- By Marcia E. Lynch
- News
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Legislature Receives Recommendations for Jail Reentry ProgramThe Reentry Subcommittee charged with developing recommendations regarding a Reentry Program to most effectively transition jail inmates out of the Tompkins County Jail and back into the community tonight presented its Report and Recommendation to the Tompkins County Legislature. The Report is the product of eight months of work by a broad-based 14-member panel formed by the County’s Criminal Justice and Alternatives to Incarceration Board (CJATI) in response to recommendations that arose from deliberations of the Jail Alternatives Task during 2013 and 2014. Presenting tonight were Suzi Cook, Chair of CJATI; and Probation Director Patricia Buechel and Deborah Dietrich, Director of OAR, Co-Chairs of the Reentry Subcommittee.
Director Buechel noted that a limited pilot reentry project established in 2008 has served 143 individuals (only about 14% of eligible inmates) but has achieved some success, with more than 64% having not returned to Tompkins County Jail, which she said holds promise for a fully developed, coordinated program. Among the barriers to successful reentry identified in the report are little coordination of existing community services, a lack of stable, safe housing arrangements, employment and education issues, limited transportation resources, and a shortage of in-jail programming space.
Tom Reed in favor of legislation which would prevent the President from lifting economic sanctions on Iran until they pay court ordered settlements to the families of Iranian terror victims.
The Legislature held its annual Community Budget Forum Wednesday, inviting residents to learn about and comment on the County's recommended 2016 budget currently under review by the Legislature.
The battle that will determine the fate of Lansing's Cayuga Power Plant continued this week as NYSEG and Cayuga Operating Company (COC) filed opposing arguments with the New york State Public Service Commission (PSC). The arguments boiled down to the cost to ratepayers, with NYSEG saying the most economical solution is to update its transmission lines, while COC says repowering the plant will result in savings to ratepayers. Additionally, the fallout from the pending closing of two power plants near Buffalo may be a factor in whether or not the PSC approves the repowering plan. But both New York Independent System Operator, Inc. and National Grid NY told the PSC this week that they would not be able to provide their analysis by the September 24 deadline PSC had requested.
Dan Ferguson presented a draft of a new Emergency Preparedness Plan to the Lansing Town Board Wednesday. Ferguson, a member of the town's Emergency Preparedness Committee, told the Board they are covered in case of an emergency, but the draft plan must be finalized and approved, and details of the plan must be determined by the board. The committee was formed after Highway Superintendent Jack French told the Town Board in July, 2014 that Lansing was not prepared for disasters and admonished the board to develop a disaster preparedness plan. The draft plan will help officials activate an actual emergency response in the Town.
Entering its fourth week of budget review, Legislators acting as an Expanded Budget Committee heard from eight more departments and agencies, as they continued their review of County Administrator Joe Mareane's recommended 2016 County budget.
The Village of Lansing Trustees have authorized up to $6,000 for supplies and bait for a new twist on their deer population management program. At their last Board of Trustees meeting Cornell University Department of Natural Resources' Dr. Bernd Blossey presented a proposal that will dramatically change the way deer are taken, which he says he hopes will make the program more effective and more efficient in reducing the Village deer population to sustainable levels. The idea is to forego the regular hunting season in favor of a focused nuisance season that allows baiting the deer and night hunting.
Tompkins County Clerk Maureen Reynolds has announced that Tompkins County has been awarded a nearly $150,000 grant by the New York State Archives to extend to additional users the County's digital archiving records program.
The Legislature's Government Operations Committee recommends that Tompkins County go on record behind proposed State legislation that would increase the share of DMV revenue that can be retained to support county government.
With many developments sprouting up in Lansing, none is currently generating as much controversy now as the proposed Novalane development, located between communities on East Shore Circle and Eastlake. About 30 neighbors say they they feel disenfranchised by the Town Planning Board and Town officials. They say that safety and quality of life issues are being ignored for current residents. Spokesman David Schutz, who lives on Reach Run, says that the group is not against the development, but want it done in a manner that insures the safety, especially of neighborhood children, and quality of life for East Shore Circle, Reach Run, Smuggler's path and Eastlake Road residents. He says the neighborhood group is prepared to sue the Town if necessary, but would prefer to resolve their issues at the community level.