Archive: News

Lansing Fire Commissioners say that a new fire station planned for the Village of Lansing will be put on hold for now.  The Oakcrest Road Station 5 was built in 1972, and is now too small for the new generation of fire trucks and equipment.  Fire District officials have been negotiating with the Village to decide where a new, larger firehouse could be built.  But the estimated cost of nearly $4 million to build the new station is almost twice as much as estimated.

"We're going to pursue the addition at Central Station, because more of the members of the Fire Department are here," says Commissioner Jeff Walters.  "There is only one member down at Station 5.  So instead of burdening tax dollars to buy land and build a new station we're going to capitalize on what we have and keep the cost down."

Legislature Sets 3 Percent Tax Levy Increase Goal for 2009
The Legislature tonight took the first step toward preparation of a 2009 Tompkins County budget, establishing a financial goal of a maximum tax levy increase in 2009 of 3 percent. The 3 percent levy increase goal was approved by a vote of 11-4, with Legislators Martha Robertson, Greg Stevenson, Dooley Kiefer and Tyke Randall voting no.

A 3 percent increase in the tax levy (the total amount of property tax revenue needed to balance the budget) would carry with it a projected 11.2 percent decrease in the tax rate (the amount paid by taxpayers per thousand dollars assessed property value), a rate of $6.09 per thousand. The tax rate would decrease because Tompkins County assessed property values, as documented in the 2008 revaluation, have increased by 16 percent compared to last year's level. Achieving the 3 percent goal will require a nearly $2 million decrease in locally controlled spending. The Legislature also resolved to continue the process of stabilizing the level of tax levy change during 2009. The resolution notes that the current rate of inflation is just under 4 percent.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) voted with a bipartisan majority in the U.S. House of Representatives today to send the President landmark legislation prohibiting health insurance companies and employers from discriminating against people on the basis of genetic tests.

“Scientists have made great strides to fight diseases and help Americans live longer and healthier lives, but with this new knowledge also comes the responsibility to protect individuals from inequality,” Arcuri said. “This important legislation will prohibit health insurance companies and employers from misusing new information about the fundamental building blocks of who we are.”

After more than an hour of discussion, the County’s Health and Human Services Committee today declined to advance a proposal that called for the County to discontinue Health Department sponsorship of the federal Women/Infants/Children (WIC) Nutrition Program.

The proposal, submitted by the Health Department, requested Legislature authorization for the department not to seek renewal of the WIC program, which the department has operated since 1980, by not responding to the Request for Applications (RFA) for the next five-year funding cycle, to be issued by the New York State Department of Health.

Now that the Lansing Board Of Education has approved a $22,838,912 budget for the 2008-2009 school year, Superintendent Stephen Grimm is taking it to the public to explain a budget that includes over $1 million of cuts and how it will impact the community, the schools, and the kids.  This week he reached out by speaking to local groups such as the Lansing Lions, and reaching out to newspapers including this publication, as well as mailing a copy of the budget to all district residents and holding a budget hearing at Lansing High School last night.  He hopes this outreach will convince the public to vote to pass the budget on May 20.

WASHINGTON, DC - To help local consumers hit by skyrocketing gas prices, U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) announced today that he is a cosponsor of legislation to halt shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), increasing available domestic oil supply and helping to bring down local gas prices.

"With prices rising faster than paychecks, it is high time to stop siphoning off precious oil and act quickly to bring gas prices down," Arcuri said. "The cost of filling up the family car or truck is forcing too many local families to cut back on even necessary travel. It is time for real action to bring costs down and help local consumers."

Albany- With gasoline prices now approaching $4 per gallon and putting a strain on New York's hardworking families and small businesses, State Senator Michael F. Nozzolio today announced that the Senate will act on legislation he is sponsoring to provide much needed relief at the gas pump by suspending New York State's gasoline taxes during the summer travel season.

If the State enacts this tax relief plan, New Yorkers would save approximately 32 cents per gallon in state gasoline taxes, including 16 cents from the State's Petroleum Business Tax, 8 cents from the State sales tax, and 8 cents from the State's Motor Fuel Excise Tax.

The Lansing Town Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals met in a joint session last week to try to come to consensus on a new planning ordinance.  The Town Board wants to streamline the planning process, making it more business-friendly and simpler for all applicants to get through the planning process with less time and expanse than the current process has been requiring.  While the process has been marred by a history of miscommunication and suspicion between the Town and Planning boards, Town Supervisor Scott Pinney and Planning Board Chairman Lin Davidson were determined to keep the meeting professional, productive, and on-topic.

There are two main bones of contention: First is a general loosening of zoning ordinances, especially where commercial uses in residential areas are concerned.  Secondly, The Town Board has proposed to use a checklist to determine whether proposals are processed through an in-house site plan review or a full Planning Board review.  "What we're tying to do is have a checklist so the zoning officer has a list to go down through," Pinney said.  "The main thing here is the items with 'X's that say 'Refer to the Planning Board.'"

A State of Emergency which had been in effect in Tompkins County since Friday, April 25th has been lifted by County Administrator Stephen Whicher, effective as of 12:00 Noon today, April 29th.

The State of Emergency had been declared because of the warm temperatures and lack of rain that the region had experienced, a condition that had caused a significant risk for brush fires to occur, threatening public safety.

Tompkins County Administrator Stephen Whicher has declared a State of Emergency in Tompkins County, effective as of 5:00 p.m. today (Friday, April 25, 2008), because of ongoing weather conditions which create a serious risk of brush fires and threaten public safety.

Mr. Whicher's declaration states that, effective immediately, a ban has been placed on all outdoor burning and recreational outdoor fires. The ban does not include controlled cooking fires when the fire is in a contained, controlled fireplace, barbecue grill or cooking pit. Individuals cooking outdoors must at all times have readily available the proper equipment to extinguish the fire.

The underlying issues in the controversy raised by proposed changes to Lansing's zoning ordinances were aired in a public hearing at the Town Hall Wednesday.  At the heart of the dispute is the Town Board proposal to apply plans that are straightforward and simple to a checklist.  If the plans do not exceed defined benchmarks they would be issued a permit by the Planning Office instead of having to be subject to a full Planning Board review.  Planning Board members and some others have been vociferously opposed to removing any part of the review process from their bailiwick, while Town Board members insist that a streamlined process will encourage businesses to locate in Lansing.

"My opinion is that this is a control issue," said Deputy Town Supervisor Connie Wilcox.  "We'd like to let the taxpayers, the homeowners, the businesses have more control of their own destiny instead of the Planning Board."

The Town of Lansing Highway Dept. will pick up brush & limbs as follows:
Dates are tentative

Town of Lansing April 28th to May 1st
Village of Lansing May 5th to May 8th

To assist the work crews please:

• Place brush/limbs at roadside before 6:00 a.m. Monday.

• Limb diameter 8 inches or less, length 8 feet or less.

• Pile loosely, no bags, no ties, no leaves please.

Any questions direct to the Highway Superintendent at 533-4328.