Plummeting Planes . . .

Takeoffs, landings at Griffiss airport drop 30% in one year 

The number of takeoffs and landings at Griffiss International Airport is down since 2011.
Recent figures from the Federal Aviation Administration show a drop-off of more than 30 percent, from 60,265 in 2011 to 40,474 in 2012.

That is a nose-dive in flights no matter how you look at it.  Our officials are blaming the economy and they are right -- THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Oneida County has been shedding jobs and people from long before the national malaise due to the high cost of doing business here -- and spending another $1.5 million on this facility on top of the tens of millions previously spent before has only worsened the situation.

How much money have we lost on our "investment" so far?

Griffiss "International" has been a boondoggle of get-rich projects for the connected elite...  but the average tax payer has nothing to show for it... less than nothing because a perfectly good airport in Whitestown was destroyed for it. Griffiss International will mire the region in debt and other expenses for years to come.

And the sad thing is . . . by applying a little common sense this outcome would have been known from the very beginning.

What's Wrong With This Picture???

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Announces "Made In America Manufacturing Act" In Utica

In the first year, the new legislation would award ten $20-million dollar grants throughout our country.

Gillibrand: Sequestration would be devastating to NYS

"Early childhood education is going to be cut, education for special needs kids, money for our local firefighters, police officers and teachers will all be cut," she said. "So basically, all of our highest priorities for local and state spending will be cut.

Yesss!!!

Finally something to cheer about!  Bass Pro Shops headed to the Mohawk Valley and they're coming to the Riverside Center . . . in UTICA!

This IS a Big Deal.  Ask the folks in Buffalo who have been trying to get one for years.  The location is fantastic on the prime route to the central Adirondacks, and reflects the traditional position of Utica as the gateway to ADK adventure.   One might imagine shuttles running between Union Station and the Bass Pro store for people wanting to gear up while taking the Adirondack Scenic RR from NY City to Lake Placid once the line starts running there.

Congrats to the folks who helped pull this off.

The Regional Solution . . .

The Observer-Dispatch had an interesting editorial Sunday on solving Utica's fiscal crisis: A three-pronged attack. Certain statements stand out (not necessarily in order of appearance):

          There needs to be a city-wide — and a regional — spirit of cooperation as very difficult choices are made. And suburbanites who think that Utica’s fiscal woes don’t affect them are sorely mistaken.          In the end, as the urban center goes, so goes the region. . . . 

         Metro areas that thrive do so because a collective mindset focuses on the hub and works cooperatively. Utica’s population has dwindled not only because people and business have left; much of what once was in the center city has sprawled into the suburbs. 

. . . DiNapoli rightly pointed out that Utica’s suburban communities won’t be as attractive to newcomers if the urban center is weak.

This blogger could not agree more with these statements.  But then the editorial board misses the mark.

. . . the mayor . . . must continue to reach out to neighboring municipalities to establish inter-municipal agreements that can help cut the cost of government.

The editorial board assumes that regional partnerships cut the cost of government.  But do they really?

How well has regionalization of water and sewer services worked out? Certainly the costs of both services have skyrocketed.  While some of the costs are attributable to new state and federal mandates, it cannot be denied that both systems now service more acreage while the population served has dwindled. That means fewer people must pay to maintain more pipes, water and sewage must be transported longer distances, and service vehicles must clock more miles to keep things running. Regionalization, thus,  has increased costs -- for everyone.  The key to understanding why this happens is population density.  Services can be kept affordable when they are confined to densely populated areas. Extending services into less-dense areas increases costs. If the past is predictor of the future, Utica's entry into shared-services agreements will only accelerate sprawl and its own demise, taking the region down with it.

Though many are reluctant to tear down physical borders between our communities, we must abolish mental ones and embrace a more regional attitude.

A "regional attitude" is not enough. As long as Greater Utica remains divided there are financial incentives for the suburbs to sprawl. The region's decline will not reverse until the physical borders actually come down and the people of the region start governing themselves as a region.

The "Best Transit Experience" ...

Per WKTV: Ribbon cut on new Centro Transit Hub in Utica

"Seeing this come to fruition is really a high point of my career," said Frank Kobliski, Executive Director of Centro. "This is what it's all about, making the transit experience the best that you can for the customer and the community at large." . . . Five stops will be eliminated on Genesee Street from the Radisson Hotel down to APAC . . .

I get it.  Walking more makes the customers' "transit experience" better!  (?)

Is Anyone Else Uncomfortable With This?

OD: Sheriff: Businesses must register with website by April 1

The website, LeadsOnline.com, allows law enforcement agencies to "search for suspects and stolen property across secondhand stores, scrap metal dealers, pawnshops and Internet drop-off stores . . ."   

. . . Oneida County businesses that fall into those categories will be required to register with the website by April 1, and to then upload their transaction information on a daily basis . . . (emphasis added)

According to the website's About page

. . . we help businesses, which are typically required by law to report their transactions to law enforcement, by making reporting easier and more efficient. From secondhand dealers, pawnshops, and gold buyers to pharmacies and scrap metal dealers, we help each of them reduce the hassles of reporting. The vast majority of the transactions taking place in those businesses are completely legitimate, but reporting laws exist because a relative few are related to criminal activity on the part of the customer or some other party. . .  (emphasis added)

But "the website" is NOT "law enforcement" and it is NOT a government agency.  It admits so. It is a private entity.

When disposing of items it is not unusual for a dealer to take a thumbprint, a signature, and make a copy of your drivers license.  How much of this information will be "uploaded" to the "website?" What assurance do you have that YOUR information will be kept private? Will you become a "suspect" because your name is in their database? You may deal with a dealer whom you trust (because you know him or her), but your dealer is now going to be "required" by Oneida County to share this information with a third party over which neither you, your dealer, nor the County will have control. Per the website's data access agreement:

"TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY LAW, LEADS DISCLAIMS ALL REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND WHATSOEVER INCLUDING FOR ANY BREACH OF SECURITY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRANSMISSION OF SENSITIVE INFORMATION TO LEADS OR THROUGH THE WEBSITE."

While there is no reason to believe that the website isn't run by a reputable company with a great product -- and the people running the operation certainly look like nice people -- shouldn't the choice be YOURS who has access to your private transaction information? -- or at least the choice be of the person you choose to do business with? With the collection of such information into one place, isn't there a potential for abuse?  If you are in financial distress and visit pawn shops regularly, do you want that information out there?

Should the County be choosing who has access to your private information? 

While the database may make the police's job easier, this forced-sharing of information with a 3rd party over whom no one has control is troubling.  

What do you think?

What's Next at the Airport?

Major tenant at Griffiss moving some of its operations to Florida

MidAir USA aircraft overhaul company, which occupies one of the airport’s enormous hangar buildings, is poised to sign a lease with the City of Melbourne Airport for 75,000 square feet of space for its engineering operations and back shop operations.

The reason given is that MidAir wanted to lease another part of the building that it is already in, but that part of the building is currently occupied by MillionAir.

While MidAir's CEO is quoted in the OD article as saying "I don't know" in response to the question whether his company will renew its leases in 2015 with Oneida County, this story from Orlando Business Journal from last March should give pause for concern: MidairUSA hangar at Melbourne Airport ready to take off

 Melbourne City Council unanimously approved a special permit MidairUSA needed for the proposed height of the hangar it plans to build at Melbourne International Airport, Florida Today reports. . . MidairUSA will use the hangar to overhaul Boeing 747s and plans on hiring more than 450 workers.

Interesting!

Utica Reassures Itself . . .

Before It Drinks the Kool-Aid!

That's the thought that went through my mind at last night's Utica Common Council caucus meeting when the subject of the North Utica Interceptor easement came up.

The hoped for weighing of the issues turned into listening to invited guest Mr. DiMeo's rosy predictions of the benefits of their approval of the project.  No one was asked to present the other side.

Listeners seemed to take solace in the fact that Utican's make up only 49% of the sewer district's rate-base, rather than the 70% earlier reported, without inquiring as to what those numbers really mean. (Utica's population of 62,000 is still more than half of the sewer district's estimate of 110,000 population served).

While it may be comforting for councilpersons to believe that the new pipeline will lead to hundreds of good-paying jobs at "Quad C" and the Marcy NanoCenter, they failed to even entertain the more likely outcome that they have just approved a pipeline that will
(1) Be heavily financed by Utica rate-payers along with rate-increases to finance corresponding expansions of the treatment-plant itself,
(2) Increase the cost of doing business within the City of Utica,
(3) Give the gift of access to public sewers to large areas north of the Mohawk River (I.e., Marcy, Deerfield, Trenton) at no cost to developers there,
(4) Devalue all properties in Utica because access to public-sewers in the suburbs will become common
(5) Lead to the exodus of more Uticans for the suburbs, making it even more difficult for their City to finance even basic municipal services.

The Council has unwittingly driven a nail into Utica's coffin.

The Next Shoe to Drop (On Upstate)?

From Crain's last week: LIPA sale could require state bailout.

If you remember LIPA, Long Island Power Authority, was formed at the insistance of Gov. Mario Cuomo to absorb the costs associated with closing down the completed, but never put into production, Shoreham nuclear power plant (a political move to win him votes). In domino effect, we were asked to share our power with the downstate branch of the "family of New York" ... resulting in the Marcy South Power Line AND higher, job-killing, electrical rates being shoved down our throats.

Well now Governor Andrew Cuomo wants to sell LIPA after its perfectly dismal response to hurricane Sandy.

The problem is, who would want to buy a company with a $4billion liability associated with a dismantled, now useless nuke plant?

It's sure starting to look like a state taxpayer bailout of this mess is in the offing. ... Meaning we upstaters get to pay again for unproductive political decisions by the Cuomo Family of New Work.

Thinking of the PEOPLE . . .

It is odd that this comes up in the context of Utica approving an easement, but airing the issues regarding the County's N. Utica Interceptor project is welcome, and kudos are due to Mr. Zecca for raising the matter, and Mr. Marino and Ms. Colosimo-Testa for withdrawing their sponsorship pending an airing.  Per the OD: Utica Common Council uneasy over easement.                                             

Oneida County and Mohawk Valley EDGE are trying to expand the sewer capacity in North Utica to prep for possible development with SUNYIT’s Quad C project.  . . .  the city must sign off on an easement granting access because the interceptor crosses city property.  . . . But only residents in the sewer district will pay for the upgrades and city residents make up about 70 percent of those ratepayers. . . .
If it is a project that will benefit the whole county, the whole county should pay for it, said Councilman Jim Zecca, D-at-large.

You make a great point, Mr. Zecca! And in doing so you represent not only the interests of the 70% of ratepayers who are Utica residents, but ALL ratepayers, whether they reside in Clayville, New York Mills, Oriskany or places in between. If the county feels that the Interceptor is a worthy project, then the county should figure out a way of paying for it itself because it is unnecessary to the ratepayers' needs.   . . . 

                                                                     

While the proposed resolution embedded at left would lead Utica Council members to believe that  the Interceptor project is solely related to the Marcy NanoCenter, a recent letter from the County Executive to a County Legislator (embedded at right) makes abundantly clear that:

"It is not solely for the purpose of the Marcy Nano-Center, but for all future development north of the river and would be needed regardless of that project.  It was undertaken to address growth at Marcy that is taking place now. . . ." (emphasis in the original). 

So there it is, in black-and-white. Let the County Executive's words sink in.

You, the rate payer, have invested probably thousands of dollars in the public sewer system to give yourself a service that enhances the value of your home.  Now you are told that you have to pay to expand the system to serve future development.  Applying the law of supply-and-demand, not only will developers be able to offer public sewers at your expense, the value of your property will go down because properties with access to public sewers will become more common.  While this result falls most heavily on Utica (simply because its residents make up the bulk of ratepayers) it affects all properties already on the system regardless of location.

The end result of the County's proposals, of course, will be more "sprawl" -- requiring more infrastructure expansions and more extensions of services.  This is something that the Oneida County folks have yet to comprehend as contributing to our region's job-killing levels of taxation and fees -- unlike Onondaga County which has long recognized (but not solved) the problem of sprawl. Oneida County could put the brakes on sprawl by simply not expanding its system and forbidding the connection of new developments (directly or indirectly via town pipes) to its system that would cause its system to violate pollution control laws.  The County has that authority to comply with Clean Water Act requirements -- and its failure to use that authority in the past led to the Consent Order problems we pay for now. Developers, meanwhile, will have to seek alternatives for waste water disposal (and there are alternatives, particularly where large volumes of industrial waste water are involved).

It will be interesting to see how the Utica Common Council grapples with this issue. 

The Rest of the Story on NH Library . . .

In the OD the headline is: Library board recommends DeRosa to fill opening
But, per New Hartford Online, the headline should have read: New Hartford Town Board Is Accepting Applications. NH Online:

Reality is that the library board can "recommend" anyone they want to fill an expired term, but according to NYS Education Law and the library's own bylaws, the town board has complete control over who is appointed to the library board when a term has expired. No "recommendation" from the library board is required.

And the Town Board is soliciting applications from residents interested in serving.  Get the details on NH Online. 

Hiding the Provolone . . .

This should be a shocking surprise --  except for the fact that the New Hartford Public Library (NHPL) is involved: OD: New Hartford Library surplus surprises some.

So let me get this straight ...  The NHPL, which was crying the blues a few months ago over not having enough money and tried to recharter itself to tap the taxpayers even more, was somehow able to amass a $100,000.00 fund that just now came to light?

$100,000 is about 20% of the library's annual budget, no?

While the Town Supervisor (he's a CPA, don't you know) seems to defend this as necessary to keep an organization running, if this was 20% of his town budget, wouldn't that attract the interest of NYS authorities -- i.e., if you can have a rainy day fund that large, you are taxing your residents too much.

Seems like the NHPL Board of Trustees is playing "hide the provolone" with the taxpayers!

New Hartford Online has all the sordid details! $100,000 hiding in the "books" at the New Hartford Public Library?

Killing Us Softly With Sewers . . .

Utica OD: Sewer costs overflowing: Projects will be costly to ratepayers

A convergence of several sewer projects is hitting local residents hard in the pocketbook. And it only will get worse as the years go by — you might be paying at least $80 more a year by 2016. . . . Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said the county doesn’t have a choice but to make the repairs and upgrades.

Pure BS plain and simple. One of the "repairs and upgrades" is:

 . . . construction of an improved pipeline, or interceptor, for the planned nanotechnology sites in Marcy.

The choice here is "don't do it!" Simple enough. 

1. No one is holding a gun to Mr. Picente's head to extend sewers to the NanoCenter site, it's an option.
2. When a new development is proposed -- any development -- the county has an OBLIGATION TO REFUSE tie-ins to its system that the system is incapable of handling. (That, BTW, is how the County got into its Consent Order mess to begin with. It was too easy with developers and did not know how to say "no" to new connections that caused increased pollution to spill into the River.) Upon refusal, developers, then, have to implement alternative means of waste disposal as part of their obligation to reduce the environmental impacts of their projects under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
3. Going into hock for a big industrial user leaves Sewer District Rate-Payers vulnerable to rate-shocks should the industrial user pack up and leave -- which is exactly what happened when Beech Nut left Canajoharie, forcing rates there to skyrocket.
4. It is gambling with Rate-Payers money to build an expansion that might not be used because  (a) a chip fab does not come or (b) the chip fab that comes decides that it makes more sense to treat its industrial waste water itself and discharge same directly rather than use the county facilities.

Why would anyone want to come into a community where sewer rates are unnecessarily high?  

The immediate question now is, why would the County Legislature approve of such nonsense?  

• Perhaps it is because most have no "skin in the game"  since it is the Rate-Payers who are confined to the Greater Utica area that are being placed on the hook to pay for this.
  
• Perhaps it is because they are desperate to hold on to their pay and benefits as legislators that they will do what ever the political elite tell them to. . . or
  
• Perhaps it is because they simply have no clue what they are doing.

What ever the reason, they are drowning us in infrastructure and killing us with astronomical costs.  It needs to stop if this region ever hopes to make a come back.

An in-depth discussion of this issue can be found on the New Hartford Online posting Who is representing the sewer ratepayers??? It is worth reading and and watching the video.

An EDGEy Land Proposal . . .

Buried in the 12/26/12 Co-Leg communications packet was this letter from EDGE, proposing to purchase almost 83 acres from Oneida County at a "minimum" $10K/acre for use as a Business Park Extension at the old County Airport site in Whitestown. EDGE proposes to subdivide and resell the property, remit on resale an additional $5K/acre to the County (less sales expenses), and keep any difference in price (i.e., between the resale price and the $15K/acre total paid to the County) for use in building roads and other infrastructure needed at the Business Park extension. The letter indicates that EDGE has a prospective buyer for a portion of the property.

I'm not sure how "good" a deal this is for the County, but I am troubled that publicly owned property is being sold by an entity (EDGE) that is controlled by its "members" rather than the government itself.

More troubling is the statement that "additional economic development funding is required to meet the requirements for extension of water and sewer lines, construction of an access road and, because of the Consent Order, the purchase of sewer credits to enable the company to locate here."

Sounds to me like the taxpayers (or water and sewer ratepayers) are going to be soaked again to finance more sprawl.

What's your take?

Sewer District Sleight of Hand!

While eyes watch Oneida County's Right Hand shift suburban sprawl's sewer compliance costs on to all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), is the Left Hand shifting County NanoCenter sewer costs on to all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents)?

The documents embedded at left are preparatory to an almost $12 million "North Utica Parallel Interceptor" project (Cap. Proj. "HG-479") which will cost the "typical" Sewer District property owner $6.70 per year to finance almost $7 million in borrowing ($5 million allegedly will come from a grant secured by EDGE -- which hints at the purpose of the project).  Interestingly, the draft resolution provides neither a project description nor an explanation why this project is needed.

Embedded at right is the Short Environmental Assessment form for "HG-479" that indicates that the project involves  upgrading of 9,300 feet of 30" sanitary sewer with 42" sanitary sewer from Rt 12 at 790 to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on Leland Ave. Again, no description of the need for this project is provided, but our legislators will be voting their approval in January.

Interestingly, just before Christmas the Mohawk Valley Regional Economic Development Council's 11/2011 Strategic Plan was in the news, which plan seems to place undue emphasis on the Marcy Nanocenter considering that the "Mohawk Valley" region here is truly "Mohawk Valley" -- at least the portion stretching from Rome to Amsterdam. (This will be the subject of a separate blog post).  It is mentioned here because stated at pages 161-2 (reproduced at left) is a "Priority Project: Marcy Nanocenter at SUNYIT Upgrade County Interceptor" which will replace 9,350 feet of 24" and 30" sewer pipe with new 36" pipe from Edic and River Roads to the STP on Leland Ave.   Sounds similar to the N Utica Interceptor project, n'est-ce pas?

It certainly looks like all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), such as the Shmoes of New Hartford with 10 kids and lots of laundry, will not only be paying to have their sewage transported and treated, they will also be paying for the sewer infrastructure at the NanoCenter site.  Awfully nice of the OC Legislators from Rome, Camden, Boonville, Ava, Westmoreland, etc., to foist the cost of their NanoCenter "economic development" dreams onto the backs of all Sewer District Users (over half of whom are Utica residents), rather than County taxpayers,  but it should be no surprise because the same MO was attempted (and probably will be used) to extend water service to Verona.

Read the pages beyond the Short Environmental Assessment form above.  There seems to be more "sleight of hand" going on with another, much more expensive, sewer district proposal also on tap for January just to add to the (intentional?) confusion. More on that later.

They Might As Well Be From Camden . . .

The Utica representatives on the Oneida County Board of Legislators, that is. Oneida County legislators approve hike in sewer rates

 If you are connected to the Oneida County Sewer District system, your bill is going to go up 13 percent in 2013. . . . 

The Oneida County Board of Legislators approved the new rates Wednesday at its regular meeting. . . 

The legislation passed the full Board unanimously.

Why do I single out Utica legislators?

The change is linked to the 2007 state Department of Conservation consent order that threatened to block development along the Sauquoit Creek line if certain repairs were not made.

The Consent Order was the end result of all the "growth" in New Hartford.  So now UTICA residents are forced to pay to improve County facilities to foster more surburban "growth." But where is the County allowing its facilities to be used to help Utica solve its storm water problem?

When will Mr. Trevisani, Mr. Paparella, Mr. Welsh, Ms. Speciale, Ms. Convertino, Mr. Caruso, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Furgol start representing Utica's interests?  

They might as well be from Camden!

The Effluent of the Affluent - Part 2

Two weeks ago it was pointed out that the residents of Utica were about to have it stuck to them again by Oneida County tapping them to pay to increase the size of the County's sewage treatment facilities to accommodate suburban storm water flows while being left to take care of Utica's storm water problem without county help.

As can be seen from the two pieces of legislation embedded at left, the County Legislature "rubber stamp" is alive and well, approving the legislation almost unanimously.  Of course, NONE of this was reported in the Observer-Dispatch.

The OD did report on Utica's sewer repairs a few days ago in the story "First phase of Utica's sewer project is complete." No mention here of any help from Oneida County.  The only mention of Oneida County's sewer work is the statement that "Oneida County is under a state order to do the exact same thing." This leaves the impression of two separate units of government working independently to solve their problems -- leaving out the part that residents of Utica are being forced to pay for both.

EVERY UTICA COUNTY LEGISLATOR APPROVED !

This blogger attempted to engage legislators Ms. Speciale, Mr. Davis, Mr. D'Onofrio and Mr. Gordon -- as well as certain "big mouths" on the City Council -- on this issue days before the vote, but only Ms. Speciale had the courtesy to respond -- after the legislation was voted upon.

Typical!  And we wonder why the region declines.

Excuses, Excuses . . .

Clinton won't testify on Benghazi due to illness

First wine-tasting in Australia -- and now this.

For someone who should have been on the first plane home to testify after Gen. Petraeus regarding the death of 4 Americans on her watch, this is looking more and more like a delaying tactic and a cover-up.

What did she know and when did she know it? 

Obamacare: Killing Local Jobs?

Washington Examiner: Democrats urge delay for ‘job-killing’ Obamacare tax

Sixteen Democratic senators who voted for the Affordable Care Act are asking that one of its fundraising mechanisms, a 2.3 percent tax on medical devices scheduled to take effect January 1, be delayed. . . . The senators, who made the request in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, are . . . Charles Schumer, . . . Kirsten Gillibrand . . . All voted for Obamacare. 

Hmmm!

Hidden in Plain Sight . . .

My Pet Peeve!!!

The Greater Utica-Rome Board of Realtors announces name change to . . .  what else? . . . the "Mohawk Valley Association of Realtors"

Google "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Google Maps and it takes you to "Mohawk Valley Airport" in Scotia.  
Search "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Bing Maps and you are taken to "Mohawk Valley Estate" in Fultonville.  
Search for a zip or area code in "Mohawk Valley, NY" on Switchboard and you get taken to Mojave Valley, AZ!

The best results come from Mapquest. Search "Mohawk Valley, NY" there and you are taken to a map with 9 bubbles in places stretching from Rome to Albany.

The Greater Utica-Rome Board of Realtors website dropdowns do not list St. Johnsville, Canajoharie, Fonda or Fultonville, Florida, Tribes Hill, Amsterdam, Scotia or Schenectady -- all of which are in the Mohawk Valley.

People can find Utica.  People can find Rome. "Greater" Utica-Rome means places near by.  And the Utica-Rome Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area is defined as Oneida and Herkimer Counties. I don't understand the problem some people have with identifying our region by the names of its two principal cities.

Calling the Utica-Rome area "Mohawk Valley" makes as much sense as calling Binghamton-Endicott-Johnson City (a/k/a "Greater Binghamton") the "Susquehanna Valley." If you were looking for a house in the Binghamton area, would you look to do business with a "Susquehanna Valley"  realty company?  In Binghamton they have common sense . . . but not here.

One would think that REALTORS, of all people, would know better than to hide themselves on a map.