Ways and Means committee approves series of resolutions, including legal services contracts and grant appropriations

The Allegany County Ways and Means Committee on Feb. 19 approved a set of resolutions and motions including an annual legal-services contract for the county child support unit, support for two state bills to provide state aid for New Hudson, authorization to retain outside counsel to review a proposed ethics law, a resolution opposing a New York Power Authority rate increase, appropriation of banked grant funds for bus capital projects, and several routine contracts and schedule changes.

The committee approved an annual purchase-of-services agreement with Leslie Hegstrom to provide all legal services for the county Child Support Enforcement Unit for a one-year term from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 of this year. County Attorney (unnamed) presented the agreement and the committee approved the motion, which carried by voice vote.

Treasurer Ross explained a second resolution supporting Assembly Bill A4616 and Senate Bill S1300. Ross said the bills would provide state aid to the town of New Hudson and its special districts for state land owned and operated by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, specifically citing the Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area. "The town of New Hudson is trying to get the state to pay the taxes on that exempt property," Treasurer Ross said, adding that the state land is exempt from taxation and that the town currently pays significant amounts to the town and school; the county is not paid on that property. The committee approved the resolution in support of the bills.

The committee authorized the county to retain Webster Zanni as outside counsel to assist with review of a proposed county ethics local law and authorized the county attorney to sign a letter of engagement and retainer on the county's behalf. The county attorney said a draft local law already exists and the outside counsel would review that draft and provide formal opinions on specific gray areas so the county would not need to amend the local law after adoption. The motion passed after limited discussion.

The committee approved a resolution opposing any proposed increase from the New York Power Authority. A committee member commented that the state’s population and political influence in New York City affects resource decisions and said the county should push back; the resolution carried.

Committee members also approved unbanking previously awarded grant funds and appropriating $51,596 into the 2025 budget for capital projects in the county bus transportation program. The motion carried.

The committee approved the county's annual contract with the Association for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (already budgeted) and approved two scheduling resolutions submitted by the Clerk of the Board to change the first board meeting in May from Wednesday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 7 at 10 a.m., and to change the second board meeting in July from Wednesday, July 23 to Thursday, July 17 to allow the board to meet at the county fair. Both scheduling resolutions carried.

All votes recorded in open session were carried by voice vote; the committee's roll call at the start of the meeting showed seven members present and one absent. Where individual roll-call tallies were not read into the record, the committee used voice vote and the chair announced motions carried.

Votes at a glance

- Purchase-of-services agreement with Leslie Hegstrom (child support legal services), term Jan. 1–Dec. 31, outcome: approved (voice vote). - Resolution supporting Assembly Bill A4616 and Senate Bill S1300 (state aid to Town of New Hudson for state land), outcome: approved (voice vote). Treasurer Ross explained the resolution and cited the Hanging Bog Wildlife Management Area. - Authorization to retain Webster Zanni as outside counsel for county ethics local law review; county attorney authorized to sign retainer, outcome: approved (voice vote). - Resolution opposing any New York Power Authority rate increase, outcome: approved (voice vote). - Appropriate previously banked grant funds of $51,596 to the 2025 budget for bus capital projects, outcome: approved (voice vote). - Annual contract/appropriation for the Association for the Blind and Visually Handicapped (already budgeted), outcome: approved (voice vote). - Change first board meeting in May from May 14 to May 7 at 10 a.m., outcome: approved (voice vote). - Change second board meeting in July from July 23 to July 17 to hold meeting at the county fair, outcome: approved (voice vote).

Ending

Committee members closed the formal session after approving the listed items and moved to a brief logistics discussion for members attending the New York State Association of Counties conference. The chair adjourned the meeting after the logistics conversation.