Referred to: The Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee (Chairwoman Hansut and Legislators Hewitt, Maloney, McCollough and Walls), and The Ways and Means Committee (Chairman Gavaris and Legislators Collins, Hansut, Kovacs, Nolan, and Roberts)

Chairwoman of the Law Enforcement and Public Safety Committee, Gina Hansut, offers the following:

            WHEREAS, in 2022 the New York State Division for Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) issued accreditation standards, mandating that accredited agencies create an officer wellness program to address 1) access to resources, 2) prevention and intervention, 3) peer involvement & support, 4) critical incident response; and

            WHEREAS, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office (USCO) Criminal Division was originally accredited in 1992, the first in the state to achieve the distinction, has successfully undergone five re-accreditation assessments since then, and is currently accredited by the DCJS; and

            WHEREAS, agencies around the country are recognizing the importance of monitoring and tending to employees’ health and wellness with the goal of promoting a department-wide culture of wellness, providing support and services when they are needed, and keeping the department healthy; and

            WHEREAS, nationally collected data shows that mental health disorders present at higher rates in the first responder community resulting in increases in suicide, substance abuse, divorce, financial strain, PTSD and accumulative stress disorders; and

            WHEREAS, while the UCSO has long offered wellness-related programs such as peer support, and stress management training, services are decentralized, and lacking an individual dedicated to ensuring the wellness of the UCSO’s personnel; and

             WHEREAS, there is an urgent need for a more comprehensive approach to wellness addressing all of the county’s first responders including Law Enforcement, Fire Services, Emergency Medical Services, Emergency Dispatchers, and other First Responders; and

            WHEREAS, existing county resources are insufficient to meet the current and increasing wellness needs of Ulster County first responders; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the 2024 Ulster County Budget is hereby amended as follows to create the following positions effective June 1, 2024:

CREATE

POSITION #                                    TITLE                                               AMOUNT

3110-XXXX                                     Deputy Sheriff - Lieutenant           $113,415.00*

(PL#)                                                  (SOU; 80-hours) 

*Annual Salary                                

Annual Benefits $55,506.00

3110-XXXX                                     Officer Wellness Resource Spec   $ 73,360.00* 

(PL#)                                                  (UCSEA; 80-hours) 

*Annual Salary                                

Annual Benefits $35,902.00

3110-XXXX                                     Deputy Sheriff                                 $ 58,458.00*

(PL#)                                                  (PBA; 80-hours) 

*Annual Salary                                

Annual Benefits $28,609.00

3110-XXXX                                     Correction Officer                           $ 53,616.00*

(PL#)                                                  (UCSEA; 80-hours) 

*Annual Salary                                

Annual Benefits $26,240.00

INCREASE                                       AMOUNT                

AA.3110.1821-1300.1300              Regular Pay                                       $173,378.00

(App. #)

AA.3110.1821-8000.8000              Retirement                                         $  26,822.00

(App.#)

AA.3110.1821-8010.8010              Social Security                                 $  13,263.00

(App.#)

AA.3110.1821-8020.8020              Health Insurance - Dental               $   2,081.00

(App.#)

AA.3110.1821-8020.8035              Health Insurance                              $ 42,391.00

(App.#)

AA.3110.1821-8020.8055              Health Insurance - Optical              $      295.00

(App.#)

AA.9900.9900-3700.9990              Appropriated Fund Balance            $258,230.00

(Rev.#),

and moves its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:      

Passed Committee: Law Enforcement and Public Safety on ________________.

Passed Committee: Ways and Means on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

$258,230.00 - 2024 INCREASE TO APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE

$258,230.00 - 2024 APPROPRIATIONS