WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE MEETING

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.

Matthew Brassard, Chairperson

JoePete Wilson, Vice-Chairperson

Chairman Brassard called this Ways and Means committee meeting to order at 10:00 am with the following Supervisors in attendance: Clayton Barber, Matthew Brassard, Chris Clark, Timothy Follos, Kenneth Hughes, Mary Lamphear, Tracie McGill, Steve McNally, Clayton Menser, Timothy Pierce, Richard Preston, Cathleen Reusser, Matthew Stanley, Davina Thurston, Michael Tyler, and Meg Wood. James O’Bryan and Joe Pete Wilson were excused.

Department Heads present: Hannah Carson, Laura Carson, Mike Diskin, Judy Garrison, Roy Holzer and Mike Mascarenas.

Deputies present: Todd Hodgson and William Tansey

Also present: Andrew Stanley

BRASSARD: It’s 10 o’clock. We’ll call the ways and means committee meeting to order. Please stand and salute the flag. Roll call please Judy. I don’t believe we have any guests, so we’ll go right into resolutions.

PUBLIC SAFETY

Monday, February 9, 2026

Chairman – K. Hughes Vice-Chairman – D. Thurston

1. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2025 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS. Hughes, Clark

2. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO PURCHASE A 2003 INTERNATIONAL HEAVY RESCUE TRUCK FROM THE HAGUE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,000, FOR THE EMERGENCY SERVICES HAZMAT TEAM WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS. Menser, Tyler

3. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2026 ESSEX COUNTY DEPUTY FIRE COORDINATORS, FIRE INVESTIGATORS AND DEPUTY EMS COORDINATORS. Pierce, Reusser

4. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $689,655.00, FROM NEW YORK STATE EMERGENCY SERVICES IP NETWORK (ESINET) READINESS GRANT. Thurston, Menser

5. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,266,796.00, FROM 2025 SYF NEXTGEN 911 GRANT. Hughes, Barber

6. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY SERVICES TO EXECUTE AGREEMENTS WITH AGENCIES FOR THE TEMPORARY LOAN OF COUNTY AMBULANCES TO BE USED WHEN THEIR AMBULANCE IS UNAVAILABLE OR OUT OF SERVICE. Stanley, Wood

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Monday, February 9, 2026

Chairman – M. Stanley Vice-Chairman – K. Hughes

1. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT A ZEV (ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE) GRANT THROUGH THE NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $55,008.00, AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAID AGREEMENT. Tyler, Thurston

2. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE INCLUSION OF SIX (6) PARCELS TO THE ESSEX COUNTY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT. Wood, Menser

3. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2025 ROOST END OF YEAR REPORT. Wood, Reusser

4. RESOLUTION OF CONGRATULATIONS AND APPRECIATION TO JOHN TEFOE FOR 50 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE WESTPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT. Tyler, unanimous

HUMAN SERVICES

Monday, February 9, 2026

Chairman – D. Thurston Vice-Chairman - C. Reusser

1. RESOLUTION OF CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ESSEX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES SUPPORT COLLECTION UNIT FOR PLACING NUMBER ONE IN NEW YORK STATE ON THE 2025 DISTRICT REPORT CARD. Clark, Thurston

2. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO GO OUT TO RFP FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR) SOFTWARE IN THE MENTAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Menser, Tyler

3. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPOINTMENTS TO THE ESSEX COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES BOARD – (GENERAL BOARD, ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE SUBCOMMITTEE, MENTAL HEALTH SUBCOMMITTEE, DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES SUBCOMMITTEE). Hughes, Tyler

4. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING VARIOUS BUDGET AMENDMENTS IN THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS, UNEXPENDED 2025 FUNDS TO 2026 BUDGET. Barber, Thurston

5. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE ESSEX COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS 2025 ANNUAL REPORT. Reusser, Menser

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Chairman – C. Barber Vice–Chairman – C. Clark

1. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH SRA ENGINEERS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $31,200.00, TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES INCLUDING CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR THE FISK ROAD OVER MCKENZIE BROOK CULVERT REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF MORIAH WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM US FISH & WILDLIFE. Clark, Pierce

2. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH SRA ENGINEERS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $31,200.00, TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES INCLUDING CONCEPTUAL DESIGN, FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FOR THE ADRIAN’S ACRES ROAD OVER SLIDE BROOK REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF KEENE WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM US FISH & WILDLIFE. Thurston, Lamphear

3. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO AWARD A PURCHASE ORDER TO SUMMIT TRAILERS, LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $234,562.52, FOR TWO (2) NEW AND UNUSED ENCLOSED WALKING FLOOR TRAILERS IN THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENT WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS AND FURTHER AUTHORIZNG THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE SAID PURCHASE ORDER. Clark, Tyler

4. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH ATLANTIC TESTING LABORATORIES, LTD., IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $9,375.00, TO PROVIDE DYNAMIC PILE TESTING FOR THE MOSS ROAD OVER THE NORTH BRANCH OF THE BOQUET RIVER BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT LOCATED IN THE TOWN OF LEWIS WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM US FISH & WILDLIFE FUNDS. Pierce, Follos

5. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DESIGN ASSOCIATES, P.C. IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $13,750.00, FOR PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES INCLUDING FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTURAL DRAWINGS FOR ROOF REPLACEMENT AND ATTIC/ROOF VENTILATION FOR THE FORMER CCE BUILDING LOCATED AT THE ESSEX COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM BUDGETED FUNDS. Barber, Tyler

6. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT IN THE DPW – BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS INCREASING REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS IN THE AMOUNT OF $317,900.00, CAPITAL RESERVE ACCOUNT FOR COUNTY BUILDINGS PROJECTS. Stanley, Tyler

7. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO GO OUT TO RFP FOR THE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN FOR PHASE 1 OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TRANSPORTATION FACILITY. Thurston, Menser

PERSONNEL

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Chairman – M. Wood Vice-Chairman – C. Reusser

NO RESOLUTIONS

FINANCE/TAX REDUCTION/MANDATE RELIEF

Thursday, February 12, 2026

Chairman – I. Tyler Vice-Chairman – JP. Wilson

1. RESOLUTION ACCEPTING AND PLACING ON FILE THE 2026 REAL PROPERTY ANNUAL REPORT. Hughes, Barber

2. RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ESSEX COUNTY TAX SALE WITH RESPECT TO APPROVING LOT #116 IN THE TOWN OF NORTH ELBA AND REJECTING THE SALE OF LOT #77 IN THE TOWN OF MORIAH AND REJECTING THE SALE OF LOT #9 IN THE TOWN OF CHESTERFIELD. Preston, Reusser as amended.

TANSEY: Excuse me Mr. Chairman, I think this is incorrect here. I think if I can make amends to it, it should be approving the Essex County Tax sale with respect to Lot #116 in the Town of North Elba and rejecting the sale of Lot #77 in the Town of Moriah and rejecting the sale of Lot #9 in the Town of Chesterfield.

MASCARENAS: Yeah, that is correct.

TANSEY: If I may make that amendment please.

BRASSARD: Any discussion? All in favor, opposed – carried. Thank you, Bill.

GARRISON: The next resolution was overlooked for the listing. You do have a copy on your desks, and it did come through the finance committee.

3. RESOLUTION REMOVING FROM THE CURRENT ESSEX COUNTY REAL PROPERTY TAX FORECLOSURE AUCTION TERMS AND CONDITIONS PARAGRAPH 4 AND INSERTING IN ITS PLACE LANGUAGE DENYING FORMER OWNERS THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE AT AUCTION. Menser, Tyler

BRASSARD: Discussion?

HUGHES: Thank you, sir. I just wanted to understand that this body has the right to amend the terms and conditions of this document as needed?

TANSEY: That is correct.

HUGHES: We have the power to do that?

TANSEY: Yes. The language will read, “no former owner of the property taken in these tax foreclosure proceedings spouse, domestic partner, child or sibling nor his/her/its agent or relative shall be permitted to bid on the property or purchase the same at auction.”

HUGHES: So, we have the right to modify as we feel necessary and is this going to be retroactive to the auction that just took place or will it be for future auctions or both?

TANSEY: I think it is just future auctions.

MASCARENAS: Correct.

TANSEY: It will be in effect as of the next board meeting.

MASCARENAS: Mr. Hughes, just to add to that a little bit former owners and/or acquaintances of those owners bidding on those properties is really an inherent conflict with Tyler Hennepin the ability to bid up your own property when you have monetary interest in being able to collect that money after the fact is a problem and which is why we’ve elected to take this route. It was an oversight for the last auction we’ve learned and we’re moving on and the next auction we will have this in place.

HUGHES: Thank you for the explanation.

MCNALLY: I’m not really too on board with this and the reason being is the reason we have auctions is to get our taxes back, get the revenue back and also the property back on the tax rolls. This is almost impossible to enforce finding relatives and all that and we’ve been through this before. We had a couple properties that were bought back by the owner, they ended up paying the auctioneer’s percentage and I don’t see how you’re going to enforce this with friends and relatives. I would much rather see they can’t buy it for less than what is owed on it so their friends and family can buy it back, but they have to meet what is owed on it.

MASCARENAS: I think we are talking about a couple of different issues. I don’t disagree with you. I think, of course, as your budget officer I would love to see taxes be made whole prior to approval. I do feel that whether we can enforce it or not and always or never I think we should try. I do think there is a real big conflict with former owners bidding it up when they essentially profit from it when they get the surplus on the back end so I think when we are made aware that something weird is going on we have the ability in our rules to at least reject that at the board level the following year. Are we always going to catch it? Absolutely not. You’re right, we’ve done this for a long, long time and there are always people that are kind of sneaking around and getting through the loopholes, but I do think we owe it to the people that are there fairly and equitably to try.

STANLEY: So, with that explanation I totally agree with the bidding up by the previous owner. Is the language correct? Say, my family owned a property fifty years ago it’s been sold more than two times but I’m a former property owner I can’t bid on it?

MASCARENAS: No.

STANLEY: So, I don’t know how we need to change that? You want to almost say the current owner, but Essex County is the current owner as through a tax foreclosure, so I don’t know if it’s previous or last known owner?

MASCARENAS: Yeah, I would refer to Bill or Mike. I would think the intent would be the current owner or the person that is delinquent in taxes. If you’ve got a house in your family that went back hundreds of years and you’re trying to get it back that’s very different, but I don’t know. I would refer to Bill or Mike if somebody wants to offer Mike the courtesy of the floor?

TANSEY: It’s a great interpretation of the word former owner so maybe the language could be the deeded name or the name on the deed foreclosed upon to be inserted in there. I can massage that language a little bit.

THURSTON: Should we do that right now?

TANSEY: Let me massage it, run it through Dan and then we can bring it up at the board meeting and if there is further amendments needed or further clarification we can do it then.

BRASSARD: So, motion to table?

MASCARENAS: I don’t think you need to table it. It will either be amended at the next meeting, or it will be voted down.

TANSEY: So, for right now I will just have, “no former owner as, the owner listed on the foreclosed deed of the property taken” is the language I will put for now.

MCNALLY: Last deeded property owner.

WOOD: And their family members.

TANSEY: Yes, we are just replacing former owner with the last deeded property owner of the property taken in these foreclosure proceedings.

BRASSARD: Any further discussion on this resolution? Being none, all in favor, opposed – carried.

4. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNTY CHAIRMAN OR COUNTY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH BLACK CREEK IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,075.73, FOR AN UPGRADE OF MAXXESS CARD ACCESS SOFTWARE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING WITH FUNDS TO COME FROM THE CONTINGENT ACCOUNT AND FURTHER AUTHORIZING A BUDGET AMENDMENT FOR THE SAME. Clark, Hughes

5. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING AGENT TO AWARD FEDERAL FUNDING UNDER THE CY22 CYBER SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $50,000.00, BY THE US DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) STATE HOMELAND SECURITY GRANT (SHSP) ADMINISTERED BY THE NEW YORK STATE DHSES FOR THE PERIOD 8/1/25 THROUGH 8/31/26. Menser, Thurston

MISCELLANEOUS

1. RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING LONG TERM EMPLOYEES FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. Brassard, unanimous

GARRISON: That’s all I have.

BRASSARD: Anything else to come before ways and means? Okay, 10:21 a.m. we stand adjourned.

As there was no further discussion to come before this ways and means committee it was adjourned at 10:21 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Judith Garrison, Clerk

Board of Supervisors