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Franklin County Legislature approves routine budget moves, appointments and supports two cuisine-trail initiatives
Summary
At meetings July 7 and July 21, 2016, the Franklin County Legislature unanimously approved a package of appointments, budget amendments and program authorizations — including $48,533 for youth-development projects, amendments to mental‑health and road maintenance funding, and formal support for two regional cuisine-trail efforts. A public hearing was set on a CDBG microenterprise application.
The Franklin County Legislature met July 7 and July 21, 2016, and unanimously approved a series of routine resolutions that together amended the 2016 budget, filled advisory-board vacancies and signaled local support for regional tourism initiatives.
The two-session package included a $48,533 allocation for local youth-development projects that the Human Resources Committee said is 100 percent reimbursable by the New York State Division for Youth and project participants. The legislature appropriated the full amount to account 01-71-7321-10-4000 and recorded matching revenue to account 01-71-3822-10.
Other budget changes enacted during the sessions included acceptance of small grants and donations to support suicide-prevention work ($2,409 donation and a $3,500 grant from the Suicide Prevention Center of NY/OMH), the recognition of $10,000 in reimbursements tied to DSRIP/PPS participation, and technical budget amendments for North Star program funding and Lakeside House OMH cost-of-living adjustments.
Transportation funding was adjusted when the Public Works & Services Committee reallocated CHIPS funds to add $200,000 for fiber-mat sealing on County Route 43. The legislature also recorded an increase in state snowmobile-trail aid, bringing the county’s total snowmobile grant to $102,432 and amending the Recreation budget accordingly.
Personnel actions included the creation of a temporary Tax Map Technician position to cover an employee on medical leave, the creation of a Registered Professional Nurse in Social Services to perform medical assessments and UAS evaluations for homecare clients, and the reclassification of a Principal Account Clerk to a Senior Account Clerk in the Child Support Unit. The Finance Committee also authorized a transfer of $22,806 from contingency to personnel health insurance to cover a family plan shortfall.
The legislature approved routine administrative policies: adoption of an Exempt Employee Time and Leave Policy for certain management categories, amendment of the county purchasing policy to remove a Contract/Project Approval form and add a signature receipt page, and adoption of an updated Public Access to Records Policy.
On economic development and tourism, the legislature offered formal support for two cuisine-trail initiatives. On July 7 it backed the proposed Adirondack Lakes Cuisine Trail that would traverse the Saranac Lake–Paul Smiths–Tupper Lake loop; on July 21 it backed the Northern Franklin County Cuisine Trail covering a route through Chateaugay, Malone, Fort Covington, North Bangor and Moira. Both resolutions urged the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets to approve the respective trail applications.
The Economic Development & Planning Committee set a public hearing for July 21, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. to solicit comments on community development needs and the possible submission of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) microenterprise applications. Separately, the legislature authorized submission of an application for up to $200,000 in CDBG Microenterprise funding to incentivize business creation and expansion.
Public-safety and legal items included the establishment of a $2,500 petty-cash fund for time-sensitive District Attorney office needs; incorporation of Federal Equitable Sharing and Drug Forfeiture accounts into county accounting for the District Attorney; acceptance of a $15,000 Byrne JAG grant for the Drug Task Force; and a $913.10 contingency transfer to pay a special-prosecutor invoice for a criminal case.
Most votes were recorded as unanimous among members present. The meetings opened and closed with routine procedural business: the Pledge of Allegiance, roll call by Clerk Gloria J. Valone and formal adjournments by Chairman D. Billy Jones. The legislature listed several advisory-board appointments, including Stephanie Radcliff (Tourism Advisory Committee), Kathleen Dowd-Maloney (Youth Advisory Board), Peter Shrope (Rainbow Lake Water Protection Board) and three appointees to the Youth Advisory Board (Jamie O'Dell, Crystal M. Boucher and David A. Maroun).
The sessions concluded with the legislature adjourning at 12:20 P.M. on July 7 and 12:10 P.M. on July 21.
