The Wayne County Board of Supervisors will consider a wide-ranging slate of public safety, health care and infrastructure measures Tuesday, including plans to expand advanced ambulance staffing, launch specialty patient transfers and purchase a $222,843 all-terrain emergency response vehicle.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m. at the Wayne County Historic Courthouse, 26 Church St. in Lyons. The agenda also includes the appointment of an interim emergency management director, a new school resource officer agreement with Lyons schools and applications for millions of dollars in rural health and planning grants.
Public safety and EMS proposals
Several of the meeting’s most significant resolutions involve Wayne County Emergency Medical Services.
Supervisors will consider converting as many as four emergency medical technician positions into paramedic positions as employees complete advanced training. County officials said the change would allow every county ambulance to be routinely staffed at the advanced life support level.
The board will also vote on an agreement with Rochester Regional Health that would allow Wayne County EMS to provide specialty care transfers from Newark-Wayne Community Hospital to other hospitals. Those transfers are generally needed when critically ill patients require services not available locally.
The county would purchase two ventilators and additional cardiac monitoring equipment for the program at a combined cost of up to $48,066. Additional training would be provided to participating paramedics.
Another proposal would authorize a subscription to new payroll and scheduling software for EMS. The first-year cost would be $9,405 for up to 75 employees, plus the cost of time clocks for each of the county’s four EMS bases.
Supervisors are also expected to appoint Aimée Phillips as interim director of disaster preparedness following the retirement of George Bastedo, effective July 29. Phillips would take over July 30 while the county searches for a permanent replacement.
Bastedo is scheduled to be recognized with a retirement proclamation during the meeting.
The Sheriff’s Office is seeking approval to purchase a SHERP N1200 all-terrain emergency response vehicle for $222,842.71. County officials said the vehicle would improve emergency response capabilities in areas that are difficult to reach with conventional equipment.
Funding would come from previously awarded state and federal homeland security grants.
The board will also consider accepting $115,100 through the federal Operation Stonegarden program for license plate readers, the emergency response vehicle and other law enforcement equipment.
A separate resolution would authorize an agreement with the Lyons Central School District for one full-time deputy sheriff serving as a school resource officer. The district would reimburse the county for the position’s salary, benefits, vehicle expenses, training and other costs.
The agreement would run from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31.
County campus, development and legal costs
Supervisors will consider allowing Verizon Wireless to install a small cellular tower on the county campus near Nye Road and the Lyons EMS base.
County officials said cellular coverage is weak outdoors and nearly nonexistent inside several county buildings. Verizon would install and maintain the tower at no cost to the county.
Another resolution would advance a proposed microgrid and resiliency project for the county campus. The county would enter into an agreement with e2Companies LLC for a preliminary engineering study.
The study would initially be performed without charge. However, the county could be responsible for up to $75,000 in study costs if it decides not to proceed with the larger project.
Economic development officials are also seeking permission to apply for a $150,000 state smart-growth grant. The county Industrial Development Agency would provide $100,000 in matching funds for a countywide strategic plan focused on balancing residential and commercial growth with the protection of agricultural land.
The county is also expected to accept a $500,000 Environmental Protection Agency award to continue a revolving loan fund used to address contaminated properties.
The Finance Committee has submitted two legal settlement resolutions.
One would authorize a settlement of up to $5,000 in a lawsuit alleging mistreatment of an inmate at the Wayne County Jail. The other would reimburse the county’s insurer for a $350,000 automobile accident settlement. That payment would come from the county’s unassigned general fund balance.
Health care and nursing home spending
The board will consider applying for a state rural community health integration grant.
Counties may apply for up to $500,000 for planning work and as much as $3 million for implementation projects. Wayne County officials said the funding could be used to improve coordination among health care providers, expand access to services and strengthen rural health partnerships.
Public Health is also seeking approval to use additional grant money for accessibility projects, including about $12,000 for Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant picnic tables.
At the Wayne County Nursing Home, supervisors will consider renewing a food and nutrition services agreement with Sodexo Operations LLC. The projected cost for the next year is approximately $2.7 million, including labor, food and related expenses.
Another measure would expand neurologic music therapy services for nursing home residents, particularly those with dementia and related conditions. The proposal would increase services to as many as six hours per week and authorize a request for proposals for future years.
The nursing home is also asking the board to write off 52 uncollectible accounts totaling $245,444 from 2022 through 2026.
The meeting will include privilege of the floor before supervisors begin considering the resolutions.
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