Excused -  M. Robertson

Staff:     P. Messmer, J. Lampman, Highway Division; E. Marx, Administration, A. LeMaro, Facilities; C. Nelson, Public Works Administration; R. Nicholas, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport; T. Richardson, Solid Waste

Guests: J. Morrissey, R. Mastroapolo, C&S Engineers, B. Steinkamp, Press, T. Joseph, Legislature

Called to Order

 Mr. Booth called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m.

1)Additions/Deletions to Agenda

Mr. Booth added two items:  a Budget Adjustment for Facilities and a discussion by Mr. Marx regarding the solar panel abatements.

2)  Chair's Report

 Mr. Booth reported on the opening ceremony for the Lounsbery Bridge in Brooktondale.  He then reported that agreement regarding the draft equipment sharing agreement has been delayed and will be covered under the Public Works Administrator's report.

3)  Persons Wishing to Address the Committee

 No persons wished to address the Committee.

4)  Minutes of October 14, 2003 and October 28, 2003

MOVED by Ms. Blanchard, seconded by Mr. Winch to approve the October 14, 2003 minutes as amended.  A voice vote resulted as follows:  Ayes - 5, Noes - 0. MINUTES APPROVED.

MOVED by Ms. Kiefer, seconded by Ms. Blanchard to approve the October 28, 2003 minutes as amended.  A voice vote resulted as follows:  Ayes - 5, Noes - 0. MINUTES APPROVED.

5) Public Works Administrator's Report

 Ms. Nelson reported that at the recent State Emergency Management Paperwork and  Preparedness Seminar there were 23 individuals attending; these included representatives from the Highway Department, Health Department, County Administration, Sheriff's Department, Solid Waste, Groton, Trumansburg, Danby, and Ulysses.  An additional seminar providing information is being planned for spring for those who were not in attendance.

 Ms. Nelson reported that the draft shared equipment and services agreement with the towns has been delayed as a result of concerns regarding the language of the agreement.  It was noted that the language within this draft agreement had been modified at the request of municipalities' legal advisors.  She indicated that the general opinion of highway supervisors is that the verbal agreements that have taken place are working and that they do not feel comfortable signing the draft agreement.  Ms. Nelson has requested that the County Attorney review the document to see if there is any portion that could be modified to make the agreement palatable.  Following a discussion it was determined that a draft letter for the Legislature Chair's signature should be prepared and submitted to the County Attorney for his review; the draft letter should specify the County's  understanding of the municipalities' lack of desire to have a formal agreement and the potential consequences that could flow from not having such an agreement.  Members of the Committee inquired about  the differences between the original proposed draft agreement and the present document.  Mr. Messmer indicated that the main differences were in the area of record keeping of balances, clauses related to settling accounts if a particular highway department were falling behind, and clauses related to withdrawals from the agreement.  It was requested that at the time the letter is sent to municipalities all legislators be copied for their knowledge.

6)  Authorization to Execute Extension of Highway Now and Ice Agreement with the State of New
    York

RESOLUTION NO:     - AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE EXTENSION OF HIGHWAY SNOW AND ICE AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF NEW YORK

 MOVED by Ms. Blanchard, seconded by Mr. Winch, to submit the following resolution to the full Legislature for approval.  It was explained that the total cost of administration, labor, and materials is covered under this agreement.  In response to an inquiry Mr. Messmer said that fuel price adjustments do occur during the agreement period and have saved the County funds in past years.

 It was MOVED by Ms. Kiefer, seconded by Mr. Booth, to amend the resolution to include wording reflecting a concern for the environment. Mr. Winch said he feels a separate resolution would have more impact.  A voice vote on the motion resulted as follows:  Ayes 3; Noes - 1 (Mr. Winch); Excused - 1 (Ms. Robertson).  MOTION CARRIED.

 A voice vote on the main motion resulted as follows:  Ayes 3; Noes - 1 (Mr. Winch); Excused - 1 (Ms. Robertson).  MOTION CARRIED.

 WHEREAS, the County of Tompkins has heretofore entered into an agreement with the State of New York pursuant to Section 12 of Highway Law relating to control of snow and ice on State highways, and
 WHEREAS, Sections 7 and 10 of said agreement respectively provide a method of modifying the map of affected State highways and for annually updating the estimated expenditures, and
 WHEREAS, it would be in the best interest of the County to extend said agreement currently set to expire June 30, 2004 as modified and updated, for an additional two-year period, now therefore be it
 RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee, That an extension of the snow and ice agreement is hereby authorized for a period of two years from July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2006 and the County Administrator be and hereby is authorized and directed to execute such extension on behalf of the County,
 RESOLVED, further, That while the County is interested in continuing its relationship with the State for two years, the County is concerned about fuel prices and request fuel price adjustments to be reviewed as necessary,
RESOLVED further, That the County is concerned about the environmental and infrastructure impacts of the materials required to be used by this agreement.
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7)  RESOLUTION NO.        -  AUDIT OF PENULTIMATE PAYMENT - NORTH TRIPHAMMER ROAD AND BRIDGE RECONSTRUCTION

 MOVED by Ms. Kiefer, seconded by Ms. Blanchard.  Ms. Kiefer requested to modify the resolution to include information regarding the retainage and that the remaining work will not exceed the $40,000 amount.  Mr. Winch inquired whether the $40,000 amount is sufficient and was told by Mr. Messmer that he believes this amount will cover the remaining work.  A voice vote on the motion to amend the resolution resulted as follows:  Ayes - 4; Noes - 0; Excused - 1 (Ms. Robertson). MOTION APPROVED.

A voice vote on the motion to submit the following resolution to the full Legislature for approval resulted as follows:  Ayes - 4; Noes - 0; Excused - 1 (Ms. Robertson). MOTION APPROVED.

 WHEREAS, Economy Paving Co., has substantially completed the contract for the North Triphammer Road and Bridge Reconstruction, and
WHEREAS, this resolution is needed to release retainage held by the County from the original construction contract, and
WHEREAS, an amount not to exceed $40,000 remains due to Economy Paving on completion of additional work, including stop sign beacons at the Asbury Road intersection, now therefore be it
 RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee, That the following claim against the County of Tompkins be and hereby is audited by the County Legislature:

           Vendor  Payment Request    Account Number          Amount
   Economy Paving Co.     Penultimate  HZ5103.59239.53.01  $196,002.64

 RESOLVED, further, That the Finance Director be and hereby is authorized to pay said claim from Account No. HZ5103.59239.53.01.
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Explanation:  The contract will not exceed $2,521,105.74.  The original contract amount was $2,782,341.39, but reductions in work reduced the contract amount.  The total amount paid to date including that authorized by this resolution will be $2,481,105.74.

8)   Highway and Bridge Status Report

 Mr. Booth stated that he hoped the Committee would be brief in reviewing the report so there would be time for members to have a preliminary discussion of what factors need to be considered by the County as conversations are begun with towns regarding sharing bridge, road, and plowing responsibilities.  He would like to know what issues are present, what information is needed to answer relevant questions, etc.

 The Committee reviewed the report, noting the following items:

· Beach Road Bridge - the Committee was informed that at this time the work completed by the County was in excess of the agreed-upon amount by $2,302.  This overage was to be noted in communications to the town to confirm the verbal representation made to Mr. Lampman regarding the repayment of overages.  Mr. Lampman has turned the matter over to the County Attorney for his review.   It was discussed that the reimbursement could be from in-kind services such as trucking.  Mr. Messmer indicated that this type of service is done with a set formula to determine the actual value of services.  The County will be assisting in placing the deck within the next week, completing the portion of County responsibility in this project.

· Renwick Bridge - this bridge project has not been closed out due to additional paperwork filing.  It is anticipated that an upcoming meeting with the New York State Department of Transportation will assist in expediting  the reimbursement process.
 
· It was noted by members of the Committee that as of November 22, 2003 it is the first time in twelve years that no bridges within the County system will be closed.
 
· North Triphammer Road - It was reported that the solar-powered units have been chosen for the flashing red beacons to be placed on the Asbury Road intersections.  Although the cost is initially greater than traditional beacons, the solar appears to be a more cost-effective option.
 
· Red Mill Road Bridge - The cultural and wetland evaluation for an alternative highway alignment is expected to be received in mid-December.  At that time the staff will be requesting a meeting with SHPO.

· Uninitiated FHWA-Funded Projects - The Committee reviewed proposed federally-aided projects, noting that there may not be Marchiselli funds available which would increase the County share to the full 20%. This situation may require more planning for future capital projects.  Committee members were informed that the present capital budget should be able to absorb the increased local share in 2004 if Marchiselli funds are not available.  Consensus of the Committee was that the administration needs to stress the importance to the County of the Marchiselli funds for large projects to State representatives.

9)   Discussion Regarding Road Ownership/Maintenance/Plowing, etc.

 A preliminary discussion took place regarding the County's sharing additional responsibilities respecting ownership, maintenance, plowing, etc. with municipalities.  Generally the Committee began to discuss what type of information is needed to make choices regarding ownership, what information is available, and what may be areas of concern.

 Mr. Messmer reported that if the towns were to take over ownership of roads they would receive less CHIPS revenue per mile because the state aid formula for town roads versus county roads results in less revenue per mile.  He indicated this may be cause for concern because it would create a net loss of State aid to taxpayers.  Mr. Winch asked if there was any way to assure the public that the infrastructure of the County would be maintained at the present levels.  Ms. Blanchard noted that it is important to determine the functional classification of the road and that the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Council is completing this study as part of the county-wide transportation plan.

 The Committee indicated this topic should be pursued further.  Concerns were expressed regarding determining factors for any revisions in the make-up of the County infrastructure.

10)  RESOLUTION NO.        - AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A SUPPLEMENTAL GRANT AGREEMENT (NO. 8) TO THE 10-YEAR MASTER AGREEMENT FROM THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (NYSDOT) FOR THE FOLLOWING PROJECTS:  (1) RELOCATE AIRFIELD LIGHTING         EQUIPMENT (PHASE I); (2) PERFORM AIR RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) BUILDING DOOR MODIFICATIONS (PHASE I); (3) ENGINEERING DESIGN FOR REHABILITATION OF THE TRANSIENT RAMP; (4) PERFORM OBSTRUCTION STUDY; (5) PURCHASE RAPID-RESPONSE VEHICLE; AND (6) PURCHASE AIRCRAFT RESCUE AND FIRE FIGHTING (ARFF) VEHICLE - ITHACA TOMPKINS REGIONAL AIRPORT

 It was MOVED by Ms. Blanchard, seconded by Ms. Kiefer, and unanimously approved by voice vote of members present, to submit the following resolution to the full Legislature for approval:

 WHEREAS, New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has offered a matching grant of $72,142 to the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) grant for the projects listed in the resolution title above, said FAA grant being accepted by the Tompkins County Legislature through Resolution No. 188, dated September 2, 2003, and
 WHEREAS, the total budgets for the projects listed above is as follows:

 FAA Share  (90%) Account No. HT5601.44592  $ 1,298,544
 NYSDOT Share (  5%)  Account No. HT5601.43592  $      72,142
 *Local Share  (  5%)  Account No. HT5601.45031  $      72,142

    Total Account No. HT5601.59239  $ 1,442,838
 * Airline Rates and Charges
and,
 WHEREAS, the NYSDOT share may be increased by up to fifteen percent (15%) to a maximum of $82,963 based on approved eligible costs, now therefore be it
 RESOLVED, on recommendation of Facilities and Infrastructure Committee, That the NYSDOT Supplemental Agreement No. 8 be and hereby is accepted and the County Administrator is authorized to execute the required documents.
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 Mr. Nicholas reported that the transient ramp rehabilitation project must take place because of the deterioration of the ramp's surface, and the Obstruction Clearance project is needed due to the growth of vegetation surrounding the airport facility; he then introduced Mr. Morrissey of C&S Engineering.  Mr. Morrissey explained the scope of the obstruction clearance evaluation project.  He noted the project will use information obtained from aerial photographs and local topography surveys provided by the United States Geological Surveys (USGS) in order to produce a 3-D model.  The area to be studied is approximately three to four miles from the airport and along the 6,600-foot runways.  The study must be done when all leaves are on the trees to provide the most detailed information, including the kinds of trees present.  Mr. Morrissey stated that information for the environmental assessment portion of the project and the required Federal Aviation Agency analysis of a ten-foot cushion for tree top clearance will be completed to assist in appropriate obstruction removal.  The last evaluation was completed approximately 17 years ago.  Ms. Blanchard inquired whether the wetland delineation information on file from previous work done by the County could be used for this project; Mr. Marx indicated that while the County has a great deal of information it may not be as extensive as what would be necessary for this project.

12)  Computer All-Stars Program (Report)

 Mr. Richardson of the Solid Waste Division provided a written report from Marty Schreiber, Program Coordinator of the Computer All-Stars program.  The report indicated sixty-seven families in the County received computer packages for use at home this past quarter and that eighty-nine adults and one hundred twenty-five children will benefit from these donations.  It was noted that this has been the best year for the program.

13) Tompkins County Youth Recycling and Composition Education

Mr. Richardson spoke of the Tompkins County Youth Recycling and Composition Education program that is presently being developed by the Tompkins County Solid Waste Management Division and Cornell Cooperative Extension.   This program is designed to develop a comprehensive approach to waste management education for youth and is focused primarily on middle-school children.

14)  RESOLUTION NO. - ADOPTING ADMINISTRATIVE POLICY ESTABLISHING SPACE STANDARDS FOR COUNTY FACILITIES

 It was MOVED by Mr. Winch, seconded by Ms. Blanchard, to submit the following resolution to the full Legislature for approval.  Mr. Marx stated that the standards presented deal with the actual space utilized by employees for specific purposes and does not include the internal circulation space, and additional facility space that may be required.  The figures used compare with the present State standards with very few minor changes to the State Master Plan.  Mr. Winch expressed his pleasure to see set space standards and said he feels the square footage was liberal.   A brief discussion took place regarding the possibility of more specifically detailing the gross/net ratios and it was decided it would be unadvisable at this time.  A voice vote resulted as follows:  Ayes - 4; Noes - 0; Excused - 1 (Legislator Robertson).  MOTION CARRIED.

 WHEREAS, the Space Needs and Location Committee has reviewed the space requirements of County Departments and Agencies, and
 WHEREAS, space standards are necessary to ensure that all county employees are provided with an appropriate work environment and that county fiscal resources are judiciously and equitably utilized to provide such a work environment, now therefore be it
 RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Space Needs and Location Committee, with the concurrence of the Facilities and Infrastructure and Government Operations Committees, That the following Administrative Policy is adopted:
  O1-   Office Space Standards for County Facilities
RESOLVED, further that all county construction projects, and to the extent reasonably possible renovation projects, be designed and built in accordance with the space standards incorporated in this Administrative Policy which shall take effect immediately,
 RESOLVED, further, that changes to these space standards require approval of the County Legislature.
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 The regular meeting adjourned at 4:02 p.m.
 

Respectfully submitted by Karen Fuller, Deputy Clerk, Tompkins County Legislature