T.C Leg’s Eye 2% Levy Hike
(Apr. 30): In a straw poll at a “Budget Retreat,” where votes carry no official weight, Tompkins County legislators signaled Tuesday they’d support raising next year’s property tax levy no more than two percent over this year’s.
Legislators’ 11-to-three show of hands came despite County Administrator Lisa Holmes’ forecast that maintaining County operations as they are at present would require a 5.9 per cent rise in the levy.
“We’ve got to cut. And how we get there is the question,” Budget Committee Chair Mike Lane told fellow legislators, few of whom showed any interest in raising taxes to meet the “maintenance of effort” budget that Holmes had laid before them.
In fact, five legislators, led by Dryden’s Greg Mezey, would actually have cut next year’s levy two per cent below this year’s amount. Almost the same number called for a zero per cent increase.
Lowering Holmes’ projection to a two per cent levy increase would entail $2 Million in spending cuts. Just where the cuts would come, lawmakers gladly left to the Administrator to determine. Legislative consensus Tuesday held that County Administration should drill down department by department.
Specifying a budget figure comes far easier than applying it. “We tell ourselves we have to rein ourselves in, but we actually have to do that,” Amanda Champion remarked, echoing the frustration of the night.
Largely because of increased property assessments, even a stable tax levy would place increased burden on the average homeowner.
###
Wells College to Close
(Apr. 29): Wells College in Aurora, founded 106 years ago, will close its doors permanently at the end of the spring semester, Wells College trustees announced on the college’s website Monday.
“We have determined after a thorough review that the College does not have adequate financial resources to continue,” Board of Trustees Chair Marie Chapman Carroll and Wells President Jonathan Gibralter explained in a joint statement.
Carroll and Gibralter thanked those who’d driven to save Wells with what they described as “aggressive fundraising campaigns” and careful resource management. “But revenues, unfortunately, are not projected to be sufficient for Wells’ long-term financial stability,” the college leaders said.
The college’s announcement explained that trustees considered the financial situation too dire to make any further appeal to alumni and others to come to the rescue. Fundraising, itself, “cannot carry the College,” the announcement admitted.
The statement said students not yet graduating may get favorable treatment transferring to Manhattanville University in Westchester County, described as a “preferred teach-out partner.” No decision has been made as to the disposition of the Wells campus. The future of real estate is “currently under consideration,” the statement said.
An all-women’s school until recent decades, Wells College currently enrolls approximately 335 full-time students, 60 per cent of them female.
###
Bye year for ECC Spring Fest
(Apr. 26): It was once called the Country Faire; more recently the Rhubarb Festival. Whatever the name, the Enfield Community Council’s (ECC’s) traditional springtime indoor/outdoor event will take a year off.
Citing a variety of reasons, most critically the lack of sufficient volunteers, the ECC Board of Directors decided Thursday to call off the Rhubarb Festival, which had tentatively been scheduled for May 18.
There’s a second scheduling consideration that makes the theme for next year’s event an open question. ECC President Cortney Bailey explains that the interest of vendors—their presence is a money-maker for ECC—peaks just before Mother’s Day. But the rhubarb isn’t ready until later in the month.
“May’s meeting will be the planning for events,” Bailey announced. She says ECC firmly intends to hold its time-honored “Harvest Festival” this September. And instead of the rhubarb event, ECC will host a Mother’s Day Breakfast May 12.
On a separate topic, ECC Directors learned that their insurance policy won’t cover a skateboard ramp earlier suggested to locate on Community Council property. Consideration of the ramp now shifts to Enfield Town Government. Expect discussion at the Town Board’s May meeting.
###
CHIPS Spared Hochul Cut in NY Budget
(Apr. 25): Enfield and other towns dodged a bullet this week as the New York State Budget, now adopted and signed, added back $60 Million in statewide cuts Governor Kathy Hochul had earlier proposed for the Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), according to an advisory Enfield received Tuesday from the New York Association of Towns.
The adopted Budget retains CHIPS base funding at $598.1 Million. Hochul’s Executive Budget had proposed the base be brought down to $538.1 Million. What the State Legislature adopted is a compromise of sorts. Lawmakers resisted Republican attempts to raise the base to $798 Million.
Characteristic of a politician who crows about the fruits of spending she’d earlier opposed, Governor Hochul, through her Division of the Budget, stated Monday that, “The FY 2025 Budget continues to deliver on the commitments [Hochul] made in establishing a five-year transportation capital program, which supports nation-leading projects to reconnect communities and make critical infrastructure important.”
At its March 13th meeting, the Enfield Town Board unanimously urged restoration of the $60 Million in Hochul-proposed cuts. CHIPS provided Enfield over $153,000 last year. Together with three other state programs, CHIPS helped pay for 56 per cent of last year’s Enfield road improvements.
Republican Senators Tom O’Mara and Pam Helming, who’d fought hard for the funding restoration, have yet to comment on their official websites.
###
State Aid Quells Talk of EMS Cost-Sharing
(Apr. 24): Just like that, with a vote in the State Legislature and the stroke of the Governor’s pen, talk has ended about local municipalities sharing any expense for the second year of Tompkins County’s Rapid Medical Response (RMR) program.
Tucked away in the mammoth 2024-25 New York State Budget, at the apparent urging of State Senator Lea Webb, is $300,000 in New York State Health Department funds to underwrite the bulk of the new service’s projected half-million dollar operating cost for 2025. A combination of County money and a separate state grant has covered the 2024 first-year expenses.
Tompkins County Legislature Chair Dan Klein, attending a hastily-called Dewitt Park news conference Tuesday, was reported as saying that this newest money effectively puts cost-sharing discussions “to rest for the time being.”
Trumansburg Mayor Rordan Hart, supported by a Resolution from the Enfield Town Board, had urged Tompkins County fund the RMR service completely and not rely upon municipal contributions.
In a news release posted by Senator Webb’s office, Hart commended Webb “for securing additional funding for this program which will have a positive, long-term impact on the quality of EMS services provided to all County residents.”
The most recently-proposed cost-sharing models would have had municipalities collectively paying $159,000 next year toward the RMR, of which Enfield’s share would be $10,000.
###
Commissioners Mull Insurance Changes
(Apr. 23): With big decisions like bonding fire trucks resolved at prior meetings, the Enfield Board of Fire Commissioners Tuesday addressed a housekeeping matter Chairman Greg Stevenson thought necessary: a switch in insurance carriers.
Kevinn Townsend, an agent with Eastern Shore Insurance in Fulton, presented his company’s proposal for insuring Enfield Fire personnel, apparatus and the fire station itself.
“We’re falling short, and we’re not getting the insurance we deserve and are paying for,” Stevenson told the Board, recommending the Enfield Fire District move its coverage away from a Cortland-based insurer. “This wasn’t even on our radar until the (Cortland) agent sent us a pile of papers so we could apply for our own insurance,” Stevenson remarked.
Townsend represented he could get the Fire District a better deal, with an annual premium of about $15,000 a year, compared to the other firm’s more than $19,000. Commissioners Tuesday suggested a bump-up in coverage, making for a revised premium of about $17,000.
Stevenson expects Commissioners will approve the change May 7th.
###
Broadband Seed Money Planted
(Apr. 19): The Tompkins County Legislature April 16th followed through with a committee’s plans that could extend broadband Internet service to more than 1200 households countywide, including some in Enfield.
The unanimous vote authorized a partnership agreement between the County and Point Broadband to fill in the high-speed Internet gaps. It would also commit $100,000 in County funds toward initial engineering studies.
On the county’s eastern side, Dryden’s fledgling municipal service could cover Dryden and Caroline. In Enfield, Point Broadband would likely partner with Haefele Connect, the local cable franchisee.
“Both Ulysses and Enfield did not seem to be cost-effective to have us do the two towns,” Point Broadband’s Charles Bartosch told the Legislature. Contracts have not yet been signed. “We can’t say we will do something unless we strike an actual agreement,” Bartosch said. But “you can be assured that we’re going to try to do it; I expect we will.” If Haefele cannot do it, Point Broadband will.
Building the system, itself, will hinge on state and federal grants. Best case, Legislature Chair Dan Klein said, grants could even cover the seed money. “There is a scenario that’s not a crazy scenario where this whole thing, this $7.5 Million project, will cost Tompkins County zero.”
###
Josephson Named T.C. Attorney
(Apr. 18): Tompkins County conducted a nationwide search, but its final choice came from close to home.
Maury Josephson, Assistant City Attorney for the City of Ithaca, earned unanimous approval by the Tompkins County Legislature April 16th to become the new Tompkins County Attorney.
Josephson succeeds Bill Troy, who resigned suddenly last September. Holly Mosher, Troy’s former deputy, has served since then as Acting County Attorney and will continue in that role until Josephson takes over May 28th.
“I am deeply humbled at the trust and faith that the Legislature is placing in me,” Josephson told lawmakers during his brief, two-minute acceptance, “and I pledge to you to do my utmost to provide advice and counsel that is sound, timely, and most important, useful to the County in accomplishing its objectives.”
Josephson acknowledged that his departure from City Hall, where he’s served for the past four years, is “bittersweet.” But, he said, “A time comes to turn the page and move forward, and this is the right time.”
###
ICSD Board Trims Budget and Tax Boost
(Apr. 17): After 15 taxpayers, cheered on by a packed room of their supporters, told the Ithaca Board of Education Tuesday in no uncertain terms that its proposed 12 per cent tax levy increase was too high, the Board voted that night to cut the district’s proposed next year’s budget by $2 Million, and reduced the projected levy hike to 8.4 per cent.
“You cannot have everything. You should have to more carefully spend what you already have,” taxpayer Anita Graf, a home schooling mom, told the Board during a nearly hour-long parade of protest.
Though the Board’s own discussion later bogged down and appeared to leave a final decision until a later date, member Moira Lang offered a compromise that passed. It trimmed the budget’s proposed spending increase from 7.8 per cent to 6.5 per cent, and tapped reserves to cut the proposed tax levy by about $4 Million.
Lang prodded the Board for action, which seemed doubtful until the final minutes of the nearly four-hour meeting. Lang’s compromise passed 8 votes to one. Erin Croyle, the lone dissenter, tried, but failed to get the Board to adopt the School Superintendent’s original proposal.
At least one Board member would have cut deeper. “I specifically would not find (a) six Million cut undoable,” Jill Tripp said at one point in the discussion.
District voters will decide the Board-endorsed $168.9 Million Ithaca School budget May 21
###
Lawyer Tapped for Cable Talks
(Apr. 10): Over this Councilperson’s strongly-worded objections, the Enfield Town Board Wednesday named Daniel Cohen and his Pittsburgh-based law firm to lead renegotiation of a now-expired, ten-year contract with Haefele Connect, Enfield’s cable television franchisee.
It would be the fourth time since 1984 that a contract’s been negotiated, but the only time specialized legal counsel has been retained.
“I am confident that we can negotiate an agreement that is stronger and provides more benefits and protections to the Town,” Cohen wrote Enfield in his engagement letter.
By a vote of 3:1 (with Councilperson Jude Lemke excused), the Town Board agreed to sign the engagement letter and thereby commit to Cohen’s $8,900 flat fee.
In the past, Town officials had negotiated directly with Haefele. It was “collegial” and “non-confrontational” this Councilperson, Robert Lynch, told the Town Board. Now it will be “lawyered-up” and “adversarial” with a “hot-shot Pittsburgh attorney” in charge, he said. There’ve been no complaints from customers, Lynch said, and Enfield should be lucky its provider isn’t Charter-Spectrum.
Enfield’s losing out on tens of thousands of dollars of franchise fees, Supervisor Stephanie Redmond argued in Cohen’s defense, fees that the most recent Haefele contract failed to impose. Franchise fees are passed on to subscribers, Lynch reminded Redmond. “It’s a tax, and a regressive one at that.”
Lynch pledged to talk with Haefele’s principals himself.
###
Rosenbloom-Jones to Head TCAT
(Apr. 12): No real surprise here. After assuming the post of Interim General Manager six weeks ago, Matthew Rosenbloom-Jones was named Friday as the new permanent General Manager of Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT).
Rosenbloom-Jones was hired as the transit agency’s service development manager in January. He assumes the top post from Scot Vanderpool, who retired in early-March. We’re advised that as many as 70 candidates applied for the GM’s job, of which three were interviewed as finalists.
“What clinched the selection for us was (Matthew’s) ability to clearly articulate practical plans to help TCAT to rebuild service and ridership to pre-pandemic levels,” TCAT Board Chairperson Deborah Dawson said upon Rosenbloom-Jones’ selection.
Regarding TCAT’s ridership rebirth, Rosenbloom-Jones said, “It will take time, but with well-thought-out capital spending plans for new buses and solid operational and administrative strategies and teamwork, I am confident we will get there.”
The new GM since his interim appointment has voiced increasing skepticism about electric buses, having idled TCAT’s current fleet of seven after detecting a frame defect. “The technology is just not there yet,” Rosenbloom-Jones said about electric buses at a TCAT committee meeting in March. / RL
Tompkins County Administrator Holmes to Retire
(Apr. 10): Lisa Holmes, who guided Tompkins County Government as its top administrator for much of the past three years, will retire at year’s end, County legislator Randy Brown disclosed to the Enfield Town Board Wednesday, a disclosure County Government concurrently announced.
Holmes, elevated to Interim County Administrator upon former Administrator Jason Molino’s departure in May 2021, and subsequently appointed a year later to the permanent position, guided Tompkins County through the final months of the COVID-19 pandemic and guided the County through its first steps toward building a new Center of Government.
Soft-spoken, yet a solid leader, Holmes became the first woman to lead Tompkins County’s administrative arm. She’s served Tompkins County for 26 years, first as Director of the Office for the Aging, and then as Deputy County Administrator.
“Being the County Administrator has certainly been a privilege and the pinnacle of my career in public service, and I’ll continue giving the role my best effort until my retirement.” Holmes said as she announced her planned departure.
“The County has had a steady and measured leader in Lisa, we’ll be lucky to find those qualities in the next Administrator,” County Legislative Chair Dan Klein said.
###
News Briefs:
Anna Home Free for Term 3
(Apr. 9): For the second straight election cycle, Tompkins County‘s Democratic Assemblymember, Anna Kelles, will face no Republican challenger for re-election. And indeed it’s also quite likely that Tompkins County will have no primary election contests this June at all.
No Republican met the April 5th filing deadline to face Kelles in the November election. And no Democrat filed to oppose Kelles herself. An Independent candidate could still petition to oppose the two-term Democratic incumbent in November.
The race for 52nd district State Senator is set. No surprises. Incumbent Lea Webb filed on the Democratic side to seek a second term; Republican Tompkins County legislator Mike Sigler will oppose her. Neither will have a primary challenger.
Josh Riley was the only Democrat filing to oppose Republican Marc Molinaro in the 19th Congressional District race. No one will “primary” Molinaro, so that race is also set.
New York State Board of Elections filings do indicate that four Republicans have filed to oppose U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and that a virtual unknown, Khaled Salem, seeks to challenge Gillibrand for the Democratic Senate nomination. If so, that would trigger a June 25th Primary locally.
But a local election spokesperson says such is unlikely. We’re told the Republicans may clear the slate to one candidate soon, and that Salem could be disqualified next week.
###
Our Joyous Eclipse Day
(Apr. 8): I hope everyone enjoyed the Solar Eclipse, no matter where they were.
My vantage point: Clouds, but no lack of an experience, gazing at the eastern horizon north of here. / RL
###
Broadband Gap-Fill Advances
(Apr. 3): Much talk turned into action Wednesday as a committee of the Tompkins County Legislature recommended that the County spend seed money toward providing broadband Internet service to those local residents in seven rural towns that don’t now have it.
“The benefit we’ll see from that $100,000 will far exceed the actual cost. So, I think, money well-spent for sure,” legislator Greg Mezey told the Housing and Economic Development Committee, which he chairs.
Point Broadband—once called Clarity Connect—will be the firm providing the service, directly or indirectly. In Enfield, Point Broadband will contract with Haefele Connect, the town’s cable franchisee.
Countywide, the broadband gap-fill will reach about 600 unserved addresses. Another equal number will be serviced by Dryden’s municipal broadband venture in its own town and in Caroline.
The total buildout will cost millions. Point Broadband commits to fund at least one-quarter of the expense. Making the expansion work hinges on federal and state grants.
As to the Haefele Enfield tie-in, Point Broadband’s Charles Bartosch explained, “There’s no formal agreement yet. But my philosophy when I talked to Lee (Haefele) was it’s going to be cheaper for you to serve these households than for me.”
The “walk-out” engineering funded by the County money could take place within months. Construction lies farther off.
###
Tompkins County EMS Launches
(Apr. 3): Tompkins County’s Rapid Medical Response service answered its first call Tuesday. We’re told it was for a hip injury someone suffered at home, an “Alpha” level call in EMS terminology, one of the lowest response categories.
And while the Enfield Board of Fire Commissioners, at its meeting later that day, welcomed Tompkins County’s new assistance, those same fire officials qualified that no one should expect county-paid EMT’s to will take the place of Enfield’s own fire-based rescue squad.
“This program doesn’t mean our rescue squad is out of business,” Fire Company President Dennis Hubbell said emphatically. ”We will communicate that to members Thursday (at weekly training),” Hubbell said.
County-paid EMT’s will now respond to lower-priority calls than most fire service volunteers do, including in Enfield. And Enfield Fire Chief Jamie Stevens cautioned Tuesday that as a consequence, the County unit could be deployed far away on a low-level call when something much more serious happens closer to home.
Of the County service, Fire Commissioners Chair Greg Stevenson said, “This does not supplant anything that’s in place.”
###
Biden Takes Tompkins… But
(Apr. 2): With Democratic and Republican Presidential nominations decided nationally, it’s little surprise that Joe Biden and Donald Trump captured majority support by Tompkins County’s electorate in Tuesday’s New York Primary.
But the major story here on the Democratic side was not who voted for a candidate, but rather who didn’t. While President Biden secured 79.3 per cent of the slightly over 3,000 Democratic ballots cast, a surprising 415 Tompkins County voters (13.5%) left the ballot line for President blank.
The “leave-it-blank” strategy was advanced in recent days by Democrats who sought to oppose Biden’s handling of the Gaza war, since New York election law denied them from voting “uncommitted.”
Of the only two other candidates on the Democratic ballot, Marianne Williamson secured 4.8 per cent of the vote, Dean Phillips 1.9 per cent in Tompkins County.
On the Republican side, even though she’s dropped out of the race, Nikki Haley did remarkably well. Haley secured 152 Republican votes (23.3%) compared to presumptive nominee Donald Trump’s 428 votes (65.6%). Chris Christie got 7.8% Republican support.
As predicted, Tompkins County’s Presidential Primary turnout Tuesday was incredibly low. Only a combined 3,721 persons voted.
###
Town Clerk “Homeless”
(Apr. 1): Well, sort of. And only for a brief while.
Enfield Town Clerk Mary Cornell has closed her Town Clerk’s Office at 168 Enfield Main Road to allow temporary relocation for planned office renovations.
The Clerk’s Office will be closed from Tuesday, April second through Monday, April eighth.
Beginning on Tuesday, the ninth, the Town Clerk will use temporary quarters in a portion of the Town Board’s meeting room and Court at the Enfield Courthouse, 182 Enfield Main Road.
Planned Town Hall renovations, funded with federal American Rescue Plan funds, will likely take up to four weeks. So expect the Clerk to remain at the Courthouse through early May.
During the planned week of closure, Clerk Cornell will attempt to answer phone calls, as her time permits. But office visits for services like buying dog licenses will need to wait until Tuesday, the ninth.
###