Archive: News

Ludlowville Lead Sampling Results Are In

: By Katrina Binkewicz; News; | Jun 14, 2019 |


	Last March the Lansing Town Board authorized up to $5,000 for lead testing in and around Salmon Creek from Ludlowville to the creek outflow area. Town Supervisor Ed LaVigne says he would prefer the testing be done by independent soil samplers and lab to remove any doubt about the findings. But Councilwoman Katrina Binkewicz said that she and Councilwoman Andra Benson would collect samples to be analyzed by a local laboratory. Full data and report on the Town Web site

Permitting
Sampling in the stream sediment and on DEC land required permission. Town Board members (Joe Wetmore and Katrina Binkewicz) contacted the proper local department and were asked to submit a request for permission to sample at the mapped sites. A formal permit was not required. Permission was granted by the DEC to sample on Salt Point and in the stream sediments at the mouth of Salmon Creek in the alluvial fan, on the bank where dredging occurred, and in the Ludlowville Falls stream bank areas as long as the sampling was shallow (<4” depth) and did not muddy the water. Control sampling North on the bank of Salmon Creek was obtained with permission of the landowner (Suzie Hinderliter).

Soil Sampling Procedure
To obtain the correct sampling protocol, I called -The Cornell Nutrient Analytical Lab, School of Integrative Plant Science-Section of Soil and Crop Sciences, Cornell University, 804 Bradfield Hall, Ithaca- and asked for their preferred standardized procedure. Michael A. Rutzke explained the collection procedure. I ‘grab’ collected samples in the surface 4 inches of soil or sediment by searching for areas where there were finer sediments in the coarse sand to silt particle diameters. I scooped an array up on a steel shovel and brushed away the coarser gravel and organic particles. When I had achieved a more consistent sample, I poured it into the zip-lock sandwich bag and labeled the bag with the sample number, collection area code letter, and took a GPS coordinate for that sample. During the sample collection process, I performed a visual inspection for any shot pellets or lead sinkers. At no time in the sampling process did I find any of these in a recognizable state. I was the only one who took the samples in order to maintain a consistent sampling methodology. The approximate locations of samples taken are found on the attached maps.

Village Confronted With Airbnb Complaints

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Jun 14, 2019 |

Burdick Hill Road residents Sean Dolloway and Mary Hudson complained to the Village of Lansing Planning Board Monday, that the use of a home between their properties, for events and rented on Airbnb, is causing noise and safety issues. Both said they don't mind the home being rented as an Airbnb property. But the use of the property for events has kept the neighbors up at night, and day events include inappropriate activities and violations of Village parking regulations.

"Honestly I don't mind having an Airbnb,' Dolloway said. "That doesn't bother me at all. It's the huge parties and events" Dolloway said. "The weekend before last there was a huge graduation party with beer drinking in the front yard, swearing, all this other stuff,. Not this last week, but the weekend before there was a huge graduation party with people in the front yard swearing and all this other stuff, my daughter, who is six, was outside. I ended up calling the police department, and they said unfortunately Lansing has no noise ordinance, so there's not much we can do. We can ask them to be quiet, but that's as far as we can go."

Mall Senior Housing May Face Missing Completion Deadline

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Jun 14, 2019 |

Nine years, nine or ten significant project revisions, years of delay as the developer obtained a wetland relocation agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers, a zoning change the developer asked for that was grudgingly granted Lansing Meadows looks more like a meadow than a senior rental-housing development. As a completion deadline looms over the stalled project, Arrowhead Ventures may be facing a delay that makes meeting that deadline impossible. With over a million in PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) Incremental Financing (PIF) dollars at risk, developer Eric Goetzmann is anxious to begin construction.

"The point where the project is today, it absolutely needs to move forward in a date-sensitive manner," said the project builder Jim Bold after about an hour of discussion. "Otherwise we can't meet the requirements for the IDA. I'm going to be absolutely straight-up about that. If we have to spend additional time with you that I absolutely do not want to spend... I want to come up with a way to put our arms around this project, and you guys say 'OK, let's go build this'."

Reed Secures $6 Million For Local Head Start Programs

: By Office of Congressman Tom Reed; News; | Jun 14, 2019 |

Washington, DC - Yesterday Congressman Tom Reed announced two grants valued at $6,149,664 to provide the Economic Opportunity Program of Chemung County, Inc. and Tompkins Community Action, Inc. with funding to provide Head Start and Early Head Start services.

"We care about ensuring our children receive a quality education," Reed said. "This grant will further enable the Economic Opportunity Programs of Chemung County and Tompkins Community Action to promote school readiness for young children from low-income families. We are proud to support programs like these that give kids the tools they need to succeed in school."

Local Governments Request State Approvals for Empire State Data Hub

: By Marcia E. Lynch with additional reporting by Dan Veaner; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

In a letter to Governor Cuomo, 13 of the 14 members of the Tompkins County Legislature have expressed their support of applications filed by the Empire State Data Hub initiative. The project would include planned closure of the coal-fired Cayuga Power Plant in Lansing and repurposing of the site as a large-scale data center, one of two such centers in Upstate New York.

The letter, dated May 28th, is signed by Legislature Chair Martha Robertson, Vice Chair Shawna Black, and Legislators Amanda Champion, Deborah Dawson, Henry Granison, Rich John, Anna Kelles, Dan Klein, Michael Lane, Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Dave McKenna, Glenn Morey, and Mike Sigler.

County Legislature Highlights

: By Marcia E. Lynch; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

Legislature Urges State Passage of Comprehensive Climate Legislation
The Tompkins County Legislature approved a resolution urging the New York State Legislature and Governor Cuomo to pass comprehensive climate legislation during the 2019 legislative term. The vote was 12-1, with Legislator Mike Sigler voting no; Legislator Michael Lane was out of the room and excused from the vote.) The measure refers to two separate legislative initiatives currently under review in Senate and Assembly, the New York State Climate and Community Protection Act (CCPA) and the New York State Climate Leadership Act (CLA).

The resolution notes that the CCPA, in part, would establish a State goal of reducing greenhouse gas emission levels by 100% of 1990 levels by 2050, with a 50% reduction by 2030; and that the CCLA would require creation of an energy roadmap to identify and recommend regulatory measures, clean energy programs, and other state actions to achieve a 40% GGE reduction goal by 2030 and carbon neutrality goals. The purpose of both proposed acts is consistent with Tompkins County's energy goals, as set forth in its Comprehensive Plan and numerous other County initiatives, the resolution notes

Republicans Hammer Albany Democrats For Closing Jails, Injection Sites

: By Office of Congressman Tom Reed; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

Washington, DC - Congressman Tom Reed took aim at Albany Democrats for their support of heroin injection sites while Governor Cuomo continues to shutter prisons across the state.

"Why would anyone believe it's a good idea to close more prisons while creating the conditions for increased homelessness, violence and crime, and area drug dealers with heroin injection sites," Reed said. "Common sense has flown out the window under one-party control in Albany. It would be unfair to the hardworking people of our state if we allowed our communities to become a drug pusher's paradise – with no jails."

$5,066,197 in Federal Grants for Local Airports

: By Office of Congressman Tom Reed; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

Washington, DC - Congressman Tom Reed announced nine grants worth $5,066,197 to provide local airports in Corning, Elmira, Ithaca, Olean, Penn Yan, Wellsville, and the Finger Lakes with funding to renovate and improve facilities.

"We care about ensuring our friends and neighbors have fair access to reliable transportation," Reed said. "These grants enable our local airports to fund maintenance projects and ensure the efficiency of their operations. It is important that we invest in our infrastructure and we are pleased these grants will allow our local airports to continue their high quality of service across to people across the district."

Lifton Introduces Tompkins County Affordable Housing Bill

: By Office of Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D-125AD, Tompkins/Cortland) announced today that she is introducing a bill to clarify that Tompkins County can spend county money on the development, maintenance or management of affordable housing.

"Tompkins County faces a significant affordable housing shortage, and I am glad to sponsor this bill that makes it clear that the county can spend its money on affordable housing projects," Lifton said. "Currently, without this clarification, the county is spending federal money on housing projects, but will be authorized to spend potentially millions more in local money to help relieve our housing crisis if this bill is signed into law."

Sheriff Sweeps for Seat Belt Violations, State Issues DWI Tickets

: By Tompkins County Sheriff's Office and Governor's Office; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

The Tompkins County Sheriff's Office conducted a 'Buckle Up New York, Click it or Ticket detail from May 30th - May 31st. This detail directly correlates with the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee of New York State.

"Our mission is to be a reminder to community members about how dangerous it can be to not have a seatbelt on. I believe that people can often overlook such a small detail, in haste or just out of habit, but that is when people can get hurt the most," says Sheriff Osborne.

Lansing is Going to the Dogs

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

The 2020 census doesn't begin until next April. But in Lansing another census is underway. Dogs. Lots of dogs. You may already have been visited by the Town's Dog Enumerator, whose job it is to visit every residence in the Town and village of Lansing to confirm the dog pupulation -- er... population. Town Clerk Debbie Munson reported on the enumeration's progress at the last Town Board meeting, and in the three weeks since another 67 new dogs have been counted. That brings Lansing's dog population to 1602, and Deputy Clerk Jessie Hall estimates another 180 will come into the fold as this year's dog enumeration continues.

"We have to give Jessie all the credit," Munson says. "Jessie gets the handwritten lists back from the dog enumerator. She goes through them to double check whether they are already licensed or not. After a few weeks she sends out letters. She also processes license applications, and enters information into the computer, and mails the license to people who applied by mail rather than coming in in person."

Village to Try Again To Aquire Graham Road West

: By Dan Veaner; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

If there is one thing that Mayor Donald Hartill is proud of, it's the Village of Lansing Roads. He loves to say that there are no potholes on Village Streets, and technically that is accurate. But a little tiny piece of road that the Village doesn't own is a constant irritant. Graham Road West is the northernmost of the three mall entrance roads that connects Triphammer Road with the mall's ring road. The Ithaca Y is located on Graham Road West, and it leads to the portion of the ring road that is the most direct entrance to Target and BJ's Wholesale Club. After many frustrating years of trying to negotiate the Village's acquisition of the road, Hartill said Monday he is almost ready to simply take it over.

"It is the one road in the Village that everybody uses that is full of problems. When I say the Village has no potholes, somebody always says 'but...'," he laments. "I may, for the first time ever, exercise eminent domain. I don't want to do that, but it's a possibility."

Ithaca Teachers to Vote on Unprecedented Six-Year Contract

: By Ithaca City School District; News; | Jun 7, 2019 |

This week, president and chief negotiator for the Ithaca Teachers Association (ITA) Adam Piasecki signed a tentative agreement with the Ithaca City School District that will increase teacher payroll by more than 27 percent over the term of the contract.

Highlights of the unprecedented six-year labor agreement include: expanded employee health insurance benefits; increased stipends paid to teachers for extra duties; additional tuition-free slots in ICSD schools for children of teachers who live outside of the district; and targeted flat-rate pay increases in the first, third and fifth years of the contract.

Page 55 of 358