NYSAC News Fall 2017: Workforce Development by NYS Association of Counties

NEW YORK STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES

Workforce Development Volume 38, Issue 3 | Fall 2017

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President’s Page NYSAC OFFICERS Hon. MaryEllen Odell, Putnam County President Hon. Kathleen M. Jimino, Rensselaer County President-Elect Charles H. Nesbitt, Jr., Orleans County First Vice President Hon. Scott Samuelson, Sullivan County Second Vice President Hon. William E. Cherry, Schoharie County Immediate Past President

MEMBERS Hon. Steven Bellone, Suffolk County www.suffolkcountyny.gov Philip R. Church, Oswego County www.oswegocounty.com Hon. Cheryl Dinolfo, Monroe County www.monroecounty.gov Hon. John LaPointe, Washington County www.co.washington.ny.us Hon. Jack Marren, Ontario County www.co.ontario.ny.us Hon. Daniel P. McCoy, Albany County www.albanycounty.com Hon. Marcus Molinaro, Dutchess County www.dutchessny.gov Hon. Mark C. Poloncarz, Erie County www2.erie.gov Hon. Martha Sauerbrey, Tioga County www.tiogacountyny.com Hon. Bill de Blasio, Office of the Mayor NYC www.nyc.gov

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From the NYSAC President, MaryEllen Odell

t is my honor to represent NYSAC members, who are some of the most innovative, committed, and resilient local leaders that I know. As local leaders, we need to consider the range of programs and services that strengthen the quality of life in our counties and communities. Some of our most valuable residents include seniors, as the fastest growing population in our state. These seniors want to stay here in New York, and we have to give them the right balance of support to stay. They need extra support in our communities, to receive nutritious meals, medical care, and emotional advice. We need to honor and embrace the wisdom that our seniors possess. They are our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. They are our teachers, our mentors and our business leaders. They are our first responders, volunteers, and veterans. In addition to seniors, our veterans deserve our gratitude and respect. Our association strongly supports veterans that have served our country, and we county officials need to strongly support providing veterans with benefits and proper assistance that encompasses their time serving our country in military service. Our veterans need county officials in their communities who can go to bat to help get the benefits they’ve earned.

Serving our senior and veteran populations generates a greater investment in our counties, our communities, our state, and in our future. Speaking of the future, we need to consider what we can do to attract the millennial generation. How do we keep these young professional New Yorkers here, so that they can contribute their brain power, their innovation, and their talents for the benefit of our communities? I firmly believe the recruitment and retention of millennials will be the fuel that will keep the state’s economic engine running. I am proud to continue down the path of protecting the counties’ right to self-govern, to serve our citizens, to encourage businesses to start up and thrive in our communities so that our people can work and live in our communities, and keep their families here. As your president, I will continue NYSAC’s work to educate, inform, advocate for, and serve our counties. I look forward to working with all of you to make our counties’ voices heard in Albany, in Washington, and in all of our communities across this great state.

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erhaps more than any other time in our history, New York counties are in a precarious governing position.

That position of course is as regional governments, with our villages, towns, and cities on the one side; and the state and federal governments on the other side. Counties sit in the middle, pulled from both sides. On the national level, the deliberations between the White House and Congress on repealing the Affordable Care Act and changing the federal tax code have a direct and negative impact on New York State and county governments. Whatever actions taken in Washington, they are likely to affect counties and our taxpayers. Eliminating the state and local tax deduction would reduce home values, lower revenues received by local governments and schools, and could force people to consider moving out of our state. As service providers for the state, counties continue to be asked to deliver and fund programs designed at the state level. We need to look no further than the budget enacted in April to understand how the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decisions have a direct and local impact. State lawmakers voted to raise the age of criminal responsibility, reform the indigent legal defense program, shift more foster care costs, and implement a county-wide shared services initiative. Each one of these decisions increases the responsibilities and costs for county governments and our taxpayers. The shared services initiative put us right in between the state and our local government colleagues at the village, town, city, and school levels. County leaders convened panels of local leaders, held public hearings, developed and submitted draft plans to

their county boards, and then presented their final plans to the state and public. This was a resource intensive activity that forced conversations of collaboration at the local level, and may save some local tax dollars. In order to really reduce property taxes, as we have advocated for decades, the state needs to provide mandate relief, in the form of fiscal relief, new flexibility, and repealing costly regulations. So, while state leaders are calling to make the property tax cap permanent, we will continue to advocate for the mandate relief they pledged when they enacted the tax cap in 2011. Looking forward in the coming months as we enter into the beginning of the state legislative session, we will continue to stay true to our mission: To represent, educate, advocate for, and serve county governments across New York State. We incorporate these responsibilities into our service to counties each and every day. In September, NYSAC standing committees and county delegates adopted a series of resolutions that will serve as the foundation for our advocacy efforts as we approach the 2018 State Legislative Session and next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budget negotiations. Our Legislative Team continues to identify key issues, develop lobbying plans for each issue, organize strategic meetings, and facilitate feedback from counties and state lawmakers. As always, we appreciate your commitment to the families, businesses, and communities within your counties. As your association, we are committed to support your work and strengthen our state during these challenging times.

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PUB L IS H ED 3 TIMES A YEAR President • Hon. MaryEllen Odell Publisher • Stephen J. Acquario Managing Editor • Mark F. LaVigne Editor • Nicole M. Correia Advertising Staff • Juanita Munguia NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate, advocate for, and serve member counties at the federal and state levels. Published 3 times a year by the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), the NYSAC News is the official publication of NYSAC, a non-profit, municipal association serving the 57 counties of New York State and the City of New York with its five boroughs for over 90 years. NYSAC’s mission is to represent, educate and advocate for member counties at the federal and state levels.

NYSAC NEWS MAGAZINE 540 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, New York 12207 Phone • (518) 465-1473 Fax • (518) 465-0506 Send submissions to ncorreia@nysac.org. Submissions should be 750 to 1,000 words and include a high resolution photo of the author. All submissionsare subject to editing for clarity, content and/or length.

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Table of Contents Fall 2017

NYSAC News • Volume 38, Issue 3

NYSAC Informs with e-news publications: The County Perspective Emailed every week during the Legislative Session. Highlights county-related issues and activities that are taking place in Albany. Counties in the News Daily news updates from counties across the state, compiled by NYSAC and delivered to your inbox every day.

NYSAC Snapshots: Fall Seminar

NYSAC Updates

Cornell Survey Reveals NYS Local Government Fiscal Stress

NYSAC Mourns Bob Currier, Longtime Member and Former Treasurer

Advertiser Index

Counsel’s Corner: Local Laws

2018 Legislative Conference Preview

Local Laws: Tobacco 21, Raising a Tobacco-Free Generation

Thank You 2017 NYSAC Excelsior & Associate Partners

To sign up visit www.nysac.org

Workforce Development Target Your

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Report: The State of the New York State Workforce

NACo Releases “Harnessing the Engagement of Your Employees”

Succession Planning in Tioga County

Workforce Development Starts on Day One in Rockland County

Connecting with College Career Centers

Strengthening the Local Public Health Workforce in New York State

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NYSAC Snapshots: 2017 Fall Seminar

The fall 2017 graduates of the NYSAC County Government Institute.

Above: NYS Senate Deputy Majority Leader John A. DeFrancisco received the NYSAC Leadership Award. Right: New NYSAC President MaryEllen Odell with Stephen Acquario.

Orange County Deputy County Executive Wayne Booth accepts an award from the National Association of Counties.

Rensselaer County Executive Kathy Jimino and NYSAC Executive Director Stephen Acquario with Susan Arbetter, host of The Capitol Pressroom. Arbetter was the keynote speaker at the Fall Seminar.

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NYSAC Updates New Members of the NYSAC Board of Directors Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, Oswego County Administrator Phillip Church, Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone, and Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo were all installed on the NYSAC Board of Directors at the NYSAC Fall Seminar. The Hon. Dan McCoy will represent the 3rd Judicial District on the NYSAC Board of Directors. He has been the Albany County Executive since 2012. He is a strong advocate for counties, and lead the effort to achieve state reforms to the Albany County Executive indigent legal defense services program. Dan McCoy

Mr. Phil Church will represent the 5th Judicial District on the NYSAC Board of Directors. He has served as the Oswego County Administrator since 2007, and has been with the county since 1993, as public information officer, purchasing director, and then as the county administrator. He earned his Master's in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University Oswego County and his Bachelor's Degree at the State University Administrator Phil Church of New York at Buffalo. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone will represent the 10th Judicial District on the Board. County Executive Bellone was first elected in 2011, and again in 2015. Previously he served as the Babylon Town Supervisor from 2001-2011. He is the 8th County Executive in county history. As County Executive, Mr. Bellone has focused on saving taxpayer dollars, creating jobs, improving Long Island's water quality, and enhancing the quality of life for Suffolk County residents.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone

Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo will serve as an at-large member of the Board of Directors. A former attorney and small business owner, Dinolfo was elected Monroe County's 6th County Executive in November 2015. She has since prioritized economic development, fiscal responsibility, and good government during her Monroe County Executive first two years in office. Prior to her election as Cheryl Dinolfo County Executive, Cheryl served as Monroe County Clerk for over 11 years, and served as President of the New York State Association of County Clerks (NYSACC) in 2014.

County Government Institute Honors Graduates at NYSAC’s Fall Seminar Five county officials graduated from the NYSAC County Government Institute at the Fall Seminar in Syracuse. The graduates are from Genesee, Orange, Wyoming, and Sullivan Counties. The County Government Institute is a collaboration between NYSAC and Cornell University to provide training to county government officials. “The Institute’s vigorous curriculum prepares county officials with the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the increasing demands of local government leadership now and in the future,” said NYSAC Executive Director Stephen J. Acquario. The September graduates include:

Wayne Booth, Orange County Deputy Executive Nancy Buck, Sullivan County Treasurer Kathleen Lara, Sullivan County Deputy Treasurer Gregg Torrey, Genesee County Legislator Keith Granger, Wyoming County Supervisor

CGI courses are offered at all NYSAC conferences. Courses are also offered regionally throughout the year, and enable county leaders to stay up-to-date on timely issues and opportunities in local government. The CGI core curriculum includes courses on building consensus, financial management, ethics, management, and the foundations of county government. CGI instructors for required courses and elective sessions are some of New York’s States leading experts from county and state governments, private industry, Cornell University, Albany Law School, and other institutions of higher learning in addition to NYSAC staff. “The Institute gave me the opportunity to interact with officials who were experiencing similar situations and problems, and it gave us the opportunity to work together for a common solution,” said graduate Wayne Booth, Orange County Deputy Executive. “Coming from the private sector and being a newcomer to county government, the County Government Institute was an invaluable and irreplaceable resource for me,” said graduate Kathleen Lara, Sullivan County Deputy Treasurer and former paralegal. The Institute evolved from the Dennis A. Pelletier County Government Institute, named for former NYSAC First Vice President and Monroe County Legislature President Dennis Pelletier. During his career in county government, Pelletier developed a reputation for his hard work to become fully informed on the issues. As President of the Legislature, he encouraged constructive debate Continued on following page. www.nysac.org

NYSAC Updates Continued from previous page. on issues that impacted the citizens of Monroe County. Even after the most contentious debates, Pelletier was renowned for visiting colleagues he may have disagreed with to make sure that the tone of the political discussion was never personal and to attempt to achieve consensus on the important work ahead. “The NYSAC County Government Institute has been a great platform to meet with County Leaders throughout the State to discuss the issues that we all face,” said graduate Gregg Torrey, Genesee County Legislator. “This has allowed me to bring new information and ideas back to Genesee County and has made me a more effective county legislator.”

leadership was a critical component to reforming Medicaid and halting years of double digit growth in local Medicaid contributions.” Today, counties still contribute $7.5 billion to the State’s Medicaid program. Board members said, however, that if not for the County Executive’s work through NYSAC the local share contribution would be well over $12 billion a year. “It is important that we take this opportunity to recognize what we accomplished to rein in costs, alleviate the burden on local taxpayers and produce a better program for taxpayers, patients, and providers,” said Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino, who worked closely with Santulli and other county leaders to help reform the Medicaid program.

“I appreciated the learning experience to acquire personal skills and understanding of county issues,” said graduate Keith Granger, Wyoming County Supervisor and Supervisor for the Town of Castile. Courses and training will be held at the upcoming NYSAC 2018 Legislative Conference on January 29th through 31st at the Desmond Hotel in Albany NY. For more information about the County Government Institute, visit www.nysac.org/cgi or contact NYSAC Director of Training and Education Jeanette Stanziano at jstanziano@nysac.org or call 518-465-1473.

Chemung County Executive Santulli Receives NYSAC's Crawford Award On September 13, Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli was recognized and presented with the Edwin L. Crawford Distinguished County Service Award at the NYSAC Fall Seminar in Syracuse. The Crawford Award is given periodically to county officials who have been making outstanding contributions to their county governments and New York State. The NYSAC Board of Directors established the County Distinguished Service Award in 1975, and it was renamed in honor of Edwin L. Crawford in 1995. Stephen J. Acquario, NYSAC Executive Director, said Santulli was recognized for his leadership and "outstanding contributions." The Association recognized Santulli for his pioneering efforts in reforming the state's Medicaid program. He has helped to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, and lowered the program's costs for county taxpayers. "His efforts not only lowered costs, but they also vastly improved the integrity of Medicaid in New York State," Acquario said. ““His

16 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

County Executive Jimino presented the Crawford Award to Santulli on behalf of the NYSAC Board of Directors at the Fall Seminar Awards Dinner. Santulli was elected to the position of Chemung County Executive in November of 2000 after having served nearly ten years as the Deputy Executive. He has been re elected for four-year terms each election thereafter. Santulli also served as the NYSAC president from 2009 through 2010. Born in Elmira, New York, Santulli is a graduate of Niagara University where he received a BA degree in 1971 and Elmira College where he earned a Master's Degree in 1975. Prior to becoming involved in the County Executive’s Office he served as an elected Elmira City Councilman from 1983-1991. "Your work enabled all of us to improve one of the state’s costliest programs, protect our county property taxpayers, and improve Medicaid for the New Yorkers who need it," said NYSAC President MaryEllen Odell, of Santulli. "We are all grateful for your focused leadership on this front."

Cornell Survey Reveals NYS Local Government Fiscal WHAT Stress CAUSES LOCAL FISCAL STRESS? WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT?

By Austin M. Aldag, Mildred E. WarnerAustin M. Yunji Kim Mildred E. Warner Aldag, Department of City and Regional Planning Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

Department of City and Regional Planning Department of Urban and Regional Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Yunji Kim

Department of Urban and Regional Planning

Planning University of Wisconsin: Madison

MAY

INTRODUCTION

ocal governments in New York State are under fiscal stress. A percent of villages rank their fiscal stress as either moderate or Local governments in New York State are under fiscal There are 1,593 general purpose municipal govern 2017 survey of New York State local stress. governments finds the significant. A 2017 survey of New York State local governments in New York State. Fifty-eight percent responded findsstate the primary sources survey (See Table 1). Elected officials, such as mayors primary sources of this stress come from level policy – of this stress come from state level policy – shifting service and expenditure responsibilities to factors supervisors, or county comprised 86 percen Researchers asked what contribute to executives, local government shifting service and expenditure responsibilities to local government local government and restricting their ability to raise revenue respondents, andstress the remaining 14 percent fiscal stress. We found that the drivers of arise mostly from were app and restricting their ability to raise revenueand and innovate servicedelivery. Local governments provide innovate in service officials (such as county administrators, city man policy. top three contributors fiscaletc.). stress that local the critical servicestocritical to economicstate-level development and The quality town or village toclerks, Cities and villages h delivery. Local governments provide the services economic of life. To continue providing these key public identified services forwerehighest response rate; followed by towns and then co governments stagnant state aid, state mandates, development and quality of life. To continue providing theselocal key governments in New York State their constituents, Respondents also show broad geographical represen property tax cap. public services for their constituents, local governments in adequate New York must possess budgetaryand andthe political authority to across the state. Figure 1 maps all cities, counties,

address fiscalauthority stress. Totodo so requires a state partner. and villages who responded to the survey. State must possess adequate budgetary and political Counties emphasize state mandates more than any other government address fiscal stress. To do so requires a state partner. Table 1:reporting Reponsesstate Rate mandates were Focus groups were conducted in Fall 2015with with all towns, villages, counties type, responding cities and counties across the state to uncover the causes of Category Cities Counties Towns Villages moderate or significant andvillages, local revenue and service delivery responses contributors to their fiscal stress. This is Focus groups were conducted in Fall 2015fiscal withstress, towns, 62 many state 57 932 542 al., 2015). The focus because group results were (Anjum counties areused chargedTotal withNYS carrying out functions, cities and counties across the state to uncover the et causes of fiscal to design survey questions. A statewide online survey was Survey and paying for them with local tax dollars. 47 Cities identified stress 333 30 509 stress, and local revenue and service delivery responses (Anjum conducted in March 2017 by the Survey Research Institute of Respondents from pensions, benefits, and poverty. Cornell University. All cities, counties, towns, and villages et al., 2015). The focus group results were used to design survey Response Rate 76% 53% 55% 61% in New York State (excluding New York City) were surveyed questions. A statewide online survey was regarding sources of and responses to fiscal stress. Source: Cornell University, Local Government Fiscal Stress in NYS Su conducted in March 2017 by the Survey Research Institute of Cornell University.

There are 1,593 general purpose municipal governments in New York State. Fifty-eight percent responded to this survey. Elected officials, such as mayors, town supervisors, or county executives, comprised 86 percent of the respondents, and the remaining 14 percent were appointed officials (such as county administrators, city managers, town or village clerks, etc.). Cities and villages had the highest response rate; followed by towns and then counties. Respondents also show broad geographical representation across the state.

Figure 1: Map of Survey Respondents

Source: Cornell University, Local Government Fiscal Stress in NYS Survey, 2017. N= 919.

Coordinate System: CGS North America – 1983. Map by Austin Aldag. Cornell researchers asked respondents to assess their government’s level of fiscal Cornell University partnered with the New York Conference of Mayors and the New York State Association of Towns for this study. Funding for stress on a scale of none to significant; the survey was provided by the USDA Hatch and Smith Lever funds administered by the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cornell Institute for Social Sciences. We would like to thank Chris Anderson, Mack Cook, Ron Deustch, Jerry Faiella, Tyler Keegan, Mark Lavigne, Chuck Rankin and Barbara VanEpps for their helpful comments on survey design. which is similar to the categories used by the New Warren York Lucas, StateJoe Mareane,Aging infrastructure was the fourth most mentioned factor of fiscal Additional information can be found at http://www.mildredwarner.org/restructuring/fiscal-stress. Comptroller’s Office. Almost half of the respondents to our survey stress (reported by 80 percent of respondents), and it ranked second indicated they are under severe (10 percent) or moderate (37 for both cities and counties. New York has aging infrastructure and percent) fiscal stress. While cities and counties feel stress most renewing that infrastructure is a key concern of local governments. strongly (77 percent of cities and 58 percent of counties reported Continued on following page. either moderate or significant fiscal stress), towns and villages are feeling the fiscal pressure as well; 45 percent of towns and 42

www.nysac.org

Continued from previous page. When asked about the current and future budgetary impacts of the property tax cap, local governments across the state indicated that they will be impaired either moderately or significantly. This was consistent across government type. Only one percent said the tax cap would improve their budgetary needs currently or in the future. Future budgetary needs are the biggest casualty of fiscal stress, with 53 percent of respondents indicating that they would be significantly impaired. When comparing current and future impacts, local government leaders are especially concerned about the longer-term effects of the property tax cap on their ability to meet future needs. What are the causes of local fiscal stress and what can be done about them? While the political narrative is a simple one of too many inefficient local governments, our survey finds the key causes are generated by the state. After the Great Recession, New York State cut aid to localities and pushed down additional expenditure responsibilities to local governments. It has also limited local governments’ revenue raising powers with the implementation of a tax cap. These three state actions are the primary factors contributing to local government fiscal stress. What can be done? Local governments are trying to maintain services and seek economic savings through reductions in staffing or service frequency. Service reductions are primarily in public works, public safety, and recreation services. These are services which are highly valued by residents and critical to economic development and quality of life in both the short and long term. Local governments are also seeking new revenue sources: grants, user fees and investments. There are no simple solutions. What is needed is a new state partnership. New York State decentralizes more expenditure and service responsibility onto local governments than any other states, except Nevada (Xu and Warner, 2015). State aid to municipalities plummeted and then flat lined after the Great Recession (Kim, 2016). What is needed now is a new state partnership where the state assumes more expenditure responsibility for the services it mandates, and allows local governments to generate additional revenue and explore innovative approaches to service delivery. This requires more flexibility and authority for local governments. Under current state policy, local governments lack the financial and political capacity to address the fiscal crisis on their own. This article is an abridged version of a research summary of the Cornell Research. The full summary can be found at http://cms.mildredwarner.org/p/268.

NYSAC Mourns Bob Currier, Longtime Member and Former Treasurer Robert F. Currier, former NYSAC Tr e a s u r e r, p a s s e d a w a y o n September 15, 2017 at his home. Bob was a dedicated public servant and valued NYSAC member, with a career in local government that spanned over 36 years. Bob was appointed the Chief Fiscal Officer/Treasurer for NYSAC in 1986. In this capacity, he was responsible for the Association’s budget and oversaw all of its financial transactions. He retired from this position in 2016. “Bob gave much to NYSAC, and will be remembered for his dedication to NYSAC and its members,” said Hon. William Cherry, NYSAC Immediate Past President. Mr. Currier also served as Secretary and was instrumental in establishing the NYSAC County Government Institute, designed to enhance the knowledge, skills and abilities of county officials to allow them to engage in informed, constructive and civil discussions on the challenges they face as public servants. In 1999 Bob was presented the Edward L. Crawford Award on behalf of New York State’s 62 counties for his contributions to county governments and his dedicated service. Bob served as the Executive Deputy Comptroller from 1981 to 2005 in the office of the Albany County Comptroller, which has fiscal and audit responsibilities for the county’s programs and services. He held memberships in the New York State County Treasurers and Finance Officers Association, and the Government Finance Officers Association. Previously, Bob was a financial consultant to the New York State Department of Social Services, where he advised the State’s human service department on spending actions between the federal, state, and county governments in New York State. Before that he served as the Rensselaer County Auditor. His accounting career began as the Treasurer of the East Greenbush Central School District. Bob was a graduate of Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, NY, and Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. He was born on March 23, 1949, in Worcester, MA. He will be missed by all who knew him; we are grateful for Bob’s friendship and service to NYSAC.

18 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

Report: The State of the New York State Workforce

he State of the Workforce brief is a snapshot to inform communities about the dynamics of their regional economy and the workforce impact. The New York Association of Training & Employment Professionals (NYATEP) embarked on this project to use readily available data to understand who is working and who isn’t; what sectors and occupations are growing across the State; and the number of potential workers produced by New York’s education & training systems.

KEY FINDINGS FOR NEW YORK New York rebounded from the recession, but it isn’t all good news. 7 out of the 10 regions across New York State saw significant job growth. Since August 2016, New York added 147,400 jobs, with the bulk of the jobs growing in Educational and Health Services, Leisure and Hospitality and Professional and Business Services. The average entry-level wage for the 10 largest occupations in the State (nearly 2 million jobs) is $29,200. The median wages ($24,000) for the fastest growing occupations are over 50% less than a family sustaining

wage ($62,422) in New York State. A shortage of workers threatens New York’s economic growth. All regions, except for New York City and Long Island, are seeing sizeable reductions in their available labor force. Nearly a quarter of the State’s workforce is ages 55 or older, with sectors like healthcare and education being

hit the hardest with more than 200,000 workers nearing retirement age. Youth ages 16 -24 make up about a sixth of the workforce; however their unemployment rate is more than double the State rate at 10.5%. In New York City, that number grows to over 14%. This means a generation of workers is missing out on valuable work experience and reduced future earning potential. 41% (around 4 million) New Yorkers have a high school equivalency or less; with the increase in skills needed as technology advances will likely widen the relative wage gap between high skill and low skill New Yorkers. Over 90,000 high-skill, high-pay occupations largely, in tech fields, are utilizing H1B Visas to recruit workers. Workforce must be a priority to support the State’s economic development in the next decade. ‘Middle skill jobs’ – jobs that require more than a high school diploma, but less than a four-year college degree—are growing in New York and will require training systems to adjust to fill open jobs. 1.5 million students are enrolled in the State and City public college systems. About half of students enrolled are in credit bearing courses. These students graduate at a rate of 17.3% and 25.9% at the CUNY and SUNY systems, respectively, for 2-year degrees. The other half of students are enrolled in non-credit coursework, which does include high quality, industry-recognized job training. However, aggregate graduation or credential-rate data for these students is not readily available. 14% of New Yorkers have less than a high school diploma, and the federal and state funded system can assist just over 100,000 make progress towards or completing a high school diploma or equivalency degree. Around 4% of the state’s primary job training resources, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funding, are spent on training over 12,000 New Yorkers. More than 68% of those served under WIOA are referred to employment.

To read the full report, visit www.nyatep.org

www.nysac.org

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NYSAC Legislative Conference January 29-31, 2018 Desmond Hotel & Conference Center, Albany 20 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

NACo Releases “Harnessing the Engagement of Your Employees” By Andrew Hartsig National Association of Counties

ounties continually must find more efficient ways to deliver essential services, under the pressure of rising federal and state mandates and increasingly stringent caps on their ability to raise revenue. One solution can be found in each and every county — county employees. Counties that make employee engagement a priority save time and money and get better overall organizational performance and service delivery. NACo’s Counties Futures Lab recently released Harnessing the Engagement of Your Employees, highlighting best practices in engaging county workers from a workshop held at NACo’s 2017 Annual Conference & Exposition in Franklin County, Ohio. The report features presenter Bob Lavigna, Director of the CPS HR Consulting Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement. Lavigna shared his insights on employee engagement, why it matters and how counties can create a culture of engagement within their workforce. Why Does Employee Engagement Matter? According to a 2017 CPS HR Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement national poll, 44 percent of local government employees feel that they are fully engaged, while 37 percent feel somewhat engaged. This is a higher percentage than for federal or state government and comparable only to the private sector. Harnessing the Engagement of Your Employees explains how engaging the county workforce allows counties to harness efficiencies, for engaged workers are more productive and more proactive in servicing customers than disengaged workers. Engaged employees have a more positive view of their organization than disengaged employees, and they also believe that they can positively affect quality, cost and customer service through their work. According to Lavigna, “Employee engagement is about performance… It is about improving the level of commitment that our employees have to their organizations so that we can deliver better, high quality performance and services to the citizens we serve.” Engaged county workers can help improve citizens’ attitudes towards government, which can, in turn, increase the pride and engagement of county workers in a virtuous cycle. Employee engagement ultimately translates into dollars, as higher productivity, lower turnover and lower absentee rates have a positive budgetary impact. Best Practices in Employee Engagement Lavigna presented best practices for harnessing employee engagement, focusing on several key areas: leadership, strategy, hiring and onboarding. With close to 90,000 local governments

throughout the United States, there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution for improving employee engagement. All efforts start with the leadership of the organization. The CPS HR Institute for Public Sector Employee Engagement found that the top engagement driver for government is organizational leadership and its ability to manage change well. County leaders set the tone for the whole organization, and their relationships with employees affect performance. Lavigna went on to explain that counties must make employee engagement an integral part of a county’s strategy and values and look beyond its aspect of human resources management. Leadership must commit to this goal by requiring managers to meet regularly with employees and to provide opportunities for growth and development, which are additional drivers that keep employees invested in their work. Managers should also build a culture of engagement and be held accountable for the results. When creating a culture of engagement, the hiring and onboarding processes are key. During the candidate assessment and interview process, managers should seek out candidates that show interest in being highly involved in their workplace. Assessment approaches can be used during the interview process to enable hiring managers to identify candidates that can maintain a high level of engagement. The onboarding process, another key component, should begin when the new hire accepts the job offer and continue through at least their first 12 months on the job. During this time, new employees should become well-versed in the organization’s mission and values, be assigned meaningful work, receive feedback and have frequent interaction not only with their supervisors, but with other senior staff members. Building engagement is linked to a manager’s direct involvement with their employees. Managers must foster recognition, innovation and inclusion among their employees. They should also connect an employee’s work to the county’s mission and demonstrate to their employees that their work is not only valuable, but vital to the county’s success. Managers should listen to employees’ concerns and be prepared and willing to make changes within the organization. Finally, managers should never underestimate the power of a “thank you.” Employees and their efforts should be appreciated and recognized. For a culture of engagement to work, the leadership must make employee engagement a priority alongside other goals. Continued on following page. www.nysac.org

Continued from previous page. The report concludes with a list of five key takeaways from the workshop: (1) an engaged workforce matters, (2) engagement of employees starts at the top, (3) engagement needs to be an integral part of a county’s strategy, (4) creating a culture of engagement starts with the hiring of an employee and continues through the employee’s tenure and (5) never underestimate the power of a “thank you.”

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For an in-depth look at these best practices and more, please visit www.naco.org/employee-engagement. And for other management and operational issues, please visit www.naco.org/lab.

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Succession Planning in Tioga County By Elaine Jardine Tioga County Planning Director

ioga County officials attending NYSAC’s 2016 Fall Conference listened to Ontario County’s Succession Plan presentation. They were inspired and decided to jumpstart Tioga County’s own succession planning program. Why is succession planning important to Tioga County? Like many other counties in the Southern Tier Region, the median age of Tioga County’s population is steadily rising, currently over 43 years old, and nearly ¼ of its 50,199 people are age 60 and over. Tioga County’s overall population has also been slowly declining since 1990. Not only do we need to prepare for demand on aging services; we also need to fill these voids by attracting and/or retaining younger workers. Younger workers serve to stabilize or enhance a local economy as they are the age cohort most likely to earn a living wage plus have disposable income. The succession planning itself can provide continuity and more seamless operations. Efficiencies in government operations can be realized when an incumbent who gets promoted already has knowledge of the advanced position, rather than hiring someone totally new who requires a longer learning curve. Additionally, effective succession planning programs evolve into something that becomes part of mission-critical activities. In other words, department managers can benefit from continually conducting succession planning activities to address workforce continuity advantageous for key positions. What is succession planning? There are many definitions and methodologies. For Tioga County, we have determined that it is a process which involves identifying key positions, assessing future operational needs, analyzing gaps between those future needs and current employees, assessing current employees who show potential for succession or advancement, and providing appropriate skills and knowledge training to selected employees to prepare them for succession or advancement. How is Tioga County developing a succession planning program to fit its needs? First we formed a Succession Planning Committee comprised of the County Legislature Chair, the Personnel Officer, the Economic Development and Planning Director, the County Planning Director, the Material Recovery Manager and the Probation Director. The Committee’s first decision was to approach succession planning in an integrated manner with existing operations by using monthly Department Head meetings to introduce the concept and proceed with development of the program. Department Heads will play the

main role in succession planning as they are the ones that know their specific operations and particular skill sets needed now and in the future. They know their key positions as well as current employees and are familiar with potential succession candidates among them. Department Head meetings have proven to be an appropriate vehicle to develop and implement our succession planning program because the department managers are active participants and their ideas and comments are heard and discussed. The next committee task was researching succession planning methodologies, and creating a simple Succession Planning 101 presentation. This presentation was given to the Department Heads and the County Legislature. Support for the program was garnered from both entities. Department Heads were then approached with their first task to identify their key positions. Since no one had a “key positions” list, we provided a list that did exist – an Essential Employee list. The County Legislature had requested that this list be created after the flood of record in 2011 as a result of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. Each Department Head was provided their listing of essential employees and asked to identify their key positions for succession purposes. Once they identified key positions, the Department Heads were then asked to update the job descriptions for those key positions with the help of the Civil Service Administrator. While the Department Heads were identifying key positions and updating respective job descriptions, the Committee was crafting the training program to be offered to succession candidates. To acknowledge credit where it is due, the first training session identified and created was Tioga County Government 101, based on Ontario County’s Excelsior Institute training program. This dynamic presentation incorporates short videos and links to Tioga County’s website (www.tiogacountyny.com) at various appropriate places to access more information about a topic. This was not as easy as it sounds, it took many months and two tries to develop what the Committee feels is a solid presentation that will impart basic yet comprehensive knowledge regarding all things Tioga County Government. Tioga County 101 will be presented in October to both the Department Heads and the County Legislature to get their feedback before it becomes the first and signature training session of Tioga County’s newly-formed Institute for Advancement. Other Continued on following page.

www.nysac.org

Continued from previous page. training topics included in the Institute are Operational Procedures, Budget and Fiscal Skills, Management Skills, Hiring, Performance Evaluations, Supervision, Conflict Management, Team Building and Goal Setting. Most training sessions will be conducted internally by various employees; others will be contracted to external vendors to conduct. The County Legislature has allowed a new line item in Personnel’s 2018 budget with a small allocation to cover costs of the Institute for Advancement. The Succession Planning Committee intends to start the Institute for Advancement in January 2018.

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The Succession Planning Committee also researched how to approach assessing employees for succession or advancement potential. The most important aspect of this assessment is to include both performance evaluation scores and succession potential scores. These two separate and distinct scores can then be graphed to visually show each employee’s degree for potential by their location on the graph. While the Succession Planning Committee has accomplished a great deal in 2017, we are not stopping our activities. It is important to ensure that Department Heads continually have succession planning on their radar when addressing staff changes in their key positions. Looking inwardly for candidates in key positions is not always possible and external candidates must be recruited in certain situations. Still, this Succession Planning Program gives Department Heads a resource and a tool for efficiently identifying and analyzing potential internal candidates when it is feasible to do so, while also offering assistance with advancing those candidates into higher positions.

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Workforce Development Starts on Day One in Rockland County By Ed Day Rockland County Executive

n Rockland County, the development of our workforce starts on Day One and continues throughout the course of a career with programs and opportunities to enable our employees to grow to their fullest potential.

He is signing up for cyber-security classes through the EDGE program to learn new skills for the job. In addition, he is hoping to use the knowledge as he develops community workshops for small-business owners.

An "on-boarding" process – common in private industry but still a rarity among county governments – was initiated this past summer by our Commissioner of Personnel, Lori Gruebel.

Rockland County offers additional paths toward higher education for workforce development, including discounts and grants at local colleges for undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Commissioner Gruebel recently came to Rockland County government after a successful career in the private sector and brought with her many ideas and best practices.

Another important part of our workforce development is the LEAD Academy, which began under my watch in September, 2016.

Among them was the Day One orientation so new employees could learn about program and policies and get a sense of the organization’s culture.

This 18-month program is offered by the county in collaboration with Rockland Community College. The customized training focuses on leadership skills and is designed to facilitate the development of managers or potential managers in county government.

Until she instituted this program, Rockland County relied on departments to review a new-hire checklist. The new orientation program welcomes employees to the county and presents a complete picture of benefits and programs as well as an understanding of policies and procedures.

The program consists of three modules that emphasis the tools needed to be an effective leader. They include management in county government, leadership essentials and supplement courses that include workplace behavior, meeting management, email etiquette, diversity training, among other topics.

One of the programs we talk about in our on-boarding process is the educational opportunities we offer for personal growth and development.

Participants are nominated by a department manager.

We’re especially proud of the EDGE program. This program is a partnership between the county and Rockland Community College. It gives our employees an "Edge Up" by enabling them to take classes and earn an Associate’s degree or certification from RCC – tuition free. This collaboration enhances workforce development by providing free access to quality higher education. Joseph Alongi, a deputy in the Rockland County Clerk’s office, became interested in cyber-security through the work he does processing information for residents applying for passports, business licenses, pistol permits and other documents.

Liz Lewis, a Principal Social Welfare Examiner in the Medicaid unit in the Department of Social Services, was nominated by her supervisor to participate in the LEAD Academy. She found that the skills she learned were applicable in her day-to-day work and she kept the training materials on hand as a resource. Since she completed the academy, she has been promoted and is about to take on a new challenge in the DSS Employment unit. "I am glad Rockland County instituted this program because I think it sends the message that it values its employees and is willing to invest in them," she said. "I found it very worthwhile and have recommended it to coworkers."

www.nysac.org

Connecting with College Career Centers By Kate Pierce NYSAC Communications Intern

here are many ways for counties to reach out to potential employees, but connecting with college and university career centers carries its own set of opportunities. From on-campus presentations to social media and online job posting portals, career centers have plenty of resources available to employers looking for students right out of college. The Career Center at the College of Saint Rose in Albany hosts employer information tables where employers can set up in the campus center and reach out to students walking by about job opportunities. The table is available throughout each school week from 11 am to 2 pm, with a different employer every day. "The benefit is that employers can actually speak in real time with students," said Katie Wolanin, Assistant Director for the Saint Rose Career Center. For county employers that may be looking for students from across the state, there are also online portals at almost every college and university career center that are accessible to both current students and alumni, who can post positions at their place of employment and also look for job opportunities for themselves.

Binghamton University recently changed their job posting platform. "Marketing job opportunities using our recruitment tool, hireBING, is very effective," said Denise Lorenzetti, Associate Director of the CCPD. "We recently moved to a new platform, Handshake, which uses machine learning to customize studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experiences and allows us to target our marketing by major and class year." Typically listings on college online portals originate from employers reaching out to career centers, as well as centers reaching out to certain employers when they anticipate student interest in a certain field. Most centers will post listings free of charge, and postings are not limited geographically. "It is very very heavily used," said Kaukus, of Bullseye. "It is really thousands of full time, part time, and internship opportunities from companies and organizations literally all over the world." According to Kaukus, Bullseye has around 16,000 unique logins, which means about half of the current student population at Buffalo State has logged onto the portal in order to take a look at the opportunities within the system.

"The unique feature of posting in a career centerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online network is you can be assured that the students at that particular college or university will see it," said Arlene Kaukus, Director of Career Services for the University at Buffalo. Saint Rose uses a portal called HireStrose, powered by 12Twenty, and Buffalo State uses Bullseye, powered by Handshake. The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development at

26 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

Career centers also have programs to make students aware of different exams and certifications that might be necessary for certain career opportunities, including civil service exams. "We share and market various exams that are offered and will bring in the Department of Labor and county government to share information and specific resources on these exams," said Lorenzetti. "We often refer students directly to the Department of Labor and Broome County for further information."

Two years ago, representatives from the Albany Police Department presented at Saint Rose about the Civil Service Exam- what it is and why students should consider taking it. The college’s career center website also links to resources like the Civil Service Exam and other public service requirements. To reach out to many colleges and universities at once, employers can utilize programs like the SUNY Career Development Organization, which is a collaboration across all 64 SUNY campuses with the goal of developing and maintaining professional communication among career development personnel. There are also more local organizations for connection among schools. Saint Rose participates in the Capital Region Career Consortium, in which 20 college and university career center representatives meet four times a year to discuss best practices, host networking events, and collaborate on programs. Like Saint Rose, other schools host in-person opportunities to reach out to current students like workshops, fairs, or one-on-one visits. "We have had various government agencies participate in these visits in the past and it’s a great way for them to showcase career opportunities," said Lorenzetti. "Connecting directly with local college career centers on campuses is a great start, as they typically will run programs similar to what Binghamton’s Fleishman Center offers." Buffalo State offers one-on-one career counseling appointments where a career counselor will engage with an individual student, oftentimes based on an assessment that they’ve completed about their skills, values, and interests. They also host many group presentations, in which they will talk with students about career possibilities based on their major or their area of study.

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"We will talk with them and give them examples like ‘If you’re a history major here are some of the pathways that previous history majors who graduated from UB have used their history degrees to leverage it into a career pathways,’" said Kaukus Career centers can also use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to reach a broader audience, and are generally receptive to posting fliers on their pages for upcoming career opportunities and exam announcements, with more specific job listings reserved for the online portals. Most college career centers will work with employers to strategize what avenues of outreach might work best to reach their students, whether that is personal visits, email blasts, advertising in student newspapers and boards, social media, or online portals. "I would suggest collaboration with career centers," said Wolanin. "We will do what we can to make sure we are getting information to students and alumni."

Visit NYSAC.org for the latest research on issues impacting counties, advertising information, event details, and advocacy updates.

www.nysac.org

Strengthening the Local Public Health Workforce in New York State By The New York State Association of County Health Officials

rotecting the public’s health starts with a well-trained, professional public health workforce. Workforce development plans can assist local health departments in maintaining a welltrained dept. The first step in developing a workforce development plan is to identify your employees’ training needs. The New York State Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) worked with the Region 2 Public Health Training Center (PHTC), located at Columbia University, to develop a methodology to implement a training needs assessment of each local health department (LHD) in New York State. To address the public health training needs in NYS, the Region 2 PHTC developed several surveys, with input and direction from NYSACHO staff. Each survey was intended for a different level of management staff. Leadership and management level staff were first asked to identify their department’s top health priorities. These priorities were based on the 16 topic areas identified in the goals and objectives of the New York State Prevention Agenda. Examples included reducing obesity in children and adults, maternal and infant health, and preventing substance abuse and other mental emotional behavioral disorders. Within these topic areas, LHD leaders selected three to five focus areas and elaborated on the training needs in that area among the staff they directly supervised in order to achieve the state’s or their community’s health improvement plan. Second, leadership and management level staff were asked about training needs of management level and frontline staff based on a shortened version of a nationally recognized set of Core Competencies for the public health workforce created by the Council on Linkages between Academia and Public Health Practice. These competencies are presented in three tiers. Tier one includes front line/entry level staff, tier two covers program management/ supervisory level staff, and tier three covers senior management/ executive level staff. The competencies cover the skill areas of:

Analytic/Assessment Policy Development/Program Planning Communication Cultural Competency Community Dimensions of Practice Public Health Science Financial Planning and Management Leadership and Systems Thinking

Health Commissioners/Public Health Directors responded to the survey as to what they saw as high priority training needs of their management level staff or tier two employees. Management level staff rated their own training needs as well as the training needs 28 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

NYSACHO Staff who work with the Region 2 PHTC, from L to R: Event Coordinator Cheryl Gerstler, Executive Director Linda M. Wagner, Program Director Cristina Dyer-Drobnack, Program Executive Peggy DiManno. of the staff they supervise. They identified the skills that are most important for their jobs and indicated those skills in which they had low confidence that they or their staff can perform. All of the 57 county health departments as well as New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene participated in the training needs assessment. Each local health department has received, or will receive, an individual report of the training needs identified for management and the staff and available training resources that can meet those needs. NYSACHO acted as the coordinator between the LHDs and the Region 2 PHTC. NYSACHO staff worked with the LHDs to complete the surveys and encouraged the individual participation in this endeavor. In addition, the Region 2 PHTC continues to provide information on training opportunities that address individual county training needs. Those LHDs that are seeking national accreditation can use, and have used, this report to meet accreditation required documents for workforce development. NYSACHO and the county health departments in New York State are grateful to the following staff of the Region 2 Public Health Training Center for their expertise and dedication to provide this valuable service; Principal Investigator/Director: Marita Murrman, EdD, MS, for providing vision and direction; Evaluator, Angela Aidala, PhD, creation of survey materials, analysis, and writing of individual reports; former Program Coordinator: Melissa Bernstein, MPH, CHES, CPH, and current Program Coordinator for data cleaning, management, and analysis, and writing of training recommendations; and Research Assistants Brittney Cavaliere, MPH, Sarah Paliani, MPH, Jenai Jackson, MPH(c), and Suzanne Kirkendall, MPH(c).

New Yorkers Who Are Blind Provide Smart Business Solutions And Employment Opportunities For Counties Across The State By Tim Fiori Director of Business Development NYS Preferred Source Program for People who are Blind

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By directing government agencies to purchase these pre-approved products and services, agencies are helping to create and sustain employment opportunities for New Yorkers who are blind. These offerings are produced by affiliated nonprofit agencies in New York that employ people who are blind or legally blind.

hen people hear about Randy Ashcroft’s daily fivehour, round-trip public transit commute to his job at The Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany (NABA), many are shocked and amazed. For Randy, who has been legally blind since birth, having a strong work ethic has always been a part of

Through its network of nine affiliated nonprofit agencies all located in downtown/urban areas, NYSPSP makes significant economic impacts that span not only across the state geographically, but reach all levels of state government. NYSPSP is a win-win solution for economic opportunities. The proud history of New Yorkers who are blind supporting their communities began in 1945, when the state made a commitment to provide meaningful employment opportunities through legislation committing the state and its political subdivisions to purchase blind-made goods. These include state agencies, public benefit corporations, public authorities, municipalities, and school districts. In providing access to this large market, the state created the opportunity for economic independence and career mobility for people who would otherwise have difficulty finding it. Randy Ashcroft at his job at the Northeastern Association for the Blind in Albany. him, starting with his paper route while in school, leading up to his career at NABA. “I enjoy what I am doing. I like to work, socialize, and have money in my pocket,” Randy said. His job as a packer and production worker brings him great pride not only because it allows him economic and personal independence, but because he knows that the vests, cable ties, and trooper boots he packages and labels every day are quality products that are going to some of New York’s finest. The NYS Department of Transportation, Metro North Railroad, and the NYS Trooper Academy are a few of the institutions that support employees who are blind through the New York State Preferred Source Program for People who are Blind (NYSPSP). NYSPSP is designated by the NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS)/NYS Commission for the Blind (NYSCB). Their mission is to create diverse employment opportunities and upward mobility for New Yorkers who are blind and visually impaired. Under the NYS Finance Law, state and local public-sector agencies must purchase pre-approved products and services that meet their

In its early days, NYSPSP business lines largely focused on sewn products and later expanded to janitorial items and stationery products. Over the years, innovation has helped agencies convert into modern manufacturing facilities capable of producing a wide range of contemporary commodities such as toner cartridges, safety vests, first aid supplies, gloves, and workwear. In 2016, the rapid response solutions that agencies can provide were put on full display: Governor Cuomo announced a plan to combat the Zika virus that included a Zika Protection Kit. The Association for Vision Rehabilitation and Employment (AVRE), located in Binghamton, had signed a contract within a week and began work to source all the components for 20,000 kits. “We were very excited when we were approved to build the kits,” said AVRE President and CEO Ken Fernald. “We are always looking for new business opportunities that create more jobs for people who are blind or visually impaired.” NYSPSP and the agencies also offer several service lines that keep New York running and serving local communities. Employees who are blind or visually impaired work to provide quality professional services in a range of fields including call Continued on following page. www.nysac.org

Continued from previous page. centers, data imaging, transcription, mailroom and distribution, and warehousing and distribution. Forty counties already purchase from NYSPSP. Long Island, New York City, and Onondaga County, collectively spend more than $1 million annually in toner, medical supplies, janitorial, office, kitchen supplies, and more. These sales leverage prevailing wage employment opportunities for New Yorkers who are blind across the state.

Advertiser Index Absolute Auctions & Realty, Inc.................................................. 39 Auctions International, Inc........................................................... 3 Barton & Loguidice..................................................................... 3

The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) in Rochester employs more than 80 people who are blind. They provide multiple lines of business and services and are always looking for new opportunities. Some of the services ABVI employees provide include manufacturing and fulfillment, sewing, contact centers, and food services.

Bonadio Group.......................................................................... 4

What makes doing business with NYSPSP and affiliated agencies different, is that customers are not only getting the preapproved quality products and ser vices they need, but they are also directly contributing to improving their communities and the lives of people who are blind. Today, seven out of 10 working-age Americans who are blind are not employed.

Fiscal Advisors & Marketing, Inc................................................ 27

"When we succeed, it's about more than making a sale; we're improving and enriching the lives of thousands of New Yorkers who are blind," said NYSPSP Executive Director A program participant works at the Carrie Laney. "The NYSAC Hudson Valley VA switchboard. 2017 Legislative Conference was a great opportunity to promote our mission to counties and municipalities across New York. We heard from many county leaders, and we believe there are new opportunities for us to work together and help them meet their needs.” Central Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) in Utica, is one example of how business and mission work go handin-hand. CABVI recently opened a new operation in Syracuse, and launched an industrial Nitrile Glove Program to provide custom solutions to customers’ needs. Thanks to the new business lines, CABVI had a 14,000 increase in employee hours for the year. “For us it’s more than just numbers. We see each contract as an opportunity to support our state and communities,” said CABVI President and CEO Rudy D’Amico. “Because of their business, thousands of people who are blind across the state are supporting families, investing in the economy, and are proud taxpayers.” Through NYSPSP, New Yorkers who are blind are at the ready to contribute to the economy of counties and municipalities in the Empire State. To learn more about NYSPSP, visit www.nyspsp.org.

30 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

Bond, Schoeneck & King PLLC..................................................... 4 Collar City Auctions Realty & Mgmt, Inc..................................... 44 Federal Home Loan Bank of New York....................................... 43

General Code.......................................................................... 24 LaBella Associates.................................................................... 12 Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance Inc......................................... 10 Nationwide............................................................................. 41 New York State Health Insurance Program.................................. 35 New York Water Environment Assoc.......................................... 12 NYMIR...................................................................................... 7 NYS Preferred Source Program for People Who Are Blind............ 24 Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP................................................. 6 PERMA...................................................................................... 2 PFM Financial Services, LLC...................................................... 40 PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP................................................... 20, 37 ProAct, Inc............................................................................... 14 SkyWolf Wind Turbines Corporation............................................ 8 SMRT Architects and Engineers.................................................. 38 Systems East, Inc...................................................................... 42 T.M. Fitzgerald & Associates...................................................... 20 U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance..................... 22 Wendel................................................................................... 38 West Group Law PLLC................................................................. 8

Thank You to Sponsors & Exhibitors of the Fall Seminar CORPORATE SPONSORS

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BCA Architects & Engineers

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Counselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner: Local Laws By Patrick Cummings Counsel, New York State Association of Counties

YSAC tracks and makes available local laws that have been passed by our member counties. Understanding what other counties are doing to address local issues or needs can provide ideas for you, our local leaders, to use in your county. Oswego County Passes Local Law Creating a Department of Facilities and Technology Oswego County recently created a Department of Facilities and Technology to meet the challenges of owning and operating multiple public buildings, technology assets, an E-911 Center and an interoperable radio system. The county found that improvements to the county's VOIP system and networks involve complex coordination especially regarding installation of cables, maintenance of HVAC systems for servers, and switches and maintenance of standby generators for critical technological infrastructure such as the county's networks. The Legislature determined that greater efficiencies and cost savings will be realized by combining the Department of Buildings and Grounds and the Department of Central Services to a single Department of Facilities and Technology. The intent of consolidating the various functions and duties under a single county department and administration is to more efficiently and economically serve the residents of the county. Under this law, the Department of Facilities and Technology shall be under the supervision and direction of a Director of Facilities and Technology, appointed by the Oswego County Legislature for a fixed, two-year term to run with the term of the legislature. The Director of Facilities and Technology shall have the powers and duties concerning the maintenance of the county's physical plant, buildings, computer networks and other technology assets. View the law at http://on.ny.gov/2yOORvE Nassau County Enacts Local Law Increasing Background Screening for Certain Appointments Nassau County passed a local law amending their Administrative Code regarding the screening and fingerprinting of applicants to the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NCSPCA). As stated in the legislative intent, appointments to the NCSPCA are peace officers, pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law, with powers that accompany such title. Prior to this local law the NCSPCA did not have a mechanism to thoroughly investigate and process those applicants who would be appointed 32 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

Counselâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner in the capacity of peace officers. This local law allows the Nassau County Police Department to perform criminal history record checks on NCSPCA applicants. The processing fee for the fingerprint criminal history record checks will be paid by the NCSPCA. Any felony, and/or misdemeanor conviction will disqualify an applicant from appointment as a peace officer with the NCSPCA. View the law at http://on.ny.gov/2x1b8Sy Suffolk County Grants Municipalities the Ability to Match Highest Bid at Auction for Parcels New York counties acquire real property due to non-payment of property taxes, and sell many of these parcels at auction to the highest bidder. Other parcels are transferred to towns and villages for affordable housing and other public purposes for nominal consideration. Suffolk County found that many municipalities are willing to purchase parcels located within their jurisdictions at the price offered by the highest bidder at auction, but no mechanism exists which allows them to do so. The county found that to maximize revenue from real property auctions and still allow municipalities to purchase parcels for strategic revitalization of their communities, municipalities should be permitted to match the highest bid offered at auction for certain parcels. The intent is to allow towns and villages a greater opportunity to acquire properties offered for sale at auction by the county. Under the new law, a town or village may request to the Division of Real Property in writing prior to an auction that they be permitted to purchase a parcel(s) within their jurisdiction at a price set by the highest bidder at the auction. The county reserves the right to reject such request and/or transfer the property for the county investment. If the division approves a municipal request, the requesting town or village must approve a resolution within thirty days of the auction, confirming their intention to purchase the parcel. The release of the list of surplus real estate parcels to be placed on the county auction block and offered for sale to the highest bidder at public auction shall be done by the County Division of Real Estate in such a manner so as to ensure that no one has access to the list before others, by imposing a single release date that is at least 60 days prior to the set auction date, thereby providing all prospective bidders with the same amount of time to conduct a due diligence investigation of such properties. Towns and villages shall be mailed a copy of the auction list on the date of release. View the law at http://on.ny.gov/2xJGPj1

2018 Legislative Conference Preview January 29-31 in Albany County The agenda for the 2018 Legislative Conference is shaping up to be full of the timely training county officials need most. The Desmond Hotel in Albany County will once again be the location for this annual 3-day educational training event welcoming hundreds of county officials from across New York State. Over 25 workshops and networking sessions will be offered, including a series of special multi-session tracks focusing on public safety, shared services, environmental issues, finance, workforce development, and health and human services. The 2018 Legislative Conference will also host a training program for newly elected and appointed county officials and the NYS Emergency Management Certification Program on Tier 1 Training.

2018 Legislative Conference Proposed Workshop Agenda: •

Developing a County Emergency Evacuation Plan

•

Active Shooter Training

• Mental Health & Trauma Counseling after an Emergency Event •

Raise the Age

• Aging in New York State/Returning Veterans in the Workforce •

Workforce Development

•

Crisis Communications

•

Leveraging the Power of Social Media

•

Meet the BOCES

•

Technology IT Back Up Strategies

•

County Shared Services Showcase

•

New Funding for 1st Arraignment/Centralized Courts/ Indigent Defense

•

Food Diversion – Food Digester Programs/Products

•

Dealing with Water – Water Contaminants

Madison County Enacts Local Law Creating a Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management

•

How Climate Change is Impacting NYS Agriculture

•

Budget Overview: State-Local-Federal

The Madison County Board of Supervisors passed a local law creating the position of Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management. The Deputy Director shall be appointed by the Director of Solid Waste Management in accordance with civil service law and rule. The Deputy Director of Solid Waste Management shall be responsible for assisting in the planning of departmental activities and the provision of direction and administrative oversight to the Department of Solid Waste projects; supervise and coordinate engineering operations and oversee all phase of projects from inception through completion; shall exercise direct and functional supervision over all subordinate staff; shall be authorized to act generally for and in the place of the Director of Solid Waste Management and to perform such duties as may now or hereafter be assigned by the Director of Solid Waste Management; and shall have the powers and duties of a deputy provided for in New York County Law.

•

What Happens if the Tax Cap Becomes Permanent

•

PreK/EI Rate Setting

•

Inmate Healthcare

•

Ethics in Government

•

Principles of County Government and Finance

•

Public Sector Labor and Management

•

Open Meetings/FOIL / Robert Freeman

•

Parliamentary Procedures

•

Role of the County Clerks of Legislative Boards

The NYSAC County Government Institute will offer a number of core courses for county officials seeking CGI credits towards their diploma. Join us for up-to-the-minute training topics of key interest to county officials. Tour our extensive exhibit hall to network with private sector service and product providers essential to county government. Enjoy our opening night Taste of New York celebration which honors the bounty of food products and beverages that are homegrown in the State of New York. Don’t miss the NYSAC 2018 Legislative Conference, a vital annual training resource for county government officials!

Counsel's Corner, continued

View the law at http://on.ny.gov/2yqKQus

• Adopting Local Laws: Legal Responsibilities and Requirements •

Major Policy Issues Affecting Counties www.nysac.org

Local Laws: Tobacco 21, Raising a Tobacco-Free Generation By Deb Mendzef Tobacco 21 Partner of TCI Syracuse

he use of tobacco and tobacco-related products is unhealthy for everyone. And this continues to be an issue not just for states, but also county governments.

An estimated 500,000 deaths annually are caused by cigarette smoking and second-hand smoke. All of these deaths are preventable, from cancers to respiratory and vascular diseases and more. Tobacco-use related mortality is a major concern and expense in our communities. One nationwide initiative to reduce this burden, Tobacco 21 (T21), seeks to raise the minimum age of sale for tobacco products to 21. This is an issue being considered at the state level, but the deliberations and decisions have been prolonged, and too many young lives are at risk. We cannot wait for the state. This issue can be addressed at the county level. In September 2016, nine organizations in Onondaga County banded together forming a T21 collaborative workgroup to address the issue of tobacco use among youth and young adults. An offshoot of the Tobacco Action Coalition of Onondaga County, members of the workgroup include: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Crouse Health, HealtheConnections, St. Joseph’s Health, Upstate Medical University, Tobacco Free Network of CNY, Transforming Communities Initiative Syracuse and Community Advocates. Onondaga County is not the only county facing this issue and discussing the merits of raising the age of sale for tobacco to 21. As of September 1, 2017, more than a dozen localities in New York State have adopted T21 and many more are considering legislation to increase the age of purchase. To date, the following localities have enacted T21: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Albany County Baxter Estates (Village) Cattaraugus County Chautauqua County Cortland County New York City North Hempstead (Town) Orange County Port Washington North (Village) Schenectady County

34 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

11. Sullivan County 12. Suffolk County 13. Tompkins County Working together, members of the Onondaga group educate elected officials and the community on a regular basis about the importance of supporting T21 legislation and the impact it would have on the health and well-being of our communities. In Onondaga County, 45 percent of adult tobacco users are young adults, ages 18-24. And 13 percent of youth are currently smoking cigarettes in our county. Through coordinated outreach to elected officials—including Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Indu Gupta, County Executive Joanie Mahoney, County Legislator and Health Committee Chair Danny J. Liedka, and several other county legislators—we’ve garnered support and spurred action within county government. In November 2016, after a presentation to the Onondaga County Health Committee from our local T21 group, Danny Liedka spearheaded a survey to assess community opinion on T21. The results of the public responses revealed a majority of community respondents are in favor of raising the age of sale for tobacco products (more than 70 percent), and that e-cigarettes should be included as a tobacco product in relation to any tobacco control laws (more than 80 percent). These results mirror those of the NYS Department of Health Stat Shot from 2016, in which 68 percent of adults in NYS support T21. This shows that residents in Onondaga County and in NYS support and want T21. Understanding the known dangers of tobacco use and the overwhelming community support for raising the minimum age of sale, T21 seems to be the right move. There have been a few sticking points for some: Why 21? In 2015, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a detailed report on reducing youth tobacco use. The report examined raising the legal age of tobacco to 19, 21 and 25. After examining these three ages, the IOM found the greatest benefit to be raising the age to 21 years. If the age was raised to 21 nationwide, the IOM estimates there would be a 25 percent drop in youth smoking initiation, a 12 percent drop in overall smoking rates, 16,000 fewer cases of preterm birth and low birth weight, and 4.2 million years of life that would be lost to smoking prevented in kids alive today.

Old enough to serve our country, old enough to smoke? The U.S. military is taking steps to ban tobacco sales on military bases. According to the U.S. Army Surgeon General, soldiers who smoke are less combat ready, incur higher rates of absenteeism and loss of productivity; all of which compromise troop readiness. The effects of tobacco use are shown to extend beyond active duty. In a study of military beneficiaries, lung cancer mortality rates are double among veterans. Youth will go to another locality to buy tobacco? In 2005, Needham, Massachusetts, became the first locality to enact T21. Through the MetroWest Health Foundation, youth smoking rates were documented for Needham and surrounding areas. Over the course of five years, they found that Needham youth smoking rates had dropped by more than half and the surrounding areas had seen a reduction as well. Increasing the purchase age of tobacco to 21 reduces access to tobacco for youth. These youth are less likely to have 21-year-olds within their social circle and therefore there are far less opportunities to access cigarettes from older buyers. Research has long shown the vulnerability of the young brain to nicotine addiction. Most teens start smoking to experiment with tobacco. They believe that they will be able to quit at any time. But they are wrong. It is proven that youth smokers become more addicted, are heavier smokers as adults, and have more difficulty in quitting. We all deserve to live in a community free from tobacco addiction and the risks associated with it. As we look to 2018, the Onondaga County T21 workgroup remains committed to educating our local citizens, organizations, incumbent and newly elected members of government to ensure a healthier future for not only children but for the community.

• NYSHIP is available to virtually all public employers across New York State

• Over 800 counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts and special districts participate in NYSHIP

To learn more about T21 and our ongoing efforts in Onondaga County, visit www.tcisyracuse.org/tobacco-21.

• More than 1.2 million public employees, retirees and their families have health insurance through NYSHIP

A unique health insurance plan developed for New York’s public employees For additional information regarding The Empire Plan, public employers may visit our web site at www.cs.ny.gov or call the Employee Benefits Division of the New York State Health Insurance Program at 518.485.1771 www.nysac.org

New York State Department of Civil Service, Employee Benefits Division

Thank You 2017 NYSAC Excelsior & Associate Partners Our Excelsior and Associate Partners support NYSACâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission on behalf of county government. Thank you 2017 Excelsior and Associate Partners!

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AHI Nancy Gildersleeve Executive Director, Communtiy Assessment & Prevention 101 Ridge Street Glens Falls, NY 12801

American Promotional Events Tommy Glasgow 4511 Helton Drive Florence, AL 35630 KeyBanc Capital Markets Patrick Lillo 66 S. Pearl Street, 6th Floor, Albany, NY 12207 New York State Technology Enterprise Corporation Mark Romano Director, Business Development 500 Avery Lane, Suite A, Rome, NY 13441 NYMIR Kevin Crawford Executive Director 119 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12210 Renovate America Inc. Gabe Maser Regional Director 16409 W. Bernardo Drive San Diego, CA 92127 Simmons Recovery Consulting Ryan Frykholm Director, Business Development 3 Sunrise Lane, P.O. Box 1545 Bolton Landing, NY 12814

Axon Allie Russo Sponsorship Coordinator 17800 N 85th Street Scottsdale, AZ 85255 Barclay Damon, LLP Garrett E. DeGraff, Esq. Partner 80 State Street Albany, NY 12207 Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. Peggy Ries Marketing Manager 443 Electronics Parkway Liverpool, NY 13088 Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Jeffrey Squire Partner 885 Third Avenue, Suite 3040 New York, NY 10022 BST & Co. CPA's, LLP Anita Bernardi Marketing Coordinator 26 Computer Drive West Albany, NY 12205 C&S Companies Matt Geitner Business Development Manager 499 Col. Eileen Collins Blvd. Syracuse, NY 13212 CanaRx Group Inc. John Howard Service Manager 235 Eugenie St., W, Suite 105D Windsor, ON N8X2X7

36 N YSAC News Fall 20 1 7

Crown Castle Lawrence Dean Business Development Manager 3 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 101 Clifton Park, NY 12065 CSRA Tom Silvious Dir., Civil & Health Services 150 Broadway, Suite #450W Albany, NY 12204 Enterprise Fleet Management Jeff Harbaugh Area Sales Manager 1550 Route 23 North Wayne, NJ 07470 Envision Strategy, LLC David Carroll Managing Director 1010 Vermont Avenue, NW, Suite 510 Washington, DC 20005 GovPilot James Delmonico Vice President 79 Hudson Street, Suite 503 Hoboken, NJ 07030 Health Economics Group, Inc. Len Lanphear Sales/Marketing Director 1050 University Avenue Rochester, NY 14607 Jefferies LLC John Kearney Senior Vice President 520 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10022 LAM Development Jason Lieberman Associate 139 W. 82nd Street, 6C New York, NY 10024 Lyft Funsho Owolabi Public Policy Manager 185 Berry Street, Suite 5000 San Francisco, CA 94107

M.J. Engineering & Land Surveying, P.C. Michael Panichelli, P.E. Executive Vice President 1533 Crescent Road Clifton Park, NY 12065 Maser Consulting P.A. Jackie Grillo Business Development 777 Chestnut Ridge Road, Suite 202 Chestnut Ridge, NY 10977 Municipal Electric & Gas Alliance Inc. Barbara Blanchard Customer Relations Manager P.O. Box 88 Ithaca, NY 14851 Nationwide Brendan Morrison Program Director 5 Franconia Street Dorchester, MA 02122 NYSERDA Kelly Tyler Director, Communities & Local Government 726 Exchange Street, Suite821 Buffalo, NY 14210 PERMA Mariella Frush Marketing Manager 9 Cornell Road Latham, NY 12110 PFM Financial Services, LLC Kelly Smaldone Senior Managing Consultant One Corporate Drive, Suite 101 Bohemia, NY 11716 PKF O'Connor Davies, LLP Nick DeSantis Partner 500 Mamaroneck Avenue, Suite 301 Harrison, NY 10528

ProAct, Inc. David Warner President 6333 Route 298, Suite 210 East Syracuse, NY 13057 Relph Benefit Advisors Barbara Cote Marketing Director 400 WillowBrook Office Park, Suite 400 Fairport, NY 14450 Roemer Wallens Gold & Mineaux, LLP John R. Mineaux, Esq. Managing Partner 13 Columbia Circle Albany, NY 12203 Strategic Response Initiatives LLC Robert Domenici President 411 State Street, Suite 307 Schenectady, NY 12305 The Bonadio Group CPA's Consultants & More Ken Pink Partner 171 Sully's Trail, Suite 201 Pittsford, NY 14534 Transmission Developers, Inc. Nancy Clarke Director of Administrative Operations 600 Broadway Albany, NY 12207 U.S. Communities Government Purchasing Alliance Doug Looney Regional Manager 7321 Gold King Way Indianapolis, IN 46259 Venesky & Company Douglas Venesky General Manager 6114 Route 31 Cicero, NY 13039

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