Ulster County first-responder outreach specialist resolution withdrawn after questions about pilot, staffing and documentation

A proposed resolution to create and fund a first-responder outreach specialist position for the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office wellness unit was withdrawn on the record at the Law & Rules Committee meeting on Dec. 11 after members said the item needs more information.

Chair Chriswell said the pilot program has not yet completed a year and asked staff to return in the spring with more data on how many people are served, the roles of the three existing wellness positions, and the specific gap the proposed position would fill. "It's still a pilot program… I asked them to come back and give us more data about how many people are served," Chair Chriswell said.

Legislator Leslie Hamza, the sponsor, said the position originally came from Resolution 220 of 2024 and that work had been done to create the unit. Hamza said a position was removed and moved to another office without being posted, and that she has been told an assessment was done but that it was not written. "This was a governor's mandate without funding," Hamza said, and she urged prioritizing first-responder mental health supports. After discussion and a request for more information from the sheriff and executive offices, Hamza reluctantly withdrew the resolution on the record.

The committee recorded the withdrawal; no final vote on the substantive funding item occurred. The chair directed staff and the sheriff’s office to return with more detailed program data in the spring so the legislature can consider the position with fuller documentation.