Category: Uncategorized

Due to dangerously low temperatures and wind chill in Broome County, BC Transit is opening its doors to those in need.

On Thursday, Jan. 31, BC Transit will not turn any rider away due to inability to pay. If an individual is in need of a ride on our buses to get out of the cold and/or to be transported to somewhere warm and cannot afford the fare, Broome County will cover the cost.

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said, “We want our residents in Broome County to be safe and protect themselves in this extreme cold and have somewhere warm to go such as a BC Transit bus. We are telling our Transit officials to alert drivers not to turn anyone away on Thursday due to inability to pay.”

Broome County to Upgrade Public Safety Radio System

Some Equipment Dates Back to 1970s; Project Completion Will Increase Public Safety & Improve Critical Communication Between First Responders in Incident Response

 

(TOWN OF UNION, NY) Broome County officials announced today that the county is upgrading its Public Safety Radio system. This project will benefit 55 different primary first responder agencies from police, fire and EMS throughout municipalities in Broome County.

 

County Executive Jason Garnar and Legislature Chairman Daniel J. Reynolds made the announcement today. They were joined by officials from the Broome County Office of Emergency Services, Sheriff David Harder, Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski, Conklin Fire Chief Bill Gorman, Endicott Police Chief Patrick Garey, Johnson City Police Chief Brent Dodge, Endicott Fire Chief Joseph Griswold, and many other first responders from agencies throughout the county.

 

The County Office of Emergency Services is the lead department on the project.

 

The current system consists of 12 different radio systems with portions dating back to 1970, covering 55 different primary agencies.

 

Major radio coverage gaps in the current system are a safety issue for first responders. Systems operate on three different “bands” meaning the ability for one unit to talk to another one for mutual aid is virtually impossible. For example, three different fire departments who respond to a fire in mutual aid may not be able to communicate with each other.

 

Michael Ponticiello, Director of the Office of Emergency Services stated, “This is a problem and we need to fix it now. Our fire departments cannot communicate with our police officers, our schools, our hospitals, our DPW crews. We need this upgraded system now so our first responders can effectively do their job and save lives.”

 

“This could be a matter of life and death. Our first responders desperately need the ability to communicate with each other and unfortunately, in some areas in Broome County, they currently cannot do that. This upgrade must be done for the safety of our families, our first responders and every resident of Broome County. It’s been put off for too long and we’ve made investments to keep the system going but now is the time,” said Jason Garnar, Broome County Executive.
 

“Ensuring public safety is the top priority for government and we must do everything we can to support our local volunteer and career firefighters, our police agencies and our emergency medical personnel who serve our community every day,” said County Legislature Chairman Dan J. Reynolds. “This system has been in dire need of overhaul for many years and waiting any longer to do the necessary upgrades only puts our first responders and the people in our community at more risk. Thank you to our State representatives, Senator Akshar and Assemblywoman Lupardo, for their strong support in moving this project and funding plan forward.”

The upgraded public radio system will meet the county’s needs for the next 20 years.Equipment will be provided to all Police, Fire, EMS, and DPW departments. The new system will allow all disciplines to communicate with each other. All users will be able to change to an emergency channel and speak directly with a 911 dispatcher.

 

“The new system will meet the needs of public safety agencies, DPW, all county government agencies (i.e. Security, Arena, Probation), and can incorporate schools and hospitals,” said Michael Ponticiello, Director of Emergency Services.

 

The county has already purchased, and/or licensed necessary radio spectrum and an engineering firm is confirming tower site locations. It is anticipated an additional eight (8) radio tower sites need to be built.

 

“Broome County has invested millions of dollars in infrastructure improvements over the last few years to keep our system working. This investment laid the foundation for our new upgraded system. By having a consolidated county system, it is saving millions of dollars to the taxpayers. If every system was individually upgraded, the total project cost would be nearly $30 million more,” said Ponticiello.

 

The cost of the new system is projected at just under $23 million. Broome County officials have actively explored every possible funding source for the project and are proposing increasing the 911 surcharge to fund the project.

 

Broome County is requesting that the monthly landline fee be raised from $0.30 to $1.39 and the monthly wireless fee from $0.35 to $1.62 for a period of 10 years.

 

To fund the project, a home rule request must be approved at the state level.

 

The Broome County Legislature will consider a resolution in February to approve the home rule request be sent to the New York State Legislature for authorization.

 

Three public forums will be held next week across Broome County.

 

The scheduled forums are as follows:

 

Tuesday 2/5 – West Windsor Fire Company, 9 Karla Drive, Windsor, NY 13865>

Wednesday 2/6 – Chenango Fire Company, 86 Castle Creek Rd., Binghamton, NY 13901

Thursday 2/7 – Glen Aubrey Fire Company, 3800 NYS Route 26, Glen Aubrey, NY 13777

 

All forums are scheduled to begin at 5:30PM.

(BINGHAMTON, NY) Broome County Executive Jason Garnar announced today the appointment of Roger Luther as Broome County Historian. 

County Executive Garnar said, “I’m excited to announce my selection of Roger Luther as Broome County Historian. Roger brings years of experience and knowledge to this position. We’re excited for him to take on this role and for how he will continue to help preserve the history of our area.” 

Luther fills this position after the retirement of former Broome County Historian Gerald Smith. 

Luther recently published two books about Broome County history, “Expressions of Faith – Exploring the Religious Structures of Broome County,” and “Treasures of the Tier – Exploring Historic Properties in the Southern Tier.” Additionally, he has been an active member in the Broome County Historical Society and the Preservation Association of the Southern Tier.   

The Broome County Historian appointment must be approved by the Broome County Legislature. The resolution has been submitted to be considered by legislators in March. 

Luther said, “I look forward to continuing to serve Broome County, and educating the community on the rich history of our area. I’m honored to take on this new role and share my love of history with everyone in the county.” 

“Roger Luther is the perfect choice for County Historian. I’ve worked with him for years on a number of projects, including our recent celebration of the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage,” said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. “His years of experience researching, writing, and sharing the stories of our community having prepared him well for this role. I’d like to thank outgoing Historian Gerry Smith for his years of dedicated service to preserving our local history. Roger will no doubt build on Gerry’s legacy.” 

Luther has experience in all areas of expertise when it comes to this position including, research and writing, teaching and public presentations, historic preservation, and organization, and advocacy and tourism promotion. He has conducted years of research on topics in Broome County, including buildings and residences in the county, Binghamton’s “Castle on the Hill,” and women’s suffrage. 

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, Congressman Anthony Brindisi and Broome County Department of Public Transportation Commissioner Greg Kilmer, among other local leaders, joined forces Friday to announce details of eight new buses hitting the streets of Broome County.

 

The new clean diesel Gillig buses will replace buses in the county that are more than 14 years old. These buses will offer cleaner emissions, lower fuel consumption and lower cost per mile to operate. The buses will also offer riders a more comfortable and pleasant experience.

“We’re excited to place these eight beautiful new buses into service,” Commissioner Kilmer said. “Support from State, Federal and Local officials is vital in continuing the effort to rebuild public transportation infrastructure in Broome County.

Public Transportation supports the local economy, employment, education, healthcare, retail, and leisure.

“It’s important for Broome County residents to be able to access public transportation in our county, and this is just another step in continuing to help residents get to where they need to go safely and efficiently,” said County Executive Garnar.

The total cost of the project is $3,574,976 with the price per bus at $446,872. Most of that funding is coming from State Capital Funding, while Federal Formula Funding and Local County funding make up the rest.

 

Funding Breakdown:

Total                                                              $3,574,976

Federal Formula Funding                             $   897,064          25.09%

State Capital Funding                                   $2,565,780          71.77%

Local Broome County Share                        $   112,132             3.14%

 

Of the more than $3.5 million project, only $112,000 will be paid for by local tax payers.  

 

“Getting new, more efficient buses on the road is great news for Broome County,” said Congressman Brindisi. “Investing in our public transportation helps keep our communities safe, healthy, and economically secure. From rebuilding our roads and bridges to updating our public transportation systems, I will continue working with local and state officials to make sure the needs of the community are met. I commend County Executive Garnar and Commissioner Kilmer for their commitment to improving transportation options for our community.”

 

By the beginning of 2020 B.C. Transit will have replaced 30 buses, a full two thirds of the fleet dedicated to the Fixed Route transit system. 

(BINGHAMTON, NY) Broome County is participating in the National March for Meals campaign throughout the month of March. As part of this campaign the Broome County Office for Aging has asked the community to support local Meals on Wheels programs by volunteering to deliver meals or by making a monetary contribution. “Meals on Wheels Community Champions Week” is from March 18^th through the 22^nd.

Lisa Schuhle, Director of the Office for Aging states: “The Meals on Wheels programs in Broome County served over 228,000 meals in 2018.  This was a 12% increase from the previous year. With the increase in demand we are looking for community support. The program not only serves meals to those needing it over an extended period, but also to many people short term after returning home from a hospital or a rehabilitation stay. Please consider volunteering or making a donation to support the older population in our community.”

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar is showing his support throughout the month, including during Community Champions Week. On March 22nd from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. he will be helping deliver meals to program participants.

“It’s important to take care of all the residents here in Broome County, especially our seniors,” said County Executive Garnar. “This is a great program. I’m happy to help out in any way I can, and I encourage all our Broome County leaders to participate.”

Meals on Wheels is a vital service to the community as it helps seniors remain independent while living in their own homes. Participants and their families enjoy the comfort of knowing that Meals on Wheels volunteers will be dropping by not only to deliver hot, healthy meals, but also to provide a quick check on their well-being

The Office for Aging is partnering with Meals on Wheels of Western Broome in collecting donations for this campaign. Local businesses will also be collecting donations through the “Fill Our Plate for Meals on Wheels” program.

“We provide a service that is not only a comfort but a necessity for seniors in Broome County and the need is quickly increasing.  Working together with the Office for Aging Meals on Wheels is what will help both our programs thrive and keep our seniors safe, healthy, and in their own homes for as long as possible,” said Jackie Pangilinan, Executive Director of Meals on Wheels of Western Broome.

If you would like to make a donation head to the Broome County Office for Aging website at broomecountyny.gov/senior or the Meals on Wheels of Western Broome website at https://mealsonwheelsofwesternbroome.com/. Checks can be mailed to Broome County Office for Aging, 60 Hawley Street, PO Box 1766, Binghamton, NY 13902, simply note it as a “March for Meals” donation.

For more information on making donations or volunteering for Meals on Wheels, please call the Office for Aging at (607) 778-2411.