Archive: News

Unless another extension is granted the fate of the Cayuga Power Plant will likely be decided within a month.  Last month the plant was given a stay of execution when the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) extended the coal-fired plant's Reliability Support Services Agreement until June 30, 2017.  But unless the State decides to repower the plant with natural gas its days are numbered.  Perhaps because of the uniform local support for the repowering of the Dunkirk plant, the Cayuga plant's fate is anyone's guess because of mixed support within Tompkins County.

"The difference is that in the community of Dunkirk in that area of Chautauqua County, they were united in one voice that 'we want that plant'," says U.S. Congressman Tom Reed.  "And now what we're hearing and the message getting up to Albany and the other powers that be, is that there is a split in that message where a lot of folks are saying, 'no, we don't want it to be repowered and stay in existence.'  To me that's problematic."

State Senator Mike Nozzolio announced Wednesday that legislation he co-sponsored has been adopted in the New York State Senate. Senate bill S.966 prohibits the purchase of alcoholic beverages, tobacco products or lottery tickets with public assistance benefits. Senator Nozzolio fought for over 2 years for the passage of this important legislation.  Earlier this year, Nozzolio launched a petition drive on his website that gained over 7,000 signatures of support for this important measure.

“This legislation is necessary to prevent the victimization of children and families,” said Nozzolio.  "Every dollar spent on wasteful items is money that cannot be spent on essentials like diapers, medicine and housing. Public assistance is a program that was designed to help truly needy individuals to take care of themselves and their families until they can become self sufficient.  It was never designed or intended to be used to purchase items such as alcohol, tobacco products, or lottery tickets.  We must take decisive action to protect children and families by putting an end to this wasteful abuse of public assistance benefits. By making these purchases illegal, we will be able to send money back to our taxpayers and free up funding for job fairs, training programs and job search workshops."

Money in the Dedicated Highway and Bridge Trust Fund continues to be diverted for non-capital purposes, leaving critical highway and bridge projects at increased risk as the state faces fiscal challenges and shrinking debt capacity, according to a report issued today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

"Taxpayers have paid billions in taxes and fees into a fund that was created to keep our roads and bridges in good repair. Now, more than three-quarters of this money is siphoned off to pay for borrowing and operating costs of state agencies, leaving fewer dollars for improving our infrastructure,” DiNapoli said. “While the state is making progress with its capital planning, New York needs a reliable source for investment in its transportation infrastructure and should restore the use of this fund for capital purposes.”

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF- 125th District) has been appointed to the Assembly Education Committee by the Assembly Speaker Silver.

“I’m very pleased to receive this important assignment, particularly at this time when there is so much concern from parents and educators about the recent changes in state education policy.  I pledge to be a voice for my many constituents who are greatly concerned, as am I, about the implementation of the Common Core standards that were enacted in New York State as a consequence of the Race to the Top law passed in 2010,”  Lifton promised.

When the municipal sewer project was killed last August it presented a special challenge for the Lansing Central School District.  The campus is serviced by three large septic systems.  Two are failing and the third is at the end of its official 'useful life.'  What officials hoped would turn out to cost just over $2 million turned into $4.5 million, which District Business Administrator Mary June King said was what she hoped was a conservative estimate.  Monday engineering and construction management firm Tetra Tech representatives told King and the Board Of Education the project could cost as much as $5 million.

"It's significantly more than we had been projecting based on the building condition survey," King said.  "I was comfortable saying $4.5 is the most conservative estimate I can give this a couple of days ago.  $5 million is an even more conservative estimate."

The Legislature’s Government Operations Committee today recommended that Tompkins County enter into a joint services agreement under the New York State Real Property Tax Law to provide assessment services to the Town of Covert, located in Seneca County.  The recommended agreement, which must still be approved by the full County Legislature, was recommended by unanimous vote.

Through the agreement, the Tompkins County Department of Assessment would provide a full-time assessment office for the Town of Covert, Assessment Director Jay Franklin told the committee.  While the office would be staffed in City of Ithaca most of the time, Franklin said there would be office hours of at least four office hours each week at the Covert Town Hall.

Overtime earnings at state agencies rose to a record $611 million in 2013, a nearly 16 percent increase compared to 2012, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. Overtime increased in 2013 for the third straight year.

“State employees logged 14.8 million overtime hours last year, costing taxpayers a record $611 million. New York’s overtime bill is increasing and needs to be reined in,” DiNapoli said. “State agencies should take a hard look at how they are using overtime and for what. To hold the line on state spending, state agencies should double their efforts to reduce this expensive habit.”

Rep. Tom Reed voted Wednesday in support of a long-term, five-year Farm Bill to reauthorize farm programs supporting agriculture in New York’s 23rd Congressional District. The bill passed the House Wednesday with strong bipartisan support.

“Thanks in no small part to the input from local farmers and the hard work of the committee, I am very pleased to announce Congress came to a bipartisan agreement that cares for the needs of our farmers – the backbone of our economy,” Reed said. “Passage of a long-term plan for farmers is long overdue and it is only fair we provide them with certainty so they can make decisions for their businesses.”

Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Regional Director Kenneth Lynch was in Lansing Last Friday to talk to residents about the prospects for a state forest or Wildlife Management Area (WMA) on nearly 500 acres of NYSEG-owned property in northwest Lansing.  More than 50 residents filled the Lansing Town Hall to ask questions and express their opinions on the project.  With the passage of a Town Board resolution in support of the project, Lynch says the DEC has what it needs from the Town to try to purchase the property.

"Despite the somewhat long history of interest in this property, we are still very early in the process," said Lynch.  "There is pretty good interest in our department for moving this one forward."

Green Square Developers David Taub and Graham Gillespie brought a team to Lansing Tuesday to present their vision for a town center on the 153 acres of town land across from the Town Hall and ballfields on Route 34.  As presented the project could mean over 60 housing units including two-bedroom single storey patio home duplexes and three bedroom, three storey townhouses, as well as 23,000 square feet of retail shops.  The four-phase plan is in response to a Request For Proposals (RFP) the Town of Lansing sent to developers last year.

"The Town of Lansing has an opportunity here because you happen to have a giant parcel in the heart of your town," Taub said.  "As developers we have to know that demand is there before we put up this housing.  And now it's there.  The timing is perfect. Now is the time for the Town to attract developers to realize this vision."

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For Lansing residents in rural areas that do not have cable available it has seemed like an interminable wait.  But it has been a remarkably short time since the Tompkins County Broadband Committee recommended a plan that would bring broadband to an estimated 97% of county residents.  Lansing residents expressed the most interest in using the new service, and today (Friday) the first six will be hooked up to the system.

"All of Tompkins County and almost all of Cayuga County will be served within a year," says Clarity Connect General Manager Ryan Bartosch.  "Lansing is the closest to us and it's certainly dense enough that we're going there first.  We're marketing there as well."