5/10/07 - Committee backs Daisy Hollow study

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

The Cortland County Highway Committee on Tuesday cautiously took the first step in what could be an expensive project to fix recurring issues along a short stretch of Daisy Hollow Road in Harford.

The committee expressed concerns that a project to permanently fix to the road could sidetrack other high-priority county road repair projects, however community demand for a solution prompted it to vote in favor of a $32,200 study by Barton & Loguidice to determine the cost and method of a solution.

The approximately 1,000-foot stretch of road has been a headache for residents living in the area who, two months ago, presented a petition to the county asking for a permanent fix to the road which, despite efforts to repair its surface, consistently breaks down due to weak underlying soil.

“The problem with fixing the road is, literally within a matter of weeks it’s back to where the thing just sinks,” said Legislator John Daniels (D-Cortlandville).

County Highway Superintendent Don Chambers estimated that the county spends $4,000 annually to keep the road up, while Deputy Highway Superintendent Bob Buerkle guessed a permanent fix to the road could cost anywhere from $250,000 to $700,000.
“We won’t know the cost until we have the study done,” Chambers said.

The committee’s dilemma was whether to move forward with a permanent fix for Daisy Hollow Road — which is traveled by about 285 cars per day — in lieu, potentially, of other planned road projects — for instance planned paving work on Kinney Gulf Road, which sees 2,000 cars per day, this summer.

Chambers said that, for the $32,200 study alone, he would have to propose moving money from one of the county’s planned capital improvement projects, likely a reconstruction of East Homer-Baltimore Road that is scheduled to be done this summer. “We’ll just have to shorten that job,” he said, meaning the length of the reconstruction would need to be reduced.

SORRY - JUST HAVE TO COMMENT ON THIS ONE - RANGE OF COST ANYWHERE FROM $250,000 TO $700,000??? Are you kidding me? That's the best range? Could it have been tightened up just a bit, or an explanation on how the high is three times the low?

Wow, County math...

WHAT? Still no master plan?

So here we are again, with committees each trying to solicit proposals for this and plans for that, with no master plan for the County. No priorities, no "big picture", just small groups of legislators trying to take a piece of the pie and not looking at the County-wide needs.

Will it end? For months the 5th and 8th ward residents were calling for -- no, demanding a master plan. From the start of this whole debacle, all we asked for was a PLAN. One plan that is thought out, with all of the space needs identified, addressed, prioritized, and planned. One that had departments that shared services/billing/clients in close proximity, one that will actually propose a building that will FIT the departments, and weighs the impact on the surrounding community.


WE HAVE SEEN NOTHING! And they haven't learned a thing. As reported by the Cortland Standard:
'The General Services Committee supported sending out a request for proposal for properties the county could lease for its motor vehicles office, while the Judiciary/Public Safety Committee seemed intent on moving forward with plans for either relocating or expanding the county jail.
Brown (D-8th Ward) said that both issues would be addressed by the ad hoc committee, which she hoped to have formed prior to the May 22 legislative session.'

Basically, I hear "Let's all be fiscally irresponsible and push a whole lot of taxes on the County residents because we have no idea how to plan."

Plan - wikipedia definition - a proposed or intended method of getting from one set of circumstances to another. They are often used to move from the present situation, towards the achievement of one or more objectives or goals.

We do not have a plan. We have several circumstances - DMV, jail, health... most likely more that we don't know about.

What does it take to develop a plan?
There are 10 simple steps...
1) Identify existing conditions
2) Identify current and future needs
3) Identify Code requirements/implications
4) Develop options
5) Identify costs
6) Prioritize needs
7) Develop duration (5,10,15 years) to carry out meeting the needs
8) Develop budget to meet the needs
9) Consensus on the plan
10) Implement the plan

It is a little more involved, but you can "get the picture".

Several of the steps are already in place from past studies, including the jail study which was JUST COMPLETED! It would merely take a minimal effort from the County - and would not require a consultant (no $$$) to update the data in house.

Form a committee - fine! - and look at the MASTER PLAN! That is the only way you will get consensus on anything. Individual committees will not have the big picture and the master plan; only the plan of the department(s) which they have direct interaction with.

More later.

5/9/07 - Health department’s space needs still exist

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

While two of the county’s three major space needs received discussion Tuesday, the needs of the Mental Health Department, which was the impetus behind efforts to place a Public Health Facility on south Main Street, went unaddressed.

Both the Mental Health Department’s primary clinic space on Clayton Avenue and the Horizon House day program facility on Grant Street have received citations from the state Office of Mental Health for space and confidentiality issues, according to Mike Kilmer, director of administrative services for the mental health department.

Both facilities will be reviewed by OMH in June, said Kilmer, who was concerned that Horizon House’s operating certificate, which has been paired down from a three-year certificate to a one-year certificate based on the citations, would be reduced further, to a six-month term.

“That’s really the best, worst-case scenario, diminishing the operating certificate to a six-month status,” Kilmer said. “They could potentially pull the certificate entirely, and then we don’t have a treatment center … (or) the county could try to mitigate with them, assuming they’d be willing to do that.”

The building on Grant Street has a two-year operating certificate, and while Kilmer said the duration of the certificate could potentially be reduced in June, he also noted that the lease for the building runs out at the end of 2008.

“We’ve outgrown that space, and we were hoping to be somewhere else before then, but it’s mid-2007, so I don’t really see that happening right now,” Kilmer said.

Legislators Tuesday said they were reluctant to move forward on seeking a new facility until the lawsuit regarding the annulled property purchases on south Main Street are resolved.

“I think it’s pretty apparent that (plans to relocate the Mental Health Department) have been set back, and its all contingent upon what’s going to happen (with the lawsuit),” said Legislature Chairman Marilyn Brown (D-8th Ward).

Sean Clark (D-2nd Ward), who chairs the Health Committee, agreed, but said the issue needed to be addressed quickly. “As I understand it the state’s been pretty understanding to this point, but that’s only going to last so long,” Clark said.

I will be checking to see whether the citations were ever published, What the OMH citations for space and confidentiality issues were, and how that impacts the departments. I do not believe that any of them are serious enough to cause operations to cease and pull the operating certificate... stay tuned.

5/9/07 - County to form committee to plan land purchases

(As published by Cortland Standard, Corey Preston reporting)

A special “ad hoc committee” will be pieced together this month to address the county’s various land needs, Legislature Chairman Marilyn Brown said Tuesday.
After a lengthy and potentially costly setback with the annulled south Main Street land deal, legislators Tuesday moved forward cautiously in addressing the county’s numerous space needs.

The General Services Committee supported sending out a request for proposal for properties the county could lease for its motor vehicles office, while the Judiciary/Public Safety Committee seemed intent on moving forward with plans for either relocating or expanding the county jail.
Brown (D-8th Ward) said that both issues would be addressed by the ad hoc committee, which she hoped to have formed prior to the May 22 legislative session.

The third pressing space need for the county, the Mental Health Department, was not discussed in committee, and Brown said she expected discussion would have to wait until legal matters regarding the failed south Main Street land deal are resolved.

“I’m hoping (the ad hoc committee) will be a mix of Democrats and Republicans, some from the city, some from outside the city, from all different committees,” said Brown, who added that she had committee members in mind, but she had not yet contacted all of them. “I’m hoping they’ll look at our options, work with (County Administrator Scott) Schrader so hopefully we can actually address some of these problems.”

Moving forward was the key phrase in both committees.

“I kind of get the sense that a lot of legislators are waiting to see about this lawsuit,” said Legislator John Daniels (D-Cortlandville), referring to a suit filed by the Moose Lodge against the county regarding the failed land deal. “I’d just like to see us move forward on something, and then hopefully once we free up a little space, the other things can start to fall into place.”
Daniels suggested the county put out a request for proposals for a 4,000-square-foot building that could be leased to the county.

“I think there are people out there who would be willing to lease a building and even make sure it fits our needs,” Daniels said, noting that, for instance, he’d been contacted recently about a property on Route 281 that could be adapted to meet the county’s needs. “I think if we get it out there that this is what we’re looking for, people will come forward and try to work with us.”
Daniels’ suggestion was well-received by the General Services Committee.
“I think we should do it, and do it expeditiously,” said Legislator Newell Willcox (R-Homer).

Legislator Larry Cornell (R-Marathon and Lapeer) noted that the current motor vehicles space in the County Courthouse is cramped, has limited parking and is needlessly difficult to access.
He also pointed out that in 2003 the county implemented a registration fee of $5 for cars and $10 for large trucks with the intent of using some of the revenue to seek a new location.
“We need to get it out of there … people shouldn’t have to go through a magnetometer (metal detector) to renew their license,” Cornell said.