Archive: News

Tom Reed supporting the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act bill. 

“I care about ensuring our nation becomes energy secure and that we end our dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil.  What it fundamentally comes down to is that energy security is good for our national security and creates jobs right here at home,” said Reed.
 
The proposal would encourage energy efficiency, conservation and innovation, all aiming to help reduce cost of utilities for consumers and businesses. In addition, newly established voluntary standards will provide businesses with the information they need to become more energy efficient without big government mandates.
 

The Lansing Town Board considered a draft agreement Wednesday that would lease seven acres of town land to RER Energy Group.  The lease calls for seven acres of land on which to locate a 1.5 megawatt solar array that would power the Lansing Central School District (LCSD) campus.  An annual lease fee of $500 per acre would be paid to the Town, amounting to $3,500 per year.  The lease would be renewable in 20 years, and it includes two other five year options.

The Town bought 153 acres of land across the street from the Lansing Town Hall and ball fields in 1993 from New York State for about $100,000.  That deal carried deed restrictions that only allowed recreational use.  In 2012 Lansing paid the State an additional $294,800 to lift the deed restrictions, paving the way for a town center.  Three developers were interested in building on the property, loosely adhering to a town center concept developed by a town committee in 2012.  NRP was prepared to pay $11,000 per acre for their project, and Calimar $1,400 per acre for a mufti-storied senior housing project.

The Legislature, by unanimous vote, has adopted a new Local Law that will prohibit the sale in Tompkins County of personal care products containing microbeads.  'Microbeads' are synthetic, plastic particles added to personal care products, such as facial cleansers, shampoos, and toothpastes.  The new law notes that microbeads, which enter bodies of water through disposal down household drains following the use of such personal cosmetic products and collect harmful pollutants already present in the environment, pose a serious threat to Tompkins County's environment.

At the public hearing preceding Legislature consideration, eight people spoke, including representatives of Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the Plastic Tides program, including junior interns who did research and collected samples this summer, finding microbeads locally in both Cayuga and Beebe Lakes.  Among those speaking about the dangers and urging passage of the law were Ithaca Town Supervisor Herb Engman and former long-time County Legislator Frank Proto, chairman of the County Water Resources Council.  Engman, who sits on the governing board of the Ithaca Area Waste Water Treatment Facility, said our filtration systems cannot keep microbeads out of Cayuga Lake.

The Tompkins County Legislature, after two-and-a-half months of deliberation and review, tonight adopted the County's 2016 budget and the capital program for the next five years. The budget was approved by a 13-1 vote, with Legislator Dooley Kiefer voting no.

Before adoption, Legislators approved one amendment to the budget, changing the additional $50,000 allocated to Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT) from target to one-time funding, which supporters noted was consistent with the type of funding committed by TCAT's other two funding partners, the City of Ithaca and Cornell University, a change that reduced the tax levy increase to just over 1%.

With family, friends, and current and former Legislators looking on, Tompkins County's newest Legislators, Anna Kelles (District 2) and Richard John (District 4) were administered the oath of office today by County Clerk Maureen Reynolds.

Legislators John and Kelles, elected by special election this month, now officially join the Legislature, assuming the seats left vacant by the resignations of Legislators Kathy Luz Herrera and Nate Shinagawa.

Congressman Tom Reed (R NYS District 23) reaffirmed his support of a plan to repower the Cayuga Power Plant Saturday, at a town meeting in Lansing.  Plant owners and Lansing officials are still waiting for a determination by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) on whether the coal-fired plant will be repowered with natural gas or closed down.  Reed says that while he favors all energy alternatives, keeping the plant open by repowering it with natural gas is crucial to the local economy, as well as necessary to help insure a coming American manufacturing revitalization.

"It's not just an economic issue," Reed told about 30 local constituents.  "It's also a national security issue.  Anybody who says the war of oil or the war on energy is not something that exists, they're just not being straight with you.  It does exist, and we have put our men and women in harm's way because of energy issues over the years.  Anything we can do to control our own energy destiny, you're going to find me to be generally supportive of it."

82 property owners in the Lakewatch and Cayuga Highlands developments signed a petition that was presented to the Lansing Town Board Wednesday.  The petition asks the board to approve a complete plan of the proposed nearby Novalane development that addresses all of their safety concerns.  The main issue is a connector road between the two developments.  The current phased plan only insures the road will go part way, which neighbors worry will cause more traffic on what are now quiet neighborhood streets.

"I'm here to present a petition from 82 of our neighbors regarding the Novalane project, which is being developed on approximately 30 acres between the Eastlake development to the south and Lakewatch on the north perimeter," spokesman Dave Schutz told the Board.  "We have strong opposition to the current existing plan and we're hoping we can present this to the board on the record so you can be aware of our situation, our circumstances, and our intent to keep an eye on this and, hopefully, get some resolution that can serve everybody in the community as well as us."

The SPCA of Tompkins County executed a search warrant in the Town of Newfield Wednesday, November 11 for a suspected hoarding and neglect case.  As a result of a lengthy and ongoing investigation, 28 animals were seized and brought to the shelter for evaluation and medical treatment.

The case began several months ago as a result of complaints from diligent neighbors and involve individuals known to the SPCA for some time now. SPCA officers found 15 dogs, 4 rabbits, 8 cats, and 1 chinchilla in a trailer living in complete squalor, along with the remains of three previously deceased animals. The residence was covered in urine and feces, and garbage and debris was strewn everywhere. The SPCA Humane Investigators, along with veterinary support, had to wear respirators and protective gear to be able to enter the premises. They were able to remove the animals from the dwelling safely and collect evidence over the course of a few hours. The Tompkins County Sherriff's Office was also on site for assistance.

New York State Senator and Senate Codes Committee Chairman Michael Nozzolio recently joined his colleagues in sponsoring new legislation which would make it more difficult for career criminals to enter judicial drug diversion programs.  

The bill, known as 'Holder's Law,' was drafted in response to the recent killing of New York City Police Officer Randolph Holder and would prohibit those with two or more felony convictions from entering drug treatment as an alternative to serving jail time.

Tom Reed joined a growing bipartisan coalition concerned about Syrian refugees relocating to the United States by cosponsoring legislation, The American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015, which will ensure proper and vigorous screening of those seeking refugee status.

"I care about keeping American's safe by keeping ISIS out.  Without being able to verify who these Syrian refugees are or who they have associated with, we have no way of really determining who among them may or may not be part of ISIS.  It's only right that prioritizes Americans' safety first."

Congressman Tom Reed was in Lansing Saturday to answer questions and hear residents speak on national issues of concern when about 30 people came to talk to him at the Lansing Town Hall.  Reed covered issues as diverse as the highway bill, the new Speaker of the House, international trade agreements, climate, power generation alternatives and fiscally responsible budget.  He started with a tribute to veterans, noting that another 'Honor Flight' had brought veterans to Washington last week.  He went on to talk about the ISIS attacks on Paris that left at least 129 people dead and hundreds of others wounded.  One resident complained that a day after President Obama declared ISIS contained the violence erupted in Paris.

"We all condemn that type of barbaric action," Reed said.  "We obviously stand with the people of France, and we will continue with our solidarity against this extremism that is driving this violent behavior.  What we need is strong leadership on this issue, and we need firm and consistent foreign policy.  What we're seeing here is the result of inconsistency on display.  When you make statements and you're not willing to have conversations about the root cause of extremism and religious radicalism, that is problematic.  We need to make sure we are speaking with a united voice saying this type of extreme behavior is unacceptable.  And have a policy that backs that up, not just have the rhetoric."

Ed LaVigne will be the new face in the Lansing Supervisor's office starting January 1.  During the campaign and before, it was clear that LaVigne's vision of Lansing was radically different from Supervisor Kathy Miller's.  While LaVigne is the first to say he is only one vote out of five on the Town Board, his election as Supervisor will mean a significant change in the direction and tone of the Town.

When he stopped by the Lansing Star Monday, LaVigne stressed reduced spending and attracting business to Lansing to increase the overall assessed taxable value to make up for the potential loss of more power plant revenue.  He talked about accessibility to residents, and his favorite topic, volunteerism.