By Matt Freeze, The Morning Times —<\/p>\n
OWEGO \u2014 The Tioga County Legislature unanimously moved forward on a $1.8 million property purchase Tuesday as the first step toward building a new county office facility.<\/p>\n
The county is looking to close on the purchase of four parcels located at 135-147 Main St., 153 Main St., 55-65 Central Ave. and 67 Central Ave.<\/p>\n
Legislative Chairwoman Marte Sauerbrey called the move a \u201cstrategic investment in Tioga County\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBy securing this property in the heart of downtown Owego, we are positioning the county government to better serve residents, support our workforce, and strengthen our historic village center as a hub of activity and access,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
County Administrator Jackson Bailey II said the aim is to consolidate administrative county services into a modern, accessible facility that is expected to improve efficiency, upgrade IT infrastructure and cybersecurity equipment, as well as reduce long-term operating and maintenance costs while creating a more user-friendly and accessible experience for residents.<\/p>\n
The purchase will be funded by $8.7 million in capital reserve funds that have been built up for exactly this purpose, Bailey said.<\/p>\n
Asked about a potential total project cost, Bailey said, \u201cTalking to county staff, people who have been around and seen projects like this, they\u2019re expecting between approximately $25 to $30 million.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut until we reach developers and let them do our site assessments and surveys to see what we\u2019re getting for space utilization, we don\u2019t have a final number on that,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s kind of where we\u2019re gauging it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legislator Tracy Monell, a typically strict fiscal conservative, said the project is a smart move in the long run.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis building is atrocious,\u201d he said. \u201cIt needs a whole lot of work, and it\u2019s costing us a fortune to keep the thing running. Why do we keep beating our heads against the wall on this?\u201d<\/p>\n
Monell compared the situation to the old jail \u2014 the reason they got rid of it was that it was \u201ckilling\u201d the county financially, so they were able to sell it and get it back on the tax rolls.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think in the long term, it\u2019s a good plan,\u201d he said. \u201cFirst of all, we can consolidate things and get people in one spot. Parking here is a pain in the neck, and we can do better down there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Additionally, he said he was apprehensive about the county being in charge of the liquor store, but he said there\u2019s already a plan for the purchase and relocation of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know that for a fact, but that\u2019s what I\u2019ve heard,\u201d he said. \u201cIt makes more sense for us, as a county, to move down there and be in the center of town and have everything in one spot. We can pull people from up at (the health and human services building on State Route) 38 down here; we need to have the Board of Elections down here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monell said there\u2019s also the issue of not being able to actually use all the space in the basement because it is a guaranteed flood risk.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we put somebody down there, you know as well as I do, it\u2019s going to flood the next day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt won\u2019t wait a couple of weeks \u2014 it\u2019ll happen tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
The other main draw for moving locations and rebuilding is getting ground-floor accessibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s painful for elderly people to come into this building and go to that DMV office, and they do it all day long,\u201d he said, gesturing at the entrance stairs.<\/p>\n
Monell said that at first he was really skeptical about the project cost, but after thinking about the long-term view, it\u2019s worth tackling the project.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s gotta happen sooner or later,\u201d he said, and pointed out that when they built the jail for $11 million, County Treasurer Jim McFadden told him that an exact copy of that facility is $58 million.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, whatever it\u2019s going to cost us now, it\u2019s going to be a lot more 20 years from now,\u201d he said. \u201cTo me, that just makes sense to spend the money now. We have the money to make the (land) purchase, and our bond rating is incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The county should be able to get the money to build a new building without a problem, he said.<\/p>\n
Monell said there may be a short-term impact on property taxes, but in the long run, \u201cwe can get that fixed once we get this building back on the tax rolls.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monell acknowledged that some people are not going to be happy with the decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry to say, we\u2019ve got to do what\u2019s best for the county, what\u2019s best for this little village,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s the same thing if we do something down in Waverly. Local people get upset, but in the end it\u2019s like, \u2018okay, that worked out pretty good.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Monell credited county officials of years past for doing \u201ca really good job financially,\u201d which has allowed county finances to be really strong.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t yet a timeline for the project, but the county will be starting the engineering and design phase soon and working with the village planning board.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs we develop plans for this site, we will continue to communicate with residents, employees, and our partners at the villages and local agencies,\u201d Bailey said. \u201cOur goal is a modern, welcoming facility that reflects the historic aesthetic of downtown Owego and supports the high-quality public service residents can expect from Tioga County for years to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Matt Freeze is a senior writer at The Morning Times)<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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