REGULAR BOARD
Monday, May 5, 2025 -
10:00 AM
Shaun Gillilland, Chairman
James Monty, Vice-Chairman
Chairman Gillilland called this Regular Board
to order at 10:00 am with the following Supervisors in attendance: Clayton
Barber, Matthew Brassard, Chris Clark, Robin DeLoria, Shaun Gillilland, Charlie
Harrington, James Monty, Cathleen Reusser, Favor Smith, Matt Stanley, Davina
Thurston, Ike Tyler, Joe Pete Wilson, Margaret Wood and Mark Wright. Derek Doty, Ken Hughes and Steve McNally were
excused.
Department Heads present: James Dougan, Judy
Garrison, Mary McGowan, Dan Manning, Michael Mascarenas, Roy Holzer, Matt Watts
and David Reynolds
Also present:
Josh Favro and William Tansey.
News media:
None present.
GILLILLAND:
I note the time is 10 am I will call this meeting of the Board of
Supervisors to order. If you would join
me in the pledge of allegiance please.
Before we start the roll call I just had a couple of things one, first
of all this flag here it’s a Hulbert Flag.
It’s the first flag that flew over Ticonderoga after Ticonderoga was
taken 250 years ago this week by Benedict Arnold and Ethan Allen’s forces so
this is the first strategic flag of victory of the United States or the
rebellion at the time. Those of us need to appreciate and embrace our history
or we are deemed to repeat it and I think we can see that often today on a
daily basis in our current events.
The second thing is I may have to during this
meeting very quickly go to a short recess I’m waiting for a call from a
surgeon. My mother broke her hip over the weekend and is about to go into hip
surgery and they are going to call and make sure for me to give permission to
put her under the knife so with that, we’ll start with roll call please. Thank you. We have no guests this morning so
we’ll go directly into resolutions.
RESOLUTION
#90 – AUTHORIZING ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF ELECTIONS TO CHANGE THE HOURS OF
OPERATION TO BE OPEN FROM 8:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M. BEGINNING MAY 12, 2025 THROUGH
SEPTEMBER 15, 2025.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Stanley, seconded by Mr. Tyler, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#91 – AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO AWARD BIDS, ISSUE
CONTRACTS/AGREEMENTS OR PURCHASE ORDERS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Tyler, seconded by Mr. Wright and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
RESOLUTION
#92 – AUTHORIZING THE ESSEX COUNTY PURCHASING AGENT TO GO OUT TO BID FOR
VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Stanley, seconded by Mr. Clark, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#93 – RECOGNIZING MAY 18-25, 2025, AS NATIONAL EMS WEEK.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Stanley, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#94 – AUTHORIZING THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO INSTITUTE AN ON-CALL
PROGRAM TO INCENTIVIZE EMS PARTICIPATION AT LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND EMS
AGENCIES.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Stanley, seconded by Mr. Wilson, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#95 – OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF HON. JOHN CALLANAN MCDONALD.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wright, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#96 – OF CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION TO MARY STANLEY UPON HER RETIREMENT
FROM SERVICE WITH THE ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Clark, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#97 – AUTHORIZING BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wright, seconded by Mr. Stanley, and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
RESOLUTION
#98 – AUTHORIZING VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT GRANTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Brassard, seconded by Mr. Barber, and adopted upon
a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0
votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
RESOLUTION
#99 – AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT TO IRONMAN LAKE PLACID FOR THE USE
OF THE COUNTY ROADWAYS FOR THE 2025 IRONMAN TRIATHLON RACE ON JULY 20, 2025.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. DeLoria, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#100 – AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT TO LAKE PLACID MARATHON/LPM EVENTS,
LLC FOR THE USE OF THE COUNTY ROADWAYS FOR THE 2025 LAKE PLACID MARATHON
EVENTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wilson, seconded by Mr. Smith, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#101 – AUTHORIZING CONTRACT AMENDMENTS/CHANGE ORDERS IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wright, seconded by Mr. Tyler, and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
RESOLUTION
#102 – ACCEPTING, ADOPTING AND PLACING ON FILE POLICIES, PLANS, PROCEDURES AND
ANNUAL REPORTS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Tyler, seconded by Mr. Brassard, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#103 – INTRODUCING PROPOSED LOCAL LAW NO. 3 OF 2025 ENTITLED, “A LOCAL LAW
SUPERSEEDING THE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS OF PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW §3 FOR THE
POSITIONS OF ESSEX COUNTY SOCIAL SERVICES ATTORNEY AND ESSEX COUNTY ASSISTANT
SOCIAL SERVICES ATTORNEY(S)”
This
resolution was moved by Mr. DeLoria, seconded by Mr. Stanley, and adopted upon
a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
RESOLUTION
#104 – AUTHORIZING TO CHANGE THE HOURS IN THE OFFICE OF THE ESSEX COUNTY CLERK
AND DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO BE OPEN FROM 8:00 A.M. TO 4:00 P.M. FOR THE
MONTHS OF JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Tyler, seconded by Ms. Reusser, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#105 – CELEBRATING THE ENDURING BONDS BETWEEN THE ADIRONDACKS AND OUR CANADIAN
NEIGHBORS.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Wilson, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#106 – RECOGNIZING LONG-TERM EMPLOYEES OF ESSEX COUNTY.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Gillilland, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
·
Clerk’s note – Chairman
Gillilland stepped out to take a phone call. Vice-Chairman Monty took over the
meeting.
RESOLUTION
#107 – AUTHORIZING THE PAYMENT OF $2,000.00 EACH TO THE TOWNS OF LEWIS AND
WILLSBORO FOR COMPLETING AND SUBMITTING AN ACTIVE COMMUNITIES TOOL (ACT)
ASSESSMENT OF COMMUNITY DESIGN SURVEY TO THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Monty, seconded by Mr. Barber, and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2124 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 729
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty,
Gillilland)
RESOLUTION
#108 – AUTHORIZING THE REPAIR TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT’S MOBILE UNIT VAN, IN AN
AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $7,500.00.
This
resolution was moved by Ms. Reusser, seconded by Mr. DeLoria, and adopted upon
a roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2124 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 729
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty,
Gillilland)
RESOLUTION
#109 – ACCEPTING THE MORTGAGE TAX REPORT.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Tyler, seconded by Mr. Stanley, and duly adopted.
RESOLUTION
#110 – AUTHORIZING THE APPOINTMENT OF HANNAH CARSON TO THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR
OF ESSEX COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX SERVICES.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Monty, seconded by Mr. Wright, and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2124 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 729
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty,
Gillilland)
RESOLUTION
#111 – CHANGING THE DATE OF THE JUNE REGULAR BOARD MEETING FROM JUNE 2, 2025 TO
JUNE 3, 2025.
This
resolution was moved by Ms. Thurston, seconded by Ms. Reusser, and duly
adopted.
MONTY: Twelve to allow it on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes, we do.
RESOLUTION
#112 – AUTHORIZNG THE ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT TO ADIRONDACK SPORTS COUNCIL
ALLOWING USE OF THE COUNTY ROADWAYS FOR THE WILMINGTON WHITEFACE 100K MOUNTAIN
BIKE RACE TO BE HELD ON SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2025, UPON APPROVAL OF THE COUNTY
ATTORNEY AND WITH THE PROVISION OF INSURANCE.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Thurston, and duly adopted.
MONTY: Twelve to allow it on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes, we do.
MONTY: Thank
God the Chairman is back.
GARRISON: That is all I have from the floor.
GILLILLAND: I think Ms. Reusser has one from
the floor?
REUSSER: I do. I’d like to offer condolences to
the family of William Podmore here in Elizabethtown who died last week, Wednesday
the 21st. Bill worked for the Town of Elizabethtown, he also was a
mechanic at Egglefield Ford, several of his family members, daughters worked
for Essex County currently and in the past.
GILLILLAND: Do we have twelve to allow it on
the floor?
GARRISON: Yes, we do.
RESOLUTION
#113 – OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF WILLIAM PODMORE.
This
resolution was moved by Ms. Reusser, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
GILLILLAND: Any others from the floor? I would like to offer a resolution of
condolence to the family of Beverly Moran. Beverly was a town clerk for the town
of Willsboro from 1988 to the end of 2013. Do we have twelve to allow it on the
floor?
GARRISON: Yes, we do.
RESOLUTION
#114 – OF CONDOLENCE TO THE FAMILY OF BEVERLY MORAN.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Gillilland, seconded unanimously, and duly adopted.
MANNING: Okay Hannah from Real Property would
have been here today to pass this resolution but she wasn’t able to make it so
I’m doing some work on her behalf. As
you all know we have a system that allows the public and us called ImageMate to
go on and check various, check your taxes online, gives you pictures of
whatever pictures of property you want to use both on big maps and google maps
and it’s a very important tool for both the county and very important to the
public and also to Real Property. The company that we were currently using is
no longer they sort of merged with a second property. We have requested a request for proposal for
quotes three quotes pursuant to the purchasing policy because the overall
amount that would be expended for the system would be $10,000. The current
ImageMate system as I said, that company is no longer in operation so that necessity
is for us to go out for quotes. Today is
the last day to receive quotes but we need to accept a contract and be in
operation for May 31st the three entities that did quote are all
aware of this. It takes approximately
two weeks to get the whole thing done if we go with another company we have
vetted this companies. Hannah has had
zoom meetings with a couple of them to see how their operations are so
basically the long short of this is I need to get a resolution authorizing the
purchasing agent to award the request for quotes for a publically accessible
web based real property information portal that provides information on land
assessment, taxation, digital map data comparable information and further
authorizing the execution of a contract by the county chairman and/or county
manager. I need a motion a second then any discussion.
GILLILLAND:
Do we have twelve to allow it on the floor?
GARRISON: Yes, we do.
RESOLUTION
#115 – AUTHORIZING THE ESSEX COUNTY PURCHASING AGENT TO AWARD THE REQUEST FOR
QUOTES FOR A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WEB-BASED REAL PROPERTY INFORMATION PORTAL.
This
resolution was moved by Mr. Smith, seconded by Ms. Wood, and adopted upon a
roll-call vote as follows:
AYES: 2277 votes
NOES: 0 votes
ABSENT: 576
votes (Hughes, McNally, Doty)
GILLILLAND: Discussion?
SMITH: I want to congratulate Essex County. I
always found that their access for the public data base. I’m sorry to see ImageMate not be in the
business anymore. I found other counties
not to be as easily accessible and it’s very helpful. I hope Essex County
continues to do a good job in that direction with whomever gets the contract.
GILLILLAND: Thank you.
MASCARENAS: ImageMate still will look the
same. It’s the vendor on the back end
that’s finding the information just so you understand and the public shouldn’t
notice any difference.
MANNING: And actually some vendors are
considered better and one other component of this is also however I don’t know
how it is going to work but you’ll be able to check comparables so if you’re
involved in any sort of Article 7 it’s not of course trial ready but it’s
something you will be able to check and compare your property to other
properties or similar properties.
MONTY:
Again I’m not the brightest man in the world can you explain in laymen
terms what exactly we are going to approve?
MANNING: You’re going to approve, so today is
the final day of the quotes because we are on a time line so you are approving
the issuance of the award of a contract to whomever they determine is to be the
most qualified vendor.
MONTY: Who ever meaning real property?
MANNING: It would be Linda Wolf as the
Purchasing Agent or we can substitute real property if you wish?
MONTY: No I want to understand what I am voting
for and the explanation I’m sorry I just didn’t grasp it.
MANNING: So basically we already have two
quotes and today is the last day so we’re waiting for the third quote and I
didn’t want to delay it because we have until May 31st.
REUSSER:
What are the effects on our budget?
MANNING: I don’t believe there is any. The
amount is less than what we paid last year.
MASCARENAS:
Yes, it was budgeted for 2025, the company merges, going out of
business, going through changes we are trying to avoid a break in service. This is really the backbone of what ImageMate
is so it’s the data base that feeds ImageMate that allows it to keep going the
things you see in the background that just make it work.
DELORIA: I use ImageMate on a daily basis and
you can do your comps for sales and things like that as information if you’re
looking for a deed go to ImageMate boom, it will tell you what book and page
it’s on.
MANNING: It’s a great tool.
STANLEY: Is there going to be any break in
service?
MANNING: No.
STANLEY:
Second question is this a yearly contract amount?
MANNING: It’s a yearly contract amount.
MASCARENAS: Yes sir.
STANLEY:
And we have been doing that with ImageMate anyways?
MASCARNEAS: Correct. We call it ImageMate the backbone is very
different.
MANNING: I just tried to simplify it for those
who already used it so that you would understand it.
GILLILLAND: Any further discussion? Being none, roll call please. Any further business to come before the
board?
MASCARENAS: I think Jim left this on
everybody’s desks, if not, just a reminder the job fair this Thursday, May 8th
at the Essex County Fairgrounds 9 am to 4 pm last year was an awesome
event. I’m expecting this year will be
just as good so if any board members get a chance to stop by that would be
great.
CLARK: Just to note we had a little difficulty
last week trying to file our ARPA money finally and the County Manager came
down and helped us immediately and I want to thank him.
MASCARENAS: You’re more than welcome. I told
you not to tell anybody I know how to do stuff because now I’m going to get
sixteen or seventeen other phone calls. (laughter)
STANLEY: Speaking about the ARPA filing we
weren’t able obviously and I think this is true with everybody, not able to
file anything on the county funds that were distributed to the towns correct?
MASCARENAS: Yes. With ARPA sub award the link doesn’t really
work and if you went through that you would find yourself very frustrated in
trying to get that to work. What I’m telling towns is still track it you can’t
put it in that data base that way if you were to be audited yes, we did get the
sub award, yes we used it for an allowable cost and here’s what it is but no,
the program will not physically allow you to submit if the award exceeded what
they gave you. It’s really a glitch in
the program.
STANLEY: I had to shorten my last project by
that amount.
TYLER: Mr. Hughes is not here today so I would
recommend him, he helped me on mine so if you guys want to give him a call.
GILLILLAND: Thank you.
DELORIA: I’m going to budget for the money and
just give it back to them next year.
GILLILLAND: Anything further to come before
this board? I just have a couple things
just a reminder, former colleague for many, many, many years I believe he is
the longest serving Jerry?
MASCARENAS: Jerry was the longest consecutive I
think Tommy may have him beat in years, not consecutive years.
GILLILLAND: Calling hours are going to be this
Friday and his funeral on Saturday and I think we have all the pall bearers
assigned?
MONTY: Yes, we do. Thank you.
GILLILLAND: That’s basically all we have so go
forth and do great work as you always do.
We are adjourned.
As
there was no further discussion to come before this regular board meeting it
was adjourned at 10:25 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judith Garrison, Clerk
Board of Supervisors