Public Safety Committee approves DWI plan, K-9 pay, leases and ambulance donation

Sullivan County’s Public Safety Committee on an administratively focused agenda approved multiple resolutions, including the county’s 2026 traffic DWI plan, a K-9 handler pay provision, leases for public-safety communications sites and acceptance of an ambulance donated by Sullivan BOCES.

The committee unanimously approved the 2026 DWI plan and authorized the county manager to sign related agreements. The committee then considered a resolution authorizing the sheriff’s office to enter into an agreement related to the county’s canine program and associated pay. Committee members amended that resolution to specify the current pay provision would apply to one staff member; the measure passed on a recorded 5-0 vote.

Committee members also voted to authorize and execute a lease with a private landowner to support public-safety communications facilities and to approve a right-of-way agreement with the Sullivan West Central School District; both measures passed by voice vote. The committee accepted an ambulance donated by Sullivan BOCES to the Sullivan County Division of Public Safety; that donation carried on a 4-0 recorded vote.

The canine-pay resolution was discussed at length during the meeting. A committee member asked whether the resolution should specify how many handlers would be covered, citing precedent of limiting the number of employees in other authorizations. In response, a presenter said the county was not creating a new K-9 program with the resolution but rather ensuring pay was available to employees who already were assigned dogs and were entitled to extra compensation under federal law. After discussion the committee amended the resolution to detail a single staff member for the pay provision and then approved it.

A second labor-related resolution authorizing the sheriff’s office to enter into an agreement with the Sullivan County Civil Service Employees Association was considered in the same set of actions and the committee discussed budgetary authorization for the pay change. A committee member asked why a local resolution was required if the pay entitlement stemmed from federal law; staff replied the local vote was needed to authorize the county budgetary dollars to cover the payment.

Committee members closed with a brief set of other votes, including an amendment to grant dates reported as coming from a New York State victims-related office; the resolution passed.

Votes at a glance: - 2026 DWI plan: approved (recorded vote 5-0). Motion: authorize the county manager to sign any necessary agreement. (Resolution introduced by the Public Safety and Law Enforcement Committee.) - Sheriff/canine pay (agreement with Sullivan County Civil Service Employees Association / FLSA pay provision): amended to specify 1 staff member; approved (recorded vote 5-0). Motion text in meeting: authorize payment consistent with federal law; amendment added the detail of one staff member. (Discussion clarified this action authorizes budget authority.) - Lease for public-safety communications facilities: approved (voice vote). Motion: authorize and execute a lease with a third-party land owner to support public-safety communications facilities. - Right-of-way agreement with Sullivan West Central School District: approved (voice vote). Motion: authorize a right-of-way agreement with Sullivan West School Central School District. - Accept donation of ambulance from Sullivan BOCES to Sullivan County Division of Public Safety: approved (recorded vote 4-0). Motion: accept donation of an ambulance from the Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) to the Division of Public Safety. - Amendment to grant dates from a New York State victims-related office (as read in the meeting): approved (voice/recorded vote reported by clerk).

The committee called the question and adjourned following the votes.