Public Safety Committee approves lease expansions, grants and flood-equipment MOU; several budget reconciliations pass

The Chautauqua County Public Safety Committee voted to approve a package of lease amendments, grant acceptances, budget reconciliations and an MOU to receive state flood-mitigation equipment during its February meeting.

The most substantive discussions focused on expanded office space for the county public defender in Dunkirk, the county’s planned acceptance of flood-mitigation equipment from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES), and several year-end budget reconciliations and grant acceptances for the district attorney’s office, the sheriff and emergency services.

Derek Gregory, Assistant Public Defender, told the committee the Public Defender’s Office currently leases 775 square feet in Dunkirk City Hall and is seeking an amendment to add about 664 square feet — “for a total of 1,439 square feet” — by incorporating four additional offices adjacent to the existing suite. Gregory said the lease term would remain unchanged, expiring Dec. 31, 2027, and that the per-square-foot rate would remain the same. He said Indigent Legal Services (ILS) indicated it would pay for the additional space but that Aid to Defense grant funds were an alternative funding source. The committee approved the resolution by voice vote.

The committee also approved a two-year lease with the Village of Mayville for office space to house a sheriff’s reentry hub at 1 Southbury Street for $450 per month, paid from a 2021 grant included in the 2025 budget. Sheriff Jim Quattrone described the reentry hub’s work and said the program’s statistics have been shared with federal grantors; the sheriff called the service “very effective” and said it aims to reduce recidivism.

Madeline Cantaglia, executive assistant to the district attorney, presented a routine equitable-sharing agreement that allows the DA’s office to participate in federal investigations that could produce federal asset-forfeiture funds; she said the legal department requested authorization because an agreement is required annually even though the county has not received federal forfeiture funds for several years. The same equitable-sharing authorization for the sheriff’s office also passed.

The committee accepted grant awards and budget amendments across several agencies. Sam Zafuto, Deputy Director of Finance, summarized a year-end reconciliation for the District Attorney’s Office showing the office went over budget in personal services because planned vacancy savings were not realized; the committee authorized drawing from the county contingency account to cover the difference. A separate sheriff’s office year-end reconciliation included a $9,938 draw from a reserved E-911 fund to cover overages; budget neutral amendments and contingency draws for personnel lines were described and the committee approved the substitutes and final motions by voice votes.

The county also authorized acceptance of federal State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds that reimburse the county for housing certain undocumented criminal aliens in the jail (the DA and sheriff confirmed the program has been used in prior years), and approved two New York State Office of Homeland Security grants: a Statewide Interoperable Communications Grant (SICG) of $643,479 to support radio and microwave systems and a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) grant for $167,574 to support dispatcher positions. The committee then amended the sheriff’s 2025 budget to reflect two software purchases for radio and microwave systems; staff said those purchases will be covered by the SICG award.

Noel Gottman, Director of Emergency Services, described a memorandum of understanding with DHSES to accept an allocation of flood-mitigation equipment provided by the state. Gottman said Chautauqua County — identified as having elevated flood risk due to its Lake Erie shoreline — will receive items including “about a dozen portable pumps, sign boards, light towers, flood fencing,” generators, chainsaws and hoses. He said the state will purchase the equipment and transfer possession to the county by MOU; the state retains ownership but the county will deploy and maintain the equipment for local use and, when appropriate, share with neighboring counties. The committee approved the MOU by voice vote.

Emergency Services and OES-related budget amendments and substitutes to incorporate earlier awards (hazmat and SHSP grants from fiscal years 2021–2022) were discussed and approved; staff noted that some grant funds had been spent in prior years and the resolutions bring remaining revenues and expenses into the 2025 operating budget. During discussion Bonnie Peters, Principal Accountant for Emergency Services, reported that emergency transport operations finished the prior year in the black by a little more than $34,000.

Committee members asked for follow-up details on several items that were not fully settled in the meeting record. For the Public Defender lease, members pressed whether the added space would be turnkey and when the new rent would take effect; Gregory said the space is essentially turnkey but requires additional IT drops and possibly furniture, and that the new rate would be expected to become operative when the county takes possession (the resolution lists a target commencement date of March 1, 2025). For the proposed security upgrades to the Government Office Building (GOB), staff said interest earnings on ARPA funds would be used for keypad and door enhancements to limit free movement inside the building; committee members asked to be provided the remaining ARPA interest balance.

All resolutions presented at the meeting that reached a vote were approved by voice vote; where a substitute resolution was offered the committee approved the substitution and then approved the substituted resolution. The meeting closed after a motion to adjourn.

Votes at a glance - Amend lease agreement with City of Dunkirk to add space for the Office of the Public Defender (amend existing lease; term unchanged; target rate effective 03/01/2025): Approved (voice vote). - Authorize equitable-sharing agreement with the federal government for the District Attorney’s Office: Approved (voice vote). - Amend 2024 budget for year-end reconciliations, District Attorney’s Office (use of contingency to cover personal-services overrun): Approved (voice vote). - Authorize lease agreement with Village of Mayville for sheriff reentry hub (1 Southbury Street; $450/month; two-year lease): Approved (voice vote). - Authorize equitable-sharing agreement with the federal government for the Sheriff’s Office: Approved (voice vote). - Amend 2024 budget for year-end reconciliations, Sheriff’s Office (including $9,938 from E-911 fund): Approved (substitute and final voice votes). - Accept Department of Justice/Bureau of Justice Assistance funding for SCAAP FY2024 (period 07/01/2022–12/31/2025): Approved (voice vote). - Authorize execution of NYS Office of Homeland Security SICG FY2024 ($643,479): Approved (voice vote). - Authorize execution of NYS Office of Homeland Security PSAP FY2024 ($167,574): Approved (voice vote). - Amend 2025 sheriff budget to add contractual costs for radio/microwave software upgrades (covered by SICG): Approved (voice vote). - Amend 2024 budget for year-end reconciliations, Emergency Services (substituted resolution): Approved (voice vote). - Amend 2025 budget to implement GOB security upgrades using ARPA interest earnings: Approved (voice vote). - Authorize Flood Mitigation Project MOU with NYS DHSES (accept possession of state-purchased equipment; no local share): Approved (voice vote). - Amend OES 2025 budgets to include prior-year hazmat and SHSP grant balances (FY2021–2022): Approved (voice votes).

The committee recorded questions and requests for follow-up information — for example, the county finance office was asked to report the remaining ARPA interest earnings available to fund security upgrades — and several resolutions were substituted on the floor before final approval. No formal roll-call vote tallies were read into the record; approvals were recorded by voice and confirmed as carried.