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tc_seal120Industrial Development Agency Appointments Approved
The Legislature, by a vote of 9-3, approved Chair Martha Robertson’s appointments to the County Industrial Development Agency.  (Legislators Leslyn McBean-Clairborne, Kathy Luz Herrera, and Dooley Kiefer voted no; Legislators Carol Chock, Frank Proto, and Pam Mackesey were excused.)  Reappointed to one-year terms were Legislators Nathan Shinagawa, Jim Dennis, Will Burbank, and Robertson, who will continue as chair of the IDA.  Appointed for two-year terms, as at-large members, were Larry Baum, who will continue as representative of Tompkins County Area Development, and Ithaca architect Grace Chiang, who is new to the IDA.  City of Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, appointed by resolution last year, will continue as an at-large member until the completion of his two-year term.

Legislators McBean-Clairborne and Luz Herrera both expressed concern about what they view as a lack of transparency in the process in seeking candidates for the at-large seat.  They urged a more open process be used for such positions in the future.

Legislature Approves Sheriff’s Office Grant Funding
The Legislature, without dissent, accepted two grants awarded to the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office—a more than $60,000 New York State Homeland Security grant to support a countywide law enforcement information security risk assessment and purchase of secure Wi-Fi equipment for mobile connectivity for patrol vehicles, and an $8,000 State Child Passenger Safety Seat to support the office’s Child Passenger Seat Program.  Legislators also approved appropriation in 2013 of past awarded funds, including Homeland Security funding and a Legislative Award received last year.

Among other business:

  • County Administrator Joe Mareane said he is initiating a formal examination of the County’s livable wage policy, which will begin with constructive discussion of the policy with the Legislature’s Government Operations and Budget, Capital, and Personnel Committee’s next week.  Questions recently raised regarding wage levels paid under a County contract have sparked discussion about whether the County’s current policy should be strengthened and, perhaps, made mandatory.  Milton Webb and Stanley McPherson, who have worked under contract with ReCommunity at the County Solid Waste and Recycling Center again addressed the Legislature tonight, speaking in strong support of strengthening of the County’s living wage policy so that workers who need it can be receive the living wage.
  • Administrator Mareane presented Legislators with a report consolidating some of the accomplishments of County departments during 2012, noting that a number of these accomplishments were achieved in partnership with other departments.  The presentation may be viewed online at the County web at http://www.tompkins-co.org/ctyadmin.
  • Deputy County Administrator and County Compliance Officer Paula Younger presented Legislators the 2012 County Compliance year-end report.

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