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Votes at a glance: Jan. 20 Columbia County committee actions — personnel fills, contracts and grant approvals
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Summary
Committees approved multiple personnel fills across Social Services, Public Safety and 911, a set of vendor contracts for a respite pilot, acceptance of a $15,000 state grant, renewal of EMS contract filings and several emergency fills and appointments. All motions recorded were carried.
At its Jan. 20 sessions, Columbia County committees recorded the following formal actions (motions moved, seconded and carried unless otherwise noted):
- Social Services: authorized hiring actions to fill two social welfare examiner positions, one part‑time transportation aid, one part‑time assistant social services attorney, one senior caseworker, and an early authorization to fill one social welfare examiner on Jan. 24, 2026 (emergency field signed by chairman).
- Social Services contracts and grant: approved contracts with Donna Burty (Zumba instructor) and Family Advocates (eviction matter), a new LifeStation PERS contract, two ISEP personal‑care agency backup contracts, Linda Shear as caregiver coordinator, Stephanie Gaylord for chair‑yoga therapy, and accepted a $15,000 grant from Assemblymember Didi Barrett for the respite pilot.
- Public Defender and DA office: authorized a hire to fill an assistant public defender vacancy and approved the promotion/movement of a full‑time assistant public defender into the second assistant role with a $15,000 salary increase.
- Probation: authorized acceptance of a grant (amount not specified in the record).
- Fire services: appointed Darren Stockman, Marcus Hines, Justin Taylor and Rodney Polvor to the county FAST team (members identified with Hudson’s fire department).
- Sheriff: approved several emergency fills effective Jan. 1, 2026 (under‑sheriff, law enforcement captain, senior investigator) and a new fill for law enforcement sergeant effective Feb. 21, 2026, plus a budgeted corporal corrections position.
- EMS/CMS: approved contract renewals required for Certificate of Need filings with the State and noted the county will need to implement a comprehensive county EMS system per recent state legislation (no state funding attached).
- 911: authorized budget extensions for grants, approved a personnel fill for an emergency dispatcher (shift supervisor) and extended consultant Rob Lopez’s contract through June 30.
Votes were recorded as carried in the meeting transcript; individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the verbatim transcript provided to the committee.
