Archive: News

The Legislature’s Capital Plan Review Committee Wednesday expressed its support of moving toward further analysis to explore the concept of a Center of Government building, exploring the potential costs and benefits involved if the County were to replace several older, inefficient office buildings with a single, efficient structure. 

The committee, without dissent, authorized County Administrator Joe Mareane to prepare needed proposed resolutions to present to the Legislature and to prepare a scope of services. If approved, up to $50,000 in contingency funds would support expert study of the Center of Government concept, examining potential costs and benefits, and other factors.  Once the funding was authorized, the County would solicit qualifications of prospective consultants to conduct the research.

As he did earlier, Administrator Mareane again stressed that a clear business case must be made for any change, that it must demonstrate clear financial savings over the status quo.  The County’s prior space study, conducted five years ago, first examined the Center of Government concept—suggesting departments located in the Old Jail building, the Office for the Aging, Records, and the County Legislature as potential occupants of such a building.  The study would examine factors including other County departments that might occupy the building, what might be done with vacated structures, and the impact of co-location by other entities, such as the City of Ithaca, in such a building.

Legislators Mike Lane and Kathy Luz Herrera both said it was wise to examine whether a business case exists to pursue the concept further, but did not want Legislators to be steered to a foregone conclusion.  Legislator Lane again raised the issue of the County Jail, in need of renovation, and Legislator Frank Proto questioned whether a similar examination should be conducted related to the jail.  It was agreed that prior jail studies and potential renovation strategies could be reviewed.

Facilities Director Arel LeMaro also presented the committee with preliminary results from a space study of the County Courthouse, mandated by the  New York State Court System and conducted by LaBella Associates, focused on space needs of the court system within the confines of the existing courthouse building.  The committee reviewed building diagrams that would reconfigure the building floor plan to expand court facilities into office space currently occupied by the county Office for the Aging (COFA) and a small portion of the County Clerk’s Office, and would replace the current second-floor Legislature Chambers with a Supreme Court room.  Planning Commissioner Ed Marx noted that, with the exception of the Legislature Chambers, the courts have indicated their space needs could essentially be met by use of the COFA space, which the County has already been ordered to vacate, and reconfiguration of space the courts already occupy.

In response to legislators’ questions, LeMaro characterized it as a conceptual plan at this point, with issues including potential timing, staging, and cost yet to be finalized.  Administrator Mareane cautioned while the study is not final, it should not be considered hypothetical.  State courts can mandate that the County provide additional space, and he said the plan attempts to accommodate that need and represents “a significant step toward coming up with an arrangement that works for both the State and the County.”   Court officials, including Supreme Court Judge Robert Mulvey, administrative judge of the Sixth Judicial District, praised both LaBella’s expertise and County officials’ collaboration with the courts to develop the plan.

LaBella will next present renovation cost estimates to the courts and the committee, scheduled to take place within the next month, with a final report and presentations scheduled early next year.

----
v6i45