Point Water System and is also a founding
member of the Greater Tompkins County Municipal Health Insurance Consortium and Judy is the
administrative arm in different capacities of both those entities.
Town Hall and Public Works Facility combines for 57 full time staff, Bolton Point has 21 full time
staff with their offices located on East Shore Dr. and the Health Consortium has 3 full time staff
currently housed at Town Hall. Judy will be celebrating her 25th anniversary with the Town in
December.
Information Technology is handled by John Little who joined us in July of last year as the
Network Specialist. Even though the Town may seem like a small organization to many people,
we have a robust technology network to maintain and keep secure from cyber-attacks. John’s
knowledge from his years at Chemung and Steuben Counties Information Technology departments
has proven to be very beneficial to the town, especially during the pandemic and increases in
remote work and their inherent security and facilitation challenges. He is also working as we speak
on initiating an update and revitalization of our Town website.
Sustainability Efforts
As part of its Green New Deal implementation, the Town of Ithaca is focusing on facilities. Town
Hall recently joined the Ithaca 2030 District, one of 23 districts across North America working to
improve the energy efficiency of buildings in urban centers. LED lighting assessments were done
on our major buildings and we will be initiating comprehensive energy assessments of our two
largest buildings, Town Hall and the Public Works facility. Leveraging money from NYSERDA,
the Town plans to make improvements that will reduce GHG emissions and save taxpayer dollars.
If you would you like to find funding to assess and improve the energy use of your home or
business, please visit www.getyourgreenbacktompkins.org/energy-advising or call 607-272-2292
to take advantage of the Get Your GreenBack Tompkins Energy Adviser program.
Boards and Committees
Conservation Board Seeks New Board Members
The quality of life in our community is directly connected to our natural environment. This past
year has provided an opportunity for us to discover or rediscover how rich we are with
biological, ecological, geological, and scenic resources. The Conservation Board is looking for
residents with a passion for conservation, recreation, or education to join their efforts to
safeguard and promote our natural and scenic resources for all. The board engages both the
Town Board and the Planning Board to make sure our community's environmental concerns are
heard. Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and currently via
Zoom. If you are interested in proposed development projects, deer management, invasive
species education, water quality, waste awareness, scenic resources, or other conservation
concerns, please join any meeting and if the discussions fuel your interest further, applications
are available on the Town’s website or from the Town Clerk. www.town.ithaca.ny.us
For more information about the Town of Ithaca Conservation Board and their current activities,
you can join any monthly meeting, or visit www.town.ithaca.ny.us/conservation-board or
Facebook www.facebook.com/IthacaConservationBoard You can also contact Michael Smith,
Senior Planner, at 607-273-1747 or msmith@town.ithaca.ny.us with any questions.
The Town is anticipating vacancies on other boards and committees in 2022. If you are
interested in a particular board or committee, please reach out to the Town Clerk for information.
Website and older links
Recently we have received several “old” building permit applications and other types of
communications from links that are no longer on our current Town of Ithaca website. This can
cause a lot of confusion and frustration for both residents and staff as we are unsure if they all
make it through to us. Although we have tried to remedy this, the best way is to for you to
remove any existing bookmarks or past views from your history on all your electronic devices
and make sure you are using this web address http://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/
Protect your pet and others – Get your pets vaccinated
Drive-Thru Rabies Clinic
TCAT Bus Garage, 737 Willow Ave, Ithaca
https://tompkinscountyny.gov/health/eh/rabies#clinics
Saturday, April 24th and Saturday May 22nd
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
The Tompkins County Health Department sponsors these clinics and preregistration is required.
You will need proof of prior vaccination to get the 3-year certificate. Please help support these
clinics continuing with a suggested minimum donation of $5.00 per pet.
SPCA low-cost spay & neuter program - www.spcaonline.com/spay-neuter
Why should I license my dog? Well, it’s the Law…
New York State law requires that all dogs over four months of age be licensed. If you’ve
recently moved to town or have gotten a new dog, please contact the Clerk’s office at (607) 273-
1721, option 3, for details. You may license your dog for 1, 2 or 3 years, according to the length
of their rabies vaccination. If you move, please let us know so we can update or remove your
name from our records and check with your new municipality about their licensing requirements.
Not only is animal waste a nuisance but it can
be hazardous to the health of our children
who play in the community as well as other
pets. Please be considerate of other park and
trail users, or your neighbor’s property as you
pass along on your walks and take along a
baggie or two and dispose of them properly in
a trash barrel along our parks and trails or
when you return home.
Thank you for your contribution to the health
and beautification of our community.
2021 Spring Brush and Leaf Pickup
Monday, April 19th until finished. All yard waste must be at the curb by 7a.m. on April 19th
There will be no 2nd collection or call backs
This service is for Town residents outside the Village of Cayuga Heights, intended for the
normal amount of residential yard waste that may have accumulated since the last town pick-up.
Clearing of building lots, hedgerows etc. is not considered “normal” and crews reserve the right to
not pick up excessively large or improperly piled materials.
Our crews do not use leaf vacuum machines for spring leaf pickup.
No loose piles or plastic bags will be picked up.
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 is scheduled to begin; this will ensure your safety and that of your
neighbors. Brush piles can create line of sight issues, wreak havoc on the storm water systems and
can create a hazard for walkers and cyclists. Please be considerate and consider this as you plan.
WHAT TO DO
• Bag leaves and other yard waste in biodegradable paper bags and place on road shoulder. Fold
over openings of bags to close – do not staple or tape. 30-gallon bags are available at most retail
home improvement stores and lawn & garden centers in the area.
• Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so that the chipping trucks can
feed the cut ends first.
• Brush piles should be no larger than a pickup truck load (2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L in size).
• Limbs should be no larger than 8 inches in diameter; you do not need to cut them in length.
• Place brush and filled paper bags of yard waste along the road shoulder or at the end of the
driveway if no shoulder exists.
WHAT NOT TO DO
• Do not tie bundles of brush.
• Do not place any materials in a ditch.
• Do not put out metal, rocks, glass, roots, stumps, or lumber scraps.
You can also bring your brush and leaf yard waste to the Public Works Facility, M-F, 7am – 2:30pm.
Joint Youth Commission Announcement
The Town of Ithaca supports the Joint Youth Commission’s efforts to engage and encourage our
youth. Ithaca’s Youth Entrepreneurship Market (YEM) is launching their new Season on March 30th.
YEM Ithaca
Inspiring entrepreneurial thinking through hands
on learning & connection to community; helping
students realize the power of their ideas & voices.
For more information, contact Ethan Ash ethan@yewithaca.com