Chemung County legislators approve package of routine resolutions; resident urges website, audio and records improvements

The Chemung County Legislature approved a large package of grouped resolutions on Oct. 14, 2025, while a member of the public used the meeting’s public-comment period to press legislators to improve the legislature’s website, make archived meetings easier to find and ensure public-comment audio is recorded clearly.

The public commenter, who identified herself as a Chemung County resident, told legislators she had emailed Mark Marginson and that County Executive Moss had asked county staffer Kevin Adams to follow up on suggested website changes. She said Adams had made some updates but that additional changes needed the legislature’s approval. “Get it, get it together is my point,” the resident said during public comment.

Why it matters: public access to agendas, archived videos or audio, and contact information affects transparency and the public’s ability to follow and participate in local government. The commenter listed specific items she said are hard to find on the legislature’s site: a clear “meet your legislators” page with contact links; an easy-to-use meeting calendar; a prominent “join live meeting” link; searchable archived meetings; agendas; subcommittee lists and chair contacts; and press releases.

Details from public comment

The resident said she first emailed Mark Marginson on Sept. 25 with a document of recommended web-page changes and followed up on Oct. 11 after not receiving a reply. She said County Executive Moss had directed Kevin Adams to contact her, and she described Adams as responsive and willing to make changes that he controls. She asked that the chair review and approve remaining items so Adams could add them to the legislature’s page; she also asked that written public-comment submissions be retained as part of the meeting record where feasible.

A legislator who spoke near the end of the meeting said leadership has been reviewing website and social-media issues and that the matter is on the leadership’s agenda.

Votes at a glance

The Legislature handled a long preferred agenda and several grouped resolution blocks. The meeting record shows the following formal outcomes (roll-call votes were used for the preferred agenda and multiple grouped resolution blocks):

- Motions to combine and approve grouped resolutions 25-4-12 through 25-4-22 — carried on roll call; an abstention was recorded on item 25-4-22 by a legislator who disclosed a potential conflict of interest related to a not-for-profit receiving a grant.

- A portion of resolution 25-4-22 (a proposed grant related to the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp / Friends of the Elmira Civil War Prison Camp) was withdrawn from consideration during the meeting and the withdrawal was carried.

- Resolution 25Dash431 (listed by the clerk during roll call) was withdrawn earlier in the meeting.

- Grouped resolutions 25-4-23 through 25-4-40 — carried.

- Resolutions authorizing agreements and purchases (examples read into the record and carried) included: an extension with Pelican Chemicals Inc. on behalf of Amara Koning Regional Airport; grant application and acceptance from the New York State Office of Indigent Legal Services on behalf of the county public defender/public advocate; agreements on behalf of the Chemung County Sheriff’s Office with local school districts and BOCES; amendments and extensions for the county nursing facility and county health and social-service contracts; professional services agreements with Barton & Leducie (Barton and Lejudice, DPC) for public works; information-technology purchase agreements including Microsoft Inc. and Carahsoft Inc.; and change-order approval for Edger Enterprises on behalf of Chemung County Sewer Districts. These items were announced, seconded when required and approved by roll call.

- Resolutions 25-4-41 through 25-4-47 (awards of bids and vendor contracts for Building & Grounds, nursing facility purchases, public-works equipment, IT purchases and airport asphalt products) — carried.

- Resolutions 25-4-48 through 25-4-50 (purchases/awards) — carried.

- Resolutions 25-4-51 through 25-4-53 (staffing plan amendments for Social Services and Mental Hygiene, new health-insurance rates effective Jan. 1, 2026, and standard workday reporting) — carried.

- Resolutions 25-4-41 through 25-4-42 (transfers/appropriations and transfer of county-owned real estate to the Chemung County Historical Society) — carried.

Where the transcript recorded roll-call responses by name, the record shows a majority of “aye” votes on carried items; abstentions and withdrawals noted above were recorded by the clerk during roll call and announced on the floor.

What the record shows about next steps

The resident who spoke asked that leadership either authorize the county staff changes or appoint a committee of legislators to oversee website and social-media updates and to communicate approvals to Kevin Adams. At least one legislator requested that leadership review the submitted document of suggested changes and communicate with Adams about which items to implement.

Ending

Most items on the evening’s agenda were routine contracts, vendor awards and interdepartmental agreements that the Legislature approved by roll call. The public comment on website accessibility and archived-meeting audio prompted a leadership response that the matter is being reviewed; the minutes show requests for follow-up but do not record a formal assignment to a specific committee or a staff deadline for changes.