Archive: News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) put up another hurdle for the New York Regional Interconnect (NYRI) power line proposal by successfully amending the Rail & Public Transportation Security Act (H.R. 1401) to require the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation to evaluate the safety and security of placing high voltage direct current electric transmission power lines along active railroad rights-of-way. Arcuri’s amendment, presented yesterday to the House Rules Committee, passed the House this evening.

Representatives from United States Congressman Michael Arcuri's staff held office hours in the Lansing Town Hall Tuesday where constituents were encouraged to bring problems that might be solved or helped by the Congressman's office.  J. Robert Messenger from Arcuri's Cortland office and Patrick Smith of the Utica office met one on one with people from the district who needed help or just wanted to sound off on an issue.  "A lot of what we do is help people through the red tape of the government," Smith explains.  "We get them from the bottom of the pile to the top of the pile to make sure it's getting done.  We really do resolve problems for people."

Only three months into his first term, Arcuri has made a visible effort of reach out to his constituents.  With a main office in Utica, he also maintains two satellite offices in Cortland and Auburn.  Access to his office is available over the Internet and via a toll free telephone line, and he has held 'Congress On Your Corner' town-hall style meetings as well as topic-based symposiums such as the alternative energy forum held in Lansing in February, or an agriculture forum planned for Herkimer this weekend.  "There are a lot of ways to reach out," Smith says.  "We're just trying to make ourselves more accessible."

Legislature Authorizes Issuance of County IDA Bonds for Ithaca College Project
By a vote of 12 to 1 (2 Legislators were absent; Legislator Frank Proto voted no), the Legislature authorized the county Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to issue up to $32 million in Civic Facility Revenue Bonds to assist in the financial support for a wide-ranging construction and renovation project at Ithaca College. The project includes construction of a new administrative office building; as well as renovating, equipping and repairing existing academic buildings and residence halls throughout the campus.

The IDA is acting as a conduit for the funds, enabling the college to receive a tax-free rate as a non-profit organization, with no liability for the county. The purpose of the legislature's action was to certify the validity of the IDA, complying with provisions of the federal internal revenue code. Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera praised the impact of the project, supporting use of local workers, through contractors offering certified apprenticeship programs and paying the prevailing wage. That issue prompted considerable discussion - including whether that aspect of the proposal was properly discussed at the committee level. Legislator Proto stressed that his opposition reflected no negative opinion concerning the project itself, but on the process involved in bringing it forward.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is the first recipient of the County Legislature’s Tompkins Tourism Partner Award.

The award is given to recognize individuals, organizations, and associations who, through their actions or activities, have made an impact on the local economy by attracting conventioneers and visitors to Tompkins County. The award will be given to representatives of the fraternity, LeNorman Strong and Robert Harris Jr., at the March 20th Legislature meeting at the legislative chambers in the County Courthouse, 320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca.

Village of Lansing elections are scheduled for April 24th at the village firehouse on Oakcrest Road.  Mayor Donald Hartill, Trustee/Deputy Mayor Larry Fresinski and Trustee Lynn Leopold will all be running unopposed for a new term.  All three are running in the Community Party, which seeks to unite Village residents regardless of political affiliation.  This week we begin a series of exclusive interviews with the candidates.  These interviews will be kept live on the 'Elections' page (click News, then click Elections) at least until election day.

Hartill has been Mayor of the Village of Lansing for 10 years, and was a Trustee before that beginning in 1989. He and his wife Marion have lived in Lansing since late 1968.  He is a Professor of Physics at Cornell University.  He is currently finishing his fifth term as Mayor, and is running unopposed for a sixth.  He met the Star at the Village Office last Monday to talk about his candidacy.

The county committee which had been mulling a possible local law to increase the county’s age for tobacco sales today concluded that the county should not “go it alone” to raise the legal purchase age to 19.

After listening to concerns expressed by Health Department staff and considering a negative recommendation on the issue from the county Board of Health, members of the Health and Human Services Committee agreed that they will not recommend that the Legislature pass a local law to affect that change.

Lansing's Code Enforcement took some heat at Wednesday's Town Board meeting when Scott Morgan complained about the Town's refusal to allow him to use an old school bus as a pig barn on his property on Peruville Road.  "The bus was a cheap solution to a barn," he said.  "It was well insulated and structurally sound.  (Lansing Code Enforcement Officer) Dick Platt sent a letter dated February 13 stating that the pigs must be removed to the bus, because it was not up to code.  He supported it with a document which stated that all farm buildings are exempt.  Is this not a farm building?  Pigs were living in it."

In a second discussion of the upcoming budget, Village of Lansing Trustees found themselves in the enviable position of lowering taxes.  Mayor Donald Hartill told the Trustees that the Village will lower the tax rate from $1.59 per thousand dollars of assessed value to $1.40.  And he says taxes may go still lower.  "I think that we may need to lower the tax rate again last year by a small amount," Hartill said.  "Or it may be that inflation next year will adjust that for us.  Once we're in that stable mode, then we can go with inflation.  So it's a nice position to be in."

The Mayor explained that the lower taxes are a result of adjusting to a normal state after the $6 million Triphammer Road reconstruction project.  "It's a nice feature that we did not have to borrow any money to rebuild Triphammer Road and the other things that were done," he said.  "But it's now time to get things back to their normal track."

The Lansing Board of Education held a special budget workshop meeting last week to help decide what should be in the 2007-2008 school budget and how much to ask district taxpayers to ante up.  Most of the workshop was taken up by a presentation by District Business Administrator Larry Lawrence, who provided a 28 page line-item packet.  "Right off the top I choose to make the statement that I believe that the tax climate in our community is going to mitigate against any kind of tax increases above what would be considered inflationary," Lawrence told the Board.  "For that reason I am proposing a regulatory capped budget.  That is the maximum increase in a contingent budget is 3.84% and I am proposing that we go to a budget of 3.84% increase."

On May 15 the Lansing Community Library Center (LCLC) is going to ask school district voters to approve a charter and elect a board of directors.  If approved 17 cents per $1000 of assessed property value will be added to the school tax bill to be allocated to the library.  The tax is actually separate from the school tax -- the only connection is that the geographical district served by the library is the same as that served by the school district, and the library vote is tacked onto the school ballot.

Albany –New York State Senator Michael F. Nozzolio will serve as the Senate Chairman of the Joint Budget Conference Committee for Transportation during the on-going State budget negotiations. Nozzolio also serves on the Public Protection Budget Conference Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, which is responsible for all aspects of the state budget.

"It is an honor to be given the important responsibility of representing the Senate as Chairman of the Transportation Budget Conference Committees," said Senator Nozzolio.

Washington, DC - U.S Representative Michael A. Arcuri (D-Utica) announced Monday that he is an original cosponsor of the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act, H.R. 943, which would provide tax relief for volunteer emergency responders.

"Firefighters and emergency medical responders put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe and secure," said Arcuri, a member of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. "The Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act would provide a valuable incentive to recruit and retain first responders in localities like Greene and Sherburne, as well as the many others across my district, that rely on volunteer services. By making a change at the federal level we can help localities in Upstate New York, and across the country, justly reward the brave men and women who volunteer for the most valuable form of public service."