Referred to: The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chair Walter and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Uchitelle), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Cahill, Fabiano, Ronk, and Walter)

Chair of the Health, Human Services and Housing Committee, Eve Walter, and Deputy Chair Craig V. Lopez offer the following:

WHEREAS, this resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Ulster County Office for the Aging (“OFA”); and

          WHEREAS, OFA provides in-home personal care services to Ulster County senior citizens with physical and financial needs; and

          WHEREAS, homemaker aide in-home personal care services include the Expanded In-Home Services to the Elderly Program (“EISEP”), a uniform program of in-home and other supportive services designed to support and supplement informal care.

          WHEREAS, OFA currently has 2 Homemaker Aide positions and finds it is necessary to hire another full-time Homemaker Aide in 2022 at a rate of $17.70 per hour on a full-time basis, at 40 hours per week; and

          WHEREAS, the Homemaker Aide position will allow OFA to provide more in-home support to older adults and will help address the OFA personal care waitlist which is also complicated by the lack of home health care aides at the various agencies. The newly onboarded position will report to the Ulster County Office for the Aging Director; and

          WHEREAS, The Homemaker Aide position is designed to provide various supports to senior citizens who require Personal Care Aides Level 1 to assist with shopping, laundry, cleaning, meal preparation and other appropriate tasks as needed; and

WHEREAS, the Director of the Office for the Aging requests the 2022 Ulster County Budget be amended to include the full-time Homemaker Aide position; and

WHEREAS, the EISEP money set aside for contracts with Home Health Agencies will be reallocated for this position and there is no County contribution necessary; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, that the 2022 Ulster County Budget is hereby amended as follows:

CREATE

POSITION #                             TITLE                                       AMOUNT

6772-1290                                  Homemaker Aide                        *$36,816.00

                                                  (Grade 4 – Full Time)

                                                  *Annual Salary

                                                  Annual Benefits ($17,353)

                                                  INCREASE                               AMOUNT

AA-6772-2865-1300-1300           Regular Pay                                $30,728.00

(App. #)

AA-6772-2865-8000-8000           Retirement                                  $ 8,306.00

(App.#)

AA-6772-2865-8010-8010           Social Security                            $ 2,351.00

(App.#)

AA-6772-2865-8020-8035           Health Insurance                         $ 3,826.00

(App.#)

                                                  DECREASE                              AMOUNT

AA-6772-2865-4300-4450           Personal Care Aides                    $45,211.00

(App.#)

and, be it further

RESOLVED, that if funding for this position is eliminated, the Commissioner of Finance shall, immediately upon discovery, send written notification to the Clerk of the Legislature, and the relevant Department Head shall attend the next regular meeting of the Ways and Means Committee to assist the Committee in review and evaluation for determination of the position’s continuance,

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:               

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on _____________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on _____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE