Talk of buyouts generates buzz
Legislation would offer some state workers early retirement
Legislation that would offer retirement buyouts to state and other government workers is generating a lot of discussion in New York’s workforce, but
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s administration has not said whether the incentives will be used to reduce a more than $10 billion deficit.
In response to questions from the Times Union on Monday, the Public Employees Federation issued a statement noting that Cuomo has “not weighed into this discussion yet.”
“The New York state staffing levels are already far too low for us to be overly excited that these levels would drop even more, but (we are) always glad for our members who
er of the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said in a letter to the High Peaks Strategic Planning Advisory Group that the state is already implementing some of the recommendations.
“With the increase in public use of the High Peaks, it has never been more important for DEC and our local partners to work together to protect these public lands for future generations by promoting sustainable recreation,” Seggos told the group in an undated letter that was sent this month.
“As we continue to evaluate COVID-19 safety protocols, budget implications, and timing for effective implementation of additional actions this summer, DEC will continue to set the stage for” stewardship programs and trail maintenance and evaluation, he added. “As we evaluate the effectiveness of the measures put into place this summer, we will revisit recommendations involving such things as placing limits on use, increasing parking fines, providing alternatives to portable toilets, and working as a partner in transitioning to an e-shuttle system.”
The advisory group, which switched to virtual meetings once the COVID-19 pandemic began engulfing the state in mid-march, also addressed the coronavirus in its report.
Members of the advisory group released a joint statement, calling the report and recommendations “a good initial step in a challenging year.”
Keene Supervisor Joe Pete Wilson said the pandemic “really highlighted a lot of the issues we’re already dealing with — crowding, human waste, how you do education. It highlighted all the underlying issues the group was trying to address.”
The report comes as the High Peaks are very busy. Even though the Canadian border is still closed to nonessential travel, Wilson said that by 7:30 a.m. on Saturday, traffic jams started in the Route 73 area.
“The Garden parking lot has been filled to overflowing on weekends,” Wilson added. “It’s shocking the level of travel.”
William Janeway, executive director of the nonprofit Adirondack Council, has seen the same thing.
“It’s only mid-june, but the trails are already jammed with hikers and the parking lots and woods and waters are spilling over capacity, showing new signs of wear,” Janeway said in a news release. “All of this is happening in the High Peaks and across the park, even with the Canadian border closed due to COVID-19. When it reopens, visitor numbers are likely to climb again, rapidly.”
Some of the proposed actions in the report that the state has already started to tackle include: educating the public on the use of face masks and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on trails; increasing the presence of State Police, DEC forest rangers and police officers on State Route 73 and other roads to enforce parking regulations; reducing the parking capacity at Adirondack Mountain Reserve lots at Roaring Brook Falls and reducing the capacity at Rooster Comb Parking lot; placing portable toilets in high-use areas along Route 73, the Garden and AMR lots; using electronic message boards on the Northway and Route 73 and using social media to alert motorists of trailhead parking and closures.
Seggos’ letter also said the state will work with the town of Keene and Essex County on a shuttle system, but Wilson said Monday afternoon that he does not have a plan for the shuttle yet.
“I’m really struggling with how I could possibly run that shuttle safely, and the county is facing the same questions,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be on hold for the foreseeable future.”
Some Adirondack groups praised the group’s recommendations and the state’s initial response.
“Stewardship programs like the Adirondack High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program have shown that educational messaging mitigates impacts in sensitive ecological environments and empowers visitors to be stewards themselves,” said Michael Barrett, executive director of the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK). “ADK is excited to see that the advisory group recognizes this and is advocating for more investment into stewardship.”
The closed meetings of the advisory group had led to some public criticism and internal deliberations among group members. In a letter to Seggos presenting its report, the advisory group said public comments, which were emailed to the group, were considered in the development of recommendations.
The group added that “additional input should be sought as these are presented to the public. A long-term management solution will only be successful with a robust public engagement process. This process must seek broad stakeholder involvement, include voices across the High Peaks region, and have a transparent public meeting/input process.”