Greetings,
I’m hoping that little snow flurry is the last we’ll see of that until next winter! It was eighty plus degrees one day and two days later we had temperatures in the low thirties with sleet and snow. Hopefully, we can now move on to warmer and warmer days.
At the end of March, the Nation took action to terminate a residential land lease on Clinton Street on the Allegany Territory, City of Salamanca. Due to suspected criminal activity and ongoing lease violations which created significant danger to the health and safety of the surrounding community, we followed the protocol outlined in the lease agreement, and this ultimately led to the cancellation and termination of the lease. The property on Clinton Street (pictured here: 230 Clinton St., Salamanca, NY) has been secured and will soon be issued a termination deed, which will re-classify it as Seneca Nation common land. My staff, our Lease Administration, the Marshal Department and DPW, will continue to work collaboratively on this project to remedy what has become commonly known as “zombie houses” in the City of Salamanca. We have received a list of close to fifty houses from the City of Salamanca. Most of these properties have boards over their windows and appear to not have been lived in or maintained for quite some time. Frequently, these homes are broken into by vagrants or drug dealers and become havens for criminal activity. As we work through the list of properties, we will always act to protect the safety and well-being of our people, communities, and territories. We’ll keep the community updated on our progress as we go.
As for the compact negotiations, we recently hosted the New York State negotiating team at the Seneca Allegany Casino for a two-day session. We are in agreement on several points; and working towards closing the gap on the remaining points. The process, although necessary, can be grueling at times. I am confident that we will all arrive at a final document we can all live with.
By the time this issue goes to print, I’m hoping we are all experiencing more warm evenings and more outdoor activities. I see Tony’s Ice Cream is already open in Salamanca; and Frosty Treat and Sunset Grill are both open in Irving.
Respectfully,
Rickey L. Armstrong, Sr.
Community Announcement
Re: Low Banks Properties
As I’ve addressed in my past few Newsletter messages, please review the community announcement below regarding low banks properties.
