Legislature Hears Presentation on Center of Government Planning
Chairwoman Shawna Black (D-Ithaca) invited Tompkins County Administrator Lisa Holmes to present on the planning activities to-date regarding the Center of Government project. Black stated, “This presentation will set us up for productive decision-making as a Legislature, and I expect that we’ll have a clearer path to move forward (though the next steps will occur in the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee).” Black continued, “It is also my hope that the public and organizations who’ve been following this along will share this information with their networks. Thank you to our staff in Administration, Facilities, Planning, and Assessment for their work on this – I understand that planning for a Center of Government has been a collaborative effort and I expect that it will continue to be.”
Holmes’ presentation detailed why a Center of Government is being considered for the County, outlining priorities to deliver accessible services to the public with excellent customer service; offer efficient, equitable, and centralized workspaces; contribute to the vitality of Downtown Ithaca; and meet greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. The Center is being considered now in part because New York State has required County staff to vacate the Courthouse building, and other existing County departments are either in rented or inefficient spaces experiencing deferred maintenance until the Center is developed. Ultimately, centralizing public-facing departments would make them more accessible to the public.
The presentation also included details on the Tioga Street properties that the County has purchased in recent years. Holmes outlined the estimated $1.9 million + renovation costs for the historic building at 408 North Tioga Street and the current status of the Baker Dental Building and the two buildings on the 300 North Tioga Street block.
On the topic of parking for County employees, Holmes stated “we estimate that there are about 150 employees working in the current downtown complex, with 142 total spaces for those employees (including 79 spaces in the 400 block of N. Tioga St.).” The County estimates that 30-60 employees would be moved to the downtown campus if a Center of Government was constructed, resulting in a need of around 158 parking spaces, assuming a rate of 75% of employees driving to work. Holmes cited that the County has considered parking garage spaces, though referenced challenges to considering that as a sustainable option.
Finally, Holmes outlined the considerations that need to be made for the downtown properties under consideration, as well as decision points needed for the Center of Government project to move forward.
Legislators discussed the presentation and the needs of the County employees and operations. In response to some discussion on parking needs of employees and some constituents sharing concerns with surface parking Legislator Deborah Dawson (D-Lansing) remarked, “If you live in a city, you have to compromise. You’re not going to get everything exactly the way you want it. If you want public services to be accessible and centralized then you’re going to have to figure out where the employees who provide those services are going to park, because we do not have a robust transit system in this County – and fully one third of our employees live outside of the County…” adding that a compromise needs to be found to help serve everyone’s needs.
Legislator Anne Koreman (D-Ulysses) stated, “We’ve been planning to build a Center of Government for years, so we haven’t been doing full maintenance on our buildings” until decisions are made. Koreman added that when she speaks with employees about space, they share that it is hard, “they’ve lost conference rooms, there’s people in storage areas… they’re doing that because they’re waiting, they’re willing to do this because they have the faith and because we made the commitment that we were going to do something… some staff are getting demoralized.” Legislator Rich John (D-Ithaca) added that he believes the 300 block of North Tioga Street is the right location for such a Center. Legislator Dan Klein (D-Danby) stated that he has come around in support of a Center of Government, but he has concerns about how the organization could outgrow proposed square footage quickly and that ideally it would be overbuilt slightly for that reason.
The conversation on the Center of Government Planning will continue in the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee.
Community Recovery Fund Committee Reconsidering $510,000
Following the withdrawal of Second Wind Cottages’ application to the Community Recovery Fund, the Legislature’s Committee has decided to re-allocate $510,000 in funding to other applicants. The committee made the following decisions in advance of the re-allocation:
- The committee is requesting that applicants do not lobby the Legislature to advocate for their applications.
- No new applications will be accepted.
- No additional money will be granted to those who have already received funding, with an exception for the Tompkins Chamber, who was the last organization previously funded and received partial funding based on what was previously left.
- Applicants eligible for this round of funding are those who made the first scoring cut in 2022 (27 applicants).
- All 14 Legislators are able to select one remaining unfunded application and add to the new eligible list (up to 41 applicants).
- All eligible (up to 41) applicants will be contacted and asked whether they wish to modify their minimum or maximum dollar request, if they do so they must provide a narrative.
- All 14 Legislators will have the opportunity to score the new eligible list of applicants. Those scores will be tabulated by the consultant, MRB Group, and compiled into one final merged spreadsheet for a vote by the Committee and ultimately the full Legislature.
- The Committee will meet next on May 1.
- The new eligible list is posted to the Tompkins County Website: https://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/communityrecoveryfund
Among Other Business
A proclamation was read declaring April as Fair Housing Month. The resolution cited the Fair Housing Act which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability, and commits resources to further fair housing in communities. The proclamation addressed that Tompkins County is committed to the mission of the Act. Representatives from the Ithaca Board of Realtors were on hand to accept the proclamation and announce a new art installation they are creating, which pays tribute to fair housing for all.
A proclamation was read celebrating Barb Eckstrom’s 36 years as the director of the Department of Recycling and Materials Management for Tompkins County. Legislators remarked about Barb’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to sustainability and recycling, having established critical infrastructure and programs to achieve results. Eckstrom accepted the proclamation and remarked about how great a career in government was, giving stability and the opportunity to help others.
A resolution passed 11-3 (Legislators Klein (D-Danby), Shurtleff (R-Groton), Sigler (R-Lansing) opposed) supporting Governor Kathy Hochul’s efforts to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, and smokeless tobacco in New York State and to increase the cigarette tax by $1 per pack (raising it to $5.35 per pack). The resolution follows a similar resolution passed by the Tompkins County Board of Health, which also cited the addictive nature of smoking and nicotine use and the adverse health effects of such products.
Legislators offered remembrances of former Legislator Dooley Kiefer, former Tompkins County Democratic Chair and Director of the Office of the Aging Irene Stein, and former District Attorney Ben Buckle. Regarding Stein’s passing, Chairwoman Shawna Black (D-Ithaca) stated, “She loved good government… and she loved the work that she did for our County. There aren’t too many people that you can say have genuinely changed a region or even an entire state for the better, but I believe Irene Stein is one of those people. She was a force in our community... Her and Peter’s generosity and progressive spirit will surely be missed.”
Loren Cottrell was appointed Director of Information Technology Services and confirmed by the Legislature. Cottrell has served as Deputy Director of the Department for ten years, having led the County’s cybersecurity efforts among other critical functions. Loren also served as part of the Emergency Operations Center team during COVID-19.
Laura Johnson-Kelly was confirmed as Tompkins County Historian, read more about Johnson-Kelly’s appointment in a recent press release: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/news/laura-w-johnson-kelly-named-tompkins-county-historian