[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":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,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6641997,"mediaKeyId","3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28","parentId",3409387,"title","Votes at a glance: Ways and Means committee advances county resolutions on budget, contracts and public safety","audioSeconds",2884,"startMs",769000,"endMs",3653000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28&start=769&end=3653","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28/thumbnail_769000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6641997/Cayuga-County/New-York/Votes-at-a-glance-Ways-and-Means-committee-advances-county-resolutions-on-budget-contracts-and-public-safety","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6641997-991fdc487f99e0bcbde0f4e87958f2a2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198613&Signature=KWBD2UEZt4tKM6r2xRqDDZx2cPoPEM1zFm7tnsDJeYawDB97UsQA628CjxAzha3NGCRP3b41vjHmYNA~7xQUj-d9EW5d4f86AheQ88x0bEqGM29g3WRDnGfDdvU1REKWOggBUdF3LRMvTyCHFvz8GI94BZFuG8jE4LL~9Qvq80bbemg9HyCoEXLiVHH9eAFctDvCdRNIBGQPn7rZvQjX~qbM8n0VDHOQg7OTWvzmIZ0dijNlpYlLjXmxrZYSApLDYtxHw6YCDzGNU3HMHHcbuloGhmeNLhMCg8xlOoKVLZUIlxAyXo1LFy6def8ZnEcPqdlTAfn6HWJa-Zy7GQwjXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cayuga County, NY","date","2025-05-20T00:00:00Z","article","The Cayuga County Ways and Means Committee on May 21 voted to advance multiple resolutions involving routine county finance actions, contracts and public‑safety authorizations. Many items were moved and approved by voice vote with little debate; votes recorded in committee were unanimous \"Aye\" unless noted.

Key committee approvals and motions (committee-level action and recorded committee vote):

- WM1 — Authorize the county treasurer to pay mortgage tax to towns and villages. Motion moved and seconded; committee voice vote \"Aye.\" Staff said the county receives a state report allocating town shares and applies a county formula to allocate village shares based on assessed values.

- Buildings & Grounds / Pest control services (late addition) — Authorize updated service agreements with an existing vendor to capture a discounted rate and expand service coverage to additional county buildings. Moved and seconded; committee voice vote \"Aye.\" Staff said the sheriff's building rate would drop to $900 under the updated agreement.

- Procurement / Project managers — Authorize solicitation results and contracts for project management and environmental consultant services related to county office projects. Committee moved and approved; staff characterized the selected firm as offering a senior project manager at $135 per hour and higher rates for environmental specialists.

- Health & Human Services resolutions (HH1–HH5) — Committee advanced five separate HHS items: a two‑year rabies program agreement (about $26,000), a budget amendment to add roughly $268,000 for a rental supplement program, authorization to fill a child‑welfare caseworker vacancy, renewal of a $103,000 contract with Rescue Mission for transitional housing services, and authorization to contract with independent licensed psychologists to perform competency evaluations (rates of $350–$400 per evaluation). All motions moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.

- Government Operations — Authorize the chairman and chief information officer to enter an agreement with the city of Auburn for information‑technology managed services. Passed by voice vote.

- Planning — Award grant‑funded consultant services for the Village of Moravia small project grant (New York Forward). Moved, seconded and passed by voice vote.

- Public Works (PW1, PW2) — Approved a 3‑year agreement with Onondaga County and a separate PW2 item discussed earlier in committee. Both moved and passed by voice vote.

- Judicial/Public Safety (JP1–JP6) — Committee approved multiple public‑safety actions: creation and filling of positions in the 9‑1‑1 center (JP1 and JP2), a budget adjustment for 9‑1‑1 domestic‑violence training (JP3) that will require a two‑thirds vote at the full Legislature, authorization to allow the District Attorney to fill either a vacant assistant DA or law associate position (JP4), an agreement with ViaPath (formerly Global Tel*Link) for inmate telephone/tablet services at the county jail (JP5), and the purchase and installation of Motorola software for two laptops to support the county's 9‑1‑1 backup emergency plan (JP6). Committee votes on these items were moved and seconded and passed by voice vote; JP3 was noted as requiring a two‑thirds vote by the full Legislature.

Committee members said several items would proceed to the full Legislature for final approval at the next scheduled meeting. Staff noted that some items were routine, bid‑driven procurements or contract renewals; the committee did not request additional information for most of the motions before advancing them.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Cayuga County Committee Meetings - Ways & Means (May 20, 2025)","oneSentenceSummary","The Ways and Means Committee approved a slate of routine and programmatic resolutions, including mortgage tax distribution, pest control service agreements, several Health & Human Services contracts, IT services with the city of Auburn, public‑works agreements and multiple public‑safety items.","taxTitle","Cayuga County, New York","taxId",68314,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6642001,"County office building repairs, contamination access and consultant bids dominate committee discussion",592,1689000,2281000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28&start=1689&end=2281","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28/thumbnail_1689000.jpg","/articles/6642001/Cayuga-County/New-York/County-office-building-repairs-contamination-access-and-consultant-bids-dominate-committee-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642001-2910a35860ce9932d1244ca11000fac8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198613&Signature=AnwNGj39vQd~Y71PrMYvnmX~z1rm8gmdTMgW70iWkJNFXWkJq7beJZVK1b9wm27CUcpmSn~yFEiN9aXoJw07054n4pgrWn0w0w~aLPQQ5wCTzn3WgzwjGV5uH3VDCdtc8D4uMj5NSEsUqRAeuwvT8pJEKuxuUxr2p5dDncwL0UUG8HB-MMnwl6GTNieZhWIn54V7THQ7oH5M0CIa73IV5cKLdwkw7xUbdq8xhO2AH4wZaYinX7m7Jgh6LT0SaMRqV3D~z9QWSR5iYtQqX9GzyTmfaOXGV1pqWz8mzs8keOqnGwm5jo4LFOe7sItpJmPgYHLZmLtehZYL18esGx65aQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","CAYUGA COUNTY ' Committee members on May 21 were briefed on active repairs and contamination access at the County Office Building and reviewed bids to hire external project managers and environmental consultants for renovations and remediation.

County staff described a leak and warranty work for the Hardenberg roof and separate outstanding certification work for the County Office Building roof that requires architect confirmation. Staff said rooftop access is possible via an open stairwell, but parts of the building remain inaccessible because of contamination control measures erected by responders and contractors.

A county staff member explained the operational need for multiple vendors to access the COB basement to maintain critical infrastructure, including the chiller, electrical systems, 9‑1‑1 backup equipment and data‑center components. \"There are 3 different vendors coming in. I scheduled those 3 different days and based off of who needs to be the first one to access,\" a staff member said, describing coordinated scheduling to complete pipe repairs, feed‑water work and a two‑day chiller process.

Committee members asked about safety and public concern over lights that remain on in the vacant building. Staff said panels on floors 1, 3, 4 and 5 have been turned off; other panels on floors 2 and 6 are currently inaccessible because contractors have built containment structures over switchgear. Emergency lights that are not panel‑controlled remain on for safety and have not been disabled.

A draft cause‑and‑origin report for the building incident is complete in draft form but does not include scope estimates for remediation costs, staff said. The county is arranging a meeting with Colliers and Lozier (consultants referenced in bidding and emergency response work) to review the draft and clarify recommendations before finalizing the report. The staff member said the report is a draft and will be discussed with the Legislature before public release.

Separately, the committee reviewed the results of a county bid process to secure outside consultants for project management and environmental services tied to COB projects. Staff said the county solicited proposals through its website, BidNet and regional newspapers, held pre‑bid conferences, and received a mix of responses including temporary staffing agencies and specialized firms. The selected vendor for project management services proposed a senior project manager rate of $135 per hour; environmental specialist rates were quoted higher (one example cited at about $250 per hour). Staff said the selected team has experience with counties, towns and villages and will provide feasibility analysis, cost estimates and a hybrid delivery model that staff will present to the full Legislature.

The committee also discussed safety protocols for contractors accessing contaminated areas: contractors must wear PPE, use respirators, be escorted, and have decontamination facilities on site. Staff said these measures increase costs but are required for compliance.

The committee asked for a public update once the draft cause‑and‑origin findings are reviewed with consultants and finalized. A staff member said a meeting with Colliers and other consultants will be arranged \"next week\" to review the draft and next steps.","Committee members discussed contaminated areas of the County Office Building (COB), vendor access and safety protocols, a draft cause‑and‑origin report, and the county's request for project management bids for COB projects.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6642006,"Cayuga County Legislature approves temporary hiring restrictions, exempts mental‑health care managers",1117,2312000,3429000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28&start=2312&end=3429","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409387-1fc4943bede8cae8d34ca6972b964e28/thumbnail_2312000.jpg","/articles/6642006/Cayuga-County/New-York/Cayuga-County-Legislature-approves-temporary-hiring-restrictions-exempts-mentalhealth-care-managers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6642006-3f7077aafafe0663232ea9a7db23aacd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771198613&Signature=iiBUB8e-52Mhmrzx6p5v6R~pnxxblA1qhP8PPJ2UVjWhhK0Z2Arfgx5KWbUGPvv1IYpwup7jsF4RzjV~R2mHb6mvzodgf75u2hyGwIsrk7NhGOvQqX7lFO455X57358rVSE6cyfNw1j4sSTWtki6PAiLcdkeQyzn6Qk9zJ5a4xYc~iTVnmrF72wBwVjhIunoNhLO1Paa~YrAXWLs1ipbVNDaHc3T7CtpAXp4sOEoEhPZCWWvgJUYIpfMc~EEmi-e7tt4G-6Hhh7Nk8~YKyt1eujB8Mb2TCA1cL0QFxtb9obsellx~yeKy6zDpxCCD5v06WWnq6sOSuYCvlxZLvL6dw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cayuga County Legislature's Ways and Means Committee on May 21 approved a temporary hiring restriction that will bar most county hires from June 1 through Aug. 31, with an amendment to exempt mental‑health care managers in the county clinic.

The resolution, advanced by a committee legislator and adopted after debate and an amendment, was described by the sponsor as a measure intended to \"preserve essential services, but reduce the spending in our '25 budget by keeping vacancies open.\" The committee voted in favor of the amended resolution by voice.

Committee members and department staff debated what the temporary pause is intended to accomplish and how to measure its effect. The sponsor said the pause'which could be rescinded or amended by majority vote'is meant to hold newly opened or anticipated vacancies from being filled so legislators can examine positions during the upcoming budget cycle. \"If we were going to downsize our workforce, there would be vacancies we could consider at the budget time that potentially would not be filled going into '26,\" the sponsor said.

Legislators pressed for clarity about operational risks. One member said the freeze could affect seasonal or operational hires, noting the county needs motor equipment operators (MEOs) to staff winter plowing operations. The committee discussed the tradeoffs: leaving vacancies unfilled could reduce spending but risk losing candidates to other employers or impair services that must be staffed year round.

A key amendment, proposed during committee discussion and adopted by voice vote before the full resolution vote, added \"care managers\" in the county mental‑health clinic to the list of exemptions. Lauren, a social‑services staff member who spoke about the program, told the committee that the care manager program is funded primarily by billing and state aid: \"The care manager program altogether is covered by revenue that's billed. We also get state aid funding that covers the cost of that entire program.\" She said the program currently employs two care managers and that losing one would reduce the clinic's capacity to serve existing clients, including individuals on court‑mandated assisted outpatient treatment.

Committee members said the exemption was added because care managers generate revenue that offsets clinic costs and because the role cannot easily be folded into other staff duties. The committee also discussed other exemptions already listed in the resolution, including positions in public safety, social services, and emergency dispatch.

The sponsor said departments will be invited to meet in June to review their current 2025 budgets and identify vacancies that could remain unfilled without harming essential services. The resolution takes effect June 1 and runs through Aug. 31; the committee noted it can extend, amend or rescind the restriction with majority support.

Votes at the committee meeting on the amendment and then on the resolution as amended were both recorded by voice as \"Aye,\" with no recorded nays during the committee session.

The committee also flagged that some departmental needs (for example, seasonal hires and critical custody positions) may require further exemptions if the pause causes operational problems. The commission will revisit exemptions and implementation details during the budget season.","The Ways and Means Committee approved a temporary countywide hiring restriction taking effect June 1 through Aug. 31, with an amendment to exempt mental‑health care managers after debate about revenue and service continuity.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Ways and Means committee advances county resolutions on budget, contracts and public safety

County office building repairs, contamination access and consultant bids dominate committee discussion

Cayuga County Legislature approves temporary hiring restrictions, exempts mental‑health care managers