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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010 Enfield-Town-Government-Newsletter-Spring-Summer-2010.pdf1 Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road http://townofenfield.org May-August 2010 Newsletter Enfield Town Boards Meetings are held in the Community Building, 1st floor Town Board: 2nd Wednesday, 6:45pm Town Supervisor Roy Barriere 277-3843 Deputy Supervisor Jean Owens 273-5682 Town Council Members Stephanie Gaynor 272-8384 Chris Hern 276-5033 Jean Owens 273-5682 Debbie Teeter 277-4547 Planning Board:1st Wednesday, 7pm Virginia Bryant, co-chair 387-9376 Jim McConkey, co-chair 387-9830 Ann Chaffee 272-6460 Keith Smith 272-5304 Calvin Rothermich 272-5930 Steve Givin 273-7434 Mike Carpenter 277-4204 Town Offices Town Clerk 273-8256 Alice Laue, Town Clerk Pat Dougherty, Deputy Town Clerk Town Office/Clerk Hours: Monday-Thursday, 3 pm - 6 pm Highway Department 272-6490 Barry Rollins, Highway Superintendent Town Highway Office Hours: Monday-Friday: 6 am - 2:30 pm Town Court 273-0363 Justice Poole: Monday, 5:00 pm Justice Varricchio: Thursday, 5:00 pm Code Enforcement Office Community Building, 2nd floor Code Enforcement 277-0266 Alan Teeter, Code Enforcement Officer Carl Staley, Code Enforcement Officer Code Enforcement Office Hours: Monday, Thursday & Saturday 8:30-11 am Wednesday 8:30 am-12 pm & 5-8 pm Town Historian Sue Thompson 272-6412 Enfield Volunteer Fire Company Art Howser, Chief 272-8757 Roger Lauper, Deputy Chief Ben Giles, 2nd Assistant Chief Kirk VanDee, Captain County Legislators Report from the Supervisor The first quarter of 2010 has been a busy one! We kicked off the New Year with the Organizational Meeting on January 6th. We now have most of our committees filled, including the vacancies on the Planning Board. We still need representatives to serve on the TC Youth Board, Recreation Partnership and the County Environmental Management Council. If anyone is able and interested in serving in one of the three remaining vacancies, please let me know. The State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) process for the proposed new highway facility has been reviewed and approved by the Board. A public hearing for the Bond Resolution was held on March 4th. Once the Board has sufficient time to review and approve the Bond Resolution, it will be subject to a permissive referendum, which allows enough time for the public to petition for a mandatory referendum. If the public chooses not to petition for a referendum, then our next step is to go out for bid. In December, 2009, Enfield Energy submitted the Wind Farm application. Since then, the application has been under review by the Town Board and the Attorney. A few revisions have been made, however, final determination of completeness has not yet occurred. Once completeness has been determined, all interested agencies will be notified, then the SEQRA process will begin. In the meantime, a Developer’s Agreement between Enfield Energy and the Town has been completed and approved by both parties. A couple other important issues that the Town Board is currently dealing with are the adoption of two new laws. Actually, one is a revision of a 10-year old law – the Mass Gathering Law. This law is currently under review, mainly to enhance the safety of everyone involved. The other proposed law deals with road construction (installing culverts, ditch work, etc.). As everyone has heard, the official comment period for the NY DEC’s new regulations for horizontal drilling and high-volume hydraulic fracturing ended. Now we must plan our next steps in order to protect our environment and local roadways. A local group (Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water), has organized a couple seminars so far this year to talk about how this type of drilling is done and the potential impacts. For more information, please contact Beth McGee (387-9899) or Nancy Spero (273-6603). And the last BIG issue that everyone has heard is Census – 2010. Please take a few minutes to complete the very short questionnaire. The information we provide determines federal and state dollars that support our roads, bus system, human needs, and many other services. In addition, if you complete it and mail it in, less time is required for someone to follow up. In other words, someone from the Census Bureau will follow up with those who choose not to complete the form and mail it in. Future events to mark on your calendar: Annual Spring Clean-up, May 10th–13th Rabies Clinic, Enfield Highway Facility, May 13th Don’t forget to visit our new and improved website - http://townofenfield.org/ content. Please take time to visit the website for meeting minutes, committee reports, agendas, etc. Our Town Board meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, starting at 6:45 pm. As always, if you have any questions or concerns about any of the issues presented to the Town Board, please contact any of the Town Board members. Respectfully, Roy Barriere, Town Supervisor Dave McKenna Enfield/Newfield 564-7243, dmckenna@tompkins-co.org Jim Dennis Enfield/Ulysses 387-4058, jpd821@yahoo.com 2 Town Historian’s Report Sue Thompson, sdt1@cornell.edu/272-6412 Our Municipal Historians Group of Tompkins County (MHTC) has been working on a new project. The goals with this project are two: to aid homeowners become involved in recording their own house history and giving members of MHTC the tools to take back to their communities (and many parts therein) to run workshops that will involve people with doing some of their own history. Saturday April 10 Kristen Olsen of Historic Ithaca will run a workshop for MHTC discussing sources, and addressing teaching techniques regarding the project. The New York History Conference will be held in Ithaca June 3 to 5, located primarily at Ithaca College. The MHTC will be assisting with this conference. The MHTC has also started a project regarding the concerns of people within our community such as the wind farm proposal for Enfield, the problem of extracting oil from shale by fracturing in Danby and elsewhere in the county, the issue of parks, all environmental and financial concerns. We will keep track of information about one or several of these issues to see what we have in a year or so. I have also been working with Mary Cole, at Enfield School, setting up for the school’s 51th Birthday. The Celebration will be June 4, 2010–5:30 pm. Last but not least in regard to the Civil War Commemoratives events in 2011 we are looking for diaries and letters from the Civil War (1861-65) period from those who went off to fight or those who remained at home. If you have any of this information and would like to share please let me know. News from Code Enforcement After a slow start to the year things are starting to pick up at the code office. We have already issued permits for four new homes this year along with permits for many smaller projects. Spring is the time of year when many folks start those home projects they've been planning over the winter; most of the smaller ones don't need permits, such as painting, new siding, landscaping, repairing windows and trim, roof repair, driveway repair, or general maintenance. Major repairs that involve foundations, structural work, adding windows or doors do require permits according to NYS law, as do new work such as decks, porches and additions. As always, if you have questions or are unsure give us a call and we will be happy to discuss it with you. Another question we get asked a lot is the matter of open burning. This is regulated by the Tompkins County Department of Health and the regulations state no open burning is allowed in Tompkins County, except for recreational fires such as campfires or small bonfires. No burning of papers or garbage is allowed. The only exception to these regulations are that farms are allowed to burn some items such as brush or farm products. Any questions, give us a call or call the Health Department directly at 274-6688. Our office hours will remain the same over the summer: M-W-Th-Sat 8:30-11, and Wed evenings 5-7. We are in and out of the office at others times but give us a call at 277-0266 if you want to make sure we're here before you come by or want to make an appointment. News from the Highway Department Winding up Spring and going into Summer is a busy time for us at the Highway. I would first like to publicly thank the guys at the Highway for a job well done this winter; in closing our winter work I would like to remind you that if you need specifications for mailbox placement, I will leave copies with Alice at the Town Clerks office. Spring and summer bring wood chips and fill, as always contact me at the highway if you would like some. When we are working near your home, we will deliver as according to the waiting list. Spring Clean Up will be May 10-13th, 12:00-7:00 pm at the Highway Barns Please Note: Only tires with the wheels, scrap metal; no refrigerators, no Freon items. There are three bridge projects scheduled to be done: the first is the bridge on Enfield Center Road will be repaired and widened, the second is the bridge at Connecticut Hill Road North of Trumbulls Corners Road will be worked on, and the third is the bridge on Hines Road will be painted. We will continue to finish up Harvey Hill Road, as well as replacing many culverts throughout Enfield. Just an FYI, some of the road work that is done on the town roads is required by law, to maintain the roads in a fashion that meets standards. For instance how wide the road is, how wide the shoulders are, sweeping the roads three times a year, etc. These are all tasks that have to be preformed to protect the liability of our Town. These are Highway laws that the Highway Superintendent is required to follow. The new Highway barn is a topic of interest to many; your Town Board held a informational meeting in February, however I feel confident in saying that if you still have questions any board member would be willing to answer your questions. And in closing, I would like to say I feel that the new Town Supervisor and board and I are working together. I was especially happy with the way the Board meeting on April 14, 2010 went, I felt that the Board was interested in what I had to say, and I was also interested in their opinion, we communicated well. I continue to enjoy being your Highway Superintendent and please, as always, feel free to contact me with any questions, concerns are praises for the guys. Sincerely, Buddy Rollins Sr., Enfield Highway Superintendent 607-2726490 - Barns 607-273-5679 - Home 607-227-7285 - Cell 3 From the Town Clerk The last few months have gone by quickly. Tax season is over and we are now working to get dog licenses up-to-date. You may be receiving a notice in the next few months to renew your dog’s license. If so, you’ll need to be sure his/her rabies are current. There will be a Free Rabies Clinic at the Enfield Highway Department on May 13th from 7–9 p.m. May 13th is also Tax Assessment Review Day at the Town Hall. Also, Enfield is starting the process to have a dog enumeration this summer. In order to avoid a fine for having an unlicensed dog, please stop in or call us for a dog license form - or find the form on the town’s website: www.townofenfield.org As always, if you are in need of a marriage license or hunting/fishing license, please stop in. Our hours continue to be Monday through Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m. and our phone number is 273- 8256. Alice Linton, Town Clerk Pat Dougherty, Deputy Town Clerk Town of Enfield Web Site – www.townofenfield.org Sue Thompson, webmaster Don’t forget to check out our Town Web Site. I have tried to keep it up-to-date and have added new sections. If you have current events, a new group or business you would like to see on the web site please contact Sue Thompson – sdt1@cornell.edu/ 272-6412. Some of the areas on the website: • News Area – This is where we place announcements concerning Town business, community events, and a check list of “Calendar” Events. • Agendas for Regular and Special Town Board meetings are placed on the “Calendar” Section. • Application Forms – for dog licenses; building permits, etc. • Boards and Committees where we have updated descriptions of each of the 18 groups listed • Community Groups – a link to the website of the Friends of Robert H. Treman State Park has been added to keep you up to-date on what is happening to our State Parks. • Enfield Neighbors for Safe Air and Water – The purpose of this site is to keep you informed of issues relating to natural gas drilling in Enfield's Marcellus Shale as well as our surrounding areas High Speed Internet Survey As many residents are aware, we have been working for the past several years to bring high speed Internet to our community, and especially to unserved residents. In partnership with 11 other towns in Cayuga and Tompkins County, we have applied for a Federal grant to create the infrastructure to make high speed wireless and fiber-to-the- home service everywhere in our town a reality. However, to have a chance of bringing this funding to Enfield, we need to SPECIFICALLY demonstrate that the project is needed and viable. This questionnaire is meant to document to what degree our residents are interested in the proposed service. If we are funded, virtually everyone in Enfield will be able to get high speed wireless Internet and at least two thirds will get fiber to the home. We know this is not the first survey you've taken on this topic and we have kept it as short as possible—but we REALLY need your support and ask that you take a moment to respond as soon as possible. (1) The proposed price for residential high speed wireless service is $29.95/month for a 5 Mbps connection. Would you be interested in that service at that price? yes_____ no_____ (2) The proposed price for the fiber-to-the-home service is $39.95/month for an 11 Mbps service. Would you be interested in that service at that price? yes_____ no_____ (3) How important do you think it is to our community to have high speed Internet access available to all residents? Very Important _____ Important _____ Not Important _____ (4) If you think it is important or very important, can you tell us how it might help you or the community? (5) Would you like to be contacted when the service is available, assuming the grant is awarded? yes _____ no_____ (6) Whether successful or not with the grant, would you like to get regular updates on our efforts? yes _____ no_____ (7) Any other comments or thoughts? Your name (optional): Your address (needed to verify you are in the targeted service area): Phone number (optional): Email address (if you have one, optional): Thank you for your time! PLEASE RETURN TO: The Enfield Town Hall, either in person or by mail: 168 Enfield Main Rd, Ithaca NY 14850 Questions? Contact Town Councilperson Chris Hern, 276-5033 4 Town of Enfield Planning Board Report The Town Planning Board welcomed newest member Mike Carpenter, and now has a full membership. The first few months of this year the Planning Board has been reviewing and updating the Town’s Site Plan Review Law, which is currently not in compliance with New York State Law. They expect to review what could be the final draft at the May meeting; once members are satisfied with the draft it will be forwarded to the Town Board for review and action. The Planning Board recently began reviewing various informational maps for the Town to identify potential Critical Environmental Areas. Critical Environmental Area is a Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) designation that municipalities can use to identify areas they believe need special consideration when the DEC reviews permits for activities that could disturb or threaten these areas, such as drilling for natural gas. Dates to Remember May 5 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 10-13 Spring Clean-up Town Barns 12 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm 13 Rabies Clinic Highway Department 13 Tax Assessment Review Day Town Hall June 2 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 9 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm July 7 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 14 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm August 4 Planning Board Meeting Community Building, 7 pm 11 Town Board Meeting Community Building, 6:45 pm Town of Enfield 168 Enfield Main Road Ithaca NY 14850 Town of Enfield Spring Clean Up - For Enfield Residents ONLY May 10-13th, 12:00-7:00 pm at the Town Highway Barn, across from Town Hall NO: • Constructions materials • Refrigerators/anything with Freon (freezers, air conditioners) • Items that can be recycled elsewhere (glass bottles, newspapers, cardboard, plastic, etc.) • Household trash/rubbish • Batteries • Liquid Paint • Hazardous Materials • Chemicals (farm or household) YES: • Tires on the wheels/rims ONLY • Scrap metal • Large & small appliances • Wood • Furniture • Miscellaneous items