Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Broadband And County Bundles topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cayuga County Legislature approves ConnectAll planning grant, ends regional broadband agreement and clears multiple contract and budget bundles
Summary
The legislature authorized termination of the Central New York Regional Planning Board broadband agreement, approved a $250,000 ConnectAll planning grant application and passed multiple Ways & Means and Health & Human Services contract bundles, including a state‑funded shelter arrears program of about $300,000.
CAYUGA COUNTY — At its Dec. 11 session, the Cayuga County Legislature authorized steps to shift local control of broadband planning, approved a regional planning grant application, and approved several bundled resolutions covering personnel actions, contracts and program funding.
The legislature voted to authorize the chair to execute termination of the intermunicipal agreement and related resolutions tied to the Central New York Regional Planning Board’s broadband project, a move prompted after New York State canceled the previous regional grant. County leadership said the action removes the third‑party grantee from the project and allows Cayuga to pursue a locally led path forward.
Members also approved authorizing an application to the state’s ConnectAll program for a $250,000 planning grant to evaluate the current status of broadband needs and identify a scalable, staged project that could include work eligible for completion by Dec. 2026. The chair said the planning grant will allow the county to “identify additional areas of need, determine a large scale project that meets the needs of Cayuga County and divide that into stages.”
The legislature cleared several bundled motions from Ways & Means and department committees. Ways & Means moved WM2 through WM7 as a bundle (annual and budget‑linked resolutions to be executed once the budget is final). WM9 — a separate resolution finalizing abolishment of certain filled positions in order to place affected employees on civil‑service preferred lists — was explained in detail by HR Director Diane Ferris, who said abolishment is the mechanism for creating eligibility for preferred lists and does not apply to unfunded vacant positions.
Health & Human Services presented a package of mostly annual contract renewals (HH2, HH4, HH5, HH7, HH8, HH11, HH13) and a separate funding acceptance. The legislature accepted state funding of just over $300,000 for a shelter arrears/eviction‑forestallment program intended to prevent homelessness; HHS chair described the grant as 100% state funded and earmarked for eviction prevention.
Public Safety and judicial purchases (JP1 and JP3) — including Eaton batteries for the primary 911 center UPS and a replacement snowmobile for the sheriff’s office — were approved as budgeted replacements.
Dr. Durrant, appearing remotely, urged support for a SUNY capital project request the college has secured local matching funds for; the legislature agreed to forward the college’s request for state capital consideration.
Next steps: the county will proceed with the ConnectAll planning grant if awarded and expects additional resolutions should the planning work identify a feasible, fundable stage. Personnel, contract and budget changes approved at this meeting will proceed according to the normal implementation steps outlined in the resolutions.
