Archive: News

The last hurdle for Tompkins County to receive $82,000 in a New York State Shared Municipal Services Initiative (SMSI) grant was passed Monday when Village of Lansing Trustees voted to support it.  The money is for a countywide water and sewer study to be used in infrastructure evaluating and planning.  Last month the Town and Village of Lansing were unable to garner enough support to even vote on it.  Last week the Town of Lansing bowed to political pressure, and Monday the Village followed suit.

"There has been a fair amount of pressure from all sorts of places," said Village of Lansing Mayor Donald Hartill.  "I've received a number of emails urging us to act."

At a meeting of the Legislature’s Government Performance and Workforce Relations Committee today, County Administrator Joe Mareane presented the Tompkins County Quarterly Indicators Report for July 2009.  The Quarterly Indicators Report uses the most recent data available to provide insights into the major social, economic and fiscal trends that impact Tompkins County and its budget.

“Nearly every one of the economic, social, and fiscal indicators we are tracking reflects the depth of the current recession, Administrator Mareane notes. “Compared to the same period last year, the County's welfare caseload is up by 15% and sales taxes used to help pay those costs are down by almost 9%.  Not surprising to any consumer, the price the County pays for gasoline has jumped by 64% since the April Indicator's Report.

By winter the Lansing Xtra Mart will be three times its current size, with more pumps for cars trucks, plus a drive-through Dunin' Donuts window.  Just about everything about the site will be different, according to Ron Fortune, a consultant to Drake Petroleum, which owns the Xtra Mart chain.

"Everything is being torn down including the pavement," Fortune told the Lansing Planning Board Monday.  "The tanks are being removed.  The only component that's remaining is the free standing sign."

First it was Swine Flu.  Now it's Giant Hogweed.  Hogweed can cause skin sensitivity, burning blisters, and blackened scars if you are exposed to its toxic, watery sap.  Lansing Highway Superintendent Jack French reported to the Town Board Wednesday that hogweed has been sighted in Dryden.

"In our area it's new," French says.  "They claim it's ten times worse than poison ivy or poison oak.  It can actually be pretty deadly.  It is starting to grow on both sides Niemi Road in the Town of Dryden.  Sooner or later it's going to make its way to Lansing.  It's on its way here."

Last month four of the five Lansing Town Board members had such grave doubts about an $82,245 New York State Shared Municipal Services Initiative (SMSI) grant that they couldn't even get a second to a motion to support it.  The grant would fund a countywide evaluation of water and wastewater systems in all the Tompkins County municipalities.  A month later the board voted to support the grant.

All the affected municipalities have voted to support the grant except the village of Lansing.  Unless all municipalities sign on the money will not be released.  While board members expressed doubts about the value of the study and noted that Lansing has not historically received much support for infrastructure projects in the past, concern about being the only naysayer drove the 'yes' vote.  Supervisor Scott Pinney said that he now supports the study.  "We want to work with these people, too," he noted.

Finance Director David Squires told the Legislature’s budget committee today that he expects that sales tax revenue for 2009 will come in $2 million less than budget, a half-million dollars less than earlier projections.  He warned that mid-year adjustments to the 2009 budget will be required, the first time in 17 years that such action has been taken.

Reporting on monthly sales tax distributions to the County, including the June distribution just received today, Mr. Squires told the Budget, Capital and Finance Committee he expects that the County will receive about $28.5 million in sales tax revenue, compared to the $30.5 million budgeted for 2009.  June’s distribution was down more than 6% from 2008.

In front of dozens of supporters, Michael Koplinka-Loehr, Chair of the Tompkins County Legislature, District 11, formally submitted 651 Democratic petition signatures to the Tompkins County Board of Elections to secure a ballot line in the race to represent residents of District 11 on the Tompkins County Legislature from 2010 through 2013. Ninety-seven petition signatures are required to secure a ballot line in the general election. Because a Democratic opponent is expected to also file the required petition signatures, there will be a Democratic primary on September 15th.

Legislators Back Single-Payer Health Insurance

The Legislature put itself on record supporting the single-payer approach for national health care reform, stating that the Legislature strongly supports adoption this year of a national single-payer health care system, as described in proposed federal legislation currently before Congress.  The vote was 10-3, with Republican Legislators Frank Proto, Mike Sigler and Mike Hattery voting no and Legislators Greg Stevenson and Tyke Randall absent.  The action, advanced by Legislator Dooley Kiefer, reaffirms the Legislature’s action three years ago  which expressed the body’s support and preference for the single-payer approach within New York State.  Another member-filed resolution, filed by Legislator Will Burbank, was withdrawn.

After months of negotiations broke down between the Town and Village of Lansing the Village decided Monday to go into the snow plowing business.  For years the Town has plowed the 17.2 miles of Village roadways at what town officials say is a fraction of the actual cost.  This year the Town sought to renegotiate the contract to adjust for the discrepancy.  Village officials balked at what would have been about a $45,000 rise in plowing costs this winter.

"Frankly I'm disappointed," said Village Mayor Donald Hartill, asking for some direction from Village Trustees.  "I'm very disappointed.  I am willing to spend the $74,000.  On the other hand we've been blindsided."

Village of Lansing Trustees decided not to endorse a county-wide infrastructure study when they declined to vote to support it Monday.  This followed a similar reaction by the Lansing Town Board on June 19th.  Without support from all the municipalities involved The $82,000 State Municipal Services Incentive grant money that was allocated for the study will likely not be released.  All the other municipalities except the Town of Lansing have supported the grant.  While Village officials expressed some reluctance to being the 'bad guy,' Trustee John O'Neill's strong opposition swayed the board.

"It's a tremendous waste of money, but the money is already committed," said Mayor Donald Hartill.  "It is a grant from the state that we agreed to.  If we bale we effectively go back on our word at some level, because we supported it originally.  I didn't really understand what it was at that point."