Batavia Town Supervisor Gregory Post has penned a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo calling out the state’s top executive for not distributing funds from the first Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to local municipal governments as stipulated by the federal legislation.
“As leaders across the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Western New York, we demand you follow congressional intent, Treasury guidance and 18 other states that have distributed a portion of the billions of dollars received from the … (CARES) Act for direct assistance to local governments under the 500,000 population threshold,” Post wrote in the letter, which was the subject of a resolution at Wednesday’s Town Board meeting.
“If these funds are not delivered, it is not just the governments themselves that will be impacted, but the constituents in these areas will suffer life-threatening consequences as a result.”
The letter went on to indicate that the “Coronavirus Relief Fund, included in the CARES Act, allotted $5.1 billion to New York State, with an additional $2.4 billion directly to cities and counties in New York with populations of 500,000 or more. Congress intended the 500,000 threshold to streamline funds to larger cities and counties while smaller cities and counties would receive funds through the State’s share.”
Post concluded his letter by writing that distribution of the funds is well past due.
“New York State, under your direction, has failed to deploy and share these funds with local communities. If we are going to reopen our economy and move forward from this crisis, local communities should receive these funds immediately. There is no excuse. Our local counties, cities, towns, and villages cannot wait any longer.”
During discussion on the resolution, Post said that the CARES Act legislation passed nearly 60 days ago and that “to this date, none of that money has been reallocated or redistributed to any of us in New York State.”
“Our question here is, by this letter, asking why and to please expedite the processing of that $5.1 million to local governments that are feeling the pinch as badly as they are,” he said.
The Town Board unanimously passed the resolution.
In a related development, the Town Board voted in favor of a resolution to amend local finance law to give towns more options to address financial shortfalls at no cost to the state. The measure will be forwarded to the Town’s state government representatives.
The resolution called for the following:
-- Allows Bond Anticipated Notes to rollover for seven years instead of five years;
-- Allows towns to spend money from capital reserve funds for capital costs related to COVID-19 without being subject to a permissive referendum;
-- Allows towns to temporarily borrow money from reserve funds for COVID-19 related expenses so long as at least 20 percent of what’s borrowed is returned each fiscal year;
-- Gives towns another year to pay back interfund advances.
In other news, the board:
-- Heard a report from Building Inspector Daniel Lang that he expects a busy construction season this year based on the number of building permits and inspection applications that are coming in.
“I would say so, especially with what’s going on with COVID-19,” Lang said. “The commercial is ramped out as it normally would be right now, and as far as the residential goes, we’re shaping up to have a good year.”
Lang said his department has received applications for many smaller projects, such as pole barns, decks, swimming pools and single-family dwellings, including a few more homes at Oakwood Estates off East Main Street Road.
“And we’re not going to skip a beat on the big commercial projects – I think that’s where we’re going to get hit,” he said.
-- Was advised by Lang that a retooled solar farm project proposed by Donald Partridge on Ellicott Street Road is in the works. The original plan was denied.
“He’s looking to separate the parcels and make smaller solar farms than what he initially proposed,” Lang said.
-- Was advised by Town Councilman Chad Zambito that plans for a ribbon-cutting ceremony are being made, possibly before the July 4th weekend, and that invitations will be extended to Assemblyman Stephen Hawley and State Sen. Michael Ranzenhofer.
Zambito also said that the Rotary Club donated benches and bicycle racks to the Ellicott Trail, which runs from Seven Springs Road to Pearl Street Road (Route 33).
