ဟံၣ်My WebLinkဘၣ်ဃးဒီး1995-09 A N ewsletter for Em Io ees and Retirees P Y ... I County of Tompkins o y h I C SEPTEMBER 1995 irr Volume 8 Number 9 "JUST THE FACTS" 4. is [ \ \ \ FS. 4 ; 1 . . , ` \ ti -\ '' -'' . ..=:- ; ,', is ': v. ,_ _;. - .,. t ,., ;4 y ., -..-:. t \ t e :n( i lk ;j y.. . ' ... i.i. .'t:: : 9. A -- . 1141 '' - Dean Eckstrom, Director, Computer Services with THE OLD THE NEW The Information Services department (Data Processing) will be installing the new network server to replace the old "Main Frame." The new system is several times faster than the old, it has the same overall disk capacity and the memory is four times larger. The old system cost the County $400,000 in 1989. The new system is going to cost approximately $30,000 exclusive of software. Take a look at the size difference in the pictures above. UP WITH THE BIRDS by Jackie Yoder,DSS AaaCHOO: Is it the Flu? I woke up with the birds this morning. Figuratively by Karen Bishop, Health Dept. speaking. It was 5 a.m. and I could hear them singing Yes, it could be. Flu season is fast approaching! Your outside greeting the new day. I was filled with energy and best defense is to get a flu shot. Mark your calendar for a wanted to do something. I thought I might go for a walk or flu shot in October. These clinics are being offered by the do some aerobics. Exercising is great for reducing stress, Tompkins County Health Department. There will be NO and after all, it is budget season. Then I had a better SPECIAL CLINIC for county employees. The first clinic idea. I took a cup of flavored coffee outside, sat down and is October 4 at Ithaca High School from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. just listened. I could hear a cardinal proclaiming he was And the last one is October 26 at the Senior Citizens king in the large spruce trees. A chipmunk was chiruping Center from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. Identify yourself as a county nearby. The phoebes joined in. employee to clinic staff and pay $2.50 for the flu shot. We've been lucky this year. We've had cardinals, Wellness Committee will pay for half ($2.50) per county goldfinches, blue jays and an occasional rose - breasted employee. Senior citizen /retired county employees will grossbeak at our feeders all summer. It's a spectacular be required to bring their Medicare card to clinic this sight - one many people only see on Christmas cards. This year for billing Medicare part B. There are 12 clinics and morning the chickadees were first at the feeders. you are welcome at any of them. It was a wonderously cool morning. Dawn gradually For questions about the flu, the flu vaccine or clinic dates became daylight. Soon I heard raindrops on the patio roof, and times, call the Health Department at 274 -6616. but that didn't stop the chickadees. They know a good thing when they see it! And, so do I. You can attend all the stress - reduction training you want to but l'd rather October is BREAST CANCER just get up with the birds! AWARENESS month (See page 7) The 1996 County Budget by Scott Heyman, County Administrator For the last three months I have tried to paint a picture for I have recommended over $1.9 million in spending for 1996, employees and retirees of the County budget and how it works. more than a 9% increase over 1995. This is a major increase. Every year when the nights turn colder the "real thing" comes Most notably I am recommending $800,000 in increased funding along -- a new proposed County budget is put out on the table. for roads and bridges. I believe the County Board is prepared to The 1996 County budget follows on the heels of four years of stop the process of deterioration of this basic part of the intensely difficult fiscal problems; the "low light" of these four community's infrastructure and of its economic base. years, as described in my previous columns, has been the Other major changes include $140,000 in funding to sustain staggering growth of the costs of Class A mandates: Social Mental Health programs in the face of State cutbacks and more Service programs, education of preschool handicapped children, than $100,000 in increases for Buildings and Grounds which and legal defense of indigents. cannot pay its electricity and gas bills with the amounts that the But the current (slow) economic recovery is providing welcome Board has allocated to it in recent years. relief from welfare program costs, revenues are up and costs I am recommending that a considerable number of agencies down in the handicapped children's program, and legal defense and departments continue to live with less than they need and costs have not continued their upward spiral. Coupled with are accustomed to, in order to free up the funds for catch -up in unexpected growth in the County's reserves because of what I believe the County Board views as critical areas. underspending in these same accounts last year we have an "easy" budget to deal with for 1996. So even an "easy" budget includes a full plate of difficult The fact that I recommended no increase in County property choices. taxes has already received considerable attention. I believe that our overall fiscal situation makes an increase unnecessary. Warmest wishes for a Some will undoubtedly argue that our positive financial picture speedy and complete makes a decrease possible, and others have already said that recovery to Ted Merritt, we should enact a small increase in the name of stability from year to year and in order to position ourselves even better for ` Judy Tynyk, and Kathleen hard times ahead. Both arguments can and will be made with �� Drew. Our thoughts and validity, as can mine. prayers are with you. t o II Recycle DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING SUMMARY, August 16, 1995 1. Scott reported on all actions taken by the Board of 5. Dean Eckstrom reported that most departments are now Representatives on July 25 on midyear budget changes in networked by computer and some are hooked up to the Internet. response to the State budget and on reappropriation (rollover) of Dean will notify departments of their Internet addresses as they departmental funds from 1994 into the 1995 or 1996 budget. are linked to the system. 2. Kathy West provided a schedule of dates for review of 6. Alice Cole asked any department heads who have not yet department budget requests. Department heads said they responded to her memo on the status of employees' risk ratings wanted to be sure that the Board understands how arduous was for Bloodborne Pathogens to do so right away. She also the process of complying with the Board's mandate to provide announced the 25 year employee Carl Burgess' retirement party budget requests and information in a completely new format, the would be held August 31. third time in five years that this has been the case. 7. Scott reported that: 3. Nancy Zahler provided an update on employee training It is absolutely critical and required that all employees and the offerings and on plans for these for the upcoming year. In public vacate buildings promptly during fire drills. particular she highlighted that nearly 200 employees attended The current fiscal policy continues to allow department heads mutual gains training recently offered by Bernie Flaherty. to ask for and receive contingent fund reimbursement for the cost She reported that at the meeting on September 13 from 2:00 of replacing employees who are out of work due to illness or to 4:30 Ipek Kursat will facilitate a meeting at which department injury for more than two months. heads' vision of the future of Tompkins County will be explored Any department head who receives a complaint from a and articulated. member of the public or from an employee should under no 4. Irene Stein reported on the Leadership Council. She said a circumstances reveal the name of the complaining party to the logo has been selected and refined. individual being complained against except with the complaining COFA and Planning Departments will be joining the Partners party's permission. This can expose citizens with complaints to for Quality effort in September through Quality in Daily Work Life anonymous, harassing responses. training, and the three departments of Administration, Attorney, The early retirement window was recently reopened briefly and and Board of Representatives will be doing so as soon as two employees were able to jump through. training resources allow. Department heads agreed to continue for one year the practice of charging back to all departments the cost of cablecasting A COMPUTER'S ATTENTION SPAN IS AS County Board meetings. 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Y "i _., 4 1 1 r fit i i 9 L.' ,.. .4:1...iiiii-...., . , i ��P6t I "I i , Y ■ • N ' 0 ' d li ,y� 11 r - r , . ... , I, i. 1 CVat4 ma / eli a free MAMMOGRAM Eligibility Requirements: • over age 40 ♦ no, insurance coverage, limited coverage or off -year Medicare • no symptoms • have never had a mammogram Call 607 - 274 -4500 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday sponsored by : TOMPKINS COUNTY BREAST HEALTH PARTNERSHIP which includes County Office for the Aging. They're working together to prevent breast cancer in our community! Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance Walkathon Registration Form Saturday October 21, 1995 Come join us! Show your support for the fight against breast cancer. Bring your friends and co- workers and enjoy the walk and the rally. Please ask for a minimum donation of $5.00 for walking all or part of the three - and -a -half mile course. Checks should be made payable to Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance and sent to IBCA, PO Box 853, Ithaca, NY 14851. Please write Walkathon on the front of all checks. Registration at the Center Pavilion on the Commons at 12:30, Walk from 1:00 to 2:30, Rally on the Commons from 2:30 to 3:30. Is there a group of co- workers or people in your organization who would like to walk together? You can carry a sign to identify your group if you like. Please duplicate this registration form as needed for group members. Name List Your Sponsors here Address Sponsors' Names Amt. Pledged Amt. Rec'd City/State/Zip $ $ Phone: home / work Do you need any special assistance? Please specify $ $ I am unable to participate in the Walkathon, but would like to $ $ make a donation of $ to Ithaca Breast Cancer Alliance. (Please send your contribution to IBCA, PO Box 853, $ $ Ithaca, NY 14851.) $ $ For more information or to volunteer your help please contact Andi Gladstone at the IBCA office -277 -9410. My own pledge $ $ WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DSS by Nancy Zahler, Leadership Council • reduce the unnecessary interruptions related to phones The DSS Coordinating Committee comprised of an equal • number of labor and management representatives has decided not rely on the main switchboard for its success, and to begin implementing the quality initiative in the Services should lessen the reliance on the switchboard, if Division. Service employees were asked to identify the work possible processes which make it difficult to provide quality services to their internal and external customers. Based on the survey should be implemented without hiring additional staff, responses, the Coordinating Committee selected a pilot project and the team should keep in mind current financial which will "develop the most efficient and effective process constraints when they propose solutions. for answering and routing incoming phone calls in the services division." Since calls to the Services Division often Sharon VanEtten, Kathy Wilsea, Cherri Hartman, Andrew Timm, involve the health and safety of the most vulnerable members of Nancy Tee, Beth Jolles, Donna Whitaker will serve on the our community, this project is a concrete and important way to department's first quality team. The team members will get improve the quality of County services. What do they mean by started with an all day training session in early September. an efficient and effective process? For this team, it means that Maryanne Banks, Penny VanShoick and Jackie Yoder will within 6 months the team will recommend an improved process provide support to the team throughout the data collection, which: analysis and recommendation stages of the project to assure the • will allow the public and other DSS units to reach who project's success. GO TEAM! they want in services with as few transfers as possible ............................:..................................:.............. ............................... 7 Unclassifieds Personnel Personals For Sale: Thank you: 1990 14x70 Mobile Home. Excellent -to employees and Department Heads for bouquets, phone condition. Comes with many extras. calls and visits while I was in TCH. I hope to be back on Call 532 -4488 for details. the job soon. Judy Tynyk, Weights & Measures Black Cowboy boots - brand new. Women's size 8 &1/2. Paid over $200 - -to the Communications Committee of the Leadership asking $50. Tags attached - still in box. Council for the logo prize money of $250 and the honor of Call Shannon Doucett, 533 -4060. winning. Ruth Pond, Finance - Purchasing Leer Truck Cap off '82 Jeep Pickup: w= 62 "; length= 97 &1/2 ". Extra height GOOD JOB KELLIE 27 ". Good shape - $100. 273 - 1700. The following editorial which appeared in "The Ithaca Journal" on September 12, 1995, is reflective of all the hard work and dedication of SPEEDY RECOVERY Kellie Henehan, Personnel. Kellie has "engineered" this program and Get well wishes to Ted Merritt, DSS, who was resulting municipal cooperation almost single - handedly and we thank her. injured in a fall and is in Strong Memorial Hospital, 1 ° On the consolidation front 601 Elmwood Ave., Floor 5 -1400, Room 15A Rochester, NY 14642. Why not send a card? Real consolidation efforts between local governments are in their infancy. The smallest moves can be painstaking, while talk about Recreation Sub - Committee consolidating the city and Town of Ithaca in the future seems almost radical. But progress is being made and should be noted. of the Vending Committee Tonight, the Town of Ulysses Board will vote on a new county- Our July trip to Boston was wonderful. Twenty- wide consortium. It's tied to the Omnibus Employee Testing Act of six people were able to attend and witness a 1991 that will implement drug testing for commercial drivers license humpback whale right off the back of our boat holders at the start of the new year. Ulysses would join the county, "showing off' her baby for us. We also enjoyed a city, villages and its sister townships in a collective, cost - sharing lobster bake, learned the proper way to open a effort and choose a third party administrator to oversee everyone's lobster (front row got a lobster- juice bath), did program. some site - seeing and shopping in Boston and We encourage efficiency like this. The savings might not be huge even had a few minutes to spend in the hotel pool. in any one joint project, but a number of efforts will add up. The Our August trip to Hershey was enjoyed by the public wants this kind of approach to government because it is 35 people who went. what's expected in the private sector. The days of 12 plans for one Our October 10 trip to the Buffalo Bills /NY Jets program should become a thing of the past." has a few available seats. Cost is $35 /seat. We also have a few seats available for our November 11 bus trip to the Franklin Mills Outlet - Mall. Cost is $5 per person. Big hit last year! FREE UNCLASSIFIEDS The dinner cruise on Captain Bill's on Seneca Classified ads up to 25 words in length are free to County employees, retirees Lake was terrific and enjoyed by 96 people. Even and their immediate families. Ads may be for any purpose except no personal ads the weather cooperated (knock on wood!!). will be accepted. No County addresses or telephone numbers may be listed in these ads. Use this coupon to send your ad to We are getting ready to plan for next year Corridors Go Finance- Purchasing. Please type or print legibly! Thanks! and are ready for your requests. Please contact Leighann at the Health Department. E -mail = Public_Health /Leighann Baldwin. VISUAL & HEARING PROBLEMS YOUR QUESTIONS Thursday, October 12, from 10 a.m. to 12 Noon, at the Senior Citizen's Council, Optometrist Dr COUNTY CORRIDORS Wallace and Audiologist Mike Pitchel will talk, Articles and opinion pieces for County Corridors are selected by the volunteer editorial board based on their interest to Tompkins County employees and show helpful equipment, and answer questions retirees. Material is solicited from current employees, retirees and others. pertaining to sight and hearing problems. To Material for publication is selected by the editorial board which reserves the right register for this workshop, call the Senior Citizen's to edit any submissions. The editorial board is made up of: Bill Chapp, Social Council, 273 -1511. This workshop will be very Services; Sharon Cooper, Assessment; Iretta Ellis, Data Processing; Scott Heyman, County Administrator; Louise McEwen, Personnel; Ruth Pond, (Editor), helpful for anyone who has problems with vision or Finance- Purchasing; Marilyn Strassberg, Office for the Aging; and Judy Tynyk, hearing loss. It is co- sponsored by the Finger (Chair), Weights and Measures. Lakes Independence Center, Caregivers Resource Correspondence may be sent through County inter - department mail to: County Center of COFA and the Senior Citizens Center. Corridors, c/o Finance- Purchasing, 125 East Court St., Ithaca, NY 14850. 8