Archive: News

Capital Project Cost Increased for Tompkins Center for History and Culture Improvements
The Legislature amended the County's Capital Program to increase the project cost of code and building improvements for the Tompkins Center for History and Culture. The vote was 12-1, with Legislator Leslyn McBean-Clairborne voting no. (Legislator Glenn Morey was excused.) The increase of $445,000, to a total project cost of $3,345,100, reflects additional costs that arose during the course of design and bidding, which increased total cost beyond the existing $2.9 million previously appropriated for the project.

The County's net cost is now $2,795,100 after receipt of grants and donations—$450,000 originally pledged from leaders of the Tompkins Center for History and Culture capital fundraising campaign (which is now being delivered as part of a half-million-dollar grant from the State and Municipal Facilities Program) and a $100,000 capital grant from the County's Strategic Tourism Planning Board.

Last year, the County acquired the Tompkins Trust Company building on the Ithaca Commons to house the History Center and other community non-profits as part of the Tompkins Center, after the bank relocates to its new financial headquarters later this month.

Construction Contracts: In a separate action, the Legislature, without dissent, also awarded construction contracts for the Tompkins Center improvement project—to Marchuska Brothers Construction, LLC, of Endicott, for the General Work Contract ($561,000); Johnson Controls, Inc., of Rochester, for the Mechanical Contract ($502,638); and Richardson Brothers Electrical Contractors, Inc., of Ithaca, for the Electrical Contract $135,550).

Legislature Awards Spring 2018 Tourism Program Grants
The Legislature approved nearly $485,000 in funding as part of the Spring 2018 round of Tompkins County Tourism Grants, as recommended by the County's Strategic Tourism Planning Board. More than 60 separate grants, comprising six distinct grant programs, were awarded to area nonprofit cultural and recreational organizations, venues, and municipalities in support of initiatives that help draw overnight visitors to Tompkins County and promote tourism-related economic development. Funded by countywide lodging taxes, the grants were awarded under the Tourism Capital, New Tourism Initiative, Tourism Project, Tourism Marketing and Advertising, Community Celebrations, and Strategic Tourism Implementation categories.

Legislature Opposes Any Rollback in Federal Fuel Economy Standards
The Legislature, with no discussion and without dissent (Legislator Glenn Morey was excused), went on record in opposition to any Federal rollback or weakening of the current Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards, as proposed by the Trump Administration. The Legislature also urges that the State of New York support California's efforts to challenge the proposed rollback and maintain the current standards in New York should the federal rollback occur.

The measure notes that the current CAFE standards are a critical element of the Tompkins County Energy Roadmap, which developed alternative future energy use and supply scenarios that would allow Tompkins County to reach its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal of 80% below 2008 levels by 2050, and that a rollback of the CAFÉ standards could make it virtually impossible for Tompkins County, New York State, and the United States to meet long-term emission reduction goals or make near-term progress in reducing emissions.

Among other business,

• The Legislature received a capital project update from County Highway Director Jeff Smith. He briefed Legislators on the status of 14 Highway capital projects, including five projects planned for the 2018 construction season—the Station Road Streams Restoration in Danby ; South Street Extension Slope Stabilization in Ulysses; Bostwick Road Facility Storm Sewer Rehabilitation; Dodge Road Bridge Replacement in Dryden; and the Coddington Road Intersection Safety Improvements in the Town of Ithaca.
• Finance Director Rick Snyder reported on first-quarter County sales tax receipts, which show an increase of 2.99% over first-quarter receipts for 2017.

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