Planning & Public Works Committee - Regular Meeting

CALL TO ORDER: By Hon. Robert Shea

MEMBERS: Legislators –Brian Muldrow, Heidi Nightengale, Hans Pecher (Vice Chair) and Amy Sargent

MINUTES TO APPROVE: July 14, 2026

APPOINTMENTS: None

Announcements/Items of Note:

- Countywide Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Pre-Planning FINAL PUBLIC Meeting coming up on September 2nd at 6pm at BOCES. - We have hired a Senior GIS Analyst who will be starting with the department on August 17th. We have interviewed several candidates for the Planner position and hope to make an offer and bring someone onboard very soon. - Thank you to everyone who came and participated in the 3 public meetings we held for the Countywide Strategic Plan on 7/28, 7/29, & 7/30. Your feedback was extremely helpful!!

Director’s Monthly Meetings Attended:

- 7/2- WQMA - 7/2- Economic Development Meeting with Chairman Anna - 7/6- Economic Development Coordination Group Meeting - 7/7- Countywide Strategic Plan Committee Meeting #6 - 7/8- Staff Meeting - 7/9- Designing Hybrid Engagement: Moving Beyond Room + Zoom APA Training Webinar - 7/14- Cayuga County Micron Business Steering Committee Meeting - 7/14- Sr GIS Analyst Interview (x2) - 7/14- Government Ops & PPW Committee Meetings - 7/15- Sr GIS Analyst Interview (x2) - 7/16- Cayuga County GML 239-l, m & n Review Committee Meeting - 7/17- NYS Association of County Planning Directors Meeting - 7/17- Cayuga County BOA Pre-Planning Grant Project Update Meeting with Fisher Associates - 7/20- Cayuga County Micron Site Selection Committee Meeting - 7/20- Economic Development Coordination Group Meeting - 7/21- Ways & Means Committee Meeting - 7/23- Sr GIS Analyst Interview (x1) - 7/24- Meeting with County Health Dept re GIS Mapping Needs for Lead Rental Registry Grant - 7/27- Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary Call with Local Governments - 7/27- CNY Miron Steering Committee Meeting • 7/28- Countywide Strategic Plan Public Meeting #2- Locke Fire Hall • 7/29- NYSERDA Solar Bid Site Walk Through at Emerson Park • 7/29- Countywide Strategic Plan Public Meeting #2- BOCES • 7/30- Cayuga County Convention & Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, Planning Committee Meeting • 7/30- Countywide Strategic Plan Public Meeting #2- Ira Fire Hall

Administration & Fiscal Management

• Continued development of the Employment & Training budget for the upcoming fiscal year. • Received preliminary Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding allocations and began planning for anticipated funding levels. • Implemented staffing changes and operational cost reductions to ensure a fiscally responsible budget while maintaining quality services. • Continued program planning and budget development for Fiscal Year 2026-2027. • Submitted all requested documentation for the County's Program Year 2025 (PY25) Single Audit. • As a grant-funded department, Employment & Training continues to rely exclusively on state and federal funding to operate programs and services.

Program Operations

• Continued oversight of the successful implementation and closeout preparation of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). • Successfully onboarded and employed 60 youth participants into paid summer work experience placements through the SYEP. • Began planning and preparation for the 2026-2027 Youth Employment Program (YEP), which begins in September. • Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) continue to perform well, with participant outcomes meeting and exceeding established performance measures. • WIOA program performance and expenditure measures remain on track, with both performance outcomes and spending meeting or exceeding state expectations.

Business Services & Community Engagement

• Continued outreach and partnership efforts with local employers to support workforce development and address hiring needs. • Assisted employers with recruitment and workforce solutions. • Created and marketed approximately 60 local job postings to connect job seekers with employment opportunities throughout the county.

Public Services

• Employment & Training staff provided services to approximately 460 individuals during the month of July, including employment assistance, career guidance, training information, and workforce development services.

Department Focus

• Continued to prioritize fiscal planning, responsible budget management, and the delivery of workforce services despite anticipated funding constraints.

Dan Welch (Director Cornell Cooperative Extension) –

○ 100 4-H Youth exhibited projects and/or animals at the 4-H Youth Fair in Union Springs. CCE Cayuga thanks the Union Springs Fire Department for continuing to host the fair on their grounds. ○ 161 youths from summer recreation programs and summer camps attended the fair through a Fair Transportation Grant from NYS Ag and Markets.

Truck Scales –

Heidelberg Oakwood, Auburn, tested to 124, 680 lbs. Robinson Concrete, Auburn, tested to 91,240 lbs. Cayuga Milk Ingredients, Auburn, tested to 67,420 lbs. Auburn Metal Processing, Auburn, tested to 81,960 lbs. Twilight Farms, Auburn, tested to 73480 lbs. Paul F. Vitale, Auburn, tested to 90,040 CH4 Generate, Auburn, tested to 67,000 lbs. Cedar Creek Farms, Cato, tested to 86,980 lbs.

Bulk Milk Tanks –

Vision Quest Dairy, Scipio Center, new 8000-gallon tank, full calibration.

Gas Stations & Marinas–

Tops Friendly Market, Auburn Byrne Dairy, Weedsport, new store, tested and adjusted all pumps before opening Fairpoint Marina, Fair Haven

Fuel Delivery Truck-

E&V Energy, Auburn, new fuel delivery truck, tested and adjusted before user

Supermarkets & Miscellaneous devices–

Wegmans New scales added to produce section. Tops Friendly Markets, Auburn. New meat department scales Screwy Louie’s, Fair Haven, Fishing Competition scale D&W Diesel, Auburn, Linear Measurement Devices

Grant applications:

a) NBRC – Timber for Transit Program – $3.1 mil, grant negotiations underway b) NY PLAYS – grant submitted June 15, grant request $2.5 mil, $500,000 match commitment FOES, Award notifications may happen anytime after 8/3/26

Projects:

(1) Whitebridge road property driveway: review round 3 changes have been submitted to NYS DOT, converted to Permit track system. (2) Update of Local Law No. 1, 2007. Changes submitted for recommended to pet regulations (3) Emerson Park Entrance and parking expansion project: design is complete. (4) NYSERDA funded vehicle charging stations: installed, operational as of July 1, 2026 (5) Seawall Shelter removal: coordinating with CCSWCD

July 3rd Independence day celebration had a capacity crowd. Thank you to the Emerson Foundation and all of our emergency management partners and agencies who ensure a safe event for visitors.

Friends of Emerson Park:

(1) The Friends continue to apply for local and state grants to fund the Destination Playground project. i. The Friends and Cayuga County Parks & Trails secured $500,000 in commitments to match the $2.5 mil Plays Grant if awarded. ii. Materials have been secured for the rocket slide construction. iii. Secured $109,000 from the CNYCF for the Playground project. (2) EPIC Concert series: Thursdays July and August 6-9pm.

Catering contract RFP for the Emerson Park Pavilion for the 2028-2030 renewal is with the Purchasing department.

Harvesting History series

i. July & August no Programs ii. September 17, 2026 History of Auburn Police Department iii. October 15, 2026 The Story Behind DuMond Farms iv. September Special Exhibit Photo Exhibit on Vintage Barns of Cayuga County

Museum Director:

a. Working on museum website update b. Planning upcoming events at museum for year c. Working on 2027 Patron Campaign- (to support programing) d. Assembling a Photo Exhibit in September Vintage Barns of Cayuga County e. Monthly publicity using Citizen and other media Awards and Acclamations - Auburn Citizen Best of Region 2026 Best Attraction – First Place Best Family Entertainment – First Place Best Festival- Festival of Trees – First Place Best Local Event- Festival of Trees Best Museum – First Place Best Art Gallery- First Place Best Place for Kids birthday Party – Second Place Best Tourist Spot- Second Place • FLX Radio Best of Region 2026 Winner in 3 Categories: Best Festival, Best Place to Volunteer Second Place Family Attraction • Cayuga County Tourism Office Recognized for 250 NY Program at Tourism luncheon June 17, 2026

Fall hours: Sept closed on Mondays, Oct -Dec closed Monday and Tuesday, 9am-4pm .

i) Seasonal staff is working on: grants, publicity, Friends’ website, volunteer training & coordination, summer youth program, Art & Nature exhibit, planning and conducting home school programs, youth programs including the summer youth program, performing trail work and assisting with other buildings & grounds work

Jon, CCC Empire Corps intern, is working on a variety of desk and fieldwork and organized the removal of 50 tires from the Buttonbush Trail.

The Friends have received

i) 27 Inspiration sponsorships for $2025, pulse in-kind donations. ii) A Constellation Doners for Doers Cyber Grant of $300 iii) Two $2,500 grants from the Memton Fund, Inc. in memory of Guy A. Giordano, these are unrestricted and they would like to remain anonymous.

Volunteer led programs

i) Reading Nature has about 20 members. It is run by Marc Fellenz. They are reading Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv next meeting 6/28 ii) Yoga: Juliana Podd has classes every Thursday mornings & evenings on the first Tuesday of the month. Also offering Family yoga in July. iii) Sustainability Network; next meeting is 7/7/26. iv) The Happy Hikers a social hiking group 10am on Monday and Friday Mornings

Programs:

| Homeschool-Microscopes part 3, 5/21 | Youth Pebble Art 6/13 | | --- | --- | | Almost Blue Moon Walk 5/30 | A day at the Beaver Wetland 6/13 | | Inspiration 6/7 | Evening Beaver Walk 6/19&20 | | Morning Yoga every Thursday | Dragonflies 6/26&27 | | Happy Hikers every Mon & Fri | Reading Nature 6/28 |

Owasco Flats:

a) No report

Trail Update:

none

NYS Tourism Industry Association - Excellence in Tourism Award

o NYSTIA Excellence in Tourism Award: Tour Cayuga Where You Go Matters. Make It Count – Excellence in Tourism Marketing Campaigns, Projects & Programs: Creative for Tourism Marketing o Award Reception: September 17, 2026, Corning, NY o Tour Cayuga will present at the NYSTIA Annual Meeting & Awards event in front of statewide peers sharing insight into the award-winning campaign o Campaign in partnership with The Culturist group o https://www.tourcayuga.com/press-release/nys-tourism-excellence-awardees/ o https://auburnpub.com/news/local/article_d21dfb5e-bedb-43f4-ba4e-a8972a80fbeb.html Workshops & Presentations o NYSTIA Advocacy Through Industry Storytelling Session as part of serving on the NYSTIA Advocacy Committee where statewide tourism professionals share success stories for advocacy work o Executive Director served on a panel for the statewide I Love New York Tourism Promotion Agency Digital Communications meeting on Targeting Diverse Audiences with a focus on honoring Harriet Tubman's legacy and sharing the steps made to achieve the award-winning "Where You Go Matters" campaign o Executive Director attended the Destinations International Annual Convention in Portland, OR with a professional development track for leaders of destination organizations gaining insight into building community engagement and partnering with economic development agencies Tourism Support Programming o Fund Development Incubator Closing Ceremony: To be held on Thursday, August 20, at the Seward House Museum Event Center from 3 to 5 p.m. presenting participants with certificate of completion. Public Relations o Placements: o Condenast Traveler "The Best Way to Explore the Finger Lakes Region Might Just Be by Canoe" – Betsy Andrews 40-mile paddle on the New York State Canalway Water Trail o Travel + Leisure, "21 Best Places to Visit in Upstate New York, From Scenic Waterfalls to Charming Small Towns" o Travel + Leisure "The Most Beautiful Place in Every State—From Arizona's Grand Canyon to Maine's Acadia National Park" — Finger Lakes named for New York o Finger Lakes Daily News, "Auburn Historic Sites Partnering for Major Art Exhibition" o Finger Lakes Daily News, "Auburn Prepares for Annual Summer Homecoming Weekend" o Life in Finger Lakes ENews, "Experience Harriet: A Taste of Freedom at The Cayuga Museum of History & Art in Auburn" o Auburn Citizen, "A Taste of Freedom': Tubman exhibit to feature over 45 artists at five Auburn sites" o NYSTIA "Insights Driven By Data" is a column by NYSTIA intern Colton Sears discussing industry research and how it can be used to address new issues and developments. This is his perspective from attending the Where Tourism Meets Community Luncheon Special Project Mentions

Quartely Summary

Q2 2026 delivered explosive growth across core metrics, highlighted by a 43.5% spike in total users and a 51.2% lift in sessions. Overall engagement rate continued to rise, reaching a phenomenal 95.71%, indicating that users are interacting deeply with site content. Top pages reflect a heavy seasonal shift into peak summer travel and local event scheduling. The "Celebrate July 4" blog post experienced an extraordinary 2,452.4% explosion in engaged sessions, while interest in the regional "Sweet Treat Trail" surged by 672.0%. The "Route 90 Garage Sale" landing page was the single most visited page on the site this quarter. This page secured 1,628 engaged sessions—a 340% jump quarter over quarter—as users actively planned their summer travel itineraries. YoY metrics reveal an immense increase in visitor quality, led by an outstanding 33.6% jump in the site's overall Engagement Rate. High-value landing pages led the year-over-year charge, with Harriet Tubman (+700.0%), Clinton's Big Ditch (+266.7%), and the main Events directory (+92.2%) driving massive engagement gains.

Karl Rindfleisch (Water & Sewer) – No updates

Kevin VanBeveren (Buildings and Grounds) -

- Tennant work at HPO – painted Judges Chamber - County Buildings - mowed lawn, trim bushes, daily pick-up of grounds - Working with Danforth to establish a potential energy project - Working with summer help - Employment in training - Preparing for DMV move to Dill St. - Cooling repairs at HPO & MH & BOE - MH – Roof repairs - Hardenburg – repaired Exhaust fan - Basements at HPO & Courthouse cleaned out - Repaired lighting at BOE - Courthouse 2nd floor blinds ordered. Due to arrive on 8/4 - Installed measures to limit control on PTAC units courthouse. - Vehicle Maintenance - Fan Motor replacement at HPO - Ductwork repair at HPO

Brian Soper (Highway) –

- Dead tree removal has been the focus in the southern half of the county for the last few weeks. We are caught up with dead tree removal in the central section around Auburn last month. We will shift to the northern half of the county later this month until funds run out. - Roadside mowing is ongoing in all areas the County has 5 units out mowing currently with additional 3 boom axe’s trimming brush in the Right of Way’s. Crews are complete on the mandated 2 mowing’s and will be shifting to problem spots for the next few weeks before going back to road crews. - Prep work for the 2027 season has started on the planned road improvements along with the general maintenance that needs to occur throughout the year. - Staffing remains to be an issue at the highway. Highway has 5 open MEO medium positions, 2 Mechanic positions and the sign shop maintenance person. The mechanic’s and sign shop resolutions will be coming forth in Sept. Currently 2 of the 5 MEO have resolutions we lack applicants. - I am continually working with B&L on the Turnpike road bridge deck issues to come up with a plan to design and fund the necessary superstructure replacement. Resolution for design on this project is in this month for consideration. We are carefully weighing which direction to move forward with regarding weight restriction of the bridge to extend the life to construction. More to follow on that part of the plan. - Town Snow & Ice contracts have been sent out and are slowly returning signed by the town in preparation for the coming season. - I have met with ST DOT on our state plowing routes, and we have come to an agreement on what they will look like for the 26/27 season. This allows me to plan the County routes to fit with our staffing levels. The routes will be longer, but we will be able to continue operations in the best interest of the public. I will share more as it develops if there’s interest in future reports.

OTHER SWCD NEWS, WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS:

- The Cayuga SWCD presented AEM awards to four farms for their commitment to environmental stewardship. The event was held at the Cayuga County SWCD Office on July 17th. The winners included Green Hill Dairy, Cayuga View Farms, Elkendale Farms and Silver Tree Forest Farm. Attendees participated in a tour of one of the award-winning farm operations. Thank you to Green Hill Dairy for hosting the tours. - The Cayuga SWCD is partnering with other SWCDs and agricultural related organizations to promote the 2026 Soil Health Field Days. The local event is scheduled for August 13th @ Rodman Lott & Son Farms in Seneca Falls (Seneca Cty). The meeting focus will be on Soil Health and Cover Crops in Field Crops. For additional information visit: FieldDays.NewYorkSoilHealth.org

Authorizing the Employment and Training Director to accept a donation of $2,500.00 from NUCOR Steel to support attendance at the NYATEP Workforce Conference

(Pending County Attorney Approval) Authorizing the Chair of the Cayuga County Legislature to sign a three-year renewal agreement for Professional Services to provide Environmental Health and Safety Compliance Support Services

Authorizing the Chair of the Legislature and Highway Superintendent to enter an agreement with Barton & Logudice for engineering services on the Turnpike Road Superstructure Replacement Project

Resolution to authorize License Agreement with A&M Catering to provide Hospitality Management of the Emerson Park Pavilion

Authorizing the purchase of a Kubota RTV for the Parks and Trails Department

Authorization to enter into contract with ChargePoint, Inc. for monitoring, billing and maintenance services for the vehicle charging stations at the Sterling Nature Center

(Pending County Attorney Approval) Authorize an amendment to Resolution 204-26 For Environmental Planning Grant EPG2284

(Pending County Attorney Approval) Authorizing the Cayuga County Parks and Trails Department to accept NBRC Grant Ad-26SPT-08, establish CAP H # ____ - 26

Awarding the Contract for Consultant Services for the Countywide Economic Development Strategy

ADJOURNMENT: September 8, 2026