Archive: News

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced yesterday (August 20)that New York State's COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped to 518—the lowest number since March 18. Yesterday's infection rate of 0.74 percent marked the 13th straight day with an infection rate below 1 percent. The number of COVID-19 patients in ICUs dropped to 120, matching the state's previous low since March 16. The governor also updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On Wednesday Cuomo announced that for the 12th straight day, New York State's rate of positive tests was below 1 percent.

Last Week Congressman Tom Reed voiced his concern over national reports and constituent outreach regarding delays in United States Postal Service (USPS) deliveries, substantial USPS operational changes, and staffing reductions. Reed called on Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to provide Congress and the public with specific details on:

• What changes or pilot programs the USPS has enacted
• What steps are being taken to ensure these changes do not delay the delivery of mail or the Post Office's capacity to perform essential services
• How these new policies will impact customers and postal workers

Senator Pam Helming joined with Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt Tuesday in support of a recent lawsuit filed to force New York to disclose the tax and fee structure of its destructive new broadband tax and fee scheme. This measure makes it more difficult and expensive to expand broadband in rural and underserved areas.

“At a time when more and more of us are relying on broadband to work remotely, help kids learn from home, or connect with our medical providers, Senate Democrats in Albany are finding new and even more destructive ways to make the internet more expensive. We should be encouraging the expansion of affordable and reliable broadband everywhere in our state. Now is not the time to hit the PAUSE button on expansion and risk the loss of even more job opportunities. Senate Democrats need to immediately disclose where this money is going and what exactly the fees are for this supposed “revenue enhancer” ie. tax,” said Helming.

Tompkins County Legislature Unanimously Approves an Appropriation from Contingent Funds to Contract with Cayuga Health System (CHS) for Continued COVID-19 Community Surveillance Testing

The Tompkins County Legislature unanimously voted (14-0) to appropriate funds to support ongoing community surveillance testing, contracted with Cayuga Health System (CHS). The resolution was moved by Martha Robertson (D-Dryden), and seconded by Anna Kelles (D-Ithaca). The agreement to contract for the testing includes the County seeking reimbursement from FEMA's disaster relief program. This arrangement is in response to insurance companies advising CHS that only medically necessary testing costs could be reimbursed.

Wide-scale testing will be made available for all Tompkins County residents at the CHS sampling site at the Ithaca Mall. Once the new surveillance testing system is operational the Tompkins County Health Department will notify the public. Employers or organizations requiring testing for their employees should contract directly with CHS and would not be eligible for this County-sponsored testing.

The New York State Department of Public Service has completed the first phase of its investigation in record time into utility preparation and restoration efforts related to tropical storm Isaias. As a result, the Department has sent Notice of Apparent Violation letters to four electric service providers — Con Edison, Orange & Rockland, PSEG LI and Central Hudson — and telephone, cable and internet provider Altice-Optimum that they now face steep penalties and must take immediate corrective actions so that similar failures are not repeated during the remainder of hurricane season. This is the first time DPS is front-loading the investigation process with Notices of Apparent Violation, and they have tightened the investigation process from the usual 12 to 24 months to just 6 months.

DPS is still threatening to pursue franchise revocations for Con Edison and Orange & Rockland as well as termination of PSEG-LI's contract with LIPA if the investigation deems it appropriate. Governor Cuomo directed the Department of Financial Services, which has broad investigative capabilities, to work with DPS to enhance its review of these utilities and better hold them accountable. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo will also propose legislation to expedite and clarify franchise revocation procedures. It will address questions including the ownership and transfer of assets such as substations, cables and trucks to ensure that the ratepayers who funded them are not charged again in the event of a new operator taking them over.

New York State Police and law enforcement agencies statewide is ramping up enforcement of impaired driving from Wednesday, August 19 through Labor Day, Monday, September 7. The STOP-DWI 'Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over' campaign is designed to reduce alcohol and other drug-related traffic crashes.

"There is no excuse for driving impaired - it's reckless and puts not only yourself but everyone else on the road in danger," Governor Andrew M. Cuomo said. "We have zero tolerance for this irresponsible behavior and we're stepping up patrols to send a clear message: If you drink and drive, you will be caught and you will be held accountable."

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced Tuesday that two additional states meet the metrics to qualify for the travel advisory requiring individuals who have traveled to New York from those states, all of which have significant community spread, to quarantine for 14 days. The newly-added states are Alaska and Delaware. No areas have been removed.

The governor also announced that for the 11th straight day, New York State's rate of positive tests was below 1 percent. Cuomo also updated New Yorkers on the state's progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Before yesterday (8/20), Tompkins County residents were on notice by the county's Board Of Elections (TCBOE) that said, "We are awaiting guidance regarding absentee voting for the November 3 General Election. At this time, voters are not able to use COVID-19 as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot."  That changed around noon yesterday when Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed into law sweeping election reforms that will make it easier for New Yorkers to vote and be counted in November.
 
"The federal administration has ordered an unprecedented attack on the U.S. Postal Service and with COVID-19 threatening our ability to have safe, in-person voting, these measures are critical to ensuring a successful and fair election at one of the most important moments in our nation's history," Cuomo said. "These actions will further break down barriers to democracy and will make it easier for all New Yorkers to exercise their right to vote this November."

Lansing Town Supervisor Ed LaVigne announced Wednesday that the town Highway Department is giving back $200,000 of its budget to the Town's general fund.  Sales tax revenue accounts for the lion's share of the Highway Department DB budget.  LaVigne said that because of possible reductions in sales tax revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Highway Superintendent Charlie 'Cricket' Purcell has diverted his crew from paving to road maintenance for the remainder of the season, concentrating on fortifying culverts and areas around the roads. 

"The Highway Department is busy, busy, busy," LaVigne said at Wednesday's Town Board meeting. "They are moving all their energy away from paving into other road maintenance.  One of the things he mentioned to me is his going to dump back $200,000 of his road paving allowance back to the budget.  So he'll make due with $200,000 less this year in the DB.  Any time you talk about the DB it's all about sales tax.  The County thinks sales tax revenue is going to be between 12% and 15% less than projected.  So he's dumping back $100,000 into that.  I asked him if I could say those are hard numbers, and he said 'yes'."

The Lansing Board of Education, accepted a legal settlement from pool contractors accused of making faulty repairs that kept the Lansing High School swimming pool closed for about a year and a half.  The case was mediated, rather than brought to court, with former Monroe County Supreme Court Judge Thomas Stander mediating the case.  The district filed the lawsuit in 2019, asking for damages including the $180,000 the district spent to fix the botched work, plus $138,000 in other damages.  The suit was settled in a Zoom meeting for $85,000 with the cost shared by the contractor and four sub-contractors.

The pool repairs were part of the school district's 2013 'Building Core' capital project.  The pool was closed to replace the pool shell, but soon after the repairs were completed new problems arose.  School employees identified tile failures in the pool shell in January of 2016. School Business Administrator Mary June King (now retired) reported to the Board of Education in November of 2017 that a forensic team of experts were evaluating the problem, and would recommend a solution.

Representatives of the owners of the Shops At Ithaca Mall were back before the Village of Lansing Planning Board Monday to attempt to move their plan to subdivide the mall forward.  In a nutshell, the owners propose to sell anchor stores to the current tenants (or interested parties) to provide stability to the mall that can then be used to attract smaller tenants who don't want to locate in a mall where the anchor stores have less incentive to stay (and lose resulting foot traffic for all stores). But the discussion continued in a loop, largely revolving around stormwater management, that has not yielded any resolution since the project was proposed three years ago.

Target already owns its store and some of the surrounding parking lot and ring road.  Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management, the two companies that and own and manage the mall, wants to create more subdivisions, keeping the central core to rent to smaller tenants as they do now. remains of the mall once the large stores are sold.  Only one of the parcels is outside the existing mall building,  a parcel behind the Clarion Inn that Namdar wants to sell to a hotel chain for a new extended-stay hotel.

Two additional states and Virgin Islands met the metrics Tuesday to qualify for the travel advisory requiring individuals who have traveled to New York from those areas, all of which have significant community spread, to quarantine for 14 days. The newly-added states are Hawaii and South Dakota.

Alaska, New Mexico, Ohio and Rhode Island have been removed. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.