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County Leg In split vote, Legislature raises sheriff salary by over $30,000

After a lengthy discussion, the Tompkins County Legislature decided to raise the salary of the Tompkins County Sheriff position by $30,000, despite traditionally refraining from salary adjustments mid-term for elected officials.

Deborah Dawson, the legislator who heads up the Budget, Capital and Personnel Committee, brought the resolution to the legislature. She explained that the undersheriff is currently being paid about $10,000 more a year than the sheriff, and that lieutenants in the department are also earning more than the sheriff.

“Some of us felt that was not a tenable set of circumstances for a law enforcement agency to operate under,” Dawson said.

The salary for the sheriff position is set by the legislature and is usually adjusted at the start of new terms. However, during the current sheriff term, Sheriff Derek Osborne requested the undersheriff position be reexamined to determine whether it was compensated fairly. This saw the undersheriff position classified as a grade 90 position, which has a working rate salary of $111,571 as of 2020. The sheriff’s position does not have a grade, but has a salary of about $101,294. The grades are determined by job description and responsibilities and determine the salary. The local law the legislature passed will raise the sheriff’s salary to $132,118, an increase of more than $30,000.

Legislator Mike Lane said that while he understands the sheriff’s department operates similarly to a military organization in that there’s a strict chain of command, he said that the difference is the sheriff is an elected official.

“We have never changed an elected official’s salary from what it was set at prior to an election before a new term,” Lane said. “A terrible precedent is being requested here.”

Lane also pointed out that the sheriff salary would be raised as the position is part of the contract negotiations approved in 2021. The salary will increase 4% retroactively for 2021, and another 3% for 2021. However, the others in the department will also get raises, so the pay disparity will remain.

“I realize some folks are making an issue that he’s making less than the people who work beneath him, but he went into this with the understanding of what the salary would be for four years,” Lane said. “And for us to now change this is, I think, not a proper way to proceed and I certainly can’t support it.”

Legislator Mike Sigler was on the opposite side of things, and said he was glad this issue was brought up.

“It would be one thing if the pay wasn’t so disparate between the sheriff and the undersheriff,” Sigler said. “He is leading an organization and when you lead, one would generally think there would be remuneration to pay for that added responsibility.”

Legislator Lee Shurtleff agreed, and said the fact that the sheriff’s position is not rated by the county shows the salary was likely set “in an arbitrary manner.” He added that since the legislature noticed something needs an adjustment, it’s their responsibility to take care of it in a timely manner.

“I understand the precedent we’re setting, but Tompkins County has a history of correcting classifications and salary levels when they’re not where they should be,” Shurtleff said.

There was a distinct line being drawn between legislators, and one of the things being debated was the difference between elected officials and employees. Employees’ salaries and job classifications are done through compensation studies and department heads in tandem with human resources. However, elected positions like the sheriff and city clerk have their salaries set by the legislature.

Dawson said that despite the difference in how they get their jobs, the distinction between elected officials and employees is misleading.

“Our sheriff and county clerk are functionally department heads,” she said. “The sheriff has a department he manages and it’s not a small, unimportant, insignificant one. It’s a really crucial department. We have other department heads who are job grade 91, and their departments are no more important or significant, and sometimes not as large as, the sheriff’s office. So I ask you all to consider that. When we hire a department head and circumstances change over four years we don’t say, ‘well, you accepted the job at this salary so you don’t deserve a raise.’”

She noted that the sheriff’s position had seen a lot change through COVID and the Reimagining Public Safety process

Sheriff Derek Osborne

continued on page 7

T a k e N o t e

▶ Boosters - The Tompkins County Health Department is announcing a COVID-19 Moderna vaccine booster clinic for ages 18+ Saturday, Jan. 29 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Additionally, TCHD will host a COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine booster clinic for ages 12+ on Saturday, Jan. 29 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. The Pfizer booster clinic is open to everyone eligible for a booster who is 12 years and older; this week’s clinic is not limited to ages 12-17 years. Booster doses are not yet approved for ages 5-11.Registration links for appointments are available on the TCHD website. You must bring a photo ID or a parent/guardian can confirm identity, your vaccination card, and expect to wait 15 minutes for observation following your injection. The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge. Free transportation is also available to vaccination clinics. Present proof of your vaccination appointment to ride any TCAT bus free of charge. Alternative transportation arrangements can be arranged by calling 2-1-1 (1.877.211.8667) during regular business hours, Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

VOL.XLII / NO. 23 / January 26, 2022 Serving 47,125 readers weekly

FEATURES

A city transformed����������������������8

A look back with Svante Myrick at his decade of service to the city of Ithaca Sports.........................................................12 A comic goldmine�������������������������13 ‘Yoga Play’ at Syracuse Stage brings humor, satire to the stage Newsline ..................................................3-5 Opinion ........................................................6 Letters ........................................................7

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

Dining ........................................................15 Art .............................................................. 16 Film .............................................................18 Times Table ..............................................21 Classifieds ...............................................22

On the Cover: Svante Myrick Photo by Casey Martin

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INQUIRING PHOTOGRAPHER

By Casey Martin

THE NEW YORK TIMES JUST GAVE YOU THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SUNDAY TIMES. WHAT DO YOU WRITE ABOUT?

“Dogs on the Ithaca Commons. I’d rank them 1-10. Extra points if they are dressed in human-type clothes.” -Teddy G.

“Psychedelics.” -Leigh E.

“How winter affects people mentally and physically.” -Chloe S.

“Pop-Tarts. Blueberry Pop-tarts.” -Lamarious D.

“I would encourage people to get vaccinated!” -Rain W.

Tenants How long do landlords need to fill an apartment?

The Planning and Economic Development Committee has not yet come to an agreement on a change to the city’s rental law that would give tenants more time before being asked to sign a lease renewal.

At the December meeting, fourth ward representative Patrick Mehler proposed a bill that would eliminate landlords’ and tenants’ abilities to waive the 60-day minimum waiting period to offer and sign a lease renewal. The originally proposed bill also increased that minimum to 180 days, which Mehler said is the most amount of time he could give renters without hurting a landlord’s ability to rent out to students. The proposal stemmed from the discussion around the fact that many Collegetown landlords ask for lease renewals just weeks into a student’s tenancy.

Alderperson Cynthia Brock said she supports the changes being proposed, particularly the elimination of the waiver. However, she said that 180 days was too long a waiting period, especially because some landlords and tenants operate on a nine-month lease.

“That means the first six months would be a waiting period,” she said. “So I don’t support the 180 days. I am, right now, open to a 90-day proposal. From the many landlords I’ve spoken with, they seem in support of 90 days. It allows for more flexibility, especially with the elimination of the waiver.”

Alderperson Rob Gearhart agreed that 60 days is too few, but 180 days is too many.

In response, Mehler suggested 120 days as a compromise.

“Ninety days is an improvement and is worth considering, but I would push a little further to say I think 120 days makes a nice third,” he said. “It’s less than half [of the lease] for folks in nine-month leases. I’d love to hear people’s thoughts on 120 days.”

The committee looked at the two common lease cycles in the city, starting in June and starting in August. Brock said the 120 days would work well for the leases beginning in June, as the waiting period would end in September and landlords could start showing the apartment in October and November, before winter and the holidays. However, she thought it was too constraining for leases that begin in August.

“The 120 days expire on Dec.1,” she said. “It’s right before Christmas so students are going to be gone, then you have February, March, April and then they’re gone in May. It compresses the time when people are looking for units.”

She reiterated that 90 days seemed to give more flexibility.

However, Mehler said he had the opposite concern. He worried that if students sign a lease that legally begins in June but don’t move in until before the semester starts in August, they will have just a couple weeks in the apartment before being offered a lease renewal.

“So in my head, the ideal of the 180 is better for there to be more slack on the backend,” he said. “But I think 120 days gives people with June the chance to live there.”

He said that even if a lease starts in August, a 120-day waiting period would still give landlords of nine-month leases “a solid five months” to fill an apartment if the renewal is declined.

“I think this illustrates that both tenants and landlords have ample time,” Mehler said.

Ultimately, the committee decided to continue the discussion with more input from others at the February meeting. The committee also continues to wait for a decision from the state regarding the legality of Good Cause Eviction legislation before moving forward with it. -Tanner Harding

Rentals City wants to follow town’s lead, explore short-term rental legislation

Less than a month after the town of Ithaca passed shortterm rental regulations, the city’s Planning and Economic Development Committee briefly brought it up as well. It was identified as a topic they wanted to tackle sooner rather than later this year.

The town passed its regulations for short-term rentals after complaints from some residents about noise and nuisance issues, as well as concern about outside corporations buying up local housing stock to use solely for short-term rentals. So in a city where there’s already a shortage of housing, it’s not surprising that council members are ready to take a look at drafting legislation of their own. Committee member Cynthia Brock said she has always felt that the city already has legislation within its code to address short-term rentals.

“It does specify where it’s allowed,” she said. “We haven’t been enforcing it even though we’re fully recognizing it’s not allowed in certain zones […] If we enforce the laws that we have, it would go a long way to addressing the issues we’re having with short-term rentals.”

Brock, who represents ward one, said when going doorto-door on West Hill for her re-election campaign this past fall, she noticed that many units are now full-time shortterm rentals.

“They’re being taken off the rental market one after another,” she said. “It’s growing monthly, frankly. I recognize the staffing shortage but I do think this is an urgent issue. I do think we have the resources we need for legislation.”

Committee member Laura Lewis said that enforcement is a challenge, and that she’s hopeful the city can make progress on hiring more staff for the Planning Department.

“Then there will be some issues we can move from the backburner to the mid, if not front, burner,” she said. “We should take a look at what we have in legislation and work toward better enforcement.”

Brock again reiterated that she thinks the matter is urgent.

“If we’re talking about housing and vacancies and the inability to find affordable housing, every unit we take off for VRBO is another loss, so I think we need to address this,” she said.

Committee member Rob Gearhart agreed, and asked if there was any benefit from following the town’s lead regarding the legislation.

Acting Planning Director Lisa Nicholas said the town has different circumstances, but that she does think it’s important to coordinate with them.

One of the most contentious parts of the town’s legislation was the disparity between the number of rental days lakefront properties got compared to non-lakefront properties. Homes on the lake can rent out their homes unhosted for up to 245 days in a calendar year. Non-lakefront properties, however, are limited to just 29 days per year. The city does not have the same issue, as the lakefront property within city limits is primarily parks and other public property.

Gearhart also added that better public information campaigns could be helpful with enforcement as well. -Tanner Harding

Dan Swanstrom, the head coach of the Ithaca College football program for the past five years, has announced that he will be returning to the University of Pennsylvania to serve as the offensive coordinator for the Quakers. His last day at Ithaca College will be Jan. 31, and he will begin his new appointment on Feb. 1.

“Dan Swanstrom is a quintessential professional coach and educator of the highest quality,” said Ithaca College Associate Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Susan Bassett ‘79. “He has made a lasting positive impact on our football program, athletics department, and Ithaca College in general. I want to thank him for his leadership, commitment, and professionalism as the head coach for Bomber football. His results speak for themselves but taken together with the quality of the staff he has brought to South Hill and the academic and on-the-field achievements of the studentathletes within his program, he has succeeded by every metric. Personally, I have enjoyed our work together, learned a great deal from Dan and will miss him greatly. I understand why he couldn’t pass up the offer of this Division I coaching opportunity, and I wish him all the best at Penn.”

Swanstrom, the tenth head coach in program history, came to South Hill on Dec. 12, 2016, and revitalized Bomber football in five years at the helm. In four seasons of competition, Ithaca went 32-11 for a .744 winning percentage, which stands as the highest winning percentage for an Ithaca head coach.

“I want to start by thanking our director of athletics, Susan Bassett, for the wonderful opportunity at Ithaca College,” said Swanstrom. “Her consistent support, friendship and leadership has fundamentally transformed me over these past five years. Also, I can’t put into words how special my time at Ithaca has been. I would like to thank the players, coaches and fans for the cherished experiences and the meaningful relationships.”

The Bombers went 8-3 in each of the first three seasons with Swanstrom in charge and most recently posted an 8-2 mark in 2021. IC was nationally ranked each of the past three seasons, reaching as high as No. 8 in the 2019 D3football. com Top 25 Poll.

IC went 3-1 during Cortaca Jug games, including a 32-20 victory at MetLife Stadium on November 16, 2019, in front of an NCAA Division III record crowd of 45,161 fans.

The Bombers earned a total of 10 All-America honors from six student-athletes since 2017. IC also received all four major individual awards (offensive player, defensive player, special teams and rookie) in the Liberty League with Swanstrom as head coach.

Swanstrom came to Ithaca from UPenn, where he served as the quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator. Prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator and associate head coach at Johns Hopkins University from 2008-13. Swanstrom also spent time at Redlands from 2006-08.

“We will commence an immediate national search for the next leader for our football program,” stated Bassett. “I have every confidence that we will attract an excellent pool of qualified candidates and identify an exceptional head coach. Every aspect of why a talented person like Coach Swanstrom was attracted to this position at Ithaca College five years ago is enhanced and I know that what is fundamental to our rich tradition of success in athletics is as true today as at any time. I expect to work with speed and efficiency to conclude our search.”

Ithaca College will be hosting the 2022 Cortaca Jug football game against SUNY Cortland at Yankee Stadium on Nov. 12.

“I look forward to welcoming our next head coach to the storied Cortaca Jug tradition, and to another successful season for our student-athletes,” said Bassett.

Current assistant coach Mike Hatcher will serve as interim head coach until a new head coach is named. -Staff Report

Sports IC football coach resigns for job at UPenn

IC Football Coach, Dan Swanstrom (Photo: Provided) Ups There were people out skating and playing hockey on the frozen inlet over the weekend. The cold is finally good for something. Downs Are we the only ones sick of wiping snow off our cars?

HEARD&SEEN

Heard Cases have been down substantially since the college students left for break, but they’re back this week and next, so keep an eye on the numbers. Seen There are lots of new faces on Common Council and County Legislature and their committees this month as the newest elected officials take office.

IF YOU CARE TO RESPOND to something in this column, or suggest your own praise or blame, write news@ithacatimes. com, with a subject head “U&D.”

QUESTION OF THE WEEK Hibernate or great outdoors?

82.4% Hibernate 17.6% Great outdoors

Next Week’s QuestioN: How do you rate Mayor Myrick?

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