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Residents press county on homelessness response and IDA reform during public comment
Summary
Public commenters urged the county to improve conditions at a sanctioned camping site and criticized the Industrial Development Agency for enabling large developer subsidies; speakers asked for safer sheltering, better infrastructure and nonprofit‑focused economic development tools.
Several public commenters addressed homelessness and economic development during the legislature’s privilege‑of‑the‑floor session on June 16. Resident Zachary Winn urged the county to hold the City of Ithaca accountable for operating a sanctioned camping area he described as unsafe, citing a stabbing and the lack of toilets or electricity. "People don't have unlimited funds. Figure out a way to spend less money instead of collect more taxes," Winn said during his remarks.
Another commenter, Andrei Barvinchuk, presented detailed criticisms of the local Industrial Development Agency, arguing that IDA approvals and tax abatements have catalyzed much larger cascades of public subsidies to for‑profit developers. He urged the IDA to prioritize proposals from high‑quality, locally owned nonprofit organizations and to issue regular public requests for proposals for transitional supportive housing and nonprofit real‑estate models.
Diane Cohen, CEO of Finger Lakes Reuse, described her organization's expansion and cost savings from a recent move and encouraged the legislature to view reuse and workforce‑development projects as local economic engines that leverage federal and state funding.
