Town of Niles Newsletter ~2016~ IN THIS ISSUE, ARTICLES FROM: Supervisor... 1 Some Important Dates... 1 Zoning Board of Appeals... 2 Board of Assessment Review... 2 Code Enforcement... 2 Niles Farmers Market... 2 Town Clerk/Tax Collectors Office... 3 Planning Board... 3 Youth Program... 3 Historian s Room... 4 Senior Citizens Organization... 4 Dog Control Officer... 4 Fire Departments: New Hope... 4 West Niles... 5 Three Town District... 5 Highway Department... 6 Garbage: WeCare Waste & Recycling, LLC... 6 Holiday Pick-Up... 6 Regulations... 7 Clean-Up Days...6-7 Clean-Up Days Regulations... 7 Town Phone Numbers... 7 Dates to Remember... 8 Town of Niles 5923 New Hope Road Moravia, New York 13118 Phone: 315-497-0066 Fax: 315-497-9952 Town of Niles Website: www.cayugacounty.us/portals/1/niles/ Town Highway Department: Phone: 315-497-2606 Town Clerk Office Hours: Tuesdays 9 a.m. Noon Thursdays 4 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturdays 9 a.m. Noon Town Board Meetings: 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm in the Town Hall A Word from the Supervisor Happy New Year! I am Joan Jayne, as most of you know I am the new Town Supervisor for Niles. I am proud that the Community has put their trust in me to help keep our town strong! I will be available as much as possible to assist with any concerns you may have, please don t hesitate to call me and I will be happy to look into your concerns! I would also like to thank Charlie Greene for all he has done for our town over the last few years. He has always shown dedication to the Community, and has assisted me in the last few weeks to transition into my new position. Thank you Charlie! I look forward to continuing to move our town forward. Thank you for your support, Joan Jayne From the Assessor If you are going to have your 65 th Birthday in 2016, apply for your Senior STAR Exemption before March 1 st, 2016. You do not have to wait until your birthday!!! Exemptions are due back to the Assessor by March 1 st, 2016. If you feel you are not going to be able to return your exemption by 3/1/2016; contact me ASAP. Now is also a great time to check the data/information that the assessor has for your property. Confirming your data/information is the first step to a fair and equitable assessment. Some important dates that affect your property taxes March 1 st of each year is called Taxable Status Date. An example as to how this date affects your property tax is if vacant land is improved (built on) after this date, it is still considered vacant land for that assessment roll. March 1 st is also the date that exemptions are placed on the property. An example: vacant land has no Agricultural Exemption as of March 1 st and the land starts being used for Agricultural purposes and an Agricultural Exemption is applied for after March 1 st. No exemption will be seen on the tax bill until March 1 st of the following year. Sale Date: this plays into your tax bill as well! Example: Sale Date of July 4, 2016. Seller of the property has no exemptions on file. New owner files for STAR and a Veteran s Exemption. New home owner will receive a school bill in 2016 with no STAR Exemption applied. The Exemptions were not filed as of March 1 st. New home owner will get a Town and County Bill in 2017 (goes out in December 2016 due in 2017) with no Veteran Exemption applied. Assessor - 1 -
Zoning Board of Appeals If you to want to build on your property we encourage you to review the Niles building codes as well as NYS rules. If some aspect of your project does not meet the code, the Code Enforcement Officer, or the Planning Board will deny your building permit. The CEO and/ or the Planning Board may give you suggestions to bring your project within code. You could choose to modify your project so it will conform to code, which may be the easiest choice. (The codes are written to help maintain the character of our town.) Or, you may choose to apply for a Variance to the codes. Please review the laws carefully. The Variance application is available on line and at the Town Hall. Once the Town Clerk receives your Variance application and the required fee, we will set up a meeting to hear your appeal. Please note one overriding question that the Board must consider if the proposed appeal is denied: Will the denial create undue hardship for you, the property owner? In addition, there are four factors which the ZBA must consider in all appeals: 1. Will an undesirable change be produced in the character of the neighborhood or detriment to nearby properties be created by granting the variance? 2. Will the proposed variance have an adverse impact on the physical or environmental conditions of the neighborhood? 3. Can the benefit sought be achieved by some other method, other than a variance? 4. Was the alleged difficulty self-created? Happy Building! Board of Assessment Review The Niles Board of Assessment Review will meet on May 26th, 2016, from 4-8 pm for the purpose of hearing property owners grievances on their assessments. Grievance forms are available from the Assessor or the Town Clerk. They are also available on the Town website. You must make an appointment. Please have your paperwork filled out before meeting with the Board of Assessment Review. Code Enforcement It is time for another newsletter and another article from Code Enforcement. I am going to bring up probably the most frequently asked question: Do I need a permit for that? I will cover some of the most asked questions and if not covered, you can call me anytime. Permits are not needed for the following: new roofs, as long you are not changing rafters or trusses; windows, as long as they are the same size; siding on your house; repair of existing deck or porch, as long as it is the same size: a shed under 140 sq. ft.; chimney repair; driveway repair; concrete deck. Things that you do need a permit for: any structure over 140 sq. ft., even if it is not on a foundation it still needs a permit; new decks; porches; wood stoves of any type; pools; mobile homes; electrical installation; new plumbing; plus there are others, please call me if you are not sure. Also I want to remind you that smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are required in every occupied building. This includes commercial and residential. If there is not a fuel burning appliance and no attached garage, carbon monoxide alarm is not needed. I am available by phone seven days a week, please call if you are not sure on a project. Thank you, Jerry VeVone, Niles Code Enforcement Niles Farmers Market The management and vendors of the Niles Farmers Market would like to thank the town board and the community for all their support the last 4 years. Due to supply and demand we have decided to dissolve the weekly Saturday market. However we are planning to hold at least 2 community days in the summer. Check the town website in the near future for dates and info. Any interested vendors please call Penny Wells at (315)214-1248. - 2 -
From the Desk of the Town Clerk/Tax Collector I, Tina Weed, would like to thank everyone for allowing me the opportunity to serve as Town Clerk. The Deputy Clerk is Robin Sheehan. Please stop by the Clerk s Office to license your dog, get a hunting or fishing license, get a marriage license, pay your County taxes (until March 31, 2016). Please be advised you CANNOT pay your school taxes in this office. They must be paid at the school tax collector s office. Hours for tax collection for the months of January and February are as follows: Monday 4 pm 7 pm Tuesday 9 am 12 pm Thursday 4 pm 7 pm Saturday 9 am 12 pm After February 29, 2016, we will go back to our regular Clerk s Office hours (shown below). The Town Clerk s Office is open the following hours: Tuesday 9 am 12 pm Thursday 4 pm 7 pm Saturday 9 am 12 pm The Clerk s Office will be CLOSED the following Saturdays: Memorial Day Weekend Labor Day Weekend Thanksgiving Weekend Christmas Weekend Have a happy and safe new year! Tina Weed, Town Clerk Robin Sheehan, Deputy Town Clerk From the Planning Board The Planning Board s responsibility is to ensure that all property, subdivisions, and add-ons comply with the Town s Laws. Therefore, any changes in property lines or changes of use must be approved by the Planning Board. Also note that all new commercial construction or additions must obtain a site plan review. In an effort to save you time and money, pleased contact the Planning Board Chairman, the Code Enforcement Officer or the Town Clerk before you start any project. The Planning Board meets on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Town Hall. If you wish to reserve time on the agenda, please notify the Town Clerk one week prior to the meeting. All standard Planning Board forms are now available on the website. Planning Board Chairman, Terry Green - 3 - The Town of Niles sponsors two programs for the youth who reside within the town The first program is the swim program. This is for the children enrolled in kindergarten thru sixth grade. The swim program is held at the Auburn YMCA. The program is held during the months of July and August each summer. The bus makes two pick-ups and drop-offs; the first at the New Hope Church and the second at the West Niles Fire House. The second program is the Recreation Program. This is for children completing kindergarten thru sixth grade. The recreation program is held in Moravia at the Fillmore Glen State Park. This program is held for six weeks during July and August. Each Friday during recreation there is a bus trip. Students must pay for this trip themselves. The Town of Niles pays for the rest of the program. The town is assessed on a per-child basis for the length of the program. The Town of Niles pays for each child that signs up during registration and the first week of recreation. If a child signs up for the program but does not attend, the Town must still pay for that child. We at the Town of Niles are happy to support your children in these programs. However, as we are required to pay for each registered child, please do not register your child unless you are sure your child will be participating in this program. We will hold two sign-up sessions this year at the Niles Town Hall in New Hope. You must attend one of the sign-up sessions if you plan to have your child attend either program. The sign-up dates are Saturday June 18 th, 9:00-11:00 am and Thursday evening June 23 rd 5:00-7:00 pm. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the Town Youth Representatives. Belinda Stayton 315-427-8385 or Karen Porter 315-685-3154
New Hope Fire Department In August, New Hope Fire Department hosted our annual antique tractor pull and it was a great success. Thank you to all that participated in making it a great event. We are planning the event for August 2016, so come out and join us again! In following with tradition, we are planning to continue our New Hope Chicken Barbeques in 2016 as well. We will kick off the barbeque season by hosting a chicken barbeque in March as a fundraiser for the Moravia youth soccer. Additional barbeques for the fire department will be held the third Sunday of each month from April through October. We are raising money for a new firehouse. The old building is too small, especially when mutual aid departments come in to stand by for our district when we are out on long calls. The newer equipment simply doesn t fit in the building. New apparatus will have to be custom built to fit in our current building, which inflates the cost of the equipment with each new purchase. The New Hope Fire Department is still accepting new members. Join a group that takes pride in serving the community. Our meetings are the first Monday of each month at the New Hope Fire Department at 7:00 pm. Please stop by or see any fire department member for details on joining. The department completed 2015 by responding to more than 200 alarms in our community. With great appreciation, I would like to thank the members of the community for the support you have given the New Hope Fire Department. Happy New Year. Dennis Bell JR. Fire Chief From the Historian s Room Well the construction is finally done and is getting back in order, please stop in to see the new room. The Historian Office hours are Thursdays from 4-7pm. I now have the Niles quilt that was made for the sequential by the people in Niles, some have passed and it is great to have this to remember these people. Please stop by to see the quilt. Historian Alberta (Dar) Winters - 4 - Niles Senior Citizens The Niles Senior Citizens meet at Midlakes Church in New Hope on the second Wednesday of each month. In July, we meet at the Ward O Hara Museum for a picnic, and in December, we have a Christmas Party at Springside Inn. Lunch is at noon (bring a dish to pass and your own table service), and a meeting follows lunch. We have had the pleasure of adding several new members this year and hope for many more! Some of the trips we enjoyed in 2015 were to Nashville, Lancaster, and Wellsboro. We would like to thank the Town of Niles for their help with funding bus transportation for our trips. Without their help, these trips would not be possible. Thank you so much! I am planning trips for 2016 at this time, which include Albany in July, Vermont/New Hampshire in September, Lancaster in October, and a Christmas show in early December. Please come join us for fun and fellowship. Thank you to all our members who support our group all year! Elaine Axton Trip Co-Coordinator From the Dog Control Officer 2015 was a good year! Although, I continue to have several neighbor complaints to sum it up, your dog should only be on your property! Please respect others that have chosen not to enjoy the many benefits of owning a dog. They certainly don t need to be cleaning up poop or garbage after your dog! As the Dog Control Officer I am only responsible to deal with dog issues in Niles, but I am always glad to point you in the right direction with any animal questions/problems. Please make sure your pets are current on their rabies vaccinations. We have a rabies clinic in the Spring and Fall to make this easier on you. Also, dogs make a much better pet when spayed or neutered!!! All dogs that are four months or older must be licensed with the Town. The license must be renewed every year. Any questions or comments can be e-mailed to me at spayyourpet@yahoo.com. Stacey Morris
West Niles Fire Department We would like to first take the time to thank all of our supporters and volunteers for a successful year. Our officers stand as follow: Chief: Dave Glanville, Asst. Chief: Doug Winters, President: Greg Palmer, Vice President: George Case, Secretary: Dar Winters, and Treasurer: Rich Winters. Our functions for this year are as follows: Pancake Breakfast Jan. 31st, 2016, Clambake: May 7th, 2016, a Pushball Tournament, also the Fill Your Freezer Raffle, ending with Election Night Supper in November. The Fill Your Freezer is a chance to win a quarter of a beef for $20 a chance and we draw 4 winners. The winners this year were: Rich O Brien, Jess Hess, Theresa Conklin and Rich Francezk. If you are interested in a ticket, you can ask any of our fireman or call Dar at 315-283-6566 or Greg Palmer at 315-730-2683. We had our 2nd annual clambake, we will be having another on May 7th. Please see any West Niles Fireman for tickets, they will go on sale in March. We are always looking for new members; there are always jobs to do without going to the scene of a fire. To join, stop by the firehouse on any Monday night or ask at any of our functions. We also have a Auxiliary for those who are interested in the many functions that we have. First is a Easter egg hunt, second is a Children s Holiday Party. The West Niles Fire Department is asking that everyone have one of our green reflective 911 signs in front of your home. It really saves us time in an emergency when minutes matter. For a small donation of $12.00, we would be more than happy to get one for you. Applications can be found on the Town of Niles web site. Have a safe and Happy New Year from the West Niles Fire Department. Buy Local to Support Your Neighbors and the Town The Business List is available to print or view from our website. Any new business wanting to be added or exiting business with changes to your status and/or hours can contact the town clerk. Three Town Fire District Since the Three Town Fire District is not in the public news very often I would like to use the Town of Niles newsletter to let the taxpayers know a little bit more about the organization you have supported over the years. As some local citizens know, the Fire District was formed in 1948 in response to a major series of fires on the same afternoon on 41A. The Town of Moravia was originally included. They later left to form their own fire district. A lot has changed since those early years. The District is now comprised of two towns, Niles and Sempronius, with three fire departments, New Hope, Sempronius, and West Niles. The Three Town name was retained for legal purposes. The District is lead by a District Chief, (Pat Merical) and each department has an Assistant Chief ( New Hope Dennis Bell Jr), ( Sempronius- Jim Axton) and ( West Niles Dave Glanville) who report to the District Chief. All of the fire houses are owned by the individual fire departments. The District pays rent to them to house equipment owned by the District. The fire departments are responsible for all building maintenance, and all utilities including heat. This allows for a very accurate budget for the District. The New Hope Fire Department is actively pursuing a building project to replace their old firehouse. Their goal is to do this without taxpayer money. To learn more about this, contact a member. The Fire District approved a state authored and controlled Length of Service Award Program, also referred to as LOSAP. For active firefighters to qualify, they must meet strict requirements for attendance and training, too lengthy to describe in this newsletter. The short story is, if the members receive the award they have earned it. The fire departments are always in need of committed volunteers, and it is a commitment. At least forty hours of training are required annually. There is also a requirement to attend a percentage emergency call and department meetings. While the commitment is very high, so are the rewards. Please contact one of the fire chiefs you have an interest in serving. Bill Carman, Secretary/Treasurer - 5 -
Highway Department The highway department has made some accomplishments in 2015. Glen Cove road and the top of Richardson road both had culvert replacement and a base rebuild done in 2014 and to finish the sections off a new paved driving surface has been done and shoulders added in 2015. We chip sealed between 10 and 11 miles of road surface and borrowed a portable pothole/ crack sealing machine from the town of Preble to seal any other small cracks on the other roads. The poorly rated bridge on Old State road over Dutch Hollow Brook was replaced this summer by Vector Construction and should give our residents many years of worry free use. At the same time the new bridge was installed the old abandoned bridge at the end of Old State road was demolished and removed by Vector Construction. Medium rip rap stone was added along the creek edges for protection, seed and mulch applied and new guiderail installed to make a state fishing access site. Every year the town plows five miles of county road in exchange for the county plowing five miles of our town roads. Starting with the 2015-16 winter season the town will be plowing an additional six miles of county roads with the county reimbursing the town for the service. The added roads are as follows: Twelve Corners Road starting at State Route 38A south at intersection to Rowe Road intersection and Grange Hall Road from Twelve Corners Road intersection to Vanderstouw Road intersection. The county snowplow in West Niles had a very long snowplow route and our intent is to try to even out all town and county snowplow routes and at the same time provide quicker service to these two roads. To keep our equipment updated we have replaced the Cat Loader under the Caterpillar Annual Replacement Program at a savings to the town and the 2012 Ford F550 is to be replaced with a 2016 F550 with updated snow equipment and sander. At times throughout the year you may have seen other town s equipment working on projects in our town doing paving, chip seals and hauling gravel to name a few. In return for their help we also go and help them on their projects. This inter-municipal cooperation has worked with the town highway departments for many years providing equipment, trucks and personnel to accomplish our major projects. The Cayuga County Highway Department is working with a very tight budget and their work force is getting smaller every year. The county is looking for the towns to take over some of their maintenance items such as roadside mowing and ditching so you may see our equipment working on county roads. The following are some important numbers when you have questions or concerns: New York State Department of Transportation Waterloo (315) 539-3112 Cayuga County Highway Department office (315) 253-1513, garage (315) 253-1366 Niles Town Highway Department (315) 497-2606 Patrick Steger, Highway Superintendent - 6 - Our Garbage Hauler is: WeCare Waste and Recycling, LLC Phone: 315-689-3910 Fax: 315-689-1952 Office Hours: Monday Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm WeCare Waste and Recycling appreciates this opportunity to serve the Residents of Niles for their garbage collection. We are a private locally owned company located in Jordan, NY. Your service day will remain on Monday, with the collection starting at 7:00 am. Here are the two Holidays that will affect the trash pick-up schedule: Memorial Day (May 30th) trash pick-up will be on Tuesday, May 31st, and Labor Day (Sept. 5th) trash pick-up will be on Tuesday, September 6th. u u u u u 2016 Clean-Up Days Mark Your Calendar! West Niles Firehouse April 16th June 18th Aug. 20th 8:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Niles Town Garage at New Hope May 21st July 16th Sept. 17th 8:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Clean-Up Days are a service for Town of Niles property owners. Its purpose is to help residents keep their properties neat and tidy, by disposing of junk and debris generated within the town limits. We have scheduled, 6 days, (3 in New Hope and 3 in West Niles), for your convenience. Residents are asked to be considerate when bringing items for disposal. We ask business owners within Niles, to refrain from bringing debris generated from their business operations. Please make separate arrangements for job site dumpsters. Excessive construction/ remodeling debris will not be accepted. No large trucks, (6 wheels or larger), No large open or enclosed trailers, (14 or larger), with junk or debris will be accepted! No junk cars, boats, cut up house trailers, etc. Will be accepted!!! The Town Representative in charge Continued on Page 7
at clean-up, has the right to turn away items they deem inappropriate for disposal. Please do not abuse this service the Town has provided you. Thank you! NOTE: Again you will be asked to bring your tax map number and sign in to show proof that you own property in the Town of Niles. A Town Board Member will be recording this information so please have this available upon your arrival. Garbage Exemptions Garbage Exemptions Forms for storage, senior citizens and seasonal use are available at the Town Clerk s office and on-line at the Town of Niles website. These forms MUST be filed by March 1st, 2016. Property owners with storage facilities only and those who file a 100% exemption, shall be allowed to use the annual clean-up days. The exemption form MUST still be filed, even though there is no garbage tax on the property. 2016 Clean-Up Days Regulations Tires (* Passenger & Small Truck) Limit four (4) per Household Accepted only at the Niles Town Garage (New Hope) PLEASE DO NOT BRING TIRES TO THE WEST NILES FIREHOUSE!! * Tires will be measured to ensure that they meet the Seneca Meadows requirements. NO Tractor or Large Truck Tires! All Refrigerators, Freezers, Dehumidifiers, and Air Conditioners will be taken. Refrigerant lines MUST be intact Appliances with cut lines will NOT be accepted. Garbage Pick-up Garbage Pick-up Regulations: 1. Trash and recyclables are collected each Monday starting at 7:00 a.m. 2. Garbage is collected on Tuesday after Memorial Day and Labor Day. 3. Trash must be tied in clear plastic garbage bags. Please be considerate of your neighbors by tying it up. 4. Remember 7 bags per week per household is the limit. Please make special arrangements with the hauler if you have more. 5. All containers should NOT exceed 60 pounds when full. 6. No lumber in excess of 48 inches. 7. No tree limbs, brush, leaves or lawn clippings. 7. Cardboard needs to be flat and cut into 2 foot x 2 foot sections so that it will fit inside the WeCare truck. 8. Trash must be placed at the edge of your property in a GARBAGE CAN. PUT your garbage in a container and do not put it out till SUNDAY night or MONDAY morning. Please do not put it out early. Recycling will be the same as in 2015, if any questions please call the town office. Niles Town Phone Numbers Supervisor: Joan Jayne...315-497-0066 Council Members: Steven Cuddeback...315-784-5471 Clancy Edmonds...315-496-2124 Bernard Juli...315-497-9525 Joseph MacDuffee...315-209-0230 Highway Superintendent: Pat Steger...315-497-2606 Town Clerk: Tina Weed...315-497-0066 Town Deputy Clerk: Robin Sheehan...315-497-0066 Town Justice: Richard Winters...315-497-0066 Town Code Enforcement: Jerry VeVone...315-729-3665 Dog Control Officer: Stacey Morris...315-497-2941 Town Planning Board: Terry Green...315-604-2884 County Legislator: Terry Baxter...315-497-0189 Town Historian: Alberta (Dar) Winters...315-497-0066-7 -
Town of Niles 5923 New Hope Road Moravia, NY 13118 PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID AUBURN, NY PERMIT No. 1 DATES TO REMEMBER Monday, March 2nd Applications for STAR, senior, low-income, garbage and agricultural exemptions are due. Reminder: In the year that you turn 65, you must apply for your Enhanced STAR Exemption. The form for the STAR and the Enhanced STAR Exemption is located at http://www.orps.stateny.us/star/star_formscfm and also listed under links on the Town of Niles Website. Saturday, April 16th Clean-up day at the West Niles Firehouse 8 am to 1 pm Saturday, May 21st Clean-up day at the Town of Niles Garage 8 am to 1 pm Thursday, May 26th Grievance Day - 4 pm to 8 pm By appointment Saturday, June 18th Clean-up day at the West Niles Firehouse 8 am to 1 pm Saturday, July 16th Clean-up day at the Town of Niles Garage 8 am to 1 pm Saturday, August 20th Clean-up day at the West Niles Firehouse 8 am to 1 pm Saturday, September 17th Clean-up day at the Town of Niles Garage 8 am to 1 pm - 8 -