Jefferson County health director reports progress on lead registry; committee sponsors pilot-program amendment

Public Health Director Steve Jennings updated the Jefferson County Health & Human Services Committee on April 28 on the county’s implementation of New York State Public Health Law §1377, which requires proactive inspections and certifications of pre-1980 rental units in designated "communities of concern." Jennings said the county has identified 3,873 rental units in the 13601 zip code that meet the law’s criteria and that, "as of April 20, 2026, 196 property owners have registered their units following an initial outreach of 1,501 letters sent in December 2025."

Jennings told the committee that final state regulations went into effect April 8, 2026 and that Jefferson County completed a final review of those regulations on April 23. "The program operates with a $589,975 annual budget, and New York State has appropriated $20 million annually for lead hazard remediation," he said, adding that Public Health manages the administrative and quality-assurance components while Jefferson County Code Enforcement and the City of Watertown handle inspections.

Jennings described a local partnership with the nonprofit Neighbors of Watertown to "help landlords fund and execute the remediation of identified lead hazards," and said a second round of letters to property owners was scheduled for May 1, 2026 to explain the law and registration process. He also clarified limits on the remediation funding: "this remediation grant does not cover infrastructure (lead piping)," he said, and noted that the State’s focus has been on older industrial cities and that the principal lead source in affected housing has been paint. Jennings told legislators that, so far, the county has not found the remediation grant process cumbersome to manage and that current efforts emphasize staff training and finalizing internal policies and procedures.

Following the update, Chairman Anthony Doldo introduced a resolution "Amending an Agreement in Connection with Leading in Lead Prevention Pilot Program." Legislator Christopher Boulio moved the resolution and Legislator Corey Grant seconded; with no discussion the committee agreed to sponsor the resolution as presented.

The committee’s next procedural step is the county’s routine outreach to additional property owners and the continuation of staff training and internal policy work to support inspections and remediation. The meeting adjourned at 6:18 p.m.