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Home My WebLink AboutMay Newsletter May 2025 Newsletter The Codes Department My name is Marty Moseley and I serve as the Director of Code Enforcement for the Town of Ithaca. Our team consists of Dana Magnuson (Sr. Code Enforcement Officer), Jessica Hull (Electrical and Code Enforcement Officer) , Mark Stonier (Electrical and Code Enforcement Officer), Tom Gibbons (Electrical and Code Enforcement Officer), Chris Torres (Code safety Inspector), Lori Kofoid (Administrative Assistant IV), and Emily Banwell (Administrative Assistant II). I started with the Town in 2017 as the Sr. Code Enforcement Officer and then progressed to the Director of Code Enforcement position in 2019. Prior to the Town of Ithaca, I served as the Code Enforcement Officer, Zoning Officer, Stormwater Management Officer, Floodplain Manager, and Fire Official for the Village of Lansing. I have a strong desire to provide quality services to the residents and applicants. My goal is to work with all applicants and residents, within our powers, to provide a quality product. In providing that quality product, we do have to keep in mind that our department has legal obligations to uphold and enforce. Our department’s goal is to ensure public safety through the enforcement of New York State Building and Fire Codes, along with the Town's zoning and land use ordinances. In addition, our department also enforces the Town’s flood damage prevention local law, property maintenance law, sprinkler system law, food truck law, and outdoor lighting law. Our department is responsible for various functions, including conducting code reviews for projects and permits , issuing building and demolition permits, performing inspections, and providing Certificates of Occupancy or Compliance. Additionally, we issue Operating Permits for rental (short term and long term) uses and public assemblies, processing Zoning Board of Appeals applications. We attend Town Board, Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings to assist the applicable board with any questions they may have about projects, laws, or our department. May is Building Safety Month, which promotes an understanding to help individuals, families and businesses become aware of what it takes to create safe and sustainable structures. I would like to thank Supervisor Howe and the Town Board for passing a resolution establishing May as the Building Safety Month. Additionally, New York State is looking to adopt new updated Uniform Codes, which a draft can be found at the following link: https://dos.ny.gov/event/code-council- meeting-february-2025. The Town will be adopting a new updated flood damage prevention law by June 2, 2025. Please review the articles in this edition of the newsletter that are providing information on the flood damage prevision law update and the Building Safety Month topic. If you have questions pertaining to this article, please feel free to contact our offices at 607 - 273-1783, email us at codes@townithacany.gov, or stop into the Town Offices at 215 North Tioga Street. We welcome any questions you may have on any projects that you are thinking about. ~Marty Moseley Clockwise: Dana Magnuson, Marty Moseley, Tom Gibbons, Chris Torres, Mark Stonier, Lori Kofoid, Jessica Hull & Emily Banwell Road Construction Schedule 2025 Mid-Summer Start – Weather Permitting Some traffic disruptions may occur as we work, such as - roads may be open with only gravel in place; one-way or one-lane traffic patterns during daytime hours; temporary blocks to access driveways or public entrances may occur (will be kept as brief as possible with prior notice given whenever feasible). No parking will be permitted on the roadways or shoulders during construction activity. No Parking Signs will be posted and enforced with towing at the vehicle owner’s expense. Town Roads Milling and Paving (removing and replacing the top 1½” of asphalt) Drew Road Vera Circle Max’s Drive Longview Drive Woodgate/Pearsall Place Forest Home Drive Judd Falls Road Renwick Place Haller Boulevard (*w/City) Surface Treatment & Micro Paving Deerfield Place Rose Hill Road Renwick Heights & Drive Sandra Place Sycamore Drive Wyckoff Road Winston Court & Drive Birchwood Drive N Drainage work followed later by milling and paving in the Fall King Road W Cross-Road Culvert Pipe Replacement Lisa Lane Penny Lane Stone Quarry Road (*Scheduled for 2026 Paving) Please contact us at publicworks@townithacany.gov or (607) 273-1656 extension 220 with any questions. Spring Brush Pickup Completed A reminder that the intent of this service is to pick up brush and limbs that may have fallen during regular seasonal weather and storms, not from landscaping projects or tree removals. Large logs and branches are a safety hazard for our employees. Your brush pile should be no larger than a standard pick-up truck bed (2’x4’x8’) and branches should be no larger than 8” inches in diameter. Town of Ithaca residents may drop their yard waste (brush, leaves, garden/yard debris) at the Public Works facility at 114 Seven Mile Dr., Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office. Town of Ithaca Poised to Adopt New Flood Damage Prevention Law in June The Town Board will consider approving updates to the Town's Flood Damage Prevention Local Law on June 9, 2025, which take effect on June 18, 2025. FEMA began the process to modernize the 1980s-era maps for Tompkins County in 2014. Municipalities in Tompkins County are required to adopt the new Flood Damage Prevention Regulations and Flood Insurance Rate Maps (Maps) for residents to be able eligible to purchase policies through the National Flood Insurance Program (Program). The updated Maps will take effect on June 18, 2025 and identify new areas of the County as being in the Special Flood Hazard Area as susceptible to flooding due to such factors as: changes in the topography and land uses in those areas, surface alterations (i.e., paved surfaces increasing the potential for water runoff), updated storm and rain gauge data, and changes to flood control channels. Flood insurance will now be required for properties that have federally backed mortgages in the Special Flood Hazard Area. The Program is available regardless of whether your property is in a flood zone. Most homeowners’ insurance policies do not cover flood damage and renters are encouraged to consider renters insurance to protect their belongings. (https://www.floodsmart.gov/ get-insured) Residents are encouraged to review the Maps and Program at https://www.fema.gov/flood- insurance and speak to their insurance broker. Helpful Links with interactive maps, FAQ’s and more: Floodsmart.gov Tompkins County Flood Map FEMA Mapping eXchange If you have questions about a Town of Ithaca property, please contact Town of Ithaca Floodplain Administrator Marty Moseley at 607-273-1783 or codes@townithacany.gov. Welcome Gary Stewart As Our Town Historian Gary Stewart can be contacted at Historian@townithacany.gov You may know Gary Stewart from his 22 years at Cornell University’s Office of Community Relations or his time prior to that as the Opinion Page Editor at the Ithaca Journal. The Town Historian answers questions from the public, staff and board members regarding our history and locations of historical significance. The Town Historian highlights our history through the newsletter, website, displays and an occasional talk. Fun in the Sun Now that we are enjoying the warmer temperatures and sunshine, please remember that building permits are required for swimming pools, above or inground, that can hold water 24” inches deep or more. In addition, a building permit is also required when building, modifying or adding to a deck. Along with the good weather, those improvement projects you have been thinking about may be coming to mind. Building permits are required for things such as, but not limited to, new construction, additions, alterations of existing structures, new or replacement heating and cooling units, wood stoves, pellet stoves, replacement or repair of roofs, as well as upgrading or replacement of electrical service, and solar array installations. Building Permit Applications can be found here: https:// ithacany.portal.opengov.com/ categories/1071 If you have any questions, please feel free to call our offices at 607- 273-1783 (option #2) or email us at codes@townithacany.gov. Animal Control Services for Tompkins County Tompkins County Animal Control (TCAC) is a Division of Tompkins County SPCA that provides dog control services for the Towns of Itha- ca, Caroline, Danby, Enfield, Newfield and the City of Ithaca. Joe Hoffer, Animal Control Manager/Senior Investigator Contact Info: investigator@spcaonline.com animalcontrol@spcaonline.com Office: (607) 257-1822 ext. 229 Animal Control Line: (607) 319-5067 After Hours/Emergency: (607) 592-6773 Spring Writes Literary Festival May 7-11 The 17th Annual Spring Writes Literary Festival will be in downtown Ithaca this May. There will be 40 events (panels, readings, workshops, performances…) with over 100 artists. SCHEDULE: May 7-11 live in downtown Ithaca; May 15-22 Zoom workshops Additional live workshops through September. Check out springwrites.org for more information and to register. Registration is required but all workshops are free. May 16th Ithaca Farmer’s Market 1-7pm One of the Finger Lakes' most highly anticipated gardening events the Garden Fair & Plant Sale features a wide variety of vendors who offer plants, garden accessories, and gardening advice. Plants for sale include heirloom vegetables, color- ful annuals, fragrant herbs, hanging baskets, flow- ering shrubs, hardy roses, fruit trees, evergreens, and specialty perennials. Visitors are encouraged to bring carts or wagons to aid in transporting their plant purchases to their cars. Admission is FREE! For more information: https://ccetompkins.org/ gardening/events-resources/garden-fair-plant-sale Look out for Town of Ithaca farms A.J. Teeter Farm, Cayuga Landscape, Der Rosenmeister, Shalebrook Landscaping, and West Haven Farm at the sale.