County approves state-funded rental-registry staff and second-year grant funds to enforce lead inspection law

Orange County legislators on March 19 approved four new public-health positions funded entirely by a New York State Landlord Rental Registry grant and accepted the grant’s second-year appropriation of $728,600 for 2025–26.

What was approved: The committee approved creation of one data-program coordinator (Grade 15), one senior public-health sanitarian (Grade 15) to supervise the effort and two public-health technician positions (Grade 11). County officials said the positions will be funded by the state rental-registry grant and will support landlord outreach, registry administration, inspection auditing and enforcement when landlords fail to comply.

Why it matters: New York’s Public Health Law 1377 (passed in 2023, as cited by county staff during the meeting) requires owners of rental buildings built before 1980 in designated ‘‘communities of concern’’ to register units and to have lead-hazard inspections every three years. County staff said the state-identified communities of concern in this grant are the city of Newburgh and the city of Middletown; Port Jervis was discussed as a possible later expansion but is not included in the current grant.

County staff explained the program will rely on landlords to perform required inspection test kits and submit results to the state registry; the health department must then audit 10% of registered units each year and pursue enforcement for landlords who do not comply. Officials said most responsible, locally based landlords comply, and estimated roughly 10% of landlords require enforcement action, often because of bankruptcy or property abandonment.

Sunset and oversight debate: Committee members added — and approved by voice vote — language that the positions be abolished if the grant funding terminates. Legislators discussed the practical effect of the five-year grant cycle, noting the county could evaluate program impact before deciding whether to continue positions after the grant ends.

Funding and next steps: The committee approved the second-year appropriation for the rental-registry grant (legislative request number 64) and the personnel actions to create the four positions (legislative request number 57). Officials said the department will support landlords with registry entry and outreach, audit 10% of registered units per year, and handle enforcement hearings through the county process when necessary.

Ending: The committee approved the positions and the grant appropriation; county staff said they will monitor compliance rates, track enforcement cases and report back on the program’s progress.