Votes at a glance: Cayuga County HHS Committee passes multiple public-health and social-services resolutions

The Cayuga County Legislaturebbs Health & Human Services Committee approved a series of resolutions on public health, social services, and community programs during its meeting. Multiple items were passed by voice vote; committee members asked for follow-up details on procurement, budgets and program metrics for several items.

Summary of actions (agenda numbers as discussed in committee):

- HH14: Reallocate $4,500 in unclaimed 2024 Youth Bureau funding to Northern Cuba Little League after Southern Cuba Little League did not claim awarded funds. Committee approved the reallocation; county staff said the funds must be claimed to New York State by March 31.

- HH1: Authorize chair and public health director to contract with professional engineers for required septic- and public-water-system reviews while staff are on leave or vacant; committee approved and requested procurement scope and rate quotes before contracting (see separate article).

- HH2: Authorize recruitment/filling of a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) competent professional authority position (board nutritionist) to provide certification flexibility when a fully credentialed nutritionist cannot be found. Committee approved; staff noted the WIC program is nearly fully federally funded and the third Whereas clarifies actions should funding be discontinued.

- HH3: Authorize an intermunicipal agreement with Onondaga County Health Department for provision of the tuberculosis control program; committee approved and staff said Onondaga offered a reasonable rate and infectious-disease expertise.

- HH4: Authorize purchase of a vehicle for the public health department (budgeted); committee approved. Staff said the new vehicle is expected to allow older vehicles to be reassigned or auctioned; vehicle purchases may be reimbursed under state aid rules depending on timing.

- HH5: Authorize a budget modification in the WIC program to move salary/benefit funds into professional services to contract temporary help during vacancies; committee approved.

- HH13 (caregiver support): Add a licensed social worker to caregiver support services to provide short-notice, in-home counseling for caregivers; committee approved.

- HH15: Authorize filling a specified position (late request) to avoid delay in making a pending job offer; committee approved.

- HH7: Authorize a two-year contract with county mental-health provider for qualified residential treatment program (QRTP) reviews and assessments required by federal/state rules; committee approved.

- Transitional housing contract (labeled HHH in transcript): Renew contract with Cayuga Health Network for transitional housing (five family units and five single efficiency units). Staff reported 28 referrals to date, 7 current enrollments and five successful discharges to permanent housing; committee approved renewal.

- HH9 (burials): Authorize contract with Fort Hill Cemetery for burial of indigent individuals; committee approved; the contract provides up to $975 per plot.

- HH10: Authorize filling a child-welfare caseworker vacancy; committee approved. Staff reported multiple vacancies across child welfare and emphasized recruitment needs.

- Vehicle and fleet items for Social Services: Two vehicles authorized for the Department of Social Services (budgeted and eligible for partial reimbursement); committee approved.

What legislators asked for: For several procurements and contracts (notably the engineering contracts and transitional housing metrics), legislators directed staff to provide scopes of work, sample rates or utilization data and to work with the county purchasing director before final contracting.

Votes and process: Most items were approved by voice vote during the committee meeting. The committee did not record roll-call tallies for each resolution in the transcript; when members raised objections those were recorded. Where an item was budgeted staff noted whether state aid or grant funding will cover all or part of the cost.

Ending: Committee chairs and department staff said they will return to the legislature with requested procurement details, budget transfer needs, and program metrics as follow-up to several of the approvals.