Archive: News

Legislature Approves More Money for Pine Tree Road Project, Awards Contract
The Legislature amended Tompkins County's Capital Program to increase cost of the Pine Tree Road Bike and Pedestrian Paths project, in the Town of Ithaca, appropriating $163,729 for the project from the Highway Fund, and awarding the construction contract to Economy Paving, Inc., of Cortland.  The vote was 11-2, with Legislators Dooley Kiefer and Peter Stein voting no, and Legislator Dan Klein excused.  Economy Paving's low bid of more than $1.6 million came in an estimated $188,729 over the project budget.
 
The project, included in the County's Capital Program since 2009, will create separate pedestrian and bicycle facilities and widen road shoulders at the old railroad overpass, providing safe, accessible accommodations for pedestrians, bicycles, and motor vehicles.  It will build a 10 foot wide, paved ADA-compliant patch connecting existing sidewalks at Maple Avenue and East Hill Plaza to paths on Cornell's campus at the Pine Tree Road/Route 366 intersection, as well as with the East Ithaca Recreation Way, that trail carried over Pine Tree on a new pedestrian bridge.
 

The percentage of school districts initially planning to override New York's property tax cap in 2016-17 has nearly doubled when compared to last year, but still remains relatively small, according to preliminary data filed with the office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. As of March 2nd, 6 percent, or 36, of the 601 school districts that reported, indicated that they will seek an override of the tax cap. Last year, 3.5 percent, indicated plans to override the tax cap.

Property tax levy growth for school districts is capped at 0.12 percent above current levels for the 2016-17 fiscal year.

"School districts are feeling the impact of a historically low tax levy limit," said DiNapoli. "Although district administrators and school boards have been reluctant to exceed the tax cap, this year's limit seems to have left some districts with limited options. As school budget planning continues over the next few weeks, we may see additional districts deciding to seek voter approval for an override."

New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio today announced that the State Senate has recently taken a tremendous step forward in cracking down on violence against police officers and protecting our citizens by enacting Senate Bill (S.5598). This legislation, sponsored by Nozzolio, will establish a class D felony for the crime of inciting violence against a police officer.

"We, as a society, should not tolerate the senseless and cowardly acts of violence against our police officers as they put their lives on the line every day to protect us," Nozzolio said. "We have seen a surge in violent crimes against on-duty police officers so ensuring their safety has never been more important."

In an effort to provide additional property tax relief for senior citizens, New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio and his colleagues in the State Senate have enacted legislation (S.1074A) to increase the maximum income eligibility levels for real property tax exemptions for seniors.

"Property tax relief is an issue that truly matters to New Yorkers, particularly senior citizens that are living on fixed incomes and seeing their property tax bills rise every year," Senator Nozzolio said. "This legislation would increase the maximum income eligibility levels for real property tax exemptions for seniors to help them pay their school property taxes so they can afford to stay in their homes."

Tom Reed sponsored a series of bills aimed at bringing the cost of college down, in part by forcing colleges to be more transparent. "Having over $100,000 in student loans when we graduated from school, we understand the burden so many kids and families are carrying today from too high college costs," said Reed. "It is simply unfair to allow another generation to labor under this kind of debt."

Reed continues to revise his Reducing Excessive Debt and Unfair Costs of Education (REDUCE) act, which requires colleges with endowments larger than $1 billion to distribute a portion of the profits earned from this money as tuition relief for students from working middle class families. If colleges fail to offer this amount of financial aid, colleges will face heavy tax penalties, up to and including losing their tax exempt status.

In the wake of Tuesday's NYS Public Service Commission's (PSC) decision refusing approval of a plan to repower Lansing's Cayuga Power Plant with natural gas, Lansing Supervisor Ed LaVigne says that the Town is prepared for any eventuality.  The PSC ruled against the plant being repowered at NYSEG ratepayers' expense, but at the same time approved its sale to Riesling Power LLC.  Both LaVigne and Lancing Central School District Business Administrator Mary June King say they have been preparing for whatever the long-delayed decision might be.  LaVigne says the Town is especially prepared and is aggressively courting new business to increase the tax base and relieve stress on homeowner property taxes.

"The Town is in excellent shape financially, because we run it like a business," LaVigne says.  "Obviously I am disappointed with the decision, but I am optimistic that the new owners will find value for this business.  And, moving forward, that they will establish a profitable business that will be helpful not only to the employees, but also to the taxpayers."

Tom Reed continued the push for affordable and accessible higher education with the introduction of new legislation which would make it easier for students to obtain college credit before graduating from high school.

"We care about making higher education affordable for everyone," said Reed. "This is one way to reduce college costs and I'm proud to be part of it."

The state Department of Health (DOH) needs to fix problems and delays with how it is assessing fines to nursing homes after violations are found, according to an audit released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. While DOH is frequently inspecting nursing homes and acting quickly on serious complaints, auditors found that some facilities had repeated violations that escalated into more serious problems with limited consequences.

This audit is part of a series examining issues impacting New York's senior citizens. In December, DiNapoli released an audit that called for more oversight of providers of adult day care services. "The state Health Department needs to strengthen its enforcement policies to better protect the health and well-being of nursing home residents across the state," DiNapoli said. "DOH is not using the full array of enforcement actions available and this trend has recently worsened, taking the teeth out of a significant deterrent to unsafe practices and conditions. DOH officials deserve credit for their timely inspection of nursing homes but more must be done. Families need to know their loved ones have safe accommodations and providers are being held accountable when problems are found."

After more than three years the New York Public Service Commission (PSC) voted Tuesday to deny a plan to repower the coal-powered Cayuga Power Plant with natural gas.  At the same time the sale of the 300 megawatt Lansing plant and the 675 megawatt Somerset Power Plant by Upstate New York Power Producers (UNYPP) to Riesling Power LLC was approved.  Denying support of the repowering plan was one of many items on the PSC's 'Consent Agenda', a group of items that do not require discussion because the decision is made on documents and prior discussion by Commissioners.  But PSC Chair Audrey Zimmerman chose to address the Cayuga plant explicitly before she called for a vote.

"The order recommends that we do not approve the repowering of the Cayuga Power Plant resources finding that that is not in the public interest," she said.  "Just to be clear, we are not suggesting that Cayuga cannot repower on its own, but we are finding that it would not be in the public interest, not be in the interest of NYSEG ratepayers to pay for that repowering, because it is more expensive and not needed in light of the fact that we do need transmission regardless."

What does a municipality do with $3.1 million of spare cash?  New York State says keep an amount equal to a quarter of your annual operating expenses of it for emergency money, and either sock away the rest for future purchases or building projects, or give it back to the taxpayers.  After several tries by past Supervisor Kathy Miller to get a fund balance policy in place, Supervisor Ed LaVigne and the Town Board are putting together fund balance and reserve policies that will meet state guidelines, and save for the future.

"The Town is in excellent shape financially, because we run it like a business," says LaVigne.  "When you do that you don't overextend yourself to the point where you are so vulnerable to large economic swings.  This (Tuesday's PSC decision to kill the Cayuga Power Plant repowering plan), I daresay, is an economic swing.  What the ramifications of this will be, we'll have to wait and see.  Right now we will methodically go forward, like a turtle does, and when things get bad we hunker down.  And when things are good we chug ahead.  That's why you run municipalities like businesses, because of outside forces.  If you're not prepared for that you're going to be in some deep trouble in a very short period of time."

TC3 President Haynes Briefs Legislators on 'State of the College'
Tompkins County Legislature, Tompkins Cortland Community College President Dr. Carl Haynes delivered his annual 'State of the College' message to the Tompkins County Legislature.

Presenting the annual report of the College and the TC3 Foundation, President Haynes reported on the many exciting developments at the College—many innovations that are evidence of the college’s entrepreneurial nature and its focus on student success.  Among them are a faculty-led curriculum, begun in English and now spreading to Reading and Math, which enables students needing developmental coursework to concurrently complete a credit-bearing introductory class.

Tom Reed renewed the call for accountability from China following accusations from the U.S. aluminum industry that unfair trade practices are undercutting domestic manufacturers.

"We care about creating the career opportunities of today and tomorrow right here in our backyard. Every time China fails to play by the rules, it undercuts American workers, and makes it harder for everyone here to succeed," said Reed. "We have to enforce our trade rules and stop allowing the American worker to be bullied by a nation that thinks it is above the law."