Money — or the talk of it — flowed during Wednesday’s Ways and Means Committee meeting as members reviewed everything from a grant for $14,464 to a $2.9 million bridge construction contract and $414,000 related consultant fee.
These items and several others will now move onto Genesee County Legislature for final approval. The group is to meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Legislature Chamber in the Old Court House, 7 Main St., Batavia.
Legislature members are expected to vote on the elimination of a financial clerk-typist position and creation of a program manager for the Sheriff’s Office; bids and consultant agreement for South Lyon Street bridge construction; additional insurance cost to cover elements of the Genesee County Jail construction; a contract award for the jail and capital project construction; apply and accept grant funds as a budget amendment for the county’s Office for the Aging, and a related contract with Arc GLOW’s meal preparation services.
During the committee’s meeting Wednesday at Genesee Community College, Sheriff William Sheron explained that a review of the staff positions indicated that the clerk-typist role “wasn’t aligning with that title,” and he felt that a program manager better suited the duties involved.
A reclassification review conducted by the county’s Human Resources department resulted in a reclassification of the clerk-typist position to that of a program coordinator-sheriff position.
“We do have the money in our budget,” he said.
The monetary difference would be $5,616, which is covered by multiple vacancies that list in the department and have already been accounted for, the resolution states.
Jail construction costs won’t just mean the actual labor and materials, as the county’s insurance broker, Lawley Insurance, sought quotes to add a builder’s risk insurance for the construction project, a Lawley representative said during Wednesday’s meeting. The estimated tab will be up to $73,031.
“Don’t contractors have a policy to cover this type of thing?” Legislator Gary Maha said.
It’s always better for the county to have its own policy to “protect your assets,” the rep said. The extra policy would cover gaps for certain damages due to theft, for example, she said.
Add another $195,000 for special inspections and testing services during the jail building project. These services test things like the soil and asphalt, County Manager Matt Landers said. County officials will receive an inspection report within 24 to 48 hours, he said, and these services are performed for all construction projects.
Additional agenda items up for vote from the Human Services Committee include acceptance of a grant for a public health drinking water enhancement program; a Tobacco Enforcement Program; a contract with Mercy Flight/Air Medical Transfer Service; and a contract with Genesee County Agricultural Society for funding toward this year’s Genesee County Fair.
A Committee of the Whole (Genesee County Legislature) meeting is to follow at 6 p.m. to discuss Conservation Easements Opportunities in Genesee County and approve March 30 minutes.
