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On Wednesday, December 19, the state will hold a ceremony to announce funding awards for the regional economic development councils.

Details haven’t been announced, but the co-chairs of the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council mentioned the event during the council’s meeting last week. And media reports say the event will be held Wednesday, and will be hosted by Maria Bartiromo of CNBC’s Closing Bell.

The state’s 10 regional economic development councils are competing for $220 million in grants and tax incentives. The state will also distribute $542 million in funding from its agencies; the applications for the funding progressed through the councils.

The Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has identified 12 priority projects for investment. They’re based on a strategic plan the council adopted last year; in last year’s round of funding, the council received $68.8 million in awards. Jeremy Moule

Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas will hold his Coffee and Conversation meeting with parents, students, and residents at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18.

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• Bolgen Vargas.

Vargas holds the meetings monthly, typically handling a wide range of questions and concerns. During the past few weeks, he has used the opportunity to talk about his proposal to update the district’s aging schools.

Tuesday’s meeting is at the district’s central office, 131 West Broad Street. Tim Louis Macaluso

Today, New York Secretary of State Cesar Perales convenes the state Electoral College.

The body meets at noon and the members will promptly cast their votes for president and vice president. Specifically, they’ll cast their votes for President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden.

The meeting will be broadcast live on PBS, so in Rochester that means it’s on WXXI channel 21.1 (cable channels 1011 and 11). Jeremy Moule

The Monroe County Industrial Development Agency will hold a public hearing Tuesday on a tax incentive package for the Sibley building’s new owner. The hearing is at 11:45 a.m. at the Ebenezer Watts Conference Center, 49 South Fitzhugh Street.

Sibley Redevelopment LP, a subsidiary of Boston-based Winn Development, purchased the building in September. The company is paying $5 million for the building and plans to invest $5.8 million to fix it up, says COMIDA’s notice of the hearing.

The company is pursuing a payment in lieu of taxes agreement as well as sales tax exemptions. Under the PILOT agreement, the company will pay $3.9 million over 22 years, say COMIDA documents. Jeremy Moule