From The Mayor's Office: State of the Village August, 2021

Momentum is building this summer for significant development in the Village of Endicott over the next several years. Public meetings on our Washington Avenue project will begin in September. Major corporations are making progress that will spur employment. Businesses are relocating to the Village. Broome County is seeking input on a river development plan that includes sites in the Village. Many companies, school classes, service organizations, and residents volunteer their time and money to support the Village. I want to thank our staff and volunteers for managing our core responsibilities while preparing for significant development opportunities.

Washington Avenue Development:

Our Washington Advisory Committee is reviewing potential design concepts and guiding vision for Washington Avenue development. Design details are also being reviewed by Village departments and the CPTED Committee (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design). Delta Engineering is preparing to schedule public review meetings in September. We are also looking at funding opportunities to supplement grants approved for the Avenue. Some businesses and community leaders are making contributions to the overall program. Construction will begin in the spring. Please share all ideas, no matter how unusual they may be. We never know when someone may come up with a unique idea for our Village!

Business Development:

BAE remains a core business for our community. Their focus on Hybrid and Electric propulsion, especially for buses, enjoys a strong global market forecast. Their work on flight controls is also very significant. Every second, an aircraft takes off with flight controls made in Endicott.

iM3NY has received significant financing and is building the first Lithium-ion battery Gigafactory. Ultimately the business plans to expand to 32 gigawatts of production operating with 1,200 employees. In addition, some of the suppliers will locate in our community. Dr. Shailesh Upreti is planning additional town hall meetings for the general public. Please note that this company operates on investor financing and does not ask the Village for any financial assistance!

Huron Campus now houses about 30 businesses. They are an ideal location for start-up companies coming from the Koffman Incubator and our own Tiger Ventures. Binghamton University is exploring options to attract foreign start-up companies to the Southern Tier.

West Endicott is benefiting from the expansion of National Pipe and Plastic and Lupo's Spiedies. These companies join several established companies in West Endicott.

Dr. Kenneth McLeod at Binghamton University is developing a new ground transportation system, Terra-Plane, that can achieve 250 miles per hour. This summer, he involved BOCES students in the project, and their achievements received media coverage. The students worked at Sonostics on the Avenue.

The Housing Visions project will be ready for tenants starting in September. This is affordable housing with on-site property management.

We continue to work on the development of the K-Mart site and many other business locations. The Agency is working with the DEC on a phase 2 clean-up of the site at the former forging works. All of these trends combine to make the Village of Endicott a prime business location. This growth opportunity is supported financially through the Federal Opportunity Zone program, where capital gains can be invested with state tax benefits.

Village Operations:

Operation of the drinking water systems remains our number one issue. We have made several improvements, but a new filtration system is required. We have also found that our water rates are well below what other municipalities are charging. We are evaluating a potential rate increase to support the necessary investments. The summary from the August 19, 2021, water board meeting is posted on the Village website's Board Meetings page under minutes. We want to keep all residents informed.

 We developed a brochure on local restaurants for the Village. These brochures are available at the Department of Motor Vehicles, which is only one of two DMV locations open on Saturdays in the state of New York. We will update the brochure soon to incorporate new developments, and any restaurants missed. Additionally, the Broome County Clerk's office is looking at the potential for local businesses to advertise at the DMV by way of a closed-circuit screen!

The Village agreed to become a clean energy community in New York State. We received an initial grant for $5,000 thanks to the diligence of our Village Secretary. We will use a portion of the grant to hire an intern to focus on clean energy projects for the Village, which will allow us to apply for additional grants. Please note this project also qualify's for a NYSERDA reimbursement program covering between 75% - 90% of the intern's wages. One more plus is that the Village secretary will be freed up to work with the mayor on a new project to benefit our Fire, EMT, and Police departments!

We are working with the Susquehanna Heritage organization to review investment opportunities that support river development and Eco-tourism. Broome County has developed a detailed plan for river development that includes sites in Endicott. The County has been holding public review meetings. We will support the annual riverbank clean-up to be held on October 16, 2021, organized by the Broome County Environmental Management Council.

The Broome County Arts Council received funding for murals in Binghamton, Johnson City, and Endicott. One artist is now completing a mural in Binghamton. We expect artists to begin in Endicott this fall.

We are preparing to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Endicott-Johnson Arch on September 9, 2021, at 6:30 pm. The ceremony will include a performance by the Southerntiersmen Chorus. Service organizations and others are providing funding for a light display for the Arch that will operate for a thirty-day period.

The George F Johnson Memorial library paid to have two large, dead trees removed. The library, code department, and street department brought this to our attention in late May with a letter from the fire marshal to the village board. After conferring with two tree companies, we concluded these trees were a danger to the public. The tree company was backed up with work, so they could not take down these trees until August. In the meantime, we had a big wind storm that caused a large branch to go through the new roof at the library. We are very fortunate this did not involve or injure people. Our resident's safety is a priority!

The Union-Endicott homecoming parade will be held on October 9, 2021, on Washington Avenue, tentatively starting at 11:00 am. Stop at the library after the event to see the trees planted by the Arbor Day tree committee.

We are reviewing requests for 4-way stop signs at some locations where traffic is an issue. Many neighborhoods are concerned about the safety of children and pets.

The Village needs to hire additional crossing guards. Anyone interested can contact our human resources person at the municipal building.

COVID – 19

Broome County Executive Jason Garnar provided an update on Covid-19 in the County. The new Delta strain is more severe and easier to transmit. According to the update, about 50 % of Broome County is vaccinated. 95% of the people who die from COVID are not vaccinated. Garnar is requesting everyone to get vaccinated. He is also urging the use of masks and social distancing. School kids under 12 cannot get the vaccine until the FDA approves its use for this age group. Garnar said he would not issue a state of emergency or any mandates unless the daily number of cases exceeds 100.

Thanks to the growing list of Volunteers:

Many community members, schools, service organizations, and businesses are stepping up to develop beautification projects, plant community gardens, clean up areas of the Village, and donate funding for a variety of projects and programs. I do not want to overlook any volunteers. I will be checking with our department heads, school systems, Southern Tier Community Center, and Service organizations to develop a comprehensive list. Anyone wishing to volunteer, don't hesitate to get in touch with my office. Working together – we can make a difference!

This is an exciting time for the Village of Endicott. I look forward to meeting all of you as we develop the details for the Washington Avenue Project and seek strategies to further the development of the entire Village. Always feel free to contact my office or visit with me when you stop in to pay bills, etc. I will now hold my 'coffee with the mayor' in my office for private conversations by popular demand.

Sincerely,

Mayor Linda Jackson