(Binghamton, NY). The Broome County Legislature held its 1^st special session of 2010 on Thursday, June 3, 2010 in the Broome County Office.

 

The special session was called by Chairman Dan Reynolds in order to act on two time-sensitive issues that required action prior to the regularly scheduled meeting on June 17^th. Resolutions were considered concerning a home-rule request to increase the monthly surcharge on landline telephones as well as approval and funding for an unanticipated change to the landfill road reconstruction project at the County Landfill.

 

The legislature approved seeking authorization from the State Legislature to increase the monthly E911 landline telephone surcharge from 35 cents to up to $1.00 to partially fund the cost of the E911 emergency communication systems upgrade. The request is necessary in order to fund a federal mandate to replace and upgrade the county emergency communications systems and to develop a fully interoperable radio system serving the needs of the first responders throughout the County. Without the increase in the landline surcharge, the cost of this project would result in an unacceptable burden on property owners as similar systems in other counties have cost between $21 and $42 million. The county is in the process of developing a six to eight county alliance to reduce costs as well as seeking out state and federal grants to reduce the impact on local taxpayers. The fee cannot be enacted unless there is state approval and the legislature approves a local law imposing the fee.

 

After an unanticipated discovery of utilities at the Broome County Landfill, the legislature approved granting easements to Verizon-New York and NYSEG in order to relocate transmission lines and utility poles as well as funding for the project at a cost of $50,000. Broome County is currently relocating a portion of Knapp Road in the Town of Nanticoke and rebuilding a portion of Dunham Hill Road as part of the construction of a new entrance to Section IV of the Broome County Landfill. The $2.55M project is expected to be completed in the fall of 2010 and is funded through landfill tipping fees.

 

Draft resolutions, meeting notices, agendas, minutes and all other legislative business are available on the legislature’s website under the Legislative Business tab at: www.gobroomecounty.com/legis
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