Allegany County Board of Legislators approves broad slate of grants, contracts and appropriations; one no vote on ARC application

ALLEGANY COUNTY, N.Y. — The Allegany County Board of Legislators on March 12 approved a package of grants, donations, contracts and budget modifications that the board said will fund public-health programs, aging services, economic development work and other county operations.

The most contested item drew a single dissent. Legislator Ricky said he would vote no on a resolution authorizing the county to apply for Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative funding because, he said, he had not seen the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) vote referenced in the packet. "I'm gonna be a no on 01/13. The half million bucks that the IDA is kicking in. I do not remember being that I'm an IDA board member ever voting on this. I think you're gonna get full support from that, but I never saw it, and I don't miss too many meetings," Ricky said before the roll call.

Why it matters: The board cleared multiple state and federal grant acceptances and contract authorizations in a single meeting, enabling program spending and grant administration across public health, aging, economic development and environmental programs. Most resolutions passed overwhelmingly; the meeting also approved the regular county audit and set a committee of the whole meeting to follow in executive session.

Major approvals and outcomes

- Intro 112 of 25 — Acceptance of donation to the Joseph P. Dwyer peer-to-peer support program from Lowe's in Hornell, N.Y. (200 building-kits). Approved; roll call recorded as 11 ayes, 3 absent after an additional recorded vote.

- Intro 113 of 25 — Approval of application for Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) Partnership for Opportunity and Workforce and Economic Revitalization (POWER) Initiative funds. Passed on roll call with 10 ayes, 1 no (Legislator Ricky), 3 absent.

- Intro 114–116 of 25 — Blocked and passed together: applications for Community Project/State and Tribal Assistance Grant (STAG) funding and a New York State Empire State Development county infrastructure grant application. Passed 11 ayes, 0 nos, 3 absent.

- Intro 117 of 25 — Budget modification within the Office of Economic Development to cover the cost of a new computer. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 118 of 25 — Acceptance and budget modification for additional New York State Office of Community Renewal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Microenterprise Project funds and authorization to extend the grant agreement in collaboration with the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 119–120 of 25 — Reappropriations/reallocations of unspent New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation septic-system replacement grant funds for projects near local waterways (two separate but related resolutions). Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 121 of 25 — Acceptance and appropriation of New York State Office of Children and Family Services youth-team-sports and youth-sports-and-education opportunity grant funds for the Department of Social Services. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 122 of 25 — Acceptance and appropriation of additional federal Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act funds for the Office for the Aging. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 123 of 25 — Acceptance of New York State Association of County Health Officials Climate and Health Adaptation Initiative funds for the Department of Health. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 124 of 25 — Acceptance and appropriation of final American Rescue Plan Act funds and client contributions for the Office for the Aging. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 125 of 25 — Acceptance and appropriation of 2025 New York State "I Love New York" State Aid program funds for the Office of Economic Development; the resolution ratified the county administrator's signature on the agreement. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 126 of 25 — Acceptance of a donation to the county Office of Employment and Training from the Allegany County Area Foundation. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 127 of 25 — Acceptance and appropriation of 2024 accelerated transit capital grant funding from the New York State Department of Transportation. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 128–130 of 25 — Blocked and passed: agreements for testing and lab services (Accurate Analytical Testing LLC; Rochester General Hospital/Rochester Regional Laboratory Services) and a renewal agreement with the New York State Department of Health for the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program. Passed (roll-call totals reported as 11 ayes, 3 absent).

- Intro 131 of 25 — Agreement with Venture Fourth Inc. for Medicaid Consumer-Directed Personal Assistance Program services for the Department of Social Services. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 132 of 25 — Agreement with Delta Development Group Inc. for a comprehensive public funding strategy and appropriation from committed unappropriated fund balance to an economic development consulting cost center. Board discussion included a confirming question about whether the consultant work supports towns and villages as well as the county; a staff response affirmed it. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 133 of 25 — Purchase-of-services agreement with Leslie J. Hagstrom for legal services for the Department of Social Services Child Support Enforcement Unit (to help meet mandated legal requirements). Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 134 of 25 — Agreement with Allegany County Association for the Blind and Visually Handicapped Inc. for services and training to support indigent blind residents. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 135 of 25 — Agreement with Beaver Hollow Conference Center for a three-day suicide-prevention training under the Joseph P. Dwyer grant. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

- Intro 136–137 of 25 — Grant agreement with the New York State Department of Health for children and youth with special health care needs and a preschool service/evaluation contract with Sarah Young Carlin for the Department of Health. Passed 11 ayes, 3 absent.

Audit and closing items

The board approved the regular county audit. Reported general-fund totals include: general government support $256,604.15; education $120,675.42; public safety $136,913.68; health $133,847.95; economic assistance and opportunity $1,049,268.37; culture and recreation $10,020.35; home and community services $261,332.93. The general-fund total reported was $1,968,662.85; payroll and taxes $1,376,897.09; capital fund ~$578,008.51; other funds $916,122.83; grand total $4,840,534.56. The board then recessed for a five-minute break and moved to a committee-of-the-whole meeting to be held in executive session; the presiding officer said that meeting would not be livestreamed and would have no board action after the executive session.

Ending

Most items passed with large majorities; the ARC-related application (Intro 113) produced the single recorded dissent. Several resolutions were presented and approved in blocks. No new policy changes or programmatic suspensions were adopted during the public meeting; most approvals were acceptances of grant awards, contract authorizations and routine budget adjustments to enable program delivery.