Yates County health officials told lawmakers that the county confirmed a measles case Sept. 1 and administered 50 measles, mumps and rubella vaccines in August, compared with 15 in the same month last year. The update came during the Legislature's Sept. 8 Human Services Committee meeting, which also covered housing assistance, home heating aid and behavioral health programs.
The minutes identify the case as the county's first confirmed measles case, but do not establish a continuing outbreak or a current case count. Public Health Director Alyssa Broome-Quissimisse said the department was developing its 2027-29 strategic plan and preparing the next phase of a youth substance-use prevention initiative funded by the JUUL settlement. Community mapping for that work was scheduled for late September.
Housing and home heating
Social Services Commissioner Amy Miller reported that the department housed 17 different cases in August, including one with children. The minutes do not give the number of people represented by those cases or say how many remained housed afterward.
Committee Chair Edward Bronson questioned why the county was sending people needing shelter to Geneva or Bath while former group homes in his area appeared vacant. He said he had asked state lawmakers about using the buildings and had not received an answer after following up. The minutes do not establish whether those properties are available or suitable for emergency housing.
Miller also presented a comparison of Home Energy Assistance Program figures for 2026-27 and the prior two years. The table listed amounts of $3,563 for a one-person household and $4,659 for two people in the 2026-27 column, rising with household size. It listed heating benefit figures of $990 for oil, kerosene or propane; $700 for wood, pellets, coal or corn; and $400 for electricity or natural gas. The minutes do not spell out every eligibility condition or application date, so residents should confirm current program rules with Social Services before relying on the figures.
At the Office for the Aging, officials corrected a site reference in their report: The St. Mark's Terrace congregate meal site serving an average of 27 customers daily on weekdays is in Penn Yan, not Dundee. They also reported that two of three housekeeping positions were vacant. Staff described a mix of direct-hire aides, consumer-directed care and caregiver respite services, which have different funding and staffing arrangements.
Public defense and behavioral health
Public Defender Matthew Tantillo said his office received a little more than $313,000 in grant reimbursements between July 30 and Sept. 8. The department's staff had moved together into downstairs space at the courthouse, he said.
Community Services Director Lisa Principio said the county had two assisted outpatient treatment cases after receiving a transfer from Monroe County and could have three more. An intercounty agreement with Wayne County for psychiatric services was under review. Neither the potential additional cases nor the agreement was described as finalized.
Principio said the county asked the state to let it redirect funding historically used for a coordinator position toward programming because it already had a full-time coordinator. A decision was not expected until near year's end. She also described a potential partnership in a state-administered federal adult suicide-prevention grant that could provide roughly $50,000 a year over about four years. That funding was prospective, not a final award to the county.
The county was still auditing opioid settlement funds, Principio said. She noted an Out of the Darkness Walk at Keuka Lake scheduled for Oct. 4. Veterans Service Agency Director Douglas Gibbs reported that 107 veterans attended an August skydiving event, 48 of whom jumped, and said 14 Yates County veterans were set to be recognized at a Sept. 13 ceremony.
Public Health also announced a free pet rabies vaccination clinic for Sept. 23 from 6 to 7 p.m. at the county Highway Department, 939 State Route 14A in Penn Yan. Residents with questions about measles exposure or immunization should seek current guidance directly from Yates County Public Health or their health care provider rather than use the committee minutes as individual medical advice.
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