January
15, 2007 at 10:00AM
DRAFT MINUTES
Others Present: Scott Schrader, County Administrator; Angie Wyatt, Secretary to County Administrator; Lee Price, Sheriff; Undersheriff Herb Barnhart; Captain Glen Mauzy; Captain Budd Rigg, Jail Administrator; Mark Suben, County Attorney; Jane Goldner, Probation Director; Bob Duell, Fire/Emergency Management Director; David Hartnett, District Attorney; Rob Corpora, IT Director; Jack Hess, Deputy IT Director; Jim Mulhern, BOVIS; Eric Mulvihill, WXHC Radio News Director; Evan Geibel, Cortland Standard Reporter – Legislative Chairman John Daniels was still at the Highway Committee meeting
The meeting was called to order by Chairman Tom Williams at 10:10a.m.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 4, 2007 MEETING MADE BY MR. WALDBAUER - 2ND BY MR. ROSS - ALL PRESENT VOTING IN FAVOR – MINUTES APPROVED
GENE WALDBAUER WAS APPOINTED BY JUDICIARY & PUBLIC SAFETY CHAIRMAN TOM
WILLIAMS TO SERVE AS VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE JUDICIARY & PUBLIC SAFETY
COMMITTEE
Mr. Williams welcomed new Legislators, Mr. Waldbauer, Mr. Piombo and Mr.
Loomis to their first JPS meeting and asked that everyone present introduce
themselves.
RESOLUTIONS:
1. Authorize Agreement Fire & Emergency Management Satellite UHF Site, Town of Cortlandville – MOTION BY MR. SPAULDING - 2ND BY MR. ROSS - ALL PRESENT VOTING IN FAVOR – MOTION PASSES
Discussion: Mr. Duell explained that this Cortland tower site is located on Locust Avenue and will service the north half of the County.
DISCUSSION/COMMITTEE
ACTION
Fire/Emergency Management – Mr. Duell indicated that the clerical position he requested is in the process of being filled.
Sheriff – Sheriff Price mentioned that the quick chill meals for the jail are in the process of starting.
Mr. Williams advised the Committee that he has asked Sheriff Price to assemble a notebook containing information regarding the jail such as all the jail studies completed in the past 5 years, the cost of transportation and the boarding out of inmates and all other related costs. The JPS Committee will receive this information and forward suggestions to the full Legislature. Mr. Ross suggested that Sheriff Price arrange a tour of the jail for the benefit of new Legislators and the rest of the Committee. The JPS Committee will meet at the Public Safety Building on January 24, 2008 at 8:00a.m. to tour the jail.
Mr. Williams has contacted Senator Seward’s office to inquire about the future of Camp Pharselia, which the State will be closing in the near future. Mr. Williams suggested that if there are not plans for the Camp Pharselia site, that maybe a multi county consortium could be formed to use the site for sentenced inmates. Mr. Williams will have more information at the next JPS meeting.
Sheriff Price mentioned that his department and the Fire/Emergency Management Department ate working on getting a county and statewide interoperable communication system and they are also working together to get the redundant 911 Center at the new training center in Cortlandville up and running.
Probation Department – Ms. Goldner reported that they have 638 people on probation of which 60 of them are juveniles. These numbers are high for Cortland County. She also reported that she is working with the Department of Social Services on the PINS (Persons In Need of Supervision) Diversion Program. This program has been overwhelming to the point where they had to hire more staff. With more staff the program will have more success. Referrals not only come from the county schools but also from families.
Ms. Goldner also reported that they have 3 people on electronic monitoring (ankle bracelets) and are in the process of working on a new vendor. She also explained that A.T.I. (Alternatives To Incarceration) is part of the Probation Department.
Fire/Emergency Management – Mr. Duell advised the Committee that the Training Center is in working progress as the Buildings & Grounds Department staff’s time permits. The material is already there. It will be a state-of-the-art classroom and a backup 911 Center.
By 2010 the County will be required to go to narrow banding process. It will be statewide and will need to be implemented in our area. If we do not have the narrow banding we will be out of business.
A representative from the NY State Office of Emergency Management will be in Cortland to do a Power Point presentation on New York Alert Program. Mr. Duell urged JPS Committee members to attend this presentation. He will advise the Committee of the date and time when he receives it.
District Attorney - Mr. Hartnett gave a brief overview of the District Attorney’s Office. His office services 15 town courts and the city court. There are 4 new town justices and his office is helping to get them up and going. His office is able to make minor suggestions but they cannot give advice.
Mr. Hartnett’s office is continuing to use the Cortland County Drug Task Force to combat drug use in the community. The most popular drug of choice in the County is cocaine. The Sheriff’s Department, City Police and SUNY Cortland Police work well together. The drug problem is never going to stop but they can keep up with it.
Mr. Hartnett indicated that the renovation in the courthouse is a concern. He has not been kept in the loop with the plans.
Mr. Hartnett reiterated that we need a new jail and is happy that Mr. Williams is making it a JPS Committee priority.
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Mr. Corpora indicated that he and Mr. Hess were in attendance to make the Committee aware that the Information Technology Department provides technical support to all county departments, particularly the 911 Center and county communication systems. Sheriff Price commented that the IT Department is very important to his department.
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Mr. Suben briefly updated the status of the Conflict Attorney lawsuits. He indicated that he cannot represent the county in this matter and has retained Robert Bergen of Auburn to represent the County. Mr. Suben indicated that the county has the right to hire a Conflict Attorney to control costs – the issue is whether it was done properly. He further commented that there was a lack of communication with the Cortland County Bar Association and he will make sure that there is better communication with the Bar Association.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:50a.m.
The minutes were taken and prepared by Angie Wyatt, Secretary to the County Administrator