The Cayuga County Legislature on Tuesday approved two resolutions — one to relocate the backup 911 center and another to use $1.2 million from its dwindling fund balance to cover costs associated with the move.
Although the county is facing a budget crisis, legislators agreed that using its fund balance was necessary for this purpose.
The backup 911 center is located in the basement of the Cayuga County Office Building. Denise Spingler, the county's 911 administrator, told the Legislature in October 2024 that her agency could still access the equipment, but they were not allowed to work there while the building is closed.
A temporary backup center was established at the Owasco Fire Department, but Spingler and others, namely Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck, urged the Legislature to identify a better solution.
When the building closed after tests found asbestos-containing vermiculite throughout the upper floors, it was believed that the basement and first floor were clear of contaminants. But follow-up testing this year, as Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Anna revealed in May, confirmed there was asbestos in the basement.
One concern is what might happen to the backup 911 center's equipment if it remains in the basement. The equipment is worth up to $8 million, according to Anna, and the county risks losing it if it stays there.
"The equipment has to come out," he said.
Cayuga County is already moving its information technology data center from the building to the Auburn Fire department. The Legislature voted in June to approve a lease agreement with the city. The county will pay $2,480 a year to rent space inside the fire station. The cost to relocate the equipment is $343,000.
For the backup 911 center, the county will pay $5,070 a year. The agreement is for five years, with an option to renew at the end of the fifth year.
Legislator Mark Strong told his colleagues that relocating the backup 911 center is "critical."
"It should've happened six months ago, but it didn't," he said. "This is a priority for this county to make this move. I just can't make it clear enough. This is a vital asset to this county."
© 2025 The Citizen, Auburn, N.Y. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
