HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-09 NewsletterTown of Ithaca “QuickNews”letter
The Town will be doing a much simplified version of the newsletter. From now on, this format will be
used and follow the “Quick News” theme similar to our website. Using this format will allow for more
timely news to be sent out to those who have signed up for the newsletter instead of waiting for the
Spring or Fall newsletter historically sent out in October and April. QuickNewsletters will now be sent
whenever news is happening.
I hope that this streamlined and more cost efficient product delivers the same information you want
and in a more timely manner.
Fall Brush Collection
The Public Works Department will be picking up brush, limbs, and branches starting Monday,
October 17th, 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. There will be no second collection and no
callbacks.
The intention of the Town’s roadside collection service is for residents of the Town of Ithaca outside
the Village of Cayuga Heights to put a reasonable amount of yard waste (as is generated during a
normal year) out at the roadside for pickup by the Town’s crews.
Clearing of building lots and hedgerows is beyond a normal amount of material. Roadside collection
crews reserve the right to not pick up excessively large volumes of brush and improperly piled
materials.
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.
WHAT TO DO WHAT NOT TO DO
Pile brush in neat bundles parallel to the road along Do not tie bundles of brush
road shoulder or at end of driveway if no shoulder exists. Do not place materials in a ditch
Put out limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter Do not put out metal, rocks, glass,
Limit brush piles to the size of a pickup load roots, stumps, or lumber scraps
Do not put brush out until a few days before collection
Fall Leaf Collection
Leaf collection will begin at 7 a.m. on Monday, October 31, and will continue throughout the
week until finished.
Leaves should be at the curb by 7:00 a.m. on the first day of collection. Leaves may be raked to the
shoulder of the road or bagged in biodegradable paper leaf bags (30-gallon bags are available at many
stores in the area). Other debris such as pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, grass clippings,
etc., cannot be vacuumed and should be placed in bags. Please fill the bags and place them on the
road shoulder, folding over the openings of the bags to close. Do not staple or tape openings. No
plastic bags will be picked up.
The Town’s crews will go around the entire Town once with the leaf vacuum. For the rest of the
month of November, the crews will begin picking up paper-bagged leaves each Monday, which could
extend through early week to encompass the entire Town.
Please note that we may send out leaf crews earlier than October 31st to test our equipment and to
pick up paper-bagged leaves before they get wet.
You may drop your own yard waste and leaves off at the Public Works Facility at 106 Seven Mile
Drive, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year round. If you have questions,
call (607) 273-1656 between 6:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. or send an email to publicworks@town.ithaca.ny.us.
HUNTING AND HIKING REMINDERS
The Town of Ithaca would like to remind everyone that whitetail deer hunting season will soon begin.
In this area, bow hunting season will start on October 1st and the regular shotgun season will start on
November 19th through December 11th. Additional information can be obtained at
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/28605.html.
If you are out hiking or walking your dog during hunting season, please remember to take some simple
steps to help ensure your safety – wear bright clothing, know the rules and when hunting seasons are,
make yourself heard, be aware, and respect other outdoor enthusiasts.
Whether you are a hunter or hiker, please remember to respect private property and always ask
permission to hike or hunt on private land, whether or not it is posted. Landowners who do post are
more likely to say "yes" to people who show their respect for private property by asking first.
Trespassing could put you in legal trouble and will make it harder for others to get permission from the
owner. Additional information regarding respecting private property and to always ask permission can
be found at www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/8371.html and www.respectedaccess.org/.
ETHICS BOARD
Town of Ithaca Ethics Board Vacancy
The Town of Ithaca is seeking residents interested in serving on the Ethics Board which meets once or
twice a year to review the Ethics Disclosure Forms submitted by appointed and elected officials.
Interested people must reside in Tompkins County.
PLANNING BOARD
Town of Ithaca Planning Board Alternate Vacancy
Have you ever wanted to give back to the community you live in, but weren’t sure how to get
involved? The Planning Board has an Alternate Member vacancy and this is a great way to try out
how the board works and the level of time needed.
The Planning Board consists of seven regular members with two alternates. The Planning Board is
charged with reviewing land use and development issues and approving subdivisions, site plans and
special permit requests.
Planning Board meetings are generally held at 7 pm on the First and Third Tuesday of the month.
Some knowledge of the application of municipal law or other rules and regulations is helpful but not
required. The Planning Board applicants must live in the Town of Ithaca and members receive a small
stipend. Members are appointed by the Town Board with Alternate membership appointments having
a 1 year term.
Please contact the Town Clerk at 273-1721 or via email at pterwilliger@town.ithaca.ny.us or visit our
website at www.town.ithaca.ny.us for an application for either of these appointments.
MAPLEWOOD
Announcement of Public Comment Period and Public Hearing for the
Maplewood Redevelopment Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement
The Town of Ithaca Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed Maplewood
Redevelopment Project draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Tuesday, October 18, 2016
at the regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting that begins a 7:00pm in the Ithaca Town Board
Room at 215 North Tioga Street.
The purpose of the public hearing is to provide an opportunity for residents and other interested
persons to comment on the contents of the Maplewood DEIS for the project. The DEIS is available on
the town’s website at: www.town.ithaca.ny.us/home/quick-news. Paper copies of the DEIS are
available for review at Town Hall, 215 North Tioga Street and at the Tompkins County Public Library
at 101 East Green Street, Ithaca.
Written comments on the Maplewood DEIS are due by 4pm on October 31, 2016 and can be mailed to
the attention of: Town of Ithaca Planning Board, Ithaca Town Hall, 215 North Tioga Street, Ithaca,
NY 14850. Comments may also be emailed to cbalestra@town.ithaca.ny.us.
The Town of Ithaca Planning Board, as the Lead Agency in the environmental review, issued a
positive declaration of environmental significance for the project earlier this year and authorized the
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement to assess potential environmental impacts and to
explore ways to avoid or reduce those impacts.
For questions related to the October 18th public hearing, please contact Christine Balestra at) 273-1747.
– COMING SOON –
You may have heard about the shared digital services group hosted by Tompkins County Tompkins
County Shared Services or TSSER. The County was instrumental in applying for and receiving a
number of NYS Grants to purchase and host a digital records repository called Laserfische. The
County has been named the Top Digital County of the Year for three straight years and the County’s
municipalities have benefited by being able to use this technology for a fraction of the cost it would
otherwise have incurred.
What does this mean for you? The town has scanned the minutes and resolutions of the three
legislative boards, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Town Board, and they will soon be
available 24-7 for your convenience in the hosted Laserfische repository. Record series such as
property files and correspondence and other frequently requested document series are being prepared
for scanning and posting to Laserfische thereby making them available at any time via the link to the
County’s shared repository.
This is exciting in that it will save our residents and other customers of the town time and remove the
restraints associated with waiting for “office hours” to get information they want because records can
be accessed when the office is closed and when you really want them. As an added incentive, going
digital will also save staff time and help with sustainability efforts because we will not be printing out
and storing physical paper copies thereby reducing carbon emissions involved in the various steps or
producing the paper to printing and storing it.
Contact
Please feel free to contact me with any questions on any of the above.
Paulette Terwilliger, Town Clerk
pterwilliger@town.ithaca.ny.us or 607-273-1721