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Home My WebLink About2020-07 NewsletterTown of Ithaca Newsletter Even in this time of COVID-19, there is a lot going on at the Town of Ithaca I want to take a moment to thank everyone for their kind words and cooperation with our safety measures here at Town Hall. We tried really hard to continue operations smoothly while closed and reopen safely and at the first opportunity we were allowed to. We could not have done it without your cooperation. This newsletter is the first in a while that does not focus on COVID-19 and its effects, although there are many. I wanted to get back to the business and people of your Town and letting you know what we have been working on along with some lightness and fun in this time of uncertainty. Paulette, Town Clerk Save the Date: July 21, 4:30 p.m. “What Do Municipal Officials Need To Know About 5G?” Organized by the Town of Ithaca and the City of Ithaca Sponsored by the Tompkins County Council of Governments Panelists will address a range of issues to help educate government officials about 5G. Please send questions related to what municipal officials need to know to 5GComments@town.ithaca.ny.us in advance of the event. To view on July 21 go to: https://www.youtube.com/user/TownofIthacaVideo Welcome There have been a few changes lately and I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce everyone together in case I missed anyone in the recent past. Highway Superintendent/Director of Public Works Jim Weber retired from the Town after 10 years of service. We wish him the best in retirement enjoying his love of skiing and scuba diving. Joe Slater was appointed/promoted in June to the position. He has been with the Public Works Department for 19 years and for the past 4 years, was the Water and Sewer Maintenance Supervisor. Many of you may have met him in that role and understand why we are excited to have him begin this new chapter in his career. Joe and his family have lived in the Town for the past several years. Between being a long-time resident and his longevity working for the Town, he brings a wealth of historical knowledge and commitment to the position. Director of Engineering The Town re-established the stand-alone Engineering Department out from the Department of Public Works last December and promoted Dan Thaete, as the Director. Dan has worked for the town for nine years as a Civil Engineer, followed by Senior Civil Engineer. Under Dan’s role of Senior Civil Engineer has was also appointed as the Town Engineer. Deputy Director of Finance Donna Shaw joined the Town almost a year ago. Many of you may recognize Donna’s name as she worked for Tompkins County Finance for more than 25 years. We were happy to be able to lure Donna and her vast municipal accounting experience to the Town! Deputy Town Clerk Becky Jordan was appointed in the midst of the COVID-19 shut down and has hit the ground running; many of you may have spoken to her already, but here is her official introduction. Becky brings her recent experience as a deputy Town Clerk for the Town of Caroline and her years of customer service with Express Employment to the position. Network Specialist Lisa Carrier-Titti will be retiring in September after 22 years with the Town of Ithaca as our Network / Records Specialist who brought us into the 21st century. Ranging from help desk for all of us to ultimately merging our two locations to one server and increasing our ability to communicate, Lisa has been invaluable, and we wish her a great retirement! At the end of July the Town will be welcoming John Little as he takes over the reins as our new Network Specialist after Lisa’s retirement. John lives in Big Flats with his family and brings over 15 years of network systems experience. John has spent the past 5 years working for Chemung and Steuben Counties in network administration and prior to that he worked for Corning Inc. as a Field Services Representative. While at Chemung County he worked on shared services network administration agreements between the County and the City of Elmira and Towns of Big Flats and Horseheads. New Neighborhood Code We are in the final stretch of completing the New Neighborhood Code or NNC. The NNC encourages a return to traditional neighborhood development and mixed use in those areas identified in our 2014 Comprehensive Plan where development is anticipated. Watch our website for the final document and opportunities for public comment and discussion. Public Works Facility Renovations Project It is incredible how quickly this project is moving along, and we are excited to be able to reopen our facility and serve our residents better soon. Anticipated completion late August. We would like to thank you all for your patience during this time of construction and our efforts to continue access to the compost and mulch as well as brush drop off you all needed. Fun with masks Mix, Match, Coordinate! Demonstrated by Pat Leary, Town Board Member, there are ways to protect yourself and others and have some fun with it! The Town’s Birthday Party 2021 Bicentennial Dear Town Residents, We are getting closer to celebrating the Town of Ithaca’s bicentennial in 2021. Two of our goals, related to the Bicentennial, are for Town residents to know about their town and to take pride in being a Town resident. So, what would you like to know? What do you think of the Town’s logo (it is on our website)? What is your favorite place in the Town? Why is Comstock Knoll named that? Why is the park on Bostwick Road named Tutelo Park? Have you wondered about other place names? Have you ever wandered through Lake View Cemetery? Have you ever visited Namgyal Monastery? Here are a few facts and tidbits of information: The Town was founded March 16, 1821 and the first Town meeting was held on April 3, 1821. The Town’s annual budget is around $26 million. Currently there are 61 employees (this does not include Bolton Point employees). There are approximately 20,000 residents. We are at two locations. Our offices are in the historic former post office at the corner of Buffalo and Tioga Streets. Our Department of Public Works is located at 114 Seven Mile Drive. Know your community. Best, Rod Howe Town Supervisor “The Town of Ithaca is a mosaic of rural, suburban, and urban landscapes that surround the City of Ithaca. It is a college town, a farm town, a Finger Lakes community, and a tourist destination renowned for its scenic vistas, forested hillsides, gorges, waterfalls and Cayuga Lake.” (from the Town’s website) More Bicentennial tidbits from the Town Clerk – The Town joined with the County’s “Spirit of Tompkins” program which will be showcasing county municipalities. Because 2021 is our bicentennial, we went a step further and will have additional photos and videos of Town residents and the places they love and why they love living here in their own words. There will be a link from our website, still photos displayed throughout the year in our lobby, and updates through social media and our newsletters. If you are interested in being a part of this project, please let us know! We would love to hear from you. We are planning to have a presence in the Ithaca Parade 2021; send us your ideas! We are also planning a reenactment of the first meetings of the Town Board from the 1800’s and early 1900’s, in costume! We all know the slogan “10sq miles surrounded by reality” Are we part of the 10sq miles or the reality? The Town is often referred to as “the donut that surrounds the City” with the City being the hole in the middle. Are we a donut or more off a croissant? Let me know your answers. Paulette townclerk@town.ithaca.ny.us Dear Residents, Since we are all experiencing warm temperatures, sunshine, and enjoying the outside weather, please remember building permits are required for swimming pools that are designed to retain water of 24 inches or more. This would apply to both above ground and below ground swimming pools. In addition, a building permit is also required when constructing a deck, placing an addition on a deck, or structurally modifying a deck. There are several instances where building permits are required such as, but not limited to, new construction, additions, alterations of existing structures, sheds and their placement, new or replacement heating and cooling units, wood stoves, pellet stoves, replacement of roofs, replacement electrical service, solar array installations, etc. Applications for all of our building permits can be found at the following link: http://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/documents/forms Always remember to check and replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors . If you have any questions, please feel free to call our offices at 607-273- 1783 (option #2) or email us at codes@town.ithaca.ny.us. Thank you, Marty Moseley Director of Code Enforcement