Yates County lawmakers will consider creating an animal-abuser registry, review projected broadband cost overruns and weigh new spending on bridge and drainage work during four committee meetings Sept. 8 and 9.
The Public Works and Human Services committees meet Tuesday, Sept. 8, at noon and 1:15 p.m., respectively. The Public Safety and Finance committees meet Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. All four sessions are scheduled for the Yates County Legislative Chambers at 417 Liberty St. in Penn Yan, with remote access available through the county's Zoom webinar.
The agendas contain recommendations and draft resolutions, not final legislative action. Measures advanced by a committee would still require action by the full County Legislature.
Animal-abuser registry heads to public-safety review
The Public Safety Committee will consider setting an Oct. 13 public hearing on a proposed local law establishing an online registry of Yates County residents convicted of specified animal-abuse crimes after the law takes effect.
Under the proposal, a person would generally remain on the registry for seven years after release from incarceration or, when there is no incarceration, after conviction. A second animal-abuse conviction would trigger lifetime registration. Successful appeals would require the Sheriff's Office to remove a person's information within five days after notification.
Registrants would have to provide their name, aliases, township, birth date and an unaltered photograph. They would be required to appear at the Sheriff's Office annually to confirm their information, report name or address changes within five days and pay a one-time $125 fee, although the sheriff could waive the fee for someone unable to pay.
The proposal would bar registered offenders from owning, possessing, living with or intentionally having physical contact with companion animals. Shelters, pet dealers and others transferring pets in Yates County would have to check the registry before completing a transfer. Farm animals for farmers and service animals for people with disabilities would be exempt from those provisions.
Failure to register could be punished as a misdemeanor with up to 364 days in jail and a fine of as much as $2,000. A registrant who violates the pet-possession ban could face the same potential jail term and a fine of as much as $5,000, while knowing violations by an animal-transfer organization or person could bring fines of up to $5,000 after a possible warning for a first offense.
The committee will also consider a school resource officer agreement with Dundee Central School District for the 2026-27 school year. The district would reimburse the county $78,479.35 for wages, benefits and insurance. Other sheriff's resolutions address radio and microwave repair service, a three-year jail barber agreement and surplus equipment.
Broadband phase could exceed available budget
The Finance Committee will review a county broadband report showing 81 active customer accounts and a potential shortfall as the third construction phase moves forward in southeastern Penn Yan and Dundee.
Phase 2 is described as live, with customer connections underway, but about 36 homes at the farthest reaches of the network may face delays because long-distance splitters are needed. County planners said technical problems involving light leaving network huts were resolved and closeout work is pending final payments and federal approval.
Construction on Phase 3 began Aug. 25 after the federal Rural Utilities Service approved the contract in July. Eustis Cable was identified as the apparent low bidder at $2.6 million, while the overall Phase 3 construction estimate ranges from about $3.7 million to $4.1 million. At the high end, planners estimate the project would be roughly $625,000 over budget before remaining make-ready and permitting costs, or about $767,000 over when $142,500 in unfunded money listed in the application is included.
The broadband program has paid nearly $13.95 million in invoices against an overall budget of about $17.16 million, according to the report. The project owes about $1.23 million to the county's general fund. Five of seven state Department of Transportation permits and all three Norfolk Southern permits have been submitted, while Finger Lakes Railway permits remain in progress.
Budget planning reflects higher insurance costs
County administrators will tell the Finance Committee that a 15% health-insurance increase is being applied to the proposed 2027 budget. The tax-cap calculation is not final but was showing a 3.8% increase, from a $16.7 million 2026 cap to a pending $18.4 million figure for 2027.
Seven cooperating agencies submitted 2027 funding requests, and six are being introduced to the Legislature. Together, those requests seek $153,651 in additional county funding. Budget workshops are scheduled for Oct. 27 and, if needed, Oct. 28, followed by a Nov. 19 public hearing and adoption meeting.
State comptroller's auditors have completed a risk assessment and selected county procurement as an audit objective. The review will generally cover purchases beginning Jan. 1, 2025, with a limited extension to Jan. 1, 2021, for procurements tied to the Multi-use Facilities Project. Auditors could add objectives or extend the period as fieldwork continues.
Finance members will also consider supporting a conservation easement for the Bruce and Jason Henderson farm in Milo and Torrey. County planners cite residential development pressure, nearby utility-scale solar development and the goal of protecting productive farmland. The proposed letter notes Torrey issued 61 building permits in 2025 and 37 through September 2026, while Milo issued 89 permits in 2025 after 105 in 2024.
Other finance material shows taxable sales in Yates County increased 7% in the 2026 state fiscal year. Nineteen short-term rental properties registered with the county between July 1 and Aug. 31 as officials continued outreach to owners identified as unregistered.
Bridge and drainage amendments add costs
The Public Works Committee will consider extending the Torrey Landfill's leachate hauling agreement with Magee Transportation Services through Aug. 31, 2027. A proposed 3.4% increase would raise the hauling and disposal rate from $149.21 to $154.28 per 1,000 gallons.
Two proposed amendments would add $10,500 for construction inspection on the Pre-Emption Road bridge over Kashong Creek and $10,610.08 for excavation, investigation, repairs and backfill at a road depression within the Bellona drainage project. The Bellona change would raise the City Hill Excavating contract to $1,298,610.08.
Highway officials also report that the state Department of Transportation will not approve rehabilitation of the Ferguson Corners Road bridge without additional scour protection or full replacement. County staff plan to meet with Barton & Loguidice to review design options. Separate state review questions remain for the Milo Street bridge, while work continues on county-road mowing, ditching, washout repairs and culverts.
At the Penn Yan-Yates County Airport, construction of an eight-bay T-hangar is expected to begin Sept. 8, with an opening targeted for spring 2027. Federal aviation officials have found several runway, wildlife-fence, electrical and taxiway projects eligible for funding, although the report cautions that eligibility does not guarantee an award. The airport recorded 1,355 operations in August, up from 1,296 a year earlier.
The county's proposed public-safety facility is also moving through schematic design. A construction-management contract with Pike has been executed, and a cost analysis is expected by late September. Committee members continue discussions with potential property owners and are evaluating possible sites, while also considering future uses for the existing building and lot if a new facility is constructed.
Human-services agenda includes health and energy aid
The Human Services Committee will consider contracts distributing $62,878 in state youth funding among recreation, sports, libraries and community programs. The total includes $20,000 for youth sports and education opportunities, $13,719 for team sports and $29,159 for youth development programs running from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027.
Social Services will also present new Home Energy Assistance Program guidelines. The monthly income limit would be $3,563 for a one-person household and $6,852 for a household of four. Regular heating benefits would reach $990 for oil, kerosene or propane; $700 for wood, pellets, coal or corn; and $400 for electricity or natural gas.
The department housed 17 homeless cases during August, including one household with children. Ten were placed through the Keuka Housing Council in Yates County, with the others placed at Finger Lakes Inn and Suites or America's Best.
Public Health will report Yates County's first confirmed measles case, identified Sept. 1 in a resident with no known recent travel associated with the illness. The department said the circumstances raise concern about local transmission and that other unconfirmed illnesses could mean the true case count is higher.
As of Sept. 1, the report listed one confirmed case in Yates County, five in Seneca County, six in Steuben County and two in Ontario County. Yates County Public Health administered 50 measles, mumps and rubella vaccine doses in August, compared with 15 a year earlier, while continuing case investigations, contact tracing and coordination with health care and state partners.
The department's next free rabies vaccination clinic is scheduled for Sept. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the Yates County Highway Department. Rabies post-exposure treatment was authorized for seven people in August, including six bat exposures and one stray-cat exposure, up from four authorizations in July.
Veterans' Services reported 490 services delivered during August and arrangements for 55 veteran transportation trips, including 39 trips in county vehicles. Those county-vehicle trips covered 2,002 miles and 120 hours. The committee will also consider proclamations marking Patriot Day on Sept. 11, the Air Force's birthday on Sept. 18 and the Navy's birthday on Oct. 13.
Each committee agenda includes time for public comment before lawmakers move through department reports and proposed resolutions.
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