The year ahead: 2023 committees
2023 is underway and this year, all of the committees of the Onondaga County Legislature are headed by Republican Legislators.
Julie Abbott is one of them and she’s excited for that opportunity.
“I absolutely love the Environmental Protection committee” she says. The 6th District Legislator, Abbott first chaired it last year but has served on the committee since 2019.
“I think it’s important for us and for our children to preserve our beautiful Central New York and our Finger Lakes, and I’m happy to be advocating and communicating and really trying to make sure that we’re good stewards of that” she says.
Legislator Abbott lives in and represents the Village of Skaneateles. She says thinking about our environment is especially important there as Skaneateles Lake is the main source of drinking water for the City of Syracuse. “We need to keep focusing on being good stewards of all the tributaries and everything that flows into the lake, because what we do on the land around our watersheds directly impacts water quality” she says.
The Environmental Protection committee is also expected to continue the fight against water chestnuts on county waterways. The invasive species cause many problems for boaters, swimmers, homeowners and the ecosystem, and it’s something Legislator Abbott is all too familiar with. They’ve been a problem on both Skaneateles Lake and Otisco Lake, which is also in her district.
Last summer, representatives from the Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted a special meeting for the committee on the shores of the Seneca River. They explained why water chestnuts are a problem and demonstrated the tedious process of removing them from the water. The presentation was successful - when county budget time came in October, $100,000 of additional money was allocated towards the water chestnut fight.
Legislators Julie Abbott, Colleen Gunnip and Debra Cody watch a demonstration on removing water chestnuts.
Legislator Abbott also expects the committee to look at new solar initiatives and energy saving practices that could be beneficial to the county and taxpayers, plus needed work at the White Pine Commerce Park in Clay to prepare for the arrival of Micron.
“I want to make sure that we have very transparent and clear communication amongst the group in terms of the kind of infrastructure, sewer, water, and the needs for development and the funding that we’re being asked for in regards to Micron and everything happening over there because it’s a big lift and we just want to be responsible with our taxpayers dollars and understand the needs of this phenomenal opportunity that’s coming” she adds.
The bottom line is clear for Legislator Abbott: we have to work now to protect our environment for tomorrow. She wants her boys to be able to enjoy the same lives and lifestyles we do today, and be able to utilize the lake that’s the focal point of the community in which they live.
Legislator Debra Cody (5th District) is Vice Chair of Environmental Protection, but also serves as Chair of the County Facilities committee. One of the big topics at their first meeting of the year was the improvements likely coming to many county parks in 2023.
Onondaga County Parks Commissioner Brian Kelly appeared before the members of the committee to ask for the needed funding, which totals just over $5.5 million dollars.
Oneida Shores Park in Brewerton will have the most noticeable changes. In the final phase of a multi-year project, a new permanent gate will be installed at the main entrance and near the water, a new fish weigh station will be constructed, which Kelly calls the ‘cherry on the sundae’ of this project.
“It’ll have electric, it’ll have water” he told Legislators. “We bring in some large scale fishing tournaments that generate all sorts of economic impact. Bass in particular. This will give them an area to weigh their fish, have tournament briefings and standings and just have an area to congregate after they are done fishing.”
Kelly says locals who fish at Oneida Shores will also be able to use the new weigh station. He also spoke about a second project that will help correct a longtime problem at the campground.
“Currently our RVs, in order to empty their waste after using our campgrounds, they have to pull up to a central location with two pits in the ground where they put their waste in and it goes into a holding tank” Kelly told Legislators. “As you can imagine, when they do that, it doesn’t smell great.”
He added that sometimes, RV’s can’t even empty their waste into the tanks before leaving, which he calls a “big deterrent” from possibly coming back. The current tanks have to be emptied on a regular basis. The proposed project would connect the holding tanks directly to existing sewer lines in the area. Kelly says it will not only make the bad smells go away, it will make the park more efficient and desirable to campers.
Commissioner Kelly also shared some details about a proposed project at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo, where the Parks Department hopes to replace aging mechanical systems in many of the Zoo’s buildings. “Most of these systems are HVAC related and are very important to the care of our animal collection” Kelly told Legislators. “We will start with the ones that are in dire need and we’ll go from there.”
Smaller projects are also proposed at various other county parks, most of which are preventative maintenance and to address known safety issues.
Legislator Colleen Gunnip (4th District), who is Vice Chair of the committee, says, “Parks provide not only recreation benefits to our county, but they are also a source of positive economic benefits. They enhance property values, increase revenue and attract new homebuyers to our community. Investment is now more important than ever with Micron coming to our community.”
Legislator Gunnip is also serving as Chair of the Health & Human Services committee. At their first meeting of the new year, Deputy Commissioner Jennifer Parmalee from the Onondaga County Health Department shared details about how $3.7 million dollars in opioid settlement funds will be used.
Majority Leader Brian May (1st District) and Legislators Timothy Burtis (3rd District) and Mark Olson (10th District) are also heading up committees again in 2023. The full list is below.
Committee assignments are made each year by the Chairman of the Legislature.
"With a number of Legislators announcing retirements, the start of this new legislative year presented a unique opportunity to make some strategic changes in committee assignments" says Chairman James Rowley (2nd District). "As Chairman, it is my prerogative to make changes and I did so with an eye toward keeping continuity on the one hand in order to maintain efficiency in our legislative process, and providing new opportunities for Legislators to gain experience."
Continuing, Chairman Rowley says "the result of these changes is that all program committees are now chaired by members from the Republican caucus, who hold an 11-6 majority in the Legislature. Each Chairperson brings a unique set of skills and experience to their roles and each are imminently qualified to lead their committees. I believe the changes will lead to better coordination among Legislators, the administration and outside agencies; and will result in a better process for the taxpayers of Onondaga County."