June Committee and July Session Update
Money for road projects, the need for affordable housing, vaccines for children and a review of the county's 2023 finances were among the important topics at the Legislature's committee meetings in June and at the July Session
June’s Planning and Economic Development committee meeting brought some interesting discussions and the chance for members to learn more about the man being considered for the role of County Planning Director.
One of the discussions centered on a resolution to increase the number of hotel rooms in Onondaga County. With the closure of two large hotels and the downsizing of a third, nearly 7% of the roughly 8,700 rooms will be lost, meaning the county is not as attractive to conventions and other events. Visit Syracuse President and CEO Danny Liedka (a former County Legislator himself) told the committee that could mean an economic loss as high as $20,000,000.
The proposal would allow for the use of $4,000,000 in surplus Room Occupancy Tax (ROT) funding in support of a new hotel initiative, which would provide grants to developers to assist them in closing funding gaps in new hotel construction and/or incentivize existing hotels to add rooms to their current hotel stock in Onondaga County. As with most everything, developers are dealing with increased costs to complete projects.
“This is a good incentive to help bridge that gap a little bit and turn this trend around” says the committee’s Chair, Legislator David Knapp (12th District). He reminded the committee that ROT money is only available to be reinvested to create tourism and business activity.
Grants would range from $50,000 to $750,000. Criteria will be established to grade each proposal including, but not limited to, the type of hotel, how quickly it will come online and its location. A committee which will include Chair Knapp would then review projects and decide which ones receive funding.
The committee advanced the resolution, as well as these:
Authorizing the Onondaga County Executive to file the 2024 Action Plan for the Community Development Block Grant, Home Grant, and Emergency Solutions Grant Programs. The plan serves as the application for 3 federal grants totaling $3,174,230.
Modifying Agricultural District No. 4, which includes the Towns of Dewitt, Fabius, and Pompey, and Towns of LaFayette, Onondaga, and Tully. Requests total about 33 acres added and 140 acres removed.
Approving the inclusion of viable agricultural land within Agricultural District No. 3. Seven acres in the Village of Elbridge would be added per the land owner’s request.
The committee also advanced a resolution to appoint Troy Waffner as the Director of the Onondaga County Department of Planning. He spent 13 years in leadership roles at the New York State Fair, which included the planning and work necessary to build a ‘city’ on the fairgrounds every August. He also spent time working for the New York State Legislature, where he helped shape many agriculture initiatives and programs. That’s important as 40% of the county’s landmass is considered agriculture.
The most in-depth discussion was regarding housing needs in Onondaga County. An assessment study was recently completed to explore the past, present and future housing supply and demand in the county.
“We want to understand the dynamics of housing that are currently at play, how we can shape those programs and assistance from the county level, and how we can assist municipalities” the county’s Assistant Director of Planning Services, Megan Costa, told committee members.
She added that municipalities are responsible for setting their vision for the future, setting aside land and making necessary policy and zoning changes, and that “the county has the power of incentives and the power of education.”
The assessment was completed by czb. The company’s Founder and President, Charles Buki, did the bulk of the presentation.
“Data is really the key to knowing where we are and what we have” Legislator Mark Olson (10th District), a committee member, said afterwards. “One of my initiatives in 2024 was to start to work on this process and start to figure out ways we can better meet the demands of our seniors, of our veterans, and the residents of our community with housing needs as well as those who are underserved and need affordable housing.”
Onondaga County Department of Transportation Commissioner Martin Voss was the main speaker at the June County Facilities committee meeting. He detailed the desire to accept additional state funding to be used for road projects in the county.
“The state passed their budget, so we therefore have some adjustments, all in the positive direction” he told committee members. “They re-allocated the CHIPS (Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program) formula a little bit and we have three special programs. These are additional programs that the state legislature adds when they do their budget. The Senate and Assembly decide to restore or not restore these programs that they created years ago.”
This year, they were restored, which means additional funding for Onondaga County:
$12,477 in additional CHIPS funding
$1,167,993 in Extreme Winter Recovery funding
$1,935,049 in Pave-NY funding
$1,290,033 in Pave-Our-Potholes (POP) funding
The money will help fund Hot Mix and Cold Mix paving as well as Bituminous Surface Treatment programs. The following shows some of the projects planned in the DOT’s 2024 work plan.
As expected, the committee advanced these resolutions.
The final part of the meeting was a tour of the Carnegie Building. It’s located at 335 Montgomery Street in Syracuse and is just a short walk from the Onondaga County Courthouse, which is home to the Legislature.
Constructed in 1905, the building was first a public library, then used for many years by the Syracuse City School District, but has been vacant since 2011. Over the past few years, over 50,000 square feet of space inside the building was renovated. Work included upgraded heating and air conditioning, improved fire protection and sprinkler systems, new data infrastructure and security systems, and the rehabilitation of walls, floors and ceilings.
Committee Chair Debra Cody (5th District) toured the building back in 2022, before work began. “We were pleased to return and see the finished building” she said. “The historical character of the building has been maintained and it was fun to see the nuances and features that makes this a unique historical treasure.”
Syracuse’s Carnegie Library received the largest donation towards building costs of any of the nearly 1,700 libraries in the United States that Andrew Carnegie provided funding for between 1883 and 1929. It was also the first one to receive funding that was constructed in New York State, outside of New York City. The building is now home to several county departments including Economic Development, Community Development and Planning, as well as the Onondaga County Industrial Development Agency.
Medical Director James Alexander from the Onondaga County Health Department was the only presenter at June’s Health & Human Services committee meeting. He spoke about and answered questions regarding a proposed local law which would allow the county to update the fees charged for vaccinations. Currently, the department is mandated to vaccinate children who are or will be excluded from school due to lack of required immunizations.
“We propose that we would like to charge our cost to just pay for the vaccine in addition to the administration fee that we have traditionally charged” Director Alexander told Legislators. “It’s all pretty straightforward. It’s not a money-making venture. It’s just to recover costs and keep kids in school.”
The Onondaga County Health Department receives a list of children who, for whatever reason, are 14 days from being removed from school due to not having required vaccinations. Pharmacies are no longer able to give them, and primary care doctors are often unable to get the vaccinations completed within the 14-day window.
Legislator Ken Bush Jr. (13th District), a committee member, said “The parent, grandparent or the custodian of that child is not doing their due diligence and we can’t let that child fall through the cracks.”
The proposed changes would allow the Health Department to bill insurance companies for those children with private health insurance. This would help take the cost burden off the shoulders of county taxpayers. Uninsured and underinsured children are generally eligible for free vaccinations under a federal program.
“I was proud to move this through committee for a full Legislature's vote” Legislator Rich McCarron (11th District), the committee’s Vice Chair, said after the meeting. “Our County is committed to the health and well-being of all the children in our community and providing vaccines is one of the ways we support this. Allowing the County to bill appropriately for vaccines provided helps our County more consistently provide this valuable program. This DOES NOT create a situation where those who do not have insurance or cannot afford a vaccination will have to pay out of pocket. It allows the County to appropriately bill insurance companies when applicable.”
Director Alexander also talked about a resolution to allow the Onondaga County Health Department to accept a gift in kind of consulting services from ZS Consulting. They propose to study how to best use Community Health Workers in the county and how the department’s programs and services can be utilized and expanded to meet the needs of residents. There would be a particular emphasis on supporting maternal/infant health and the health of refugees and immigrants.
“At a minimum, what the county and your office will get out of this will be great knowledge of how to move forward and what to look for, at a minimum?” Legislator Kevin Meaker (2nd District), a committee member, asked Director Alexander, who replied, “absolutely, yes.”
Both resolutions were advanced.
At the Environmental Protection committee meeting, Legislators discussed the appointment of Elizabeth Bough Martin as Director of the county’s Office of the Environment. She comes with an extensive environmental background in both the public and private sector, and previously served as the Mayor of Chittenango. She also spent thirteen years teaching New York State Environmental Regulations at Onondaga Community College.
Committee Chair Julie Abbott (6th District) shared at the table, “A lot of times, throughout county government, you’ll get somebody who has a great ESF degree in whatever but to have compliance and regulatory understanding, New York State policy and leadership, that’s amazing and she will be a great asset to Onondaga County.”
The Commissioner of the Department of Water Environment Protection (WEP), Shannon Harty, returned to committee this month to once again discuss the creation of a new Deputy Commissioner of Administrative Services at WEP. It first came before the committee in May and made it to Session, but was pulled on the floor to allow for further discussion in committee.
“This is a vital position” the Commissioner shared. She went on to talk about how the new Deputy Commissioner would be responsible for the oversight of administrative personnel and human resource processes for the Department – including employee and labor relations, workforce development (including workplace safety and training) and public communication and outreach.
Legislator Cody Kelly (14th District), the committee's Vice Chair, asked Commissioner Harty, “What was the thought process that led you to this create versus exploring other alternatives such as expanding roles and responsibilities with other positions?”
Commissioner Harty responded by saying that the need for someone to supervise lower-level Directors at WEP and ensure personnel and safety is evident when looking at their organizational structure.
“With me being the Commissioner” she said, “you start to realize where I’m spread out all over the place, those Directors need somebody to make sure that our personnel, our training, all those things are being coordinated, and they only get done by having somebody that’s supervising them and overseeing them. So that’s what led to the decision of this needs to be a fourth Deputy.”
The Commissioner also says there is often delay in getting things done, because the Commissioner’s signature is needed and she is not available, whereas a Deputy Commissioner could sign instead.
Both resolutions were advanced.
Of the above resolutions which came before the Ways & Means committee this month, all were advanced to July Session. Also advanced were several new resolutions, including:
Authorizing the acceptance of an access and parking easement from Jemal’s Fayette Park LLC in the area of 401-415 South State Street, near the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office administrative building.
Mortgage Tax Apportionment covering the period of October 2023 – March 2024, and providing apportionments to towns and villages in the amount of just over $4,700,000 (a decrease of about 8% from the previous year).
Reducing number of Human Rights Commissioners from 24 down to 13, to help the commission with meeting attendance so that they have a quorum for needed votes.
Onondaga County’s Chief Fiscal Officer Steve Morgan and Don Weber, the Director of Real Property Tax Services, spoke and answered questions about a proposed local law allowing Onondaga County to opt out of the exemption from taxation for certain solar and wind energy systems.
Director Weber explained that in 2017/2018, New York State decided that by 2030, the state would get 70% of its energy through renewable sources. The state then enacted property tax exemptions for large scale solar farms and gave local governments 3 options: do nothing and allow solar farms to be completely tax exempt; let them be exempt, but require developers to make PILOT payments negotiated by local government; or eliminate the exemption and have them pay taxes.
Onondaga County is proposing to get away from exemptions and PILOT agreements altogether and use the state solar calculator instead. So far, 21 counties across the state have opted out, as have four towns and eight school districts in Onondaga County. What this means is energy companies will get an annual county tax bill instead of making PILOT payments. Existing PILOTs will continue as-is until they expire.
Committee Chair Colleen Gunnip (4th District) asked Director Weber, “These companies are already getting state and maybe even federal subsides?”
He replied, “Yes, they’re getting large state and federal tax credits, and they’re turning around and asking for the local property taxpayers to subsidize them even further.” He went on to say that they’re downstate developers that are looking to achieve a rate of return over 20 years and that’s solely what they’re trying to do.”
Mr. Morgan says the property tax revenue received will add to the county’s tax base, which theoretically will lower the tax rate for everyone else, but he does not expect the revenue to be significant.
Committee Vice Chair Brian May (2nd District) also serves as Chairman of the Onondaga County Agriculture & Farmland Protection Board. He believes the more continuity there is from town-to-town, village-to-village and county-to-county, the less disadvantaged local municipalities will be.
“We talk about the municipalities, we talk about developers, and we’re not talking about the landowners enough” he shared on the floor. “These are farmers for the most part and the reason they’re moving in this direction, and there is this kind of financial chaos around these projects, is because the state and federal government are increasing their cost to do business and they’re being driven to these situations. The cost to them whether they’re producing milk, beef, fruits and vegetables have raised exponentially through federal and state regulation that’s forcing them to do these things which takes good farmland out of production.”
No vote was taken as the Local Law is automatically advanced to Session.
The meeting concluded with several presentations which the committee receives annually. First, Mr. Morgan shared the county’s 2023 Review & 1st Quarter Forecast. In summary, Onondaga County ended 2023 with a $23 million dollar surplus, even after it used $30 million in fund balance to invest in initiatives related to the county’s recently updated comprehensive plan known as Plan Onondaga.
“I’ve been around a long time and the county’s finances have never been stronger” Mr. Morgan said, addressing the committee from a podium at the front of the Legislature’s Chambers. “There’s multiple reasons why that is. Certainly one of the big reasons I think is the way we’ve handled the county’s finances up until the pandemic, through the pandemic and after the pandemic, and I think a lot of credit goes to the County Executive and to the Legislature for supporting the approach and the structure that we’ve tried to put in place as we go forward.”
Leader May and Legislators Knapp and Abbott asked targeted questions and provided their thoughts on the information in the presentation. To end the meeting, Phil Britt, Deputy Comptroller of Accounting presented much of the same information in their Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
“The financial condition of Onondaga County is definitely strong” says Legislature Chairman Timothy Burtis (3rd District). “That’s a good thing because we anticipate many new infrastructure projects. Our strong financial position means that we are ready to move forward with those initiatives and projects as we welcome Micron and work to make Onondaga County the best it has ever been.”
At July Session, all of the previously mentioned resolutions were presented on the floor and approved, most with very little discussion. The only other items on the agenda were two appointments, both of which got a thumbs up. One is to the Onondaga Community College Board of Trustees and the other to the Greater Syracuse Property Development Corporation.
Three local laws were also approved:
Health & Human Services Chair Kelly presented the one discussed at his committee relating to vaccine fees collected by the Onondaga County Health Department Bureau of Disease Control
Environmental Protection Chair Abbott presented one to allow the new Director of the Onondaga County Office Environment time to move into Onondaga County, as is required
Ways & Means Chair Gunnip presented the one allowing Onondaga County to opting out of the exemption from taxation for certain solar and wind energy systems.