UTICA — David Kleps, president of C2C Construction Solutions in Utica, has been named to the President’s Advisory Council of Butler Manufacturing Co., which makes pre-engineered steel buildings, C2C announced.

Kleps is one of 12 long-time Butler builders from across the country named to this year’s council. He has led the Gaetano Construction companies’ design-build department since 1979, and has managed the Butler franchise since 1982, having completed more than 3 million square feet of projects in Central New York and Northern New York, according to a C2C news release.

Kleps now heads up C2C specializing in Butler buildings, other design-build commercial and industrial renovations, and custom vacation homes in the Old Forge area. 

BINGHAMTON — Hotels in Broome County were ever so slightly fuller in November compared to a year ago, according to a new report.

The hotel occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county increased 0.6 percent to 50.5 percent in November from 50.2 percent in the year-ago month, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. The occupancy rate through the first 11 months of 2018, was up 2.7 percent to 58.5 percent.

Revenue per available room (RevPAR), a key industry indicator that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, rose 1.7 percent to $43.07 in November from $42.34 in November 2017. Broome County’s RevPAR has increased 16 months in a row. Year to date through November, the county’s RevPAR was up 5 percent to $53.76.

Average daily rate (or ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, gained 1.1 percent to $85.25 in November from $84.30 a year prior, per STR. Broome County’s ADR was up 2.3 percent year to date to $91.91.

BINGHAMTON — The Broome County Youth Bureau has received $190,000 in grant funding for a variety of youth programs in the community, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, and Liz Woidt, director of parks, recreation and youth services, recently announced.

The grant recipients were approved by the Broome County Legislature in its December session. 

 “The Broome County Youth Bureau is delighted to obtain these funds from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. These funds will help Broome County continue the mission of the Association of New York State Youth Bureaus to promote the physical, emotional and social well-being of youth and families in Broome County,” Woidt said in the release. 

The Youth Bureau awarded $190,000 to programs throughout Broome County. The grant recipients included Grow Binghamton – VINES — offering a six-week program that revolves around youth empowerment, civic engagement, and hands on learning about environmental systems with the Binghamton Urban Farm being a living lab for learning. 

Another recipient was the Pathways Program at JC Central School District. The Pathways Program is a unique high-school program that provides students of potential with a successful high school experience that will lead the way to college or a career in a small, personalized environment, the release stated.