COUNTY OF ONEIDA |
RALPH J. EANNACE, JR. | ||
Office of the County Executive |
County Executive | ||
ONEIDA COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING |
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800 PARK AVENUE, UTICA, NEW YORK 13501 |
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| (315) 798-5800 | FAX (315) 798-2390 | ||
MEDIA RELEASE |
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| Immediate Release | Contact: C. Lee Hinkleman, Sr. | |
| April 8, 1999 | Phone : 315-798-5545 |
COUNTY EXECUTIVE SOLICITS WRITTEN RESPONSES |
| Attached is a letter the County Executive sent to all municipalities in Oneida County that are effected by the Land Claim, as well as to Upstate Citizens for Equality, (UCE) and Madison-Oneida Landowners, Inc. The list of recipients is not intended to limit responses. Input from any individual or group is encouraged. |
| April 7, 1999 |
Dear: On March 29, 1999, several of us attended a hearing in Federal District Court on the Oneida Indian Land Claim. Two points became clear during the several hours of hearings. First, the issues that divide the parties in this suit are very serious and can have a major impact on the future of our communities. Second, the Judge repeatedly made the point that he encourages and expects the parties to try to settle their differences through negotiating with the Settlement Master. I also spent a considerable amount of time in the week preceding the court appearance with Ronald Riccio, the Settlement Master for the Oneida Indian Land Claim. Dean Riccio made it clear that it is his intent to pursue what is fair to all parties through the negotiation process. He expressed great optimism that we can forge a solution at the negotiation table. We all know that the several other land claims in the Unites States have been resolved through negotiations. Your County representatives have every intention of seriously pursuing a settlement with the Settlement Master that will not require anyone to lose their land or pay rent. Let me reemphasize that our first priority is to protect the rights of private property owners to the fullest extent; however, that leaves many points for discussion, including sales tax, property taxes, the Oneida's claims to rights over lands they purchase, resulting land use, zoning and law enforcement issues, economic benefits and other issues. This is a critical time for serious reflection on all these issues by our communities and groups. We would like to hear from you about issues and proposals you feel should be included in our discussions. We welcome and encourage written responses so that we may use the best ideas of all concerned citizens and groups. Comments can be sent to the Office of the County Executive, 800 Park Avenue, Utica, New York 13501. Sincerely
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