Archive: News

State Senator Mike NozzolioContinuing his aggressive efforts to keep New York’s roadways safe, New York State Senator Mike Nozzolio today announced that the State Senate has enacted legislation he fought to adopt (S.164C) which creates a  new penalty for a licensed driver who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and is supervising a unlicensed driver.

“This legislation closes a significant loophole by making it clear that if you are supervising a younger driver, you must be sober,” said Nozzolio. “People who are supervising unlicensed drivers have the same responsibility to be fully aware and capable of operating a vehicle as the driver. Those who supervise a driver under the influence of alcohol or drugs must be held accountable for their dangerous, irresponsible actions.”

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that auditors from his office will be examining the finances of three charter schools as part of his ongoing initiative to bring transparency and accountability to taxpayer-financed institutions.

“A change in state Education Law gives my office the authority to audit charter schools,” DiNapoli said. “These schools are supported by taxpayer dollars. Taxpayers have the right to know how their money is being spent.”

County Officials gathered late yesterday to announce that the Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport (ITH) will be moving to a 140 acre parcel of land across the street from the Lansing Town Hall.  According to the town's representative to the Tompkins County Legislature Pat Pryor, radiation from a small former Cornell nuclear facility has grown to the point where it is no longer safe for the airport to remain in its current location.  Due to cuts in State and federal aid to municipalities, Pryor says Tompkins County can't afford to replace the entire existing 531 acre facility.  But Airport Manager Robert Nicholas says advances in aviation technology will make the new airport perfectly safe.

"Largely because of technological advances in composite aircraft construction, the new jets need only a fraction of the length of runway that the old planes needed," Nicholas says.  "The new airport will also be equipped with large mattress-like devices to protect neighboring homes, just in case."

If you have been concerned about the prospect of 4th of July fireworks, you don't have to worry any more.  The Lansing Community Council will be holding an event in Myers Park July 2nd that will include live music, food, and fireworks.  Community Council  President Ed LaVigne says the idea came from community members who wanted fireworks at August's Lansing Harbor festival.

"That idea was kicked around at first," LaVigne says.  "We thought it would be more appropriate to have a July 4th celebration and make a separate event out of it, for a variety of reasons.  One is that there is a void -- there really aren't any fireworks planned that we know of.  Last year it was at TC3 but when one of our members called them there was no definite commitment.  So to the best our knowledge there are no fireworks in the area."

Lansing School Superintendent Stephen Grimm recommended a $25,275,503 budget for the 2011-2012 school year at Monday's Board of Education Meeting.  Grimm said the school district can escape 'disasterland' for at least one more year by spending frugally and asking taxpayers to agree to pay a 4.37 higher tax rate than last summer to support a 1.5% budget increase.  Board members lined up on the side of making significant adjustments now, or taking another year to make decisions on how program will be affected.  Grimm made a case that the district has already made significant cuts that could total 44 positions over four years if proposed cuts for next year are implemented.

"If you want to cut more, I'll cut more," Grimm said.  But he passionately defended his recommendation to put off major cuts until next year.  "I am not going to recommend it because I think this is the budget we need to go with.  That's what I'm telling you.  That's what I'm telling the community.  I'm telling the teachers.  We have spent very frugally, and it is a daily painstaking task that the teachers and myself and the principals go through to be able to come up with a million dollars of appropriated fund balance.  It's there for a rainy day.  It is raining."

A predictable stream of federal funding to replace aging buses is critical to Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit, Inc.’s ability to serve a public and a local economy that is becoming more and more dependent on public transit, TCAT, Inc. General Manager Joe Turcotte told congressional leaders Thursday.

Turcotte was one of 10 regional transportation industry experts that testified on Thursday, May 24, before a U.S. House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure listening session in Cortland, N.Y., The listening session was headed by Committee Chairman U.S. Rep. John Mica, R‑Florida and hosted by U.S. Rep. Richard Hanna, R,C,I-Barneveld. Panelist included representatives from a variety of transportation industries, including paving contractors, engineers, a major bus manufacturer and truckers. The audience of about 50 people included elected officials, other regional transportation leaders and a representative from the United Auto Workers who said it “is in labor’s interest” to participate in the discussion as many workers in transportation industries are unionized.

Ithaca City Common Council Alderperson Svante Myrick (D-4, Ithaca) announced he will formally kick-off his campaign for Mayor of Ithaca on May 3, 2011, 12:00pm, at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons.

Svante (pronounced suh-von-tay) is beginning this campaign with $10,000 in contribution commitments, the endorsements of members of Common Council (Dan Cogan, Deborah Mohlenhoff, & Eddie Rooker), and the current and former Budget Committee Chairs of the Tompkins County Legislature (Jim Dennis & Nathan Shinagawa). In the next several weeks, more endorsements from respected members of the community will be released.

At a fact-finding session Tuesday, the County sought further suggestions from those interested in a proposed road preservation law that would amend the County Code to regulate certain heavy commercial or industrial uses of County roads with the potential road damage.

The proposed amendment, first advanced and put to public hearing in January, then delayed to permit further work by the Legislature’s Government Operations and Facilities and Infrastructure Committees, would regulate temporary commercial or industrial activity generating “high frequency, high impact truck traffic.”  The Chairs of those committees called the meeting to gather constructive suggestions to assist the County as it considers possible changes in the proposed local law.

The former director of the state prison system's food operations - who cheated state taxpayers out of a half million dollars using falsified travel and attendance documents - pleaded guilty to second degree grand larceny in Oneida County Court today. Howard Dean, director of the Department of Corrections' Food Production Center (DOCS) was paid huge sums for falsified travel reimbursement claims and fraudulently filed attendance records. He also failed to indicate he took every Friday off for 17 years.

"There is never a good time to rip off the taxpayers," said DiNapoli. "But taking every Friday off for 17 years - and getting paid for it - is particularly galling, especially at a time when so many New Yorkers are out of work. Mr. Dean didn't show up for work, but he'll have to show up for jail, and there are no Fridays off in prison. His sentence should send a message to any public official with sticky fingers: watch out - we will find you."

It’s long overdue, but I am pleased to report that New York State government is working again.

Through the aggressive efforts of the new Republican leadership in the New York State Senate, working closely with Governor Cuomo, we have enacted an ON-TIME BUDGET THAT DOES NOT RAISE TAXES, DOES NOT INCREASE SPENDING OR INCREASE THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT, AND WILL EMPOWER THE PRIVATE SECTOR TO ONCE AGAIN CREATE NEW, WELL PAYING JOBS.

The budget actually reduces year-to-year spending by 2 percent, cuts State Agency expenditures back by 10 percent and begins to put New York State back on the road to fiscal recovery.

Village of Lansing Trustees put finishing touches on a $3,846,704  budget for the next fiscal year.  The budget includes a tax levy, or the amount collected from village property owners, that is $892 less than last year's levy.  The tax rate, the amount of money taxed per $1,000 of property value, will go up by two cents this year, rising from $1.99 to $1.21.

"We're in reasonably decent financial condition," says Village Mayor Donald Hartill.  "We can keep the tax levy the same as last year.  We're probably unique in New York State in being able to do that.  Compare it to the tax levy increases in every other municipality or government body around the county and the region."

In a special Monday morning meeting the The Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) approved bonding support for the Arrowhead Ventures project that will bring a BJ's Wholesale Club, senior housing, wetlands, and a bird sanctuary to the Shops At Ithaca Mall.  The $1.2 million project will divert property taxes collected over a 15 year period from the retail store to support financing the senior housing portion of the project.

"This was an important step in getting the project to move forward," says Project Advisor Andrew Sussman.  "We need to start construction right away.  It's our goal to build this thing as quickly and efficiently as we can.  Everybody's looking forward to getting this business open and get the housing built."