The Tompkins County Legislature voted 9–5 on Aug. 5 to authorize purchase of property at 31 Dutch Mill Road in Lansing to serve as temporary swing space during the county’s center‑of‑government project.

The purchase authorization came after weeks of debate and extensive public comment criticizing the site’s accessibility. Legislator Lee Shurtleff introduced the measure; Legislator Greg Mezey moved an amendment that removed the Tompkins County Board of Elections from automatic placement at the Dutch Mill site and added a requirement that the legislature must later vote on which departments would occupy the property. That amendment passed 12–2; the final, amended purchase authorization passed 9–5.

The amendment also included a provision stating, in part, that “the Tompkins County Board of Elections will not be” among departments to be moved to the site; and that legislators will vote on specific placements before any relocations occur.

Why it matters

Legislators said the property would provide needed “swing space” while the county demolishes and rebuilds government buildings downtown — a process administrators say could take four to five years — and could deliver savings compared with multi‑year lease costs. Opponents said the Dutch Mill Road site, in an industrial corridor north of Ithaca, is not accessible by frequent public transit and would place services farther from many residents who rely on walking and bus connections.

What the meeting record shows

Public speakers displayed broad opposition to locating highly public offices at the Dutch Mill Road site. Mary Carol Lindbloom of the American Association of University Women said the site has “limited TCAT bus service” and urged keeping the Board of Elections in downtown Ithaca. Sally Grubb, speaking for the League of Women Voters of Tompkins County, said in‑person services are essential during elections and warned a split or remote office would complicate secure election operations.

Irene Weiser of the Town of Caroline called the resolution vague and said the county should publish criteria for which departments might move, then allow public comment. Andrea Champlin, statewide systems advocate at the Finger Lakes Independent Center, described mobility barriers at the site, including the absence of sidewalks and curb cuts at the nearby intersection.

Some speakers supported the purchase. Robert Lynch, an Enfield council member, told the legislature the Dutch Mill Road parcel offers convenient free parking for some rural residents and said elected officials should have debated the issue on the floor before a county news release announced a change in plans.

Legislators’ discussion and votes

Legislators who supported the amended purchase cited time pressures tied to the demolition schedule for three downtown buildings, the logistical need to move certain departments before IT servers are disconnected, and savings compared with multi‑year leasing. Legislator Deborah Dawson said the location was a relatively low price for usable swing space and emphasized the purchase was temporary.

Opponents, including Legislators Shawna Black, Travis Brooks, Veronica Pillar and Mike Sigler, said they could not support buying the property without publicly disclosing which departments would move and how access would be assured for transit‑dependent residents. Black and Brooks voted no on both the amendment and the final motion; Sigler and Veronica Pillar voted no on the final motion.

Roll call (final motion authorizing acquisition of 31 Dutch Mill Road) — recorded from meeting roll call: Shawna Black: no; Travis Brooks: no; Randy Brown: yes; Amanda Champion: yes; Deborah Dawson: yes; Rich John: no; Anne Korman: yes; Mike Lane: yes; Greg Mezey: yes; Dan Nolan: yes; Veronica Pillar: no; Lee Shurtleff: yes; Mike Sigler: no; Dan Klein: yes. Motion passed 9–5.

What the resolution does (and does not do)

The resolution authorizes the county to complete a purchase agreement for 31 Dutch Mill Road and to use the site temporarily to house county departments while downtown construction and deconstruction proceed. The amendment inserted by Mezey explicitly states the Board of Elections will not be included among departments moved without further legislative action, and it requires the legislature to vote before any departments are placed at the site.

Next steps and context

County staff told legislators there is a time constraint: an accepted offer requires a legislative decision so the seller will not withdraw; administrators said the county needs space in advance of planned building deconstruction and IT moves. Legislator Veronica Pillar said the administration aims to provide a department placement plan to the full legislature within a week so the public will have time to comment before a placement vote.

Speakers and roles (selected)

- Lee Shurtleff, Legislator, Tompkins County Legislature (introduced the resolution)
- Greg Mezey, Legislator, Tompkins County Legislature (moved the amendment)
- Andrea Champlin, statewide systems advocate, Finger Lakes Independent Center (public comment)
- Mary Carol Lindbloom, member, American Association of University Women (public comment)
- Sally Grubb, League of Women Voters of Tompkins County (public comment)
- Robert Lynch, Enfield town councilor (public comment)

Authorities referenced (in public comment)

- “New York law” — referenced by public commenter Ravo Root (Citizen Action of New York) claiming that moving a board of elections out of its city or village of location would require a public vote; this was provided to the legislature as a public comment and is recorded as such in the transcript. (Referenced by: Ravo Root)
- Tompkins County Charter — referenced in public comment concerning the legislature’s authority to decide county relocations. (Referenced by: Robert Lynch)

Clarifying details captured from the meeting record

- Purchase offer status: an offer had been accepted but the purchase required legislative authorization to proceed (administration statement).
- Estimated duration: administrators repeatedly described the relocation as temporary for the estimated 4–5 year duration of the center‑of‑government project.
- Transit access: public commenters reported limited TCAT service to the Dutch Mill Road area (TCAT routes 47 weekdays, 77 weekends cited by speakers); commenters noted lack of sidewalks at the Warren Road/Dutch Mill Road intersection.
- Storage/leasing alternatives: officials said current offsite voting machine storage leases were expiring and the county needed a plan for machine storage and training space before IT server disconnection.

Community relevance

- Geographies affected: City of Ithaca (downtown users), Town of Lansing (Dutch Mill Road), broader Tompkins County.
- Impact groups: transit‑dependent voters, older adults, residents who use county public‑facing services (Assessment, Office for the Aging, Board of Elections), rural residents who cited parking convenience.

Provenance (transcript evidence)

- topicintro: block_4934.08 excerpt: "Thank you, mister chairman. For purposes of further discussion and hopefully action, I'm going to offer resolution j, authorizing acquisition of property at 31 Dutch Mill Road for temporary relocation of county departments during center of government project." (speaker: Lee Shurtleff)
- topfinish: block_7742.985 excerpt: "Yes. The motion carries 9 to 5. Thank you, everybody. We are now going to take a 10 minute break back at 07:48." (record of final vote)

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