Archive: News

The Legislature’s Capital Plan Review Committee heard a progress report last Friday from HOLT Architects on the Center of Government Study, that examines whether a business case exists for replacing three county government buildings in the current Courthouse complex with a larger, more efficient County office building.
 
The firm presented the committee with four options for review—which ranged from maintaining the current configuration, with building improvements, to selling the Old Jail, County Building C, and the Old Courthouse and replacing the Old County Library with a new, three-story Center of Government Building.  The initial analysis shows that, considering cost and projected savings, building new would cost as much as $8 million more, over 20 years. than improving or modifying existing structures.

A culvert on Route 34 in front of the State Juvenile Residential Center will be closed for just over two months starting Monday.  A box culvert at that location has deteriorated to the point where state engineers have elevated it to the highest priority on the list of bridges to be repaired in next year's building season.

DOT engineer Nicholas J. DeCirce told residents last October that salt damage, normal wear and tear, and just plain old age have contributed to deterioration of concrete and steel in the structure.

Triax Management Principal Partner Eric Goetzmann and Bold Associates's James Bold brought an informal presentation on a proposed fueling station they hope will be approved for the ongoing BJ's Wholesale Club being built north of the Shops at Ithaca Mall.  The pair have submitted a special permit application and are concurrently working with Village officials to change the Planned Development Area (PDA) that was passed by the board to allow the construction of BJ's along with senior rental housing units at the northernmost portion of the property along Oakcrest Road.  Goetzmann said electric fueling will make the station unique in Ithaca.

"This will be the first one in Ithaca," he said.

Because of ongoing heavy rain and flooding conditions impeding travel throughout Tompkins County and affecting public safety, Tompkins County Sheriff Ken Lansing issued a directive of Emergency Traffic Only, with no unnecessary travel in Tompkins County until further notice.  The ban on driving was lifted at 9am yesterday, when Lansing issued a statement that the ban on driving would be replaced by a Travel Advisory, with drivers urged to exercise extreme caution on all roads.  Certain roads will remain impassable.

Photo by Frannie Haranin, State Farm

Utica, N.Y. – U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna (R, C, I-Barneveld) today met with more than 20 Upstate New York mayors to discuss the issues and challenges facing their municipalities.
 
The meeting was part of a Mayor’s Summit Hanna hosted to connect with local leaders and hear their concerns, criticisms and ideas. Mayors discussed issues ranging from unfunded mandates to aging infrastructure. The summit took place at the North Utica Senior Center.

Tompkins County Administrator Joe Mareane has delivered to the County Legislature a 2012 Recommended County Budget that maintains needed core services within constrained fiscal targets, responding to the ongoing challenges posed by an uncertain economy. The Recommended Budget calls for a 5.4% increase in the County property tax levy, meeting the Legislature's 2012 tax levy goal.

Despite serious ongoing financial pressures related to the economic downturn, including significant rises in health and pension costs, a $600,000 increase in Medicaid expense, and an $800,000 decline in state and federal aid, the Administrator reports the effects of internal savings in several areas have enabled the County, under the Recommended Budget, to maintain most County services at or near present levels, though with a smaller workforce. Savings reflect such factors as reduced utility costs, pension costs slightly lower than expected, and the County's recent decision to divest of its Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA).

Many months after it was first discussed and following two public hearings and several other opportunities for public input, the Legislature, by unanimous vote, adopted a County Road Preservation Law.  The law amends the County Code to regulate certain temporary “high-frequency, high-impact truck traffic” that could cause damage to County roads (such as, but not limited to that related to gas drilling).  To trigger the law’s system of posting, permitting and bonding, the legislation sets a threshold of more than 1,000 truck trips to and from a project site over the course of a project, involving trucks with a gross weight of more than 30 tons.  Exempted from the law are agricultural operations; school buses; law enforcement, fire fighting, and military vehicles; and municipal vehicles engaging in road work on behalf of municipalities.

Matilda Joslyn GageA pleasant day trip is visiting the home of suffragist, abolitionist and defender of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquoit), Matilda Joslyn Gage (1826-1898).  This historic home, of both Matilda and Henry H. Gage (1854-1898), reopened April 9, 2011, after a million-dollar restoration.  

Each downstairs room depicts aspects of Matilda's life and the causes to which she was dedicated:  women's rights, freedom for black slaves, treaty rights for Native Americans, also her setting in local history and her original Parlour, with Henry & Matilda's furniture, including a treasure chest of toys/etc.

When the Egans' Lansing Shurfine closed in 1995 the Town of Lansing lost a resource that has been sorely missed, its own supermarket.  Since then townspeople have yearned for a new market closer to home.  Sixteen years later the wait will be over when Lansing Market opens its doors next week.

Around 9am Wednesday the new grocery store at Triphammer and Town Barn Roads will officially open with a ribbon cutting ceremony, after which its doors will be open for business.  This week employees have been working to clean new shelves and fixtures, train on new equipment, and begin the daunting task of stocking the shelves -- all of them.

Tompkins County and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance announced today a new pilot project to benefit those who buy real estate in the county.

The county and the state partnered to launch a new easy-to-use online real property transfer form.   When fully implemented, the new form will save taxpayers $250,000 in state costs, and result in additional savings by municipal and county governments.

Lansing Board Of Education members approved the second reading of a policy that affirms past policy on class size.  The policy obligates Superintendent Stephen Grimm to consider adding sections to classes that exceed suggested caps, though it does not require him to actually add sections.

"Optimal class size is defined as not exceeding the high teens in the elementary school and the low 20s in the upper grades," the policy reads.  "Upon request of the faculty and administration or whenever class size exceeds 18 in grades K-4 and 25 in the upper grades, the Superintendent may consider options to reduce the student to teacher ratio."

Lansing Supervisor Candidates announced this week they have gathered enough signatures to get onto the ballot for the November 8th election.  Lansing Democratic Committee member Pat Pryor announced Tuesday that Kathy Miller has collected enough signatures to appear on the Lansing Lighthouse line.  Connie Wilcox announced Wednesday that she has collected enough signatures to run as an Independent.

"I believe elections are about choice," Miller says.  "As a candidate I will reach out to voters to listen to their concerns and share my vision for Lansing's future.  When voters go to  the poles on November 8th, they can be assured if they choose me, of my commitment to every resident of Lansing.  I look forward to the campaign and the opportunity it provides to communicate with voters and share ideas on the issues."