By Dan Hust
MONTICELLO — November 9, 2010 — With the release of the county’s tentative 2011 budget set for this week, county officials on Thursday continued to hunt for efficiencies.
The Adult Care Center (ACC) in Liberty has been a primary focus, with up to 20 beds currently unoccupied.
“That’s about $1.2 million a year” in lost revenue, observed Legislator Ron Hiatt at Thursday’s Health and Family Services Committee meeting.
And that’s why ACC Interim Administrator Jim Galligan and a host of other county officials and interested parties have formed a committee to study ways to improve the ACC’s future.
Hiatt and Galligan said the committee recently met for the first time and began talking about sprucing up the ACC’s interior, bringing on more physicians, creating a locked unit and/or Alzheimer’s ward, expanding short-term rehabilitation services, importing out-of-county residents and establishing a public benefit corporation.
None of these ideas are certainties, however.
“We’re trying to look at the whole picture to see what’s available,” explained Galligan.
Meetings are expected to occur every other week or so, said Hiatt, and are open to the public.
The next one is set for Tuesday, November 23 at 2 p.m. at Galligan’s office in the Adult Care Center. As seating is limited, Galligan suggests audience members call him ahead of time so he can arrange accommodations: 292-8640.
More restructuring planned
During Thursday’s Personnel Committee meeting, County Manager David Fanslau unveiled two flowcharts illustrating his plans to create a Dept. of Human Resources and restructure aging and youth services.
The Human Resources Dept. would be an offshoot of the county manager’s office, with current Real Property Tax Services Director Lynda Levine at the helm.
She has the necessary county experience, said Fanslau, and also possesses a law degree, helpful in dealing with labor issues which are currently handled by outside counsel.
The departments of Personnel and Risk Management would fall under her supervision, for which she’d get a raise, he added.
“This is a way to get some efficiencies between the two offices,” Fanslau explained to legislators.
Two employees would be reassigned to other departments, but no one would lose a job.
One of those workers would go to the Office for the Aging, which would be structurally combined with Youth Services.
Neither would lose staff, Fanslau assured – just share them.
Legislator Leni Binder explained that the Youth Bureau costs $100,000 to run but administers a grants program totalling $118,000, forcing county officials to look at consolidation.
Fanslau said the county needs to move quickly to replace four and a half positions that are now vacant in the Office for the Aging, as their occupants have retired.
Monticello senior Roz Sharoff worried that not enough qualified people would be available in the office, but Fanslau said the county will accept nothing less.
He said the hiring positions will be up to Director of Aging Deborah Allen. All he’s asked is that she consider current county employees for promotion first.
“The Office for the Aging is also gaining the support of a new case manager,” Legislator Jodi Goodman added.
new captain arrives
Captain Keith Corlett, the new commander of the State Police barracks in Liberty, introduced himself to the Public Safety Committee on Thursday.
Formerly stationed there as a patrol officer, Corlett has more recently served with the State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI) but is now putting his master’s in public administration to use in Liberty.
He told legislators and Sheriff Michael Schiff he’s interested in cooperation and collaboration, not competition.
“I can’t police the county alone,” Corlett affirmed. “... We have to do this together.”