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HOMES EVERY WEEK! Burgh/North Countryman
December 7, 2019
suncommunitynews.com
• EDITION •
Counties oppose new bail reform
Plattsburgh accepts Carbon Dividend Act
Discovery & Bail Reform Law in effect in January
Taxing fossil fuels to reduce green house emissions
By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
By Sarah Elizabeth Morris
PLATTSBURGH | The Clinton, Essex and Franklin County District came to the Clinton County Mental Health and Addiction Amphitheater to criticize the impacts of the Bail and Discovery Reform laws, which will go into effect on New Year’s Day 2020. The new law in New York sets limits to monetary, or cash, bail for certain, lesser crimes, give less time and more necessities for evidence gathering in criminal cases and increases someone’s right to a statutory speedy trial; the idea being to avoid mass incarceration. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed off on the bill in May 2019, giving almost 900 prisoners with non-violent crimes and felonies the ability to go free. The majority of law enforcement and politicians in the North Country are against this new law, and on Tuesday, Nov. 27, the three county’s law enforcement and others gathered at the Behavioral Health Services North to speak on the problems with the law. “Our offices are now expected to do 90-95 percent the work with the same staff and budget,” Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie said. “Each of our agencies have been seeking additional funding through their respective village, town and city county court. What we are here to do is ask the governor to hit the pause button.” The bail reform also takes into consideration the financial situation of the one arrested. To figure out the price of bail without it being a hardship to the one arrested, their criminal conviction may be taken into consideration rather than their criminal history.
STAFF WRITER
Winter Sports Previews See » pg. 10
See BAIL REFORM » pg. 7
Local protest: Law enforcement and politicians from Clinton, Essex and Franklin County gathered to get the word out about the new discovery and bail reform and how it will hurt the state and victims. Photo by Sarah Elizabeth Morris
PLATTSBURGH | As another act to make The City of Plattsburgh a New York State Climate Smart Community, the city council voted to join together with the Town of Plattsburgh and municipalities to reduce greenhouse emissions with a new act. “The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act of 2019 is a vital step in mitigating the serious impacts driven by greenhouse gasses created by the burning of fossil fuels,” Councilor Rachelle Armstrong said. “It would provide a steadily increasing fee or tax on fossil fuels at their point of entry into the economy.” The idea of raising fees and taxes on these dangerous emissions entering the country is to encourage the use of cheaper, renewable energy. Back in 2015, the city council joined the Clinton County Oil Train Taskforce, creating several boards to keep the North Country safe from fossil fuels and greenhouse gasses. “The council was responding to the alarming number of oil train accidents that was happening across the country and Canada,” Armstrong said. “Though jurisdiction over the oil tankers safety rules did not lie with any of these municipalities, city and town boards new that in order to protect their citizens, they needed to voice their grave concerns on the matter. These and similar actions nationwide led to safety improvements designed to prevent accidents in the transport of crude oil by rail.” In 2019, the fee for anything such as coal, crude oil, natural gas and other fuels started at $15. Each year, the rate will rise by $10 on the greenhouse gas products to reduce these fuels coming into the area. “The fees must be deposited into a Carbon Dividend Trust Fund and used for administrative expenses and dividend payments to U.S. citizens or lawful residents,” the H.R. 763 law says. ”The fees must be decommissioned when emissions levels and monthly dividend payments fall below specified levels.” The decision of the council to join the fight against climate change received positive feedback by the other council members and the public who commented. Group Leader and Congressional Liaison of the Plattsburgh Citizens Climate Lobby Tim Palmer spoke on behalf of the group. See CARBON DIVIDEND » pg. 6
Plattsburgh to hold public hearing on new law Rental permits and inspections may be required for landlords By Sarah Elizabeth Morris STAFF WRITER
PL AT TSBURGH | The cit y of Plattsburgh will be holding a public hearing on the recently added Local Law P-6 of 2019, as part of the Building Code Administration and Enforcement in Plattsburgh’s City Code. This law covers the requirement of rental permits for landlords, whose property needs to be approved by the city code enforcement officer. The public hearing on this law will take place
on Thursday, Dec. 12, at 5 p.m. ,at the City Hall Chambers. The law upholds certain guidelines for la nd lords to follow in Plattsburgh, which will be upheld by the code official from the office. According to the local law, the purpose of these new rules is “the protection of the character and stability of residential areas; the correction and prevention of housing conditions/violations that adversely affect or are likely to adversely affect the life, safety, general welfare and health, including the physical, mental and social wellbeing of persons inhabiting high occupancy rental units; and the preservation of the value of land and buildings throughout the city of Plattsburgh” See RENTAL PERMITS » pg. 6
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Voters to weigh in on NCCS Capital Project, long-term repairs By Andrea VanValkenburg STAFF WRITER
CHAMPLAIN | With state aid at recent highs and a mounting list of mandated repairs, Northeastern Clinton Central
School administrators say now is the time to act. See NCCS PROJECT » pg. 3
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