Winter came back with a vengeance at the end of the week with one problem – it’s still fall. If the precipitation received over the summer is an indication of what’s to come, keep the snow shovels handy.
Last weekend saw a host of activities to include Owego’s Holiday Showcase, which offered entertainment for all and an afternoon of shopping and dining for those that visited. Next up for the Historic Owego Marketplace is Lights on the River, a festive outdoor event scheduled for Dec. 7, from 4 to 8 p.m. in downtown Owego. We will have more details in the coming weeks on this event.
Also taking place last weekend were ceremonies across the county that honored veterans, and also recognized the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that brought an end to the fighting from WWI. Jim Raftis, Sr., a Korean War Vet and Memorial Day Chairman, served as emcee for several of these events. Be sure to look for our coverage in this week’s Pennysaver that highlight these activities.
The Local Planning Committee met again for the Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI). We will be following this process and will report as projects are set forth for consideration. The application deadline to submit a project under the DRI is Dec. 7, 2018. Project submissions should be emailed to owegoDRI3@gmail.com.
The next meeting for the DRI Local Planning Committee is Wednesday, Dec. 12, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Owego Apalachin District Office Board Room. The next public engagement event will take place on Jan. 16, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Countryside Community Center in Owego.
To learn more, visit https://www.villageofowego.com/downtown-revitalization-initiative.
Within the Town of Owego government, a public hearing held on Tuesday regarding the upcoming budget drew residents to the Town Hall. Those arriving were concerned about a possible increase in taxes that exceeds the tax cap, as well as concerns about a proposed multi-use building that will provide some sharing of services and space for the Town Highway, Utilities and Parks departments, as well as record storage.
Prior to last Tuesday’s meeting, residents were concerned that the budget would exceed the cap, and noted that a 24 percent tax increase was being considered.
But the percentage in which the actual budget will increase this year, upon approval of the Town of Owego Budget, is half of a percent.
According to Town Supervisor Donald Castellucci, the budget actually started out at 40 percent at the beginning of the process.
Castellucci explained that in the summer, he goes to department heads for their numbers. By September, he added, they tweak it down.
“The numbers were high for awhile,” said Castellucci, adding, “At the end of the day it’s half of a percent.”
What this means for residents is that they will see a tax increase of $.13 per assessed thousand in the Village, and $1.63 per thousand for Town residents.
However, what village residents remained more concerned about is the proposal for a shared services building, the cost of said building, and a bond that is included in the budget at the tune of $6 million. The Town Board approved the bond, according to Castellucci, on Dec. 20, 2017.
In a presentation on the budget on Tuesday that was prepared by Castellucci, he outlined the project, explaining that the new mufti-use building, which will provide some sharing of services and space for the Town Highway, Utilities, and Parks Department and record storage, is now out to bid. They expect the bids to be returned on Nov. 21.
It is anticipated, according to Castellucci, that this project will be completed by late 2020. Castellucci explained that the savings from buildings and offices no longer located in the floodplain would save local, state and federal expenditures.
As for the $6 million bond included in the budget, Castellucci stated that the bond will cover the remaining costs of the building, and that funding from Reserves and several grants will help offset the cost of the approximate $9 to $11 million project.
The project, Castellucci continued to explain, began at an estimate of around $7 million, but due to circumstances beyond their control the costs quickly grew.
“The Village of Owego backed out of the project, which caused about a seven month delay and additional engineering,” said Castellucci, adding, “At this time the plan is to pay the remaining balance for the costs of construction with about fifteen million dollars from the grant, cash on hand, the sale of the former highway garage and the sale of the Town of Owego gravel pit. We are also anticipating hazard mitigation dollars for the relocation of the parks and utilities offices in the amount of approximately $150,000.”
Castellucci did acknowledge that the dozens of residents that came to Tuesday’s meeting were opposed to the project.
“Nobody was in favor of this,” Castellucci added.
One of the key points creating opposition is the access to water and sewer. In a letter to the editor in this week’s publication, the Highway Superintendent for the Town of Owego, Mark Clark, noted that to have water and sewer provided, they will have to bore under 434, 17 East and West, and the river, to hook into services available at Hickories Park. The new building would be located behind the current Town Hall location on Route 434 in Owego. The current location on Delphine Street in Owego is directly in a floodplain.
The Town is expected to vote on the budget at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20.
Also in continuing election coverage, the battle for New York’s 22nd Congressional District seat is still too close to call in a contest between Democratic candidate Anthony Brindisi and Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney. As of Thursday, and at the time that this went to production, absentee ballots were being counted. And although Brindisi was still showing a slight lead, Tenney remained optimistic that the absentee ballot count would result in a victory.
Both headed to Washington last week to begin work as the absentee ballots continue to be counted. We will update as soon as the remaining ballots are tallied, and the results become official.
Wendy Post is the editor of The Owego Pennysaver Press in Owego, N.Y. and The Troy Pennysaver Plus in Troy, Pa.
Be the first to comment on "Editor’s Notebook"