The Orange County Physical Services Committee on May 27 approved a request to create one maintenance electrician (grade 9) funded by defunding a vacant maintenance mechanic supervisor (grade 12) position, and approved supplemental capital appropriations for county road improvements and preliminary engineering and design for three bridge projects.

Why it matters: the electrician position is intended to provide dedicated electrical trades coverage at the county public safety campus — including the jail, emergency management facility and the new medical examiner’s building — where staff said no dedicated electrician exists. The capital appropriations advance design and engineering to address aging structures and safety concerns on county roads and bridges.

Department of Public Works officials — identified in committee as Mr. Genanga and Deputy Commissioner Maguire — said the electrician will cover campus electrical needs, help troubleshoot systems including solar arrays and support warranty work for the new medical examiner facility, which is under a one‑year warranty following its December opening. The position will require the hired candidate to obtain the necessary license within one year; staff recommended hiring at step 4 to reflect market conditions.

On capital projects, the committee approved a $300,000 supplemental appropriation (bonding) for County Road Improvements under the 2025 capital plan (project #34), funding flexible small‑scale safety projects and one near‑term project described as Spring Street intersection improvements. Committee discussion noted that some intersection work may focus on signal automation; larger reconfigurations such as roundabouts would be brought back as separate capital projects.

The committee also approved preliminary engineering/design appropriations for: Bellvale Bridge (Town of Warwick, 38‑foot span built 1945, rating 4.3/7; $123,000 bonding request); a Greenville bridge (log town road over Rockford Creek, 8‑foot span, rating 3.25; $291,000 bonding request); and Everest Street Bridge rehabilitation in the Town of Deerpark (rehabilitation, rating 5.85; $53,000 bonding request). Staff said the Bellvale project will be designed in‑house and that construction funding will return to the legislature later.

All of the listed staffing and capital requests passed in committee.