Headlines for September 30th, 2022

On Wednesday, local politicians toured the homeless encampment behind Wal-Mart. According to the Ithaca Voice, the group included Ithaca Common Council member Cynthia Brock, Republican Congressional candidate Marc Molinaro, and Tompkins County legislator Mike Sigler. The group spoke with several residents of the encampments who said theft and drug abuse were their primary concerns. Alderperson Brock touted the proposed TIDES program which would involve the city creating certain facilities in the encampment, as well as certain social services and security. Molinaro pointed out similarities between the TIDES proposal and a program in Dutchess County, where he is the County executive, but didn’t comment directly on the proposal.

The Village of Trumansburg is applying for the New York Forward Grant, a grant issued by the state to local municipalities to revitalize downtown communities. According to the Ithaca Times, Trumansburg Mayor Rorden Hart hopes to use the funds to improve walkability in the village. Funds could be used to create a stretch of sidewalk along West Main Street. Hart says the area receives a lot of foot traffic even without a sidewalk, creating a safety issue.

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced that New York state will move to phase out gas-only car sales by 2035. According to Reuters, the state will be adopting a plan put forward in California that will require all new vehicles sold in the state to be either electric, or plug-in electric hybrids by 2035. Governor Hochul has directed the state Department of Environmental Conservation to propose and finalize these rules.