Jefferson County committees review 2025 goals; HELPS hires 10 examiners as child-welfare metrics improve

The Health & Human Services committee heard a year-end review in December from the county administrator, who told legislators the county completed or is on schedule to complete 23 of 25 goals set earlier in 2025. Key items included security upgrades at the Human Services Building, vendor selection for a housing needs analysis to begin work in 2026, and a public-health accreditation application that the county expects to complete pending a mid-2026 site visit.

The county administrator said the county had “invest[ed] over $1,000,000” in homelessness initiatives this year and pointed to new contracts and program launches, including a bike-mobile crisis team launched in July. On the Human Services Building, the administrator said preliminary design work with consultants is done, full design and bid documents are being prepared, and a 2026 completion is scheduled; a new metal detector has been delivered.

Legislator Bolio pressed the county on an incomplete goal: filling the medical examiner position. The administrator described the vacancy as a regional problem, noting neighboring counties use different systems (for example, some elect coroners or have district attorneys acting in coroner roles). The county has tracked rising costs for medical examinations—“since 2022, our costs have gone up nearly 30%,” the administrator said—and is exploring contracting options, including a possible arrangement with Onondaga County to place a contract pathologist for regional use.

The committee also heard an update on staffing through the HELPS hiring program. Val reported the program enabled the county to hire 10 social welfare examiners (all expected to start by Dec. 15) and to appoint provisional staff to permanent roles without requiring an immediate civil-service exam. She said five caseworkers were hired in the program’s first month and two additional offers were declined because candidates kept prior commitments; the county expects to fill remaining caseworker vacancies in January. County staff said provisional and support positions are being onboarded and trainers are being scheduled.

Human services performance metrics cited in the review show measurable improvement: the share of CPS workers with caseloads greater than 15 fell from about 81% a year ago to 48% currently; the average CPS case length dropped from 73 days to 46 days; percent of overdue investigations decreased modestly (from 52% to 47%); and the longest open CPS case decreased from 287 days to 236 days. The presentation credited department staff and improvements to recruitment and retention efforts while noting more work remains.

Administrators also reported community engagement: a county food drive collected roughly 6,000 items distributed across about 15 pantries (one smaller pantry received 375 items), and staff participation was largely voluntary. The county administrator closed by calling the overall results “not bad” and asking for questions before the committee moved to votes and other business.

Next steps identified by the county include proceeding with full design and bidding for the Human Services Building security project, starting the housing needs analysis in 2026, continuing HELPS hiring and training, and pursuing public-health accreditation pending the site visit expected in mid-2026. The medical examiner vacancy remains unresolved; the county said it will continue exploring regional contracting and recruiting options.