2026 Capital Projects Committee, Meeting 4, 2025-07-24


The meeting addressed urgent capital project funding needs to enhance emergency services, communication systems, and infrastructure improvements across various county departments.

• The meeting discusses the need for capital projects to ensure continuity of emergency services in the county.

• A $10.8 million request focuses on refreshing the E911 system equipment before September 2026.

• A second proposal requests $2.5 million to add 18 workstations at a public safety training facility.

• Current equipment is nearing end of life, risking system stability and compliance if not replaced.

• Consolidation of PSAPs is anticipated due to staffing challenges faced by local agencies.

• The committee allocated $250,000 for land acquisition at the EOC two years ago.

• Staff are working with administration to engage a realtor for the acquisition process.

• Current communication systems are outdated and fragmented across multiple agencies.

• A proposed trunk radio system aims to centralize communications and improve interoperability among agencies.

• Agencies express interest in participating in a shared services model for communication infrastructure.

• Recent incidents highlight urgent need for improved communication during emergencies across agencies.

• Public health requests funding to replace aging instrumentation for drinking water testing to maintain accreditation.

• SAP upgrade allows access to advanced human capital management tools, enhancing HR capabilities after years of stagnation.

• Proposed enhancements include streamlined onboarding, centralized personnel records, and improved performance management systems.

• Parks Department highlights ongoing capital needs for maintenance and improvements across various facilities and equipment.

• Emphasis on maintaining regional parks and recreation facilities while addressing aging infrastructure and equipment replacement.

Action items:

• Clarify and confirm the priorities among proposed projects for SUNY as discussed in relation to funding limits.

• Follow up on the confirmation of funding for the marble panel stabilization project mentioned by the library.

• Explore the possibility of the library joining the enterprise leasing program for vehicle replacements.

• Provide an update on the status of previous phases of the facility master plan projects at SUNY.

• Investigate potential grants or funding sources for energy performance contracting projects at SUNY.

• Explore potential partnerships for additional services such as a pharmacy and banking at the Buffle Center for Technology.

• Monitor status of grant applications and awards related to both projects.

• Review the budget and timeline implications if partial funding is received for the Buffalo Center project.

• Assess community needs and resources required in conjunction with Spectrum Health’s proposal for their 1280 Main Street facility.

• Ensure that updates regarding ongoing construction and maintenance projects are provided to committee members regularly.

• Refine and reissue bids for the road extensions at the steel site due to previous unsuccessful attempts.

• Follow up on the funding allocation and secure necessary funds for the agricultural park project.

• Provide a more extensive breakdown of costs associated with the railroad movement in the steel site redevelopment project.

• Prepare for upcoming meetings to discuss further proposals and updates on project progress.

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After a series of diplomatic blunders, President Donald Trump and America's reputation loss could "raise the risk of global conflict" and come at a major cost, including "mischief or worse" from enemies.

In an opinion piece published Monday, Bloomberg columnist Andreas Kluth describes how a good reputation can be difficult to obtain or maintain, and Trump "has squandered whatever credibility America had left in foreign and security policy."

Following his rambling speech last week in front of the United Nations and his struggle to see the difference between "personal chemistry" with President Vladimir Putin and diplomatic action, Trump has effectively put both adversaries and allies on edge, wrote Kluth.

"Inklings of danger are everywhere," Kluth writes. "America’s partners are becoming more anxious and making alternative arrangements for their security: Saudi Arabia just signed a defensive pact with Pakistan after watching an Israeli strike against its Gulf neighbor Qatar, which is allied to, but got no help from, the United States. America’s adversaries keep testing the resolve of Trump and the West, as Putin is doing in eastern Europe. Or, like Xi Jinping in Beijing and Kim in Pyongyang, they’re recalculating bellicose scenarios in secret. Other countries, like India, are wary of committing to America and keeping all options open, even clutching hands with Moscow and Beijing."

And although Trump is not the first president to struggle with navigating U.S. reputation among foreign nations, it puts America at an unfortunate future disadvantage.

"Against this backdrop, anybody watching US policy for the past decade, from friendly Europe to adversarial China, already had reason to doubt US credibility. What Trump has done in his second term is to remove the doubts and confirm the loss. Allies now know they can’t trust America, while adversaries are ganging up and recalculating their plans for mischief or worse.

It's unclear what will happen in the future; a damaged reputation jeopardizes diplomacy.

"These responses to America’s loss of credibility will raise the risk of global conflict," Kluth writes. "The danger will go up even more if the US, under this or a future president, panics and decides to overcompensate in reestablishing its reputation, with a demonstratively hawkish turn that could tip into war. If America and the whole world are becoming less safe, it’s because Donald Trump’s foreign policy is, literally, in-credible."

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