Links Roundup – Inside New York State Edition
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/CSEA-sues-Saratoga-County-over-nursing-home-4386874.php
CSEA sues Saratoga County over nursing home transfer
Union contends action is illegal ownership change
CSEA, which represents hundreds of workers at the Maplewood Manor nursing home, filed a lawsuit against the county last week in state Supreme Court, arguing members of the county Board of Supervisors acted unlawfully when they moved ownership of the county’s 237-bed nursing home to a local development corporation (LDC).
Links Roundup – Inside New York State Edition
| Fiscal cracks seen at Egg Albany Times Union That’s the thrust of a report from the state Authorities Budget Office that looked at finances and oversight for the popular performance space that looms … |
| New report on Empire State Plaza’s management YNN Hudson Valley According to a new report released by the Authorities Budget Office, the Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Operating Corporation, which has been … |
| State report finds fiscal cracks in Albany’s ‘Egg’ Wall Street Journal The Times Union of Albany reports ( http://bit.ly/Y3JUB7 ) that a review of the concert venue by the Authorities Budget Office finds that The Egg is losing … |
| State report finds fiscal cracks in Albany’s ‘Egg’ WNYT The Times Union reports that a review of the concert venue by the Authorities Budget Office finds that The Egg is losing money and is plagued by vacancies … |
| Supplier-provided environmental information may be subject to disclosure by … Out-Law.com If a requester seeks disclosure of environmental information that was voluntarily supplied by a third party, public authorities can refuse to disclose that information provided a number of conditions are met. If the supplier was under no legal duty to … See all stories on this topic » |
| ABO report: OGS should take over The Egg Albany Times Union The state Authorities Budget Office concludes in a report released Thursday morning that The Empire State Plaza Performing Arts Center Operating Corporation … |
| Report recommends transferring control of the Egg Schenectady Gazette By David Lombardo The New York State Authorities Budget Office is recommending handing control of “the Egg” over to the state’s Office of General Services. |
| General Directorate of the Moscow Region for Cooperation with Federal Public … PR Newswire (press release) On 26 February 2013, the head of the General Directorate of the Moscow Region for Cooperation with Federal Public Authorities, Minister Petr Katsyv was awarded with an Order of Merit for the Moscow region and with a Badge of Honor of the Moscow … See all stories on this topic » |
| Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency changes purchasing policy … Kingston Daily Freeman “I have had discussions with the (state) Public Authorities Budget Office as well as the state Comptroller’s Office … about piggybacking on county … |
| State industrial development agency reform one step closer to reality Troy Record According to the Authorities Budget Office, the state lost approximately $100 million in state sales tax revenue from local IDA-approved projects over the … |
| Metroplex chairman near the top in pay Albany Times Union As a result, his salary is not reported to the state Authorities Budget Office as part of Metroplex’s annual report. Gillen said when he was hired in 2004, … |
Links Roundup – Inside New York State Edition
29 entries March 8, 2013
Links Roundup – Inside New York State Edition
| Do you want to help buy a skyscraper? Buffalo News … building in upstate New York – scramble to avoid foreclosure or bankruptcy. … in tax breaks through the Erie County Industrial Development Agency. |
| Harbor casino/PRO: Palmieri says it’s too good to pass up Utica Observer Dispatch Andrew Cuomo’s promise for rebuilding Upstate New York depends on locating … Just this past week the Harbor Point Local Development Corporation selected … |
| Jefferson County Legislature to vote on resolution opposing NY … WatertownDailyTimes.com … opposing the New York Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement Act of … County Industrial Development Agency’s Loan Review Committee on Tuesday. |
| Gov. Cuomo Appoints Three to Binghamton University Council WBGH A member of the New York State Bar Association and the Broome County Bar … the Tri-Cities Opera, and the Binghamton Local Development Corporation. |
| Energy Improvement Corporation, a New York State Local Development … MarketWatch EIC is a New York State Public Benefit and Local Development Corporation that works on behalf of its municipal members to help achieve local and statewide … |
| Cuomo vs. the IDA’s Rochester City Newspaper Virtually every industrial development agency in New York has come out against Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to restrict their ability to offer state … |
| County IDA Hosts Energy Workshop Jamestown Post Journal The workshop was hosted by the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, … from the New York state Energy Research and Development Agency; … |
| Agency adopts resolution for Marist work Poughkeepsie Journal The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency agreed to serve as a conduit for a state grant of $108000 coming from New York’s Empire State Development … |
| IBM is on track to get a sales tax break renewed that cuts the tax … Poughkeepsie Journal The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency gave a preliminary OK … The proposed agreement eliminates the 4 percent New York state sales tax on such … |
| Dutchess to extend IBM sales tax break Poughkeepsie Journal The Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency met today and approved a … said IBM wants to trim the costs of doing business in New York and has other … |
| Consulting firm chosen to lead Harbor Point development WKTV … the Harbor Point Local Development Corporation Board of Directors has … development of the 20 acres to be deeded from the State of New York to the … |
| Oakland business park hires former military man as executive director Morning Sentinel Jackson will visit the area from his home state, New York, on Thursday. … of the Franklin County Industrial Development Agency in upstate New York. |
| Study Shows Feasibility Of Multi-Purpose Complex At JCC WWNY TV 7 The $40000 cost of the study was shared by the JCC Foundation, Jefferson County, the Watertown Local Development Corporation and the Northern New York … |
| Purpose of new Broome County energy office unclear Innovation Trail Half of the $200000 a year budget will come from the Industrial Development Agency and the other half will come from the county’s hotel tax. The New York … |
| Thirteen companies featured in CCIDA video Evening Observer … The OBSERVER MAYVILLE – The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency … New York State Legislature to limit tax exemptions granted by the CCIDA. |
| Business Calendar Buffalo News Cornell Cooperative Extension, Western New York Reduced Tillage Grower …. Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, “Lunch and Learn” Energy … |
| Crystal Run Healthcare delays $54M Monroe project Times Herald-Record … not receive as much money from New York state as expected, according to Orange County Industrial Development Agency Executive Director James O’Donnell. |
| Suffolk IDA Approves Third Huntington-Based Company to Benefit … Long Island Exchange … program offered by the Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency (IDA), … Inc.” According to Manetta, CooCoo’s expansion at 356 New York Avenue, … |
| Cuomo Plan For Tax Breaks Not Sitting Well With Local Government WROC-TV The corporation has new space in Ogden. Calkins says the county’s industrial development agency (COMIDA) offered local ans state tax incentives to stay. |
| North Hills condo IDA hearing delayed The Island Now The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency canceled a public hearing … of the board of commissioners of The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey. |
| Air Brake PILOT amendment is precursor to new product line planned … WatertownDailyTimes.com By TED BOOKER New York Air Brake has decided to amend — not cancel — a … from the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency “if we found a need, … |
| HarborCenter gets city, state approvals and nearly $37 million in … Buffalo News In separate meetings Tuesday, HarborCenter won nearly $37 million in tax breaks from the Erie County Industrial Development Agency, got approval from the … |
| JLL Brokers Sale of Port Washington Facility GlobeSt.com By John Jordan | New York PORT WASHINGTON, NY-A Bronx-based wholesale … from the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency that includes a property tax … |
| Fewer Boxes GlobeSt.com … St. Paul Port Authority, the industrial development agency for the City, … (NEW YORK CITY) The director of compliance will be responsible under the … |
| Daikin McQuay plant in Auburn closing in 2014 Auburn Citizen “To me, there’s not a lot in New York,” he said. … a $10 million, 415000-square-foot factory from the Auburn Industrial Development Agency (AIDA), … |
| LISC New York City launches three-year healthy food initiative to … Sacramento Bee By LISC NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Local … Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, … |
| LISC New York City launches three-year healthy food initiative to … MarketWatch NEW YORK, Feb. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The Local Initiatives Support … Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, … |
| Water Technology Company Moving Headquarters to Rye Brook Patch.com Empire State Development is New York’s chief economic development agency. Its mission is to promote a vigorous and growing economy, encourage the creation … |
| ECIDA plots shift to Cobblestone Business First of Buffalo … the Erie County Industrial Development Agency has agreed to move its offices … Development Corp., the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. and New York … |
| Tax breaks blocked for Conventus project on medical campus Buffalo News The upcoming appointment of a new commissioner for the Erie County Water … the Erie County Industrial Development Agency from approving $4.24 million in … |
| Project Manager – Affordable Housing Developer City Limits The Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (CHLDC), a dynamic, … holistic, community development organization serving the Cypress Hills/East New York … |
| ‘Gun-friendly’ states, others reach out to Remington Herkimer Evening Telegram The SAFE Act makes New York the first state to outline a stricter … Mark Feane, executive director of the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency, … |
| Gyrodyne Names New CEO; Continues Strategic Process With Lower … MarketWatch Mr. Braun is currently the Chairman of the Brookhaven Industrial Development Agency, a public benefit corporation of the State of New York that assists in … |
| Come on back to our cities Albany Times Union … as most of upstate New York’s aging post-industrial cities: high taxes, … the New York Main Street Program and Industrial Development Agency funding, … |
| Arista Power Partners With Seneca County, New York To Offer A New … MarketWatch … announced today that the Seneca County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) … in New York a more viable and environmentally favorable energy option. |
| Courtships of Remington Arms may not be that serious Innovation Trail When reached, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation was unaware the letter had … the head of the Herkimer County Industrial Development Agency, … |
Links Roundup – Inside New York State Edition
Authorities Budget Office has published an Operational Review of the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, February 1, 2013.
http://www.abo.ny.gov/reports/compliancereviews/NFTAFinalReport.pdf
LDCs – The Little Engines That Could
The growth of LDCs appears unstoppable. Numbering more than 270 statewide, LDCs focused initially on financing private not-for-profit, civic facilities and economic development. Taken to the next level, LDCs have become a municipal financing mechanism in their own right. Within the past six months, Albany and Saratoga Counties are contemplating new LDCs to create revenue streams to support the sale of public nursing homes. Albany is considering establishing an LDC to loan money to a private entity to run the County nursing home. Taking this one step further, Saratoga County, who has yet to find a purchaser for its nursing home, plans to lease their nursing home to an LDC who would, in turn, lease it back to the County. The LDC then would use the equity in the nursing home to pay for its operations while a buyer is pursued. It is notable that the County already borrowed $7 million from the LDC against the sale of the nursing home in order to balance its 2013 budget.
http://www.troyrecord.com/articles/2013/01/16/news/doc50f6525d5d784302278765.txt
County moves to sell nursing home
Links Roundup – Inside New York State
LETTER: The truth about flow control
Kingston Daily Freeman
… Steve Changaris’ letter (Oct. 28), he says, “flow control will create a local monopoly.” The truth is monopolies are designed to generate profits. Public authorities (Resource Recovery Agency) and local governments are prohibited from generating …
See all stories on this topic »
Business calendar
Buffalo News
The Independent Association of Accountants of New York, two-day 1040 Tax Seminar, …. The Erie County Industrial Development Agency, Compensation Committee …
Brown Electric unveils newly constructed headquarters
Niagara Frontier Publications
by jmaloni Henry M. Sloma, chairman of the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency, … that provides electrical services throughout Western New York, …
Nassau County establishes business recovery program
liherald.com
The Nassau County Industrial Development Agency will staff the program, … The program also provides access and guidance in navigating New York State and …
GCEDC commits $1.15 million for Pembroke business park
The Daily News Online
Genesee County Economic Development Center’s board of directors voted Thursday … the EDC’s real estate arm, Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation.
51-unit apartment complex proposed for West Utica
Utica Observer Dispatch
Central New York Services Inc., a behavioral health organization, wants to build a $12 million … agreement from the city’s Industrial Development Agency
Sean Ryan looking to represent Hamburg in Albany
Metrowny.com
A Lackawanna native and Buffalo resident, Ryan said this new district is like a … “When our town industrial development agencies use tax incentives for …
Byrne Dairy Enters Option Agreement with Cortland County to Build …
WBNG-TV
… into an option agreement with the Cortland County Industrial Development Agency … local incentives, and is granted New York State funding assistance.
Byrne Dairy looking to open new plant
YNN
CORTLANDVILLE, NY — Byrne Dairy is a step closer to opening a new yogurt … County Industrial Development Agency to propose development of the plant.
New York News | NYC Breaking NewsSyracuse-based co. to build …
myfoxny.com
… dairy company has announced plans to build a yogurt plant in central New York, … County Industrial Development Agency to purchase the 127-acre park, …
Babylon board member’s IDA side gig
Newsday
… paid $20000 annually working for the Babylon Industrial Development Agency. … Network Explore Long Island Long Island Towns am New York Optimum Autos …
FreshDirect, Community Groups Agree To Postpone Warehouse
Law360
It stipulates that Fresh Direct will not request, and the Empire State Development Corp. and the New York City Industrial Development Agency…
Development corporation assures of progress
CU Columbia Spectator
… Local Development Corporation has not had the most public of presences. … is held in the Fund for the City of New York, a third-party fiscal sponsor
City: I.Park N-Valley defaults on loan
The Journal News | LoHud.com
… also seeks to recoup $1.7 million the city owes the New York Power Authority for $2.8 … The city’s Industrial Development Agency has offices there, …
Outlet Mall Possible In Chautauqua County
WKBW-TV
It’s at Exit 58 of the New York State Thruway, close to the Nation’s … “I also thank our Industrial Development Agency and Department of Planning and …
Economic Recovery Zone Proposed for Station
Patch.com
The Suffolk County Industrial Development Agency will hear a proposal Thursday … Rossetti identifies a zone running primarily along New York Avenue from …
LAZARD LTD : Lazard Elects Andrew Alper to Board of Directors
4-traders
He served as President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Chairman of the New York City Industrial Development Agency, appointed by …
Canadian-based Buffalo Outfront Metalworks Plans $2 Million …
Area Development Online
As an incentive New York State will provide the firm with up to $450000 in … sales tax abatements through the Erie County Industrial Development Agency.
S&P lifts outlook to positive on NYC agency debt
Reuters
… to positive from stable its credit outlook on $295.7 million of New York City Industrial Development Agency series 2005 special facility revenue bonds, …
Syracuse councilors seek answers on urban renewal agency payroll
Syracuse.com
SURA is under criticism from the state Authorities Budget Office, which issued a report last week questioning why the agency has 103 employees who work for …
St. Lawrence County IDA will market low-cost power as part of …
WatertownDailyTimes.com
The 20 megawatts, provided by the New York Power Authority under an … Andrew M. Cuomo, will join the Industrial Development Agency’s growing list of …
Red ink, but no worries for Genesee EDC
The Daily News Online
The EDC and its real estate arm, the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation, operate on a cash basis. That means they don’t approve expenditures …
ABO’s Syracuse Audit
The Authorities Budget Office has completed its review of the Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency. Our report concludes that the URA board of directors allows the City to use the URA to hire individuals for city positions rather than to work as URA staff. This practice is inconsistent with provisions of General Municipal Law and contrary to opinions issued by the State Comptroller’s Office. This practice enables the City to circumvent civil service rules, under report its city workforce and may allow for the misuse of grant funds to offset the cost of city operations. It also represents a clear violation of the fiduciary duty that the URA board has to act in the best interests of the agency. Many of the findings presented in this review were identified in the ABO’s initial review of the URA that was conducted in September 2009, but have gone unaddressed by the URA and the City of Syracuse.
The final report is posted on the ABO website (www.abo.ny.gov) at
http://www.abo.ny.gov/reports/compliancereviews/SyracuseURAFinalReport.pdf
URA Personnel Practices
URA Employees Do Not Perform URA Work:
The report by the Authorities Budget Office (ABO) states that there has been a long-standing practice of the Syracuse URA (SURA) hiring individuals who actually work for the City. It also notes that the number of URA employees has decreased during the current administration from 120 to 103. It is SURA’s position that 75 URA employeesi are in fact charged with fulfilling the goals and objectives of the current adopted Urban Renewal Planii. The remaining 28 URA employees that are located in other City departments, SURA acknowledges are not directly involved in the fulfillment of this Plan, the vast majority of which were hired on by previous administrations. It is the stated position of this administration and SURA to focus on transitioning these 28 employees off of the URA payroll through attrition as opportunities present themselves to do so. The City believes and SURA concurs that transitioning all 28 employees en masse would create a disruption in city service provision.
City’s Use of URA Appointments:
As stated above, SURA feels that the 75 URA employees in the Departments of NBD and Law as well as the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability are in fact charged with fulfilling the goals and objectives of the City’s Urban Renewal Plan. And while the vast majority of the remaining 28 employees were hired under previous administrations, SURA has hired some personnel under the current administration that are not directly related to fulfilling the Plan. These hires are looked at as temporary in nature to fulfill an immediate or unique need with the aim of transitioning that position into either a civil service or management confidential position.
Board’s Abdication of Duty:
The composition of the Syracuse URA is dictated by state law and specifically states that the Mayor serve as the Chair, the Commissioner of Finance serve as the Treasurer and the Commissioner of Community Development (now NBD) serve as Secretary. This is cited in the report as a potential conflict of interest but what is not noted is that it is an unavoidable one due to conflicting state law to which theSyracuse URA is held. While the board members of SURA are deemed “independent members”, the ABO infers that members are acting in their capacity as city officials and not URA Board members. The SURA Board disagrees with that viewpoint and is careful not to conduct URA business outside of formal URA meetings in compliance with state open meetings law.
The Syracuse URA feels it has demonstrated to the ABO a strict process for changes to the URA payroll in that, minimally the Chair of the URA (or her designee) and the Secretary of the URA sign off on all changes in URA payroll. In cases where the changes in URA payroll involve employees within the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD), the URA’s Treasurer also signs off on payroll changes as well. Once these individuals sign off on any changes in URA payroll (approval by the City’s Commissioner of Budget is also required for reimbursement to occur), it is understood that changes can be made to the payroll on a provisional basis subject to the approval of the entire URA board.
Going forward, SURA will memorialize by resolution a policy for the hiring and discharging of employees. The Chair will be given the power to hire interim employees subject to the authorization of the Treasurer. All interim positions may last for a period of up to six months without the approval of the Board. Upon approval of the full Board, such position(s) shall become permanent. Discharge of employees (other than officers) shall be at the discretion of the Chair.
Reporting:
If directed by the ABO, the Syracuse URA will report all of its employees to the Public Authorities Reporting Information System (PARIS). The previous policy of not reporting these employees was based on the unique relationship between the URA and the City. For example, while the individuals on the payroll are reported as URA employees to the State Retirement System and the URA has its own federal employer identification number separate from the City, the City includes URA employees under its current and retired medical benefits.
URA Activity
The Syracuse URA continues to be needed as a tool to address the blight or threat of blight in the Greater Syracuse Urban Renewal Area and any other area later determined to be appropriate for urban renewal. The fact that a local land bank has been incorporated in immaterial to the necessity of the URA. It is the view of both SURA and the City that the Syracuse URA and the land bank will complement each other in their purpose and mission. The land bank has county-wide jurisdiction while the URA is focused exclusively within the renewal area. Incentivizing targeted investment to URA-owned properties is a crucial component to revitalizing distressed areas.
Furthermore, the different boards will have different opinions as to the priority of the projects. The land bank and SURA have different statutory powers that complement each other in the elimination of blight. The land bank and SURA also have different funding sources and different and distinct avenues for funding, ultimately allowing for more funding to be applied to distressed properties and neighborhoods.
Use of Community Development Block Grant Funds
The City and the Syracuse URA take strong issue with the way in which the use of CDBG funds was characterized in the ABO report. The confusion lies in the fact that an account called the “CDBG account” is used to advance payroll for all URA employees. However, this account starts with a balance of roughly $200,000 from the City’s General Fund, and is used “front” the money used to make payroll on a monthly basis. It is important to note that the City does not draw down CDBG funds in advance. The CDBG account is replenished with CDBG funds only after documentation is made to HUD that only those eligible to receive CDBG administrative funds require reimbursement. In the same fashion, the $200,000 in General Fund money is also transferred to the URA’s payroll account to reimburse URA personnel that do not receive CDBG funds.
SURA employees working in the Department of NBD personnel are the main recipients of CDBG administration funding but so too are some SURA employees under the direction of the Law Department that work on CDBG-eligible activities (real estate closings, housing court, etc.) as well as some SURA employees under the direction of the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability that are performing planning functions related to the block grant. The employees’ salaries being reimbursed by CDBG funds are explicitly identified to HUD each year through its Consolidated Plan and Action Plan. In no way are CDBG funds used to advance funds on personnel costs for any employees or are they paying salaries of employees that are not performing CDBG-eligible work.
While it may appear that CDBG funds are used to purchase the worker’s compensation coverage for the entire URA payroll, it is in both the City’s and SURA’s view that the entire cost of administering this program is more than the totality of the premiums for the URA employees. The City provides for these administration costs in-kind on behalf of the URA employees covered. The City estimates that the administration costs are commensurate with the aggregate premium costs of the 28 non-CDBG related employees and thus the exchange for the non-CDBG related employees and the in-kind services that the City provides is a wash. As a corrective action, however, to the ABO’s concern and to avoid confusion on this matter going forward, the City intends to quantify the administration costs it currently performs on an in-kind basis on behalf of all the CDBG-related URA employees (75 people currently) and bill the CDBG program for that service.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The Syracuse URA appreciates the ABO’s review of the Agency and while it does not agree with all of the ABO’s findings, several actions will be discussed in future board meeting as recommended corrective actions to several of the concerns made in the ABO’s report:
- SURA Board members will work more diligently to document their decisions as those in their capacity as board members and those in their capacity as City officials. As such, going forward, appointment letters for new SURA employees shall come from the Chair of the Agency and all changes in URA payroll will be memorialized by SURA resolution in a timelier manner.
- The use of CDBG funds in URA payroll will be clarified and more apparently segregated so as to more clearly demonstrate that CDBG funds are used for only allowed reimbursable activities. Insurance costs going forward will be separated and more accurately show that CDBG funds are being used for other previously unbilled but reimbursable expenses.
- SURA will continue to gradually transition its employees who do not directly perform URA services to City civil service positions. Employees who continue to perform URA functions in any capacity shall remain on the URA payroll.
The Syracuse URA does not agree with the ABO’s recommendations to dissolve SURA citing that it no longer serves a public purpose. This was also the recommendation of the ABO’s 2009 report. The 2009 report also made recommendations on how to improve the Syracuse URA which seemingly contradicts its recommendation to dissolve the URA. Since the 2009 ABO report, the current administration focused on the ABO’s recommendations for improvement rather than dissolution. These improvements include:
- Regular URA meetings are held on a monthly basis open to the public with appropriately advance legal notice given to area news outlets and materials such as the agenda and minutes and attachments made readily available provided on the City’s website in advance of the meetings;
- A new urban renewal plan that was introduced and adopted by the Common Council and signed into law by the Mayor that lays out a strategy to address the slum and blighted conditions that plague the City’s most distressed neighborhoods;
- The URA’s “legacy” inventory of properties left over from previous urban renewal plans have been marketed; most of which has been sold/conveyed strictly following public authority guidelines for property disposition;
- New block plans have been adopted by the URA that allowed the Agency to acquire eight properties on one block to allow private investors to bid on their redevelopment simultaneously;
- The URA has and will continue to assemble land for the City’s housing partners in anticipation for New York State tax credit awards to go toward their redevelopment including a 30-unit vacant, crime ridden apartment complex that will be the focus of a City-supported tax credit application in the Fall of 2012;
- Overall payroll is down 14 percent.
It is the view of the current members of SURA that this administration chose to renew the spirit and intent for which the Agency was incorporated in the first place; that as a tool for neighborhood revitalization and a vehicle to incentivize private investment in the areas that most need it as outlined in its most recent URA Plan. The public has in fact benefited from the Syracuse URA under this administration and will continue to expand the breadth of these benefits if allowed to move forward on its mission to redefine ‘urban renewal’ in the modern era.
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iSixty-one (61) URA employees are situated in the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD) which includes the Division of Code Enforcement; eight (8) URA employees within the Corporation Counsel’s office and the six (6) URA employees in the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability total 75 URA employees dedicated to the fulfillment of the City’s most recently adopted URA Plan.
iiThe Syracuse Urban Renewal Plan adopted in 2010 is attached with this submission.
Authorities Budget Office Comments
Note 1: The matters discussed in this portion of the URA’s response have been removed from the final report.
Note 2: The report has been revised to better reflect the URA’s position on this issue.
Amy Lavine
Patricia Salkin
Scott Fein
