The Village of Owego Flood buyouts of flooded properties have been finalized. The last closing was expected to take place on Friday, Jan. 29. There were a total of 18 buyouts of severely damaged or repetitively seriously damaged properties. The total property tax loss to the village from the buyouts will be $6,171 annually. These properties were paid for by FEMA funds that the village received and they appear in deed transfers as the village buying the property.
The streetlights on North Avenue near the railroad underpass are being worked on. A change in specifications led to a delay, but completion is expected by Feb. 15. These lights are LEDs and will cost the village much less in electricity and maintenance.
The village is also looking into buying all the cobra head streetlights from NYSEG and converting them to LEDs. There are NYSEG grants to do this and the village would not have to pay monthly rent on the poles anymore. Conversion to LEDs will greatly reduce the cost of electricity and maintenance. We are also looking for sturdy LED lights to install in the pedestrian underpass on Paige Street.
The Evergreen Cemetery Grant is in process. An engineering firm has met with Jeff Soules and the mayor to review the project and to draw up a Request for Proposal (RFP) and a bid package to restore the stone walls in the cemetery.
The village is preparing a RFP for a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to have a solar energy firm build a solar array from which the village would buy electricity. We would save about 25 percent of what we currently pay for electricity.
The village hired a firm to do an audit of utility companies that provide services to village residents. They are supposed to pay the village a gross utility receipts tax. The village received a check for $4,269 from Verizon for unpaid gross receipt taxes that were due.
The Tax Cap was met and the Tax Cap Freeze Efficiency Plan was filed with NYS Dept of Taxation and Finance by the village in August. This has resulted in tax rebate checks going out to village residents. We conferred with the NYS Division of Taxation and Finance last week and were informed that they are sent out in no particular order, but are all being processed. This is the first year this tax rebate was in effect and the Comptroller’s Office had to check all the efficiency plans to make sure they met the required criteria.
Village officials have met with Crystal Tramunti, FEMA CRS Office, and are waiting on her report to see what the village needs to do next to enter the CRS Program.
Five village homes have been elevated as part of FEMA or NY Rising flood mitigation programs. One of the homes elevated was the first home in a historic district elevated in New York. There are other homes that are planning elevation of their homes or elevation of mechanical systems above the flood plain.
It has been a mild winter and that has helped to keep village expenses down for snow removal and salt spreading.
Christmas tree disposal will continue until Feb. 12. Please put trees out before Feb. 12. Unwanted televisions and other electronic waste can be returned to Best Buy or Staples. There is also an e-waste disposal site in Candor.
Village of Owego Elections are March 15, from noon to 9 p.m. The last day to register with the Tioga County Board of Elections to vote in this election is March 4, 2016.
