HomeMy WebLinkAboutJanuary 2026 Newsletter OF ITe9� UOWH OF ��"i�/VF
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From the desk of the Town of Ithaca Supervisor Rod Howe
Town Board members and Town Staff endeavor to be responsive, innovative
and fiscally responsible. We strive to be good partners and collaborators. We
foster a culture that creates and supports an enjoyable, safe and sustainable
community. We honor our history and this land's Indigenous past and present
(check out the new Gayogoho:ng? ethnobotanic trail at Tutelo Park). This all
added to our receiving a Town of Excellence Gold Award from the New
j York Association of Towns.
At our year end meeting, we honored Rich DePaolo and Margaret Johnson for their years of service
and welcomed Diana Sinton and Dave McCune as new Town Board members.
2025 Maior Highlights (a sampling):
• Stormwater Management Plan Updated
• Capital Improvements Infrastructure Projects completed and/or in the queue
• Closed out Streetlights Conversion Project
• Upgraded to emergency fleet radios to increase communication capacities
• Approved a 2026 balanced budget under the tax cap
• Worked on Human Resources and Finance succession planning
• Brought Laserfiche in-house streamlining the public interface and increasing efficiencies
• Facilitated large document scanning as we continue to move to a digital repository
• Continued improving our cyber security
• Installed a larger battery backup at Town Hall to address power outages
• Adoption of the updated Ithaca Energy Code Supplement including the International Code
Council's net-zero appendices
• Adoption of both the data-driven Safe Streets Tompkins Plan and Vision Zero Policy
• Negotiated and approved a new multi-year fire protection contract with the City of Ithaca
• Continued work on Community Choice Aggregation/Tompkins Green Energy Network
• Revised Ithaca Area Waste Water Treatment Facility (IAWWTF)/Village of Cayuga Heights
Plant-to-Plant Agreement
• Involved with IAWWTF Capital Improvement Project meetings
• Conducted review of water quality reports and technical guidance documents prior to submitting
intermunicipal stakeholder letter to NYSDEC questioning permit modification processes for
IAWWTF
Lastly, The Town of Ithaca was awarded $5M from Empire State Development's Pro Housing
Supply Funds Program to support housing development at SouthWorks (the redevelopment of the
95-acre Morse Chain/Emerson Transmission Plant site).
The Town of Ithaca continues to thrive as we align our initiatives with our vision and mission
statements.
V
The Town earns the Towns of Excellence Gold Award
" New York State Association of Towns has awarded the Town of
OF 11, Ithaca the Towns of Excellence Gold Award, the highest designation
C in the Towns of Excellence Program.
"We were especially impressed with the town's commitment to workforce
development and to transparency—these are examples of what truly makes a
�{y y0 town a fantastic place to live and work." - Katie Hodgdon,AOT
i1
2025 An award ceremony will be held in February at the New York State
Association of Town's annual meeting in New York City.
To commemorate the award, our Deputy a
Town Clerk Ashley Colbert created a - =
gold ornament featuring our logo which - Tr' j
will remain on our lobby tree throughout
the year. (Try and find it each month!) '
The ornament was placed by Town
Supervisor Rod Howe, whose goal has
always been "Making the Town of Ithaca
the BEST town in the State."
From Left to Right: Susie Gutenberger, Margaret Johnson, Rod Howe,
Rich DePaulo, Dave McCune, Pamela Bleiwas and Diana Sinton
All Town Offices will be closed on Monday,
January 19th in observance of
Martin Luther King Day
Local events-
GIAC Community Breakfast
IC's MLK Celebration Concert
TC Library's MILK Family Celebration
2026 Sees Changes in the Town Board Membership
Longtime Town Board Member Rich DePaolo and Town Board Member Margaret Johnson have
retired. Here are links to the Town Board's solution of appreciatic for Margaret's recent service
and a esolution of appreciation for Rich that summarizes his almost 18 years of service to the
Town and its residents. Rich will be staying as a non-town board member representative on the
Sewer Joint Commission until major repairs, initiatives and improvements that are underway are
implemented and on the Access Oversight Committee as his expertise with our cable franchise is
invaluable and hard to replace.
New members Diana Sinton and Dave McCune are sworn in.
Diana works in the non-profit sector as a Senior Research Fellow for
the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science (GIS)
and has taught GIS as an adjunct professor with Cornell University.
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These experiences and roles have contributed to her interests in
" land use, trails and recreation, accessible transportation and spatial
data infrastructure.
She has lived in the Town since 2-11 and volunteers at Hospice and
she enjoys hiking, trail running, biking and quilting.
Diana will join the Planning Committee, Code& Ordinances
Committee, and the Agricultural Committee.
F
Dave has lived in Ithaca since 1975 and was in private practice as a
physical therapist for over 40 years.
He is interested in improving affordable housing and addressing the
difficulties younger generations face in gaining meaningful and
sustainable employment and building back our sense of community,
combatting the divisive political rhetoric that is destructive to the
health and vitality of our community, and identifying and minimizing
duplication of services across our municipalities to provide the
services essential to our town in the most efficient way possible.
Dave will join the Planning Committee and the Public Works
Committee.
Welcome On Board!
Do you want to work with the Best Town in the State?
Board Recruitment Announcement
Have you ever wanted to give back to the community you live in, but weren't sure how to get in-
volved? There are regular and alternate positions anticipated in:
A regular member is a full voting member with a 5- or 7- year term (or filling an existing term for
fewer years.) An alternate member votes in the absence of a regular member with a 1-year term (a
great way to see how a board works/level of commitment needed.)
Please consider joining. All meetings are open to the public and you can watch previous meetings
on the Ithaca YouTube Meetings site if you want to see how they run.
Planning Board - is a quasi-judicial board which reviews land use and development issues under
the Town of Ithaca Code and other Town, State and Federal regulations and guidance. They con-
sider subdivisions, site plans and special permit requests. Meetings are on the 1 st & 3rd Tuesdays
of the month at 6:30 pm.
Zoning Board of Appeals - is a quasi-judicial board which considers requests for variance and/or
special approval and determinations under the Town of Ithaca Code and other Town, State and
Federal regulations and guidance. ensuring compliance of the Town of Ithaca Code and its zoning
ordinances, considering variances and/or special approvals requests and weighing the criteria set
for each type of variance by Town, State and Federal laws during deliberations. Meetings are on
the 4t" Tuesday of the month at 6 pm.
Some knowledge of the application of municipal law or other rules and regulations is helpful but not
required. Both Boards do have a Town residency requirement, and members receive a small sti-
pend per meeting attended.
Conservation Board — is looking for several residents with a passion for conservation, recreation,
or education to join their efforts to safeguard and promote our natural and scenic resources for all.
The board engages both the Town Board and Planning Board to make sure our community's envi-
ronmental concerns are heard. Meetings are on the first Thursday of the month, from 5:30 to 7:00
pm. If you are interested in proposed development projects, deer management, invasive species
education, water quality, waste awareness, scenic resources, or other conservation concerns.
Joint Youth Commission — The Joint Youth Commission is a Town-supported County Partnership
offering job training and recreational programs to youth in our community. Each
participating municipality appoints a representative and a Youth representative. 0 �■
Please contact Paulette Rosa, Town Clerk at 273-1721 #1 or via email at
clerks townithacany.gov with any questions. Applications are available on our r •
website, Town Ithaca NY.gov or use this QR Code: '•
I
Forest Home Walkway
For those of you that don't venture into Forest Home on a
regular basis, the Forest Home Walkway is definitely a place to
check out.
What is now called the Forest Home Walkway was initially a
path established in 1911 by George Warren, who lived in the
s house that is now 127 Warren Road, to ease his commute
between his farm and Cornell where he was on the faculty of
the new agricultural college. The early history was described in
1976 by Martha Hertel, daughter of George Warren, in The
Path. In the early 1980s, the path was given to the Town of
Ithaca, by Martha and her siblings.
Forest Home Walkway on a early winter The Walkway serves as a recreational path and is also
morning. heavily used as a commuter path for residents and students to
Photo courtesy of Joe Slater Cornell all year.
In 2022 the Town embarked on the Forest Home Walkway Improvement Project, consisting of
several upgrades including: a safer walking surface for the entire length, metal railings at the
steepest segments, addition of concrete steps, new drainage systems and some hazardous trees
removed.
The Walkway is maintained by the Town.
t7oe Tdae
Parks, Trails & Recreation Manager
Holiday Tree Pickup
The Public Works Department will be picking up discarded holiday trees after throughout the
Town until Friday, January 23rd, as our schedule allows.
This service is for residents of the Town of Ithaca (outside the Village of Cayuga
Heights) and crews will not pick up any brush or yard debris during this
collection. This collection is specific to discarded holiday trees only. Please O
remove all decorations prior to placing them out for pickup. O O
O O
Trees need to remain out of the rights-of-way to ensure your safety and that of O O O
your neighbors as trees can wreak havoc on the stormwater systems and can
create a hazard for walkers and cyclists.
You may also drop your tree(s) off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday
through Friday from 7.00 a.m. through 2.30 p.m. any time of the year. Please sign in at the office.
An additional tree drop off location is at the Tompkins County Recycling and Solid Waste Center
(RSWC), 160 Commercial Ave. Monday through Saturday, 7am to 3:30pm through January 31 st at
no cost and no permit is required.
Conservation Board's Richard B Fischer Environmental Con-
servation Award Nomination Period is Open
This award honors the late Dr. Fischer for improving Ithaca's natural environment. Dr. Fischer was a
Cornell professor, nature lover, and member of our Conservation Board; he erected many bluebird
houses and helped establish New York's bottle
law to reduce waste and litter. x �
Since 2003, the Town's Conservation Board has
honored a different individual or group each year, '
including Richard Schoch, Adrianna Hirtler, the
Friendship Donation Network, Finger Lakes Re-
Use, and Primitive Pursuits. r-a5Lr-xvvuiu i-,%,ciPr
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Individuals or organizations who have helped im-
prove Ithaca's natural environment are eligible.
Those awarded have their names added to a
plaque in Town Hall and attached to a tree plant-
Fischer Award winner Rich Schoch and friends at the
ed at a celebration in their honor in a Town park
or trail. tree planting ceremony last summer.
Please nominate a person or a group you feel has contributed to improving and conserving our en-
vironment. Nominations must be received by February 28, 2026. Submission guidelines and a nom-
ination form are available here: nuP5:iiLUwnnnacany.UUV/ncna[U-115cner-awaro, or contact the Con-
servation Board at Gonservationboard o-)townithacany.gov.
2026 Town and County Taxes Due Victoria Wood joins
February 2, 2026 the Town
Town and County tax bills have been mailed. Victoria was recently hired as
Payments are due without penalty by February our Human Resources and
2, 2026. If you did not receive one, please Finance Specialist to assist
contact us at Taxes@townithacany.gov or call both departments.
607-273-1721 ext 114. Payments can be made
in person at Town Hall, by mail
or online using our new online * You may meet her if you come
system using a credit or debit in; she is currently stationed in
card and in full. An account our temporary tax collection
login is not necessary. If you office at Town Hall.
are looking for your 2025 tax Welcome to the Town Victoria!
bill for tax filing purposes you
can find that on our old system here.
Tompkins County Clerk's Office launches new online records
search platform with fraud alert feature
ITHACA, N.Y. — The Tompkins County Clerk's Office is pleased to announce the launch of a new,
modernized online records search platform that provides the public with improved access to land
records and a new and free Fraud Alert feature designed to help protect property owners from real
estate fraud.
The new search site is now live and can be accessed directly at:
tompkins.nypublicsearch.us/. This platform offers a user-friendly experience, enhanced search ca-
pabilities, and expanded security tools for the public.
Protecting property owners with fraud alerts
A key feature of the new system is Property Fraud Alert, a free notification service that alerts users if
a document is recorded in the Tompkins County Clerk's Office under their name or property. Fraud
alerts can help property owners identify potentially fraudulent activity early and take appropriate ac-
tion.
Property fraud is a growing concern nationwide. While the County Clerk's Office records documents
as presented by law and cannot verify their legitimacy, this alert system provides an important early
warning tool for residents. Learn more about ,-J UPUI Ly Fl uuu , on the county website.
How to Sign Up
Signing up for fraud alerts is quick, easy, and free. Property owners and residents can follow step-
by-step instructions using the on the county website. Users may register multiple names and
properties and can choose to receive alerts by email or phone.
Accessing the County Clerk online
The new search platform is also accessible through the Fompkins County Clerk's websii . In addi-
tion to online records access, the County Clerk's Office continues to provide in-person assistance,
recording services, and customer support.
"This new online search system improves access to public records while adding an important layer
of protection for our residents," said Maureen Reynolds, Tompkins County Clerk. "The Fraud Alert
feature empowers property owners with information and peace of mind."
Monika Salvage, PMP, CPP
Communications Director
Tompkins County Administration
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O"LYG-� FREE TAX PREP
TO M P K TN S Federal and New York State returns
B U I L D PATHWAYS TO LIFELONG @ 119 West Court Street,Ithaca
APPRENTICESHIP
(additional parking behind the building,enter off Buffalo St.)
Info Session TRUMANSBURG @ Ulysses Philomathic Library
When: January 14"' at 12pm & 6pm DRYDEN @ Southworth Library
• Taxpayers age 60+(with spouse of any age)
Where: GIAC, 301 W. Court St. Ithaca • Taxpayers with disabilities or Limited English Proficiency
•Registration: Click the link to register Families with incomes below$69,000
Returns are prepared by IRS trained and certified volunteers.
Contact: Ithaca Area Economic Some returns may not qualify for this service.
Development at (607) 273-0005 Appointments available January 28 through April 11
❑� '❑� Call OR text 607-379-4045 OR
• Access an appointment request form on our website at
The Pathways to Apprenticeship program is an unique y
❑R r www.tclifelong.org OR using this QR code
opportunity that connects you to union career paths in Taxpayers aged 60+or whose return we completed lastyear
construction and building trades.The program combines may request an appointment beginning January 5
hands-on training with classroom learning.You'll gain All eligible taxpayers may request an appointment beginningFebruary2
certifications,connect directly with unions in the Tompkins- See our website www.tclifelong.org for more information and
L Lifelong
Cortland Building and Construction Trades Council,and for contact-free and no cost self-prep options �.)
explore exciting career opportunities in the commercial Thisprogram receives federal financial assistance from the U.S.Department of the Treasury and additional financial
assistance from Lifelong,Tompkins County,and the Tompkins County Office for the Aging.We do not discriminate based on
color,national origin,sex,disability,age,and/or reprisal.Lifelong TCE will make every effort,at no cost to the taxpayer,
construction Industry. to provide reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities and language assistance to persons who are limited
English proficient If you believe you have been discriminated against based on any ofthese categories and/or reprisal,you
may file a complaint with the Operations Director,Civil Rights Division,Internal Revenue Service,Room 2413,1111
/ GREATER 1.h— ® Constitution Ave.NW,Washington,OC 20224 or email civil..nghts.dh4aion@irs.gov.
ACTIVITIESC TER
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Tompkins County Environmental Health to Senior Circle
Host Free Rabies Vaccination Clinics for
Dogs, Cats & Ferrets Winter Edition
Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Time: 6-8 p.m. The latest issue can be
Where: SPCA of Tompkins County, Dorothy & found at
Roy Park Adoption Center, 1640 Hanshaw Road,Ithaca httpS://tClitelonq.orq/Wp-
t
content/
l.Uli,K HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE
uploads/2026/01/Sen ior-
Dogs must be on leashes or in carriers, cats and Circle Interactive-
ferrets must be in carriers. Winter-2026.pdf