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Franklin County Legislature approves grants, budget amendments and personnel changes
Summary
During its April 4 and April 18 sessions, the Franklin County Legislature approved multiple grants and budget amendments (including Assigned Counsel grant $285,671.72, St. Joseph's $60,000, IAP $31,050, Safe Harbour $51,000), created and abolished county positions, and authorized procurement and contracts such as telehealth licenses and nursing home electronic record licensing.
The Franklin County Legislature used its April 4 and April 18 meetings to enact a package of grants, budget amendments, personnel changes and procurement approvals that the county says will support public safety, public health and county operations.
Major grant and budget actions included:
- Acceptance and appropriation of the Second Upstate Quality Improvement and Caseload Reduction Grant for Assigned Counsel ($285,671.72) to personal services and revenue accounts (Resolution No. 83).
- Acceptance of a $60,000 OASAS award to support addiction treatment and recovery services at the county jail, with no county match (Resolution No. 80).
- Acceptance of Immunization Action Plan funding (IAP) totaling $31,050 for April 1, 2019–March 31, 2020 and related appropriations (Resolution No. 88).
- Authorization for the Probation Department to accept a $5,229 Pretrial Release Program grant (Resolution No. 85) and for the Public Defender to accept Distribution #5 funds of $37,661 from the Office of Indigent Legal Services (Resolution No. 86).
- Acceptance of Safe Harbour Initiative funds ($51,000) to support outreach and sustain a Child Advocacy Center (Resolution No. 99).
Personnel and contracts:
- Creation of two temporary seasonal Working Foreman positions in the Highway Department for the construction season (Resolution No. 75), and authorization to create an Assistant Public Defender position funded by the Assigned Counsel grant (Resolution No. 108).
- Public Health structural changes: creation of an Early Intervention Services Coordinator and replacement of a Clerk with a Typist (Resolution No. 77), and authorization to contract with independent CHHA providers at specified visit rates (Resolutions No. 89, 103, 104).
- Authorization to purchase ten telehealth software licenses paid from DSRIP funds ($640/month) and to contract for a historical nursing home electronic records license with funds moved from contingency ($3,150). Several budget and contract account corrections were also adopted (Resolutions Nos. 92, 95, 96, 105).
Votes at a glance (selected):
- RES 75 (Working Foreman positions): adopted unanimously. - RES 76 (Bus lift funding $51,553): adopted unanimously. - RES 79 (Payment of 2018 bills from 2019 funds): passed 6 ayes, 1 abstention (Legislator Dumas). - RES 83 (Assigned Counsel grant appropriation $285,671.72): adopted unanimously. - RES 86 (Distribution #5, Public Defender $37,661): adopted unanimously. - RES 96 (FY2017 Cyber Security grant account correction): passed 6 ayes, 1 abstention.
Why it matters: The approvals provide immediate funding for indigent defense, addiction treatment in the jail, immunizations, pretrial services and child-exploitation response work. Several personnel moves are explicitly tied to grants intended to reduce caseload pressure and support service delivery.
What comes next: Department heads were authorized to execute contracts and fill new or replaced positions within the limits described in the adopted resolutions.
