by Sara Bollinger – Manlius Town Councilor
The revised commercial zoning code was enacted at the December 2nd Town Board meeting. Many thanks to Councilor Elaine Denton for her detailed review of the draft.
The public hearing for the proposed Noise Ordinance has closed. Councilor John Deer and Supervisor Ed Theobald met with the three Village Mayors. The draft ordinance will now be debated by the three Villages. Once consensus is reached among them, it will return to the Town Board for final approval. Everyone seems okay with 50 decibels at ‘night’.
The issues are:
- Permitted decibel levels during the ‘day’ [somewhere between 70 [street noise] and 100 [electric saw]
- The hour that ‘night’ begins [sometime between dusk and 11PM]
If you have an opinion, please let us know.
The Town Board selected Barton & Loguidice to be the planning consultant for the Comprehensive Planning process which will take place during 2021 and 2022. The Town received five very good proposals and thanks all the firms for the time they devoted to the process.
Councilors Bollinger and Denton met with Onondaga County Department of Transportation regarding the planned replacement of the Whetstone Road bridge over Limestone Creek. The new bridge and guard rails will include a 3’ shoulder on both lanes. This addresses the concerns raised by neighbors during the Public Comment period.
Councilor Katelyn Kriesel announced that the NYS Pension Fund has agreed to divest from fossil fuels. https://www.nrdc.org/experts/rich-schrader/new-york-announces-historic-fossil-fuel-divestment-plan. Sustainable Manlius is working on goals for both Climate Smart Communities and Clean Energy Communities.
The Public Safety Advisory Committee Q&A is still live. Submit your questions. https://www.townofmanlius.org/242/Public-Safety-Advisory-Committee
The Committee plans to draft recommendations in January.
Councilor Sara Bollinger gave an annual report from the Planning Process Committee.
Councilor Heather Water reported on the Tree Commission.
The Highway Department has submitted some excess property for auction.
Construction has begun on the new dental office on Burdick Street.
The Critical Response Committee received an excellent briefing on the status of the coronavirus locally from Onondaga County Commissioner of Health Dr. Indu Gupta.
The Manlius Historical Society Festival of Trees auction was held virtually this year.
Planning & Development reported that six more homes were built in the Town this year than in 2019. Engineering reported on storm water management projects in development for 2021 for Falconview, Sabre Lane and DeCoy Run.
The Town Board held a Special Meeting December 23rd to address Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.83 allowing senior and disability property tax exemptions to renew without requiring the resident to submit paperwork.
Onondaga County has free local COVID testing at the Fayetteville Senior Center. https://covid19.ongov.net/appointments/
Please support our community by shopping at local stores. Please post to social media using the hashtags #shopgreatermanlius and #shoplocal. Also, the Greater Manlius Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Tubing Event [outdoor, socially distant] Sunday, January 3rd at Four Seasons.
The 2021 Organizational Meeting will be January 6, 2021 at 6:30PM. Sustainable Manlius will meet January 7th.
Act smart. Stay safe. Be well.
