HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-06 NewsletterTOWN OF ITHACA PHASE 3 UPDATE TOWN HALL
Town Hall has resumed normal hours of 8 am to 4 pm, Monday thru Friday. Some staff continue to work from home, but all departments now have a representative here daily. Masks must be worn in the building. We have masks available for you and if you need some for
home or office, just ask.
PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY The Public Works Facility remains closed due to construction. You can call 273-1656 and leave
a message and someone will get back to you. In person consultations are available at Town Hall
by making an appointment with the department you need to talk to. Mulch, compost, and brush drop off remains open to town residents with directional signage and spacing. Hours are 7:30 – 2:30 weekdays.
NYS UNIFIED COURTS AT PARTIAL STAFF The NYS Court System has allowed the clerks to do some processes. Court appearances are still
not restarted. If you had a ticket or appearance scheduled, you will receive notice of the
rescheduled date when courts reopen. Notices will be sent to the address on the appearance ticket, so please make sure you have a forwarding address if applicable. No penalties or fees will be assessed during the closure.
Conservation Board INVASIVE SPECIES AWARENESS WEEK - JUNE 7-13th Virtual Event for Invasive Species Awareness Week
Ithaca’s Backyard Invasives
Invasive species are plants, animals, insects, and diseases that are not native to an area and cause harm to the environment, the economy, or human health. Learn more about invasive species in New York, and how you can participate in the fight against their negative impacts, by attending
an #NYISAW virtual event from the safety of your home. This year’s theme is "2020 Vision:
Focus on Invasive Species", “focusing” on identifying priority species and reporting infestations early to prevent them from becoming widespread. Invasive species impact all of us. Whether it's removing invasive seeds from boots before and after
hiking; using native plants when gardening and landscaping; or using local firewood to prevent
the spread of forest pests and diseases, we can all do our part to stop the spread. Participating in an ISAW event is a great way to learn more about ways in which you can help. To view events
happening across the state, visit https://nyisaw.org/events/.
This year help the Conservation Board locate invasive species in the Ithaca area! Everyone can join in the effort to locate invasive species in their backyards or neighborhoods. The focus will be on the target terrestrial invasive species identified on the Town’s Conservation Board Facebook
Page https://www.facebook.com/IthacaConservationBoard/ The target species will change daily.
We'd love to see what you've found and celebrate your discoveries, so please submit photos to our Facebook page each day to be featured in our summary Facebook post on June 13th. You can also use iNaturalist https://www.inaturalist.org/ or iMapInvasives http://www.imapinvasives.org/ to identify and record what you find.
Michael Smith, Environmental Planner GO SOLAR
Online events with Cornell Cooperative Extension I wanted to let you know about these solar energy education sessions that the Town has organized with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Please consider joining us to learn about various options for going solar and saving money on your utility bill.
"What are photovoltaics?" "How do they work and what incentives and rebate programs are available so I can put them on my house?" "What if I rent my home?" “What’s a solar farm?” If you've been asking some of these questions, get answers and learn about options that could work
for you in our two FREE online conversations on Thursday 6/11 3-4:30pm or Monday 6/15 6-
7:30pm. Whether you’re a renter or own your home, or even if you live in an apartment, solar really is available now to everyone! The Town of Ithaca and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins
County’s Energy & Climate Change Team will be presenting two remote conversations covering
all your options: Thursday, 6/11 from 3-4:30pm Register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcpduGrqDsoHty-nwai7FFe4gE3AlH_RbPs
Monday, 6/15 from 6-7:30pm Register: https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwudOuvrDwtEt3qVzk9FVA5teLqbJ4Nxavf There will be a 40-minute presentation followed by Q&A.
Join us on Facebook or via Zoom. For the Zoom call, please preregister by clicking on the date for the session you’re interested in (above). After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Nick Goldsmith, Sustainability Planner
Town of Ithaca
www.town.ithaca.ny.us/sustainability www.facebook.com/IthacaSustainability
EARLY VOTING Early voting will again be held here at Town Hall. Dates and times are posted at the Board of Elections site https://tompkinscountyny.gov/boe Masks must be worn in the building. We will have some available if you need one.
DMV – KEEP YOUR MONEY LOCAL Transactions by mail
Tompkins County DMV is still doing transactions by mail and appointment in some cases. You
can call 273-7187 and talk to the staff or visit the website for forms and instructions. Many people don’t realize that if you renew at the County level instead of online or mailing forms back to the State, the County keeps a larger portion of the fees. Our DMV has a very user-friendly website at https://www2.tompkinscountyny.gov/dmv . If you just google it, it may take you to the NYS site,
so please, make sure you get to the local site and keep the taxes local!
CENSUS #2020
Go to www.2020census.gov to complete the 2020 Census questionnaire This remains a very important item for everyone in our town and county! Remember, some funding is dependent on CENSUS population figures! Students who normally would have been here in the County should fill out the Census as if they were her.
If you have any questions or comments about any of the above, feel free to email me at townclerk@town.ithaca.ny.us and I will assist you or get you to the person who can.
Thank you
Paulette Rosa Town Clerk