Ulster County health committee approves $90,000 reallocation, series of social-service and legal contracts

Ulster County’s Health, Human Services and Human Rights Committee approved a sequence of budget moves and contracts at its Dec. 4 meeting, including a $90,000 shift from the Department of Social Services (DSS) to the Planning Department’s food-security grants program and several provider-contract renewals and amendments.

Deputy Executive Ementa told the committee the $90,000 originated in DSS and had been intended to extend an ARPA program but had not been operationalized; the county will move those funds into Planning’s food-security grants to align with legislative intent. "One of the ways that we felt we could follow through with legislative intent here was to shift it over to the planning department's food and security grants program," Ementa said.

The committee also approved a $30,000 amendment to increase the aggregate contract with Jewish Family Services of Ulster County to fund a subcontracted in-home Medicaid assistance position for older residents via the Office for the Aging. Director Oppenheimer said the worker assists clients by "collecting the documents, submitting everything" when beneficiaries become Medicaid-eligible, and that a modest hourly-rate increase prompted the contract change.

Deputy Director Gibney described the annual Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) grant administered with federal CDC funding. He said the grant is structured as a $1.1 million award with a $1.0 million restriction, leaving $111,339 available for reimbursing salaries, fringe and a small operating budget that covers items such as a phone bank and training to meet preparedness work-plan requirements.

The committee authorized a rate-only contract with Lamar Companies for billboard and signage campaigns used across the Department of Health, and approved an intermunicipal agreement with the New Paltz Central School District to transport a preschool special-education student alongside an older sibling—Deputy Commissioner Wood said the consolidated route will save the county roughly $117 per day.

On legal-services contracting, the committee authorized a three-year agreement with Rondo Legal Services (with two renewal options) to perform process-serving and related functions for county litigation. The county official presenting the item said outside process servers are used where neutrality is required and when service must be effected beyond county borders; past inquiries about using the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office had not produced a viable, countywide approach.

The committee also approved a pass-through contract with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports to fund roof repairs at Able House, a Saugerties halfway house operated by Rehabilitation Support Services (RSS). Deputy Director (Carney) Williams said the repairs should allow the program to resume full capacity and work toward fiscal stability by increasing billable services.

Finally, the committee blocked and approved a group of annual mental-health support services renewals (Resolutions 614–623). Deputy Commissioner Williams said most of the funding is state aid passed through to community-based organizations for care coordination, supported housing, vocational programs and clinical treatment; the Health Alliance methadone program was noted as a county-funded exception.

All resolutions on the agenda were moved and seconded as recorded in the meeting; the chair called each vote and members present responded in favor with no opposition recorded.

The committee had no old or new business after the resolutions and adjourned the meeting.