Law Day 2020 theme announced: “Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy: The 19th Amendment at 100.”

The American Bar Association has announced the 2020 theme for Law Day is "Your Vote, Your Voice, Our Democracy. The 19th Amendment at 100":

In 2019-2020, the United States is commemorating the centennial of the transformative constitutional amendment that guaranteed the right of citizens to vote would not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex. American women fought for, and won, the vote through their voice and action.

The women’s suffrage movement forever changed America, expanding representative democracy and inspiring other popular movements for constitutional change and reform. Yet, honest reflection on the suffrage movement reveals complexity and tensions over race and class that remain part of the ongoing story of the Nineteenth Amendment and its legacies.

Law Day is held on May 1st every year to celebrate the role of law in our society and to cultivate a deeper understanding of the legal profession.

Susan B. Anthony Trial Re-enactment in Syracuse, New York

The Northern District of New York Federal Court Bar Association will be presenting a Susan B. Anthony Trial Re-enactment on Thursday, April 19, 2018, 6:00 pm, at

the Syracuse Federal Building Courthouse.

Federal court judges are playing the parts of Judge and defense attorney. Grant C. Jaquith, Interim United States Attorney for the Northern District, is playing the part of prosecutor. Several local high schools are participating as suffragists.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, click here.

Seneca County Police Departments offer child safety car seat check

Seneca Daily:

On Friday, September 22, 2017, from 2:30 pm-6:30 pm the Seneca Falls Police Department, in cooperation with the Waterloo Police Department, will be hosting an annual Child Safety Car Seat check at the Seneca Falls Police Department, 130 Ovid Street, Seneca Falls, NY.

Anyone with a car seat wishing to have the police check to ensure their seats are correctly installed or those who want to learn how to install a car seat properly can attend this free event. The police department will be able to distribute car seats for those that do not have them but will be limited to only one car seat per family.
No appointment is needed for this free event. Please bring the child with you when you come as it makes for a safer install.

Schuyler County Municipalities Fight Wal-Mart’s Tax Reduction Claim

A preliminary conference has been scheduled for June 23 in the case of Wal-Mart Real Estate Business Trust (“Wal-Mart”) against the Town of Dix Board of Assessment Review and other affected Schuyler County municipalities.

In the meantime, attorneys for the affected municipalities, Schuyler County Attorney Steven Getman and Town of Dix Attorney Robert Halpin have served a demand to audit Wal-Mart’s books and records to substantiate the retail giant’s statement of income and expenses.

In July 2016, Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, filed suit alleging that their store in the Village of Watkins Glen was over-assessed. The current assessment values the property at $11,700,000.00 (Eleven Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars). Wal-Mart has claimed their property is only worth $7,500,000.00 (Seven Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dollars). In 2012, Wal-Mart agreed that their property was valued at $11,400,000.00 (Eleven Million, Four Hundred Thousand, Dollars)

Because any such assessment reduction would adversely affect all real property tax jurisdictions in the county deriving taxes from the Wal-Mart property, the affected municipalities—the Town of Dix, the Village of Watkins Glen, the Watkins Glen School District and Schuyler County--joined forces to fight Wal-Mart’s claims.

According to Getman, the June 23 preliminary conference will likely result in the court fixing a date for trial, as well as directing the parties to obtain appraisals and sales reports, and to exchange and file appraisal reports and sales reports.

In anticipation of that trial, the defendants have already served a demand upon Wal-Mart to make their relevant books and records available for audit. That audit should be completed in approximately 120 days, Getman noted.

Nationally, some reports have previously criticized Wal-Mart for what has been called a “systemic” attempt by the company to lower its taxes while benefitting from billions of dollars in public subsidies to build its stores and site infrastructure. In 2007, the Huffington Post called the company “America’s tax deadbeat” for such attempts. That article cited efforts by the company in other parts of upstate New York, including Geneva and Wilton, to lower its taxes.

Happy birthday, 19th Amendment

Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Achieving this milestone required a lengthy and difficult struggle, which began in Seneca County, New York.

The Seneca Falls Convention was the first women's rights convention. It advertised itself as "a convention to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman." Held in Seneca Falls, New York, it spanned two days over July 19–20, 1848.

Several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change of the Constitution. Finally, when Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, it passed its final hurdle of obtaining the agreement of three-fourths of the states.

Seneca Falls Referendum Appeal Dismissed

Regional News Network:

Seneca Falls—The New York State Supreme Court Appellate Division has thrown out an appeal seeking to reinstate a petition for a voter referendum on the proposed Seneca Falls town hall.

Ruling on a motion from attorney Steven Getman, the court held on Tuesday (December 30) that the appeal should be dismissed on the ground that the appellant, former town board member Sue Sauvageau, had failed to perfect her appeal in a timely manner.

Getman represented Seneca Falls town board member Chad Sanderson. In papers filed with the appeals court Getman argued that Sauvageau’s attorneys were required to complete the filing and other requirements for the appeal no later than September 22.

Sauvageau’s notice of appeal was filed in July by Geneva attorney Mario Fratto. Neither Sauvageau nor her attorney sought an extension of the time to perfect the appeal or submitted an answer to the motion to dismiss.

In April, Sauvageau and Joyce Brady had circulated a petition to force a vote on the town board’s March 18 decision to transfer $2.55 million from the capital reserve fund to the general fund for the construction of the new town hall. The town has been leasing space in the former St. Patrick’s School.

In response, Sanderson, through Getman, filed objections to the referendum petition, alleging that the form and content was not in compliance with various legal requirements. These included a failure of the petition to require signers to affirm that their correct residence was next to their names and the failure of the witnesses to the petition to attest that each person who signed it had properly identified themselves to the witness.

Acting on Sanderson’s objections, Acting Supreme Court Justice W. Patrick Falvey held in May that certain requirements cited by Sanderson were “essential” under the New York State law, to insure that only qualified voters of the Town had signed the petition. These requirements were not met, Falvey held, and the petition for a referendum was “fatally flawed.”

In July, Sauvageau appealed Falvey’s decision. That triggered the September deadline to perfect the appeal.

Court tosses Seneca Falls town hall referendum

FingerLakes1.com

The New York State Supreme Court has thrown out a petition for a voter referendum on the proposed Seneca Falls town hall.

Ruling on an application from attorney Steven Getman, Acting Supreme Court Justice W. Patrick Falvey held Thursday (May 1) that the referendum petition was in violation of the New York State Election Law and Town Law.

Getman represented Seneca Falls town board member Chad Sanderson. Several weeks ago, Sanderson filed objections to the referendum petition, alleging that the form and content was not in compliance with various legal requirements. These included a failure of the petition to require signers to affirm that their correct residence was next to their names and the failure of the witnesses to the petition to attest that each person who signed it had properly identified themselves to the witness.

Town residents Joyce Brady and Susan Sauvageau had filed the petition. In their response, they argued that the petition had met the technical requirements for a referendum.

However, Falvey held that certain requirements cited by Sanderson were “essential” under the New York State law, to insure that only qualified voters of the Town had signed the petition.

Falvey also questioned Sauvageau on the fact she was a former town board member, whether she had been involved in addressing a prior referendum request and whether that demonstrated she should have been familiar with the requirements for bringing a referendum.

“The petition for permissive referendum is fatally flawed…and invalid,” Falvey concluded.

Getman noted that Sanderson had used his own money to fund the legal challenge to the referendum, thereby saving the taxpayers the cost of the special election.

The petitions sought a vote on the town board’s March 18 decision to transfer $2.55 million from the capital reserve fund to the general fund for the construction of the new town hall. The town has been leasing space in the former St. Patrick’s School.

The board held its first public information meeting April 23 on plans for the new municipal building. It is expected to decide in May whether a new building should be on a town-owned parcel of vacant land on Ovid Street or at a privately owned parcel where the now-demolished former Westcott Rule Co. plant stood at the corner of Spring and East Bayard streets.

According to reports, the town’s timetable calls for construction of the building to begin in October.

More on the case here.

Seneca Falls town hall petition challenge headed to court

Finger Lakes Times:

The challenge filed to the petitions asking for a referendum on the town’s use of reserve funds is heading to court....

The challenge was filed by Town Board member Chad Sanderson, who claims the wording of the heading on the petition was not proper and the petition should be nullified; 350 signatures were obtained asking for the referendum....

Sanderson has retained attorney Steven Getman of Ovid to argue in favor of the challenge.

More on the case here.

Sale of Seneca Falls building may be decided

Finger Lakes Times:

SENECA FALLS — The battle over the Arcade Building may be over. Supervisor Don Earle said terms of a settlement are nearing completion and should be ready by Tuesday night’s Town Board meeting.

Earle said attorney Steven Getman of Ovid, who was hired to represent the board in litigation against [the] Zoning Board of Appeals, will attend.

“I believe the settlement will involve the developer giving up the use variance he obtained from the ZBA and accepting a new variance that limits the number of units in the building,” Earle explained.

The dispute began last year when Ithaca developer Basil Vlahos put in a purchase offer for the Arcade Building at 81-83 Fall St., then owned by Jack Pross. Vlahos submitted plans to convert the three-floor building into housing units, along with two retail spaces at street level.

The town Zoning Board of Appeals approved his plans, but the Town Board objected to the number of apartments proposed

Hearing set in Seneca County assault weapons case

Finger Lakes Times

WATERLOO — A hearing will be held in the case of a Geneva man accused of having stolen assault weapons in Seneca Falls last September.During an appearance by Gary Goodman in Seneca County Court Monday, Judge Dennis Bender scheduled a suppression hearing for March 29. Goodman is being represented by local attorney Steven Getman.

Town Board continues battle over variance for Arcade Building

Finger Lakes Times:

The ongoing dispute between the town [of Seneca Falls] and the owner and a potential developer of the Arcade Building downtown will highlight tonight’s Town Board meeting.

The building, at 81-83 Fall St., is now owned by Jack Pross of Michigan. It is primarily a commercial building, with a single apartment in the rear of the street level floor.

Pross wants to sell it to Basil Vlahos of Ithaca for conversion to up to eight apartments on the building’s four floors.

The sale is contingent upon Vlahos getting approval for the residential use. He was granted a variance by the town Zoning Board of Appeals.

However, the town Planning Board opposed the variance.

The Town Board...voted in December to challenge the ZBA decision in court. [On the ground that] the residential use is inappropriate for downtown and would change the character of the downtown, among other reasons.

They also claim there is not enough parking for an eight-unit building.

The town has hired attorney Steven Getman of Ovid to handle the legal challenge.

Town of Seneca Falls files petition against zoning board

Finger Lakes Times:

Attorney Steven Getman has served an order to show cause on the town Zoning Board of Appeals.

The Town Board objects to the ZBA’s decision to grant a use variance to the owner of the Arcade Building at 81-83 Fall St. that would allow the building to be converted to as many as eight apartments on its three levels, along with commercial uses in the street-level offices.

Seneca Falls Town Board retains Getman to file action against ZBA

Finger Lakes Times:

Following a 100-minute closed-door session Tuesday night, the Town Board voted to sue the town Zoning Board of Appeals over a recent decision regarding a downtown building.

The board takes issue with the ZBA’s decision to grant a variance to the owner of The Arcade Building at 81-83 Fall St., allowing it to have up to eight apartments.

Board member Emil Bove made a motion to direct Supervisor Donald Earle to hire attorney Steven Getman of the Franklin & Gabriel Law Firm in Ovid to take legal action challenging the ZBA’s Oct. 25 decision.

Town officials said the ZBA erred in granting the area variance to owner Jack Pross to convert the building, saying eight apartments is too many and there would not be sufficient parking for tenants.