Archive: News

The Legislature’s Government Operations Committee at its December 16 meeting will review and discuss how to preserve local roads from damage from temporary heavy use.

The meeting will take place Thursday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Old Jail building (first floor conference room), 125 E. Court Street, Ithaca.  Anyone interested in and wishing to learn more about the road preservation issue is invited to attend the meeting.

In a surprise vote Wednesday the Town of Lansing passed a resolution in support of participating in tax abatements for a project that would bring a BJ's Wholesale Club, 12 units of senior housing, wetlands, and a bird sanctuary to the Village of Lansing.  Despite the fact that the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) voted not to grant the abatement on Monday, Lansing Supervisor Scott Pinney said he wanted to pass the resolution to show support for a project that he said could generate $50,000 to $100,000 for the Town in sales tax alone.

"I believe a lot of people would shop there who go to Sam's Club in Elmira or BJ's in Auburn," Pinney said.  "When people go out of town for those things they not only shop in those places, but they also fill up with gas, they may go out to eat... so we take a lot of sales tax revenue out of our county.  In light of all that I think we should pass a resolution in support of that project."

After two or three months of discussion on raising water rates a total of about 17% the Bolton Point Water Commission voted to approve the rate hike.  All five municipalities that partner in Bolton Point would have to approve it including the Towns of Lansing, Ithaca and Dryden and the Villages of Lansing and Cayuga Heights had gone along.  Last month the Town of Lansing voted no, which sent it back to the drawing board.  But rather than change the rate commission members pressured Town representatives to change their minds.  At Wednesday's Town Board meeting they did just that.

"Last month we actually voted that down," said Lansing Town Supervisor Scott Pinney.  "One of my concerns is that the rate is raised a little over 17%.  The commission voted to do that even though the two commissioners from Lansing, Connie and myself were very strongly against that.  They moved forward on it anyway.  Some of the municipalities have voted for it already and are ready to move forward with it.  After meeting with them last month there was a lot of pressure to move forward with this because it's so late in the year."

Kathy Rourke, was unanimously approved to be hired as Lansing's Director of Special Services and Grants by the Board of Education at their November 22 meeting.  Rourke has 28 years of teaching and administrative work in Ithaca and Marathon.  She is currently Chairperson of the Special Education Department at Ithaca High School in the Ithaca City School District.  In that position she supervises 30 staff positions.

Officials of smaller municipalities often cast the City of Ithaca as a Goliath that drives policies that are not always to their liking in Tompkins County.  This time the Village of Lansing is taking the role of David.  Village Mayor Donald Hartill says that self-interested commercial developers and city legislators are trying to stall or kill a PILOT Increment Financing (PIF) agreement between Tompkins County and the developers of a mixed use project that is slated to include a BJ's Wholesale Club and senior housing.  He says it is simply about the money.

"I've had a very significant education in politics in the last week," Hartill told Village Trustees Monday.  "Had this been done two years ago when money was flowing it would have been a piece of cake.  They want the sales tax, pure and simple."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoliNew York state’s economy stands to suffer a $12.9 billion negative economic impact if Emergency Unemployment Compensation benefits are not reinstated by Congress, according to an analysis by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

“The state’s economy is just starting to recover,” DiNapoli said. “New York can’t take a $13 billion-packed punch. And New York’s businesses can’t take another kick in the wallet just as they’re starting to show signs of stabilizing. Employers shouldn’t be facing added costs when they’re trying to add back employees.  New York’s Congressional delegation must do the right thing and extend the emergency benefits and the moratorium on the interest payments.”

Legislature Supports IDA Bonding for Lansing Development

The Legislature, after two hours of thoughtful discussion, provided the approval needed for the County’s Industrial Development Agency (IDA) to proceed further in considering bonding for a mixed use development project in the Village of Lansing, adjacent to the Shops at Ithaca Mall.  The vote was 8-6, with Legislators Peter Stein, Will Burbank, Carol Chock, Dooley Kiefer, Pam Mackesey, and Legislature Chair Martha Roberston (who also chairs the IDA) voting no and Legislator Kathy Luz Herrera excused.. Action was based on a member-filed resolution from Legislator Jim Dennis.  Last week, the Legislature’s Planning, Development and Environmental Quality Committee, in a split vote, failed to recommend an identical measure to the full Legislature.

On December 6th the Village of Lansing Trustees was faced with a Bolton Point water rate increase of $0.12/1,000 gal. and an additional $0.10/1,000 gal. to be earmarked for a capital reserve.  They did not approve.no  The rate would be the amount raised by the Bolton Point Water Commission, with town and village water rates set on top of that.  In order for the rate increase to go into effect all five municipalities that partner in Bolton Point would have to approve it.  The Towns of Ithaca and Dryden and the Villages of Lansing and Cayuga Heights had gone along.  But the Town of Lansing said no.

"Personally I'm very disappointed in the rate increase we are seeing," Lansing Town Supervisor Scott Pinney explained at the November Town Board meeting.  "4.5% is going to the general operations increase.  The rest of that is going to a capital fund project , which at this point is not defined.  Put these together and you get a 17% increase in one year.  I feel in this economy it is unrealistic to have that large of an increase."

Moody’s Investor Service has announced it is maintaining Tompkins County’s high municipal bond rating of “Aa1” and has removed the “negative outlook” qualifier that has been part of the County’s rating for the past three years.  Moody’s has revised the outlook from “negative” to “stable.” Tompkins County’s bond rating is among the highest in New York State.

The high rating prepares the County well for its upcoming issue of $18 million in bonds and $2.4 million in bond anticipation notes. The bond sale will take place November 30.

State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli reminded consumers to spend the gift cards they received last holiday season and to ask appropriate questions when purchasing new gift cards.  Many but not all gift card sellers have eliminated fees and expiration dates, DiNapoli said. 

“Money is tight for families during this holiday season,” DiNapoli said. “Even though gift card legislation has taken effect, some retailers are still permitted to charge certain fees. Consumers should continue to check the terms and conditions of all the gift cards they buy or receive and use gift cards promptly.  No one wants to lose money on a gift.”

Tompkins County Area Transit (TCAT) is looking for ways to meet the transportation needs of Schuyler County passengers who will lose bus service next year as a result of Schuyler County Legislature’s decision on Nov. 8 to cut funding for it in the county’s 2011 budget.

TCAT’s Board of Directors agreed to extend the service on the Route 20 bus for an extra two weeks through Friday, Jan. 14, to give Schuyler County passengers more time to adjust and to find travel alternatives to include signing up for a community vanpool sponsored by TCAT.

The Legislature’s Planning, Development and Environmental Quality Committee, by a 3-2 vote, today failed to recommend Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) support for a mixed use development project in the Village of Lansing, adjacent to the Shops at Ithaca Mall.

The committee was asked to recommend that the Legislature approve IDA issuance of up to $2.3 million in Recovery Zone Exempt Facility Bonds for the Arrowhead Ventures project and to make available dedicated payments under a payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) financing agreement to pay debt service on the bonds or for other qualifying project costs.