Helming, O’Mara, and Oaks to Hold Public Hearing on Plan 2014

GENEVA – Senator Pam Helming is pleased to announce that she, Senator Tom O’Mara, and Assemblyman Bob Oaks will host a public hearing to examine the impacts of rising water levels on local businesses and homeowners. The hearing will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Wayne Central Performing Arts Center, 6200 Ontario Center Road, Ontario Center. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

“Many residents and business owners have called the shoreline their home for decades and this was the first time they’ve experienced flooding of this severity. I saw firsthand the devastation that local homeowners and businesses experienced. Their stories inspired me to lead the fight in Albany to get them the resources they need to recover. The newly-established Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program, which I fought to enact, will help to bring much-needed financial assistance to those affected by the historic flooding. Now, the real work begins. As communities start to rebuild and prepare for the long term, we owe it to our residents and business owners to examine this year’s flooding from every angle and do all we can to prevent this from happening again,” Senator Helming said.

Oral testimony will be made by invitation only. Written testimony will be accepted that evening and can also be emailed to helming@nysenate.gov or mailed to Senator Pam Helming, 425 Exchange St., Geneva, NY 14456. The hearing comes in the wake of the flooding disaster along the southern shore of Lake Ontario earlier this year and follows a similar public hearing that Senator O’Mara hosted with Senator Patty Ritchie in the Town of Mexico in Oswego County.

Senator Helming, Senator O’Mara, Assemblyman Oaks, and their colleagues will hear from stakeholders about their experiences with Plan 2014 and its impacts on local communities. They will also discuss government programs intended to assist local residents in recovering from the flooding. Those invited to present include members of the International Joint Commission, the Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, state, county, and local elected officials, and local business owners and property owners.

“Throughout the Great Lakes region, we have seen the toll record flooding has taken on our shoreline communities. Homeowners and local businesses are still recovering. Funding through the Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence Seaway Flood Relief and Recovery Grant Program is a giant step in assisting the recovery and rebuilding effort, and I've appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator Helming and our legislative colleagues to fight for it. But, it remains critical to keep hearing from stakeholders and regulatory bodies to understand what happened and why and to examine the actions needed to try to make sure it never happens again. This hearing will continue to provide that platform,” Senator O’Mara said.

“I want to thank Senator Helming and Senator O’Mara for bringing the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee hearing on the water level of Lake Ontario to Wayne Central School in the Town of Ontario. We need to collect critical information to help establish the best course of action to protect Lake Ontario south shore property owners from devastating flooding in the future,” Assemblyman Bob Oaks said.

Senator Helming represents the 54^th Senate District, which consists of Seneca and Wayne Counties, parts of Cayuga and Ontario Counties, and the towns of Lansing and Webster. For more information, please visit Senator Helming’s website, or follow @SenatorHelming on Facebook or Twitter.

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