Tompkins County · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tompkins County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Leslie McLean Claiborne Strength and Diversity Award
The committee's planned diversity award stalled in 2026 and will now have to be awarded in 2027. Members want the award webpage updated with past recipients and an announcement that nominations are open.
Kratom Regulation
No county update was ready on kratom, a substance tied to injuries; the county attorney promised a written report before the next meeting and will track pending state legislation.
Solar panels on county roofs
A 156-kilowatt solar canopy at the county's Whole Health building is finally moving forward after a lease negotiation with Cornell — expected to cost the county essentially nothing thanks to grants and tax credits, with power flowing by August.
Room tax delinquencies
The county attorney reported one large room tax delinquency — a lawsuit against the operator of Ithiganic Falls seeking about $194,129 — and the county has removed the business from the tourism bureau directory.
Juneteenth and Pride Month Proclamations
The county will proclaim Native American Heritage Month this November, and the committee is looking for volunteers to update last year's draft by October 22. The 2025 version recognizes the Gayogoho:no (Cayuga) people and encourages local Indigenous history education.
Sheriff's Office staffing and recruitment
For possibly the first time ever, road patrol and corrections are fully staffed at the same time after successful open interviews; the sheriff also highlighted hiring his third deputy of color on road patrol.
Historic Marker for James A. Burr
A member-filed resolution would place a historic marker commemorating James A. Burr in the Town of Lansing, recognizing local history.
Airport Terminal Vending Contract
A resolution to award the terminal vending contract at the Ithaca Tompkins International Airport was scheduled for a vote. The contract determines food and beverage concessions available to travelers.
Biosolids gasification and PFAS destruction
The Solid Waste Working Group is exploring whether a pyrolysis plant could gasify biosolids, destroy PFAS, cut waste volume by 90%+, and generate energy — with a report expected in a couple of months.
NYU Furman Center homeless response peer network
Tompkins County/Ithaca was accepted into a national peer network run by NYU's Furman Center to learn better homeless response strategies from cities like Allentown and Jackson.
Rodent Control and Integrated Pest Management
A resident raised pest control problems in the City of Ithaca during public comment, seeking county-level attention to the issue.
Finance Department leadership and operations
The county is still without a permanent Finance Director, and members discussed centralizing Finance Department operations. The HR commissioner also flagged work on performance evaluation software.
Employee Performance Evaluation Policy Review
HR looked at two vendors for performance review software. NeoGov was too pricey at $45,000; UKG would run about $1,900 a year plus a $2,500-$7,000 setup fee, but the county first needs to define its competencies and workflow.
Foreclosure Property Sales and Loss Recovery
The county sold 16 foreclosed parcels at auction and will execute quitclaim deeds. One small Ithaca parcel sold for so little the county took a loss, and the county attorney said there's no direct way to recover it from the former owner — an Albany problem, members agreed.
Water Resources Council bylaws update
The WRC modernized its bylaws: dropping rarely-filled federal and state ex officio seats, lengthening associate member terms, and cutting an inactive committee. A legislator floated adding youth seats, which the WRC may consider later.
Growing Burden of FOIL Requests
The County Attorney warned that FOIL requests are ballooning in breadth — partly because people use AI to generate sweeping litigation-style requests — crowding out other legal work. State law gives the county little room to limit them, though AI search tools may eventually help.
Social Media Policy for County Departments
Updated rules govern how county departments run social media pages, including when comments can be removed. The county attorney steered the language away from First Amendment landmines, and legislators flagged the need for a broader policy on which platforms the county uses.
Recycling Facility Safety Vests
Starting August 1, everyone using the recycling facility's tip floors must wear a high-visibility vest — industry standard after close calls and fatalities elsewhere. The operator will hand out free vests through year-end, with a loaner program after that.
Highway Sign Truck Replacement
A county sign truck was totaled when another driver ran a stop sign and T-boned it; two employees were hurt but recovered. Insurance falls short of the specialized equipment cost, so the county is putting in $36,000 from its contingency fund and pursuing recovery from the other driver's insurer.
Schuyler County Snow and Ice Sharing
After a successful one-year pilot, the county will share snow plowing and road services with Schuyler County for five years — a straight swap of services with no money changing hands. Each county plows a segment near the border, saving both money.
Enfield Falls Road parcel spared from foreclosure
The county will not foreclose on a Town of Enfield parcel this year and will keep talking with NY State Parks and the Finger Lakes Land Trust about its future, while covering about $311 in taxes owed to the town and school.
Chaffee Creek Road Land Acquisition Delayed
A plan to spend $82,000 from the Natural Infrastructure fund to buy 37 acres next to county land in Newfield was pulled after two old gas leases turned up during title research. It should come back once the leases are released and the county attorney signs off.
Veterans Services Programs and Recognition
Veterans Services has upcoming events: a Women Veterans Recognition Day dinner June 26 and a veterans gathering at Garrett's Brewery in Trumansburg July 8, both backed by the Dwyer Peer Support Grant. Veteran Service Officer Ignacio Lopez won a Chamber Fab 5 Under 40 volunteer-of-the-year award.
Local vs. Amazon Purchasing
The county increasingly buys supplies through Amazon, and Hubbard wants more dollars staying with local businesses. Staff will produce a list of vendors so the committee can spot bulk purchases worth shifting to local suppliers.
Systematizing the County Proclamation Process
Diversity-related proclamations have been handled ad hoc, sometimes scrambling at the last minute. The committee plans to build a heritage-month calendar with deadlines and assign proclamations to committee members or departments.
Schuyler County conflict defender agreement renewal
Tompkins County will keep serving as Schuyler County's conflict defender for five more years, with Schuyler paying all costs — about $622,512 total through 2030. It also broadens the local attorney panel.
Security officer transition from DSS to DOER
County security officers are moving from Social Services to Emergency Response; the transition takes effect next week.
County-city bridge cost split
Hubbard pointed out city residents pay county taxes for county bridges outside the city while the city repairs its own bridges — a fairness point she wants folded into county-city sales tax and cost-sharing discussions.
District Attorney Salary Increase
State law automatically ties the DA's pay to County Court Judge salaries, so the 2% judicial raise flows through — about $225,534 a year.
Natural gas contract locked in
The county locked in a three-year natural gas contract below $5 per decatherm, down from $6.50, dodging volatile open-market rates that hit $8.
America 250 Commemoration Funding
A $15,000 state grant will fund three rural community celebrations, an Ithaca commemorative project, and countywide promotion of the nation's 250th birthday events.
Proposed Sales Tax Exemption for Heating
Fact-finding showed exempting home heating from county sales tax would cost about $3 million a year and complicate the tax cap — likely a non-starter, but more analysis may come.
Biomedical research funding advocacy
The county asked the state to boost the 'Bolstering Biotech Initiative' to $165 million as federal research cuts — over $250 million in New York — threaten jobs and cures. Supporters cited a $2.50 economic return per dollar; opponents said the state budget can't fund everything.
Financial disclosure requirements for county officials
The annual resolution lists which county officials and employees in policy-making jobs must file financial disclosure forms — a routine but important transparency measure covering everyone from the County Administrator to legislators and the Sheriff.
County Workforce Recruitment and Retention
HR reported 810 county staff as of February, 73 open postings, and a new recruitment video. Legislators asked for trend data on leave usage and turnover, but the county's outdated application system can't easily produce it — a new HR system is in the works.
Community mural celebrating refugees and immigrants
Ithaca Welcomes Refugees will paint a mural on a county outbuilding at 320 West State Street, visible from the Human Services Building entrance, celebrating inclusion and welcoming newcomers.
State DMV system upgrade shutdown
The local DMV will close early Friday, February 13 and remain closed through February 17 as the state migrates 30 million records to a new system, reopening February 18 if all goes well. Service may be slow at first.
State grant for Ithaca aquatics programming
A $10,000 state grant will help expand swim lessons, pool operating days, and lifeguard training and retention in Ithaca. It's a pass-through reimbursement, so county taxpayers don't pay for it.
Snowmobile Trail Maintenance Grant
The county will accept $40,543 from the state to pass through to five snowmobile clubs maintaining 78 miles of trails. Members raised questions about greenhouse gas emissions from snowmobiling and whether trails serve other users.
Museum of the Earth financial recovery
Legislator Hubbard announced the Museum of the Earth successfully fundraised to pay off its mortgage after losing a major donor, keeping the museum, PRI, and Nature Center open for the community.
2026 Legislative Calendar and Committee Structure
The legislature set its 2026 meeting schedule (dropping July 7) and heard committee reports — most committees reconvene in February with new members, and the Community Recovery Fund Advisory Committee sunsets this year.
Relaunch of IthacaTrails.org tourism website
The county relaunched its trails website with mobile support, real-time editing by trail stewards, and user problem reporting — aimed at the third of visitors who come for outdoor recreation.
Cayuga Medical Center unionization resolution follow-up
Chair Mezey reported that Cayuga Medical Center contacted him after the Legislature passed a resolution supporting hospital workers' efforts to unionize for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.