By Mark Nicotra

Salina Town Supervisor

The snow has stopped. Hooray! It’s now time to concentrate on spring. This is the time of year I receive many calls regarding warm weather issues. I want to take this opportunity to address these issues and give town of Salina residents a few tips for weathering the transition to the warm months ahead.

Each winter, our town highway employees spend a lot of time plowing our roads. Thank you to our highway department employees for all of their efforts to keep our roads clear this winter. Sometimes it is inevitable to find some areas where the plows may have damaged the road edge or the lawn. If you have plow damage on your property, please call the town highway department as soon as possible at (315) 455-5525 to report the damage. Crews have already begun the repair process to correct the damage and will continue to do so throughout the spring.

One of the first things that we hear from residents when people begin spending more time outside is that property maintenance issues become more noticeable. I would like to remind residents that the town of Salina has codes that require property owners to maintain their homes and property to certain standards. Some common issues that arise during the warm months are long grass, unlicensed vehicles parked on the property, garbage or debris on the lawn and unsecured pools. For more information on the town code or to file a complaint about a code violation, please contact the Planning and Development office at (315) 451-0942. The town code and complaint forms may also be found on the town’s website at salina.ny.us. All complaints are kept confidential.

As you complete your spring-cleaning over the coming weeks, please be aware of the town’s trash regulations. Trash and recyclables should be placed at the curb no earlier than 5 p.m. on the day before your regular pick up. Empty bins should not remain at the curb after trash day. The town provides for certain “large items” to be removed at no cost to the resident (Feher Rubbish allows one large item per week); these items include furniture, rolled carpets and some appliances. Please contact Feher Rubbish Removal at (315) 422-0715 at least one day prior to your regular trash day to schedule the pickup for any large trash items.

Yard waste collection has begun for the season. Superior Waste Removal is Salina’s new yard waste contractor. Superior Waste will pick up yard waste at the curb, on the same day as your regular trash and recyclable pick up. This is a regular weekly pickup, so you will not need to make any special arrangements with the contractor. Please keep in mind that yard waste must be placed in open trash cans, paper yard waste bags or tied into three foot length bundles; loose brush or leaves will not be picked up. New this year: plastic bags are not allowed inside or outside rigid containers. If you are having issues with your yard waste pick up, please contact the supervisor’s office at (315) 457-6661 or [email protected]. 

It’s not too early to start thinking about summer. Salina town pools will open at noon on Friday, June 23 and close on Friday, Aug. 18. Swim lessons will begin on Monday, June 26. 

• First session of swim lessons – June 26 to July 7
• Second session of swim lessons – July 10 to July 21
• Third session of swim lessons – July 24 to Aug. 4

The cost is $10 – one child, $15 – two children, $25 – three children. 

Pre-registration for swim lessons – signups between 5 to 7 p.m.

• Tuesday, June 6 and Thursday, June 8 – at all pools except Richfield. 
• Tuesday, June 13 and Thursday, June 15 – at all pools except Richfield. 

Signups for swim lessons for Richfield Park will be held at St. Margaret’s School.

Arts and crafts program will begin on Monday, June 26 and run through Aug. 4. There is no charge for this program. 

If you any questions regarding Salina parks please contact the parks department at (315) 451-8110. 

As always, the own of Salina website can explain many of these issues in more detail and its also a great resource for our residents. You can find us online at salina.ny.us. For information on happenings around Salina follow the Town on twitter (@townofsalina) and on Facebook (townofsalina). Please know that I am always available if you have questions or concerns on these or other topics. Stop by my office, call me at 457-6661 or email me at [email protected].