Chemung County land bank board approves officers, accepts audit and funds several property actions

The Chemung County Land Bank Board met to confirm officers, accept financial and audit reports and approve several property actions, including a construction contract and an acquisition authorization.

Board business opened with a motion to keep the existing slate of officers — Tom (chair), Brent (vice chair), Joe (treasurer) and Emma (secretary) — in their current roles. The motion carried following the board vote.

The board then accepted the financial report and later voted to accept the completed audit. The board noted a large timing-related deficit shown on the income statement (reported in the meeting as about $766,000) that board members attributed to the land bank not selling properties during the reporting period. Board members also noted that the board’s fund balance was reported positively (discussed in the meeting as “about 4, $4.34” in the transcript), and staff said they expect to submit documentation to request additional disbursements by the end of the month.

On property-specific business, the board approved a change order to reimburse permit fees for the rehab contract at 325 Weber Place so the contractor would not be lost over the missed permit cost. The board discussed whether city council had previously waived permit fees for land bank projects; board members said any such waiver would have been enacted by city council and might need to be renewed or clarified through that body before broader application.

The board voted to award the construction contract for 1839 Davis Street to Griffin Construction in the amount of $154,650. The motion passed after a second and a voice vote.

The board discussed several projects that remain in process, including abatement and demo schedules for 1839 Davis Street, 406 South Walnut and others, and reported timing impacts tied to recent storms and contractor availability. Staff reported thatDEC wetlands guidance effective Jan. 1 and changes to HCR (New York State Homes and Community Renewal) processes have delayed progress on some properties and on contract timing; HCR staff (Crystal) is scheduled to join the land bank call next week to clarify those points.

Separately, the board authorized up to $25,000 to pursue acquisition of 420 Schuyler Ave. The board said it has first-access opportunities through the National Community Stabilization Trust program and will inspect properties before finalizing acquisition amounts; the $25,000 authorization was approved by voice vote.

Board members discussed outreach and capacity items: applying for 2025–26 CDBG and HOME funds (applications due April 4 in the timeline discussed), pursuing a New York State home-buyer/new-construction HCR opportunity (a rolling application through Oct. 31), and preparing a press/communication plan to highlight land bank activity. Staff reported a contractor-training proposal (a 10-week program aimed at preparing about 15 trainees for entry-level construction work) and said they were pursuing seed funding and partner outreach with local training providers and colleges.

The board went into and returned from an executive session to discuss confidential bid and pricing information; when the board returned it made the Griffin Construction award for 1839 Davis Street and other approvals noted above. The meeting closed after the board approved its annual report by motion and vote.

For actions that required a formal vote, the board provided voice votes and carried the motions; vote tallies were not recorded in the transcript beyond members answering “aye.”

The board scheduled follow-up actions: staff will confirm the 5-star CD placement on the balance sheet, submit additional disbursement documentation to the court process, follow up with HCR and SHPO on wetlands and historic-preservation questions, and coordinate outreach regarding permit-waiver policy with the mayor’s office and city council as appropriate.

Less urgent project notes left for staff follow-up included specifying future contract infill requirements (soil vs. gravel), coordinating tank removals with existing land bank grant funds, and preparing an RFP timeline for remaining projects expected to go out by the end of the week.