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Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Jonathan Anna revealed Tuesday that tests found asbestos in the building's basement, where the county's backup 911 center and information technology equipment are located.

Anna told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV initial testing was clear over the summer. After he became chair in January, he began advancing a plan to remove equipment and other items from the building. During that process, vendors advised him to conduct another round of testing before anyone entered the building.

Those tests found that while the first floor remained clear of contaminants, a few samples from the basement tested positive for asbestos. More samples were taken, according to Anna, and the majority confirmed the presence of asbestos.

The asbestos in the basement is unrelated to the vermiculite found on the upper floors, Anna said. An investigation determined the source of the asbestos is fireproof insulation that has frayed or shed over time. The insulation is around piping above the ceiling tiles in the basement.

The information about the test results was shared during a discussion at the county Legislature meeting Tuesday. Legislators approved resolutions to designate Campus Construction Management Group as a project manager for the office building and authorize spending up to $150,000 for environmental services.

Although the appropriation isn't limited to the basement, Anna explained a portion of the funding could be used for the decontamination and removal of items from that area.

"There's some steps that are going to take place to have that done, but it is fully recoverable," he said, noting the basement contains "critical infrastructure worth millions of dollars."

Regarding the agreement with Campus Construction Management Group, Anna told Ë®¹ûÅÉAV it was apparent when he became chair in January that outside guidance was needed from a vendor that "did not have a vested interest in the work being performed."

According to the resolution approved by the county Legislature, Campus Construction Management Group will be paid up to $50,000 for its services.

"I wanted to make sure that we had checks and balances to ensure that we're doing what's right and the best stewardship of our tax dollars moving forward," Anna said.

The latest actions by the Legislature follow the release of a draft report on the vermiculite contamination in the office building. According to Anna, the report "only partially answered questions" and advised further investigation of the problem.

With the county hiring Campus Construction Management Group as a project manager, Anna wants to pause and seek additional guidance to "make sure that we're doing what we're supposed to do."

Among the questions from legislators, including Anna, is how much it will cost to remediate the building. That figure is unknown, but will be important in discussions about the building's future.

Before the vermiculite discovery and the building closed in 2024, the county Legislature heard a proposal to renovate the existing facility. The estimated cost was $52 million. But with vermiculite found on the upper floors and asbestos in the basement, the price tag would likely be much more than that to remediate and renovate the building.

Anna acknowledged there is another factor that could contribute to the cost: The age of the building, which was built in the 1960s.

"Once you've taken stuff apart, I don't know what else we'd find," he said.

The building closed in May 2024 after a granular material — later confirmed to be vermiculite, which can contain asbestos — was found in a fifth-floor office. Officials initially thought the closure would be temporary, but further testing determined vermiculite was present on multiple floors.

In September, county officials said the building would be closed for two years.

The closure disrupted county operations and displaced several departments. The county is renting a downtown Auburn building for the Department of Social Services, while the clerk's office and other agencies have moved into space at Cayuga Community College.