By a 13-1 vote (Dooley Kiefer voted no; Tim Joseph was absent), the Board gave approval to Tompkins County Sheriff Peter Meskill to apply for a federal grant that would help pay for a new deputy sheriff to do community policing. The Department of Justice grant would pay 75 percent of the deputy’s salary for three years, up to a cap of $75,000. The local cost of the additional officer would be about $160,000 over four years. The grant requires the community police officer’s salary to be paid in full by the County in the fourth year. Community policing allows an officer to consistently work in the same geographic area and to get to know and be known by residents. Besides its potential to reduce crime, Meskill sees the grant as a money-saving way to increase the Department’s law enforcement staff. He points out that the road patrol staff at the Sheriff’s Department is currently at 21 officers, equal to 1995 staffing levels and one less than in 1990.
NEWFIELD OFFERS FREE SPACE FOR SATELLITE SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The Board unanimously (14-0; Tim Joseph was absent) approved an agreement between the Sheriff, the County, and the Town of Newfield to establish a satellite office in the Newfield Town Hall. Deputies will have free office space and the Town will also house their vehicles, so that they can start and end their shifts on the west side of the county. Earlier today, Newfield Town Supervisor Charles Berggren said the Town is more than happy to accommodate the deputies in return for more police presence in the Newfield area.
BOARD APPROVES CHANGES TO AG DISTRICT 2
By unanimous vote (14-0; Tim Joseph was absent), the Tompkins County Board of Representatives approved changes to Agricultural District No. 2, which includes land in the towns of Enfield, Newfield, Ulysses, Danby, and Ithaca. The revisions to the 69,000-acre District were recommended by the Agricultural and Farmland Protection Board. In its review of the District, required every 8 years, the farm board found 4,224 acres that are not used for agriculture, while adding 1,627 of agricultural land. To be designated an Agricultural District by New York State, 50 percent of the included acreage must be used or potentially used for agricultural purposes. The benefits to farmers include reduced assessments and protection against local ordinances detrimental to farming activities. Non-farming residents within an Ag District may expect that farming activities will happen around them.
IN OTHER ACTION
Lansing resident Carol Kammen was appointed to a three-year term as Tompkins County Historian. The unpaid position has a $5,000 annual budget.
The Board scheduled a public hearing for 5:30 pm, June 6, in the boardroom of the County Courthouse for comments on a proposed local law that would allow non-Tompkins County residents to serve on County advisory boards. The law would allow advisory board seats to be filled by residents of contiguous counties. Frank Proto, Daniel Winch, Thomas Todd, and George Totman voted against the holding the hearing.
The current 55-cent telephone bill surcharge that is used to support 911 service in the county will expire November 9, 2000. The Board endorsed a request to the state legislature to extend the surcharge for another year. Frank Proto voted no.
The Board approved an appropriation from the contingent fund for $2,500 to support a study of possible use of the vacant Danby school as a regional agricultural and environmental education center. Susanne Davis voted no. A contract for $89,758 was awarded to Kasonic Builders, of Ithaca, to construct a "re-use building" on the Recycling and Solid Waste Center site. The building will be used to store usable construction and architectural elements that will be marketed by Historic Ithaca, at another site.
The Board unanimously approved just under $25,000 in room-tax funded tourism and local celebrations grants. Ithaca Festival, Juneteenth, and Trumansburg’s Festival of Lights are among the eleven local celebrations to be funded. The tourism development grants support such projects as a farm tour brochure, holistic health guide, and an antique show.