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Recycling department reports contract work, solid‑waste plan resubmission and corrects staffing codes
Summary
Tompkins County recycling staff reported progress on a contract extension, resubmitted the county solid‑waste plan to the state, discussed capital project overruns and won unanimous committee approval to correct two position ID numbers.
Tompkins County Department of Recycling and Materials Management told the Planning, Energy and Environmental Quality Committee that it is finalizing a contract amendment for the county recycling and solid‑waste operations, resubmitted a revised county solid‑waste plan to the state, and asked the committee to approve a technical correction to personnel position IDs.
Department staff said they had signed a term sheet and were drafting a formal contract amendment, which staff expected to finalize within a few weeks. The department also reported it had received state comments on the county’s draft solid‑waste plan, responded to those comments and planned to refile the plan with state officials midweek for further review.
Committee members questioned capital payment summaries in the department packet after several line items showed pay‑to‑date amounts close to or exceeding original project totals. Department staff said change orders and concrete repairs contributed to the overrun on a recently closed project and that some engineering and design costs were tracked in separate project codes, complicating accounting. Staff said they did not expect additional overruns on the closed project but warned new capital work could bring the usual construction risks.
On a separate administrative motion the committee unanimously approved a resolution swapping two position ID numbers that had been recorded incorrectly between a full‑time driver and a part‑time driver. Department staff said the change only corrects the position control numbers in the county payroll/position system, does not change staffing levels and will not affect the department’s budget.
The committee also heard that the department continues to plan for a part‑time code‑enforcement position to support recycling and illegal‑dumping enforcement; staff said the role was budgeted for 2025 and that updated solid‑waste ordinances were expected by July.
Ending: Department officials asked the committee to expect a finalized contract amendment for recycling operations in the coming weeks and said they will notify the committee if further capital adjustments are required.
