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Rauber Hill Sunrise, by Mel Hunt

Allegany County Legislature agendas for June 15 meetings in Belmont

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A full schedule of six committee meetings this week

By Andrew Harris

The Allegany County Legislature under Chairman Phil Stockin of District 1 has made an effort to consolidate public meetings into one day each week. Wednesdays are typically a long day of work for legislators with lots of work behind the scenes and usually the Republican caucus has a meeting as well.

This week the legislators will earn their keep, which is only about $9000 annually. Five committee meetings, followed by an executive session of the Committee of the Whole, are summarized below with links to the agenda posted on the county website.

A special Human Services committee meeting will start the day of meetings to contract with an Alfred speech pathologist to provide preschool age children therapy. Social services will be requesting approval to fund the Youth Summer Employment program. Read the agenda

Resource Management is one of the most interesting committees, overseeing parts of the county government like Youth services, Cornell Cooperative Extension, County History, Soil and Water. In short this committee has a real impact on our young people, our farming community, our history, our land, and our water. Read about FEMA funded river stabilization efforts, a very detailed report from Cornell Cooperative Extension on their work in supporting the agricultural community. The committee will vote to pass a resolution to put New York State dairy products “back into schools.” Read the agenda

The county finances will be on the next agenda during the Budget Committee meeting. The budget committee is living through what could be remembered as a golden age. The “Curt Crandall Era” ended with a county in stellar financial condition and that has only improved under watchful eye of Allegany County Treasurer Terri Ross. This month she will present the latest sales tax numbers, which indicate that the golden age trend will continue: Sales tax revenues have been providing the county with a surplus millions of dollars in cash each year. From most perspectives, this growth in revenue will only continue, and possibly even accelerate in the coming years. See the numbers and a resolution demanding payment from Federal Medicaid Program: Read the agenda

Planning and Economic Development has been in the news lately as they begin what appears to be a restart of county development efforts. Major spending is planned to begin preparing the I-86 interchange for potential future development, a “if you build it, they will come” approach. The county relationship with Alfred State College, who has been providing Dr. Craig Clark’s and the college resources for economic development efforts, is unknown. The current contract between the county and college is set to expire soon. Dr. Clark will present and update from his other hat, the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency(ACIDA.) A most interesting note from the agenda provided is Clark’s mention of an application for financial assistance from a “retail company” at the Riverwalk Plaza. Read the agenda

The Ways and Means Committee, perhaps the most powerful committee of the legislature, will consider the resolution to demand back Medicaid money from the federal government. They will also approve $175,000 in technology upgrades for the county security system and business with the county attorney office. Read that Agenda

A Committee of the Whole meeting will end the day of events for legislators. That meeting is advertised as attorney client related and will be held in executive session, aka, in secret.

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