COUNTY AND CORNELL TO SWAP LAND NEAR SITE OF NEW 911 CENTER
The Board of Representatives unanimously approved a small land swap
between the County and Cornell University at the site of the proposed 911
emergency communications center on Brown Road adjacent to the Ithaca-Tompkins
Regional Airport. Both entities have agreed to the swap, which involves
no exchange of money. Cornell’s parcel is needed by the County for a driveway
and probable tower site for its 911 center, and the County parcel will
add a small corner of land to a parcel Cornell has already built on as
part of the area’s industrial park. The County’s parcel is .8 acre. Cornell’s
parcel is 1.15 acres. The parcels are considered of comparable value. Contacts:
Barbara Blanchard, Chair, Communications Capital Committee, 277-1374; County
Attorney Jonathan Wood, 274-5546.
CELL PHONE SURCHARGE TO START IN JANUARY
The Board unanimously approved a 30-cent-per-month surcharge for Tompkins
County wireless phone customers. The charge will be added to cellular and
wireless phone bills starting January 2, 2003. The revenue from the surcharge,
which has been authorized by New York State, will be used to support the
County’s 911 emergency dispatch system. Contacts: Nancy Schuler, Chair,
Public Safety Committee, 272-7298; Lee Shurtleff, Director of Emergency
Response, 257-3888.
BOARD DECLINES COMMENT ON WAR ON IRAQ
The Board failed to add to its agenda a resolution that would have
put the County on record as opposing a U.S. war on Iraq. The resolution,
authored by Rep. Martha Robertson, contained statements regarding global
issues that some on the Board felt were inappropriate for a local government
to consider. Adding a resolution to the agenda requires a two-thirds majority
vote (10-5). The vote for adding the resolution was 8-7. Those who voted
for the resolution to be added were Robertson, Kathy Luz Herrera, Tim Joseph,
Dooley Kiefer, Michael Koplinka-Loehr, Leslyn McBean, Peter Penniman and
Nancy Schuler. Voting against were Barbara Blanchard, Richard Booth, Michael
Lane, Frank Proto, Thomas Todd, George Totman, and Daniel Winch. Contact:
Martha Robertson, 272-0584.
BOARD APPROVES NEW ATHLETIC CENTER FOR TC3
The Board unanimously approved a plan by Tompkins Cortland Community
College to make room for its growing student population by converting the
present athletic area in the main TC3 facility to classroom space, and
building a new freestanding athletic center. The capital project will not
cost Tompkins County anything until 2006, when it will add approximately
$192,000 a year to the County’s debt service. Contact: Peter Penniman,
Chair, Budget & Capital Committee, 387-3928, 387-5897.
POET LAUREATE PROMISES TO BRING POETRY TO THE PEOPLE
Before reading a poem written for the occasion, Katharyn Howd Machan
(pronounced MAH-hahn), Tompkins County’s first Poet Laureate, said she
will involve other poets and County residents of all ages in reading and
writing poetry. Board Chair Tim Joseph formally appointed Machan, who had
been named County Poet Laureate at a ceremony earlier in the day. Machan
said her first official act will be to lead a Mother-Daughter-Father-Son
poetry workshop later this month. Contact: Katharyn Machan, 274-3325, 273-3744.
PUBLIC CAN TRACK LIBRARY’S SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCTION
Rep. Dooley Kiefer provided an Internet address where members of the
public can see how much energy is being produced by the solar panels atop
the Tompkins County Public Library. The address, said Kiefer, is www.powerlight.com.
Those who visit the website will need to type in “library” when prompted
for a user name, and “solar” when asked for a password. Contact: Dooley
Kiefer, Chair, Planning Committee, 257-7453.
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