The Chautauqua County Legislature’s Audit and Control Committee on June 20, 2025 approved a series of resolutions covering airport leases, a municipal lease renewal, multiple grants, modest budget transfers and departmental accounting changes.

The committee, meeting in Jamestown, approved each resolution by voice vote. Items approved included authorization to lease parking spaces to Federal Express Corporation at the Jamestown Airport; a ground lease for one bay of the Blackstone Hangar to Erie JHW LLC; renewal of the county’s EMS lease with the town of Chautauqua; acceptance of criminal-fraud investigation funds for the district attorney’s office; acceptance and distribution of a statewide intimate partner violence grant; a new transportation stipend for county coroners; continued funding and a one-time accessibility grant for the Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs program; interfund ARPA transfers and routine finance adjustments; and reaffirmation of county investment and financial management policies.

Several department directors and program leads summarized the items before the committee. Assistant District Attorney Emily Woodard told the committee, “Our office received $65,000 again, which we anticipated,” describing the Crimes Against Revenue Program funds that will cover a part-time senior investigator and a portion of an assistant DA’s salary. Public health director Lacey Wilson described a new statewide intimate-partner-violence grant and said, “The county received $847,225 total,” outlining planned distributions to the district attorney, sheriff’s office, probation and other partners. Coroner supervisor Tony Shekels said his office expects modest transport savings if coroners perform some transports, calling it “not a huge savings, but it is a savings.”

Most items were brief and procedural; several required follow-up budget amendments. For example, the county approved a short-term parking lease to FedEx for roughly 44 spaces at $500 per month (the resolution covers an initial six-month period), which county staff said will generate about $3,000 of revenue in the current budget period. The committee also approved a ground lease for the eastern bay of the Blackstone Hangar at $2,000 in the first year with an annual 2% increase.

The committee approved a renewal lease with the town of Chautauqua providing expanded space for EMS. County staff said the renewal increases occupied space from roughly 5,900 square feet to about 6,978 square feet and raises the annual county payment from about $15,600 to about $20,000; staff explained the renewal spreads the cost of two recently replaced HVAC units across the lease term, which accounts for much of the year-over-year jump.

The committee accepted $65,000 in CARP funds for the district attorney’s office to support investigations into fraud involving public benefits and taxes; the DA’s office said the award was included in the 2025 budget. The committee also accepted an $847,225 statewide intimate-partner-violence grant from the state Division of Criminal Justice Services; the DA’s office will receive $272,400, the sheriff’s office $27,500, and probation $148,886, with other partners (Jamestown Police Department, Salvation Army) executing separate contracts. Staff said most positions funded by these grants are contingent on grant funding and would be limited-term positions tied to the awards.

Other routine approvals included interfund transfers for American Rescue Plan Act projects, a Department of Finance equipment-purchase reclassification to buy replacement desks and chairs, and annual reaffirmations of the county’s investment and financial-management policies.

All resolutions and motions that appeared on the committee agenda were carried by voice vote during the meeting.