Amid the closure of its county office building, Cayuga County will move its backup 911 center to the Auburn Fire Department.
Cayuga County legislators have passed two resolutions to allow for the move. The first authorized the chair of the legislature to enter into an agreement with the City of Auburn for the relocation of equipment to the department’s Station No. 1 at 31 Seminary Street. Per the resolution, the county will rent the space for the center for five years at an annual rate of $5,070 with an option to renew at the end of the fifth year.
The second authorized an amendment to the county’s 2025 budget, transferring $1.2 million to pay for the costs associated with removing 911 equipment from the office building and installing it at the fire station. Before the vote, Legislature Chair Jonathan Anna said the move is necessary to avoid losing the equipment.
“This isn’t about spending $1.2 million to move equipment; this is about spending $1.2 million to save 8. I just want to make that clear. The equipment in the building is valued between $7-8 million, and we run the risk of losing it if we don’t get it out of there.”
Chairman Anna also stated that it will still take several months to move the equipment.
The office building has been closed since May 2024 after heavy rains and a damaged roof led to a granular material, later determined to be vermiculite, collecting under a number of window frames within the structure. Roughly a year later, testing would reveal Asbestos in the building’s basement.
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