Ways & Means Committee

March 26, 2012

** NOT APPROVED **

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Committee Members Present: T. Hopkins, D. Fanton, D. Burdick, M. Healy, K. LaForge, T. O’Grady, D. Pullen, F. Sinclair, C. Crandall

Others Present: D. Cady, P. Curran, K. Graves, L. Gridley, J. Luckey, J. Margeson, T. Miner, B. Riehle, T. Ross, K. Toot, N. Ungermann, and Legislative Internship Program guests Ryan Dougherty, Andover Central School; Austin Flower and Kelsey Schwenderman, Cuba-Rushford Central School; and Halley Kottwitz

Media Present: B. Clark, Olean Times Herald

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. by Ways & Means Committee Chairman Theodore Hopkins.

County Attorney’s Office:

County Attorney Tom Miner submitted a request to fill the position of Assistant County Attorney—Support Counsel for three members of his staff. Mr. Miner indicated the work had been done previously through outside counsel since 1988, but will be handled more efficiently and economically “in house” by attorneys in his office. The amount budgeted for outside support counsel ($70,000) will be used to cover the cost for three of these positions at an annual salary/stipend of $10,000 per position. The stipend will help fairly compensate these attorneys for the additional work. The amount remaining from the original budgeted amount ($70,000-$30,000=$40,000) will be returned to the general fund at year’s end.

Legislator Healy requested a motion allowing him to abstain from the vote. A motion was made by Legislator O’Grady, seconded by Legislator Sinclair, and carried allowing Legislator Healy to abstain from the vote.

A motion was subsequently made by Legislator O’Grady, seconded by Legislator Sinclair, and carried (contingent on approval of Resolution Intro. No. 49-12) to fill the positions in the County Attorney’s Office. Notify Human Resources

Audit:

Legislator O’Grady requested clarification regarding the pre-paid column and the audit column, asking if this money (under “audit” column) was already spent. County Treasurer T. Ross responded that the prepaids have already been spent, but the checks don’t go out until two days after the Board meeting.

Committee members reviewed the March 26, 2012, audit of claims in the amount of $1,612,096.15 (including prepaid bills). A motion was made by Legislator Pullen, seconded by Legislator Healy, and carried to forward the audit to the full Board for approval of payment. (The audit was subsequently amended at the Board meeting. A motion was made by Legislator Sinclair, seconded by Legislator Healy, and carried to amend the audit of claims by subtracting $116,700.62 from Emergency Services (Account No. A3640.201). Such amount represents a payment to SAIA Communications for the balance due on the Pingrey Hill Tower, and it is being withheld until some signal issues are addressed. Resolution Intro. No. 55-12, reappropriating unexpended funds to complete payments on the Pingrey Hill Tower, was also tabled until the signal issues are resolved.)

Adjournment:

There being no further business to come before the committee, the meeting was adjourned at

approximately 1:11 p.m. following a motion by Legislator LaForge, seconded by Legislator Hopkins, and

carried.

Respectfully submitted,

Cynthia Santora, Secretary to the Clerk of the Board

Allegany County Board of Legislators