Jefferson County Legislature approves round of routine resolutions, infrastructure projects and grants

The Jefferson County Legislature approved a set of routine resolutions, voting by voice to carry motions that included vacating foreclosure judgments on certain parcels, authorizing tax refunds due to clerical errors, concurring in settlements on tax certiorari proceedings, and authorizing multiple infrastructure and grant-related actions.

The batch of measures covered property-tax matters and legal settlements, public-safety and homeland-security grants, agreements related to the Watertown International Airport, and authorization and appropriation for several transportation projects. Legislators handled a large general-services package as a block and approved the items after the sponsor read the full list.

Among the items approved were a motion to vacate judgments of foreclosure for certain parcels and discontinue related foreclosure proceedings; a refund of taxes to Northern New York Manufacturing Homes LLC cited as the result of an assessment-roll clerical error; concurrences in tax-certiorari settlements and refunds for Community National Bank Association and AmeriQ Credit Union; and a resolution setting and reporting standard workday hours to the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System for certain elected officials.

The Legislature also approved a settlement payment for damage to a county-owned vehicle in a claim by Leslie Baker; the motion text and sponsor discussion show the settlement amount cited in the meeting at about $20,142, and county staff said funds are budgeted to pay the majority of the claim with a smaller replenishment requested.

County members approved agreements and grant actions for public safety and transportation: acceptance and reappropriation of New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services awards, reappropriation of unspent homeland-security funds, and authorization to participate in the fiscal-year 2024 Operation Stone Garden grant. The Legislature also approved an agreement with the Development Authority of the North Country for engineering and technical assistance and a pilot agreement with Clear Ballot Group for the Board of Elections.

As part of a general-services block, legislators authorized amendments to agreements with the Federal Aviation Administration and New York State Department of Transportation in relation to the Watertown International Airport; appropriations to replace heavy recycling equipment; and multiple transportation capital projects including replacement of Oxbow Rossi Road over Vrooman (Ruman) Creek and Weaver Road over Skinner Creek, with language noting the projects may be eligible for federal or state aid and authorizing initial 100% funding in the first instance pending reimbursement. Sponsors said the projects and appropriations update the county's capital plan and position capital work to seek federal and state reimbursement where eligible.

Other approved items included an employment agreement with the Jefferson County Civil Service Employees Association Local 1000, AFSCME, AFL-CIO; authorization of state-level training and support-services funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act with the New York State Department of Labor; and several budget amendments to recognize insurance recovery and other grant and program funding.

Most motions were moved and seconded on the record and carried by voice vote; the meeting transcript does not show roll-call tallies for these items.

Votes at a glance (selected items passed by voice vote): - Vacate judgment of foreclosure and discontinue foreclosure proceedings: mover Legislator Calarco, second Legislator McBride; outcome: approved. - Tax refund to Northern New York Manufacturing Homes LLC (assessment clerical error): mover Legislator Calarco, second Legislator Reid; outcome: approved. - Concurring in tax-certiorari settlement and refund to Community National Bank Association: mover Legislator Potter, second Legislator Cantwell; outcome: approved. - Concurring in tax-certiorari settlement and refund to AmeriQ Credit Union: mover Legislator Potter, second Legislator Reid; outcome: approved. - Set and report standard workday hours to NYS and Local Employees' Retirement System: mover Legislator Cantwell, second Legislator Potter; outcome: approved. - Settlement payment for vehicle damage claim (Leslie Baker): mover Legislator Calarco, second Legislator Potter; outcome: approved; amount cited in discussion: ~$20,142. - Adopt Jefferson Community College budget and appropriation: moved separately (see JCC article); outcome: approved. - Employment agreement with Jefferson County CSEA Local 1000, AFSCME: mover Legislator Potter, second Legislator Ferris; outcome: approved. - Pilot agreement with Clear Ballot Group for Board of Elections: mover Legislative clerical, second Legislator Potter; outcome: approved. - Agreement with NYS Department of Labor for WIOA funds: mover Legislator Potter, second Legislator Reid; outcome: approved. - Agreement with Development Authority of the North Country for engineering/technical assistance: mover Legislator McBride, second Legislator Reid; outcome: approved. - General-services block (airport FAA/DOT amendments; road projects; equipment replacement; various DCJS and homeland-security reappropriations): mover Legislator Cantwell, second Legislator Reid; outcome: approved.

The committee and sponsors described the general-services block as routine and stated that items could be removed from the block for separate consideration if any legislator objected; no objections were recorded. The meeting transcript records voice votes approving the listed actions; where a specific dollar amount or grant share was discussed (for example, the $20,142 settlement and listed DCJS or restricted grant awards in the block), the transcript contains sponsor remarks clarifying available budget authority or grant terms.