HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE NOVEMBER 20, 2003 - 9:00 A.M. SCOTT HEYMAN CONFERENCE ROOM
Present: M. Robertson, Chair; N. Schuler, P. Penniman; M. Koplinka-Loehr (arrived at 9:10 a.m.)
Excused: F. Proto
Staff: M. Dill, Human Services Coalition;
J. Franklin, Assessment; I. Kehoe, Assessment; S. Whicher, County Administrator;
N. Zahler, Youth Services Director; J. Andersson, Environmental Health; A.
Cole, Public Health Director; R. Ewald, Health Department; M. Roth, Cooperative
Extension
Guest: A. Tutino, Ithaca Journal Reporter
Called to Order
The meeting was called to order at 9:03 a.m.
Changes to Agenda
The following items were added to the agenda:
- Appointments
- Update on Single Room Occupancy Housing discussions
Chair's Report
Ms. Robertson said she did not have a report.
December Meetings
Ms. Robertson said she would like to invite the Cornell
students who were working on housing needs to a Committee meeting to give
a presentation on the second phase of their study. She recommended
rescheduling the December 18th Committee meeting to accommodate the students'
schedule and asked Committee members their availability on other possible
dates. It was the consensus of the Committee and staff to meet December
8th at 1:00 p.m. Ms. Robertson noted that a special Committee
meeting may need to be held prior to the December 16th meeting of the Legislature
to consider any items needing attention before the end of the year.
Approval of Minutes
September 30, 2003
It was MOVED by Ms. Schuler, seconded by Mr. Penniman,
to approve the minutes of the September 30, 2003, meeting with the following
addition:
"Mr. Penniman said he recognized that the ATI programs
have many benefits, but he felt the use of $95 per day savings was unreasonable,
given that we do usually have some space available in the jail. He
asked what it costs to house an additional inmate if we do have space.
The Sheriff responded that most jail costs are fixed and that the added cost
for another prisoner is probably $2 - $3 per day, mainly for food."
Mr. Koplinka-Loehr arrived at this time.
Ms. Robertson noted the following paragraph was discussed
at the Public Safety Committee and she will be meeting with Ms. Blanchard
to establish appropriate wording for the minutes:
"Ms. Robertson said the consultants working with the Public
Safety Committee on Jail expansion have stated that they believe the jail
population is down and that the original number in the consultants report
is being reduced from 196 to 182."
A voice vote resulted as follows on the minutes as amended:
Ayes - 4, Noes - 0, Excused - 1 (Proto). MINUTES CARRIED.
October 1, 2003
It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Ms. Schuler,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, to approve the
minutes of the October 1, 2003, meeting as submitted.
November 5, 2003
It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Ms. Schuler,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, to approve the
minutes of the November 5, 2003, meeting as submitted.
Assessment
Housing Market
Mr. Franklin spoke about the real estate market and commented
that the market in Tompkins County has been increasing at a rate that has
not been seen since the 1980's. Ms. Kehoe noted that this is happening
all over the State. Mr. Franklin feels Tompkins County's economy is
isolated from the rest of Upstate New York because of Cornell University
being such a stable employer. There are also other reasons as outlined
below for the real estate market increasing:
1. Mortgage interest rates are at their lowest in ages.
2. After the stock market 'crashed' and 9/11 occurred, the public began investing in real estate.
3. Lower interest rates allow people to add to or
renovate their house rather than sell or upgrade to a new house.
In answer to a question, Mr. Franklin said there was probably
a small effect of people moving here from more expensive housing markets.
That might especially be happening in Lansing, with high-end business executives
moving in. Ms. Schuler said that she knows of some students’ parents
buying homes for them in the City, rather than renting housing while they
are in college here.
Mr. Franklin noted that the graphs and charts sent to
the Committee do not include mobile home parks as they are considered commercial
property and the information provided to the Committee is only residential
property. The information does include mobile homes on individual properties,
however. It was noted that 25% of homes county-wide are valued at less
than $75,000; if all mobile homes were included this percentage would be
greater.
Ms. Kehoe commented on how different the market is from
municipality to municipality. She commented that the school district
has a big effect on the desirability of housing from one area to another.
Ms. Robertson asked if the numbers in the charts could
be added to an excel table and then graph them to compare the municipalities
visually. Mr. Franklin agreed to provide this information and forward
to anyone requesting it. Mr. Koplinka-Loehr asked if there were other
mechanisms the Assessment Department could recommend for affordable housing
aside from exemptions such as the STAR exemption. Mr. Franklin said
the exemptions are the only option offered for people to reduce assessments.
He said exemptions are an area he can explore further such as the first-time
home buyers exemption that was offered by the State last year. Ms.
Robertson commented on other states adjusting real property taxes by including
items such as boats, luxury cars, etc., , in property assessments.
Mr. Penniman said he would also like to see a comparison of the same house
a typical family would live in in different areas of the County that would
show the influence of the market rather than the changes in housing throughout
the County.
Mr. Franklin spoke about the programs offered by Better Housing of Tompkins
County and Ithaca Neighborhood Housing (INHS) and said he finds the program
offered by INHS for first-time homeowners is much more in-depth and very
informative. The INHS class is a six-week program, while BHTC offers
a two-hour class.
Cornell University Housing
Mr. Franklin distributed copies of information regarding residential facilities
owned or operated by Cornell University. Two separate lists were prepared.
One list includes properties that had been separately assessed when they
were previously on the tax rolls. The total value is $27,902,000.
Many of the facilities included in this list are fraternities or sororities.
The second list is the estimated value of residential buildings that have
not been separately assessed, as they are part of the overall campus.
Mr. Franklin used a value of $110/square foot to arrive at a value of approximately
$276,942,490. The total estimated value of tax-exempt residential properties
owned by Cornell University is $304,844,490.
Mr. Franklin explained that if the property owned by Cornell is being used
exclusively for educational purposes, the property is tax exempt. If
the property is not being used exclusively for educational purposes, it is
taxable but only the portion that is not being used.
Mr. Penniman said when he first came on the Legislature, this was an issue
of interest to him. At that time, Assemblyman Luster was chair of the
State Assembly’s Real Property Tax Committee, and he and two City Council
members traveled to Albany to attend hearings being held on this issue.
He said there is a very broad interpretation of the educational use of these
buildings. The colleges around the State have a lot to lose by losing
this exemption. He also noted the fact that in New York City, the tax structure
is so different that it is not an issue. Mr. Whicher acknowledged that
there has been “creep” in the accepted definition of “educational use.”
For example, facilities that “serve the Cornell community” are tax-exempt,
including the bookstore, exercise facilities, food services and Lake Source
Cooling buildings.
Mr. Koplinka-Loehr reported that three months ago he received a list of rural
properties owned by Cornell that he forwarded to John Majeroni requesting
information on the purposes the properties are being used for. He said
he will follow-up with this request.
In answer to a question, Mr. Franklin said that the total assessed value
of land in the county is approximately $7.7 billion, and the taxable portion
of that is $4.2 billion.
Mr. Franklin commented that the Assessment Department has a great relationship
with Cornell and the Department continues to monitor the property owned and
operated by Cornell.
Human Services Coalition
Ms. Dill provided a report on future activities of the Coalition. She
said next year agencies will be looking at how many people are eligible for
the services provided and of those eligible how many are taking advantage
of the programs. The agencies will be making an extra effort to get
those individuals currently not utilizing the services involved in the programs.
Such programs as Power Partners at Cooperative Extension, IDA programs through
Alternatives Federal Credit Union, and the child care tax credit (Day Care
Council) will be part of the effort to encourage people to participate in
the programs. Ms. Dill said that staff has also pointed out that agencies
could help their employees more, without incurring additional costs, by offering
flexible cafeteria benefit policies.
Mr. Whicher commented that the Planning Department has asked the Census Bureau
for local information that he feels will be very helpful in the effort to
get accurate numbers of county residents living in poverty.
Ms. Dill said there has also been an increase in the use of food pantries
and Loaves and Fishes; the latter has seen almost 40% more people coming
in the last two months. It was noted that human resource professionals
are in touch with many low-income people, and they might be good resources
for getting program and eligibility information to people in need.
Ms. Dill also distributed copies of the draft work plan of workshops to be
held by HSC in 2004. In addition, she spoke briefly about a grant she
wrote to pursue the approach of intensive case management with agencies in
crisis situations. Ms. Dill noted the CVSA money has been transferred
to the Advocacy Center.
Youth Services
Appointments
It was MOVED by Ms. Schuler, seconded by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote, to approve and submit the following
appointments to the Youth Services Board to the full Legislature for approval:
Matthew Metzgar - youth representative, term expires December 31, 2005
Tiffany Heimbuch-Maybee - youth representative, term expires December 31, 2005
Schedule presentation of survey results by homeless youth
Ms. Zahler said she had hoped to be able to schedule a
presentation of the survey results by homeless youth who had worked with
the Learning Web before the end of the year. However, she does not
believe that will be able to happen and said the presentation will likely
take place early next year as the youth are currently undergoing training
on how to present the findings of the survey.
Budget and staffing updates
Ms. Zahler said discussions are being held concerning
the possibility of contracting out certain services or transferring some
responsibilities to Cooperative Extension. She commented that there
are a number of staff changes taking place at Cooperative Extension, but
discussions will continue.
Cost of changing signs to reflect new department name
As a follow-up to the question raised at the last Committee
meeting, Ms. Zahler said she contacted the Facilities Division and stated
their cost for new signage is approximately $600. She said this amount
is $100 less than the proposed cost received from a sign company. Following
a brief discussion, the Committee agreed to have the County Administrator
and Ms. Zahler make a recommendation on the vendor.
Other Department updates
Ms. Zahler said she invited Legislator Totman to attend
a babysitting youth program being offered in the Town of Groton and also
extended an invitation to Committee members.
Ms. Zahler commented that she is still waiting to hear
on a grant she assisted with for the Town of Newfield School District in
the amount of $150,000 per year for five years.
Ms. Zahler also reported that she is asking the Planner
in her Department to finish the time trend data and indicators as they relate
underweight babies to numbers of kids arrested. This information will
be available on the web when it is complete.
Update on Neighbor Notification Law
Health Department
Mr. Andersson and Mr. Ewald distributed copies and briefly
highlighted the Environmental Health Division's report of 2003 Neighbor Notification
Law (NNL) activities and the anticipated 2004 activities. It was noted
that the Health Department would not be requesting reimbursement this year
for work performed. The total cost of the Health Department’s efforts
to date is $2,750.34 including salary, fringes, and printing. Cooperative Extension
Ms. Roth provided an update on the activities within Cooperative
Extension. She said she was working on putting a report together and
has contacted the people who attended the lawn and landscape workshop in
February as well as the people who were surveyed and did not attend the workshop.
The purpose of the call was to see what the current practice was for the
companies. It appears that out of 15, there are three lawn companies
who confirmed they have switched from liquid material to granular.
Some customers have complained that they are not as happy with the granular
material, however. One commercial applicator tried to use the county
database for homeowner addresses, but found it was just easier to walk around
the block and put notes on neighbors’ doors.
She feels most of the larger companies are aware of the
law and are complying. However, information concerning smaller companies
is not as clear and feels there should be more education and outreach.
The product “Round-Up” seems to be the biggest problem, as it is not exempt
under the law.
Other information Ms. Roth gathered related to the impacts
on businesses and it appears there may be some minor impacts such as a loss
of a contract in one case. She also spoke about the efforts taken by
businesses selling the products. She feels that there could be more
reminders at the point of purchase. The reaction to the law from homeowners
through the landscapers and lawn and garden centers is that it appears there
are some who are conscientious and others who ignore it.
Ms. Roth commented on the activities she hopes to concentrate
on next year, including more outreach and education for homeowners through
the media and newsletters, and continued reminding the small companies of
the exemptions. She would also like to see more emphasis on point of
purchase at businesses. She said there is also a new environmental
educator on board at Cooperative Extension who can help with this, and the
EMC could help with an information table at garden centers.
Ms. Roth feels that an opportunity should be provided
for businesses to speak to the Legislature about this law and express their
opinions which would be based on their experiences. Ms. Robertson suggested
letters could be written or people could attend a Legislature meeting and
speak under privilege of the floor.
The cost Ms. Roth is requesting reimbursement for is approximately
$3,000. Ms. Robertson noted this was discussed and approved at the
Consumer and Community Affairs Committee meeting yesterday and will be submitted
to the Legislature in December for consideration.
Next Meeting
Following discussion, the Committee agreed to meet December
8th at 1:00 p.m. The December 18th meeting is cancelled. The
purpose of the December 8th meeting is to hear a follow-up report on housing
needs by the Cornell students. Ms. Robertson asked members if there
were other people the Committee wished to hear from on the subject of housing
such as realtors, contractors, etc. Mr. Koplinka-Loehr feels the Committee
should discuss and/or review policies or legislation that the County could
do to encourage affordable housing. Mr. Whicher feels there should
be some outreach to towns as there are land use issues and ask the towns
what the County can do. Mr. Penniman agreed with Mr. Whicher and feels
it is appropriate because the County has to look at the overall taxes and
zoning laws of each town. Mr. Penniman spoke of a concern he has at
the Federal level with the inability of Section 8 rental assisted clients
to enter into a land contract to become the owner of the place they are renting.
Ms. Zahler reminded the Committee that housing is a primary
focus of the Comprehensive Plan and feels there should be some coordination
with the Planning Department and municipalities.
Ms. Schuler said she agrees with Mr. Whicher's comments
and feels this could be an educational piece for communities.
It was felt that there should be discussion on what the
County should focus on and determine a direction before moving this forward
any further.
Review of 2003 Goals
At this time, the Committee briefly reviewed the 2003 goals adopted earlier this year.
Executive Session
It was MOVED by Ms. Schuler, seconded by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote, to hold an executive session to discuss
appointments. An executive session was held at 11:09 a.m. and returned
to open session at 11:11 a.m.
Appointments
It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Mr. Penniman,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote, to approve and submit the following
appointments to the full Legislature for approval:
Community Mental Health Services Board
Carol Booth - term expires December 31, 2007
Mary J. Chapman - term expires December 31, 2007
Mental Health Subcommittee
Christine Decker, community member representative - term expires December 31, 2007
Larry Roberts - term expires December 31, 2006
Mental Health Substance Abuse Subcommittee
Carol Booth - term expires December 31, 2007
Mental Health MR/DD Subcommittee
Carol Booth - term expires December 31, 2007
Christine Donovan, community member representative - term expires December 31, 2007
Katrina S. Schickel, community member representative - term expires December 31, 2007
Board of Health
Francis H. Fox, at-large representative - term expires December 31, 2009
Jeffrey D. Snedeker, Physician member - term expires December 31, 2009
Office for the Aging Advisory Committee
Mary Elizabeth Ostrom - term expires December 31, 2006
Executive Session
It was MOVED by Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, seconded by Ms. Schuler,
and unanimously adopted by voice vote, to hold an executive session to discuss
real estate negotiations. An executive session was held at 11:13 a.m.
and returned to open session at 11:19 a.m.