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HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril 2026 NewsletterApril 2026 Newsletter Town of IthacaTown of IthacaTown of Ithaca Town Hall Court and Lobby Renovations To StartTown Hall Court and Lobby Renovations To StartTown Hall Court and Lobby Renovations To Start Renovations focusing on the Court offices and lobbybegan Monday, April 13th and will continue through August 31, 2026. Town Hall will remain open throughout construction, butthere will be disruptions. Many services are now available online through ourwebsite under Forms & Permits and please feel free tocall ahead to check on the status of parking and we can work with you to get you the service(s) you need if necessary: 607-273-1721 option 1.Some of the changes you will see: · Court Clerks are moved to the boardroom for day-to-day transactions. · Public bathrooms – limited to one single occupancy/gender neutral bathroom at times· Street Parking – Window replacements will require closing portions of the N Tioga St. side of Town Hall. Some interruptions may also occur on the Buffalo St. side if necessary for equipment mobility. We will make every effort to limit disruptions to the handicap accessible entrance to Town Hall on Buffalo St. to a minimum. · Removal– Part of the project involves abatement of hazardous materials (lead & asbestos) so you may see signage and contractors in hazmat suits. Please note there will be NO changes to Court appearances. For overall project questions, call Town Engineering at 607-273-1656; Town Engineer, Justin McNeal ext. 260 or Emily Rogers, Civil Engineer, ext. 267. The Town of Ithaca and City of Ithaca are holdinga joint informational public meeting on “Own Your Power,” a Town and City-approved service tohelp the Ithacas’ energy users transition fromgrid and pipeline fuels to onsite andneighborhood renewable power through solar, geothermal heat, electric vehicles and otherDistributed Energy Resources (DERs). The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 16th, 2026, at 6PM, online. Please register for themeeting ahead of time using this link. Tompkins Green Energy Network (T-GEN) is a joint City and Town of Ithaca service to help any Ithacaresident or business own and/or operatedifferent types of onsite renewable power, heat,vehicle and waste systems designed to reduce use of power grid, heat and vehicle fuels andconventional waste management services thatcomprise about 75% of all climate pollution. In 2025, the City and Town adopted Distributed Energy Resource (DER) Plans defining a program administrator’s role in implementing a community-wide decarbonization in four major categories: power, heat, vehicles and waste. The Town and the City selected Local Power LLC to develop projects in which residential, commercial and municipal energy users are eligible to own and use onsite and local renewable energy systems. The program will seek to reduce project costs and help customers evaluate options. The goal is to design onsite energy systems that enable a greater degree of local and onsite power wherever there are applicants seeking to own them, based on voluntary participation. The DER Program Administrator will engage any resident or business, whether with groups of neighbors or as individuals. The program is intended to implement Town-wide decarbonization through continuing community engagement. This is a new program intended to bring the Town’s climate and energy efforts to the next level. Learn about how the Town of Ithaca’s new community energy program works, including information on the strategy of both controlling locally electricity and gas supply and engaging customers to invest their energy wallet in onsite renewable power, heat and vehicle systems. Please refer to the Tompkins Green Energy Network program page for more information. The meeting will be attended by Town and City staff managing this program and will be run by Local Power, the Town chosen DER Program Administrator. “Own Your Own Power” Public Information Session“Own Your Own Power” Public Information Session“Own Your Own Power” Public Information Session April 16, 2026 at 6 PM The Town of Ithaca Public Works Department will be picking up yard waste (brush, leaves, pine needles, dead flowers, garden waste, and grass clippings) starting Monday, April 20, and will continue throughout the Town that week 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 CALL BACKS. The intention of the Town’s roadside collection service is for Town residents outside the Village of Cayuga Heights and the City of Ithaca to put a reasonable amount of yard waste (as is generated during a normal year) out at the roadside for pick up 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. Please note that our crews do not use leaf vacuum machines for spring leaf pickup, therefore, no loose piles will be picked up. Also, no plastic bags will be picked up. 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. Errant brush piles can wreak havoc on the storm water systems and can create a hazard for walkers and cyclists. WHAT TO DO Bag leaves, garden, and other yard waste in biodegradable paper bags. Fill bags and place on road shoulder. Fold over openings of bags to close. Do not staple or tape. 30-gallon bags are available at Agway, Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, and Wegmans along with other stores in the area. Brush should be placed in neat piles going with the flow of traffic so that the chipping trucks can feed the cut ends first. Brush piles should be no larger than a pickup truck load (approximately 2’ H x 4’ W x 8’ L in size). It is not necessary to cut limbs into small pieces. Put out limbs no larger than 8 inches in diameter. Place brush and filled bags of yard waste along road shoulder or at the end of the driveway if no shoulder exists. WHAT NOT TO DO Do not tie bundles of brush. Do not place any materials in a ditch. Do not put out metal, rocks, glass, roots, stumps, or lumber scraps. Do not put brush and leaf bags out until the week before collection. For more information, please call 273-1656 between 6:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. You may also drop your yard waste off at the Public Works Facility at 114 Seven Mile Drive, Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. year-round. Please sign in at the office. 2026 Spring Brush Pickup2026 Spring Brush Pickup2026 Spring Brush Pickup Think Before You Click The Town of Ithaca will NEVER ask you to send money through a “wire transfer”. DON’T BE FOOLED! Scam artists and BOTS are scraping municipal websites for personal information from applications. They take legitimate pieces of information — such as Town letterhead, logos, staff names, and titles — and combine them into realistic email requests for payment and/or attach fake invoices. SCRAM: Stop – Was this expected? Does the amount seem excessive? Check - The email address carefully – scams use @usa.com or similar. Many municipalities have switched to XYZ@xxx.gov or use XYZ@xxx.us Read - Carefully for proper grammar or vernacular! “The review and certification process is advancing …” “…about this compensation fee…” “…enable progression through the inclusion timeline…” “..itemized breakdown of compensation fee…” Attachments - DO NOT open attachments or links or reply to a suspicious email. “…correspondence…must be via reply to this email thread… for proper tracking, agenda inclusion…” “Settle the attached invoice promptly” Municipalities - DO NOT ask for wire transfers! “Amount Due: $$$ USD” “Payment Method: Wire Transfer” WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL (607) 273-1721WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL (607) 273-1721WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL (607) 273-1721 Department of Assessment Upcoming Dates:Department of Assessment Upcoming Dates:Department of Assessment Upcoming Dates: The Tompkins County Legislature approved a pause to the annual reassessment ofproperties while the Department transitions to the next-generation program. Incoordination with the NYS Office of Real Property Tax Services, it was determined that the 2026 Preliminary Assessment Roll is at 95% of full market value across all property classes. May 1 – Tentative Assessment Roll filed and Notices Sentst May 26 – Grievance Day th July 1 – Final Assessment Roll Filed st Changes to a property’s assessment were made for recent physical changes made or identified, with a total of 1, 234 change notices sent, 185 of which were decreases. *Reminder – The Tompkins County Assessment Office has moved to 31 Dutch Mill Road, Ithaca as part of the Center of Government Project.TC Assessment Website Phil Davis lives in East Ithaca and has been volunteering at the East Ithaca Nature Preserve since 2023, clearing invasive plants, giving native species the room to thrive, and maintaining them as they flourish. He also participates in community native tree-planting events. The Town extends its sincere thanks to Phil for his ongoing efforts protecting our native biodiversity and helping to restore a functioning ecosystem. Thank You Phil DavisThank You Phil Davis Thank You Phil Davis NYSEG Project on Line 531 inNYSEG Project on Line 531 in Ithaca/Danby to Start SoonIthaca/Danby to Start Soon NYSEG Project on Line 531 in Ithaca/Danby to Start Soon (Not Associated withthe FLAIR project) Around TownAround TownAround Town Join the 2026 Earth Day Festival at the Ithaca Commons on Saturday, April 18, from 12 to 5 PM. Enjoy fun, family- friendly activities, resources, food, and music as we celebrate how together we are protecting our planet and communities. Learn about actionable climate solutions that are both possible and attainable. Explore sustainable ways to reduce waste, lower energy costs, grow and cook food, and more. Together, we can take action to create a livable and vibrant tomorrow! The Earth Day Festival is hosted by Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County in collaboration with the City of Ithaca and significant partners. For more information, visit https://energy.ccetompkins.org/earthday/ The Youth Exploration Program (YEP) at theLearning Web Spring Opportunites APRIL 16 @ 5PM -- The Frame Shop Tourth APRIL 17 @ 4PM -- SouthWorks Factory Tourth APRIL 20 @ 4:45PM -- Kissed by Korrin Tour th APRIL 28 @ 4:30PM -- Cornell University "Effectsof AI" Workshop th APRIL 30 @ 4:30PM – REI Tourth Open to ages 11-22, Must live in Tompkins CountyCoordinators: alejandro@learning-web.org and kevin@learning-web.org Please enroll using our sign up sheet! Looking to give back and make a difference in your community? Join us for an inspiring afternoon with 20 local nonprofit organizations and discover meaningful volunteer opportunities that match your interests and skills. Bonus perks! Visit every vendor and you’ll be eligible to receive a 6-pack of local artisan beer, plus a Lifelong lip balm, pen, and tote bag! Bring a friend and come see how you can make an impact! Registration appreciated (but not required): Lifelong’s Volunteer Fair April 28, 2-4 pm 119 W. Court St.