What all-electric buildings mean for restaurants
Restaurant owners are asking the state for an economic impact study of the state’s push toward all-electric buildings, the Albany Business Journal is reporting. Restaurants reacted to the Climate Action Council’s draft scoping plan which would stop the use of gas and oil in space heating, hot water systems, cooking, and appliances for new construction of commercial buildings and many multifamily buildings by 2027, the story says. The CAC is a product of the state’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act of 2019, which is the anti-greenhouse-gas law all jurisdictions must adhere to in order to bring the state to net-zero carbon emissions.
Springs: Developer eyes Broadway parking lot
PropUp Group is looking to construct a building over what is now a parking lot between the Algonquin Building at 510 Broadway and the Collmer Building just south. PropUp owner Ben Aronson would bring more than 100 apartments and a number of ground floor commercial tenants to the building. He bought the parking lot on Broadway from the city for $1.2 million last year, a story in the Albany Business Journal says.
Farm Laborers Wage Board recommends lowering overtime threshold
The Farm Laborers Wage Board will recommend that New York State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon lower the overtime threshold from 60 to 40 hours for farm workers, the Post-Star is reporting, with the Auburn Citizen. The vote was 2-to-1 in favor of the recommendation. The new standard would take 10 years for full implementation starting in 2024 with overtime pay beginning at 56 hours, the story says. The Grow NY Farms Coalition is asking the labor commissioner and governor to reject the change, a press release from the group says.
Siena College president stepping down
Siena College President Chris Gibson will step down at the end of this school year. The former U.S. Representative who took the presidential job two years ago made the announcement on Tuesday, Sept. 6, the first day of classes of the fall semester, the Times Union is reporting. He is the college’s 12th president and took over during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Siena graduate and military leader, he served NY-19 in the U.S. House from 2011 to 2017.
Media invites NY-21 candidates to debate, but they debate the outlets
Democratic candidate for NY-21 in the House of Representatives Matt Castelli has agreed to participate in three debates hosted by media outlets in Plattsburg and Watertown, but the current representative, Elise Stefanik, a Republican, has not said yes, yet. Her campaign is accusing the media outlets of colluding with Castelli, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise says.