The Chautauqua County Legislature on Oct. 22 approved an amendment to a lease with the City of Jamestown to obtain additional office space for the Chautauqua County Health Department. Legislator Mark Nelson said the space will be used to house the New York State rental registry program, which the legislature noted will take effect Nov. 1.

"This particular space will house the New York State-led rental registry program, a program that will be critically important to all the residents of the county, especially for those that I represent in District 13 in Jamestown," Legislator Mark Nelson said during the meeting.

Nelson emphasized the public-health purpose behind the state registry and the urgency tied to lead-paint hazards in older housing stock. "There is no safe level of lead exposure," he said, adding that most housing in his district was built before 1980 and therefore may be at higher risk for lead hazards.

The resolution (266-25) to amend the existing lease was called and carried without recorded opposition. The clerk recorded the vote in the meeting and the resolution was adopted.

Why it matters: The states rental registry law is intended to identify and address lead hazards in rental housing. Locating program administration within county facilities may affect local outreach, compliance assistance, and coordination between county public-health staff and state agencies.

Clarifying details and next steps

- The rental registry law was described in the meeting as taking effect Nov. 1 (year as spoken in the meeting). The transcript referred to it as the "new lead registry law." The resolution authorizes the lease amendment to provide the physical office space to host the program locally.

- Legislator Nelson described lead exposure as "a serious and entirely preventable threat to young children" and said the registry is designed to address lead hazards in rental housing, especially in housing built before 1980.

- The Health Department will finalize space and operational arrangements and coordinate with state officials to receive and process registry-related matters. The meeting did not specify lease terms, square footage, or exact start dates for the program office beyond the lease authorization.

Speakers quoted in this article are identified from the meeting record; direct quotes are attributed to those legislators by name and role.