Archive: News

In 2009 the agreement between Tompkins County and the Cayuga Power Plant established a value of $160 million and promised the plant would be valued at $255 million by 2013.  Today that value is set at $60 million.  Lansing property taxpayers have had to make up much of the resulting tax difference.  So how is the newest PILOT negotiation good news?

"We established a base value of $60 million, the same as it was before.  So we've solidified the floor.  No matter what happens at the plant we will receive the same payment over the next two years that we have this year.  Then we asked ourselves what if the plant has a good year?  That gave rise to the idea of a 'pop-up' payment that would share the benefits of a windfall that might come to the plant."

Legislature Supports Downtown Community Outreach Worker Program
The Legislature confirmed the County's financial support for a joint program to provide a Community Outreach Worker for the Ithaca downtown area.  By unanimous vote (Legislator Martha Robertson and Nate Shinagawa excused), the Legislature appropriated $20,000 for that purpose from the Contingent Fund , set aside last fall as part of the County's 2015 budget process, as part of a partnership involving the City of Ithaca, the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA), and Family and Children's Service.
 
The Community Outreach Worker Program, the result of months of thoughtful study by a joint working group, is recommended to address the needs, concerns, and wishes of the many stakeholders in the downtown area, to effectively provide and promote continually positive and inclusive experiences for those living, working, and visiting Ithaca's downtown area, and to promote a welcoming, inclusive, accessible, and tolerant downtown atmosphere enjoyable to everyone.  The program target area is the State Street/MLK corridor extending to Meadow Street, and including the Ithaca Commons and Cayuga Street from the Library through DeWitt Park.
 

The Legislature's Economic Development Committee took the first legislative steps Monday toward establishing a new sustainable energy loan program in Tompkins County, a program that, should the full Legislature approve, would provide property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing for local  energy-related improvement projects, as is authorized under State law.

The PACE program offers low-cost long-term financing for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, supporting up to the entire project cost, for owners of existing non-residential properties, with repayments collected by the municipality through a charge on the tax bill.

Now that formal proposals for redeveloping the Old Tompkins County Library have been submitted, the special legislative committee charged with making a recommendation to the Tompkins County Legislature today agreed on the process for review.

Of the four sponsors of active concept proposals filed as preliminary expressions of interest, three opted to advance to the next stage of the process and filed detailed proposals in response to the County's formal Request for Proposals.  Submitting proposals were Franklin Properties, MCK Building Associates, STREAM Collaborative, Taitem Engineering, and Dr. Marne O'Shae, MD; Rochester's Cornerstone Group, Ltd.; and Travis Hyde Properties and HOLT Architects.  DPI Consultants, LLC did not respond to the County's RFP.

Cyber crime and cyber terrorism are currently the fastest growing threats to individuals in the United States.   In response to these threats, the New York State Senate will hold a series of public hearings convened by three Senate committees to review current cyber security preparedness in New York State.

In announcing the hearings, the Senators stated that as the center of international commerce, comprehensive action needs to be taken to protect all New Yorkers from cyber crime.

At the close of Tuesday night's Board meetings, the Towns of Varick (3-1) and Seneca Falls (unanimous) added their votes against Crestwood's proposed gas storage and transport facility in Schuyler County.

On the heels of last month's unanimously passed City of Syracuse Resolution, these additions comprise 21 municipalities surrounding Seneca Lake and throughout the Finger Lakes region, representing nearly 760,000 constituents, who are urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to deny permits for gas storage to Texas-based Crestwood Midstream.

The Lansing Board of Education unanimously approved a $28,370,000 budget Monday for the 2015-16 school year.  The budget keeps the tax levy within parameters for the State Tax Cap, and administrators say that property taxpayers in Lansing will qualify for a rebate ion the difference between this year's and next year's tax for the second year in a row.

The Board was presented with two versions of the budget.  The first proposal would have been for a $28,320,000 budget, representing an overall 1.8% rise in spending.  The budget that was passed included an additional $50,000 for new program additions, that bring the change from last year to 1.98%.  Administrators are saying that while the additions will cost much more, the impact to the budget is only $50,000 because of retirements and other 'drop-offs' in current program positions.

Moody's Investor Services announced a few weeks ago that it has restored the Town of Lansing's Aa3 rating.  The rating had been withdrawn when a policy change required independent audits.  The rating applies to $650,000 in rated general obligation (GO) bonds outstanding.

"Moody’s decided that all institutions receiving a credit rating from them would be required to submit proof an an independent audit of its financial statements," explains Councilman Robert Cree.  "Prior to this Moody’s would accept the Comptrollers sign off on a  municipality’s annual financial statement submission (AUD)."

Andrew CuomoGovernor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that New York's $142 billion budget had been passed Cuomo claimed that the budget exemplifies fiscal discipline by staying below 2% of additional spending, while addressing key issues in education and ethics.

"This $142 billion budget is the most meaningful that we have agreed to in many years, not because of what we are spending but because of how we are spending it," Cuomo said.  "We are not just maintaining services and the status quo with this budget. We are investing in a new future for our state."

Congressman Tom Reed announced Monday he has secured $500,000 in federal funding to support the regional ceramics manufacturing industry. The funding, through the Economic Development Administration's i6 Challenge, will help boost innovation in the ceramics industry as part of the Ceramics Corridor and further the commercial applications of developed products.

"This funding award recognizes the role that manufacturing is playing in our district and across New York State. Having just recently toured a facility affiliated with the Ceramics Corridor I have seen firsthand the potential for innovation of new manufacturing technology and creating good paying jobs right here in our backyard. I sincerely care about fostering an economic environment here that creates these jobs and will continue to push for worthy projects like this. "

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF- 125th District) introduced SUNY Impact Aid legislation, to provide an offset for the costs and expenses of providing public safety services to students in a community with a four-year SUNY school.

"It is well documented that the costs for services incurred by communities that have a SUNY school outweigh the benefits. Lands owned by a SUNY school are not subject to property taxation, and these host municipalities receive fewer tax dollars, yet provide the necessary police, fire and other services for thousands of students," Lifton explained.

Cornell University, Tompkins County, and the City of Ithaca  have committed to continue the Tompkins County Housing Fund, a successful joint initiative to assist in the development of local housing units that will remain affordable for low- to moderate-income households.  The program, established in 2009, will continue for another six years, through 2021.

The partners' decision to continue the program comes in light of what they recognize as continuing housing affordability challenges in the community.  To enable the program to continue, Cornell University has pledged a total of $1.2 million ($200,000 annually over the six-year period); Tompkins County a total of $600,000 ($100,000 each year); and the City of Ithaca an initial $100,000 for the first year of the extended program.  Tompkins County also provides staff support to administer the program.