The Genesee County Legislature this afternoon approved an agreement between the Genesee & Orleans County and Monroe County health departments to provide temporary living quarters at the Clarion Pointe Hotel in Rochester for COVID-19-infected people needing isolation and quarantine.
The stipulated rates are $140 per room per night in April and $144.74 per night in May.
“Basically, these people need alternate housing because their present abode won’t allow them to safely isolate or quarantine” under Department of Health order, County Manager Jay Gsell said.
He added that he expects this provision to be utilized infrequently, if at all, but that “contingency plans have to be put in place during the pandemic.”
Health Director Paul Pettit said the agreement, which runs through the end of the year, is most cost effective for his department, which will coordinate transportation of infected persons to the hotel when necessary.
Expenses for this program are expected to be offset with COVID-19 funding from the Centers for Disease Control.
Pettit said individuals using this service are "compliant" with mandated safety controls but just need a suitable location for their quarantine/isolation. He said they will be turned over to Monroe County officials for their care during the quarantine/isolation period. He said the hotel rates include meals.
The agreement has been reviewed and approved by Genesee and Orleans county attorneys, but has yet to be ratified by Monroe County lawyers.
Genesee County Attorney Kevin Earl said final approval of the resolution would be subject to his review and acceptance of any revisions made by Monroe County attorneys.
In another development, the legislature, after much back-and-forth at previous committee meetings, voted to table a resolution calling for construction of a $109,000 storage building at the Genesee County Airport.
John Hilchey made the motion to table the project and Gary Maha seconded it to set up a unanimous vote that put it on hold temporarily.
Highway Superintendent Tim Hens had reported that the new structure would be used to store jet fuel trucks -- with the goal of keeping the fuel lines from freezing in the winter – and other equipment, such as a mower and grader.
He said that Thompson Builds of Churchville came in with a bid of $109,000 – about $30,000 less than the next lowest bid. Funding will come from the county’s 1 percent sales tax.
Legislator concerns centered upon the amount of spending on capital projects during an uncertain financial period triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other action, legislators approved the following resolutions:
-- Implementation of a memorandum of agreement with the county Civil Service employees’ union that allows the county manager to carry out furloughs – or temporary leave of absences – over the next 30 to 90 days to cut payroll costs.
Gsell said about 45 employees are being furloughed, but their jobs will remain intact and they will keep their health care benefits, while accessing the extra $600 in unemployment stimulus funds as well as normal unemployment insurance.
-- Establishment of a county COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Policy to cover its employees for reasons related to the coronavirus on the heels of state and federal laws passed last month.
-- Acceptance of $27,883 in funding from the state Department of Health for COVID-19-related operational costs. Previously, the county received $67,490 in state funding for similar measures.
-- Renewal of contracts with Seneca Pavement Markings of Horseheads (Chemung County) for an amount not to exceed $165,000 for pavement markings and with H2H Facility Service Inc. of Rochester for office cleaning services at the Justice for Children Advocacy Center’s sites in Batavia, Albion and Warsaw at a monthly rate of $505.82.
-- Funding of a highway fire alarm system for $97,161 and an alarm control panel at 5130 Main St. for $15,000 – to be paid by the 1 percent sales tax.
On a separate note, Gsell reported that Genesee County received a significant order of non-medical cloth face masks (around 20,000) from New York State, provided by FEMA for public distribution.
Agencies or organizations engaging in activities where public interaction is involved and that need masks for staff/volunteers or the public are asked to contact the Genesee County Emergency Operations Center at 815-7178 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
