Chair Joseph called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m.
Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag and Roll Call of Members
Members and guests participated in the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag.
Present: 12 Legislators. Excused: 3 (Legislators Koplinka-Loehr, Schuler, and Winch)
Privilege of the Floor by the Public
Fay Gougakis, City of Ithaca resident spoke of the recent public hearing conducted by Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency regarding the proposed Cayuga Green Project tax abatements. She expressed concern that a question from the former Mayor of the Village of Lansing relating to whether the specific documents of the IDA applicant's information were available to the public was not fully answered by Mr. Stamm who was conducting the hearing. She believes all documents related to possible tax abatements should be available to the public. Ms. Gougakis then spoke of the Space Use Master Plan to be discussed this evening, pointing out that several years prior a determination was made to move the library to the old Woolworth building rather than maintain it at the Cayuga/Court Street location. She believed it should have stayed at the original location so that the old Woolworth retail space could be better utilized. She stated the proposal now to deconstruct the building and replace it with a Center of Government may not be the right choice.
Distinguished Youth Award
Ms. Robertson, District No. 13 Legislator, presented the July 2005 Distinguished Youth Award to the Sciencenter Teens. Ms. Robertson spoke of the group present being a cross-section of the many teens that since 1996 have provided countless hours of volunteer and youth employment program work at the Sciencenter and has gained national attention. The award was accepted by Vincente Sierra, Coordinator for the Youth Employment Program, who spoke of the teens as being ready, willing, and able to work; putting their all into what they are doing. He stated that programs such as the Sciencenter and the teens that volunteer should continue to be recognized for their efforts. In response to Ms. Herrera's question the youth stated the Discovery Space and Animal rooms are the most popular exhibits.
Privilege of the Floor by Legislators
Mr. Joseph, District No. 12 Legislator, responded to Ms. Gougakis' concerns relating to the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) public hearing, stating he had provided an individual with a consultant report that contained standard text relating to the fact the information is to be used solely for the purpose of the Industrial Development Agency. The gentleman had questioned whether it was a public document; Mr. Joseph said Mr. Stamm did answer stating the IDA considers it public information and would provide it to anyone asking for it.
Mr. Proto, District No. 7 Legislator, reminded Legislators and the public of the upcoming Farm City Day hosted by the Freebrook Farm located at 39 Fall Creek Road, Freeville. He said the event which has taken place for eight years, will have horse-drawn wagon rides as well as other demonstrations and exhibits. Mr. Proto acknowledged the sponsors: Tompkins County Agriculture and Farmland Protection Board, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County, agricultural businesses and organizations.
Mr. Lane, District No. 14 Legislator, thanked Mr. Proto for the announcement and the Marquis family who is hosting the event. He hoped people would attend the Farm City Day and also reported that on Saturday, August 6, there will be a dedication ceremony for the new baseball diamond located on Wall Street in Dryden.
Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, District No. 2 Legislator, spoke of a flyer "Better Together" produced by 2005 Ithaca Festival participants that describes a variety of free and fun activities available in Tompkins County. The items listed included hanging out at the Greater Ithaca Activities Center, riding bikes, swimming, utilizing parks, etc. She thanked those responsible for putting together the list of items, noting not all families have the financial ability to do activities that cost money. She thought it is the little things such as this that help to bring the community together.
Ms. Robertson, District No. 13 Legislator, reported the new acting Executive Director of Catholic Charities is former Social Services Commissioner Mary Pat Dolan.
Communications Capital Project Update
Mr. Shurtleff, Emergency Response Director, provided an update of the on-going communications project that will provide improved emergency service communication throughout the County. Since last April when it was determined to go with a 10-site system (six existing and four new sites in the Caroline/Danby/Enfield area), suitable and accessible property for the new sites have been reviewed to determine a tower under two hundred feet (to avoid the requirement of tower lighting) would be viable. In addition, existing towers are being analyzed to determine if they are structurally sound and capable of the weight-load of the new equipment.
Contract negotiations with Motorola are continuing to determine the system size and features. The consultant has moved ahead with draft site plans for preliminary environmental impact statement (EIS) purposes. The EIS process will be for the entire project and include information regarding specific sites and construction. The County plans will move forward with site work as well as obtaining the cost of the physical work on the system. Motorola is preparing quotes for the radio network system that should be received by the third week of this month at which time the County will move into final negotiations.
The Communications Capital Project planning team continues to be well prepared and meets at least weekly and sometimes daily to review details of the project. Mr. Shurtleff said Joan Jurkowich, Deputy Commissioner of Planning, and Katie Borgella, Planner, will be coordinating the EIS process. The consultant is preparing to move forward with the documentation for the draft EIS, particularly visual impacts of proposed sites. In August large (fifteen-foot-diameter) colored balloons will be flown at proposed tower heights to provide simulated sight perception.
All individuals connected with the project are working with the public information team to put together public and municipal briefings as each step progresses. Mr. Shurtleff said the balloon sight perception process should occur between next week and the end of month; it is difficult to say exactly what day as the testing must be done on a non- windy clear day. He said every effort will be made to notify Legislators in advance. Mr. Shurtleff also said outreach with town supervisors continues so that they are informed and given opportunities for input.
The Draft EIS should be done by the beginning of October. Following the notice there is a thirty-day comment period for the public and the public hearing will take place. The consultant and the County will then review comments/questions and prepare the response prior to submission of the final EIS in December.
Mr. Shurtleff said there are many items for the project that are taking place on parallel tracks. It is hoped to have the contract in place by the end of the year with construction beginning in Spring 2006. Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, Chair of the Public Safety Committee, is initiating discussions with users of subscriber equipment at the next Committee meeting.
In response to a question from Ms. Robertson, he stated the County is working with the Town Supervisors and will have actual site development draft plans and drawings. The Towns have been asked to tell the county which boards/individuals to contact in each municipality.
Ms. Kiefer asked if the towers will be monopoles as the new tower at the Emergency Response Center and was advised there has not been a final conclusion. It is thought the new sites will have a self-supporting lattice structure; existing sites are being evaluated to determine if they can be modified to support the weight of the new equipment.
Presentation from the Space Needs and Location Committee - Tompkins County Space Use Master Plan
Mr. Proto, Chair, expressed his appreciation for the work conducted by predecessor committees that led to the final Committee and the plan being presented. He stated the Committee codified a lot of the recommendations in the report, which will be reviewed in more detail. He spoke of the Committee's charge to determine the current and future space needs of County departments and provide a recommendation. Mr. Proto stated the recommendations are to construct a new Health Department on the county-owned property adjacent to the existing Biggs B complex, and to deconstruct the old library and build a new Center of Government building. If the Legislature decided to follow the plan, design work for the new Health Department would start in 2006/2007 with construction beginning in 2008; design work for the Center of Government building design work would take place in 2007/2008, with construction beginning in 2009. Mr. Proto said a resolution will come forth , to the August 16, 2005, meeting of the Legislature for action on adoption/acceptance of the report. A third option that was discussed by the Committee is the construction of a Justice Center to house Family Treatment Court, Day Reporting, and Criminal Treatment Court.
Mr. Marx, Commissioner of Planning and Public Works, provided a brief history of the predecessor Committees' work as well as the work of the present Committee. He noted that by 2002 no decisions had been made and the charge of the present Committee was to come forward with recommendations. He spoke of the work done by Ms. Buck of the Planning Department and Mr. LeMaro of the Facilities Division which greatly assisted in the development of the recommendations. Mr. Marx reviewed the basic information in the plan and provided a timeline of the work done by the Committee.
Mr. Marren of LaBella Associates, provided a slide presentation of the site and conceptual designs of the recommended buildings. He acknowledged Trowbridge and Wolf, LLP and LeChase for their assistance regarding site information and construction cost estimates, repctively. Mr. Marren noted that if the Old Library were deconstructed, 75 percent of the materials would be used in other manners rather than going to landfills.
Mr. Proto asked that specific questions be provided to Ms. Buck by August 12 so they may be answered prior to the next Legislative meeting. He then recognized the four Committee members, Ms. Stein, Ms. Buck and Mr. LeMaro, as well as the minute-takers for their perseverance and work.
A discussion of the presentation followed the presentation. Mr. Penniman inquired if it would be beneficial to have separate resolutions for the Health Department and Center of Government options, as he recognizes the urgency in providing the Health Department with a better structure due to the age of the existing building. Mr. Proto explained that the resolution allows the Legislature to accept/adopt the report that would not necessarily connect work on one with the other. He noted the Committee would like to see the recommendations move forward but also recognize the budget constraints the County has. He also noted the Center of Government option may be triggered by requests of the New York State Court system.
Mr. Totman stated he is not for or against the recommendations and noted they were well presented. He expressed concern with the cost of the recommendations and noted if all were done it would cost $28 million for all three buildings. Mr. Totman believes that the public would not accept this and it will require clarification that this is only a recommendation, not an authorization to build. Mr. Marx explained that the Committee's goal was to make recommendations and how to incorporate the construction of any of the recommendations would be done in the long-range capital plan which may just be a place-holder.
Ms. Robertson believes it is important to include the reason for the study and recommendations, that the public needs to know of the issues of maintenance on aging buildings, utility cost, etc. and the information indicating the reason new construction could be less expensive over a twenty-year period. She also did not know why the Court system's ability to trigger a move of County departments is not mentioned. Ms. Kiefer said the information about the court system was not included as nothing has changed from previous years. She said if the Office for the Aging department could be moved it would assist in dealing with the court space issue; however, the report does not but does speak of possibly relocating COFA by or with Lifelong.
Ms. Robertson spoke of not all decisions being unanimous and requested clarification of the viewpoints of Committee members. Mr. Proto said not all members were present at all times, and that individual concerns were reflected in the report. He referred Ms. Robertson to the Committee minutes that would assist in clarification. Ms. Kiefer said that the important unanimous determination regarding the Health Department was that all members recognized the need to construct a new building. She said that three members favored the Biggs B property while the other two preferred a more centralized location. Ms. Kiefer said the entire Legislature would ultimately make a determination on location, adopting of the report simply acknowledges the need to provide a new building for the Health Department.
Ms. Blanchard inquired what is involved for the LEED certification and if the payback could be determined and also if an underground parking lot was discussed. Mr. Marren said there are different categories for LEED certification, some of which provide payback due to efficiencies for things such as water and/or energy conservation. In addition NYSERDA funding may assist in providing efficiencies that would save money over a period of years. Some LEED benefits are more for environmental benefits due to recycling of materials. With regard to the underground parking he said it would not significantly benefit the design due to the limited lot size. The cost to construct the building over a parking structure would not only add cost but due to post-9/11 security issues regarding government buildings, it is not recommended.
Mr. Lane thanked the Committee members for their work. While moving forward on a needed topic, Mr. Lane is not in a position to approve a capital project. He said the County does not have funding for new construction and that other buildings such as the Public Safety Building also require extensive upgrades. In addition, he believes the site for the Health Department should be within the County seat. He said residents of his district are required to travel a great distance to this location as well as the hospital. Mr. Proto reiterated this is only a recommendation, the full Legislature would have a say on whether to construct and where. In addition, Mr. Proto noted a determining factor was not to take more property off tax rolls.
Ms. Herrera said she was proud to be a part of the Committee, and thanked Ms. Buck, Mr. LeMaro, Mr. Marx, and the consultants for their work on this project. She said the report does not state we must build now. She is reluctant to commit to a capital or design project at this time. Ms. Herrera said what was learned from this project is standards for determining space allotments, information on how departments operate, how they efficiently interface, how to meet the needs of the public and the like. She said although things were not unanimous at the Committee level it was considered it would have to have the full Legislature come to agreement for unanimity.
Mr. Booth stated he believes the greatest value is that there are recommendations in this report, though not unanimous and many reports such as this they would not be. What the report does that is valuable is that it makes clear that the Health Department issue has to be dealt with. He believes it makes that need clear. What is important to remember regarding the recommendation for a new Center of Government building is that the Office for the Aging and the courts' needs are the driving issues. He said in terms of total magnitude – neither issue (i.e. COFA or the Courts' needs) is close to what a new Center of Government building would involve. When the time comes for the Legislature to consider whether to build a Center of Government Building on the Old Library site, he predicts there will be two primary issues – one is cost and the other is whether the site is too cramped (not providing a sense of dignity). Mr. Booth is not convinced the recommendation made now will be what occurs. To prepare for the upcoming vote on the Committee's report, he would like to receive the following information: a short summary of the Committee's analysis of downtown in-city sites considered by the Committee respecting a new Health Department Building and a simple document providing square foot comparisons of space currently occupied by County departments and the space needs projected by the Committee.
Ms. Robertson stressed the importance of outlining why there is imminent need to construct a new Health Department building.
Mr. Proto stated a full set of documents relating to the various phases of the project are available in the Planning and Legislature offices. It was also explained that the Public Safety Building was not included in this report as a separate committee had existed for that purpose.
Mr. Todd stated concern that these recommendations combined with the Communications System project presently underway represents approximately $48 million. He would like to see other alternative solutions that may not be as expensive to the County. He requested a report of the renovation costs for Biggs B. Mr. LeMaro stated although it had been done earlier he believes the number would be at least $11.5 million, making the construction of a new building more reasonable.
Mr. Joseph stated he believes this was an important discussion. He said a resolution and further discussion would take place at the next Legislature meeting on August 16th. He again clarified that the capital program would be where a decision to build would be discussed and moved on. Mr. Joseph said if starting with construction of a Public Health building, it would need to be brought forward with full justification; with choices of location and other determining factors debated, discussed, and voted upon in the capital project phase.
Recess
Chair Joseph declared a recess from 7:33 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Government Operations Committee
Mr. Lane, Chair, said the Committee met on July 20th and discussed many issues. He reported hearing from Ms. Skinner, Public Information Officer, results of a survey relating to County Corridors, an employee newsletter. He spoke of receiving information related to the Help America Vote Act and how New York State has determined to handle the federal guidelines. These new directives will require the County to be the caretaker of all voting machines and be responsible for training. Mr. Lane said no particular voting machine model has been approved and it is expected several models will be approved for use throughout the State. As a result of the determination to have the County control and administer equipment Government Operations is likely to bring a resolution to hold harmless the towns/villages from additional expenses related to this directive.
Mr. Lane reported the Veteran's exemption resolution is again being reviewed by the Committee, and an update on proposed communication policy amendments was given by Mr. Potter, Information Technology Services Director.
RESOLUTION NO. 143 - APPROPRIATION FROM CONTINGENT FUND AND INCREASE IN HOURS– BOARD OF ELECTIONS
MOVED by Mr. Booth, seconded by Mrs. McBean-Clairborne. Mr. Proto inquired if there will be tracking of additional expenses relating to the new HAVA requirements. Ms. Cree said this has been done for the past two years since the new HAVA requirements were announced and will continue to be done to have an accurate record when reimbursements are determined.
It was MOVED by Mr. Lane, seconded by Ms. Herrera, to add the following RESOLVED to the resolution: "RESOLVED, further, That the fiscal target for the Board of Elections for 2006 be adjusted by $26,260.00". Ms. Herrera pointed out that due to the new regulations four times the training will take place. Ms. Robertson noted the change provides for ten additional hours rather than hiring new employees. Mrs. McBean-Clairborne cannot support this amendment, stating it should have been included in the proposed budget submitted today. A voice vote on the motion resulted as follows: Ayes - 8; Noes - 4 (Legislators Joseph, McBean-Clairborne, Penniman, and Proto); Excused - 3 (Legislators Koplinka-Loehr, Schuler, and Winch). MOTION CARRIED.
A roll call vote on the resolution as amended resulted as follows: Ayes -11; Noes - 1 (Legislator McBean-Clairborne); Excused - 3 (Legislators Koplinka-Loehr, Schuler, and Winch). RESOLUTION ADOPTED.
WHEREAS, the Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and
New York State’s Election Reform Modernization Act (ERMA) mandates substantial
changes to the systems and procedures of the election process, and the
Board of Elections is charged with carrying out these mandates, and these
mandates have extremely short timelines for compliance, and
WHEREAS, the Board of Elections Commissioners and staff
will need to spend substantial time evaluating, seeking public input, selecting,
and implementing new machines, planning subsequent secure storage, maintenance
programs, programming procedures, and recruiting election inspectors and
machine custodians, and educating voters so that they will have confidence
in the new machines, and
WHEREAS, ERMA requires the Board of Elections to consolidate
all aspects of voting machines, and these duties are currently carried
out by ten municipal clerks and their staffs, and
WHEREAS, these new duties and responsibilities
are such that they can only be accomplished by increasing the amount of
time trained staff are required to work, and
WHEREAS, in discussions regarding the 2005 budget
request it was noted that extra help would be needed as the HAVA mandates
took effect, but it was requested that the Board of Elections return to
the Legislature to remedy these issues closer to the final HAVA implementation
dates, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Government Operations
Committee, That the Deputy Republican and Democratic Commissioners and
the Republican and Democratic Senior Clerk positions be hereby increased
from 35.0 hours to 40.0 hours per week effective August 1, 2005,
RESOLVED, further, That the Director of Finance
is authorized to make the following appropriations:
FROM: A1990.54400 Contingent Fund
$ 11,112
TO: A1450.51000175 Salary - Deputy Commissioners
$4,444
A1450.51000691 Salary - Senior Elections
Clerk $3,550
A1450.58800 Fringes
$3,118
RESOLVED, further, That the fiscal target for the
Board of Elections for 2006 be adjusted by $26,260.00.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20
Chair's Report
Mr. Joseph did not have a report.
Report from the County Administrator
Mr. Whicher announced on Wednesday, September 28, 2005, the Airport will be conducting a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) required full-scale drill involving many surrounding mutual aid agencies. This drill is a simulated aircraft disaster, which requires many months of planning and preparation to produce a drill that is as close to a real disaster as possible. Anyone interested in assisting with this drill should contact Dave Crawford or Roxan Noble at the Airport Administration Office. Mr. Whicher announced that Legislator Winch is excused from the meeting tonight in order to be present at the induction of Assessment Director Valeria Coggin as President of the New York State Real Property Services Association, and offered congratulations to Ms. Coggin for the honor.
Report from the County Attorney
Mr. Wood, County Attorney, had not report.
Report from the Finance Director
Mr. Squires reported on the tobacco settlement, noting that if residuals are given up forever it would mean receiving more money up front. He said it appears that residuals may be available in 2025 after the debt is paid, however, there is a push to revoke residuals. Mr. Squires said Tioga County will get $1 million from the original transaction and other counties will receive $700,000 if the residuals are given up forever.
Resolution(s) Added to the Agenda
There were no resolutions added to the agenda.
Withdrawal of Resolution(s) from the Agenda
There were no resolutions withdrawn from the agenda.
Resolution(s) and Appointment(s) Approved Under the Consent Agenda
The following resolution(s) as approved under the Consent Agenda:
RESOLUTION NO. 144 - AUTHORIZING ACCEPTANCE OF A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) GRANT TO EXTEND AND RELOCATE, MARK AND LIGHT (MEDIUM INTENSITY TAXIWAY LIGHTING) PARALLEL TAXIWAY "A" BETWEEN TAXIWAYS "C" AND "E" (APPROXIMATELY 1500' X 50'), INCLUDING ASSOCIATED DRAINAGE AND AIRFIELD GUIDANCE SIGNS - ITHACA TOMPKINS REGIONAL AIRPORT
MOVED by Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, seconded by Mr. Booth, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present under the Consent Agenda.
WHEREAS, the County has received a grant offer from the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the amount of $2,420,450 to complete
construction of Phase II of the three phase Parallel Taxiway Relocation
project, to eventually bring the parallel taxiway into compliance with
current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards, and
WHEREAS, the budget for this project is as follows:
FAA Share
(95.0%) Account No. HT 5601.44592
$3,255,144.35
NYSDOT Share ( 2.5%)
Account No. HT 5601.43592 $
110,067.95
Local Share
( 2.5%) Account No. HT 5601.45031
$ 110,067.96
Total
$3,475,280.26
, and
WHEREAS, the remaining Federal funding of $834,694.35
is already in hand from a previous 2002 Federal grant that has been set
aside for this project, now therefore be it
RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Facilities and Infrastructure
Committee, That the grant offer from the FAA of $2,420,450 be and hereby
is accepted and that the County Administrator is authorized to execute
the required documents.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-2
Approval of Appointment(s) Under the Consent Agenda
It was MOVED by Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, seconded by Mr. Booth, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, to approve the following appointment(s) under the Consent Agenda:
Hillview Road Landfill Citizens Advisory Committee
Dooley Kiefer - Legislator; term expires December 31,
2005
Report from the Space Needs and Location Committee
Mr. Proto, Chair, announced the Committee meet on August 10, 2005, at 2:30 p.m. to discuss the questions/comments related to the report given this evening.
Report from the Health and Human Services Committee
Ms. Robertson, Chair, said the Committee has not met since the last Legislature meeting. The next meeting is August 3 at 10:30 a.m. At that meeting, the Committee will be discussing budgetary requests and concerns from all departments and agencies reporting to the Committee.
Report from the Air Service Committee
Ms. Blanchard, Chair, said the Committee has not met, the next meeting is August 15 at 3:30 p.m.
Report from the Planning, Development, and Environmental Quality Committee
Ms. Herrera, Chair, said the Committee has not met since the last Legislature meeting. The next meeting is August 3rd and the Committee will be discussing a transportation study, the New York State Department of Transportation relocation, and resolutions. Next month's meeting will be on September 7.
Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Budget and Capital
Mr. Booth, Vice Chair, said at the Committee's last meeting Mr. Whicher provided a report of preliminary budget estimates for review; he is working on the basis of assuming there will be a $700,000 - $1,000,000 shortfall to reach a zero percent tax levy increase as directed by the Legislature. Mr. Booth noted Legislators received an excellent report of fiscal targets from Administration.
RESOLUTION NO. 140 - AUTHORIZING SALARY INCREASES FOR POSITIONS WITH SALARIES SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED BY BOARD RESOLUTION TO BE ABOVE THE SALARY RANGE
It was MOVED by Ms. Robertson, seconded by Mrs. McBean-Clairborne.
It was MOVED by Ms. Robertson, seconded by Mr. Penniman, to offer the following amendment "… RESOLVED, further, That salary increases in 2005 for these positions will not be less than $500 or more than $2,000." A voice vote resulted as follows: Ayes - 10; Noes - 2 (Legislators Herrera and Joseph); Excused - 3 (Legislators Koplinka-Loehr, Schuler, and Winch). MOTION APPROVED.
Mr. Booth stated he will vote against the increase as he has with other resolutions; he does not believe the County can afford the cost. Mr. Whicher respectfully asked for a postponement to allow Mental Health Commissioner DeLuca the opportunity to speak to the employees affected by the amendments. He said Mr. DeLuca has concerns if the resolution were modified. Mr. Whicher noted the Psychiatrist and Medical Director positions would be affected by the increase, they presently are in the $135,000-$150,000 range if it were a forty-hour position. The County Attorney position would not be affected by the amendment.
It was MOVED by Mr. Booth, seconded by Mrs. McBean-Clairborne
to postpone action on this item until the next Legislature meeting on August
16, 2004. A voice vote resulted as follows: Ayes - 10; Noes
- 2 (Legislators Kiefer and Totman); Excused - 3 (Legislators Koplinka-Loehr,
Schuler, and Winch). RESOLUTION POSTPONED. Ms. Kiefer stated
she believed it could have been acted upon and reconsidered if necessary.
WHEREAS, the salaries for employees in the following
titles were previously established annually by separate resolution of the
Legislature:
Psychiatrists
Medical Director
County Attorney
WHEREAS, the system utilized by Tompkins County
to assign salaries to positions is not designed to address specific professional
positions whose market-rate salaries are higher than our job descriptions
justify, and
WHEREAS, incumbents in these titles were placed
at a rate above the salary schedule by previous resolution of the Legislature,
and
WHEREAS, salary increases for incumbents in these
titles could be based on the annual increases provided to other managers,
now therefore be it
RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Budget and Capital
Committee, That base salaries for all incumbents in the titles mentioned
above shall be their 2004 rates,
RESOLVED, further, That effective January 1, 2005, employees
in these titles shall receive the same increases and benefit changes that
all management staff have received for 2005 as outlined in Resolution No.
91 of May 17, 2005,
RESOLVED, further, That salary increases in 2005 for
these positions will not be less than $500 or more than $2,000,
RESOLVED, further, That the Budget and Capital Committee
will recommend to the Legislature an approach to address a process for
future increases by separate resolution,
RESOLVED, further, That effective immediately, whenever
there is a vacancy in one of these titles, a base salary will be set for
the newly hired incumbent on an individual basis by a resolution of the
Legislature.
SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20
Report from the Public Safety Committee
Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, Chair, said the Committee has not met since the last Legislature meeting; the next meeting is August 4th at 2:00 p.m. At that meeting, there will be an opportunity to discuss budget impacts as well as the discussion of emergency response subscriber equipment and the relocation of a tower.
Report from the Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Mrs. McBean-Clairborne, Chair, said the Committee met on July 20th when a presentation was made by Steve Estes on Civil Service rules and procedures. He offered suggestions on how to receive the maximum benefit from various forms of recruitment, preparation for testing, etc., to obtain a large pool of diverse candidates. The Committee will meet again on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee
Mr. Penniman, Chair, said the Committee met last week on July 26th, when information related to staff training was provided as well as information on design work for various Highway Department projects. The next meeting will include information on the design work for the Coddington Road project, budget reviews, the recycling program, and cost-benefit for commodity recycling. Mr. Proto expressed an interest in receiving detailed information on the recycling operation.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:22 p.m.
Respectfully submitted by Karen Fuller, Deputy Clerk
of the Legislature
Tompkins
County Legislature Homepage
Tompkins County Homepage
E-mail Comments about this
page