State of the City 2012
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DELIVERED BY MAYOR LINDA WITTE
DURING THE JAN. 3, 2012 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
OLEAN COMMON COUNCIL
Welcome to Pastor Dan McDowell, our three new aldermen and our four
returning aldermen of the Olean Common Council, our distinguished
department heads and, most of all, welcome to you in the audience here
in the Council Chambers and those of you who are watching at home.
I want to report that things are going well as we end 2011 and I want to
continue on that path as we enter 2012. I bring you a positive message
from 2011 of accomplishments in what we set out to do a year ago. And I
bring bright reports of some growing benefits of the fiscally sound
decisions we made this year and last year. These will continue to carry
us on the upswing into 2012.
We are working together and we have drawn on some strong volunteer
efforts to move the city forward. We must not forget for a minute that
we are here to serve the people and the people of the community deserve
the best efforts we can put forward as we continue to work together.
It is my goal in the coming year to hold the line on taxes and stay
under the state’s two percent property tax cap, while we continue to
clean up our neighborhoods and do all we can to make our city attractive
to new and expanding businesses.
We are experiencing momentum now. It’s a quiet momentum that was noticed
by a Business First reporter in November. G. Scott Thomas announced we
were the exception and during 2009 we increased private sector
businesses here by 3.8 percent. Ithaca and Elmira also had much smaller
increases and all the other metropolitan areas in New York saw declines.
Adding to that momentum is the priority Olean is receiving as one of the
beneficiaries of the $100.3 million Best Plan Award that is going to the
Western New York Regional Economic Development Council. Our $2.6 million
share of that funding can be combined with other funds. $1 million of it
is for the East Olean Sewer Reconstruction Project, and additional funds
will help with the Manny Hanny Building and the North Union/West State
redevelopment. Our airport will receive a hangar upgrade using another
$630,000 of that award.
We accepted Governor Cuomo’s challenge to join with other players in the
WNY Region to chart a fresh course for sustainable economic growth in
New York State.
We are on the upswing! And now we are looking forward to a baseball
revival at Bradner Stadium. Many were surprised this summer to see a
large open view through a clean, chain-link fence, where the green steel
wall of Bradner Stadium stood for many years. I believe that this has
brought more compliments and notice than any single project we have
taken on in many years. The Olean Local Development Corporation has
focused on baseball and raising funds to leverage additional money for
future renovations. This will help preserve, expand and polish this
jewel of a stadium that is such an important cultural and recreational
community asset. Now you can look forward in 2013 to the sight of the
franchise state Collegiate Baseball League team, the Olean Oilers, at
bat on home turf. More on that to come.
I want to share with you these other high spots we have seen in 2011
that are propelling us toward a successful 2012:
* We’ve set up ACH (Automated Clearing House) bank draft water bill
payments and about 300 people have used it. We expect January to see
finalization of an online bill paying system for water bills and parking
tickets. We’ve removed parking meters on South Street, Whitney Avenue,
West State Street and South Union. And there will be a new right hand
turn lane from South Union to East State Street approved by our state
DOT and that will be put in place in the spring.
* The 1.35 percent property tax increase adopted for the 2011-2012
fiscal year is the lowest in a decade. Also, our independent auditor
reports that we are in very good fiscal shape in all three major funds.
We have improved many of our streets, with the potholes addressed going
into winter. Our Strategic Planning Committee made good progress in
developing and adopting a five-year Capital Plan.
* We are continuing to work on 2012 contracts for city unions (CSEA,
Fire, Police, Command and Patrol)
* A bonding measure taken in 2011 will save the city $800,000 over 30
years.
* The City is part of the County’s move for a healthier Cattaraugus
County.
* We have good things to report on the subject of Economic Development:
The Urban Renewal Agency has selected Kinley Corporation/Ross Wilson &
Associates as the preferred re-developer of three distressed properties
in the city’s historically significant downtown area. We have a new
Urban Renewal Plan and a $1 million award from the Empire State
Development Corporation to begin addressing the challenges of these
blighted properties. This will help secure the economic stability of our
business area, creating a physical framework and a more dynamic downtown
environment.
*The East Olean Reconstruction will bring new curbs and gutters,
sanitary and storm sewer lines from Front to King Streets. This will
make travel safer and improve access to jobs at some of our leading
industries in this eastern gateway corridor to our city.
*We expect to have some good news soon about the continued remediation
and redevelopment of three parcels in the Brownfields Redevelopment area
owned by ExxonMobil. We are currently waiting for the developer’s
interim agreement to make its way through the ExxonMobile corporate
approval process. This agreement will signal the go-ahead for additional
remedial investigation and the preparation of the remedial action work
plan. After DEC approval of the work plan, remediation can begin.
* The Olean Area Transit System (OATS) in November expanded services to
Salamanca in a new partnership with the Seneca Nation of Indians, the
Seneca Gaming and Entertainment and the City of Salamanca. This adds to
OATS recent route expansion to Portville, while passengers in the city
can now enjoy our new bus shelters that came with federal stimulus
funding. They look so good, now we’ll have shelter waiting for the bus!
* A new Kohls store is opening in the Olean Centre Mall March 2012.
* On East State Street our liability was reduced with a narrowed, single
lane of traffic, while funding is on its way to reconstruct the street.
* Genesee Street’s undersized culvert was replaced with a new concrete
box culvert and storm sewer lines replaced with the help of the
Cattaraugus County crew. Potholes were filled throughout the city with
690 tons of blacktop! And nearly nine lane-miles of city streets were
resurfaced using CHIPS, contingency funds and monies budgeted in the
Highway Department. The Safe Routes To School project was completed as a
joint effort between the city and the School District. We also completed
a total reconstruction of Brookview Ave.
* In our Police Department we hired one police officer, filling a
vacancy; improved the Police Training Room; and collaborated with
Cattaraugus County’s EMS and the city’s Fire Department on emergency
disaster Plans. In addition the Department answered 15,395 service
calls, creating 6,553 new cases resulting in 588 Penal Law arrests. One
of the most disturbing numbers was 89 DWI’s.
*In our Fire Department in an effort to reduce overtime we filled two
firefighter slots with two local young men who will continue to live in
their community. In addition, the firefighters responded to 1,541
service calls and 2,800 ambulance calls in 2011, for an average response
time of just over 2 minutes.
*Our tax assessments have been maintained at 100% market value for a
third year in a row since the revaluation. Thanks to new construction
and other increases our taxable value is up by $11.8 million, also due
to a shift of one parcel out of the PILOT program to fully taxable
status. The city’s taxable portion of the roll is roughly 66 percent of
the total assessed value, up from 64 percent the prior year. We settled
several tax cases, we are seeing fewer grievances, small claims and tax
certioraris filed each year, going back to the pre-revaluation levels.
* Olean continues to be a great place for our youth. The 2011/2012
revenue and attendance at the rec center is on track to be our most
productive season ever. We have an all-time record attendance in 2011
for ice skating and swimming and revenue is continuing its increase.
Hockey drew record participation as did public ice skating and
learn-to-skate program. We welcomed the Women’s Roller Derby League, the
Greater Olean Home & Garden Show, annual Easter Egg Hunt and Girls High
School Summer Basketball League, to say nothing of the 300 kids who
registered for the 2011 Summer Recreation Program. 500 children and
adults attended the Annual Kids Day/Charity Carnival, raising almost
$1,500 for a youth memorial scholarship and charity contributions.
Thursday evening concerts in Lincoln Park featured 10 musical groups to
entertain more than 1,000 residents and 35 teams attended the 36th
annual City Cup Softball Tournament.
It’s been a pleasure working with our nonprofits, our faith groups, and
our volunteers and I will continue the progress that we have made
solving different issues within our community.
I’m looking forward to a productive year. I agree with the new Erie
County Executive Poloncarz. Government should not be run like a
business, we’re not here to make a profit, we’re here to provide
services and set policy. Let’s all work together to get things done that
are long overdue and to get things accomplished in a positive way. One
of the new things I’ll be doing this year is a bi-weekly update – a
newsletter on our city website – www.cityofolean.org and click on the
Mayor’s press page. Soon after January 15 this is where you will find
the newsletter which we hope will keep our community members up to date
on what’s going on in the city and what we’re trying to accomplish.
Please feel free to contact myself or any council member or department
head with your comments or concerns.
In closing, thank you for coming, or tuning in, have a great year, and
God Bless our great city!
Thank you.
Mayor Linda Witte