Budget & Finance Committee
Special Meeting - Budget Review
Monday, November 6, 2006
1:00p.m. – Room 304
Committee Present: Ron VanDee, Chairman; John Troy, Vice-Chairman; Danny Ross, Sean Clark, Newell Willcox, John Daniels - Dan Tagliente: Absent
Others Present: Scott Schrader, County Administrator; Marilyn Brown, Legislative Chairman; Angie Wyatt, Secretary to County Administrator; Sandy Price, Human Services Committee Legislative Chairman; Lee Price, Sheriff; Kristen Monroe, DSS Commissioner; Mary Ellen Neville, DSS-Director of Administrative Services; Dennis Whitt, County Auditor; MJ Uttech, Deputy Health Department Director; Harriet Webb, Fiscal Officer-Health Department; Corey Preston, Cortland Standard; Ryan Dean, Channel 10 News
The meeting was called to order at 1:00p.m. by Chairman, Ron VanDee
SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT / JAIL / 911 CENTER / STOP DWI:
911 Dispatch Center:
Miscellaneous Equipment
John Troy: Asked why the Miscellaneous Equipment request was reduced by $40 plus thousand.
Scott Schrader: Explained that approximately $9 plus thousand was a duplicate entry and $32 plus thousand was taken out. The $32 thousand was to update the alarm system that provides alarm services to private businesses. The County would not be getting any reimbursement for these services and it would also be a liability for the County. There are private companies that provide these services for private businesses.
Dispatchers
Scott Schrader: Would like to see more part-timers scheduled. He stated that if we had the part-timers no overtime would be necessary. Scott further stated that the program has not been given enough time to be fully successful.
Lee Price: Would like full-time dispatchers scheduled because it is a lot easier. Adding the city dispatch has created a substantial amount of work. He has to hire people from the civil service list and now when new people are hired they are either on the police side or the fire side because it is a lot easier to train them.
Newell Willcox: Doesn’t see anything wrong with using part-timers.
Lee Price: It is very difficult to manage part-timers and he wants to give the people of the County coverage.
Scott Schrader: The facility is adequately staffed.
Ron VanDee: Would like to come back to the issue of part-time vs. full-time dispatchers.
Sheriff’s Department:
DSS Fraud Investigator
Newell Willcox: How much have we recovered by having this position?
Scott Schrader: Will find out.
Lee Price: Believes that they have already saved the amount of the salary and it is a deterrent for people coming in and filing false claims.
Other Compensation
Marilyn Brown: What is the “Other Compensation” under salaries for?
Scott Schrader: For salaries that are increased during the year.
Overtime
Lee Price: Additional funds for road patrol are needed because of having to transport juvenile delinquents, transport of the inmates who are housed out, additional personnel required for drug arrests, etc. State Law requires that a certain number of Correction Officers are to be in the jail so Deputy Officers would need to make the inmate transfers (to court, for outside housing, etc.) thus overtime would have to be paid.
Jail
Lee Price: The cost of out-housing inmates continues to increase, due to our jail being full. Medical expenses for inmates are also up. Weekend sentencing is a large part of the problem.
MOTION BY RON VANDEE – 2ND BY JOHN TROY TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE JUDGES REQUESTING THEM TO INCREASE USE OF ANKLE BRACELETS AND TO DISCOURAGE THEM FROM IMPOSING WEEKENDS IN JAIL SENTENCES – ALL VOTED IN FAVOR - PASSED
Stop DWI
Scott Schrader: The revenue for Stop DWI comes back to the County via fines paid from DWI arrests. The DWI funds will be distributed as follows:
City Police: $37,000
District Attorney: $25,000
Probation: $33,200
SADD: $ 5,000
Sheriff: $45,000
Homer Police: $ 5,000
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES:
Budget Overview
Kristen Monroe: Explained the position changes with the justifications for the changes. There is an increase in the salaries because it is a reflection of 2 years of increases because the CSEA contract had not been settled until the fall. A new alarm system, security doors system and panic buttons system is in the budget, which is needed. The program accounts are all up. There has also been an increase in HEAP. There was an error in a title for a savings of $3,000. The title was listed as Senior Caseworker and should have been listed as Caseworker. The cost of PINS/DJ is up. The Sheriff’s Department is transporting the juveniles when they are placed.
Scott Schrader: They have proposed a Youth Services position in Mental Health to assist in diverting the juvenile delinquents from being placed.
Sandy Price: Kristen Monroe is a good manager. She looks at everything and does her homework.
Medicaid
Scott Schrader: The County will have to make a decision next year (early summer) on whether to start increasing the Medicaid amount 3% every year OR to give the State a portion of our Sales Tax to fund Medicaid. Once the County makes a decision they cannot go back. Scott has a meeting next week regarding this issue.
Ron VanDee: The State should take physical responsibility for Medicaid.
Suggested that a letter be written to the new Governor about the County’s rising costs of Medicaid and ask the other counties in the state to do the same.
Scott Schrader: We can request NYSAC to forward our request to all the other counties in the State to do the same. Kristen Monroe will write the letter.
CORTLAND COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
Budget Overview
Scott Schrader:
· Handicapped Children (Pre-School) was decreased but tuition and transportation has gone up.
· EWPH (Eat Well Play Hard) will not be funded next year
· In the Nursing Division there was an increase of costs do to caseloads being high for each nurse – we need to focus on getting the revenue up. There is an increase for Professional Services because one patient requires around the clock care.
· Jacobus Center there is an increase for ½ a position but there was a decrease in ½ a position in Health Administration
· Hospice is a money maker
· There is a reduction in caseload for Early Intervention but it’s still costing more.
· There is no substantial difference in the Environmental Health Division.
· The current Public Health Information Technology position will be under the Information Technology Department.
The Health Department’s budget, as a whole, is acceptable.
Ron VanDee suggested that everyone should continue to review the proposed budget.
The Budget & Finance Committee will meet again this Wednesday at 1:00p.m. to review the Mental Health Department, Highway and Buildings & Grounds Budgets.
Minutes/Notes Prepared by Angie Wyatt, Secretary to Scott Schrader