A Citizen’s Report
on
A Meeting of the Corning City Council
April 1, 2024
The Council for the City of Corning, New York held its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Council Chambers, Civic Center Plaza, Corning, New York on April 1, 2024.
All Councilmembers attended the meeting except councilmembers Coccho and Muccini who were absent. Counting City of Corning employees, eighteen members of the public were in the audience.
Announcements – May 21st vote
Southeast Steuben County Library Levy.
Councilmember Paterson explained the proposal of the Southeast Steuben County Library to increase its tax levy to 53¢ per thousand dollars of property valuation. The vote on this levy increase will occur on May 21, 2024. The local tax levy
currently supports only 58% of the operations of the library, with the rest of the funds coming from book sales and other sources. The biggest challenge facing the library is the cost to repair and maintain its building. When the Library took over the operational responsibility for the building, it received no money to offset the effects of deferred maintenance. Like other buildings in the Nasser Civic Center, the Library building needs substantial capital improvements to keep it both safe and usable for the public. The library has never exceeded its tax cap before, but now it must adequately fund its needs and raise public support to a fairer share of its $1.5 million budget.
Announcements – Barbara Blumer
Mayor Boland read a public proclamation recognizing, commending, and thanking Baarbara Blumer, on behalf of the City of Corning, for her commitment of time and resources, and for her dogged research and extraordinary effort, leading to the discovery and preservation of the stories behind the 1976 People Wall. After years of research and community collaboration Ms. Blumer learned who are the 150 people and animals shown on the People Wall and the reasons for their selection. She also discovered the many people photographed but not selected for the mural. In doing so she preserved the stories of those pictured and those not and saved an important part of the history of the city.
New Business – Setting a Public Hearing
Restore NY Communities Initiative Grant Application
Corning Court House Historic Restoration
Giuseppe and Jennifer Milio, the Owners of the former Steuben County Court House located at 10 West First Street in Corning have asked that the City of Corning apply for funds available through the Restore NY Communities Initiative.
This program allows cities to apply for grant funds to support projects that revitalize and stabilize a community. The Milio’s plan is to convert the presently vacant courthouse structure to seven residential units.
Prior to submission of the application, the City must hold a public hearing to obtain public comment on the proposed project.
The Council unanimously agreed to set the public hearing for May 6, 2024, in the Council Chambers to begin at 6:15 p.m.
Background:
An article appearing in Buffalo Rising on February 23, 2024, further explains the program:
“Governor Kathy Hochul recently announced the launch of applications for the $60 million Restore New York grant program, which officially opened on February 22, 2024. This initiative, managed by Empire State Development, aims to assist municipalities in transforming blighted and underutilized buildings into thriving residential, commercial, and mixed-use spaces. This announcement aligns with Governor Hochul’s proposal in the FY 2025 Executive Budget to allocate an additional $50 million for future iterations of the Restore NY program.
The stated purpose of The Restore New York program is to support local governments in their efforts to eliminate eyesores and reinvigorate neighborhoods, thereby attracting new residents and businesses. Projects eligible for funding through this program include the demolition, rehabilitation, or restoration of vacant, abandoned, condemned, or surplus properties. A significant focus will be placed on projects that are situated in economically disadvantaged communities, those that can draw upon additional state or federal funds, and those that are ready and feasible for immediate implementation.”
According to guidelines published for the program, if a municipality intends to apply for Restore NY funding, a letter of intent must be submitted by the leading municipal official no later than 5:00 PM on March 25, 2024.
So, the City of Corning has already filed a letter of intent to apply. The letter of intent was not a part of the documents produced in the Council’s meeting notice. Upon request, this writer obtained a copy of the letter. It is reproduced here:
The project involves the historic rehabilitation of 10. W. First Street, a vacant, 12,048 square foot county courthouse that was auctioned by Steuben County in 2023 as surplus property and will be redeveloped as seven, new market-rate residential units. The property is a contributing property within Corning’s Southside Historic District. The neighborhood is negatively impacted by the presence of this looming vacant structure and its potential for rehabilitation is tied to getting funds to help make the project economically viable. As a Historic Preservation Tax Credit project, this building would be a high-quality project destined to further the neighborhood's goal of being a housing destination and is located two blocks from historic Market Street, which vastly supports the market rate housing population in the community with restaurants, services and a grocery store five blocks away.
According to the guidelines, the City received an eligibility determination and now must proceed with putting together an application.
New Business – Miscellaneous
The Council unanimously:
Approved the mayor’s appointment of Amy Ruza to the Public Art Committee for a term ending December 31, 2025.
During public comment on this agenda item, five members of the public spoke glowingly of Ms. Ruza and encouraged the council to appoint her. Ms. Ruza also spoke of her background qualifications and her enthusiasm for the position.
Approved the mayor’s appointment of Caroline Jaeckel to the Historic Preservation Commission for a term ending June 30, 2028.
Approved the mayor’s reappointment of Alison Hunt to the Corning Intown District Management Association’s Board of Directors for a term ending June 30, 2025.
Public Comment
The co-owners of Phillips Funeral Home on Pulteney Street asked the Council’s help in working to develop a plan to reduce or end loitering next to their funeral home. They asserted that, despite numerous complaints to city officials, the only advice given to them is to call the police. This is not a long-term solution to the effect that the improper behavior of multiple loiterers is having on their business. They also complained that the bus route stops in front of their business, blocking entry and creating congestion. In response to their complaints, City and transit authorities have asserted the bus does not stop in front of the funeral home. But it does. They asked to work with the city to find a route accommodation to help theirs and other businesses.
The meeting adjourned at 7:01 p.m.
NOTES
The writer of this report has presented items in an order different than that in which they occurred at the meeting.
The writer has, except as specifically noted, amended, or eliminated comments and attribution for them. Unless quotation marks are used, the comments reported are not verbatim.
For brevity, the writer has not included all items on the agenda of the meeting.
The author has added material for context or clarity and where it is extensive, is labeled “Background.”
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