Archive: News

Tom Reed met with local college organizations, area district attorney offices and community advocacy groups Tuesday in Ithaca to put a spotlight on raising awareness for sexual assault prevention. Representatives from Ithaca College, Cornell University, Corning Community College, the Steuben County District Attorney’s office, Advocacy Center of Tompkins County and local prevention groups joined Reed on the Ithaca College campus to talk about what needs to be done to raise awareness about sexual assault prevention.

“On average, an American is sexually assaulted in the United States every two minutes,” Reed said. “That means during the course of our roundtable, more than 30 Americans were sexually assaulted. That number – any number – is unacceptable. That’s why we’re joining together to talk about ways we can partner and pool resources to talk openly about sexual assault as a community. Until we prioritize education and free-flowing conversations, we won’t be able to get to the root of the problem.”

State Senator Michael Nozzolio, Chairman of Senate Codes Committee, announced Tuesday that a package of legislation to protect elderly individuals from becoming victims of abuse took an important step towards becoming State Law. Five measures aimed at stopping the wide array of abuses that impact New York’s senior residents were approved by the Senate Codes Committee. Two of these measures were introduced by Nozzolio.

"Nothing is more important than ensuring the safety and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens. I strongly believe that we must do everything possible to ensure that our seniors are treated with all the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Nozzolio. “This important legislation will help to combat the growing problem of elder abuse, while making sure crime victims get the help they need physically, emotionally and financially."

The Legislature’s Public Safety Committee, after reviewing a cost summary breakdown for two design options under active consideration, today reached a recommended design for an outdoor recreational structure as part of the renovation of the Tompkins County Jail—that structure to be constructed in conjunction with interior renovations that add seven beds to the capacity of the jail.

The committee, by a 5-0 margin, voted to advance to full Legislature consideration an option that locates the covered structure on the western portion of the existing recreation yard, oriented to the east.  That option, which had been suggested by Sheriff Ken Lansing and the newest design presented to the committee last week, would add an east-facing fourth wall, made up of glass block on either end and a large center opening that could be covered by a roll-down metal door in the event of inclement weather.

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF- 125th District) introduced legislation in the Assembly last week to help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species across New York State.

“As both state and local governments -- and other local stakeholders -- have dealt with the expense and difficulty of trying to eradicate the hydrilla infestation in Cayuga Lake, it is clear that preventing the establishment of aquatic invasive species is the only real solution to this problem,” Lifton explained.  "To maintain viable recreational and commercial industries on all our waterways across the state, as well as stave off problems with drinking water, we must prevent the spread of damaging invasive species which threaten to undermine the high-quality water resources we, too-often, take for granted in New York"

Tom Reed co-sponsored the bipartisan “American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2014,” a bill passed in the House Friday to increase opportunities for American research and development. Reed says supporting research and development is not only good news for innovation but gives businesses a reason to invest and add jobs in the United States. The bill is consistent with Reed’s broader tax reform efforts in the House to make the code simpler and fairer.

“If we want to really support and care for the research being done in this country, we have to simplify the process and make its benefits more tangible,” Reed said. “Giving job creators certainty with this permanent measure will increase research and development in the United States, in turn boosting investment and innovation. When job creators know with certainty what the tax landscape will look like for them, they are better able to add new jobs and pay the wages of existing employees.”

Every year it's bad news: taxes are going up.  But if New York State is true to its word school taxes will be the same as last year for Lansing school taxpayers, despite a projected school tax levy increase of 4.80%.  The state plans to spend an estimated $1.5 billion in property tax rebates for up to 2.8 million taxpayers whose districts stay under the so-called 2% tax cap and comply with efficiency reporting requirements, submitting plans that show how the districts plan to cut costs by cooperating with other local taxing authorities.

"What the Governor is really trying to do is encourage schools to keep their budgets within what they feel is a reasonable increase based on their formula," says Lansing School Board President Glenn Swanson.  "If we do that they are rewarding taxpayers by giving the money back.  So it's penalizing districts that are not able to do that.  I understand the logic.  I'm not saying I agree with it."

Meeting in special session at the County Public Safety Building, members of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee toured the jail to get a first-hand look at interior program space and the current outdoor recreation area, as it continued to examine potential options for renovation that would construct a new outdoor recreation area and convert an indoor recreation space to dormitory space for seven inmates.

The Committee, which last month asked LaBella Architects to change the position of the covered part of the yard from east to west, closer to the jail building, reviewed two alternate options—one of them that proposes adding a fourth wall facing east, composed of glass block at either end and a 20-foot-long opening in the center that could be covered by a roll-down metal door that would fully enclose space in the case of inclement weather.  That design option, which had been suggested by Sheriff Ken Lansing would eliminate any need for alternative indoor recreation space.

Legislature Considers, But Fails to Set 2015 Financial Goal
The Legislature tonight delayed taking the first step in developing the 2014 County budget, failing to muster the eight votes required to establish a 2015 financial goal.  Both County Administrator Joe Mareane and the Legislature’s Budget committee had recommended establishing the financial goal at the estimated level of the State-imposed Property Tax Cap—an approach that would have directed the County Administrator to prepare a budget that could be supported by a tax levy increase of no more than 2.36%, a levy increase of $1.06 million over the County’s 2014 level that would require a more than $400,000 reduction in spending and mean a tax increase of just over $6.00 for the median-value $165,000 County home.

Expressing concern about establishing a goal that would provide more latitude in the Administrator’s budget to address needs such as preserving the safety net, Legislator Carol Chock first proposed that the goal instead be set at 2.8%--at about the midway point between the “cap” level and the 3.25% increase that would be needed as maintenance of effort.  Legislator Will Burbank also sought to amend to set the goal at the 3.25% maintenance-of-effort level.  Both alternate proposals failed by identical votes of 5-8—Legislators Chock, Burbank, Dooley Kiefer, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, and Dan Klein voting in favor.  (Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera was excused.)

If a zoning change is approved a new phase of construction may bring an additional 60,000 square feet of medical offices to the complex on Brentwood Drive.  Integrated Acquisition & Development Vice President of Development and Construction Services Herman Sieverding asked the Village of Lansing Board of Trustees Monday to consider rezoning a section of the property from 'Business & Technology' to 'Human & Health Services'.

"There is the potential for three lots of about three acres each," Sieverding said.  "It's theoretically possible to develop an additional 60,000 square feet of medical-related office space at this location."

Taxpayers may be on the hook for a new roof for the The Lansing Town Hall.  Lansing Councilman Doug Dake reported to the Town Board Wednesday that a major shingle failure on the south side of the building and the west side of the L-shaped part of the Town Hall is causing damage including a leak in the small courtroom and possible damage to walls.  Supervisor Kathy Miller says the building is only 14 years old, but much concern was expressed that the Town will not be able to hold the manufacturer responsible.

"The manufacturer could come back and pull up six or seven areas of shingle and notice that it wasn't nailed right, and immediately that voids the warranty," Dake said.  "Legally that's on the bottom of the shingle wrapper.  You see that a lot where tiles are pealing up or the carpet is not right.  Typically the manufacturer's got an out which ends up being 'that wasn't put in right'.  But there typically is a warranty and that is something we should look into."

When the Lansing municipal sewer project was being considered last year the school district came up with a rough estimate of what it would cost to replace their three septic systems to determine whether or not it would be worth hooking up to the sewer.  At that time estimates came to 1.2 to 2 million dollars.  When the project was killed school officials scrambled to plan the replacement of their failing septic systems.  In January contractors estimated it would cost $5 million.  That was revised downward to $4.1 million a month later because it was determined that the old septic systems could be capped and retired without the cost of physically removing them.

But some proponents of the municipal sewer project reportedly grumbled that the lower estimates helped kill the project, arguing that if taxpayers had realized how expensive the school septic replacement really turned out to be versus the lower cost of hooking up to municipal sewer that it may have swayed sewer opponents to support the Town project.  No one has gone on the record to claim the lower estimates tanked the sewer project, and it was not explicitly mentioned at Wednesday's Town Board meeting where Lansing School Superintendent Chris Pettograsso explained the project and clarified the reasons for the project that will cost more than double the original 'ball park' estimate.

According to an independent study repowering the Cayuga Operating Company, LLC (COC)  power plant will generate $5.3 million in new direct earnings on the site and an additional $3.5 million in direct earnings for New York State, plus $16.4 million in new sales.  After construction repowering would create 116 new jobs including 30 jobs retained at the site.  Tompkins County Area Development (TCAD) commissioned the study from Camoin Associates, which concluded that not repowering the plant would eventually mean higher energy costs to ratepayers.

"Months ago, TCAD calculated impacts of a repowered plant," says TCAD President Michael Stamm. "We felt the data was good but could be better, so we hired a consultant to provide a deeper, more detailed analysis. The State has said economic impact is an important factor in their decision so we wanted the State to have the best data."