“Big legal burden” about to hit small businesses

Washington Post:

American consumers are beginning to receive in the mail new credit cards that add a security chip to the traditional magnetic strip that processes their payments. The hope is the new cards cut down on credit card fraud but many small businesses do not appear ready for the change….

Businesses will need to install new card readers (by October 1) to process the information on the chips. Those that do not have the new technology in place by then will be on the hook for any security lapses or fraudulent transactions, instead of payment-processing firms.

[M]ore than 28 percent of small business owners who process payment cards are not even aware of the new technology or how it affects their business.

Grants Available for Local Drinking Water and Wastewater Improvements

The New York State Water Infrastructure Improvement Act provides $200 million in grant funding over three fiscal years, with $50 million in the first year and $75 million each year for the last two years.

This year, $30 million will be available for wastewater infrastructure projects and $20 million will be available for drinking water projects, which will be administered by the state Environmental Facilities Corporation, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Department of Health.

Applicants seeking grant funding for wastewater projects are eligible to receive grants of either 25 percent of eligible project costs or $5 million, whichever is less.

Applications for both wastewater and drinking water projects are now available and due by September 4, 2015. More information on the grant program and applications is available here.

Ovid Town Board, Planning Board, to hold special joint meeting

There will be a special joint meeting of the Town Board and the Ovid Town Planning Board on the 29 day of July 2015 at 7:00 pm at the Ovid Firehouse, 2136 Brown Street, Ovid, New York.

The purpose of the special meeting is to interview and submit questions to finalist candidates in response to the town’s “Request for Proposals, for Professional Consulting Services, Establish/Revise the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.

More on the town's efforts to develop its comprehensive plan can be found on the town's website.

Robocall Scam Targets New York Seniors

There's a new robocall scam that attempts to lure older New Yorkers into providing their personal information over the phone.

According to New York State officials, a voice on the robocall identifies itself as the New York State Office for the Aging and asks the individual answering the phone to press a button if someone in the home is over 65 and would be interested in receiving a free Medic Alert pin and $3000 in coupons for food or other items.

"This is a scam. The New York State Office for the Aging does not give away items, money or coupons and will never solicit personal information over the phone."

If you receive a similar call, you should hang up immediately.

Reports of financial scams should be reported to the Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-771-7755, the NYS Department of Financial Services at 1-800-697-1220 or the NYS Department of State (518) 474-8583.

For more information, click here.

US Supreme Court Quotes Stan Lee When Deciding Spider-Man Patent Case

Rich Johnston:

This morning the Supreme Court [of the United States] ruled on a case regarding rights payments to the toy, the Web Blaster, that lets kids create something akin to Spider-Man’s comic book webbing, and licensed out by Marvel Enterprises. Patented by Stephen Kimble in 1990, the court decided against him....

[T]he opinion of the court’s majority, as expressed by Justice Elena Kagen, was rather creative itself. Cutting and pasting from the court’s conclusion, she did a little quoting of her own.

What we can decide, we can undecide. But stare decisis teaches that we should exercise that authority sparingly. Cf. S. Lee and S. Ditko, Amazing Fantasy No. 15: “Spider- Man,” p. 13 (1962) (“[I]n this world, with great power there must also come—great responsibility”). Finding many reasons for staying the stare decisis course and no “special justification” for departing from it, we decline Kimble’s invitation to overrule Brulotte.

She also quoted the line form the famous cartoon theme song when describing the item in question in that it “does whatever a spider can”.

Nice to see a sense of humor from the nation's high court.

Notice of Special Joint Meeting: Ovid Town Board and Ovid Town Planning Board

There will be a special joint meeting of the Ovid Town Board and the Ovid Town Planning Board on the 24 day of June 2015 at 7:00 pm at the Ovid Firehouse, 2136 Brown Street, Ovid, New York.

The purpose of the special meeting is to hear oral presentations from finalist candidates in response to the town’s “Request for Proposals, for Professional Consulting Services, Establish/Revise the Town’s Comprehensive Plan.”

Copies of the proposals received are available on the town's website.

June 15: the Magna Carta turns 800

Scott Rasmussen:

On Monday, June 15, the Magna Carta turns 800, and it is worthy of great celebration by freedom-loving people everywhere. This is the document that brought about a fundamental rethinking of the relationship between a king and his subjects. Up until that point, English Kings were the law. They could decide who lived and who died and take whatever they wanted.

The Magna Carta changed all that. It established the idea that there is a law that even kings and governments must obey. There could be no taxation without representation and no arbitrary taking of personal property by the government. In short, the Magna Carta was the starting point for all the "unalienable" rights that we now enjoy and led directly over time to our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights. In many ways, it was the cornerstone for the idea that we now describe as freedom.

Because All Families Matter: Enhancing Parental Defense in New York.

This first of its kind event, offered at the Hilton Albany, will bring together attorneys, social workers, and advocates to exchange information and ideas useful to all providers who represent and assist parents in New York Family Court Article 10 Proceedings.

The three-day event is collaborative partnership between NYSDA, the State Office of Indigent Legal Services, and the New York State Unified Court System Child Welfare Court Improvement Project. It is scheduled to be held November 13-14, 2015.

Seneca County Town Prevails in Tax Assessment Lawsuit

Seneca Daily News:

The Town of Romulus has defeated a lawsuit by a local corporation that sought to reduce from nearly $300,000 total to zero the taxable value of several private properties that the corporation owns.

On Tuesday (May 19), Romulus Town attorney Steven Getman asked the court to dismiss the case. Arguing for dismissal, Getman stated that the law required Lakeshore Landing to submit appraisals or other factual data to show that the assessments were excessive. In this case, Getman said, the association had failed to do so. Furthermore, Getman noted, various legal factors demonstrated that the properties had a value to Lakeshore Landing, including its right to borrow against the properties or sell them outright.

Romulus Town Supervisor David Kaiser said he was pleased with the court’s decision, noting that, if Lakeshore Landing had succeeded, the town’s other taxpayers would have been required to make up the lost revenue.

More here.

Town of Romulus considers local law to appoint highway superintendent

The Town Board of the Town of Romulus will hold a public hearing on the following proposed Local Law at the Town Office Building, 1435 Prospect Street, Willard, New York 14588 at 7:30 p.m. on the 17 day of June, 2015: Proposed Local Law No. A Of The Year 2015: “A local law to eliminate the elected position of Superintendent of Highways and replace it with an appointed position of Superintendent of Highways.”

If passed, this local law shall be subject to mandatory referendum at the next regularly scheduled General Election on November 3, 2015.

The complete text of the proposed local law is available from the Office of the Town Clerk, Town of Romulus, 1435 Prospect Street, Willard, New York 14588, during normal business hours and at the town’s website.