CCTVS (County-City-Towns-Villages-Schools) Committee

Thursday, October 25, 2007

MINUTES

 

Present:  Larry Cornell, Co-Chairman; Sandy Price, Co-Chairperson; Scott Schrader, Angie Wyatt, Carol Tytler, Jeremy Boylan, Newell Willcox, Kay Breed, Mike McKee, John Steger, Don Chambers, Lee Price, John Partigianoni, Betsy Larkin, Pam Griffith, Jenae Griffith, Kevin Mooney, Eric Mulvihill, John Carroll, Paul Allen

The meeting was called to order at 7:30p.m. by Larry Cornell

·        Welcome:  Mr. Cornell welcomed everyone and thanked them for attending.

MOTION BY LARRY CORNELL – 2ND BY SANDY PRICE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 25, 2007 MEETING – ALL PRESENT VOTING IN FAVOR – MINUTES APPROVED

·        Bicentennial Update Report (Jeremy Boylan, Cortland County Historian) – Mr. Boylan briefly discussed the events planned for the Bicentennial Celebration.  Some of the events planned are:

-                     A Bicentennial Parade:  The parade is tentatively set for September 13, 2008.  The committee will ask each town to have a float of some kind to represent history.

-                     Bicentennial Ball:  The Bicentennial Ball will be held September 20, 2008 in the Courthouse Park.  Many more volunteers are still needed.

-                     Historical Supplement:  The historical supplement will be in the Cortland Standard.  It will encompass all aspects of County history, from formation of towns to business and famous residents.  Municipal Historians have been asked to contribute.  Submissions will also be sought from the general public.

-                     County-wide bell ringing: They are working to organize all churches in Cortland County with active church bells or chimes.  The bicentennial falls on April 8, 2008, and they are hopeful that every resident of Cortland County will be able to hear church bells chiming to commemorate the event.

-                     Other Planned Events: Fireworks celebration, a county-wide Heritage Weekend with all historical museums open to the public, tree planting, vintage baseball game, slow pitch softball tournament, barn dance in Polkville  among other events.  

Ms. Tytler asked Mr. Boylan if the Bicentennial Committee has a budget.  Mr. Boylan indicated that they will need money but most of the events will have tickets for sale.

·        Proposed Department of Motor Vehicles Locations (Carol Tytler, Legislator/Chairperson-AD HOC Committee) -  Ms. Tytler gave a Power Point Presentation outlined as follows:

-                     Criteria:  4000 square foot building; 50 parking spaces for staff and customers; access to public utilities; can be in 100 year flood zone but not in 500 year flood zone; easy access by Cortland County residents as well as residents from other counties.

-                     Disadvantages of the present location:  The parking situation is terrible; Just to go to DMV Department, people have to go through the magnetometer/security;  They are and will be renovating the Courthouse to make more space for the courts, court offices, district attorney’s office, probation, County Clerk’s office and records room so that the departments will all be on the same floor – moving the DMV department will make this easier.

-                     Pursuit of Potential Properties:  By realtors; private land-owners and Buildings & Grounds Superintendent, Brian Parker.  They initially had 30 plus properties.

-                     3 Final Property Locations:  A property between Cleveland Street and River Street (across the street from the Hampton Inn); The property on River Street where the BOCES classes are held (the old Great American and Eckerd’s Drug Store location) – it is the area where River Street is – there is still an old house there and would include the green area behind the house; and the Simon property on Rte. 13-Tompkins Street across from the Hardware Store & Cort-Lanes.  The State DMV would still have to review the property that is chosen.

-                     Lease vs. buying:  Mr. Schrader explained that if we buy the property we can bond for it over a 30 year period.  If we lease the property the owner will want to re-coop their expense of building the facility within 10 years and the County would end up with nothing.  Mr. Willcox asked if we could lease with the option to buy.  Mr. Schrader said that it wouldn’t be a good idea because of the residual value at the end of lease would end up costing us more.

Mr. Allen asked why they just can’t use the South Main Street location.  Ms. Tytler indicated that the DMV Ad Hoc Committee did not know for sure if the County would be buying the South Main property(ies) and that the property(ies) is not a convenient location.  Mr. Carroll asked why the DMV needs to be close to the Courthouse/County Office Building.  Ms. Larkin indicated that she oversees the DMV and her office is located in the Courthouse.  She needs to be at DMV at some point every day because of needing to make bank deposits and to just check in with the staff.

The next meeting time will be announced when determined.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:03p.m.

The meeting were taken and prepared by Angie Wyatt, Secretary to Mr. Schrader

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