[{"_1":2,"_122":-5,"_123":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98,110],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",5979867,"mediaKeyId","5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2","parentId",5807046,"title","County reports progress readying Cherry Street site for Code Blue season; tenant cooperation helps schedule work","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",7461000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2&start=7461&end=7461","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2/thumbnail_7461000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5979867/Tompkins-County/New-York/County-reports-progress-readying-Cherry-Street-site-for-Code-Blue-season-tenant-cooperation-helps-schedule-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979867-780bcead263b41be8f67d0779e8d5afa/orig.mp4?Expires=1770581711&Signature=nUyx905Q0qzlKdKEbRgwUhTgGWkRGuD8~Ke5ND3uVuiX3vL-T6qbZqeZIU3hpninJMtfARwxpUDf0XrwuSeuXxabL7Ye9n6t8ZurtlTvP-gkpCai9RTVcUOQzQAwfbgzHvyNRVJdqlV5jtfHzxBEF4l8k52hsGtjjR2vi3aF2vLXn1zYfr7CVtRJ0QZtcOxoRX6GTNOkeTI~6CxWMYk~OlTJ7u-KCFo54znJsHSE4o6pK24tPL32wis8YIIAtEMfIrimEq15~wgiJhlzNwAbtmoYR3WDg7AxB-lQpI-CIiWyza8NUNB~hz90t4TE8vVDMcxpDCynoCtwftN9Du0VeA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Tompkins County, NY","date","2025-09-18T00:00:00Z","article","County staff working on the Code Blue shelter at Cherry Street reported steady progress and a timeline aimed at opening before the Code Blue season.
Earl, county staff overseeing the Code Blue work, told the committee the county had reached an accommodation with the current tenant so crews can work on Mondays and Tuesdays (the tenant is closed those days) and that the tenant plans to vacate on Oct. 31. Staff said the arrangement gives about two weeks of weekday access and that the goal remains to have the building ready for Code Blue operations by Nov. 21. \"We can get all those repaired and put in showers...We can do the fire alarm system installation,\" Earl said, adding that the county has acquired panels and devices and has electrical work scheduled with Matco Electric.
Earl listed key remaining tasks: plumbing fixture replacement and repairs to make bathrooms and showers operational; fire‑alarm installation and testing; and contractor and staff work to clean and prepare the space. Staff said they had already located and reactivated three heating units and were coordinating contractors and engineers for other repairs.
Committee members thanked staff for the progress report; no additional funding requests or formal actions were made during the update.
Ending
Staff will continue work with the tenant and contractors and expects to prepare the site for Code Blue operations on or before Nov. 21, 2025, subject to the tenant’s vacate date and construction progress.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tompkins County Facilities and Infrastructure Committee - September 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Facilities staff said the county has negotiated weekday access to a leased Cherry Street building and expects to complete interior work, fire alarm installation and plumbing repairs in time for Code Blue season.","taxTitle","Tompkins County, New York","taxId",52737,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5979872,"Public commenter urges county to reconsider ‘build new’ approach for Center of Government project",321,321000,642000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2&start=321&end=642","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2/thumbnail_321000.jpg","/articles/5979872/Tompkins-County/New-York/Public-commenter-urges-county-to-reconsider-build-new-approach-for-Center-of-Government-project","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979872-3d87b0bc31a20682545d5cfc84602183/orig.mp4?Expires=1770581711&Signature=Bg5F3P9qnfB6~BUE7kEko-G2ZbphDK-n-S9FJwpbEoR3RpGeVc7zx6tyfmOmwJeZoZ2OiD-kmLUgXwxsaLVK2aYOj1k6IpTQTpNGkeMlbL1Q-uxXqh8iLFBUz8BkCv-PSHTfQZV0l~lC-BVU104OtATU4C~4F8V-0SDcJg0yulm6HDRebZuqzk0UzmSDskuacFXU3LZeeSo6PLYjviRFoW6vcMbwaTRicrWdw254PnokRr1pKDqDXc9w1yJkNQufQY5-8wFpvpupOWkOdumvIKrnoRcmyMVG8epRsZQbXh~uQ3XMrE5MqegZujOld4RgmDYRJ3-BXAZS8SfHrIW4WQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amanda Kirschgeschner, a member of the public, urged the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee to pause a new Center of Government ground‑breaking until the county fully evaluates alternatives including reuse of vacant buildings, leased space and decentralized office locations.
\"We absolutely cannot break ground before assessing what we actually have available as options,\" Kirschgeschner told the committee during the public‑comment period. She said the county survey required respondents to select one of three new‑building designs and did not permit voters to recommend alternatives or say \"none of the above.\" Kirschgeschner recommended the county examine existing vacancies in the city, citing the Masonic Temple on Kyuga Street and the town’s reuse of its old post office as examples of adaptive reuse.
Kirschgeschner also urged the committee to factor carbon footprint and sustainability into its decision and to consider operational impacts of co‑locating programs. She said past consolidations — specifically combining probation and social services in one building — had produced \"an unsavory environment\" for clients and staff and argued decentralizing some offices, and avoiding floodplain locations, should be considered.
Committee members thanked Kirschgeschner and indicated downtown facilities discussions would continue with the downtown facilities committee; no action resulted from the public comment.
Ending
Kirschgeschner asked the county to update its public survey to allow \"none of the above\" responses and to present alternatives before proceeding with design or ground‑breaking.","Amanda Kirschgeschner told the committee she could not use the county survey to express a preference for alternatives to building a new Center of Government and urged exploring existing vacant buildings, decentralization and carbon footprint implications.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5979877,"Committee approves one‑year lease for off‑street lot to add about 64 employee parking spaces",768,784000,1552000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2&start=784&end=1552","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2/thumbnail_784000.jpg","/articles/5979877/Tompkins-County/New-York/Committee-approves-oneyear-lease-for-offstreet-lot-to-add-about-64-employee-parking-spaces","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979877-4e95041ded42081a6c581969385c15c6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770581711&Signature=oQz1lkLMvup8~yfVbdZ2cCmpos8LCMa41ZJtoq2gyhoJTP15aboHH8MH6CAcsL54sdqrxa1Fjst23dUBk6YI-CSUkpfi4x579ijx2vHgj9wsr-m0XVAZa-7TErmgs1zumRxQTie~zGBQ-o7Q4nrUpiSux~4dkvCBJXgKXzZnLI54j1t0gvSCWM0GiyBUCgZh2qC1vaEWRgox7q3ng73p22JjI2OI9Fs2TeaHoAXH8~zC5r2Sm5mH-D9kgst7UZD-XIKtv3ie~booDg1JpUl8YmZss40C7izmnYFlndKHLNa3Ce9sJRB~ybJmQCwBjp3mtB2oK2-mKSR4aMbieKpD4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Facilities and Infrastructure Committee approved a resolution authorizing a parking‑lot lease with WT and CE Pritchard to add roughly 64 parking spaces for county employees while downtown construction displaces existing spots.
Facilities staff briefed the committee that the leased lot will provide \"an opportunity to add additional 64 parking lot to the number of spaces that we have,\" and that the lot will be available to employees from every department rather than being allocated to specific staff. Staff said striping and some site markings remain to be done and that facilities and highway crews will assist.
Legislator Randy Brown moved the resolution (ID 13553); Legislator Mike Lane seconded. Committee chair called the question and the motion carried. No roll‑call vote was recorded in the meeting minutes excerpt.
Committee discussion focused on cost and duration. Legislators noted earlier budget authorization for temporary parking of up to $50,000 and asked about the current estimated cost; staff said prior assumptions were based on usage of a different Cayuga Street lot and that net annual cost estimates have been revised. \"The actual annual cost was around about 100 and change,\" staff said, adding that the facilities budget incorporates the lease cost for 2026. Randy Brown asked whether the leased lot would be considered an employee benefit once assigned passes; staff and Norma, county administration, confirmed would be treated as a benefit when tied to an individual parking assignment.
Several committee members stressed that the lot may be temporary during downtown deconstruction and that downtown facilities discussions will continue as plans for the center of government evolve.
Ending
The committee approved the one‑year lease; staff were asked to coordinate striping and to include the lease costs in the 2026 budget and broader downtown parking allocation work.","The Facilities and Infrastructure Committee approved a one‑year lease to add 64 (reported alternately as 64–65) parking spaces to offset losses during downtown construction; committee members discussed costs and long‑term parking strategy.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_46":104,"_48":105,"_50":106,"_52":107,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":108,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":109,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5979881,"Facilities director outlines multi‑year capital backlog; committee warned $700,000 annual allocation is insufficient",3544,1505000,5049000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2&start=1505&end=5049","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2/thumbnail_1505000.jpg","/articles/5979881/Tompkins-County/New-York/Facilities-director-outlines-multiyear-capital-backlog-committee-warned-700000-annual-allocation-is-insufficient","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979881-f097e539144b04dcbfa8c2e38050ae3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770581711&Signature=CgVD1EEXP2JvxYnfpe0slceaCffsOuCOAan4jxMLJvAaIPL98mHJgOdoGJuApKW3LP6pxzUfHH-7mWriM6DHJU5bvxdfDfL6LdZucK7FAoPI198zgAqf4hkX4cEPE-5mUHx2RGgHZbfNKKQHu0zwRtuaYNoD~fw~3TMzwypIFG-lnQM9D118nV3Jb1Vdmeup0VCBL1Px~ZVK-CzaQB6K62uPaw0-7gNhYgKbNevJnd0yZWJLgNOy05iaj-vLPqE7fwHJoo99vtBG29MnUFjraS1oPuG1-OSlDFv3~iOddamKVEsK7E4TSFTqSS6Tj7~KIncENgED~foeKRFd-Y6ZeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Aurel, facilities staff, presented a multi‑year facilities restoration plan showing deferred maintenance across county buildings and flagged roofs, elevators and custom historic windows as the most expensive upcoming needs.
Aurel told the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee that the county’s recurring facilities restoration allocation once ranged from $800,000 to $1.4 million per year but now has been reduced to a proposed $700,000 for 2026. \"We can't afford doing all of this with 700,000,\" Aurel said, summarizing the gap between projected work and available funding.
The presentation listed near‑term projects the facilities team identified for 2026–2027, including: replacement of a 50‑year standing‑seam roof on the courthouse annex and associated gutters and trim; elevator modernizations in multiple buildings (elevators dated 37–38 years); door replacements at the main courthouse (front pivot doors with obsolete hardware); resurfacing and repaving of several staff and public lots; and parking‑lot and site repairs at Human Services and Public Works. Aurel also described work at the public library (masonry, facade repair and possible future structural reconfiguration) and the Public Works vehicle garage roof, noting that solar arrays on several roofs complicate replacements because the panels must be removed and reinstalled.
On solar arrays, Aurel said some rooftop solar installed under prior programs is nearing the end of leases and is nonfunctional in places; removing and recycling older panels is costly and can affect roofing schedules. Committee members and staff discussed alternatives such as ground‑mounted solar, PPA (power‑purchase agreements) and solar canopies to reduce conflict between roof life cycles and panel lifespans.
Committee members asked for the facilities spreadsheet to be circulated to the full legislature and for facilities and finance staff to develop a coordinated capital strategy, including bonding or other financing. \"This is deferred maintenance. It's starting to we pushed it off so long that now we have to address it,\" Aurel said.
Ending
Committee members requested the detailed spreadsheet and asked administration to work with budget staff to identify funding mechanisms (bonding, grants, reallocation) and to return with prioritized, costed options for 2026 and the next five years.","Facilities staff presented a 5‑year capital plan that lists multiple high‑cost roof, elevator and window projects across county buildings and said the current recommended annual contribution of $700,000 will not cover near‑term needs.",{"_33":111,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":112,"_41":113,"_43":114,"_45":115,"_46":116,"_48":117,"_50":118,"_52":119,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":120,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":121,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},5979887,"County weighs solar canopy at Whole Health after $825,000 clean-energy grant; Cornell, village approvals required",1512,5894000,7406000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2&start=5894&end=7406","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5807046-8616f8f3c6b12357ad2ba854e3564fd2/thumbnail_5894000.jpg","/articles/5979887/Tompkins-County/New-York/County-weighs-solar-canopy-at-Whole-Health-after-825000-clean-energy-grant-Cornell-village-approvals-required","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5979887-d07bd5dc4fd5a2077e7b49386d97586f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770581711&Signature=n2rKINEtY-3-I1z4BNuVW1tvIkkM08IYEyKgD2AFjHZiKDalwz97hPwVDb6j2LMNoRmRSvjg1oWQdRNq~Zh3lSXzooca99YDit~kbdriOnH~2MPuk1qePyN3el~A4a2NN1udl~757gI6YqlK~ex6VQxaa5DM~J37-rQVssc2QQXqPD0Gn2AG1SKUXH9qFRV4Ycm87jVZGU0GcP-NDYZg3-EiPAL959gRGTsyA9QHfTRKW4sDb1docRg88GYS6xBqprMWjpvAcMletVSXEH--lx1RZzMcMUdGIbeNxj5bSUpj6i3w02MdXHm6waHOIKvoSREMGDx8nFygVZPh6DCy~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County staff presented three options for a planned solar canopy over the Whole Health parking area after receiving an $825,000 clean-energy communities grant tied to a project that would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.
The most time-sensitive constraint is federal tax-credit eligibility, which staff said would require starting construction this year to capture roughly $439,000 in tax incentives. If the project misses that window, staff said the county could still proceed with a smaller system costing about $825,000 but could not count on the larger federal credit.
Terry, county staff working on the clean-energy program, told the Facilities and Infrastructure Committee that Cornell — the property lessor — must approve the canopy design and that Cornell is asking for two things before consenting: a village sign-off letter and a decommissioning agreement and bond to remove the array at lease end. \"Cornell has said that if we got that letter...they would require a decommissioning agreement and a bond or escrow saying that when we vacated the premise...we would take out the system,\" Terry said.
The Village of Lansing’s zoning includes a 15-foot height limit for accessory structures; the proposed canopy would peak at roughly 19 feet 5 inches and therefore likely needs a variance under local law. Terry said village officials had favored the county going through the village planning and zoning process, which would mean applying for a special-use permit and a zoning-board variance and could add time and uncertainty. \"That only takes one or two people on a zoning board...to really throw a monkey in their works,\" Terry said.
County staff offered three paths: 1) perform a Monroe balancing test and ask the village to accept the test result and provide a letter to Cornell so the county could self-permit; 2) pursue the Village of Lansing’s approval and variance process directly; or 3) abandon the canopy at Whole Health and redirect the grant to a different eligible clean-energy project. Terry said staff would begin due diligence on alternatives, including whether the airport or other county-owned sites could host the array, but noted airport canopy work could require FAA and glint/glare reviews that add complexity and time.
Committee members asked staff to explore options quickly. Legislator Mike Lane said he favored alternatives that avoid extended village review; Legislator Randy Brown suggested checking if the airport could host a canopy. Terry and administration said they would seek guidance and report back; no formal vote was taken.
Ending
Committee members asked staff to pursue due diligence on the village process, the Monroe balancing test and potential alternate locations, and to return with recommended next steps and updated cost estimates. Terry also said the county must notify NYSERDA by the end of October if it intends to change the project funded by the $825,000 grant and that any replacement project must be finished by Nov. 30, 2027, under the existing grant timeline.","County staff said a state clean-energy grant and potential federal tax credits could fund a solar canopy at the Whole Health building, but approvals from Cornell and the Village of Lansing — and tight construction deadlines tied to credits — create timing and permitting risks.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County reports progress readying Cherry Street site for Code Blue season; tenant cooperation helps schedule work

Public commenter urges county to reconsider ‘build new’ approach for Center of Government project

Committee approves one‑year lease for off‑street lot to add about 64 employee parking spaces

Facilities director outlines multi‑year capital backlog; committee warned $700,000 annual allocation is insufficient

County weighs solar canopy at Whole Health after $825,000 clean-energy grant; Cornell, village approvals required