Archive: News

Legislature Requests Local Public Hearing on Pipeline Project
The Legislature, by unanimous vote, requested that the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) hold a public hearing in Tompkins County on the proposed expansion of the Dominion Transmission, Inc. New Market Pipeline, which runs through Tompkins County, and expansion of the Borger Compressor Station, located on Ellis Hollow Creek Road in the Town of Dryden.  It also requests that the DEC's public comment period be extended, if necessary, to accommodate the request.  The DEC has three public hearings scheduled elsewhere, and the Legislature notes that it would like to ensure that its residents have a similar opportunity to hear any public presentation by the DEC, and to provide comments regarding both air and water quality certification.

Before considering the measure, the Legislature heard from sixteen County residents (among them, former County Legislator Pam Mackesey), who voiced strong support for a local hearing and strong opposition to the pipeline proposal, citing environmental and safety issues, including its contribution to climate change.  They urged the Legislature to couple its call for the hearing with a statement of opposition to the pipeline project.  The Legislature added language, advanced by Legislator Carol Chock, requesting that, before any permit is issued, a study be conducted of local pipeline segment capacity to withstand the proposed increased volume and pressure; and also that the DEC study greenhouse gas emissions for the length of the proposed pipeline in New York State, including that related to carbon equivalents from methane and related to methane leakage.  The Legislature stopped short of indicating a position on the project at this time, or making support contingent upon conducting the studies it recommends—some Legislators, including Dooley Kiefer and Jim Dennis, suggesting that to do so at this time could be counterproductive in persuading the State to schedule a local hearing.
 
Legislature Approves Contract for Reentry Services
The Legislature, by unanimous vote, authorized the contract with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County (CCE) to provide coordinated reentry services for inmates of the Tompkins County Jail.  The action authorizes County Administrator Joe Mareane to execute the one-year contract with CCE, to take effect as of September 7th.  The program is a critical element of the Tompkins County Reentry Plan, developed by the County's Criminal Justrice/Alternatives to Incarceration Board (CJATI) to reduce recidivism rates, reducing the jail population over time.  The Legislature, as part of the 2016 budget, appropriated $100,000 in ongoing funding to support the reentry program—approximately $75,000 for reentry coordination and grant-writing services (to seek outside funding to support reentry), and approximately $25,000 to expand educational programming at the Probation Department's Day Reporting Center through existing contracts.

Davi Mozie, who will serve as one of two Reentry Program co-coordinators, comes to the program with more than a decade of criminal justice experience developing and managing reentry services for the State of Delaware.  She told Legislators she is grateful and excited to be part of the ground-level work of this program, and to work to help the people who are using the County's services and getting at some of the root causes of why people are returning to prison and jail.
 
Among other actions,
 

• The Legislature appropriated $66,000 from the Contingent Fund to replace five vehicles in the Department of Mental Health with electric vehicles, funding that may be subsequently offset by a potential $25,000 grant from New York State.  It is noted that, based on current trends, it is project that the additional funds required to purchase the electric vehicles will be fully offset by savings in the County's 2016 automotive fuel budget.
• The Legislature approved a number of resolutions regarding the Airport, regarding several projects and equipment purchases—including such projects as apron and fence improvements, and rehabilitation of two taxiways at the Airport, and new friction-measuring and snow removal equipment.

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