Headlines for Friday December 2nd, 2022

Ithaca City Attorney Ari Lavine is stepping away from the city’s negotiation team. According to the Ithaca Voice, Lavine announced his intention to withdraw from the negotiation team in a letter to the city administration committee. Lavine had been at the center of controversy after a November meeting where workers and labor leaders accused Lavine of being overly harsh in negotiations with city workers. Lavine responded at the following meeting saying the city’s negotiation tactics are not his own, but instead directed by the mayor. Lavine also referred to the meeting where he was criticized as a “mob attack.” The administration committee also authorized $110,000 to be spent hiring outside counsel to lead the negotiation team. That measure now goes to the Common Council.

Cornell is offering to waive application fees for its MBA program for workers who have been laid off by tech companies. According to the Cornell Chronicle, several thousand tech workers have been laid off going back to October. Some candidates will now be able to submit applications and application tests without having to pay the typical fee.

The Ithaca City Administration committee has approved a measure to reduce the city-wide speed limit from 30 mph down to 25. According to the Ithaca Voice, the measure still has to be approved by the Common Council. It comes with support from the city’s Director of Transportation and Parking Eric Hathaway, who initially requested the speed limit be dropped to 20 mph. Seneca and Green streets in the city are state highways and may not be affected by the speed limit change. Hathaway says he will  request the State Department of Transportation reduce the speed limits on those state-controlled streets.