BOARD NAMES ROOM AT SCIENCENTER, HONORS MAE JEMISON
The Board voted 11-1 (Rep. Dooley Kiefer was opposed) to name a room
at the Sciencenter, funded by County room tax dollars, the “People of Tompkins
County Resource Room.” The Board also asked to have the name of Mae C.
Jemison added to the Sciencenter’s “Wall of Inspiration.” Jemison, who
was born in 1956, was the first black female astronaut. She received a
Bachelor of Science degree from Stanford University and a Doctor of Medicine
degree from Cornell University in 1981. She worked for the Peace Corps
in West Africa, and joined NASA as a mission specialist in 1988. Four years
later, she became the first black female in space. Jemison left NASA in
1993 to become director of the Jemison Institute for Advancing Technology
in Developing Countries at Dartmouth College. Contact: Rep. Kathy Luz Herrera,
Vice-Chair, Economic and Workforce Development Committee, 273-8169.
BOARD APPROVES “PINS 18” PLAN
A plan that explains how Tompkins County will handle recent changes
in the state law concerning Persons in Need of Supervision (PINS) was approved
by the Board 9 – 3 (Reps. Dick Booth, Peter Penniman, and Frank Proto voted
no; Reps. Tim Joseph, Michael Koplinka-Loehr, and Martha Robertson were
absent). PINS is a designation that can be legally applied to youths whose
behavior is beyond the control of their parents. On July 1, the new law,
called PINS 18, will raise the age for the designation from 16 to 18. The
County departments of Social Services, Probation, and Youth Bureau contributed
to the plan, which must be submitted to the state Office of Children and
Family Services. Several officials have warned that the PINS 18 law will
cause significant additional costs to the County. Contact: Daniel Winch,
Chair, Health and Human Services Committee, 564-7813.
DRYDEN TOWN SUPERVISOR VISITS BOARD
Town of Dryden Supervisor Mark Varvayanis became the second municipal
official to take advantage of the Board agenda’s permanent spot for a report
by a town supervisor. Varvayanis thanked the County for helping the town
update its flood maps, and encouraged the County to go forward with an
aquifer study. He also mentioned a possible need for more buses on Ellis
Hollow and Snyder Hill Roads. Varvayanis ended by saying that he has observed
County and town staff working more closely, resulting in improved efficiencies.
Contact: Board of Representatives Vice Chair Michael Lane, 844-8440; Dryden
Town Supervisor Mark Varvayanis, 844-9599.
TOMPKINS TO APPLY FOR $600,000 TO HELP FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS
At a public hearing held before the Board meeting, the Tompkins County
Planning Department reported that it will apply for a $600,000 Community
Development Block Grant from the Small Cities Program, administered by
New York State. If received, the grant would help up to 25 low-income first-time
homebuyers. Contact: Ed Marx, Planning Commissioner, Tompkins County Planning
Department, 274-5566.
TOURISM BOARD GROWS
The Board unanimously (12-0; Reps. Tim Joseph, Michael Koplinka-Loehr,
and Martha Robertson were absent) approved expansion of the Strategic Tourism
Planning Board from 15 to 18 voting members, and from two to six non-voting
members. Voting members now include a representative of the restaurant
business. Two at-large voting members were added in 2001. The four additional
non-voting members will be representatives of government transportation,
Tompkins County Area Development, the Ithaca Downtown Partnership, and
the Community Arts Partnership. Contact: Michael Lane, Chair, Economic
and Workforce Development Committee, 844-8440.
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