The Cazenovia Village Board of Trustees will conduct a special meeting at 6:00 pm on Thursday, 17 August 2017 in the village meeting room at 90 Albany Street to review the bid for the kayak launch in Lakeland Park.

Representatives from the Town and the Village continue to meet monthly to discuss the possibility of consolidating Cazenovia governments.  Actual consolidation would take us several steps further than the current system of extensive shared services and frequent cooperation between the municipalities.  To help analyze the potential for creating efficiencies and/or tax savings, we are in the process of creating subcommittees to collect and analyze information in the areas of public safety; zoning and planning; and highways/parks/public works.

While details of the grant are still pending, Cazenovia has received word that it is in line to receive funding from the New York Department of State to assist with its study of potential consolidation. These funds could be used to hire outside consultants or meet other related expenses.

An important part of the process will be getting input from the public.  The  study committee has scheduled a public meeting for Tuesday, August 29^th at 7 PM in the High School Auditorium, 31 Emory Avenue.  A representative from the NYS Division of Local Government Services will provide an overview of the process of consolidation, and talk briefly about the experiences of other municipalities.  We will also introduce members of our committee who will respond to audience questions and listen to potential concerns from citizens.  We invite everyone to attend this meeting and let us know what your thoughts are, and what questions you have.

The July Village Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 90 Albany St.

The 2016 Annual Water Quality report is now available on the “Water and Sewer” page of the Village of Cazenovia website or from the Village Clerk.

In response to requests from residents who have had difficulty disposing of yard waste this spring, the village will conduct a limited pick-up from April 24 to April 28, 2017.  The materials should be packed in bags and placed neatly in the right of way near the curb during the prescribed dates.  Normal branch and brush pick-up from winter damage will continue from April 3 to May 5, 2017 as previously announced.  Contact the village office at (315) 655-3041 Ext. 2 if you have questions.

The Village Office and the Village Court Office will close at 10:30 today  (Wednesday, March 15) due to the weather.

The Village of Cazenovia will hold a public hearing regarding a local law to authorize the village to exceed the 2% tax levy cap for the 2017-2018 budget and fiscal year at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, 28 March 2017 at the Village Municipal Building, 90 Albany St, Cazenovia, Ny 13035. A meeting of the Board of Trustees to conduct a budget workshop and conduct any other necessary public business will be held immediately after the bearing. The village will also hold a public hearing to receive public comment on the tentative village budget at 7:00 pm on Monday, 3 April 2017 at the Village Municipal Building, 90 Albany St, Cazenovia, Ny 13035.  A copy of the current draft of the tentative village budget can be found on the Clerk’s page of the village website or by contacting the Clerk at the village office.

The Village and Town of Cazenovia, with the assistance of the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association, has applied to the New York Department of State for a grant to study a potential consolidation of the two municipalities. The concept, which was announced by the Mayor and Town Supervisor in March of 2016 has been studied informally for nearly a year and local leaders feel that the concept has significant merit. With the aid of CACDA, the Village and Town prepared an application which consists of Phase 1 of the process. If successful, funds will be awarded for Phase 2 which would allow more detailed analysis with the assistance of a professional consultant. If the community opts to proceed, Phase 3 would involve merging some elements such as the courts and highway departments and would culminate with Phase 4, consolidation of the two municipalities. Local leaders are committed to the principles that the initiative will result in greater efficiency, equal or enhanced services for both village and town residents and equal or lower taxes for both village and town residents.

As part of its ongoing efforts to reduce energy use and enhance sustainability, the Village of Cazenovia has initiated benchmarking of energy use for its buildings. Data for 2016 can be found at the bottom of the PUBLIC WORKS page in the new ENERGY AND SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES section. A copy of the draft resolution the board will consider at its March 6, 2017 meeting is also linked at that location.

The Village is pleased to announce the completion of a major improvement to the parking area off Riverside Drive behind the Cazenovia Public Library. The area was paved as part of the final set of street improvement projects for the year and the lot was lined by the Village DPW with generous planning assistance from Gavitt Associates.  The lot features 48 clearly marked spaces, improved handicapped access near the library’s back door and a painted pathway along the northern and eastern edges of the lot to enhance access to the creekside area.

CACDA, one of the Village’s partners in the Creekside Park planning process, also recently published the following press release:

Update on Creekside Park

Cazenovia, NY – In the spring of 2015, a committee of local leaders and interested community members began meeting to discuss the possibility of developing a park along Chittenango Creek by Riverside Drive. Extensive community input was gathered with the help of students from the SUNY ESF Landscape Architecture department. The final design of the park includes ideas gathered through this process.

With the plan in place, funding was obtained through Project CAFÉ’s raffle of a vintage car donated by Common Grounds (the raffle winner generously donated the car back which was subsequently auctioned for additional project funding). This helped to leverage a significant grant from the Central New York Community Foundation, submitted with assistance from the Cazenovia Area Community Development Association (CACDA).

The project organizers are pleased to report that while the project site still looks the same, much has been accomplished. A professional assessment of the site identified drainage and site work that needed to be planned for and addressed. Grading of the site will take place this fall along with improvements to both the lower parking lot near the proposed park and the upper lot near the library.

The final design for the park is nearly complete and additional input is being gathered from local organizations (for example the library and the Art Park) on the details of the play features. Site work will continue through this fall and installation of the playground is planned for late spring of 2017. When work is complete, the site will have been transformed to include not only the addition of the park but enhanced parking, a more environmentally sensitive area near the creek and improved options for pedestrian and vehicle traffic.