NCCC OUTLINES MASTER PLAN FOR SL CAMPUS

Officials with North Country Community College outlined the steps for developing a master plan for the Saranac Lake campus at Tuesday’s meeting of the college Board of Trustees.

The move comes several weeks after the college’s sponsoring counties effectively blocked the purchase of the former Upstate Biotechnology property outside Lake Placid.  Both Essex and Franklin Counties approved resolutions opposing any move of the main campus from Saranac Lake.

Since then, the college consulted with SUNY and received the state’s guidelines for conducting a facility program study. 

Shane Chatelle, the college’s Assistant Dean for Facilities and Grounds, went through the master planning document on Tuesday.  It includes three phases – inventory and analysis of the campus, developing alternatives and creating a final facility plan.

“It sounds like a lot of work,” Chatelle said.  “But a lot of phase one has been completed.”  Much of the site analysis work was done earlier this year when the college hired consultants to come up with expansion and renovation plans for the Saranac Lake campus.

And instead of hiring more outside help to develop the new master plan, college President Dr. Gail Rogers-Rice said they’ve learned from SUNY that they can do much of the work internally and with a series of committees.

To guide the project, the college is proposing a steering committee made up of Chatelle, county legislators and board members, community residents, and faculty and staff. Several subcommittees would also be formed.

Franklin County Legislator Tim Burpoe, the only county representative in attendance, said he was pleased to hear the community would be involved.  “There’s people clamoring to have their voices heard,” he said.  “I think that in the earlier process, with two locations, a lot of people felt excluded.”

But Trustee Andy Fortune said he was upset that the counties took away the college’s options by voting to oppose any move out of Saranac Lake.  “The choice was taken away from us,” he said.  “I’m concerned that the same thing is going to happen again.”

As a Saranac Lake resident, Fortune said he was glad at the outcome.  But as a college trustee he wants to do what’s best for the students. 

“It just never appeared that the best interest of the student was the top item on anybody’s agenda, except for the trustees,” added trustee Mary Kay Tulloch of Malone.

Trustee Gerald Blair of Lake Placid worried that they won’t be able to get all the county legislators and other members of the steering committee to agree on a master plan for the college.  “I want some kind of guarantee that after we do the work we’re going to be able to move forward,” he said. 

Burpoe said if it’s a good plan and the college can make convincing arguments to the counties, they will find the needed support. “As long as you include the community in this whole process and put out the best product you can, then how can we not approve the project,” he said.

Over the next week the college will be working on assembling the committees to get the master planning process started. 

In related news, Rice reported Tuesday that the option the college had secured on the Upstate Biotechnology site with a $100 donation has been sold to another interested party for $10,000.  If the buyer purchases the site, the college would receive an additional $90,000.  Rice said the money would pay for all the expenses they incurred in having the site analysis performed.

NCCC SEEKS FUNDING INCREASE FROM COUNTIES

North Country Community College is asking its sponsoring counties for a nearly three percent increase in funding for its 2007-2008 budget.

The college Board of Trustees met Tuesday and approved the proposed spending plan after a presentation by Chief Financial Officer Bill Chapin.

As proposed, the budget includes a 2.99 percent or $31,000 increase in the contribution from Essex and Franklin Counties. 

If both counties approve the allocation, they would provide a combined $2.19 million in funding to the college, representing about 17 percent of North Country’s total budget.  The state picks up another 30 percent while 37 percent is paid by the students. 

Chapin said the budget also includes tuition increases of $90 for in-state students and $310 for out of state students.

College Trustee Rose Marie Viscardi of Ticonderoga was disappointed with the tuition increase.  She said the next time the college is facing such an increase they should instead ask the counties to contribute more, not the students.  “In the future at least we could consider that,” she said.

Among other revenues, the college is expecting a more than $200,000 increase in state aid this year.

Overall, the $12.4 million budget represents a 5.1 percent increase in expenditures over the current budget.

Some of the factors fueling the spending hike include a 4.3 percent increase in payroll.  The college is adding two new positions – a pair of security officers for the Saranac Lake campus.

Benefits are expected to rise about 5.6 percent, including an 8.6 percent increase in health insurance expenses. 

Chapin said the college’s move to a new insurance group has allowed them to cut the cost of medical insurance.  In the past North Country has faced double digit increases every year.  Now the increases are averaging 5-7 percent. “We’re much more consistent and won’t have these large jumps in the medical plan,” Chapin said.

Among other things, utility costs are expected to rise seven percent along with five percent jumps in supplies, advertising and travel.

College President Dr. Gail Rogers Rice said they’ve forwarded the budget documents to both counties.  Before its formally presented to the full county boards, they’re requesting a joint meeting with county committee members.  “That was done last year and it was very successful and very helpful to us,” she said.

College officials have to forward the budget to SUNY no later than mid-August.

SL LANDFILL COULD BECOME SITE OF ATHLETIC FIELDS

The Village of Saranac Lake is talking with the Saranac Lake School District and other interested parties about developing a series of athletic fields on the site of the village’s old landfill.

Mayor Tom Michael says he met with school district officials recently to discuss the idea. “As of last Friday they have given me the go-ahead that they are interested and would like to pursue it,” he said.

The mayor plans to send out a letter inviting the school district, North Country Community College, Paul Smith’s College and the Towns of Harrietstown and North Elba to a meeting to see if they have an interest in working together to convert the capped landfill to athletic fields.

Michael estimates as many as 6-8 lacrosse-sized fields could be located on the seven-acre site.

Saranac Lake School Superintendent Scott Amo says the discussion is at the preliminary stage.  “We will continue to have ongoing conversations,” he said.

Amo said the district’s fields are used heavily and need time to recover. “We’re on those fields all the time,” he said.  “Between the recreational programs in the village and our athletic programs and events there’s no grow time, watering time or seeding time.”

And the demand continues to grow.  A group of parents are trying to start a high school girl’s lacrosse program, but the district is short on usable fields.

In addition to working with the village, Amo said the school district is also looking at several privately owned properties for potential use as athletic fields. 

As for the landfill property, the mayor says they’ll first have to determine if there’s an interest, then get the necessary surveys of the site and eventually seek requests for proposals to design and develop the fields.  “This is something that’s going to take a while to put together,” Michael said, estimating a time frame of one to two years.

The mayor said the methane exhaust pipes that are sticking out of the property are just passive vents that could be removed.  The methane could be piped underground.

Asked if they could use the methane as fuel, Public Works Superintendent Robert Martin said it’s not a good enough quality methane to burn.   “But that could change as things keep progressing,” he said. 

INJURED TROOPER NOW RECOVERING AT HOME

A state trooper who killed her attacker after she was shot was back home recovering on Tuesday.

Trooper Amanda Reif, 29, of Canton, was shot in the shoulder June 18 while investigating a domestic dispute. She was released Monday from Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington, Vt.

Reif was shot by 45 year-old Steven McUmber as she first approached his house.

A short while later, police ordered McUmber to get down on the ground as he emerged from the house, but he got up “in an aggressive state” and ran toward the troopers. The wounded Reif then shot and killed him.

A five-year veteran, Reif had recently returned from maternity leave.

An investigation by state police released Wednesday determined that his death was a “justifiable homicide.” State police have not speculated on why McUmber shot Reif.

State Police Capt. David Chauvin said Reif is on medical leave for as long as she needs.

PAUL SMITH’S COLLEGE JOINS CLIMATE COMMITMENT

Paul Smith's College has signed an agreement to do its part to combat climate change by eliminating global-warming emissions on campus.

John Mills, the college's president, was among more than 280 officials who signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

Mills, in a news release, said it’s the right thing to do. “I believe the evidence is overwhelming that we're facing the potential for dramatic change in our climate, and that change is being driven by human activity,” he said.  “It is our responsibility to do something about it.”

As part of the commitment, Paul Smith’s will carry out a complete inventory of its carbon emissions and use that information to move toward climate neutrality.

The college has already undertaken several initiatives to combat climate change. This spring, the campus began purchasing solely wind energy to provide its electricity. And new construction on campus is relying on environmentally friendly techniques.

“Colleges and universities must lead the effort to reverse global warming for the health and well-being of current and future generations,” said Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University and chairman of the group's steering committee. 

The American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment is an effort to address global warming by collecting institutional commitments to neutralize greenhouse gas emissions, and to accelerate the research and educational efforts of higher education to equip society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.

NEW TOWN BOARD MEMBER IN WILMINGTON

The Town of Wilmington has a new town council member.

The town board recently appointed Alicia Armstrong to a seat held by Wes Gonyea, who had resigned.

Wilmington Supervisor Jeanne Ashworth tells the Plattsburgh Press-Republican that they originally planned to leave the seat vacant until the general election in November.

But the town needed to approve a bond for water system upgrades by a two thirds majority.  And since councilman Russell Mulvey works for the DEC, he had to abstain from the vote.

Ashworth said they were excited to have Armstrong on the town board.  “I think she’s do a good job,” she said.

But there was reportedly some controversy about the appointment.  Some residents felt the open position on the board should have been advertised or offered to potential candidates for town office.

BALLOON TEST FOR MUSEUM PROJECT CANCELLED

A “balloon test” scheduled to take place above the site of the former Nazarene Church on Main Street in Lake Placid this evening has been cancelled.

The test is part of the Lake Placid-North Elba Joint Review Board’s review of the proposed Adirondack Museum project.

But Review Board Chairman Bill Hurley said today that they cancelled the test due to the forecast of showers and thunderstorms this evening.  It’s been rescheduled for Friday at 10 a.m.

The balloon will be attached to the existing church roof and flown at the height and location of the building’s proposed tower of timbers.

The test is designed to assist the review board and the public in assessing the impact of the tower on the skyline, the streetscape and neighboring properties.

POLICE AND FIRE REPORT

Saranac Lake Police arrested a Hudson, NY man on Tuesday.  26 year-old Joseph P. Drabick was charged with felony second-degree forgery and three misdemeanor counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property.  He was also charged with possession of burglar’s tools and unlawful possession of marijuana.  Police say Drabick was arrested during the course of an investigation where he allegedly forged an official government document.  He was found in possession of both stolen property and marijuana at the time of his arrest.  A search warrant was executed and police found additional stolen property and burglar’s tools.  Police say the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are pending.  Drabick was arraigned in village court and remanded to the Franklin County Jail in lieu of $5000 cash or $10,000 bond.

Saranac Lake firefighters were called to 36 Crossfield Avenue at 10:43 a.m. Tuesday.  One truck and seven members responded to a report of an unauthorized backyard burn.  100 gallons of water was used to extinguish the blaze.  The case was turned over to the village police department.  Firefighters returned to the fire station at 11:30 a.m.