The Yates County Legislature voted this month to adopt a new set of compensation and employment terms for non-union employees, approving the policy on a roll-call vote with two dissenting votes.
The resolution took effect immediately and included provisions related to flex time, including limits on one-time accumulation and allowing employees to sell unused flex time under certain conditions, legislators said during discussion. Legislators Bill Holgate, Jesse Jayne, George Lawson, Terry Button, Rick Willson, Pat Killen, Sarah Purdy, Ed Bronson, Leigh MacKerchar, Leslie Church and Dan Banach voted yes, while Dick Harper and Doug Paddock voted no, according to the minutes.
The legislature also set a March 9 public hearing on a proposed local law to override the county tax levy limit under New York’s General Municipal Law Section 3-c, a measure tied to adopting a 2027 budget that would exceed the “tax levy limit.”
Public comment and broadband update
Two speakers addressed the legislature during the opening public comment period, thanking lawmakers for what they described as vigilance about local law enforcement not entering into agreements with ICE. Ed Shultz of the Penn Yan Action Coalition also announced the group’s upcoming immigration-centered book discussion series.
Jeff Gasper provided updates on Southern Tier Network (STN) projects, describing progress on a municipal infrastructure program buildout and reporting that construction had passed the halfway point, with more than 100 miles completed out of 223 miles and “50 to 60” customers online at the time of the meeting, according to the meeting transcript.
Audit and committee report
Legislators approved a January 2026 audit totaling $2,204,052.70, with the minutes listing departmental audit totals and prior totals.
During committee reports, Banach said oak wilt had been discovered in the towns of Middlesex and Italy and noted a state quarantine restricting oak products from leaving those towns. He also cited free fishing dates and reported municipal utility power costs would be about 30% higher than the prior month, with impacts expected to appear in March bills.
Resolutions and votes
Among actions taken, the legislature unanimously authorized Chairwoman Leslie Church to sign and send a letter urging congressional action on federal SNAP rule changes, citing concerns about expanded work requirements and a shift of administrative costs to counties beginning Oct. 1, 2026. The resolution directed that the letter be sent to Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, with copies to the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC) and the county Department of Social Services commissioner, among others.
Legislators unanimously authorized the chair to enter into a 2026 contract with Stacey Pollack for an assigned counsel data administrative assistant position, funded up to $30,000 through New York State Indigent Legal Services and structured as a contracted “1099” role, the minutes state.
The legislature also approved an amendment reducing the “not-to-exceed” amount of the county’s contract with C & S Engineers for the Highway, Office of Emergency Services and Public Health Facility Project to $1,816,476.00, a decrease of $107,008.00. The vote was 11-1, with Button voting no.
Holgate and others approved a round of Natural and Recreational Resource Protection Grants for 2026, awarding:
- Town of Torrey, Town Park Accessibility Improvements, $10,000;
- Village of Dundee, Millard Park ADA-compliant bathroom revitalization, $25,000;
- Town of Middlesex, Vine Valley Beach Project, $8,000;
- Village of Penn Yan, Elm Street Trailhead Project, $21,200.
The legislature also authorized Church to sign an agreement with MRB Group for grant writing services in 2026 at a cost not to exceed $30,000.
Executive session
After a second public comment period with no speakers, legislators voted unanimously to enter executive session to discuss employment history of particular individuals, financial and employment history of a particular corporation or company, and a proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property where publicity could affect value. The meeting reconvened in open session at 3 p.m., according to the minutes.
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