[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6667785,"mediaKeyId","2255830-4665668d46b08edb87f290ebf61aa139","parentId",2255830,"title","Chemung County Legislature approves broad slate of resolutions, creates coordinator position and requests continuation of 1% sales tax","audioSeconds",856,"startMs",564000,"endMs",1420000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2255830-4665668d46b08edb87f290ebf61aa139&start=564&end=1420","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2255830-4665668d46b08edb87f290ebf61aa139/thumbnail_564000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6667785/Chemung-County/New-York/Chemung-County-Legislature-approves-broad-slate-of-resolutions-creates-coordinator-position-and-requests-continuation-of-1-sales-tax","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667785-d58f3bb93f82a6d4fa8af031cbcc1f1b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144458&Signature=RX4MXAOldRYRVhXMNyLOOUL5EmVihyNU-7-JC31jeZR4uUXNd6~I2MKv9z5JaFnH7VX6X3vrLPplrKeG7-3JEb84JY7Ox0F0-JWfJ6yzxkkL3z94C7sRK4zS3w9Qb-Wz8UTlJn73y78gUKKjYR3SQ-Fcz9UZucuth~JKtUYCvZfk9XzJ4ovWrnJTxDKk-X2jKMvccdnT9PR-96~TV4V1qWJ0ZQKwiVD4FvLYPetAtxipna19KRgS4mLRIWR4yTw6OTRKzOSx55~tPecGW3DbSYr1QZhXiexWlf8QLx2lorF2l1n3ZTdQsj78tVVYB5TmFSbVl17fixJLjdsG0wlVrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chemung County","date","2025-02-10T19:00:00Z","article","The Chemung County Legislature voted to approve a large package of resolutions at its meeting, combining several grouped items and passing them by roll call.

The combined packets included routine departmental service agreements, vendor purchases and grant applications for the Department of Aging and Long Term Care, Department of Social Services, Department of Public Works, Elmira Corning Regional Airport, Information Technology and county sewer districts. The Legislature also approved contract renewals, supplemental agreements with engineering firms, and purchase agreements drawn from Suffolk County and other bids.

Among notable actions recorded in the meeting:

- The Legislature approved grouped resolutions authorizing agreements and grants for Aging and Long Term Care, Social Services and Mental Hygiene, including memoranda of understanding with independent living centers and multiple provider agreements.

- The Legislature approved supplemental agreements and change orders for public works projects, awarded bids for road and airport purchases, and authorized engineering agreements and Water Quality Improvement Grant applications for the county sewer districts.

- The Legislature authorized bond-funded capital projects and equipment purchases. Resolutions described authorizations for airport improvements, reconstruction of roads and safety improvements, culvert and bridge replacement, purchase of road machinery and a front-end loader, a camera and security system at the Chemung County Jail, and equipment for the Chemung County Nursing Facility. Several resolutions listed estimated maximum costs; some figures in the spoken record were not fully clear and are noted below.

- The Legislature approved an extension of staffing vendor agreements for the Chemung County Nursing Facility and awarded agreements for transit and central services technology and equipment purchases.

- The Legislature approved a resolution creating a full-time coordinator of services position in the Department of Aging and Long Term Care.

- The Legislature approved a resolution requesting continuation of the additional 1% county sales tax.

Clerk roll calls taken on grouped packets were recorded as passing with members voting “Aye” by name. The meeting record shows unanimous aye votes on the combined resolution groups as called. The clerk recorded roll-call affirmations for individual items as the packets were considered.

Several resolutions were announced and passed as combined ranges rather than discussed individually; the chair asked if there was any discussion before the roll-call votes and members recorded aye votes for the listed measures.

Financial amounts mentioned orally during the agenda review include figures for culvert and bridge work ($1,363,843 maximum; $683,843 in bonds), the camera and security system at the county jail ($1,095,340), and equipment purchases for the nursing facility ($335,000). Other quoted amounts in the oral reading of the resolutions were unclear in the spoken record and should be confirmed against the official resolution text in county minutes and the clerk\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's file for precise appropriation and bond amounts.

No roll-call dissenting votes were recorded on the packets presented during the session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chemung County - Legislative Full Board - Feb 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting, the Chemung County Legislature combined and passed multiple grouped resolutions authorizing contracts, grant applications, purchase agreements and bond authorizations; it also created a full-time coordinator position and requested continuation of the county\u0000\u0000\u0000\u0000's additional 1% sales tax.","taxTitle","Chemung County, New York","taxId",12531,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6667790,"Residents and legislators press county over West Hill Road solar project, battery-storage risks",1948,167000,2115000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2255830-4665668d46b08edb87f290ebf61aa139&start=167&end=2115","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2255830-4665668d46b08edb87f290ebf61aa139/thumbnail_167000.jpg","/articles/6667790/Chemung-County/New-York/Residents-and-legislators-press-county-over-West-Hill-Road-solar-project-battery-storage-risks","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6667790-4900f0d562792a4784d60b254b0ef377/orig.mp4?Expires=1771144458&Signature=oFJNOiWJwRVcppq3pkhZKzDEE5QnDa-9Ha-BPyG0mt52wrE0HOYrwFiMPOR-GkgaRPvjVq2TEzpHhdUYdPjLTr3pZnYpX8cN7YN~5ld8vH-qtLgRxCNupWlonXdws6FeDF8BFBLfztVnM0N8E0vny8kBGdWSww7K8SIe3AqQMHHnN5Wer3TKqfroJ1NjUZ5ARW-l4br7LsBH9a3KQCLXMUq0BlxwrRSyxfHIT~Rk8wv6IoXs-0coFe46Y~lA~jxc6ivVsxvBJ4NeG5bKZJ~NfmBCpuvgB4hPuerm9N8tWMwSBZBi5npmC-uE-0M1r9elavMbs96LN0zqVqny6owUZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Andrea Renshaw, a resident of 1231 North Hoffman who identified herself as representing Residents for Responsible Solar Energy, told the Chemung County Legislature she and “many townspeople oppose the planned 20 plus acre solar project on West Hill Road that includes a lithium ion battery storage.”

Renshaw said the project, proposed in the Town of Elmira, would clear more than 20 acres for panels and a tractor-trailer–sized lithium battery unit. “Lithium battery fires, although rare, do happen,” she said, and added that past fires in New York have prompted shelter-in-place orders or evacuations within about a one-mile radius of affected sites.

The potential evacuation zone named by Renshaw would include medical and school facilities and residential areas, she said: “Included in this radius is Erna Hospital, Ernie Davis Academy, Fassett School, Cohen School, Amira Correctional Facility, as well as hundreds of residents within the mile radius.” She also raised concerns about runoff and the project’s proximity to Heller Creek, Eldridge Lake, Newtown Creek and the Chemung River and urged protection for a nearby Elmira Water Board reservoir.

Chemung County Legislator John Buren urged countywide scrutiny of solar farm siting. Buren said the state’s push toward greater electrification by 2030 has produced an influx of developers and that several towns in the county have enacted moratoriums. He said commercial solar projects with battery storage generally last “20 to 30 years” and can change the “social, economic and environmental makeup of a community.”

Buren recommended stronger county planning board review, host-community agreements that could include funding for local emergency services, and better public notice for projects. “A lot of people don’t know this. The City of Elmira’s Fire Department is the hazmat unit for the whole county,” Buren said, arguing communities could ask developers to help fund hazmat capabilities.

Marty Margeison, a county legislator who said he was speaking in a dual capacity as president of the Elmira Water Board, said the water board sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and planning boards and requested interested-party status. “This project is 1,200 feet away from our reservoir,” Margeison said. “I don’t give a darn if it’s 1%. That’s drinking water and we’re responsible.” He said the board will press for engineering and contingency information about possible leakage from lithium batteries before accepting the project.

No formal motion or vote on the West Hill Road project was recorded during the meeting. Speakers noted the project is before the town planning board; Buren urged the county planning board to go further than standard referrals and to consider long-term, countywide impacts when advising towns.

County officials and staff were not recorded making technical findings at the meeting; several legislators urged additional public outreach, legal review and coordination with the county planning board and the Elmira Water Board before any local approvals proceed.

The proponents of the project were not present at the county meeting and no host-community agreement or specific mitigation measures were introduced to the Legislature during the session. The Town of Elmira planning board is scheduled to consider the project at an upcoming meeting, according to public comments at the Legislature session.","At a Chemung County Legislature meeting, residents and legislators raised safety, water-quality and siting concerns about a proposed 20+-acre solar installation on West Hill Road in the Town of Elmira that would include a Tesla lithium-ion battery storage container.","actionData","errors"]

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Chemung County Legislature approves broad slate of resolutions, creates coordinator position and requests continuation of 1% sales tax

Residents and legislators press county over West Hill Road solar project, battery-storage risks