Village of Cazenovia

Welcome to the Mayor's Notebook.

July 1, 2011
Thank you to everyone who took time to vote in our June election. I look forward to serving all of you as your new Mayor. Thank you to Tom Dougherty for his many years of service to our village.
Sincere regards,
Kurt Wheeler

March 7, 2011

As you can see, by a review of the Mayor’s Notebook, I have not been very faithful, making Notebook entries. I thought I would break tradition and make this entry to let you know that I do not intend on running for Mayor in the upcoming June 21, 2011 village elections. I have really wrestled with the decision and in the end I just felt that it is time for me to step down.

I can honestly say that I have enjoyed every minute I have spent being your Mayor. I am so very proud of the Village of Cazenovia and all the wonderful people that live here in the Village. I have the up most respect for our current Village Board of Trustees and I know that they will continue to serve you in the most dedicated, efficient, and forthright way.

It has been my great pleasure over the years to serve on the Board with three great Mayors, and wonderful Trustees. They all have made my tenure on the Village Board truly enjoyable.

I can’t say enough about our very talented and dedicated Village Employees. Over the years they have been great to work with. It goes without saying that they are all first class and that we are very lucky to have them working for the Village. Along with the Employees I would like to thank our current Village Attorney and our former Village Attorney who always tried to teach and coach the Board to make the best legal decisions for the Village.

It is unbelievable the amount of time our appointed officials dedicate to the Village of Cazenovia. Over the years the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Historic Preservation Committee have done a wonderful job and have helped to make the Village of Cazenovia a great place to live. I have had the pleasure of appointing several of them to the various Boards and I am very proud of all the Board Members that have served on the Boards over the years.

Another group I would like to thank is our volunteers from the Fire Department and from CAVAC. Their work and dedication to the Village is unbelievable. We are truly blessed to have their service to the community.

There are many, many more people throughout the years that have helped make my stay on the Board so rewarding. I can only say, thank you for your support and, when necessary, for your differing points of view. The best decisions made are usually informed decisions.

I know that there is a lot of work to be done on the Village Board, including the development of Riverside Drive, the restoration of Carpenters Barn, the Storm Water Harvest Project, and the proposed Brewery Project to name a few. I truly feel bad walking away from these unfinished projects but when the current projects are behind the Village there will be more to take their place. There will never be the perfect time to leave and our current Board is fully capable of meeting the challenges that lay ahead.

In closing I would like to say once again, my thanks go out to all of you. I have such great memories to take with me as I leave. I will truly miss you all.

Thank you for your support.

Thomas J. Dougherty
Mayor Village of Cazenovia

January 1, 2011

This has been another exciting and busy year for the Village of Cazenovia. It is always great to look back at the year and take note of the successes and the areas for improvement. We had a very busy year making improvements to streets, roads, sidewalks, planting trees, and making changes to our Village Code. We had a very successful year managing the boat launch and using our Carpenters Barn facility for the Summer Recreation Program. I have listed some of the 2010 highlights below.

Two Officials left the Village Team in 2010

Rich Huftalen chose not to run for Trustee in June.
Police Chief Amico submitted his letter of retirement in July after twenty years as Chief.

We thank Rich and Chief Amico for their dedicated service to the Village of Cazenovia and wish them the very best in the future.

Two New People have joined the Village Team in 2010

David Porter was elected Trustee in June.
Michael A. Hayes was named new Village Police Chief in September.

Both David and Chief Hayes have hit the ground running and have made positive impacts to the village in just a short time.

Legislative Initiatives in 2010

Adopted a local law to authorize the Village Justice Court to establish a Parking Violations Bureau to assist the Court in the processing of parking tickets (January)
Adopted a “Social Host Law”. The Local Law is intended to deter the consumption of alcohol by minors by holding those over the age of 18 responsible when they knowingly permit the consumption of alcohol by minors at their residence or on their property (March)
Approved a resolution to allow overnight parking on Riverside Drive (April) Currently we have 5 spaces rented to village residents.
Approved the PBA 3 year contract (April)
Passed a local law that would prohibit smoking in Burton Street Park and in certain specified areas of Lakeland and Lakeside Park (July)
Carpenters Barn Committee was re-instituted to aid in the restoration of the building and in finding a future use for the property (September)
Passed Resolution approving the proposed settlement agreement with National Grid on the GRT (October)
Passed Resolution revising the Fire Contracts with the Towns of Cazenovia, Fenner, and Nelson (October)
Passed a Local Law on new Sign Regulations for the Village of Cazenovia (November)
Passed Resolution approving a new 15 year Cable TV Franchise Agreement with Time Warner (November)
Approved the purchase of a new Tanker Truck for the Fire Department, $248,270 (November)

We had a very busy legislative year with 12 Public Hearings. Our own history has shown that the more public input we get the better the end result. Thank to the village residents for their input and support.

Projects and Improvements in 2010

Purchased a new Backhoe
Worked with the NYS Canal Corp to clean up and repair the leak in Carpenters Pond
Completed paving projects on Chenango St, Hickory Lane, South Ten Eyck, Fountain Park, and parts of Emory, Green, and Corwin Street using a new paving technique.
Installed a new water main on Chenango Street
Installed several new Fire Hydrants in the Village
Installed sidewalk from Carriage Lane to McDonalds
Added an addition to the Water Garage and to the Cemetery Garage
Installed new fences and drainage at Lakeside Park
Installed new windows in the skating rink hut at Burton Street Park
Installed new roofs on the dugouts at Burton Street Ball Field
Installed new energy efficient lights in the Municipal Building, Maintenance Garage, and the Water Department Building
The Village Tree Commission had a very successful tree planting season.
Construction was complete on the new McDonalds Restaurant on Nelson St.
Construction was complete on the new Xtramart & Dunkin Donuts on Albany St.

It was a busy year for our village employees and community volunteers.

Economy in 2010

Village Assessment $155,229,930, an increase of $42,261 from previous year
Sales tax revenues were $41,363.05 below last year’s figures (-7.45%)
Comprehensive insurance cost increased by $ 5,000
State Retirement cost increased by $24,554
Police Retirement costs increased by $7,663
Employees Insurance increased by $14,167
Final Budget was $2,131,776.80
$55,843 increase from previous budget (+2.7%)
Tax Rate, $5.83 / $1000 (+2.9%)
Increase of 23 cents / $1000 (+2.9%)
Would raise the taxes of a $150,000 property by $24.85 per year

Sales Taxes were showing some improvements at the end of 2010; however Village costs continue to go up. We must continue to be diligent looking for ways to increase our tax base and stretch our tax dollars.

Challenges for 2011

We continue to look for funding to perform extensive repairs to our Lakeland Park Property.
The former CAVAC building and the stone wall at the park are in need of restoration and repairs. We were awarded a $250,000 SIP Grant for the restoration of the barn which we will be starting in 2011. We are also looking for long term use for Carpenters Barn.

We need to complete the revision of the Village Code to incorporate required changes specified in the Comprehensive Plan.

We need to develop a new Village of Cazenovia Emergency Preparedness Plan. Our current Plan was issued in 1983. I am sure our new Police Chief will be a great source of knowledge in this effort.

We need to solve the problem of storm water in-leakage into the sanitary sewer system. We applied for a grants in 2009 & 2010 to do a project on the north side of the Historic Business District. Our application was not accepted in 2009 but we are hoping that our 2010 application will be accepted.

Our parking committee is looking for solutions to our longstanding parking problems in the Village. Hopefully we will make some progress in the coming year.

The development of the Riverside Drive property remains a priority for the village as plans will continue in 2011.

We need to look into the possible annexation and development of property on Rippleton Road by Empire Brewery for a Mini Brewery.

Final thoughts of 2010

This past year marked the Bicentennial on the incorporation of the Village of Cazenovia. Although we did not have an official celebration in honor of the event, we all are very proud of our village and the hard work that our forefathers have done to set us up for success. It is through their work and vision that we are blessed with this great village. But all their work would have gone to waste if it were not for the continuing efforts and support of the village residents, the elected officials, appointed officials, and village employees. It is their combined efforts that make the Village of Cazenovia such a special place to live. Thanks to all of you.

Happy New Year

January 17, 2010

I had the opportunity to speak at the GCACC “State of the Greater Cazenovia Area” program on January 12, 2010. It was a great opportunity for me to talk and listen to Town Supervisors of Cazenovia, Fenner and Nelson and to compare some of their issues with the issues currently facing the Village of Cazenovia. Bob Dubik, Superintendent of Cazenovia Central School, was also there and provided valuable information on our local school system. The program gave me an opportunity to congratulate and welcome the new Town Supervisor of the Town of Cazenovia, Ralph Monforte and the new Town Supervisor of the Town of Nelson, Rodger Bradstreet, to their new roll in public service. I am sure that they will do a great job as Town Supervisors. They both seem very enthusiastic about their new positions. Fenner Supervisor Russ Cary was, as always, very informative on the current activities in Fenner.

I would also like to recognize the retiring Town Supervisors, Liz Moran, of the Town of Cazenovia and Dick Williams, of the Town of Nelson. They were both fantastic public officials and they truly gave their life’s blood in their service to the Towns of Cazenovia and Nelson. We thank Liz and Dick for their service to their communities.

As you can see, I have not been very faithful on posting updates to the Mayor’s Notebook in 2009. I thought I would use my notes from the State of the Greater Cazenovia Area program to bring you up to date on some of the highlights of 2009.

Eight New People have joined the Village Team in 2009

Sally Ryan was appointed to the ZBA March of 2009
Rich Huftalen was appointed Trustee in April 2009
Kyle DiNardo and Matt Janczuk were hired as fulltime Police Officers in May of 2009
Peggy Van Arnam and Amy Mann were elected as Village Trustees in June of 2009
Timothy Moore was appointed Village Justice in August of 2009
Stacey Jones was hired as the Parking Enforcement Officer in November of 2009

Four elected officials left the Village Team in 2009

Trustee Paul Brooks
Trustee Tom Tait
Trustee Russ Brownback
Village Justice Jim Ryan

Many, many thanks Paul, Tom, Russ, and Jim for their dedicated service to the Village of Cazenovia.

Legislative Initiatives in 2009

Revised the Village code to align with recent changes to the Comprehensive Plan including enacting new zoning districts in Village Edge North (VEN)and Village Edge South (VES)
Added to the Village Code a section on Aquifer Protection
Passed a resolution for the Village to take over Building Code Inspections
Passed a resolution approving a Pre-disaster Hazard Mitigation Plan
Passed a local law banning the use of Phosphorus Fertilizers in the Cazenovia Lake watershed areas within the village.
Implemented 100% inspections of all boats entering Cazenovia Lake at Lakeside Park
Passed a Local Law to revise Village Code to form “College Zoning Districts”
Passed a Local Law on Dark Sky Legislation
Reinstituted the Riverside Drive Committee to discuss the development of the former Town Barn Property.
Held Public Hearings on a proposed “Social Host Law”
Formed a Parking Committee to discuss parking needs in the Village
Passed a Local Law to allow for a free pass on an overtime parking ticket if you have not had an over time parking ticket within the past six months.
Passed legislation establishing a Parking Violations Bureau to help manage the collection of parking tickets (passed in January 2009)
Applied for a SIP (Strategic Investment Program) grant for the restoration of the Carpenter Barn (former CAVAC Building)
Started discussions on extending the village sidewalk east on Fenner Road to the Sean Googin Sports Complex

Projects and Improvements in 2009

Three Major Street Projects; Burr St., Williams St., and Memorial Circle.
Mill Street water project where we extended the water main under the Mill Street Bridge
Key Bank Plaza Project was completed in 2009, a great addition to the community.
The new CAVAC Building and Dr. Fauth’s Dentist Office on VES zoning district
A new Playground at Burton Street Park, donated by the Cazenovia Rotary Club
Cazenovia Youth Lacrosse Association made improvements to the Hockey Rink at Burton Street Park for lacrosse practice in the fall of 2009
Started improvements to Lakeside Park Softball Fields, fencing and new sand covered infields
The Village workers installed over 900 feet of sidewalks
The Village started pruning of village trees (previously that was contracted)
The Village Tree Commission had a very successful planting season, planting trees.

Economy in 2009

The Village budgeted $485,000 for Sales tax Revenues in 2009-2010. (23% of our revenues)
Sales tax is running -6% of last years revenues after two payments ($ - 9,098)
Let’s hope that the economy gets going and the sales tax revenues improve.
2% of Madison County sales tax comes back to the Towns and Villages of Madison County.
If at all possible, consider making your purchases in Madison County.

Challenges for 2010

Secure funding for extensive repairs to our Lakeland Park Property.
The former CAVAC building and the stone wall at the park are in need of restoration and repairs. We have applied for a SIP Grant.

Continue to revise the Village Code to incorporate required changes specified in the Comprehensive Plan.

Develop a new Village of Cazenovia Emergency Preparedness Plan, last plan issued in 1983.

Solve the problem of storm water in-leakage into the sanitary sewer system. We applied for a grant in 2009 to do a project on the north side of the Historic Business District but our application was not accepted.

Solutions to our longstanding parking problems in the Village

The development of the Riverside Drive property

Final thoughts of 2009

Thanks for the support of all the village residents, and for the hard work and dedication of the Village Team; elected officials, appointed officials, and village employees. It was all your combined efforts that made 2009 a very successful year.

Happy New Year

January 18, 2009

With the start of a new year, its time to take a look back at 2008. It was an exciting year. We had a lot of interesting things happen in the village. I thought that I would highlight some of the happenings of 2008.

Legislative Changes
Held public hearings on proposed changes to the village boat launch policies at Lakeside Park
Processed a $50,000 grant application for the purchase of valves, pipes and hydrants for the water system
Formed a committee to study development proposals for the Town Barn Property
Processed grant applications for the restoration of the Carpenter Barn Project (CAVAC Building)
Passed resolution on the formation of the Lake Watershed Council
Passed resolution adopting the new Comprehensive Plan
Passed resolution honoring Beezie Madden for her 2 Olympic medals at the Beijing Olympics
Formed a Zoning Committee to study revisions to the Village Code
Made agreement with Town of Cazenovia for the plowing of certain roads and streets in the Town & Village

People Changes
Bob Gregg stepped down as ZBA Chairman (Thanks to Bob for his many years of public service to the community)
Phil Byrnes was appointed the new Chairman of the ZBA
Chuck Seager became Water & Sewer Superintendent
Tim Parisou retires as village police officer, (he now is working part time for the village)
David Cox became a DPW employee
Paul Brooks and Kurt Wheeler were re-elected as village trustees
Marlene Westcott became Planning Board and ZBA Clerk
Mary Beth Pavalcheck became the Village Court Clerk

Projects in 2008
Completed a hydraulic study on the village water system
Dudley Johnson’s Cazenovia Restoration Corp repaired the wall at Lakeland Park (over $96,000)
Installed new wind screens on the pavilions at Lakeland Park ($8,500)
Completed a survey and analysis of all the streets in the village
Stearns and Wheeler performed a storm water study on the north side of Albany Street
Constructed a new addition to rear of Highway Garage for cold storage
Installed a new roof on cemetery building
We rented equipment and filled cracks in all the village streets
Installed 530 ft on sidewalk from Fenner St. to Carriage Lane Apartments
Installed 140 ft on sidewalk on Chenango Street at South Village (reimbursed by the developer)
Installed a new dock and boat ramp at Lakeside Park (Dock was a gift to the village)
Repaved parts of Corwin Street, Carriage Lane and Lincklaen Street

Changes and Challenges on the Horizon
Secure funding for extensive repairs to our Lakeland Park Property and the CAVAC Building
Revise the Village Code to incorporate changes in the Comprehensive Plan
Revise the boat launch policy at Lakeland Park
Develop a new Village of Cazenovia Emergency Preparedness Plan, last plan issued in 1983
Solve the storm water in-leakage problem into the sanitary sewer system
Secure funding for needed improvements to village streets

Financial Challenges
The current financial condition of the country has added additional challenges to our village budget. Sales tax revenues are 5% behind last year’s numbers. National Grid has asked the village to return $23,781 in overpayment of the Utility Gross Receipt Tax and the village was denied the $200,000 grant from Homeland Security for the purchase of our new fire engine. Additionally the winter has been hard, as of the middle of January, we have used 60% of our sand and salt budget and 50% of our overtime budget for plowing the streets. Let’s hope the winter is 60% over and fuel prices stay low.

Have a great New Year

December 6, 2008

Our local paper asked if I would write an article on what I thought makes Cazenovia such a special place. I submitted the article and it appeared in a Supplement to the Cazenovia Republican on 11/19/08. I thought that I would reprint it here, in the Mayors Notebook, just in case there is anyone surfing the web looking for a great place to live. If they find the Mayors Notebook and read this article they may consider moving to Cazenovia. That would be great and we would love to have them. Cazenovia is a special place. Have a great Holiday Season.

Why is Cazenovia so special?

I recently returned from a vacation trip to Ireland and was astounded by the beauty of the country. This was my first trip to Ireland. We went on a 1300 mile bus tour of the Emerald Isle. Even though Ireland is beautiful; I still would rather live in Cazenovia. Cazenovia is a very special place. What makes the Village of Cazenovia so special? I thought maybe I could come up with the top ten reasons why Cazenovia is so special.

1. Cazenovia Lake is truly the jewel of the Village. The lake, along with Chittenango Creek, provides both pleasure and recreation to the village. The lake now is in trouble with the invasion of Eurasian Watermilfoil, but with a concerted effort of the community this problem can be eliminated.
2. Cazenovia parks are special places in the village. Lakeland Park, Lakeside Park, Memorial Park, Telephone Park and Burton Street Park provide great places to get out and enjoy nature and relax.
3. The village’s tree lined streets and sidewalks are great for walkers and joggers.
4. There are many beautiful homes in the village and the majority of village residents maintain their property meticulously.
5. Cazenovia has a great school system with great teachers and administrators. Village students graduate and go on to college and find great jobs. (We just have to find a way to keep them from moving away when they graduate.) We are also lucky to have Cazenovia College in our village. It is a wonderful college with great professors and great students.
6. Cazenovia is a safe place to live. There is very little crime in the village. Residents can go out at any time of day or night with out fear of being harmed.
7. The village is quiet and peaceful. Most residents can take a nap in their back yards in the middle of the day without being bothered by noise.
8. The village’s historic character has been maintained. The historic business district, although short on parking spots, is beautifully maintained and the stores, shops and restaurants are first class.
9. Cazenovia is centrally located. It is a short drive to Syracuse, shopping centers, public transportation terminals, mountains, parks, and other recreational areas.
10. The people in the village of Cazenovia are the finest in all the land. Although they do not agree on all subjects, they all share a special love for their community. The community is a caring community. There are many wonderful churches and volunteer organizations. Caring residents spend countless hours volunteering for others.

I hope I have not offended anyone by leaving out one or more of their top reasons why Cazenovia is so special. There are undoubtedly thousands of reasons. Needless to say I am very proud of the Village of Cazenovia. I am sure that many of you have had strangers ask you where you were from and after you told them they say, “Oh, I know about Cazenovia, what a beautiful village”. Doesn’t that make you feel good? I feel very fortunate to live here in Cazenovia even though we do not have any true Irish Shamrocks here.

January 12, 2008

I am sure you are probably sick of all the end of the year recaps that you have seen in the newspapers, magazines, and on TV around New Years Day. You probably think you have seen your last for 2007. Well I hate to disappoint you, but here is a brief recap on what went on in the Village of Cazenovia in 2007.

In January 2007 the Village Board voted to enact the Historic Preservation Overlay District legislation. This legislation created a Historic Preservation Committee which is an advisory committee to the Planning Board. The members of the committee are, Ted Bartlett, (Chairman), Gene Gissin, Dan Kuper, Betsy Moore and Scott Shannon. Also in January, Tom Vogt withdrew his petition for the annexation of the Cazenovia Motel Property into the Village.

In February, the Village Board approved a zoning change for the Northborough Ridge project. The plan is for 27 units on the Burton Street site. Also in February, a Comprehensive Plan Committee was formed to develop an update to the current Comprehensive Plan. EDR was hired to help the Village update the plan. The Village Family increased by two in the month of February, Village Clerk Laura Herbert Abernathy gave birth to twin girls, Sophia and Tabitha.

In March Troy Waffner resigned as Village Trustee. At the time, Troy was going to be taking a job in Albany and could not stay on as Trustee. Barbara Bennett was appointed to replace Troy as Trustee.

In April the Village Board passed the 2007-2008 Village Budget. Total appropriations in the General Fund were $1,923,878. Total revenues from property tax were $810,885. The taxable assessed value of the Village was $152,321,300. The 2007 – 2008 tax rate remained the same at $5.32 per $1000 assessed value.

In April 2007 the Village Board awarded the contract for the reconstruction of Seminary Street.

In May 2007 the Village Board passed a local law to adopt the NYS Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. The law which was required to be passed by New York State adds new permit requirements to owners of property in the Village and will cost an extra $9,000 in inspection and enforcement costs to the Village.

In the June Village elections, Tom Tait and Russ Brownback were elected as new Village Trustees. Also in June, paving started on Seminary Street and the new playground equipment was installed at Lakeside Park.

In July we opened the bids for a new fire engine.

In August, Dudley Johnson proposes to have a private outdoor park on his property on Chenango Street. The Trustees started discussion on removing the residency requirement to launch a boat at Lakeside Park. The Trustees hired an engineering firm to conduct a structural condition review of the CAVAC Building. NYSCA awarded the Village a $15,000 grant to go towards the cost of our Comprehensive Planning efforts. The Village installed a new 8“water main on Williams Street.

In September the Village Board passed a local law to enact an Interim Moratorium on Fast Food Restaurants and Adult Businesses in the Historic Business District. A new hiking trail was opened up on the Village property which ties into the Stone Quarry Art Park hiking trails on Stone Quarry Road.

In October the Village Board appointed Kathy Burns to replace Laura Herbert Abernathy as Village Clerk. The Village was awarded a granted of $200,000 from Home Land Security for the purchase of our new fire engine.

In November the Village Board appointed Bill Carr as Public Works Administrator. Bill replaces the retiring Steve McLaughlin. Also in November the Village presented a letter of thanks to Joan Keilen for her many years of service to the Senior Recreation Program.

In December 2007 Ernie Koglmeier presented a new proposal for the development of his property on Chenango St. The new plan calls for a total of 7 lots on the property. Ernie’s proposal was referred to the Planning Board for consideration. Also in December we had to replace the motor on our 40HP pump at the water treatment plant.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

November 5, 2007

Well it looks like our fabulous fall season is coming to an end and winter is about to set in. The winter season brings with it a lot of extra duties for our village highway department. They will be getting up early to plow our streets and sidewalks to make them safe for our children to get to school and make the streets passable for emergency vehicles. Please remember, no all-night parking in the village, if you see a newcomer to the village, remind them not to park on the streets, especially during the winter season.

The last three months have been busy ones for the Board of Trustees. On August 17th we were advised that our Village Clerk / Treasurer, Laura Herbert Abernathy and our Public Works Administrator, Steve McLaughlin would be leaving at the end of October. The hunt was on to find replacements. We advertised for the both positions in the newspapers and received several applications for each position. The board carefully reviewed the resumes and interviewed three applicants for the clerk job and four applicants for the Public Works Administrator position. In the end, the board selected Kathy Burns for Village Clerk and Bill Carr for the Public Works Administrator. We thank all those who applied for the positions and ask that they keep us in mind for future job openings. We are very happy for Kathy and Bill and know that they will do their best to serve the village residents in their new positions.

The Board would like to thank Laura Herbert Abernathy for her eight years of service to the village. She has been a wonderful Village Clerk and we wish her great success in the coming years. Laura will be working part-time to help Kathy in her transition as Village Clerk / Treasurer.

The Board would also like to thank Steve McLaughlin for his nine years and four months service to the Village of Cazenovia. Steve has been a fabulous Public Works Administrator. His knowledge and talents has been a tremendous asset to the village. We all wish Steve a very happy and healthy retirement.

In other news, we finished installing a new water main on Williams Street, that street will be refurbished next year. We have completed the installation of new handicap accessible access doors on the front of the Municipal Building and at the entrance to the village meeting room. We have also installed a new power point projector in the village meeting room. The projector can be used during meetings to allow the audience to see documents, pictures, charts, and videos. The Stone Quarry Art Park has built a new hiking trail on the village property on Stone Quarry Road. It’s not too late to take a hike on the new trail. We also have two new Police Officers, Mark Reed and Joe Hudson. We welcome Mark and Joe to the village.

If you didn’t already know from all the campaign signs, there is a Town election going on and tomorrow is Election Day. Be sure to get out and vote. If we have as many voters as campaign signs, it will be a record turnout.

August 8, 2007

By looking at the Mayor and Village Board page you can see that we have two new Village Trustees. Congratulations to Tom Tait and Russ Brownback for their election to the Board of Trustees. We are very lucky to have such dedicated and talented people willing to devote their time and talents to public service.

I want to thank Troy Waffner, Barbara Bennett and David Vredenburgh for their service to the Village Board of Trustees. Troy served as trustee for a little over four years. He was a wonderful trustee, always very sincere and he always listened to the concerns of the village residents. He was a great asset to the Village Board. Barbara Bennett did an outstanding job replacing Troy as trustee for the last four months of his term. Her involvement in the water department for those four months has made a positive impact on that department. Her interest and involvement in the community is remarkable. As for Dave Vredenburgh, there are no words that can express the thanks and gratitude we all have for Dave. He was an outstanding member of the Board of Trustees for the past nine years. Dave has gone well beyond the call of duty dedicating untold hours to the Cazenovia Community as a Village Trustee, Fire Fighter, CAVAC member. If you see Troy, Barbara or Dave in your travels, give them a pat on the back and say thanks.

With the election of the new board members comes new appointments. Paul Brooks has accepted the position of Deputy Mayor and Commissioner of Fire and Police. Kurt Wheeler is staying on as Commissioner of Buildings, Streets, Sidewalks and Utilities. Tom Tait will be the Commissioner of Parks, Trees, Cemetery and Youth Recreation and Russ Brownback will be the Commissioner of Water and Sewer. With a little over one month on the job, our new trustees have really hit the ground running. Do not hesitate to contact the trustees for any of your village concerns or ideas.

We have just been notified that the Village of Cazenovia has been awarded a $15,000 grant from NYSCA (New York State Council on the Arts) for the update of our Comprehensive Plan. As you know, the village has hired Environmental Design & Research (EDR) to help us with the update. This grant will be used towards the payment of their services. I want to thank Barbara Henderson of CACDA for her tireless efforts in applying for the grant. Barbara is quick to point out that I helped her with the grant application, but the real truth is, without her help we would have never received the grant. Thanks Barbara.

The Franklins Trek is in the village this week. We had the annual parade on Sunday the 5th at 11:00 am. That is a pretty busy time for most Cazenovians but the folks that were there were treated to a great parade and a fabulous history lesson on all the remarkable cars. If you haven’t had a chance to walk thru the college campus and look at the cars be sure to do so. What you will find is terrific looking automobiles, which were built in Syracuse between 1902 and 1934, and terrific people willing to share their time and thoughts on their cars. One thing that will come out when you talk to the Franklin people is that they love coming to Cazenovia. We are glad of that because we love having them!

June 18, 2007

It is one day before the village elections. This has been a very lively campaign season with three candidates running for two open Village Trustee seats. All three candidates are very well qualified, and in the end the village will win.

The reconstruction on Seminary Street is complete. The street looks beautiful. I want to thank Steve McLaughlin and the Village Highway Crew for the great work they did on the project to keep the cost down. They installed all new storm water drainage, updated the water and sewer services, and poured all the sidewalks. It is a big plus to have a village crew able to do that kind of work, do it right and meet schedule commitments.

The flower baskets on the light poles are up and blooming. Many thanks to the Cazenovia Garden Club for providing the baskets of flowers and for all the numerous projects they do to beautify the village. Alexis Ellis is working for the village this summer on the parks and flowers. She is a graduate student at ESF. She is doing a great job. She has already made an impact on the village with her green thumb and her landscape design talents.

I would also like to introduce the rest of the summer part time employees working for the village. They are Buddy Blair, Ralph Tallett, and Howard Judd. All three do a great job keeping our village and cemetery in tip-top shape during the summer months.

The new playground equipment is up at Lakeside Park. I took my grandson to Lakeside last week and the equipment got his stamp of approval. The village highway crew, with guidance from the equipment distributor, had the equipment in place and operable in three days. I hope all young Cazenovians enjoy the playground.

Lakeland Park is open for swimming. There are lifeguards on duty but all should remember to follow all the safety rules when swimming at the park. Our first concert in the park is Thursday June 21, 2007. I hope all village residents enjoy the park this summer season.

On a sour note, we have had some vandalism at the park already this year. If you see vandalism please report it. If you are with friends that think it is cool to disfigure village property, tell them to stop. You may feel hesitant to step out of your comfort zone, but when you do, you will know that you did the right thing. The village parks belong to all of us.

That’s all for now, don’t forget to vote!

April 29, 2007

The Historic Preservation Overlay District Regulation went into effect in February of 2007. The regulation created an Advisory Committee (five members) to the Planning Board to be known as the Cazenovia Historic Preservation/Architectural Advisory Review Committee (the “Committee”) See Public Notices section of the website for a copy of the regulation.

The regulation applies to properties located within the Historic Preservation Overlay District as shown on the Village Zoning Map. The essence of the regulation is that in order for a property owner to make exterior alterations to properties within the Historic District, a Certificate of Compatibility from the Committee is needed. Then the property owner will have to get an overall approval of the project from the Planning Board. This will add an extra step in the process for property owners within the Historic District; however we hope to streamline the process as much as possible.

Section 180-32.5 of the regulation states the following requirements for a Certificate of Compatibility:

No person shall carry out any exterior alteration, restoration, reconstruction, demolition, new construction, or moving of a landmark or property within an historic district, including buildings and exterior building features and site features such as sidewalks and fences, or portions thereof, without first obtaining a certificate of compatibility or hardship relief from the Village Planning Board. Painting or repainting and ordinary maintenance and repair of existing buildings, building features and site features are exempt from the requirements of this section, as are changes involving only building mounted mailboxes and flagpoles, and any modifications or changes involving only living vegetation and/or seasonal changes such as air conditioners, fans and/or seasonal decorations.

The Committee Members were appointed at the April 2, 2007 Village Board Meeting. The Committee Members are:
Ted Bartlett (Chairman) Senior Associate Crawford & Sterns, Architects & Preservation Planners
Gene Gissin, Professional Photographer and owner of the Historic Cazenovia Depot
Dan Kuper, Owner and Manager of the Historic Lincklaen House
Betsy Moore, Associate Professor, Interior Design at Cazenovia College
Scott Shannon, Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture SUNY/ ESF

We are very fortunate to have such talented and dedicated community members willing to dedicate their time to serve on the Historic Preservation Committee.

The Historic Preservation Committee’s first meeting was on April 23, 2007. Four projects were presented to the Committee and all four were given a favorable recommendation to the Planning Board.

Spring is finally here. Our parks are open and ready for business. Please remember to treat the park property as if it were your own. Pick up any trash you find and put it in its proper place. Don’t let your peers vandalize public property. Report any vandalism to the Village Police.

Have a great spring and we will see you all at the Memorial Day Parade.

March 17, 2007

Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Well, we have almost made it through the winter weather of 2007. We had a break early in the year but we paid the price in February and thus far in March.

The village work crew has done a yeoman’s job of keeping the streets open. We had to haul the snow off of Albany and Lincklaen Street, in the Historic Business District, several times and in other sections of the village where the streets were getting narrow. We appreciate your patience when we had to block off the streets to move the snow.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Troy Waffner for his service on the Board of Trustees. Troy has served as Commissioner of Water and Sewer, Chairman of the Village Parking Committee, Village Board Representative on CACDA, and has had many other duties and responsibilities for the Village of Cazenovia. Troy’s ambition, enthusiasm and his love and respect for the community will surely be missed. We wish Troy great success with his new job in the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. I know that Troy will do a fine job for New York State.

To replace Troy as Trustee, I appointed Barbara Bennett to complete Troy’s term of office. Barb has been a life long resident of Cazenovia who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make Cazenovia a better place to live. Barb is a former nurse at Cazenovia High School (for 23 years), a member of the Madison County Democratic Committee, and is active in the American Legion. I know Barb will do a great job and I thank her for her service.

It’s a busy time in the Village. We just finished up work on the 2007-2008 village budget. We have scheduled a public hearing on April 2, 2007 to present the budget to the community. The good news is that the village assessment went up, and at last years tax rate, will add $18,000 to the revenue side of the budget. Additionally, last year we made the last bond payment on the improvements to the Municipal Building which will loosen up $53,000 in this year’s budget. On the appropriations side, we put in an additional $22,000 for the update of our Comprehensive Plan and we added an additional $20,000, ($10,000 each) in the capital accounts for street repairs and for fire equipment. We think the budget is a good one and we propose to hold the tax rate the same this year as last year at $5.32 per $1,000 assessed value.

I am glad to report that Trustee Kurt Wheeler is back from Iraq. We all thank Kurt and his family for the many sacrifices they made during his time on active duty. I know that Kurt’s work in Iraq will serve a great value to the Marine Corps and to all Americans as we try to understand and learn from our experiences in Iraq. Thanks also to all our service men and women for their service and sacrifice for our country.

Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day, and the rest of winter 2007.

December 21, 2006

With 2006 coming to a close, I thought I would take a moment to look back at what happened in the Village of Cazenovia in 2006.

We started out the New Year with a Resolution honoring retired Village Justice George F. Conway. George had served as Village Justice for thirty years. We thank George for his service, dedication, advice and leadership.

James L. Ryan resigned as Planning Board Chairman after 27 years and was appointed Village Justice to replace George. Jim was later elected Village Justice in June 2006. Bill Hall was appointed the Chairman of the Planning Board to replace Jim Ryan. Both Jim and Bill are doing great at their new positions.

In other people news, in February Jerry Munger was appointed to the Zoning Board of Appeals.

During the year, the College and the Village hosted three Town Gown Forums. The College presentations were on College planning, College services made available to the community, and the economic impact of the College on the community. The Village presentations were on Village Zoning, Village owned properties, and the capital equipment owned by the Cazenovia Fire Department. We hope that the community has enjoyed the Forums and the opportunity for dialog between the College and the Village. Our next Town Gown Forum is scheduled for February 15, 2007.

The Village instituted a boat launch permit system at Lakeside Park this year. The permits were free for village residents and cost $25 for residents living outside the village in the Cazenovia Central School District.

We had three joint public hearings with the Town of Cazenovia and the Village of Cazenovia to consider petitions for annexation of properties into the village. They were the Parker property on Ten Eyck Avenue, the CPF property on Rt. 20 east, and the Vogt property also on Rt. 20 east. The Parker and CPF petitions were voted down and the Vogt petition was withdrawn.

A proposed zoning change for the Chenango Crossing Development from R30 to R6 was not approved in February but was later approved in November as a Planned Development (PD).
Currently the Board is considering a proposed zoning change for the Northborough Ridge Development from R30 to PD. A vote on that zone change is expected at the January 2, 2007 Village Board meeting.

After many meetings and much public debate the proposed Historic Overlay District Law will be coming up for a vote. The Law would create a five member committee which will be an advisory committee to the Planning Board on Historic Preservation. The vote on this is also scheduled for the January 2, 2007 meeting.

The Village launched its’ own website in 2006. Now village residents can use the website for information on scheduled meetings, agendas, meeting minutes, the village code, and lots of other information.

We negotiated a new three year contract with the PBA in 2006. Currently we have four fulltime police officers and will be hiring a fifth officer shortly.

Village Trustee Kurt Wheeler was mobilized to active duty in the US Marine Corps in October 2006 and is now serving in Iraq. We wish Kurt and all our service men and women a safe return to their families and their communities.

A new stop light will be coming to the Village of Cazenovia. The State DOT has determined that a stop light is required at the intersection of Forman Street and Albany Street. The light will help reduce the back-up of bus traffic on school days and make that intersection safer for our citizens.

We had lots of great events in the Village of Cazenovia this year. The Chili Run, Easter Ball, Taste of Caz, Cazenovia College Block Party, Memorial Day and Fourth of July Parades, Fourth of July Fireworks, Franklin Club Party at the Park, Caz Cruisin’, the Summer Concert Series, the Farmer’s Market, Hillary and Bill Clinton’s visit, Jaz in Caz, the Christmas Walk, and the first Cazenovia Forum, just to name a few. Cazenovia is a great place to live.

It has been a busy and exciting year here in the Village of Cazenovia. Hope you all enjoy the Holidays, and have a safe and happy New Year.

October 21, 2006

The new playground equipment for Lakeside Park was delivered last week. With our busy fall season, we will probably wait until the spring to put it up.
Last week we were looking for a water leak. We were using an extra 90,000 gallons of water a day and didn’t know where it was going. We finally located the leak on Corwin Street and repaired it on Friday the 20th. Just a reminder, if you see water bubbling out of the ground or standing in spots where it shouldn’t be, let us know, it could be a leak. Water leaks cost us all money!
The leaf season is half over, remember to keep the leaves out of the ditches. When they get in the storm water catch basins they can cause flooding of the streets.
It will not be long before we are out plowing the streets. When the temperature is above 10° F we use straight salt on the streets. When the temperature falls below 10°F we use a mixture of sand and salt. Drive carefully when approaching the snow plows; they need a little extra room to negotiate the streets because of their size.
Be sure to remind any visitors or newcomers to the village not to park all night on the streets. If they do and we have to plow the streets, we will have to have their cars towed. That’s a heck of a way to make a good first impression on visitors or new residents by towing their cars.
We all wish Trustee Kurt Wheeler, and all our service men and women, a safe tour of duty and hope to have them all home safe and sound as soon as possible.

September 15, 2006

The Village Highway Crew is finishing up work on the new sidewalk on Forman Street. What a great improvement to the village. That sidewalk will get lots of use in the years to come. The sidewalk to connect Audubon Drive to Forman Street is on hold at this time while we get permission from the property owners and the residents of Audubon Drive.
The next project for the Village Crew is the shore line restoration at Lakeside Park. That work will be starting the week of September 18th. We will also be building a short sidewalk at Lakeside Park to provide handicap access to the new pavilions.
There will be a legal notice in the paper about fall leaf and brush pickup, but I thought I would mention it here to help spread the word. Leaf and brush pickup will begin October 10, and end on November 16. Make sure the leaves and brush are separated, no bagging of the leaves, brush a maximum of 10 feet long should be placed parallel to the street. The leaves and brush should not be placed in the ditch where they can block the storm water drainage system. Don’t forget to wear gloves while raking, those blisters really hurt.

August 22, 2006

I hope it is not too late to recognize the M&T Bank for the great job they did modifying the front of their building on Albany Street to make it handicap accessible. You may remember in 2005 the bank applied for a building permit to put a handicap ramp on the sidewalk in front of their building. Although we all know that access for the handicap is an important issue, the prospects of a ramp and guardrail on the sidewalk on Albany Street met with vocal resistance from village residents. The Bank then withdrew their request and presented a revised plan. The revised plan cut and removed the 6” stone step in front of the building to drop the door threshold to the sidewalk level and modified the floor inside the building to ramp up to the existing floor level in the bank. The plan, although much more costly, saved the historic character of the building and at the same time provided barrier free access for the handicap. It was a win-win situation for the bank and the village. If you stop by the bank, tell them thanks for being such good neighbors.

August 14, 2006

The Franklins are in town this week for their 53rd Annual Franklin Trek. They are a real class organization. It is great to have them in Caz each year. The Village Highway Crew started construction on the new sidewalks on Forman Street today. The sidewalk will go from the north end of the High School property to Lakeside Park. (No initials allowed in the concrete)
We are not doing a major street project this year but we will be doing some patch paving work on Lincklaen Street (across from the Lincklaen House), Burton Street (across from the skating rink), the south end of Hickory Lane, and two spots in Gillett Lane. Traffic will be routed around those areas during the repair work.
Next year’s street project will be Seminary Street. That street is in bad shape right now. Please drive slowly on Seminary Street so as not to damage your vehicle. We are holding off the reconstruction work on that street until the college has finished their work on the expansion of Shove Hall.

August 4, 2006
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Village Trustee Kurt Wheeler for all his efforts in the development of the Village of Cazenovia Web Site. As time goes by, the web site will become a valuable information tool for the village residents.
While checking out the web site today I hit the link to Cazenovia Fire Department. What a great web site. It is loaded with information on the department’s history, safety information, list of members, list of equipment, fire definitions, list of recent calls and lots of other interesting information and photos. When you check out the list of calls, you will see how lucky we are to have such a dedicated group of individuals working to protect the Cazenovia Community and the surrounding areas. Many thanks to Fire Chief Tom Tait and the Members of the Cazenovia Fire Department.

July 19, 2006
The new concrete steps for the Lakeside Park pavilions were delivered yesterday. The handrails will be put up tomorrow. The stairs look great.
I ran into a family picnicking at Lakeside Park. They said how beautiful the pavilions were and how they enjoy coming down to the lake for a picnic. They were right; you can’t beat the building, the view and the cool breeze.
The village has been lucky so far this year with all the rain we have had and yet we have had little flooding. We had the Village Engineer, Paul Sheneman look at the creek which flows behind the houses on the south side of Burr Street. If we have flooding in the village, usually it is at Burr Street. Paul is proposing some changes which may eliminate some flooding in that area. Will keep you posted.
It was reported that the seaweed (milfoil) in the swimming area at Lakeland Park is getting high. The County is cutting the seaweed in the lake this year and they only do it a few times per season. We may have to get a work team together to go down to the park and pull the seaweed up by hand. Do you think it will work? Many hands make light work.

July 8, 2006
The work on the new pavilions at Lakeside Park is almost complete. Concrete steps are ordered for the west side, between the two pavilions, which will lead down to the lake. They should be delivered in a couple of weeks.
Thanks to our village workers and our contractors for doing such a fantastic job on the pavilions, they make us all proud. Thanks also to NY State Assemblyman Bill Magee for providing the $75,000 grant money for the project. We also will be replacing the playground equipment with part of the grant money.
Next on tap for the Village Street Crew is to put in catch basins and storm sewer lines on Seminary Street in preparation for the reconstruction of the street in 2007.
The Village crew will also be extending the sidewalks on Forman Street from the north end of the High School property to Lakeside Park. This will be a great improvement in the safety of our school students who have had to walk in the road to get to the park.
The Village crew will also be installing a sidewalk from the new Forman Street sidewalk east to the traffic turn-around on Audubon Drive. With the new sidewalk our young Audubon Drive school students will be able to walk down the sidewalk to catch the school bus. It will be safer than having the bus have to turn around on the dead end of Audubon Drive.
According to our Public Works Administrator Steve McLaughlin, Jennifer Fusaro is just about finished planting all the new annuals around the village, next up for Jennifer is watering, weeding and pruning. If you see Jennifer, let her know how much you enjoy the flowers.

July 6,2006
Just took a trip around the village. The parks look great.
Jennifer Fusaro, our new summer employee, is doing a great job with the parks and all the flowers.
Chief Amico reported that all went well on the 4th of July.
Hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays.