Hello Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

The County’s purchase of Reisman Hall is not finalized. There are still conversations underway, and there are still local investors and community leaders interested in keeping Reisman and Sigety in public or local hands.

If the County chooses to withdraw their bid, then “Plan B” options exist that would not jeopardize the larger campus redevelopment. This is the moment to speak up and remind our leaders that Cazenovia deserves a thoughtful, community-centered solution, not a rushed government takeover.

Let's invite the County to step away...it will not harm the whole project and there are much better sites and solutions to consider.

What You Can Do Now
1. Show up and speak up. Join your neighbors at the next meetings:

• Town Board Meeting: Monday, Nov 3 @ 7:30 p.m. — Urge Supervisor Kyle Reger and Town Board members to advise the County to step away...this is not a good fit for our community.
• Village Board Meeting: Tuesday, Nov 4 @ 7 p.m. — Encourage Mayor Kurt Wheeler and Village Board members to advise the County to step away AND continue to request that the Village stand firm on zoning and land use that involves authentic community input.

Ask our local leaders to urge the County to pause and consider better options for our community.

2. Keep the conversations going. Talk with your neighbors and local businesses. Many folks STILL don’t know that this proposal places County law enforcement and emergency operations in the center of the village with no local input about activities in our school zone. 
Encourage them to learn, question, and sign this petition, which is still growing and providing essential education to community and leaders.

3. Hold leadership accountable. Ask your elected trustees why they have remained silent on the professional planning proposal that residents have been calling for since September. Transparency and participation are not optional.

4. Recognize the pattern. This is not just a local zoning issue, it’s an example of large-scale government overreach playing out in our own hometown. When decision-making happens behind closed doors, democracy weakens.

5. Stay hopeful and organized. We are building strength through structure: teams for legal review, media strategy, and public events are still active. There are still options for local input about use of the property. Reply to this email if you want to participate.

As Erica Chenoweth reminds us, nonviolent pressure must be organized and sustained. Every conversation, every signature, every presence at a meeting makes a difference.

Cazenovia’s story is still being written...by YOU, by ALL of Us! Let’s make sure it remains one of local voice, shared stewardship, and public trust.

Hello Cazenovia Voices Coalition,
Yesterday's Cazenovia Republican article confirmed important issues that are still central to our project:

• Transparency & Trust are still weak with our leaders
• Community Engagement & Planning are essential, and undervalued
• Plan B is Possible because you have been sharing resources and actions
• Civil Resistance has been powerful with your letters, petition signatures, conversations among neighbors, and more!

“Reisman Hall Discussion Continues at Village Board Meeting” (Oct. 20, 2025)
The article offers a revealing look at the Oct. 14 Village Board meeting, where residents once again pressed for transparency and accountability regarding the Madison County purchase of Reisman and Sigety Halls.

Key points:

• Reisman Foundation Offer: The Foundation verbally offered to purchase and donate Reisman Hall to the Village. Mayor Wheeler acknowledged he declined the offer after an “informal conversation,” without first alerting the full board or public.
• Plan B Dismissed: The Mayor continues to claim that no “Plan B” exists, even though a viable alternative was presented and could have preserved the building for public use.
• Transparency Concerns: Trustee Jennifer Lutter raised valid concerns that the Mayor acted unilaterally and called for the board to prepare for the possibility of accepting a donation if the 9Fresh deal falters. Lutter’s motion to hire a professional planning firm for a six-month public visioning process failed when no other trustee seconded it.
• Public Reaction: Over 40 residents attended; many spoke passionately about transparency, the importance of local control, and the long-term impact of County operations in the Village center.
• Court Ruling: Three days later, the NYS Supreme Court at Madison County approved the campus sale to Matta Fresca LLC (9Fresh), advancing the transaction without pause. The justice acknowledged that there were questions from community members in attendance, but that this ruling did not include Madison County. Thanks to folks for attending!

This coverage underscores a pattern we’ve seen repeatedly...information withheld, public options dismissed, and urgency weaponized to prevent discussion. The Mayor’s insistence that only 9Fresh can “save the campus” presents a false choice between progress and public process. Our work is precisely about breaking that false binary. We can pursue redevelopment and transparency. We can protect our community’s future and hold leaders accountable.

Why this matters to Cazenovia
Our campaign around the Madison County purchase already embodies key principles from Chenoweth’s work: 

• Broad participation (nearly 500 petition signers and counting)
• Targeted noncooperation (calling for a pause rather than accepting inevitability)
• Narrative control (insisting on “Pause. Plan. Protect.” instead of “Too late, it’s done”)
• Constructive action (proposing real alternatives, like the Reisman Foundation offer and community-led planning)

By reading and reflecting together, we strengthen our shared understanding of how change happens...and why persistence, planning, and solidarity matter.

What’s Next:

• Continue outreach: Invite neighbors, local businesses, and community partners to sign the petition (it is still a good barometer for education and demonstration of concern) and attend November’s Town Meeting Monday, Nov. 3, 7:30pm & Village Board meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4, 7pm).
• Hold leadership accountable: Ask trustees to explain their votes, or silence, on the professional planning proposal.
• Prepare for escalation: As Chenoweth reminds us, nonviolent pressure must be organized and sustained. Our focus now is strengthening our structure which includes teams for legal review, media strategy, and public events.
• Stay hopeful and united: Every conversation, every letter, and every signature shifts the balance of participation toward a more transparent, inclusive Cazenovia.
• Join Us! Cazenovia Call to Action is reading Civil Resistance: What Everyone Needs to Know  by Erica Chenowith (Oxford University Press).
  Wednesday, 11/5, 6:15 at Stone Quarry, Hilltop House (if it snows, the Artist Lodge at the base of the hill). As our community navigates this critical moment, it may be meaningful to join Cazenovia Call to Action's  book group to help us strategize from a place of knowledge and power. Chenoweth’s research shows that nonviolent resistance succeeds twice as often as violent uprisings, and that when just 3.5% of the population participates, governments and institutions are forced to change course. This isn’t a theoretical exercise, it’s a roadmap for how ordinary people make democratic systems work again.

Closing Thought
As Deb Alden said at the meeting, “If you lose a treasure, you don’t get it back.”
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Reisman Hall is more than a building, it’s a test of how we govern, trust, and imagine our shared future. Let’s meet that test together...with knowledge, creativity, and peaceful determination.

Good Morning Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

Wow what a turnout! Over 40 people showed up at Monday night’s Village meeting. 

Your presence, your questions, and your persistence are making a difference, and leaders know we are paying attention.

Here’s what we learned, and what’s next:

Reisman Offer – There is a “Plan B”
The Mayor confirmed that there was a “Plan B,” a viable alternative to the County’s purchase deal, and that he chose not to pursue it. 

The Reisman foundation, the organization that paid for the construction of Reisman Hall as an art/community center, offered to buy (again) the building and offer it to the Village as an endowed contribution.

When pressed, the Mayor confirmed: he made no consultation with the Village board, no comparison of costs, no opportunity for community input. Just…said no thanks, and set the offer aside because a deal had already been made with the County.

That revelation matters. It proves what we’ve been saying all along: there are options. This isn’t a “done deal.” The County’s purchase is just one piece of a larger transaction, and the Village, 9 Fresh, and Town still have choices if we keep encouraging them.

Why Your Voices Matter
This decision to drop this “Plan B” without transparency highlights why our coalition exists. We deserve to see alternatives laid out clearly, not behind closed doors, or buried in administrative talk.

Every email, every question, every signature on THIS PETITION builds pressure for real answers.

Cazenovia deserves a local government that truly represents its people. No single elected official holds all the decisions, that’s not how democracy works.

When we participate, ask hard questions, and expect transparency, we strengthen our Village, Town, and County. Public process can be messy, slow, and uncomfortable, and it's what makes our community resilient, fair, and forward-thinking.

Continued engagement is not opposition, it’s participation. 

What You Can Do Right Now

1. Keep reaching out. Email the Mayor and Village Board. Ask: Why was Plan B rejected? What did it include? Who decided?
2. Sign and share this petition. Numbers matter, we are on the way to 500. Let’s double the count.
3. Talk to your neighbors. Many still don’t realize this deal isn’t final. Your voice is how they’ll find out.
4. Stay visible. Show up. Speak up. Keep the spotlight on transparency and accountability.

Cazenovia deserves leadership that works with its residents, not around them. Monday night proved we’re wide awake, we’re organized, and we’re not backing down.

Thank you for showing up, speaking out, and standing together.

Let’s keep cultivating the kind of community we want to live in, one that listens, learns, and leads with integrity.

In solidarity,
Laura

​Hello, Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

Your voices are being heard. 

• Thanks to your persistence, our petition is approaching 400 signatures. We’re on track to reach 500 before the legal review this week. Every name, every letter, and every conversation matters. Keep sharing, keep talking to neighbors, keep contacting our leaders. So many folks still do not know what is going on!
• Tomorrow, Tuesday, October 14, at 7:00 p.m., come to the Village of Cazenovia Board meeting. Please be there. We’ll stand together, listen carefully, and keep the pressure on for transparency and community planning.
• We’ve filed FOIL requests with the County, Town, and Village to uncover communications about the property sale. That’s how we hold officials accountable, calmly, factually, and together.

Momentum is on our side.  

The County, Town, and Village know we’re organized, informed, and not backing down. Let’s keep showing up, respectfully and powerfully.

Pause. Plan. Protect.
See you Tuesday — bring a neighbor!

Cazenovia Voices Coalition
We are now on FaceBook

Information can be found at arc-c.org/cazenovia-voices-coalition.html

​Hello, Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

1. Madison County Board of Supervisors Meeting - Strong Voices!
Five of our members spoke today at the Board of Supervisors meeting, and many more filed letters online, THANK YOU!

The County Supervisors were unmoved, but Town Supervisor Kyle Reger did acknowledge the Cazenovia resident voices.

2. Urgent Action – Flood the County with MORE letters
[email protected] & cc: [email protected]!

New information: The Attorney General review is being moved to a regional jurisdiction to be completed October 17, NEXT FRIDAY.

• We will have legal counsel in the next few days, and even more letters to the County will help.
• Be sure to cc: this email so that we can keep count.
• Our petitions — still growing and showing strength —  will be submitted as well. Petition to the Attorney General AND Petition to the Village Board

3. Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) Filings – Demonstrate our Seriousness
Today, we — Cazenovia Voices Coalition — filed FOIL requests with the County, Town, and Village to obtain records related to the sale and proposed uses of the properties between November 1, 2024 and October 1, 2025. These filings seek to determine whether officials intentionally withheld or delayed public information about negotiations that led to Madison County's plan to relocate their operations offices to Cazenovia. 

4. Stay Engaged, Stay Hopeful

SO many of you are sending positive responses to this email. THANK YOU.

• We are approximately 150 strong here and have almost 300 folks on the AG petition. 
• There have been letters each week in the Cazenovia Republican, clusters of folks at every relevant public meeting, and now four teams of dedicated folks working together to stay organized.

Momentum is on our side. The truth is on our side. And every single letter, signature, and message builds power.

Share this update with one new person — in Madison or Onondaga County — and invite them to follow our page and join the movement.

Together, we are shaping what kind of county we want to live in.
Not just for Cazenovia — but for all of Central New York.

​Hello Cazenovia Voices Coalition,

We had a robust and inspiring organizing meeting last night! Thank you to everyone who’s leaning in, sharing ideas, and showing such commitment to transparency and community-led planning.

1. Tomorrow: October 7, 11 a.m.
Cazenovia Voices Coalition will attend and speak at the Madison County Supervisors meeting.

This is our moment to stand together, to be visible, and to call for a pause in the County’s purchase of Reisman and Sigety Halls until there is true public input and transparent planning.

Our message is clear and united:

• The County’s plan does not belong in any small village center. Large-scale county operations are incompatible with small residential streets, a school zone, and walkable community.
• Emergency and law enforcement offices are not appropriate for this location. This area was designed for learning, local business, and daily pedestrian life, not sirens, patrols, and administrative fleets.
• The Sheriff’s 287(g) partnership with ICE introduces risk and fear. Federal immigration enforcement has no place in our vision for equity and safety for all.
• Local voices must retain control over local land. Once the County owns these buildings, decisions about use, expansion, and demolition will happen without accountability to local residents.

Reply to this email to let us know if you can join us or need to carpool. It continues to be powerful when so many people show up!

AND, if you have something to say, please email the Board of Supervisors at [email protected]. 

If you need an example, I cannot attend the meeting, so this is what I will send.

2. Between Now and Friday
Task teams will meet, plan, and report back with strategies this week. 

Please reply to this email and let us know if you want to be part of a team. We will connect you to the folks who are organizing.

• Legal Team – pursuing options to potentially pause or stop the County deal, including locating an attorney who can file a complaint or request a stay.
• Financial Team – developing a “Plan B” for alternate ownership or financing of Reisman (and possibly Sigety) Halls.
• PR / Regional Engagement Team – expanding public awareness across Madison and Onondaga Counties through press, op-eds, social media, and regional partnerships.
• Communications Team – maintaining internal coordination and information-sharing within the Cazenovia Voices Coalition.

3. Key Takeaways from Our Meeting
Our discussion focused on the County’s pending purchase of Reisman and Sigety Halls from 9Fresh, which remains under review by the NY Attorney General. Members raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency among County, Town, and Village leadership. Evidence suggests local officials may have been aware of the sale months before it was announced—and that it may have influenced the recent mayoral election.

We agreed to begin FOIL investigations into communications dating back to January 2025, pursue legal and public channels to pause the sale, and continue public outreach through petitions, community partnerships, and press. The group reaffirmed our shared commitment to act under the banner:

Cazenovia Voices Coalition: Pause. Plan. Protect. 

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Team Overviews
PR / Regional Engagement
Raise awareness, share stories, and connect across counties. Write op-eds, create media content, organize outreach to neighboring towns, and coordinate interviews.

Legal / FOIL / Transparency
Uncover documents and communications, monitor compliance, file FOIL/OPRA requests, and explore potential legal remedies or stays.

Alternate Finance / Plan B
Develop community-based alternatives—grants, partnerships, public/private models, or cooperative ownership structures for the Reisman and Sigety properties.

Communications & Messaging
Keep us connected and informed—maintain the website, email updates, messaging templates, and social posts for consistency across all teams.
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Together, we’re building the kind of civic process our community deserves.

Pause. Plan. Protect.

With appreciation and determination,

Laura (on behalf of the Cazenovia Voices Coalition)

​Coalition Zoom & Strategy Ahead of County Supervisors’ Meeting

Hello everyone, 
We now have good information around Madison County’s plan to purchase Reisman & Sigety Halls and it's time to ramp up our coordinated response. 

Please review, RSVP, and provide feedback asap so we hit the ground running.

1. Zoom Meeting - Sunday, 7:00 p.m. 
Let’s convene via this Zoom address: Laura's Virtual Meeting Room.

Our goals: Status updates, Launch task groups, Plan speakers (& possible protest participation?) for the Tuesday Madison County Supervisors meeting

Agenda (approx):

1. Welcome & framing (5 min)
2. Intros & short updates (voice & in chat) (10 min)
3. Formation of task groups & assignments (10 min)
4. Discussion & assignments around plans for Tues meeting (10 min)
5. Next steps, wrap-up (5 min)

If you have additions to the agenda, please send them before Sunday.

RSVP via this email (trying to prepare), if not, OK to drop in.

2. Proposed Task Groups & Focus Areas
We will divide and conquer by forming working groups. Possible groups:

• PR/Regional Engagement: Expand public awareness across Madison County and surrounding areas. Draft op-eds, press releases, social media blitz, outreach to neighboring towns, local media interviews
• Legal / FOIL / Transparency: Examine legality, demand disclosure, challenge processes. File FOIL/OPRA requests, research county contracts, monitor compliance issues, consult legal resource(s)
• Alternate Finance / Plan B: Propose alternative uses or funding models for the campus sites. Explore grants, public/private partnerships, community ownership structures, fundraising
• Communications & Messaging: Oversee internal and external messaging consistency, Manage website, newsletters, social pages, messaging templates, coordinate messaging across groups

3.  Tuesday’s Madison County Supervisors Meeting - Planning

• Identify which Supervisors (by name / district) are on relevant committees (e.g. property, budget, public safety).
• Draft a schedule of speakers, with each assigned a 2–3 minute statement or question.
• Prepare a one-page statement or “ask” document for Supervisors: key demands (transparency, engineering review, alternatives, community participation).
• Organize logistics: carpools, signage, handouts, backup plan in case meeting is restricted or remote.
• Consider a peaceful visual protest outside the meeting venue before/after session?

If you can show up Sunday at 7 p.m., we’ll leave that meeting with clear assignments and momentum. 

Please reply today to confirm whether you’ll attend, which task group(s) you prefer, and propose any additional agenda items or group ideas.

In the meantime...have a great weekend AND...

Convince friends and neighbors to pay attention & sign the petitions. Petitions are just one tool in the tool box, they demonstrate public concern and educate neighbors, leaders, and regional allies about what’s at stake.