[5:15] Everybody.
[5:22] What's going on?
[5:28] I know, and you just.
[5:33] All right.
In order to find some administration,
[5:40] but Sarah went here this morning.
[5:46] That's all we will. Mister Cleveland.
Present. Mister Hardin. Present.
[5:49] Mister Jones. Here.
Mister Nasa is excused this morning.
[5:53] Mister Wallbower. Present. Mister McBower.
Here. Mister Nasa.
[5:58] So we have four sets of minutes to report
review.
[6:02] Does anybody have any correction to any
of those minutes?
[6:10] Hearing on, I will stand as it rules.
[6:16] Alright, go to committee updates.
[6:20] Regional Sports Council.
[6:24] Good morning, everybody.
Since our last meeting,
[6:27] I just want to give you a quick update.
We did finally finish the senior games
[6:32] events. They're done. We hosted croquet,
swimming,
[6:36] and power lifting over the last month.
And in total, we had 1,
[6:40] 575 athletes here for senior games.
[6:44] We have a couple of upcoming events.
One is the National Collegiate Baseball
[6:48] Association Fall Tournament.
They've got 24 teams, I believe,
[6:52] that will be here towards the end of
October.
[6:55] We're hosting the Section 3 Girls Soccer
Championships at SUNY Cortland on
[7:00] November 1st.
We'll have six games going on.
[7:04] there.
And then we're hosting the girls New York
[7:07] State Public High School Athletic
Association Girls State Soccer
[7:11] Championships in the middle of November.
That takes place at Homer High School,
[7:16] Portland High School,
and Dryden High School this year,
[7:19] and then hopefully the championships at
SUNY Portland.
[7:24] We just finished a bid for girls lacrosse
that took about 40 days to pull that
[7:29] together.
And we gather everything from the hotels
[7:32] and the various venues.
And I'm happy to say that we won the bid,
[7:35] so we're interesting girls.
[7:38] Three years for the state championships,
yeah.
[7:42] It's important mainly because they've
never played anywhere else.
[7:46] So I don't want to be the one that loses
that bid.
[7:49] Hopefully whoever comes after me.
Good luck.
[7:51] We're also working on a bid for the girls
ice hockey regionals.
[7:55] This was something that was released and
we didn't have enough time to pull the
[8:00] information together because it happened
in June.
[8:04] But they sent it out for rebid.
Either they didn't get enough bids or
[8:07] they didn't like the bids that they got.
So they sent it out for rebid.
[8:11] And I've alerted them to the fact of
working bid on this.
[8:14] Everybody seems happy about that.
So I'm fairly confident this might be
[8:17] something that we'll get.
It'll take place in February.
[8:20] It's only a couple of days,
but it is something new and something
[8:23] different.
[8:24] for us.
And it also involves the JM and Downing
[8:27] Sports Complex that we generally don't
use a lot for our events.
[8:31] So it'll be a nice partnership there.
[8:35] And then one thing that we're working on,
and Melanie attended a meeting with me
[8:40] not too long ago,
but the pickup of hotel blocks by the TBR
[8:43] teams.
We were getting some information back
[8:46] from some of the hotels that they're a
little bit concerned about the pickup
[8:51] that's happening.
So we're working on trying to find out.
[8:54] exactly what is going on and how we can
help fix that.
[8:58] So the hotels block through the travel
agent.
[9:01] They block rooms for the various
tournaments this weekend,
[9:06] but the pickup isn't happening the way
that they, the reservations. Yeah, yeah,
[9:11] reservations, yeah.
[9:14] So we're just trying to delve into that a
little bit and kind of see what's going
[9:17] on.
[9:19] That's all I have. Wait, any questions?
[9:25] Thank you. Michelle. Good morning,
everyone. Good morning.
[9:29] My junior report was provided to Miss
Fishoff last week.
[9:32] We had already received it.
I'm sure you will get at some point.
[9:36] So that kind of dives into everything
that has been going on over the last few
[9:41] months.
But over the last couple of weeks since I
[9:44] last saw you, we
[9:46] set up at Pumpkin Fest,
which was for us very successful.
[9:49] We had a lot of people come to the tent.
It's primarily our way of pushing the
[9:54] curiosity trail.
It kind of lends to the demographic that
[9:58] comes over to the festival.
But we had a lot of interest this year,
[10:02] a lot of people knowing who we were,
[10:05] and really excited about the two events
that we have coming up here in the next
[10:11] couple of weeks. Speaking of those,
we have our curiosity market this Sunday,
[10:16] so we are busy prepping for that.
While our event is happening on Saturday
[10:21] at the vault,
we've been pushing it as kind of a
[10:24] four-day curiosity.
[10:26] events with the hope in the future to
make it more of this festival-like
[10:30] experience.
So we've been encouraging our partners to
[10:33] put on their own events that kind of lend
itself to the curiosity trail.
[10:37] So we have a center for the.
[10:41] We have, umm,
the tattoo shop next door to us also
[10:44] doing an event which is great.
[10:45] They got on board but they bring in a lot
of people.
[10:49] We have a couple restaurants and.
[10:52] Taking part as well.
So we've been pushing that as you know,
[10:56] encouraging people to come for not just
for the day, but for overnights as well.
[11:01] And then on top of that,
we're also doing an event with the
[11:04] bookstore bookstore across the street
from us in a couple.
[11:08] Weeks. There's a book launch happening.
[11:10] We're very popular book series and so we
teamed up with them to do a book launch
[11:15] to encourage people to come to the
bookstore in the morning through
[11:20] lunchtime and grab their books,
which is kind of a different way to to
[11:25] get more traffic in downtown.
[11:28] And on top of that also this weekend,
right after the show wraps up on Saturday,
[11:34] I'm headed to Massachusetts for a travel
trade show on Sunday.
[11:38] To help push our winter activities,
so the scheme snowshoeing,
[11:43] anything that we have here in Portland.
[11:46] So busy weekend coming up.
[11:50] Thank you.
[11:51] I did send that report to all.
[11:54] Any any questions that we should?
[12:02] Thank you very much.
[12:09] Directory.
[12:12] Works and I don't remember to remember
2026 budget authorized purchases,
[12:17] unleaded gas visual fuel.
[12:21] We have a motion.
[12:27] Passage.
[12:31] And item number three,
authorizing agreement,
[12:33] mechanical and plumbing repair.
[12:35] I mean,
that's insulation and emergency services.
[12:38] We're an emotional well.
There are a second second.
[12:43] Can I leave for information?
[12:45] You're not saying why.
[12:49] OK.
[12:52] Item number four, I'll raise one.
[12:55] Move it.
[12:57] 'S 7 aye aye.
[13:05] And I don't know authorize lease hanger
MH3 move it second.
[13:13] Discussion, I'll say aye, say aye.
[13:18] You want to check the number one.
Do you want to have 5 digits?
[13:23] All right, so I'd like to start with.
[13:28] Senator.
[13:32] I'd like to start with the closing.
[13:34] That was something that was sent to you
last week.
[13:38] There's another motion on the floor and I
hope that you will have a copy of that in
[13:42] front of you.
[13:43] Do you have any copy?
[13:44] Let's see if I can get that.
[13:50] Yeah, that's fine.
[13:52] So that you can hear.
[13:55] About the transfer right now so they can
share you what they've been working on
[14:00] with us for several months and some of
the research.
[14:06] And actually,
I'll really let Martin talk to the bulk
[14:09] of this work.
But as we've talked before about,
[14:12] you know,
changing the structure of how the grants
[14:15] go out and then in the county and support
together the the brief program on on how
[14:20] to do that.
[14:22] So I'll let her talk through the the
details of that. Thank you.
[14:26] So I think everyone has the draft
comments in the packet.
[14:31] So beginning 2027 accounting will take in
the administration of the tourism grant
[14:35] program and house.
I'm very excited about this opportunity
[14:38] to get a more direct role in
administration part of it.
[14:43] You know,
our goal with putting together this
[14:46] guidance you know is taking what was
working well,
[14:49] just making it more consistent.
[14:51] To the county creating more.
[14:56] There are scoring criteria,
administrative processes.
[15:01] And I'll walk through some of the major
changes that we did.
[15:05] So the proposed program has five funding
categories.
[15:09] Each is intended As for a different type
of tourism product.
[15:13] The first is destination development and
community beautification,
[15:16] which supports projects that improve the
visitor experience and make our community
[15:19] more attractive, accessible and welcoming.
[15:22] The second is event marketing and
development,
[15:24] which focuses on the development on.
[15:27] Developing and enhancing tourism.
[15:29] Oriented events in marking those events
for visitors outside of the county.
[15:33] The third is arts culture and historical
tourism development,
[15:37] which supports projects that showcase our
local arts, culture and history.
[15:42] Our 4th is out of county visitor market
development and growth.
[15:46] This category is intended for
organizations that are actively working
[15:51] to attract, grow,
retain visitors from outside Portland
[15:54] County with a stronger emphasis,
emphasis on visitor data.
[15:58] Marketing strategy and measurable results
in our fifth category is new tourism,
[16:03] product development and tourism capital.
[16:05] This is intended for more larger,
more significant projects that introduce
[16:10] a new tourism experience or make up
substantial capital investment.
[16:16] Along with those categories,
another change is we're also expanding
[16:20] eligibility to improve minutes for
governments along with our eligible
[16:24] nonprofit organizations and community.
[16:29] Funding will vary per category,
with smaller awards available for
[16:33] Community level projects and larger
awards available for projects with
[16:37] greater scope and investment.
[16:41] Such as the capital improvement?
[16:46] Our application requirements will also be
proportional to the size of investment,
[16:51] so smaller projects will not require as
much application.
[16:57] Data,
but capital projects will because it's
[17:00] larger investment.
[17:03] All applications and applications will be
asked to provide, you know,
[17:07] basic organizational information,
project description, a budget,
[17:11] and what they're anticipated towards.
And then if it is.
[17:16] Not all categories have much required
when there's larger investments being
[17:22] made, match will be required,
but there is guidance in there stating.
[17:28] What magic can be have just in kind and
cash are eligible?
[17:35] Another change is the application process
will be all electronic.
[17:39] In working with Chris from the planning
department,
[17:42] who has been phenomenal he put together.
[17:46] A system through arc GIS.
[17:49] And we're currently test running and
making sure everything runs smoothly.
[17:52] It's going great and I really have to
give him kudos because he's done majority
[17:57] of it.
[18:01] For review, which we'll get to,
there will be a review panel consisting
[18:05] of five to seven people from the
community that will determine eligibility
[18:10] independent competitiveness that are
stated in the grant guidance or scoring
[18:15] criteria. There all in one to five scale.
[18:20] All applications will be scored with four
common scoring criteria,
[18:24] but then each category has its own two
breakout score criteria based on who are
[18:29] the projects and it just makes it fit
better.
[18:33] The review panels responsibility will be
to make recommendations to the
[18:38] legislature and awards will be remaining
with awards will be made by the full
[18:43] legislature.
[18:46] Awards will be reimbursement based and
will cover about a one year performance
[18:52] period. However,
multi year agreements may be considered
[18:55] for larger projects such as the capital
development.
[19:01] Quarterly reports are meant to will be
required, but they're meant to be free.
[19:06] Just a few sentences just to let you know
where you are on your project. Umm,
[19:09] where you stand even if no reimbursement
is requested.
[19:12] Just let us know where your project is.
[19:15] And you know, I think most importantly,
we wanted this.
[19:19] Grant program to be accessible to all to
applicants,
[19:22] so we're hoping that's what we put
forward and I'm happy to take any
[19:25] feedback or questions.
[19:28] Things like that, there's.
[19:31] There's no.
[19:32] Can I ask also,
could you talk a little bit about the
[19:36] survey and did a little overview, so I?
[19:42] Been developing this.
We really looked at lots of other
[19:45] counties in New York State.
I think upwards of 30 some odd counties.
[19:51] To see, you know,
do they run the grant program?
[19:53] What size award do they offer?
[19:56] What categories do they offer?
[19:58] What are their requirements?
[19:59] Who do they offer it to?
[20:01] So things like that.
[20:02] And so this guidance is really reflection
of what we saw across New York State.
[20:08] And majority of other entities really
offer smaller awards.
[20:13] We wanted to expand that though.
[20:16] We know what the investment is and we
really want to see.
[20:22] New products and that was very evident
when we were talking to other counties,
[20:26] is trying to get, you know,
catalysts going of products.
[20:33] Yeah, I think if I recall correctly.
[20:39] That usually the top award is around 35,
000. However,
[20:43] when we look at capital or we look at
development executives larger.
[20:49] Sure,
my time is it close up there with 100 so.
[20:57] Correct anything else before I turn
through?
[21:04] I'm going to send you now to be a
distributor this year.
[21:09] So in the 27 budget looking about $300,
000 of Rans, dude. Yeah, it was 260,000.
[21:20] Mr.
[21:23] Grant awarded $300,000.
[21:30] To charity portions.
[21:35] I will be refusing myself from this
discussion because I sit on the Board of
[21:39] Directors and I am the Board of Directors
on the Executive Committee of that Board
[21:43] of Directors for one of the entities that
receives a significant amount of tourism
[21:48] funding.
[21:49] So for that matter, right?
[21:51] For ethics reasons,
deal with strong need to recuse myself
[21:54] from this discussion. And.
[21:57] Yes. So on the the approval process,
there will be a committee form that I
[22:02] don't see anything in here spelling out
who that committee would be with the make
[22:07] of the committee will be.
[22:12] Translation.
[22:16] Resolution. That's. That's the catalog.
[22:21] Here we go, OK.
[22:21] Well, that doesn't tell you.
[22:26] So.
[22:29] I appreciate the work, Morgan,
that you put into this at there.
[22:32] There's a lot in here that I really like,
but I do have a couple of of concerns or
[22:36] questions that I wanted to go through
first, starting with the.
[22:40] Maximum amount and if we look at the
report from the CBB on their page,
[22:46] 12 of the report we can see that some
significant entities in Portland County
[22:51] like the Center for the Arts was awarded
$85,000.
[22:56] Portland Repertory Theatre was awarded 55,
000 with a new caps that are in place for
[23:02] these different things like the Category
4 market development at 35,000.
[23:09] Theater the arts is going to be out $50,
000 on what they're generally have been
[23:13] expecting for support of their work.
[23:15] So I'm really worried about those caps.
[23:18] What?
What went into coming up with those
[23:21] specific sorts of of numbers?
[23:24] So I think going back when we were,
you know,
[23:27] going around to see what other counties
were offering really the top amount was
[23:31] 35, I think.
[23:33] Two other counties that I can think of.
[23:34] One was at 15.
[23:35] That was specifically for capital.
[23:39] One was in tokens,
which I think was about 100,000,
[23:43] but that was very rarely ever given out
in that full amount.
[23:47] So based on what we saw from other
counties,
[23:49] we try to implement that and with smaller
amounts, we're hoping to, you know.
[23:53] Be able to spread it, you know,
across to more entities.
[23:58] And, you know, produce more.
[24:02] Stories on things. Yeah, the 100,
000 for tourism and tokens was for
[24:06] Captain Food. Yeah, nothing.
[24:08] Propose any AUC.
[24:11] This is a competitive grant off this
normally given.
[24:16] This less than R and the.
[24:23] Proactive load, I can't.
[24:24] We're going to work as well as category.
[24:27] Category 5 arrivals even growing up there
are a category five or something like
[24:32] that.
[24:35] And we're happy to go after and also go
after Category 4, right?
[24:41] But that's only for category 5.
[24:43] Yeah,
an applicant can only accept for category
[24:46] five can only go after one category.
[24:50] And my worry, you know,
we're making some significant changes and
[24:53] I appreciate we're headed in a direction.
[24:57] Yeah, but we have an existing tourism.
[25:01] You know,
functioning here that we all sudden cut
[25:04] the Center for the arts $50,000.
[25:08] You know in their grants.
[25:09] I mean,
that's going to have a huge impact on.
[25:12] They can't even apply for that.
[25:13] You know,
if they apply for the tourism category
[25:16] for it,
they can't apply for any anywhere else
[25:19] and Max they can get is 35,000.
[25:23] In product development.
[25:26] That's in different.
[25:29] Yeah, they could.
[25:30] And I, you know,
I don't know what they necessarily would,
[25:32] but I, you know,
I could see where we're headed over time.
[25:35] But we need to be quite draconian in in
version one year one of.
[25:42] The caps that we're putting on place that
other counties have,
[25:45] I don't care what necessarily other
counties have or caps I care about,
[25:48] making sure that we're continuing to,
you know,
[25:50] offer great service here in Portland
continuing to attract.
[25:54] You know tourism.
[25:55] There's a lot in here that I like.
The new new development we're bringing on
[25:59] new things, but I do worry that, you know,
we're gonna some of our big organizations
[26:04] are gonna get crashed out in year one.
And I think we should give them time to
[26:08] develop and.
[26:09] Cause not only is that the cab at 35,000,
but they also have to match 50%.
[26:13] I mean, that's a big swing.
[26:17] 30% of advertising dollars.
[26:19] I mean,
there's a lot of change all happening
[26:22] right at once, you know, within the next.
[26:25] Three months.
[26:27] To try to, you know,
change these organizations that have been
[26:30] used to dealing with us in a certain way
over the last decade or more.
[26:34] And I'm not saying we can't get there
eventually, but we need to be quite so.
[26:42] Phistic.
[26:44] Ated investment right, and we need to.
[26:52] Have 6%.
[26:54] Growth as a matter of 2.4%.
[27:03] So I mean, I would sit back and say,
are we making more investments?
[27:07] I don't know.
[27:07] I think there's a.
[27:10] Organizations created they deserve
support,
[27:13] but I think our effort is to actually,
hopefully create more of the learnings
[27:17] and particularly challenge those who are
in the business of attracting visitors to
[27:23] look at new products and see a lot of
productivity that come out of CRT more.
[27:28] Kind of brilliant. So I'm looking forward.
[27:32] So I I guess I would challenge you on
that and that's all great.
[27:37] But we're asking those organizations to
do that in three months,
[27:41] come up with new products,
find 100% match for these new products
[27:46] and all that sort of work and we've given
them now.
[27:50] Three months to to do that,
I question the ability for these for any
[27:54] organization to turn that quickly.
[27:57] Just trying to figure out how they're
gonna find those funds in the next three
[28:00] months.
[28:00] I'm not saying no longer term,
but you know Cognizant of 2027 and
[28:05] helping these organizations get through
the next year or so and then figure out
[28:10] from there,
you know what new stuff we wanna do.
[28:13] It also is an RFP and an RPO is gonna get
that one nonprofit.
[28:22] Replies to our people,
they don't necessarily wanna get it from
[28:25] where we are.
[28:26] And yes, we have their transition,
but I think that there's been this
[28:29] perception that somehow this isn't a
competitive branch.
[28:34] There is no guarantee that 100.
[28:38] So you're asking us, in a way, not to be.
[28:44] And I think that's interesting.
[28:47] I mean, right?
[28:47] I mean, this is a competitive process,
it has been.
[28:50] It has been a competitive process for 10
years,
[28:53] following the same sort of standards and
understanding.
[28:57] And now we're jumping in.
In the last minute,
[29:00] saying we're gonna switch the whole thing
up in three months,
[29:04] and you gotta you gotta find a 50% match.
Or if you're gonna create a new product,
[29:09] well, listen, 100% match.
[29:12] Reward at least 20% required in kind.
[29:14] Yeah, I mean that.
[29:16] I think that's a big change to ask the,
you know,
[29:19] ask organizations here in Portland County.
[29:22] We've I've been supportive of the change
to Oxley tax so that we can do more and I
[29:26] still believe that doing more.
[29:28] And expanding it makes a lot of sense.
[29:32] I just question the the need for.
[29:36] You know, building so fast, so quickly,
umm.
[29:39] But along the same lines I do question
like,
[29:41] why are we opening this up to
municipalities?
[29:45] Why? Why? Why?
We've got so many non profits here in
[29:48] Portland County that have looking for
funds that are doing very well.
[29:51] Why do we miss calories?
[29:54] Need to get?
You know high speed tax dollars.
[29:56] Why does the City of Portland need to
come and ask us for actually tax when
[30:00] they already take oxygen tax inside of
the city? So it like,
[30:04] why are we opening it up to these allies?
[30:06] Any municipality can fly this,
and this can mean that what we're finding
[30:10] is acceptable.
[30:13] But I think some of it deals with.
[30:14] Save money.
[30:15] But they also need because I can see does
deal with infrastructure.
[30:19] I think some of that has to do with.
[30:23] Revitalizing main streets.
[30:25] And that one,
there's other ways to go for it.
[30:29] I don't think that they would ever apply
for this, but that was, you know,
[30:34] this one.
[30:35] I do have a question.
[30:36] I'm not trying to put you on the spot,
but with this, you know, committee,
[30:41] I think this is a awesome thing.
[30:44] What's your suggestion?
[30:48] Correct what?
[30:49] I said I don't.
[30:49] I'm not putting on his father ring.
[30:51] I just want to know, you know,
the brainstorm wise to get us over this
[30:55] three month pump. If I can interrupt.
I don't know if it alleviates most of
[30:59] your concern.
[31:00] Would it be terrible if you were one $50,
000 cap and then after that down 35?
[31:04] I mean, if that's your sticking point.
[31:08] My suggestion would be for year one or so
along those same lines was I would leave
[31:14] it to the committee to decide the award
amount.
[31:19] And not put a cap on it,
and not necessarily even have to match
[31:22] for the first year.
Give organizations the ability to kind of
[31:25] ease into this.
[31:26] Figure that out and understand that in a
year in 2028.
[31:30] Now we're going to be having, you know,
different set of research 'cause it's
[31:33] still gonna be a committee.
[31:35] They're still gonna be able to decide,
just like the committee has always
[31:38] decided what the amount that they're
gonna wore.
[31:41] And we've seen that from somebody,
will apply for tax and they'll award.
[31:44] You know why sort of thing and that's
fine.
[31:46] Why not leave it up to that committee to
decide, at least for the first year,
[31:51] instead of having this hardened test rule?
[31:55] Michael,
I think it makes scoring much more
[31:59] straightforward.
[32:00] What it is spelled out in black and white,
and I I appreciate wanting to give the
[32:05] committee flexibility.
[32:07] I like the concept though.
[32:10] This, you know,
this is your short on these merits, right?
[32:15] I.
[32:15] I I see what you're saying.
If we were to get,
[32:17] if we were to take the CAP off,
I would want it certainly on the larger
[32:21] awards. Keep the match because you know,
I think that if we're gonna invest tax
[32:26] dollars, we also need to be committed to.
[32:28] Whatever we're investing in.
[32:32] OK.
[32:37] I think Mr. Harvey.
[32:45] I think he can cut the legs off of the
organizations who have done more for this
[32:51] county in the last few years to bring.
[32:56] Tourism in and are still doing that.
[32:58] They've already proven themselves.
[33:00] It's just like micro enterprise.
[33:02] We might give that 35,
000 to someone who's got a new idea and
[33:06] they'll walk out on their face.
[33:08] These are organizations and CRT is not
the only one that have continually
[33:14] already started new things and brought
people in and they cut their legs off.
[33:22] I don't see it.
[33:24] So as I remind people,
the growth rate for Frosin last year is .
[33:30] 6 and this is we already had that right.
[33:34] I mean,
I understand this morning that I think we
[33:37] need to sit down and ask yourselves
exactly what is going on.
[33:42] Remember the investments we're making are
sure getting much better return.
[33:46] S so.
[33:49] But I think when Mr.
Harding has propositional on the table
[33:53] that we should consider having known
limit and Mr. Said,
[33:57] would you consider different?
[33:59] So I think that's the discussion as at
the moment,
[34:03] whether it be affected $1000 limit for
the first year or understanding that only.
[34:10] After.
[34:15] Try either way.
[34:17] Either way,
I'm fine with all three options.
[34:19] Whatever gets this thing through.
[34:25] No.
[34:28] I'm thinking about it.
[34:30] I don't have an argument against
Department's suggesting.
[34:37] So what I'm thinking the argument is it's
a change the date of implementation in
[34:45] 2028, because the agencies,
nonprofits time to react to it.
[34:50] I'm not against it.
[34:52] That's,
I think what you were saying primarily.
[34:56] But no, primarily I'm.
I'm fine with going forward with the
[34:59] program for the 2027. It's just the caps.
[35:03] For 20.72,
pull those back until 2028 to give them
[35:08] time.
[35:09] It was enough changing with scoring,
different category.
[35:13] There's a lot in here already.
[35:15] I would just my recommendation is just
remove the caps for 2027,
[35:19] leave it to the committee to decide.
[35:23] Knowing that in 2028 when the new program
comes around, there will be, you know,
[35:27] apps,
this will give all the organizations,
[35:29] all the nonprofits who want to apply an
opportunity to see what the full program.
[35:34] And you know,
start to make adjustments through.
[35:36] That's my you still only have the 300,000.
So depending on how many applications are
[35:42] put in, you still have a dispersed.
[35:45] You know,
the community's always done right.
[35:47] If there's gonna be a cap. Yeah.
There it is.
[35:49] There it is.
[35:50] And the committee's always decided.
[35:53] And we they can see what the guidelines
generally are.
[35:56] I'm just saying, you know,
it's not a professional run.
[35:59] It's well, there's 300,
000 what we've been given.
[36:04] No, we get 260.
[36:07] 26260 So we're cutting 50,260.
[36:11] We're adding. It's gonna be even more.
[36:17] So no, Catherine.
[36:22] OK.
[36:23] Thank you.
[36:25] So this year we're really having a really.
[36:31] 1000 categories.
This is great to do so because there's
[36:36] some small organizations that.
[36:40] Shouldn't have gotten so necessarily to
be able to introduce it, if I may though.
[36:46] That's gonna be based on the award, right?
[36:48] So if we're giving 5000 short,
there's no data there's.
[36:52] But if with no cap in there category,
we're giving 50,000,
[36:56] we're gonna need the data and reporting,
yeah.
[37:01] And we're about to match.
[37:03] Yeah, OK. The match is still.
[37:08] So maybe instead of no,
maybe instead of putting in the guidance,
[37:11] we can.
[37:14] Say expected I want to give them some
expectation that you can't get $50,
[37:20] 000 with no data, OK?
[37:22] I'm fine for it. I mean,
I think we don't keep the categories in
[37:25] place.
[37:26] We just don't want to have associated.
[37:29] With that,
so that the committee will have to look,
[37:32] look at what we're waiting for applicants
they have just the quality of those
[37:36] applications and then judge how they roll
together the awards and such.
[37:42] So I mean,
I think that's what we need to do, OK.
[37:45] And that the criteria would still apply.
[37:47] So if we're trying to develop, yeah,
we'll have to modify it implementing the
[37:52] program.
[37:53] Yeah, you're just removing the care.
[37:54] You're just removing the cap, everything.
[38:01] Is the amount because in here on page one
it says the amount is 342,000.
[38:07] Do we know what the actual amount?
[38:09] Yeah, it is.
[38:12] Yeah, 3000 you did OK.
[38:14] You should update this then to reflect
really well.
[38:20] And I, yeah, I did talk about the match,
but you know, in the spirit of compromise,
[38:25] the CAP was the most important. Yeah, for.
[38:30] But I did want to ask.
[38:31] Just continuing to dig through.
[38:33] Just get so I understand the specifics.
So on eligibility #4,
[38:36] I've already talked about my reticence
about in this book governance,
[38:40] but I I can kind of see why they would,
we would want to open that up.
[38:44] It says recognize as a tax exempt under
section.
[38:47] 50 C Three are there other categories of
tax exemption that potentially should
[38:53] qualify?
[38:54] C3 is very specific.
[38:55] There's like five of four I'm not making
exalt,
[38:58] but there are other ones that are are
that we have nonprofits in Portland
[39:02] County,
but they're a slightly different version
[39:05] of nonprofit.
[39:06] But there's still a not-for-profit or
just not AC 3.
[39:10] The current designation.
[39:13] OK.
[39:13] So if you're saying are there other tax
reservations that we could be into that
[39:19] you'll have a portable on on one, right?
[39:22] Maybe we could go back and check.
Did Andrew do you?
[39:28] Have financing for that.
[39:30] I think that's my most organizations
don't do donations anything besides 501C3.
[39:36] Yeah,
because they have the ability to lobby
[39:39] for campaign,
and I'm not looking to open it up for.
[39:43] You know, libel action,
that sort of stuff.
[39:45] I just wanted to make sure that we
weren't inadvertently excluded
[39:49] inadvertently excluding the chunk of our
you know,
[39:52] like is family counseling potentially as
a nonprofit.
[39:55] I don't know what their number definition
is or others.
[39:57] Yeah, there are other numbers.
And even like card bugs have a movie,
[40:02] TV bugs have them.
[40:03] I certainly wouldn't wanna.
I think if I were on 3C is the way to say
[40:07] OK.
[40:07] Well, like 5O1C, fours are civic leagues.
[40:11] Local associations of employees and
social welfare organizations.
[40:17] Yeah, and. And they develop, you know,
trails and they do other things.
[40:21] So then again,
This is why I was a little just we could
[40:24] take go back and take a look at that and
just make sure that we're not potentially
[40:28] excluding a group that is interested in
really helping to promote tourism or
[40:32] things like.
[40:34] The only other question I had then sorry
I know keep going on.
[40:45] One applicant per section.
Unless you're doing a new product.
[40:51] To get one shot at your award,
is there a reason we want to limit it or?
[40:59] Potentially an organization, say,
you know we want to develop a trail and
[41:03] we want to have a an event or something
like that that will qualify under
[41:07] different.
Is there a reason to limit it to just one
[41:11] applicant per work?
Looking at what other counties did,
[41:14] there's only.
[41:15] And really,
if you that offer this many categories
[41:17] and they would only allow you to apply
for one.
[41:19] So just going based off that.
[41:24] OK.
[41:24] I'm willing to go forward.
[41:26] It'd be great to get some feedback as we
go through this process.
[41:28] We're going to set up, you know,
is that an issue?
[41:30] I mean, there was an amazing.
[41:33] Plan at the same time? Well. And you know,
so we want to make sure that in May when
[41:39] they apply,
they're not applying for all 5.
[41:42] Seeing which one sticks.
[41:44] Yeah, especially when you're looking at.
[41:47] All match the because now it's like you.
You approve these, you actually can.
[41:52] You match it or or whatever.
[41:54] I think that's one of my confidence.
[41:56] Did that where it was one reason to one
spread it and also if you give them the
[42:03] the opportunity to successfully.
[42:08] Get that done.
[42:09] You know that audio?
[42:10] And then sorry, one last point,
I just wanted to look at in the payment
[42:14] reimbursement and I know we've probably
done this in the past,
[42:18] but it says grant funds are provided on a
reimbursement basis.
[42:24] For a new organization getting off the
ground to do something.
[42:29] That, you know, could be.
[42:32] Prohibitive in how to actually like so
start something to then you know,
[42:37] move something forward.
If if everything has to be reimbursed.
[42:41] I know that's the general standard,
but we're trying to promote new things
[42:45] for new organizations,
new groups that want to do something.
[42:48] They have to have that seed money and
then get reimbursed.
[42:51] And that can be doubly challenging.
[42:53] We did think about that.
[42:55] Each contract will have a different
reimbursement schedule to hopefully
[42:59] alleviate that to see how frequent they
are anticipating reimbursement.
[43:04] Didn't consider that as a factor.
[43:08] So another thing I'd like to put on the
list for you know,
[43:11] feedback as we implement,
does that preclude some organizations who
[43:16] they just can't get started and could be
maybe in future years look to like make
[43:21] some adjustments like will grant a
percentage upfront with a re?
[43:25] Schedule to go later or something.
[43:28] Thank you for indulging me on that one.
[43:31] So I'm just going to thank you.
[43:36] Anything else?
[43:37] People remember.
[43:41] OK, I want to go back to January please.
[43:45] And item number one,
resolution designated or Review Committee
[43:49] for county administrative programs.
[43:52] Clean motion.
[43:54] One second.
[43:59] Discussion.
[44:02] So in the last whereas clause,
in the third resolve clause,
[44:07] it says no elected official of Cortland
County.
[44:10] My question is, is it of Cortland County,
which means this body or should it be no
[44:16] elected official in Portland County
precluding all elected officials across
[44:21] the county cannot participate?
[44:25] They are the oven in are two important
distinctions,
[44:28] and I would suggest that it should be no
elected official in Portland.
[44:32] How do you remember this connection?
[44:37] That wasn't the account, but yeah,
way to do that.
[44:41] Just wanna make sure, yeah.
[44:43] And then the other question would be the
term of one year.
[44:49] Seems awfully quick.
[44:52] I mean,
most of these other boards that we
[44:54] established have a bit of a longer term
for members of that committee to get in
[45:00] understand is there a reason we wanted to
make it essentially one shot deal for one
[45:05] year moment.
I think the attack was with each.
[45:08] Application.
[45:09] Period.
[45:13] But I don't think there's nothing insane
people.
[45:16] There's not a standing.
[45:16] There isn't a standing room.
[45:18] Yeah.
Gathered together to actually review.
[45:23] But it is kind of standing work because
this is for all for a review committee,
[45:28] for any grant program,
like for enterprise,
[45:31] Oxy tax and whatever else comes up.
[45:33] And then it's kind of standing to be only
meet.
[45:39] A couple of times a year.
[45:40] So,
similar to the Tourism Review Committee
[45:43] that was previously established when we
were appointing the legislators,
[45:48] it was on the annual term and it was
members of the Chamber who typically
[45:53] switch over.
So it was people who had a interest in it,
[45:57] who would know what was going.
[45:59] On in the community,
but may not still be in that position,
[46:03] or there may be turnover.
[46:06] So you're still gonna wait,
the county administrator and grant
[46:08] administrator would take people who?
[46:11] Would have a vested interest,
but may not always be the same people.
[46:15] Yeah, in the situation of same,
people typically get reappointed year
[46:19] after year.
[46:21] Isn't there a little thing in there that
was on the board that you?
[46:27] Yeah,
they have to recuse themselves that they
[46:30] even have a interest in it.
[46:33] Yeah. So.
[46:38] I would go on that too.
I think when you're on.
[46:42] Aboard you learn every year and you have
a history or what didn't work and what
[46:48] they were.
[46:49] So I think ruin your terminals too short.
[46:53] For this committee,
because there may be a couple of
[46:56] different committees on,
because you have other grants coming that
[46:58] may have nothing to do with terrorism.
[47:00] So that's the issue.
[47:02] The issue here is to establish a grand
committee process.
[47:05] It's less about being a specific
committee,
[47:08] but more establishing the grant committee
process.
[47:11] Why would you call members of the
Community in to give us, you know,
[47:15] feedback on our rates, OK.
[47:17] So it's not necessarily this tourism,
it's it's a, it's a more general.
[47:24] Can we speak to that more?
[47:25] I think you just hit it on the head of,
you know we.
[47:30] I don't think it's necessarily about
learning the history,
[47:32] because that process will be there.
[47:34] You know,
they're really just the scoring criteria
[47:37] is there?
[47:37] They really just have to follow along.
[47:39] There's no, you know.
[47:42] Resume needed to understand how to scorn
them.
[47:45] What were their?
What you have in conceivably different
[47:49] could have different committees too,
couldn't it?
[47:52] I mean for for different grants depending
on different.
[47:56] Potentially, yeah.
[47:58] That's not what's.
But that's not what's actually in the
[48:01] text of this.
[48:02] Yeah.
We're establishing the Grant Review
[48:05] committee.
[48:06] Yeah, Grant review committee.
It's for all grants.
[48:08] Yeah, it's a committee.
[48:10] It's not multiple communities for each
different brand.
[48:12] Yeah. Yeah, no,
I understand what you said.
[48:17] When I saw one year I didn't like it
either.
[48:19] I think it was back that people can get
reappointed, you know,
[48:23] and other big things.
[48:24] It's hard to get people commit to any of
this stuff, and you know,
[48:28] people ask me to be on boards or
committees and, you know, it's one year.
[48:32] Yeah, I can do that right then.
[48:33] Maybe it'll come back for another year,
but.
[48:36] You start putting longer terms in there.
[48:37] It's just I I I think the one year's
practical functional people can get
[48:42] replaced.
[48:45] Micro enterprise.
I know the stipulations and the
[48:49] requirements of that change almost every
year.
[48:53] So having the review committee not be the
same may be beneficial because they may
[48:57] remember what their requirements were the
year before and be looking at that and
[49:02] they're completely different because of
the state changed everything.
[49:09] So the other concern bit I have here is
that in the past when we've done these
[49:16] committees, the legislature has.
[49:21] Proved who's gonna be a member of those
committees?
[49:23] We've had oversight.
[49:27] This is the first time for any of our
committees.
[49:29] We are completely devolving our
responsibility.
[49:33] We have no oversight,
no responsibility as a legislature on the
[49:37] members of the committee functioning and
for every other committee and group,
[49:43] we always give a point.
[49:46] And I'm worried about losing the
oversight.
[49:49] I'm fine if the administrator brings
forward, you know,
[49:52] does the group brings forward a slate,
but us having no oversight at all on the
[49:58] committee is worrying.
[50:00] Is it's the first one where we've totally
developed a responsibility,
[50:03] although they aren't only giving us
recommendations on it,
[50:05] it's completely up to,
I think they were worse.
[50:07] If I had two things.
[50:08] One it it was specifically worded as a
committee and not a formal report.
[50:13] And that was after going through the
micro enterprise guidance because that's
[50:17] stricter than our own of it does not need
to be a formal report of the.
[50:23] Second thing was to try and put some
distance between those that were scoring
[50:26] and then those that were approving.
[50:28] I'm fine either way.
[50:28] That is the more traditional.
[50:30] Process,
but I thought was the the logic behind it
[50:33] so so then quick question for you then is
would this scoring that we're having?
[50:42] What you're saying it would be a huge,
great thing. We have 25 applicants,
[50:47] 30 applicants coming in here.
[50:50] Is this advisory committee?
[50:53] Are they going to pick and choose there
of what they recommend,
[50:57] or are they just the scoring people and
say now it's up to the legislature?
[51:02] I think they'll score each application
and those that ring highest and put forth
[51:06] recommendation.
That way you know there is actual a
[51:10] number attached to each application,
what their score was,
[51:13] and those were the highest score are most
competitive.
[51:16] They hit all the Marks and I'll be
reported to the legislature.
[51:21] Just to score. Yeah, that's it.
[51:28] Right.
[51:30] It is kind of a weird thing because.
[51:34] Committee or I mean that is obviously the.
[51:39] Decisions.
[51:41] So next question.
[51:44] Hypothetically.
[51:47] If if there was something with this
advisory committee that.
[51:53] Is I don't know.
[51:55] Something that we wouldn't want.
[51:58] Who releases them?
[52:00] From that committee.
[52:03] I'm just saying that there is something
that.
[52:07] I'm just saying that there is something
that is really wonky.
[52:11] For a committee member.
[52:13] Who is the one that people say we don't?
[52:17] You know,
you're you're doing these things.
[52:20] Ethics kick in or whatever.
[52:23] We don't want you on here anymore.
[52:25] Who? Who gives that direction?
[52:28] Is that legislator?
[52:36] I didn't bring this forward.
[52:37] I didn't understand this story.
[52:40] Yes, but at the same time,
the legislature oversaw the ultimate
[52:44] authority, right?
[52:45] So I think what your saying is if we find
that that there's there's reason to
[52:49] question the way in which people score,
do that.
[52:52] It seems to me what my understanding also
is that they're only appointed for a year
[52:57] or so.
[52:58] But what happens in the year itself?
[53:01] Something's always alive. It's like.
[53:06] Then at that point I assume the counting
was over.
[53:10] And yeah,
it's usually our organizational is where
[53:15] we reappoint or whatever boards and.
[53:21] Just it was just curious.
[53:23] I've accused myself.
[53:24] My question is not about the the nature
of of the committee itself.
[53:28] It's appointed clarification because it's
a committee appointed.
[53:32] By the but whose numbers are appointed by
the administrator,
[53:37] does that mean that it is subject to open
meetings law,
[53:42] or does that not mean a subject totally
subject OK.
[53:48] So this would be similar to what the
tourism marketing group previously did,
[53:52] because the tourism marketing group only
had two legislators that were appointed
[53:56] by the legislature.
[53:57] The rest of the group was not appointed
by the legislature.
[54:01] It was just like the designation of the
group was made-up by Members that were
[54:07] delineated.
[54:09] By the legislature.
[54:10] So it did state that two members had to
be chamber members and so on and so forth.
[54:14] But the actual membership of who sat on
that board did not come out of the
[54:20] legislature.
[54:22] So it's very similar to that.
[54:25] And then the full recommendation came
forward to the legislature.
[54:29] The legislature.
[54:30] Had all of the list, the applications,
everything.
[54:33] If you don't like what comes forward,
you can always on the floor of the
[54:37] legislature and say no,
I don't like that choice.
[54:40] We're gonna switch this out.
[54:41] We're gonna award this, like,
change it all out.
[54:44] Very similar to.
[54:49] Without ideas and the legislators setting
themselves.
[54:55] I'm feeling more comfortable going
forward as long as we are sure that no
[55:01] elected official in Portland can.
[55:04] Appreciate the explanations and and I do
think that the final the 2nd to the final
[55:10] result was covers it.
[55:11] Which means any recommendations,
as they always do.
[55:15] Yeah,
it finally has to come to the legendary
[55:17] report.
[55:17] So that is our final oversight.
[55:19] So so I do have one last question. Yes.
[55:22] Is when you're talking. This.
Does this have to go through committee?
[55:29] For when the board brings it over.
[55:33] Or does this?
Or does that go directly to the full
[55:36] Ledger?
[55:37] Can we assume it is there committee?
[55:43] Meeting last.
[55:43] Yeah, they work OK.
[55:44] So there's this.
[55:44] There wouldn't, but so they can.
[55:47] The only reason why I'm saying is because
that's the first the 1st.
[55:50] That's all I'm saying. Yup.
[55:52] Finance has occupancy tax in the rolls of
water within both concepts, so yes, OK.
[56:06] Any other second. Any other questions?
[56:10] OK.
[56:11] Don't say aye, all right.
[56:14] Next, I'm nay only because it's too, Greg.
[56:17] Now we're not ready.
People know ahead of time.
[56:19] I would be a yes if we were going to put
it in for 20 instead of.
[56:26] 20 minutes if we wanted it to motion
carries.
[56:32] Yeah.
[56:34] When we move on to other discussions.
[56:40] Yes, and you mentioned.
[56:44] Good morning.
[56:44] Morning, everybody. Happy.
[56:48] Reports in the packet just to highlight,
worked with village of McGraw and his
[56:53] customer to put in an application through
ESC Environmental Facilities Corporation
[56:58] for an inquiry infiltration Engineering
planning grant.
[57:01] And we were just awarded that.
So I'll be working.
[57:04] With bills, McGraw get that message.
Currently,
[57:07] we're going through the contract process,
but very excited.
[57:11] We have some updated infrastructure
trying to figure out some problems with
[57:14] that and hopefully for future investment
in the future.
[57:18] If anyone has any questions,
any questions.
[57:21] So just a couple of questions on your the
report here, the $100,
[57:26] 000 through the ARC for the additional
laser pitch licenses we heard from.
[57:33] Paul.
[57:34] In public works that one of the positions
that he had been looking to bring forward
[57:39] had been to help with efficiencies for
the county clerk's office to manage some
[57:44] of those things. Is this $100,
000 grant tied to his hiring request?
[57:48] That is not on.
[57:49] This was primarily for licenses on
scanners and training,
[57:53] so it says it's just the software.
[57:55] It's not actually OK the other one.
[57:58] I had a question on was the.
[58:01] The nearly $1,000,000 awarded.
[58:04] Through the Department of State,
Local Government efficiency grant program
[58:08] for a county run ambulance service is
that did that $1,000,
[58:12] 000 come forward correct?
[58:13] We were.
[58:14] We were awarded it.
[58:15] We still haven't received a contract
though or anything.
[58:19] And what are the 'cause?
I hadn't heard anything on the same
[58:22] holding pattern.
We we got a letter with no contract.
[58:27] And so that'll be a budget item.
[58:31] Post budget but yeah.
[58:33] I'm sorry if I if I remember correctly
that contract is not due until.
[58:38] Sometime in the first quarter,
Department of State has been really
[58:41] behind under contracts, you know,
working on a different grant with them.
[58:44] They took about nine months to send out a
contract,
[58:47] so we just got awarded maybe a month or
two ago.
[58:50] I can't remember the timeline,
so he's still allowed to leave them, OK?
[58:55] Thanks Lynn.
[58:55] And then in the grants submitted your
second to last one here says the
[58:59] application submitted for the Empire
State Development Feasibility study.
[59:04] Grant program for the county owns 74
parcel 74 acre parcel in Burlingville.
[59:08] Could you talk to that a little bit?
[59:10] So the capital's 74 acres.
[59:15] Tractor supply, I believe.
[59:18] Nothing is there currently,
so we just put in for a grant to,
[59:22] you know,
determine possible future investments in
[59:25] it.
[59:25] There was no.
[59:29] We're curious to see what'll come back as
what could be done with that land.
[59:33] That was part of the CFA process.
We probably won't hear about that until
[59:37] December time or so,
but that was about 100,000 I believe.
[59:40] Just for OK,
I just wanted to point in that,
[59:43] did you were you able to utilize the
forestry study from soil and water that
[59:48] had been conducted on that property a
couple of years ago?
[59:51] I did not put that in the grant
application,
[59:54] but I'm sure when we go out for bid for
consultant that would be useful for them.
[59:59] OK.
Because we you know the forestry had
[1:00:01] identified that there was a unique area
up there in the the Canyon and stuff that
[1:00:06] we couldn't do a whole lot with because
it was protected land.
[1:00:10] So as long as we had that, all right.
Thank you.
[1:00:13] A few questions for me. Thank you.
[1:00:17] You've been busy.
[1:00:18] It's looking great.
[1:00:20] First question,
when you put grants awarded in here and
[1:00:23] and you put submitted in here,
do you put them in any particular?
[1:00:27] I'm trying to figure out is there any
particular order to how you list them.
[1:00:31] Also heard chronological order.
[1:00:33] Just 'cause I add on to it work but also
I'm sure there's some overlap somewhere.
[1:00:39] OK,
so with the arc grant for your position
[1:00:42] here is that a new one?
[1:00:44] That's not what I that is.
[1:00:45] That's closed out.
[1:00:46] That was back.
[1:00:47] We got awarded that in 2024. OK,
but grants, you know,
[1:00:51] they take all points of 6 to 9 almost a
year to get awarded.
[1:00:55] Implementation can take longer.
[1:00:58] Up to a year or so,
depending on what your prior performance
[1:01:00] is.
[1:01:01] And then the closeout takes Miller few
months.
[1:01:03] And so that's the vision that goes out
and same thing with the lifeguard.
[1:01:08] Yes,
that is officially closed out now with
[1:01:11] another 1 from 2024,
but I've just recently got this out and
[1:01:15] can you provide an update as to the
Harbor Brook Flats infrastructure?
[1:01:20] Cranford village.
[1:01:21] Please. Yes,
we're very excited and very stage
[1:01:25] development awarded us $1,000,
000 in for our project for our class and
[1:01:29] their water tank in the village homework.
[1:01:32] Mm-hmm. That was about a month ago.
[1:01:34] We're working with Homer.
[1:01:35] We've met with him several times.
[1:01:36] We're working with ESD to get the
contracts and everything in place for
[1:01:40] that,
but I know they are jumping up a bit to
[1:01:42] get their project started.
[1:01:45] Meeting with their consultants.
[1:01:46] All that fun stuff and I know Arbor Brook
Flats I think is currently building their
[1:01:51] model.
[1:01:52] Home. But we're looking to help, you know,
with all their infrastructure,
[1:01:55] they leave there. So very excited.
[1:01:57] Good. Thank you.
[1:01:57] Yeah,
I'd like to come in on my name and the
[1:02:01] great work they did on that project.
[1:02:05] It was $1,000,
000 and it really was a cost.
[1:02:08] Be able to find that to work so.
[1:02:14] I I heard the word lifeguard. Yes.
Thank you.
[1:02:17] I think it was maybe a year ago.
[1:02:20] I know some lifeguards and they never got
that money from the city.
[1:02:23] And I'm wondering if we ever checked that
or find out what's going on. I mean,
[1:02:27] I I know some kids, right?
[1:02:28] They so the city.
It was reversible process.
[1:02:31] So the city was had paid them and then
they got reimbursed from the county.
[1:02:39] We have all the documentation for that.
Thanks.
[1:02:44] This one.
Are you talking back to the 72 acres?
[1:02:46] It's not in any way to preclude a jail.
[1:02:49] It's just recognizing that the jail did
not need that entire.
[1:02:52] Awesome. Thank you. Yes.
[1:02:57] Morgan. Sorry.
One last question of the future Ready
[1:02:59] Workforce Initiative Innovation
Consortium grant application with
[1:03:03] workforce development.
How much was that grant?
[1:03:06] And can you give a little bit more detail
on that?
[1:03:09] I believe that was only 10,
000 and I know Amy's here.
[1:03:11] I worked with Amy on it.
[1:03:12] If she you're more than welcome to do
more.
[1:03:13] It was.
[1:03:14] It was originally 10,000,
but we were awarded 1.
[1:03:18] It's from Micron and Center space CEO
push 503,
[1:03:22] four workforce areas that applied for
that money.
[1:03:28] So this moves up to the awarded column
next year.
[1:03:32] Yeah. Excellent. And congratulations.
[1:03:34] Thank you.
[1:03:36] Any other questions?
[1:03:40] Thank you.
[1:03:40] Our next capital improvement plan.
[1:03:44] So one of the things that we set out to
do when I talked about some public works
[1:03:48] was to ensure that we had a multi year
capital improvement plan.
[1:03:52] This was an initiative we started almost
a year ago now where we establish
[1:03:57] administrative committees,
one of them involving or that Charlie
[1:04:01] chaired and as part of that committee's
work,
[1:04:04] he did building assessments throughout
the county. And then that pulmonary,
[1:04:09] where do we need to ensure that?
[1:04:11] We're setting aside future money,
making future investments.
[1:04:14] In our infrastructure,
so administratively we're putting forward
[1:04:18] to what what we believe is a a you know
our multi year capital plan,
[1:04:23] the this month is for discussion at
public works and here and then next month
[1:04:28] that we put forward as a resolution for
adoption the legislature can.
[1:04:33] Make changes.
[1:04:33] Let me know what they are and we'll we'll
get them into the plan.
[1:04:37] It's also in digital format, right,
so we're not.
[1:04:40] Issuing a paper book on this.
This will be very similar to.
[1:04:43] How it's the same software that will
produce the budget book for this year and
[1:04:47] then next year when we do fundamental
reporting.
[1:04:50] So you all should have a a URL related to
it.
[1:04:54] And then when Savannah has up here is
what this this looks like.
[1:04:56] So if you could click on the one year
plan, I'll just highlight a few things.
[1:05:00] So in 2027,
there's a recommendation of a little over
[1:05:04] 7.
7 million in capital improvement as you
[1:05:08] scroll and you can highlight different
parts of this.
[1:05:12] It will tell you. OK,
where is this coming from?
[1:05:14] What's our local share?
[1:05:15] So our local share part of that is is 1.
7 million.
[1:05:19] The majority of that you know is is other
funding,
[1:05:23] which in this case because 2027 would
include.
[1:05:27] The the heats for the courthouse.
[1:05:30] Other funding would be categorized as
bonding.
[1:05:33] That's this is the only year we see that
we do very little bonding.
[1:05:37] So so if you don't mind to continue to
scroll a little bit and then it tells you
[1:05:41] you know it gives you different groups of
what they are, the vast majority.
[1:05:45] It's like always gonna be grounds, right?
[1:05:47] They are the capital intensive department.
[1:05:50] So umm and then below it'll give you the
individual, umm,
[1:05:55] projects and it'll allow you to to click
on one. If you'd picked that one.
[1:06:02] Doesn't cover. Isn't pretty pictures, but.
[1:06:06] So.
[1:06:09] Yeah, that's it.
[1:06:10] Yeah. So right.
[1:06:11] So it's gonna tell you, OK,
everything about that individual project
[1:06:15] is gonna give you a description of its
location.
[1:06:18] It's gonna give you some pictures of what
current conditions are.
[1:06:21] If there's future renderings and.
[1:06:25] And then talk about how it's being funded
on the left.
[1:06:29] Then,
if you don't mind the multigraph plan
[1:06:31] please.
[1:06:32] So then when we look at a multi year,
we're taking the plan out to 2031 and
[1:06:37] saying OK,
this is where our future investments are
[1:06:41] expected to be.
As we look out into the future.
[1:06:44] Could you scroll a little?
[1:06:47] Gives you again by department.
Gives you the the funding source and then
[1:06:51] keep going.
[1:06:52] It should list all of the individual
projects by year.
[1:06:55] Nope, I'm making that up.
[1:06:58] Please Scroll down the left.
[1:07:04] Yeah.
And then it gives you this different menu,
[1:07:06] you know,
different options of way of showing the
[1:07:09] data, so.
[1:07:11] But it will tell you what you're
expecting to find and give you
[1:07:14] information about it.
[1:07:15] So I don't want to click through
everything,
[1:07:18] but you should be able to to go through
this.
[1:07:21] Bo has a really good question that we're
finding out at public works about if we
[1:07:26] can get a menu built by facility or by
address.
[1:07:28] So you know what?
[1:07:29] You're investing in each location.
[1:07:32] So we've taken that back to to ask that
question,
[1:07:35] but so this is the the multi year capital
plan we you know next month expect to put
[1:07:41] it in as a resolution but certainly want
feedback between now and then we need to
[1:07:46] change anything. So before I bring.
[1:07:49] More detail.
[1:07:52] For this, as long as I know.
[1:07:55] Literally the number, yeah.
[1:07:58] I'm now here you have it.
[1:07:59] Not only here.
[1:08:01] Thank you, chair.
[1:08:03] As part of the budget process,
and that's really.
[1:08:13] All that I know,
the county has wanted to do something
[1:08:17] with us for literally, for decades.
[1:08:19] Yeah,
we got this talk about all the time and
[1:08:22] I'd say not only is it happy,
but it's say priority is my attention
[1:08:27] beautiful.
[1:08:27] Well done. Thank you.
[1:08:28] Thank you.
[1:08:31] Just a reminder,
the plan is not appropriate funds that
[1:08:33] happens to the actual budget process,
right?
[1:08:37] Now we.
[1:08:40] Want to add it?
[1:08:44] All right, there we move on.
[1:08:51] OK.
[1:08:54] Steve, would you like to report?
[1:08:58] Yeah, go ahead. Good morning.
[1:09:01] So, as discussed last year,
when they're working on a bunch of Labor
[1:09:05] contract and overall benchmarking and
county ranks on a high end for employee
[1:09:09] benefits expenditures per capita.
[1:09:13] For the 36 counties for the population
between 30 and 125,
[1:09:17] 000 for only have the ninth highest wait
at Pittsburgh and then for a smaller
[1:09:21] subset,
counties closer population had their
[1:09:24] highest highest spending out of those 13
counties.
[1:09:29] After we looked at those figures last
year, this committee had asked, you know,
[1:09:33] what are the drivers that are resulting
in Portland generally being on that
[1:09:37] higher end?
[1:09:39] When it comes to spending on health
insurance,
[1:09:41] so my goal with this benchmarking
analysis was to identify some of those
[1:09:44] factors.
[1:09:46] Retiree health insurance certainly
factors into these figures that we looked
[1:09:51] at that benchmark last month and then
this report.
[1:09:53] I included a report on health benefits
for active employees.
[1:09:59] This benchmarking comparison is again
include all contiguous counties,
[1:10:03] and then I also included Allegheny,
Livingston counties as well.
[1:10:08] As a bit of background,
the county has two health insurance plans
[1:10:11] for active employees.
[1:10:13] The traditional plan is the PPO plan.
[1:10:17] The implementation date for the PPO plan
varies a bit by labor contract,
[1:10:22] but for the General Union employees hired
after January 1, 2020.
[1:10:28] I'm over the PPO plan and they elect to
participate in county health insurance.
[1:10:34] And then in general,
both plans for both plans employees pay
[1:10:38] 20% of premiums and counties pays 80%.
[1:10:43] In comparing Cortland to these other
counties,
[1:10:46] several similarities were noted similar
to Cortland,
[1:10:49] majority of counties are self insured
when it comes to health benefits for
[1:10:54] active employees.
[1:10:55] And Appl plans a fairly common offering
as well.
[1:11:00] The split of premiums between employees
share and town share is in line with that
[1:11:05] of other counties.
[1:11:06] The range for employee share was
generally between 10 and 25% when again
[1:11:12] cortland's at 20%.
[1:11:15] And then additionally,
when looking at the annual premiums for
[1:11:18] both individual or family coverage,
Portland's annual premiums were
[1:11:21] relatively in line with that of other
counties.
[1:11:24] Is in situations in which the plan
structures were similar to that of port.
[1:11:30] Those are the key similarities under my
office.
[1:11:33] Notice some some differences as well.
[1:11:36] First of all,
the annual DEDUCTABLES and how to pocket
[1:11:39] maximums that employees are responsible
for for Portland's plans are generally on
[1:11:44] the lower end compared to that of other
counties.
[1:11:48] For example,
family coverage under Cortland's
[1:11:51] traditional plan, the annual deductible.
[1:11:53] $300.
00 and we out of pocket maximum is 1500.
[1:11:58] And then these figures are higher for for
corpor.
[1:12:02] Ate counties are around that same same
range as Cortland.
[1:12:06] Some do have annual deductables in out of
pocket maximum maximums,
[1:12:10] which are significantly higher than in
four months.
[1:12:16] Another finding was that many counties
have implemented high deductible plans,
[1:12:20] either as the only insurance provided or
as an optional plan available to
[1:12:24] employees.
[1:12:25] These plans come significantly higher
deductibles and out of pocket maximums
[1:12:29] compared to the structure of the
traditional EPO plans.
[1:12:33] Counties will typically pair these with
either an HSA or HRA.
[1:12:39] The next two differences noted with that
the majority of other counties offer
[1:12:43] employees an annual stipend.
[1:12:46] For declining health insurance coverage,
but this this is not something that's
[1:12:50] written into any of Portland's labor
agreements.
[1:12:54] And also majority of Portland's employees
are eligible to annually convert up to
[1:12:59] five vacation days to be used to pay for
a vacation premiums.
[1:13:02] And I did not know this in the waiver
agreements for any of the other counties
[1:13:07] reviewed,
and then for part time employees some.
[1:13:10] Other counties do have separate rate
structure for for part time employees.
[1:13:14] Which report does not?
[1:13:17] And then also Portland's management plan
is fairly unique.
[1:13:21] And then in that there's no minimum level
hours to be eligible for the county
[1:13:25] health insurance under that plan.
[1:13:29] And then when it comes to family coverage,
Portland's family coverage has the same
[1:13:34] cost share percentage as individual
coverage. But again,
[1:13:37] employees being responsible for 20% and
accounting for 80,
[1:13:41] while some other counties are structured
similarly.
[1:13:44] It's not uncommon for other counties to
require a higher employee share of her
[1:13:50] spouse independent coverage.
[1:13:54] You know,
certainly been able to kind of gather a
[1:13:56] significant amount of underlying data on
this for obviously for Portland,
[1:14:00] but also for these other counties.
[1:14:01] And this is just kind of a summary of,
you know what was included in the package
[1:14:06] A and this discussion is kind of summary.
[1:14:08] It shows overall findings.
[1:14:13] Comments or questions?
[1:14:16] Did you look at the actual number of
employees that recruit were part of that
[1:14:21] cost or are you comparing it purely on
per capita?
[1:14:25] Because this is these expenses aren't
driven by per capita,
[1:14:29] they're driven by the number of employees
that we compared like with employees.
[1:14:37] Yeah, I mean,
I I don't even think I had per capita
[1:14:41] data in this one.
[1:14:42] It was more just.
[1:14:44] You know, whatever the annual.
[1:14:47] Mediums, as far as you know.
[1:14:49] How exciting compared to some of these
other counties and we were pretty well in
[1:14:54] line as far as counties that had so much
structure. Ours,
[1:14:58] our costs were very similar.
[1:15:02] But then some counties are exclusively or
offer high deductible plan,
[1:15:06] optional plan and those premiums are
generally less than other important plans.
[1:15:13] No,
I didn't necessarily look at the number
[1:15:16] of employees participating in health
insurance in our county versus.
[1:15:36] So you have anything else to report on
the ordering?
[1:15:40] Just a few other things working on the
working on updating.
[1:15:45] Accounting purchasing policy that should
hopefully be coming in the next month or
[1:15:49] two here with.
[1:15:53] Full scale revite but but some
significant, you know,
[1:15:56] tweets to their current policy.
[1:15:59] Assign Council have been working on that
for a while and working on formally
[1:16:03] writing over a report on that.
[1:16:05] No findings.
[1:16:10] Going around meet with departments as far
as some of the grants that each
[1:16:15] department receives and kind of what
their processes are at the department
[1:16:19] level.
And then also the county's role processes.
[1:16:22] So continue to work on that and then this
month I'll be sending out notices to
[1:16:28] hotel motel operators with another round
of occupancy tax audits.
[1:16:34] To get any efforts there,
they're not only inside of how those
[1:16:37] funds are used.
[1:16:39] But also you know the the actual
collection and the tax returns
[1:16:44] significant items, so.
[1:16:48] Thank you.
[1:16:48] I have a question.
[1:16:49] Isle of Swan.
[1:16:52] OK.
[1:16:53] Go on.
[1:16:53] Go on.
[1:16:54] How are you?
[1:16:55] Good, good.
[1:16:57] Anything you're talking?
[1:17:00] It's going well.
[1:17:00] I have the new employee in the text
mapping position and he's doing very well.
[1:17:07] He come in in with a good surveying
background,
[1:17:09] so he was able to slide into it fairly
well.
[1:17:12] He knows his needs in the survey,
so it's going very well.
[1:17:16] In Morgan's report,
we did not get the grant for scanning of
[1:17:20] all the deeds,
so all the filing events are still in the
[1:17:23] hall.
[1:17:24] We are starting to do a little bit in
house scanning work was able to give us
[1:17:28] all scanner.
So we're we're starting to scan in house.
[1:17:33] It's gonna take a long time,
but I think Brooke's gonna help out a
[1:17:36] little bit.
[1:17:37] See if she can get some scanning done for
us.
[1:17:42] Been working with Andrea on the backer
for the city tax bill.
[1:17:45] Getting ready to do the printing,
so we had to reword the backer a little
[1:17:48] bit.
[1:17:48] Getting ready to, you know,
buy the forms and things like that and
[1:17:52] basically that's what.
[1:17:58] So just check in with chair.
Are we gonna have an opportunity to talk
[1:18:02] about what we talked about last month?
[1:18:05] Yeah, which is all of the tax exemptions.
[1:18:09] Yeah, as a fact of.
[1:18:12] Pay for that. Thank you.
[1:18:13] We're working on that report.
[1:18:14] Alright, perfect. Thanks.
[1:18:17] Everything would want to do that.
[1:18:21] OK.
[1:18:27] Actually, Sandy first.
[1:18:28] Oh, Sandy, sorry. OK.
[1:18:30] Where are we with?
[1:18:37] All.
All I can say is I know I was with prabal
[1:18:41] on answering Savannah's.
[1:18:45] She's putting out there to all the
counties, you know.
[1:18:49] Are they in rush hour now?
[1:18:52] For the time, Hartford is interested.
[1:18:55] Yeah,
they're still waiting on municipalities.
[1:18:57] They've reached out multiple times,
but yeah, once we have that,
[1:19:01] who's interested or who's not,
then Michael will then would learn and
[1:19:06] calculate a rate based on who's in,
who's out and say, OK.
[1:19:10] This is what the rate would be.
[1:19:12] Are you interested in still moving
forward and if you ask them,
[1:19:15] we can come back to them.
[1:19:16] Plan that says, OK,
municipalities are reimbursing us at cost.
[1:19:20] Umm.
[1:19:21] This is the staff we would need to bring
on board to do it.
[1:19:23] Mm-hmm.
First step is still confirming whether
[1:19:26] they want to be.
[1:19:29] We're not just have to say, they said no.
At some point they don't.
[1:19:34] This isn't another topic that has been
talked about for many years and to
[1:19:41] possibly become reality.
[1:19:44] Side OK, I do have a question.
[1:19:49] So I was at the time, probably last night.
[1:19:54] They wanna know,
along with Scott how to sever.
[1:20:00] From their camp, I thought.
[1:20:02] They I thought they did that with state.
[1:20:05] I thought they broke that camp.
[1:20:10] I'm glad I did the request that they had.
[1:20:12] It was done by local law,
so they're gonna have to resend that
[1:20:15] local law.
[1:20:16] Yeah. So you could just reach out to them,
OK?
[1:20:19] And and ask Scott to say what they wanna
do.
[1:20:22] OK.
[1:20:23] Hold my hand up in Syracuse and up in the
state and find out what they have to
[1:20:28] officially do to bring that cattle. Well,
I told him 'cause.
[1:20:33] I gave them the agreement. Yes,
and put it to them to give to their
[1:20:37] attorneys. And I've got them figure.
[1:20:40] It out because there is no real benefit
anymore.
[1:20:43] The way that there used to be.
[1:20:46] So,
but they wanna be able to break away
[1:20:49] because problem feels that they can't do
their rebound until.
[1:20:55] Scott buys into it, which they have.
[1:20:57] I mean they they all have money set aside
now to do that.
[1:21:02] But if you could just reach out to them.
Thank you.
[1:21:08] Yes, more real question for Savannah,
I need an answer right now,
[1:21:12] but I'd be interested in the
municipalities that I represent for that.
[1:21:17] They gave a name.
[1:21:22] I would want to go back to them.
[1:21:25] Often without getting an answer.
[1:21:28] Any other?
[1:21:29] Any other?
[1:21:32] So OK.
[1:21:32] So now to send what I want to do is turn
to Michael and I want to invite you.
[1:21:39] Very well.
[1:21:41] Should we start with Laura,
who you wanted here to talk about how
[1:21:46] reassessment effects?
[1:21:47] Yes, budget.
[1:21:48] And then she doesn't have to stay in the
whole time, right?
[1:21:50] Excellent.
So talk to us about how we assess and
[1:21:53] that's.
[1:21:54] What else I mean?
[1:21:58] What do you post with?
[1:22:02] Well, when when a rebound happens,
it brings everybody back up to market
[1:22:06] value.
[1:22:07] And when it becomes up to market value,
your equalization rate will now settle
[1:22:14] back up to 100% roughly,
so that the properties are assessed as to
[1:22:19] what they're selling for is all that
means.
[1:22:25] Once you get up to 100%.
[1:22:28] Your percentage of the municipal share
drops,
[1:22:32] so your tax rate drops we saw in Virgil
that when they got rebelled and got up to
[1:22:38] 100%,
their tax rate dropped over $5 per
[1:22:42] thousand.
[1:22:44] Plus you got it.
[1:22:45] You got to think about your exemptions
because you're,
[1:22:49] if you're assessed at a equalization rate,
that's not 100%.
[1:22:54] You don't get 100% share of your equals
of your exemption.
[1:22:59] You only get a portion of that,
so as you get to 100%,
[1:23:03] everybody's back on the same playing
field.
[1:23:08] Thanks for the problem with it is we saw
in the City of Portland within one year
[1:23:13] your equalization rate is already dropped
like 4% because things are still selling
[1:23:19] faster than what the assessments are
keeping up with.
[1:23:23] Review this explain when you say who's
the current executive.
[1:23:28] Like your senior citizen,
your veterans exemption,
[1:23:32] you get up to a percentage of and then
equalization rate has to be calculated
[1:23:37] into that.
So you're not getting the full benefit.
[1:23:41] And on our tax bill,
we had always listed that if you were at
[1:23:46] 100%, if you.
[1:23:47] Were at full value.
[1:23:49] This is how much your exemption would be,
but you're only getting.
[1:23:52] Whatever your equalization,
or if you're if you're at 60%,
[1:23:56] you're only getting 60% of that full
value of that exemption.
[1:24:01] So for this includes Sark for no No,
Sark's a lot different,
[1:24:07] because that's a reimbursement by the
state to the IT comes into play.
[1:24:13] But the state always has already done a
2% cap.
[1:24:17] You can't get more than you got last year.
[1:24:21] It can only go 2% higher than what you
got last year.
[1:24:24] So then in two years after someone does a
rebound.
[1:24:30] Will I see him now?
[1:24:34] The state sets that value because we have
solar solar.
[1:24:42] I think it's.
[1:24:45] The organization is low.
[1:24:49] I think it's 54525254.
[1:24:53] Yeah, goodbye.
[1:24:54] But you know, you just start seeing,
you know, these reduced so much.
[1:25:01] That this came up in.
[1:25:03] In Provo last night, for that as well,
is and. And I don't want to belabor this,
[1:25:11] but.
[1:25:13] Everyone gets a reevaluation.
[1:25:16] Now town value.
[1:25:19] Right, right, right.
[1:25:21] So,
but we're looking at sales tax apportion
[1:25:26] out of there that does now get factored
in or does it get factored in at 100%?
[1:25:33] Do we do a calculation?
[1:25:36] It's on the property, right?
[1:25:38] It's on the property,
so it's just raw value.
[1:25:40] What? What? What? It is right. So.
[1:25:43] For an evaluation that they did currently.
[1:25:48] They would potentially receive more.
There may not be as much as they
[1:25:51] anticipate depending on where they are.
[1:25:54] I mean, I think I remember correctly.
[1:25:57] I did that for Jeremy.
[1:25:59] That, and I think it was under 100,000,
but it was an eclipse pollution process
[1:26:07] based on the fact that he'll be a.
[1:26:10] So we did get additions.
[1:26:11] That's the new.
[1:26:14] Yeah.
[1:26:14] Because one of the things we were talking
about was homes in trouble have been
[1:26:20] selling higher than their assessed for,
right.
[1:26:24] And then you really take a look at it and
you're just like, well, wait a minute.
[1:26:28] You know, what's it really assessed for?
[1:26:31] It might not be that it's going really
high because what they're doing is
[1:26:35] they're like,
they're getting these assessors,
[1:26:38] they're saying, well,
hold off a couple of years because.
[1:26:41] It's gonna plateau.
[1:26:44] Instead of a house that's worth more,
you know, 200,000 is now selling for 400,
[1:26:50] 000.
[1:26:52] They they're they're thinking that it's
gonna peak in its gonna go flat.
[1:26:55] If wanna go flat that's when you do a
reassessment.
[1:26:58] And I was just like, no,
because it could be.
[1:27:01] That's what it actually is.
[1:27:04] And and they don't grasp that.
[1:27:06] And we've had trainings Laura's come in.
[1:27:11] We have been giving these municipalities
all of the stuff,
[1:27:14] but right now we don't see.
[1:27:17] You know where there's an incentive for
them to do that.
[1:27:21] And what it breaks down is equalization.
Put in concrete dollars and they're just
[1:27:25] gonna be very generous.
[1:27:27] OK, that as you know, property taxes have,
you know is an impact X amount of dollars,
[1:27:35] OK. And for Portland,
one year is in the 50.
[1:27:40] So the average tax increase of quote
because of the this e-mail.
[1:27:46] $30.00 for 1000 assessed value OK.
[1:27:51] Whereas with so on that that kinda it was
really having some $10 worth for for 1000
[1:27:57] assessed value.
And the reason why is because for
[1:28:01] equalization rate was so it really has an
impact on how much you're paying for 1000
[1:28:07] assessments.
[1:28:10] So I have one last question.
[1:28:12] Yes, Maura,
is that currently the way the way that it
[1:28:18] is is the county has 11?
[1:28:22] And because of the equalization rates,
the way they are.
[1:28:26] Are there municipalities?
If you're looking at the municipality as
[1:28:30] a whole?
[1:28:32] It's paying more of that county because
of the equalization rates are so bad.
[1:28:39] And they're actually could be paying more
of the bigger pot because they're so
[1:28:45] crappy, right?
[1:28:46] Right.
As your equalization rate goes down your
[1:28:49] calendar,
you pay more of the pie and that's
[1:28:52] exactly your rate is driven to tell them
this.
[1:28:55] And they're just like, well, no,
you're just gonna put people's, you know,
[1:28:59] tax accountants. And it's like, no,
I mean, they've been paying.
[1:29:04] And they're paying more than what they're
sharing.
[1:29:07] Yeah.
So I just really want people understand.
[1:29:11] Is that you?
[1:29:13] You really gotta look at it is a is a
bigger.
[1:29:18] Or I can't build on that.
I think right where the counties in our
[1:29:21] small portion of that same concept
applies school to the school district
[1:29:25] where you end up paying more.
[1:29:28] Especially if you're in a school district
that is outside the county,
[1:29:32] you pay a lot higher.
[1:29:36] It's.
[1:29:37] On how that works,
but like like for instance where I am.
[1:29:42] My Rd.
splits the city of Portland School
[1:29:46] District and City School District in
Dryden.
[1:29:50] I'm in Dryden and I'm paying a lot more
and it happens off on torch fabus Kyler,
[1:29:55] if you're in Courtland County and you're
paying outside to a school district,
[1:30:00] it becomes your rate becomes a lot higher.
[1:30:04] Just the way the figures work.
[1:30:08] Any any questions or?
[1:30:12] Yeah, 'cause right 'cause I wanted to.
[1:30:14] You know, we go back to the presentation.
[1:30:17] Michael did umm with the county.
[1:30:18] You know his initial budget. You know,
if you look at it, you know,
[1:30:23] just to give a quick comparison,
because we're looking at the 5.
[1:30:28] 5% property tax increase.
[1:30:30] Yeah, an assessed home at $100,000.
If that person is living in.
[1:30:35] Buxton, they're gonna pay $328.
00 more in county taxes.
[1:30:40] OK.
[1:30:40] But if that happens or 1000 or the 100,
000, yeah, for the $100,000 guy,
[1:30:44] that's the total amount that they're
gonna see an increase in the tax.
[1:30:48] But if that house is in the city of
Portland,
[1:30:51] where we've done the recent reassessment,
their county taxes are gonna go down $3.
[1:30:56] 23, right?
[1:30:56] So these equalization rates and the
reassessments have big impacts on you
[1:31:02] know the county and then you know even
even though we're increasing the county
[1:31:07] taxes the.
[1:31:09] Actual scene taxes of individuals in the
city are gonna go down, right?
[1:31:14] I mean it's it's a significant, you know,
part of this.
[1:31:17] And if we don't keep up with our
assessments?
[1:31:21] Properly then you see these mad swings
that are really gonna hit our rural parts
[1:31:26] of our right community.
[1:31:27] And and this is the promotion of county
assessing because if we have it in House
[1:31:34] and we have our assessors,
they can actually continually look at
[1:31:39] that and work with the code enforcements
on the permits and everything and they
[1:31:45] can pretty much try to maintain.
[1:31:49] As close as they can for every
municipality. Right 'cause.
[1:31:52] I I think people worry.
[1:31:54] Oh,
if you're gonna be kind of continually
[1:31:56] doing reassessment,
then my taxes are always gonna go up.
[1:31:59] And we saw that when the city and others
have done their reassessment,
[1:32:03] there are some that are gonna go up about
1/3.
[1:32:06] I think you said in the past that 5
thirds will go up a bit.
[1:32:09] Yeah,
the third will remain the same and the
[1:32:11] third will actually go down,
even though you're doing, you know,
[1:32:14] a a reassessment, it's not always.
[1:32:17] Higher, higher, higher.
[1:32:18] For keeping through the current could
actually potentially bring down what
[1:32:22] people are seeing coming out of their
pocketbooks when it comes to the taxes we
[1:32:26] just have to stay on top of it.
[1:32:30] So I don't know if I really want to ask a
question here.
[1:32:32] Probably not for this discussion,
but my question is released more to
[1:32:37] exemptions and related to church owned
property because you have churches,
[1:32:43] parishes within our all the community.
[1:32:46] We're not just talking county.
[1:32:48] Are closing down and the properties are
being sold the private owners.
[1:32:54] How is that exemption removed then from
the property and I see other properties
[1:33:00] are coming in as classified as I think a
church.
[1:33:05] How do they get exemptions,
and especially if they're like in A and
[1:33:09] this is urban,
if they're in a shopping mall and they're
[1:33:13] part of an entire a bigger complex?
[1:33:16] That is owned by.
[1:33:18] An individual and not necessarily a
church own property.
[1:33:21] I'm looking just curious about that.
[1:33:24] We actually have some property.
[1:33:25] I've seen properties sold in our village
from the church to private individuals,
[1:33:30] and we have another piece of property
where that interest is coming forward to
[1:33:35] to purchase that and I'm all for, yeah,
we don't need it.
[1:33:38] Let's let's move on there.
[1:33:41] Everything is is assessed as.
[1:33:45] Of.
[1:33:45] March 1st taxable status date.
[1:33:48] What's happening with that problem?
[1:33:50] So if a property has sold that was exempt
throughout the year,
[1:33:54] March 1st comes along bad assessor's
gonna remove that roll.
[1:33:57] Section 8 hold the exempt status and
they're gonna become fully taxable with
[1:34:02] the following.
[1:34:05] It becomes final July 1st and then the
school bill.
[1:34:08] They will become fully taxable,
so they will become fully taxable.
[1:34:12] If it's in a strip mall.
[1:34:14] I can think of one that is it's a
residential.
[1:34:16] It's a percentage.
[1:34:18] They only base that wholly exempt portion
on just the square footage of that
[1:34:24] building that that fully exempt is taking.
[1:34:27] So we are finding that.
[1:34:31] There's some housing that goes along with
the church that either the pastor's
[1:34:37] living in things like that as soon as
that.
[1:34:40] And I know of an example that we know
that this House was part of the church,
[1:34:47] but now it's up for rent.
[1:34:50] So the assessor removes that exemption
status because if they're up front,
[1:34:55] it's no longer fully exempt.
[1:34:57] So the assessors have to be aware of this.
The assessors have to know their towns
[1:35:03] and what is going on in their town and
when we see things come through our
[1:35:07] office, because we pass the sales,
we do our sales first before the
[1:35:12] assessors. If we see somet.
[1:35:13] That's in rural section a fully exempt
and it's being sold to a private party.
[1:35:18] We'll put notations on it.
[1:35:19] So the assessor will see that flag that
they need to look at this.
[1:35:23] So some of the stuff we try to catch in
our office,
[1:35:27] the assessor has to be very active in his
sounds, her towns.
[1:35:32] I'm going to start having mass in my
garage. Revolutionary.
[1:35:37] You know,
and and cemeteries and another big thing.
[1:35:39] Yeah,
they think that if you have a gravesite
[1:35:42] on your property, you're holy.
[1:35:44] Exempt doesn't work like that, OK.
[1:35:49] That's all. Sorry.
[1:35:52] Be more on this topic before.
Now we turn to budget.
[1:35:57] OK. Do you want me to miss Michael?
[1:35:59] Oh, you want to take a minute?
[1:36:03] Yeah, we'll take a Friday. Thank you.
[1:42:08] We are welcoming everyone back.
[1:42:11] To continue.
[1:42:21] Our present overview of who are inventors.
[1:42:26] Since the last talk. Yeah, pretty good.
So.
[1:42:30] Two weeks ago, we last met,
so we were about $1,000,
[1:42:35] 000 from being balanced in the last two
weeks, we've seen adjustments up and down.
[1:42:42] We've continued to to work through that.
[1:42:46] There was a significant adjustment
related to nyisler payments at the end of
[1:42:50] the day.
[1:42:50] Right now we are about $860,
000 away from having a a balance.
[1:42:57] Budget.
There are some things included in there
[1:43:00] not included in there that you know we
can talk through some of the significant
[1:43:05] items worth noting.
[1:43:06] I shouldn't say you know,
significant that help us get to that
[1:43:09] number that are important.
[1:43:12] First thing,
I took a a look at sales tax again.
[1:43:14] Still wanted to remain conservative on
that,
[1:43:18] but we increased that revenue projections
from 2% to 2 and a percent.
[1:43:25] We then looked at.
[1:43:29] On the the fund balance side of where we
were going to take 2.
[1:43:33] 4 million and reset to 2.6 million.
[1:43:37] Then looking at the building reserve and
was previously applying about 100,
[1:43:43] 000 of that towards our some of the the
capital projects that are in there
[1:43:48] specifically the.
[1:43:52] The parking lot with mental health.
[1:43:54] I am not applying any of it to the dry
storage building that so we bought an
[1:43:58] additional 200,
000 out of the building reserve which.
[1:44:03] Effectively, from a net perspective,
we won't be putting the 300,
[1:44:06] 000 we normally put into the reserve.
[1:44:08] We'll be using it on on building related
projects.
[1:44:13] And took out all of the the positions
we'll talk about filled positions in
[1:44:19] executive session, right? Yeah.
But at the last committee,
[1:44:23] it was the new position.
[1:44:26] We took those out.
[1:44:30] For the reallocations so far.
[1:44:32] Except yeah, except there are.
[1:44:37] 2 reallocations.
[1:44:44] So the only reallocations that are still
in the budget.
[1:44:49] As of right now,
relate to the forensic counselor,
[1:44:53] which is the position that lives in both
the grant and the operating and the
[1:44:59] rehabilitation specialist.
So to employment contracts,
[1:45:03] education contract.
[1:45:07] So position wise,
all of that has been taken out.
[1:45:10] You know the discussion with the
committee.
[1:45:16] And so we're about.
[1:45:17] About that 800,000.
[1:45:21] So we took it forward and another step.
[1:45:23] So like Michael said.
[1:45:26] During the last, we had about 21,
000 as a recalculation in one of our.
[1:45:32] Up and then we had to take the following
steps to reduce.
[1:45:39] Some of our expenses and we were able to
increase our sales tax and teaching 2.
[1:45:47] 5 that gave us 130.
[1:45:50] 1000, We're now taking the $200,
000 from sales tax into the building
[1:45:56] reserve.
[1:45:57] Building reserve, as you know it's 300,
000 from sales tax.
[1:46:02] We're now taking 200,000.
[1:46:07] And adding it to the code,
taking an additional 200,
[1:46:11] 000 from the General Fund,
saving some 6000 from a expense that
[1:46:17] personnel has.
[1:46:19] Workers comp came in lower than we
anticipated and level positions,
[1:46:26] so that will focus more on .
8 really more through back 866,
[1:46:32] 000 and where we are today, OK.
[1:46:37] And so that so we try everything we
possibly can at the moment.
[1:46:41] To reduce it down to the staff and we
still have the staff and I don't know if
[1:46:47] you want me over figures again because
we've just been a lot of data that you as
[1:46:53] you know you know we are.
[1:46:55] We're at 5.5 property tax.
[1:46:58] Because as much as we can open with sales
tax,
[1:47:02] we look at all the programs to see where
we can come in and.
[1:47:07] Streamline work around places.
[1:47:10] We're really at this moment basically
$866,000.
[1:47:16] So that's where we're looking at.
Is there anything else you want to add?
[1:47:22] No,
just obviously we'll talk about the
[1:47:23] positions.
[1:47:25] Yeah, right, field positions, however.
[1:47:29] So we have a bit of a challenge.
[1:47:33] So with the.
[1:47:35] Taking more from the fund balance,
is that gonna keep us within our
[1:47:39] statutory limits?
[1:47:43] Will it be slightly under?
[1:47:44] The slightly under.
[1:47:45] It was about 200,000. I mean,
we basically what we were using was
[1:47:50] brought us to the 13.
[1:47:51] So that just tips it slight.
[1:47:56] And on sales tax revenue,
we have a number where we're at here to
[1:47:59] date now and we're gonna about a 2 1/2
percent.
[1:48:01] It's historically been 2.
[1:48:06] Are we seeing 2 1/2% this year?
[1:48:09] Yes, actually, yes.
[1:48:11] So our October payments.
[1:48:14] Uh, actually,
we just received the second one today
[1:48:17] that are actually September received in
October.
[1:48:20] Those were actually up significantly.
[1:48:22] So the third quarter itself was up 14 1/2
percent, which brings our total to date.
[1:48:32] Were up 2.9%.
[1:48:35] And this will actually revolve 2.5,
so we did.
[1:48:39] Record the share of two point.
[1:48:42] 7:00 so that would be about. Yeah.
So at 8/6.
[1:48:45] 866 yeah, 866 is remaining.
[1:48:48] What is that?
[1:48:49] We're going to a percentage of.
[1:48:54] Two more.
[1:48:55] Two more percent, OK.
[1:48:57] So we're gonna be like 7 1/2.
We're gonna 7 1/2 percent, probably 6.
[1:49:01] So the one thing I do want to point out
that I did too is, you know,
[1:49:05] when we look at historically where a
budget you know growth was year over year,
[1:49:09] we were in that seven and a half,
8% that we talked about in the June model.
[1:49:13] Of growing your budget.
[1:49:16] Where we have done the departments and
amazing job at contracting that.
[1:49:21] So our growth is looking about 3%.
[1:49:23] So this is really, you know,
we've done a really good job of trying to
[1:49:27] control the the expense side of of what
is controllable.
[1:49:31] You know,
we've talked about previously about the
[1:49:34] uncontrollable insurance, healthcare,
things like that, yeah.
[1:49:46] So Michael,
I'm a little confused because this
[1:49:50] committee gave you direction the other
week to.
[1:49:55] Not move forward on any of the positions
that didn't equate to the $612,
[1:49:59] 000 in savings that you had projected in
the spreadsheet you provided to us for
[1:50:05] those positions that you approved moving
forward, had it in your budget?
[1:50:11] Those were were taken out.
[1:50:12] Yeah, we were out.
[1:50:14] We were at $1,000,000.
[1:50:15] We took out 612,
000 because we didn't approve any
[1:50:18] positions and now we're still only at 800,
000 because we went out and we went out
[1:50:23] and where did we go?
[1:50:24] Up another million and calculation Andrew
was saying 4, I'm sorry.
[1:50:36] Three times, yes, there was a MIS capital.
[1:50:41] For this presentation that had not been
that really how I'm sure.
[1:50:49] In addition to what we were.
[1:50:51] Just like the second year in a row,
we've had an issue with their.
[1:50:56] Miscalculation.
[1:51:00] Phone call this be hard.
[1:51:01] She did the budget, but no, that's good.
[1:51:04] But before the last. Yeah. Miscalculation.
Yeah,
[1:51:07] I would say that is normal processes.
With that every number all the way
[1:51:12] through.
[1:51:12] So I'm go up some go down.
[1:51:15] Oh, that was back up.
And that's why when you apply the
[1:51:19] positions,
that literally goes back to 800 and 66947.
[1:51:25] So.
[1:51:28] Which is what we're facing.
[1:51:29] So I would entertain any thoughts and and.
[1:51:34] That still leaves.
I'm just saying andresolve the issue of
[1:51:39] the worker training which you know needs
to be resolved.
[1:51:43] That's something we filed about with face
state with 866 million without
[1:51:49] considering, so I.
[1:51:53] Think or.
[1:51:57] Movement to to the county administrators
in their planning.
[1:52:02] So this is the time to make an.
[1:52:10] Assessment.
[1:52:13] So, per the directive last,
I'm accounting management,
[1:52:16] you've taken out all those new positions
that took out 600,000 and some change.
[1:52:21] Yeah.
And we bumped back up another million.
[1:52:25] And so there we are, OK.
[1:52:28] When we changed those,
when we took out those positions.
[1:52:32] Did we touch anything with education and
training for various parts? We did not.
[1:52:38] OK, is in my mind's.
If we're not going to move forward with a
[1:52:42] lot of those positions,
then I think we need to take a hard look
[1:52:46] at what some of those line items for
education and training are.
[1:52:50] So I would make this action item for the
county administrator.
[1:52:58] I don't know how to make a whole lot of
people happy, but that's OK.
[1:53:02] For every department outside.
[1:53:06] Of county legislature.
[1:53:08] And county administrator.
[1:53:13] But every education training wine item.
[1:53:18] From last year's levels by 50%.
[1:53:22] With county legislature and county
administrator.
[1:53:26] Cut 100%.
[1:53:33] As you know,
with the education and training those
[1:53:38] departments outside of the county level
soldier and.
[1:53:45] Administrator some of those were needed.
OK,
[1:53:47] so that all will be able to do those
trainings.
[1:53:51] So I think we might wanna non mandatory.
[1:53:55] Yeah, once.
[1:53:55] Yes for non.
[1:54:00] Level.
[1:54:01] Yes.
[1:54:03] My administration covers all of the
departmental training in their budget,
[1:54:08] though, right?
[1:54:09] So we cover all department trainings,
personnel covers,
[1:54:12] all of our management training and county
wide.
[1:54:17] You're saying the legislature legislature
budget covers drinking? OK,
[1:54:23] so I'll keep putting that 100% on.
[1:54:25] So those expenses were taken out of each.
[1:54:30] Right.
[1:54:33] So when things get shifted around,
it makes you're not able to look at.
[1:54:36] That was something that we potentially
added in 2026.
[1:54:39] Was that training for employees from an
employee development perspective?
[1:54:42] So the Department of training included in
my budget the the.
[1:54:47] Or Middle ash training with TC3,
with with personnel.
[1:54:53] If we did that,
how many dollars are we talking about
[1:54:56] saving?
[1:54:58] It looks like from the figures that that
I have that I received this morning just
[1:55:03] just looking at them.
[1:55:07] Brings it about to be 150.
[1:55:11] Maybe 150.
Just eyeballing the figures I receive.
[1:55:15] And those figures include mandatory or
non mandatory or grant funded or whatever.
[1:55:19] It's everything.
[1:55:22] So don't be surprised.
[1:55:25] I.
[1:55:25] I don't know what it's good because you
have to tease all that out and that's all.
[1:55:28] It's just it's have to tease all that out
to see if it's. That's, yeah.
[1:55:33] Didn't realize they were all mixed
together.
[1:55:38] Pretty well savings and people buying 600,
000 just like that you did.
[1:55:43] He did.
[1:55:43] We didn't contribute to the building
reserve fund, we just talked.
[1:55:46] That's what we did.
[1:55:47] Why should the same same same we did last
year?
[1:55:52] I mean,
I think when you're looking at the
[1:55:55] legislative budget, yeah, we could.
[1:55:57] We could trim it.
[1:56:00] But.
[1:56:02] To to say that we are not here to,
to go to a conference.
[1:56:07] I think we should maybe Tariq,
because going to these conferences.
[1:56:14] Portland County is now then recognized.
[1:56:20] As a contributor.
[1:56:22] To February.
So for us to be able to waive or you know
[1:56:26] anything like that or to bring stuff in.
[1:56:33] It's a very big value.
[1:56:36] And you know, we can do that.
[1:56:38] I mean we can trim it and then only three
people go.
[1:56:45] But that is.
[1:56:48] That cannot be caught.
[1:56:52] If you go to 0, can't go to 0.
If you want. If it wasn't on that.
[1:56:57] If it wasn't on the app,
we would not be where we are in in
[1:57:02] getting the jail taken care of.
[1:57:06] You know, I mean,
these are the things that the legislature
[1:57:10] is for and that's our job.
[1:57:12] Or to go to Albany.
[1:57:14] That's our job.
[1:57:15] When legislators give up their personal
time to attend to lobby and educate
[1:57:22] themselves at these conferences,
I think that is.
[1:57:30] And I commend those that feel that they
can go in, not all of us.
[1:57:40] So and I was a member of night club,
I'll tell you the benefits of that.
[1:57:45] You can have my so much easier,
so much better picking up the phone and
[1:57:49] saying hi,
this is so and so they know who you're
[1:57:52] talking about.
[1:57:53] They know what your issue is and you're
dealing with it and you're resolving.
[1:57:57] So getting answers.
[1:58:00] We need to continue with that.
[1:58:04] Yes.
[1:58:06] A little bit of devil's advocate, though.
I mean that.
[1:58:08] That's that's the issue is you can't
measure.
[1:58:10] You can have a great conference.
[1:58:13] You can make a lot of connections with a
lot of people and and that's and I'm not
[1:58:17] discounting any of that.
I I read the the Chairman's jail
[1:58:21] presentation, but I was reading,
but at least for next year, yeah,
[1:58:25] I I think we do need to tight.
[1:58:26] Our belts a little bit and so maybe not
100%. So on that,
[1:58:31] the action I'm gonna put forward to 75%.
[1:58:35] Or county administration or county
legislature.
[1:58:41] Because we end up when we go to the
February.
[1:58:46] 1.
[1:58:48] That is,
the proposed budget from the state.
[1:58:51] That's our first Ave.
Figuring out what are we gonna get.
[1:58:54] But what are we now?
[1:58:56] What's in the pipeline for us to be
educated on what?
[1:59:01] What funding is not gonna be provided or
what is and that is really necessary?
[1:59:09] I think where Michael?
[1:59:11] Oh,
do you think there's there's enormous
[1:59:13] value to to that participation?
[1:59:15] Do you ever look in that measure?
[1:59:16] It doesn't mean there's zero impact.
[1:59:18] I don't wanna make that statement.
[1:59:21] That's I think that's our the team
building we've been doing with the
[1:59:23] department heads has absolutely been
invaluable.
[1:59:25] That really kicked off this week and
we've heard great feedback on trying to
[1:59:29] educate our mail managers on, you know,
it doesn't mean just because you're great
[1:59:34] at the job,
you now need to learn a new skill set on
[1:59:37] how to how to manage. And that has been.
[1:59:39] You know very well received.
So I would like to keep those programs
[1:59:43] moving forward.
[1:59:44] So when you're talking about what's
required.
[1:59:51] So at at the last Isaac conference.
[1:59:56] I I am now on the economic development.
Something else for April.
[2:00:03] Which is the National Association of
Counties,
[2:00:06] which is now going to be held in DC.
[2:00:10] For that,
that's our time for us to lobby for
[2:00:13] federal funding.
[2:00:16] As well as at a county level to Mako to
get them to to chime in.
[2:00:23] The one that we just went through with
Nisek Nyseck is going to be our is.
[2:00:28] There are documents that we have.
[2:00:31] They are now ones that are getting ready
to assist us in getting our grant.
[2:00:37] Program created.
[2:00:39] Or our jails that we cannot afford on our
own.
[2:00:44] That's what we're here for.
And in that I would hate to have that.
[2:00:49] Just suffer and and when you're looking
at HHS.
[2:00:55] You know, I that's what's being.
[2:01:00] Yes,
just to clarify the the action item is
[2:01:03] not intended to sever us or anything.
[2:01:07] From my side because I think the Jews
come out of a separate line for that.
[2:01:12] And let's not, you know,
undervalue the value to give when I say,
[2:01:15] but I do think in a year or yeah,
we're facing the.
[2:01:18] I mean, we just had this $1,000,000.
[2:01:22] Increase here out of nowhere.
So I I don't think it's unreasonable for,
[2:01:26] you know,
if we look at the number one issue though,
[2:01:29] but also standing us,
I mean the action was not just the
[2:01:32] legislature or the administrents also non
mandatory.
[2:01:35] Departments with their education and and
training expenses from 2025 levels,
[2:01:42] 50% reduction.
[2:01:44] So are you saying it's 2025 levels and
then is trend 50% from there go back to
[2:01:51] 25 and then trim, correct?
[2:01:55] No. Yeah, that's what I'm using.
[2:01:57] That's OK because what I had where it was.
Every department,
[2:02:00] I'll say the legislature and county
administrator for everybody,
[2:02:03] education in particular would be percent
legislator and county administrator,
[2:02:07] right.
70% besides mandatory or grant funding.
[2:02:12] September 24th.
[2:02:15] Which item?
[2:02:22] Yes, 2.
[2:02:25] I don't know.
[2:02:25] On one hand it seems easy, but.
[2:02:28] Save a little bit, but on the other hand,
the private industry for 30 years and
[2:02:33] organizations following private that
don't wholeheartedly go into training,
[2:02:38] education and all that stuff.
[2:02:41] They really get behind that.
[2:02:43] You're missing out.
[2:02:43] I feel like the culture just changes.
[2:02:45] They become a strange place that 'cause.
We've had a good touch with the outside
[2:02:49] world and the employees in every level
are in their own little bubble and.
[2:02:55] Struggle a struggle with producing trade.
[2:02:58] It's almost like, if anything,
you'd you would you wanna increase it as
[2:03:01] much as possible?
[2:03:02] Not decrease her. Yeah, I'm sorry.
[2:03:07] So when I was first elected previous to
and Sandy will remember this,
[2:03:13] it was decided not to belong to MSN.
I think at the time it was 15,
[2:03:18] 000 a year or something to belong to it
and it was.
[2:03:22] It did not exist.
[2:03:23] We did not belong to it when it was
elected.
[2:03:26] Somewhere along the line,
we voted to be a part of it.
[2:03:31] And as Kevin and everybody else has said,
there's great value to absolutely.
[2:03:37] People didn't even know where Corbin
County was or what we did,
[2:03:41] and that's change now.
[2:03:45] So I do think it's extremely important
that we stay within.
[2:03:50] And we have representation there.
[2:03:51] Networking is you can't even figure out
the cost of it.
[2:03:56] That means sad.
[2:03:58] I think that Reed is maybe going a little
strong on 100%.
[2:04:03] Yeah, but I've also seen.
[2:04:07] The county with our huge budget does not
ever look at little stuff.
[2:04:11] If it's not $50,000 or something,
it's like, oh, that's not worth it.
[2:04:16] But if every single.
[2:04:19] Position every single everything in our
county was looked at. Little things.
[2:04:23] Do you really need that new furniture?
[2:04:24] Do we really need to spend 2000 on this?
[2:04:27] The county never does that and I think
what Reed is saying is yes,
[2:04:31] we need more segments important.
But can we cut down how many go if we're
[2:04:36] sending 10?
[2:04:37] Now, can we cut it down to four,
at least for a while?
[2:04:41] But we don't look at little savings and
if we would look at little tiny savings
[2:04:46] like this all across the board,
we could probably come up with 100,000,
[2:04:50] but we don't.
[2:04:52] I would like to just generally I didn't
wish you to do any right.
[2:04:57] We came up with about 151.
[2:05:01] No thanks.
[2:05:02] So so.
[2:05:06] We're not going to go forward with the
action item that we are going for,
[2:05:11] the action we had last time,
which was to not include the, the,
[2:05:16] the new position then should we have any
increases in education training?
[2:05:22] I I don't think so.
[2:05:23] I don't think that's that's difficult for
me to square that circle.
[2:05:27] We're not gonna have new positions.
[2:05:30] Then or or we can't have prior employees.
[2:05:33] We're gonna have them.
[2:05:34] Well, of course they do.
[2:05:35] We're still gonna have funding available,
but increase of increases. OK, OK.
[2:05:43] I hear a couple of different things.
[2:05:44] Would it be possible if it seems to me,
we don't really know?
[2:05:50] I mean, that's a Thursday that we refer.
[2:05:52] We can give a general directive.
[2:05:53] To count in the city,
we're looking at Anton to look at the
[2:05:58] list of reasonable number of attendance
number of exactly how much we do exist on
[2:06:04] the education training or not,
non managerial non grant funded
[2:06:09] activities.
So we know what we're looking OK because
[2:06:13] we may be.
[2:06:14] Looking at 20,000,
we may be looking at 5000.
[2:06:17] I have no idea because I don't know
education training by the means of other
[2:06:22] departments.
[2:06:23] Excluding now legislature and the county,
Mr. but I think would be you know.
[2:06:31] Overall.
[2:06:34] Administrator and chair to look at,
you know,
[2:06:37] is there a way of looking at a number of
people who attend or legislate in county
[2:06:42] administrative law that those numbers, OK,
controlling those?
[2:06:48] Assessment and I'm looking at other
departments in terms of what's in non
[2:06:52] mandatory,
non granted and we'll determine what that
[2:06:55] is.
[2:06:55] This letter will still be there.
[2:06:58] We can't even sort of let you know,
is that OK?
[2:07:02] Is that OK?
[2:07:03] For the OK, I'm ready for 2027.
[2:07:07] Is the legislative.
[2:07:09] I can see the the real major important.
[2:07:14] Is in February.
[2:07:17] Right. That is.
So I could say in 2027 we only attend one.
[2:07:23] Except for.
[2:07:25] County administrator goes into your
budget.
[2:07:28] But we also then have the chair just go
to the ball.
[2:07:36] So whatever you need in your discussion,
you can figure out where that.
[2:07:39] I understand. I understand to read.
[2:07:41] And yeah,
you know anything he's contributing to
[2:07:45] this, to this committee, right?
[2:07:46] And it's not on that beers. OK, good.
[2:07:52] So I'm gonna spell.
[2:07:53] I'm sorry. No, no.
[2:07:55] But what I'm saying is,
if every department.
[2:07:59] Look for those little 500 thousand 2000.
You'd probably be surprised what we came
[2:08:03] up with.
[2:08:05] And every year we will have the
department head say, well,
[2:08:08] I need this well, do you have the money?
[2:08:11] Yeah, 'cause. I'm gonna move it from here,
and I'm gonna put it over there.
[2:08:13] I have a real problem here because to me
that means there was a bulk there that
[2:08:18] you didn't need and I've seen that for
all these years.
[2:08:21] Oh no,
I'll get it from over here and I'll move
[2:08:23] it here.
[2:08:24] So if you had a clear buy new desk,
how many times have we seen somebody
[2:08:29] moves 11 room to another room?
[2:08:31] We spend thousands of dollars on new
carpet, even new everything.
[2:08:35] When I walked in the office and go,
I don't see much wrong with this.
[2:08:39] I just think we never look at little
stuff.
[2:08:41] We only look at big stuff and if we look
at little stuff,
[2:08:45] we might find that little $600.
[2:08:47] Well, 860,000.
[2:08:48] Not probably that much,
but we got to start looking at little
[2:08:51] stuff.
[2:08:53] And no,
I think the chairs should go to both.
[2:08:56] So.
[2:08:58] So just a couple of questions.
You know some of these things I also.
[2:09:05] Like I raised in public works.
[2:09:08] And not to call them out,
but it's just an example.
[2:09:11] Is like you know it,
there's $2500 for clothing they didn't
[2:09:15] have anybody with that last name.
[2:09:18] I understand that unions have a clothing
budget and they've negotiated that.
[2:09:21] That's fine.
[2:09:22] I think we, you know,
we need to cover that.
[2:09:24] But for some of these other things,
it's like I get, you know,
[2:09:27] looking the same. But you know,
I don't know that we need a point $500
[2:09:31] budget.
[2:09:31] Same in their you know theirs.
They are now gonna be facing.
[2:09:35] Normal $17,000 in vehicle.
[2:09:39] Cheaper to do gas reimbursement, even at .
76 cents a mile.
[2:09:42] They're not traveling that far. You know,
I think for this year,
[2:09:46] if we can kind of go through and look at
some of those things, you know,
[2:09:51] I think we can find some savings to to.
[2:09:53] Linda's point.
[2:09:54] I mean,
the other one that I would put out there
[2:09:57] and and Michael,
this is gonna be you know a bit of a,
[2:10:01] a hard one for you.
But do we need to hire a deputy county
[2:10:05] administrator?
[2:10:06] I mean.
[2:10:07] We tried.
[2:10:08] It didn't work out.
And remember the reason that it's fine,
[2:10:11] but I mean that's like it's a $200,
000 position.
[2:10:14] You know the whole department head Mike
has not been here, you know for a year.
[2:10:18] But things seem to be going well.
Is that something that?
[2:10:21] We either don't hire in 2027 or maybe do
like we did, the County Attorney.
[2:10:25] We budgeted for half a year and we don't,
you know,
[2:10:28] we don't look to hire until you know mid
year.
[2:10:32] I just wonder on some of these things.
[2:10:35] There's some of those sorts of
opportunities.
[2:10:37] I'll look through and say, OK,
when I get Paul's,
[2:10:40] you know what he's doing in his
department in IT to like, you know,
[2:10:44] looking at these and that sort of stuff.
But, you know, this year it's like, OK,
[2:10:49] are there cheaper alternatives that we
could utilize or?
[2:10:53] If they really need a vehicle,
can we just borrow one from all the
[2:10:57] vehicles that we there are like 500
vehicles in the pool.
[2:11:01] I mean, is there one that we could,
you know,
[2:11:03] kind of a junker that we could at least
use to moose equipment across to the
[2:11:06] courthouse like that as opposed to,
you know,
[2:11:09] going in for a new release this year just
to get us through some of these?
[2:11:13] These things we do have a motion out the
floor, so.
[2:11:19] Don't get that withdrawn.
[2:11:20] I would need a second or oh,
I need to action OK.
[2:11:23] Sorry, that's OK.
[2:11:25] What's the motion on the second for the
motion 2025 of from the 2025 amounts to?
[2:11:35] 50% from the education and training from
every other requirement.
[2:11:38] Then 75% from county administrator.
[2:11:41] No that that non mandatory non mandatory.
I think we're grandfather it just
[2:11:46] happened.
[2:11:49] Yeah, all second.
[2:11:50] So we'll discuss this.
[2:11:53] Does that impact your?
[2:11:57] Yourself when you go for a clerk,
so that if we cut mine for 550% because
[2:12:02] I'm not the legislative budget and the
third legislature.
[2:12:08] You can probably mine by 50%.
[2:12:09] I would be able to go to anything.
[2:12:12] I build in their respective work for
counter France.
[2:12:16] These are special.
[2:12:17] Lower one that would fall into it,
but I wouldn't be able to go to any
[2:12:20] stacker.
[2:12:20] But you could go down the cliffs one
right.
[2:12:23] My office does not have many
opportunities for any grants.
[2:12:27] Other departments have many opportunities
for grants for education and training,
[2:12:31] but because of the work we do,
we don't have those kind of grant
[2:12:34] opportunities.
[2:12:36] So that would cut out a lot of our
education opportunity.
[2:12:39] See what we're talking just one year on
this, right?
[2:12:42] We're not making this forever.
[2:12:45] Yes,
two I I would need more information that
[2:12:48] you requested for.
[2:12:51] Yeah,
I do understand where are saying yes,
[2:12:54] I think we need to take our part in the
war.
[2:12:56] Yes,
I think we need to see what we can do to.
[2:13:01] Find a difficult place for specific
percentage of this time,
[2:13:04] but I don't know what the number is and
that's the challenge so.
[2:13:07] So if we could locate perhaps in London
as well,
[2:13:10] the general directions and we will watch
the work at this cost.
[2:13:14] We want the we can reduce the limit
nonvolatile training and see what they
[2:13:21] can do to reduce what we have in the CRI.
We talked about general support, sure.
[2:13:28] So I'll I'll amend it to the following.
[2:13:32] Provide directive to the county
administrator to offer to the committee.
[2:13:39] To possible solutions here.
[2:13:42] On the 50% reduction from all non
mandatory non grant funded departments
[2:13:49] for the entire county in education.
[2:13:54] Same thing for 25% reduction and provide
us provide the committee with those
[2:13:59] numbers.
[2:14:04] So with the amendment,
we're requesting information.
[2:14:10] Yes.
[2:14:12] For both options.
[2:14:12] For both options 50% and 25%.
[2:14:15] So you're drawing the previous motion
completely correct.
[2:14:18] You're OK with that as well? Sure.
[2:14:24] And then we have a motion for the
administrator to get information on the
[2:14:29] 50% reduction in 25% reduction for all
departments,
[2:14:33] for all mandatory or for all non
mandatory and non grant funded education
[2:14:38] entry.
[2:14:39] We have a second on that motion.
[2:14:47] Discussion yes,
it won't be before I deliver the tender
[2:14:50] question.
[2:14:51] Mm-hmm.
There's no way to do that between now's
[2:14:53] next week.
[2:14:53] That's what we'll have to be in the
perfect.
[2:15:01] So it's too late to go look for.
[2:15:04] Things like we've all talked about the
car.
[2:15:08] Some of those I've been looking for and
making, you know, reductions on that.
[2:15:13] I mean,
I just really think there's a few $1000
[2:15:15] out there and things that aren't needed.
[2:15:19] Yeah, especially on the.
[2:15:22] Well, I don't know if we wanna amend it,
but I would like to know what those costs
[2:15:26] are.
[2:15:26] That training is that we're covering
project.
[2:15:29] It's not gonna happen.
[2:15:33] OK.
[2:15:33] You want to be doing.
[2:15:34] You wanna detail?
[2:15:37] Yep, you need it. OK, sure.
[2:15:39] Thank you.
[2:15:40] Sure. So I don't know, OK.
[2:15:45] We're asking just for more detail.
[2:15:49] Sorry.
[2:15:50] Any more discussion, we'll say. Aye, aye.
Super. OK, moving on.
[2:15:58] So.
So I'd like to go ahead and go back to
[2:16:01] what we talked about a couple of minutes
ago.
[2:16:04] I've got a prepared statement here I'd
like to raise the concern that I had.
[2:16:10] Couple of minutes ago about the workforce
development and the funding for the
[2:16:14] Workforce Development Department.
For nearly 60 years,
[2:16:17] this department has provided essential
services to Cortland County residents
[2:16:21] without requiring direct county taxpayer
support.
[2:16:23] However,
significant reductions in federal funding
[2:16:26] and short sighted decisions by the Trump
administration in Washington,
[2:16:29] DC are now threatening critical workforce
training and youth employment
[2:16:33] opportunities right here in Portland
County.
[2:16:35] During the last program year,
more than 4300 customers came through our
[2:16:39] Career Center.
[2:16:40] The department also continues to assist
workers affected by recent local layoffs,
[2:16:45] helping residents find employment,
develop new skills and become financially
[2:16:49] independent.
[2:16:50] I believe this is exactly the kind of
proactive investment government that all
[2:16:54] levels should be making if the federal
government cannot recognize the values of
[2:16:58] these investments from Washington,
I would hope that we can recognize their
[2:17:02] importance right here in Portland County.
[2:17:04] Supporting workforce development springs
of their local economy helps local
[2:17:08] employers and can reduce future reliance
on tax payer funded social services.
[2:17:12] These are investments that can pay
dividends well beyond their initial costs.
[2:17:16] Importantly,
the department has significantly reduced
[2:17:19] its original funding request and is
actively pursuing additional grant
[2:17:23] opportunities in regional consolidation
efforts to establish a more sustainable
[2:17:27] funding model.
If these efforts are successful,
[2:17:29] the county's financial contrib.
[2:17:31] May be substantially reduced or perhaps
not needed at all. However,
[2:17:35] until those funds funding sources are
secured,
[2:17:38] I believe we have a responsibility to
ensure these important services are not
[2:17:42] lost.
[2:17:43] This is not a request for indefinite
financial commitment.
[2:17:46] It is a request to establish a temporary
bridge to protect essential services,
[2:17:51] while the department works towards long
term financial stability.
[2:17:55] With that in mind,
I would like to make the following motion.
[2:17:58] I move that the finance and
Administration committee direct the
[2:18:01] county administrator.
[2:18:02] In this capacity as county budget
officers.
[2:18:05] To identify and recommend a means of
including two $100,
[2:18:08] 000 in available bridge funding for the
Portland County Workforce Development
[2:18:13] Department in the proposed 2027 county
budget to preserve essential workforce
[2:18:18] training,
employment assistance and youth work
[2:18:21] experience programs impacted by
reductions in federal funding. I.
[2:18:25] Further move that the county
administrator work with the department to
[2:18:29] assess additional grant funding and
regional consolidation opportunities with
[2:18:33] the understanding.
[2:18:34] The county's contribution should be
reduced or eliminated to the extent that
[2:18:38] alternative funding becomes available and
is sufficient to sustain these services.
[2:18:43] This approach protects critical workforce
development programs while ensuring that
[2:18:47] county taxpayer dollars are used only to
the extent necessary.
[2:18:51] We may not be able to control the
decisions being made in Washington,
[2:18:55] but we can control how we respond to the
consequences here in Portland County.
[2:19:00] All of that language included in your
action.
[2:19:04] I will not only send that to you, OK.
So prior to moving on that request,
[2:19:10] I'd like to move into the construction.
[2:19:13] We do have a motion number.
[2:19:15] There's no second,
and I'm asking you to remove the
[2:19:18] executive session.
If you want to move to executive session.
[2:19:23] Yeah.
What is the purpose of executive session?
[2:19:27] Well,
it's time motion before the and then we
[2:19:30] can ask what we consider your motion.
[2:19:33] In this full time that we have to move
towards and what do that or?
[2:19:39] That's fine. You don't have to read it.
[2:19:43] You don't have to read it again.
[2:19:46] All right.
We have a motion to go to executive
[2:19:48] session, I believe for the purposes of.
[2:19:53] The potential appointment or devotion of
a particular person.
[2:19:58] I have a second by Mr. Cleveland.
[2:20:00] Thanks.
[2:20:02] Description I'll say hi.
[2:20:06] To the caption on 1168.
[2:40:47] The executive session at 11:36.
[2:40:50] To make the best of the future.
[2:41:27] Yeah.
[2:41:45] This afternoon, the agents.
[2:42:43] Appropriately grant.
[2:42:46] That's funny.
[2:44:26] So we have a motion on the table.
[2:44:30] Please making my move that the finance
and Administration Committee, director,
[2:44:34] county administrator's capacity is county
budget officers identify and recommend
[2:44:38] and meet, including two $100,
000 in available bridge funding.
[2:44:46] For the Portland County Workforce
Development Department in the proposed
[2:44:50] 2027 county budget to preserve essential
workforce training,
[2:44:53] employment assistance and youth work
experience programs impacting reductions
[2:44:57] impacted by reductions in federal funding
and further moved to the county
[2:45:01] administrator work with the department to
assess additional grant.
[2:45:04] Funding and regional consolidation
opportunities with the understanding that
[2:45:07] the county's contribution shall be
reduced or eliminated.
[2:45:11] The extent that alternative funding
becomes available in a sufficient to
[2:45:13] sustain these services.
[2:45:19] I'll 2nd.
[2:45:23] Discussion.
[2:45:27] Motion is to correct the administrative.
[2:45:32] Research not proving.
[2:45:36] No, hear that right.
[2:45:37] Identify and recommend the means of
including 200,000.
[2:45:41] But if he doesn't, then.
[2:45:45] He's saying go and go find money.
[2:45:53] Going to make $1,000,
000 problems and make 100.
[2:46:00] At this moment.
[2:46:03] I believe that there is possibility.
[2:46:07] I can't.
[2:46:07] I can't hear you.
[2:46:08] I'm sorry. I sorry. Can I go?
[2:46:14] Or.
[2:46:17] I think that he has no time to prove that
that I'm uncomfortable.
[2:46:22] If any song at this moment,
because I will be able to choose songs.
[2:46:29] So for for my purposes,
I do not need to support it until I
[2:46:33] actually hear what exactly is needed.
[2:46:36] In order to promote.
[2:46:39] The business.
[2:46:42] This business can you can you offer an
explanation to the committee as to why
[2:46:48] the 200 it it's 200,000 now not for 400,
000.
[2:46:51] So in previous iteration of the budget
that we presented.
[2:46:57] I don't know how long it's been now.
[2:47:00] But funding that we would normally put in
our newness budget.
[2:47:05] Is funding that we project right because
we don't get our funding until?
[2:47:13] April may somewhere in there for the
majority of our grants,
[2:47:18] so therefore all the years that I've been
doing this, we use January.
[2:47:26] To sorry, July to June numbers.
[2:47:30] And we stretch them out.
So January to June,
[2:47:33] we know what those numbers are.
[2:47:35] From July to December,
we have to really use those same figures.
[2:47:42] But forecasting what goes next six months
might look like, right?
[2:47:47] And with the help of our financial
oversight folks, our Department of Labor,
[2:47:52] we did that with this particular budget.
The last budget we did,
[2:47:57] we wrapped off the we owe a number.
[2:47:59] We left off the tan of number.
[2:48:01] We did not include any grants that we
didn't already have secured.
[2:48:05] Which are those grants?
[2:48:07] I mean,
we don't get that and we haven't already
[2:48:10] gotten the Micron grant.
[2:48:11] We haven't already gotten some of those
other smaller there's there's.
[2:48:17] Ticket to work? Money.
[2:48:18] There's some other stuff in there that we
recently been awarded which has brought
[2:48:24] that number down and we've now included
the we owe a portion and the tenant
[2:48:30] portion in that in budget because.
[2:48:35] We're gonna get it.
[2:48:36] We just don't know.
[2:48:36] We're gonna keep it flat for now.
Not knowing what we didn't know this year
[2:48:41] we were gonna get a cup.
[2:48:43] So we have to think about that when the
time comes and what we're looking at.
[2:48:49] But we're we're OK with our money.
[2:48:50] From now until June,
we're just we have to use,
[2:48:54] I said to Diane, who's our former B&
T director for years.
[2:49:00] We've all said the phrase we have to use
our crystal ball from.
[2:49:04] That's our inside joke in the in the
department that from July to December,
[2:49:09] that's what we have to use because that's
our funding rolls in from the fence.
[2:49:15] Thank you.
[2:49:16] Does that make sense?
[2:49:20] Oh,
so when you when I met a month or two ago
[2:49:24] sounded like a $100,000 problem then.
[2:49:27] Since then it went up and now it's up to
400 or 600.
[2:49:30] Now it's well because I didn't have any
of that. Those numbers,
[2:49:34] we didn't include any of those numbers in
the previous budget that I had included
[2:49:38] before.
[2:49:38] Now we're looking at, I mean,
if everything stays the same as we move
[2:49:44] forward and no consolidation happens.
[2:49:47] With the Cayuga, Oswego, Portland.
[2:49:50] And whoever.
[2:49:52] Then we're OK.
Status quo from now until June.
[2:49:55] The thing we're missing from June from
January to June,
[2:49:59] is training dollars for the constituents,
for the people of the Community,
[2:50:04] training dollars for our youth
participants.
[2:50:08] In the past, we've funded about,
we've spent about 100 and some $1000 in
[2:50:15] training.
[2:50:17] Arnolds thanks.
Keeping in mind that that 100 and some
[2:50:21] $1000 is over the course of the program
here July to June.
[2:50:28] So that 100,
000 wouldn't be from January to June,
[2:50:32] it would be a portion of that, right?
[2:50:38] Thanks and I'm hoping if I may continue,
just to give you a little background,
[2:50:43] I sent you all an e-mail and let
yesterday kind of explaining this.
[2:50:48] There's there will be a consolidation
that happens.
[2:50:52] There will be.
[2:50:53] It has to be in the states,
not allowing us to be a single county
[2:50:56] area.
[2:50:56] There will be a consolidation that
happens.
[2:50:58] I don't know what that consolidation will
look like. What I can tell you is.
[2:51:03] We will be better off financially when we
do consolidate.
[2:51:08] With whomever we consolidated with.
[2:51:14] That makes sense.
[2:51:18] So for me I it's fairly hard for me to
make a decision because as soon as the
[2:51:25] budget announced I was now this is the
budget that we've got.
[2:51:32] And until I've got a determination that
this really is what is acceptable in
[2:51:37] terms of the short term.
[2:51:42] I'm I'm still afraid of decision.
[2:51:43] I'm encouraged.
[2:51:44] We have an estimate of the work as
quickly as possible.
[2:51:47] This is Darrin.
[2:51:49] With this program,
we need to verify the issues.
[2:51:51] We need to make sure that everything that
was being presented actually is accurate,
[2:51:56] and we're since been a lot of variation.
[2:51:58] Maybe beyond our control,
but there seems to be a lot of variation
[2:52:02] that have led to various estimates as to
what this program is.
[2:52:06] I can't say that I can't, but you know,
great confidence in having said this is
[2:52:11] worth a mask.
[2:52:13] I wish I could say so for me.
I can't support it at the moment.
[2:52:16] The budget consists.
[2:52:17] The new budget was just revised budget
for workforce training facilities and
[2:52:22] county welfare,
and I think we're going to there already
[2:52:25] seems to be some discrepancies between
what was submitted.
[2:52:29] So we got to know the figures on until
I'm prepared to make a decision on the
[2:52:34] investment. Once I have it,
I'm pairing it. I guess we have.
[2:52:40] I'll agree with you.
[2:52:46] When when that's the only?
[2:52:49] Discussion.
I will just remind us we got in our
[2:52:52] packets,
you know last month you know quite a list
[2:52:56] of local support for the important work
of workforce development and I did.
[2:53:01] Budgets can be a little weird.
[2:53:04] The public government has not helped in
any of this for this year and going
[2:53:07] forward.
[2:53:09] But all that aside.
[2:53:12] I fundamentally believe that if we're
going to continue to maintain growth and
[2:53:16] continue to do things.
[2:53:17] Kevin, you've asked us on the,
on the floor of the legislature for all
[2:53:21] of us to think about doing things
differently when it came to oxy tax and
[2:53:26] moving things forward and having a better
vision. I think the the important place,
[2:53:30] one of the important places where we.
[2:53:32] Put forward our vision of the future is
in workforce development, making sure.
[2:53:37] Our use.
[2:53:38] And people who lose their jobs in this
county have an ability to find new
[2:53:42] opportunities.
And with Micron to the north of US,
[2:53:44] battery development to the South of us,
we're in a unique position.
[2:53:48] But if we lose this ability to continue
to do that.
[2:53:53] We're hobbling our future potential
growth. I mean,
[2:53:55] why have Micron here if we're like we
don't have a workforce that we're
[2:53:59] preparing for what that's gonna look like,
you know, we have TC3.
[2:54:03] That's a part of the overall package we
have planning.
[2:54:06] That's a part of the solution.
[2:54:07] Workforce is another important part of it.
[2:54:10] And while yes,
the numbers are always going to be in the
[2:54:13] air because we don't know grant funding
for half the year,
[2:54:17] I think it behooves us to put into our
budget a $200,
[2:54:20] 000 bridge that gives the administrator
the opportunity to look to bring that.
[2:54:25] Down as Amy works with other counties to
consolidate and maybe by the end of this
[2:54:30] we come out,
but we don't actually need to invest it.
[2:54:33] But budget is a worst case scenario and I
would like us to put forward a worst case
[2:54:39] scenario plan of $200,
000 to make sure that this doesn't go
[2:54:42] away in Courtland County.
[2:54:45] Leave it at that.
[2:54:48] I can honestly if you can tell you if I
may,
[2:54:50] but my friend there will be more money
coming from Micron.
[2:54:54] I just don't.
[2:54:55] I can't tell you when again like it's
that's that's been my life that's been
[2:54:59] our lives.
[2:55:02] For oh, you're forever right.
[2:55:04] Like we, we don't know.
[2:55:06] And it's it's very difficult, Heather.
[2:55:09] I don't know how she does it,
but she has 27 budgets on her desk.
[2:55:12] At any given time, at any given year.
[2:55:15] And that's just how we function like.
That's just we have to move stuff we have
[2:55:20] to. But as we see opportunity come to us,
that's what was saying.
[2:55:24] We have a plenty of opportunity coming
and center state CEO is as much as
[2:55:29] they're they're doing.
They keep giving us opportunity and I
[2:55:34] will keep bringing that in.
[2:55:37] Sumi Cortland has told me on numerous
occasions they're working on another
[2:55:41] grant opportunity that they would like us
to partner with them.
[2:55:45] Being that we were gonna be eventually
living together, we call it,
[2:55:50] then that's great opportunities, right?
[2:55:55] I wish I had a better answer for you.
[2:55:57] I really do as Moe said.
[2:56:01] I would like to think that this $200,
000 is literally a bridge in hopes that
[2:56:06] the bridge doesn't get completely washed
out by the federal government.
[2:56:10] I mean, that's the only thing I can say.
[2:56:13] Then we're all gonna be in trouble, right?
[2:56:15] Yeah.
Then we would reevaluate that when the
[2:56:18] time comes, obviously.
[2:56:21] So again, for me,
I I really need to know if my bigger as
[2:56:25] we still.
[2:56:28] Session our budget deficit as a moment is
860, six 927 dollars.
[2:56:33] That's for power.
[2:56:35] That's for power,
accounting for any investment in
[2:56:38] worldwide training.
If we put an investment in workforce
[2:56:41] training.
[2:56:41] About 200,000.
[2:56:43] That brings us over $1,000,000,
a deficit that we have growing.
[2:56:48] Of closing that gap at the moment,
there are new proposals on the table to
[2:56:52] close that gap in.
[2:56:55] OK, so so for me,
I really need to know what the truth is
[2:57:00] that we're being asked to invest in,
in terms of having funding.
[2:57:05] I don't believe I know that at the moment
and that's the one I'm asking.
[2:57:11] Simply on the specific,
I just couldn't do it. June Friday, right?
[2:57:15] Yeah. I I I don't agree with this.
[2:57:19] So the the 13 percent.
[2:57:23] That we're at right now and now we're at
200,000 below that.
[2:57:29] 200,000 more below that.
[2:57:31] How long can we be there?
[2:57:35] I.
[2:57:35] I don't know the policy language exactly
though.
[2:57:38] I'm just curious if this is a policy
thing.
[2:57:41] Thank Lord we go.
[2:57:45] It's a policy thing,
and it's not the policy state.
[2:57:51] No,
I mean the policy just states that if it
[2:57:53] dipped below it,
that we work in the next budget cycle to
[2:57:55] try and get it back up.
[2:57:56] Yeah, it's it's not.
[2:58:00] You know, it's not a set in stone.
[2:58:01] It has to be a 13%,
but the policy does say that we will work
[2:58:05] to get it back up if it's.
[2:58:09] Doesn't also reach a rating provider.
[2:58:11] Does it factors into your visual stress
towards yeah, yes it does.
[2:58:15] I don't know what not,
but 13% it does not.
[2:58:18] But you're you're you're fund balance.
[2:58:21] Yes, that does. And that is as a whole.
[2:58:23] So there's a lot of other things in there.
[2:58:25] The 13% doesn't.
[2:58:27] I mean, that's just our policy.
[2:58:28] It doesn't mean anything to anybody else
except for for an accountant,
[2:58:34] and it's based on an actual numbers which
the budget is not so.
[2:58:39] It could go up. You don't know.
[2:58:41] I mean,
you know in 27 depending what happens if
[2:58:44] we,
we miraculously end up with more revenue,
[2:58:46] we might not end up being below it in the
end. In the end, I'm sorry about that.
[2:58:51] But I just think that that's government
for us, right? It's not an.
[2:58:55] Actual number.
[2:58:57] To her point,
I just wanted to say that that's what I'm
[2:59:00] dealing with on her channel basis.
[2:59:02] Like it's not an actual number.
[2:59:04] I mean, it's not saying their guidelines,
they're not.
[2:59:13] Oh, I mean in my discussion so,
so I am unwilling to support this at this
[2:59:19] time.
[2:59:19] Have an opportunity to get these figures
to figure out what I'm sure is.
[2:59:27] That's fair enough.
[2:59:34] We'll say aye.
[2:59:36] All right then. Sure.
[2:59:43] OK.
[2:59:43] So it's going to be 3.
[2:59:48] We're going to now use it now because
it's now it's a majority of Members
[2:59:52] passed that I guess I would tie it to.
[2:59:58] Something that doesn't mean that there's
been the same.
[3:00:02] Let me know if you also have readers and
comments and questions.
[3:00:10] That's what you're there's no action
taken, right?
[3:00:15] Still, it's still 3.
[3:00:18] Kevin makes a decision at the same time
Kevin have an opportunity to bring the
[3:00:22] time if he wants to.
If he chooses to do so.
[3:00:26] All right.
[3:00:33] I mean, I support the Michael Bloom.
[3:00:37] I wanna stress that the record no
decision has been made just because it's
[3:00:43] remarkable.
[3:00:45] Right.
[3:00:48] Any other messages?
[3:00:48] As I said, we're still 860, six, $947,
000 short. So that being said,
[3:00:54] says budget Commission one a week or two
and it's either gonna be 90% tax increase
[3:01:02] or general fund.
[3:01:03] Goes down by almost $1,000,000.
[3:01:06] I mean that's that's that's gonna have to.
[3:01:10] Solution. I'll be in office solution.
[3:01:12] I legally have to thank you about budget,
right?
[3:01:17] Yeah.
[3:01:20] OK. Any other topics for this?
[3:01:25] I apologize.