Economic development committee renews one-stop operator agreement as workforce staff outline training, youth and neurodiversity supports

The Sullivan County Legislature Economic Development Committee approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with the county workforce development board to continue one-stop operator services for the next four years, and heard staff updates on federal and local workforce programs.

The vote was moved by Joe Louis and approved by voice vote; the minutes record committee members answering "Aye." The measure authorizes the county to continue a one-stop operator agreement that is put out for request-for-proposal every four years, staff said.

The decision follows a presentation from workforce staff member Laura, who described federal and state developments affecting local services. "Congress has taken up the reauthorization of the workforce innovations act," Laura said, adding that the measure historically has had bipartisan support. She described the reauthorization as offering "broad stroke things" but said there was "nothing really to report" on final content yet.

Laura said the county's New York Scion program, which funds a disability resource coordinator, will receive an additional $100,000 to support salaries, outreach events such as an employer summit, staff training in neurodiversity, and a new financial literacy program. "We'll be able to add money to and finally be able to create our financial literacy program," she said.

She also warned that new applications to the federal "Ticket to Work" program are temporarily on hold following a recent audit of the New York State Employment Service System; existing participants continue to receive support. "The applications are on hold," Laura said. She explained the Ticket to Work program comes out of Social Security and supports career development for people ages 18 through 64 who receive Social Security disability benefits.

Laura reported on several operational items: an electrical training cohort of 15 students (age range about 19 to 40, including one woman) with perfect attendance; expected incentive funding between $65,000 and $79,000 tied to expenditure levels and priority-of-service metrics; and work on a four-year workforce plan due in June with a regional plan due in August. Summer youth recruitment is under way for a six-week paid work-experience program running July 7 through Aug. 15 with 50 slots for youth ages 14 to 20; the application deadline is May 9 and a hiring event is scheduled May 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the county career center.

Laura also summarized local labor-market numbers for March: an unemployment rate of 3.9 percent (down from 4.0 percent the prior March); 30,700 nonfarm jobs including 24,400 private-sector jobs; goods-producing jobs at 14 percent and service-producing jobs at 86 percent; and 6,300 government jobs (about 20 percent of the total), according to her report.

On the one-stop operator renewal, Laura said the county must issue an RFP every four years but has difficulty finding bidders because the contract cannot be sufficiently funded. "I have to put a request for a proposal out every 4 years. Nobody responds because I can't fund it," she said, explaining the renewal request before the committee.

The committee's resolution to authorize the agreement was introduced as a formal action and approved by voice vote. The resolution text and the contract period were described in committee but the transcript did not include a roll-call vote tally for individual members.

Committee members did not direct additional staff actions during the recorded discussion; staff indicated follow-up on the four-year plan and that workforce staff would continue recruitment and employer engagement work.

The committee moved on to other business after the approval and scheduled no additional public hearing on the agreement in the recorded minutes.