DELAWARE COUNTY - The Delaware County Board of Supervisors has six resolutions on the agenda for the Wednesday, Dec. 8 meeting. Most notable is approval for a new Department of Social Services (DSS) building, allocations for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, and authorization for Delaware County Economic Development to become the Tourism Promotion Agency (TPA).
DSS has been looking for a space to operate a foster care visitation center. The Social Services Committee proposed utilizing the property adjacent to 166 Main Street in Delhi, a vacant lot across from NAPA Auto Parts. The property is adjacent to other properties owned by the county and utilized by DSS, according to DSS Committee Chairperson and Hamden Supervisor Wayne Marshfield.
If approved, $554,821 will be transferred from various DSS accounts out of the 2021 budget. Funds will pay for the purchase of the structure, set up of water, sewer, grading and foundation, furniture, and with 20% contingency for unforeseen costs. The 20%, approximately $100,000, will go back to the general fund if unused, said Marshfield.
The building will function as a visitation center for parents and their children in foster care. Parent education will also take place in the building. Marshfield said they plan to build a duplex unit to accommodate multiple programs or families at once with privacy.
The American Rescue Funds Committee has proposed five projects to spend the federal funds on. Once approved, $12,000 will be allocated to EFPR Group for the revenue loss calculation and consulting/professional guidance on allowable uses of the funds. EFPR Group has already performed the work for the county. The committee also proposed spending $199,650 to develop a delinquent tax collection system to streamline tax collection on foreclosed properties.
They also suggest an information and technology upgrade of the county network system to include more robust remote options, cloud-based solutions, enhance firewalls and security, phone system, and wireless access not exceeding $2,600,000. Supervisor Chairperson and Bovina Supervisor Tina Molé said this will repair remote meeting access issues they are currently experiencing.
The county has developed a train-to-work initiative to assist businesses in finding and training a quality workforce and if approved will allocate $350,000 to the program. Marshfield said the funding will support local businesses that have struggled to fill jobs during the pandemic.
Director of Emergency Services Steve Hood requested spending $50,000 for the purchase of a new drone and infrared camera for use in emergency situations at the ARPA committee meeting on Nov. 16. The committee invited Planning Director Shelly Johnson-Bennett to speak about the acquisition of a drone. Johnson-Bennett said the county currently owns a drone housed and operated by the planning department. Hood said emergency services have used the drone in the past but need to utilize planning staff for operation. That could cause issues after hours, explained Hood. The committee discussed moving the drone to be housed with emergency services, though Johnson-Bennett explained her department utilizes it on a frequent basis for mapping, and other uses. Hood said his department only needs the drone from time to time.
Committee members asked if providing emergency services with a key to the planning department would solve those concerns. Johnson-Bennett agreed providing a key would not be a problem, however, another concern is the training involved to operate a drone. Johnson-Bennett said the drone operator needs to be a licensed pilot. By training emergency services staff, “It keeps my department from having to testify in court,” she explained.
The flight training is approximately $140, but Hood said he does not want to send his staff if they do not have regular access to a drone. In an emergency situation we need immediate access, he explained. Johnson-Bennett said in one emergency situation on a Sunday, “By the time my department got access to all the correct papers and pilot, the police had found the missing child.”
Johnson-Bennett said the planning department anticipates acquiring a second drone. The drone can replace what a helicopter currently does, she explained. If emergency services receive the same drone, cameras, batteries, and other attachments can be interchangeable.
“The idea of having two is to build the capacity,” she said, “All departments are heading to this type of technology.” As interest in the technology and knowledge increases the drone has huge applicabilities, she added.
If approved, emergency services will purchase at aproximate pricing drone at $6,000, a LiDAR camera for $15,000, and batteries for $500 a piece at a total cost not to exceed $50,000. The planning department will give the infrared camera to emergency services and keep the LiDAR camera to be used to identify terrain contours.
Another resolution up for a vote is the designation of the Economic Development Department as the county’s tourism promotion agent for 2022. Economic Development Director Glenn Nealis had suspected the designation would fall to his department after supervisors voted to discontinue contracting with the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 23.
The Board of Supervisors will vote on these resolutions at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at the Senator Charles D. Cook County Office Building, 111 Main Street in Delhi.
