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Tompkins County Council Of Governments (TCCOG) and Tompkins County presented a document listing $300 million in local projects yesterday that will be presented to federal and tate officials to take advantage of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan signed by President Obama this week. 

"Word of the pending federal stimulus package provided TCCOG an opportunity to work together," said TCCOG Chairman Don Barber.  "We're trying to do something greater than we could achieve individually by working as a group.  Tompkins County and the sixteen municipalities have provided a summary of over 180 strategies designed for reinvestment projects within Tompkins County."

The proposal is a 78 page bound document listing more than 40 projects that could be ready to go in 90 days, over 50 that could be ready in 180 days, and an additional 85 that could be begun within two years, according to the readiness categories specified in the federal legislation.


Town of Lansing projects focussed on public water and sewer projects.  The Town submitted the $2,553,900 Warren Road Sewer District that can be ready within 180 days.  Three water and sewer projects were submitted that could be ready within two years: a $560,000 consolidated sewer district extension on Drake Road, a $29,130,000 trunk sewer to connect the Town of Lansing to the Cayuga Heights waste water treatment facility, and as an alternative a $38,152,000 standalone plant.

At a TCCOG meeting last month Hinchey told legislators that there might be $26 million in the package for Tompkins County.  But officials said yesterday that with $24 billion coming to New York State in the final draft of the package more will likely be available.  Lifton said that because the State is going to get about $12 billion in Medicare funding from the federal government, it will free that amount of money for other priorities. 

Ithaca Mayor Carolyn Peterson agreed.  "We believe we're seeing an additional effect because of dollars coming in from the federal  government," she said.  "We believe that the Governor is supporting restoring CHIPS funding for highways, which was $100,000 lost to the city in our 2009 budget.  So there is even more money outside the stiumlus package that local municipalities would be able to use.

CHIPS cuts in the Town of Lansing could be $65,379, representing a 42.07% cut to the town.  Lansing Highway Superintendent Jack French says that equals about a mile of road repaving.  The Town has 95 miles of road, and French says he tries to repave ten per year.  Last year fuel costs cut that to about eight miles.  Cuts to the Village of Lansing could be $22,157, a 37.71% cut.  So restoration of those funds would make a significant difference locally and county-wide.


"It's a wish list of sorts," Barber said.  "These are projects that we have identified that are ready to go or will be ready to go within two years.  It's not something that we just dreamed up because money was available.  There is a crying need for this money.  We worked very hard to consolidate all these projects that we couldn't find the money for.  We'll put our best foot forward and see what happens."

Tompkins County Legislature Chair Michael Koplinka-Loehr presented what he called a symbolic hand-off of the package of projects, including a searchable CD version of the plan, to Dan Lamb, District Representative to Congressman Maurice Hinchey.  "What's truly unique and worthy about this is that we are probably the only county in New York State that is collaborating in this way across 16 municipalities," he said.  "These are summaries.  If indeed certain ones become the ones that are chosen we have lots more information that will be coming to you."

"This is exactly what you should be doing to take advantage of this program," Lamb said.  "Congressman Hinchey is grateful that you are putting in all of this work to make the best use of this funding."


Lifton said the State Assembly will begin discussing how money coming to New York State will be allotted starting Monday.  She said that she would work to get the money to municipalities quickly to save jobs, shore up county and city budgets, and critical infrastructure projects, and that state legislators will look at how to create new jobs using green technology and similar forward-looking projects.

Officials couldn't predict whether small projects will be more favorably considered than large ones like the Lansing sewer.  They said the money would be fairly distributed geographically, not necessarily sending the bulk of the money to the largest cities.  Lifton said the uniquely successful economy in Tompkins County could create an opportunity to look ahead to create green jobs and technologies that will make a difference to the nation's future.

"There could be greater needs in other areas," she said.  "I'm certainly going to be fighting to say that as we look to create jobs in this state you want to build on strengths and future thinking.  It makes sense to build here and invest here.  you don't want to put money in a black hole.  You want to put it on a tree that's growing."

"We might be doing better than some communities," argued County Legislator Martha Robinson.  "But for us a 4.7% unemployment rate is shocking.  We're usually at 3% or less."

The document details projects representing more than $100 million for transportation infrastructure, nearly $90 million for public water and sewer infrastructure, more than $50 million for low-to-moderate income housing construction and rehabilitation, nearly $10 million for energy efficiency improvements for public buildings, more than $9.5 million for public transportation, $6.4 million for renewable energy related to public buildings, $6 million for flood control and mitigation, $5.8 million for information technology, $4.2 million to protect vulnerable populations and vital services, $3.7 million for higher education, $3.2 million for public safety and emergency response facilities, $2.5 million for solid waste and recycling programs, nearly $2.5 million for airport infrastructure, nearly $1.7 million for 'green' jobs, and $1.3 million for residential energy efficiency.

Barber said that the document does not express any preference toward one municipality or another.  He said it is a presentation of projects that are ready, and that the people providing the funding would make the judgment as to which projects receive money.

"You only get one chance to make a first impression," Barber noted.  "This is our first impression.  It's timely, it's concise, it's well done.  It's all the things we want as a county.  And it shows that we are working together.  This is a county-wide document."

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