HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 Enfield-Town-Government-Newsletter-Oct Nov 2014.pdf1
Town of Enfield
168 Enfield Main Road http://townofenfield.org
October-November 2014 Newsletter
Enfield Town Boards
Meetings are held in the
Community Building, 1st floor
Town Board: 2nd Wednesday, 6:30pm
Town Supervisor
Ann Rider 277-3478
ann-rider@townofenfield.org
Vera Howe-Strait
Town Council Members
Virginia Bryant 387-9376
Mike Carpenter 277-4204
Vera Howe-Strait 273-1413
Beth McGee 229-7870
Planning Board: 1st Wednesday, 7pm
Chair, Dan Walker 387-6394
Ann Chaffee 272-6460
Dawn George 273-1247
Steve Givin 273-7434
Calvin Rothermich 272-5930
Red Poney Carpenter 279-2372
Henry Hanstein 727-3746
Town Offices
Town Clerk 273-8256
Alice Linton, Town Clerk
Sue Thompson, 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
Code Enforcement Office
Community Building, 2nd floor
Code Enforcement 277-0266
Alan Teeter, Code Enforcement Officer
Code Enforcement Office Hours:
Monday thru Thursday 8:30-11 am
Wednesday 5-7 pm
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Community Bldg, dwnstrs 882-9958
Town Historian
Sue Thompson 272-6412
Enfield Volunteer Fire Company
Roger Lauper, Chief 272-8757
Art Howser, Deputy Chief
Tucker Snyder, 1st Assistant Chief
Andy Senno, 2nd Assistant Chief
Alan Teeter, Captain
County Legislators
Dave McKenna
Enfield/Newfield
564-7243, dmckenna@tompkins-co.org
Jim Dennis
Enfield/Ulysses
387-4058, jpd821@yahoo.com
Report from the Supervisor
Dear Residents of Enfield -
Ahhh, the sun is over the yard arm, the nights are cooler, the days
are shorter, and the tomatoes need to go in a jar….my favorite time of year.
The Town Board has been busy wrestling with the question of what
to do with excess Town property. After several meetings early in the year
with effected people, it has been decided that the old highway facility, the
old gravel pit on Rt. 327 and the small parcel across from the Town Hall
have little use to the Town in the future. The Enfield Fire Department
approached the Town regarding leasing the old highway facility to use as a
regional training facility. This would have lessened maintenance costs to
the Town but would have put pressure on the Town to relocate the Town
Clerk. After some discussion, the Fire Department thought a facility on their
land would be more suitable to their needs and our Highway
Superintendent has stated that the old highway building is totally adequate
for his cold storage and salt storage needs so we will not have to build
additional structures near the new Town Highway building for this.
Discussion on leasing the old highway building has ceased. The Town
Board will still move ahead with the feasibility of housing the Town Clerk,
Town Historian, Code Officer, Bookkeeper and Justice Court in an energy
efficient building on the Town owned property near the new Highway
building.
The Town Board is continuing to work on selling the old gravel bank
and small lot across from the Town Clerk’s office. We are getting
assessments from County Assessment and appraisals from a local real
estate agent and will be entering into negotiations with potential buyers.
The results of these negotiations will be subject to a referendum on the
November ballot so you, the voters in the Town, can approve or disapprove
the reasonableness of disposing of these properties and the
reasonableness of the specific sales details. As it says in NYS Municipal
Law, we need to get “fair value” for both these parcels to be doing our job
as your elected officials.
Our new bookkeeper, Debbie Kelley, is really taking hold of all the
nuances of the job, has instituted lots of “paper trails” and, in general, is
getting our financial house in spic and span order. My many thanks to her
for her cheerful attitude and patience with me and my limited knowledge of
bookkeeping methods, let alone municipal bookkeeping rules.
The 2015 Budget is my current priority. I will present a preliminary
Budget to the Board at a Special Meeting to be held on September 24 at
6:30 PM. A public hearing will be held on the budget on October 8 at 6 PM.
Before I even start, I will tell you that it is going to be very hard for our
municipality to hold to the Governor’s 2% requirement and have a livable
budget. A lot of people will not like what that looks like and there will have
to be some significant changes in how we do business but I will do my best
to show you the options.
Ann Rider, Supervisor
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From The Highway Superintendent
By the time you read this we should be just finishing up (or done)
with our summer projects, Colegrove Rd. East Enfield Center Rd., South
Van Dorn Rd. There was a problem with road material on Colegrove and
East Enfield Center Rd, not “setting up” or “hardening up”. They are going to
try to fix the problem now, if this does not hold up in the winter the company
will fix it again in the spring.
We are behind in our road maintenance schedule, due to the rain.
We still have approximately 4 culvert/road crossing pipes we are hoping to
replace before the snow comes.
We had very little damage with all our rain storms, the guys and I
were proud of the roads holding up so well, with such extreme weather
conditions. We did have a few pipes plug up. As home owners check your
pipes for debris, branches, recycling containers, etc. A phone call is
welcomed if the pipe needs digging out on a larger scale. Your driveway is
your responsibility, however we do at times fix the “right of way” portion of
your driveway, as this helps maintain the edge of the road.
As winter approaches us, I need to remind you of the parking law in
regards to the right of way, and the mailbox spec’s all can be found on the
Enfield Website, or at the Town Hall, and at the Highway.
If we have a dry fall, with no snow we hope to be cutting shoulders,
digging ditches, trimming brush & trees. As another reminder call the
highway if you would like to be put on the list for fill dirt or wood chips.
It never can be said enough, keep your speed down on the roads.
Speed is the main cause of accidents. I would like to thank the guys. The
Town of Ulysses & Newfield for their help as well. We hope you have a safe
winter, see you on the roads.
Buddy Rollins, Enfield Highway Superintendent
Highway@townofenfield.org/607-272-6490
Wood Available
The Town of Enfield Highway
Department has accumulated a large
amount of wood logs and stumps from all
the storms in the past year. The Town
Highway Department is willing to deliver
these logs to people within a 10 mile
radius of the Highway Department at 475
Enfield Main Rd., Ithaca, NY.
Please fill out a written request form,
available at the Enfield Town Clerk's
office, 168 Enfield Main Rd., Ithaca, NY,
and submit the completed form to the
Town Clerk either by mail or in person.
Delivery will be limited to one load
every 6 months and is for home use NOT
RESALE. Delivery time will be at the
discretion of the Town Highway
Superintendent.
From The Town Clerk
Welcome to the fall season!
Please remember that the Town of Enfield has a Dog Control Law.
The purpose of the law is to promote the public health, safety, and welfare
of the community, including the protection and preservation of the property
within the Town of Enfield and its inhabitants, and for the peace and good
order therein by regulating and controlling activities of dogs within the Town
of Enfield and providing for enforcement thereof. A few points from the law
to remember are:
· Dogs must be restrained by an adequate collar and leash or under full
control of a responsible person, when not on the property of the owner…
· Dogs must not cause damage or destruction to property... or commit a
nuisance other than on the premises of the person owning or harboring
such dog.
· Dogs must wear a valid and current Town of Enfield dog license while
off the owner's property, whether or not restrained by an adequate collar
and leash.
· Dogs must be licensed when four months of age or older.
To view the complete law, please go to the town's website:
www.townofenfield.org.
Town and county tax bills will be mailed the end of December and
can be paid without penalty until January 31. We will have additional hours
during the month of January: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings
from 9-12. Our October, November and December hours will remain
Monday through Thursday from 3-6 p.m. We are always glad to come in
extra hours to accommodate your needs, if you just give us a call.
Alice Linton, Enfield Town Clerk
From Code Enforcement
New e-mail for the Code Office:
code-officer@townofenfield.org
With fall soon to be upon us it's once
again time to think about getting our
homes ready for winter. Now is a good
time to have your heating appliance
checked and serviced before the heating
season begins. It's better to service and
correct everything now instead of in the
middle of winter.
A reminder if you are considering a
new or used solid fuel burner (wood, coal
or pellet) feel free to give me a call about
possible required permits and installation
advice. Most home owners insurance
companies need to be informed when a
new appliance is installed.
Now is also a good time to tighten up
the exterior of your home before it gets
too cold to work outside. Simple things
like weather-stripping or re-caulking
windows and doors is not only
inexpensive but easy to do with a little
practice. Also take a look around the
exterior of your home for things like loose
siding and trim - it may just need to be
reattached. Take a look at your gutters;
are they full of leaves or loose from the
house? It's much better to take care of
them now before they are filled with snow
and ice.
As always feel free to give me a call
with any questions. A large part of my job
is on the phone answering questions,
giving advice and directing people to the
places they can get their questions
answered if I don't know.
Alan Teeter
Code Enforcement Office
607-277-0266
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Take Care of your Dog and Your Community
For the past several months, several hours of my time every month
has been devoted to attending dog enumeration meetings. Apparently
getting people to license their dogs is a long standing and never ending
challenge. Several Towns in the County are trying a new approach. We are
not going to do a dog enumeration because it is costly for the number of
dogs licensed. So here’s the deal. We’re asking residents who are dog
owners to please add this task to your many other tasks in being a
responsible citizen.
Why did government ever think this was important, in the first place?
Well, in the old days (that would be 60 years ago when I was a kid on the
farm) it was about rabies. Currently? It’s about rabies. It’s about ensuring that
your family and your neighbor’s family are safe from rabies. This is the only
way our community can know for certain that your dog is vaccinated for
rabies. OK, you own a dog, you take care of your dog; of course he/she has
a rabies vaccination, but, we, the public, don’t know this. In the event your
dog has a confrontation with a person or dog or cat or farm animal and you
aren’t around with the rabies certificate. Our only way of knowing is that you
have licensed your dog. You have to show your little slip from the vet to the
Town Clerk before she issues the license. Then we, the community, know for
sure that your dog can not spread rabies. It ensures that when a dog bite
happens, the patient doesn’t have to go through the ordeal of the painful
precautionary treatment. It helps to keep our community safe from rabies.
So we know you love your dog. Part of dog ownership is getting your
dog licensed. Please take 15 minutes between 3-6 PM, Monday through
Thursday, to stop in and see Alice Linton, Town Clerk, to take care of this
detail.
Ann Rider, Town Supervisor
Enfield Town Historian Sue Thompson
Fall is here and school has started. I will be starting our Enfield Afterschool History Club in October. Hopefully
we will be having a few visitors showing off their talent and knowledge of history. On September 13th I met with the
Municipal Historians we discussed how some “old” Town of Caroline records had been found by a resident but then
placed in auction instead of returning them to the Town. Hopefully most people will return “old” records (at least) to the
town historian to keep in their collections.
The Tompkins County Civil War Commission events will come to end by summer 2015. The next project for the
MH group will be World War I, we have not decided how to commemorate WWI. The group will also work on “redoing”
the Touring the Town brochures.
Donations to the Historians Collection - 2014 (Thank you all!)
· Katie Coyle: Scrapbook which belonged to her mother, Helen Smith.
· Helen Hetherington: 3 Black and white photos of Millers Corners School, 1958. Copy of Interview with Helen
Jackson, Frances LaBombard, Don and Carol Barnett. March 26, 2004, 1903 Enfield Quilt.
· M. Clyde (Jack) Hubbell: Copy of letter from John Calkins regarding Newman family in Enfield. Black and white
picture of Katherine and John Calkins, Otho and Gale Newman in horse/wagon about 1946. Archival Reference
(Cornell University to documents to Kroch Library) archives regarding School of Military Aeronautics photographs,
1918, Enfield Glen. Copies of pictures of camp at Enfield Glen. Copy of picture of Old Home Day Enfield Center,
Schabers Grove original from Jean Trenchard August 18, 2009. Copy of pages regarding Town of Enfield from
History of the Seneca Baptist Association with sketches of churches and Pastors by Lewis Halsey. Ithaca NY, 1979.
Copy of hand-drawn picture of House at 235 Harvey Hill Road, March 22, 1879.
· Jean Owens: 1928 Map of the City of Ithaca, NY Ithaca Chamber of Commerce Ithaca Automobile Club, shows route
to Enfield Glen. 1952 Postcard of State and County Tax Notice, Town of Enfield to Andrew and Eva Krayniak, Edna
M. Palmer, Tax Collector.
· Beatrice Schwoerer: 4 black and white pictures of the Applegate Tavern on Mecklenburg Road, dated 1955.
· Sue Thompson: Ithaca Journal March 20, 1987: Article Possible site for landfill made public regarding 4 sites in Town
of Enfield.
· Alice Linton: Ethelyn Frances Crane (1918 – 2014) Auto-biography
· Georgianna Stevenson: copies of diaries of Harvey Family transcribed by Georgianna Stevenson: 1867, 1876, 1882,
1889, 1905, 1906, 1918, 1922.
A Note From Enfield Fire Chief
Roger Lauper
Winter will soon be upon us and so
will the use of heating systems. I want to
remind everyone that they should have
their furnaces serviced, have their
alternative heating systems, such as
wood, coal and pellet shoves, cleaned;
and your chimneys cleaned. Do not put
anything flammable near your coal,
wood and pellet stoves.
This area has snow and ice so be
sure your vehicle is in good mechanical
condition and that you have good tires.
We have been busy this year. Year-
to-date we have had 246 calls. We have
had all of our trucks and pumps
serviced for the year. We have five
personnel who are being recertified for
EMT’s.
We look forward to seeing the
community children at the Firehouse
October 31st when we give out candy
and fire safety-related goodies for
Halloween.
Be safe and take care,
Roger
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Town of Enfield
168 Enfield Main Road
Ithaca NY 14850
Dates to Remember
October
1 Planning Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 7 pm
1 Volunteer of the Month nominations due
8 Town Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 6:45 pm
November
5 Planning Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 7 pm
5 Volunteer of the Month nominations due
12 Town Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 6:45 pm
December
3 Planning Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 7 pm
3 Volunteer of the Month nominations due
10 Town Board Meeting, Community Bldg, 6:45 pm
Have you seen the new official Town of Enfield website?
It's easy to get around and there's so much information there! Want to know what happened at a Town Board
meeting? Find the minutes there. Want to find out what's happening in Enfield this week? Check the Town calendar. Want
to contact your local representatives or Town employees? Find their contact info there. Town laws, documents, history
and community information are available and easy to find.
Now you can subscribe to receive an email whenever there is an update of news or events posted on the Town
website, so you can keep informed without having to keep track on your own. We hope you'll check it out and find it
useful. Visit the site today at TownOfEnfield.org