ALBANY — New York State’s utility regulators are threatening to undo the cable merger that created Spectrum, saying the company has failed to keep its promises to expand internet access.

The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) ordered Spectrum to pay two $1 million fines and ordered that the company unequivocally accept the terms the state set in 2016 for the merger of Time Warner Cable and Charter “or face the risk of having the merger revoked,” the PSC said in a June 14 release.

In 2016, the PSC approved the acquisition of Time Warner Cable by Charter, and required the combined company to add internet availability for 145,000 previously unserved or underserved homes or offices within four years.

The PSC said in the release that Spectrum has fallen short of required milestones toward the goal of 145,000. State staffers investigated a list of addresses Spectrum claimed to have made reachable by internet and rejected 18,363 addresses — including more than 4,000 Upstate — saying they were either along existing internet access or were supposed to be reached by Spectrum under other orders.

The PSC had previously rejected thousands of addresses Spectrum claimed to have brought internet access to.

In addition to fining Spectrum $2 million, the PSC called out the company on its claim that it was not bound by the 2016 rules. “Given the company’s continued intransigence, the commission today ordered that the company unconditionally accept all of the conditions and requirements spelled out in its 2016 order or face subsequent commission action,” the PSC said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a statement supporting the PSC. “If Charter had not agreed to the build out, the franchise would not have been approved, and the company would not have profited from the large New York State market.”

Cuomo went so far as to blast Spectrum News for its coverage of the matter. “Spectrum news coverage has not only conveniently failed to fairly cover the company’s violations, but they also make false claims as to their performance for New Yorkers. Their broadband build out is not on time. Nor is it a voluntary effort to benefit our citizens, as the company might have people believe. Instead, it was an express condition of their franchise approval, which is very lucrative.”

In its own statement, Spectrum said it has expanded its network infrastructure, “to bring broadband to tens of thousands of residences and businesses in New York State; we exceeded our last commitment and we continue to meet our merger obligations.”

The Empire State Manufacturing Survey general business-conditions index rose 5 points in June to 25.0, “indicating a faster pace of growth than in May.”  

The index rose 4 points in May to 20.1.

The responses in the June survey indicated that business activity “continued to grow strongly” in New York, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said in its news release issued June 15.

A positive reading indicates expansion or growth in manufacturing activity, while a negative reading on the index indicates a decline in the sector.

The survey found 38 percent of respondents reported that conditions had improved over the month, while 13 percent reported that conditions had worsened.

Survey details

The new-orders index advanced 5 points to 21.3 and the shipments index rose 4 points to 23.5, readings that reflected “strong growth,” the New York Fed said. 

Unfilled orders increased, inventories edged higher, and delivery times “continued to lengthen.”

The index for number of employees climbed 10 points to 19.0, its highest level thus far in 2018, “pointing to a pickup in employment levels.” 

The average-workweek index was little changed at 12.0, indicating an increase in hours worked. 

Price increases remained elevated. At 52.7, the prices-paid index was “little changed” from last month’s “multiyear” high of 54.0, and the prices-received index held steady at 23.3, suggesting “ongoing moderate” selling-price increases.

After slipping in April, optimism about the six-month outlook increased for a second consecutive month. 

The index for future business conditions climbed 8 points to 38.9. Employment was expected to increase in the months ahead, and the indexes for future prices remained “elevated.” 

The capital-expenditures index edged down 2 points to 27.1, and the technology-spending index fell 6 points to 17.1.

The New York Fed distributes the Empire State Manufacturing Survey on the first day of each month to the same pool of about 200 manufacturing executives in New York. On average, about 100 executives return responses.          

Sonbyrne Sales Inc. recently sold buildings at 7 Salina St. in the Village of Baldwinsville and 6832 Genesee St. E. in the village of Fayetteville that formerly housed Byrne Dairy stores.

Brian Kalfass purchased the 2,400-square-foot Baldwinsville property for $155,000. Ed Perry bought the 2,400-square-foot Fayetteville property for $325,000, according to a Cushman & Wakefield/Pyramid Brokerage Company news release.

William Evertz of Cushman & Wakefield/Pyramid Brokerage exclusively represented the marketing of both properties and facilitated the sales on behalf of the seller, Sonbyrne Sales.         

GOUVERNEUR — A St. Lawrence County zinc mine is back in operation, a decade after closing.

Rehabilitation work on the Empire State Mine began last fall. Mining restarted in March and, as of now, the mine has more than 200 employees, said owner Titan Mining Corporation, in a release.

The 2,700 acre mine had been closed since 2008. Its reopening was helped by an allocation of four megawatts of low-cost power from the New York Power Authority’s (NYPA) St. Lawrence-Franklin D. Roosevelt Power Project in Massena, according to a NYPA release.

Titan invested some $33 million and NYPA provided $330,000 in funding as part of a $1.2 million Empire State Mines program to train up to 60 local workers as certified underground miners. NYPA also provided the mine’s restart with a $500,000 loan from its North Country Economic Development Fund, administered by the Development Authority of the North Country, the release said.

At a ceremony earlier this month, Titan officials, including former New York State Gov. George Pataki, cut a ribbon officially opening the mine.

Output from the mine has increased from 443 tons in March to 776 tons in May, according to a company release.

Keith Boyle, Titan’s COO, said things were going well. “Overall, the positive momentum at the mine should make for a strong second half of 2018 as more stopes are developed.” Stopes are areas of mines where material has been extracted.

Pataki, New York governor from 1999 to 2006, serves as one of Titan’s four directors. The company, headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, is publicly held.

Zinc is used to galvanize steel and cast alloys. In addition, pennies are 97.5 percent zinc, according to the U.S. Mint. 

Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, Ithaca, and Elmira regions declined in May compared to a year ago.

The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released June 19.

In addition, the Syracuse, Watertown–Fort Drum, and Ithaca regions gained jobs between May 2017 and this past May.

At the same time, the Utica–Rome, Binghamton, and Elmira regions lost jobs in the same time period.

That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor issued June 14.

Regional unemployment rates

The jobless rate in the Syracuse area was 4.1 percent in May, down from the 4.8 percent figure in May 2017.

The unemployment rate in the Utica–Rome region was 4.3 percent in May, down from 4.9 percent in the year-earlier period.

The jobless rate in the Watertown–Fort Drum area was 5.0 percent in May, down from 6.0 percent a year ago.

The unemployment rate in the Binghamton region was 4.4 percent in May, down from 5.1 percent in May 2017, according to figures from the state Labor Department.

The jobless rate in the Ithaca region was 3.3 percent in May, down from 4.0 percent in the same month in 2017.

The unemployment rate in the Elmira region was 4.7 percent in May, down from 5.4 percent in the year-earlier period.

The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.

The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.

State unemployment rate

New York State’s unemployment rate fell from 4.6 percent in April to 4.5 percent in May, which “matches New York State’s lowest level since June 2007,” the state Labor Department said.

The 4.5 percent unemployment rate was higher than the U.S. unemployment rate of 3.8 percent in May.

The May statewide unemployment figure of 4.5 percent was down compared to the 4.7 percent reported in May 2017, according to department figures.

The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.

May jobs data

The Syracuse region gained 3,400 jobs in the past year, representing a 1.1 percent change in the last 12 months.

The Utica–Rome metro region lost 900 jobs in the same time period, a decrease of 0.7 percent.

The Watertown–Fort Drum region gained 500 jobs in the past 12 months, an increase of 1.2 percent.

The jobs gain of 1,800 positions in the Ithaca region between May 2017 and this past May represent an increase of 2.7 percent.

The Binghamton region lost 100 jobs, a decrease of 0.1 percent in the past 12 months.

The Elmira region lost 100 jobs in the past 12 months, a decrease of 0.3 percent.

New York State as a whole gained more than 110,000 jobs, an increase of 1.2 percent, during that 12-month time period. The state economy gained more than 12,000 jobs, or 0.1 percent, between April and May, the labor department said.