Water funding headlines some state budget talks
Legislators are ramping up budget priorities for the 2025-2026 fiscal year and on the top of the list for some is clean water funding.
If you’ll recall, during early budget negotiations Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed a $250 million cut to the Clean Water Infrastructure Act. Legislators were not happy.
The executive branch attempted to assuage concerns by pointing to other funding sources for such projects. But a report showing about $80 billion is needed to fix water and wastewater systems statewide did not make local lawmakers look fondly on the cut.
Ultimately the funding made it back into the state budget for a total of $500 million. Now, some lawmakers are gearing up to negotiate for more.
State Sen. Pete Harckham, a downstate Democrat and chair of the senate’s environmental conservation committee, held a press conference on Dec. 19 with state Assemblymember Steve Otis, a Democrat from Westchester County, to increase that funding pot to $600 million.
Stay tuned for the upcoming budget discussions in 2025.
Sen. Walczyk returns:
State Sen. Mark Walczyk, who represents constituents in Hamilton, Fulton, Jefferson and Lewis counties and parts of Herkimer, Oswego and St. Lawrence counties, has returned from his U.S. Army Reserve deployment. A captain in the reserve, Walczyk left New York in January and spent 290 days in the Middle East, based out of Kuwait.
As part of an engineering support team, he worked on multiple construction projects in Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iraq, according to a news release.
Walczyk missed most of the 2024 legislative session, and thanked his colleagues including Assemblymembers Will Barclay, Ken Blankenbush, Scott Gray, Mary Beth Walsh, Bob Smullen, Matt Simpson, and Brian Miller “for covering down and representing our communities with pride and distinction in my absence.”
“As a Reservist, it was truly an honor to answer the Nation’s call and I had the pleasure of working with some of our country’s very best on some important missions in complex parts of the world,” he said. “But, I’m very glad to be home. And, with the legislative session right around the corner, I’m excited to get back to my favorite job – fighting for Upstate New York communities.”
Adirondack Park Agency, looking back:
At the end of each year, the Explorer looks back at some of the top stories and topics we’ve covered.
A part of my reporter beat involves covering the Adirondack Park Agency, which oversees public and private development in the blue line. Its responsibility also includes long-range planning for the 6-million-acre park.
Here we sum up some of the biggest public and private projects we covered, some of which will carry on into 2025.
Adirondack Park Agency public comment opportunities:
The next APA meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9 and 10.
View all APA public comment and hearing opportunities at: https://apa.ny.gov/Hearings/
- Community Power Group LLC is seeking to build a 3.9 megawatt solar generation facility on approximately 22 acres of an existing agricultural field to be surrounded by a 7-foot-tall woven wire fence off state Route 22 in the town of Essex. Vehicle access and overhead electrical utility connection is proposed from state Route 22. Comments are due by Jan. 9. To view the site plans and submit comments, go to https://apa.ny.gov/Hearings/
ApaCommentPopup.cfm? ProjectNumber=2023-0123. - The Village of Saranac Lake is seeking to construct a publicly accessible replica Adirondack fire tower at Ward Plumadore Park to serve as a recreational and educational feature. The proposed structure will have an overall height of 55 feet and be located on Broadway in the village. Comments are due by Jan. 9. To view site plans and submit comments, go to https://apa.ny.gov/Hearings/
ApaCommentPopup.cfm? ProjectNumber=2024-0325.
DEC public comment opportunities:
View all the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s weekly environmental notice bulletin projects.
Photo at top: Sen. Peter Harckham, center, chair of the state Senate’s Environmental Conservation Committee, listens during a budget hearing in Albany. Photo by Gwendolyn Craig.
This is an excerpt from Gwen’s weekly “Adirondack Report” newsletter. To get the full scoop delivered weekly to your inbox, click here to sign up.
Why are they gearing up for budget talks now? They’ve got plenty of time. It’s not due until 1 May 2025.