The Peru Gazette

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By John T. Ryan

Highlights of the Peru Town Board meeting of February 10, 2020.

Supervisor Brandy McDonald stated that the Town has applied for a $125,000 grant to begin extension of the walking rail to Laphams Mills Park. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell said the Board will have to decide where the trail will cross the Little Ausable River because the trail would have to lead to a bridge crossing the river. Another grant would have to finance the bridge. Water Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault commented that a walking trail from the Buttonwood development to Sullivan Park might be a better option. Walkers currently use a make-shift path through the woods.

Town Clerk Dianne Miller reported that as of January 29th all property taxes have either been paid in full or installment payments have been scheduled. Several Board members complimented Miller for scheduling convenient office hours.

Responding to questions from this reporter, Supervisor Brandy McDonald said the Town has been doing its best to bring a School Street property and a Pleasant St-Elm St. property into compliance with the Zoning Law. The School Street property has been deteriorating for many years. A plywood sheet that once boarded up a front porch window has been laying on the ground. The Pleasant St.-Elm Street properties have not been painted for many years.

Carol Rock, Vice- President of the Babbie Rural and Farm Learning Museum, thanked the town for its support and summarized the museum’s 2019 progress. She said the museum will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2020 with new and exciting adventures being planned to help with the celebration.

In 2019 the museum was able to:
Host about 13 school field trips as well as a few visits from Senior Housing groups.
Add a baby changing station in the new family bathroom
Purchase several new picnic tables
Purchase a new self-propelled lawnmower to help with upkeep of the grounds
Continue interior work on the Goshen store with the complete restoration completed during the 2020 season.
Complete the exterior restoration of the Goshen store.
Purchase 2 machines for the woodworking building including a 24-inch planer and an 1860s-band saw. Both are in working condition and will be demonstrated throughout the upcoming season.
Refurbish the driveway and paths around the museum grounds to make them more accessible
Construct a better viewing area for the animals.
Construct a Stagecoach Depot to educate about the role of the stagecoach in Peru and to protect the stagecoach from inclement weather.
Hold 3 successful fundraisers – a Chinese Auction, a bottle drive (thank you Brandy for your help with this project) and a Lottery Frame Raffle. The museum is also participating in the Amazon Smile Program.
Educate and entertain visitors with presentations by Master Gardeners, Sylvan Spinnery, The Champlain Valley Woodworkers, Speedy Arnold and Mitch Willette who shared their special skills and knowledge at the museum.

In other actions:
The Board accepted the 2020 town procurement policy.

Code Enforcement Officer Bob Guynup will assist in forming a committee to determine if solar farm regulation is needed. A public hearing on solar farms preceded this meeting.

A sewer upgrade project workshop was scheduled for March 2, 2020 at 6 p.m. Twenty-easements for the sewer line path have been obtained with about 20 easements still needed.

Please Note: The video of this meeting is not being posted because of sound technical issues.

The Plattsburgh Police Department is looking for help finding the owner of this little chicken. She was found in the Kinney’s parking lot on Boynton. Anyone with information, please call the station (518)563-3411

Peru Drama Club presents Tuck Everlasting the Musical based on the novel by Natalie Babbitt. When Winnie Foster stumbles upon a stranger in her wood, she’ll learn the biggest secret ever known, and be faced with the toughest choice. Tuck Everlasting features a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle, with music by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen. Come see this new, family-friendly show and get ready to answer the question “What would you do if you could live forever?”

All performances are at the Peru Jr/Sr High Auditorium, 17 School Street, Peru, NY 12972

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, and are available online at http://perucsd.seatyourself.biz, at Kinney’s Pharmacy in Peru, by phone at 518-551-0811 or by e-mail at perudramaclub@gmail.com. Please call or email for more information!

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The Clinton County Historical Association
Presents:“The Story of Suffragist Inez Milholland”

With Special Guest: Author/Performer Sandra Weber portraying Inez Milholland

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Despite projections for healthy gains in tax receipts and continued growth in the economy, the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2020-21 Executive Budget reflects significant fiscal challenges related, in part, to higher than expected spending in the Medicaid program, according to an analysis released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. With a budget deadline soon approaching, more than a third of the Executive’s proposed nearly $7 billion gap-closing plan remains to be identified by the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), creating uncertainty for Medicaid beneficiaries, providers, local governments and the state budget.

DiNapoli also raised concerns about transparency and accountability, including proposed statutory changes that could distort the reporting of revenue and spending in the state’s financial statements and allow the Executive to spend beyond the amounts approved by the legislature. Other proposals would weaken oversight.

“New York’s economy is expanding but the state is still facing a serious budget gap. It’s imperative the Medicaid Redesign Team seek broad input on the root causes and options for addressing rising Medicaid costs,” DiNapoli said. “There is limited time for deliberations before the budget deadline. The state needs to identify long-term solutions for the millions of New Yorkers that rely on Medicaid and the taxpayers who will be footing the bill. Failure to effectively solve the Medicaid problem may result in harmful impacts in other areas of the budget this year and going forward.”

The MRT is charged with identifying savings that can lead to financial sustainability of the program, including meeting the goal of having “zero impact on local governments and zero impact on beneficiaries.” The budget also proposes linking state funding of the local share of certain Medicaid costs to the property tax cap. It is unclear how the budget proposals or any recommendations by the MRT will achieve these potentially conflicting goals.

The Executive budget assumes a second consecutive deferral across fiscal years of $1.7 billion in Medicaid costs. DiNapoli said the deferrals are troubling reminders of historical practices that resulted in a large accumulated structural deficit.

DiNapoli’s analysis also raised concerns about the Medicaid Global Cap. The cap was established in 2011 to promote cost containment efforts, but actions since then have moved various elements of Medicaid spending into or out of the cap. The shifting of the $1.7 billion into SFY 2019-2020, an effort to avoid exceeding the cap, contributed to the ongoing delay in addressing the program’s increasing fiscal challenges.

The financial plan projects SFY 2020-21 total spending at $178 billion, up 1.2 percent. Spending from State Operating Funds is estimated to increase by 1.9 percent. DiNapoli said after adjusting for prepayments and other identifiable budgetary actions, the increase is estimated at 3.1 percent.

The Comptroller urged the Executive to remove language in the 30-day amendment period that seeks to require the comptroller’s cash-basis reports to classify receipts and disbursements in accordance with provisions established by budget legislation. This proposal raises a potential conflict with Article V, Section 1 of the State Constitution, which grants the Comptroller the power to determine accounting methods, and is troubling with respect to transparency and accuracy in financial reporting. Related to this issue, proposed new language would broadly authorize netting of certain revenue against disbursements. Among other concerns, this would cloud the picture of true spending growth and potentially results in significant expenditures beyond the appropriations approved by the legislature.

DiNapoli called the Division of Budget’s plan to deposit $428 million into the Rainy Day Reserve Fund at the end of the current fiscal year a positive step. However, the report noted New York’s rainy day reserves are less than half their authorized levels and no additional deposits are planned. The Comptroller has advanced a proposal to provide a disciplined, consistent approach to building these reserves. This would help ensure that more robust reserves will be available in the event an economic downturn or catastrophic event merits their use.

DiNapoli’s report also finds:

• School Aid would increase by $826 million, or 3 percent, to $28.5 billion in the coming school year. This increase is less than the 4 percent growth allowable under a statutory limit related to personal income in the state.
• Funding for most local governments aid programs would be held flat, continuing a trend in recent years of decreases or level funding in such areas. These include Aid and Incentives for Municipalities, also known as AIM, the largest unrestricted aid program for local governments, as well as major funding for streets, highways and bridges.
• Total capital spending over the current and next four years is projected at $66.7 billion, little changed from the estimate based on the SFY 2019-20 Enacted Budget. Projected transportation spending is increased $3.3 billion, partly offset by certain unspecified reductions from the previous plan. The budget would appropriate $3 billion for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s 2020-2024 capital program, although funding sources are not identified.
• The budget recommends presenting a $3 billion Restore Mother Nature General Obligation (GO) Bond Act to the voters that, if approved, would provide funding to restore habitats, reduce flood risks, improve water quality, protect open space, expand the use of renewable energy and support other environmental projects. DiNapoli said that having voters weigh in on new state debt is a sound approach.
• The budget would authorize an additional $10.3 billion in new state-supported debt, all to be issued by public authorities except the proposed $3 billion Restore Mother Nature GO Bond Act. Outstanding state-supported debt is projected to rise 20.3 percent, and annual debt service 48.4 percent, by SFY 2024-25.
• The Executive anticipates elimination of 2,500 state prison beds in the coming fiscal year, and a $181.5 million reduction in spending for the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, partly reflecting budget language that would authorize additional prison closures.

Full Report

State Fiscal Year 2020-21 Executive Budget Analysis

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Click here to see a Home Town Cable Video of Beebie’s announcement 

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At the February 10th regular Board of Education meeting, the Chazy Union Free School District Board of Education appointed Scott Osborne as the new Superintendent & Jr./Sr. High School Principal of The Chazy Central Rural School through June 30, 2023. Osborne has been serving as the Interim Superintendent/Principal since July 1, 2019.