Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Tompkins County public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
32 issues with low priority
Employee training program's first full year
HR's new training program ran 52 sessions with 559 participants, most taught by county employees themselves. Plans for 2027 include more leadership development and supervisor training aimed at reducing workplace conflicts.
Employee appreciation event logistics
HR Commissioner Pulliam said county events like the appreciation picnic treat employees inconsistently — some offices close, some can't — and she plans to work with county administration to fix it before next year's event.
Kratom Regulation
Legislators have received outside lobbying emails about kratom; a New York Times article raised safety questions, and the county attorney is reviewing. Members recalled past constituent pleas to restrict it.
Pronouns on county employee badges
The Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee is working with IT, HR, and the safety team to add optional pronouns to county badges, with a dropdown including they/them and a blank option so no one is forced to disclose.
Peak Electricity Demand Management Outreach
A new flyer will tell local businesses about NYSEG programs that pay them to cut electricity use during peak demand periods, when the grid runs dirtier and more expensive power. County buildings don't participate yet, but battery storage is being studied for the airport and public works facility.
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.
Monroe Balancing Test — Tompkins County Shelter
A public hearing was held on accepting the Monroe Balancing Test analysis for the county shelter at 654 Elmira Road in the Town of Ithaca; no one spoke.
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 is suing TFI Enterprises LLC for $194,129 in unpaid room taxes from its lodge, and the County Attorney outlined options including liens, directory removal, and possible public delinquency registries.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Paper-heavy vendor payments
Chair Brown highlighted how Soil and Water and other agencies exchange dozens of small paper checks with county Finance, costing staff time. The push is toward ACH electronic payments, which Finance says it's already moving toward.
New veterans disability exemption
A rewritten state law would make 100% service-connected disabled veterans fully exempt from county property taxes on their homes. Members weren't convinced property tax exemptions are the right funding vehicle, and no action was taken.
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.