Two city officials have determined that the Jamestown Local Development Corporation is a separate, not-for-profit organization that can set and approve it's own by-laws...
A one-week review of the situation by City Corporation Counsel Marilyn Fiore-Lehman, and City Clerk Todd Thomas was in response to questions about whether the by-law changes approved late last year were done legally and properly. Thomas says, while the City Council approves the JLDC's Certificate of Incorporation, the corporation itself votes on by by-laws.
The JLDC was established by the city in 1981, but had existed under those by-laws for 35-plus years. The question was raised by new Councilman Andrew Liuzzo who questioned why the mayor was given the power to act on appointments by three local organizations if their representative no longer lived in the city. Liuzzo was also concerned about changes in the JLDC by-laws which allows for funds to be used for infrustructure upgrades. An informal proposal has been introduced to use the JLDC to purchase the Board of Public Utilities' wastewater treatment plant to raise about $16-million to do extensive upgrades of city infrastructure.
One student has been expelled, and two others have been removed from Jamestown Community College's residence life program following last month's alleged sexual assault at a residence hall on the city campus...
JCC Vice-President of Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement, Kirk Young, says the college made the moves after JCC officials and Jamestown police determined the victim was not a JCC student, nor a resident of the residence halls. Young says they learned that a breach of residence hall security occured the night of January 29 when the incident occured. He added Monsday that -- "as of this afternoon, JPD has advised JCC officials that it is now at a point in its criminal investigation that JCC can resume its investigation into this incident." JCC officials say they believe the situation was an isolated incident and that the campus community and residents are not at risk.
More details have been released about how New York state would change it's tax code in response to federal tax reform...
State Budget Director Robert Mujica announced the plans Monday as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo's 30-day budget amendments. Mujica says the proposed Employer Compensation Expense Tax that would be optional for employers, but would provide a chance to get a bigger tax deduction.
The budget director also announced plans to expand charitable contribution options, creating health care and education funds so people who itemize can claim those contributions on their federal tax return. Changing the tax code was one of three-steps Cuomo had outlined in fighting the effects of federal tax reform on state taxpayers. New York is one of several states that filed a lawsuit against the federal government, challenging the constitutionality of the tax plan.
New York state's legislative budget hearings are routinely marathon affairs - up to 13 hours...
That gives New York some of the most drawn-out budget discussions in the nation. Some advocates are asking whether there's a better way. Despite similar grumbling over the years in several states, and moves to include remote testimony via computers and video, there is little evidence any have succeeded in solving the problem. At least one good-government group, Common Cause New York, suggests allowing more meetings, with each of them more focused with more public comment. New York state law requires public hearings on the governor's budget proposal.
There is a new Deputy Democratic Elections Commissioner in Chautauqua County who is also the county's first-ever Latino election's manager...
Democratic Elections Commissioner Norm Green says Luz Torres is a Dunkirk resident who has been the Board of Elections Spanish Language Interpreter and has directed poll site operations in Jamestown and other parts of the south county.
Green says Torres replaces Doris Parment, who was forced to leave the board due to illness. He says Torres is also bi-lingual, which he says is important to have. Green says it's required both by the state and federal governments now to provide all ballots and information in both English and Spanish because more than five-percent of the population is Hispanic. Green says Torres has worked for Chautauqua County since 2011.
As mentioned, Luz Torres replaces Doris Parment, who had been number-two Democrat Elections Commissioner for more than 10 years...
Norm Green says Parment's had a recent illness, and was forced to retire from her job... and, is now trying to figure out how to pay her ever-mounting health care costs. Green says a fund has now been established in Mayville for her. Green says Doris Parment has been "our neighbor, our friend and has lived in our community for the past 55 years."
Jamestown School Superintendent Bret Apthorpe says the four-year graduation rate in Jamestown has increased from 81 to 89 percent for students that aren't "economically disadvantaged." However, he says there's been a six-percent decrease in rates for disavantaged students...
Statistically, Apthorpe says 3-out-of-4 Jamestown students live in poverty. Athorpe says in order to improve graduation rates for those at a lower advantage, more needs to be done. He says a meeting to discuss options will be held in March, with local community and business leaders. Apthorpe adds that he and the Board of Education are "very committed" to turning these results around in the 2018-19 school year.
A Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania man was arrested following a traffic stop on Interstate-86 for allegedly possessing a controlled substance on Friday...
State Police in Jamestown say they pulled over 27 year-old Chad Carlson for a traffic violation. During the stop, Carlson was found to be in possession of a Vicondin pill for which he did not have a prescription for. He was taken into custody and released with an appearance ticket for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Carlson is scheduled to appear in North Harmony Town Court at a later date.
