Chautauqua County Human Services Committee discusses updated sewer law, approves leases and a health grant; reviews temporary assistance data

The Chautauqua County Human Services Committee met in May and discussed a proposed update to the county's sewer-use local law, heard a presentation on county mental health services and the Chautauqua Tapestry children's initiative, and approved two short-term lease extensions plus acceptance of a $15,000 grant for the Local Roots program.

The committee's most substantive policy discussion centered on Local Law Intro 225, an update to the county's sewer-use ordinance that was first adopted in 1979 and last updated in 1994. Pierre Shagnon, chairman of the county legislature, said the update was prompted by an Environmental Protection Agency audit of the City of Dunkirk, which treats wastewater from the county's industrial sewer district. Shagnon said the EPA found the county's ordinance "way out of date," and that a three-year effort produced a draft the affected sewer districts and treatment plants have reviewed and accepted.

The proposed local law adds enforcement tools the county does not now have, Shagnon said, including a requirement that sewer connections be investigated in property sales so illegal connections (for example, sump pumps or downspouts tied to the sewer) can be identified and remediated. Shagnon said adoption is expected to be on the county legislature agenda next Wednesday; the committee discussed the draft but did not adopt the law at this meeting.

On administrative items, the committee approved the minutes of its March 19 meeting by motion and voice vote. The committee also announced a withdrawal of a previously pre-filed appointment resolution to the Office for the Aging Advisory Council; the withdrawal was announced on the record and the resolution will not appear on the agenda.

The committee authorized a two-year renewal of the county's lease at 333 East Fifth Street in Jamestown with Jamestown Rental Properties LLC for office space used by the Mental Health Department. Josh Rothwell, assistant deputy director of public facilities, buildings and grounds, said the renewal continues the current terms, with utilities paid by the building owner and an expected 4 percent annual increase reflected in the lease arrangement. The committee also approved a short extension to an agreement with the Town of Chautauqua for office space at 2 Academy Street for the county Department of Mental Hygiene; officials said the extension will allow two separate agreements at that location to be combined into one longer-term lease, subject to town board approval.

The committee accepted a Health Equity Innovation Grant from Univera Healthcare for the Local Roots program. Steve Dando, grant coordinator in the Office for Aging Services, said Chautauqua County was one of 13 local organizations awarded funding; the county award is $15,000 and will be used to offset program expenses for Local Roots, which provides access to fresh produce and tracks participant outcomes including blood pressure and body mass index. Dando estimated the program serves roughly 450 to 500 residents annually.

Departmental reports included a presentation by Rachel Ludwig of the Department of Mental Hygiene describing the county's role as a local governmental unit for behavioral health and an update on Chautauqua Tapestry, a federally funded systems-of-care effort focused on children and youth. Ludwig said the current birth-to-21 grant is year two of a four-year award; recent efforts emphasize family peer supports, youth peer supports and the PAX Good Behavior Game as a school-based prevention strategy. Christina Reed, identified as social and promotional learning specialist and training specialist, and other staff answered questions about school partnerships and service delivery, including telehealth and after-school clinician hours.

Diane Anderson, director of temporary assistance, reported January caseload and program metrics: Chautauqua County's participation rate for New York State work activities was 11.2 percent in January (compared with 13.9 percent statewide). Anderson said the county had 63 individuals who counted in the all-families participation rate and a total of 200 families engaged in activities that month. The department processed 38 sanctions for failure to comply with employment activities in January and was monitoring 126 cases through its IMA (impairment-mandated assessment) process.

Anderson briefed the committee on a recently approved public assistance shelter supplement plan from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). The plan, which the county applied for in 2023 and received approval for in March 2025, provides an additional allowance intended to help up to 50 families and 125 single individuals or childless couples reach up to 85 percent of Chautauqua County's fair market rent when combined with the OTDA shelter allowance. Anderson said the county has enrolled 33 households so far (22 single individuals/couples and 11 families) and that the program has already helped some people avoid emergency shelter or move from temporary housing into apartments. The county estimated that, at full enrollment, the shelter supplement program could yield about $4,400,000 in savings, with a portion of that amount attributed to local-share savings.

The meeting concluded with routine business and an adjournment by unanimous voice vote.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the March 19 minutes (voice vote), authorized renewal of the Jamestown lease and extension of the Town of Chautauqua lease (voice votes), and accepted the Univera Healthcare Health Equity Innovation Grant for $15,000 (voice vote). A pre-filed appointment resolution to the Office for the Aging Advisory Council was withdrawn and will not appear on the agenda.