Archive: News

The Village of Lansing Trustees passed a $2,820,033 budget Monday, down by 9.39% from last year's budget.  But taxpayers will pay 20 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value more this year, an 18% rise in the tax rate.  While that only means an additional $40 for the owner of a $200,000 house, the high percentage has raised some eyebrows.  But Mayor Donald Hartill argues out that the adjustment will put the Village on a solid footing to maintain services and infrastructure maintenance at a sustainable level, and points out that the tax rate is lower than it was ten years ago.

"Several years ago I lowered the tax rate too much," Hartill told the Trustees at a public budget hearing Monday.  "We were building up capital reserves.  I then wanted to quit that so I lowered it.  That was the year Mr. Cuomo decided to put on the tax cap.  We're recovering from that.  I want to get it back up to about the tax rate we had three or four years ago.  That's the one we can sustain the level of service that we provide and not being too much into the reserve fund."

The Legislature set a public hearing for its next meeting on April 18th regarding a proposed new Local Law that would raise the legal age for tobacco sale and purchase. The vote, following close to an hour-and-a-half of discussion, was 10-4, with Legislators Mike Sigler, Carol Chock, Will Burbank, and Peter Stein voting no. The hearing will take place at 5:30 p.m., at County Legislature Chambers, located at the Governor Daniel D. Tompkins Building, 121 E. Court Street (Second Floor), Ithaca.

The proposed law mirrors existing public health law, but raises the legal age for sale and purchase from 18 to 21. It notes that the County "has substantial interest in reducing the number of all individuals of all ages who use cigarettes and other tobacco products, and a particular interest in protecting adolescents from tobacco dependence and the illnesses and premature death associated with tobacco use," and that it is the County's intent "to implement effective measures through this Local Law to reduce youth access to tobacco products, e-cigarettes and similar aerosol devices, smoking paraphernalia, and shisha" (shisha defined as "any product made primarily of tobacco or other leaf or herbs, or any combination thereof, smoked or intended to be smoked in a hookah or water pipe.")

Public Health Director Frank Kruppa Reappointed The Legislature, by unanimous vote (Legislator Peter Stein was excused), confirmed County Administrator Joe Mareane's reappointment of Public Health Director Frank Kruppa for a second six-year term.

Kruppa's current term expires as of April 11th. New York State requires the term reappointment, since the Public Health Director position holds the responsibility for direct administration of State law.

New York’s prison population is decreasing, but the number of inmates age 50 and over rose 46 percent from 2007 to 2016, according to a report issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

While data detailing inmate health care costs by age groups is not readily available in New York, DiNapoli's report found that overall, such costs rose to over $380 million in 2015-16 State Fiscal Year, an increase of $64.5 million, or 20.4 percent, in the last three years.

When the building housing BJ's Wholesale Club was erected the deal was that a residential development for seniors 55 and older would be developed on the plot to the north. Construction began on the big box store in 2011, and the grand opening was the following January. But five and a half years later there is no senior housing development. That appeared to be ready to change last month until developer Eric Goetzmann asked the Village of Lansing Trustees to rezone part of the residential plot for commercial use to house a coffee shop or similar business that would enhance the housing development. Two weeks ago Planning Board members said they were dead set against it. But Monday it appeared that Mayor Donald Hartill and Planning Board Chairman Mario Tomei have come up with a compromise that may allow construction to begin this summer.

"I think we came to a conclusion that may past muster," Hartill said Monday at a Village trustees meeting. "I think a path forward that makes a lot of sense is to characterize it as a minor change (to the PDA, or Planned Development Area) but with conditions."

Washington, D.C.- In keeping with his continued efforts to bring awareness to the nationwide epidemic of sexual assault, Congressman Tom Reed is sponsoring a bipartisan Congressional Resolution recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month with Congresswoman Jackie Speier.

"Sexual assault must end. This issue has personally impacted my family like so many other families. I care deeply about improving support systems for survivors," Reed stated.

Town of Lansing Officials were in Albany Monday to talk to PSC (New York State Public Service Commission) and NYSEG officials about power needs in Lansing.  Town Supervisor Ed LaVigne says the trip was motivated by the Energy and Economic Development Task Force (EEDTF)'s activity in working with NYSEG to extend the moratorium on new natural gas customers indefinitely with, LaVigne says, no input from Lansing representatives.  Lansing Planning Consultant Michael Long accompanied LaVigne to a meeting that included four NYSEG representatives including President Mark Lynch, plus three PSC officials including PSC Interim Chair Greg Sayre.

"We shared information about our need for power for our units," LaVigne said.  "I thought it was very candid and very informative on all sides.  Hopefully positive results would come of it."

Tompkins County Sheriff's Deputies responded Sunday to a report of an underage drinking party on Buck Road.  At 11:19 deputies arrived to find about 50 teenagers running from all sides of the house, including a girl who was so heavily intoxicated she couldn't walk on her own.  Upon investigating Deputies charged John David H Mckane, 23, with Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  School officials responded Monday, contacting families and local authorities.

"We obviously disapprove of this behavior, but out biggest concern is the health and welfare of our students and how we are going to have our students work on making better decisions for themselves and their friends," Lansing School Superintendent Chris Pettograsso told the Board of Education Monday evening.  "And develop a resilience to say no to such behavior and support each other."

Senator Pam Helming (R-C-I, 54th District) delivered petitions signed by nearly 10,000 concerned citizens to the New York State Board of Parole Wednesday. The petition urges board members to deny the release of Judith Clark from prison. Clark was the driver of a getaway car in a 1981 robbery of a Brink's armored car in Rockland County, N.Y. that left two police officers and a security guard dead.

"The response from constituents on this issue was loud and clear," Helming said. "My office received numerous calls and letters regarding Clark's potential release, and over 1,000 signatures on the petition from this area alone. The residents of the 54th District and of New York State have spoken; they want Judith Clark to remain in prison."

Representatives of Travis Hyde Properties today presented the Legislature's Old Library Committee an update on redevelopment of the site of the Old Tompkins County Library, now that the City of Ithaca's Landmarks Preservation Commission, after many months of review, has awarded a Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed project, which is located in the DeWitt Park Historic District.

The current design, it was noted, has changed significantly from previous versions. It represents the seventh design iteration since the Legislature awarded Travis Hyde preferred developer status nearly two years ago. The design retains the ground floor of the main area of the existing Old Library building, which will become a raised plaza at the ground level, about nine feet above sidewalk level. The four-story building includes set-backs of the third and fourth floors on three sides— the north and east sides along Court and Cayuga Streets, and the south side, adjacent to the DeWitt Park Inn, providing a two-story presence along the street.

Friday, April 14, 2017 is the last day for a new voter to postmark a registration form to be eligible to vote in the April 25, 2017 Lansing Village Election.

This year Village voters will chose a mayor and two trustees. Incumbent Mayor Donald Hartill (Community Party) is being challenged by Lisa Bonniwell (Preservation Party). Trustees Pat O'Rourke (Community Party) and Ronny Hardaway (Community Party) are being challenged by Gregory Eells (Preservation Party) and John LaVine (Preservation Party).

The Ithaca College Contingent Faculty Bargaining Committee released a statement Monday after contract negotiations with tcollege administrators came to a close and a strike was cancelled.

"We're all very happy and excited that we came to such a terrific agreement," said SEIU Local 200United contingent faculty member Tom Schneller. "It really was a collective victory - this would never have happened without massive pressure from our SEIU Local 200United members, from our students, from our tenured and tenure-track colleagues, and from our Ithaca allies, especially Pete Meyers from the Tompkins County Workers' Center, as well as Cornell Graduate Students United. It was beautiful to witness this coming together of our community in support, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made this possible. As we have learned from this process, anything is possible when we stop being afraid, reach out to others in sympathy and solidarity, and are tenacious in the pursuit of justice."