![\"Tioga](\"http:\/\/www.greenstreetdata.com\/PS\/owego\/files\/2021\/03\/Address4.jpg\")
<\/a>When the pandemic began, signs like this began popping up around Tioga County, with this one drawing some attention at Agway in Owego, N.Y. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur world stopped last year,\u201d said Sauerbrey, adding, \u201cWe spent the next days and months following the governor\u2019s guidance. We stopped dead in our tracks.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/a>When the pandemic began, signs like this began popping up around Tioga County, this one a projection of rough times ahead. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
The county soon scrambled to gather Personal Protective Equipment, facemasks, and hand sanitizer for businesses around the community. Tioga County\u2019s Emergency Management office, according to Sauerbrey, stepped up in a big way to assist with the acquisition and distribution of these items.<\/p>\n
Getting into Action<\/b><\/p>\n
Sauerbrey talked about the county\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
And with many residents being sent home from their jobs, the county\u2019s social services department was quick to help meet the needs of those that found themselves in a challenging situation, financially.<\/p>\n
\u201cSocial Services stood like a fortress,\u201d Sauerbrey noted.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Pictured, Tioga County\u2019s Legislative Chair, Martha Sauerbrey, delivers the State of the County to the public on Tuesday. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
Other actions taken by the county, as outlined by Sauerbrey, included the development of a pandemic plan – a plan that received approval during Tuesday\u2019s meeting; and a shift in tourism, which Sauerbrey further explained went from promoting visitors to promoting local. <\/p>\n
The toll of the pandemic<\/b><\/p>\n
One of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic, Sauerbrey stated, is reporting the loss of life.<\/p>\n
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\u2019t make the loss of life any easier for the county to report to the public.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow do you report a loss of life in a press release,\u201d Sauerbrey questioned the guests in attendance at Tuesday\u2019s State of the County.<\/p>\n
And just like a domino effect, the pandemic created a host of other problems for the county as well. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cPrudent budgeting allowed us to save for a rainy day,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
During 2020, and into 2021, the county also saw an uptick in drug use, as well as a greater need for mental health services.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople became fearful, and then angry,\u201d said Sauerbrey of the pandemic. She also noted that the county\u2019s mental health department began doing Tele-Health last year so they could reach the community.<\/p>\n
A year filled with civil unrest and protesting<\/b><\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Civil unrest dominated the news during 2020, with protests taking to the streets following the death of George Floyd, and in demands for change. Pictured, two Binghamton residents participated in a protest in neighboring Broome County, N.Y. last summer. Although peaceful, the protest turned violent in the middle of the night, with the carousel at Recreation Park being set afire. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
George Floyd\u2019s 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\u2019s courthouse square in Owego. <\/p>\n
Because of sweeping reforms being sought in the aftermath, the legislature was directed to participate in the governor\u2019s police reform and reinvention collaborative initiative and chokeholds were banned in New York State, ending a half-century-old law.<\/p>\n
One might say that 2020 was a significant year filled with civil unrest.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Civil unrest dominated the news during 2020, with protests taking to the streets following the death of George Floyd, and in demands for change. Pictured, peaceful demonstrations took place almost daily at Tioga County\u2019s Courthouse Square last summer. (Photo by Wendy Post)<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cPeople were angry,\u201d added Sauerbrey of the circumstances surrounding the death of George Floyd.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s 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. <\/span><\/p>\n A shift in recycling<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n A fire destroyed the county\u2019s 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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe expected an increase,\u201d said Sauerbrey during her Address, \u201cbut not double the cost with half the service.\u201d<\/p>\n The service was discontinued at the end of 2020, and private haulers have already stepped up to the task.<\/p>\n County progress and TEAM Tioga<\/b><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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. <\/span><\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n As stated by Sauerbrey during her address, \u201cThings are getting better!\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cSchools are open, vaccines are rolling in, and workforce development continues,\u201d she added, while offering her thanks to the county employees that kept on working during the challenges of the pandemic.<\/p>\n Advancing the county\u2019s workforce<\/b><\/p>\n During Tuesday\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n The course, which is offered to county employees, offers sessions on management, performance evaluations and supervision, Real Colors, communications, ethics, and more.<\/p>\n