Chair Mink called the meeting to order at 5:34 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: 14 Representatives. Excused - 1 (Representative Stein).

Presentation of Proclamation(s)

Chair Mink presented the following proclamations:

• April 18-24, 2001 as Agriculture Week in Tompkins County and April 20th as Agriculture Day in Tompkins County to Monika Roth of Cooperative Extension;
• April, 2001 as Child Abuse Prevention Month in Tompkins County to Nancy Schuler, Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee;
• April 16-20, 2001 as Federation of New York Insurance Professionals Week in Tompkins County.

Fay Gougakis, City of Ithaca resident, spoke about the Tompkins County Public Library and a recent experience she had using the internet terminals there. She said there were children in the Library that were not supervised and were causing a lot of disturbances. She said she spoke to other patrons of the Library who were also disturbed by the amount of noise in the Library. Ms. Gougakis suggested that the computer terminals be relocated to a quieter area in the Library.

Sheriff Meskill reported the Sheriff's Department will soon complete its training on automatic external defibrillators that were purchased last year with $30,000 from the tobacco money. A press conference will take place at 11:15 a.m. on April 6^th at the Crash, Fire, Rescue building along with a demonstration. Mr. Meskill also said he is supportive of the County moving forward with constructing a consolidated dispatch center at the proposed South Hill site.

Privilege of the Floor by Board Members

Ms. Blanchard, District No. 1 Representative, reported she received an electronic mail message from the County's electric-power consultant, Salerni and Boyd. The correspondence states that he heard from Bolton Point Water District who have indicated they are extremely happy being a member of the Municipal Electric and Gas Alliance. They stated that during the first phase of their participation in the Alliance they saved $20,000. They held a meeting with Advantage Energy and found a way to save an additional $8,000 during the coming year.

Mr. Lalley, District No. 14 Representative, called attention to a new County webpage located on the Board of Representatives' page called "Committees-at-a-Glance". He said he made a request for information from the Board Office and within a short time this information was placed on the web and he has found it to be very helpful. He thanked Michelle Pottorff, Deputy Clerk, for her work on this.

Mr. Joseph, District No. 12 Representative, spoke about AIDS in Africa. He said AIDS is a major health crisis in Africa and the cost of providing needed drugs to every AIDS victim in Africa would be $26 billion dollars. He stated this is approximately equal to one-third of what President Bush's proposed tax cut gives to the richest one percent of Americans. He stated this gives a new perspective on what it means to say that a problem is unsolvable and overwhelming.

Mrs. Schuler, District No, 4 Representative, reported on some positive things that had taken place over the past week. Representative Dooley Kiefer was one of 13 individuals being honored at the "Women Making History Event" held last Thursday evening. A portion of Carol Kammen's play
"The Day the Women Met" performed by the Hangar Theatre was also part of the event. A few of the other activities over the past weekend were: Literacy Volunteers Annual Dinner, the MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Walkathon, 16^th Sciencenter Egg Drop, high school theatre production and performances at the college and in downtown Ithaca. These are some examples of what makes Tompkins County an exciting place.

Chair’s Report and Appointment(s)

Ms. Mink reported she announced last week that she would not be seeking another term on the Board. She said it was a very difficult decision and stated she will greatly miss her colleagues on the Board and the people she has worked with in this organization.

Appointment(s)

Chair Mink had no appointments.

Report from the County Administrator

Mr. Whicher said one of the reasons he took the position of County Administrator was because of Ms. Mink and said he will miss her. He reported he received Fund Balance figures from the Finance Director and has been doing year-end work and projections forward. He said there is a serious substantial budget issue the Board must deal with in the coming months. In the interim he and Deputy County Administrator Kathryn Smithers have met with department heads and have asked them to prepare an analysis and to get ready for up to a three-year freeze of their target budgets. In addition, he has implemented a "soft hiring freeze" which means a review will be conducted on every new hire for vacant positions.

Report from the County Attorney

Mr. Wood, Deputy County Attorney, had no report.

Report from the Finance Director

Mr. Squires said his Office has completed the financial reports and turned the information over to the auditors. He will be presenting information on this to the Budget and Capital Committee on April 5^th. He said financing has been completed to purchase property on Spencer Road. He said a bond anticipation note was sold to Fleet Bank for an interest rate of 3.4 percent. He said he is exploring the possibility or refinancing existing debt because this is the lowest interest rate that has existed in a very long time. The Government Operations Committee will review a very short list of properties that are scheduled for foreclosure at its next meeting on April 5^th.

Addition of Resolution(s) to the Agenda

On motion and duly seconded and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, the following resolution was added to the agenda:

Stating Intent to Work Cooperatively with Affected Municipalities in the Development of a Countywide Public Safety Communications System (PSCS)

Appointments Approved Under the Consent Agenda

On motion and duly seconded and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present, the following appointments were made under the Consent Agenda:

Economic Development Revolving Loan Fund Oversight Committee

James E. Wells – Previous Recipient – term expires December 31, 2002

Bruce Lane – Small Business Owner Representative – term expires December 31, 2001

Human Rights Commission

Nancy Brown – term expires December 31, 2003

Lora Levy Cover – term expires December 31, 2003

Joyce Muchan – term expires December 31, 2003

Tompkins County Youth Bureau

Jan Gorovitz – Probation Department Representative – term expires December 31, 2001

Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Communications Capital Project Committee

2000. Evaluation of potential sites for the facility. Sites considered included:

• a joint development with the proposed DOT facility site on Hanshaw Road in the Town of Dryden – site eliminated because of limitations on tower height and difficulty with serving site with utilities in a timely manner

• a site adjacent to the Public Safety Building and an addition to the Public Safety Building - concerns over need for future jail expansion and need to acquire additional property either from airport lands or along Warren Road

By July 1 A Building Working Group consisting of several Communications Capital Project Committee (ComCap) members, the 911 Operations Committee's Building sub-committee, and representatives from the Town of Ithaca and Ithaca College will refine the space program to a stage where ComCap can bring a final project to the full Board for approval. During this time, the estimated cost will be determined for purposes of capital budgeting.

1. The County shall pay all capital costs for improvements necessary to construct the facility to be used as the Tompkins County 911 Center.
2. The City of Ithaca, Town of Ithaca and Tompkins County shall enter into an agreement to share the operation and maintenance costs for the combined improvements.
3. The Town of Ithaca will make the necessary land available for the construction of the 911 center at no cost to the county.
4. The Town of Ithaca and Tompkins County shall enter into an agreement to define residual ownership in the event that the mutual use agreement terminates prior to the useful life of the improvements.
5. In the event that the 911 center is used as an emergency command center for an emergency, the entire complex shall be made available in accordance with the written agreement.

RESOLUTION NO. 56 - ESTABLISHING THE PREFERRED SITE FOR A TOMPKINS

Mr. Lane said he continues to feel this site is geographically challenged both in its non-central location in Tompkins County on Route 96B and its size, which will require the facility to be "shoehorned" into a very small area. He said he also does not think this will be convenient for the Sheriff’s Department. Ms. Blanchard said this has been a long, hard process, and thanked the members of the E911 Operations Committee and the Communications Capital Project Committee for all of their work. A voice vote resulted as follows: Ayes – 13, Noes – 1 (Representative Lane); Excused – 1 (Representative Stein). RESOLUTION ADOPTED.

WHEREAS, Tompkins County has determined as a matter of policy to centralize public safety communications functions in one location, and

WHEREAS, a temporary location in Central Fire Station in the City of Ithaca is currently being used for this purpose, and

WHEREAS, the 911 Operations Committee has evaluated potential sites and strongly supports South Hill Fire Station #5 as the best site for the facility, and

WHEREAS, for many months the Communications Capital Projects Committee has been studying candidate sites for the centralized facility and has concluded that the site known as South Hill Fire Station #5 (SHFS5) offers the most advantages for development of the Communications Center, and

WHEREAS, discussions about the SHFS5 site have been coordinated with Ithaca College and the Town of Ithaca with positive results, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Communications Capital Projects Committee, That the South Hill Fire Station #5 is designated as the preferred site for the Tompkins County Communications Center,

RESOLVED, further, That New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation is authorized to complete Tasks 7 and 8 of the Amended Contract to determine engineering and architectural requirements of the Communication Center, and to present the County’s position on retention of licenses to FCC for a total amount not to exceed $15,079,

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator is authorized to negotiate a contract for schematic design services in order to finalize the capital program for the construction of this facility in time for its inclusion in the 2002 budgeting process.

SEQR ACTION: Unlisted

(Short Environmental Assessment Form on file in Clerk's office)

RESOLUTION NO. 57 - STATING INTENT TO WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH

WHEREAS, Tompkins County is seeking to replace and/or enhance the communication system currently in use by public safety (fire, EMS, and police) officials and other government agencies countywide, and

WHEREAS, the proposed method of accomplishing this objective is the construction and operation of a wireless public safety communication system using 800 Mhz frequencies that Tompkins County has been granted by the FCC and digital, trunked radio and, possibly, the proposed New York Statewide Communications Network system, and

WHEREAS, project goals are to: (1) Maximize coverage and balance the level of service to meet the communication needs of the County's public safety community, (2) Minimize the economic cost to the County though public/private partnerships and the effective use of funding opportunities, and (3) Minimize the environmental impact of the project on the County and the infrastructure necessary to the greatest extent possible, and

WHEREAS, the development of such a system is expected to require the construction of an unspecified number of communications towers, the locations of which are not currently known, and

WHEREAS, the County has an interest in maximizing the effectiveness of each tower in order to minimize both the overall cost and the total number of towers that would be required, and

WHEREAS, a number of municipalities have indicated concerns about the County's approach to the siting of the towers and development of the tower sites, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That the Tompkins County Board of Representatives recognizes these concerns and intends to address them in a collaborative way with any and all municipalities that may eventually see a proposed tower site within their jurisdictions,

RESOLVED, further, That a thorough review of environmental issues will be conducted in conjunction with this project, with serious consideration being given to any proposal to mitigate negative impacts, if such proposal is appropriate and feasible from a cost and technical standpoint,

RESOLVED, further, That the Tompkins County Board of Representatives confirms that the process to be followed in advancing the PSCS project has been communicated accurately to municipalities in letters from Barbara Blanchard dated February 20, 2001 (Attachment A) and from Barbara Mink dated March 2, 2001 (Attachment B).

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

March 2, 2001
 
 

Dear [Individuals present at 2/23/01 IPC meeting]:

Attached are the minutes from last week’s meeting about the county’s proposed public safety communication project. I found the perspectives shared important, and have spent some time seeking the legal documentation requested as well as full board opinion as to how we should proceed.

First, let me stress how important we all know this project is to Tompkins County. For the last three years we have responded to the need first articulated by the public safety community to improve communication before frequencies are taken over or the hardware becomes obsolete, both of which are likely to occur in the near future. We have worked with two different consulting firms to establish the best approach to meet our needs, and an 800 megahertz trunked tower system comes out on top.

Last year the Communications Capital Project Committee I established to conduct this initiative made a point of visiting every town to present plans as they then existed. In response to the questions raised at those meetings and in the local media, the committee took a step back and asked for another peer review of the options, to make sure we hadn’t overlooked anything. At that time it became known that the State was also looking at a communications network, and we acted on that knowledge by hiring the firm that was working with the State to work with us.

What their report showed was that we were indeed on the right track, and that whatever system we came up with would be compatible with what the State was working on, and the possibility exists to have some of our costs paid by the State.

As the project moves forward, we have committed to keeping the entire community up to speed on these plans, and we have already published a significant number of editorial pieces, communiqués, and publicity of SEQR schedules and requests for information.

Where we have found ourselves in disagreement has to do with the formal role towns might play in determining the future of this project, and your request to have the county be subject to town cell tower ordinances. You cite specifically the City of Rochester vs. Monroe County case, where the court ruled the county was not subject to the city’s ordinances. You point out that even though the City lost the case, the analysis of nine factors which must be considered if one municipality is exempted from another’s zoning laws has relevance for our case. These nine factors include the nature and scope of the municipality, the kind of function involved, and the extent of the public interest to be served by the improvements.

We also think this nine-point test is important; but we don’t agree with your conclusion that the towns should apply the factors, rather the county. We believe that the County should apply the test, for the reasons explained in the attached memo.

What you are basing your claim of town rights on is an article from the Department of State that suggests the host municipality perform the balancing test. However, that article is an opinion, not a legal rule, and is not supported by any legal authority.

So, based on our legal advice, case law, and the practicalities involved in making this project succeed, we feel that the County should make the determination as to the applicability of the nine factors. That test should not be applied until all available information is collected, including the proposed location of any towers, and the towns and the public have full opportunity for input.

The ComCap Committee has already asked you to let us know whether the Town Board or Planning Board is the right point of contact for future discussions, and our Planning Department is collecting information on existing cell tower ordinances and other criteria to make sure we avoid major conflicts. Once that is done, the Committee wants to sit down together with town representatives to resolve any issues that may come up. We are absolutely committed to involving municipalities in as public a way as desired, and to the fullest extent possible.

I have attached our attorney's memo to this letter so you can read in further detail the basis of their decision. I look forward to continuing to move forward together, to successfully put together the best possible public safety communications system for our constituents.

Sincerely,

Barbara Mink, Chair

Intermunicipal Planning Committee

February 20, 2001

[letter to all municipal officials]

I am writing as Chair of the Communications Capital Project Committee (ComCap) to clarify where the County is in advancing the public safety communications system upgrade and to outline the procedures we plan to follow in siting communications towers. It is clear that some misunderstandings exist about the municipalities' role in the project, particularly with respect to regulations spelled out in local cell tower ordinances. We have previously stated, and I am stating here again, our intention to consult with the appropriate body in each town or village regarding tower siting issues. We also are suggesting several other ways towns and villages can have input into the development of the project.

First, in just a few days you will receive a packet of material from the County Planning Department initiating the environmental review process for this project and asking for your comments and suggestions on the draft scope of work for the Environmental Impact Statement. This draft scope will also be widely available for public comment. We believe this step will provide comprehensive scope of work that will ensure that all issues of concern are included.

Second, this summer, we expect to receive proposals from communications systems vendors such as Motorola, Emerson and others describing how their respective systems would meet our needs and our performance specifications. We anticipate selecting one of these options as the preferred alternative for purposes of the Environmental Impact Statement. At this point, we should know the probable locations of a set of microwave towers that will provide the basic infrastructure for the new system and we will be in a position to enter into substantive discussions with those municipalities where towers are proposed.

In order to prepare for these discussions, we ask that you identify the local body -- Town Board, Planning Board or other official group -- that will be your designated point of contact. We also ask that you identify for us all of the elements in your cell tower ordinance, if one exists, that are most critical to you. If you do not have such an ordinance, please give us some indication of the criteria you would like to see met in tower siting. We will sit down together in an effort to address your concerns. If operating requirements of the system or other constraints do not allow all of your concerns to be met, we will provide you with complete information that may be helpful in answering questions from your constituents.

Third, we would like to invite you to attend the regular meetings of the ComCap Committee if you think this would be helpful in developing a more complete understanding of the project. These meetings are held at noon on the fourth Tuesday of the month in the large conference room in the Old Jail, 125 East Court Street, Ithaca, NY. They typically run no longer than two hours and cover all of the issues related to the communications project as well as some ancillary projects such as consolidation of the 911 dispatching center and relocation of the Department of Transportation Facility from Third Street in the City of Ithaca to a new site on Hanshaw Road. These meetings are never boring and your participation is welcomed. The next ComCap meeting is scheduled for Tuesday February 27th.

Fourth, the County's Intermunicipal Planning Coordination Committee meeting this Friday February 23 at 1:00 p.m. will be devoted to the Town-County relationship with respect to the communications project. We are also inviting those Supervisors who have not been regular participants in this committee, so that all will be part of the same discussion at one time, in one place. I encourage you to attend this meeting. Later in the afternoon (5:00 - 7:00 p.m.) on Friday, February 23, the County's Communications consultants, New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation (NYSTEC), will be making a presentation at the Human Services Building, 320 West State Street. We hope that you and any interested constituents will be able to attend this presentation. It will also be videotaped and replayed later on Ch. 15 of the Time Warner System. For information on the replay schedule or how to get copies of the videotape, call 274-5555.

I hope you have had an opportunity to read the extensive OpEd piece that appeared in the Ithaca Journal Thursday, February 15. We recognize that it is impossible to cover everything in one newspaper article but we felt it was a vehicle to convey a lot of information about the project at one time. Consider that as a starting point from which more information will flow as each step in the project is taken, all of which will be available on the communications project website at www.tompkins-co.org/pubinfo/pscs.

As a final note, I personally regret any confusion that has arisen over the County's intent to involve the municipalities in substantive discussions about this project. Our policy in developing facilities such as the Solid Waste Recycling Center and the Human Services Building has been to collaborate with local representatives so that the projects work to everyone's benefit. I made this commitment when our team made a presentation on the project to your Town or Village Board last year. I suppose, at this point, only our actions will prove our commitment to this process and I hope that the steps outlined above will be a good starting point.

Sincerely,

Barbara Blanchard, Chair

Communications Capital Projects Committee

Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Health and Human Services Committee

Mrs. Schuler, Chair, reported the Committee met on March 21^st and received an overview of the history of services provided by the Mental Health department versus expenditures by the County from Anthony Deluca, Commissioner. Mary Pat Dolan, Commissioner of Social Services, reported there has been an increase for the cost of children in non-secure detention facilities. She also reported Tompkins County has had the biggest increase in Child Support collection in the entire State. At the next meeting there will be a presentation on staffing at the Department. The Youth Bureau distributed information for the next meeting on April 18^th for the discussion that will be held on tracking the process of City-funded programs. Mrs. Schuler also reported on the pesticide notification law and said progress is being made towards a coordinated education effort through the County on this issue.

RESOLUTION NO. 58 -AUTHORIZATION FOR MEMBERSHIP – IMMUNIZATION ACTION

WHEREAS, membership in the Immunization Action Coalition provides the Department with a national resource of immunization materials in camera ready format as well as discounted publications pertaining to immunizations at an annual membership fee of $50, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Health and Human Services Committee, That the Tompkins County Health Department is authorized to join the Immunization Action Coalition,

RESOLVED, further, That the Director of Finance is authorized to make the following transfer on his books:

WHEREAS, the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) is awarding community tobacco control coalitions across New York State supplemental grant funds for the grant year ending May 31, 2001, to carry out additional program activities, and

WHEREAS, the Cayuga, Tompkins, Cortland, Madison Counties Tobacco Control Coalition is one of the community coalitions designated to receive these additional funds, and

WHEREAS, the NYSDOH requires that the funds be used to strengthen and enhance community interventions; each county will receive $45,125, and

WHEREAS, Tompkins County will voucher Cortland County for approved expenses (Cortland County is the lead fiscal and contractual agency with NYSDOH), now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Health and Human Services Committee, That the Health Department is authorized to accept said supplemental grant funds,

RESOLVED, further, That the Director of Finance is authorized to make the following budget adjustment on his books:

REVENUE: A4016.44959 Federal Grants $45,125

APPROPRIATION: A4016.52206 Computer Hardware $ 1,000

.54330 Printing 600

.54332 Books/Publications 2,825

.54333 Education/Promotion 12,000

.54412 Travel/Training 500

.54442 Professional Service Fees 28,000

.54452 Postage 200

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

Report from the Public Safety Committee

Mr. Totman, Chairman, had no report.

Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Budget and Capital Committee

Mr. Joseph, Chairman, reported he is in receipt of the year-end information on the 2000 Fund Balance and said it is $4 million less than last year. He distributed various scenarios for the 2002 budget and explained the spreadsheet information. Scenario A allows only for negotiated salary increases and no other over-last-year's-target requests and departments have to absorb all salary increases and cut a combined total of $700,000. He stated this Board will need to make serious decisions in order to bring the tax rate to an acceptable level. Ms. Kiefer asked for this information in dollar terms rather than percentage tax-rate increases and was told that, for a $100,000 property, (A) would go up $89 and (B) up $20. The source of the $700,000 cut was asked about, and it was explained that would be the additional amount necessary to keep to just under a four percent increase. Mr. Lane asked if rollover is assumed to remain intact in both scenarios and was told it was."

RESOLUTION NO. 60 ENDORSING STATE LEGISLATION S3395-A AND A7034-A EXTENDING EXISTING SALES AND USE TAX AUTHORITY OF

THE COUNTY OF TOMPKINS

MOVED by Mr. Joseph, seconded by Ms. Kiefer. A voice vote resulted as follows: Ayes – 12, Noes – 2 (Representatives Proto and Schuler); Excused – 1 (Representative Stein). RESOLUTION ADOPTED.

WHEREAS, the County of Tompkins has had the authority to enact an additional one cent of sales and use taxation since December 1, 1992, and has enacted such taxation, and

WHEREAS, this authority has been exercised since that date and expires November 30, 2001, and

WHEREAS, this Board by Resolution No. 41 of 2001 requested the members of the New York State Senate and Assembly who represent Tompkins County to sponsor and support legislation extending this authority beyond November 30, 2001, and they have done so and have introduced S2068/A3556 "AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to extending the expiration of the provisions authorizing the County of Tompkins to impose an additional one-half or one percent of sales and compensating tax" that extends this authority to November 30, 2003, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, That this Board endorses and requests State approval of legislation known as S3395-A and A7034-A, and urges its elected representatives in the Senate and the Assembly to support this legislation.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

Report from the Government Operations Committee

Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, Chairman, reported the Committee has not met since the last Board meeting. The next meeting will be April 5^th at noon. At that meeting the Committee will review the inventory of County-owned land and the County’s policy on approval of budget adjustments.

Report and Presentation of Resolution(s) from the Public Works Committee

Mr. Lane, Chairman, reported the Committee met on March 27^th and reviewed the proposed Bostwick Road Building for the Buildings and Grounds Division. The Committee unanimously agreed to proceed with that project as planned. At that meeting the Committee also began to review the five-year bridge and three-year highway plans and will discuss these items further at the next meeting. Mr. Lane reported the Committee spent most of the meeting discussing the reorganization of the Public Works Department. The County Administrator has recommended that the County enter a slightly different structure that has previously existed. It does not include a chief administrative officer or Commissioner but having the division managers reporting directly to the County Administrator for the time being. Arel LeMaro was also given permission to move forward on hiring an assistant to him. Mr. Lane said the Committee feels moving forward in this manner will result in a cost savings to the County. Mr. Lane commented that a number of people attended a retirement luncheon for Ward Hungerford, Highway Manager, and many wonderful comments were made about Ward from his colleagues who will greatly miss him.

RESOLUTION NO. 61 - AWARD OF BID - GENERAL AVIATION RAMP EXPANSION -

TOMPKINS COUNTY AIRPORT

MOVED by Mr. Lane, seconded by Mr. Todd, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present.

WHEREAS, the Purchasing Department has duly advertised for bids for the Expansion of the General Aviation Ramp project, and

WHEREAS, three (3) bids were received and duly opened on March 21, 2001, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Public Works Committee, That subject to grants being received from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the bid be awarded to Fahs Rolston Paving Corporation of Binghamton, New York, as the lowest responsible bidder with a bid of $438,525,

RESOLVED, further, That the budget for the General Aviation Ramp project is as follows:

FAA Share (90%) 5610.54592 $394,672.50

NYSDOT Share ( 5%) 5610.53592 $ 21,926.25

Local Share ( 5%) 5610.55031 $ 21,926.25

Total 5610.59239 $438,525.00

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator be and hereby is authorized to execute a contract with Fahs Rolston Paving Corporation,

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator be and hereby is authorized to execute grant agreements with the FAA and NYSDOT when said grant offers are received,

RESOLVED, further, That the Finance Director be authorized to borrow monies if necessary until reimbursement is received from the FAA and NYSDOT.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-2

RESOLUTION NO. 62 - AWARD OF BID - RUNWAY 14-32 EDGE LIGHTING

REPLACEMENT - TOMPKINS COUNTY AIRPORT

MOVED by Mr. Lane, seconded by Ms. Kiefer, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present.

WHEREAS, the Purchasing Department has duly advertised for bids for the Runway 14-32 Edge Lighting Replacement project, and

WHEREAS, six (6) bids were received and duly opened on March 21, 2001, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Public Works Committee, That subject to grants being received from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), the bid be awarded to Power Line Constructors, Inc., of Clinton, New York, as the lowest responsible bidder with a bid of $377,436.26,

RESOLVED, further, That the budget for the Runway 14-32 Edge Lighting Replacement project is as follows:

FAA Share (90%) 5610.54592 $339,692.64

NYSDOT Share ( 5%) 5610.53592 $ 18,871.81

Local Share ( 5%) 5610.55031 $ 18,871.81

Total 5610.59239 $377,436.26

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator be and hereby is authorized to execute a contract with Power Line Constructors, Inc.,

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator be and hereby is authorized to execute grant agreements with the FAA and NYSDOT when said grant offers are received,

RESOLVED, further, That the Finance Director be authorized to borrow monies if necessary until reimbursement is received from the FAA and NYSDOT.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-2

RESOLUTION NO. 63 - AUDIT OF FINAL PAYMENT - HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS

WASTE FACILITY - R. G. BURNS ELECTRIC, INC.

MOVED by Mr. Lane, seconded by Mr. Todd, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present.

WHEREAS, R. G. Burns Electric, Inc., has completed their electrical contract for the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Public Works Committee, That the following claim against the County of Tompkins, be and hereby is audited by the Board of Representatives:

Vendor Payment Request Account No.Amount

R. G. Burns 9 (Final) HH8101.81.68 $6,574.23

Electric, Inc.

RESOLVED, further, That the Finance Director be and hereby is authorized and directed to pay said claim from Account No. HH8101.59239.81.68.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

RESOLUTIN NO. 64 - AUDIT OF FINAL PAYMENT - HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS

WASTE FACILITY - JAMES L. LEWIS, INC.

MOVED by Mr. Lane, seconded by Mr. Winch, and unanimously adopted by voice vote by members present.

WHEREAS, James L. Lewis, Inc. has completed their plumbing contract for the Household Hazardous Waste Facility Project, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Public Works Committee, That the following claim against the County of Tompkins, be and hereby is audited by the Board of Representatives:

Vendor Payment Request Account No.Amount

James L. Lewis, Inc. 7 (Final) HH8101.81.68 $2,690.54

Electric, Inc.

RESOLVED, further, That the Finance Director be and hereby is authorized and directed to pay said claim from Account No. HH8101.59239.81.68.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

Ms. Blanchard spoke about the environmental review for the communications upgrade and asked that the Committee review staff time that is available for this.

WHEREAS, Tompkins County serves as the Host Agency for the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the Ithaca-Tompkins County area, and

WHEREAS, the County has a contract with the New York State Department of Transportation to provide funding for the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council through grants provided by the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, and

WHEREAS, the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council has grant authorizations for its 2001/2002 fiscal year, beginning April 1, 2001 and ending March 31, 2002, in the amounts of $193,253 from the Federal Highway Administration and $33,423 from the Federal Transit Administration, and

WHEREAS, the Policy Committee of the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council has adopted Resolution 01-2, APPROVAL OF THE 2001-2002 ITHACA-TOMPKINS COUNTY TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL OPERATING BUDGET, which requests that the Host Agency (Tompkins County) take the appropriate actions to fully implement said operating budget, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Planning Committee, That the budgets for the Ithaca-Tompkins County Transportation Council, as presented in "ATTACHMENT A" to this resolution, be amended in the 2001 Tompkins County budget and that the County Finance Director be authorized to expend such funds for the period from April 1, 2001 through March 31, 2002.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

Resolution No. 65

ATTACHMENT A

2001-2002 ITCTC OPERATING BUDGET

RESOLUTION NO. 66 - AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE

WHEREAS, the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, as the Ithaca Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), will provide programs and services that will benefit all property owners and tenants within its boundaries, and

WHEREAS, Tompkins County is a property owner within the boundaries of the Ithaca Downtown BID, and

WHEREAS, the BID program of services, including business retention and development, retail marketing, and promotion, are ones that will potentially benefit the County by expanding the sales and property tax base, and

WHEREAS, the County is committed to the BID concept as a vehicle that establishes the partnership between the private and public sectors so essential to a successful economic development program, and

WHEREAS, on the basis of an opinion issued by the State of New York Office of Real Property Tax Services stating that the enabling legislation for BIDs did not intend to impose financial liability regarding the BID assessment on tax exempt properties, these properties have been excluded from the BID assessment, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Planning Committee, That the County be authorized to execute an agreement for a period of one year with the City of Ithaca in an amount not to exceed $10,365 for the services described in the BID Plan dated July 1, 1996,

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator or his designee be authorized to execute such an agreement.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-20

WHEREAS, in Resolution No. 68 of 2001 the County grants funds to the Village of Dryden to purchase property for a Village park, and

WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Board of Representatives has reviewed and accepted as adequate an Environmental Assessment Form with respect to that action, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Planning Committee, That Resolution No. 68 of 2001 is an unlisted action,

RESOLVED, further, That the Board of Representatives hereby makes a negative determination of environmental significance in regard to Resolution No. 68 of 2001.

SEQR ACTION: UNLISTED

(Short Environmental Assessment Form on file in Clerk's office)

Mr. Proto said he does not remember an occasion where the County has approved money to purchase property through the Commercial Center Revitalization Program. Mr. Penniman said he met with the advisory committee and was told government needs to be flexible and when a proposal meets the basic goals of the program but doesn’t meet the guidelines, then the guidelines need to be changed. He said the Planning Committee passed a resolution that permits funding to purchase property when it is an essential element of a larger project that meets the objectives of the Revitalization Program. He noted the vote in Committee was three to two.

Mr. Proto said he is uncomfortable supporting the purchase of a piece of property, particularly for a municipality when will remain or come off the tax roll. Mr. Lane said this is something the Village of Dryden has been planning for three years. When this building became available there was a real desire by the community for this to be kept as a greenspace and the Village incorporated this as part of its long-term plan which is the basis Commercial Revitalization Program. He said he doesn’t feel this is different from many of the other programs that have been awarded grants under this program.

Mr. Winch said he was one of the two no votes in committee. He said he supports the overall, CCRP program but is concerned about process and does not feel it was fair to all communities. The process was re-opened for this project.

Ms. Kiefer said she also voted against this in Committee. She stated the Committee had sent the guidelines back for review and refinement and is uncomfortable changing the guidelines for this particular project before getting the full report back. Ms. Kiefer said she likes the proposed project and is supportive of the community getting the park it wants; however, she doesn’t feel comfortable having the County help a municipality purchase land.

It was MOVED by Ms. Kiefer, seconded by Mr. Proto to amend the resolution with the following amendment to replace the second Whereas: "Whereas, the grant cycle for Spring, 2001 was canceled pending the review of all guidelines for the Commercial Center Revitalization Program grant awards, and Whereas, nevertheless, the advisory committee for this program accepted an application for funding from the Village of Dryden and has made a recommendation for funding even though using County money to purchase property for a municipality is not listed in the guidelines as an approved activity".

Mr. Proto said he does not feel an advisory committee has the right to approve changes in the program that involve how County tax dollars are being spent without having the changes come to the full Board. Ms. Mink requested the Government Operations Committee to review this.

A voice vote on the amendment resulted as follows: Ayes – 3 (Representatives Kiefer, Proto, and Winch), Noes – 11; Excused – 1 (Representative Stein). MOTION CARRIED.

Following discussion, a voice vote on the resolution resulted as follows: Ayes – 11, Noes – 3 (Representatives Kiefer, Proto, and Winch); Excused – 1 (Representative Stein). RESOLUTION ADOPTED.

WHEREAS, the Commercial Center Revitalization Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) was assigned responsibility for providing advice on the award of grant funds for the revitalization of rural commercial centers, and

WHEREAS, the Advisory Committee has reviewed the applications for funding and has made recommendations based on the program guidelines of the Commercial Center Revitalization Program, and

WHEREAS, the recommendations of the Advisory Committee are within the budget for the Commercial Center Revitalization program, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Planning Committee, That the following project be approved:

Village of Dryden – Purchase of Property for Village Park $7,500.00

RESOLVED, further, That the County Administrator be authorized to execute any contracts related to these projects.

SEQR ACTION: Unlisted

(Short Environmental Assessment Form on file in Clerk's office)

WHEREAS, representatives from the City of Ithaca have asked Tompkins County to join in the Cities for Climate Protection (CCP) Campaign, which is a program for municipal governments to identify sources of greenhouse gas emissions within their jurisdictions and take actions to reduce such emissions, and

WHEREAS, Environmental Management Council Resolution EMC No. 1-01, Resolution for participating in the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign, recommends that the Tompkins County Board of Representatives explore joining the CCP Campaign, and

WHEREAS, the Cities for Climate Protection Campaign is a program of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI), and

WHEREAS, ICLEI will provide an intern for the Summer of 2001 at no cost to Tompkins County to identify sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the County when Tompkins County enters into a Memorandum of Understanding to purchase the CCP software and to provide use of office space and a computer, and

WHEREAS, the Tompkins County Planning Department has the resources to supervise the intern and has identified available office space and a computer for the interns use, now therefore be it

RESOLVED, on recommendation of the Planning Committee, That Tompkins County enter into an agreement with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives for the purchase of CCP software in an amount not to exceed $475.00, said funds provided from Program 5805, Electric Power Fund,

RESOLVED, further, That the Tompkins County Finance Director be authorized to execute a Memorandum of Understanding and contract with ICLEI.

SEQR ACTION: TYPE II-18

Report from the Economic and Workforce Development Committee

Ms. Blanchard, Vice Chair, reported the next meeting will be April 24 at 10 a.m.

Report from the Charter Review Committee

Mr. Lane, Chair, reported the Committee has not met since the last Board meeting. He said block data information is presently being received and is in the process of being converted to a format that the Committee can use to begin looking at existing districts. He reported he met with representatives of City Council and there will be an effort made at the City level to address the City’s role in redistricting.

Report from the Information Management Committee

Ms. Kiefer, Chair, reported the Committee has not met.

Report from the Intermunicipal Planning Committee

Ms. Mink, Chair, reported the Committee met on March 23^rd and had a discussion on the communication towers project. Those present agreed that the County and municipalities would likely not agree on this issue; however, it was agreed that intermunicipal cooperation and the process of talking to each other on other issues is valuable and should continue. The next meeting will be April 27^th at 9:30 a.m.

Report from the Space Needs and Location Committee

Ms. Mink, Chair, reported the Committee will meet on April 27^th at 11:30 a.m.

Report from the Tompkins 2020 Committee

Mr. Koplinka-Loehr, Chairman, reported the Tompkins 2000 Quality-of-Life will meet tomorrow evening and is working on the final report that should be available at the end of May. He noted there are 24 categories that may have as many as 48 indicators. He reported that to pull all the different writing styles and formats together, a designer will be hired, to be paid out of the Board of Representatives budget line for contract services.

Adjournment

On motion the meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m.