" 11/17

Anybody else noticing that the city is already getting into the spirit of the season, even though that season hasn't quite (officially) arrived yet? Auburn's holiday decorations are already going up in the downtown area. That includes the snowflake lights on the street lamps and garlands with a giant wreath at city hall. But city officials have said the early decor is as much about the season as is it about the spirit. City Manager Mark Palesh said last week that it's a lot safer for workers to be climbing ladders and putting up decorations in the current weather than to do it in snowy or icy conditions.

Personally, I think the Christmas season doesn't start until after Thanksgiving. But between retail stores wheeling out the Christmas stuff and a local radio station already dedicated to 24-hour holiday music, it looks like I'm outnumbered.

-C. Caskey "

" 11/16

A lot of feedback has been coming my way about leaf pickup. In fact, I've probably received more phone calls and emails on this topic than any other in the past few months (maybe sidewalks). And most of them are anonymous comments without a name or numer attached to them, and pretty much break down in the following categories.
* The city should just give tickets to everyone who puts the leaves on the street.
* Everyone should mulch like I do. It's easier and better for the environment.
* I'm not going to bag my leaves until the city does the same on its own properties.
* How can the leaves break down if they are in plastic bags? (This was discussed as part or an article in Saturday's paper. The bags are shredded with the leaves, go into the compost pile, and br3eak down quicker than plastic bags from years past, according to the city.)
* I pay so much in taxes for services, the city should not make my buy bags or containers and put the leaves in them.

Whatever the opinions, I saw a lot of people out this weekend raking their yards and leaving bags in front. Some are still raking to the curbs, though.

-C. Caskey "

" 11/05

The city council was not on its A game tonight, procedurally speaking. Along with all the confusion, back and forth, etc. over the sludge facility that will be reported in tomorrow's paper, there was trouble simply getting through the agenda in the proper order.

Mayor Michael Quill became visibly frustrated early on when a resolution dealing with state environmental procedures was not listed before other items related to the same project (The environmental review is required by law to be finished first). There were also other items out of order because of confusion over whether they were pulled or tabled at previous elections. Quill called the agenda a "terrible" package, at one point, obviously displeased with whoever put it together.

Later, a resolution to award bids on parking garage improvements had to be pulled because they only took care of the first reading before hand.

Most of these procedures are regulated by state law, meaning you have to do one before the other, allow a specific amount of time before two actions, etc.

Former Auburn mayor and recent legislator-elect Tim Lattimore congratulated councilors Matthew Smith and William Graney for their victories in Tuesday's election. He pointed out that the two councilors were able to do something he has never been able to do in his political career -- get re-elected.

Quill said he would hold off on congratulations for Lattimore until all the absentee ballots are counted, as he's in a close race. It surely brings back "bittersweet memories" (Quill's line) from two years ago, when Quill beat Lattimore by a hair in a race that was determined by absentee voters.

-C. Caskey "

" Just waiting for the returns, now. This is the last-minute calm before the blitz of phone calls and typing. Good luck to all the candidates who are probably more nervous than I am.

-C. Caskey "

" Few things get a weathered, cynical journalist excited like free pizza. Best part about Election Day.

I've heard rumblings of some confusion at the polls about the new voting machines. I didn't see as big of a push as last year toward informing the public about how to use them.

- C. Caskey "

" A dirty little secret about election coverage -- much of what you'll read in tomorrow's paper will be written before the results come out.

It's close to impossible to write an entire story during the hour or less that you have after receiving the results. The numbers come in at around 10 or 11 p.m., and the deadline is not much beyond that. So we'll write all the background information (any key issues leading up to the election, who the people are, etc.) that is not based on the results ahead of time. That's often as much as half the story. Then we'll contact the winners and losers when the numbers are in for their responses, write the lead, work in the quotes and wrap up the story as quickly as possible.

I've heard from multiple sports writers editors that is how every sports story is written. Write about the first half at half-time, get a few moments down from the second half, quotes from the main players/coaches and throw it all together with some statistics.

- C. Caskey "

" Word from those who have been out to the polls: a steady stream of people, but nothing overwhelming. The newsroom is quiet. Not many calls coming in or going. Lots of waiting, preparing, etc.

Like any other workplace, there is discussion at the paper leading up to the election about who people think will win each race. I have my own ideas on most of them, but one item on the city ballot has been hard to predict. The referendum to raise the spending and bonding cap for the city on energy, landfill, water and sewer projects. There has not been any real public opposition to the ballot measure. But Auburn residents have rejected the last couple public referendums, so they can be a tough crowd.

-C. Caskey "

" 11/03

Election day is off and running. I stopped at city hall on the way in this afternoon, and things were bustling more than usual. No big lines, but people coming and going. I picked up a couple Rice Crispy treats and cookies at the election day bake sale. They sold well earlier, and were half off by the time I got there.

The bake sale goes back almost two decades. Every election, tasty treats are sold and the money raised is for the needy families city hall adopts through the Christmas Elf program, and goes toward trees, food, gifts and decorations. The sale is currently run by Donna Lumb, and past coordinators include Cathy Hawelka, Sherry Gabak and Jane Westlake.

Nothing too heavy to report otherwise. Just beginning to settle in, though a colleague is making calls to confirm the annual reports of a couple voting machines that aren't functioning properly. Other than what I saw at city hall, it's hard to tell so far what the turnout has been like. Without a big state or national race, I imagine it won't be huge. "

" 11/02

One week after the last post, and one day from the election. Last week was a busy one, as readers saw in our candidate coverage. The next two days will be the final sprint for the candidates, and I have heard from multiple people that local hopefuls for city council and other public seats were out in the neighborhoods much of the weekend with a final push to sway some voters.

Election day is like Christmas for reporters. It tends to be the biggest day of the year, and there is usually a buzz around the newsroom leading up to it. Lots of talk about who you think has a chance, what you've heard on the street, etc. And while the big day tends to be pretty predictable and mostly involves a lot of sitting and waiting, you can also bet on a couple of surprises.

Everyone's got a lot on their plates (for me, it's two candidate races and a public referendum), and if something unexpected happens it makes the deadline feel that much tighter. To make things a bit more lively, I'm opting to run a real-time blog through the day to give any updates and to give readers a feel of election day from a reporter's point of view as it unfolds. I'll try to update every hour, and/or as things break, beginning at 2 p.m.

On a completely different note, I saw a lot of bags full of leaves while I was on a run yesterday evening. Looks like people are aware of the city's new policy for curbside pickup with crews now dedicating Monday to yard waste. There were a few houses with leaves still at the curb at about 1:30 p.m. today, so it looks like crews are still doing the rounds.

- C. Caskey "

" 10/26

The newsroom felt like a morgue this morning: three people working very quietly, muted voices talking in other departments and the hum of computers. It's a bit of an eerie calm before the storm, considering the week leading up to an election tends to be one of the busiest of the year. We've got candidate forums to cover, general election stories, and any other usual or breaking news on beats. I'm lucky there is no city council meeting this week, because I already have two forums, the comprehensive plan unveiling and a referendum story.

The city council race has been relatively quiet so far. A large, preview story covering each candidate (Matthew Smith, William Graney and Jack Hardy) and their stances on various issue will run before the election, as will an overview of their televised forum that takes place Thursday. I haven't heard a ton of chatter so far from candidates, supporters or otherwise as of yet. But you never know if/when a local election gets its own October surprise.

-C. Caskey "

" 10/22

Mike Voltz, of C-H Auburn, and Gary Craig, of Greenfield Energy, updated the city council on the power plant currently under construction near the sewage plant. The three-engine generator will run on methane produced by the landfill. I didn't feature the update in tomorrow's council story for a couple reasons: nothing was presented at the meeting that has not already been reported on, and I am looking at putting together a larger, overall story on the entire project in the coming weeks (before the plant goes on-line).

But a couple aspects of the project were covered that are worth mentioning. If all goes as planned, the plant would power the municipal sewer. City power officials said it costs $400,000 a year to run that facility. The city could also earn hundreds of thousands of dollars in carbon credits, officials estimate, because they will be keeping a greenhouse gas (methane) from escaping into the atmosphere. The plant itself is essentially three 20-cylinder engines that will run on methane, producing 2 megawatts of power and hot water. It could eventually produce 3 megawatts if the city completes the proposed digester, which would turn sewage sludge into methane.

- C. Caskey "

" 10/20

Last night's town-hall meeting with Mayor Michael Quill was more lightly attended than a similar event in August, and quite a bit shorter. But as can be read in today's paper, there was still plenty of discussion on a few topics -- cable television options, streets and sidewalks, energy, public safety.

Resident Judith Bryant, who showed up to talk and said she'd go to a future forum if one is scheduled, covered a few of those issues on her own. She told Quill she wants to see the city find a way to remove snow from sidewalks and around the parking meters in the downtown area. She's not the only one -- it's an issue that comes up frequently, as people say it is very difficult for older visitors to get around when they go downtown to do business.

Bryant also said she'd like to see the city find a way to clear snow away from residents' driveways after the plow goes by. Quill said there used to be a small tractor that would do just that. Whether or not that can happen again is a question both of them admitted will be tough to answer. Which led to this bit of back and forth:
"Part of the problem with Auburn is attitude." -- Bryant
"Auburnians are a tough crowd." -- Quill
"They haven't gotten any easier." -- Bryant.

Quill also touched on the digester project that is eventually supposed to convert biosolids from the city sewer into energy. That project has been pushed to the back of the line in terms of priorities because of funding issues. Former Mayor Tim Lattimore (who was involved in the initial push for the digester) asked why the county recently received a federal grant for a digester project through the stimulus program but Auburn did not.

The answer -- the county's digester plan was simply further along, more shovel ready, according to Quill.

- C. Caskey "

" 10/15

A quick-hit council meeting ended on a bit of a down note tonight as city officials discussed how Gov. David Paterson's across-the-board deficit reduction plan could affect the city's bottom line. If those cuts are implemented as they are currently proposed, the city will lose $418,000 of the $5.2 million it is supposed to receive this year in state aid. That's an 8-percent reduction in money with which the city can do anything it wants. Those funds usually are delivered in August, march and June.

The state has also put the city on notice to expect an increase of about 33 percent in its contribution to the state pension fund. This year, Auburn will pay $2.1 million. Next year, the number could raise to $2.8 million.

Also, the ranks were a little thin around the podium. Both City Manager Mark Palesh and City Attorney John Rossi were not present during tonight's meeting. Andrew Fusco, who also works in the corporation counsel office, sat in as replacement city attorney and "third-string" manager.

-C. Caskey "

" 10/08

Was the Sporting News ranking of Auburn last on the list of the 399 best sports cities in the United States a pat on the back or a poke in the ribs? A story will run in tomorrow's paper about the recently-released list, which pegged the home of the Doubledays and Maroons as number 399. Mayor Michael Quill said after tonight's meeting that he received a call from a reporter at the Chicago Tribune about the city's place on the list, indicating it was a slight to the city. But Quill said he believes it's a positive thing, considering the thousands of cities in the country as big as or bigger than Auburn.

Also, it seems like the city council can't get through a night lately without bringing up sidewalks. At the end of tonight's relatively short meeting, Matthew Smith and William Graney asked City Manager Mark Palesh to check with city and state engineers about the progress (if any) on changes to the York Street reconstruction. Both councilors have criticized the current plan, saying its inclusion of sidewalks and green space on both sides of the street will make it harder for the commercial and industrial businesses located on the street. What followed was a few minutes of back and forth, most of which was rehashing some of the arguments of the past with a bit of new opinions or questions peppered in.

Smith: no sidewalks at all. Graney: revise the plan that and take those business owners' concerns into consideration. Quill: take everyone's concerns into consideration, including people who might want to walk down York Street. Gilda Brower: the road, when finished, will be a benefit to all, but the city should take into consideration the amount of speedy traffic that rolls through there. Palesh and Thomas McNabb: take the state officials into consideration, and make sure the changes requested by the city do not result in the loss of $10.5 million in grants for the project.

- C. Caskey "

" 10/06

The Internet is a place where cities and communities are going to market themselves. In today's paper, there is a story about a Web Site that offers self-guided tours of locations related to the Underground Railroad in the city of Auburn and Cayuga County. I also noticed this week that the city's Web site, http://ci.auburn.ny.us, has received a bit of an overhaul.

The changes look to be basically cosmetic -- a more subtle, green background instead of red. The new, "History's Hometown" icon out front. It looks pretty good, though though there seems to be one catch. The very nice photo of a boat heading to Owasco Lake looks like it's in Emerson Park. "

" 10/01

With all the build up and talk over the past year about fire contracts, the new bargaining agreements came and went without a lot of fanfare today. The council passed the contracts, the details of which ran in today's paper and will be examined closer in tomorrow's paper, in a 4-0 vote. The meeting was short, the discussion was at a minimum and we were out of there before 7 p.m.

The most exciting (using the term loosely) part of the meeting was right in the beginning, when there were a couple technical difficulties. Steve Gage, who videos the meetings to run on cable access, interrupted the city clerk because the sound system was off. It took a few seconds and some fumbling around before things got going. Most people who interrupt an official public meeting would get ruled out of order or escorted out by the police. But it's important to get the sound for the TV feed, because a lot of local residents watch the meetings from home.

Completely unrelated, but the council's longest-tenured member, Thomas McNabb, ran the meeting today in place of Mayor Michael Quill, who was absent. "

" 9/23

Things in the newsroom haven't quite started revving up for the next election yet (forums, candidate interviews and letters to the editor make October and early November a busy time). But I've seen a couple indications that election season is here.

Saturday morning there was some music blasting at the Clifford Field club house and a small crowd was mingling -- a campaign rally for city council candidate Jack Hardy, who is running on the Democrat ticket. The rally was hosted by a few local residents advocating for the park to become a higher priority for the city, making one wonder if this will become more of an issue as the election inches closer.

Then yesterday evening, former mayor Tim Lattimore was in a coat and tie knocking on doors in the county's District 13, which is located in Auburn. Lattimore, a name usually associated with city politics, is taking a run on the Republican ticket against James Hutchinson.

Before you know it, there will be signs on lawns across the city.

- C. Caskey "

" 9/22

The terms of the contract agreements between the city and two firefighter unions are not yet public, as was reported in today's paper. (visit http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2009/09/22/local_news/news04.txt to read more) The term that will likely get the most attention will be whether the new contracts (which will be voted on at the city council meeting after next) will include a 15-person staffing minimum for each shift. People at city hall have been saying for years that requirement costs the city piles of money in overtime.

But any raise in pay will also be interesting, considering the fact that the city passed a 2009-2010 budget that does not include funds for pay raises that would come out of contract negotiations. With multiple contracts still pending, including the firefighters and the assistant chiefs, the money for cost of living or other pay increases have to come from somewhere, likely city reserve funds. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes up at future meetings as each of these contract negotiations is resolved.

-C. Caskey "

" 9/17

Since beginning to cover government, I've learned two things. It is often convoluted and complicated, and yet it also can have very tangible effects on people. Both of those characteristics were on display tonight during city council, where one level of government sparred with another.

As will be reported in tomorrow's edition of The Citizen, a number of business owners are upset about a plan to rebuild York Street. They say the sidewalks and green space will cut into their parking and make it harder for deliveries and customers to come and go. But officials and engineers say the state and federal governments are funding most of this project. That means it has to be designed according to state and federal guidelines, which in turn means there has to a place for pedestrians to walk.

With that in mind, there are a number of things covered tonight that left more questions than answers, and would make Franz Kafka smile (or frown, depending on your interpretation).

* What aspects of this project, exactly, are mandated by the state and/or the feds? A DOT representative whose job it is to make sure these projects are up to specs pointed out a number of times that regulations call for pedestrians to be accommodated. However, he used terms like "guidelines" and "standards" in favor of "mandate" when referring sidewalks, green space, wider road, etc -- even when asked directly whether these aspects are mandated.

* What does the Americans With Disabilities Act require? The city's chief engineer has maintained the ADA requires the city to install sidewalks when work is done on a road to comply with federal law, including this project. Other officials at the meeting said the ADA requires the project to take pedestrians into consideration and when making it accessible. Councilor Matthew Smith says he has talked with eight ADA experts who say that is up to the city's discretion.

* What do the city require? Smith and Councilor William Graney claimed the city code is out of compliance with the city charter. The code states sidewalks are required along all city streets, with no exceptions, but also allows for a Sidewalk Board of Review (which doesn't exist) to examine special cases. The charter states the council has the authority to mandate sidewalks, and there should be a public hearing on the proposed sidewalk. Multiple city officials said during and after the meeting there is no conflict, yet the city attorney, John Rossi, said both he and a legal consultant have found possible inconsistencies between the two documents. Like a constitution over an enacted law, the city charter would have the final authority.

* Will there be a compromise? Mayor Quill said after the meeting that he believes there can be a compromise. But City Manager Mark Palesh posed this question to the DOT official during the meeting: If the final plan sent back to the state for approval had only one sidewalk on one side of the road, and no green space, would the city lose its grants for the road project?
The state official said this: "I would say we would have to re-asses the project, but I won't say absolutely not."

-C. Caskey "

" 9/5

Greetings blog readers. I am escaping the crush of the newsroom for a week and taking a trip to visit my family in California, where I plan to eat tons of Mexican food and spend some time on my dad's old boat. I'll keep an eye on things in Auburn through auburnpub.com until I get back Sept. 14.
Have a nice Labor Day weekend.

- C. Caskey "

" 9/4

As I was preparing today to cover the city council meeting where the council would decide whether to make Saratoga Cheese Corp. eligible for Empire Zone tax benefits, an unexpected but very timely e-mail appeared in my in box. Empire State Development announced today that the state is looking to essentially let the often-controversial program expire on June 30 2010. In a written press release, the state agency in charge of encouraging businesses to locate and expand in the state said it is actively looking to find the best way to replace what has become its most popular economic program.

Nowhere in the release does it explicitly state the program will not be renewed. Who knows what the political climate will be like in a year. But the following quote from ESD's chairman Dennis M. Mullen don't paint the brightest picture:
"We have been doing massive amounts of outreach to the business community since January 1, 2007.  To date, the conversation has largely focused on reforming the Empire Zone Program.  Now we need to replace it."
And Gov. David Paterson:
"As this program sunsets, we need to act now to develop an appropriate replacement.  New York State must offer economic development programs that maximize our competitiveness while containing costs, focusing on strategic high-growth industries, capitalizing on our historic manufacturing backbone and offering transparency to the business community and the public."

In reporting on the Saratoga Cheese proposal, I have asked executives and board members on numerous occasions whether they think the state's recent crack down on the EZ program will negatively affect this project. Every time, they have said they do not believe it will. As will be reported in Friday's paper, a Saratoga Cheese board member said Thursday that the company is expecting to receive its EZ benefits before the program sunsets, so even this news does not change the plans.

However, it will be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially considering company representatives have said on numerous occasions that these tax benefits are vital for this project to get off the ground. It will also be interesting to see how a new development program would be structured, and how that structure would deal with the many, many other local businesses that participate in the program. City planning officials have said local small businesses depend on the EZ program to stay afloat. ESD says it will work with government agencies and business officials to put this new program together. You can bet local officials will try to make sure local companies receive as little negative impact as possible.

-C. Caskey "

" 8/25

As reported in Sunday's paper, the proposal to build a cheese factory in Aurelius must take a very important step through the Auburn City Council in the coming weeks. The council must pass a local law designating the project as "Regionally Significant" before it can have a chance to receive the attractive -- and lucrative -- Empire Zone benefits from the state.

The state has the final say in both the "Regionally Significant" decision and the decision to give the benefits to Saratoga Cheese Corp. But neither of those can happen if the City Council does not approve the local law, for which there is a public hearing Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

So what are these benefits, and why does this project that is located in Aurelius need the city's approval? As for the Empire Zone, it's an incentive program meant to stimulate economic growth and entice companies to move to or expand within New York communities. There have also been widely reported abuses by businesses over the years, and the state has tried to crack down with stricter regulations on the program.

According to Empire State Development, the program can offer the following incentives to eligible businesses: tax credits on employee wages; a 10-percent tax credit for investments on depreciable property and/or some heavy equipment, a 25-percent tax credit to individuals who invest in Empire Zone businesses or projects, a refund on sales tax paid on building materials. Enhanced benefits include refunds on sales tax paid on all goods and services inside the zone, real property tax credits and a tax reduction based on amount of income taxes that come from businesses within the zone.

The local Empire Zone is a geographic entity with real boundaries, located entirely within the city of Auburn. All businesses within this zone can apply for these benefits. However, if a project outside the city can prove that it will add to the city's economic development, it can ask to be named "Regionally Significant." The city is allowed to extend its Empire Zone (EZ) to include the property, and the city can then sponsor that property for EZ certifications.

It's a confusing and convoluted process. But the people from Saratoga Cheese say those benefits are essential for the plant to get off the ground. It's also important because it's essentially state tax dollars going into a private business. A lot of people oppose programs like these and refer to them as corporate welfare. On the other side, proponents say the EZ program is the only reason a lot of businesses are still in the state, where they say industry and economic growth is limited by high taxes and regulations. Hopefully, some of those issues will come up Thursday during the city council's public hearing.

There's no question that a new factory will have an economic impact in the area. But I've also run into a lot of people around town who have the attitude of "I'll believe it when I see it" when it comes to this state-of-the-art facility coming to Cayuga County. It's not that they think these people are lying. But people have watched manufacturing jobs slowly leave the area, and for some it's hard to believe any new ones are on their way.

-C.Caskey "

" the name i have here is right i wont be leave any of this till i see something going on that helps the people out here in the real world there aren't getting anywhere with what that have to live of off. "

" Why is this idea getting all of the focus and all of the money? There are other worthy arts organizations and projects in this community that are already here. The Willard Chapel is a treasure, The Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, The Cayuga Museum, Auburn Public Theatre, just to name a few, and yes, the Auburn Schines Theatre. The musical theater festival is a risky business venture that is the pet project of a few powerful monied individuals. The county and the city are "kissing up" to the organizers of this project too. Giving them money and priority. I honestly do not get it.

I do get that the arts can be a powerful economic driver, but this business plan is flawed and NO ONE will say it. There is something wrong with a business plan that starts out: "Let's put on a show"; "My dad has a barn" (or ...the city of Auburn has the Kalet Building); "Gee Wiz Mickey we can save the day!"; "Do, you think so Judy?" "

" 8/19

The push toward establishing a musical theater festival here in Auburn is a touchy subject with a lot of people. It's one story where I know the day I write it I will get at least a few comments about the proposal. Two of the more common ones are "Why on earth does Auburn need something like this?" and "Do you really think this is going to work?" The fact that city officials and private parties are moving forward leads me to believe they think the city does need something like this.

It's not my place to take a stance on whether people should support a theater festival, or support the proposal to tear down Kalet's and build a venue. But I will say this:

When I was in college, my friends and I took a trip up the California coast a couple times. Camping along on beaches, the preferred route was to follow the coast just past the border with Oregon, and then take a small route inland to Interstate-5, where there is a little town called Ashland. Isolated and nestled at the end of a small valley, and surrounded by pine trees, it's a sleepy little town. But it's also home to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and those road trips would always pass through Ashland so we could catch a matinee.

The festival is known around the country. Buses full of students and adults go there all summer. I've been there three times (the best one was when I saw one of my favorites, "Antony and Cleopatra") and I lived 7 hours from the place. There are three stages, and a quick look at the website shows 11 plays this season.

What does that have to do with the local plans for a musical theater festival? Local organizers have said a number of times this event is to be modeled after the Oregon event and others like it, except with musicals instead of dramas or comedies. Some of their consultants are actually from the Oregon festival. People do go to these things, from all over the region. Like I did when I went to Ashland, those people do buy food, books or other souvenirs, rooms, campsites, gas, etc.

Whether a festival can find that level of success in Auburn is another question, one that the local leaders and organizers will have to face one day -- especially considering there is a considerable amount of debate among residents about whether it should happen here and now when the Schine theater on South Street sits empty. People pushing for the festival are confident the success will come here, but only time will prove them right or wrong.

-C. Caskey "

" 8/13

As occasionally happens, The Citizen came up as a topic of conversation at tonight's council meeting. At the end of the evening, Mayor Michael Quill talked about the ongoing discussions with residents over the state of Clifford Park, aka the Y-Field. Quill referenced an editorial that ran in today's (Thursday) paper that he should be the one to take the lead on park renovations. Quill said tonight that's just what he's going to do.

There has already been one meeting with him and some residents near the park on Mary and Swift streets since a group of them voiced concerns about the park's upkeep at a town hall meeting earlier this week. He also said there will be some more in the next few weeks. The city might be looking into possible grants for the facility, which boasts the historic clubhouse, softball fields, tennis and basketball courts and play equipment. And other councilors suggested the park should be a higher priority, as well.

City Manager Mark Palesh also said there is money in this year's budget that will go toward the tennis courts and playground, and he took exception with the notion that he has not shown any interest in the park. He also said those tennis courts are some of the best in town.

Of course, Quill invited any private parties to donate funds to the cause. And he asked me if perhaps The Citizen could become a major contributor to the effort. When you cover a government body, sports team or any other beat, you often become the face of the newspaper for those you talk with regularly. But I just write the stories. Someone else writes the checks, so I didn't make any promises.

-C. Caskey "

" 8/11

Apologies about the lag in posting since last week. I'll make sure to get some thoughts on the next council meeting later this week, and I'll try to throw up an extra post before then, depending on how news breaks this week. But on to the town hall...

The rumbles of thunder in the distance and soggy ground yesterday afternoon at Casey Park indicated stormy weather was on its way. But underneath the pavilion, there was not much of a tempest swelling against Michael Quill as he moderated his first mayor's town-hall meeting.

You never know how public forums are going to turn out until you actually get there. Even when a state or federal official comes to town, sometimes only a handful of polite citizens show up outside of the media and other government people. Sometimes, as we've seen with the recent health care town halls around the country, the "hall" is filled beyond capacity with a hostile crowd. So when Quill announced a couple weeks ago that he was going to start holding meetings, it was hard to tell whether there would be the same three or four residents who show up to every city council meeting, or an angry group with pitchforks and torches.

It ended up being somewhere in between, with one foot on the polite side. People came with comments, questions and concerns, and there was very little back-patting for the city. In these peoples' eyes, the city needs to get the polish (and money) out for some of its parks, run-down homes, trees and roads. But the conversations were cordial, for the most part, with cool heads and even tempers. The hottest topic was Clifford Park, and there was some back and forth between Quill and what looked like a group of residents who live near the field and took issue with its upkeep. But even Zinc La Douce, one of the park's advocates, thanked Quill at the end for holding the meeting.

Still, I'd be lying if I said it isn't more interesting to cover a shouting match. Maybe not better or more productive, but more interesting. We'll just have to see how the Oct. 19 meeting turns out.

- C. Caskey "

" What happened at the City Council meeting? "

" 8/5

Last night's Planning Board meeting was long. I left at 9:15 p.m. (it started at 7:30 p.m.), and they had only finished one item on the agenda. Of course, if you read today's paper, it was a big item -- the 30-unit housing complex off Clark Street near the western city limit.

Because they approved the development, and we have been covering this issue for a few months now, the story focuses mainly on what is new -- the discussion at the meeting on the conditions added to the plan by the board. The story didn't really go into specific arguments brought up for or against the housing complex. Those have been covered as recently as last week (www.auburnpub.com/articles/2009/07/28/local_news/news01.txt).

But during the public hearing portion of the meeting, Terry DeFelice of the Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency spoke up in favor of the project. She's one of only a few people other than the developers who have come to public meetings in support of the complex.

DeFelice specifically addressed an underlying concern that has been prevalent throughout all of this -- the fact that these apartments will be rented to low-income, formerly homeless tenets, as well as families of people with disabilities. Every time the debate comes up, residents are asking why there is a need for "more low-income housing" if the current units in the city aren't full already. Multiple residents have stated for public record that they don't want those renters in their neighborhood.

DeFelice acknowledged the fact that there are vacant units for low-income renters, but she said there is an "urgent" need for a new, well-run complex. She also had this to say (the following is paraphrasing what she covered):
The homeless and vulnerable segment of this community is increasing. There is an average of 10 to 20 people classified in the community as homeless over any given month. Most of those people can no longer afford rent, or they have been downsized from their jobs. Often, they move in with family, and the landlord finds out and evicts the whole group. Many of the landlords who own affordable housing do not treat the properties or tenants well. The tenants don't do much because they believe there is no where else to go.

As for the idea that low-income renters are worse neighbors, DeFelice had this to say:
"That just isn't true. ... In any segment of the population, there are people who don't take care of things."

-C. Caskey "

" 7/28

Large housing developments available to low-income and other underserved renters have not been very popular in Auburn recently. Readers can see in today's edition of The Citizen that developers looking to build 30 units on Clark St. and Belmont Ave. barley got approval Monday to zone the property for multi-family use. Many of the people who live next to the property have been fighting this development since the Spring, and after talking with some of those residents, it looks like that fight will continue.

The ball is now in the court of the city Planning Board, who will consider a site plan review at its next meeting Aug. 4. But this is not the first of such proposals to be placed on the board's agenda. Last year, the Planning Board threw a major hurdle in front of a very similar development project -- 30 semi-detached homes for low-to-moderate-income families. At least one of the developers, Two Plus Four Construction, is also involved with the current proposal.

The last project also was met with a lot of resistance from local residents, and even members of the Auburn City Council said they didn't want to see it happen. Dozens showed up to a December Planning Board meeting, at which the board said the project could potentially have a large or significant impact on the surrounding environment. Each project like this must go through a state-mandated environmental review. If it is decided the project could have a major impact, the designers or developers must complete a lengthy environmental impact statement that addresses any official concerns designated by the board.

With the new proposal, it doesn't look like the Planning Board has that option because the Zoning Board of Appeals was the agency that handled the environmental review this time. They said the project is not likely to have a major impact. So the Planning Board must now decide whether or not to approve the construction plans. And my bet is there will not be a ton of empty seating at city hall.

-C. Caskey "

" It sounds to me like the City Leaders are trying to make an example of the former CSEA President, even though he profitted in no way. It sounds like it was an established practice and now The Dump Czar is acting like this has never happened before. Is he so out of touch as the manager that he did not see this happen and take action to stop it, or are they claiming that the employee did all this dump truck loading under cover of darkness? "

" A couple notes from city council tonight:

*Who would have thought sidewalks would be such a touchy subject? But quite a few people showed up to the meeting tonight to see what was going to happen with the sidewalk issue. The city requires that sidewalks are installed along all streets and it’s the homeowner’s responsibility to make sure those sidewalks are properly installed and maintained. Some on the council want to put this law on hold and come up with a long-term plan for city sidewalks, so there a law proposing a moratorium as introduced tonight.

Three people spoke about the sidewalk issue, which is more than typical for a meeting. And we have also received a lot more than normal feedback from readers about the policy. I’ll be curious to see if that grows for the next meeting, where there will be a public hearing and likely a vote on the issue.

*Two councilors acted a little out of character tonight. Thomas McNabb, at the end of the meeting, brought up a column that ran this week in The Citizen from Guy Cosentino. The column suggested the city should hold more events downtown, like the summer concert series or Founders Day. McNabb – who said he rarely agrees with the former Auburn mayor on anything – said he’d like to see more of these types of events too.

Matt Smith agreed with McNabb, saying he’d also like to see more of this type of thing. It’s not particularly common for Smith – the council’s Republican who’s voted against he budget two years in a row because he thought it didn’t show enough restraint in spending – to see eye to eye with McNabb – the council’s longest tenured Democrat.

During the same meeting, Smith said something that made me check to see whether I had dozed off. When discussing the sidewalk issue, Smith said if the city is going to make the people pay for the sidewalks in front of their homes, there should be some sort of subsidy to ease the cost. No joke, he said subsidy – and was in favor of one. "

" 7/17

The CD drive of one of the computers in the newsroom wasn't working properly a couple weeks ago, and when someone got it open, it had a burned CD with a handful of photos taken at city hall in 1930. I didn't know it until looking through a past issue of the paper from the city's 200th anniversary, but the current city hall building was dedicated that year.

One of the photos is of a large event, with hundreds and hundreds of people gathered in front of the building -- easily more than were gathered last month to watch Sarah Palin speak. My guess is the photo is from the dedication, with lots of flags and a gaggle of official-looking people standing on the steps behind a collection of microphones.

There are a bunch of other black-and-white photos of the building's exterior and interior. To show how much time I've spend at 24 South St. over the past couple years, I immediately recognized the mayor's office and the meeting room directly next to the city council chambers.

Downtown Auburn has changed a lot since then, but the building itself looks almost exactly the same. Only a couple things suggest the date -- a (now classic) car parked in front of the building and a church located next door on the north end that has since been replaced by Lincoln Street.

Oh, there's one more giveaway. One of the photos is of the construction and design bill for the building. The city paid $353,628.19 for a shiny new city hall.

-C. Caskey "

" Almost every week, city council is approving a contract. There’s usually quite a bit of money involved, too – hundreds of thousands, sometimes in the millions. So, with all that money at stake, and tough economic times bearing down on contractors, why doesn’t the city give priority to local bidders?

This came up a few times tonight at council. It’s a question I’ve asked before, and it’s a valid one – with a valid answer.

The state says all municipalities MUST award the lowest “responsible” bidder with the contract, whether they’re from Auburn or Albany. City Attorney John Rossi explained tonight that the burden of proof falls on the city to show a company is not responsible. They better have a couple bad references, bad financial standing or have done some bad work for the city in the past to give the lowest bid and still not get the contract.

But Michael Vitale of Robinson Concrete made a case for local bidders during the session for the public tonight. He said he knows the city is bound by regulations on the bidding process. But he also said it’s good for the city when local businesses get those contracts because the employees spend that money here. And he threw in a jab toward out of the area companies, saying that the city needs to check their references very well.
Maybe those companies are looking for work here, Vitale said, because they can’t get work in their own towns.

The city has been trying for years to get a bill through the state legislature that would allow the city to give local bidders the job if they are within 5 percent of the lowest bid. No dice, so far.

Until that happens, they’ll just have to keep checking references of the out of towners like Bill Graney did at this meeting. Having heard that W. Frandsen and Son was going to subcontract the CDBG program to another company (that Graney said has done shoddy work in the past), he questioned William Frandsen about his credentials to do city sidewalk work.

He wasn’t convinced by the responses, though he was the only one who voted no on the measure to award the bid to the contractor. "

" 7/09

The state Senate feud looks like it might be over, but its effects are still being felt by the city.

During city council tonight, the city's director of grants said a good chunk of change has yet to come to Auburn from Albany because the senators have not been able to kiss and make up. All member items for 2009 have been withheld so far, Christina Selvek said, and reimbursements that usually take six to eight weeks are now taking four months and counting.

She also said something that caught my ear: The city had a big stake in the outcome of the feud, because a large portion of its funding is coming from Democratic Senator David Valesky. Until recently, Republican state Sen. Michael Nozzolio helped secure a large portion of the state grants in the city.

But those announcement became fewer and further between after the Democrats took the senate. When the Republicans lost control of the house, they also lost a lot of their ability to secure those dollars for their districts.

In completely unrelated news, State Sen. Pedro Espada (one of the two who flipped to give the Republicans the majority before flipping back today) had this to say about the whole ordeal: "It was never about power, but about empowerment."

-C. Caskey "

" 7/08
A little history lesson, brought to you by The Citizen archives.

As you may have read recently, the city wants permission from the council and voters to spend up to $15 million on green energy initiatives. Standing in the way is a $2.5 million cap on spending for any public utility project. Preparing for the meeting, and out of general curiosity, I nosed through the archives to see when and why that limit was put into place.

Readers can see in Thursday's paper that voters approved of the limit in 1993. Similar to the current situation, city officials were actually looking at the time for more spending power without giving the government blank check. But instead of digesters, natural gas plants, wind, solar, etc., it was for hydroelectric projects.
The city had just built a generator facility at the North Division Street dam for $1.8 million, and were eyeing more projects along the Owasco Outlet.
The measure passed, but no more hydro projects were completed. There is one other city-owned hydropower plant, finished in 1981 at the Mill Street dam.

A few more interesting facts:
* Before the $2.5 million cap passed, the city stated its intention to pursue four hydro projects for a total of more than $6 million. Those generators were supposed to make $4 million annually.
* The cap barely passed, with about 200 more supporters than naysayers.
* NYSEG was against the city building hydro plants. The local office ran an editorial in the paper saying the city would likely lose money on them, and private developers should build any
* In 1992, the federal government repealed a law that forced NYSEG to purchase the energy at a set rate from cities that build power plants. At the time, NYSEG was buying Auburn's energy for between 6 an 8 cents per kilowatt-hour. After the regulation was repealed, the going rate was between 3 and 4 cents. City officials later pointed to "deregulation" as a reason for not building more hydro plants.
* City council candidates discussed the proposed cap during a 1993 election debate. One of the candidates was current Councilor Thomas McNabb, who was in favor of hydropower so long as the city could negotiate a set rate with NYSEG.

-C. Caskey "

" 7/02
Imagine trying to tell someone about an idea you think is great without being able to tell them it's great. That essentially is the position the city will be in if a referendum to raise the spending limit on public utility projects gets on the November ballot.

It looks like the initiative is on its way to election day, because no one on city council voted against setting a public hearing for next week. There wasn't any discussion at tonight's meeting against raising the cap from $2.5 million to $15 million (with a $10 million borrowing limit), either. And the county Board of Elections doesn't need the initiative until September, so time isn't a factor.

Once it's set for the ballot, city agencies and staff will be given the task of educating the public. But there's a catch -- the city is not allowed to use taxpayer money to officially advocate for or against a public referendum. City Attorney John Rossi has pointed that out multiple times over the past two weeks.

That doesn't mean an individual city official can't give an opinion when asked by, let's say, a reporter. City Manager Mark Palesh definitely wants to see this happen, because the current spending limit makes it next to impossible to move forward with green energy projects.

Palesh has said on a number of occasions that it makes no sense to limit projects that have the potential to make money (digester) but not projects that don't generate revenue like roads or renovating the sewage plant. Some at the city want the cap gone altogether, but members of council think that could be a hard sell.

But when it comes to distributing fliers or holding informational meetings on the spending cap, impartiality is the key. Until November, the city will have to treat this ballot initiative like a reporter is supposed to treat a story. Just give the facts, present both sides, and keep your opinion off the page.
-C. Caskey "

" 6/30
Time to introduce myself, as this is my introductory blog.

I am the city government reporter at The Citizen. I also have covered county government and police/courts.

I consider myself somewhat of an outsider on this beat for a number of reasons. For one, I'm not from around here -- I was born and raised in a small California town, I went to college out there and even did a little newspaper work before moving east.

Second, I did not expect to cover government when I first got into journalism. I was going to be a pop music critic, cover the arts and do some theater reviews. I'm probably more surprised than anyone to be talking to mayors, councilors, senators and legislators for stories on local government issues, and yet I'm fascinated to no end about it.

But ultimately, despite the general "insider" label that people may associate with journalists, we're usually trying to get into the loop just like anyone else. But it's our job to gather the information, talk to the people and weed through the documents to find out just what is going on and what it means to the community.

I do envision "24 South St." as a look into the life of a daily beat reporter and debunk some of the misconceptions people might have about those of us in the media. If you watch shows like "The Wire," you'd think this job is all about dark alley conversations and the occasional bout of blackmail. Sorry folks, I wish it was that exciting.

But ultimately, I see this as a place to go beyond the leads and headlines. When putting together almost every story, there are quotes, observations, and other interesting or funny things that are just not all that newsworthy or relevant. I think a lot of those things are worth publishing in a blog.

So consider this my noble experiment to jump into the Internet, a technology that seems to be bringing about just as much possibility as doom to the newspaper industry.

Enjoy. "