Town Boards & Committees
Committees & Collaboration
Working closely with Town staff, the Supervisor and Board Members establish policy and enact laws to ensure the efficient and fiscally responsible delivery of services, to promote the health, safety, and well-being of Town residents and visitors, and to steward our natural resources.
The Town Supervisor and Town Board Members work in committees, with each member serving on three or four committees. Committees include the Budget Committee, the Public Works Committee, the Planning Committee, the Personnel and Organization Committee, and the Codes and Ordinances Committee.
Committees generally have three Town Board Members on them, one of whom serves as Chair. The Town Board encourages communications with their constituents. Each Board Member lists their preferred method of contact on the Town Board page. Alternatively, any communication can be sent to the Town Clerk’s Office at Clerks@townithacany.gov for dissemination to all committee members.
All communications are public documents and will be sent to all members, applicable staff and applicants, to ensure complete transparency in all discussions.
Many of our Boards and Committees continue to broadcast via the ZOOM platform in a hybrid fashion as part of our public outreach to keep residents informed. Codes and Ordinances also continues broadcasting via our YouTubeLivePublicMeeting link, which is available anytime after the meeting for your convenience.
Committees & Advisory Boards
Agriculture Committee
The Agriculture Committee is composed of representatives from farm operations in the Town of Ithaca. Member farms are appointed by the Town Board. The committee is responsible for advising the Town Board on agricultural policy, oversight of implementation and review of the Town’s Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, serving as a conveyance for communication between farm operations and the Town government, and providing educational resources for farmers and town residents and officials.
Agriculture Committee Members
- Steep Hollow Farm (Christianne M. White)
- Laughing Goat Fiber Farm (Lisa Ferguson)
- Forest Family Farm (Claire Forest)
- A.J. Teeter Farm (Matthew Stalker – Chair)
- Ithaca Equestrian Center (Russ Wedemeyer)
- Casper’s Farm (Michael Casper)
- Indian Creek Farm (Steve Cummins)
- Der Rosenmeister Nursery (Leon Ginenthal)
Public Meetings
Meeting are held four times each year. Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments. The meetings for 2024 include:
- January 30 at 10am
- March 26 at 6pm
- July 30 at 7pm
- November 26 at 6pm
Meetings are in the Aurora Conference Room of Town Hall. Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.
For more information on the Agriculture Committee, please contact the Planning Department at planning@townithacany.gov | (607) 273-1747.
Budget Committee
The Budget committee, in collaboration with the Town Supervisor, is responsible for preparing the Tentative Budget which is then presented to the Town Board in early October. The Committee also develops and reviews policies that are related to the Town’s finances, e.g. Procurement and Fund Balance. They also track sales tax revenues and make investment and bonding recommendations to the full Town Board.
Budget Committee Members
- Eric Levine, Chair
- Rod Howe
- Pam Bleiwas
Public Meetings
Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of each month at 12pm, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.
Meetings are in the Aurora Room of Town Hall. Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.
For more information on the Budget Committee, please contact the Finance Department at info@town.ithaca.ny.us | (607) 273-1721.
Codes & Ordinances Committee
The Codes & Ordinances Committee includes representatives from the Town Board, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Conservation Board. The committee considers proposed changes to the Town Code including new laws and modifications.
Codes & Ordinances Committee Members
- Rob Rosen, Chair (Town Board Member)
- Eric Levine (Town Board member)
- Susan Gutenberger-Fitzpartick (Town Board member)
- Bill Arms (Planning Board Member)
- Eva Hoffmann (Conservation Board member)
- Chris Jung (Zoning Board of Appeals Member)
Public Meetings
Meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 5:30pm. Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.
Meetings are in the Shirley A. Raffensperger Board Room of Town Hall. Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.
For more information on the Codes & Ordinances Committee, please contact the Planning Department at planning@townithacany.gov | (607) 273-1747.
Planning Committee
The Planning Committee is a standing committee of the Town Board and consists of 3 Town Board members. This committee addresses land-use, zoning, housing, historic preservation, transportation, and preservation of farm land and open space.
Planning Committee Members
- Rich DePaolo, Chair
- Rod Howe
- Margaret Johnson
Public Meetings
Planning Committee meets the 3rd Thursday of the month at 3pm Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.
Meetings are in the Aurora Conference Room of Town Hall. Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.
For more information on the Planning Committee, please contact the Planning Department at planning@townithacany.gov | (607) 273-1747.
Public Works Committee
The Public Works Committee introduces and tracks projects and issues covering a variety of topics, including roads, storm water control, construction, capital projects, parks & trails, and any other topic brought to them by the Town Board and residents.
Public Works Committee Members
- Rod Howe, Chair
- Rich DePaolo
- Rob Rosen
Public Meetings
Meeting are held 3rd Tuesday of each month. Committees have a general set day to meet, but periodically they are changed to accommodate members’ schedules or conflicting commitments.
Meetings are in the Conference Room of the Public Works Facility. Please see the Town Meeting Calendar for the most up to date meeting dates and documents.
For more information on the Public Works Committee, please contact the Public Works Department at publicworks@townithacany.gov | (607) 273-1656.