manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The Fulton County Department of Social Services with many daily public contacts estimates nearly 70 percent of its employees have received COVID-19 vaccinations.
DSS Commissioner Anne Solar told the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee recently that there’s no way of knowing for sure how many of the over 100 agency employees have been vaccinated.
But she said the department “believes” at least 69 percent have been vaccinated.
“We were able to avoid a few quarantines,” she said.
Solar explained that potential quarantine situations were avoided due to caseworker vaccinations. She said incidents resulted from normal DSS recipient/consumer contacts.
manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The Fulton County Department of Social Services wants to continue use of three caseworkers in schools, which it feels are benefiting troubled and absentee students.
DSS Commissioner Anne Solar recently addressed the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee about the youth education situation at the County Office Building.
She requested authorization to continue a contract with the Gloversville Enlarged School District for two School Intervention Partnership Program, or SIPP caseworkers. The total cost for the caseworkers with salary and fringes is approximately $152,000. The school district reimburses DSS for the local share (25 percent) of costs for salary and benefits. Federal and state funding is also kicked in, and there is no county cost after reimbursement.
manich@leaderherald.com
Fulton County Office for Aging/Youth Director Andrea Fettinger discusses a federal grant at the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee meeting Tuesday at the County Office Building in Johnstown. (The Leader-Herald/Michael Anich)
JOHNSTOWN The Fulton County Office for Aging/Youth was recently informed it received a $27,177 federal grant, nearly half of which will go toward equipment for the senior meals program.
OFA Director-Andrea Fettinger discussed the grant at a recent meeting of the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee at the County Office Building.
The committee voted to accept $27,177 in federal Consolidated Appropriations Act funds and amend the OFA’s budget for this year. The full board will vote on final acceptance May 10.
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Fulton County Community Services Director Ernest Gagnon discusses New York state s new Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act before the Board of Supervisors Human Services Committee Tuesday at the County Office Building in Johnstown. (The Leader-Herald/Michael Anich)
JOHNSTOWN A Fulton County official on Tuesday provided a legislative committee an overview of New York state’s newly-enacted Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA).
County Director of Community Services Ernest Gagnon gave a presentation to the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee at the County Office Building.
“This is a view from 10,000 feet,” Gagnon said.
He provided the committee with information about the new law. He noted that on March 27, state legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a deal to legalize adult-use cannabis and create a consolidated state Office of Cannabis Management. The OCM would be established within the state Liquor Authority. Cuomo
manich@leaderherald.com
JOHNSTOWN The number of persons getting weekly COVID-19 vaccinations at Fulton-Montgomery Community College is subsiding, but county officials are encouraging more use of pharmacies.
Numbers of active COVID cases in Fulton County is also declining.
A COVID update was provided by county Health Director Laurel Headwell to the Board of Supervisors’ Human Services Committee recently at the County Office Building.
Headwell said that to date, Fulton County has had 17,565 people receiving one COVID vaccination; and 13,446 receiving their second shot.
“We are slowing down,” she said of the Thursday’s weekly vaccination POD, or Point of Delivery activity at FMCC.