[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_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",6550629,"mediaKeyId","5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0","parentId",5385671,"title","Village resident asks legislature to remove and apologize for offensive Facebook posts by legislator","audioSeconds",231,"startMs",580000,"endMs",811000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0&start=580&end=811","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0/thumbnail_580000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6550629/Chemung-County/New-York/Village-resident-asks-legislature-to-remove-and-apologize-for-offensive-Facebook-posts-by-legislator","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550629-48290c2fbd34eed7d76b66516547c241/orig.mp4?Expires=1775853016&Signature=XQtOnVGFpWv9u6J9ljr9aPL2ZeiXZKxn~DwEZTywehOLzzWkt4935IgMBNVS4C3oal5CeOrmNhEwVN1dDJhuAVSkURdYZG7cykrS2YQRAH041WGh3fLlMYGa8faHxheFBSw5KOhmN99svV0j6~QOQN9z50Ia8WXHgoGs5w1bGXyScKKMi0DKVnxaAej3o4yF9~H176WNqhkaEd-dejo6xXc2KD~EQkxGL0BULBb6CAtwKxuGBqb7nJq6r50qza5ZaKyk1Kxiih0B9Z8X5ZvZk~5woYBHLicWO6-~MLBt2vxci9wy-abn7xNG1AldEEFLMMmzqkDacW8SVFsvs6jgnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Chemung County","date","2025-07-14T19:00:00Z","article","Karen Updegraf, a resident of the Village of Horseheads, used the public-comment period at the July 14 Chemung County Legislature meeting to ask the body to address conduct by a legislator on social media.

Updegraf told the legislature she was blocked from the official Chemung County Legislature Facebook page maintained by Legislator Brennan after criticizing an earlier post. She said she later reviewed a post on that official page from June 13 that she attributed to Legislator Brennan, and read the post in which, she said, the post stated: “They scream about fascism to cover over or to paper over daddy issues. Happy birthday, Donald Trump.”

Updegraf said she found the post “insensitive” and said it made many constituents, including immigrants and veterans, feel less safe. She said she attended a peaceful rally on June 13 and that the people at the rally were “neighbors and constituents.” She asked the legislature to remove the post from the official page, to unblock constituents who criticized the post, and to apologize.

Why it matters: the complaint raises questions about the use of a legislator’s official social-media account, constituent access to official channels and whether an elected official’s online remarks are appropriate for a government page.

Response and next steps recorded in the meeting
The speaker offered to provide her materials to Legislator John Buren after the meeting. The public-comment period closed without a formal motion or legislative action on the complaint during the July 14 session; no apology or removal was recorded on the meeting record.

Ending: Updegraf said she would submit written comments to the clerk and asked the legislature to address the matter outside the public-comment period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Chemung County - Legislative Full Board - Jul 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Karen Updegraf, a Village of Horseheads resident, told the Chemung County Legislature she was blocked on a legislator’s official Facebook page and asked that an offensive post be removed and constituents be unblocked and apologized to.","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},6550634,"Landlord association representative urges focus on job creation to ease affordable-housing pressures",332,182000,514000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0&start=182&end=514","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0/thumbnail_182000.jpg","/articles/6550634/Chemung-County/New-York/Landlord-association-representative-urges-focus-on-job-creation-to-ease-affordable-housing-pressures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550634-83dfacfb879fcc45e64b1037ec0ba923/orig.mp4?Expires=1775853016&Signature=UyPVQT8TwAEWzXmZvDTYkCmfKDEmv1YbIW1rwqFbg8uQqnQl1zCNo~ZS2MItQFYKgQJb527bnsKjImqkU45u636erJ5MfVT5l-jknzP45DfD4~D4xNT3jwiKS39Q0o29xPd8k-FVkxtPwHhDLutET2Bei6X83YCiuzt15UauZBOQKh2FP9IT0gkiRKQIZ-NsSnZpZWYy6C-yzKGFfl2A1olFKd4rAzdgVEzQMtoY0YqINUDSKioFxH4IyuBcHMMKdTta~qbJP95-EP2q-B3xWep48M7BqzFThuCnI7aK6VuQg-34VaUX8xGYB5ohzK09v6ecNnrhgPL6G1J4iUFB-g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rick Paul, who identified himself as a landlord association representative and Elmira taxpayer, addressed the Chemung County Legislature during the public-comment period on July 14 to urge a different approach to the county’s affordable-housing challenges.

“What is affordable housing really mean?” Paul asked, saying the phrase is used “without a clear, shared understanding.” He described rising operating costs for rental property owners — higher property taxes, increased insurance costs, spiking water and sewer rates, and higher material and labor costs since the COVID-19 pandemic — and warned those pressures are contributing to vacant, boarded and blighted properties.

Paul quoted U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) fair-market rent figures he said apply locally: “For 1-bedroom and efficiency there [are] between $800 and $950; a 1–2 bedroom $1,300 to $1,400; for a 3-bedroom, $1,500 to $1,600 a month, including all utilities,” he said. Paul added that landlords typically subtract about $250–$300 for utility costs when considering rents.

He said inspection, registration and other fees, along with higher sewer taxes and insurance, have “made it harder” for responsible landlords to operate. Paul gave specific cost examples: a hot-water-tank replacement that used to cost about $500 is now often $1,000 if DIY, and $2,000–$3,500 if hired out. He also said sewer taxes have “soared 43%.”

Paul urged a shift away from what he described as an overreliance on grant programs and toward sustainable local job creation, arguing that higher-paying local jobs would reduce long-term demand for subsidized housing. “If we focus less on chasing grants, more on creating real jobs, substantial job paying jobs, we might find the need for affordable housing would fade away,” he said.

Why it matters: Paul’s comments frame affordable housing as both a supply-side and economic-development issue and pressed the legislature to consider how county policies and economic development efforts affect the private rental market.

Ending: Paul closed by urging county leaders to recruit employers and investment to the region to support higher incomes and to reduce dependence on grants.
","At public comment, landlord association representative Rick Paul urged the legislature to prioritize job creation and reduce regulatory burdens to address affordable-housing challenges, citing rising costs, higher taxes, and fair-market rent figures.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6550640,"Chemung County Legislature approves bundled resolutions covering grants, contracts and bids",220,959000,1179000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0&start=959&end=1179","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5385671-3c677c993c27bb029f18f2d4cf0eadf0/thumbnail_959000.jpg","/articles/6550640/Chemung-County/New-York/Chemung-County-Legislature-approves-bundled-resolutions-covering-grants-contracts-and-bids","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6550640-cca4b5ad76ee80a13fee289d8b32ed74/orig.mp4?Expires=1775853016&Signature=olGvT3Ky1PNJYJsK7wzhLwdZA11n-z7eK3BWixVvCHdWjpojU64j8-NpNhRaaYdd2zuwAn2yNc-dlCnPx2mm45NhjMSODPI8BOMkang9rm~KXQI9IEs080BanFmnwupnV9Rd73j-JoUR3KnpfkC9PDUbaOTB7S9sb3KVjUAcAW--AGqWpW4cN0G9LCPPzSRFe5KEa7U~hYBoOFowtElLcharNGzQYAMV9b3MFDUEEOeQS0eSPSuqXm3Ai59zqakRAI8KGLXc1BrVHDrNkyWB1~s03MjFKiYMp2eWCchd0HzqjxVjtMwPxlMJKdaB88o7PXXxW4yrKhL17TT81W9nEw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Chemung County Legislature voted to approve a bundled package of resolutions on July 14 that authorized grant applications, contracts, change orders, bid awards and property sale acceptances across multiple county departments.

The bundled measures included resolutions authorizing an Alternatives to Incarceration grant application for the Probation Department, training and consulting agreements for the Department of Aging and Long-Term Care, supplemental and change order agreements for Public Works and the Sewer District, several purchase agreements for county departments, and acceptance of bids from a May 30 public auction. The package was advanced as a combined consent agenda and approved by roll call votes.

Why it matters: the approvals permit county departments to move forward with multiple procurement and funding actions without separate debate on each item, covering public safety, infrastructure, social services and routine county operations.

Key approved blocks and sponsor summaries
- Resolutions 25-304 through 25-309: included an application for Alternatives to Incarceration funding through the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services on behalf of the Probation Department; training and consulting agreements for the Department of Aging and Long-Term Care; a supplemental agreement for a Public Works contract; extension of a planning department agreement with Elmira-Chemung Transportation Council; and a change order for JET Industries for the Sewer District (sponsored by Legislators Drake, Donovan, Strange and Smith). The block passed by roll call; Legislator Salabini recorded an abstention on resolution 25-309.

- Resolutions 25-310 and 25-311: transfers and appropriations requested by the County Executive, and authorization for the County Treasurer to accept bids from the May 30 public auction (sponsored by Legislator Marjussen). Approved by roll call.

- Resolutions 25-312 through 25-317: bid awards and purchase agreements for Buildings and Grounds, Social Services, Public Works, and the Elmira Sewer District; purchases authorized for the Treasurer’s office (sponsored by Legislators Buren, Donovan, Strange and Smith). Approved by roll call.

Votes and procedure
A motion to combine multiple resolution groups was made by Legislator Buren and seconded by Legislator Pickering; the motion carried. The combined consent agenda was moved and then approved by roll call. The transcript records a standard roll-call procedure in which each legislator verbally stated “Aye” for the measures; the only recorded exception was Legislator Salabini, who registered an abstention specifically on resolution 25-309. The clerk called the roll for the consent agenda blocks and the resolutions were recorded as passed.

What the resolutions authorize
- Application for state alternatives-to-incarceration funding for the Probation Department.
- Training and consulting agreements for Aging and Long-Term Care.
- Supplemental and change order agreements for Public Works and Sewer District projects.
- Purchase agreements and bid awards for county equipment and services.
- Acceptance of auction bids for county-owned properties.

Next steps and implementation
Departments named in the resolutions can proceed to finalize the agreements, accept award notices or execute purchases as authorized; specific contract execution, effective dates and implementation details will be managed by the sponsoring departments and the County Treasurer’s office as specified in the individual agreements.

Ending: The legislature closed the consent portion of the meeting after the roll-call approvals and moved on to routine business and reports.","The Chemung County Legislature approved a bundled package of resolutions authorizing grants, contracts, transfers, and awards covering departments including Probation, Aging and Long-Term Care, Public Works, Sewer Districts, Treasurer and Buildings and Grounds; one legislator registered an abstention on a single item.","actionData","errors"]

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Village resident asks legislature to remove and apologize for offensive Facebook posts by legislator

Landlord association representative urges focus on job creation to ease affordable-housing pressures

Chemung County Legislature approves bundled resolutions covering grants, contracts and bids