First part of Newfield town hall project gets underway

Ground has officially broken on Newfield’s town hall renovation project.

The $1.4 million project got underway a few weeks ago, Town Supervisor Mike Allinger said.

The first part of the project consists of construction workers digging up ground next to town hall, where the addition to the building will be placed.

“In the meantime, they’re going to begin renovating the inside and readjusting where the current boardroom is, flip that into offices and restrooms on the first floor,” Allinger said.

Allinger said in November last year that the town hall, located at 166 Main St., has seen very few upgrades since it was built in 1977.

Allinger noted that the renovation project will entail making town hall more ADA-compliant and expanding the space on the main floor of the building.

Documents stated that the town hall will have “a minor expansion,” including a larger public multi-use meeting space with a kitchenette, accessible bathrooms and more office space.

The addition to the town hall will be built on the right side of the building, Allinger said, next to the current boardroom. It will then be divided into office spaces, while also implementing upstairs bathrooms.

Allinger noted that the town hall’s current bathrooms are in the basement. It makes accessibility difficult, for example, for people who are wheelchair bound.

The Tompkins County Sheriff satellite office is also in the town hall basement. While it’s a place for officers to plug in reports, Allinger noted that it doesn’t give the community a place to communicate with authorities.

“We want to bring that upstairs, as well,” Allinger said in the past.

Allinger said the current meeting space is “being overrun by filing cabinets,” mainly used by the town’s recreation and code enforcement departments. This has prompted a need for more meeting and office spaces for the town hall.

“These [issues] are all taken into consideration,” Allinger said. “It’s a driving force behind these projects.”

The entire project is anticipated to conclude sometime in the fall.

“(The contractors) got a pretty good handle on the project and the scope of what needs to be done,” Allinger said. “That is the amount of time they estimated it will take to get through the project. As they build the addition, they’ll be able to continue with the remodeling process. It’s progress on a parallel track.”

Since the town put together plans for renovations, the town hall project has remained unchanged.

“We’ve stuck with the initial scope of the project,” Allinger said. “We look forward to having the space for the town to use. People will be able to utilize the meeting room and sign up for it just as they’ve done in the past.”

Allinger said that half of the project’s costs will be covered by the town’s remaining American Rescue Plan funds. The rest will be paid for by a bond, which Allinger hopes will be covered by grant funding.

“It will finance the remaining portion of the project,” he added.

As the town hall goes through the construction process, Allinger said town board and planning board meetings will be held at either Newfield Elementary School or the King Hiram Masonic Temple on Main Street.

Town board meetings are the second and fourth Thursday of each month, while the planning board convenes on the first Wednesday of the month. Each meeting begins at 7 p.m., with the option to attend in person or via Zoom.

Allinger noted that meetings held at the elementary school will occur in the Weaver Conference Room.

“We’ve been working closely with the school,” Allinger said. “Although they have renovations going on themselves, the boardroom will not be affected.”

According to Newfield’s April newsletter, the town clerk and code enforcement office, along with the youth recreation programs, will not be affected throughout the length of the project.

Newfield Notes appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Results from Newfield CSD’s budget vote, BOE election

The Newfield Central School District revealed results from the community vote on the proposed budget and propositions, along with results from the board of education election.

Newfield’s budget and each of the propositions passed, following approval from community members. The vote tally is as follows:

• Budget of $26,492,408, with a tax levy increase of 2.5% (or $180,015): 342 to 159
• Proposition No. 2: Purchase of a diesel wheelchair-accessible school bus: 381 to 120.
• Proposition No. 3: Purchase of a zero-emission electric school bus: 257 to 244

The board of education candidates who won seats were incumbent Christina Ward, with 251 votes, and newcomers George Taylor, with 297 votes, and Antwane Lynch, with 248 votes.

Each of the elected BOE members will serve a three-year term from July 1 of this year to June 30, 2028.

Library to hold presentation on plants and pollinators

The Newfield Public Library will hold a presentation on how to landscape with native plants.

The presentation is on Saturday, May 31, from 1-2 p.m. It will be conducted by volunteers from the Tompkins Pollinator Pathway.

“We will have the chance to look at native bee specimens, play pollinator matching games and get lots of resources about native plants. Bring your questions for this knowledgeable group of presenters,” according to a description of the presentation.