PRESENT: B. Blanchard, T. Joseph, C. Evans, G. Totman, P. Penniman, M. Lane
STAFF: Bill Benjamin, Deputy County Administrator; Peter Meskill, Sheriff; Jonathon Wood, Deputy County Attorney; Jim Hanson, Mikel Shakarjian, Planning Department; Jack Miller, Lee Shurtleff, Fire, Disaster and EMS; Jim Kazda, Engineering; Wendy Skinner, Public Information Coordinator
GUESTS: Dooley Kiefer, Board of Representatives Member; Brian Wilbur, Ithaca City Fire Chief; Lou Withiam, E911 Operations Committee; Ken Lansing, Cayuga Heights Fire Chief
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Blanchard called the meeting to order at 11:18 a.m.
ADDITIONS & DELETIONS TO THE AGENDA
Executive Session – Site Negotiations
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
It was Moved by Mr. Joseph, seconded by Mr. Totman and unanimously adopted by voice vote of members present to approve the minutes of September 26, 2000, as submitted.
E911 COMMITTEE CHAIRS REPORT
Mr. Withiam said the Police Subcommittee is still working on its policy and procedures, this took a little longer than expected and once complete will be combined with the Fire and EMS procedures. He said he will be working with Chief Robertson on the criteria, and he has also been talking with the County’s Intern Program about getting staffing to help put together the manual. He said he has been working mostly on the dispatch center’s location and once this is finalized it will be easier to move forward. Ms. Blanchard said that the E911 Operations Committee also learned at its last meeting that in order to have cell calls transferred from Cellular One to the County’s local PSAP it is necessary to have a local law adopted by the County authorizing the move. She said that it was originally thought that this could be done by resolution, which the County has adopted, but it is necessary to have a local law instead. Mr. Wood will prepare the law for consideration by the Public Safety Committee at its next meeting and then it will go before the full Board for approval.
It was decided to adjourn this meeting and hold a brief Public Safety Committee meeting to approve the resolution to hold the public hearing on transferring cellular calls to the local PSAP.
ADJOURNMENT
The COMCAP Committee temporarily adjourned at 11:23 a.m.
Mr. Totman called the Public Safety Committee to order at 11:23 a.m.
RESOLUTION NO. - AUTHORIZING A PUBLIC HEARING ON LOCAL LAW NO. H OF 2000 - PROVIDING FOR THE MANDATORY ROUTING OF ALL WIRELESS 911 CALLS
It was Moved by Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Joseph and unanimously adopted by voice vote of members present to set the public hearing requiring cell providers provide cell calls to Tompkins County.
WHEREAS, routing all wireless
911 calls to the County Public Service Answering Point (PSAP) will best
provide for the safety of County residents in the event of an emergency,
and
WHEREAS, local wireless
telephone service suppliers will route all wireless 911 telephone calls
originating within Tompkins County to the PSAP if the County adopts a new
local law requiring them to do so, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, on recommendation
of the Public Safety Committee, That a public hearing be held on November
21, 2000, at 5:30 p.m. at the Board Chambers of the Tompkins County Courthouse,
320 North Tioga Street, Ithaca, New York to consider proposed Local Law
No. h of 2000 - Providing for the Mandatory Routing of all Wireless 911
Calls. At such time and place all persons interested in the subject matter
will be heard concerning the same,
RESOLVED, further, That
the Clerk of the Board is hereby authorized and directed to place proper
notice of said public hearing in the official newspaper of the County.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20
The Public Safety Committee adjourned its meeting at 11:24 a.m.
Chair Blanchard reconvened the COMCAP Committee at 11:24 a.m.
COMMUNICATION DISPATCH CENTER SITE SELECTION MATRIX
Ms. Blanchard stated that Mr. Kazda was directed to analyze the South Hill and alternative locations. She stated following the last Committee meeting she met with Mr. Kazda and outlined the various alternatives that people had indicated they wanted considered. Mr. Kazda stated he has been working to establish the criteria and definitions that will be used to perform the financial analysis. He requested a commitment from the Committee on what assumptions will be made and what options will be analyzed. He will provide the financial analysis of each option at the next meeting.
He noted of interest in the analysis the inflation rate at 2.5% and the interest rate at 6% over twenty years. He said the other costs are based on County experience. The new construction cost is $130 per square foot based on information provided in the program statement prepared by Labella Associates for the E911 and the DOT Facility on Hanshaw Road. Labella Associates went through the analysis and determined what spaces are needed by the 911 center, what spaces could be shared by the 911 center and the DOT. Mr. Kazda took out the financial information for the 911 center alone and the analysis indicates a cost of $130 per square foot for the facility. Mr. Kazda stated that this is not a firm figure and work still needs to be done.
Ms. Blanchard asked if the cost per square foot cost includes equipment for the center. Mr. Kazda said that it does not and noted equipment is not part of the program statement. He said the County’s Capital Program only includes construction.
Mr. Joseph said when the Public Safety Study was done, the costs for renovation of the Public Safety Building are as much, if not more than new construction costs, and he expressed concern about a large difference between the two. Mr. Kazda said the CFR building and the South Hill location are both fairly new buildings so renovations should be minor, but noted due to the nature of the center the air handling and noise reduction requirements are very different and this increases the costs. He noted he has not analyzed the South Hill location at this time. Mr. Evans expressed concern that the rate of inflation may be too low.
Mr. Lane asked how the high bidding costs for construction projects is being handled. Mr. Kazda stated there is an estimated project contingency of 15 percent and this drives up the cost to $130 per square foot. He said the design is fairly well defined in regards to square footage and the contingency allows us to assess whether the contingency may be absorbed through market variations or design changes that occur. At this time there is enough contingency to accommodate some flexibility with the market. Mr. Lane asked about building in a higher cost to allow for a true contingency on the project. Mr. Kazda stated that there is both a design contingency and project contingency. The project contingency is 10 percent and is separate from the 15 percent design contingency. In reality there is a 25 percent contingency built into the project.
Mr. Penniman asked if the $130 is higher than what would have been used six months or a year ago. Mr. Kazda stated part of the figure is based on what the facility is. The cost for the actual dispatch center is higher because of equipment used within the facility such as the noise reduction and air handling requirements as well as the computer networking being at a higher level. He noted that the $130 is equaling the costs out for the entire space which also includes two truck bays that will cost less .
Mr. Kazda said that there are essentially four options to be analyzed; expansion of the CFR building, addition to the South Hill location, Hanshaw Road construction and Public Safety Building expansion. Mr. Meskill stated there is not enough space to expand at the Public Safety Building and asked that it not be considered. Mr. Totman agreed with Mr. Meskill. Mr. Joseph stated he would disagree that there isn’t enough space and said that there may be room to expand onto airport property which adjoins the Public Safety Building. Ms. Blanchard said that in considering the Public Safety Building it is reasonable to consider expansion without having the Sheriff run the operation. Mr. Meskill stated he would like a clear distinction that additional land will be acquired because there are currently space problems at the facility as well as parking problems. Mr. Joseph said that he agrees that additional land would need to be acquired if the Public Safety Building is to be considered, but believes there are potential shared efficiencies with having the dispatch center at that location. He said that there has also been discussion about a central command post in an emergency situation and it should be convenient to both the Sheriff and fire and disaster operations. Mr. Lane said that the land would need to expand to the south of the Public Safety Building without encroaching on the airport. Mr. Evans stated that he agrees with Mr. Lane and the option should be left for comparison purposes, but does not believe it to be a practical location. He said he thinks there are ways to deal with the command post issue without siting it near the Public Safety Building.
Mr. Withiam stated that the location of the Center is communications driven. The Hanshaw Road site is limited because of the tower heights that are allowed because the airport is next to it and the Public Safety Building is limited due to the space. He said he believes the South Hill location to be the best option. Ms. Blanchard stated that the options need to be reviewed after the analysis is complete. Mr. Lane asked how much land is available at the South Hill site and if there would need to be expansion.
Mr. Kazda stated that all of the potential sites need to be kept until the analysis is complete. It was Moved by Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Joseph and unanimously adopted by voice vote to approve the analysis of the four sites as outlined by Mr. Kazda.
Mr. Shurtleff asked if there would be discussion about the operational efficiencies of having the Fire Coordinator’s office being on site with the dispatch center. Ms. Blanchard said that there will. She asked that Mr. Kazda change the matrix to include a footnote that consideration of the Public Safety Building does not imply operation of the facility by the Sheriff.
Ms. Kiefer stated that one of the qualities desired for the location of the Centralized Dispatch Center was access to fiber optics. She asked if the extension of fiber optics to each location has been considered in the cost and whether the County’s Information Technology Services Department has been consulted. Ms. Blanchard stated that this will be pursued.
Mr. Kazda stated that in order to evaluate consistently it is necessary to analyze all things affected. He said that he would propose not analyzing things that might be available at the South Hill location that are not necessary for the center. He said that he believes parking should also be included in the analysis. He said that if expansion is needed at South Hill this could possibly be much more expensive. Ms. Blanchard said that the physical characteristics as well as the financial impacts are both very important
Mr. Wilbur asked that when Mr. Kazda begins analyzing the South Hill location that he be contacted about discussions that have been held with Ithaca College and the Town of Ithaca about space and parking requirements. Mr. Withiam suggested a meeting with the group that created the matrix may also be beneficial to Mr. Kazda’s analysis.
Mr. Joseph stated that one of the strongest arguments for South Hill is the purchase of one less tower and asked how this will factor into the cost. Mr. Kazda said that the tower expense will be included for each location except the South Hill location.
Mr. Lane asked if the Ithaca Town Board is aware that the South Hill site is being considered. Ms. Blanchard stated that informal discussions have been held with Ithaca College and the Town Board about possibly considering the South Hill location. Mr. Benjamin was asked to write a formal letter to the Ithaca Town Board indicating the County’s intent to consider the location.
PROJECT STATUS REPORTS
DOT PROJECT STATUS
Mr. Hanson stated that the Memorandum of Understanding is being updated and the next step will be to proceed to establishing a site for the Department of Transportation. He said a letter was sent to the Town of Dryden about possible alternative sites they may have. He said there is a consensus at this time that the Hanshaw Road site is the best location and noted the Town has not suggested any alternatives. He said that the Town has passed a resolution to resolve the issue of water and sewer hook-ups.
Ms. Blanchard noted that if the Transportation Bond Act passes at the next election $3.85 million will be made available for the DOT project. Mr. Evans said that the League of Women Voters is against the Transportation Bond Act and asked if there are alternatives if the money is not received. Mr. Hanson stated that the DOT has other money available for various capital projects.
Ms. Blanchard stated she is writing an article for the Ithaca Journal about the Bond Act. Mr. Lane asked that it be circulated to other members of the Board for additional signatures.
COMMUNICATIONS RELATED 2001 BUDGET ITEMS, STATUS
Mr. Blanchard said that there is $1.5 million in the Capital Project for the Centralized Dispatch Facility and $700,000 for the Communications Project. Mr. Benjamin said that there is $158,000 remaining in the 2000 budget and this money may be available to apply to consultant expenses leaving the $700,000 to be used for subsequent expenses.
COMMUNCIATIONS CONSULANT CONTRACT
Mr. Benjamin stated that negotiations have begun with NYSTEC, the preferred vendor. A meeting was held last Monday to work on the scope of services. He said the group had a very constructive discussion and are working to stay on the County’s aggressive timetable that calls for the a report by the consultant in January. He said that there were five points in the RFQ that the County wanted the consultant to work on and NYSTEC has been asked to submit a price schedule for the following five points outlined in the scope of service:
Ms. Shakarjian commented about the Communications Needs Analysis. She said that when NYSTEC was met with they talked about the difference of wants and requirements in the project and asked for clarification. A needs analysis was suggested to provide that clarification. She noted that there is some concern that if the needs analysis is delayed it will be difficult for NYSTEC to complete their work before January due to the holidays. She said that the first three tasks will be reported to the County in January and Task Three will outline the project.
Ms. Blanchard asked when the State’s proposal will be reported on. Ms. Shakarjian stated that the State’s proposal will be included in Task Three.
Mr. Benjamin talked about the importance of having a functional Request for Proposals (RFP), not a design RFP. He said the County is trying to avoid potential pitfalls down the road. The County has learned of jurisdictions who have gone with a design RFP to design the system and have then hired someone else to come in to build the project to specification. He said a functional RFP was decided on because in the end we want the system to provide specific functions and this will allow some room for creativity by bidders. He said the end result is the most important and that the RFP holds the vendor responsible for their work. Mr. Penniman asked if this would limit the number of bidders that will be able to satisfy all of the specifications and create a non-competitive situation. Mr. Benjamin stated this is possible, but the goal is to take advantage of some of the things happening in the marketplace.
Mr. Benjamin said the consultant has made it clear that they want to meet with the end users of the system, and while he supports this he wanted to make sure the consultant uses the work that was already done by the E911 Subcommittee. He said that the consultant has been provided with all the background information the County has. He asked that the material be reviewed by the Committee and any questions be sent to either him or Ms. Shakarjian by the end of next week. He said that preliminary estimates on the costs for the first three tasks is approximately $60,000 and another $60,000 for the last three tasks. He said that these costs should be considered on the high end because when NYSTEC submitted the quote, they were not aware that the material prepared by Dutch Hill was available to them. He said that in order to maintain the aggressive timetable he would like to have a brief committee meeting prior to the next board meeting to review any outstanding questions and request formal action by the Committee at that time to move forward with the contract with NYSTEC.
COMCAP MEETING NOVEMBER 8TH 4 P.M.
Ms. Blanchard stated a meeting will be held November 8, 2000, at 4:00 p.m. to discuss and review the consultant’s contract. Mr. Hanson asked that any comments be sent to Ms. Shakarjian by October 31, 2000, so a meeting can be held with the Technical Committee prior to the November 8th meeting.
Mr. Benjamin stated that the Technical Committee has agreed with NYSTEC about a back-out clause in the contract. Once the third step is complete the County can back-out if desired.
Ms. Kiefer asked about formal internal products as they are referenced in the contract and asked if the public will be allowed to view this information. Mr. Wood stated that references in the contract to internal products basically means that the work is not final and the information may be incorporated into something else at a later date.
Ms. Kiefer said that there are a handful of knowledgeable people in the County who would be interested in the information before it becomes final. Ms. Blanchard stressed that there will be no effort to conceal any of the information submitted by the consultants but also noted the importance of making sure the information is as complete and accurate as possible before it is made available to the public.
NEW BUSINESS
Ms. Blanchard stated she needs to have a better understanding of how the current fire and EMS offices work and requested that Mr. Miller and Mr. Shurtleff host a tour of Crash, Fire, Rescue building. The tour was set for November 1, 2000, at 3:30 p.m. at the Fire Coordinator’s office.
Mr. Benjamin suggested the possibility of taking tours of the Hanshaw Road and South Hill locations as well.
OLD BUSINESS
Mr. Wilbur stated a concern was raised at the E911 Operations Committee about consolidating the dispatch operation into the current facility and stressed the importance of a short timeline to resolve this issue because the current facility is temporary.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
It was Moved by Mr. Evans, seconded by Mr. Penniman and unanimously adopted by voice vote of members present to enter into executive session at 12:41 p.m. to discuss site negotiations. It was Moved by Mr. Totman, seconded by Mr. Evans and unanimously adopted by voice vote to return to open session at 1:02 p.m.
OTHER
Ms. Blanchard announced that the November 28, meeting would be moved to December 12, 2000, at Noon in the Scott Heyman Conference Room.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 p.m. The next meeting will be held December 12, 2000, at Noon in the Scott Hymen Conference Room.
Respectfully submitted by Jennifer Luu, Administrative Assistant, Board of Representative’s office.