ဟံၣ်My WebLinkဘၣ်ဃးဒီး1994-02 ' V A NQw sIQttQr for 7 Employ an d R etirees .... of Tompkins County CtC ` 10I* lir • ` F EBRUARY 1994 Volume 7 Number 2 PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS DUE MARCH 1ST ` ..". UN =rLD '�' .� t _ 01 AMER '� ' "•t w by Marilyn Strassberg, OFA 4 1 . .. ‘,.....,„ ' . ? %`? Q, � , V „ .. o la�� , , , Municipalities in New York State are allowed to provide property m; �� ►�1 1 tax exemptions to homeowners age 65 and over for taxes levied by county g ,, %. village, town, count and school districts. This is an income-eligible ” .t. �k ..f v % ..- - , d program and municipalities have the option of setting a maximum income level for participation in the exemption program. The Tompkins County Assessment Office at 274 -5517 can supply more current information but, to date, the maximum income level adopted by any municipality in Tompkins County is $21,300 for a FREE INCOME TAX HELP senior citizen tax exemption. Residents of the City of Ithaca and residents of the towns in SENIORS - LOW INCOME - HOMEBOUND Tompkins County have until March 1, 1994, to file their Assistance provided by RSVP Volunteers applications. New applications must show proof of age and home (sponsored by the IRS Tax Counseling for Elderly Program) ownership and attach a statement of their 1993 income. Those who FEBRUARY 2 - APRIL 15, 1994 have received this exemption in previous years need only to complete the short -form and income statement that the Assessment Monday VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS Office automatically mails to them each year. For more information or an application, call either the Assessment 423 W. Stale Street Office at 274 -5517 or the Office for the Aging at 274 -5482. 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Handicap Elevator Available LEGAL HELP Wednesday VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS The Office for the Aging has contracted with Neighborhood Legal 423 W. Slate Street Services to provide free legal consultation on certain civil matters to 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tompkins County residents. An attorney can give advice on such civil Handicap Elevator Available matters as establishing a power -of- attorney, rights of nursing home Friday SENIOR CITIZEN'S CENTER patients, social security and SSI appeals, Medicare and Medicaid 213 S. Geneva Street denials and landlord /tenant problems. If you need such legal advice, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. please call Marilyn Strassberg, at the Office for the Aging, 274 -5482 for more information. Saturday TOMPKINS COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 312 N. Cayuga Street THINK SUMMER! 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon For Questions and Visits to the Homebound Call RSVP at 277 -4545 4; In order to assist you most effectively, please bring a copy of y A / your last year's return and all wage statements, W -2's, 1099's l / plus any other statements of income. 4Vi' 1 ki,..,.. 4 Sponsored by the Retired Senior Volunteer Program jii j ! t •� '* of Tompkins County _,..4—.-_-__ /// .. ' - 3" f COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S REPORT by Scou Heyman The January 4 Snow Emergency To say that the January 4 snowstorm demonstrated that there are misunderstandings about wh at happens to County employees during weather emergencies would be an understatement. Many employees have expressed to me that they are disappointed that I did not order County offices and operations (other than emergency personnel) closed earlier on January 4. They think I "did not look out for their safety". Other employees see the problem from almost the opposite point of view - -they are disappointed that the County does not reward employees who go out of their way, perhaps risking life and limb, to get to work during bad weather. Perhaps our policy on weather (and other) emergencies as it affects employees needs changing, but that is not going to happen unless we talk to each other about what that policy actually is. Here's what it is: 1. Employees are ALWAYS empowered to make their own decisions about their own safety during a weather or other emergency. Tompkins County should not and cannot be in the position of deciding when it is safe for any individual employee to travel to or from work. There are many reasons for this: weather conditions vary remarkably in different parts of the County; employees' means of transportation vary widely from 4- wheel -drive machines that can go anywhere anytime to rear- wheel-drive cars that can't make it up a slight incline; and different individuals feel more and less comfortable, and safe, with their own ability to negotiate bad weather. Employees, every single one of them, may NOTIFY, not ask, their supervisor that they are staying or going home during threatening weather if they feel personally unsafe given all of the circumstances. 2. If and when County operations are closed, this results in some, but not all, employees being paid "Code 1 ", or time worked, hours for time they did not work. The terms of this are outlined in union bargaining agreements. Whenever any department head calls me and asks about closing, I remind them that their employees should make their own decisions about when and whether to come to work, and I tell them that they should try to stay open with at least a "skeleton" staff if possible, but that it is more important to make sure that everyone watches out for their own safety. 3. When I am deciding whether and when to close, or to recommend closing County operations, I try very hard not to do so at all. This is because of the large number of essential services we deliver, and because of the level of anger we can generate in a taxpaying resident who does go out in bad weather to use those services and finds that we are closed. The impact on that resident can, in some circumstances, be severe. Most of our services can wait a few days; but some have extreme urgency. When DO I close, or recommend closing, County operations? When this is recommended directly by the Sherrif and /or City Chief of Police, or when they announce that they are closing the roads. They never, to my knowledge, have closed the roads without providing enough notice so that people can go home. Therefore we make the announcement about closing at least an hole ahead of the time that the closing takes place. All closing decisions are commumcated to employees throug nd WTKO -- telephones tend to become useless during weather emergencies because people tend to tie them up dea i ng with all of the changes that the emergency causes. That is the policy. If you don't like the way the fringe time is handled, you should discuss this with your union representative. If you don't like it that we try to stay open if at all possible, you can discuss it with me or with a Board member or with your department head. Obviously, the best time to discuss weather emergencies is when we are NOT having one. I like the policy we have (although I certainly don't like the way it has been communicated). Others may not. We can talk about it, and, if it makes sense, we can change it. EMPLOYEE COUNCIL CHAIR'S REPORT by Cheryl Nelson ` •`t There are a lot of good things to report and make you aware of this month. Those things are as follows: ;. 1. The December, 1993 edition of Oh? has been prepared and dispersed to the departments. If you want or need any additional copies, contact your Employee Council representative or call Bill Chapp at 274 -5239. 2. The Tompkins County Phone Directory has been dispersed to department heads and Employee Council representatives. It will be up to each department to figure out how to make the directory information available to its employees. Please contact your department head or Employee Council representative to find out the process for your department. The Communications Committee of Employee Council is to be congratulated and commended on developing this valuable tool. The directory will be kept current and redistributed twice annually by the Data Processing department. Thanks, also, to Data Processing employees for their assistance. 3. Computer Training - If you are interested in computer training, ask your department haed or Employee Council representative to see the Staff Development Bulletin, dated 1/27/94. The purpose of this bulletin is to notify interested employees of upcoming TC3 computer courses. 4. Bus Trips - see article in this issue. Buses fill up fast so sign up soon with Leighann Baldwin at 273 -6632. 5. The Employee Council welcomes Rick Chase, who represents Public Works employees at the facility on Bostwick Road, and Katie Knapp, who represents the employees of the Old Courthouse. • BUS TRIPS 7-111 March 19 Turning ne Casino or : Ingo New York State's ne - t casino and I go halls located on the Oneida Indian Rese ation. • st for the bus trip is $2.50 per person. All bingo p rs will receive a coupon 1 , — for $10 in specials and admi ton or the session is $7 or D II $10 depending on the • . ckage yo i desire. All casino players will receive $ in match play •,upons and a $5 YES WE DON'T DO MAILBOXES meal coupon. Call .r more details. by Ward Hungerford, Highway Manager LAST DAY TO RESERVE A SEAT IS PA,' CH 4. Ithaca snow winters of old have returned, and with that return come the road crews operating behemoth mechanical April 10 an 1 devices to counter- attack the awesome power of mother 'raj • c City nature. The challenges provided to us all in our resolve Cost for the overnig ip is $71 per person, based on not to be driven out, and to endure nature's test of our will, seem most severe when we trudge to the roadside only double occupancy at a ahal. This includes a $20 to find our mailbox destroyed; or worse yet, gone without coin bonus. or more inform , a trace. LAST DAY TO RESERVE AS A MARCH 4. In horror - first a blank stare, then confusion, then the lip sync that if cameras were rolling would appear to be the May 14 exact match to those utterances of the Buffalo Bills' coach Lilac Festival, Rochester in the third quarter; when Dallas seemed blessed with the Cost for this day long trip is $2.50 per person. Call fo same ease to impose touchdowns as mother nature's ease more information. with her snow offensive displayed directly in front of your LAST DAY TO RESERVE A SEAT IS APRIL 29. mailbox. But, the tell -tale signs are clear even though we seldom witness the event. That mechanical behemoth dubbed more affectionately "the *! *!* plow" just wiped out my mailbox. -- Don't forget the lip sync.ti•3r CHAPTER� Now we want satisfaction, justice, REVENGE!! Of course ,. 1 6. we never express any gratitude that we now have five ` _ pounds less of bulk mail to recycle, or that Ed McMann I 4 s isn't telling us for the millionth time that you are one of '�' �` , ��1 "'� "' the finalists if you simply return -mail your lucky number. 40 ce I don't have a mailbox Ed!! Does anyone really get anything beside junk mail and bills? We need that ?! e , So what can you do about the loss of your creation - that 4 1 part of you - that link to the outside world (really it's only the mailman in a rusty jeep) that Bob, Carol, Billy and Joanne live here. We'll call the Highway Department and demand restitution. Other monthly trips are being arranged including: a Now the shock, you know like a cooler of gatorade over baseball game in Toronto, Fingerlakes Race Track, Darien your head, thank you for calling but we are not responsible Lake, New York State Fair, a Buffalo Bills football game, for the safety, security or mental health of your mailbox. Franklin Mills Outlet Shopping in Philadelphia, PA, and I know it's another gift that comes with the winter in NYS. Radio City Music Hall in NYC. Call for more information. Really, with few exceptions, the Highway Department won't fix or replace the disembodiedproperty of the United * All buses are non - smoking, and no alcohol. States Government. In most cases the snow, wind, or * All buses will be leaving from the Highway visability create conditions where mailboxes are simply Department Parking lot on Bostwick Road. vulnerable to our many times exhaustive efforts to keep the * Reservations will be accepted on a first -come first - roads open. If your mailbox is hit, call your frindly Highway served basis. Space is limited. Department. We may be able to suggest a better location The Vending Committee is providing assistance to off -set (maybe Florida) for it, or a little different construction for the cost of the bus trips for County retirees, employees better survival (no guarantees). and their families. These funds are made available in Hang on, E -mail is just around the corner. place of the County Picnic for 1994. Yes, we don't do mailboxes. DEAR DIARY: PERSONNEL PERSONALS 9112193 Moved to our new home in Ithaca, New CONGRATULATIONS TO: York. It is so beautiful here. We just LOVE it! Melissa Gatch, Health Department, on the birth of Alex James, 1/28/94. 11124193 It snowed last night!!! I woke up to fend everything blanketed with white. It looks just like Lisa, Purchasing, and Wayne Eaton, Buildings and a postcard. We went outside and cleaned the snow Grounds, on the birth of Lucas Bennett, 2/8/94. off the steps and shoveled the driveway. We had a little snowball fight (I won!!) and then when the THANK YOU: snowplow came by, we had to shovel the driveway Juanita Quaile thanks County employees for the again. What a beautiful area, love it in ITHACA!! flowers, visits, and cards while she was in the hospital and while she was recovering from her surgery at home. 12/02193 Well, all the snow has melted. I sure She said, "It went very well and I'm back to work ". hope we get some more. p g The Healthy Heart Program extends its "heart felt" thanks 12/12/93 More snow last night!! I love it!! But, to Larry Bentley, Jr. of Buildings and Grounds for the snowplow did his trick again at the end of the finding and turning in the lost property to his supervisor. driveway. It's always reassuring to be reminded that one can rely on another Tompkins County employee. We at the 12/19/93 More snow. Couldn't get out of the Healthy Heart Program certainly appreciate Mr. Bentley's honesty and integrity. driveway to get to work. I am exhausted from shoveling. -�- 12/22/93 More of the white *! *!* fell last night. r � I've got blisters on my hands from shoveling. I think that snow plow hides around the corner s and waits until I'm done with the driveway. He's a real "*"1" by A NOTE by Angie White, Data Processing This is just a note to let you all know how proud we are of our 12/25/93 "Happy Holidays ", and more *! *!* snow!! daughter, Jessica. While you are reading this, we will be in If I ever get my hands on that *! *!* who drives that Washington, D.C. where she will be singing in a National Children's Honor Choir. She was selected for this honor through special *! *!* snow plow, I swear I'll kill him!!! auditions and a very extensive selection process by the American Choral Directors Association. While there she will also be auditioning 12/27/93 More white * t *!* last night!! Been inside for a solo with the group. Some of her other accomplishments include various solos with the 4th, 5th, 6th and Select Choirs at Moravia for 3 days!! Can't go anywhere, car's stuck in a school. She also participated in last year's school production of HMS mountain of snow!! The weather man says to Pinafore and will perform the lead role of "Yum Yum" in this year's expect another 10 inches of this *! *!* white *! *!* school production of "The Mikado ". tonight. Do they know how many shovels full of snow 10 inches is? UNCLASSIFIEDS 12/28/93 The weather man was wrong. We got 14 WANTED: Twin Bed in good shape - less than $40. inches of the white *! *! *. At this rate it won't melt Call after 6 p.m. 844 until *! *!* August!!! The snowplow got stuck just WANTED: Good used car - automatic. up the street. The guy asked if he could borrow my Not looking for headache. shovel. I hit him in the *! *!* head with it!! Price range around $900. Call after 6 p.m. 844 -3793 The source of this is unknown. The Editorial Board WILL DO: Portraits for a reasonable price. thought you might enjoy it if we did a little Picture needed. Call Alison at 273 -2569 editing before publishing hence the *! *! *. for an appointment.