Plugged In @ Hinman Straub – April 26, 2019

What’s Inside

  • Governor Launches Ninth Round of Regional Economic Development Council Competition
  • ON Semiconductor to Acquire GlobalFoundries Fab 10 Manufacturing Facility
  • Attorney General Announces Investigation into Facebook
  • Comptroller Releases Report on Tax Collections
  • Suicide Prevention Task Force Releases Report
  • NYC Charter Commission Releases Preliminary Staff Report
  • Updates, Reminders, and Links
  • Coming Up

Governor Launches Ninth Round of Regional Economic Development Council Competition

This week, Governor Cuomo launched the ninth round of Regional Economic Development Council Initiative which will officially kick off the 2019 competition for more than $750 million in state resources. The Consolidated Funding Application will open to applicants on May 1, enabling businesses, municipalities, not-for-profits and the public to begin applying for assistance from a variety of state programs, through a single application, for job-creation and community development projects. The core funding includes $225 million in grants and tax credits to fund regional projects. The other $525 million in resources will come from State agencies available to support community revitalization and business growth. Regional Council priorities for 2019 include:

  • Supporting community investment in placemaking and downtown revitalization;
  • Supporting the Workforce Development Initiative;
  • Working with local businesses and communities to identify childcare needs and develop potential solutions;
  • Developing an economic and environmental justice strategy for the region; and
  • Tracking the progress of the strategic economic development plan and projects funded through the Consolidated Funding Application (CFA).

Governor Cuomo said:

“It is critical that every New Yorker has access to the resources and mental health services they need to lead stable, healthy lives. As we continue to bolster prevention efforts in communities across the state, especially among high-risk groups, these recommendations will help increase awareness and strengthen the safety net to protect anyone who needs help.”

The 2019 REDC Guidebook and list of available resources will be accessible at http://www.regionalcouncils.ny.gov/. The CFA will open to applicants on May 1, and the deadline for applications is Friday, July 26 at 4 p.m. For applicants, the CFA is available at https://apps.cio.ny.gov/apps/cfa/.

ON Semiconductor to Acquire GLOBALFOUNDRIES Fab 10 Manufacturing Facility

Governor Cuomo announced this week that ON Semiconductor will expand their operations in New York by purchasing and preserving the existing GLOBALFOUNDRIES Fab 10 manufacturing facility in East Fishkill, NY. ON Semiconductor will purchase the 300mm chip fab plant for $430 million, $100 million to be paid initially and the rest in three years upon taking full operational control of the facility. ON Semiconductor has committed to invest $720 million over the course of ten years to establish its first 300mm chip manufacturing plant and retain a minimum of 950 employees, as well as creating 150 new jobs. In exchange for those commitments, Empire State Development has offered to provide up to $17.5 million in grants toward the purchase of the property, facilities, and some manufacturing equipment and $22.5 million in Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits over the period of 10 years. Both the grants and tax credits are contingent on ON Semiconductor fulfilling their job and investment commitments.

Governor Cuomo Said:

“ON Semiconductor’s decision to expand and grow its operations in New York State is proof positive that smart investments in our innovation economy are working and fueling New York’s unprecedented growth. We’re glad ON Semiconductor is choosing to deepen its roots here and its commitment to New York State.”

Attorney General Announces Investigation into Facebook

Attorney General Letitia James announced an investigation into Facebook’s unauthorized collection of 1.5 million Facebook users’ email contact databases. While Facebook contends that the contacts were obtained directly through their email verification process, the Attorney General is looking into reports that Facebook collected password information for those email accounts and uploaded Facebook user’s contacts to use for targeted advertisements. This comes just days after Facebook announced they were setting aside $3 billion in anticipation they would be facing up to $5 billion in FEC fines.

Attorney General James said:

“It is time Facebook is held accountable for how it handles consumers’ personal information. Facebook has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of respect for consumers’ information while at the same time profiting from mining that data. Facebook’s announcement that it harvested 1.5 million users’ email address books, potentially gaining access to contact information for hundreds of millions of individual consumers without their knowledge, is the latest demonstration that Facebook does not take seriously its role in protecting our personal information.”

Comptroller Releases Report on Tax Collections

The Comptroller announced in a release that the fiscal year 2018-2019 tax receipts show that despite a $3.7 billion dollar decline in overall receipts, the month of March outpaced projections by $811.7 million. According to the state cash report the $7.2 billion General Fund balance at the end of March was $1.7 billion higher than initially anticipated and $660.7 million higher than DOB’s latest projection from February. A deposit of $250 million was made to the Rainy Day Reserve Fund, bringing the combined total in the state’s statutory rainy day reserves (including the Tax Stabilization Reserve Fund) to $2 billion.

DiNapoli said:

“After months of concern over lower-than-expected tax collections, the state ended the fiscal year on a positive note. The sharp revenue declines in December and January, however, remind us to take nothing for granted. With expectations of a slowing economy and ongoing concerns regarding federal fiscal policies, a strong commitment to building robust reserves in preparation for the next economic slump is essential.”

Suicide Prevention Task Force Releases Report

The first report from the New York State Suicide Prevention Task Force was released this week. Established by the Governor in November 2017, the Task Force is designed to increase awareness of and access to supportive services with a special focus on high-risk groups including veterans, Latina adolescents, and members of the LGBTQ community. Recommendations from the report include strengthening public health prevention efforts, integrating suicide prevention in healthcare, timely sharing of data for surveillance and planning, and infusing cultural competence throughout suicide prevention activities.

According to the report, the Task Force examined current programs, services, and statewide suicide prevention policies in order to identify gaps in resources and strengthen coordination between State and local partners. The group was co-chaired by Christopher Tavella, Ph.D, Executive Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Office of Mental Health, and Peter Wyman, Ph.D, Professor of Psychiatry, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and includes leaders from state agencies, local governments, not-for-profit groups, and other recognized experts in suicide prevention. The Task Force focused on vulnerable populations at greater risk for suicide, with special sub-committees created to examine how to better serve these groups.

The Task Force’s recommendations fall into four main categories and goals:

  • Strengthening public health prevention efforts:Forging stronger partnerships with local communities, providing resources and expertise to assess local needs, and implementing research-informed prevention programs. Several recommendations are designed to jump-start State and community actions to expand the number of communities with prevention expertise to implement comprehensive public health prevention using best practices.
  • Integrating suicide prevention in healthcare:Helping healthcare providers adopt a systematic approach to suicide prevention, which includes helping them to promote access to services, more effectively identify those at risk and utilize the most effective treatments.
  • Timely sharing of data for surveillance and planning:Gathering and tracking data on regional trends in suicide rates and related behaviors is critically important to implement a high-quality public health prevention approach. By improving the availability of data, gaps in services can be addressed and local planning and prevention efforts can be enhanced.

Infusing cultural competence throughout suicide prevention activities: Considering a community’s unique cultural and societal factors to develop effective programs and resources needed to create a suicide-free New York. Competence to address the needs of New York State’s diverse population is required across the full range of suicide prevention activities. In addition to tailoring services to address differences in race, gender, sexuality, and nationality, cultural competence includes the capacity for State agencies to differentiate programming needs of more rural and urban communities; competence within local coalitions to engage representatives of their diverse communities; recognition of the methods needed to reach each generation; and selection and tailoring of programming to suit the needs of each group at elevated risk for suicide.

NYC Charter Commission Releases Preliminary Staff Report

The New York City Charter Commission released its preliminary staff report which outlines recommendations for topics the Charter Commission should consider in more detail before making final determinations. The Charter of the City of New York (the Charter) serves as the local constitution and establishes the structure of City government. It sets forth the key institutions and processes of the City’s political system and broadly defines the authority and responsibilities of city agencies and elected officials, such as the Mayor, Council, Comptroller, Borough Presidents, and Public Advocate. The 2019 Charter Revision Commission was created by Local Law 91 of 2018, which was passed by the New York City Council on April 11, 2018, and approved by the Mayor on April 30.

The following are highlights of the preliminary staff report recommendations:

  • Elections and Redistricting: The staff report suggests the commission further evaluate, with various stakeholders, the viability of moving to a Ranked-Choice Voting (RCV) system – also known as instant run-off elections system – for at least some of the city-wide races. The report also recommends a timing change to the calendar for petition gathering due to the short time frame between redistricting announcement and the new primary date.
  • Civilian Complaint Review Board: The report suggests the commission look into a couple of changes to the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), which reviews complaints made against police officers. The report recommends the commission make changes to the appointment of CCRB members so the city council has direct appointing authority over its nominations, rather than recommendations submitted to the Mayor. The report also recommends the commission study whether or not to require the Police Commissioner supply a written notice of the reasons why the discipline recommendations of the CCRB, which are non-binding, were not followed in all cases where the Police Commissioner deviates from recommended discipline.
  • Public Advocate: The report recommends the commission consider giving the Public Advocate direct subpoena power, where currently it is required to go through a relevant city council committee.

Uniform Land Use Review Procedure: The report makes two recommendations regarding land use that are notable. The first would establish a pre-ULURP process to increase community engagement. Currently, the process begins when an applicant files an application and the Department of City Planning certifies it. The report suggests that permitting community boards and borough presidents’ time to review the application before it is certified would allow local input to have greater impact and require applicants to engage with local interests before their application is finalized. The second major recommendation on land use is the implementation of comprehensive planning in the city to ensure that new developments are part of a broader plan that takes into account the best interests of the city.

Updates, Reminders, and Links

City & State NY’s weekly Winners & Losers here.

Rochester Drug Co-Operative CEO faces criminal charges related to distribution of opioids.

Change the way you receive STAR rebate and you could get a bigger return.

Federal Real ID requirements approaching, NY driver’s license soon invalid for domestic flights.

Cuomo Op-Ed in Washington Post.

New York’s public schools ranked by average SAT score.

Coming Up

JCOPE will hold its next meeting on April 30th.

Senate Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on the issue of divesting the NYS Common Retirement Fund from fossil fuels as outlined in S.2126 / A.1536 at 10:00am on April 30 in Albany (Hearing Room A, LOB).

The Senate Committees on Agriculture and Labor will hold several public hearings on the Farmworkers Fair Labor Act on May 2nd.

The Senate Committee on Transportation will hold a public hearing on limo and bus safety on May 2nd.

The Assembly Committee on Housing will hold public hearings on rent regulations on May 2nd, May 9th, and May 10th.

The Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering will hold a public hearing on sports betting with a mobile component in New York State on May 8th.

Board of Regents will hold its next meeting on May 6th and 7th.

The Assembly Committee on Education will hold a public hearing on specialized high schools on May 10th.

Public Service Commission will hold its next meeting on May 16.

The Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation will hold a public hearing on climate change on May 17th.

A second Joint Legislative hearing on sexual harassment is reportedly scheduled for May 24th, details not yet determined.