Tioga County New York looks back on 2020

“We stared fear in the face, and we did the things we thought we could not do,” said Legislative Chairwoman Martha Sauerbrey about the year 2020, and during her recent State of the County, held Tuesday at the County Office Building in Owego.

Unlike the events of Sept. 11, 2001, most people knew exactly where they were when the reality of a pandemic set in, and then the subsequent lockdown. 

For this writer, I was at Owego’s Parkview Hotel, chatting with the owner about St. Patrick’s Day, when word from the governor’s office arrived that businesses would be shutting down for takeout only. It was the day before St. Patrick’s Day, and less than a week following the World Health Organization’s declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic.

Since that time, the United States has suffered over 500,000 fatalities as vaccine rollout continues, and states begin to loosen restrictions. For Tioga County, N.Y., and because of many of the mandates coming from Albany and geared towards larger metropolitan areas, like New York City, things were shuddered.

“Our world stopped last year,” said Sauerbrey, adding, “We spent the next days and months following the governor’s guidance. We stopped dead in our tracks.”

The county soon scrambled to gather Personal Protective Equipment, facemasks, and hand sanitizer for businesses around the community. Tioga County’s Emergency Management office, according to Sauerbrey, stepped up in a big way to assist with the acquisition and distribution of these items.

Getting into Action

Sauerbrey talked about the county’s ability last year to shift to a virtual platform for doing the business of the county, and how she held regular briefings at the onset of the pandemic last year to keep area residents informed.

And with many residents being sent home from their jobs, the county’s social services department was quick to help meet the needs of those that found themselves in a challenging situation, financially.

“Social Services stood like a fortress,” Sauerbrey noted.

Other actions taken by the county, as outlined by Sauerbrey, included the development of a pandemic plan – a plan that received approval during Tuesday’s meeting; and a shift in tourism, which Sauerbrey further explained went from promoting visitors to promoting local. 

The toll of the pandemic

One of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic, Sauerbrey stated, is reporting the loss of life.

Being a rural area with a population of approximately 50,000, the number of cases was relatively low in comparison to larger areas in New York. That didn’t make the loss of life any easier for the county to report to the public.

“How do you report a loss of life in a press release,” Sauerbrey questioned the guests in attendance at Tuesday’s State of the County.

And just like a domino effect, the pandemic created a host of other problems for the county as well. 

As for revenue, Sauerbrey stated the county saw a staggering decline of 43 percent at the beginning of the pandemic last year in Tioga County, N.Y., an astonishing number and one of the highest in the State. By the end of the year, however, they lost a total of 3.1% in sales tax income.

“Prudent budgeting allowed us to save for a rainy day,” said Sauerbrey, who also noted that they were able to keep any increases within the tax cap limit. The county was forced to cut its budget by 10%, and then institute a hiring freeze to keep the damage minimal.

During 2020, and into 2021, the county also saw an uptick in drug use, as well as a greater need for mental health services.

“People became fearful, and then angry,” said Sauerbrey of the pandemic. She also noted that the county’s mental health department began doing Tele-Health last year so they could reach the community.

A year filled with civil unrest and protesting

Another major shift followed the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. George Floyd died after he was apprehended by police for passing a counterfeit bill, and then placed in a hold in which Derek Chauvin, one of four police officers that responded, knelt on Floyd’s neck for a period of approximately nine minutes. The cause of death was recorded as traumatic asphyxia, due to compression of his neck and back during restraint by police officers.

George Floyd’s death led to worldwide protests, and prompted a call for police reform. These protests extended into the Southern Tier area with a massive protest in Binghamton, N.Y. held, and protests held at Tioga County’s courthouse square in Owego. 

Because of sweeping reforms being sought in the aftermath, the legislature was directed to participate in the governor’s police reform and reinvention collaborative initiative and chokeholds were banned in New York State, ending a half-century-old law.

One might say that 2020 was a significant year filled with civil unrest.

“People were angry,” added Sauerbrey of the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd.

She also noted that the county is working to improve relations among law enforcement and the community; a task that will be easier to achieve once the pandemic is over and social interaction resumes its pre-pandemic level. The county’s police reform plan, which was adopted in February, can be viewed at https://www.tiogacountyny.com/media/9151/police-reform-and-reinvention-collaborative-plan-2021.pdf. 

A shift in recycling

A difficult decision that county officials were forced to make in 2020 included recycling, and a redirection to collections being performed by several area haulers.

A fire destroyed the county’s major recycling facility in early January of 2020. The county, following the fire, expected to see an increase in rates, which were paid through taxes; but what Sauerbrey didn’t expect, was that the cost would double and subsequently force the county to move beyond the tax cap to keep the same services in place.

With this decision facing lawmakers, they voted to cancel the recycling tax in its entirety, and left it to individual residents to recycle through other means.

“We expected an increase,” said Sauerbrey during her Address, “but not double the cost with half the service.”

The service was discontinued at the end of 2020, and private haulers have already stepped up to the task.

County progress and TEAM Tioga

And the signs of progress are already emerging in 2021. Led by TEAM Tioga, the county was able to partner with Tioga County businesses and organizations to secure over $1.85 million in grant funding; they also assisted more than 600 businesses impacted by COVID-19, and then seven more through the Emergency Relief Program.

TEAM Tioga also developed the state-mandated Tioga County Pandemic Operations Plan, with input from all county departments. TEAM Tioga highlighted that the plan outlines how Tioga County will address the operations of essential- and non-essential employees during a future pandemic or state-ordered shutdown.

TEAM Tioga also reported that The Village of Waverly Planning Board completed their updated Comprehensive Plan with the help of Thoma Development Consultants and Tioga County Economic Development and Planning. The Village Board of Trustees adopted the Plan in December of 2020. 

With TEAM Tioga assistance, the Village Planning Board is now prioritizing projects for implementation. Also, the Workforce Development Strategy Implementation Support was launched in July 2020 to understand current collaboration efforts among Tioga County school districts and develop a model that would foster a strongly connected Educator system.

As for the Land Bank, the big news is that they have partnered with Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services and Tioga Opportunities, Inc. on a proposed residential redevelopment project. This project will include tenant relocation and the construction of an anticipated 40-plus residential units and six town homes. 

As for the locations of any projects in the works, a housing project is anticipated for Temple and Liberty Street in downtown Owego, and work has begun on Owego Gardens II, located across the river on Route 434, and behind Owego Gardens. 

The Land Bank is a nonprofit entity set up primarily to address vacant, abandoned blighted and tax delinquent properties, countywide. To date, the Land Bank has demolished several blighted properties, and assisted with renovation with others – all located in Tioga County.

As stated by Sauerbrey during her address, “Things are getting better!” 

“Schools are open, vaccines are rolling in, and workforce development continues,” she added, while offering her thanks to the county employees that kept on working during the challenges of the pandemic.

Advancing the county’s workforce

During Tuesday’s State of the County, Steve Palinosky, county employee, also recognized the most recent Institute for Advancement graduates. This second graduating Class began just prior to the pandemic; but they were able to continue thanks to Zoom technology.

The course, which is offered to county employees, offers sessions on management, performance evaluations and supervision, Real Colors, communications, ethics, and more.

Presenter Steve Palinosky, facilitator and administrative assistant for the county’s real property department, stated, “It is our hope that this program will continue to improve and evolve as we work to develop the future leaders of the county.”

Graduates include Abbey Hendrickson from Economic Development and Planning. Kevin Humes from the Law Department, Kelly Johnson and Janis Nelson from the County Clerk’s office, Heather Vroman from the Public Health Department, Katie Chandler from the Treasurer’s Office, Joyce Constantini from the Department of Motor Vehicles, Cole Ford from the Department of Public Works, Bryan Goodrich from Information Technology and Communication Services, Megan Griffiths from Economic Development and Planning, Catherine Healy from Mental Hygiene, Amy Poff from the Personnel Office, Chad Post from the Probation Department, Anita Teed from the Department of Social Services, James Wahls from the Board of Elections, and Julie Whipple from the Department of Social Services.

Remembering Frank S. Lopke

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, an emotional presentation to the family of Frank S. Lopke recognized his efforts in Tioga County and beyond. Present to accept the recognition were Barbara Lopke, Frank’s wife; Ann Trivisonno, Frank’s daughter; and Madlyn Cranbo, his granddaughter.

According to Legislature Michael Roberts, who presented to the family posthumously, Frank has 14 plants now, and employs over 200 residents.

“This would have meant so much to my dad,” said Ann Trivisonno of the recognition.

Frank S. Lopke, 84, passed away on Jan. 29, 2021 after a very brief illness due to complications from Covid-19. Frank was born to Frank Sr. and Mary Lopke on the family’s farm in Apalachin, N.Y., where he lived his entire life. 

This loss, along with the 69 others due to COVID in Tioga County, N.Y. has driven the legislature even harder to protect the community.

“Our health department,” said Sauerbrey, “they’re the real heroes.”

Throughout the pandemic, Sauerbrey has continued to praise the county’s Public Health Department for their hard work and dedication during the pandemic.

“They were working around the clock,” said Sauerbrey, adding, they’re the real heroes here.”

Between contact tracing, constant communication with the schools, and the tracking and monitoring of cases, the Public Health Department met its biggest challenge without hesitation. They commanded the challenge.

And with a bit of normalization on the horizon, Sauerbrey is optimistic, and commended each and every resident of the community for doing their part to keep others safe; and most of all, for their resilience.