Archive: News

TC3 President Haynes Briefs Legislators on 'State of the College'
Tompkins County Legislature, Tompkins Cortland Community College President Dr. Carl Haynes delivered his annual 'State of the College' message to the Tompkins County Legislature.

Presenting the annual report of the College and the TC3 Foundation, President Haynes reported on the many exciting developments at the College—many innovations that are evidence of the college’s entrepreneurial nature and its focus on student success.  Among them are a faculty-led curriculum, begun in English and now spreading to Reading and Math, which enables students needing developmental coursework to concurrently complete a credit-bearing introductory class.

The TC3 Biz program, he said, has 2,000 participants in its business training programs, and the College’s global initiative helps students be prepared for the cultural diversity in our region experience other cultures.  Regarding student success, the president reported that 80% of employed students graduating from career programs are employed in jobs related to their field of study, and 67% remain in Central New York area.  He said the new Enrollment Services Center, now located at the College entrance, has improved student access to services they need, and has supported first-semester success.

Plans include a new child care center, to be located west of the College’s main entrance, on the lawn between the main campus building and the College pond, its development supported by the TC3 Foundation. With an 80-student capacity, the Center would more than double the College’s current capacity, addressing the need for affordable childcare on campus, especially by students, and expanding opportunities for TC3 students from the Early Childhood Education program to get hands-on experience working at the Center.  President Haynes also noted that the College is beginning the initial, self-study phase of Middle States Association reaccreditation, which will take place in Spring 2018.

Related to TC3, the Legislature, without dissent, approved a revised version containing a slight wording change from the resolution passed at its last meeting, urging the State to increase a $285/full-time student base aid increase for TC3, aid whose current level is lower than that of five years ago.
 
Legislature Supports Early Voting
Reacting to provisions in the Governor’s Budget, the Legislature, by a vote of 9-3 (Legislators  Dave McKenna, Glenn Morey and Dooley Kiefer voted no; Legislators Mike Sigler and Leslyn McBean-Clairborne were excused) passed a resolution in support of Early Voting in New York State.  The member-filed resolution advanced by Legislator Dan Klein notes that early voting makes it easier for residents to vote and that 37 states have already adopted the practice.  The measure, however, adds that having counties provide early voting sites for up to 12 days prior to all special, primary, and general elections, as contained in the proposed budget, is estimated to cost counties statewide $3-4 million, and it also states that the State should reimburse counties for the added cost of this new mandate, should early voting, as proposed, be enacted.

Legislator McKenna proposed an amendment that would have urged the State to both enact and fund early voting, which failed to win support by a vote of 6-7.  Legislator Martha Robertson noted that, since the State does not support other local election expense, it would have to establish a whole new bureaucracy to fund early voting.  Legislator Kiefer proposed an amendment adding language to also support the alternative of no-excuse absentee ballots, as some states do.  That proposed amendment failed by a 2-10 margin.

If enacted as part of the budget, early voting would not be implemented until 2017.  It would not apply for village or school district elections.
 
Among other business:
 

• Senior Planner Megan McDonald gave Legislators a briefing on the Tompkins County Housing Needs Survey, now underway.  She reported that over 4,000 responses have been received so far.  The survey is open through February 22, at http://e-input.com/surveys/tompkins.htm, with paper copies also available by request to the Planning Department by calling 274-5560.
• The Legislature awarded DeWald Roofing Co., Inc., of Central Square, NY, the general contract for the County’s 2016 roof project, for its bid of $874,000 for roof replacement work at the Mental Health Building, County Building C, and the Old Jail building.  The contractor was selected as the lowest responsible bidder of 27 bids received for the three roofing contracts.
• The Legislature authorized the Department of Social Services to accept more than $158,000 in State funding and execute a contract with the Rescue Mission related to requirements of the State’s Cold Weather Policy, which, through Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order, outlines expectations for public entities to provide care for persons lacking shelter when wind chill temperatures fall below 32 degrees.

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