Local News: November 29, 2023

- Ithaca selects former Common Council member to become first City Manager -

A former Ithaca Common Council member has been selected to become the city’s first City Manager. Deb Mohlenhoff was offered the position following a Common Council vote on November 16. She represented the Fifth Ward on the Common Council 2009-2021. Her appointment must now be approved by the Common Council. They are scheduled to vote on it at a December 6 meeting.

- Lawsuit settlement reached in case brought by disabled veterans -

A lawsuit that’s prevented about 400 retail cannabis licensees from opening their businesses has been settled.  WXXI reports that the New York Cannabis Control Board approved a settlement proposal at a meeting on Monday. The suit was brought by three service-disabled veterans because they were excluded from the special licensing program for people with previous cannabis convictions. They argued they should be eligible for the early licenses because in New York’s state law that legalized adult-use marijuana service disabled veterans are supposed to benefit from social justice initiatives. This was the second time a judge temporarily blocked licensing because of a lawsuit about the state’s licensing process.

- Over $10 million for state road repairs in Tompkins, Tioga and other Southern Tier counties -

Over $19 million in state funding has been allocated to repair roads damaged by storms and flooding in our area. Tompkins County is getting over $8 million to resurface portions of Routes 13, 34, and 96 in Ithaca. Over a million is going to work on Route 414 in Schuyler and Chemung counties and about $3 million for some roads in Broome and Tioga counties. Governor Hochul announced the funding as part of a $100 million dollars for infrastructure repairs across the state.