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 March 4, 2024.
All Councilmembers attended the meeting except councilmembers Muccini and Paterson, who were absent. Counting City of Corning employees, twelve members of the public were in the audience.
New Business – AIM funding
The Council unanimously approved a resolution urging Governor Hochul to collaborate with the leaders of the Senate and Assembly for the purpose of increasing AIM funding in the 2024-25 adopted State Budget.
Background (the following are edited excerpts from the text of the adopted resolution and comments made at the meeting):
Local governments, like the City of Corning, are on the frontline of efforts to keep property taxes affordable while also ensuring the safety of its citizens. The Aid and Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) program helps pay for essential services. It is one of the City of Corning’s few sources of discretionary dollars.
The State of New York has not increased AIM funding in 15 years. And, once again, the Governor’s 2024-25 Executive Budget proposes to keep AIM funding flat.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation has increased by nearly 45% over the past 15 years. Going forward, the increasing costs of labor and supplies and the loss of extraordinary federal aid make it more difficult for municipalities like the City of Corning to operate.
Not increasing AIM funding in response to known past and expected future price hikes has forced municipalities to increase property taxes, reduce staff, or cut investment in essential municipal services. Sometimes municipalities must do all three.
An increase in AIM funding will reduce the local tax burden and help communities like the City of Corning, enabling it to improve or add to the services it provides.
New Business – Zamboni Repairs
The Council unanimously approved a transfer of $27,000 from the Ice Rink Reserve fund to the Equipment Maintenance and Repair fund for the refurbishment of the ice rink Zamboni. The Council took this action after Councilmember ReSue asked about the efficacy of repairing a 20-year-old machine.
City Manager Ryckman explained that, while the Ice Rink Reserve fund, consisting of portions of the revenue generated by the rink, could pay for a new Zamboni, the cost (about $120,000) would make it unlikely that the Reserve Fund could respond to other capital needs of the rink. Further, the current Zamboni, while old, has only 5,000 hours on it, which is well-within the expected useful life of the machine. The machine has problems, but previously the city has not asked a certified Zamboni repair shop to address these. This time, such a shop will do the work. Mr. Ryckman hopes that the refurbishment will extend the life of the machine for another eight to ten years.
New Business – Miscellaneous
The Council unanimously:
Authorized the City Manager to dispose of surplus vehicles, equipment and supplies by auction, sealed bid, or inter-municipal transfer during May, June, and July 2024.
Approved the mayor’s reappointment of John Brown to the Zoning Board of Appeals Commission for a term ending December 31, 2028.
Consented to the reappointment of Marck Ryckman by the Steuben County Legislature to the Steuben County Land Bank Board of Directors.
Accepted a $16,458 HAZMAT grant from the State of New York to reimburse the city for the purchase of a utility truck box.
Announcements - Sister City Trip
Mayor Boland presented slides of a trip by ten adults and two high school students, taken at private expense, to San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy, a Sister City of the City of Corning. There was no public money used for this trip.
This Sister City relationship began more than 20 years ago when representatives of San Giovanni Valdarno reached out to Corning, asking to become a Sister City as an expression of their solidarity with the United States after the tragedy of September 11, 2001. A delegation from San Giovanni Valdarno visited Corning last year. This trip was both to reciprocate and to renew the Sister City Protocol of Intention, the document that describes and cements the relationship.
Announcements – Assessor’s Office
Councilmember Hyde thanked the City Assessor and her staff for the special efforts they have made, including trips to help individuals at their homes, to help Corning residents complete paperwork to enroll in the Enhanced STAR program.
Background: The program is for School Tax Relief (STAR) and offers property tax relief to eligible homeowners. The Enhanced STAR program provides an increased benefit for senior citizens (age 65 and older) with qualifying incomes.
The meeting adjourned at 6:53 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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