PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

Monday, May 8, 2023 - 9:30 AM

Steve McNally, Chairman

Ike Tyler, Vice-Chairman

Vice-Chairman Tyler called this Public Safety Meeting to order at 9:30 am with the following Supervisors in attendance: Clayton Barber, Robin DeLoria, Stephanie DeZalia, Shaun Gillilland, Charles Harrington, Roy Holzer, Noel Merrihew, James Monty, Thomas Scozzafava, Matt Stanley, Ike Tyler, Joe Pete Wilson, Davina Winemiller, and Mark Wright. Derek Doty and Steve McNally were excused. Kenneth Hughes and Margaret Wood were absent.

Department Heads present: Emily Evatt, Judy Garrison, Mary McGowan, Michael Mascarenas, Jack Moulton, David Reynolds, Heather Sheehan, Kristy Sprague and Daniel Woods. Miriam Hadden was excused.

Deputies present: Michael LaVallie.

New Media: Sun News – Alana Penny.

TYLER: Public safety meeting, okay Mr. Merrihew, Veterans do you have anything?

MASCARENAS: Are you going to do the pledge.

TYLER: Oh, my bad let’s do the pledge. There we go.

MERRIHEW: Mr. Chairman, from the Veteran’s committee just a reminder, for Memorial Day there will be services at the county cemetery.

TYLER: What time is that?

MERRIHEW: I believe it’s at 9:00 a.m.

TYLER: Perfect, thank you.

MONTY: Is the new Veteran’s services guy in place Noel?

MERRIHEW: Not in place, no. He’s, I met with Tim last week just as far as the Government goes so he is in the process of being transferred right now he hasn’t assumed the present.

MONTY: If I have any questions, just call the number?

MASCARENAS: We still have our person here Mr. Monty.

MONTY: I know Sarah.

MASCARENAS: Sarah is still here so any questions she’s getting, she’s forwarding to the proper channels.

MERRIHEW: Tim said until they resolve and he comes up and she’ll be all set.

MONTY: Thank you.

TYLER: Anything else? Mr. Woods, come on down.

WOODS: Good morning everyone. If you turn to the second page in our packets you’ll see my report for the month of April. There’s nothing out of the ordinary for the month of April, if you take a look at it I’d be glad to answer any questions if you have any?

TYLER: Any questions? I don’t see any Dan. Have a good day.

Jack Moulton, Board of Elections.

MOULTON: We have no report. If anyone has any questions I’d be happy to answer them.

TYLER: Any questions for Board of Elections? I don’t see any. Thank you. Kristy Sprague. Good morning mam.

SPRAGUE: Good morning. Alright, just a quick update many of you may know but I met with the Judge’s last Monday regarding the traffic program and Mr. Wilson and I had a nice conversation. I did suggest the Judge’s go to their supervisors should they have any questions about the financial reports, aspects how that was going to happen and then I referred them to Mike but the financial part I’m not involved with so I try to explain that and I don’t know how their financial reports are done so I think there was a little confusion between the diversion program and the reduction program. The collection fines verses the collection of the fee that does go, it should not be reported to the Comptroller’s office so if there’s any confusion, feel free to reach out to me and then we can discuss that and then if we have to get Mr. Mascarenas involved we can do that. I just wanted to put that out there.

WILSON: Thank you.

MASCARENAS: Yeah, Mr. Diskin was at a conference last week but I’m going to get with him just so everybody is aware for a refresher, all those funds are going to come from our contractor to the county. I’m not sure there’s going to be much initial as the program gets up and going but we’ll see over time if people start to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the program because it is voluntary and I think that’s important for everybody to remember.

Number two, the county is going to get a portion of that fee as well as the town where the ticket originated so, that’s where we are going to do the split and the Treasurer will pay in directly. What I’m going to work with Mike on is how to put that whether it’s on the memo line of the check so when that it comes into it can be diverted into the proper account that you would like it diverted into so I think we’ll just put it on the memo, traffic diversion program so that you know when it comes in, what it is and where you want to put it.

SPRAGUE: So, overall it was a positive meeting, I’ll put that out there and we did have a lot of input so it was good, it was productive. So, if there are any questions, feel free to reach out.

WILSON: Thanks Kristy, thanks for responding. Mike thank you for having it clear why that check is arriving at the town would be really helpful thanks.

SPRAGUE: Okay that’s all I had if anybody had any other questions?

TYLER: Anything else? Thank you mam. Emergency Services – I see Matt’s not here but we do have somebody from Emergency Services.

MASCARENAS: Yes, Mr. Mike.

LAVALLIE: Good morning everybody. The director had an emergency just pop up like fifteen minutes ago so just bear with me I’m standing in for him. You do have our report for the month. I don’t have anything to bring up on that. Does anybody have any questions regarding anything with the report?

TYLER: I don’t see any.

LAVALLIE: Just the items for information purposes, reminder Emergency Service in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Department, Public Health, National Guard and DHSES will be hosting the Citizens Preparedness training on June 24^th beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the Fairgrounds. This is open to all Essex county residents and I do have a copy of a flyer if any of the supervisors need that for their respective community buildings let us know and I will be happy to make you a copy of that.

TYLER: Alright.

LAVALLIE: Thank you sir. Have a good day everybody.

TYLER: Sheriff, Mr. Reynolds.

REYNOLDS: So I have a couple of resolutions I’d like to ask for the first recognizing national correctional officer’s week which is May 7-13 of this month.

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WEEK OF MAY 7-13, 2023, AS NATIONAL CORRECTIONAL OFFICERS WEEK. Holzer, DeLoria

TYLER: Any questions? All in favor, opposed – carried.

REYNOLDS: The second resolution is recognizing national Police Officers week, the following week so May 14-20^th.

RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WEEK OF MAY 14-20, 2023, AS NATIONAL POLICE OFFICERS WEEK. Holzer, DeLoria

TYLER: Any questions? All in favor, opposed – carried.

REYNOLDS: I’d also like to talk about our canine teams that we just recently activated, which was a significant investment by the board so I wanted to – they are brand new so they are still working out the kinks but they’ve been very active. They were nationally certified with the American Police Work Dog Association on 4/13 so they completed their training in Pennsylvania. Over 200 hours of training each, when they returned on 4/19, they also received a NYS DCJS certification so national and New York State certified. Since that date, just in the regular work routines they’ve had ten separate deployments so that’s where they’ve been requested either by our own agency or another agency. So, four requests by our own agency either traffic pulled over or to search something, four by New York State Police and two by Clinton County. One was for a two year old that had wandered off up in Peru, luckily the child was found before we go there but through our ten deployments we’ve made six arrests between the three different agencies. We’ve pulled meth, cocaine, benzo’s, amphetamines through one of them even though the dogs do not detect marijuana there was a significant amount of marijuana which was another charge. Mushrooms, a loaded fire arm so they’ve been very, very active and very, very successful. They are continuously training, they have scheduled trainings at least two days a week out of county plus all the additional training that they have to maintain on their own. So, do you have any questions about them? I’d also like to bring them to you guys here but whatever fits in your schedule to do that. If you tell me, I can arrange to have them meet the dogs and the handlers.

MASCARENAS: That would be great.

GILLILLAND: Ways and means.

MONTY: Absolutely. Ways & Means Dave?

MASCARENAS: It is the last Tuesday of the month.

REYNOLDS: It should be, I will have to look to make sure. Last Tuesday?

MASCARENAS: Tuesday, the 30^th.

REYNOLDS: It shouldn’t be a problem. You also have my report so if you have any questions? Our local inmate population is rising which means our Federal is declining. We can only hold so many people. Our revenues maybe down a little bit but it’s because our locals are so high.

TYLER: I didn’t think we could put people in jail anymore?

REYNOLDS: We are getting people sentenced from 2020, the bail reform that happened, we are finally starting to see those people and a lot of family court are orders of protection that need to be served. It seems like every day at 4:55 we are getting a couple order of protections to serve and go take people’s guns. So we’re very busy.

TYLER: Anything for the Sheriff?

WRIGHT: Dave can you explain the Friday’s escort for Francis F. “Porky” Lamb to Plattsburgh for Honor Flight, how’s that going to go down?

REYNOLDS: So, who are we picking up?

WRIGHT: Porky Lamb from Ticonderoga. I think you guys are escorting him at least partially to his trip to Plattsburgh?

REYNOLDS: So everyone is different. I don’t schedule those myself. I’m not usually involved but if it’s a Friday pickup usually we’ll pick them up and escort to them to whatever hotel they are staying at on Friday, then on Saturday morning the ones that don’t want to stay at a hotel I think we’re picking up somebody in Willsboro, Lee Ackley.

WRIGHT: Is it simply just a pick up and go?

REYNOLDS: So we pick them up and every event changes but recently we’ve been meeting at the mall and then it’s a big escort from the mall to the Oval for the sendoff. I know a lot of motorcycle clubs will meet us at the residents and escort up.

BARBER: Dave, I had a constituent bring up the electric bike law in New York?

REYNOLDS: I know nothing about that?

BARBER: It was a surprise to me too. It seems like that would be backwards when they are trying to push everything electric and there is a New York State law for electric bikes.

REYNOLDS: What does the law state though? What are they complaining about?

BARBER: I haven’t had a chance to look at it. It was Friday afternoon, he brought it in and wanted me to bring it up to my meeting, my town board meeting.

REYNOLDS: If you can email me what you’re talking about I’ll look into it.

BARBER: I will give you a copy of what he gave me.

REYNOLDS: Okay.

TYLER: Anything else? Thank you Sheriff, have a good one. Coroners. Heather Sheehan, Probation.

SHEEHAN: Good morning everyone. You have my report, if you have any questions I’m here to answer them but just to piggyback off Sheriff Reynolds, we are collaborating and working with the canine unit as well so we’re really excited about that.

TYLER: Anything else for Ms. Sheehan? Thank you. Public Defender, Emily.

EVATT: Emily Evatt, Public Defender I don’t have a report. I’m here if anyone has any questions.

TYLER: I don’t see any Emily. Thank you. Miriam has been excused. Anything else to come before this committee? We are adjourned.

As there was no further discussion to come before this public safety committee it was adjourned at 9:45 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Judith Garrison, Clerk

Board of Supervisors