WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE

Monday, February 28, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m.

James Monty, Chairman

Thomas Scozzafava, Vice-Chairman

Chairman Monty called this Ways and Means meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. with the following supervisors in attendance: Clayton Barber, Derek Doty, Shaun Gillilland, Roy Holzer, Ken Hughes, Steve McNally, Noel Merrihew, Jim Monty, Tom Scozzafava, Matthew Stanley, Michael Tyler, Joe Pete Wilson, Davina Winemiller, Margaret Wood and Mark Wright. Charles Harrington was absent for the roll call. Stephanie DeZalia was excused.

Department heads present were: James Dougan, Judy Garrison, Allison McGahay, Daniel Palmer, Terri Morris, Max Thwaits, David Reynolds, Kristy Sprague and Dan Manning.

News media: Tim Rowland - Sun News

Also present: Patty Doyle, Shona Doyle and Bill McGahay.

MONTY: Good morning everyone. We’ll call the ways and means to order. Please stand for the pledge. Thank you. Roll call please, Judy. Thank you. It doesn’t appear at this time any guests, so we’ll move right into resolutions.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Monday, February 14, 2022

Chairman – S. McNally Vice-Chairman – I. Tyler

1. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2021 ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS ANNUAL REPORT. Holzer, Tyler

2. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $868,427.00, WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM SICG-19 GRANT. Tyler, Merrihew

3. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO GO OUT TO BID FOR STRING REPLACEMENT OF VRLA BATTERIES AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING FOR BATTERY BACKUP IN THE 911 DISPATCH CENTER AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING A THREE-YEAR MAINTENANCE CONTRACT FOR SAID BACKUP SYSTEM WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM SICG-20 GRANT. Tyler, Barber

4. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2021 ESSEX COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT. Winemiller, Scozzafava

5. RESOLUTION URGING NEW YORK STATE AND FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES TO SUSPEND A 90-DAY MORATORIUM ON EXCESS TAX ADDED TO GASOLINE PRODUCTS. Holzer, unanimous

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Monday, February 14, 2022

Chairman – I. Tyler Vice-Chairman – R. Holzer

6. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $123,242.50, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2021 FUNDS EFC SEPTIC SYSTEM. Winemiller, Tyler

7. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $20,000.00, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2021 FUNDS NEW YORK STATE AGS AND MARKETS FARMLAND PROTECTION GRANT. Tyler, Gillilland

8. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $112,010.01, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2020 AND 2021 FUNDS NEW YORK STATE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY GRANT. Winemiller, DeLoria

HUMAN SERVICES

Monday, February 14, 2022

Chairman – JP. Wilson Vice-Chairman - C. Harrington

9. RESOLUTION OF CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION TO DAVID SCAGLIONE UPON HIS RETIREMENT FROM ESSEX COUNTY. Merrihew, unanimous

10. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SALARY ADJUSTMENTS FOR THREE (3) ATTORNEY POSITIONS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. Stanley, Hughes

11. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HIRING OF A PART-TIME ACCOUNT CLERK IN THE MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Scozzafava, Hughes

12. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT FUNDING FROM EMERGENCY CMHS ADULT FEDERAL COVID ONE-TIME ALLOCATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $36,000.00, AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SAME. Wilson, Stanley

13. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH WIC DEPARTMENT, INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $800.00, JINGLE BELL RUN DONATION. Tyler, Wright

14. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE OFFICE FOR THE AGING DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $14,638.26, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2021 SPECIAL AND URGENT NEEDS GRANT FROM ADIRONDACK FOUNDATION. Barber, Wilson

15. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE OFFICE FOR THE AGING DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $169,935.15, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2021 DSRIP FUNDS FROM ADIRONDACK HEALTH INSTITUTE. Harrington, Stanley

16. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE OFFICE FOR THE AGING DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $252,267.54, CARRY OVER UNEXPENDED 2021 FFCRA STIMULUS COVID 19 FUNDING. Harrington, Merrihew

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Chairman – R. DeLoria Vice–Chairman – C. Barber

17. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH REALE CONSTRUCTION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $33,428.22, FOR LABOR AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR LIMITED ROAD RECONSTRUCTION OF A SECTION OF COUNTY ROUTE 55, WALKER ROAD LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF ESSEX, WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS. Hughes, Scozzafava

18. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH REALE CONSTRUCTION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $16,791.92, FOR LABOR AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR LIMITED ROAD RECONSTRUCTION OF A SECTION OF COUNTY ROUTE 27, POINT ROAD LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF WILLSBORO, WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS. Holzer, DeLoria

19. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH REALE CONSTRUCTION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $26,932.16, FOR LABOR AND EQUIPMENT NECESSARY FOR LIMITED ROAD RECONSTRUCTION OF A SECTION OF COUNTY ROUTE 68, SUNSET DRIVE LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF WILLSBORO, WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS. Gillilland, Hughes

20. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF MIKE DAVIS TO SERVE ON THE FARMLAND PROTECTION BOARD FOR AN UNEXPIRED TERM. Tyler, Monty

PERSONNEL

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Chairman – S. DeZalia Vice-Chairman – JP. Wilson

21. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CYBER INSURANCE WITH NYMIR IN THE AMOUNT OF $7,088.00, FOR THE PERIOD 2/28/22 – 12/31/22. Hughes, Winemiller

MONTY: Discussion?

WINEMILLER: Dan, I apologize if you already answered this I was not here last week. Is this something that the towns can piggyback off?

PALMER: Well, I think we got it through NYMIR, I’m not sure you can specifically piggyback off of but you can get it through NYMIR. NYMIR was certainly cheaper when we went out to the other ones they were like, $28,000 and NYMIR was significantly less but each jurisdiction has to answer a certain amount of cyber questions that are related to before they are granted a quote but you could get it through NYMIR.

DELORIA: I think you have to have a tech person on site to answer the questions.

PALMER: Yeah, there’s quite a list of questions.

DELORIA: To carry this through, you talked a while back about using maybe some of the covid funding to get cyber security software, are we still working on that?

PALMER: Well, we have, I mean, yeah eventually I’m going to come to you with some kind of a proposal for, you know upping cyber security protections that we have in place. A lot of it has to do really with internal switches, a switch is really your first protection against any kind of cyber-attack and we’re at the point here at the county where we are running close to end of life on some of our switches so we really, the biggest part of the cyber upgrade would be those switch changes.

DELORIA: There was a specific software too that was attached to that?

PALMER: There’s quite a few we run. We run different ones but yeah, there are software programs that are designed to work with your switches.

DELORIA: Because honestly if the towns don’t have good cyber security and fire walls in place you better you know, this is not something that is required but you better have it and not need it than not have it and need it.

PALMER: Yup.

MONTY: I know Davina we have it through NYMIR and it’s very reasonable, very reasonable but you there is a list of questions they ask you to qualify.

WINEMILLER: Thank you.

MONTY: Your welcome. Any other questions? No other questions, all in favor signify by saying aye, opposed – carried.

22. RESOLUTION OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF ELOISE HUME ST. DENNIS. Merrihew, unanimous

FINANCE/TAX REDUCTION/MANDATE RELIEF

Tuesday, February 22, 2022

Chairman – T. Scozzafava Vice-Chairman – N. Merrihew

23. RESOLUTION DESIGNATING THE MONTH OF APRIL 2022 AS DONATE LIFE MONTH. Scozzafava, unanimous

24. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2022 REAL PROPERTY TAX OFFICE ANNUAL REPORT. Scozzafava, Wright

MONTY: Resolutions from the floor.

GARRISON: Everyone has a copy of the budget amendment request from the EMS committee, authorizing a budget amendment increasing revenues and appropriations in the amount of $55,066.74, DOS MRF grant for EMS consolidation.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES EMS INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $55,066.74, DOS MRF GRANT FOR EMS CONSOLIDATION. DeLoria, Wilson

MONTY: Discussion? No discussion, all in favor signify by saying aye, opposed – carried.

GARRISON: And the second one from EMS, everyone has a copy on their desks is authorizing to increase part time paramedic position to a full time position. This will be paid out of the MRF grant I just stated for 2022 and 2023.

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TO INCREASE A PART TIME PARAMEDIC POSITION TO A FULL TIME POSITION IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES EMS WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE MRF GRANT FOR 2022 AND 2023. Holzer, Merrihew

MONTY: Discussion? No discussion, all in favor signify by saying aye, opposed – carried.

GARRISON: There is one more, everyone has a copy on their desks. It is a resolution introducing proposed local law #2, of 2022, it’s adopting a plan of apportionment of the Essex County Board of Supervisors and scheduling a public hearing thereon.

RESOLUTION INTRODUCING PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. 2, OF 2022, ADOPTING A PLAN OF APPORTIONMENT OF THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING THEREON. Scozzafava, Gillilland

MONTY: Discussion?

HUGHES: I just want to say, it’s great that we were able to do this in-house with the IT Dan I know you probably saved us a lot of money by figuring all that locally and I just want to say thank you.

PALMER: Thank you. Johnathan did a great job, he’s our programmer over there. It is a difficult formulate to figure out you know, the software does the work but you’ve got to stay within those points and the software actually considers every possible voting combination that this board can do so 17 vote yes and 1 votes no you have to be able to calculate that that is still going to equal the same voting power so, it’s a pretty complicated process but it went well.

HOLZER: Well I reluctantly support this unlike Mr. Scozzafava, I feel like and I’ve said it all along that I think the census procedure was flawed this time. I don’t think they worked well with Governments at all. I do not believe the numbers in Wilmington and other communities it is at all correct so I just want to go on record of that.

PALMER: Yeah, and I don’t disagree with that unfortunately the only numbers that we had to work with was what the official census bureau puts out. You know, there was in North Elba in particular there was a significant drop in population. It was almost 1300 drop and that was before taking out the inmates so you know, I don’t know. I don’t know why the population would drop that much in North Elba, it didn’t when I saw the number it didn’t seem like it was probably but you know maybe some of the housing is just being taken up by vacation rentals and people are not moving in. I’m not sure what the reason is?

SCOZZAFAVA: They are moving to Moriah.

McNALLY: They go for the culture. (laughter)

MONTY: Can’t you open a B&B?

DELORIA: Dan, can I give Wilmington 18 out of my numbers?

HOLZER: I’ll take it.

PALMER: You would be amazed at how much a few numbers changes the whole discrepancy. Essentially what happens is you, the plan number is actually an arbitrary number that you determine based upon what you need to reach that one for one, as close as you can for that one for one discrepancy level so sometimes adding two votes to one town ends up okay, that looks a whole lot different now you’ve got to change it again.

DELORIA: I wasn’t giving people my votes, I was going to give them some of my population.

PALMER: You were going to give them some of your population but that’s what changes the formula.

HARRINGTON: If there is a feeling of discrepancy wouldn’t there also be a correlation with the school population and if that was true than maybe it’s accurate?

PALMER: That maybe. I see your point. You know, the school population has been dropping so probably our population is following course. It just seemed like in North Elba that was a pretty significant drop, it really was.

MONTY: I know in Lewis we have generated a lot of new people coming in but it’s elderly people, it’s not people with school age children so I understand your point Charlie but I think, you know each community might have variables in that regard.

GILLILLAND: If this discussion is done and on that issue in 2010 we had this Air B&B phenomena and it’s blown up but if there is any more discussion on this issue? Linda Beers is trying to get ahold of me right now but the question is coming up about the mandate and release of the mandate for school age kids. As I understand it and Linda just pointed to me yesterday if a county is high or higher at a level of high or higher spread then to release the mandate it would take the vote of the Board of Health. We are at medium so therefore it doesn’t take any intervention by the Board of Health, to us to allow a mandate so the mandate will go through as I understand it on Wednesday kids don’t have to wear them in their congregate settings, in their schools and day care centers and things like that so that’s where we stand right now. I guess a lot of people were asking, you know, I guess some of the school superintendents and our school even put it out to everybody that we are waiting for the public health to make a decision and Linda wants to talk to me about doing a press release or a press availability on that issue. So that’s my update at this point. Any questions?

MONTY: Thank you Shaun. Going back to the weighted vote, we didn’t vote on it. We had a first and a second and discussion.

GILLILLAND: Oh, I’m sorry.

MONTY: So, all in favor signify by saying aye, opposed – carried.

HUGHES: When is the public hearing?

GARRISON: We are going to do it on April 4, just before the regular board at 9:30 a.m.

HUGHES: Thank you.

WILSON: One more from the floor, a resolution from the floor from Mental Health it should be on people’s desks?

GARRISON: We did that already.

WILSON: We did that already?

PALMER: It was in the packet, the memo there was just an explanation.

MONTY: I do have an update. I don’t know if you read the email I sent out this morning, Mr. Hughes and I got it last Friday. We did not receive the MTI grant that we had put in with the consortium with the North Country Broadband Alliance. Very disappointing. We’re not giving up. There’s some more money out there we’re going to seek it. I will have more information for you Friday on our, no it’s actually two weeks now because I think John’s going away so it’s two weeks we’ll have that meeting with more information. Any information we receive we will give out to you. There are other grant funds that have been made available, RDOF funds and some of these other funds waiting for release. We will continue to get that information as we have it. It’s a little disappointing but as you know, I’m pretty hard headed I’m not going to give up so any questions?

HUGHES: Jim just to piggyback on that. Nobody in New York State received any MTI funding.

MONTY: Nobody.

HUGHES: No place in New York State got any funding.

MONTY: Yes, if you look at it primarily it was the middle of the country and southern part of the country that got it. I guess they are more rural than we are. Thank you Ken.

GILLILLAND: I don’t know if you saw the article recently about the census and what they did this year in the census was unlike any other in that they took look at the Adirondack Park itself and those of us living in the Adirondack Park this is the least dense population area of the country East of the Mississippi and you don’t get to a lesser dense area of the country until you get to West Texas so keep that in mind about whether we are lucky enough or unfortunate enough.

MONTY: Yes. Anything else to come before the board?

GILLILLAND: I spoke with you this morning about our Election Commission would like to say a couple words?

MONTY: Yes, please do.

McGAHAY: Good morning. Thank you very much. It’s not unusual for me to be standing here addressing all of you. I came here this morning not as your Election Commissioner although I am deeply honored for your support all these years as well as back when I was an Assistant DA working with Kristy but the reason I am here today in this courtroom, with its history and importance; my children come down here for meetings every once and a while with me and they are always so impressed that this was the place where John Brown’s body was brought but the reason I’m here today is to let you all know that I’m announcing that I am running for Supreme Court. I have been an attorney for almost twenty years now. I’ve spent fifteen of the last twenty in public service and I am prepared to bring this seat back where it rightfully belongs which is Essex County. I’m sure that all the Supervisors are aware of the history. In 2008, Essex County lost its Supreme Court seat and since then, we’ve had no sitting Supreme Court Justice and I’m ready to bring that seat with your help and with your support I should say, I am ready to fight to bring that seat back to Essex County. Thank you. Thank you very much.

GILLILLAND: I would like to back that up. I mean I don’t know of any attorney I’ve been lucky enough to work with or we have been lucky in the role of the county than Allison. Bringing that seat back to Essex County is very important. When people have cases and they have to drive to Schenectady and the lawyers have to drive to Schenectady or the lawyers have to drive to Saratoga or Warren County and things it’s very important that that Supreme Court Justice sits in Essex County. It’s Essex County’s turn to get it back. This is, you know we don’t have a representative in either the Judicial Branch or Legislative Branch from Essex County and as you know, as we have learned in various judicial battles recently particularly when it comes to environmental issues and things there’s only two counties that are completely in the Adirondack Park and that’s Hamilton and Essex County, Essex being the largest one and it’s extremely important when we are dealing with things that have to do with the Adirondack Park and sometimes putting the residents against the environmentalists that we have a Judge from the Adirondack Park sitting here and hearing the cases.

MONTY: Thank you Shaun. Any comments or questions? No, if not thank you very much. We appreciate it and I understand you would like anyone who would be interested in having a photo taken with you, out front of the courthouse here that you would like to invite any supervisors willing to stand there and support with you.

McGAHAY: I would be honored and grateful.

MONTY: Any questions? Anything else to come before ways and means this morning? If not, we stand adjourned. Low & income housing at 11:00, thank you.

As there was no further discussion to come before this ways and means committee it was adjourned at 10:28 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Judith Garrison, Clerk

Board of Supervisors